OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 367

the emperor Constantins; sustained, with mo- chap.

dest firmness, the embraces and piotestations of_

his master, and eluded the proposal of allowingthe arians a single church at Alexander, byclaiming, in the other cities of the empire a si-milar toleration for his own party; a reply w hichmight have appeared just and moderate in themouth of an independent prince. The entranceof the archbishop into his capital was a trium-phal procession ; absence and persecution hadendeared him to the Alexandrians; his autho-rity, which he exercised with rigour, was morefirmly established ; and his fame was diffusedfrom ^Ethiopia to Britain , over the whole extentof the Christian world. d

But the subject who has reduced his prince Resent-to the necessity of dissembling, can never expecta sincere and lasting forgiveness; and the tragicfate of Constans soon deprived Athanasius ofa powerful and generous protector. The civilwar between the assassin and the only survivingbrother of Constans , which afflicted the empireabove three years, secured an interval of reposeto the catholic church; and the two contendingparties were desirous to conciliate the friend-ship of a bishop, w ho, by the weight of his per-sonal authority, might determine the fluctuating

different a cast from each other, that they cannot both be genuine.

The one speaks the language of criminals who confess their guilt andinfamy t the other of enemies, who solicit on equal terms an honour**ble reconciliation.

The circumstances of his second return may be collected fromAthanasius himself, tom. i, p. 769, and 822-843. Socrates , I. ii, c,

18. Sozomen, 1. iii, c. 19. Theodoref, I. ii, c. 11, 12. Philostorgius ,