hall resounded with loud and licentious
peals of laughter. In the midst of this intemperate riot, Attila alone,
without a change of countenance, maintained his steadfast and inflexible
gravity; which was never relaxed, except on the entrance of Irnac,
the youngest of his sons: he embraced the boy with a smile of paternal
tenderness, gently pinched him by the cheek, and betrayed a partial
affection, which was justified by the assurance of his prophets, that
Irnac would be the future support of his family and empire. Two days
afterwards, the ambassadors received a second invitation; and they had
reason to praise the politeness, as well as the hospitality, of Attila.
The king of the Huns held a long and familiar conversation with Maximin;
but his civility was interrupted by rude expressions and haughty
reproaches; and he was provoked, by a motive of interest, to support,
with unbecoming zeal, the private claims of his secretary Constantius.

"The emperor" (said Attila) "has long promised him a rich wife:
Constantius must not be disappointed; nor should a Roman emperor deserve
the name of liar." On the third day, the ambassadors were dismissed; the
freedom of several captives was granted, for a moderate ransom, to
their pressing entreaties; and, besides the royal presents, they were
permitted to accept from each of the Scythian nobles the honorable
and useful gift of a horse. Maximin returned, by the same road, to
Constantinople; and though he was involved in an accidental dispute with
Beric, the new ambassador of Attila, he flattered himself that he had
contributed, by the laborious journey, to confirm the peace and alliance
of the two nations. [47]

[Footnote 4511: Was this his own daughter, or the daughter of a person
named Escam? (Gibbon has written incorrectly Eslam, an unknown name.
The officer of Attila, called Eslas.) In either case the construction
is imperfect: a good Greek writer would have introduced an article to
determine the sense. Nor is it quite clear, whether Scythian usage is
adduced to excuse the polygamy, or a marriage, which would be considered
incestuous in other countries. The Latin version has carefully preserved
the ambiguity, filiam Escam uxorem. I am not inclined to construe it
'his own daughter' though I have too little confidence in the uniformity
of the grammatical idioms of the Byzantines (though Priscus is one of
the best) to express myself without hesitation.-M.]

[Footnote 4512: This pas