At the Time that Hypatia thus reigned the brightest Ornament of Alexandria, Orestes was Governor of the same Place for the Emperor Theodosius, and Cyril Bishop or Patriarch. As Orestes was a Person educated suitable to his Rank, he could not but take Notice of those Perfections in Hypatia, which all the World admired; and, as he was a wise Governor, he would not be so far wanting to his Charge, as not to ask her Advice in Matters difficult or dangerous, when every Body else consulted her as an Oracle. This created of Course an Intimacy between them that was highly displeasing to Cyril, who mortally hated Orestes. But because this Emulation proved fatal to Hypatia, I shall take the Subject a little higher. ’Tis observed by Socrates, Nicephorus, and others, that Cyril (who was elevated to the See by Sedition and Force against one Timothy an Archdeacon of no extraordinary Reputation), intermeddled more in temporal or civil Matters, than his Predecessors took upon them to do, and that the Example was greedily followed by his Successors; who not keeping within the Bounds of their Priestly Ordination, took upon them an arbitrary kind of Principality, and the absolute Disposal of Affairs. The first Act of Authority that Cyril exercised was, to shut up the Churches of the Novatians, from which Step he proceeded to seize upon their sacred Vessels and Church-Ornaments, till at length he robbed their Bishop Theopemptus of all he had. Yet these Novatians profess’d the same Doctrine to a Tittle that he did, and differed only in some Points of Discipline. But they must be mere Novices in Ecclesiastical History, who know not that Discipline has been ever reckoned of greater Consequence than Doctrine; if one may judge by the Commotions that have happened in Churches, or the Durations of their Schisms. The Reason is obvious. For if a Man believes otherwise than his Teacher, and yet prudentially conforms to the publick Ritual and Discipline, or perhaps eagerly stickles for it, as thinking it the most conducing to Order, be his Speculations what you will, still he preserves the Unity of the Church; or, in other Words, he obeys his Spiritual Governors, and teaches others by his Example to do the like; whereas if his belief be ever so right, or at least ever so agreeable to that prescribed in the Society whereof he is a Member; yet if he boggles at any Part of the publick Ritual and Discipline, he then promotes a Spiritual Rebellion, and rends the Unity of the Church; that is, he weakens the Government of the Clergy. These were the Maxims of those Times, and hence it sprung, that Schism is counted so damnable a Sin in their Writings, a Sin more dreadful than any other, that it may the better serve for a Scare-crow.
CHAP. XVII.
Cyril expels the Jews out of Alexandria; Orestes complains to the Emperor; Cyril and Orestes become irreconcileable Enemies.
One main Reason why Cyril could not bear the Governor, as we are told by Socrates, was, that Orestes hated the Principality of the Bishops; as well because they transferred to themselves much of the Power belonging to those appointed Governors, by the Emperor; as, in particular, because Cyril would needs be prying into his Actions. Their Enmity became sufficiently known to the Publick, by a Sedition raised against Orestes, occasioned by one Hierax a pitiful School-Master, but a profest Admirer of the Bishop, and a most diligent Attendant at his Sermons, where he was sure to clap and reclap, according to the rare Custom of those Times. The Jews spying him in the Theatre, while the Governor was there on some publick Business, cryed out, that he came purposely thither to cause Mischief; and the Uproar, whereof the Particulars may be read in the just quoted Socrates, terminated in this, that Cyril expelled all the Jews out of the City, where they had liv’d in great Opulence from the Time of Alexander the Great, to the no small Benefit of the Place. Were I not accustomed to read monstrous Lies of this unfortunate Nation, especially that thread-bare Fiction of crucifying a Child (objected to them here as a thousand Times afterwards) I should think them very rightly served. But even in that Case, who can justify Cyril’s licensing the Multitude to seize on their Goods? And yet why do I ask such a Question; when this has ever been the true Motive of the Barbarities to which they have been exposed, tho’ Zeal for Religion has been as shamelessly as wickedly pretended. Orestes, as became a good Governor, being grievously concerned at what had happened (to speak in the Words of the Historian) and sadly afflicted, that so great a City should be so suddenly emptied of such a Multitude of Inhabitants, gave the Emperor an Account of the whole Matter. We might be certain, were we not expressly told it, that Cyril was not behind Hand on his Part. Yet conscious of his Guilt, as every Reader may collect, he would fain make up with Orestes, and conjured him by the holy Gospels to be Friends; being constrained to this, as Nicephorus observes, by the People of Alexandria, who loved their Governor. But this last knew him too well to trust him, upon which their Difference became irreconcileable. You may therefore expect to hear of Vengeance from the Priest, whom the same Nicephorus represents proud, seditious, a Boutefeu, a Persecutor: while the Emperor might thank himself for the Disorders that desolated one of his principal Cities; for where was it ever otherwise, when the Clergy were permitted to share in the Government of civil Affairs.
CHAP. XVIII.
Orestes the Governor, assaulted by the Monks; their Captain racked to Death, but esteemed as a Martyr by Cyril.
Now the Revenge which Cyril took of Orestes, being the Prelude to poor Hypatia’s Tragedy, I chuse to relate it, as I have done other Passages, in the Words of honest Socrates. Certain of the Monks (says he) living in the Nitrian Mountains, leaving their Monasteries to the Number of about Five Hundred, flocked to the City, and spied the Governor going Abroad in his Chariot; whereupon approaching, they called him by the Names of Sacrificer and Heathen, using many other scandalous Words. The Governor therefore suspecting, that this was a Trick plaid him by Cyril, cryed out, that he was a Christian, and that he was baptized at Constantinople by Bishop Atticus. But the Monks, giving no Heed to what he said, one of them, called Ammonius, threw a Stone at Orestes, which struck him on the Head; and being all covered with Blood from his Wound, his Guards, a few excepted, fled some one Way some another, hiding themselves in the Croud, lest they should be stoned to Death. In the mean while the People of Alexandria ran to defend their Governor against the Monks, and, putting all the rest to Flight, they apprehend Ammonius, and brought him before Orestes; who, as the Laws prescribed, publickly put him to the Torture, and racked him till he expired. Not long after he gave an Account of all that was done to the Princes. Nor did Cyril fail to give them a contrary Information. He received the Body of Ammonius, and, laying it in one of the Churches, he changed his Name, calling him Thaumasius, and ordered him to be considered as a Martyr; nay, he made his Panegyrick in the Church, extolling his Courage, as one that had contended for the Truth. But the wiser Sort of the Christians themselves did not approve the Zeal, which Cyril showed on this Man’s Behalf; being convinced that Ammonius had justly suffered for his desperate Attempt, but was not forced to deny Christ, in his Torments. This Account requires no Commentary. I shall only observe with a Heathen Philosopher, that at that Time the Monks (the fittest Executioners of Cyril’s Cruelty) were Men indeed as to their Form, but Swine in their Lives; who openly committed Thousands of execrable Crimes, not fit to be named. Whoever, says he, got on a black Habit, and would make a Grotesque Figure in Publick, obtained a tyrannical Authority; to such a Reputation of Virtue did that Race of Men arrive. This Picture, tho’ drawn by an Enemy’s Hand, is allowed by all good Judges to be done to the Life; and we shall presently have Reason, more than sufficient, to be of the same Opinion.
CHAP. XIX.
Hypatia’s tragical Death, perpetrated by Cyril’s Clergy, who hated her for Intimacy with Orestes.
But Cyril’s Rage was not yet satiated. Tho’ Orestes had the good Luck to escape being murdered, Hypatia must fall a Sacrifice to the Prelate’s Pride and to the Ghost of Ammonius. This Lady, as we mentioned above, was profoundly respected by Orestes, who much frequented and consulted her; for which Reason, says Socrates, she was not a little traduced among the Mob of the Christian Church; as if she obstructed a Reconciliation between Bishop Cyril and Orestes. Wherefore certain hot-brained Men, headed by one Peter a Lecturer, entered into a Conspiracy against her, and watching their Opportunity when she was returning Home from some Place, they dragged her out of her Chair; hurried her to the Church called Cesar’s, and stripping her stark naked, they killed her with Tiles. Then they tore her to Pieces, and carrying her Limbs to a Place called Cinaron, there they burnt them to Ashes. Nothing short of this Treatment, not to be parallelled among the most savage Nations against Woman (and against a Woman of such Distinction scarce credible, did not two or more of her Contempories attest it) nothing, I say, but the Blood of Hypatia, shed in the most inhuman Manner, could glut the Fury of Cyril’s Clergy, for these were the Monsters, that putting off all Humanity, committed this barbarous Murder. Socrates, ’tis true, distinctly Names but one Clergyman, Peter the Lecturer; but Nicephorus expressly tells us, that the Zealots, led on by this Peter, were Cyril’s Clergy, who hated her for the Credit she had with Orestes; that they were these, who imputed to her the Misunderstanding between the Governor and their Bishop; and finally, that they butchered her the Time of solemn Fasting; which, added to their sanctifying of their Villany by perpetrating it in a Church, shews the glorious State of Religion in those pure and primitive Times; as some, no less hypocritically than falsely, are pleased to stile them. The Citizens of Alexandria, on whom certain Persons would fain lay this Act of popular Heat, as they speak by way of Extenuation, were too great Admirers of Hypatia’s Virtue, and too much in the Interest of Orestes, to have any Hand in so foul a Business, however prone to Tumults. All the Circumstances accompanying the Fact, clearly prove this; not to repeat the Assault so lately made by the Nitrian Monks on the Governor, whom the People rescued; tho’ I will not answer for all the Mob, especially when the Clergy loo’d them on.