at that time
the superintendent of Julian's stables, was ordered to select the best
men of the Scutarii and Gentiles,[111] and to bring them also to join
the emperor.

4. Julian made no remonstrance, but obeyed these orders, yielding in all
respects to the will of the emperor. But on one point he could not
conceal his feelings nor keep silence: but entreated that those men
might be spared from this hardship who had left their homes on the other
side of the Rhine, and had joined his army on condition of never being
moved into any country beyond the Alps, urging that if this were known,
it might be feared that other volunteers of the barbarian nations, who
had often enlisted in our service on similar conditions, would be
prevented from doing so in future. But he argued in vain.

5. For the tribune, disregarding his complaints, carried out the
commands of the emperor, and having chosen out a band suited for forced
marches, of pre-eminent vigour and activity, set out with them full of
hope of promotion.

6. And as Julian, being in doubt what to do about the rest of the troops
whom he was ordered to send, and revolving all kinds of plans in his
mind, considered that the matter ought to be managed with great care, as
there was on one side the fierceness of the barbarians, and on the other
the authority of the orders he had received (his perplexity being
further increased by the absence of the commander of the cavalry), he
urged the prefect, who had gone some time before to Vienne under the
pretence of procuring corn, but in reality to escape from military
troubles, to return to him.

7. For the prefect bore in mind the substance of a report which he was
suspected to have sent some time before, and which recommended the
withdrawing from the defence of Gaul those troops so renowned for their
valour, and already objects of dread to the barbarians.

8. The prefect, as soon as he had received Julian's letters, informing
him of what had happened, and entreating him to come speedily to him to
aid the republic with his counsels, positively refused, being alarmed
because the letters expressly declared that in any crisis of danger the
prefect ought never to be absent from the general. And it was added that
if he declined to give his aid, Julian himself would, of his own accord,
renounce the emblems of authority, thinking it better to die, if so it
was fated, than to have the ruin of the provinces attributed to him. But
the obstin