prisonner in this Monastery if indeed it were to any purpose now it is two dayes since the whole world is depriued of such a Father Shee belieued it and forbore her iourney within few dayes after a messenger came by whome she heard the newes that Anthony was dead Let others wonder at the Miracles which Hilarion wrought let them wonder at his incredible abstinence his knowledge and his pouerty For my part I am not so much amazed at any thing in him as that he could so tread honour and glory vnder his feet There came to him Bishops Priests whole flockes of Religious persons and Moncks and Matrones also which is a great temptation and from all sides both out of the Citties and Fieldes there came multitudes of common people yea and Iudges also and great persons that they might be able to get some bread or oyle which had beene blessed by him But he on the other side had his mind fixed vpon nothing but some wildernes so that one day he resolued to be gone and hauing procured a little Asse for he was then so consumed with fasting that he was scarce able to go he meant to vndertake his iourney with all speed Now as soone as this was knowne it wrought vpon the world there about as if some desolation had been at hand as if the Courts of Iustice were to haue been shut vp in Palestine for some extreme calamity which had happened And there grew to be assembled aboue ten thousand persons of both sexes and seuerall ages for the staying of him Whereas he inflexible to their prayers and scattering the sand with the end of his staffe sayd thus to them I will not make my Lord a lyer nor can I endure to see Churches ouerturned nor the Altars of Christ troden vpon nor the blood of my children spilt All they who were present vnderstood that some secret had beene reuealed to him which he would not confesse but yet howseuer they watched him that he might not get away He therefore resolued and he tooke them all to witnesse that he would not tast either meat or drinke till he were dismissed so after seauen days of his rigorous fasting he was at length released And bidding very many of them farewell there came yet to Betilium a huge troupe of followers but yet perswading those multitudes to returne he chose out forty Monckes who might make and take prouision and were able to goe fasting that is to say not to eat till Sunset The fifth day therefore he came to Pelusium and hauing visited those brothers who were in the desart neer at hand and who remayned in that place which is called Lychnos he went forward after three dayes to the fort of the Theubatians to visit Dracontius the Bishop and Confessor who liued there in banishment The Bishop being incredibly comforted by the presence of so great a person after three dayes more with much a do our old man went to Babylon that he might visit Philo the Bishop who was also a Confessor For Constantius the King who fauoured the heresy of the Arrians had sent them both out of the way into those seuerall places But Hilarion going from thence after three other dayes came to the towne called Aphroditos where meeting with Baysanes the Deacon who by reason of the vsuall great want of water in that desart was wont to hire out Camels and dromedaries to such as went to visit Anthony and so conduct them to him he confessed to those Brothers that the Anniuersary of Anthonyes death was at hand that he was then to celebrate the same to him by watching all that night in that very place where he dyed After three dayes therefore of trauaile through that vast and horrible desart at length they came to a huge high mountaine where they found two Monckes Isaac and Pelusianus which Isaac had beene Anthonyes interpreter And because occasion is heere so fairely offered and that already we are vpon the place I will in few wordes describe the habitation of so great a person as Anthony was There is a high and stony mountaine of a mile in circuit which hath aboundance of springing water at the roote therof The sand drinketh vp part and the rest sliding downeward grows by little and little to make a brooke vpon the banks wherof on both sides the innumerable Palme-trees which grow there giue both great cōmodity beauty to the place There you might haue seene our old man passe nimbly vp downe with the disciples of Blessed Anthony heere they sayd he sung heere he prayed heere he wrought heere when he was weary he vsed to rest These vincs and these little trees did he plant himselfe this little bed of earth did he compose with his owne hands this poole did he contriue with much labour for the watering of his garden with this Rake did he vse to breake vp the earth many yeares He lay in the lodging of Anthony and kissed that place of his repose which as a man may say was yet warme his Cell was of no larger measure then such a square wherein a sleeping man might extend himselfe Besides this in the very highest top of the mountaine which was very steep and could not be ascended but by circling there were two other Cells of the same proportion wherein he would stay sometymes when he had a mind to fly from the frequent recourse of comers and the cōuersation of his Disciples Now these two were hewen out of free stone and had no addition but of doores But when they were come to his garden do you see sayd Isaac that part thereof which is the orchard set with young trees and so greene with herbes Almost three yeares since when a heard of wild Asses came to destroy it he willed one of the leading Asses to stay and beating the sides of it with his staffe How chaunceth sayth he that you eat of that which you did not sow And from thence forth when they had druncke their water for which they came they would neuer touch tree or fruit any more Our old man desired besides that they would shew him the place of Anthonyes tombe but they leading him apart we are yet vncertaine whether they shewed it or not They say that the reason why Anthony commanded it to be concealed was for feare least one Pergamus who was a very rich man in those partes should carry the Saints body to his village so there erect a shryne But now Hilarion returning to Aphroditos and adioyning ōly two of his Brothers to himselfe remayned in the desart which is next that place in the practise of so great abstinence and silence as that he sayd he began to serue Christ but then Now then it had beene about three yeares when the heauēs seemed to be shut and had dryed vp the earth so that they vsed to say that euen the Elements did lament the death of Anthony Neither did the same of Hilarion
miserable and sinnefull creature am I held worthy to kisse the manger wherein my Lord being an infant cryed to pray in that stable where the Virgin Mother was deliuered of our Lord being made a child This is my rest because it is in the country of my Lord here will I dwell because my Sau◅our made choice thereof I haue prepared a lampe for my Christ my soule shall liue to him and my seed shall serue him Not farre from thence she went to the tower Ader that is to say Of the flocke neere which Iacob fed his flockes and the shepheardes who watched by night deserued to heare Glory be to God on high and peace on earth to men of a good will And whilest they kept their sheep they found the Lambe of God with that cleane most pure fleece which when the whole earth was dry was filled with celestiall dew and whose blood tooke away the sinnes of the world and droue away that exteminatour of Egypt being sprinkled vpon the posts of the house And then presently with a swift pace she began to go forward by that old way which leades to Gaza to the power of the riches of God and silently to reuolue within her selfe how the Ethiopian Eunuch prefiguring the Gentiles did change his skinne and whilest he was reflecting vpon his old way found the fountaine of the Ghospel From thence she pasled towards the right hād From Bethsur she came to Escoll which signifyes a Bunch of grapes and from whence in testimony of the extreme fertility of that soile as a type of him who sayd I haue trod the wine presse alone not one of the Gentils was with me those discouerers or spyes carryed home a bunch of Grapes of a wōderfull bignes Not farre from thence she entered into the little houses of Sarah and viewed the antiquities of the infancy of Isaac and the relikes of Abrahams Oake vnder which he saw the day of Christ and reioyced Rising vp from thence sh◅ ascended vp to Chebron which is Cariath Arbe that is to say the towne of the foure men Abraham Isaac Iacob and the great Adam whome according to the booke of Iesus Naue the Iewes conceiue to be buryed there although many thinke that the fourth man was Caleb whose memory they continue by shewing there a part of his side Hauing viewed these places she would not proceed to Chariath Cephor that is to say the little towne of letters because contemning the killing letter she had found the quickning spirit And she wondered more at those superiour and inferiour waters which Othoniel the sonne of Iephone Kenaz had gotten insteed of that Southerne Land dry possession and by Aquiducts had moistened those fieldes of the old testament that he might find the redemption of old sinnes in the water of Baptisme The next day the Sunne being risen she stood vpon the brow of Chaphar Barucha that is the Towne of benediction to which place Abraham followed our Lord looking downe from thence vpon a large desert that Land which of old was belonging to Sodomah and Gomorrah Adamah and Seboin◅ She then contemplated those Vines of Balsamum in Engaddi and the Calfe of Segor and Zoara which in the Syrian language signifyes The little one She remembred the little hollow caue of Lot and being all bathed in tears she admonished the Virgins who accompanyed her to take heed of Wine wherein Luxury is and whose fruites are the Moabites Ammonites I make too long stay in the South where the spouse found out her fellow-spouse as he was layd and where Ioseph was inebriated with his brethren But I will now returne to Hierusalem and betweene Thecua and Amos I will behold the b◅ightly shining light of Mount Oliuet from whence our Sauiour ascended vp to his Father and vpon which mountaine a red Cow was yearely burnt by way of Holocaust to our Lord the ashes whereof did expiat the people of Israel wherupon also the Cherubin passing away from the Temple according to Ezechiel there was founded a Church to our Lord. After this going into the Sepulcher of Lazarus she saw the house of Mary and Martha and Bethphage the towne of sacerdotall iawes and that place where the wanton asses coult of the Gentiles accepted the bridle of God and being ouerspred with the Apostles garments gaue an easy seat to the rider Then did she descend by a straight way towards Iericho reuoluing in her mind that wounded man of the Ghospell and withall the clemency of the Samaritan which signifyes a Guardian who layd the man being halfe dead vpon his beast and brought him to the stable of the Church whilest the Priests and Leuites with vnmercifull harts passed by She also saw the place called Adonim which is by interpretation of blood because much blood was wont to be shed there by the frequent incursion of murdering theeues She saw the Sicomore tree of Zach◅us that is to say the good workes of penance whereby he trod vnder foot his former sinnes which were full of extortion and cruelty beheld that high Lord of ours from the height of vertue And neer that way she saw those places of the blind men where receiuing their fight they prefigured the mysteries of both those people which were to beliue in our Lord. Being entred into Iericho she saw that Citty which Hiell founded in Abiram for his eldest sonne and whose gates were placed in Segub for his youngest She beheld the tents of Galgala and the whole heape of foreskinnes and the mystery of the Circumcision and the twelue stones which being transferred thither out of the bottome or bed of Iordan did strengthen the twelue fomdations of the Apostles and that fountayne of the lawe which auntiently was most bitter and barren of waters but now the true Elizeus had seasoned it with his wisedome and indued it both with suauity and plenty The night was scarce passed when she came with extreme feruour of deuotion to Iordan She stood vpon the bancke of the riuer and as soon as the Sunne was vp she remembred the Sunne of Iustice and how the Priests had formerly set their dry feet in the middest of the riuer when the streame made a fayre way by the staying of the water halfe or the one side and halfe on the other vpon the commandement of Elias and Elizeus and how our Lord by his baptisme clensed those waters which had bene infected in the tyme of the flood by the death of all mankind It will be a long businesse if I shall take vpon me to speake of the valley of Achor that is to say Of troubles and tumult wherin couetousnes and th◅ft were cond◅mned and of Bethel the house of God wherin the poore naked Iacob slept vpon the bare ground and laying that stone vnder his head which in Zachary is described to haue seuen eyes and in Esay is called the corner stone saw a ladder reaching vp to heauen toward which our Lord inclined
heard to be crying out from the Citties and Townes there abouts as if they were approaching towardes the shoare He therefore being come to Papho◅ that Citty of Cyprus which hath beene so ennobled by the inuention of Poets and which being fallen by frequent earthquaks doth now by the only appearance of the ruines shew what formerly it had beene liued obscurely within two miles of that place was glad that he might spend those few dayes in peace But twenty dayes more were not fully passed when throughout that whole Iland all those persons who were possessed with vncleane spirits began to cry out that Hilarion the seruant of Christ was come they must hasten towards him This did Salamina this did Curium and Lapetha and this did all those other Cittyes proclaime most of them affirming that indeed they knew Hilarion and that he was the true seruant of God but that they knew not where he kept So that within thirty or few dayes more there came to him two hundred possessed persons as well men as woemen As soone as he saw them he did so grieue that they would not giue him leaue to be quiet and being cruell after a sort in the way of reuenge vpon himselfe he did so whip vp those spirits by the extreame instance of his prayers that some of the possessed were presently deliuered others after two or three dayes and all within the compasse of a weeke Staying therfore there two yeares and euer being in thought how to fly away he sent Hesychius into Palestine to salute his Brethren and to visit the ashes or ruines of his Monastery with order that he should returne the next spring after Now though vpon the former returne of Hesychius thither Hilarion resolued to haue gone againe into Aegypt and namely to certaine places which are called Bucolia because no Christiās were there but it was a fierce and barbarous nation Hesychius did yet persuade him that he should rather procure to find out some more retired place in that very Iland where he was And when after long search in all those partes Hesychius had found one he conducted him twelue miles of from the Sea into the middle of certaine secret craggy mountaines to which a man was hardly able to ascend euen by creeping vpon his handes and knees He entred then and contemplated that so retyred and terrible place enuironed on all sides with trees and hauing store of water descending from the brow of the hill and a little kind of very delightfull garden and great store of fruit-trees the fruit wherof he yet did neuer taste There were also the ruines of a most ancient Temple from whence as himself related and his disciples testify to this present day there was heard the noyse of such an innumerable multitude of Diuels as that a man would euen conceaue it to haue beene some Army He was much delighted with this as finding that he had Antagonists at hand and there he dwelt fifteen yeares and in that last part of his life he was much comforted by the often visits of Hesychius For otherwise by reason of the great difficulty and craggines of the place and the multitude of Ghosts which were vulgarly sayd to be walking there either very few or none had both the power and the courage to go vp thither But yet vpon a certaine day going out of his little gardē he saw a man who had the Palsy in all his limes lying before his dore and he asked Hesychius who that was and how he had beene brought thither The sicke man answered and sayd that formerly he had beene the Steward of a little vilage to the confines whereof that very garden belonged wherein they were But the old man weeping stretching forth his hand to the sicke person who lay before him sayd I require thee in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that thou ryse and walke An admirable hast was made for the wordes were yet but tumbling out of the speakers mouth and euen very then his limmes being growne strong were able to support him Now as soone as this was heard the difficulty of the place and of the way which was euen almost impenetrable was yet ouercome by the necessityes of men the people round about hauing no care more at heart then to watch that by no meanes he might get away For already there was a rumour spread of him that he could not stay long in a place which yet he was not subiect to as being obnoxious to any leuity or childish humour but to the end that he might fly from honour importunity by that meanes for the thing to which he euer aspired was a remote and poore priuate life But in the eightyth yeare of his age whilest Hesychius was absent he wrote him a short letter with his owne hand in the nature of a kind of VVill bequeathing al his riches to him that is to say his booke of the Ghospels his coate of sacke-cloath his hood and his little cloake for his seruant dyed some few dayes before Now whilest himselfe was sicke there came many deuout persons to him from Paphos and especially because they had heard he sayd that he was to depart to our Lord and to be freed from the chaines of this body With them there came a certaine Constantia a holy woman whose sonne in law and daughter he had freed from death by anoynting thē with oyle He adiured them all that they would not reserue his body any one minut of an houre after he should be dead but that instantly they should couer him with earth in the same garden all apparelled as he was in a haire-cloath a hood and a country cassocke By that tyme he had but a very little heat which kept his breast luke-warme nor did any thing seeme to remaine in him of a liuing man besides his vnderstanding only his eyes being still open he spake thus Go forth what dost thou feare Go forth O my soule what dost thou doubt It is now vpon the point of threescore and ten yeares since thou seruest Christ and dost thou now feare death As he was speaking these wordes he rendred vp his spirit and instantly being al couered with earth the newes of his buriall was more speedily carryed to the Citty then of his death But as soone as the holy man Hesychius had vnderstood thus much in Palestine he went towardes Cyprus and pretending that he had a mind to take vp his dwelling in the same garden that so he might free the Inhabitants of the Country from the opinion that they had need to keep some strict guard vpon the body he grew able to steale it away after the end of ten moneths with extreame hazard of his life He brought it to Maioma whole troupes of Monckes and euen whole Townes attending it and he buryed it in his ancient Monastery his haire-cloath his hood and his little cloake being vntouched and his whole body was also as entire as if he
I neuer touched her flesh for feare least I might loose that in peace which I had preserued in warre Many dayes passed on betweene vs in this kind of matrimony this mariage making vs more acceptable to our Lords and Maisters as freeing them from all suspition of our running away yea sometymes it would fall out that I might be absent in that desert for a whole moneth togeather like a Shepheard well trusted with his flocke After a long space of tyme whilest I was sitting alone in the wildernes seeing nothing but heauen and earth before me I began to consider with my selfe in silence and to reuolue many thinges in my heart which I had knowne when I conuersed with the Moncks and especially I called to mind the countenance of that Father of myne who had instructed who had cherished and who had lost me And whilest I was beating vpon these thoughtes I behould a flocke of Antes to swarme in a certaine straight passage who carryed burdens euen greater thē their own bodyes some of them had taken vp certaine seeds of herbes with their mouths as if it had been with pincers others were carrying earth out of ditches and would make certaine fences against the entry in of water some remembring that there was a winter to come tooke of graines of corne brought thē in least the earth when it should grow wet might conuert the corne already gathered into new corne for the next yeare others carryed the bodyes of their dead with a sad kind of solemnity and which yet is more to be wondered at there was none going forth of all that troupe who would hinder any one that entred in but rather if they discouered any who were in danger of falling vnder their waight or burden they would lend him their shoulders to keep him vp What shall I say more That day shewed me a pleasant obiect Whereupon remembring Salomon who sendes vs to imitate the sharp sighted prouidence of Antes and stirring vp our sloathfull mindes by their example I began to be weary of my captiuity and to aspire towardes the Cels of Monkes againe and to loue the resemblance of those Antes in that they labour in common where nothing is proper to any one but all thinges belong to all When I went backe to my lodging I see the woman coming towardes me nor was I able to dissemble the sorrow of my heart She asked me why I was so troubled I tell her my reasons and she exhorted that we might take our flight I coniure her to promise silence she giues me assurance and so continually whispering about this busines we were layd and tossed betweene hope and feare I had in that heard two Goates of a huge bignes which being killed I make vessells of their skinnes and I prepare their flesh for our prouision And the first euening when our Lords might conceaue that we were layd to rest we set vpon our iourney carrying the skinnes and the meat When we were come to a riuer which was some ten miles of we commit our selues to the waters hauing first layd our selues vpon these skines which were stuffed out and we holpe our selues with our feet as it might haue beene with oares that so the riuer carrying vs downeward and landing vs much lower on the other side of the bancke then where we put our selues into the water they who followed vs might loose the trace of our feet But in the meane tyme our flesh being wet and part of it also being lost it did hardly promise vs food for three dayes We drunke euen to satiety by way of prouision against the thirst which we were to haue afterward We ranne and yet euer looking behind our backes made more way by night then by day partly by reason of the danger which might haue growne to vs by the Saracens and partly through the excessiue heate of the Sunne Wretch that I am I tremble euen whilest I am but telling it and though indeed I be wholy now secure yet all my body quakes to thinke thereof For after the third day we saw a farre of in a doubtfull kind of sight two men sitting vpon Camells who were coming towardes vs at full speed and presently our mind which was apt to foretel mischiefe to vs began to thinke that our Lord and Maister had resolued our death and that we euen saw the Sunne grow blacke towardes vs. Whilest we were thus in feare conceaued our selues to be betrayed by our footesteps printed vpon the sand we found a Caue vpon our right hand which pierced farre vnder ground But fearing least we might fall vpon some venemous beastes for Vipers and Basiliskes and Scorpions such other creaturs declining that great heat of the Sunne are wont to betake themselues to the shad we entred indeed into the Caue but instantly at that very entrāce we committed our selues to a hollow which was within vpon the right hād not daring to proceed any further on least by flying one kind of death we might haue fallē vpon another conceauing this within our selues that if God will help vs as being miserable we shall be safe but if he despise vs as being sinnefull we shall fall into the handes of death What kind of heart do you think we had What kind of fright were we in when our Lord a fellow slaue of ours were standing neere the Caue and by the print of our feet were already arriued as farre as that darknes would giue them leaue O death how much more grieuous art thou in expectation then in effect Euen againe my tongue growes to falter with feare and care and as if my Lord were but now crying out vpō me I haue not the heart to whisper out a word He sent his slaue to fetch vs out of the Caue himselfe houldes the Camells and hauing drawne his sword he expects our coming forth In the meane tyme that seruant being gone three or foure cubites on we seeing him with his backe towardes vs for the nature of our sight is such as that all things are darke to those who enter into any obscure place after they haue beene in the Sunne we heard his voice sound through the denne Come forth you villaines out you who are designed for death VVhat do you expect VVhy do you stay get you out our Lord calls you he expects you with patience Whilest he was yet speaking behould we saw euen in that darknes that a Lyonesse already rushed vpō that man hauing strangled him drew him all bloody in Deare Iesus how full were we of terrour and of ioy withall We perceaued our enemy destroyed though our Lord and Maister knew it not For when he saw the delay he suspected that we two had resisted one and so not being able to differ his wrath he came forward to the Caue with his sword in his hand and reproaching his slaue of cowardise with a furious kind of rage he was first seised vpon by the Beast before he came to our retreate Who are they which can belieue that the Beast should fight for vs in our owne presence But being freed from that feare the like destruction presented it selfe before our imaginations sauing that it was safer to endure the rage of a Lyonesse then the wrath of a man We were afflicted with feare euen to the very heartes and not venturing so much as once to stirre we expected the euent of the busines in the middest of so many dangers being only defended as with a wal by the conscience which we had of our chastity The Lyonesse being wary least she might chance to fall into some snare and finding that she was seene takes fast hould of her whelpes and carryes them forth and leaues the lodging to our vse Neither yet were we so credulous as to breake out in hast but expecting long and sometimes thinking to go out we neuer had a fancy as if we were to fall vpon wild beasts But at length after the end of the next day the horrour in which we were being remoued out we went in the euening and we saw some kind of Camels whome for the excessiuenes of their speed they call Dromedaries ruminating vpon those meates which they had eaten before and then drawing them downe againe into their stomackes And we mounting on them and being refreshed with new prouision arriued by that desert to the Roman Garrisons vpon the tenth day after there being presented to the Tribune we gaue him an orderly account of what had passed From thence we were sent ouer to Sabinus the Gouernour of Mesopotamia where we receaued a iust price for our Camels And because that Abbot of myne did now rest in our Lord when I was brought to that place I restored my selfe to the Monckes and I deliuered her ouer to the Virgins louing her as my Sister but not trusting my selfe with her as with my Sister This story did Malchus being ould relate to me when I was young and now my selfe being ould I haue deliuered it to you and I present a history of Chastity to chast persons aduising such as are virgins to keep their chastity with care Tell you it ouer to posterity to the end tha◅ they may know that in the midest of swordes deserts and wild beasts Chastity can neuer be captiued and that a man who is consecrated to Christ may well be killed but not conquered FINIS