Somewerebathingtheirhugelimbsintheriver；otherswerecombingtheirlongandflaxenhair；othersagainwereswallowinglargedraughtsofrichanddeliciouswine。OnasuddentheyheardthesoundoftheRomantrumpet；theysawtheenemyintheircamp。Astonishmentproduceddisorder；disorderwasfollowedbyflightanddismay；andtheconfusedmultitudeofthebravestwarriorswaspiercedbytheswordsandjavelinsofthelegionariesandauxiliaries。Thefugitivesescapedtothethird，andmostconsiderable，camp，intheCatalonianplains，nearChalonsinChampagne:thestragglingdetachmentswerehastilyrecalledtotheirstandard；andtheBarbarianchiefs，alarmedandadmonishedbythefateoftheircompanions，preparedtoencounter，inadecisivebattle，thevictoriousforcesofthelieutenantofValentinian。Thebloodyandobstinateconflictlastedawholesummer\'sday，withequalvalor，andwithalternatesuccess。TheRomansatlengthprevailed，withthelossofabouttwelvehundredmen。SixthousandoftheAlemanniwereslain，fourthousandwerewounded；andthebraveJovinus，afterchasingtheflyingremnantoftheirhostasfarasthebanksoftheRhine，returnedtoParis，toreceivetheapplauseofhissovereign，andtheensignsoftheconsulshipfortheensuingyear。^91ThetriumphoftheRomanswasindeedsulliedbytheirtreatmentofthecaptiveking，whomtheyhungonagibbet，withouttheknowledgeoftheirindignantgeneral。Thisdisgracefulactofcruelty，whichmightbeimputedtothefuryofthetroops，wasfollowedbythedeliberatemurderofWithicab，thesonofVadomair；aGermanprince，ofaweakandsicklyconstitution，butofadaringandformidablespirit。ThedomesticassassinwasinstigatedandprotectedbytheRomans；^92
andtheviolationofthelawsofhumanityandjusticebetrayedtheirsecretapprehensionoftheweaknessofthedecliningempire。Theuseofthedaggerisseldomadoptedinpubliccouncils，aslongastheyretainanyconfidenceinthepowerofthesword。
[Footnote88:Ammian，xxvi。5。Valesiusaddsalongandgoodnoteonthemasteroftheoffices。]
[Footnote89:Ammian。xxvii。1。Zosimus，l。iv。p。208。ThedisgraceoftheBataviansissuppressedbythecontemporarysoldier，fromaregardformilitaryhonor，whichcouldnotaffectaGreekrhetoricianofthesucceedingage。]
[Footnote90:SeeD\'Anville，Noticedel\'AncienneGaule，p。587。