ul were either seduced,
or scandalized, or alarmed; and the pagans, who sometimes presumed to
engage in the unequal dispute, derived, from the popular work of their
Imperial missionary, an inexhaustible supply of fallacious objections.
But in the assiduous prosecution of these theological studies, the
emperor of the Romans imbibed the illiberal prejudices and passions of a
polemic divine. He contracted an irrevocable obligation to maintain and
propagate his religious opinions; and whilst he secretly applauded the
strength and dexterity with which he wielded the weapons of
controversy, he was tempted to distrust the sincerity, or to despise
the understandings, of his antagonists, who could obstinately resist the
force of reason and eloquence.

[Footnote 30: Fabricius (Biblioth. Graec. l. v. c. viii, p. 88-90)
and Lardner (Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 44-47) have accurately
compiled all that can now be discovered of Julian's work against the
Christians.]

[Footnote 31: About seventy years after the death of Julian, he executed
a task which had been feebly attempted by Philip of Side, a prolix and
contemptible writer. Even the work of Cyril has not entirely satisfied
the most favorable judges; and the Abbe de la Bleterie (Preface a
l'Hist. de Jovien, p. 30, 32) wishes that some theologien philosophe (a
strange centaur) would undertake the refutation of Julian.]

[Footnote 32: Libanius, (Orat. Parental. c. lxxxvii. p. 313,) who has
been suspected of assisting his friend, prefers this divine vindication
(Orat. ix in necem Julian. p. 255, edit. Morel.) to the writings of
Porphyry. His judgment may be arraigned, (Socrates, l. iii. c. 23,) but
Libanius cannot be accused of flattery to a dead prince.]

The Christians, who beheld with horror and indignation the apostasy of
Julian, had much more to fear from his power than from his arguments.
The pagans, who were conscious of his fervent zeal, expected, perhaps
with impatience, that the flames of persecution should be immediately
kindled against the enemies of the gods; and that the ingenious malice
of Julian would invent some cruel refinements of death and torture which
had been unknown to the rude and inexperienced fury of his predecessors.
But the hopes, as well as the fears, of the religious factions were
apparently disappointed, by the prudent humanity of a prince, [33] who
was careful of his own fame, of the public peace, and of the rights of
mankind. Instructed by h