OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

409

tablished in the Roman empire was still reveredby a numerous people, less attached indeed tospeculative opinion than to ancient custom.The honours of the state and army were indif-ferently bestowed on all the subjects of Con-stantine and Constantius ; and a considerableportion of knowledge and wealth and valourwas still engaged in the service of polytheism.The superstition of the senator and of the pea-sant, of the poet and the philosopher, was de-rived from very different causes ; but they metwith equal devotion in the temples of the gods.Their zeal was insensibly provoked by the insuiting triumph of a proscribed sect; and theirhopes were revived by the well-grounded con-fidence, that the presumptive heir of the em-pire, a young and valiant hero, who had deli-vered Gaul from the arms of the barbarians,had secretly embraced the religion of his an-cestors.

END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

Plummer and Brewi», Printer!, Love Line, Easlcheap.

CHAP.

XXI.