476 HUN S. 
flrange unintelligible confufion of the Latin, the Gothic, 
and Hunnic, langtiages ; and the hall refounded with loud 
aud licentious peals of laughter. In the mi cl ft of this in¬ 
temperate riot, Attila alone, without a change of coun¬ 
tenance, maintained his ftedfall and inflexible gravity ; 
which was never relaxed except on the entrance of Irnac, 
the youngeft of his Ions ; he embraced the boy with a 
finile of paternal tendernefs, gently pinched him by the 
cheek, and betrayed a partial affeftion, which was jufti- 
•tified by the affurance of his prophets that Irnac would 
be the future fupport of his family and empire. Two 
days afterwards, the ambafiadors received a lecond invi¬ 
tation ; and they had reafon to praife the politehei’s as well 
as the hofpitaiity of Attila. On the third day the am- 
baffadors were difmifled; the freedom of feveral captives 
was granted for a moderate ranfom to their preffmg en¬ 
treaties ; and, befides the royal prefents, they were per¬ 
mitted to accept from each of the Scythian nobles, the 
uleful gift of a horfe. Maximin returned-by the lame 
road to Conftantinople ; and, though he was involved in 
an accidental difpute with Beric, the new arrlbaffador of 
Attila, he flattered himfelf that he had contributed, by 
the laborious journey, to confirm the peace and alliance 
of the two nations. 
But the Roman ambalfador was ignorant of the trea¬ 
cherous defign which had been concealed under the malk 
of the public faith. The lurprife and fatisfadtion of Ede- 
con, when lie contemplated the fplendour of Conftanti¬ 
nople, had encouraged the interpreter Vigilius to procure 
for him a fecret interview with the eunuch Chrylaphius, 
who governed the emperor and the empire. After fome 
previous converlation, and a mutual oath of fecrecy, the 
eunuch, who had not from his own feelings or experience 
.imbibed any exalted notions of minilterial virtue, ven- 
t.ured to propofe the death of Attila as an important fer- 
vice, by which Edecon might deferve a liberal lliare of 
the wealth and luxury which be had admired. The am- 
bafiador of the Huns liftened to the tempting offer; and 
profelfed with apparent zeal his ability as well as readi- 
nefs to execute the bloody deed : the defign was com¬ 
municated to the mafter of the offices, and the devout 
Theodofius confented to the aflafiination of his invincible 
enemy. But this perfidious confpiracy was defeated by the 
xliilimulation or the repentance of Edecon; and, though 
he might exaggerate his inward abhorrence for the trea- 
fon which he feemed to approve, he dexteroully aliumed 
the merit of an early and voluntary conf’etfion. If we 
now review the embafly of Maximin, and the behaviour 
of Attila, we rnuft applaud the barbarian who refpedted 
the laws of hofpitaiity, and generoufly entertained and 
uilmilfed the minifter cf a prince who had confpired 
againft his life. But the rathnefs of Vigilius will appear 
ftill more extraordinary, fince he returned confcious of 
his guilt and danger to the royal camp, accompanied by 
his lbn, and carrying with him a weighty purfe of gold, 
•which the favourite eunuch had furnilhed to fatisfy the 
demands of Edecon, and to corrupt the fidelity of the 
guards. The interpreter was inftantly feized and drag¬ 
ged before the tribunal of Attila, where he alferted his 
innocence with fpecious firmnefs, till the threat of inflat¬ 
ing inltant death on his fon extorted from him a fincere 
difeovery cf the criminal tranlaflion. Under the name 
of ranfom or confutation, the rapacious king of the Huns 
accepted two hundred pounds of gold for the life of a 
traitor whom he difdained to punifh. He pointed his 
juft indignation againlt a nobler object. His ambafiadors 
Eflaw and Oreftes were immediately difpatched to Con- 
ftantinople, with a peremptory inltruCtion which it was 
much later for them to execute than to difobey. They 
bokllv entered the imperial prefence, with the fatal purfe 
hanging down from the neck of Oreftes; who interrogated 
■the "eunuch Chryfaphius, as he flood befide the throne, 
whether lie recogniled the evidence of his guilt. But the 
office of reproof was referved for the fupei ior dignity of 
•his colleague Efkuv, who gravely addrefled the emperor 
of the eaft in the following words: “Theodofius is the 
fon of an illuftrious and refpectable parent; Attila like- 
wife is defeended from a noble race; and he has fupported 
by his adiions the dignity which he inherited from his 
father Mundzuk. But Theodofius has forfeited his pa¬ 
ternal honours ; and, by confenting to pay tribute, has 
degraded himfelf to the condition of a flave. It is there¬ 
fore juft that he fhould reverence the man whom fortune 
and merit have placed above him, inftead of attempting 
like a wicked flave clandeftinely to confpire againft hi; 
mafter.” The fon of Arcadius, who was accuilomed only 
to the voice of flattery, heard with allonifhment the fe- 
vere language of truth.; he bluflied and trembled; nor 
did he prelume -diredtly to refufe the head of Chryfaphius, 
which Eflaw and Oreftes were jnftructed to demand. A 
folemn embafly, armed with full powers and magnificent 
gifts, was. haftily lent to deprecate the wrath of Attila, 
and his pride was gratified by the choice of Nomiiis and 
Anatolius, two minifters of confular or patrician rank, of 
whom the one was great treafurer, and the other was maf- 
ter-general of the armies of the eaft. He condefcended 
to meet thefe ambafiadors on the banks of the river Dren- 
co; and, though heat firlt affected a Item and haughty 
demeanor, his anger was infenfibly mollified by their elo¬ 
quence and liberality. He condefcended to pardon the 
emperor, the eunuch, and the interpreter, bound himfejf 
by an oath to obferve the conditions of the peace, re¬ 
leafed a great number of captives, abandoned the fugi¬ 
tives and deferters to their fate, and refigned a large ter¬ 
ritory to the fouth of the Danube, which he had exhaulted. 
of its wealth and inhabitants. The emperor Theodofius 
did not long furvive this humiliating event, but being 
thrown from his horfe as he was hunting near Conftanti¬ 
nople, July 28, 4.50, he died in confequence of the fall. 
Upon the advancement of Marcian to the imperial throne 
of the eaftern Roman empire, Attila difpatched to him his 
ambafiadors, to prefs in a peremptory manner the payment 
of the annual tribute. The new emperor fignified to the 
barbarians, that they they muft no longer inlult the ma- 
jelty of Rome by the mention of a tribute, that he was 
difpoled to reward with liberality the friendlhip of his al¬ 
lies, but that if they prefumed to violate the public 
peace they fhould feel that he pofleffed troops and arms 
and resolution to repel their attacks. The fame language” 
even in the camp of the Huns was ufed by his ambaflador 
Apollonius, whole bold refufal to deliver the prefents till 
he had been admitted to a perfonal interview, difplayed a 
fenfe of dignity and a contempt of dangfer which Attila 
was not prepared to expect from the degenerate Romans. 
He threatened to chaftile the rafh fucceffor of Theodofius, 
but he hefitated whether he fhould firft diredt his invin¬ 
cible arms againft the eaftern or : weftern empire. While 
mankind awaited his decifion wii. . ,-i lufpenfe, he lent 
an equal defiance to the courts of R - nna and Conftanti¬ 
nople, and his minifters faluted the tv . perors with the 
lame haughty declaration. “Attila, 1 ■; rd and thy lord, 
commands thee to providea palace for hi . -.mediate recep¬ 
tion.” But as the barbarian defpifed, c. . Jedted to del- 
pife, the Romans of the eaft, whom he h.. fo often van- 
quifhed, he declared his relblution of fufpcndir.g the eafy 
conqueit till he had achieved a more glorious and impor¬ 
tant enterprife. In the memorable invafions of Gaul and 
Italy, the Huns were naturally attracted by the wealth 
and fertility of thole provinces; but the particular mo¬ 
tives of Attila can only be explained by the flute of the 
weftern empire under the reign of Valentinian and the 
adminiftration of AJtius. 
From a principle of intereft as well as gratitude, .^itius 
had affiduoufly cultivated the alliance of the Huns, among 
whom he had refided as a hoftage, and had familiarly con- 
verled with Attiia himfelf. Thus thefe two famous an- 
tagonifts appear to have been connected by a perfonal 
and military friendlhip, which had been confirmed by mu¬ 
tual gifts, frequent embaflies, and the education of Car- 
pillo, the fon of riEtius, in the camp of Attila. 
Under 
