fty and
ambiguous strains, the stroke of divine vengeance, which had been so
long suspended over the guilty head of Julian. They acknowledge, that
the death of the tyrant, at the instant he expired beyond the Tigris,
was revealed to the saints of Egypt, Syria, and Cappadocia; [131]
and instead of suffering him to fall by the Persian darts, their
indiscretion ascribed the heroic deed to the obscure hand of some mortal
or immortal champion of the faith. [132] Such imprudent declarations
were eagerly adopted by the malice, or credulity, of their adversaries;
[133] who darkly insinuated, or confidently asserted, that the governors
of the church had instigated and directed the fanaticism of a domestic
assassin. [134] Above sixteen years after the death of Julian, the
charge was solemnly and vehemently urged, in a public oration, addressed
by Libanius to the emperor Theodosius. His suspicions are unsupported
by fact or argument; and we can only esteem the generous zeal of the
sophist of Antioch for the cold and neglected ashes of his friend. [135]

[Footnote 128: Ammianus, xxv. 9. Zosimus, l. iii. p. 196. He might be
edax, vino Venerique indulgens. But I agree with La Bleterie (tom. i.
p. 148-154) in rejecting the foolish report of a Bacchanalian riot (ap.
Suidam) celebrated at Antioch, by the emperor, his wife, and a troop of
concubines.]

[Footnote 129: The Abbe de la Bleterie (tom. i. p. 156-209) handsomely
exposes the brutal bigotry of Baronius, who would have thrown Julian to
the dogs, ne cespititia quidem sepultura dignus.]

[Footnote 130: Compare the sophist and the saint, (Libanius, Monod.
tom. ii. p. 251, and Orat. Parent. c. 145, p. 367, c. 156, p. 377, with
Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. iv. p. 125-132.) The Christian orator faintly
mutters some exhortations to modesty and forgiveness; but he is well
satisfied, that the real sufferings of Julian will far exceed the
fabulous torments of Ixion or Tantalus.]

[Footnote 131: Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p. 549) has
collected these visions. Some saint or angel was observed to be absent
in the night, on a secret expedition, &c.]

[Footnote 132: Sozomen (l. vi. 2) applauds the Greek doctrine
of tyrannicide; but the whole passage, which a Jesuit might have
translated, is prudently suppressed by the president Cousin.]

[Footnote 133: Immediately after the death of Julian, an uncertain rumor
was scattered, telo cecidisse Romano. It was carried, by some deserters