©SUGISf OF MONACH1SM. 



The towering Coltzim flood in the defart which leads 

 to the Red fea, between Babylon and Heraclea; but 

 between it and Babylon lay fo frightful and inhofpitable 

 a defart, that it was found neceffary to eftablifh a 

 camel-poft for thofe who in future fhould corr^e to vffit 

 St. Antonius from the neareft towns , fo much as he 

 ftrove againft all vifits, and fourly as he was wont to 

 look at the vile crew of viliters that flocked to him from 

 all parts. 



Otherwise, this mountain was agreeable enough ; 

 rocky, high, and not above a thoufand paces in cir- 

 cumference. At the foot of it ran a little placid fhream, 

 the banks of which were fhaded by a great number of 

 palms. Antonius had here planted vines and trees, and 

 laid out a garden, and cultivated the ground. This 

 caufed him a great deal of work, but was likewife a 

 fore reign remedy againft ennui. There would fre- 

 quently come a multitude of wild affes and other beafb 

 of the defert, to drink of the little ffcream ; but, on 

 thefe occalions, they ravaged the garden of Antonius, 

 and deftroyed what he had planted* and foWn. To pre- 

 Tent thefe depredations for the time to come, one day 

 the great faint commanded a wild-afs that headed the 

 reft to Hand ftill before him. The afs obeyed. Upon 

 this, Antonius gave him a very gentle ftroke with a 

 twitch, and commanded hiai and his company, in the 

 name of the Lord, not to enter his garden again as 

 long as they lived. And the aifes contented themfelves 

 with drinking out of the little ftream, and never came 

 into his garden again. 



Antonius the great had commonly his refidence in a 

 narrow cave of this mountain, which was no bigger 



than 



