Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 2 (1897).djvu/151

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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bishop of Carthage, appears to have been still more reprclt«ii- llblr. A (Imcon of that city had )>iibllshril it IjIkI tti^ninit the

pvor. The oflcnOcr took rcfu}*e in the episcopal paliice ;

tiwufth it was somewhat early to ailvanee any claims of

eedolutlnl ilnmll^itte^ the l>i:ih«j> refuseil lr> deliver him up

.to the tfffieew uf justice. For tliiii tpr.n.Mjni«bIc rt-siitjuice, Mcii>

fluHu* WKi Miinm court. And, iiMtend of rccriving n Kg»,

Mntmcc uf death or hanUhmcnt, he wa^ permitted, after a

Aort exjimi nation, to retiim to hin diocese.'*' Such w«g the >

bttp|)y condition of the Christian subjects of Maxentitis that, |

whatever they were dciirou^ of proeurinj,; for their uwti use '

nj bodicA of luartj r«, they were obliged to piinlioae them fnmi

tke mo>t JiNtAtit prwineeH of the F'ait. A story ii related nf

A|tW, • Hontan lady, desceiuled from a <-(HiBular family, anil

poMcaaed of %o ample an eftatc that it miuired the mana4!e-

OKtit of acventy-threc stewards. Among theje, Boniface wa^

Ifce IJti'ourite of his mistress ; and, as .)ae mixed love with

devotion, it is reported that he was admitted to share her bed.

Bcf fortune enabled her to gratify the pious desire of ohtainiiv

Mne Mcred reliis from the Ejwt. She intrusted Boniface with

I 4 eonaiderable luni nf gold and a larffc quantity of arumatieit ;

. «m1 her lover. Httriidrd by twelve horsemen iu)d three covenrd

Dta, undertook a remote pitgrimHce, n-i far ah TaTRUS in

i

bv'

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The languinar}' temper of GuleriLts. the lir«t and pritieipii) iniuniMjj of the persecution, was formidable to those Cliristiaiiiud>rOa. their mbfortiines hod placed nithin the limiti of hislluwu ■InlaiM : aitd it may fairly be preiunied tliut many perKonit of kaiildJe raiik, who were not cOnlined hy the ehainn either of Jth <tr of poverty, very fre(|uently <lescrtcd their native

tlOliBB In ttw Um <if popn. are auppmeil <iy many ctllin to ht iliflercnl I ; taM Ibr IcBfMd AbU de Longuow wtu oonvinonl l)iat Ibry wetc one

Vtnttia Tttiot, lapiii [Jl^. InpiM) quia eriminx Hat

PnedliJt. niwrtt lult omnilwi hoHu nmniu*.

Hinc fame, hinc oilium ; s^ijuitur ditconla. Iit««,

Sedino. cecIb : lolfumur fcedftn p«eij.

Crimen ofa alieriiu. Chrimim ijiii inpace tw(avit.

FinalBM eipulnu patriae «*i reniai* TyrBitnt.

Hne bfctlHt IMmanu Tolun mmpena rrinr*:

MancW [al) popdliu mentuni roKnotcerr potMl.

, thai Damasu wu made hiihop of Romr. a. ■>. sM. [Cp Appi 7.]

"•OpiMM eoMr. DoaaliiL I i c. ■;. i&

■•tCao - - - -

AcU of the hxion o( St. BonihiM. which sbound in miraelM and iltCM, aft pwblMiBJ bf Ibilnan {a. 183.1911 baili m Urrrk ami l^lin. Ifaa aMhorlt; of varr ancimt ouuiUMiipn.