PROGRESS OP MONACHISM. 307 



bouring mountains, and there lived as a monk, wholly 

 feparate from the world and his mother. 



The fanatical Chryfoftome, however, grew fomewhat 

 melancholy in reflecting on his rafh undertaking. He 

 had carefully inquired beforehand whether he could get 

 frefh bread in his wildernefs every day; whether he 

 might not ufe a little oil to his victuals, and for his 

 lamp ; whether he Ihould not be obliged to dig, and to 

 fetch wood and water. In a word, he was as covetous, 

 he fays, of reft in his folitude as many monks of his 

 time were of an abundance of earthly gratifications. 



Chryfoftome, for reafons that I fhall exhibit here- 

 after, did not long perfevere in the folitary life. But a 

 great encourager of it he conftantly remained, recom- 

 mended it in his difcourfes and writings by magnificent 

 encomiums, and alfo watched over his conducl: with 

 an aufterity not far fhort of what it required. His ta- 

 lents, his condition in the world, and his extenfive re- 

 putation, enabled him eafily to inflame the minds and 

 the hearts of a conliderable part of chriftendom with a 

 fondnefs for monkery. After his return from his her- 

 mitage he was a prefbyter in Antioch, where he preached 

 with aftonifhing applaufe. Eutropius, the minifter of 

 ftate to the emperor, had heard him preach. On the 

 demife of the archbifhop and patriarch of Conftanti- 

 nople, Eutropius was not unmindful of the preacher 

 he had fo much admired at Antioch. Fearing left the 

 people might not willingly confent to let the great man 

 go from Antioch, Eutropius privately fent his orders 

 to the viceroy of Syria ; and Chryloftome was brought 

 fecretly and expeditioufly in a poft-cart from Antioch 

 to Conftantinople. The imperial court, the clergy, 



x % and 



