ORIGIN OF MONACHISM. , 1 83 



friend, tnat his end was approaching ; and, that he 

 might fpare him the painful office of being prefent 

 at his death, begged him to fetch a cloak that he had 

 received for a winding fheet as a prefent from Athana- 

 lius. Antonius, on returning with the cloak, took a 

 fancy into his head, that though he found Paul without 

 any ligns of life, yet that he was not altogether natu- 

 rally dead, but that he faw his immortal part, quite 

 luminous and mining, afcending towards heaven, 

 amidfr. hofts of angels and apoflles. But what was 

 mortal of Paul, his dead body, he found in the atti- 

 tude of one kneeling at prayers. He buried him, 

 with the affiftance of two lions. 



Antonius muft have found himfelf weak after this 

 feveriih journey; for, on coming back to his holy 

 mountain, he cliofe two of his difciples to be his con- 

 stant companions, that they might afford him their 

 fervices in his increaflng infirmity. 



Among the many vifitors that came to Antonius, 

 either in the monaftery of Pifpir or on his facred moun- 

 tain, there would fometimvs be heretics. But heretics, 

 and efpecially arians, Antonius could never endure. Some 

 arians came to vilit him on his mountain, whom he 

 drove away on the fpot. All heretics in general were 

 lb dreadfully grievous to Antonius, that ihortly before 

 his death he took one more journey to Alexandria, only 

 to curie the heretics. Even on his death-bed he ihiwed 

 his intolerant fpirit in a vehement admonition to his 

 difciples, wherein he commanded them never to have 

 any concern with a heretic. 



From philofophers alfo Antonius was fcmetimes fa- 

 voured with.vifits; and thefe came for the fake of 



n 4 making 



