The Temptation of St. Antony; Or, A Revelation of the Soul

CHAPTER I.

A HOLY SAINT.

It is in the Thebaid, on the heights of a mountain, where a platform, shaped like a crescent, is surrounded by huge stones.

The Hermit's cell occupies the background. It is built of mud and reeds, flat-roofed and doorless. Inside are seen a pitcher and a loaf of black bread; in the centre, on a wooden support, a large book; on the ground, he...