views, by which I found that he appeared like an invisible Monarch presiding over an invisible king "dom. "You know Kerinthus,.....by his genius......intrepidity........and perseverance...........he formed the stupendous idea of organizing a system "to enslave the opinions of man kind, and render them subservient "to his guidance. "He was born a Christian.......and "the quickness of his apprehension "soon leading him to the developement of their principles, he employed his eloquence.......persuasion ...fire;........managed his public "discourses with such refinement, "that all his favorite ideas commu"nicated with the minds of his hear 66 66 ers ;.......................and he gradually pursued "his zeal, till he raised himself to "the distinguished post he now.holds among them......And, as he told me "that he placed a perfect confi"dence in my talents, I readily con"sented to employ my mental en"dowments towards the advance"ment of a project I felt to be "the most brilliant and productive "that could possibly be attempted. "Still I was too much attached to "Mamilia....or rather to the luxurious indulgence I lived in with her.....to reconcile an abrupt departure........ "This I explained to my brother, "who only half yielded to my rea 66 66 66 soning.......and as we warmly de"bated the subject......what should present itself to my imagination, "but the full-length portrait of my "dear fugitive, Proteus. 66 Cease, brother,.......I exclaimed "with transport.......all further controversy.....I have just discovered a "treasure which I will lay open be "fore you, and it will richly compensate for the loss of my com 66 "I then told him, I knew a youth "who appeared to me expressly "formed by nature for the advance 66 ment of his fortunes.......I disclosed "to him the whole of your history.... " and you will readily imagine how eagerly he devoured my words, as "I described the extraordinary........ "decided..........and amiable enthu "siast. "I imagined you had taken the "road to Smyrna, and Kerinthus, at my request, instantly resolved to "follow you...... To provide 66 against accident, he dispatched in"numerable enquiries all around, "to ascertain the certainty of your "residence. "All succeeded........I received let"ters of thanks from Kerinthus, in forming me of the steps he had "taken, and the unbounded advan 66 tages he expected to derive from so promising a pupil. "I continued with the beautiful "Mamilia, till she became wearied "of the very pleasures which sur"rounded her......and she determined 66 on quitting Asia Minor.....I attended "her to the famous baths of Daphne, near Antioch.....thence to Alexan"dria.......and we returned to Baix, "in Italy, where the fair Roman possessed a very charming seat, "which she resolved to make her "residence for a time. 66 "Here she found the manners of her new acquaintance so congenial "with her own, that she entirely "threw off the restraint which de 66 cency sometimes compelled her to "wear.....and yielded....with so little “moderation.......to every species of "licentiousness, that......even I........ "could no longer continue with her ......We parted......and I joined my "brother. 66 66 "This happened shortly after you were sent upon your mission to the Syrian coast;....and, as my first in"quiries were after you,.....Kerinthus "detailed the nature of your labors "in the vineyard of the Lord;......but "I found by his discourse, he was so "far from thinking you worthy his "confidence, that he merely used you "as a simpleton, whose enthusiasm " he could divert into any, and every, "channel he might think most con"venient for his own purposes. "At this discovery.....I started...... "the warmth of our firm attachment ......nay..... my unceasing esteem..... "fired at the idea......and I could not "bear to think, that my dear Proteus "should appear so insignificant in any body's eyes. |