Section 409
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;AL 378 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. and those of the east, round as far as those of the region of Illyricum. For the countries beyond these, all Italy and Sicily, Gaul, and whatever parts extend toward the west, Spain, Mau ritania, and Africa, as they did not experience the hostility of the persecution quite two years, very soon were blessed with the interposition and peace of God, as if his providence spared the simplicity and faith of these men. For that, indeed, which was never before recorded in the annals of the Romans, this first ob tained in our day contrary to all expectation. The empire was divided into two parts during this persecution. Those in the one part enjoyed peace, whilst those brethren that inhabited the other, endured innumerable trials one after another. But as soon as the divine favour prepared to display to us his kind and gracious care, then at length, also, our rulers themselves, through whom these wars were formerly waged against us, changing their mind in a most extraordinary manner, sounded a retreat, and extin guished the flame of persecution by kind ordinances and milder edicts. But we must not omit the recantation.* * Eusebius here intimates that he appended the imperial revocation to this book, and prepares us for it in these closing words. But as it does not appear in this place, the book, of course, does not end here. The defect is easily supplied from the last chapter of the eighth book.