18. His original retreat was in a small village on the banks
of the Iris, not far from Neo-Caesarea. The ten or twelve
years of his monastic life were disturbed by long and
frequent avocations. Some critics have disputed the
authenticity of his ascetic rules; but the external evidence
is weighty, and they can only prove that it is the work of a
real or affected enthusiast. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles.
tom. ix. p. 636-644; Helyot, Hist. des Ordres Monastiques,
tom. i. p. 175-181.