and，asareportwasindustriouslycirculated，thattheyweresummonedtoreceivealiberalgiftoflandsandmoney，thepleasinghopeallayedthefuryoftheirresentment，and，perhaps，suspendedthemotionsoftheconspiracy。Ontheappointedday，theunarmedcrowdoftheGothicyouthwascarefullycollectedinthesquareorForum；thestreetsandavenueswereoccupiedbytheRomantroops，andtheroofsofthehouseswerecoveredwitharchersandslingers。Atthesamehour，inallthecitiesoftheEast，thesignalwasgivenofindiscriminateslaughter；andtheprovincesofAsiaweredeliveredbythecruelprudenceofJulius，fromadomesticenemy，who，inafewmonths，mighthavecarriedfireandswordfromtheHellesponttotheEuphrates。^103Theurgentconsiderationofthepublicsafetymayundoubtedlyauthorizetheviolationofeverypositivelaw。Howfarthat，oranyother，considerationmayoperatetodissolvethenaturalobligationsofhumanityandjustice，isadoctrineofwhichI

　　stilldesiretoremainignorant。

　　[Footnote102:EunapiusinExcerpt。Legat。p。20foolishlysupposesapraeternaturalgrowthoftheyoungGoths，thathemayintroduceCadmus\'sarmedmen，whosprangfromthedragon\'steeth，&c。SuchwastheGreekeloquenceofthetimes。]

　　[Footnote103:Ammianusevidentlyapprovesthisexecution，efficaciaveloxetsalutaris，whichconcludeshiswork，xxxi。

　　16。Zosimus，whoiscuriousandcopious，l。iv。p。233—236，

......

购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empir",免费读到尾