spread in Alexandria that the holy Bishop Athanasius was banished, and the inhabitants knew that they should never again behold their beloved prelate, there was a commotion in the whole city, and the people ran into the streets crying out in loud and mournful tones: Athanasius! Athanasius! All the churches were filled with people who threw themselves on their knees to implore the divine mercy, and have their dear pastor restored to them. To this end the priests said Mass daily, and had public prayers; the virgins consecrated to God cried out for their spiritual father, the poor for their supporter, widows and orphans for their protector; the very hermits filled their caves with wailings and lamentations. On this occasion the great St. Anthony came out of his solitude and wrote to Constantino, begging of him to have some regard to his tears, and to the general wish of all good people, and to send them back their bishop, the object of such tender love to a large portion of the fold of Christ. Consider now, my dear brethren, if one servant of God, who was still a wanderer on earth and not yet adorned with the glory of heaven, was so much beloved by a whole city that the people found it impossible almost to live without him, how will it be then when we shall see all the saints in the kingdom of heaven in their immense glory and majesty, and shall always be in their company? The chief of this heavenly company is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world; next to Him is Mary, the blessed Mother of the Lord; after her come the principal courtiers and ministers of God, the holy angels distributed in nine choirs, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the remaining elect, the multitude of whom, according to St. John, no one can number; all are now in glory, true kings and queens of heaven; all are most beautiful, holy, wise, good, friendly, amiable creatures, in whom there can never be the least imperfection, or fault, or failing, or inordinate passion. There, says the Venerable Bede, “no one is injured, no one angry, no one envies another, no cupidity is felt.”[1] Thy society, O heavenly paradise! shall be wholly made up of holy friends of God who, renewed in mind and manners, adorned with all virtues, purged of all bad inclinations, freed from ail error, live together and rejoice in the Lord, united with each other in the bonds of the most tender, true, and intimate affection, and with the greatest uniformity of will and heart; so that neither their mul-
- ↑ Nemo lædetur, irascetur nemo, nemo invidebit, cupiditas nulla exardescet.
