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| He never saw Constans alone.
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3. He never saw Constans alone.
But in truth I am ashamed even to have to defend
myself against charges such as these, which I do not suppose that even
the accuser himself would venture to make mention of in my presence.
For he knows full well that he speaks untruly, and that I was never so
mad, so reft of my senses, as even to be open to the suspicion of
having conceived any such thing. So that had I been questioned by any
other on this subject, I would not even have answered, lest, while I
was making my defence, my hearers should for a time have suspended
their judgment concerning me. But to your Piety I answer with a loud
and clear voice, and stretching
forth my hand, as I have learned from the Apostle, ‘I call God
for a record upon my soul1290
,’ and as it
is written in the histories of the Kings (let me be allowed to say the
same), ‘The Lord is witness, and His Anointed is witness1291
,’ I have never spoken evil of your
Piety before your brother Constans, the most religious Augustus of
blessed memory. I did not exasperate him against you, as these have
falsely accused me. But whenever in my interviews with him he has
mentioned your Grace (and he did mention you at the time that
Thalassus1292
| 1292 Hist. Arian. 22. vid. Apol. Ar. 51.
[‘Pitybion’ is Patavia, now Padua.] | came to Pitybion, and I was staying at
Aquileia), the Lord is witness, how I spoke of your Piety in terms
which I would that God would reveal unto your soul, that you might
condemn the falsehood of these my calumniators. Bear with me, most
gracious Augustus, and freely grant me your indulgence while I speak of
this matter. Your most Christian brother was not a man of so light a
temper, nor was I a person of such a character, that we should
communicate together on a subject like this, or that I should slander a
brother to a brother, or speak evil of an emperor before an emperor. I
am not so mad, Sire, nor have I forgotten that divine utterance which
says, ‘Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not
the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the
voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter1293
.’ If then those things, which are
spoken in secret against you that are kings, are not hidden, it is not
incredible that I should have spoken against you in the presence of a
king, and of so many bystanders? For I never saw your brother by
myself, nor did he ever converse with me in private, but I was always
introduced in company with the Bishop of the city where I happened to
be, and with others that chanced to be there. We entered the presence
together, and together we retired. Fortunatian1294
| 1294 All
these names of Bishops occur among the subscriptions at Sardica. supr.
Ap. Ar. 50. [See also D.C.B. s. vv.] Leis is Lauda, or
Laus Pompeia, hodie Lodi Vecchio; Ughelli, Ital. Sacr. t.
4. p. 656. | ,
Bishop of Aquileia, can testify this, the father Hosius is able to say
the same, as also are Crispinus, Bishop of Padua, Lucillus of a Verona,
Dionysius of Lëis, and Vincentius of Campania. And although
Maximinus of Treveri, and Protasius of Milan, are dead, yet Eugenius,
who was Master of the Palace1295
| 1295 Or,
master of the offices; one of the seven Ministers of the Court under
the Empire; ‘He inspected the discipline of the civil and
military schools, and received appeals from all parts of the
Empire.’ Gibbon, ch. 17. [cf. Gwatkin, p. 285.] | , can bear witness
for me; for he stood before the veil1296
| 1296 πρὸ τοῦ
βήλου. The Veil,
which in the first instance was an appendage to the images of pagan
deities, formed at this time part of the ceremonial of the imperial
Court. It hung over the entrance of the Emperor’s bedchamber,
where he gave his audiences. It also hung before the secretarium of the
Judges. vid. Hofman in voc. Gothofred in Cod. Theod. i.
tit. vii. 1. | , and heard
what we requested of the Emperor, and what he vouchsafed to reply to
us.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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