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| Death of Constantius, who leaves his Son Constantine Emperor. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter XXI.—Death of
Constantius, who leaves his Son Constantine Emperor.3095
3095 Βασιλεύς. The writer of the chapter headings uses this word here and
Augustus in the following chapter, but it does not seem to mean
technically “Cæsar,” and so the rendering emperor is
retained. |
Immediately, therefore, on his escape from the plots which had been thus
insidiously laid for him, he made his way with all haste to his father,
and arrived at length at the very time that he was lying at the point
of death.3096
3096 This seems to imply that Constantine reached him only after he was
sick in bed, i.e. at York in Britain; but other accounts make it
probable that he joined him at Boulogne before he sailed on this last
expedition to Britain. Compare Prolegomena. | As soon as Constantius saw his son
thus unexpectedly in his presence, he leaped from his couch, embraced
him tenderly, and, declaring that the only anxiety which had troubled
him in the prospect of death, namely, that caused by the absence of his
son, was now removed, he rendered thanks to God, saying that he now
thought death better than the longest life,3097
3097 Literally, “than immortality [on earth].” | and at once completed the arrangement of
his private affairs. Then, taking a final leave of the circle of sons
and daughters by whom he was surrounded, in his own palace, and on the
imperial couch, he bequeathed the empire, according to the law of
nature,3098
3098 It will hardly be agreed that imperial succession is a law of
nature anyway. Rather, “the succession [where it exists] is
established by the express will or the tacit consent of the
nation,” and the “pretended proprietary right…is a
chimera” (Vattell, Law of Nations, Phila., 1867, p. 24,
25). That primogeniture is a natural law has been often urged, but it
seems to be simply the law of first come first served. The English
custom of primogeniture is said to have risen from the fact that in
feudal times the eldest son was the one who, at the time of the
father’s death, was of an age to meet the duties of feudal tenure
(compare Kent, Commentaries, Boston, 1867, v. 4, p. 420, 421).
This is precisely the fact respecting Constantine. His several brothers
were all too young to be thought of. | to his eldest son, and breathed
his last.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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