Butthesubjectwhohasreducedhisprincetothenecessityofdissembling，canneverexpectasincereandlastingforgiveness；andthetragicfateofConstanssoondeprivedAthanasiusofapowerfulandgenerousprotector。ThecivilwarbetweentheassassinandtheonlysurvivingbrotherofConstans，whichafflictedtheempireabovethreeyears，securedanintervalofreposetotheCatholicchurch；andthetwocontendingpartiesweredesiroustoconciliatethefriendshipofabishop，who，bytheweightofhispersonalauthority，mightdeterminethefluctuatingresolutionsofanimportantprovince。Hegaveaudiencetotheambassadorsofthetyrant，withwhomhewasafterwardsaccusedofholdingasecretcorrespondence；^120andtheemperorConstantiusrepeatedlyassuredhisdearestfather，themostreverendAthanasius，that，notwithstandingthemaliciousrumorswhichwerecirculatedbytheircommonenemies，hehadinheritedthesentiments，aswellasthethrone，ofhisdeceasedbrother。^121GratitudeandhumanitywouldhavedisposedtheprimateofEgypttodeploretheuntimelyfateofConstans，andtoabhortheguiltofMagnentius；butasheclearlyunderstoodthattheapprehensionsofConstantiuswerehisonlysafeguard，thefervorofhisprayersforthesuccessoftherighteouscausemightperhapsbesomewhatabated。TheruinofAthanasiuswasnolongercontrivedbytheobscuremaliceofafewbigotedorangrybishops，whoabusedtheauthorityofacredulousmonarch。Themonarchhimselfavowedtheresolution，whichhehadsolongsuppressed，ofavenginghisprivateinjuries；^122andthefirstwinterafterhisvictory，whichhepassedatArles，wasemployedagainstanenemymoreodioustohimthanthevanquishedtyrantofGaul。
[Footnote120:Athanasiustom。i。p。677，678defendshisinnocencebypatheticcomplaints，solemnassertions，andspeciousarguments。Headmitsthatlettershadbeenforgedinhisname，butherequeststhathisownsecretariesandthoseofthetyrantmightbeexamined，whetherthoselettershadbeenwrittenbytheformer，orreceivedbythelatter。]
[Footnote121:Athanas。tom。i。p。825—844。]
[Footnote122:Athanas。tom。i。p。861。Theodoret，l。ii。c。16。
TheemperordeclaredthathewasmoredesiroustosubdueAthanasius，thanhehadbeentovanquishMagnentiusorSylvanus。]