16. There was a monster
Monster. George of Cappadocia, Arian intruder into
the see of Alexandria, a.d.
356–361. from Cappadocia, born on our farthest
confines, of low birth, and lower mind, whose blood was not perfectly
free, but mongrel, as we know that of mules to be; at first, dependent
on the table of others, whose price was a barley cake, who had learnt
to say and do everything with an eye to his stomach, and, at last,
after sneaking into public life, and filling its lowest offices, such
as that of contractor for swine’s flesh, the soldiers’
rations, and then having proved himself a scoundrel for the sake of
greed in this public trust, and been stripped to the skin, contrived to
escape, and after passing, as exiles do, from country to country and
city to city, last of all, in an evil hour for the Christian community,
like one of the plagues of Egypt, he reached Alexandria. There,
his wanderings being stayed, he began his villany. Good for
nothing in all other respects, without culture, without fluency in
conversation, without even the form and pretence of reverence,
his skill in working villany
and confusion was unequalled.