the other at Cephissia, at the distance of six; and thither he drew to
him the _elite_, and at times the whole body of the students. Long
arcades, groves of trees, clear pools for the bath, delighted and
recruited the summer visitor. Never was so brilliant a lecture-room as
his evening banqueting-hall; highly connected students from Rome mixed
with the sharp-witted provincial of Greece or Asia Minor; and the
flippant sciolist, and the nondescript visitor, half philosopher, half
tramp, met with a reception, courteous always, but suitable to his
deserts. Herod was noted for his repartees; and we have instances on
record of his setting down, according to the emergency, both the one
and the other.

A higher line, though a rarer one, was that allotted to the youthful
Basil. He was one of those men who seem by a sort of fascination to
draw others around them even without wishing it. One might have deemed
that his gravity and his reserve would have kept them at a distance;
but, almost in spite of himself, he was the centre of a knot of youths,
who, pagans as most of them were, used Athens honestly for the purpose
for which they professed to seek it; and, disappointed and displeased
with the place himself, he seems nevertheless to have been the means of
their profiting by its advantages. One of these was Sophronius, who
afterwards held a high office in the State: Eusebius was another, at
that time the bosom-friend of Sophronius, and afterwards a Bishop.
Celsus too is named, who afterwards was raised to the government of
Cilicia by the Emperor Julian. Julian himself, in the sequel of
unhappy memory, was then at Athens, and known at least to St. Gregory.
Another Julian is also mentioned, who was afterwards commissioner of
the land tax. Here we have a glimpse of the better kind of society
among the students of Athens; and it is to the credit of the parties
composing it, that such young men as Gregory and Basil, men as
intimately connected with Christianity, as they were well known in the
world, should hold so high a place in their esteem and love. When the
two saints were departing, their companions came around them with the
hope of changing their purpose. Basil persevered; but Gregory
relented, and turned back to Athens for a season.

THE STUDY OF POETRY

BY

MATTHEW ARNOLD

_INTRODUCTORY NOTE_

_Matthew Arnold was the son of the well-known English schoolmaster,
Thomas Arnold of Rugby. He was born a