Part 20 (1/2)

3.) See Rosweide, Not. in Vit. S. Antonii. Bolland. 17 Jan. p. 119, --64, Tillem. note 1, p. 666.

2. Matt. xix. 21.

3. An aura was one hundred cubits of land. See Lexicon Constantini.

Fleury, l. 8, p. 418.

4. Ibid. vi. 34.

5. [Greek: Parthenon], as St. Athanasius calls it, t. 2, p. 796, ed.

Ben. He mentions that St. Antony, long after, paid her a visit, when she was very old, and superior or mistress of many virgins, [Greek: hathegoumenen allos parthenon], n. 54. p. 837.

6. Orig. lib. 5, p. 264.

7. His first monastery was situated near the confines of Upper and Middle Egypt: it at first consisted of scattered cells. To visit some of these brethren, he is mentioned by St. Athanasius (Vit. p.

461) to have crossed the Arsinotic ca.n.a.l, extremely infested with crocodiles. This is sometimes called his monastery near the river, and was situated not far from Aphroditopolis, the lower and more ancient city of that name, in Heptanomis, or Middle Egypt. St.

Athanasius seems to place it in Thebais, or Upper Egypt, because it was near the borders, and the boundaries of Upper Egypt were extended much lower by those who divided Egypt only into two parts, the Upper and the Lower; as Sozomen, l. 2, c. 23, and others, frequently did. St. Antony, finding this solitude grow too public, and not bearing the distraction of continual visits, he travelled up the river to seek a more remote wilderness; but after mounting a little way, while he sat on the bank waiting to see a boat pa.s.s by, he changed his design, and instead of advancing southward, he went with certain Saracen merchants to the East, and in three days, doubtless on a camel, arrived at the great mountain towards the Red Sea, where he spent the latter years of his life; yet he frequently visited his first monastery, near Aphroditopolis. St. Hilarion going from this latter to St. Antony's great monastery on the mountain, performed that journey in three days, on camels, which a deacon, named Baisan, let to those who desired to visit St. Antony. This latter, near which the saint died, always continued a famous pilgrimage.

Pispir was the monastery of St. Macarius, but is sometimes called St. Antony's, who often visited it. This was situated on the Nile, in Thebais, thirty measures or [Greek: semeia] from St. Antony's mountain, according to Palladius, (Laus. c. 63.) This some understand of Roman miles, others of Egyptian schaeni of thirty furlongs each; thirty schaeni are nine hundred stadia, or one hundred and thirteen miles. Pispir therefore seems not to have been very far from Aphroditopolis. See Kocher, (comment. In fastos Abyssinorum,) in the journal of Bern, ad an. 1761, t. 1, p. 160 and 169.

A monastery, of which St. Antony is t.i.tular saint, still subsists a little above the ancient city of Aphroditon on the Nile. It is now called Der-mar-Antinious-el-Bahr, that is, The monastery of Antony at the river. See Poc.o.c.k, p. 70, and the map prefixed to that part of his travels. Travelling from hence one day's journey up the river, then turning from the south towards the east, over sandy deserts, and a chain of high mountains, in which springs of water, in other parts very rare, are here and there found, and camels travel for one hundred miles, we arrive at St. Antony's great monastery, about six or seven hours journey from the Red Sea. See Poc.o.c.k, ib. p. 128. Granger, Relation du Voyage, &c., p. 107. Nouv.

Memoires des Missions, t. 5, p. 136. Vanslebius, Nouv. Relat. pp.

299 and 309; and Maillet. Descr. de 'Egypte, p. 320. The Grotto of St. Paul is shown not very far from this great monastery; yet the road wing [sic] round the mountains, and a great way about it, seems to travellers as a great distance from it.

8. St. Athan. Vit. Anton. n. 45, p. 830.

9. P. 814.

10. P. 823, ed. Ben.

11. Rosweide, l. 3, c. 129. Cotelier, &c.

12. S. Nilus, ep. 24. Cotelier, Apoth. Patr. p. 340. Rosweide, Vit.

Patr. l. 3, c. 105, l. 5, c. 7.

13. Ca.s.sian, Collat. c. 31.

14. S. Athan. n. 82, p. 857. S. Chrys. Hom. 8, in Matt. S. Hier. ep.

{}6. Sozom. l. 6, c. 5.

15. S. Athan. n. 68, 69, p. 847.

16. Ibid. n. 85. p. 859.

17. Ibid. n. 80, p. 855.

18. N. 77, p. 858.

19. N. 86, p. 860.

20. Bibl. Patr. Colon. t. 4, p. 26. See S. Antonii. M. Epistolae 20. cura Abr. Eckellens. Paris, 1641. But only the above-mentioned seven letters can be regarded as genuine, except the discourses preserved by St. Athanasius in his life.

21. Ep. 2, ad Arsinoitas.

22. Ib.

23. Maij. t. 3, p. 355.

24. That under his name in Abraham Eckellensis is not of so high a pedigree. A large body of the monks of St. Basil in the East, since the seventh century, take the name of the Order of St. Antony, but retain the rule of St. Basil, comprised in his ascetic writings; and observe the same fasts, and other exercises, with all the other monks of the East, who are called of the order of St. Basil; which even the Maronites follow; though Tillemont denies it by mistake.

25. Rosweide, Vit. Patr. l. 5, c. 8. Abr. Eckellens. in Vit. S. Ant. p.

106. Cotel. p. 344. Mart. Coptor.

26. S. Athan. n. 55, p. 858.

27. N. 16 & 43.

28. The Ependytes of St. Antony, mentioned by St. Athanasius, n. 46, p.