360

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XXI.

Alexandria . 11 But this religious war, so horri-ble to nature, was prevented by the timelycompliance of Constantius ; and the emperorof the East condescended to solicit a reconci-liation with a subject whom he had injured.Athanasius waited, with decent pride, till hehad received three successive epistles, full ofthe strongest assurances of the protection, thefavour, and the esteem of his sovereign ; whoinvited him to resume his episcopal seat, andwho added the humiliating precaution of engag-ing his principal ministers to attest the sincerityof his intentions. They were manifested in astill more public manner, by the strict orderswhich were despatched into Egypt to recal theadherents of Athanasius , to restore their privi-leges, to proclaim their innocence, and to erasefrom the public registers the illegal proceedingswhich had been obtained during the prevalenceof the eusebian faction. After every satisfac-tion and security had been given, which justiceor even delicacy could require, the primate pro-ceeded, by slow journeys, through the provincesof Thrace, Asia, and Syria ; and his progresswas marked by the abject homage of the orien-tal bishops, who excited his contempt withoutdeceiving his penetration.* At Antioch he saw

b Notwithstanding the discreet silence of Athanasius , and the mani-fest forgery of a letter inserted by Socrates , these menaces are provedby the unquestionable evidence of Lucifer of Cagliari, and even ofConstantius himself. See Tillemont, tom. viii, p.693.

* I have always entertained some doubts concerning the retract-ation of Ursacius and Valens (Athanas. tom. i, p 7TC). Their epis-tle* to Julius, bishop of Rome, and to Athanasius himself, are of so

different