83. There was placed before him gold, there was placed before him incense; the fire at hand; the masters of the ceremonies close by. And the pretext how plausible! that this was the regular formality of the imperial donative, that is to say, of the more ancient and honorific description.⁶⁶ What next? Each was obliged to throw incense upon the fire, and so to receive gold from the emperor, pay for perdition, small price for so dear a thing ----for entire souls of men, and for sin against God! Alas, for the bargain! alas, for the bartering! A whole army to be purchased for one trick! and they that had subdued the whole world were overthrown by a tiny fire, a gold coin, and by means of a little incense----smoke; the greater part of them not even being aware ⁶⁷  of the sacrifice of themselves! for this was the most grievous part of the business: each passed in review with the idea he was to get something; and did not even keep himself after getting it! He kissed the emperor's hand, and did not know that he was kissing his own murderer! And those who did know it were none the better off; when once involved in the mischief, and taking for an inviolable law their own original inadvertence. What myriads of Persians, what archers, what slingers had effected this! What soldier of steel, in armour of proof, what battering engines had brought about what was effected by a single hand, a single moment, and a vile trick!

ΠΓʹ. Προὔκειτο χρυσὸς, προὔκειτο λίβανος, ἐγγύθεν τὸ πῦρ, οἱ κελευσταὶ πλησίον: καὶ τὸ σχῆμα ὡς πιθανὸν, βασιλικῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦτον εἶναι δοκεῖν τὸν νόμον, τῆς γε ἀρχαιοτέρας τε καὶ τιμιωτέρας. Εἶτα τί; Θυμιᾷν ἔδει κατὰ τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ δέχεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν τῆς ἀπωλείας μισθὸν, οὕτως ὀλίγον τοσούτου πράγματος, ψυχῶν ὅλων καὶ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀσεβείας. Φεῦ τῆς πραγματείας! φεῦ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως! Στρατὸς ὅλος ἑνὸς τεχνάσματος ὤνιος ἦν: καὶ οἱ τὴν οἰκουμένην παραστησάμενοι μικρῷ πυρὶ καὶ χρυσίῳ, καὶ διὰ κνίσσης ὀλίγης ἔπιπτον, οὐδὲ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σφαγὴν εἰδότες οἱ πλείους: τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν τὸ βαρύτατον. Παρῄει τις ὡς κερδανῶν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἑαυτὸν εἶχε μετὰ τὸ κέρδος: προσεκύνει δεξιὰν βασιλέως, καὶ τὸν αὐτόχειρα προσκυνῶν οὐκ ἠπίστατο. Τοῖς δὲ καὶ γινώσκουσιν οὐδὲν ἦν πλέον, ἅπαξ τῷ κακῷ προκατειλημμένοις, καὶ νόμον ἄλυτον ἡγουμένοις τὴν πρώτην ἄνοιαν. Ποῖαι ταῦτα Περσῶν μυριάδες, τίνες τοξόται, τίνες σφενδονῆται κατώρθωσαν, ποῖος σιδηροῦς στρατιώτης καὶ πανταχόθεν ἄτρωτος, τίνα κατὰ τῶν τειχῶν μηχανήματα, οἵα χεὶρ μία, καὶ καιρὸς εἷς, καὶ βουλὴ μιαρὰ κατεπράξατο;