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sounding trumpets and swaying standards and； high over all； the
purple labarum； woven in gold and jewels；the sacred banner of
Constantine。 Marching and counter…marching； around and around；
and in and out； until it seemed wellnigh endless； the martial
procession passed before the eyes of the northern barbarians；
watchful of every movement； eager as children to witness this
royal review。
〃These are but as a handful of dust amid the sands of the sea to
the troops of the empire；〃 said the prefect Anthemius； when the
glittering rear…guard had passed from the Hippodrome。 And the
Princess Pulcheria added； 〃And these； O men from the north； are
to help and succor the friends of the great emperor； even as they
are for the terror and destruction of his foes。 Bid the
messengers from Ruas the king consider； good Anthemius； whether
it were not wiser for their master to be the friend rather than
the foe of the emperor。 Ask him whether it would not be in
keeping with his valor and his might to be made one of the great
captains of the empire； with a yearly stipend of many pounds of
gold； as the recompense of the emperor for his services and his
love。〃
Again the prefect looked with pleasure and surprise upon this
wise young girl of fifteen； who had seen so shrewdly and so well
the way to the hearts of these northern barbarians； to whom gold
and warlike display were as meat and drink。
〃You hear the words of this wise young maid；〃 he said。 〃Would it
not please Ruas the king to be the friend of the emperor； a
general of the empire； and the acceptor； on each recurring season
of the Circensian games； of full two hundred pounds of gold as
recompense for service and friendship？〃
〃Say； rather； three hundred pounds；〃 said Eslaw； the chief of the
envoys； 〃and our master may； perchance； esteem it wise and fair。〃
〃Nay； it is not for the great emperor to chaffer with his
friends；〃 said Pulcheria； the princess。 〃Bid that the stipend be
fixed at three hundred and fifty pounds of gold； good Anthemius；
and let our guests bear to Ruas the king pledges and tokens of
the emperor's friendship。〃
〃And bid； too； that they do leave yon barbarian boy at our court
as hostage of their faith；〃 demanded young Theodosius the
emperor； now speaking for the first time and making a most stupid
blunder at a critical moment。
For； with a sudden start of revengeful indignation； young Attila
the Hun turned to the boy emperor： 〃I will be no man's hostage；〃
he cried。 〃Freely I came； freely will I go！ Come down from thy
bauble of a chair and thou and I will try； even in your circus
yonder； which is the better boy； and which should rightly be
hostage for faith and promise given
〃How now！〃 exclaimed the boy emperor； altogether unused to such
uncourtier…like language； 〃this to me！〃 And the hasty young Hun
continued：
〃Ay； this and more！ I tell thee； boy； that were I Ruas the king；
the grass should never grow where the hoofs of my war…horse trod；
Scythia should be mine； Persia should be mine； Rome should be
mine。 And look you； sir emperor； the time shall surely come when
the king of the Huns shall be content not with paltry tribute and
needless office； but with naught but Roman treasure and Roman
slaves！〃
But into this torrent of words came Pulcheria's calm voice again。
〃Nay； good Attila； and nay； my brother and my lord；〃 she said。
〃'T were not between friends and allies to talk of tribute； nor
of slaves； nor yet of hostage。 Freely did'st thou come and as
freely shalt thou go； and let this pledge tell of friendship
between Theodosius the emperor and Ruas the king。〃 And； with a
step forward； she flung her own broad chain of gold around the
stout and swarthy neck of the defiant young Attila。
So； through a girl's ready tact and quiet speech； was the terror
of barbarian invasion averted。 Ruas the Hun rested content for
years with his annual salary of three hundred and fifty pounds of
gold； or over seventy thousand dollars； and his title of General
of the Empire； while not for twenty years did the hot…headed
young Attila make good his threat against the Roman power。
Anthemius the prefect； like the wise man he was； recognized the
worth of the young Princess Pulcheria； he saw how great was her
influence over her brother the emperor； and noted with
astonishment and pleasure her words of wisdom and her rare
common…sense。
〃Rule thou in my place； O Princess！〃 he said； soon after this
interview with the barbarian envoys。 〃Thou alone； of all in this
broad empire； art best fitted to take lead and direction in the
duties of its governing。〃
Pulcheria； though a wise young girl； was prudent and
conscientious。
〃Such high authority is not for a girl like me； good Anthemius；〃
she replied。 〃Rather let me shape the ways and the growth of the
emperor my brother； and teach him how best to maintain himself in
a deportment befitting his high estate； so that he may become a
wise and just ruler； but do thou bear sway for him until such
time as he may take the guidance on himself。〃
〃Nay； not so； Princess；〃 the old prefect said。 〃She who can shape
the ways of a boy may guide the will of an empire。 Be thou； then；
Regent and Augusta； and rule this empire as becometh the daughter
of Arcadius and the granddaughter of the great Theodosius。〃
And as he desired； so it was decided。 The Senate of the East
decreed it and； in long procession； over flower…strewn pavements
and through gorgeously decorated streets； with the trumpets
sounding their loudest； with swaying standards； and rank upon
rank of imperial troops； with great officers of the government
and throngs of palace attendants； this young girl of sixteen； on
the fourth day of July； in the year 414； proceeded to the Church
of the Holy Apostles； and was there publicly proclaimed Pulcheria
Augusta； Regent of the East； solemnly accepting the trust as a
sacred and patriotic duty。
And； not many days after； before the high altar of this same
Church of the Holy Apostles； Pulcheria the princess stood with
her younger sisters； Arcadia and Marina； and with all the
impressive ceremonial of the Eastern Church； made a solemn vow to
devote their lives to the keeping of their father's heritage and
the assistance of their only brother； to forswear the world and
all its allurements； never to marry； and to be in all things
faithful and constant to each other in this their promise and
their pledge。
And they were faithful and constant。 The story of those three
determined young maidens； yet scarcely 〃in their teens；〃 reads
almost like a page from Tennyson's beautiful poem； 〃The
Princess；〃 with which many of my girl readers are doubtless
familiar。 The young regent and her sisters； with their train of
attendant maidens； renounced the vanity of dresswearing only
plain and simple robes； they spent their time in making garments
for the poor； and embroidered work for church decorations； and
with song and prayer and frugal meals； interspersed with frequent
fasts； they kept their vow to 〃forswear the world and its
allurements；〃 in an altogether strict and monotonous manner。 Of
course this style of living is no more to be recommended to
healthy； hearty； fun…loving girls of fifteen than is its extreme
of gayety and indulgence； but it had its effect in those bad old
days of dissipation and excess； and the simplicity and soberness
of this wise young girl's life in the very midst of so much power
and luxury； made even the worst elements in the empire respect
and honor her。
It would be interesting； did space permit； to sketch at length
some of the devisings and doings of this girl regent of sixteen。
〃She superintended with extraordinary wisdom；〃 says the old
chronicler Sozemon； 〃the transactions of the Roman government；〃
and 〃afforded the spectacle；〃 says Ozanam； a later historian； 〃of
a girlish princess of sixteen； granddaughter and sole inheritor
of the genius and courage of Theodosius the Great； governing the
empires of the east and west； and being proclaimed on the death
of her brother； Augusta； Imperatrix； and mistress of the world！〃
This last eventthe death of Theodosius the Youngeroccurred in
the year 449； and Pulcheria ascended the golden throne of
Constantinoplethe first woman that ever ruled as sole empress
of the Roman world。
She died July 18； 453。 That same year saw the death of her
youthful acquaintance； Attila the Hun； that fierce barbarian whom
men had called the 〃Scourge of God。〃 His mighty empire stretched
from the great wall of China to the Western Alps； but； though he
ravaged the lands of both eastern and western Rome； he seems to
have been so managed or controlled by the wise and peaceful
measures of the girl regent； that his destroying hordes never
troubled the splendid city by the Golden Horn which offered so
rare and tempting a booty。
It is not given to the girls of