XXI.

bloody edict, Conftantius vifited the temples of CHA P. Rome; and the decency of his behaviour is recommended by a pagan orator as an example worthy of the imitation of fucceeding princes. "That emperor," fays Symmachus," fuffered "the privileges of the vestal virgins to remain "inviolate; he bestowed the facerdotal dignities "on the nobles of Rome, granted the customary "allowance to defray the expences of the pub"lic rites and facrifices: and, though he had "embraced a different religion, he never at"tempted to deprive the "worfhip of antiquity "" fumed to confecrate, by divine memory of their fovereigns; and Conftantine himself was affociated, after his death, to thofe gods whom he had renounced and infulted during his life. The title, the enfigns, the prerogatives of SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, which had been inftituted by Numa, and affumed by Auguftus, were accepted, without hesitation, by feven Chriftian emperors; who were invested with a more abfolute authority over the religion which they had deferted, than over that which they profeffed 172.

171 Symmach. Epiftol. x. 54.

empire of the facred
The fenate ftill pre-
folemn decrees, the

172 The fourth Differtation of M. de la Baftie, fur le Souverain Pontificat des Empereurs Romains (in the Mem. de l'Acad. tom. xv. P. 75-144.), is a very learned and judicious performance, which explains the state, and proves the toleration, of paganism from Conftantine the Gratian. The affertion of Zofimus, that Gratian was the first who refufed the pontifical robe, is confirmed beyond a doubt ; and the murmurs of bigotry, on that subject, are almost filenced.

VOL. III.

E e

The

The divifions of Christianity fufpended the ruin of paganism 173; and the holy war against the in fidels was lefs vigorously profecuted by princes. and bishops, who were more immediately alarmed by the guilt and danger of domestic rebellion, The extirpation of idolatry 4 might have been justified

274

173 As I have freely anticipated the ufe of pagans and paganism, Ifhall now trace the fingular evolutions of thofe celebrated words. 1. Tayn, in the Doric dialect, fo familiar to the Italians, fignifies a fountain; and the rural neighbourhood which frequented the fame fountain, derive the common appellation of pagus and pagans (Feftus fub voce, and Servius ad Virgil. Georgic. ii. 382.). 2. By an easy extension of the word, pagan and rnral became almost fynonymous (Plin. Hift. Natur. xxviii. 5.) ; and the meaner ruftics acquired that name, which has been corrupted into peasants in the modern languages of Europe. 3. The amazing increafe of the military order introduced the neceffity of a correlative term (Hume's Effays, vol. i. p. 555.); and all the people who were not enlifted in the fervice of the prince were branded with the contemptuous epithets of pagans (Tacit. Hift. iii. 24. 43. 77. Juvenal. Satir. xv. Tertullian de Pallio, c. 4.). 4. The Chriftians were the foldiers of Chrift; their adverfaries, who refufed his facrament, or military oath of baptifm, might deferve the metaphorical name of pagans and this popular reproach was introduced as early as the reign of Valentinian (A.D. 365.) into Imperial laws (Cod. Theodof. I. xvi. tit. ii. leg. 18.) and theological writings. 5. Chriftianity gradually filled the cities of the empire; the old religion, in the time of Prudentius (advers. Symmachum, 1. 1. ad fin.) and Orofius (in Præfat. Hift.), retired and languifhed in obfcure villages; and the word pagans, with its new fignification, reverted to its primitive origin. 6. Since the worship of Jupiter and his family has expired, the vacant title of pagans has been fucceffively applied to all the idolaters and polytheifts of the old and new world. 7. The Latin Chriftians bestowed it, without fcruple, on their mortal enemies the Mahometans; and the pureft unitarians were branded with the unjust reproach of idolatry and pagan fin. See Gerard Voffius Etymologicon Lingue Latinæ, in his works, tom. i. p. 420. Godefroy's Commentary on the Theodofian Code, tom. vi. p. 250. and Ducange, media & infimiæ Latinitat. Gloffar.

174 In the pure language of Iona and Athens, Eidway and Aarpua were ancient and familiar words. The former expreffed a likeness,

an

justified by the established principles of intole- c HA P.
rance: but the hoftile fects, which alternately XXI.
reigned in the Imperial court, were mutually ap
prehenfive of alienating, and perhaps exasperat,
ing, the minds of a powerful, though declining
faction. Every motive of authority and fashion,
of intereft and reason, now militated on the fide
of Chriftianity; but two or three generations
elapfed, before their victorious influence was
univerfally felt. The religion which had fo long
and fo lately been established in the Roman em.
pire was still revered by a numerous people, less
attached indeed to fpeculative opinion, than to
ancient cuftom. The honours of the state and
army were indifferently bestowed on all the fub-
jects of Conftantine and Conftantius; and a con-
fiderable portion of knowledge and wealth and
volour was ftill engaged in the fervice of poly-
theifm. The fuperftition of the fenator and of
the peasant, of the poet and the philofopher, was
derived from very different caufes, but they met
with equal devotion in the temples of the gods.
Their zeal was infenfibly provoked by the infult-
ing triumph of a profcribed fect; and their hopes

an apparition (Homer. Odyff. xi. 601.) a reprefentation, an image,
created either by fancy or art. The latter denoted any fort of
fervice or flavery. The Jews of Egypt, who translated the Hebrew
fcriptures, reftrained the use of these words (Exod. xx. 4. 5.) to the
religious worship of an image. The peculiar idiom of the Hellenists,
or Grecian Jews, has been adopted by the facred and ecclefiaftical
writers; and the reproach of idolatry (Eldhoλargax) has ftigmatized
that vifible and abject mode of fuperftition, which some sects of
Christianity should not haftily impute to the polytheists of Greece
and Rome.

were

CHAP. were revived by the well-grounded confidence, XXI. that the prefumptive heir of the empire, a young and valiant hero, who had delivered Gaul from the arms of the Barbarians, had fecretly embraced the religion of his ancestors.