Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-11-05

gSONHAy EIR DEIEeOEsS.
BY JOHN S. G. ABBOTT.


GOmStuntiUs, Gailsss and Juiinu.
The emperor Constantine was weak
and pusillnnimous man. lie had neither
intellectual ability or physical courage
He was jealous Of the reputation of his
generals and feared the power Of his min
listers. Thus Influenced, he surrounded
himself with cunuchs, the unhappy vic.
tins of oriental jealousy and luxury
Being generally regarded with aversion
and contempt, they developed mainl on.
ly those traits of character connected with
duplicity and cunning. Gradually they
gained the.entire asccndency over the fec
bic and suspicious mind of Constantius
Ono of these men by the name of Fuse
bus governed the monarch and the en-
pire with relentless sway.
When the Emperor Constantine the
Great died he left brother, Constantius
! This brother had two sons, Gallus and
Julian. Az Julian, called the apostatc
subsequently became one Of the most re.
nowned characters in history, the career
Of these two young men demands espo
cial record. Constantius, jealous OF this
] ulAIt NduNtN llllll W ~ uNNdNblllUNtu. l III
two lads, GalIus and Julian, then in ear.
ly childhood, by some chance escaped the
assassn's dagger. Gallus, who was II
years of age, was n puny, sickly child,
whose life promised to be very short -
Julian was six years of age. Constant
MS imprisoned these his two cousins in
an ancient palace. The buildings were
ms tiI nl a, ti,n oil
cSquc, and the surrounding grounds high.
ly cultivated. Here, however, in the
midst of such splendor and luxury, they
were watched with vigiant eye. With
the exception OF tho silken chains which
bound them in captivity, they were trea-
ted with much consideration. Tho most
highly cultivated teachers and the most
skilluf gymnasts were employed to cult
vate both body aud mind.
Years rolled on and at length Constan-
thus vcntured TO invest Gallus with the
title Of Caesar when twenty five years old.
Gallus fixed his residence at Antioch
and superintendent the government OF that
portion of tho empire, while Coustantius
was embroiled in war with some of his
western provinces. Julian, also released
from captivity, accompanied his brother
to Antioch, But. Gallus, moroso, sulen
and depraved, had no traits of character
which fitted him to reign. lie had mar,
| gied n wife Constantine, who is described
"not as woman, but as one of the in,
/ iernal iuries. tormented with an insatiatc
/ thurst for human blood" Gallus was
her slave and her dupe. He condescend
ed himself to assume disguise and to
spy. He had his room of torture,
where every engine which could cause the
nerves to thrill with agony, was con,
structed.
AT length Constantius, by the most
ilattering assurances, lured Gallus to I'M
dertake a journey to the imperial court.
With n gltterng retinue, and yet with
suspicious somewhat excited, Gsllus left
Antioch and traversed the wide extent Of
his domains lie stopped for short
time at Constantinople to entertain the
/ people with the games of the circus. But
when he arrived at Petovia, in Pannonia.
the emperor laid aside all disguise. A
select band of soldiers arrested him of the
people, dragged him. with his hands
bound behind him, to prison, and cut
off his head. At the same time emissa.
ries were sent to Antioch to seize Julian.
llc was conveyed to Milan. Here he was
kept in rigorous confinement for seven
months, daily expecting ignominious
death.
Juliar, by one Of those unaccountable