The emperor afcended a lofty throne, and, in a fpeech full of reafon and dignity, declared his intention both to the people and to the soldiers, who were affembled on this extraordinary occafion. As foon as he had divefted himself of the purple, he withdrew from the gazing multitude; and traverfing the city in a covered chariot, proceeded, without delay, to the favourite retirement which he had chofen in his native country of Dalmatia. The emperor, who, from a fervile origin, had raised himself to the throne, paffed the last nine years of his life in a private condition at Salona. Reafon had dictated, and content seems to have accompanied, his retreat, in which he enjoyed for a long time the respect of those princes to whom he had refigned the poffeffion of the world. It is feldom that minds long exercised in business have formed any habits of converfing with themselves; and in the lofs of power they principally regret the want of occupation. The amusements of letters and of devotion, which afford fo many resources in Solitude, were incapable of fixing the attention of DIOCLESIAN but he had preserved, or, at least, he foon recovered, a tafte for the moft innocent as well as natural pleasures; and his leisure hours were fufficiently employed in building, planting, and gardening. His answer to MAXIMIAN is defervedly celebrated. He was folicited by that : restless reftlefs old man to reaffume the reins of government and the imperial purple. He rejected the temptation with a smile of pity, calmly observing, that if he could fhew MAXIMIAN the cabbages he had planted at Salona, he fhould no longer be urged to relinquish the enjoyment of happiness for the pursuit of power. In his converfations with his friends, he frequently acknowledged, that of all arts the most difficult was that of reigning; and he expreffed himself on that favourite topic with a degree of warmth which could be the refult only of experience. "How often," was he accustomed to fay, "is "it the intereft of four or five minifters to com"bine together to deceive their sovereign! Se"cluded from mankind by his exalted dignity, "the truth is concealed from his knowledge; "he can only fee with their eyes; he hears no"thing but their misrepresentations. He con"fers the most important offices upon vice and "weakness, and disgraces the most virtuous.and "deferving among his fubjects: and by fuch "infamous acts the best and wifeft princes are "fold to the venal corruption of their cour"tiers." A just estimate of greatness, and the affurance of immortal fame, improve our relish for the pleasures of Retirement. ZENOBIA, the celebrated queen of Palmyra and the East, a female whose superior genius broke broke through the fervile indolence imposed on hèr fex by the climate and manners of Afia, the moft lovely as well as the most heroic of her sex, who spread the terror of her arms over Arabia, Armenia, and Perfia, and kept even the legions of the Roman empire in awe, was, after the two great battles of Antioch and Emefa, at length fubdued, and made the illuftrious captive of the emperor AURELIAN; but the conqueror refpecting the fex, the beauty, the courage, and endowments of the Syrian queen, not only preferved her life, but prefented her with an elegant villa at Tibur or Tivoli, about twenty miles from Rome; where, in happy tranquillity, the fed the greatness of her foul with the noble images of HOMER, and the exalted precepts of PLATO; fupported the adverfity of her fortunes with fortitude and resignation; and learnt that the anxieties attendant on ambition are happily exchanged for the enjoyments of ease, and the comforts of philosophy.* CHARLES * ZENOBIA claimed her descent from the Macedonian kings of Egypt, equalled in beauty her ancestor CLEOPATRA, and far furpaffed that princefs in chastity and valour. This accomplished woman gave her hand to ODENATHUS, who, froma private ftation, raised himself to the dominion of the Eaft. She foon became the friend and companion of a hero; and his fuccefs in obtaining splendid victories over the great king whom they twice pursued as far as the gates of Ctesiphon, was in a great measure CHARLES THE FIFTH refigned the government of the empire to his brother the king of the measure afcribed to her incomparable prudence and fortitude. ODENATHUS was treacherously murdered by MONIUS, his nephew; but the traitor was justly facrificed by ZENOBIA to the memory of her husband. She filled the vacant throne; and, inftead of the little paffions which fo frequently perplex a female reign, administered the affairs of state by the most judicious maxims of policy: but it must be observed, that she enjoyed the extraordinary advantage of having the great LONGINUS for her counsellor and friend. The emperor AURELIAN, in an original letter written by him to the Roman fenate during the fiege of Palmyra, pays the highest compliment to her abilities, and describes the many difficulties he had to encounter; but his fortune and perfeverance furmounted every obftacle; and ZENOBIA, disappointed of receiving the expected fuccours from her allies, was obliged to fly on one of the fleeteft of her dromedaries from her tottering metropolis. She had already reached the banks of the Euphrates, when she was overtaken by the pursuit of AURELIAN's light horse, seized, and brought back a captive to the feet of the conqueror. When the Syrian queen was brought into his prefence, he fternly asked her why she had prefumed to rife in arms against the emperor of Rome. "Because," #eplied the captive queen, "I difdained to confider as Roman Emperors, an AUREOLUS or a GALLIENUS: you alone I acknowledge as my conqueror and fovereign." Her courage, however, deferted her in the hour of trial; and throwing the guilt of her obftinate refiftance on her advisers, ignominiously purchafed life by the facrifice of her fame and friends. But Mr. GIBBON feelingly obferves, the fame of LONGINUS, who was included among the numerous and, perhaps, innocent victims of her fear, will furvive that of the queen, who betrayed, or the tyrant who condemned, him. Genius and learning were inca pable 1 the Romans; and transferred all claims of obedience and allegiance to him from the Germanic body, in order that he might no longer be detained from that retreat for which he long had languifhed. In paffing, fome years before, from Valladolid to Placentia, in the province of Eftramadura, he was struck with the delightful fituation of the monaftery of ST. JUSTUS, belonging to the order of ST. JEROME, not many miles diftant from the town; and observed to some of his attendants, that this was a spot to which DIOCLESIAN might have retired with pleasure. The impreffion remained upon his mind, and he determined to make it the place of his own retreat. It was feated in a vale of no great extent, watered by a small brook, and furrounded by rifing grounds covered with lofty trees; and from the nature of the foil, as well as the temptation of the climate, was efteemed the moft healthful and delicious fituation in SPAIN. Some/ months before his refignation, he had sent an architect thither to add a new apartment to the monastery for his accommodation; but he gave ftrict orders that the ftyle of the building should be pable of moving a fierce, unlettered foldier; but they had ferved to elate and harmonize the foul of LONGINUS. Without uttering a complaint, he calmly followed the executioner, pitying his unhappy mistress, and beftowing comfort on his afflicted friends. |