PROGRESS OP MONACHl£M. JOj 



taneoufly repealed their edicts againfr. the monks. In 

 the year 309 Theodofius the elder publifhed a decree 

 for reducing the monks to compliance, by ordering 

 that they all fhould return for ever to their defarts and 

 caves. The emperor feemed, in this law, to have had 

 an efpecial eye to the segyptian and fyrian monks ; 

 who, under pretext of a blind zeal, came into the ci- 

 ties, raifed infurreclions, interrupted the courfe of 

 juftice, and carried on an open war againfr. the pagans 

 and their gods, whofe temples they demolifhed. But 

 Theodofius foon after fell upon a much worfe project ; 

 at the end of fome twenty months he caufed his law 

 to be repealed, intimating that it had been extorted 

 from him by the importunity of the magistrates who 

 were full of prejudices againft thefe holy men : and 

 now Theodofius again gave the monks permiflion to 

 ramble about, and to come into the towns and cities as 

 often as they, in their wifdom, fhould think fit. At 

 length the emperor, to put a fimfliing ftroke to the 

 bufinefs, ifiiied an edict whereby fathers were forbid- 

 den to di (inherit their fons for taking on them the mo-* 

 naitic vows> without their confent* 



Thus monkery advanced in uninterrupted progrefs. 

 The odour of their faiictity had now forced its way to 

 the imperial court 5 feveral of the empreffes were fond 

 of this odour : and the vulgar beheld, with no lefs 

 edification than furprife, fellows coming forth from 

 the defarts, who, for making their bodies the more fen- 

 fible to pain, had hung themfelves round with iron 

 chains ; who had turned their fhirts of goats' hair, 

 over which the primitive monks had worn a fheep fkin, 

 outwards, in hopes of thus attracting more refpecl ; 



and 



