Part 27 (1/2)

In the long line of the emperors of the East there were few more honest and able than Theodosius He found his dominions in a state of confusion, the prey of the barbarian hordes that were always pouring ards from the wide plains of Scythia, while internally the strife in the church was fiercer than ever Quietly and steadily the emperor took his measures Here he pardoned, there he punished, and men felt that both pardon and punishainst the rebel Maximus, as he would have liked to do, but he deterht, he would never forsake the young Valentinian Maximus had snatched at some excuse to invade Milan, which on his entrance he had found abandoned by its chief men, save only Ambrose, who treated him with contempt and went his oay The intruder's efforts to buy support by conciliation failed miserably, and in a feeeks there ca to ary, or Pannonia Then Maximus assembled what forces he could, and set out across the pass of the Brenner

Two battles were lost, for the legions of Maximus were but half-hearted; in the third he was taken prisoner and brought before the emperor

Theodosius was a merciful man, but his heart was hard towards the murderer of Gratian 'Let him die!' he said, and without delay the order was carried out

[Illustration: 'Let hiions were quite ready to return to their rightful emperor, and as soon as he had settled matters Theodosius went on to Milan There he and Areat friends; the bishop was much the cleverer of the two, but they were both honest and straightforward, with great common-sense, and it must have been a relief to A an important person, to feel that he could at last mind his own business, and leave affairs of state to the e so smoothly that the supreme crisis in the lives of both men took place--the event which has linked the names of Ambrose and Theodosius for evermore

Thessalonica, the chief town of Macedonia, was a beautiful city, and its Governor, Count Botheric, a special friend of the Emperor, who constantly went to pay him a visit earied out with the cares of state, which pressed on hiht-hearted, loving shows and pageants of all sorts, but ames of the circus In order to celebrate the defeat of Maxied a series of special displays, and in the chariot races most of the prizes were carried off by one man, who becanation which ran through the city when, immediately after the festival was over, the charioteer was accused of souilty, was thrown into prison by Botheric In a body the populace surged up to the house of the Governor and demanded his release But Botheric was not the ht by an excited crowd He absolutely refused to give way, and told theiven him, and more too Then the passion of the mob broke loose They attacked the Governor's house and the houses of all ere in authority The soldiers ere ordered out were too few to cope with their violence

In the struggle Botheric was killed, and many of his friends also, and their bodies subjected to every kind of insult that est

Theodosius was in Milan when the news reached him, and after a few moments of stony horror he was seized with such terrific passion that it ale At last he spoke; to those who stood around the voice sounded as the voice of a stranger

'The crime was committed by the whole town,' he said, 'and the whole town shall suffer' Then, and without giving hie his mind, he sat down and wrote the order for a istrates left alive

His words were probably reported to Ambrose, and no doubt the bishop tried his best to calm the wrath of the emperor But Theodosius was in no mood to be reasoned with He declined to see his friend, and left Milan, shutting hieance was told

In obedience to his instructions, games, and especially chariot races, were announced to take place in the circus We do not know if the mob had broken open the prison and released the charioteer in whose honour so much blood had been shed; but if so we may be sure that he was present, and was hailed with shouts of welcole seat was vacant The eyes of the spectators were fixed on the line of chariots drawn up at the starting-point, and drivers and lookers-on awaited breathlessly the signal In their absorption they never noticed that soldiers had drawn silently up and had surrounded theiven, but it was the signal for one of the bloodiest massacres that ever shocked the ancient world Probably the authorities who carried out the emperor's orders went further than he intended, even in the first passion of his anger But of one thing we may be quite sure, and that is that remorse and shame filled his soul when the hideous story reached him Not that he would confess it; to the public he would say he was justified in what he had done, but none the less he would have given all he had to undo his actions He caain in his palace

At the ti with a friend in the country, for his health had suffered from his hard work, and also fro Theodosius to a sense of his crime When he entered Milan once ht send for hier arrived, the bishop understood that Theodosius refused to see him, and the only course open was to write a letter

The occasion was not one for polite phrases, neither was Auilt before Theodosius and besought him to repent And as his sin had been public, his repentance must be public too But this letter remained unanswered

Theodosius was resolved to brave the matter out, and next day, accoreat church

At the porch Ambrose met him, and refused to let him pass

'Go back,' he said, 'lest you add another sin to those you have already committed You are blinded by power, and even now your heart is hard, and you do not understand that your hands are steeped in blood Go back'

And Theodosius went back, feeling in his soul the truth of the bishop's words, but prevented by pride fro himself

Months went on, and the two ers, and now Christmas was near Rufinus, prefect of the palace, as suspected of having inflamed the wrath of the Emperor in theso sad a face while the whole world was rejoicing Theodosius then opened his soul to hith he had repented of his crime and was ready to confess it before the bishop and the people Once having spoken, he would not delay, and there and then went on foot to the church As before, Ambrose, who had been warned of his intention,that the emperor meant to force his way in, and in that case the bishop was prepared to put him out with his own hands

But Theodosius stood with bowed head, and in a low voice confessed his guilt and entreated forgiveness 'What signs can you show me that your repentance is real?' asked Ahtly'