OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

covered, that the profession of Christianity might contribute to the interest of the present,,as well as of a future life.' The hopes of wealthand honours, the example of an emperor, hisexhortations, his irresistible smiles, diffusedconviction among the venal and obsequiouscrowds which usually fill the apartments of apalace. The cities which signalized a forwardzeal, by the voluntary destruction of their tem-ples, were distinguished by municipal privi-leges, and rewarded with popular donatives;and the new capital of the East gloried in thesingular advantage, that Constantinople wasnever profaned by the worship of id<ds. d Asthe lower ranks of society are governed by imi-tation, the conversion of those who possessedany eminence of birth, of power, or of riches,was soon followed by dependent multitudes.*The salvation of the common people was pur-chased at an easy rate, if it be true, that, in one

* See the third and fourth books of his life. He was accustomed tosay, that whether Christ was preached in pretence, or in truth, he shouldstill rejoice (1. iii, c. 58).

A hi. de Tillemont (Hist, des Empereurs , tom. iv, p. 374-610) hasdefended with strength and spirit, the virgin purity of Constantinople against some malevolent insinuations of the pagan Zosimns.

' The author of the Histoire Politique et Philosophiquc des deux In-des (tom. i, p. 9), condemns a law of Constantine , which gave freedomto all the slaves who should embrace Christianity . The emperor didindeed publish a law, which restrained the Jews from circumcising,perhaps from keeping, any Christian slaves. (See Euscb. in Vit. Con-stant. I. iv, c. 27, and Cod. Theod. 1. xvi, tit. ix, with Godefroy’s Com-mentary, tom. vi, p 247). But this imperfect exception related onlyto the Jews ; and the great body of slaves who were the property ofChristian or pagan masters, could not improve their temporal conditionby changing their religion. I am ignorant by what guides the AbbARaynal was deceived ; as the total absence of quotations is the unpar-donable blemish of his entertaining history.

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XX.