108

CHAP.

LXVI.

THE DECLINE AND FALL

in a hostile land to the revenge or justice of theRoman pontiff.* In the first private assemblyof the Greeks, the formulary of union was ap-proved by twenty-four, and rejected by twelve,members; but the five cross-bearers of St. So-phia, who aspired to represent the patriarch,weredisqualified by ancient discipline; and their rightof voting w'as transferred to an obsequious trainof monks, grammarians, and profane laymen.The will of the monarch produced a false andservile unanimity, and no more than two patriotshad courage to speak their own sentiments andthose of their country. Demetrius, the em-peror’s brother, retired to Venice, that he mightnot be witness of the union; and Mark of Ephe-sus , mistaking perhaps his pride for his con-science, disclaimed all communion with the La-tin heretics, and avowed himself the championand confessor of the orthodox creed. 2 In thetreaty between the two nations, several formsof consent were proposed, such as might satis-fy the Latins, without dishonouring the Greeks;and they weighed the scruples of words and syl-lables, till the theological balance trembled witha slight preponderance in favour of the Vatican.It was agreed (I must intreat the attention ofthe reader), that the Holy Ghost proceeds fromthe Father and the Son, as from one principle

i The Greeks most piteously express their own fears of exile anilperpetual slavery (Syropul. p. 190); and they were strongly moved bythe emperor’s threats (p. 260).

* I had forgot another popular and orthodox protester : a favouritehound, who usually lay quiet on the foot-cloth of the emperor’s throne;but who barked most furiously while the act of union was reading,without being silenced by the soothing or the lashes of the royal atteu<danti (Syropul. p. 265 206).