Let us treat this mistaken emperor as he himself treated us. He said,
"We should pity and not hate them; they are already sufficiently
unfortunate in erring on the most important of questions." Let us have
the same compassion for him, since we are sure that the truth is on our
side. He rendered strict justice to his subjects, let us then render it
to his memory. Some Alexandrians were incensed against a bishop, who, it
is true, was a wicked man, chosen by a worthless cabal. His name was
George Biordos, and he was the son of a mason. His manners were lower
than his birth. He united the basest perfidy with the most brutal
ferocity, and superstition with every vice. A calumniator, a persecutor,
and an impostor--avaricious, sanguinary, and seditious, he was detested
by every party and at last the people cudgelled him to death. The
following is the letter which the Emperor Julian wrote to the
Alexandrians on the subject of this popular commotion. Mark how he
addresses them, like a father and a judge:
"What!" said he, "instead of reserving for me the knowledge of your
wrongs you have suffered yourselves to be transported with anger! You
have been guilty of the same excesses with which you reproach your
enemies! George deserved to be so treated, but it was not for you to be
his executioners. You have laws; you should have demanded justice," etc.
Some have dared to brand Julian with the epithets intolerant and
persecuting--the man who sought to extirpate persecution and
intolerance! Peruse his fifty-second letter, and respect his memory. Is
he not sufficiently unfortunate in not having been a Catholic, and
consequently in being burned in hell, together with the innumerable
multitude of those who have not been Catholics, without our insulting
him so far as to accuse him of intolerance?
_On the Globes of Fire said to have issued from the Earth to prevent the
rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem under the Emperor Julian._
It is very likely that when Julian resolved to carry the war into Persia
he wanted money. It is also very likely that the Jews gave him some for
permission to rebuild their temple, which Titus had partly destroyed,
but of which there still remained the foundations, an entire wall, and
the Antonine tower. But is it as likely that globes of fire burst upon
the works and the workmen and caused the undertaking to be relinquished.
Is there not a palpable contradiction in what the historians relate?