The literary talents of Augustine have been esti mated very high by thuse who were most competent tojudge of the subject. " The fame of Augustine, bishop of Hippo," says Mosheim, " filled the whole Christian world, and not without reason, as a variety of great and shining qualities were united in the cha racter of that illustrious man. A sublime genius, an uninterrupted and zealous pursuit of truth, an indefa tigable application, an invincible patience, a sincere piety, a subtle and lively wit, conspired to establish his fame upon the most lasting foundations." He is blamed by the same writer, however, as deficient in solidity of judgment ; as having yielded too often to. the violent impulse of a warm imagination ; and as ready to write upon a variety of subjects before he had examined them with a sufficient degree of atten tion and diligence. The force of this censureis in some respects diminished by the opposite testimony of the candid and discriminating Lardner, who affirms, that good sense was the distinguishing part of his charac ter as a writer ; that in points which depended upon reasoning, he was as able to form a right judgment as those who have been preferred to him ; and that in learning, in Greek literature, and in critical abi lity, his attainments must have been much greater than has been supposed. To all these qualities, ac cording to Erasmus, aderat, interim, miranda quer dam animi lenitas ... quam Plato putat non itafre
quenter deprehendi in his quibus contigit acrius in genium. With regard to his character, in a more important point of view, there is no doubt that, du ring the first half of his life, he was the slave of de praved passions, and of the most extravagant opi nions. Of this his own CoVessions, and every account that we have of his life, furnish the most unquestion able evidence. But we have the very same evidence to believe, that, after the time of his solemnly assu ming the character of a Christian, he was as eminent_ for his virtues as he had formerly been for his vices ; that he discharged the public duties of his clerical office with the utmost fidelity, earnestness, and affec tion ; that, in private life, he was distinguished by humility, candour, and benevolence ; that his refot/ mation was complete, and his penitence most sincere ; and that the insinuations which have been thrown out against the reality of his temperance and devo tion, are groundless and illiberal in the extreme. See Mosbeim's Church History, vol. i. pt. 2. cent. 4. ch. 2.; Godeau Hist. de l'Eglisc, vol. ii. p. 549. ; vol. iii. p. 94, 280. ; Lardner's Cred. vol. iii. p. 392.; vol. v. p. 81.; Augustini Vita a Benedict. conscript.; 'rilleniont, Mein. Eccles. tit. 13. (q) g AUGUSTULUS, the last of the Roman empe rors in the west. See Gibbon's Hist. chap. 36. vol. vi. p. 186. (j)