^18Nocommunicationwasallowedbetweentheirapartments；thedoorsandpassageswerediligentlyfortified，andguardspostedandrelievedwiththesamestrictnessasinabesiegedplace。
Theemperorsmetonlyinpublic，inthepresenceoftheirafflictedmother；andeachsurroundedbyanumeroustrainofarmedfollowers。Evenontheseoccasionsofceremony，thedissimulationofcourtscouldilldisguisetherancoroftheirhearts。^19
[Footnote18:Mr。HumeisjustlysurprisedatapassageofHerodian，l。iv。p。139，who，onthisoccasion，representstheImperialpalaceasequalinextenttotherestofRome。ThewholeregionofthePalatineMount，onwhichitwasbuilt，occupied，atmost，acircumferenceofelevenortwelvethousandfeet，seetheNotitiaandVictor，inNardini\'sRomaAntica。Butweshouldrecollectthattheopulentsenatorshadalmostsurroundedthecitywiththeirextensivegardensandsuburbpalaces，thegreatestpartofwhichhadbeengraduallyconfiscatedbytheemperors。IfGetaresidedinthegardensthatborehisnameontheJaniculum，andifCaracallainhabitedthegardensofMaecenasontheEsquiline，therivalbrotherswereseparatedfromeachotherbythedistanceofseveralmiles；andyettheintermediatespacewasfilledbytheImperialgardensofSallust，ofLucullus，ofAgrippa，ofDomitian，ofCaius，&c。，allskirtingroundthecity，andallconnectedwitheachother，andwiththepalace，bybridgesthrownovertheTiberandthestreets。ButthisexplanationofHerodianwouldrequire，thoughitilldeserves，aparticulardissertation，illustratedbyamapofancientRome。Hume，EssayonPopulousnessofAncientNations。—M。]
[Footnote19:Herodian，l。iv。p。139]
Thislatentcivilwaralreadydistractedthewholegovernment，whenaschemewassuggestedthatseemedofmutualbenefittothehostilebrothers。Itwasproposed，thatsinceitwasimpossibletoreconciletheirminds，theyshouldseparatetheirinterest，anddividetheempirebetweenthem。Theconditionsofthetreatywerealreadydrawnwithsomeaccuracy。