s almost cut through. A few
garrisons at the necks of land, and a fleet to connect them and to awe
the coast, must at any time have been sufficient irrecoverably to subdue
that part of Britain. This was a neglect in Agricola occasioned probably
by a limited command; and it was not rectified by boundless authority in
Severus. The Caledonians again resumed their arms, and renewed their
ravages on the Roman frontier. Severus died before he could take any new
measures; and from his death there is an almost total silence concerning
the affairs of Britain until the division of the Empire.

Had the unwieldy mass of that overgrown dominion been effectively
divided, and divided into large portions, each forming a state, separate
and absolutely independent, the scheme had been far more perfect. Though
the Empire had perished, these states might have subsisted; and they
might have made a far better opposition to the inroads of the barbarians
even than the whole united; since each nation would have its own
strength solely employed in resisting its own particular enemies. For,
notwithstanding the resources which might have been expected from the
entireness of so great a body, it is clear from history that the Romans
were never able to employ with effect and at the same time above two
armies, and that on the whole they were very unequal to the defence of a
frontier of many thousand miles in circuit.

But the scheme which was pursued, the scheme of joint emperors, holding
by a common title, each governing his proper territory, but not wholly
without authority in the other portions, this formed a species of
government of which it is hard to conceive any just idea. It was a
government in continual fluctuation from one to many, and from many
again to a single hand. Each state did not subsist long enough
independent to fall into those orders and connected classes of men that
are necessary to a regular commonwealth; nor had they time to grow into
those virtuous partialities from which nations derive the first
principle of their stability.

The events which follow sufficiently illustrate these reflections, and
will show the reason of introducing them in this place, with regard to
the Empire in general, and to Britain more particularly.

In the division which Diocletian first made of the Roman territory, the
western provinces, in which Britain was included, fell to Maximian. It
was during his reign that Britain, by an extraordinary revolu