apostles, among whom were a publican and several fishermen, and, if we take in Paul, a tentmaker.

r

4. They speak of Christ, though they do not know him; and they call him Mind; and they would appear to speak agreeably to the doctrines of the churches; but if so, why do they reject that which is called the ancient history?'

It is hence evident, that Alexander had some knowledge of the received doctrine of the churches, or the reputed orthodox christians. Accordingly, he here seems to blame the Manichees, for not receiving the scriptures of the Old Testament.

S

5. Presently afterwards, in an obscure manner, he argues against their opinion, that Christ was Mind.

st

6. Again, a little lower, he argues against their notion, that Christ was crucified, but without suffering. But,' t says he, it would be more reasonable to say, agreeably to the ecclesiastical doctrine, that he gave himself for the remission of sins. And it is agreeable to the sentiments of others, and even of the Greek histories, which speak of some who gave themselves for the welfare of their countries. Of which also the Jewish history has an example; for it tells us, that Abraham prepared his son for a sacrifice to God.'

7. He seems to refer to the history of Cain's killing his brother Abel," Gen. ch. iv.

8. He plainly refers to Gen. vi. 1,2; and says, that the Jewish History speaks allegorically, when it says, that angels fell in love with the daughters of men.

9. This I think to be all which is needful to be taken from this writer. I am not able to determine, with certainty, whether he was a christian or a gentile; but I am rather inclined to think he was a gentile. He must have had good knowledge of the Manichees and other christians; and he

Γ

Τον δε Χρισον εδε γινωσκοντες, αλλα Χριςον αυτον προσαγορεύοντες. Νεν ειναι φασιν.--Ει μεν το γνωςον, και το γιγνωσκον, και την σοφίαν αυτό λεγοντες ὁμόφωνα, ούτως τους απο των εκκλησιων περι αυτο λεγεσι διαταττο

μενοι, ούτω γε ἁλώσονται πως την λεγομένην παλαιαν ἅπασαν ίσοριαν εκβαλ

λεσιν ; p. 18. D.

S P. 19. A.

Kai

ι Το μεν κατα τον εκκλησιασικον λογον ειπειν, εις λυσιν ἁμαρτιων ἑαυτον επιδεδωκεναι, εχειν πισιν τινα προς τες πολλες, κακ των ισοριων των καθ' ̔Ελληνας, ότ' αν φησιν, τινας ὑπερ σωτηρίας πολεων εαυτες επιδεδωκεναι. παραδειγμα τε λόγε έχει και ἡ Ιεδαίων ίσορία, του τε Αβρααμ παιδα εις θυσιαν τῳ Θεῳ παρασκευαζεσα. p. 19. C. D. u P. 11. B. C.

Οἱ μεν γαρ περί τέτων διατάττοντες, εν αλληγορίαις τα τοιαυτα προφερονται, το σεμνόν τε λογο αποκρυπτοντες τη τε μυθε ιδεα. Οίον ότι αν ἡ των Ιεδαίων ίπορια φῃ, τες αγγέλες ταις θυγατρασι των ανθρώπων εις αφροδισιαν συνεληλυθέναι μιξιν. p. 20. Λ.

appears to be not unacquainted with the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. He evidently was a learned and rational man.

His observations concerning the christian philosophy, as plain and simple, and designed to reform the manners of men of all ranks,' deserve particular notice. To me this work of Alexander appears very curious.

CHAP. XLIV.

PRAXAGORAS.

a

· PRAXAGORAS of Athens,' says Photius,' wrote the History of Constantine the Great, in two books.'

6

Having made an abridgment of the work, containing an

' account of Constantine's early life, his succeeding to his father, his wars in Gaul and Germany, and then his wars ' with Maxentius and Licinius, of both which he gives a bad 'character, as vicious and tyrannical,' he adds: 'Praxagoras," though he was of the gentile religion, says, that the em'peror Constantine had surpassed all the preceding emperors ' in every virtue, and in every kind of felicity: and so con'cludes his history.' That must be reckoned honourable to Constantine.

Photius adds: Praxagoras, as he says, was of the age ' of two and twenty years when he wrote that history. He also wrote two other books of the History of the Kings of Athens, when he was nineteen years of age. He likewise composed six other books, containing the History of Alexander, king of the Macedonians, when he was one and thirty years of age. His style,' says Photius, is clear and agreeable, but somewhat unequal. He wrote in the Ionic ' dialect.'

3

d

Praxagoras is supposed to have flourished in the time

Ανεγνώσθη Πραξαγορε το Αθηναις της κατα τον μεγαν Κωνταντινον isopias Bißria dvo. Phot. Cod. 6. p. 64.

b Ibid.

• Φησιν εν ὁ Πραξαγόρας, καιτοι την θρησκειαν Ελλην ων, ότι παση αρετῃ και καλοκαγαθία, και παντι ευτυχήματι, παντας τες προ αυτε βεβασιλευκότας ὁ βασιλευς Κωνσαντινος απέκρυψατο, κ. λ. Ibid. p. 65. in.

d Vid. Voss. Hist. Gr. lib. ii. cap. 17. Tillemont, L'Emp. Constantin. art. 90.

of Constantius; I place him, therefore, at the year 350; though the exact time of his writing cannot be known.

CHAP. XLV.

BEMARCHIUS.

IN the next place I take Bemarchius, who also follows next after Praxagoras in Vossius's work of the Greek historians. Bemarchius, of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, sophist,' says Suidas, wrote the history of the emperor Constantine, in ten 'books: he also wrote several declamations and orations.'

6

6

a

b

He also is supposed to have written in the time of Constautius and Tillemont therefore, beside what is in Vossius, observes, that Libanius speaks of one Bemarchius, ⚫ a pagan sophist, who was much in favour with Constantius," There is nothing of him remaining: nevertheless I cannot forbear to wish, that his history of Constantine was in being. His work was in ten books, and therefore must have been large and copious: and, as may be supposed, it was favourable to Constantine. This may be argued from Libanius, whose words imply that Bemarchius had a great respect for Constantius, and was his admirer.

d

Tillemont observes in the same place,' that Eunapius also wrote the history of Constantine: but undoubtedly,' as he says, it was in the body of his Universal History, which he ⚫ had made of the emperors from the death of Severus.' This also, if extant, I believe would be very curious and I heartily wish that Universal History of Eunapius may be found in some library.

a

ρες.

Βημαρχιος, Καισαρευς, εκ Καππαδοκιας, σοφισης. Ούτος έγραψε τας Κωνςαντινε τε βασιλεως πράξεις εν βιβλίοις δέκα, μελετας τε και λογες διαφοSuid. L'Emp. Constantin. art. 90. Οιμώτεσι δη τοις ὧδε πεπραγμενοις ερχεται Βημαρχιος συμμαχος μηνι έβδομῳ, μαλα δη τον Κωνσαντίον ήρηκως ανηρ, κ. λ. Liban. Vit. p. 15, 16 d Eunap. de Vit. Sophist. cap. 4. p. 40.

CHAP. XLVI.

THE EMPEROR JULIAN.

1. His time, history, and character, and his behaviour toward the christians. II. His works, particularly his work against the christians. III. His regard to the Jewish people, and his design to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. IV. Extracts out of his work against the christians. V. Extracts out of his Orations and Epistles.

I. JULIUS CONSTANTIUS, brother of Constantine the Great, had two wives: Galla, by whom he had Gallus and several other children; and Basilina, a lady of an illustrious family, by whom he had Flavius Claudius Julianus, or Julian, who was her only child, she dying soon after his birth." Julian was born at Constantinople on the sixth day of November, in the year of Christ 331, and died the 26th day of June, in the year of our Lord 363, in the 32d year of his age, which was not complete.

b

C

As I have not room to write the history of Julian at length, I refer to several learned moderns, where more particulars may be found, and my mistakes, if I should make any, may be corrected.

Julian was about six years of age when Constantine died, in 337 soon after which, in the year 339, when Julian a was in the eighth year of his age, several of Constantine's e family were put to death, and among them the father of Julian, and his eldest brother. The infirmities and weak constitution of Gallus, another brother of Julian, saved his life, it being thence concluded, that he could not live long; and Julian's tender age was a security to him.

3

epotâ gelidâ aquâ quam petiit medio noctis horrore vitâ facilius est absolutus, anno ætatis altero et tricesimo: natus apud Constantinopolim; a pueritiâ usque parentis obitu destitutus Constantii, quem post fratris Constantini excessum inter complures alios turba consumpsit Imperii successorum, et Basilinâ matre, jam inde a majoribus nobili. Am. M. 1. xxv. cap. 3. fin. b Vid. Pagi in Baron. ann. 337. num. ix. et 363. iv. v.

с

c Pagi, ubi supra, et passim. Basnag. ann. 363. et alibi. Cav. H. L. Fabric. Bib. Gr. 1. v. cap. 8. Tom. vii. p. 76. &c. Tillemont, Hist. Emp. Tom. iv. Vie de l'Emp. Julien par Bletterie. See likewise Tillemont's long article of Julian's Persecution, in the seventh Tome of his Memoirs.

e Vide Julian. ad Athenienses, Ammian. ut supra. Socrat. 1. iii. cap. 1. Liban. Or. x. p、

d Pagi ann. 337. num. ix. p. 270. C. D 262. C. D.

Constantius took care that they should be educated by christian masters. When Julian was about fourteen or fifteen years of age, he and his brother Gallus were sent to a palace in Cappadocia, where they lived at ease, but were well guarded; so that, as Julian says, they were shut up as in a prison. Here they spent about six years, till the year 351, when Gallus was made Cæsar. At that time Julian was permitted to come to Constantinople: but his fine parts making him to be much taken notice of, he was sent away to Nicomedia, where Libanius then taught rhetoric. But Julian had been particularly charged not to converse with him, nor learn any thing of him. However, he had here a good deal of liberty, and was acquainted with divers heathen philosophers; some of whom came hither on purpose to pay their respects to him. Here Julian, at about the age of twenty, took a liking to Hellenism: and it is said, that some of these philosophers did then give him hopes of being emperor. Constantius had informations concerning him and Julian, for 'preventing disagreeable suspicions, as Socrates says, was shaved, and made profession of being a monk. He privately studied philosophy, and publicly read the scriptures: and he was ordained reader in the church of Nicomedia.

In 354, Gallus was killed, and Julian was suspected of disaffection he was sent for therefore to come to Milan, where the emperor then was, and a guard was set upon him. In this danger Julian's life was saved by the intercession of the empress Eusebia, who also obtained leave for him to travel into Greece: which was very agreeable to Julian, who wanted nothing more than to complete his studies at Athens; and the emperor likewise was willing he should employ his time in matters of literature rather than politics. In the year 355 Julian arrived at Athens; where also Basil and Gregory Nazianzen were studying eloquence, and other parts of polite literature. But Julian made no long stay there; for in the same year he was sent for by Constantius to Milan, and on the sixth day of November, 355, he was declared Cæsar, that he might go into Gaul, and take the command of the army there: and Britain and Spain were also put under his government. A few days after that, Constantius gave him in marriage his sister Helena.

h

Julian left Milan on the first day of December, and before the end of the year came to Vienne in Gaul. In the f Ad Athenienses, p. 271. B. C.

§ Socrat. 1. iii. cap. 1. p. 166. A. Conf. Theod. H. E. 1. iii. cap. 2. Gregor. Naz. Invectiv. i. seu Or. 3. p. 58. D. Pagi ann. 355. num. iv.

h