"was delivered to the Barbarians, who drove before them, "in a promiscuous crowd, the bishop, the senator, and "the virgin, laden with the spoils of their houses and "altars." From Gaul, September 8th, 409, they passed into Spain. The sword, famine, and pestilence, conspired to convert that fruitful and populous country into a desert; especially the maritime parts. Idatius relates, that the country was ravaged, on one side, by the Barbarians; and on the other side by a dreadful plague; and so great was the famine, that many were reduced to feed on human flesh. Parents, pressed by hunger, devoured their own children; and wild beasts also made dreadful havock of the country people, in the fields and villages. In this state (says Idatius) they continued till the year 411, when heaven inspiring the Barbarians with thoughts of peace, they began to prefer agriculture to war. "Satiated with carnage and rapine (says Gibbon) and afflicted by the contagious evils which they themselves had introduced, "they fixed their permanent seats in the depopulated "country. The ancient Gallicia, whose limits included "the kingdom of Old Castile, was divided between the "Suevi and the Vandals; the Alans were scattered over "the provinces of Carthagena, and Lusitania, from the "Mediterranean to the Atlantic ocean; and the fruitful "territory of Botica was allotted to the Silingi, another "branch of the Vandalic nation."*

And what was passing in Britain during these ravages and destructions of the continent? For if the calamities of this trumpet are especially directed against the maritime provinces of Roine, it is to be expected that that island experienced extraordinary evils. Yes, the Britons also dated the commencement of that series of calamities which ruined their country, and ended in their subjection to the Saxons, from the year 407. The Scots and Picts had, for some time, been troublesome neighbours to the inhabitants of the Roman province in this island; but hitherto the vigilance of the Roman arm had successfully guarded them. "But those restless Barbarians could not "neglect the fair opportunity of the Gothic war, when "the walls and stations of the province were stripped of "the Roman troops." + Constantine, who, from a com†

See Gibbon, Vol. V. page 350-355, and Univer, Anc. Hist, Vol. XVII. page 227-230.

Gibbon, Vol. V. p. 228.

mon soldier, was raised to be emperor in Britain, A. D. 407, had driven the Barbarians out of the province; but passing over to Gaul with the soldiers, and flower of the British youth, to oppose the Vandalic hordes, the Britons were more harrassed than ever by the Scots and Picts, and other northern nations, who, meeting with little or no opposition, invaded their country, and, ravaging it with fire and sword, soon reduced it to a most miserable condition. In this state they continued from the year 407 to 410, when, having in vain implored assistance, they withdrew their obedience from Rome.

66

"At the same time that the Britons withdrew their "obedience from Rome, the Armorican provinces (a name which comprehended the maritime countries of "Gaul, between the Seine and the Loire) resolved to "imitate their example.. They expelled the Roman ma

gistrates, who acted under the authority of the usurper "Constantine, and a free government was established "among a people, who had so long been subject to the "arbitrary will of a master. The independence of Bri"tain and Armorica was soon confirmed by Honorius "himself."*

The Franks now occupied the island of the Batavians, together with the extensive district of Brabant," which 66 may deserve (says Gibbon) to be considered as the oriσε ginal seat of their Gallic monarchy." Amiens was soon after the capital of their kingdom.

But again, the Emperor sent a legion to the assistance of the Britons; but no sooner were the Roman soldiers recalled to the continent, to resist the torrent of Barbarians that poured in from every quarter upon the empire, than the enemy again returned, and ravaged the country

of the Britons far and wide. The last assistance the Roinans afforded them was in the year 421. For a while, the enemy was driven from their territory; but, this assistance being soon withdrawn, the enemy no sooner learnt the defenceless state of the Britons, than, landing in swarms from their leathern vessels, they committed greater ravages than ever; destroying all they found with fire and sword. This general lavock and devastation occasioned a dreadful famine, from whence new mischiefs arose; and a kind of civil war among the Britons themselves. In vain they supplicated Rome for help; for it

* Gibbon, Vol. V. p. 363.

was not only here that the Imperial power was attacked by the irresistible violence of the Barbarians, but all was destruction, to the Roman empire, on every side.

In this deplorable state the Britons continued, with very little respite, till 450, when they invited the Saxons to their assistance. We know the consequence.

But to return to the Barbarians in Spain. They continued to ravage the country, and oppress the inhabitants. Nor were the miseries of the people alleviated by the Vandals, Suevians, and Alans, turning their arms against each other; or by the Visigoths, settled in Gaul, making war upon their invaders. But the progress of the Visigoths making this country an unpleasant abode, the Vandals and Alans, who now had the terrible Genseric for their king, leaving the Suevians in Spain, in the month of May, 428, passed over into Africa. A new scene of naval destructions and maritime calamities follow, which go far to establish our application of the prophetic vision. "The name of the terrible Genseric (says Gibbon) has "deserved, in the destruction of the Roman empire, an 66 equal rank with the names of Alaric and Attila."

It would be tedious to enter into the minutiae of the history of those dreadful maritime and naval calamities, which overwhelmed the Roman empire, from this period till the Western part of it was entirely ruined. In vain did the Roman general oppose the rapid progress of the Barbarians. "The victorious enemy insulted the open "country, and Carthage, Cirta, and Hippo Regius, were "the only cities that appeared to rise above the general "inundation. The long and narrow tract of the African. "coast was filled with frequent monuments of Roman "art and magnificence-the country was extremely po"pulous.-On a sudden the seven fruitful provinces, from "Tangier to Tripoli, were overwhelmed by the invasion "of the Vandals.-The Vandals, where they found re❝sistance, seldom gave quarter; and the deaths of their "valiant countrymen were expiated by the ruin of the "cities under whose walls they had fallen."* After they had over-run all Africa, and had every where committed the most dreadful ravages, a peace was concluded between Genseric and the Romans, in the year 435; the Roman Emperor ceding to Genseric part of Numidia; the province of Proconsularis, and likewise Byzacene.

Gibbon, Vol. VI. p. 20,

Inspired by thirst for plunder, Genseric had resolved to create a naval power. "The woods of Mount Atlas af"forded an inexhaustible nursery of timber; his new "subjects were skilled in the arts of navigation and shipbuilding; he animated his daring Vandals to embrace "a mode of warfare, which would render every maritime "country accessible to their arms; the Moors and Afri"cans were allured by the hopes of plunder; and, after " an interval of six centuries, the fleets which issued from "the ports of Carthage again claimed the empire of the "Mediterranean. The success of the Vandals; the con66 quest of Sicily; the sack of Palermo; and the frequent "descents on the coast of Lucania, awakened and alarm"ed the mother of Valentinian, and sister of Theodosius. "Alliances were formed; and armaments, expensive and "ineffectual, were prepared for the destruction of the "common enemy.' In the year 440, Genseric put to sea with a large fleet, which put Italy into a great alarm. In June, he made a descent on Sicily, and returned to Africa with a great booty.-Thus a man, who but the other day had not a single ship of war, in an instant creates a powerful navy, and becomes the terror and ruin of that proud people, who, for ages, had rode triuinphant in every sea!-But we are to remember whose servant he was; and who summoned him to chastise a corrupt and hypocritical people.

To assist Valentinian (the Emperor of the West), Theodosius (the Emperor of the East) fitted out a fleet of eleven hundred large ships, and embarking the flower of his army, ordered them to land in Africa, that they might join the Western forces, and drive Genseric out of the countries he had usurped; but the artful Vandal negociated till the season of action was elapsed. And in the following year, having excited Attila, the king of the Huns, (whom we shall hereafter find to be one of the principal agents employed by Providence to execute the divine judgments) to invade the Eastern empire, Theodosius yielded to Genseric the countries he had seized.

In the year 455, the Emperor Valentinian being murdered, and Genseric receiving a pressing invitation, from his widow Eudoxia, to come and revenge his death, he steered his course immediately for Rome, which he took,

i

* Gibbon, Vol. VI. p. 46. See also Univer, An. Hist. Vol. XVII. p. 231-243.

and plundered. "The pillage lasted fourteen days and "nights; and all that yet remained of public or private "wealth, of sacred or profane treasure, was diligently "transported to the vessels of Genseric. Among the "spoils, the splendid relics of two temples, or rather of "two religions, exhibited a memorable example of the "vicissitude of human and divine things. Since the abo"lition of paganism, the capitol had been violated and "abandoned; yet the statues of the Gods and heroes "were still respected; and the curious roof of gilt bronze 66 was reserved for the rapacious hands of Genseric. The "holy instruments of the Jewish worship, the gold table, " and the gold candlestick, with seven branches, originally "framed according to the instructions of God himself; " and which were placed in the sanctuary of the temple, "had been ostentatiously displayed to the Roman people,

in the triumph of Titus. They were afterwards depo"sited in the temple of peace; and at the end of four "hundred years, the spoils of Jerusalem were transported "from Rome to Carthage, by a Barbarian who derived "his origin from the shores of the Baltic." Many thousand Romans, of both sexes, were carried into capti vity, and their distress was aggravated by the unfeeling Barbarians, who, in the division of the booty, separated the wives from their husbands, and the children from their parents. †.

In Spain, at this period, the Suevians were laying waste the country far and wide, but especially the maritime parts. A. D. 455, they over-ran and pillaged the province of Carthagenia. They afterwards broke into Tarraco, and laid it waste, carrying away with them into Gallicia, a great booty, and a vast number of prisoners. In the year 457, they rushed unexpectedly into Lusitania (Modern Portugal), pillaged the country; put great numbers to the sword; and, by treachery, made themselves 'masters of Lisbon. The more northern coasts were now infested by the Saxons. §

Genseric still carried on his depredations on all the shores of the Mediterranean. A fleet of 300 vessels, which the Romans fitted out to go against him in the year 457, and which was taking in troops in the Bay of Alicant,

* Gibbon, Vol. VI. page 152.

Univer. Anc. Hist. Vol. XIV. page 421. Vol. XVII. page 235. Gibbon, page 151.

Page 450-452.

§ Page 237.