OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE 159 empire of her son, if, in this contest with the church and people of Milan, she could have depended on the active obedience of the troops of the palace. A large body of Goths had marched to occupy the Basilica which was the object of the dispute : and it might be expected from the Arian principles and barbarous manners of these foreign mercenaries that they would not entertain any scruples in the execution of the most sanguinary orders. They were encountered, on the sacred threshold, by the archbishop, who, thundering against them a sentence of excommunication, asked them, in the tone of a father and a master, Whether it was to invade the house of God that they had implored the hospitable pro- tection of the republic . The suspense of the Barbarians allowed some hours for a more effectual negotiation ; and the empress was persuaded, by the advice of her wisest counsellors, to leave the Catholics in possession of all the churches of Milan ; and to dissemble, till a more convenient season, her intentions of revenge. The mother of Valentinian could never forgive the triumph of Ambrose ; and the royal youth uttered a passionate exclamation that his o^vn servants were ready to betray him into the hands of an insolent priest. The laws of the empire, some of which were inscribed with a.d. the name of Valentinian, still condemned the Arian heresy, and seemed to excuse the resistance of the Catholics. By the influence of Justina an edict of toleration was promulgated in all the provinces which were subject to the court of Milan; the free exercise of their religion was granted to those who professed the faith of Rimini ; and the emperor declared that all persons who should infringe this sacred and salutary con- stitution should be capitally punished as the enemies of the public peace.^*^ The character and language of the ai'chbishop of Milan may justify the suspicion that his conduct soon afforded a reasonable ground, or at least a specious pretence, to the Arian ministers, who watched the opportunity of surprising him in some act of disobedience to a law which he strangely represents as a law of blood and tyranny. A sentence of easy and honourable banishment was pronounced, which en- joined Ambrose to depart from Milan without delay ; whilst it permitted him to choose the place of his exile and the number of his companions. But the authority of the saints who have ^'Sozomen alone (1. vii. c. 13) throws this luminous fact into a dark and perplsxed narrative.
