Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

Epift. 143. he largely and earnestly advifes his friend HE RCULANIUS to conceal his philofophical tenets, which he profeffes to do himself and recommends to him for a directory, the Letter of LySIS the Pythagorean to his condifciple HIPPARCHUS, which we have cited above, and which he defires him frequently to perufe. From this particular account of SYNESIUS (of whom more elfwhere) no less than from the whole tenor of this Differtation, it may be easily conceiv'd; how hard it is to come at TRUTH your felf, and how dangerous a thing to publish it to others.

FINIS

OR, THE

HISTORY

OF A

Most beautiful, most vertuous, most learned, and every way accomplish'd LADY;

WHO

Was torn to pieces by the CLERGY of Alex andria, to gratify the pride, emulation, and cruelty of their ARCHBISHOP, commonly but undeservedly ftil'd

St.

CTRI L

Magnum aliquid inftat, efferum, immane, impium. SEN. MEDEA, A&t. 3. Scen. 1. lin. 16.

LONDON, Printed in the YEAR 1720.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

ΗΥΡΑΤΙΑ.

I.

AM going to give a fhort account, but as full as an tient Books afford us materials, of the life and death of HYPATIA; who will ever continue the glory of her own fex, and the difgrace of ours: for the women have no lefs reafon to value themfelves, that there exifted a Lady of fuch rare accomplishments, without the leaft blemish, even as a foil to her numberless perfections; than the men to be asham'd, that any cou'd be found among them of fo brutal and favage a difpofition, as, farr from being struck with admiration at fo much beauty, innocence, and knowledge, to ftain their barbarous hands with her blood, and their impious fouls with the indelible character of facrilegious murderers. A Bifhop, a Patriarch, nay a Saint, was the contriver of so horrid a deed, and his Clergy the executioners of his implacable fury. The Authors out of whom I collect my account (and I omit none that has come to my

H 4

know

knowlege) were either her contemporaries, or liv'd near that age. One of them was her fchoolfellow, another her schollar. But they who relate the moft odious and flagitious circumftances, are Ecclefiaftical hiftorians; counted orthodox in their own time, as well as eminently fo by moft in ours. Nor ought we to forget that feveral of 'em were Priefts. To every one of them we shall do the juftice that their fincerity or prevarication deferves, tho little remains to do in this refpect; all being agreed about the principal facts, and fome differing onely in points of no great importance. They are fuch things, as, taken either way, neither ferve much to alleviate a very bad caufe, nor to aggravate what cannot be poffibly made worfe.

A

II.

FTER ALEXANDER the great had founded Alexandria in Egypt, as the center of commerce in the Empire he was projecting, this city foon became a florifhing mart for Learning as well as for Merchandize. The fame of the Alexandrian School, and of the Alexandrian Library, reach'd much further than the name of ALEXANDER himself; or at least they carry'd it, whither it cou'd never have reach'd without their means. This was the moft proper tribute, that cou'd in gratitude be paid to the memory of a Prince fo ambitious of glory: as indeed no private perfons, no more than potentates, will ever do any thing praife-worthy without the profpect

*,,

of

« EdellinenJatka »