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266 Crcdihilitxj of the Gospel History.
The" messenger who carries back an answer from Marcel-
lus, finds Mani in a castle named'' Arabion, a Persian fortress,
as it seems, and upon the frontier: Mani thereupon comes in
great haste to Marcellus at Caschar; and he' has in his
company two-and-twenty, or, in another copy, twelve youngmen
and virgins; that is, so*^ many men who professed virginal
chastity; and he is himself dressed very politely after
the Persian manner. How can it be thought that a person
under his prince's displeasure should travel with such attendants
?
Moreover, when the disputations in the Roman part of
Mesopotamia were over, aiid he Mas disagreeable to the
people of Caschar and Diodoris, where tlie conferences were
held, he^ returns to Arabion, Avhere he is taken up by the
king's soldiers : but would any man of common sense act
in this manner, mIio was liable to capital punishment for
such an offence as is here supposed ?
It is also remarkable that Maui's letter to Marcellus,
brought by Turbo, begins in this manner: ' Manichee,*'
* apostle of Jesus Christ, and all the saints and virgins with
' me, send peace to Mracellus.'
Upon all which therefore I again observe, that Mani Is
said to have been imprisoned on account of the death of the
king- of Persia's son : but all the following particulars of
his history represent him not a prisoner, but at full liberty;
for' his three chief disciples, who had been sent out into
*= Marcellus vero, accito uno ex piieris siiis, Callisto nomine, praecipit
proficisci, qui, nihil moratus, illico proficiscitur ; et post triduum pervenit ad
Manem, quern in castello quodam Arabionis reperit, atque epistolan> tradidit.
Arch. c. 6. p. 9.
•^ Concerning Arabion see Tilkm. as before, art. 8. at the end.
*^ Eadem autem ipsa die adventavit Manes, adducens secum juvenes et
virgines electos ad viginti duo simul—et primo—ad Marcellum ingreditur
salutandum. Quo ille viso admiratus est primo habitus indumenta. Habebat
pallium autem
enim calceamenti genus, cjuod quadrisole vulgo appellari solet ;
varium, tanquam airina specie •, in manu vero validissimum baculum tenebat ex
ligno ebelino. Babylonium vero librum portabat sub sinistra ala. Crura etiam
braccis obtexerat colore diverso, quarum una rul'a, alia velut prasini coloris
erat. Vultus vero, ut senis Pcrsae artilicis, et bellorum ducis videbatur. Arch.
c. 12. p. 23.
' M. de Tillemont a pris ces vierges pour des filles.—Je ne sai si ceux de
ses disciples, qui Taccompagnnient, etoient de jeunes honimcs ; mais je suis
bien asMjre (|u' il n'y avoit ponit de jeunes hiles avec cux.—Ces vierges et ces
Kiints sont Ics memes personnes. Aussi Irouvj-t-on dans un endroit de la
version Latine virgines electos, ce qui marque que ce sont des honmies. Beaus.
T. i. p. 93. K Sed ille vias, quibus venerat, repetens, transito
fluvio ad Arabionis castellum rediit, ubi post ca com prehcnsus, oblatus est regi.
Arch. c. 45. p. 100. ^ Ap. Arch. c. 5. p. (>.
' For the several following particulars see Arch. c. 53, 54.