Thereupon,  they  being  made  for  a  little  while  to  pause  and
waver  by  my  unexpected  reply,  like  a  flame  driven  back  for
a  moment  by  the  wind,  began  to  be  much  more  warmly  ex
cited,  imagining  that  possibly  a  violation  of  my  promise  might
be  extorted  from  me,  or  that,  in  the  event  of  my  abiding  by
my  promise,  he  might  be  ordained  by  another  bishop.  To  all
to  whom  I  could  address  myself,  namely,  to  the  more  vener
able  and  aged  men  who  had  come  up  to  me  in  the  apse,  I
stated  that  I  could  not  be  moved  to  break  my  word,  and  that
in  the  church  committed  to  my  care  he  could  not  be  ordained
by  any  other  bishop  except  with  my  consent  asked  and  ob
tained,  in  granting  which  I  should  be  no  less  guilty  of  a
breach  of  faith.  I  said,  moreover,  that  if  he  were  ordained
against  his  own  will,  the  people  were  only  wishing  him  to
depart  from  us  as  soon  as  he  was  ordained.  They  did  not
believe  that  this  was  possible.  But  the  crowd  having
gathered  in  front  of  the  steps,  and  persisting  in  the  same
determination  with  terrible  and  incessant  clamour  and  shout
ing,  made  them  irresolute  and  perplexed.  At  that  time
unworthy  reproaches  were  loudly  uttered  against  my  brother
Alypius ;  at  that  time,  also,  more  serious  consequences  were
apprehended  by  us.
