But the whirlpool of Carthaginian habits had, when he lived there, drawn him into follies of the circus.  One day as I sat teaching my scholars, he entered and listened attentively, while I by chance had in hand a passage which, while I was explaining, suggested to me a simile from the circensian races, not without a jibe at those who were enthralled by that folly.  Alpius took it wholly to himself, and he returned no more to the filths of the circensian pastimes in Carthage.  But he had gone before me to Rome, and there he was carried away with an incredible eagerness after the shows of gladiators.  Him I found at Rome, and he clave to me and went with me to Milan, that he might be with me, and also practise something of the law that he had studied.  Bebridius also left Carthage, that with me he might continue the search after truth.

Meantime my sins were being multiplied.  Continual effort was made to have me married, chiefly through my mother’s pains, that so once married, the health-giving baptism might cleanse me.  My concubine being torn from my side as a hindrance to my marriage, my heart, which clave unto her, was torn and wounded; and she returned to Africa, leaving with me my son by her.  But, unhappy, I procured another, though no wife.

To Thee be praise, Fountain of Mercies!  I was becoming more miserable, and Thou drewest nearer to me in my misery!

IV.—­The Birth of a New Life

My evil and abominable youth was now dead.  I was passing into early manhood.  Meeting with certain books of the Platonists, translated from Greek into Latin, I therein read, not in the same words, but to the same purpose, that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  But that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” I read not there.  That Jesus humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, and was raised from the dead and exalted unto glory, that at His name every knee should bow, I read not there.

Then I sought a way of obtaining strength, and found it not until I embraced “that Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus.”  Eagerly did I seize that venerable writing of Thy Spirit, and chiefly the Apostle Paul.  Whereupon those difficulties vanished wherein he formerly seemed to me to contradict himself and the text of his discourse not to agree with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets.  But now they appeared to me to contain one pure and uniform doctrine; and I learned to “rejoice with trembling.”

I had now found the goodly pearl, which, selling all I had, I ought to have bought, and I hesitated.  To Simplicianus [sent from Rome to be an instructor and director to Ambrose], then I went, the spiritual father of Ambrose and now a bishop, to whom I related the mazes of my wanderings.  He testified his joy that I had read certain books of the Platonists and had not fallen on the writings of other deceitful philosophers.  And he related to me the story of