516 THE OCTAVIUS OF of my admiration,thathe had so adorned thosethings which it is easierto feelthan to say, both hy arguments and by examples,and by authoritiesderivedfrom reading; and that he had repelledthe malevolent objectorswith the very weapons of the philosopherswith which they are armed, and had moreover shown the truthnot only as easy,but alsoas agreeable. CHAPTER XL. Argument. — Then Caciliusexclaimsthat he is vanquished by Octavius; and that,beingnow conquerorover error, he professesthe Christianreligion— postponing,however, tillthe morrow a trainingin thefullerbeliefof itsmys teries. While, therefore,I was silentlyturningover thesethingsin my own mind, Caeciliusbroke forth: " I congratulateas well my Octavius as myself, as much as possibleon that tran quillityin which we live,and I do not wait for the decision. Even thus we have conquered: not unjustlydo I assume to myself the victory. For even as he is my conqueror,so I am triumphant over error. Therefore,in what belongs to the substanceof the question,I both confessconcerningpro vidence,and I yieldto God;1 and I agreeconcerning the sincerityof the way of lifewhich is now mine. Yet even stillsome thingsremain in my mind, not as resistingthe truth,but as necessaryto a perfecttraining; of which on the morrow, as the sun isalreadyslopingto hissetting,we shall inquireat lengthin a more fittingand ready manner." CHAPTER XLI. Argument. — Finally,all are pleased,and joyfullydepart: Caxilius,thathe had believed; Octavius,thatliehad con- 1 Otherwiseread," and I beliereconcerningGod."