The close Intimacy between _Hypatia_ and _Orestes_ the Governor of _Alexandria_, very displeasing to _Cyril_ the Bishop.
At the Time that _Hypatia_ thus reigned the brightest Ornament of _Alexandria_, _Orestes_ was Governor of the same Place for the Emperor _Theodosius_, and _Cyril_ Bishop or Patriarch. As _Orestes_ was a Person educated suitable to his Rank, he could not but take Notice of those Perfections in _Hypatia_, which all the World admired; and, as he was a wise Governor, he would not be so far wanting to his Charge, as not to ask her Advice in Matters difficult or dangerous, when every Body else consulted her as an Oracle. This created of Course an Intimacy between them that was highly displeasing to _Cyril_, who mortally hated _Orestes_. But because this Emulation proved fatal to _Hypatia_, I shall take the Subject a little higher. ’Tis observed by _Socrates_, _Nicephorus_, and others, that _Cyril_ (who was elevated to the See by Sedition and Force against one _Timothy_ an Archdeacon of no extraordinary Reputation), intermeddled more in temporal or civil Matters, than his Predecessors took upon them to do, and that the Example was greedily followed by his Successors; _who not keeping within the Bounds of their Priestly Ordination, took upon them an arbitrary kind of Principality, and the absolute Disposal of Affairs_.