it was in the close union between the platonic
Jews and the platonists that Christianity found its easiest path to the
ears and hearts of the pagans. The bishops that followed seem to have
been Greek converts. Before the death of Annaniah, Jerusalem had been
destroyed by the Roman armies, and the Jews sunk in their own eyes
and in those of their fellow-citizens throughout the empire; hence the
second bishop of Alexandria was less likely to be of Hebrew blood; and
it was long before any Egyptians aimed at rank in the church. But though
the spread of Christianity was rapid, both among the Greeks and the
Egyptians, we must not hope to find any early traces of it in the
historians. It was at first embraced by the unlearned and the poor,
whose deeds and opinions are seldom mentioned in history; and we may
readily believe the scornful reproach of the unbelievers, that it was
chiefly received by the unfortunate, the unhappy, the despised, and the
sinful. When the white-robed priestesses of Ceres carried the sacred
basket through the streets of Alexandria, they cried out, "Sinners away,
or keep your eyes to the ground; keep your eyes to the ground!" When
the crier, standing on the steps of the portico in front of the great
temple, called upon the pagans to come near and join in the celebration
of their mysteries, he cried out, "All ye who are clean of hands and
pure of heart, come to the sacrifice; all ye who are guiltless in
thought and deed, come to the sacrifice."

But many a repentant sinner and humble spirit must have drawn back in
distrust from a summons which to him was so forbidding, and been glad
to hear the good tidings of mercy offered by Christianity to those who
labour and are heavy laden, and to the broken-hearted who would turn
away from their wickedness. While such were the chief followers of the
gospel, it was not likely to be much noticed by the historians; and we
must wait till it forced its way into the schools and the palace before
we shall find many traces of the rapidity with which it was spreading.

[Illustration: 063.jpg ETHIOPIAN ARABS]

During these reigns the Ethiopian Arabs kept up their irregular warfare
against the southern frontier. The tribe most dreaded were the Blemmyes,
an uncivilised people, described by the affrighted neighbours as having
no heads, but with eyes and mouth on the breast; and it was under that
name that the Arabs spread during each century farther and farther into
Egypt, se