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There was likewise an altar to the goddess, at which each 

 new senator took the oaths, poured forth his libations, and 

 offered the offering of incense, before he took part in the 

 deliberations of the empire. In the fourth century, when 

 the empire of Rome was on the point of changing from 

 Paganism to Christianity, the dispute turned upon this figure 

 of Victoiy. In the year 326 after Christ, Constantius, the 

 son of Constantine, who was the first professedly Christian 

 emperor, had the altar and the statue removed from the 

 Senate hall. This proceeding caused much controversy and 

 great irritation, which lasted nearly through the remainder of 

 the century, which then had yet three-quarters to run. 

 During that time four celebrated deputations were sent to 

 the Imperial Court from the Senate, soliciting the restoration 

 of the figure and the altar. The first was in the year 382, the 

 next in 384-, the third in 388, and the last in 392. The quarrel 

 between the Pagan senators and Pagan public on the one 

 hand, and the Christian senators and Christian public on the 

 other, then took the form of a request on the Pagan side that 

 the statue of Victory might be restored, and on the Christian 

 side that it should not be replaced. The second of these 

 deputations was remarkable on account of the orators 

 who then represented the opposing parties. Symmachus 

 was the orator who spoke on the heathen side, and 

 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, was the orator on the Christian 

 side. The latter, omng to his great influence and having 

 truth on his side, in the end carried the day, so that the altar 

 and the statue were never replaced. Though that controversy 

 has passed away and is altogether a matter of ancient 

 history, yet it may be considered as attaching to the figure 

 of Victory an interest of a very peculiar kind. As I was 

 last year looking over, for the first time, the Abbey of 

 Malmesbury, in company with the Rev. Prebendary Kemble, 

 who was showing it to me, I was very much struck with the 



