andtheedictwhichexcitedthemostviolentclamors，maynotappearsoextremelyreprehensible。Theemperorhadobserved，thatseveralofhissubjects，gratifyingtheirlazydispositionunderthepretenceofreligion，hadassociatedthemselveswiththemonksofEgypt；andhedirectedthecountoftheEasttodragthemfromtheirsolitude；andtocompelthesedesertersofsocietytoacceptthefairalternativeofrenouncingtheirtemporalpossessions，orofdischargingthepublicdutiesofmenandcitizens。^74TheministersofValensseemtohaveextendedthesenseofthispenalstatute，sincetheyclaimedarightofenlistingtheyoungandablebodiedmonksintheImperialarmies。
Adetachmentofcavalryandinfantry，consistingofthreethousandmen，marchedfromAlexandriaintotheadjacentdesertofNitria，^75whichwaspeopledbyfivethousandmonks。ThesoldierswereconductedbyArianpriests；anditisreported，thataconsiderableslaughterwasmadeinthemonasterieswhichdisobeyedthecommandsoftheirsovereign。^76
[Footnote69:Dr。JortinRemarksonEcclesiasticalHistory，vol。
iv。p。78hasalreadyconceivedandintimatedthesamesuspicion。]
[Footnote70:Thisreflectionissoobviousandforcible，thatOrosiusl。vii。c。32，33，delaysthepersecutiontillafterthedeathofValentinian。Socrates，ontheotherhand，supposes，l。iii。c。32，thatitwasappeasedbyaphilosophicaloration，whichThemistiuspronouncedintheyear374，Orat。xii。p。154，inLatinonly。Suchcontradictionsdiminishtheevidence，andreducetheterm，ofthepersecutionofValens。]