XXVIII. CHAP. the feat of empire. But the dignity of their facred character was ftill protected by the laws and manners of their country; and they ftill continued, more especially the college of pontiffs, to exercise in the capital, and sometimes in the provinces, the rights of their ecclefiaftical and civil jurisdiction. Their robes of purple, chariots of state, and fumptuous entertainments, attracted the admiration of the people; and they received, from the confecrated lands, and the public revenue, an ample ftipend, which liberally fupported the splendour of the priesthood, and all the expences of the religious worship of the state. As the fervice of the altar was not incompatible with the command of armies, the Romans, after their confulfhips and triumphs, aspired to the place of pontiff, or of augur; the feats of Cicero and Pompey were filled, in the fourth century, by the most illuftrious members of the fenate; and the dignity of their birth reflected additional splendour on their facerdotal character. The fifteen priests, who compofed the college of pontiffs, enjoyed a more distinguished rank as the companions of their fovereign; and the Chriftian emperors condescended to accept the robe and enfigns, which were appropriated to the office of fupreme pontiff. But when Gratian afcended the throne, more fcrupulous, or more enlightened, 5 Cicero, frankly (ad Atticum, I. ii. epift. 5.), or indirectly (ad Familiar. 1. xv. epist. 4.), confeffes, that the Augurate is the fupreme object of his wifhes. Pliny is proud to tread in the footsteps of Cicero (1. iv. epift. 8.), and the chain of tradition might be continued from hiftory, and marbles. XXVIII. he fternly rejected those prophane fymbols; ap- CHAP. plied to the service of the ftate, or of the church, the revenues of the priests and veftals; abolished their honours and immunities; and diffolved the ancient fabric of Roman fuperftition, which was fupported by the opinions, and habits, of eleven hundred years. Paganism was ftill the conftitutional religion of the fenate. The hall, or temple, in which they affembled, was adorned by the statue and altar of victory'; a majestic female ftanding on a globe, with flowing garments, expanded wings, and a crown of laurel in her out-ftretched hand". The fenators were fworn on the altar of the goddess, to observe the laws of the emperor and of the empire; and a folemn offering of wine and incenfe was the ordinary prelude of their public deliberations". The removal of this ancient monument was the only injury which Conftantius had offered to the fuperftition of the Romans. The altar of Victory was again restored by Julian, tolerated by Valentinian, and once more banished from the fenate by the zeal of Gratian ". But the emperor yet 6 Zofimus, l. iv. p. 249, 250. I have fuppreffed the foolish pun about Pontifex and Maximus. 7 This ftatue was transported from Tarentum to Rome, placed in the Curia Julia by Cæfar, and decorated by Auguftus with the spoils of Egypt. 8 Prudentius (1. ii. in initio) has drawn a very awkward portrait of Victory but the curious reader will obtain more fatisfaction from Montfaucon's Antiquities (tom. i. p. 341.). 9 See Suetonius (in Auguft. c. 35.), and the Exordium of Pliny's Panegyric. 10 These facts are mutually allowed by the two advocates, Symmachus and Ambrofe. fpared CHAP. fpared the ftatues of the gods which were expofed twenty-four temples, or chapels, ftill remained to fatisfy the devotion of the people; and in every quarter of Rome, the delicacy of the Chriftians was offended by the fumes of idolatrous facrifice". 12 But the Chriftians formed the leaft numerous party in the fenate of Rome "2; and it was only by their abfence, that they could exprefs their diffent from the legal, though profane, acts of a Pagan majority. In that affembly, the dying embers of freedom were, for a moment, revived and inflamed by the breath of fanaticifm. Four respectable deputations were fucceffively voted to the Imperial court 3, to reprefent the grievances. of the priesthood and the fenate; and to folicit the restoration of the altar of Victory. The conduct of this important business was entrusted to the eloquent Symmachus 14, a wealthy and noble II The Notitia Urbis, more recent than Conftantine, does not find one. Chriftian church worthy to be named among the edifices of the city. Ambrofe (tom. ii. epift. xvii. p. 825.) deplores the public fcandals of Rome, which continually offended the eyes, the ears, and the noftrils of the faithful, 12 Ambrofe repeatedly affirms, in contradiction to common fenfe (Moyle's Works, vol. ii. p. 147.), that the Chriftians had a majoity in the fenate. 13 The firft (A. D. 382.) to Gratian, who refused them audience. The fecond (A. D. 384.) to Valentinian, when the field was difputed by Symmachus and Ambrofe. The third (A.D. 388.) to Theodofius; and the fourth (A. D. 392.) to Valentinian. Lardner (Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 372-399.) fairly represents the whole tranfaction. 14 Symmachus, who was invefted with all the civil and facerdotal honours, represented the emperor under the two characters of Pon 1 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 97 XXVIII. noble fenator, who united the facred characters of CHAP. tifex Maximus, and Princeps Senatus. See the proud inscription at the head of his works. 15 As if any one, fays Prudentius (in Symmach. i. 639.), should dig in the mud with an inftrument of gold and ivory. Even faints, and polemic faints, treat this adverfary with refpect and civility. VOL. V. H Secret CHAP. fecret of the univerfe eludes the enquiry of man. XXVIII. Where reafon cannot inftruct, cuftom may be 1 permitted to guide; and every nation feems to gray hairs referved for fuch intolerable difgrace? I am ignorant of the new fyftem, that "I am required to adopt; but I am well affured, "that the correction of old age is always an un« grateful cc |