andthougheachoftheseillustriousofficerswasmorepeculiarlyresponsibleforthedisciplineofthosetroopswhichwereunderhisimmediateinspection，theybothindifferentlycommandedinthefieldtheseveralbodies，whetherofhorseorfoot，whichwereunitedinthesamearmy。^126Theirnumberwassoondoubledbythedivisionoftheeastandwest；andasseparategeneralsofthesamerankandtitlewereappointedonthefourimportantfrontiersoftheRhine，oftheUpperandtheLowerDanube，andoftheEuphrates，thedefenceoftheRomanempirewasatlengthcommittedtoeightmasters—generalofthecavalryandinfantry。
Undertheirorders，thirty—fivemilitarycommanderswerestationedintheprovinces:threeinBritain，sixinGaul，oneinSpain，oneinItaly，fiveontheUpper，andfourontheLowerDanube；inAsia，eight，threeinEgypt，andfourinAfrica。Thetitlesofcounts，anddukes，^127bywhichtheywereproperlydistinguished，haveobtainedinmodernlanguagessoverydifferentasense，thattheuseofthemmayoccasionsomesurprise。Butitshouldberecollected，thatthesecondofthoseappellationsisonlyacorruptionoftheLatinword，whichwasindiscriminatelyappliedtoanymilitarychief。Alltheseprovincialgeneralswerethereforedukes；butnomorethantenamongthemweredignifiedwiththerankofcountsorcompanions，atitleofhonor，orratheroffavor，whichhadbeenrecentlyinventedinthecourtofConstantine。Agoldbeltwastheensignwhichdistinguishedtheofficeofthecountsanddukes；andbesidestheirpay，theyreceivedaliberalallowancesufficienttomaintainonehundredandninetyservants，andonehundredandfifty—eighthorses。Theywerestrictlyprohibitedfrominterferinginanymatterwhichrelatedtotheadministrationofjusticeortherevenue；butthecommandwhichtheyexercisedoverthetroopsoftheirdepartment，wasindependentoftheauthorityofthemagistrates。AboutthesametimethatConstantinegavealegalsanctiontotheecclesiasticalorder，heinstitutedintheRomanempirethenicebalanceofthecivilandthemilitarypowers。Theemulation，andsometimesthediscord，whichreignedbetweentwoprofessionsofoppositeinterestsandincompatiblemanners，wasproductiveofbeneficialandofperniciousconsequences。Itwasseldomtobeexpectedthatthegeneralandthecivilgovernorofaprovinceshouldeitherconspireforthedisturbance，orshouldunitefortheservice，oftheircountry。
Whiletheonedelayedtooffertheassistancewhichtheotherdisdainedtosolicit，thetroopsveryfrequentlyremainedwithoutordersorwithoutsupplies；thepublicsafetywasbetrayed，andthedefencelesssubjectswereleftexposedtothefuryoftheBarbarians。ThedividedadministrationwhichhadbeenformedbyConstantine，relaxedthevigorofthestate，whileitsecuredthetranquillityofthemonarch。
[Footnote124:SeeaverysplendidexampleinthelifeofAgricola，particularlyc。20，21。ThelieutenantofBritainwasintrustedwiththesamepowerswhichCicero，proconsulofCilicia，hadexercisedinthenameofthesenateandpeople。]
[Footnote125:TheAbbeDubos，whohasexaminedwithaccuracyseeHist。delaMonarchieFrancoise，tom。i。p。41—100，edit。