XXVII. С НА Р. more convenient season, her intentions of revenge. The mother of Valentinian could never forgive the triumph of Ambrofe; and the royal youth uttered a paffionate exclamation, that his own fervants were ready to betray him into the hands of an infolent priest. A.D. 385. The laws of the empire, fome of which were infcribed with the name of Valentinan, still condemned the Arian herefy, and feemed to excufe the refiftance of the Catholics. By the influence of Justin, an edict of toleration was promulgated in all the provinces which were fubject to the court of Milan; the free exercife of their religion was granted to thofe who profeffed the faith of Rimini; and the emperor declared, that all perfons who fhould infringe this facred and falutary conftitution, fhould be capitally punished, as the enemies of the public peace". The character and language of the archbishop of Milan may justify the fufpicion, that his conduct foon afforded a reasonable ground, or at least a fpecious pretence, to the Arian minifters; who watched the opportunity of furprising him in fome act of difobedience to a law, which he ftrangely reprefents as a law of blood and tyranny. A fentence of eafy and honourable banishment was pronounced, which enjoined Ambrofe to depart from Milan without delay; whilft it permitted him to chufe the place of his exile, and the number of his companions. But the authority of the faints, who have preached and practifed the maxims of 65 Sozomen alone (1. vii. c. 13.) throws this luminous fact into a dark and perplexed narrative. paffive XXVII. paffive loyalty, appeared to Ambrofe 'of lefs mo- CHAP. ment than the extreme and preffing danger of the church. He boldly refufed to obey; and his refufal was fupported by the unanimous confent of his faithful people. They guarded by turns the person of their archbishop; the gates of the cathedral and the epifcopal palace were strongly fecured; and the Imperial troops, who had formed the blockade, were unwilling to risk the attack, of that impregnable fortrefs. The numerous poor, who had been relieved by the liberality of Ambrofe, embraced the fair occafion of fignalizing their zeal and gratitude; and as the patience of the multitude might have been exhaufted by the length and uniformity of nocturnal vigils, he prudently introduced into the church of Milan the useful institution of a loud and regular pfalmody. While he maintained this arduous conteft, he was inftructed, by a dream, to open the earth in a place where the remains of two martyrs, Gervafius and Protafius "7, had been depofited above three hundred years. Immediately under the pavement of the church two perfect skeletons were found, with the heads feparated from their bodies, 66 Excubabat pia plebs in ecclefiâ mori parata cum epifcopo fuo... Nos adhuc frigidi excitabamur tamen civitate attonitâ atque turbatâ. Augustin. Confeffion. 1. ix. c. 7. 67 Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. ii. p. 78. 498. Many churches in Italy, Gaul, &c. were dedicated to these unknown martyrs, of whom St. Gervafe feems to have been mare fortunate than his companion. 68 Invenimus miræ magnitudinis viros duos, ut prifca ætas ferebat. Tom. ii. epift. xxii. p. 875. The fize of these skeletons was fortunately, or skilfully, fuited to the popular prejudice of the gra dual CHAP. bodies, and a plentiful effufion of blood. The XXVII. holy relics were prefented, in folemn pomp, to the veneration of the people; and every circum-/ ftance of this fortunate difcovery was admirably adapted to promote the defigns of Ambrofe. The bones of the martyrs, their blood, their garments, were fuppofed to contain a healing power; and the præternatural influence was communicated to the most diftant objects, without lofing any part of its original virtue. The extraordinary cure of a blind man 69, and the reluctant confeffions of feveral dæmoniacs, appeared to justify the faith and fanctity of Ambrose; and the truth of thofe miracles is attefted by Ambrose himself, by his fecretary Paulinus, and by his profelyte, the celebrated Auguftin, who, at that time, profeffed the art of rhetoric in Milan. The reason of the prefent age may poffibly approve the incredulity of Juftina and her Arian court; who derided the theatrical reprefentations, which were exhibited by the contrivance, and at the expence, of the archbishop 7. Their effect, however, on the minds of the people, was rapid and irresistible; and the feeble fovereign of Italy found himself 70 dual decreafe of the human ftature; which has prevailed in every age fince the time of Homer. Grandiaque effoflis mirabitur offa fepulchris 69 Ambrof. tom ii. epift. xxii. p. 875. Auguftin. Confef. 1. ix. c. 7. de Civitat. Dei, 1. xxii. c. 8. Paulin. in Vitâ St. Ambrof. The blind man's name was c. 14. in Append. Benedi&. p. 4. 70 Paulin. in Vit. St. Ambrof. c. 5. in Append. Benedict. p. 5. unable to contend with the favourite of heaven. The powers likewife of the earth interpofed in the defence of Ambrofe; the difinterested advice of Theodofius was the genuine refult of piety and friendship; and the mask of religious zeal concealed the hoftile and ambitious defigns of the tyrant of Gaul ". CHA P. XXVII. Italy, A.D. 387, Auguft. The reign of Maximus might have ended in Maximus peace and profperity, could he have contented invades himself with the poffeffion of three ample countries, which now constitute the three most flourifhing kingdoms of modern Europe. But the afpiring ufurper, whofe fordid ambition was not dignified by the love of glory and of arms, confidered his actual forces as the inftruments only of his future greatness, and his success was the immediate caufe of his deftruction. The wealth which he extorted " from the oppreffed provinces of Gaul, Spain, and Britain, was employed in levying and maintaining a formidable army of Barbarians, collected, for the most part, from the fierceft nations of Germany. The conqueft of Italy was the object of his hopes and preparations; and he fecretly meditated the ruin of an innocent youth, whofe government was abhorred and defpifed by his Catholic fubjects. But as Maximus. wifhed to occupy, without resistance, the passes of 71 Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom, x. p. 190.750. He partially allows the mediation of Theodofius; and capriciously rejects that of Maximus, though it is attested by Profper, Sozomen, and Theodoret. 72 The modeft cenfure of Sulpicius (Dialog. iii. 15.) inflicts a much deeper wound than the feeble declamation of Pacatus (xii. 25, 26.). the CHAP. 73 the Alps, he received, with perfidious fmiles, Domninus of Syria, the ambaffador of Valentinian, and preffed him to accept the aid of a confiderable body of troops, for the service of a Pannonian war. The penetration of Ambrose had discovered the fnares of an enemy under the profeffions of friendship "3; but the Syrian Domninus was corrupted, or deceived, by the liberal favour of the court of Treves; and the council of Milan obftinately rejected the fufpicion of danger, with a blind confidence, which was the effect, not of courage, but of fear. The march of the auxiliaries was guided by the ambassador; and they were admitted, without diftruft, into the fortreffes of the Alps. But the crafty tyrant followed, with hafty and filent footsteps, in the rear ; and, as he diligently intercepted all intelligence of his motions, the gleam of armour, and the dust excited by the troops of cavalry, first announced the hostile approach of a stranger to the gates of Milan. In this extremity, Juftina and her fon might accuse their own imprudence, and the perfidious arts of Maximus; but they wanted time, and force, and refolution, to ftand against the Gauls and Germans, either in the field, or within the walls of a large and difaffected city. Flight was their only hope, Aquileia their only refuge; and as Maximus now difplayed his genuine character, the brother of Gratian might expect the fame fate from the hands of the fame affaffin. 73 Efto tutior adverfus hominem, pacis involucro tegentem, was the wife caution of Ambrofe (tom. ii. p. 891.), after his return from his fecond embaffy. Maximus |