PartI。

　　ResidenceOfJulianAtAntioch。—HisSuccessfulExpeditionAgainstThePersians。—PassageOfTheTigris—TheRetreatAndDeathOfJulian。—ElectionOfJovian。—HeSavesTheRomanArmyByADisgracefulTreaty。

　　ThephilosophicalfablewhichJuliancomposedunderthenameoftheCaesars，^1isoneofthemostagreeableandinstructiveproductionsofancientwit。^2DuringthefreedomandequalityofthedaysoftheSaturnalia，RomuluspreparedafeastforthedeitiesofOlympus，whohadadoptedhimasaworthyassociate，andfortheRomanprinces，whohadreignedoverhismartialpeople，andthevanquishednationsoftheearth。Theimmortalswereplacedinjustorderontheirthronesofstate，andthetableoftheCaesarswasspreadbelowtheMoonintheupperregionoftheair。Thetyrants，whowouldhavedisgracedthesocietyofgodsandmen，werethrownheadlong，bytheinexorableNemesis，intotheTartareanabyss。TherestoftheCaesarssuccessivelyadvancedtotheirseats；andastheypassed，thevices，thedefects，theblemishesoftheirrespectivecharacters，weremaliciouslynoticedbyoldSilenus，alaughingmoralist，whodisguisedthewisdomofaphilosopherunderthemaskofaBacchanal。^3Assoonasthefeastwasended，thevoiceofMercuryproclaimedthewillofJupiter，thatacelestialcrownshouldbetherewardofsuperiormerit。JuliusCaesar，Augustus，Trajan，andMarcusAntoninus，wereselectedasthemostillustriouscandidates；theeffeminateConstantine^4wasnotexcludedfromthishonorablecompetition，andthegreatAlexanderwasinvitedtodisputetheprizeofglorywiththeRomanheroes。

　　Eachofthecandidateswasallowedtodisplaythemeritofhisownexploits；but，inthejudgmentofthegods，themodestsilenceofMarcuspleadedmorepowerfullythantheelaborateorationsofhishaughtyrivals。Whenthejudgesofthisawfulcontestproceededtoexaminetheheart，andtoscrutinizethespringsofaction，thesuperiorityoftheImperialStoicappearedstillmoredecisiveandconspicuous。^5AlexanderandCaesar，Augustus，Trajan，andConstantine，acknowledged，withablush，thatfame，orpower，orpleasurehadbeentheimportantobjectoftheirlabors:butthegodsthemselvesbeheld，withreverenceandlove，avirtuousmortal，whohadpractisedonthethronethelessonsofphilosophy；andwho，inastateofhumanimperfection，hadaspiredtoimitatethemoralattributesoftheDeity。ThevalueofthisagreeablecompositiontheCaesarsofJulianisenhancedbytherankoftheauthor。Aprince，whodelineates，withfreedom，thevicesandvirtuesofhispredecessors，subscribes，ineveryline，thecensureorapprobationofhisownconduct。

　　[Footnote1:Seethisfableorsatire，p。306—336oftheLeipsigeditionofJulian\'sworks。TheFrenchversionofthelearnedEzekielSpanheimParis，1683iscoarse，languid，andcorrect；

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