the admirable harmony of all his features--filled up the
dignity and beauty of an appearance which bespoke a monarch.

X.

Sec. 1. After the last honours had been paid to the emperor, and his body
had been prepared for burial, in order to be sent to Constantinople to
be there entombed among the remains of former emperors, the campaign
which was in preparation was suspended, and people began to be anxious
as to what part would be taken by the Gallic cohorts, who were not
always steady in loyalty to the lawful emperor, but looked upon
themselves as the disposers of power, and were regarded by others as
very likely to venture on some new enterprise at so favourable a moment.
This circumstance also was likely to aid any attempt that might be made
at a revolution, that Gratian, who knew nothing of what had taken place,
was still at Treves, where his father, when about to set out on his own
expedition, had desired him to wait.

2. While affairs were in this state of uncertainty, and when every one
shared the same fears, looking on themselves as all in the same boat,
and sure to be partners in danger, if danger should arise, at last it
was decided by the advice of the principal nobles to take up the bridge
which had been necessarily made when they meditated invading the
territories of the enemy, in order that, in compliance with the commands
given by Valentinian while alive, Merobaudes might be at once summoned
to the camp.

3. He, being a man of great cunning and penetration, divined what had
happened (perhaps indeed he had been informed of it by the messenger who
brought him his summons), and suspecting that the Gallic troops were
likely to break the existing concord, he pretended that a token which
had been agreed upon had been sent to him that he was to return with the
messenger to watch the banks of the Rhine; since the fury of the
barbarians was again menacing hostilities, and (in compliance with a
secret injunction which he received, at the same time) he removed to a
distance. Sebastian also as yet was ignorant of the death of the
emperor; and he being an orderly and quietly disposed man, but very
popular among the soldiers, required on that account to be strictly
watched.

4. Accordingly when Merobaudes had returned, the chief men took careful
counsel as to what was to be done; and at last it was arranged that the
child Valentinian, the son of the deceased emperor, at that time a boy
of four years old, should