rther accusations against those who had left it undefended, knowing
that the eternal eye of justice was awake, as well as the avenging
furies of the ambassadors and the president. And a long time afterwards
the following event took place:--Palladius, having been dismissed from
the military service, and stript of all that nourished his pride,
retired into private life.

26. And when Theodosius, that magnificent commander of armies, came into
Africa to put down Firmus, who was entertaining some pernicious designs,
and, as he was ordered, began to examine the movable effects of
Romanus, he found among his papers a letter of a certain person named
Meterius, containing this passage: "Meterius, to his lord and patron,
Romanus;" and at the end of the letter many expressions unconnected with
its general subject. "Palladius, who has been cashiered, salutes you. He
who says he was cashiered for no other reason than that in the case of
the people of Tripoli he made a false report to the sacred ears."

27. When this letter was sent to the court and read, Meterius was
arrested by order of Valentinian, and confessed that the letter was his
writing. Therefore Palladius also was ordered to appear, and reflecting
on all the crimes he had committed, while at a halting place on the
road, he watched an opportunity afforded him by the absence of his
guards, as soon as it got dark (for, as it was a festival of the
Christian religion, they passed the whole night in the church), and
hanged himself.

28. The news of this propitious event--the death of the principal cause
of their sad troubles--being known, Erecthius and Aristomenes, who when
they first heard that their tongues were ordered to be cut out for
sedition, had escaped, now issued from their hiding-places. And when the
emperor Gratian was informed of the wicked deceit that had been
practised (for by this time Valentinian was dead), their fears vanished,
and they were sent to have their cause heard before Hesperus the
proconsul and Flavian the deputy, men whose justice was supported by the
righteous authority of the emperor, and who, after putting Caecilius to
the torture, learnt from his clear confession that he himself had
persuaded the citizens to bring false accusations against the
ambassadors. These actions were followed by a report which gave the
fullest possible account of all that had taken place, to which no answer
was given.

29. And that the whole story might want nothin