ntrance into the great courtyard, in the middle
of which stood the roofless hall or temple, surrounded by columns and
porticoes, inside and out. In some of the inner porticoes were the
bookcases for the library which made Alexandria the very temple of
science and learning, while other porticoes were dedicated to the
service of the ancient religion. The roofs were ornamented with gilding,
the capitals of the columns were of copper gilt, and the walls were
covered with paintings. In the middle of the inner area stood one lofty
column, which could be seen by all the country round, and even from
ships some distance out at sea. The great statue of Serapis, which had
been made under the Ptolemies, having perhaps marble feet, but for the
rest built of wood, clothed with drapery, and glittering with gold and
silver, stood in one of the covered chambers, which had a small window
so contrived as to let the sun's rays kiss the lips of the statue on the
appointed occasions. This was one of the tricks employed in the sacred
mysteries, to dazzle the worshipper by the sudden blaze of light which
on the proper occasions was let into the dark room. The temple itself,
with its fountain, its two obelisks, and its gilt ornaments, has long
since been destroyed; and the column in the centre, under the name of
Pompey's Pillar, alone remains to mark the spot where it stood, and is
one of the few works of Greek art which in size and strength vie with
the old Egyptian monuments.

The reign of Julian, instead of raising paganism to its former strength,
had only shown that its life was spent; and under Jovian (A.D. 363--364)
the Christians were again brought into power. A Christian emperor,
however, would have been but little welcome to the Egyptians if, like
Constantius, and even Constantine in his latter years, he had leaned
to the Arian party; but Jovian soon showed his attachment to the Nicene
creed, and he re-appointed Athanasius to the bishopric of Alexandria.
But though Athanasius regained his rank, yet the Arian bishop Lucius
was not deposed. Each party in Alexandria had its own bishop; those who
thought that the Son was of the same substance with the Father looked up
to Athanasius, while those who gave to Jesus the lower rank of being of
a similar substance to the Creator obeyed Lucius.

This curious metaphysical proposition was not, however, the only cause
of the quarrel which divided Egypt into such angry parties. The creeds
were made