Hisdutywastoattendtheemperorinhishoursofstate，orinthoseofamusement，andtoperformabouthispersonallthosemenialservices，whichcanonlyderivetheirsplendorfromtheinfluenceofroyalty。Underaprincewhodeservedtoreign，thegreatchamberlainforsuchwemaycallhimwasausefulandhumbledomestic；butanartfuldomestic，whoimproveseveryoccasionofunguardedconfidence，willinsensiblyacquireoverafeeblemindthatascendantwhichharshwisdomanduncomplyingvirtuecanseldomobtain。ThedegenerategrandsonsofTheodosius，whowereinvisibletotheirsubjects，andcontemptibletotheirenemies，exaltedthepraefectsoftheirbed—chamberabovetheheadsofalltheministersofthepalace；
^142andevenhisdeputy，thefirstofthesplendidtrainofslaveswhowaitedinthepresence，wasthoughtworthytorankbeforetherespectableproconsulsofGreeceorAsia。Thejurisdictionofthechamberlainwasacknowledgedbythecounts，orsuperintendents，whoregulatedthetwoimportantprovincesofthemagnificenceofthewardrobe，andoftheluxuryoftheImperialtable。^1432。Theprincipaladministrationofpublicaffairswascommittedtothediligenceandabilitiesofthemasteroftheoffices。^144Hewasthesuprememagistrateofthepalace，inspectedthedisciplineofthecivilandmilitaryschools，andreceivedappealsfromallpartsoftheempire，inthecauseswhichrelatedtothatnumerousarmyofprivilegedpersons，who，astheservantsofthecourt，hadobtainedforthemselvesandfamiliesarighttodeclinetheauthorityoftheordinaryjudges。Thecorrespondencebetweentheprinceandhissubjectswasmanagedbythefourscrinia，orofficesofthisministerofstate。Thefirstwasappropriatedtomemorials，thesecondtoepistles，thethirdtopetitions，andthefourthtopapersandordersofamiscellaneouskind。Eachofthesewasdirectedbyaninferiormasterofrespectabledignity，andthewholebusinesswasdespatchedbyahundredandforty—eightsecretaries，chosenforthemostpartfromtheprofessionofthelaw，onaccountofthevarietyofabstractsofreportsandreferenceswhichfrequentlyoccurredintheexerciseoftheirseveralfunctions。Fromacondescension，whichinformerageswouldhavebeenesteemedunworthytheRomanmajesty，aparticularsecretarywasallowedfortheGreeklanguage；andinterpreterswereappointedtoreceivetheambassadorsoftheBarbarians；butthedepartmentofforeignaffairs，whichconstitutessoessentialapartofmodernpolicy，seldomdivertedtheattentionofthemasteroftheoffices。Hismindwasmoreseriouslyengagedbythegeneraldirectionofthepostsandarsenalsoftheempire。
Therewerethirty—fourcities，fifteenintheEast，andnineteenintheWest，inwhichregularcompaniesofworkmenwereperpetuallyemployedinfabricatingdefensivearmor，offensiveweaponsofallsorts，andmilitaryengines，whichweredepositedinthearsenals，andoccasionallydeliveredfortheserviceofthetroops。3。Inthecourseofninecenturies，theofficeofquaestorhadexperiencedaverysingularrevolution。IntheinfancyofRome，twoinferiormagistrateswereannuallyelectedbythepeople，torelievetheconsulsfromtheinvidiousmanagementofthepublictreasure；^145asimilarassistantwasgrantedtoeveryproconsul，andtoeverypraetor，whoexercisedamilitaryorprovincialcommand；withtheextentofconquest，thetwoquaestorsweregraduallymultipliedtothenumberoffour，ofeight，oftwenty，and，forashorttime，perhaps，offorty；^146
andthenoblestcitizensambitiouslysolicitedanofficewhichgavethemaseatinthesenate，andajusthopeofobtainingthehonorsoftherepublic。WhilstAugustusaffectedtomaintainthefreedomofelection，heconsentedtoaccepttheannualprivilegeofrecommending，orratherindeedofnominating，acertainproportionofcandidates；anditwashiscustomtoselectoneofthesedistinguishedyouths，toreadhisorationsorepistlesintheassembliesofthesenate。^147ThepracticeofAugustuswasimitatedbysucceedingprinces；theoccasionalcommissionwasestablishedasapermanentoffice；andthefavoredquaestor，assuminganewandmoreillustriouscharacter，alonesurvivedthesuppressionofhisancientanduselesscolleagues。^148Astheorationswhichhecomposedinthenameoftheemperor，^149
acquiredtheforce，and，atlength，theform，ofabsoluteedicts，hewasconsideredastherepresentativeofthelegislativepower，theoracleofthecouncil，andtheoriginalsourceoftheciviljurisprudence。HewassometimesinvitedtotakehisseatinthesupremejudicatureoftheImperialconsistory，withthePraetorianpraefects，andthemasteroftheoffices；andhewasfrequentlyrequestedtoresolvethedoubtsofinferiorjudges:
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