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chap, xli] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 319 successive generations of mankind. The nations of antiquity, careless of each other's safety, were separately vanquished and enslaved by the Eomans. This awful lesson might have in- structed the Barbarians of the West to oppose, with timely counsels and confederate arms, the unbounded ambition of Justinian. Yet the same error was repeated, the same conse- quences were felt, and the Goths, both of Italy and Spain, in- sensible of their approaching danger, beheld with indifference, and even with joy, the rapid downfall of the Vandals. After the failure of the royal line, Theudes, a valiant and powerful [a.d. 531] chief, ascended the throne of Spain, which he had formerly administered in the name of Theodoric and his infant grandson. Under his command the Visigoths besieged the fortress of Ceuta on the African coast ; but, while they spent the Sabbath-day in peace and devotion, the pious security of their camp was in- vaded by a sally from the town ; and the king himself, with some difficulty and danger, escaped from the hands of a sacri- legious enemy. 54 It was not long before his pride and resent- ment were gratified by a suppliant embassy from the unfortunate Gelimer, who implored, in his distress, the aid of the Spanish monarch. But, instead of sacrificing these unworthy passions to the dictates of generosity and prudence, Theudes amused the ambassadors, till he was secretly informed of the loss of Car- thage, and then dismissed them with obscure and contemptuous advice, to seek in their native country a true knowledge of the state of the Vandals. 55 The long continuance of the Italian conquests war delayed the punishment of the Visigoths ; and the eyes of Romans Theudes were closed before they tasted the fruits of his mis- iV 550-620 taken policy. After his death, the sceptre of Spain was disputed by a civil war. The weaker candidate solicited the protection of Justinian, and ambitiously subscribed a treaty of alliance, which deeply wounded the independence and happiness of his country. Several cities, both on the ocean and the Mediter- ranean, were ceded to the Koman troops, who afterwards refused to evacuate those pledges, as it should seem, either of 54 Isidor. Chron. p. 722, edit. Grot. Mariana, Hist. Hispan. 1. v. c. 8, p. 173. Yet, according to Isidore, the siege of Ceuta and the death of Theudes happened a. m. h. 586, a.d. 548 [this is not implied by Isidore] ; and the place was defended, not by the Vandals, but by the Eomans. [Maximus of Saragossa (Chronica Minora, ii. 221) puts the death of Theudes in a.d. 544.] 55 Procopius, Vandal. 1. i. c. 24.