_Hypatia_’s tragical Death, perpetrated by _Cyril_’s Clergy, who hated
her for Intimacy with _Orestes_.
But _Cyril_’s Rage was not yet satiated. Tho’ _Orestes_ had the good
Luck to escape being murdered, _Hypatia_ must fall a Sacrifice to the
Prelate’s Pride and to the Ghost of _Ammonius_. This Lady, as we
mentioned above, was profoundly respected by _Orestes_, who much
frequented and consulted her; _for which Reason, says _Socrates_, she
was not a little traduced among the Mob of the Christian Church; as if
she obstructed a Reconciliation between Bishop _Cyril_ and _Orestes_.
Wherefore certain hot-brained Men, headed by one _Peter_ a Lecturer,
entered into a Conspiracy against her, and watching their Opportunity
when she was returning Home from some Place, they dragged her out of her
Chair; hurried her to the Church called _Cesar_’s, and stripping her
stark naked, they killed her with Tiles. Then they tore her to Pieces,
and carrying her Limbs to a_ _Place called _Cinaron_, there they burnt
them to Ashes._ Nothing short of this Treatment, not to be parallelled
among the most savage Nations against Woman (and against a Woman of such
Distinction scarce credible, did not two or more of her Contempories
attest it) nothing, I say, but the Blood of _Hypatia_, shed in the most
inhuman Manner, could glut the Fury of _Cyril_’s Clergy, for these were
the Monsters, that putting off all Humanity, committed this barbarous
Murder. _Socrates_, ’tis true, distinctly Names but one Clergyman,
_Peter_ the Lecturer; but _Nicephorus_ expressly tells us, that the
Zealots, led on by this _Peter_, were _Cyril_’s Clergy, who hated her
for the Credit she had with _Orestes_; that they were these, who imputed
to her the Misunderstanding between the Governor and their Bishop; and
finally, that they butchered her the Time of solemn Fasting; which,
added to their sanctifying of their Villany by perpetrating it in a
Church, shews the glorious State of Religion in those pure and primitive
Times; as some, no less hypocritically than falsely, are pleased to
stile them. The Citizens of _Alexandria_, on whom certain Persons would
fain lay this Act of popular Heat, as they speak by way of Extenuation,
were too great Admirers of _Hypatia_’s Virtue, and too much in the
Interest of _Orestes_, to have any Hand in so foul a Business, however
prone to Tumults. All the Circumstances accompanying the Fact, clearly
prove this; not to repeat the Assault so lately made by the _Nitrian_
Monks on the Governor, whom the People rescued; tho’ I will not answer
for all the Mob, especially when the Clergy loo’d them on.