It was a government in continual fluctuation from one to many, and from many again to a single hand.

Each state did not subsist long enough independent to fall into those orders and connected classes of men that are necessary to a regular commonwealth; nor had they time to grow into those virtuous partialities from which nations derive the first principle of their stability.
The events which follow sufficiently illustrate these reflections, and will show the reason of introducing them in this place, with regard to the Empire in general, and to Britain more particularly.
In the division which Diocletian first made of the Roman territory, the western provinces, in which Britain was included, fell to Maximian.

It was during his reign that Britain, by an extraordinary revolution, was for some time entirely separated from the body of the Empire.

Carausius, a man of obscure birth, and a barbarian, (for now not only the army, but the senate, was filled with foreigners,) had obtained the government of Boulogne.

He was also intrusted with the command of a fleet stationed in that part to oppose the Saxon pirates, who then began cruelly to infest the northwest parts of Gaul and the opposite shore of Britain.