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Lactantius. a. D. 30G. 485
That c'xtreiiic poverty of our autlior, wliicli St. Jeroin
inciitions, if Lactantius does not, may be thought to be a
reflection upon Constantino, tliat he should have made no
better ])r()vision for his eldest son's preceptor. But Du
Pin and Tillemoiit are of opinion, that it^ was a voluntary
poverty. AVhat Jerom therefore writes of that matter is to
be esteemed a grand and magnificent commendation. ' A"
' man must be virtuous in a high degree, to live miserably
' at court, want necessaries in the midst of abundance, and
' taste no pleasures in the company of such as wallow in
' them.'
But I see no proof, that Lactantius was destitute of necessaries,
whilst he was employed in teaching Crispus; though
it happens, that Jerom has mentioned those two things together.
And what he says is, that for the most part Lactantius
was poor. Therefore he Mas not always so; there was
a time, when he had enough, and perhaps abundance : and
he might enjoy it too with moderation. That time, we may
suppose to Imve been, when he was in the service of Constantine
; the rest of his life he lived in mean circumstances.
Jerom has informed us, that Lactantius had not many
scholars, whilst he taught rhetoric at Nicomedia; for which
cause he betook himself to writing-, which, likewise, is no
very profitable employment.
When we observe from his works, that Lactantius was a
great reader ; and consider, that books in manuscript must
have been very costly ; we can easily conceive, how the
furniture of his library might keep him low for the most part.
Lactantius then may be reckoned to have been poor, and
sometimes almost destitute, until he was invited to Constantine's
court. And since his pupil Crispus was put to death
by his father, it is likely, he was not much taken notice of
afterwards. This, if I mistake not, is agreeable to St. Jerom's
account, that Lactantius plerumque, for the most part, the
greatest part of his life, wasso poor,as to wanteven necessaries.
But those expressions, in my opinion, give no countenance at
all to the suj)position of a chosen and voluntary poverty. Trithemius
seems to hav^e understood^ the case as I have represented
it. And Nourry is clearly of opinion, that> what
tyrannorum crudtlitatem, qua in christianos incredibilem plane in modum
sasviebant. Nourr. App. T. 2. p. 582. B.
" Du Pm. Bibl. T. i. p. 205. Tillem. Mem. T. 6. P. i. p. 345, 346.
* Du Pin, as before.
" Rhetoricam priinum Niconiediae, deinde Romae, sub Diocletiano, ab eo
vocatus, gloriose docuit ; ubi cum penuria discipulorum ad paupertatein
devenisset, ad extremum Ca;saris CrL^pi filii Consfantini prseceptor, jam senex,
in Gallia factus est. Trithem. de Scr. Ec. cap. 56. ^ Sed hanc