Amelioration of monasticism.]

[Sidenote: Its final corruptions.]

From such beginnings the monastic system of Europe arose--that system
which presents us with learning in the place of ferocious ignorance,
with overflowing charity to mankind in the place of malignant hatred of
society. The portly abbot on his easy going palfrey, his hawk upon his
fist, scarce looks like the lineal descendant of the hermit starved
into insanity. How wide the interval between the monk of the third and
the monk of the thirteenth century--between the caverns of Thebais and
majestic monasteries cherishing the relics of ancient learning, the
hopes of modern philosophy--between the butler arranging his
well-stocked larder, and the jug of cold water and crust of bread. A
thousand years had turned starvation into luxury, and alas! if the
spoilers of the Reformation are to be believed, had converted visions of
loveliness into breathing and blushing realities, who exercised their
charms with better effect than of old their phantom sisters had done.

[Sidenote: The modifications of eremitism.]

[Sidenote: Number of anchorites.]

The successive stages to this end may be briefly described. Around the
cell of some eremite like Anthony, who fixed his retreat on Mount
Colzim, a number of humble imitators gathered, emulous of his
austerities and of his piety. A similar sentiment impels them to observe
stated hours of prayer. Necessity for supporting the body indicates some
pursuit of idle industry, the plaiting of mats or making of baskets. So
strong is the instinctive tendency of man to association, that even
communities of madmen may organize. Hilarion is said to have been the
first who established a monastic community. He went into the desert when
he was only fifteen years old. Eremitism thus gave birth to
Coenobitism, and the evils of solitude were removed. Yet still there
remained rigorous anchorites who renounced their associated brethren as
these had renounced the world, and the monastery was surrounded by their
circle of solitary cells--a Laura, it was called. In Egypt, the sandy
deserts on each side of the rich valley of the river offered great
facilities for such a mode of life: that of Nitria was full of monks,
the climate being mild and the wants of man easily satisfied. It is said
that there were at one time in that country of these religious recluses
not fewer than seventy-six thousand males and twenty-seven thousand
females. With cou