) arrived. And all the city was crowned
with garlands and decked out in garments entirely made of silk and gold
jewels and all kinds of ornaments, so that no one could describe the
adornment of the city. One might behold the inhabitants, multitudinous
as the waves, arrayed in all manner of various dresses. But it is beyond
my power to describe the brilliance of that pomp; it is a task for those
who are practised writers, and I shall proceed to my present true
history. When the young Theodosius was baptized and came forth from the
church to the palace, you might behold the excellence of the multitude
of the magnates and their dazzling raiments, for all were dressed in
white, and you would have thought they were covered with snow. The
patricians headed the procession with the illustres and all other ranks,
and the military contingents, all carrying wax candles, so that the
stars seemed to shine on earth. And close to the infant, which was
carried in arms, was the emperor Arcadius himself, his face cheerful and
more radiant than the purple robe he was wearing, and one of the
magnates carried the infant in brilliant apparel. And we marvelled,
beholding such glory. Then the holy Porphyrius said to us: "If the
things which vanish possess such glory, how much more glorious are the
things celestial, prepared for the elect, which neither eye hath beheld
nor ear heard, nor hath it come into the heart of man to consider!"

And we stood at the portal of the church, with the document of our
petition, and when he came forth from the baptism we called aloud,
saying, "We petition your Piety," and held out the paper. And he who
carried the child seeing this, and knowing our concernment, for the
empress had instructed him, and when he received it halted, and he
commanded silence, and having unrolled a part he read it, and folding it
up, placed his hand under the head of the child, and cried out: "His
majesty has ordered the requests contained in the petition to be
ratified." And all having seen did obeisance to the emperor,
congratulating him that he had the privilege of seeing his son as
emperor in his lifetime; and he rejoiced thereat. And that which had
happened for the sake of her son was announced to the empress, and she
rejoiced and thanked God on her knees. And when the child entered the
palace, she met it and received it and kissed it, and, holding it in her
arms, greeted the emperor, saying: "You are blessed, my lord, for the
th