with tiles, perhaps of gilt brass; and the walls, chap.the columns, the pavement, were incrusted withvariegated marbles. The most precious orna-ments of gold and silver, of silk and gems, wereprofusely dedicated to the service of the altar;and this specious magnificence was supportedon the solid and perpetual basis of landed pro-perty. In the space of two centuries, from thereign of Constantine to that of Justinian , theeighteen hundred churches of the empire wereenriched by the frequent and unalienable giftsof the prince and people. An annual incomeof six hundred pound sterling may be reason-ably assigned to the bishops, who were placedat an equal distance between riches and pover-ty," but the standard of their wealth insensiblyrose with the dignity and opulence of the citieswhich they governed. An authentic but imper-fect" rent-roll specifies some houses, shops, gar-dens,, and farms, which belonged to the threebasilicee of Rome, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St.
John Lateran, in the provinces of Italy , Africa,and the East. They produce, besides a reserv-ed rent of oil, linen, paper, aromatics, &e. aclear annual revenue of twenty-two thousandpieces of gold, or twelve thousand pounds ster-
" See Justinian. Novell , cxxiii, 3. The revenue of the patriarchs,and the most wealthy bishops, is not expressed : the highest annual va-luation of a bishopric is stated at thirty, and the lowest at two , poundsof gold; the medium might be takeu at sixteen , but these valuations aremuch below the real value.
° See Baronius (Annal. Eccles. a. d. 324, No. 58,65,70, 71). Everyrecord which comes from the Vatican is justly suspected; yet theserent-rolls have an ancient and authentic colour; and it is at least evi-dent, that, if forged, they were forged in a period when fartnsp notkingdoms , were the objects of papal avarice.