rigour of a Gallic winter, he never fuffered a fire in his bed-chamber; and after a short and interrupted slumber, he frequently rofe in the middle of the night from a carpet fpread on the floor, to dispatch any urgent bufinefs, to vifit his rounds, or to steal a few moments for the prosecution of his favourite ftudies". The precepts of eloquence, which he had hitherto practifed on fancied topics of declamation, were more usefully applied to excite or to affuage the paffions of an armed multitude and although Julian, from his early habits of converfation and literature, was more familiarly acquainted with the beauties of the Greek language, he had attained a competent know. ledge of the Latin tongue". Since Julian was not originally defigned for the character of a legislator, or a judge, it is probable that the civil jurifprudence of the Romans had not engaged any confiderable share of his attention; but he derived from his philofophic ftudies an inflexible regard for juftice, tempered by a difpofition to clemency; the knowledge of the general principles of equity and evidence, and the faculty of patiently inveftigating the most intricate and tedious queftions which could be proposed for his difcuffion. The measures of policy, and the operations of war, muft fubmit to the various accidents of circumftance and character, and the unpractifed ftudent will often be perplexed in the application of the most perfect theory. But in the acquifition of this important fcience, Julian was affifted by the active vigour of his own genius, as

XIX.

CHAP.
XIX.

His first campaign

in Gaul,

well as by the wisdom and experience of Salluft, an officer of rank, who foon conceived a fincere attachment for a prince fo worthy of his friendship, and whofe incorruptible integrity was adorned by the talent of infinuating the harsheft truths, without wounding the delicacy of a royal ear".

the

Immediately after Julian had received purple at Milan, he was fent into Gaul, with a A. D. 356. feeble retinue of three hundred and fixty foldiers. At Vienna, where he paffed a painful and anxious winter, in the hands of thofe minifters to whom Conftantius had entrusted the direction of his conduct, the Cæfar was informed of the fiege and deliverance of Autun. That large and ancient city, protected only by a ruined wall and pufillanimous garrifon, was faved by the generous refolution of a few veterans, who refumed their arms for the defence of their country. In his march from Autun, through the heart of the Gallic provinces, Julian embraced with ardour the earliest opportunity of fignalizing his courage. At the head of a fmall body of archers, and heavy cavalry, he preferred the shorter but the more dangerous of two roads; and fometimes eluding, and fometimes refifting, the attacks of the Barba rians, who were mafters of the field, he arrived with honour and fafety at the camp near Rheims, where the Roman troops had been ordered to af femble. The aspect of their young prince revived the drooping fpirit of the foldiers, and they marched from Rheims in fearch of the enemy,

with a confidence which had almost proved fatal CHAP to them. The Alemanni, familiarized to the XIX. knowledge of the country, fecretly collected their fcattered forces, and feizing the opportunity of a dark and rainy day, poured with unexpected fury on the rear-guard of the Romans. Before the inevitable diforder could be remedied, two legions were deftroyed; and Julian was taught by experience, that caution and vigilance are the most important leffons of the art of war. In a fecond and more successful action, he recovered and established his military fame; but as the agility of the Barbarians faved them from the purfuit, his victory was neither bloody nor decifive. He advanced, however, to the banks of the Rhine furveyed the ruins of Cologne, convinced himself of the difficulties of the war, and retreated on the approach of winter, difcontented with the court, with his army, and with his own fuccefs". The power of the enemy was yet unbroken; and the Cæfar had no fooner feparated his troops, and fixed his own quarters at Sens, in the centre of Gaul, than he was furrounded and befieged by a numerous hoft of Germans. Reduced in this extremity to the resources of his own mind, he dif played a prudent intrepidity which compensated for all the deficiencies of the place and garrifon; and the Barbarians, at the end of thirty days, were obliged to retire with disappointed rage.

The confcious pride of Julian, who was in-. debted only to his fword for this fignal deliverance, was embittered by the reflection, that he

His fecond campaign,

A. D. 357.

СНАР.
XIX.

was abandoned, betrayed, and perhaps devoted to deftruction, by thofe who were bound to affist him by every tie of honour and fidelity. Marcellus, mafter-general of the cavalry in Gaul, interpreting too ftrictly the jealous orders of the court, beheld with fupine indifference the distress of Julian, and had reftrained the troops under his command from marching to the relief of Sens. If the Cæfar had diffembled in filence fo dangerous an infult, his perfon and authority would have been exposed to the contempt of the world; and if an action fo criminal had been fuffered to pass with impunity, the emperor would have confirmed the fufpicions, which received a very specious colour from his past conduct towards the princes of the Flavian family. Marcellus was recalled, and gently difmiffed from his office ". In his room Severus was appointed general of the cavalry; an experienced foldier, of approved courage and fidelity, who could advise with refpect, and execute with zeal; and who fubmitted, without reluctance, to the fupreme command which Julian, by the intereft of his patronefs Eufebia, at length obtained over the armies of Gaul". A very ju dicious plan of operations was adopted for the ap proaching campaign. Julian himself, at the head of the remains of the veteran bands, and of fome new levies which he had been permitted to form, boldly penetrated into the centre of the German cantonments, and carefully re-eftablished the fortifications of Saverne, in an advantageous post, which would either check the incurfions, or in

At the fame

tercept the retreat, of the enemy.
time Barbatio, general of the infantry, advanced
from Milan with an army of thirty thousand men,
and paffing the mountains, prepared to throw a
bridge over the Rhine, in the neighbourhood of
Bafil. It was reasonable to expect that the Ale-
manni, preffed on either fide by the Roman arms,
would foon be forced to evacuate the provinces of
Gaul, and to haften to the defence of their native
country. But the hopes of the campaign were
defeated by the incapacity, or the envy, or the fe-
cret inftructions, of Barbatio; who acted as if he
had been the enemy of the Cæfar, and the fecret
ally of the Barbarians. The negligence with
which he permitted a troop of pillagers freely to
pass, and to return almost before the gates of his
camp, may be imputed to his want of abilities;
but the treasonable act of burning a number of
boats, and a fuperfluous stock of provifions, which
would have been of the most effential fervice to
the army of Gaul, was an evidence of his hoftile
and criminal intentions. The Germans defpifed
an enemy who appeared deftitute either of power
or of inclination to offend them; and the igno-
minious retreat of Barbatio deprived Julian of the
expected support; and left him to extricate him-
felf from a hazardous fituation, where he could
neither remain with fafety, nor retire with ho-

As foon as they were delivered from the fears of invafion, the Alemanni prepared to chaftife the Roman youth, who prefumed to difpute the

CHAP.
XIX.

Battle of

Strafburgh,

A. D. 357,

Auguft.