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CHAP. and the dangers which they braved, in the de fence of truth and innocence 139. The monasteries of Egypt were feated in lonely and defolate places, on the fummit of mountains, or in the iflands of the Nile; and the facred horn or trumpet of Tabenne was the well-known fignal which 'affembled feveral thoufand robuft and determined Monks, who, for the most part, had been the peasants of the adjacent country. When their dark retreats were invaded by a military force, which it was impoffible to refift, they filently ftretched out their necks to the executioner; and fupported their national character, that tortures could never wreft from an Egyptian the confeffion of a fecret which he was refolved not to dif

clofe 140. The archbishop of Alexandria, for whofe fafety they eagerly devoted their lives, was loft among a uniform and well-difciplined multitude; and on the nearer approach of danger, he was swiftly removed, by their officious hands, from one place of concealment to another, till he reached the formidable deferts, which the gloomy and credulous temper of fuperftition had peopled with dæmons and favage monfters. The retire ment of Athanafius, which ended only with the life of Conftantius, was fpent, for the most part, in the fociety of the Monks, who faithfully ferved him as guards, as fecretaries, and as meffengers;

139 Gregor. Nazianzen. tom. i. Orat. xxi p. 384, 385. See Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. vii. p. 176410. 820-380.

140 Et nulla tormentorum vis inveniri adhuc potuit ; quæ obdurato illius tractus latroni invito elicere potuit, ut nomen proprium dicat. xxii. 16. and Valefius ad locum.

Ammian.

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but the importance of maintaining a more inti- cHAP. mate connection with the Catholic party tempted him, whenever the diligence of the purfuit was abated, to emerge from the defert, to introduce himself into Alexandria, and to truft his perfon to the discretion of his friends and adherents. His various adventures might have furnished the fubject of a very entertaining romance. He was once fecreted in a dry ciftern, which he had fcarcely left before he was betrayed by the treachery of a female flave4; and he was once concealed in a still more extraordinary afylám, the house of a virgin, only twenty years of age, and who was celebrated in the whole city for her exquifite beauty. At the hour of midnight, as fhe related the story many years afterwards, she was surprised by the appearance of the Archbishop in a loofe undrefs, who, advancing with hafty steps, conjured her to afford him the protection which he had been directed by a celestial vision to seek under her hofpitable roof. The pious maid accepted and preferved the facred pledge which was entrusted to her prudence and courage. Without imparting the fecret to any one, she instantly conducted Athanafius into her most fecret chamber, and watched over his fafety with the tenderness of a friend and the affiduity of a fervant. As long as the danger continued, fhe regularly supplied him with books and provifions, washed his feet, ma

141 Rufin. l. i. c. 18. Sozomen, I. iv. c. 10. This and the following fory will be rendered impoffible, if we fuppofe that Athanafius always inhabited the afylum which he accidentally or occafionally had

ufed.

VOL. III.

Cc

naged

C.HA P. naged his correfpondence, and dexterously conXXI. cealed from the eye of fufpicion, this familiar and folitary intercourfe between a faint whofe character required the most unblemished chastity, and a female whofe charms might excite the most dangerous emotions142. During the fix years of perfecution and exile, Athanafius repeated his vifits to his fair and faithful companion; and the formal declaration, that he faw the councils of Rimini and Seleucia 143, forces us to believe that he was fecretly prefent at the time and place of their convocation. The advantage of perfonally negociating with his friends, and of obferving and improving the divifions of his enemies, might justify, in a prudent ftatefman, fo bold and dangerous an enterprife: and Alexandria was connected by trade and navigation with every feaport of the Mediterranean. From the depth of his inacceffible retreat, the intrepid primate waged an inceffant and offenfive war against the protector of the Arians; and his feasonable writings, which were diligently circulated and eagerly perufed, contributed to unite and animate the orthodox party. In his public apologies, which he addreffed to the emperor himfelf, he fometimes

142 Pallarlius (Hift. Laufiac. c. 136. in Vit. Patrum, p. 776.), the original author of this anecdote, had converfed with the damfel, who in her old age ftill remembered with pleasure fo pious and honourable a connection. I cannot induige the delicacy of Baronius, Valefius, Tillemont, &c. who almoft reject a story fo unworthy, as they deem it, of the gravity of ecclefiaftical history.

143 Athanaf. tom. i. p. 869. I agree with Tillemont (tom. viii. p. 1197.), that his expreffions.imply a perfonal, though perhaps fecret, vifit to the lynods.

In

affected the praise of moderation; whilft at the CHAP. fame time in fecret and vehement invectives, he XXI. expofed Conftantius as a weak and wicked prince, the executioner of his family, the tyrant of the republic, and the antichrift of the church. the height of his profperity, the victorious monarch, who had chastised the rashness of Gallus, and fuppreffed the revolt of Sylvanus, who had taken the diadem from the head of Vetranio, and vanquished in the field the legions of Magnentius, received from an invifible hand a wound, which he could neither heal nor revenge; and the fon of Conftantine was the firft of the Chriftian princes who experienced the ftrength of thofe principles, which in the cause of religion could refift the most violent exertions of the civil power 144.

3

bishops.

The perfecution of Athanafius, and of fo many Arian refpectable bishops, who fuffered for the truth of their opinions, or at leaft for the integrity of their conscience was a juft fubject of indignation and difcontent to all Chriftians, except those who were blindly devoted to the Arian faction. The people regretted the lofs of their faithful paftors, whose banishment was ufually followed by the in

144 The Epistle of Athanafius to the Monks is filled with reproaches, which the public muft feel to be true (vol. i. p. 834. 855.); and, in compliment to his readers, he has introduced the comparifons of Pharaoh, Ahab, Belfhazzar, &c. The boldness of Hilary was at tended with lefs danger, if he published his invective in Gaul after the revolt of Julian; but Lucifer fent his libels to Conftantius, and almost challenged the reward of martyrdom. See Tillemont, tom. vii. P. 905.

CHA P. trufion of a stranger

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145 into the epifcopal chair; and loudly complained, that the right of election was violated, and that they were condemned to obey a mercenary ufurper, whofe perfon was unknown, and whofe principles were fufpected. The Catholics might prove to the world, that they were not involved in the guilt and herefy of their ecclefiaftical governor, by publicly testifying their Divifions. diffent, or by totally feparating themselves from his communion. The firft of thefe methods was invented at Antioch, and practifed with fuch fuccefs, that it was foon diffufed over the Chriftian world. The doxology, or facred hymn, which celebrates the glory of the Trinity, is fufceptible of very nice, but material, inflexions; and tne fubfance of an orthodox or heretical creed, may be expreffed by the difference of a disjunctive, or a copulative particle. Alternate refponfes, and a more regular pfalmody 146, were introduced into the public service by Flavianus and Diodorus, two devout and active laymen who were attached to the Nicene faith. Under their conduct, a fwarm of monks iffued from the adjacent defert, bands of well-difciplined fingers were ftationed in the cathedral of Antioch, the Glory to the Father,

145 Athanafius (tom. i. p. 811.) complains in general of this practice, which he afterwards exemplifies (p. 861.) in the pretended election of Felix. Three eunuchs reprefented the Roman people, and three prelates, who followed the court, affumed the functions of the bishops of the Suburbicarian provinces.

146 Thomaffin (Difcipline de l'Eglife, tom. i. I. ii. c. 72, 73. p. 966— 984) has collected many curious facts concerning the origin and progress of church-finging, both in the Eaft and Weft.

AND