e public counsels were always swayed by his domestic favorites. The
eunuchs and slaves diffused the spiritual poison through the palace, and
the dangerous infection was communicated by the female attendants to
the guards, and by the empress to her unsuspicious husband. [86] The
partiality which Constantius always expressed towards the Eusebian
faction, was insensibly fortified by the dexterous management of their
leaders; and his victory over the tyrant Magnentius increased his
inclination, as well as ability, to employ the arms of power in the
cause of Arianism. While the two armies were engaged in the plains of
Mursa, and the fate of the two rivals depended on the chance of war, the
son of Constantine passed the anxious moments in a church of the martyrs
under the walls of the city. His spiritual comforter, Valens, the Arian
bishop of the diocese, employed the most artful precautions to obtain
such early intelligence as might secure either his favor or his escape.
A secret chain of swift and trusty messengers informed him of the
vicissitudes of the battle; and while the courtiers stood trembling
round their affrighted master, Valens assured him that the Gallic
legions gave way; and insinuated with some presence of mind, that
the glorious event had been revealed to him by an angel. The grateful
emperor ascribed his success to the merits and intercession of the
bishop of Mursa, whose faith had deserved the public and miraculous
approbation of Heaven. [87] The Arians, who considered as their own the
victory of Constantius, preferred his glory to that of his father. [88]
Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, immediately composed the description of a
celestial cross, encircled with a splendid rainbow; which during the
festival of Pentecost, about the third hour of the day, had appeared
over the Mount of Olives, to the edification of the devout pilgrims, and
the people of the holy city. [89] The size of the meteor was gradually
magnified; and the Arian historian has ventured to affirm, that it was
conspicuous to the two armies in the plains of Pannonia; and that the
tyrant, who is purposely represented as an idolater, fled before the
auspicious sign of orthodox Christianity. [90]

[Footnote 85: Quia etiam tum catechumenus sacramentum fidei merito
videretiu potuisse nescire. Sulp. Sever. Hist. Sacra, l. ii. p. 410.]

[Footnote 86: Socrates, l. ii. c. 2. Sozomen, l. iii. c. 18. Athanas.
tom. i. p. 813, 834. He observes that the eunuchs