And truly were not this Matter so well attested by those Writers we have just nam’d, and by others we shall presently have Occasion to alledge; yet no Body could any longer doubt of it, after being informed by the very same Persons, that Hypatia succeeded in the Government of the Platonic School at Alexandria, the Place of her Birth and Education. This was another-guess Thing, God knows, than taking the Degree of Doctor in any of the Faculties; which one or two Women have not long since done, for which they have been loaded with fulsome Elogies, tho’ producing no Effects suitable to the Titles they have so much ambitioned. But what greater Glory for a Woman, what greater Honour redounding to all Women, than to see a Lady teaching in that Chair, where Ammonius and Hierocles (to Name no more, for ’tis a Mistake in Socrates or his Transcriber to make Plotinus one of them) where so many Professors, I say, uttered the Oracles of Learning, rather as divine Intelligences than mortal Men? What infinite Merit must she have possessed, who could be preferr’d to that conspicuous Station, at a Time when Men of immense Learning abounded both at Alexandria, and in many other Parts of the Roman Empire? Wherefore, the Novelty of the Thing considered, and Hypatia’s Worth being universally acknowledged, ’tis no Wonder that she soon had a crouded Auditory. She explained to her Hearers, says Socrates, the several Sciences, that go under the general Name of Philosophy; for which Reason, continues he, there was a Confluence to her from all Parts, of those who made Philosophy their Delight or Study. To the same Purpose speak others; and Suidas adds, that she explained all the Philosophers, that is, all the several Sects, with the particular Tenets of their Founders, which shews an inexpressible Elevation and Capacity, each of these separately being thought a sufficient Province, to exercise the Diligence of any one Man, consummate in Letters.
CHAP. V.
Hypatia’s School crouded with Scholars of the best Fashion. She is admired for her incomparable Beauty, and the vast Extent of her Learning.
Now, I cannot but here represent to myself with Pleasure, let who will censure me for it, the Flower of all the Youth in Europe, Asia, and Africa, sitting at the Feet of a most beautiful Lady (for such we are assur’d Hypatia was) all greedily swallowing Instruction from her Mouth, and many of ’em Love from her Eyes. How she serv’d one of this last Sort, shall be told in its due Place. It was doubtless a Thing impossible, not to improve under such a Teacher; as one must be equally stupid and insensible, that could not be powerfully affected by a charming Mind in a charming Body. I am sure this Reflection is very agreeable to that Philosophy she peculiarly professed; and accordingly the Alexandrian School never flourish’d more. Her Disciples entered into a strict Tye of Intimacy with one another, stiling themselves Companions, or, as in our Colleges Fellows; which was likewise the Custom at Athens, and in other famous Seminaries of Learning. This commonly begot Effects of Benevolence thro’ the whole Course of their Lives, and sometimes Acts of Friendship very extraordinary. Hypatia was by way of Excellence named The Philosopher, altogether as much on Account of her profound Knowledge, as for her public Profession of Teaching. Nor was any Professor ever more admired by the World, or more dear to his own Scholars. Hers were as remarkable as numerous.
CHAP. VI.
An Encomium on Synesius, one of Hypatia’s Scholars; who, tho’ a Heathen, was consecrated a Christian Bishop.
One of these, who has preserved to us the Names of several others, is the celebrated Synesius. He was a Native of Cyrene in Africa, on the Borders of Egypt, a very ancient Greek Colony, the Birth-place of Aristippus and Carneades, which Synesius forgets not to mention in his Writings. He travelled for Improvement to his neighbouring Country of Egypt, the undoubted Mother of the Sciences, where he happily succeeded in his Studies at Alexandria under Hypatia. This Personage alone may suffice for a Specimen, of the extraordinary Spirits that she formed. If we may rely on the Judgement of no less a Man than Nicephorus Gregoras, Patriarch of Constantinople (who wrote elaborate Annotations on his Treatise of Dreams, a Piece fraught with uncommon Learning) he says, There was nothing he did not know, no Science wherein he did not excel, no Mistery in which he was not initiated or skilled, with a great deal more to this Purpose. And it must be owned, that to all the Vivacity natural to his Country, there was joined the most profound Knowledge and solid Judgement. His Works are every one highly commended, but his Epistles are admirable, as Suidas very truly remarks, and in the Opinion of Protius, as well as of Evagrius, they are elegant, agreeable, sententious, and learned. He was a Man of noble Birth, which added no less Weight to his Learning then this relieved Lustre on his Quality; as both together procured him Credit with his Superiors, Authority over his Inferiors, and Admiration from his Equals. He went upon an Embassy, which lasted three Years, to the Emperor Arcadius at Constantinople, on the Behalf of his Country; which was miserably harrassed by the auxiliary Goths and other Barbarians, but which received considerable Relief from his Solicitations. It was then that with greater Boldness than any of the Grecians (as he tells us himself) he pronounced before the Emperor, that extremely fine Oration concerning Government; which, in a Country so justly fond of Liberty as ours, I wonder has never been translated. This defect I have supplied, and will impart it to the Public on a proper Occasion. As for Synesius’s being consecrated Bishop of Ptolemais, notwithstanding his Protestation, that he disbelieved some of the most essential Articles of the Christian Religion, we spoke enough to that Point at the latter end of Clidophorus; only we shall observe in this Place, how Petavius, the Editor of his Works, affirms, that, in some of the Books written after his Profession of Christianity, he appears as very a Heathen as ever. But this being no Prejudice to his Parts, however it may affect his Salvation, is none of our present Business to examine; much less to adopt the pitiful Excuses, or rather Prevarications, invented by some learned Men to defend him from this Imputation. The principal is Baromius.
CHAP. VII.
Synesius’s Testimony to the Learning and Virtue of Hypatia. Some Account of his Writings and other Works.
The Thing which our Design obliges us not to pass over slightly is, the greatful Testimony he every where bears to the Learning and Virtue of Hypatia, whom he never mentions without the profoundest Respect, and sometimes in Terms of Affection coming little short of Adoration. In a Letter to his Brother Euoptius, Salute (says he) the most honoured and the most beloved of God, the Philosopher; and that happy Sodality or Fellowship, which injoys the Blessing of her divine Voice. In another to his said Brother he mentions one Egyptus, who sucked in the Seeds of Wisdom from Hypatia. And thus he expresses himself writing to Olympius: I suppose these Letters will be delivered by Peter which he will receive from that sacred Hand. I send them from Pentapolis to our common Instructress, and she will intrust them with whom she thinks fit, which I am sure will be to one that is well known to her. In a Letter addressed to herself, he desires her to direct a Hydroscope to be made and bought for him, which he there describes. Petavius thinks it was a sort of Level, and others an Hour-Measure. That famous Silver Astrolabe which he presented to Peonius, a Man equally excelling in Philosophy and Arms, he owns to have been perfected by the Directions of Hypatia. In a long Epistle he acquaints her with the Reasons of his writing two Books, which he thereby sends her. The one was his mystical Treatise of Dreams, and the other his Dion. This last is a most ingenious Apology for Learning against two Sorts of Men, who by very opposite Lines tended to the same Center of Ignorance. The one, that under Pretence of being reserved towards unworthy Hearers, concealed their Want of real Knowledge, did accuse him of being two Communicative, and of prostituting Philosophy. The others would have him to be eternally prating like themselves, not that they studied more than others, nor yet so much, to be furnished with Matter of Discourse; but that talking by Rote out of certain Systems, the Truth of which they took for granted, and which no Body must contradict, they could tire the Patience of their Hearers, without making these or themselves a whit the wiser. Both Sorts charged him with studying Elegance and Oratory in his Compositions; for the Divines of that Time were substituting apace to Philosophy and other Learning, Legends and Enthusiasm, Fables and Fancies, which they sanctified by the Name of Divine Contemplation. Metaphysical Distinctions about the Trinity, and extravagant Notions about the Essence of GOD (whose Majesty they blasphemed by their profane Definitions) was all the Study then in Vogue, to the irreparable Damage of polite and useful Letters.