50. Lectulus . . . Vestalium toris purior, is the praise
which Mamertinus (Panegyr. Vet. xi. [x.] 13) addresses to
Julian himself. Libanius affirms, in sober peremptory
language, that Julian never knew a woman before his
marriage, or after the death of his wife (Orat. Parent. c.
lxxxviii p. 313) . The chastity of Julian is confirmed by
the impartial testimony of Ammianus (xxv. 4), and the
partial silence of the Christians. Yet Julian ironically
urges the reproach of the people of Antioch, that he almost
always (***********, in Misopogon, p. 345) lay alone. This
suspicious expression is explained by the Abbe de la
Bleterie (Hist. de Jovien, tom. ii. p. 103. 109) with
candour and ingenuity.