Section 251
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220 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. death to this study, and young as he was, he thus acquired sui* ficient to supply his necessary wants in abundance. CHAPTER III. When a very young man he preached the Gospel BUT whilst he was thus engaged with his school where he abode, as he somewhere states, and there was no one at Alexan dria that applied himself to give instruction in the principles of the faith, but all driven away by the threatening aspect of persecution, some of the Gentiles came to him with a mind to hear the word of God. The first of whom, he states, was Plutarch ; who, after a life of piety, was also crowned with divine martyrdom. The second was Heraclas, the brother of Plutarch, who, indeed, having given abundant proof of a life of retired contemplation and dis cipline, was deemed worthy of the episcopate of Alexandria after Demetrius. But he was in his eighteenth year when he conducted the school for elementary instruction in the faith, in which also he made great proficiency under the persecutions of Aquila go vernor of Alexandria; where, also, he obtained a celebrated name with all the believers, on account of that cordiality and promptness which he exhibited to all the martyrs, whether known to him or not. For not only was he with them when in bonds, nor only until the last of their trial at the tribunal ; but, even after this, when led away to die, he conversed freely with these holy martyrs, and advanced in the face of danger. So, that as he boldly proceeded, and with great freedom saluted the brethren with a kiss, the infuriate multitude who stood around had more than once almost overwhelmed him (with stones), had he not this once experienced the helping hand of God, and wonderfully es caped. (But this same celestial grace, at one time and another, again and again, and indeed no one can tell how often, in conse quence of his great zeal for the doctrine of Christ, and his fear lessness, as often protected him in dangerTlSo great, indeed, was