^136Athanasiusstillrejectedthepiousimportunityofthemonksandpresbyters，whowereattachedtohisperson；andnoblyrefusedtodeserthisepiscopalstation，tillhehaddismissedinsafetythelastofthecongregation。Thedarknessandtumultofthenightfavoredtheretreatofthearchbishop；andthoughhewasoppressedbythewavesofanagitatedmultitude，thoughhewasthrowntotheground，andleftwithoutsenseormotion，hestillrecoveredhisundauntedcourage，andeludedtheeagersearchofthesoldiers，whowereinstructedbytheirArianguides，thattheheadofAthanasiuswouldbethemostacceptablepresenttotheemperor。FromthatmomenttheprimateofEgyptdisappearedfromtheeyesofhisenemies，andremainedabovesixyearsconcealedinimpenetrableobscurity。^137
[Footnote136:Theseminutecircumstancesarecurious，astheyareliterallytranscribedfromtheprotest，whichwaspubliclypresentedthreedaysafterwardsbytheCatholicsofAlexandria。
SeeAthanas。tom。l。n。867]
[Footnote137:TheJansenistshaveoftencomparedAthanasiusandArnauld，andhaveexpatiatedwithpleasureonthefaithandzeal，themeritandexile，ofthosecelebrateddoctors。ThisconcealedparallelisverydexterouslymanagedbytheAbbedelaBleterie，ViedeJovien，tom。i。p。130。]
ThedespoticpowerofhisimplacableenemyfilledthewholeextentoftheRomanworld；andtheexasperatedmonarchhadendeavored，byaverypressingepistletotheChristianprincesofEthiopia，toexcludeAthanasiusfromthemostremoteandsequesteredregionsoftheearth。Counts，praefects，tribunes，wholearmies，weresuccessivelyemployedtopursueabishopandafugitive；thevigilanceofthecivilandmilitarypowerswasexcitedbytheImperialedicts；liberalrewardswerepromisedtothemanwhoshouldproduceAthanasius，eitheraliveordead；andthemostseverepenaltiesweredenouncedagainstthosewhoshoulddaretoprotectthepublicenemy。^138ButthedesertsofThebaiswerenowpeopledbyaraceofwild，yetsubmissivefanatics，whopreferredthecommandsoftheirabbottothelawsoftheirsovereign。ThenumerousdisciplesofAntonyandPachonnusreceivedthefugitiveprimateastheirfather，admiredthepatienceandhumilitywithwhichheconformedtotheirstrictestinstitutions，collectedeverywordwhichdroppedfromhislipsasthegenuineeffusionsofinspiredwisdom；andpersuadedthemselvesthattheirprayers，theirfasts，andtheirvigils，werelessmeritoriousthanthezealwhichtheyexpressed，andthedangerswhichtheybraved，inthedefenceoftruthandinnocence。