The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1921-03-18

since the unsuccessful attempt of Ju
lian to turn back the hands OF time to
the faith Of paganism. found Itself I'm
constant clashes with the growing
power Of the churchs Orestes the i'm.
perial prefect and Cyril, the militant
bishop. We'd with each other In dis
patches to Constahtinople, each com.
planning at the others usurpations {;
the army OF lepiOnaries and the vast
thrOngs of monks .nch entertained a
considerable respect for the fighting
qualities OF the other.
TIL" ,-ws were in great number
and were not in the happiest position
between church and empire; WI lie th,
descendants of Alexnnder's Macedo
mans, and Greeks from all quarters
Of the eastern Mediterranean, could
not forget that they had once been the
masters OF Egypt Constant conflict
In the streets between the partisans of
each side laid fitting scene for
Charles kingsley's religious ph!losOph.
ic historical melodrama.
Cyril, bishop and later saint. is nom.
inally the leader Of the battling
ustine and the phIlosophic Synesius,
bishops both. are minor personages OF
the drama, with many other passing
figures OF the church, but the leading
character from that side Is the humble
Philammon. the young boy Of the mon
astery In the desert, who makes his
way in the simplicity of his zeal to
brave the world. the flesh. and the dew
II, where SO many other monks Of fic-
tion have found that interesting triad,
keeping headquarters at Alexandria.
as any prefect could rule the unruly
! cosmopolis, a worldly and elusive per
son, who. not satisfied with the trou-
bles already at hand. would conspire
TO erect an empire OF Africa out of
the difficulties OF Rome and COnstan-
tinOple, and TO crown as his empress.
Hypatia, idealist. mathematician. neo-
1lntOnist, leader and teacher Of what
remained OF Greek philosophy as lv-
ing force. Under Hypatia's sway fell
the young PhlamrYon by reason of
her beauty. her power of speech, and
the inherited appeal OF philosophy to
one whose ancestry was Athenian. An
appeal OF another sort came to him
from Pelagia. dsncer and beauty, dar-
ling Of the city I'm general and Of in
dividuals In particular. To the charm
OF Hypatia yielded not only the world
ly prefcct and the simple monk, but
the most interesting figure OF the
story. Raphael-Aben-E Ezra, descended
from the blood of Solomon, rich, lazy.
and selfish to all appearance, but the
parsonage In whose soul and mind
was surging most violently the strug
gle and conflict which is the keynote
Of the book. Should the traditions OF
Jewry. the lure Of Greek philosophy.
the charm OF a pleasant II tumultuous
world. or the power Of Christianity
conquer In him? In his apparently
easy going way through existence. he
was measuring what every phase OF
that seething cauldron had TO offer as
n solution for the problems which a
human soul has TO ponder for Its own
salvation. 1t took him long to decide,
and It was only by the ministrations
of Augustine and Synrsius and the liv-
Ing example OF Victoria that he final
ly found in Christianity the truly dem
ocrntic creed by which the world could
best live.
Struggle and strife OF soul or body
-Pbilammon's yearninC to see more
Of the world than the monastery In
the desert: his enthrallment by the
charm OF Hypntia's beauty and her
learning; Cyril's struggles by militant
means toward a spiritual end; Ores
tes' to win an empire: Pelagia's TO
win love: Raphael to find the truth:
the conflict between old thought and
new; and as the climax. the conflict
and the end In Hypatia's case:
"Yes on into the church itself! Into
the cool. dim shadow. with Its fretted
pillars. and towering domes. and can
dles. and incense and blazing altar.
and great pictures. looking from the
walls athwart the gorgeous gloom.
And right In front. above the altar
the colossal Christ watching urmoved
from Off the wall his right hand raised
to give blessing-or curse?
"On, up the nave. fresh shreds of
her dress str~winG the holy pavement
up the chancel steps themsclves-up
to the altar-richt underneath the
great. still Christ; and there even
those hell hounds paused
"She shook herself free from her
tormcntorS, ana Springing back. rose
for one moment To her full height
naked, snow white against the dusky
mass around, shame and Indignation
in those wide. clear eyes. hut not n
stain of fear. With on. hand she
clasped her golden locks around her +;
the other long. white arm was
stretched upward toward the great