Then he went back to Aphroditon, and with only two brothers, dwelt
in the desert, in such abstinence and silence that (so he said) he
then first began to serve Christ. Now it was then three years since
the heaven had been shut, and the earth dried up: so that they said
commonly, the very elements mourned the death of Antony. But
Hilarion's fame spread to them; and a great multitude, brown and
shrunken with famine, cried to him for rain, as to the blessed
Antony's successor. He saw them, and grieved over them; and lifting
up his hand to heaven, obtained rain at once. But the thirsty and
sandy land, as soon as it was watered by showers, sent forth such a
crowd of serpents and venomous animals that people without number
were stung, and would have died, had they not run together to
Hilarion. With oil blessed by him, the husbandmen and shepherds
touched their wounds, and all were surely healed.

But when he saw that he was marvellously honoured, he went to
Alexandria, meaning to cross the desert to the further oasis. And
because since he was a monk he had never stayed in a city, he turned
aside to some brethren known to him in the Brucheion {115} not far
from Alexandria. They received him with joy: but, when night came
on, they suddenly heard him bid his disciples saddle the ass. In
vain they entreated, threw themselves across the threshold. His
only answer was, that he was hastening away, lest he should bring
them into trouble; they would soon know that he had not departed
without good reason. The next day, men of Gaza came with the
Prefect's lictors, burst into the monastery, and when they found him
not--"Is it not true," they said, "what we heard? He is a sorcerer,
and knows the future." For the citizens of Gaza, after Hilarion was
gone, and Julian had succeeded to the empire, had destroyed his