ing to the practice of civilized nations, by
the most solemn protestations, that each party was sincerely desirous of
peace.

[Footnote 2: See Ruinart, Hist. Persecut. Vandal. c. xii. p. 589. His
best evidence is drawn from the life of St. Fulgentius, composed by
one of his disciples, transcribed in a great measure in the annals of
Baronius, and printed in several great collections, (Catalog. Bibliot.
Bunavianae, tom. i. vol. ii. p. 1258.)]

[Footnote 3: For what quality of the mind or body? For speed, or beauty,
or valor?--In what language did the Vandals read Homer?--Did he speak
German?--The Latins had four versions, (Fabric. tom. i. l. ii. c. 8,
p. 297:) yet, in spite of the praises of Seneca, (Consol. c. 26,) they
appear to have been more successful in imitating than in translating the
Greek poets. But the name of Achilles might be famous and popular even
among the illiterate Barbarians.]

The report of an African war was grateful only to the vain and idle
populace of Constantinople, whose poverty exempted them from tribute,
and whose cowardice was seldom exposed to military service. But the
wiser citizens, who judged of the future by the past, revolved in their
memory the immense loss, both of men and money, which the empire had
sustained in the expedition of Basiliscus. The troops, which, after
five laborious campaigns, had been recalled from the Persian frontier,
dreaded the sea, the climate, and the arms of an unknown enemy. The
ministers of the finances computed, as far as they might compute, the
demands of an African war; the taxes which must be found and levied to
supply those insatiate demands; and the danger, lest their own lives, or
at least their lucrative employments, should be made responsible for the
deficiency of the supply. Inspired by such selfish motives, (for we may
not suspect him of any zeal for the public good,) John of Cappadocia
ventured to oppose in full council the inclinations of his master. He
confessed, that a victory of such importance could not be too dearly
purchased; but he represented in a grave discourse the certain
difficulties and the uncertain event. "You undertake," said the
praefect, "to besiege Carthage: by land, the distance is not less than
one hundred and forty days' journey; on the sea, a whole year [4] must
elapse before you can receive any intelligence from your fleet. If
Africa should be reduced, it cannot be preserved without the additional
conquest of Sicily and