CHAP. followers of Meletius and thofe of Paulinus XXIV. Their a verfion to Julian. Scarcity of corn, and public dif content. 14 were actuated by the fame pious hatred of their common adverfary. The strongest prejudice was entertained against the character of an apoftate, the enemy and fucceffor of a prince who had engaged the affections of a very numerous fect; and the removal of St. Babylas excited an implacable oppofition to the perfon of Julian. His fubjects complained, with fuperftitious indignation, that famine had purfued the emperor's fteps from Conftantinople to Antioch; and the difcontent of a hungry people was exafperated by the injudicious attempt to relieve their diftrefs. The inclemency of the feafon had affected the harvests of Syria; and the price of bread ", in the markets of Antioch, had naturally rifen in proportion to the fcarcity of corn. But the fair and reasonable proportion was foon violated by the rapacious 14 The fchifm of Antioch, which lafted eighty-five years (A. D. 330-415.), was inflamed, while Julian refided in that city, by the indifcreet ordination of Paulinus. See Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 803. of the quarto edition (Paris, 1701, &c.), which henceforward I fhall quote. 15 Julian states three different proportions of five, ten, or fifteen modii of wheat, for one piece of gold, according to the degrees of plenty and scarcity (in Mifopogon, p. 369.). From this fact, and from fome collateral examples, I conclude, that under the fucceffors of Constantine, the moderate price of wheat was about thirty-two fhillings the English quarter, which is equal to the average price of the fixty-four first years of the prefent century. See Arbuthnot's Tables of Coins, Weights, and Measures, p. 88, 89 Plin. Hift. Natur. xviii. 12. Mem. de l'Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xxviii. p. 718-721. Smith's Inquiry into the Nature and Caufes of the Wealth of Nations, vol. i. p. 246. This last I am proud to quote, as the work of a fage and a friend. arts of monopoly. In this unequal conteft, in which the produce of the land is claimed by one party, as his exclusive property; is used by another as a lucrative object of trade; and is required by a third, for the daily and neceffary fupport of life; all the profits of the intermediate agents are accumulated on the head of the defenceless consumers. The hardships of their fituation were exaggerated and encreased by their own impatience and anxiety; and the apprehenfion of a scarcity gradually produced the appear-, ances of a famine. When the luxurious citizens of Antioch complained of the high price of poultry and fifh, Julian publicly declared, that a frugal city ought to be fatisfied with a regular fupply of wine, oil, and bread; but he acknowledged that it was the duty of a fovereign to provide for the fubfiftence of his people. With this falutary view, the emperor ventured on a very dangerous and doubtful ftep, of fixing, by legal authority, the value of corn. He enacted, that, in a time of scarcity, it should be fold at a price which had feldom been known in the most plentiful years; and that his own example might ftrengthen his laws, he fent into the market four hundred and twenty-two thoufand modii, or meafures, which were drawn, by his order, from the granaries of Hierapolis, of Chalcis, and even of Egypt. The confequences might have been foreseen, and were foon felt. The Imperial wheat was purchased by the rich merchants; the proprietors of land, or of corn, withheld from CHA P. XXIV. XXIV. 16 CHAP. the city the accustomed fupply; and the fmall quantities that appeared in the market, were fecretly fold at an advanced and illegal price. Julian still continued to applaud his own policy, treated the complaints of the people as a vain and ungrateful murmur, and convinced Antioch, that he had inherited the obftinacy, though not the cruelty, of his brother Gallus 1. The remonftrances of the municipal fenate served only to exasperate his inflexible mind, He was perfuaded, perhaps with truth, that the fenators of Antioch who poffeffed lands, or were concerned in trade, had themselves contributed to the calamities of their country; and he imputed the disrespectful boldness which they affumed, to the sense, not of public duty, but of private interest. The whole body, confifting of two hundred of the most noble and wealthy citizens, were fent, under a guard, from the palace to the prison; and though they were permitted, before the close of evening, to return to their respective houses "", the emperor himself could not obtain the forgiveness which he had fo eafily granted. The same grievances were still the subject of the fame complaints, which were industriously circulated by the wit and levity of the Syrian Greeks. 17 16 Nunquam a propofito declinabat, Galli fimilis fratris, licet incruentus. Ammian. xxii. 14. The ignorance of the most enlightened princes may claim fome excufe; but we cannot be fatiffied with Julian's own defence (in Mifopogon, p. 368, 369.), or the elaborate apology of Libanius (Orat. Parental. c. xcvii. p. 321.). 17 Their thort and easy confinement is gently touched by Libanius (Orat. Parental. c. xcviii. p. 322, 323.). ror; XXIV. During the licentious days of the Saturnalia, the CHAP. ftreets of the city refounded with infolent fongs, which derided the laws, the religion, the perfonal conduct, and even the beard of the empeand the spirit of Antioch was manifested by the connivance of the magiftrates, and the applaufe of the multitude". The disciple of Socrates was too deeply affected by these popular. insults; but the monarch, endowed with quick fenfibility, and poffeffed of abfolute power, refufed his paffions the gratification of revenge. A tyrant might have profcribed, without diftinction, the lives and fortunes of the citizens of Antioch; and the unwarlike Syrians must have patiently submitted to the luft, the rapaciousness, and the cruelty, of the faithful legions of Gaul. A milder fentence might have deprived the capital of the Eaft of its honours and privileges; and the courtiers, perhaps the fubjects, of Julian, would have applauded an act of justice, which afferted the dignity of the fupreme magiftrate of the republic". But instead of abufing, or exerting, the authority of the ftate, to revenge his perfonal injuries, Julian contented himself with an inoffenfive mode of retaliation, which it would 18 Libanius (ad Antiochenos de Imperatoris ira, c. 17, 18, 19. in Fabricius, Bibliot. Græc. tom. vii. p. 221—223.), like a skilful advocate, severely censures the folly of the people, who suffered for the crime of a few obfcure and drunken wretches. 19 Libanius (ad Antiochen. c. vii. p. 213.) reminds Antioch of the recent éhaftifement of Cæfarea: and even Julian (in Misopogon, p. 355.) infinuates how feverely Tarentum had expiated the infult to the Roman ambaffadors. Julian CHAP. be in the power of few princes to employ. He XXIV. had been infulted by fatires and libels; in his turn he compofed, under the title of the Enemy of the Beard, an ironical confeffion of his own faults, and a fevere fatire of the licentious and effeminate manners of Antioch. This Imperial reply was publicly expofed before the gates of the palace; and the MISOPOGON 20 ftill remains a fingular monument of the refentment, the wit, the humanity, and the indifcretion of Julian. Though he affected to laugh, he could not forgive". His contempt was expreffed, and his revenge might be gratified, by the nomina tion of a governor 22 worthy only of fuch fubjects and the emperor, for ever renouncing the ungrateful city, proclaimed his refolution to pafs the enfuing winter at Tarfus in Cilicia 23. 29 On the subject of the Mifopogon, fee Ammianus (xxii. 14.), Libanius (Orat. Parentalis, c. xcix. p. 323.), Gregory Nazianzen (Orat. iv. p. 133.), and the Chronicle of Antioch, by John Malela (tom. ii. p. 15, 16.). I have effential obligations to the translation and notes of the Abbé de la Bleterie (Vie de Jovien, tɔm. ii. p. I— 138.). 21 Ammianus very juftly remarks, Coactus diffimulare pro tempore irâ fufflabatur internâ. The elaborate irony of Julian at length burfts forth into ferious and direct invective. 22 Ipfe autem Antiochiam egreffurus, Heliopoliten quendam Alexandrum Syriacæ jurisdictioni præfecit, turbulentum et sævum dicebatque non illum meruiffe, fed Antiochenfibus avaris et contus meliofis hujufmodi judicem convenire. Ammian. xxiii. 2. Libanius (Epist. 722. p. 346, 347.), who confeffes to Julian himself, that he had shared the general discontent, pretends that Alexander was an useful, though harsh, reformer of the manners and religion of Antioch. 23 Julian, in Misopogon, p. 364. Ammian. xxiii. 2. and Valefus ad loc. Libanius, in a professed oration, invites him to return to his loyal and penitent city of Antioch, Yet |