42. His death and character are faithfully de lineated by
Ammianus (xxi. 14, 15, 16); and we are authorised to despise
and detest the foolish calumny of Gregory (Orat. iii. p.
68), who accuses Julian of contriving the death of his
benefactor. The private repentance of the emperor, that he
had spared and promoted Julian (p. 69, and Orat. xxi. p.
389), is not improbable in itself, nor incompatible with the
public verbal testament which prudential considerations
might dictate in the last moments of his life.