264 APPENDIX TO BOOK III. Impatiens, morbi contagia fada loquacis Dira lues hominum, contentio, vanaque jactans, Mortiferique soror Beli, Pugnæque ministra, Invadit, cecoque diu rapta impete, tandem Confirmat gravitate caput, spemque objicit ultro. These verses are also to be found in Clemens Alex. Strom, v. p. 651. with some variation. v. 2. The first and second syllables of coalesce. In Clemens σιγῶσι. 4. right. . Perhaps Pira. But the present tense may be κενὶν. Read ever from Clemens. atanya, with the second syllable short.—Hesiod has Δαιμονίη, τί λέλακας ; with the second syllable long. Oper. et D. 207. 5. Eplos. in Clemens pidos. At least, it should be p ἔριος. ἔριδος. 505. But this, though it mends the verse, will not mend the bad sense; for how can "Epis be the sister of herself? Perhaps, Νείκης ανδροφόνοιο κασιγνήτη, καὶ ἑταίρη. As in Homer, Il. A. 441. "Αρεος ανδροφόνοιο κασιγνήτη, ἑτάρη τε. If the rest was like this specimen, the loss of it is not to be regretted. In this sort of wit, in parodies, the moderns have infinitely surpassed the ancients, who have, I think, only one ingenious poem of this kind; but that poem hath a fault which spoils all its beauties, and is scandalously obscene. It is no matter whose it is, or where it is to be found. REMARKS REMARKS ON ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, A. D. HE Emperor Constantius, instead of ex337. Aerting his authority in keeping the peace amongst his quarrelsome subjects, became a bigotted patron of the Arians, and suffered them to use the Consubstantialists very cruelly, unless the fathers and historians of those times have deceived us. Some abatements must doubtless be made, on account of their party zeal, at a time when the controversy was so hot. Ammianus Marcellinus represents him as a prince who was of his own nature inter bonos et malos medius; as weak, timorous, suspicious, listening to informers and to flatterers, and cruel towards all who truly or falsely were accused of treason. His lord of the bedchamber and first minister of state was one Eusebius, an eunuch, and a vile fellow, with whom, as* Ammianus smartly observes, Constantius had a tolerable share of interest; apud quem, si vere dici debet, multa Constantius potuit. Constantius was chaste, temperate, and well skilled in military exercises. * xviii. 4. where see the notes. Socrates * Socrates gives an account how Arianism began to flourish under Constantius. According to this historian, who by the way was a sworn enemy to the sect, an Arian presbyter, having free access to the palace, taught his doctrines to the principal eunuch; he to his brethren the slaves and eunuchs of the family; they to the girls and maids of honour; these to the life-guards; and all of them to the empress; and she to the emperor. From the court it presently got into the city, and became the daily subject of conversation in the streets, public houses, and markets. Then came quarrels, and then blows. Synods were called together, and the public revenues suffered not a little by supplying post-chaises for these everlasting episcopal journies, says Marcellinus. Constantius christianam religionem absolutam et simplicem anili superstitione confundens, in qua scrutanda perplexius quam componenda gravius, excitavit dissidia plurima, quæ progressa fusius aluit concertatione verborum: ut catervis Antistitum jumentis publicis ultro citroque discurrentibus, per synodos quas appellant dum ritum omnem ad suum trahere conatur arbitrium, rei vehicularice succideret nervos †. Better was the state of the church, in some respects, before the days of Constantine, when Clemens Alexandrinus, and other fathers, could maintain some fantastical errors and philosophical reveries, without being persecuted, excommunicated, and anathematized by their brethren. Athanasius speaking of the Arian council of Ariminum, reproaches those bishops, that in their profession of faith, they had dethroned Jesus Christ, and had * ii. 2. + xxi. 16. had set up Constantius in his place. You preface your creed, says he, with compliments to Constantius, whom you call dorm, your supreme muster, and aiúrior Basınéa, everlasting king; but you will not call Christ aidov, eternal. The Aria.s were not so wicked as to prefer Constantius to Christ, and so far the charge of Athanasius was too severe, and rather witty than true but the compliments paid to the emperor by these bishops were really scandalous. The only thing that can be said for them is that such tities, like some of our modern titles, are always supposed to be words without a meaning, and a kind of polite jargon. It is strange that Christian emperors of the fourth and fifth centuries would suffer themselves to be called Your Eternity, Your Divinity, Your Godship, Numen *. George, bishop of Alexandria, persecuted both the Consubstantialists and the Pagans of Alexandria, and would compel them all to conform to his opinions. He was hated by the populace, because he ruled them like a tyrant; and by men of rank and quality, because he presumed to domineer even over magistrates and governors. The Pagans held him in abomination, because he would not let them sacrifice, and observe their religious rites, and because, taking soldiers with him, he plundered their temples of every thing that he could carry off. If we had this account of him only from Sozomen and other Consubstantialists, there might be some room • See Vossius de Idol. iii. 17. Barthius on Claudian, iii. Cons. Honor, Præf. 16, and Le Clerc, Parrhasian, i. 331. room to suspect that they had aggravated his faults, But Ammianus gives him a very bad character: "Born, as it was reported, in a fuller's house, and raised up to the detriment of many, unhappily for himself and for the public, he was made bishop of Alexandria, a city which even by its own disposition and without any provocation, is prone to frequent and violent seditions.-But these tumults were not a little increased by the behaviour of the bishop, who whispered his tales in the credulous ears of Constantius, and accused many of disobedience and rebellion, and took up the detestable trade of an informer, forgetting his own profession, which recommends nothing but what is just and mild. He and two more were murdered; and these miserable men might have been saved and protected by the Christians, if George had not been an object of universal hatred *.' Sandius, in his Nucleus Hist. Eccles. seems to represent this bishop as a saint and a martyr. About these times the encroaching Julius, bishop of Rome, claimed much more authority than belonged to him †. Whilst the Arian controversy was warmly carried on, Athanasius and his partizans went to Rome, and engaged Julius in their favour, by putting themselves under his protection. There they contributed, though it was not their intention, to augment the insolence and the usurpations of the Romish see; for the good pope neglected not his own interest, and followed the important maxim, Boni Præsulis est ampliare jurisdic, tionem . • Amm. Marc. xxii. 11. They + Socrates, ii. 17. where sée Valesius and Louth. Sozomen, iii. 8, See S. Basnage Ann. ii. 783. Wetstein. Pral, ad N. T. p. 19, |