No More Learning

After his death
in Persia, the liberty of sacrificing remained for some time: but at
the instigation of some innovators, sacrifices were forbidden by the
two brothers**, but not incense;--which state of things your law has
ratified. So that we have not more reason to be uneasy for what is
denied us, than to be thankful for what is allowed. You, therefore, have
not ordered the temples to be shut up, nor forbidden any to frequent
them: nor have you driven from the temples or the altars, fire or
frankincense, or other honours of incense. But those black-garbed
people***, who eat more than elephants, and demand a large quantity of
liquor from the people who send them drink for their chantings, but who
hide their luxury by their pale artificial countenances,--these men, O
Emperor, even whilst your law is in force, run to the temples, bringing
with them wood, and stones, and iron, and

* Julian.

**Valentinian and Valens.

*** The monks.

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when they have not these, hands and feet. Then follows a Mysian prey*,
the roofs are uncovered, walls are pulled down, images are carried off,
and altars are overturned: the priests all the while must be silent upon
pain of death. When they have destroyed one temple they run to another,
and a third, and trophies are erected upon trophies: which are all
contrary to [your] law. This is the practice in cities, but especially
in the countries. And there are many enemies every where. After
innumerable mischiefs have been perpetrated, the scattered multitude
unites and comes together, and they require of each other an account
of what they have done; and he is ashamed who cannot tell of some great
injury which he has been guilty of. They, therefore, spread themselves
over the country like torrents, wasting the countries together with the
temples: for wherever they demolish the temple of a country, at the same
time the country itself is blinded, declines, and dies. For, O Emperor,
the temples are the soul of the country; they have been the first
original of the buildings in the country, and they have subsisted for
many ages to this time; and in

* This proverbial expression took its rise from the Mysians,
who, in the absence of their king Telephus, being plundered
by their neighbours, made no resistance. Hence it came to be
applied to any persons who were passive under injuries.
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them are all the husbandman's hopes, concerning men, and women, and
children, and oxen, and the seeds and the plants of the ground. Wherever
any country has lost its temples, that country is lost, and the hopes of
the husbandmen, and with them all their alacrity: for they suppose they
shall labour in vain, when they are deprived of the gods who should
bless their labours; and the country not being cultivated as usual, the
tribute is diminished. This being the state of things, the husbandman
is impoverished, and the revenue suffers. For, be the will ever so
good, impossibilities are not to be surmounted. Of such mischievous
consequence are the arbitrary proceedings of those persons in the
country, who say, 'they fight with the temples. ' But that war is the
gain of those who oppress the inhabitants: and robbing these miserable
people of their goods, and what they had laid up of the fruits of the
earth for their sustenance, they go off as with the spoils of those whom
they have conquered. Nor are they satisfied with this, for they also
seize the lands of some, saying it is sacred: and many are deprived of
their paternal inheritance upon a false pretence. Thus these men riot
upon other people's misfortunes, who say they worship God with fasting.
And if they who are abused come to the pastor in the city, (for so they
call a man who is not one of the meekest,) complaining of the injustice
that has been done

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them, this pastor commends these, but rejects the others, as if they
ought to think themselves happy that they have suffered no more.
Although, O Emperor, these also are your subjects, and so much more
profitable than those who injure them, as laborious men are than the
idle: for they are like bees, these like drones. Moreover, if they
hear of any land which has any thing that can be plundered, they cry
presently, 'Such an one sacrificeth, and does abominable things, and
an army ought to be sent against him. ' And presently the reformers are
there: for by this name they call their depredators, if I have not used
too soft a word. Some of these strive to conceal themselves and deny
their proceedings; and if you call them robbers, you affront them.
Others glory and boast, and tell their exploits to those who are
ignorant of them, and say they are more deserving than the husbandmen.
Nevertheless, what is this but in time of peace to wage war with the
husbandmen? For it by no means lessens these evils that they suffer from
their countrymen.