Here the Devil was a _lying Spirit_, in a particular and extraordinary manner, in the Mouths of all the Prophets; and yet he had the Cunning to express himself so, that whatever happen'd, the Oracle was suppos'd to have meant as it fell out; and so all their Augurs, Omens and Voices, by which the Devil amus'd the World, not at that Time only, but since, have been likewise interpreted. _Julian_ the Apostate dealt mightily in these Amusements, but the Devil, who neither wish'd his Fall, or presag'd it to him, evidenc'd that he knew nothing of _Julian_'s Fate; for that, as he sent almost to all the Oracles of the East, and summon'd all the Priests together to inform him of the Success of his _Persian_ Expedition, they all, like _Ahab_'s _Prophets_, having a lying Spirit in them, encourag'd him and promis'd him Success. Nay, all the ill Omens which disturb'd him, they presag'd good from; _for Example_, he was at a prodigious Expence when he was at _Antioch_ to buy up white Beasts, and white Fowls, for Sacrifices, and for predicting from the Entrails; from whence the _Antiochians_, in contempt, call'd him _Victimarius_; but whenever the Entrails foreboded Evil, the cunning Devil made the Priests put a different Construction upon them, and promise him Good: When he entred into the Temple of the _Genij_ to offer Sacrifice, one of the Priests dropt down dead; this, had it had any Signification more than a Man falling dead of an Apoplectic, would have signified something fatal to _Julian_, who made himself a Brother Sacrist or Priest; whereas the Priests turn'd it presently to signify the Death of his Colleague, the Consul _Sallust_ which happen'd just at the same Time, tho' eight hundred Miles off; so in another Case, _Julian_ thought it ominous that he, who was _Augustus_ should be nam'd with two other Names of Persons, both already dead; the Case was thus, the Stile of the Emperor was _Julianus Foelix Augustus_, and two of his principal Officers were _Julianus_ and _Foelix_; now both _Julianus_ and _Foelix_ died within a few Days of one another, which disturb'd Him much, who was the third of the three Names; but his flattering _Devil_ told him it all imported Good to him (_viz._) that tho' _Julianus_ and _Foelix_ should die, _Augustus_ should be immortal. Thus whatever happen'd, and whatever was foretold, and how much soever they differ'd from one another, the lying Spirit was sure to reconcile the _Prediction_ and the _Event_, and make them at least seem to correspond in Favour of the Person enquiring.