XXIII. CHAP. enmity of Julian deprived the clergy of the privileges which had been conferred by the favour of Conftantine, they complained of the most cruel oppreffion; and the free toleration of idolaters and heretics was a fubject of grief and scandal to the orthodox party 13. The acts of violence, which were no longer countenanced by the magiftrates, were ftill committed by the zeal of the people. At Peffinus, the altar of Cybele was overturned almoft in the prefence of the emperor; and in the city of Cæfarea in Cappadocia, the temple of Fortune, the fole place of worfhip which had been left to the Pagans, was deftroyed by the rage of a popular tumult. On thefe occafions, a prince, who felt for the honour of the gods, was not difpofed to interrupt the courfe of justice; and his mind was still more deeply exafperated, when he found, that the fanatics, who had deferved and suffered the nishment of incendiaries, were rewarded with the honours of martyrdom "37. The Chriftian pu fubjects of Julian were affured of the hoftile defigns of their fovereign; and, to their jealous apprehenfion, every circumstance of his government might afford fome grounds of discontent 136 Hear the furious and abfurd complaint of Optatus (de Schifmat. Donatift. 1. ii. c. 16, 17.). 137 Greg. Nazianzen, Orat. iii. p. 91. iv. p. 133. He praises the rioters of Cæfarea, τουτων δε των μεγαλοφυών και θερμών εις Ευσέβειαν, See Sozomen, l. v. 4. II. Tillemont (Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 649, 650.) owns, that their behaviour was not, dans l'ordre commun; but he is perfectly satisfied, as the great St. Bafil always celebrated the festival of these blessed martyrs. and XXIII. and fufpicion. In the ordinary administration of CHA P. the laws, the Chriftians, who formed fo large a part of the people, muft frequently be condemned but their indulgent brethren, without examining the merits of the cause, prefumed their innocence, allowed their claims, and imputed the severity of their judge to the partial malice of religious perfecution 38. These prefent hardships, intolerable as they might appear, were reprefented as a flight prelude of the impending calamities. The Chriftians confidered Julian as a cruel and crafty tyrant; who fufpended the execution of his revenge, till he fhould return victorious from the Perfian war. They expected, that as foon as he had triumphed over the foreign enemies of Rome, he would lay aside the irksome mask of dissimulation; that the amphitheatres would ftream with the blood of hermits and bishops; and that the Christians, who still persevered in the profeffion of the faith, would be deprived of the common benefits of nature and fociety 139. fociety '39. Every calumny 140 that Every could 138 Julian determined a law-suit against the new Christian city at Maiuma, the port of Gaza; and his fentence, though it might be imputed to bigotry, was never reversed by his fucceffors. Sozomen, l. v. c. 3. Reland. Palestin. tom. ii. p. 791. 139 Gregory (Orat. iii. p. 93, 94, 95. Orat. iv. p. 114.) pretends to speak from the information of Julian's confidents, whom Orofius (vii. 30.) could not have seen. 140 Gregory (Orat. iii. p. 91.) charges the Apoftate with secret facrifices of boys and girls; and positively affirms, that the dead bodies were thrown into the Orontes. See Theodoret, 1. iii. c. 26, 27.; and the equivocal candour of the Abbé de la Bleterie, Vie de Julien, p, 351, 352. Yet contemporary malice could not impute to XXIII. CHA P. could wound the reputation of the Apoftate, was credulously embraced by the fears and hatred of his adverfaries; and their indifcreet clamours provoked the temper of a fovereign, whom it was their duty to refpect, and their intereft to flatter. They ftill protefted, that prayers and tears were their only weapons against the impious tyrant, whofe head they devoted to the justice of offended Heaven. But they infinuated, with fullen refolution, that their fubmiflion was no longer the effect of weakness; and that, in the imperfect state of human virtue, the patience, which is founded on principle, may be exhausted by perfecution. It is impoffible to determine how far the zeal of Julian would have prevailed over his good fenfe and humanity: but, if we feriously reflect on the ftrength and spirit of the church, we fhall be convinced, that, before the emperor could have extinguished the religion of Chrift, he must have involved his country in the horrors of a civil war 14. Julian the troops of martyrs, more especially in the West, which Baronius fo greedily fwallows, and Tillemont fo faintly rejects (Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 1295-1315.). 141 The refignation of Gregory is truly edifying (Orat. iv. p. 123, 124). Yet, when an officer of Julian attempted to seize the church of Nazianzus, he would have loft his life, if he had not yielded to the zeal of the bishop and people (Orat. xix p. 308.). See the reflections of Chryfoftom, as they are alleged by Tillemont (Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 575.). CHA P. XXIV. Refidence of Julian at Antioch.-His fuccefsful Expedition against the Perfians.-Paffage of the Tigris.-The Retreat and Death of Julian.Election of Jovian.-He faves the Roman Army by a difgraceful Treaty. THE XXIV. The Ca fars of Ju lian. HE philofophical fable which Julian com- CHA P. pofed under the name of the CÆSARS', is one of the most agreeable and inftructive productions of ancient wit. During the freedom and equality of the days of the Saturnalia, Romulus prepared a feast for the deities of Olympus, who had adopted him as a worthy affociate, and for the Roman princes, who had reigned 'over his martial people, and the vanquished nations of the earth. The immortals were placed in just order on their thrones of ftate, and the table of the Cæfars was fpread below the Moon, See this fable or fatire, p. 306-336. of the Leipfig edition of Julian's works. The French verfion of the learned Ezekiel Spanheim (Paris, 1683.) is coarse, languid, and correct; and his notes, proofs, illuftrations, &c. are piled on each other till they form a mafs of 557 clofe printed quarto pages. The Abbé de la Bleterie (Vie de Jovien, tom. i. p. 241-393.) has more happily expreffed the fpirit, as well as the fenfe, of the original, which he illustrates with fome concife and curious notes. 2 Spanheim (in his preface) has most learnedly discussed the etymology, origin, refemblance, and difagreement of the Greek fatyrs, a dramatic piece, which was acted after the tragedy; and the Latin fatires (from Satura) a mifcellaneous compofition, either in profe or verfe. But the Cæfars of Julian are of fuch an original catt, that the critic is perplexed to which clafs he fhould ascribe them, in The tyrants, CHAP. in the upper region of the air. and men, were thrown headlong, by the inex- 4 3 This mixed character of Silenus is finely painted in the fixth eclogue of Virgil. 4 Every impartial reader muft perceivé and condemn the partiality of Julian against his uncle Conftantine, and the Christian religion. On this occafion, the interpreters are compelled, by a more facred interest, to renounce their allegiance, and to defert the cause of their author. more |