29. Athanasius has heard of his own proscription.

Such were the rumours that were noised abroad; and although everything was thus turned upside down, I still did not relinquish my earnest desire of coming to your Piety, but was again setting forward on my journey. And I did so the more eagerly, being confident that these proceedings were contrary to your wishes, and that if your Grace should be informed of what was done, you would prevent it for the time to come. For I could not think that a righteous king could wish Bishops to be banished, and virgins to be stripped, or the Churches to be in any way disturbed. While I thus reasoned and hastened on my journey, behold a third report reached me, to the effect that letters had been written to the Princes of Auxumis, desiring that Frumentius87    [Prolegg. ch. ii. §§4, 7, 8 (1).], Bishop of Auxumis, should be brought from thence, and that search should be made for me even as far as the country of the Barbarians, that I might be handed over to the Commentaries88    That is, the prison. ‘The official books,’ Montfaucon (apparently) in Onomast. vid. Gothofr. Cod. Theod. ix. 3. 1. 5. However, in ix. 30. p. 243. he says, Malim pro ipsa custodia accipere. And so Du Cange in voc., and this meaning is here followed, vid. supr. Apol. contr. Arian. §8, where commentarius is translated ‘jailor.’ (as they are called) of the Prefects, and that all the laity and clergy should be compelled to communicate with the Arian heresy, and that such as would not comply with this order should be put to death. To shew that these were not merely idle rumours, but that they were confirmed by facts, since your Grace has given me leave, I produce the letter. My enemies were constantly reading it, and threatening each one with death.

29 Τοιούτων οὖν ὄντων τῶν θρυλουμένων, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἄνω καὶ κάτω πάντων ἀνατετραμμένων, ὅμως οὐκ ἀπέστην ἐγὼ τῆς προθυμίας, ἀλλὰ πάλιν εἰχόμην τῆς ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν· καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον σπουδαιότερον ἔπραττον, θαρρῶν ὅτι παρὰ γνώμην μὲν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπράττετο ταῦτα· εἰ μάθοι δὲ ἡ σὴ φιλανθρωπία τὰ γενόμενα, κωλύσει τοῦ λοιποῦ γενέσθαι· μὴ γὰρ εἶναι θεοσεβοῦς βασιλέως θέλειν ἐξορίζεσθαι ἐπισκόπους καὶ γυμνοῦσθαι παρθένους, ἢ ὅλως τὰς ἐκκλησίας ταράττεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ τοιαῦτα λογιζομένους ἡμᾶς καὶ σπεύδοντας ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ἰδοὺ πάλιν τρίτη τις κατέλαβεν ἀκοὴ ὅτι γέγραπται τοῖς ἐν Αὐξούμει τυράννοις, ὥστε Φρουμέντιον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Αὐξούμεως ἐκεῖθεν ἀχθῆναι, καὶ ἐμὲ μὲν μέχρι τῆς βαρβάρων ζητεῖσθαι, καὶ εἰς τὰ λεγόμενα κομεντάρια τῶν ἐπάρχων παραπέμπεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ λαοὺς καὶ τοὺς κληρικοὺς πάντας ἀναγκάζεσθαι κοινωνεῖν τῇ Ἀρειανῇ αἱρέσει· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ὑπακούσωσιν, ἀποθνήσκειν τοὺς τοιούτους. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ λόγῳ μόνον ἐθρυλεῖτο ταῦτα ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἐδείκνυτο, ἐπειδὴ συνεχώρησεν ἡ σὴ φιλανθρωπία, ἰδοὺ καὶ ἡ ἐπιστολή· ταύτην γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι συνεχῶς ἀνεγίνωσκον, ἀπειλοῦντες ἑκάστῳ θάνατον.