ed. His childish
pleasures were to be conducted to sacrifices and auguries; his childish
playthings and prizes were images of the deities. No opposition was
offered on the boy's part to this plan of education. Far different
from his younger brother, whose turbulent disposition defied all
authority, he was naturally docile; and his imagination, vivid beyond
his years, was easily led captive by any remarkable object presented to
it. With such encouragement, his father became thoroughly engrossed by
the occupation of forming him for his future existence. His mother's
influence over him was jealously watched; the secret expression of her
love, of her sorrow, at the prospect of parting with him, was
ruthlessly suppressed whenever it was discovered; and his younger
brother was neglected, almost forgotten, in order that the parental
watchfulness might be entirely and invariably devoted to the eldest son.

When Emilius had numbered fifteen years, his father saw with delight
that the time had come when he could witness the commencement of the
realisation of all his projects. The boy was removed from home, taken
to Alexandria, and gladly left, by his proud and triumphant father,
under the especial guardianship of Macrinus, the high priest.

The chief of the temple full sympathised in his brother's designs for
the young Emilius. As soon as the boy had entered on his new
occupations, he was told that he must forget all that he had left
behind him at Rome; that he must look upon the high priest as his
father, and upon the temple, henceforth, as his home; and that the sole
object of his present labours and future ambition must be to rise in
the service of the gods. Nor did Macrinus stop here. So thoroughly
anxious was he to stand to his pupil in the place of a parent, and to
secure his allegiance by withdrawing him in every way from the world in
which he had hitherto lived, that he even changed his name, giving to
him one of his own appellations, and describing it as a privilege to
stimulate him to future exertions. From the boy Emilius, he was now
permanently transformed to the student Ulpius.

With such a natural disposition as we have already described, and under
such guardianship as that of the high priest, there was little danger
that Ulpius would disappoint the unusual expectations which had been
formed of him. His attention to his new duties never relaxed; his
obedience to his new masters never wavered. Whateve