o me till the year
of the memorable tumult in which the Jews of that city are reported in
history to have massacred more Christians than at that time dwelt in it.
Indeed, the truth is, they did maul the dogs pretty handsomely; but I
myself was not present, for as all our people were ordered to be armed,
I took that opportunity of selling two swords, which probably I might
otherwise never have disposed of, they being extremely old and rusty; so
that, having no weapon left, I did not care to venture abroad. Besides,
though I really thought it an act meriting salvation to murder the
Nazarenes, as the fact was to be committed at midnight, at which time,
to avoid suspicion, we were all to sally from our own houses, I could
not persuade myself to consume so much oil in sitting up to that hour:
for these reasons therefore I remained at home that evening.

"I was at this time greatly enamored with one Hypatia, the daughter of a
philosopher; a young lady of the greatest beauty and merit: indeed, she
had every imaginable ornament both of mind and body. She seemed not
to dislike my person; but there were two obstructions to our marriage,
viz., my religion and her poverty: both which might probably have been
got over, had not those dogs the Christians murdered her; and, what is
worse, afterwards burned her body: worse, I say, because I lost by that
means a jewel of some value, which I had presented to her, designing, if
our nuptials did not take place, to demand it of her back again.

"Being thus disappointed in my love, I soon after left Alexandria and
went to the imperial city, where I apprehended I should find a good
market for jewels on the approaching marriage of the emperor with
Athenais. I disguised myself as a beggar on this journey, for these
reasons: first, as I imagined I should thus carry my jewels with greater
safety; and, secondly, to lessen my expenses; which latter expedient
succeeded so well, that I begged two oboli on my way more than my
traveling cost me, my diet being chiefly roots, and my drink water.

"But perhaps, it had been better for me if I had been more lavish
and more expeditious; for the ceremony was over before I reached
Constantinople; so that I lost that glorious opportunity of disposing of
my jewels with which many of our people were greatly enriched.

"The life of a miser is very little worth relating, as it is one
constant scheme of getting or saving money. I shall therefore repeat to
you some