PROGRESS OF MONACHISM. 297 



therefore it is highly probable, that the number of an- 

 chorites was much greater than the number of monks. 

 It was always more agreeable to fuch fanatics to run 

 about at full liberty naked in the wildernefs, or to eat 

 grafs with the beafts of the field, than to fubrait to the 

 auftere rule of a monaftery, and merely from the hea- 

 vinefs of time to be weaving of mats, or purfuing the 

 noble art of cobbling, old fhoes. 



We have the tefHmony of St. Ephrem Syrus that this 

 was the cafe with the grazing anchorites. They were 

 frill weak in virtue, and weary of the monafric life. The 

 duties they had to praclife towards their brethren, and 

 the talk of work exacted of them from day to day, 

 grew irkfome. They alfo expected to gain more ho- 

 nour, and to arrive at a greater degree of feeming fanc- 

 tity, by ft and in g forth lingly to the admiration of man- 

 kind, or by creeping on all fours, than by only fharing 

 in the general odour of fanclity with a whole fraternity. 

 As monks they were always in fubjecVIon to their fupe- 

 rior, and thefe occahonally ruled them with the fcourge 

 in their hand ; as anchorites they were accountable for 

 their actions to none. Liberty and the feeding on 

 grafs procured therefore more enjoyment to many a 

 hermit, than to be tedioully employed in botching of 

 fhoes and weaving of mats in a cloifter. 



From pure ambition great numbers of anchorites 

 pined away their lives in ./Egypt under the burden of 

 crofTes and chains. Their emaciated limbs were loaded 

 and confined by collars, arm-rings, gauntlets, and ar- 

 mour of mafTy iron. There was no liberty in this : but 

 men fell on their knees before fuch fools, and regarded 

 them as the archangels of God. 



Others 



