XXVIII. CHAP popular faint, or martyr"; they would have gazed with astonishment, and indignation, on the profane fpectacle, which had fucceeded to the pure and spiritual worship of a Chriftian congregation. As foon as the doors of the church were thrown open, they must have been offended by the smoke of incenfe, the perfume of flowers, and the glare of lamps and tapers, which diffused, at noon-day, a gawdy, fuperfluous, and, in their opinion, a facrilegious light. If they approached the balustrade of the altar, they made their way through the proftrate crowd, confifting, for the most part, of strangers and pilgrims, who reforted. to the city on the vigil of the feaft; and who already felt the ftrong intoxication of fanaticifin, and, perhaps, of wine. Their devout kiffes were imprinted on the walls and pavement of the facred edifice; and their fervent prayers were directed, whatever might be the language of their church, to the bones, the blood, or the ashes of the faint, which were usually concealed, by a linen or filken veil, from the eyes of the vulgar. The Chriftians frequented the tombs of the martyrs, in the hope of obtaining, from their powerful interceffion, every sort of spiritual, but more especially of temporal, bleffings. They implored the preservation of their health, or the cure of their infirmities; 88 Fauftus the Manichæan accufes the Catholics of idolatry. Vertitis idola in martyres. quos votis fimilibus colitis. M. de Beaufobre (Hift. Critique du Manicheifine, tom. ii. p. 629-700.), a Proteftant, but a philofopher, has reprefented, with candour and learning, the introduction of Christian idolatry in the fourth and fifth centuries. the XXVIII. the fruitfulness of their barren wives, or the fafety CHAP. and happiness of their children. Whenever they undertook any diftant or dangerous journey, they requested, that the holy martyrs would be their guides and protectors on the road; and if they returned, without having experienced any miffortune, they again haftened to the tombs of the martyrs, to celebrate, with grateful thanksgivings, their obligations to the memory and relics of those heavenly patrons. The walls were hung round with fymbols of the favours, which they had received; eyes, and hands, and feet, of gold and filver and edifying pictures, which could not long escape the abuse of indifcreet or idolatrous devotion, reprefented the image, the attributes, and the miracles of the tutelar faint. The fame uniform original spirit of fuperftition might fuggeft, in the most distant ages and countries, the fame methods of deceiving the credulity, and of affecting the fenfes, of mankind : but it must ingenuously be confeffed, that the minifters of the Catholic church imitated the profane model, which they were impatient to deftroy. The moft refpectable bishops had perfuaded themselves, that the ignorant ruftics would more cheerfully renounce the fuperftitions of Paganifm, if they found some resemblance, fome compensation, in 89 The resemblance of superstition, which could not be imitated, might be traced from Japan to Mexico. Warburton has feized this idea, which he diftorts, by rendering it too general and absolute (Divine Legation, vol. iv. p. 126, &c.). CHAP. the bofom of Christianity. The religion of Con XXVIII. ftantine atchieved, in lefs than a century, the final conqueft of the Roman empire: but the victors themselves were infenfibly fubdued by the arts of their vanquished rivals "°. 90 The imitation of Paganism is the fubject of Dr. Middleton's agreeable letter from Rome. Warburton's animadverfions obliged him to connect (vol. iii. p. 120-132.) the history of the two religions; and to prove the antiquity of the Christian copy. CHA P. XXIX. Final Divifion of the Roman Empire between the XXIX. Divifion of the empire between and Hono rius, Jan. 17. HE genius of Rome expired with Theo- CHAP. dofius; the laft of the fucceffors of Auguftus and Conftantine, who appeared in the field at the head of their armies, and whofe authority was univerfally acknowledged throughout the Arcadius whole extent of the empire. The memory of his virtues ftill continued, however, to protect A.D. 395, the feeble and inexperienced youth of his two fons. After the death of their father, Arcadius and Honorius were faluted, by the unanimous confent of mankind, as the lawful emperors of the East, and of the Weft; and the oath of fidelity was eagerly taken by every order of the ftate; the fenates of old and new Rome, the clergy, the magiftrates, the foldiers, and the people. Arcadius, who then was about eighteen years of age, was born in Spain, in the humble habitation of a private family. But he received a princely education in the palace of Conftantinople; and his inglorious life was spent in that peaceful and fplendid feat of royalty, from whence he appeared to reign over the provinces of Thrace, Afia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, from the Lower Danube to the confines of Perfia and Ethiopia. His younger brother, Honorius, affumed, in the eleventh year of XXIX. CHAP. of his age, the nominal government of Italy, Africa, Gaul, Spain, and Britain; and the troops, which guarded the frontiers of his kingdom, were opposed, on one fide, to the Caledonians, and on the other to the Moors. The great and martial præfecture of Illyricum was divided between the two princes; the defence and poffeffion of the provinces of Noricum, Pannonia, and Dalmatia, still belonged to the western empire; but the two large diocefes of Dacia and Macedonia, which Gratian had entrusted to the valour of Theodofius, were for ever united to the empire of the Eaft. The boundary in Europe was not very different from the line which now feparates the Germans and the Turks; and the refpective advantages of territory, riches, populoufnefs, and military ftrength, were fairly balanced and compensated, in this final and permanent divifion of the Roman empire. The hereditary fceptre of the fons of Theodofius appeared to be the gift of nature, and of their father; the generals and minifters had been accustomed to adore the majefty of the royal infants; and the army and people were not admonifhed of their rights, and of their power, by the dangerous example of a recent election. gradual difcovery of the weakness of Arcadius and Honorius, and the repeated calamities of their reign, were not fufficient to obliterate the deep and early impreffions of loyalty. The fubjects of Rome, who ftill reverenced the persons, or rather the names, of their fovereigns, beheld, with equal abhorrence, the rebels who opposed, The and |