Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/245

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 227 naturally led to enquire, what confidence can be placed CHAP, in the doubtful and imperfect monuments of ancient ^^ credulity; what degree of credit can be assigned to a courtly bishop and a passionate declaimer, who, under the protection of Constantine, enjoyed the exclusive privilege of recording the persecutions inflicted on the christians by the vanquished rivals or disregarded pre- decessors of their gracious sovereign. q2