liv. PROLEGOMENA. 



that revolve round him, while each reflects a pecu- 

 liar light in his kind ; so the saints like satellites 

 transmit through the prismatic varieties of their 

 individual minds all the shades and gradations of 

 perfection ; and whether they blaze in eccentric 

 orbits like comets, or move in the more sober 

 circles of other stars, they have all one common 

 law of motion, are guided by one spirit, and 

 appear in all their diversified brilliancy only as 

 particoloured rays revolving round a centre in 

 Christ, to whom they all tend, and with whom 

 they will all be ultimately united. Who would 

 not anxiously wish to be a part of this great 

 celestial mechanism ; rather than by blazing as a 

 passing meteor of worldly ambition, to rise no 

 higher than the smoky and dim atmosphere of 

 the earth, and to go out after a moment's blaze, 

 hissing and simmering in the cursed corruption 

 of sensuality ? Like those spirits described by 

 Milton, who loathe to leave the body that they 

 loved, and are feigned lingering about the ex- 

 halations of the charnel house, and haunting the 

 vault of the sepulchre. 



It will be found by what is related below 

 that St. Paul, the first hermit, and St. Anthony, 

 first instituted the monastic life in a regular way 

 in Egypt. From thence this religious sort of 

 life spread quickly through all parts of the world 

 where there were Christians, and has existed 



