ings.
But the first and most serious care of Julian was to deliver his
oppressed deity from the odious presence of the dead and living
Christians, who had so effectually suppressed the voice of fraud or
enthusiasm. [113] The scene of infection was purified, according to
the forms of ancient rituals; the bodies were decently removed; and
the ministers of the church were permitted to convey the remains of
St. Babylas to their former habitation within the walls of Antioch.
The modest behavior which might have assuaged the jealousy of a
hostile government was neglected, on this occasion, by the zeal of the
Christians. The lofty car, that transported the relics of Babylas, was
followed, and accompanied, and received, by an innumerable multitude;
who chanted, with thundering acclamations, the Psalms of David the most
expressive of their contempt for idols and idolaters. The return of the
saint was a triumph; and the triumph was an insult on the religion of
the emperor, who exerted his pride to dissemble his resentment. During
the night which terminated this indiscreet procession, the temple of
Daphne was in flames; the statue of Apollo was consumed; and the
walls of the edifice were left a naked and awful monument of ruin. The
Christians of Antioch asserted, with religious confidence, that the
powerful intercession of St. Babylas had pointed the lightnings of
heaven against the devoted roof: but as Julian was reduced to the
alternative of believing either a crime or a miracle, he chose, without
hesitation, without evidence, but with some color of probability, to
impute the fire of Daphne to the revenge of the Galilaeans. [114] Their
offence, had it been sufficiently proved, might have justified the
retaliation, which was immediately executed by the order of Julian, of
shutting the doors, and confiscating the wealth, of the cathedral of
Antioch. To discover the criminals who were guilty of the tumult, of
the fire, or of secreting the riches of the church, several of the
ecclesiastics were tortured; [115] and a Presbyter, of the name of
Theodoret, was beheaded by the sentence of the Count of the East. But
this hasty act was blamed by the emperor; who lamented, with real or
affected concern, that the imprudent zeal of his ministers would tarnish
his reign with the disgrace of persecution. [116]

[Footnote 111: Julian (Misopogon, p. 367, 362) discovers his own
character with naivete, that unconscious simplicity which always
cons