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THUS did the emperor write to the absent. To those who attended
the council, three hundred anti eighteen in number he manifested great
kindness, addressing them with much gentleness, and presenting them
with gifts. He ordered numerous couches to be prepared for their
accommodation and entertained them all at one banquet. Those who were
most worthy he received at his own table, distributing the rest at the
others. Observing that some among them bad had the right eve torn
out, and learning that this mutilation had been undergone for the sake
of religion, he placed his lips upon the wounds, believing that he
would extract a blessing from the kiss. After the conclusion of the
feast, he again presented other gifts to them. He then wrote to the
governors of the provinces, directing that provision-money should be
given in every city to virgins and widows, and to those who were
consecrated to the divine service; and he measured the amount of their
annual allowance more by the impulse of his own generosity than by their
need. The third part of the sum is distributed to this day. Julian
impiously withheld the whole. His successor conferred the sum which is
now dispensed, the famine which then prevailed having lessened the
resources of the state. If the pensions were formerly triple in amount
to what they are at present, the generosity of the emperor can by this
fact be easily seen.
I do not account it right to pass over the following circumstance in
silence. Some quarrelsome individuals wrote accusations against
certain bishops, and presented their indictments to the emperor. This
occurring before the establishment of concord, he received the lists,
formed them into a packet which he sealed with his ring, and ordered
them to be kept safely. After the reconciliation had been effected,
he brought out these writings, and burnt them in their presence, at
the same time declaring upon oath that he had not read a word of them.
He said that the crimes of priests ought not to be made known to the
multitude, lest they should become an occasion of offence, and lead
them to sin without fear. It is reported also that he added that if he
were to detect a bishop in the very act of committing adultery, he
would throw his imperial robe over the unlawful deed, lest any should
witness the scene, and be thereby injured. Thus did he admonish all
the priests, as well as confer honours upon them, and then exhorted
them to return each to his own flock.
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