[Footnote44:HabesprofectoaliquidcumillamenteDivinasecretum；quadelegatanostraDiisMinoribuscuraunisetibidignaturostenderePanegyr。Vet。ix。2。]
III。Thephilosopher，whowithcalmsuspicionexaminesthedreamsandomens，themiraclesandprodigies，ofprofaneorevenofecclesiasticalhistory，willprobablyconclude，thatiftheeyesofthespectatorshavesometimesbeendeceivedbyfraud，theunderstandingofthereadershasmuchmorefrequentlybeeninsultedbyfiction。Everyevent，orappearance，oraccident，whichseemstodeviatefromtheordinarycourseofnature，hasbeenrashlyascribedtotheimmediateactionoftheDeity；andtheastonishedfancyofthemultitudehassometimesgivenshapeandcolor，languageandmotion，tothefleetingbutuncommonmeteorsoftheair。^45NazariusandEusebiusarethetwomostcelebratedorators，who，instudiedpanegyrics，havelaboredtoexaltthegloryofConstantine。NineyearsaftertheRomanvictory，Nazarius^46describesanarmyofdivinewarriors，whoseemedtofallfromthesky:hemarkstheirbeauty，theirspirit，theirgiganticforms，thestreamoflightwhichbeamedfromtheircelestialarmor，theirpatienceinsufferingthemselvestobeheard，aswellasseen，bymortals；andtheirdeclarationthattheyweresent，thattheyflew，totheassistanceofthegreatConstantine。Forthetruthofthisprodigy，thePaganoratorappealstothewholeGallicnation，inwhosepresencehewasthenspeaking；andseemstohopethattheancientapparitions^47
wouldnowobtaincreditfromthisrecentandpublicevent。TheChristianfableofEusebius，which，inthespaceoftwenty—sixyears，mightarisefromtheoriginaldream，iscastinamuchmorecorrectandelegantmould。InoneofthemarchesofConstantine，heisreportedtohaveseenwithhisowneyestheluminoustrophyofthecross，placedabovethemeridiansunandinscribedwiththefollowingwords:ByThisConquer。Thisamazingobjectintheskyastonishedthewholearmy，aswellastheemperorhimself，whowasyetundeterminedinthechoiceofareligion:buthisastonishmentwasconvertedintofaithbythevisionoftheensuingnight。Christappearedbeforehiseyes；anddisplayingthesamecelestialsignofthecross，hedirectedConstantinetoframeasimilarstandard，andtomarch，withanassuranceofvictory，againstMaxentiusandallhisenemies。^48
ThelearnedbishopofCaesareaappearstobesensible，thattherecentdiscoveryofthismarvellousanecdotewouldexcitesomesurpriseanddistrustamongthemostpiousofhisreaders。Yet，insteadofascertainingtheprecisecircumstancesoftimeandplace，whichalwaysservetodetectfalsehoodorestablishtruth；
^49insteadofcollectingandrecordingtheevidenceofsomanylivingwitnesseswhomusthavebeenspectatorsofthisstupendousmiracle；^50Eusebiuscontentshimselfwithallegingaverysingulartestimony；thatofthedeceasedConstantine，who，manyyearsaftertheevent，inthefreedomofconversation，hadrelatedtohimthisextraordinaryincidentofhisownlife，andhadattestedthetruthofitbyasolemnoath。Theprudenceandgratitudeofthelearnedprelateforbadehimtosuspecttheveracityofhisvictoriousmaster；butheplainlyintimates，thatinafactofsuchanature，heshouldhaverefusedhisassenttoanymeanerauthority。ThismotiveofcredibilitycouldnotsurvivethepoweroftheFlavianfamily；andthecelestialsign，whichtheInfidelsmightafterwardsderide，^51wasdisregardedbytheChristiansoftheagewhichimmediatelyfollowedtheconversionofConstantine。^52ButtheCatholicchurch，bothoftheEastandoftheWest，hasadoptedaprodigywhichfavors，orseemstofavor，thepopularworshipofthecross。ThevisionofConstantinemaintainedanhonorableplaceinthelegendofsuperstition，tilltheboldandsagaciousspiritofcriticismpresumedtodepreciatethetriumph，andtoarraignthetruth，ofthefirstChristianemperor。^53