CHAP. XIII. Iulianus writeth a booke called Mesopogon, against the Antiocheans. He gently entreateth Theodorus of Hierapolis, who had sided with Constantius. The iudgement of Ammianus Marcellinus, as touching the oxe Apis sought and found.
HOwbeit among such principall and serious businesses, hee seemed to deale in one thing that was superfluous and unnecessarie, in that upon a love that he had taken to populari•••••• without any probable reason inducing him thereto, hee set his mind to bring downe the price of all things to be bought and sold in market; the cheapnesse whereof being ordered otherwise than is meet and convenient, is wont otherwiles to breed scarcitie and famine. And notwith∣standing the States of Antioch shewed plainly, That it could not be effected at the time when he willed it, yet would he never a whit leave off his purpose: like for all the world to his brother Gallus, although he was not bloudily minded. Where∣upon faring afterward against them, as murmuring detractors and contumacious, he compiled an invective volume, which hee called Antiochense, or Mesopogon, upon a malitious mind, reckoning up the shamefull reproaches of the citie, and set∣ting to more than were true. After which, understanding there were many plea∣sant jests and skoffes made of him, being forced to dissimule all for the time, he boi∣led and swelled againe inwardly with anger. For, mocked he was by these tearmes, as • Cercops, a little dwarfe, using to stretch his narrow shoulders, carrying a goats beard before him, and stalking with a wide pace, like as if he had beene a brother of λ Otus and Ephialtes, those Giants whose talnesse Homer infinitly setteth out in the highest degree. He was also tearmed in stead of Sacricola, i. a devout server of God, Victimarius, i. the common sacrificer or butcher, whereby many alluded to his of∣ten sacrificing. And verie aptly was he blamed in this behalfe, when as for o••ten∣tation sake, he used verie boldly to carrie sacred oblations for the priests, accom∣panied with a sort of women, and he tooke joy and pleasure therein. And although for these and the like causes he fretted and chafed, yet he said not a word, but hol∣ding in his passion within the power of his mind, he celebrated his sacred solemni∣ties notwithstanding. To conclude, upon a certaine set festivall day before appoin∣ted, he ascended up to the mountaine Casius, so full of woods, and with a round compasse reaching up on high, from whence at the second cocke crowing the sun is seene first to rise. And when he offered sacrifice, and celebrated divine service to Iupiter, all on a sodaine he espied one lying prostrat upon the ground, with a supply∣ant voyce, humbly beseeching life and pardon: And when he asked what he was, answer was made unto him, That it was Theodotus of Hierapolis, one of the Presi∣dents traine there, who among other honourable personages, accompanying Con∣stantius as he went from their citie, by way of un••eemely and base flattering him (as