One of these, who has preserved to us the Names of several others, is the celebrated _Synesius_. He was a Native of _Cyrene_ in _Africa_, on the Borders of _Egypt_, a very ancient _Greek_ Colony, the Birth-place of _Aristippus_ and _Carneades_, which _Synesius_ forgets not to mention in his Writings. He travelled for Improvement to his neighbouring Country of _Egypt_, the undoubted Mother of the Sciences, where he happily succeeded in his Studies at _Alexandria_ under _Hypatia_. This Personage alone may suffice for a Specimen, of the extraordinary Spirits that she formed. If we may rely on the Judgement of no less a Man than _Nicephorus Gregoras_, Patriarch of _Constantinople_ (who wrote elaborate _Annotations_ on his Treatise of _Dreams_, a Piece fraught with uncommon Learning) he says, _There was nothing he did not know, no Science wherein he did not excel, no Mistery in which he was not initiated or skilled_, with a great deal more to this Purpose. And it must be owned, that to all the Vivacity natural to his Country, there was joined the most profound Knowledge and solid Judgement. His Works are every one highly commended, but _his Epistles are admirable_, as _Suidas_ very truly remarks, and in the Opinion of _Protius_, as well as of _Evagrius, they are elegant, agreeable, sententious, and learned_. He was a Man of noble Birth, which added no less Weight to his Learning then this relieved Lustre on his Quality; as both together procured him Credit with his Superiors, Authority over his Inferiors, and Admiration from his Equals. He went upon an Embassy, which lasted three Years, to the Emperor _Arcadius_ at _Constantinople_, on the Behalf of his Country; which was miserably harrassed by the auxiliary _Goths_ and other _Barbarians_, but which received considerable Relief from his Solicitations. It was then that _with greater Boldness than any of the Grecians_ (as he tells us himself) he pronounced before the Emperor, that extremely fine Oration concerning _Government_; which, in a Country so justly fond of Liberty as ours, I wonder has never been translated. This defect I have supplied, and will impart it to the Public on a proper Occasion. As for _Synesius_’s being consecrated Bishop of _Ptolemais_, notwithstanding his Protestation, that he disbelieved some of the most essential Articles of the _Christian Religion_, we spoke enough to that Point at the latter end of _Clidophorus_; only we shall observe in this Place, how _Petavius_, the Editor of his Works, affirms, that, in some of the Books written after his Profession of _Christianity_, he appears as very a _Heathen_ as ever. But this being no Prejudice to his Parts, however it may affect his Salvation, is none of our present Business to examine; much less to adopt the pitiful Excuses, or rather Prevarications, invented by some learned Men to defend him from this Imputation. The principal is _Baromius_. CHAP. VII.