to treat, with suitable
embellishments.

'Moved therefore by the fame of your wisdom and eloquence, we bestow
upon you, by God's grace, the dignity of the Quaestorship, which is
the glory of letters, the temple of _civilitas_, the mother of all the
dignities, the home of continence, the seat of all the virtues.

'To you the Provinces transmit their prayers. From you the Senate
seeks the aid of law. You are expected to suffice for the needs of all
who seek from us the remedies of the law. But when you have done all
this, be not elated with your success, be not gnawed with envy,
rejoice not at the calamities of others; for what is hateful in the
Sovereign cannot be becoming in the Quaestor.

'Exercise the power of the Prince in the condition of a subject; and
may you render a good account to the Judges at the end of your term of
office.'

6. FORMULA OF THE MAGISTERIAL DIGNITY, AND ITS EXCELLENCY (MAGISTER
OFFICIORUM).

[The dignity and powers of the Master of the Offices were continually
rising throughout the Fourth and Fifth Centuries at the cost of the
Praetorian Praefect, many of whose functions were transferred to the
Master.]

[Sidenote: Mastership of the Offices.]

'The Master's is a name of dignity. To him belongs the discipline of
the Palace; he calms the stormy ranks of the insolent Scholares [the
household troops, 10,000 in number, in the palace of the Eastern
Emperor, according to Lydus (ii. 24)]. He introduces the Senators to
our presence, cheers them when they tremble, calms them when they are
speaking, sometimes inserts a word or two of his own, that all may be
laid in an orderly manner before us. It rests with him to fix a day
for the admission of a suitor to our _Aulicum Consistorium_, and to
fulfil his promise. The opportune velocity of the post-horses [the
care of the _Cursus Publicus_] is diligently watched over by him[440].

[Footnote 440: According to Lydus (ii. 10), the Cursus Publicus was
transferred from the Praefect to the Master, and afterwards, in part,
retransferred to the Praefect.]

'The ambassadors of foreign powers are introduced by him, and their
_evectiones_ [free passes by the postal-service] are received from his
hands[441].

[Footnote 441: 'Per eum nominis nostri destinatur evectio.' The above
is a conjectural translation.]

'To an officer with these great functions Antiquity gave great
prerogatives: that no Provincial Governor should assume office without
his consen