He Stands to Hear Eusebius Speak on the Savior’s Tomb

One act, however, I must by no means leave out, which this admirable prince performed in my own presence. Once, made bold by the confidence I had in his piety, I asked permission to deliver a speech on the subject of our Savior’s tomb in his hearing. He granted the request most readily, and in the middle of a large audience, inside the palace itself, he stood and listened with the rest. I begged him, but in vain, to sit on the imperial throne that stood nearby. He went on weighing the points of my speech with close attention, and bore his own witness to the truth of the teachings about God that it contained. After some time had passed, since the speech was a long one, I wanted to bring it to a close; but he would not allow this, and urged me to go on to the very end. When I begged him again to sit down, he was displeased in his turn. He said that it was not right to listen carelessly to a discussion of teachings about God; and again, that this posture was good and profitable for him, since it was reverent to stand while listening to sacred truths. So I finished my speech, went home, and took up my usual work again.