His Loyalty to Constantius and His Brother

Since I feared such a design on their part, was it not all the more likely that I would pray for Your Grace? Should I feel affection for his murderer and dislike you, his brother, who avenged his death? Should I remember his crime and forget your kindness, which you were good enough to assure me by letter would remain the same toward me after your brother’s death, of happy memory, as it had been during his lifetime? How could I have borne to look at the murderer? Must I not have thought that the blessed emperor was watching me when I prayed for your safety? For brothers are by nature mirrors of each other. So, seeing you in him, I would never have slandered you before him; and seeing him in you, I would never have written to his enemy instead of praying for your safety. My witnesses to this are, first of all, the Lord, who has heard and has given you the whole kingdom of your forefathers; and next those who were present at the time: Felicissimus, who was Duke of Egypt; Rufinus and Stephanus, the first of whom was receiver general and the second master there; Count Asterius; Palladius, master of the palace; and Antiochus and Evagrius, official agents. I had only to say, “Let us pray for the safety of the most religious emperor, Constantius Augustus,” and all the people at once cried out with one voice, “O Christ, send help to Constantius!” And they went on praying like this for some time. [a]