and，asareportwasindustriouslycirculated，thattheyweresummonedtoreceivealiberalgiftoflandsandmoney，thepleasinghopeallayedthefuryoftheirresentment，and，perhaps，suspendedthemotionsoftheconspiracy。Ontheappointedday，theunarmedcrowdoftheGothicyouthwascarefullycollectedinthesquareorForum；thestreetsandavenueswereoccupiedbytheRomantroops，andtheroofsofthehouseswerecoveredwitharchersandslingers。Atthesamehour，inallthecitiesoftheEast，thesignalwasgivenofindiscriminateslaughter；andtheprovincesofAsiaweredeliveredbythecruelprudenceofJulius，fromadomesticenemy，who，inafewmonths，mighthavecarriedfireandswordfromtheHellesponttotheEuphrates。^103Theurgentconsiderationofthepublicsafetymayundoubtedlyauthorizetheviolationofeverypositivelaw。Howfarthat，oranyother，considerationmayoperatetodissolvethenaturalobligationsofhumanityandjustice，isadoctrineofwhichI
stilldesiretoremainignorant。
[Footnote102:EunapiusinExcerpt。Legat。p。20foolishlysupposesapraeternaturalgrowthoftheyoungGoths，thathemayintroduceCadmus\'sarmedmen，whosprangfromthedragon\'steeth，&c。SuchwastheGreekeloquenceofthetimes。]
[Footnote103:Ammianusevidentlyapprovesthisexecution，efficaciaveloxetsalutaris，whichconcludeshiswork，xxxi。
16。Zosimus，whoiscuriousandcopious，l。iv。p。233—236，