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HYDROMETERS.

many Jews * who carried on a most extensive trade, as weltas a great number of Pagan families. In the eyes of thebigot Cyrill, this was not proper; he would have thesheep-fold clean, and the Jews must he banished. Orestes ,the governor , however, who was a man of prudence andsober discretion, much better acquainted with the realinterests of the city, opposed a measure he saw so repletewith mischief, and even caused to be condemned to death,a Christian profligate, who had injured the Jews . Thismalefactor was, by the special order of Cyrill, buried in tirechurch as a martyr; and he collected an army of five hun-dred lazy monks, who ill-treated the governor in the streets,and excited an insurrection among the people against theJews , and expelled them from a city where they had ex-isted from the time of"Alexander the Great .

Cyrill, one day, whilst looking for objects of persecu-tion, saw a nnmmer of carriages, attended with servants,belonging to the first families in the city, before a certainhouse. Inquiring what was the cause of the assemble, he wasinformed, that it was the habitation of the lovely Hypatia ,who, on account of her extensive learning and very eminenttalents, was visited by peopleof the firstrespectability, even bythe governor himself. This afforded to the malignant priest,Cyrill, asufficient object for the exercise of his jealousy againstthe meritorious, the unoffending, the fair Hypatia . He, fromthat moment, resolved upon her destruction.. Accordingly,he lost not a moment to excite his myrmidons, the monksand priests, those who should have been the ministers ofthat religion of which they were most unworthy members,to destroy the fair philosopher. They, accordingly, withdemoniac rage, and instigated by infernal cruelty, took theearliest opportunity to seize her, hurried her to the church,the temple of peace, which they violated by an offence atwhich humanity must shudder: they tore the clothesfrom her beautiful and delicate form ; likewise tore the fleshfrom her bones by potsherds, then dragged her mangledlimbs about the city, and eventually burned them.

This horrible tragedy took place in the year 415. Theimpressions which this event must have made upon peopleof every persuasion, may be conceived, they admit not des-cription from a feeble pen; but we may ask the question,whether it was a transaction calculated to make converts tothat religion?—whose avowed motive and maxim is, in thewords of Milton,

“ By winning words, to conquer willing hearts,

v And make persuasion do the work of fear.”