72. There is a remarkable difference between the two
ecclesiastical historians who in general bear so close a
resemblance. Sozomen (1. ix. c. 1) ascribes to Pulcheria the
government of the empire amid the education of her brother,
whom he scarcely condescends to praise. Socrates, though he
affectedly disclaims all hopes of favour or fame, composes
an elaborate panegyric on the emperor, and cautiously
suppresses the merits of his sister (1. vii. c. 22, 42).
Philostorgius (1. xii. c. 7) expresses the influence of
Pulcheria in gentle and courtly lan-guage, ****. Suidas
(Excerpt. p. 53) gives a true character of Theodosius; and I
have followed the example of Tillemont (tom. vi. p. 25) in
borrowing some strokes from the modern Greeks.