CHAP. ix. IN SACRED EDIFICES. 213 



images, crosses, chalices and flagons, as the 

 temples in the preceding age. The barbarians 

 who at first brought with them a kind of pagan- 

 ism, but differing from that which the Romans 

 had derived from the Greeks, were induced to 

 embrace the Christian faith. Though on some 

 mysterious points they differed from the prevail- 

 ing or orthodox church, who branded them with 

 the epithet of heretics, they were quite as deeply 

 imbued with that reverence for Christ, for his 

 mother and the saints, which led them to vene- 

 rate with superstitious awe the images that re- 

 presented them, and the gold and silver utensils 

 which were dedicated to their worship. 



Alaric, the Gothic monarch, when he invaded 

 Italy, encouraged his troops boldly to seize the 

 rewards of valour, and to enrich themselves with 

 the spoils of a rich but effeminate people, but 

 he ordered them to respect the churches of St. 

 Peter and St. Paul, and to treat them as holy 

 and inviolable sanctuaries. 



When the Franks took from the Goths the 

 palace of Narbonne, many curious and costly 

 ornaments of pure gold were found, enriched 

 with jewels. Sixty cups or chalices, fifteen p'at- 

 tens or plates, for the use of the communion ; 

 twenty boxes or cases to hold the books of the 

 gospels : this consecrated wealth was distributed 

 by the son of Clovis among the churches of his 

 dominions. The Goths before were in posses- 



