might sin 'like the beasts who know no better,' but no wickedness
of common mortals could attain to that of the new Belshazzar, of the
Lord's anointed 'self-abandoned to eternal fire.'

[Sidenote: Political meaning of his exile.]

The exile governed Egypt from his hiding in the desert. Alexandria was
searched in vain; in vain the malice of Constantius pursued him to the
court of Ethiopia. Letter after letter issued from his inaccessible
retreat to keep alive the indignation of the faithful, and invisible
hands conveyed them to the farthest corners of the land. Constantius had
his revenge, but it shook the Empire to its base. It was the first time
since the fall of Israel that a nation had defied the Empire in the name
of God. It was a national rising, none the less real for not breaking
out in formal war. This time Greeks and Copts were united in defence of
the Nicene faith, so that the contest was at an end when the Empire gave
up Arianism. But the next breach was never healed. Monophysite Egypt was
a dead limb of the Empire, and the Roman power beyond Mount Taurus fell
before the Saracens because the provincials would not lift a hand to
fight for the heretics of Chalcedon.

[Sidenote: The Sirmian manifesto (357).]

The victory seemed won when the last great enemy was driven into the
desert, and the intriguers hasted to the spoil. They forgot that the
West was only overawed for the moment, that Egypt was devoted to its
patriarch, that there was a strong opposition in the East, and that the
conservatives, who had won the battle for them, were not likely to take
up Arianism at the bidding of their unworthy leaders. Amongst the few
prominent Eusebians of the West were two disciples of Arius who held the
neighbouring bishoprics of Mursa and Singidunum, the modern Belgrade.
Valens and Ursacius were young men in 335, but old enough to take a part
in the infamous Egyptian commission of the council of Tyre. Since that
time they had been well to the front in the Eusebian plots. In 347,
however, they had found it prudent to make their peace with Julius of
Rome by confessing the falsehood of their charges against Athanasius. Of
late they had been active on the winning side, and enjoyed much
influence with Constantius. Thinking it now safe to declare more openly
for Arianism, they called a few bishops to Sirmium in the summer of 357,
and issued a manifesto of their belief for the time being, to the
following general effect. 'We