_Hypatia,_ succeeds in the Government of the _Platonic_ School at
_Alexandria_, for which she was judged Qualified, in Preference to
all the Men of Learning at that Time.
And truly were not this Matter so well attested by those Writers we have
just nam’d, and by others we shall presently have Occasion to alledge;
yet no Body could any longer doubt of it, after being informed by the
very same Persons, that _Hypatia_ succeeded in the Government of the
_Platonic_ School at _Alexandria_, the Place of her Birth and Education.
This was another-guess Thing, God knows, than taking the Degree of
Doctor in any of the Faculties; which one or two Women have not long
since done, for which they have been loaded with fulsome Elogies, tho’
producing no Effects suitable to the Titles they have so much
ambitioned. But what greater Glory for a Woman, what greater Honour
redounding to all Women, than to see a Lady teaching in that Chair,
where _Ammonius_ and _Hierocles_ (to Name no more, for ’tis a Mistake in
_Socrates_ or his Transcriber to make _Plotinus_ one of them) where so
many Professors, I say, uttered the Oracles of Learning, rather as
divine Intelligences than mortal Men? What infinite Merit must she have
possessed, who could be preferr’d to that conspicuous Station, at a Time
when Men of immense Learning abounded both at _Alexandria_, and in many
other Parts of the _Roman_ Empire? Wherefore, the Novelty of the Thing
considered, and _Hypatia_’s Worth being universally acknowledged, ’tis
no Wonder that she soon had a crouded Auditory. _She explained to her_
_Hearers_, says _Socrates, the several Sciences, that go under the
general Name of Philosophy; for which Reason_, continues he, _there was
a Confluence to her from all Parts, of those who made Philosophy their
Delight or Study_. To the same Purpose speak others; and _Suidas_ adds,
that _she explained all the Philosophers_, that is, all the several
Sects, with the particular Tenets of their Founders, which shews an
inexpressible Elevation and Capacity, each of these separately being
thought a sufficient Province, to exercise the Diligence of any one Man,
consummate in Letters.