OF THE HOMAN EMPIRE.

diately applied to the case of Athanasius; thecouncil of Antioch pronounced, or rather con-firmed, his degradation. a stranger, namedGregory, was seated on his throne ; and Phila-grius,* the prefect of Egypt, was instructed tosupport the new primate with the civil and mi-litary powers of the province. Oppressed bythe conspiracy of the Asiatic prelates, Athana-sius withdrew from Alexandria, and passedthree 11 years as an exile and a suppliant on theholy threshold of the Vatican.* By the assi-duous study of the Latin language, he soonqualified himself to negociate with the westernclergy; his decent flattery swayed and directedthe haughty Julius; the Roman pontiff waspersuaded to consider his appeal as the pecu-liar interest of the apostolic see; and his inno-cence was unanimously declared in a council

1 Tins magistrate so odious to Athanasius, is praised by GregoryNazianzen, tom. i. Orat. xxi, p. 390, 391.

Saepe premcnte Deo fert Deus alter opem.

For the credit of human nature, I am always pleased to discover somegood qualities in those men whom party has represented as tyrantsand monsters.

u The chronological difficulties which perplex the residence of Atha-nasius at Rome, are strenuously agitated by Valeshis (Observat. adCalcem, tom. ii, Hist. Ecrles. 1. i, c. 1 5) ; and Tillemont (Mem.Erclrs. tom. viii, p. 674, &c). I have followed the simple hypothesisof Valestus, who allows only one journey, after the intrusion ofGregory.

* I cannot forbear transcribing a judicious observation of Wetstein(Prolegomen. n t. p. 19): Si tamcn Historiam Ecelesiasticam velininsconsider? patobit jam iude a secuio quarto, cum, ortis controversiis,eceleaia? Graeciae doctores in duas partes scinderentur, ingenio, elo*quentia, numero, tan turn non a?qu«!cs, earn partem qtias vincere cu-piebat Romani confugisse, majestatemque pontificis comiter coluisse,eoque pacto oppressosper pontificem et episcopos Latinos adversariesprevaluisse, atqne orthodoxiam in conciliis stabilivisse. Earn ob can*sam Athanasius, non sine comitatu, Romani petiit, plnresque annos ibihssit.

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CHAP.

XXI.