Though such storms raged on either hand, though the twofold tempest buffeted the torn empire on this side and on that, no whit did our consul’s courage yield to weariness, but ever watchful against threatening doom and soon to win prosperous issue, shone greater amid dangers: as the ship’s pilot, tossed in mid Aegean by the storms of rainy Orion, eludes the waves’ buffeting by the least turn of the tiller, skilfully guiding his vessel now on straight, now on slanting course, and struggles successfully against the conjoint fury of sea and sky.
At what, Stilicho, shall I first marvel? At the providence that resisted all intrigues, whereby no treacherous missive, no bribe-fraught hand escaped thy notice? Or because that amid the general terror thou spakest no word unworthy of Latium? Or because thou didst ever give haughty answer to the East and later made that answer
[192] Africa belonged to the West. Gildo, in the words of Zosimus (v. 11. 2), ἀφίστησι τήν χῶραν τῆς Ὁνωρίου βασιλείας καὶ τῇ Ἀρκαδίου προστίθησιν.
securus, quamvis et opes et rura tenerent
insignesque domos? levis haec iactura; nec umquam
publica privatae cesserunt commoda causae.
dividis ingentes curas teque omnibus unum 300
obicis, inveniens animo quae mente gerenda,
efficiens patranda manu, dictare paratus