I make no doubt it will close with a display of martyrdom, as they call it."

His friend, Alypius, slightly started, and drew his arm hastily from that of Julius. Then, having made a pretence of arranging the folds of his upper robe, he again placed his hand on his companion's arm, and said, though with some hesitation

"I will not stay in the Circus to see my fellow-creatures torn to pieces for no crime but that of worshipping a different god from those whom I have been taught to serve. The Lybian prisoners must abide the chances of war. They knew what to expect when they took up arms against the imperial government. But these Christians are not criminals. On the contrary, Rome has no better subjects, no truer adherents, than the members of this maligned and persecuted sect. Their noble courage, and unexampled patience, would almost lead one to believe that they are sustained by Divine strength, and are trusting in a Divine Master."

It was now Julius's turn to start. He almost stopped; but the increasing throng of passengers on the raised footway carried him on unconsciously. He turned, however, and looked keenly in Alypius' face. The open and ingenuous expression which he there met seemed to reassure him; for he smiled, and pressed the arm of his friend as he exclaimed, "Well, when you talked so, I began to fear that either your brain was wandering, or your faith was wavering. But no; I see in those clear, honest eyes that all is right with you; and it is only that over-tender heart of yours that leads you to pity the brutes, both human and feline, and even to sympathize with the Nazarenes, who are more pernicious than either. Why, Alypius,

my friend, you should have been born a woman. Your gentleness might put many of our dames and maidens to shame; but then your courage and your talents are an example to all our youths, and chiefly to myself, most noble Alypius.”

Cheerfully and sportively Julius spoke; but there was truth in what he said; and he had correctly sketched the character of his friend. Alypius was indeed endued with warm and affectionate feelings, and a degree of sympathy for suffering, which more commonly belongs to the gentler sex. But his whole character was manly, and his abilities far above the common level. He was, in every respect, the superior of Julius; and yet their tastes and pursuits were similar, and while they studied together in the schools, a mutual friendship had sprung up between them. Julius was a native of Alexandria, where his parents had long resided, and where he hoped by-and-bye to establish himself as a teacher of philosophy. Alypius was only a stranger and sojourner in the city, and had come thither from Tagaste, a small town near Carthage, for the purpose of completing his education in the capital of Lower Egypt.

Tagaste was, at the time of which we now speak, a town of little note; but ere long it became distinguished as the birthplace of the great Augustine, afterwards Bishop of Hippo. This celebrated man was born at Tagaste, in November 353, about five years before Alypius saw the light. Their respective mothers were neighbours and friends; and the boys, notwithstanding the difference in their ages, were companions and playfellows. As they grew up they became separated; for Augustin was sent by his father, Patricius, first to Madensa, and then, in his sixteenth year, to Carthage, to study in the

schools which flourished in each place; while Alypius remained at home until he was of an age to enter on a course of philosophy under the distinguished teachers at Alexandria.

Calanthe, the mother of Alypius, was not a Christian when he left his native town; and, during his residence in Alexandria, which had now been for two years, he had seen very little of her. But he knew that she was deeply attached to Monica, the mother of Augustin, who was not only a devoted follower of Christ herself, but who, by her prayers, her teaching, and her example, had brought her husband to embrace the same holy faith, and practise the same holy life, some time previous to his death.

Alypius had seen the beauty of Monica's character, and had been drawn towards her by the kindness of her manner, and the charm of her intelligent conversation. Into the tenets of her religion he had never inquired, for all religions had seemed to him of equal value, so long as the professors of each and all lived honourable and upright lives. But he could not hate the disciples of Christ when he knew that Monica was one of the number; he could not hear unmoved of the cruelty and persecution. that was so continually exercised against the lowly followers of the crucified Nazarene, when he knew that his mother's dearest friend worshipped that Man of Sorrows as her Lord and her God, and modelled her pure and useful life on the doctrines and the precepts which he had taught. His own mind was deeply imbued with the errors of a vain philosophy, and with the heathen notions of the innate dignity, and possible purity and perfection of human nature; and he looked on the Christians as a misguided and superstitious sect.

Fabius, the Prefect who then governed in Alexandria, had made an outward profession of Christianity; but he was still a heathen at heart. He looked down with philosophical contempt and scorn upon every form of religion. To him all faith was superstition, all zeal fanaticism, all earnest belief folly. Some sort of religion, he thought, was needful for the lower orders, and the gods of his forefathers would have answered the purpose very well. He was sorry that any change had been made. The Christians were very troublesome people for him to deal with, and he never missed an opportunity of venting his dislike to them. This the state of affairs in Alexandria enabled him to do. The Arians had now the upper hand. The orthodox believers, who knew Christ as their Saviour and their Lord, were in a minority; and the heretical sect joining with the Jews, the heathens, and the philosophers, gave the Prefect the opportunity he so much desired, of once more seeing Christians cast to the lions, and slain in the amphitheatre.

Nothing could have been more acceptable to the degraded inhabitants of Alexandria than this. The Prefect had long been unpopular amongst them, but the announcement of his intentions had turned the tide of popular feeling in his favour. Therefore Fabius had seized several of the obnoxious persons of both sexes, and of various ages, and had kept them for some months in prison, waiting for a favourable opportunity of offering them up to gratify his own hatred and the malignity of their accusers. We shall see how he carried out his intentions.

Meanwhile, Julius and Alypius were pressing onwards towards the Circus, anxious to obtain seats so near the stage as to enable them to see even the features of the combatants, and to