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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Valerius. A Roman Story by John Gibson
+Lockhart
+
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no
+restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under
+the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or
+online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license
+
+
+
+Title: Valerius. A Roman Story
+
+Author: John Gibson Lockhart
+
+Release Date: December 1, 2013 [Ebook #44330]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: US-ASCII
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VALERIUS. A ROMAN STORY***
+
+
+
+
+
+                               BLACKWOOD'S
+
+                             STANDARD NOVELS
+
+                          ----------------------
+
+                                 VALERIUS
+
+
+
+
+
+                                VALERIUS
+
+                             A ROMAN STORY
+
+
+                              NEW EDITION
+
+
+                       WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
+                           EDINBURGH AND LONDON
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                VALERIUS.
+
+
+
+
+
+                           _BOOK I. CHAPTER I._
+
+
+Since you are desirous, my friends, that I should relate to you, at length
+and in order, the things which happened to me during my journey to Rome,
+notwithstanding the pain which it must cost me to throw myself back into
+some of the feelings of that time, I cannot refuse to comply with your
+request. After threescore years spent in this remote province of an
+empire, happy, for the most part, in the protection of enlightened, just,
+and benevolent princes, I remember, far more accurately than things which
+occurred only a few months ago, the minutest particulars of what I saw and
+heard while I sojourned, young and a stranger, among the luxuries and
+cruelties of the capital of the world, as yet imperfectly recovered from
+the effects of the flagitious tyranny of the last of the Flavii.
+
+My father, as you have heard, came with his legion into this island, and
+married a lady of native blood, some years before the first arrival of
+Agricola. In the wars of that illustrious commander, during the reigns of
+Vespasian and Titus, he had the fortune to find opportunities of
+distinguishing himself; but when his general was recalled, by the jealousy
+of Domitian, he retired from public life, and determined to spend the
+remainder of his days in peace, on the lands which belonged to him in
+right of his wife here in Britain. He laid the foundations of the house in
+which I have now the pleasure of receiving you; and here, in the
+cultivation of his fields, and in the superintendence of my education, he
+found sufficient employment for an active, though no longer an ambitious
+mind. Early in the reign of Trajan he died. Never did either Roman or
+British dwelling lament a more generous master.
+
+I cannot pretend to regret the accident which immediately afterwards
+separated me from a gentle mother--never to see her more upon the earth.
+Yet deeply was the happiness of my returning hour stained by that
+privation. It is the common rule of nature, that our parents should
+precede us to the grave; and it is also her rule, that our grief for them
+should not be of such power as to prevent us from entering, after they are
+gone, into a zealous participation both of the business and the pleasures
+of life. Yet, in after years, the memory of that buried tenderness rises
+up ever and anon, and wins rather than warns us to a deliberate
+contemplation of our own dissolution.
+
+Towards the end of the winter following the death of my father, there
+arrived letters which engaged anxious consideration. They were from
+members of his family, none of whom either my mother or myself had seen.
+It was explained, especially by Caius Licinius, the lawyer, (who was near
+of kin to our house,) that by the death of a certain Patrician, Cneius
+Valerius by name, I had become legally entitled to a very considerable
+fortune, to claim and take possession of which, demanded my immediate
+presence in the metropolis. My rights, said this jurist, were indeed
+called in question by another branch of the family, but were I on the
+spot, his professional exertions, with whatever interest he or any of his
+friends could command, should be at my service, for the sake of my father
+and of my name.
+
+The love of travel had never before been excited in my bosom; but now that
+I knew I was so soon to embark for Italy, the delights which I might there
+hope to experience came crowding upon my imagination. The dark and
+pine-clad banks of my native Anton, said I, shall now be exchanged for
+that golden-waved Tiber, of which so many illustrious poets have sung.
+Instead of moving here among the ill-cemented and motley fabric of an
+insulated colony, and seeing only the sullen submission of barbarians on
+the one hand, or the paltry vanity of provincial deputies on the other, I
+shall tread the same ground with the rulers of the earth, and wear, among
+native Romans, the gown of my ancestors. I shall behold the Forum, which
+has heard the eloquence of Cicero and Hortensius; I shall ascend to the
+Capitol, where Caesar triumphed; I shall wander in the luxurious gardens of
+Sallust, or breathe the fresh air in the fields of Cato: I shall gaze upon
+the antique majesty of temples and palaces, and open my eyes on all that
+art and nature have been able to heap together through eight centuries,
+for the ornament of the chosen seat of wisdom and valour.
+
+A single trusty slave was selected to accompany me. It was not certainly
+on account of his accomplishments that Boto had been chosen for this duty;
+for although he had lived all his days in the vicinity of the colonists at
+Venta, there was scarcely a person within the bounds of the British Belgae
+that spoke worse Latin. He was, however, a man of natural sagacity,
+possessing shrewd discernment concerning whatever things had fallen under
+his customary observation; and he shewed no symptom either of diffidence
+respecting his qualifications for this new office, or of regret at being
+separated from those in whose company many years of gentle servitude had
+glided over his sun-burnt countenance. It was reported to me, that he
+invited several of our rustics to drink with him in one of the out-houses,
+where his exultation knew no limits. He was going to Rome, for his young
+master very well knew he could never get on in such a journey without the
+helping eye and hand of Boto; and he had a brother in Italy already, (he
+had gone over with a distinguished legionary some ten years before,) and
+from him (for he would of course meet with him as soon as our arrival
+should be known) he would receive all requisite information concerning the
+doings of the great city. The usefulness which, he doubted not, I should
+be constrained to acknowledge in his manifold qualifications, would,
+without all question, entitle him to some signal reward--perhaps nothing
+less than manumission on his return.
+
+Two days passed more quickly than any I ever remember to have spent amidst
+a strange mixture of mirth, and sorrow, and noisy preparation.
+
+Where that single tall naked pine now stands buffeted by the wind, then
+grew a thick grove, of which that relic alone survives. It was there that
+I turned round to gaze once more on the quiet verdure of these paternal
+fields, and our small pastoral stream glistening here and there beneath
+the shady covert of its margin.
+
+I had at first intended to cross over to Gaul, and traversing that
+province, enter Italy, either by the route of the Alps, in case we could
+procure convenient guides and companions, or by some vessel sailing from
+Marseilles or Forum Julii to Ostium. But the advice of one of my
+neighbours, who had himself been a great traveller, made me alter this
+plan, and resolve to commit myself to the care of an experienced mariner
+who was just about to sail for Italy, by the way of the pillars of
+Hercules, in a vessel laden chiefly with tin; and on reaching the
+Clausentum, I found this man, with several passengers, ready for the
+voyage.
+
+For the first three or four days, I was so afflicted by the motion of the
+vessel, that I could bestow little attention on any external object; my
+eyes were so confused and dazzled, that I saw nothing beyond the corner of
+the deck on which I had caused my carpets to be laid; and a few
+ejaculations to Castor and Pollux were all the articulate sounds that I
+uttered. By degrees, however, the weight of my depression began to be
+alleviated; and at intervals, more particularly during the night watches,
+if I was not altogether in possession of myself, I was at least well
+enough to enjoy a sort of giddy delight in watching the billows as they
+rose and retreated from the prow. There were moments, also, in which the
+behaviour of Boto, under this new species of calamity, could furnish me,
+as it had already done the more hardy of my fellow-voyagers, with store of
+mirth. Near us frequently, upon the deck, sat a Captain of the Praetorian
+Bands, who, more than any other of these, displayed a florid complexion
+and cheerful eye, unalterable by the fluctuation of the waters. This
+Sabinus had served in all the wars of Agricola, and accompanied him even
+in his perilous circumnavigation of the islands which lie scattered to the
+north of Britain. He had also gone back to Rome with his commander, not,
+like him, to extenuate imperial jealousy by the affectation of indolence,
+but to seek for new occupation on some other disturbed frontier of the
+Empire. In Syria and Cappadocia he had spent some years; after which, he
+had attended the Emperor himself through Maesia and Illyricum, and all
+those countries he traversed and retraversed, during that shameful contest
+in which so many Roman eagles were made the prey of barbarous enemies, and
+which terminated at last in that cowardly treaty, by which Domitian
+granted a diadem to Decebalus, and condescended to place the Roman Senate
+among the tributaries of a Dacian. Our friend had also strutted his part
+in that gorgeous triumph, or rather succession of triumphs, by which the
+defeated and disgraced Prince, on his return from the Ister, mocked the
+eyes and ears of the incredulous and indignant Romans. In a word, he had
+partaken in all kinds of fortune, good and evil, and preserved his
+rubicundity and equanimity unaltered in them all. Having attained to a
+situation of some dignity, he had now been visiting Britain on a special
+message from the new Emperor, and was returning in the hope that no future
+accident of fortune, or princely caprice, would ever again make it
+necessary for him to quit the shows and festivities of the capital.
+
+This good-natured man sat down beside my suffering peasant, endeavouring
+to withdraw his attention from the pangs of his sickness, by pointing out
+the different boats which came in view as we held on from the Gobaean
+rocks, keeping close to the shore as we went, in order to shun, as well as
+we could, the customary fury of the Aquitanic Ocean. "Behold these
+fishing-vessels," he would cry, "which have undoubtedly been upon the
+coast of Rutupia for oysters, or it may be about the mouth of yonder
+Ligoris for turbot, and are now stretching all their canvass to get home
+with their booty to Italy. Smooth be your winds and fair your passage, oh
+rare fish!" To which the downcast Boto would reply, "Lavish not, oh
+master, your good wishes upon the mute fish, which have been tossed about
+all their lives, but reserve them rather for me (unhappy) who am thus
+tormented in an unnatural and intolerable manner;" or perhaps, "Speak not,
+I beseech you, of oysters, or of turbot, or of any other eatable, for I
+believe I shall never again feel hungry, so grievously are all my internal
+parts discomposed. Oh, that I had never left my native fields, and
+bartered the repose of my whole body for the vain hope of gratification to
+my eyes!"
+
+By degrees, however, custom reconciled all of us to the motion of the
+bark, and the weather being calm during the greater part of the voyage, I
+enjoyed, at my leisure, the beauties, both of the sea, and of the shores
+alongst which we glided. From time to time, we put in for water and other
+necessaries, to various sea-ports of the Spanish Peninsula; but our stay
+was never so long at any place as to admit of us losing sight of our
+vessel. Our chief delight, indeed, consisted in the softness and amenity
+of the moonlight nights we spent in sailing along the coasts of
+Mauritania,--now the dark mountains of the family of Atlas throwing their
+shadows far into the sea--and anon, its margin glittering with the white
+towers of Siga, or Gilba, or Cartenna, or some other of the rich cities of
+that old Carthaginian region. On such nights it was the custom of all the
+passengers to be congregated together upon the deck, where the silent
+pleasures of contemplation were, from time to time, interrupted by some
+merry song chanted in chorus by the mariners, or perhaps some wild
+barbarian ditty, consecrated by the zeal of Boto to the honour of some
+ancient indigenous hero of the North. Nor did our jovial Praetorian disdain
+to contribute now and then to the amusement of the assembly, by some
+boisterous war-song, composed, perhaps, by some light-hearted young
+spearman, which our centurion might have learned by heart, without any
+regular exertion, from hearing it sung around many a British and Dacian
+watch-fire.
+
+Thus we contrived to pass the time in a cheerful manner, till we reached
+the Lilybaean promontory. We tarried there two days to refit some part of
+our rigging, and then stretched boldly across the lower sea, towards the
+mouth of the Tiber. We were becalmed, however, for a whole day and night,
+after we had come within sight of the Pharos of Ostium, where, but for the
+small boats that came out to us with fresh fish and fruit, we should have
+had some difficulty in preserving our patience; for, by this time, our
+stock of wine was run to the last cup, and nothing remained to be eat but
+some mouldy biscuit which had survived two voyages between Italy and
+Britain. During this unwelcome delay, the Praetorian endeavoured to give me
+as much information as he could about the steps necessary to be pursued on
+my arrival in the city. But, to say truth, his experience had lain chiefly
+among martial expeditions and jovial recreations, so that I could easily
+perceive he was no great master of the rules of civil life. From him,
+however, I was glad to find, that the reputation of Licinius was really as
+great at Rome as it had been represented in our province; and, indeed, he
+treated me with a yet greater measure of attention after he was informed
+of my relationship to that celebrated jurist.
+
+Early in the morning, a light breeze sprung up from the west, and with
+joyful acclamations the sails were once again uplifted. The number of
+mariners on board was insufficient for impelling the heavily laden vessel
+altogether by the force of oars, but now they did not refuse to assist the
+favouring breeze with strenuous and lively exertion. The Praetorian cheered
+and incited them by his merry voice, and even the passengers were not
+loath to assist them in this labour. My slave, among the rest, joined in
+the toil; but his awkwardness soon relieved him from his seat on the
+bench; a disgrace which he would have shared with his master, had I been
+equally officious.
+
+Ere long, we could trace with exactness those enormous structures by which
+the munificence of Augustus had guarded and adorned that great avenue of
+nations to the imperial city. Those mountains of marble, projected on
+either side into the deep, surpassed every notion I had formed of the
+extent to which art may carry its rivalry of nature. Their immovable
+masses were garnished here and there with towers and battlements, on which
+the Praetorian pointed out to me the frame-work of those terrible
+catapults, and other engines of warfare, of which no specimens have ever
+been seen in Britain.
+
+No sooner had we stept upon the shore, than we were surrounded by a great
+throng of hard-favoured persons, who pulled us by the cloak, with
+innumerable interrogations and offers of service. Among these, the
+varieties of form, complexion, and accent, were such, that we could not
+regard them without especial wonder; for it appeared as if every tribe and
+language under heaven had sent some representative to this great seaport
+of Rome. The fair hair and blue eye of the Gaul or German, might here be
+seen close by the tawny skin of the Numidian or Getulian slave, or the
+shining blackness of the Ethiopian visage. The Greek merchant was ready,
+with his Thracian bondsman carrying his glittering wares upon his back;
+the usurer was there, with his arms folded closely in his mantle; nor was
+the Chaldean or Assyrian soothsayer awanting, with his air of abstraction
+and his flowing beard.
+
+Boto, as if alarmed with the prevailing bustle, and fearful lest some
+untoward accident should separate us, kept close behind me, grasping my
+gown. But our good friend Sabinus did not long leave us in this
+perplexity; for, having hastily engaged the master of a small barge to
+carry him to Rome, he insisted that I should partake of this easy method
+of conveyance. We found the vessel small but convenient, furnished with a
+red awning, under which cushions and carpets were already stretched out
+for our repose. The oars were soon in motion, and we began to emerge from
+among the forest of masts with a rapidity which astonished me; for the
+multitude of vessels of all sizes, continually crossing and re-crossing,
+was so great, that at first I expected every moment some dangerous
+accident might occur.
+
+By degrees, however, such objects failed to keep alive my attention; the
+sleeplessness of the preceding night, and the abundance of an Ostian
+repast, conspiring to lull me into a gentle doze, which continued for I
+know not what space. I awoke, greatly refreshed, and found we had made
+considerable progress; for the continual succession of stately edifices
+already indicated the vicinity of the metropolis. The dark green of the
+venerable groves, amidst which the buildings were, for the most part,
+embosomed, and the livelier beauties of the parterres which here and there
+intervened between these and the river, afforded a soft delight to my
+eyes, which had so long been fatigued with the uniform flash and dazzle of
+the Mediterranean waves, and the roughness of the sea-beaten precipices.
+The minute and elaborate cultivation every where visible, the smoothness
+of the shorn turf on the margin, the graceful foliage of the ancient
+planes and sycamores,--but, above all, the sublimity of the porticos and
+arcades, and the air of established and inviolable elegance which pervaded
+the whole region, kept my mind in pleasurable wonder. Here and there, a
+gentle winding conducted us through some deep and massy shade of oaks and
+elms; whose branches, stretching far out from either side, diffused a
+sombre and melancholy blackness almost entirely over the face of Tiber.
+Loitering carelessly, or couched supinely, beneath some of these hoary
+branches, we could see, from time to time, the figure of some stately
+Roman, or white-robed lady, with her favourite scroll of parchment in her
+hand. The cool and glassy rippling of the water produced a humming music
+of stillness in the air, which nothing disturbed, save only the regular
+dash of the oars, and, now and then, the deep and strenuous voice of our
+cautious helmsman. Anon would ensue some glimpse of the open champaign,
+descending with all its wealth of golden sheaves to the very brink of the
+river--or, perhaps, the lively courts of a farmyard stretching along the
+margin of some tributary streamlet--or some long expanse of level meadow,
+with herds of snow-white heifers. I could not gaze upon the rich and
+splendid scene without reverting, with a strange mixture of emotions, to
+the image of this my native land; its wild forests, shaggy with brushwood
+and unprofitable coppice, through which of old the enormous wild deer
+stalked undisturbed, except by the adder of the grass, or the obscene fly
+of the thicket; its little patches of corn and meadow, laboriously rescued
+from the domain of the wild beast, and rudely fortified against his
+continual incursions;--the scattered hamlets of this Brigian valley, and my
+own humble villa--then humbler than it is now. Trees, and temples, and
+gardens, and meadows, and towns, and villages, were, ere long, lost in one
+uniform sobriety of twilight; and it was already quite dark, when the
+centurion, pointing to the left bank, said, "Behold the Gardens of Caesar:
+beyond, is the Portian Gate, and the street of the Rural Lares. In a few
+moments we shall see the lights of the Sublician Bridge, and be in the
+city." At these words I started up, and gazing forward, could penetrate
+through the mists of evening into the busy glare of a thousand streets and
+lanes, opening upon the river. The old wall was already visible; where,
+after having swept round the region towards the Vatican and Janicular
+Hills, it brings the last of its turrets close down to the Tiber, over
+against the great dock-yards by the Field of Brutus.
+
+Through a forest of triremes, galleys, and all sorts of craft, we then
+shot on to the bridge--beneath the centre arch of which our steersman
+conducted us. Beyond, such was the hum of people on the quays, and such
+the star-like profusion of lights reflected in the water, that we doubted
+not we had already reached the chief seat of the bustle of Rome. On,
+however, we still held our course, till the theatre of Marcellus rose like
+a mountain on our right. It was there that we ran our bark into the shore,
+not far from the little bridge--the third as you ascend the river--which
+conducts to the Island and the Temple of AEsculapius. While our friend was
+settling matters with the master, and the attendants were bringing out our
+baggage, I stood by myself on the elevated quay. Here a long tier of
+reflected radiance bespoke, it may be, the vicinity of some splendid
+portico--of palace, or temple, or bath, or theatre; there a broad and
+steady blaze of burning red, indicated the abode of artizans, resolved, as
+it seemed, on carrying their toil into the bosom of the night.
+Between--some speck of lustre betrayed, perhaps, the lamp of the solitary
+student, or the sober social hour of some peaceful family, assembled
+around the hearth of their modest lares. Behold me then, said I, in the
+capital of the globe; but were I to be swallowed up this moment in the
+waves of Tiber, not one of all these lights would be dimmed.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER II._
+
+
+Being told that my relation had his residence at no great distance, the
+friendly Sabinus insisted upon escorting me thither in safety. We walked,
+therefore, along two or three proud streets, which brought us near to the
+Pantheon of Agrippa, and there the house was easily pointed out to us; its
+porch decorated with recent palm-branches, which the Centurion said must
+have been placed there by the joyful hands of some fortunate client. Here
+having thanked this kind person, and left honest Boto among the crowd of
+slaves in the vestibule, I was speedily conducted into the presence of the
+Patrician.
+
+I found him in a small upper chamber, lighted by a single silver lamp
+suspended from the roof, enjoying, as it appeared, repose and relaxation
+after the exertions of the day. He was reclining when I entered; and
+although supper was long over, some fruits and other trifling things still
+remained on the board. At table with him there was no one present,
+excepting a Greek of solemn aspect, whom he introduced to me as the
+superintendent of his son's education, and Sextus himself, a modest and
+ingenuous youth, who sat at the lower extremity of his father's couch. He
+was indeed a very mild and amiable young man, and I had more pleasure,
+after a space, in surveying his features, than the more marked lineaments
+of the other two. At first, however, nothing riveted my attention so much
+as the energetic physiognomy of the Senator. The forepart of his head was
+already quite bald, although the darkness of the short curls behind
+testified that age was not the cause of this deformity. His eyes were
+black and rapid, and his eyebrows vibrated in a remarkable manner, not
+only when he spoke, but even when he was silent; indicating, as it
+appeared, by their transitions, every new train of thought and imagination
+within his mind. His style of conversation was quick and fervid, and his
+gestures vehement as he spake; it being apparent, that, from restlessness
+and vanity of disposition, he was continually exercising a needless
+measure of mental activity and anxiety. Not satisfied with his own
+sufficient richness of ideas, no thought could be expressed which he did
+not immediately seize upon, and explain, even to him by whom it had been
+first suggested, with much fluency and earnestness of illustration. On the
+other hand, the guest, who wore a long beard reaching to his girdle,
+preserved in all things an uncommon demureness of manner, restraining
+every salient movement of his mind, and watching, with the gravity of a
+Numa, the glancing eyes and sharp features of his patron. A roll of yellow
+parchment graced his left hand, but the other was employed in selecting
+from the table such articles as were most agreeable to his palate.
+Licinius, although meagre in person, and at that time parched with
+declamation, seemed to live in such a state of intellectual excitement,
+that he thought little either of eating or drinking; therefore, the
+Athenian, resigning, for the most part, his share of the conversation,
+amused himself, in exchange, with the more trivial gratifications
+abandoned to him by his host. Nor, if one might draw any conclusion from
+his complexion and figure, was this the first occasion on which
+Xerophrastes had exercised that species of humility.
+
+When Licinius had inquired of me concerning my native place, and also
+given a few words to the affairs which had brought me to the city, his
+conversation was naturally directed to subjects more new to me, if not
+more interesting to him. "You would observe," said he, "the palm branches
+at my door. They were won to-day by a five hours' harangue before the
+Centumviri. It is only in contests such as these that men of my order have
+now any opportunity to exercise themselves, and preserve some remembrance
+of those ancient worthies and great public characters that once adorned
+the state. To these things, therefore, young kinsman, I entirely devote
+myself; nor aim, like other citizens of rank, at passing the day in
+diversion, and ending it with luxuries. At supper my table is furnished
+with moderate fare, while in other houses I know not how many roasted
+boars and pompous sturgeons have been regaling with the rich perfume of
+their sauces and stuffing, guests who love the meat more than the man who
+gives it. This learned person knows how laborious is my course of life,
+and what an impatient crowd awaits my appearance every morning. His pupil
+will, I hope, tread in the same steps, and afford to a future generation
+the image of the former Licinius." With these, and the like discourses, he
+occupied our ears till it was time to retire; and then intimated that he
+had allotted to me an apartment which he expected I would continually
+occupy during my residence in the city. But being informed that I had a
+British slave with me, he insisted on having this man sent for, that he
+might see him, as he expressed it, before the genuine unsophisticated
+barbarian had been corrupted by keeping company with the cunning menials
+of the metropolis. Whereupon, it was commanded that Boto should come up,
+and he was forthwith ushered in by a certain leering varlet, with rings in
+his ears, whose face resembled some comic mask in the habitual archness of
+its malicious and inquisitive look.
+
+Not few were the bows and scrapes with which my Briton entered these
+penetralia; nor was the astonishment inconsiderable with which the orator
+regarded Boto. "So, friend," said Licinius,--"and you have ventured to come
+to Rome, without so much as shaving your beard?" But the merry and
+good-natured tone in which these words were uttered, having somewhat
+reassured the bashful rustic, he gave a sly side-look towards the
+philosopher, (who, I think, had never once glanced at him,) and replied to
+Licinius, "Pardon me, O master, for coming thus into your presence; but I
+knew not, till Dromo told me, that beards were worn in Rome only by goats
+and the wisest of mankind." The words of the barbarian amused the
+orator--but, turning round to his own slave, "Ah! Dromo," said he, "do I
+already recognize the effects of your teaching?--beware the whip, corrupt
+not this good Briton, at your peril." He then asked of Boto various
+questions concerning his recent voyage; to all of which he made answers
+after his own fashion, sufficiently sagacious. Great contempt, however,
+was depicted on the face of the silent stoic during this conversation;
+which he, no doubt, looked upon as a very unworthy condescension on the
+part of Licinius; till at last, having, in a leisurely manner, poured out
+the last of the flagon, Xerophrastes arose from his couch and departed. As
+he withdrew, he unfortunately struck his knee on the corner of the table,
+which elicited from his stubborn features a sudden contortion. This,
+however, he immediately smoothed of, twisting his involuntary stoop into
+an obeisance to the Senator.
+
+Young Sextus conducted me to my chamber; and we conversed together with
+easy juvenile confidence for some time before he left me.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER III._
+
+
+My sleep was sound and sweet; nevertheless, when the morning began to
+dawn, I was awakened by its first glimmerings, and found that my thoughts
+became at once too busy to admit of a return to slumber. I therefore
+arose, and went to walk in an open gallery, with which my chamber was
+connected. This gallery commanded a prospect of a great part of the city,
+which at that hour appeared no less tranquil than stately, nothing being
+in motion except a few small boats gliding here and there upon the river.
+Neither as yet had any smoke begun to darken the atmosphere; so that all
+things were seen in a serene and steady light, the shadows falling broadly
+westward over streets and squares--but pillars, and obelisks, and arches,
+rising up every where with unsullied magnificence into the bright air of
+the morning. The numerous poplars and other lofty trees of the gardens,
+also, seemed to be rejoicing in the hour of dew and silence; so fresh and
+cheerful was the intermixture of their branches among the piles of white
+and yellow marble. Near at hand, over the groves of the Philoclean
+Mansion, I could see the dome of the Pantheon, all burnished with living
+gold, and the proud colonnades of the Flaminian Circus, loaded with armies
+of brazen statues. Between these and the river, the theatres of Pompey and
+Marcellus, and I know not how many temples, were visible. Across a more
+crowded region, to the westward, my eye ascended to the cliffs and towers
+of the Capitol; while, still farther removed from me, (although less
+elevated in natural situation,) the gorgeous mansion of the Emperor was
+seen, lifted up, like some new and separate city, upon its enormous fabric
+of arcades. Behind me, the Flavian Amphitheatre, the newest and the most
+majestic of all Roman edifices, detained the eye for a space from all that
+lay beyond it--the splendid mass of the Esquiline--and those innumerable
+aqueducts which lie stretched out, arch after arch, and pillar after
+pillar, across the surrounding plain.
+
+As I stood upon a projecting balcony, I heard some person stepping softly
+along the floor, and, being screened by some pillars, looked back into the
+gallery without subjecting myself to observation in return. The noise, I
+found, was occasioned by one of the slaves of Licinius, (the same I had
+remarked over night,) who had an air of anxious vigilance on this
+occasion, looking about from side to side as if afraid of being detected
+in some impropriety. I heard him tap at one of the apartments adjoining my
+own, and young Sextus, opening the door, eagerly asked, "Well, Dromo, good
+Dromo, what news?--Have you seen or heard any thing of her?--Speak low, I
+beseech you, and remember that my preceptor is near." "Which preceptor?"
+replied Dromo; "count me your best, and I will teach you how to manage all
+besides."--"Hush!" whispered the young man; "he may be astir with these
+eternal parchments."--"Be easy," returned the slave; "I have found out
+facts which will serve to bridle that tongue at any time."--"Dromo," said
+Sextus, "have a care; remember the thong of sleek leather which hangs at
+the foot of the stair-case; and many is the time I have saved you from it;
+for which you may, perhaps, have to thank the beauty of her who has
+rendered you necessary to me, as much as my own good nature. But no more
+idle words at present--what have you to tell me?"
+
+"I have just been down," answered he, "to the herb-market. I had made my
+bargain, and was coming away, when I met one of old Capito's men, driving
+an ass laden with articles from the country. So I asked if he was carrying
+a present to his master's brother. He said he had brought nothing for
+Lucius but a letter; and that he believed its purport was to invite the
+two young ladies, to come out to-day and enjoy the beauty of the season. I
+no sooner got this information, than I ran hither as swiftly as my legs
+would carry me. You can easily go out, as if by chance, to pay your
+respects to the Patrician."
+
+"Ah, Sempronia!" sighed Sextus, "shall I approach you at last?--What will
+she think when she sees me there?--Oh, how will she speak to me?"
+
+While he was uttering these words, Dromo suddenly started, and came
+peeping on tiptoe towards the place where I stood. I stepped from behind
+my pillar, and said to the astonished youth, "Fear not, Sextus, that I
+shall intermeddle with your secrets, or make any use of what I have
+accidentally overheard. But I wish you would satisfy my curiosity, and
+inform me who is this lady, and what may be the meaning of all this
+concealment?"
+
+Here Dromo, perceiving that his young master was a good deal confused,
+came forward and said, "From observing your looks last night, when I was
+making a handle of yon barbarian to torture our friend of the porch, I
+think you are a good-natured person, who would not willingly bring any of
+us into trouble. The truth is, that Licinius wishes my young master here
+to marry a certain lady, who has already had wet eyes over the ashes of a
+first husband; but who is of noble birth, and very rich. Now Sextus, being
+only eighteen, does not like this great lady so well as she likes him; and
+has, in fact, lost his heart elsewhere."--"Dromo," answered I, taking young
+Sextus by the hand as I spoke, "this is a pretty common sort of story; but
+I shall take no side till I have seen both of the ladies; and the sooner
+your ingenuity can bring that about, the more shall I be beholden to
+you."--"We shall try," replied the slave, observing that I had overcome the
+reluctance of the lover; "but in the meantime I observe that the clients
+are beginning to assemble in the porch, to await the forthcoming of
+Licinius. Go, therefore, and get some breakfast, for, by and by, you will
+both be expected to accompany the Senator to the Forum, to hear him plead;
+which, between ourselves, will be a six hours' job for you, unless you
+manage matters dexterously."
+
+This hint produced a visible effect on Sextus; but we went down together
+immediately to an apartment, where some bread and grapes were prepared for
+us; and there, with much ingenuousness, he opened his heart to me. But
+what surprised me most of all, was to hear, that although he had been
+enamoured of Sempronia for several months, and was well acquainted with
+several of her relations, he had never yet seen her, except at certain
+places of public resort, nor enjoyed any opportunity of making known his
+passion.
+
+While I was expressing my astonishment at this circumstance, we were
+interrupted by Xerophrastes, who came to inform us that Licinius, having
+already descended into the hall, was about to issue forth, and desirous of
+my company, if no other occupation detained me. We accordingly followed
+the philosopher, and found his patron where he had indicated, pacing to
+and fro, in the highest state of excitation, like a generous steed about
+to scour the field of battle. The waxen effigies of his ancestors stood at
+one end of the hall, some of them defaced with age; and upon these he
+frequently fixed his ardent eyes. Seeing me enter, he immediately cried
+out, "Come hither, young friend, and I shall presently conduct you to a
+scene worthy, above all others, of the curiosity of a stranger."
+
+With this, arranging his gown, and putting himself into a dignified
+attitude, he ordered the porter, who stood chained by the door, to throw
+wide its massy valves; which being done, the litigants and consulters, who
+were without, received the orator with acclamations, and surrounded him on
+all sides. Some of the poorer ones, I observed kissing the hem of his
+garment, and dodging wistfully at his elbows, without ever attracting a
+word or look from him; while those of a higher class came forward more
+familiarly, seeking to impress particular circumstances upon his memory,
+and paying him compliments on the appearance he had made the day before in
+the Centumviral Court. Encircled by this motley group, he walked towards
+the great Forum, followed at a little distance by Sextus, the preceptor,
+myself, and some freedmen of his household. In moving on, we passed, by
+accident, the door of another great pleader, by name Bruttianus, who stood
+there attended in a similar manner. When he perceived Licinius, this man
+took from his door-post a green palm-branch, and waved it towards us in a
+vaunting manner; but our friend, saluting him courteously, cried out, with
+his sharp and cutting voice, "We shall try it again." Whereon
+Xerophrastes, immediately stepping up to his patron, began thus, "How this
+vain-glorious person exposes himself!--he is certainly a weak man; and his
+tones, by Hermes, are more detestable than those of an African fowl."--At
+which words, Sextus tipped me the wink; but I did not observe that
+Licinius was at all displeased with them. Yet, soon after, Bruttianus
+having overtaken us, the processions were joined, and the two pleaders
+walked the rest of the way together in a loving manner, exchanging
+complimentary speeches; to which Xerophrastes listened with edifying
+gravity of visage.
+
+At length we entered that venerable space, every yard of whose surface is
+consecrated to the peculiar memory of some great incident in the history
+of Rome. Young Sextus allowed me to contemplate for some time, with silent
+wonder, the memorable objects which conspired to the decoration of this
+remarkable place; but after the first gaze of astonishment was satisfied,
+proceeded to point out, in order, the names and uses of the principal
+structures which rose on every side over its porticos--above all, of its
+sublime temples--into whose cool and shady recesses the eye could here and
+there penetrate through the open valves. Nor did the ancient rostrum from
+which Tully had declaimed, escape our observation--nor within its guarding
+rail of silver, the rising shoots of the old mysterious fig-tree of
+Romulus--nor the rich tesselated pavement which covered the spot that had
+once yawned an abyss before the steady eye of Curtius--nor the resplendent
+Milliary pillar which marked the centre of the place. In a word, had the
+gathering crowds permitted, I could have willingly spent many hours in
+listening to the explanation of such magnificent objects; but these, and
+the elevated voice of Licinius, who was just beginning his harangue, soon
+compelled me to attend to things of another description.
+
+Within one of the proud ranges of arcade, on the side nearest to the
+Capitoline stairs, a majestic Patrician had already taken his seat on an
+elevated tribunal--his assessors being arranged on a lower bench by his
+side, and the orators and clients congregated beneath. When I heard the
+clear and harmonious periods of my kinsman; when I observed with what
+apparent simplicity he laid his foundations in a few plain facts and
+propositions; with what admirable art he upreared from these a
+superstructure of conclusions, equally easy as unexpected; when he had
+conducted us to the end of his argument, and closed with a burst of
+passionate eloquence, in which he seemed to leave even himself behind him,
+I could not but feel as if I had now for the first time contemplated the
+practised strength of intellect. Yet I have lived to discover that the
+talent which so greatly excited my wonder is often possessed from nature,
+or acquired through practice, in a measure which at that time would have
+afforded me scarcely inferior delight, by men of no extraordinary rank.
+
+The keen and lively gestures of the fervid Licinius, whose soul seemed to
+speak out of every finger he moved, and who appeared to be altogether
+immersed in the cause he pleaded, were succeeded by the solemn and
+somewhat pompous stateliness of Bruttianus, who made a brief pause between
+every two sentences, as if he were apprehensive that the mind of the judge
+could not keep pace with the stream of his illustrations, and looked round
+ever and anon upon the spectators with a placid and assured smile, rather,
+as it seemed to me, to signify his approbation of their taste in
+applauding him, than his own pleasure in their applauses. Nevertheless, he
+also was a splendid speaker, and his affectation displeased the more,
+because it was evidently unworthy of his understanding. While he was
+speaking, I observed that the Stoic preceptor was frequently shifting his
+place among the crowd, and muttering every where expressions of high
+contempt. But this did not disgust me so much as the fixed attitude of
+ecstasy in which he listened to the discourse of his own patron, and the
+pretended involuntary exclamations of his delight. "Oh, admirable
+cadence!" he would say, "I feel as if I were draining a honey-comb. Oh,
+harmonious man, where have I, or any other person here, sucked in such
+sweetness!" These absurd phrases, however, were caught up forthwith, and
+repeated by the numerous young men who hung upon the skirts of the orator,
+and seemed, indeed, to be drinking in nectar from the speech, if one might
+judge from their countenances. From their taking notes in their tablets
+from time to time, and from the knowing looks they assumed at the
+commencement of every new chain of argument, I guessed that these might be
+embryo jurisconsults, preparing themselves by their attendance for future
+exertions of the same species; and, indeed, when I listened to their
+conversation at the close of every speech, I thought I could perceive in
+their tones and accents, studied mimicry of the natural peculiarities of
+Licinius, Bruttianus, and the other orators. Altogether, the scene was as
+full of amusement as of novelty, and I could willingly have remained to
+the end of the discussion. But my eyes chanced to fall upon young Sextus,
+and I could not but see that his mind was occupied in matters remote from
+the business of the Forum. He stood with his arms folded in his gown, and
+his eyes fixed upon the ground, only lifting them up from time to time
+with an impatient air towards a side entrance, or to observe by the
+shadows on the porticos what progress the sun was making.
+
+Perceiving, at length, that Xerophrastes had his back turned to us, and
+that his father was engaged with his tablets, he plucked me by the sleeve.
+I understood his meaning, and followed him quickly through the crowd; nor
+did we look back till we had left the noise of the Forensic assembly
+entirely behind us. "I am depriving you," he said, "of no great
+gratification, for that old creature is, indeed, possessed of much natural
+shrewdness, but he is bitter from observing that his reputation is rather
+eclipsed by younger people, and looks like some worn-out and discarded
+cat, grinning from the top of the wall at the dalliance of some sleeker
+rival. You could find no delight in the angry sneerings of such an envious
+person; and his age would prevent you, at the same time, from willingly
+giving way to contemptuous emotions. I will be your guide to the villa.
+But if any questions be asked on our return, you can say I was anxious to
+shew you something of the other regions of the city."
+
+He hurried me through noble streets, and past innumerable edifices, before
+each of which I would gladly have paused. Nevertheless, seeing him wrapped
+up in anxious thoughts, I did not oppose myself to his inclinations; and
+ere long, having passed the Hill of Gardens, I found that we had gained
+the eastern limit of the city.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IV._
+
+
+A sharp walk of about an hour and a half on the Salarean Way, brought us
+within sight of the Suburban of Capito.
+
+A lofty wall protected the fields of this retirement from the intrusive
+eyes of passengers. We entered by a small side-door, and found ourselves,
+as if by some magical delusion, transported from the glare of a Roman
+highway, into the depth and silence of some primeval forest. No nicely
+trimmed path conducted our feet. Every thing had at least the appearance
+of being left as nature had formed it. The fern rustled beneath us as we
+moved; the ivy was seen spreading its careless tresses from tree to tree;
+the fawn bounded from the thicket. By degrees, however, the gloom
+lessened, till at length, over an open space of lawn, we perceived the
+porch of entrance, and a long line of colonnade. We passed under the
+porch, and across a paved court where a fountain was playing, into the
+great hall, which commanded all the other side of the place--a noble
+prospect of elaborate gardens gradually rising into shady hills, and lost
+in a distance of impenetrable wood.
+
+Here a freedman attended us, who informed us that Capito had retired into
+a sequestered part of the grounds with some friends from the city; but
+that if we chose we could easily join him there. We assented, and,
+following his guidance, ere long traversed no narrow space of luxuriant
+cultivation. From one perfumed terrace we descended to another; till,
+having reached a certain green and mossy walk, darkened by a natural
+arching of vines and mulberries, the freedman pointed to a statue at the
+farther end, and told us it stood over against the entrance of his
+master's summer-house. When we reached the statue, however, we could
+perceive no building. The shaded avenue terminated in face of a
+precipitous rock, from which there fell a small stream that was received
+in a massive basin, where the waters foamed into spray without
+transgressing the margin. A thousand delicious plants and far-sought
+flowers clustered around the base of the rock and the brink of the
+fountain, and the humming of innumerable bees mingled with the whispers of
+the stream. We stood for a moment uncertain whether we should move on or
+retire, when we heard one calling to us from beyond; and passing to the
+other side of the basin, descried, between the rock and the falling water,
+a low entrance into what seemed to be a natural cave or grotto. We
+stooped, and found ourselves within one of the most luxurious retirements
+ever haunted by the foot of Dryad. A sparry roof hung like a canopy of
+gems and crystals over a group of sculptured Nymphs and Fawns, which were
+placed on a rustic pedestal within a circular bath shaped out of the
+living stone. Around the edge of the waveless waters that slumbered in
+this green recess, were spread carpets rich with the dyes of Tyrian art,
+whereon Capito was reposing with his friends. He received Sextus with
+kindness, and me with politeness, introducing us both to his companions,
+who were three in number--all of them, like himself, advanced in years, and
+two of them wearing long beards, though their demeanour was destitute of
+any thing like the affected stateliness of our friend Xerophrastes. These
+two, as our host informed us, were Greeks and Rhetoricians--the third, a
+Patrician of the house of the Pontii, devoted, like himself, to the
+pursuits of philosophy and the pleasures of a literary retirement.
+
+They were engaged, when we joined them, in a conversation which had sprung
+from the perusal of some new metaphysical treatise. One of the Greeks, the
+more serene-looking of the pair, was defending its doctrines with
+earnestness of manner, although in a low and measured cadence of voice;
+the other espoused the opposite side, with quickness of utterance and
+severe animation of look; while the two lordly Romans seemed to be
+contenting themselves, for the most part, with listening, although it was
+not difficult to perceive from their countenances, that the one sided in
+opinion with the Stoic, and Capito himself with the Epicurean.
+
+They all arose presently, and proceeded to walk together, without
+interrupting the conversation, along the same shaded avenue which Sextus
+and myself had already traversed. He and I moved along with them, but a
+little in their rear--my companion being still too much abstracted to
+bestow his attention on what they were saying; while I myself, being but
+little an adept in such mysteries, amused myself rather with the exterior
+and manners of the men, than with the merits of the opinions they were
+severally defending. The Greeks were attired in the graceful costume of
+their country, which was worn, however, far more gracefully by the
+Epicurean than his brother,--the materials of his robe being delicate, and
+its folds arranged with studied elegance, whereas the coarse garment of
+the Stoic had apparently engaged less attention. Nevertheless, there was a
+more marked difference between the attire of Capito and that of Pontius
+Mamurra; for the former was arrayed in a tunic of the whitest cloth,
+beneath which appeared fine linen rollers, swathing his thighs and legs,
+to protect them, as I supposed, from the heat and the insects, and a pair
+of slippers, of dark violet-coloured cloth, embroidered with silver
+flowers; while the other held his arms folded in the drapery of an old but
+genuine toga, which left his yet strong and sinewy nether limbs exposed to
+the weather, all except what was covered by his tall black sandals and
+their senatorian crescents.
+
+As we passed on, our host from time to time directed the attention of his
+visiters, more particularly of the two Greeks, to the statues of bronze
+and marble, which were placed at convenient intervals along the terraces
+of his garden. The symmetry of these figures, and the graceful simplicity
+of their attitudes, inspired me with I know not what of calm and soothing
+pleasure such as I had never before tasted, so that I thought I could have
+lingered for ever amidst these haunts of philosophic luxury. The images
+were, for the most part, portraits of illustrious men--Greeks, Romans--sages
+and heroes; but beautiful female forms were not wanting, nor majestic
+representations of gods and demi-gods, and all the ethereal imaginations
+of the Grecian poets. Seeing the name of Jupiter inscribed upon one of the
+pedestals, I paused for a moment to contemplate the glorious
+personification of might and wisdom, depositing, at the same time, a
+handful of roses at the feet of the statue--upon which I could observe that
+my behaviour furnished some mirth to the Epicurean Demochares; while, on
+the contrary, Euphranor, the disciple of the Porch, approved of what I
+did, and rebuked his companion for saying any thing that might even by
+possibility disturb the natural piety of an innocent youth. But the Roman
+Stoic stood by with a smile of stately scorn; and utter indifference was
+painted on the countenance of Capito. At another time, Sextus having staid
+behind to examine the beauties of a certain statue of Diana, which
+represented the goddess stretched out in careless slumber on the turf,
+with a slender grayhound at her feet, the Epicurean began to rally me on
+having a taste inferior to that of my friend, whose devotion, he said,
+could not be blamed, being paid to an exquisite imitation of what the
+great Nature of things had decreed should ever be the most agreeable of
+all objects in the eyes of a person of his age.--"Whereas you," continued
+he, "appear to be more occupied with deep-hung eye-brows, ambrosial
+beards, and fantastic thunderbolts, and the other exuberances of Homeric
+imagination."
+
+To this reproach I made no reply, but Capito immediately began to recite
+some verses of a Hymn of Calimachus, in which both the Greeks joined him;
+nor could any thing be more delightful than the harmonious numbers. A
+sudden exclamation of my friend, however, interrupted them, and Capito,
+looking up a long straight pathway, said, "Come, Valerius, we shall see
+whether you or Sextus is the more gallant to living beauties, for here
+come my nieces. I assure you, I know not of which of them I am the more
+proud; but Sempronia has more of the Diana about her, so it is probable
+she may find a ready slave in our Sextus."
+
+We advanced, and the uncle, having tenderly saluted them, soon presented
+us to their notice. Sextus blushed deeply when he found himself introduced
+to Sempronia, while in her smile, although she looked at him as if to say
+she had never seen him before, I thought I could detect a certain
+half-suppressed something of half-disdainful archness--the colour in her
+cheeks, at the same time, being not entirely unmoved. She was, indeed, a
+very lovely girl, and in looking on her light dancing play of features, I
+could easily sympathize with the young raptures of my friend. Her dress
+was such as to set off her charms to the utmost advantage, for the bright
+green of her Byssine robe, although it would have been a severe trial to
+any ordinary complexion, served only to heighten the delicious brilliancy
+of hers. A veil, of the same substance and colour, richly embroidered with
+flowers of silver tissue, fell in flowing drapery well-nigh to her knees.
+Her hair was almost entirely concealed by this part of her dress, but a
+single braid of the brightest nut-brown was visible low down on her
+polished forehead. Her eyes were black as jet, and full of a nymph-like
+vivacity.
+
+The other, Athanasia, was not a dazzling beauty. Taller than her cousin,
+and darker-haired, but with eyes rather light than otherwise, of a clear,
+somewhat melancholy gray--with a complexion paler than is usual in Italy, a
+demeanour hovering between cheerfulness and innocent gravity, and attired
+with a vestal simplicity in the old Roman tunic, and cloak of white
+cloth--it is possible that most men might have regarded her less than the
+other. A single star of diamonds, planted high up among her black hair,
+was the only ornament she wore.
+
+At the request of the younger lady, we all returned to the grotto, in the
+neighbourhood of which, as I have already mentioned, our tasteful host had
+placed the rarest of his exotic plants, some of which Sempronia was now
+desirous of inspecting. As we paced again slowly over those smooth-shaven
+alleys of turf, and between those rows of yews and box, clipped into
+regular shapes, which abounded in this more artificial region, the
+conversation, which the appearance of the cousins had disturbed, was
+resumed; although, as out of regard to their presence, the voices of the
+disputants preserved a lower and milder tone than before. I must confess,
+however, that mild as was the manner of the discourse, I could not help
+being somewhat astonished, that a polite Roman could permit such topics to
+be discussed in the hearing of females; above all, that he did not
+interpose to prevent Demochares from throwing out so many sarcastic
+reflections concerning the deities whose statues decorated the garden. A
+beautiful Mercury, in particular, which we all paused to admire, elicited
+many observations, that I could easily see were far from being agreeable
+to the fair cousins. But greatest of all was my wonder at the behaviour of
+Capito himself, who, after we had again entered that delightful grotto,
+turned himself to me as if peculiarly, and began a deliberate and
+ingenious piece of declamation concerning the tenets of his favourite
+philosophy;--such as the fortuitous concourse of atoms, the transitory and
+fluctuating nature of all things, and the necessity of snatching present
+enjoyments, as nothing permanent can be discovered whereon to repose the
+mind. With great elegance, indeed, did he enlarge on these golden
+theories, nor did he fail to intersperse his discourse with many exquisite
+verses from Lucretius and other poetical followers of his sect. Such,
+however, was the earnestness of his declamation, that I could not help
+believing him to be quite sincere to what he said, and asked him, not
+without anxiety, whether he had all his life been an Epicurean, or whether
+it was only of late that he had espoused that discipline.
+
+"Valerius," said he, "the question is not discreditable to your tender age
+and provincial education. To be born wise, Fate or Heaven has denied to
+the human race. It is their privilege to win wisdom for themselves; the
+fault is their own, if they do not die wise. When the stripling enters
+upon the theatre of the world, bright hopes are around him, and he moves
+onward in the buoyancy of conscious power. The pride of young existence is
+the essence and extract of all his innumerable sensations. Rejoicing in
+the feeling of the real might that is, it is his delight to think--to
+dream--of might existing and exerted as for ever. New to the material, but
+still more to the moral world, he believes in the stability of all things
+whose transitory nature has not been exhibited before him. New to the
+tricks of mankind, he believes that to be said truly, which, why it should
+be said falsely, he is unable to conjecture. For him, superstition has
+equal potency to darken the past, and illuminate the future. At that early
+period, when ignorance is of itself sufficient to produce a certain
+happiness, the ambition is too high to admit such doctrines as I have no
+shame in avowing. But time moves on, and every hour some tender plant is
+crushed beneath his tread. The spirit clings long to its delusions. The
+promise that is destroyed to-day springs into life to-morrow in some new
+shape; and Hope, like some warring deity of your poets, bleeds and sickens
+only to revive again. But disappointment at length gathers to itself the
+vigour of an enduring form. The horizon becomes colder around us--the soul
+waxes faint and more faint within. It is then that man begins to recognize
+the true state, not of his own nature alone, but of all things that
+surround him--that having tasted much of evil, he is taught to feel the
+value of good--and weaning himself from vain-glorious dreams, learns the
+great lesson of wisdom, to enjoy the moments as they pass--to snatch some
+solid pleasure, at least, amidst a world of vision and imagination; so, in
+a word, as the poet has expressed it, he may not have reason to complain
+in the hour of death that he has never lived.
+
+"In me," he continued, "you behold one that has gone through the
+experience necessary to produce an entire acquiescence in these doctrines.
+I am one of those, Valerius, who have resolved to concentrate, after this
+fashion, the whole of my dreams upon the hour that is. There are not
+wanting, indeed, here and elsewhere, persons who profess the same
+theories, only in the view of finding excuse and shelter for the practice
+of vice. But till it be proved that the practice of vice is the best means
+of enjoyment, in vain shall it be asserted that our doctrine is
+essentially adverse to virtue. The mistakes or the misdeeds of individuals
+must be estimated for nothing; for where is the doctrine that may not be
+shewn to have been defended by impure livers? The founder of our sect is
+acknowledged, by its most virulent enemies, to have been the most
+blameless of men, and they, I must take leave to believe, can never be
+sincere friends of virtue, who doubt, that he who is a true worshipper of
+pleasure, may also be the worshipper of virtue."
+
+There was a certain something, as I thought, more like suppressed
+melancholy than genuine hilarity, in the expression of the old man's face,
+as well as in the tone of his voice, while he gave utterance to these
+sentiments; nor did any of those present appear desirous of protracting
+the argument; although I did not imagine from their looks that any of them
+had altered their opinion. What, however, I could not help remarking in a
+particular manner, was the gentle regret painted in the countenance of the
+elder niece, while Capito was speaking. The maiden sate over against him
+all the while, her cheek supported on her left hand, with an expression of
+tender affection. From time to time, indeed, she cast her eye upward with
+a calm smile, but immediately resumed her attitude of pensive abstraction.
+Her uncle took her hand in his when he had done speaking, and kissed it
+gently, as if to apologize for having said any thing disagreeable to her.
+She smiled again upon the sceptic, and walked by herself, (for I could not
+help following her with my eye,) down into a dark walk of pines that
+branched off at the right hand from the entrance into the grotto. There I
+saw her stoop and pluck a pale flower. This she placed in her bosom, and
+then rejoined us with a more cheerful aspect; after which, we all walked
+towards the villa. Nor did it escape my notice, that, although Sempronia
+appeared willing to avoid Sextus as we went, it always happened, by some
+accident or other, that he was nearer to her than any other person of the
+company.
+
+They were both at a little distance behind the rest of the party, when
+Euphranor addressed himself to me, saying, "Is not this youth, your
+companion, the same that is under the guidance of a certain
+Xerophrastes?"--"The same," said I, "and a wary, sage-looking Athenian is
+his tutor. I believe he also is of the Porch."--"No doubt," interrupted
+Demochares; "he has a beard that Zeno might have been proud of, and walks
+as if he conceived himself to be the chief pillar of the Porch, if not the
+Porch itself."--"Who shall prevent Demochares from having his jest?"
+replied Euphranor. "The man is by birth a Thessalian, and his gutturals
+still remind one strongly of his native hills."--I would gladly have heard
+more of it, but he was interrupted by the nearer approach of the rest.
+
+
+
+
+                               _CHAPTER V._
+
+
+Before the hour of taking the bath, we exercised ourselves for some time
+in the tennis-court, where I could not but admire, especially after having
+heard Capito philosophise, the vigour and agility displayed by him as well
+as his companions. I was then conducted into the baths, where, after being
+washed and perfumed in the most luxurious manner, I was arrayed in an
+elegant supper-garment by one of the slaves of our host. At table we were
+joined again by the ladies, who both reclined on the same couch with their
+uncle. Three comely youths attended us, in short tunics, and girt with
+napkins of fine linen; but, during the repast, an ancient female slave
+stood in silence behind the couch of the young ladies. A small fountain of
+alabaster played between two tall candelabra of the same material, at the
+farther end of the apartment; and a young damsel stood beside them,
+swinging slowly from time to time a silver censer, from which clouds of
+delicate odour rolled up to the mirrored roof.
+
+In all things the feast was splendid; but there was no appearance of
+useless or vain ostentation. Every thing was conducted in a style of great
+calmness and order, without the least formality. The repast interrupted
+not the conversation, which went on in a manner to me equally instructive
+as entertaining; although I must confess the presence of Athanasia
+sometimes rendered me inattentive to what was spoken. I could not divest
+myself of the idea, that some unknown circumstance was pressing on the
+mind of the fair creature, and that when she smiled upon those who
+addressed her, it was sometimes to conceal her ignorance of that which had
+been said.
+
+Being asked by Capito, I endeavoured, among other things, to inform him
+and his friends, as far as I could, concerning the then condition of this
+island, which, more particularly after the exploits of Agricola, had come
+to be a subject of some interest. In return, the chief topics which then
+occupied the capital were discussed by them, as I perceived, in a great
+measure on my account; and I listened with delight to the praises, which
+they all agreed on bestowing on the new Emperor. Many anecdotes were
+narrated, which tended to strengthen the feelings of admiration, with
+which I had already been accustomed to contemplate his character. But
+others were told, as the conversation went on, which I could not so easily
+reconcile with the idea I had formed of him.
+
+For example, I was somewhat disturbed with what they told me concerning
+his treatment of the Christians, who, as we understood in Britain, had
+been suffered to live in tranquillity ever since Nerva acceded to the
+empire. But now, from the circumstances related, it appeared that the mild
+and humane Trajan had taken up, in regard to this sect, the whole aversion
+of Domitian; every day some cruel catastrophe was made known of some
+person who had adopted their tenets. Being ignorant of the nature of those
+tenets, and having heard only in general terms that they were of Jewish
+origin, dark, and mystical, I was at a loss to account for the extreme
+hatred of the Prince, or rather for his condescending to give himself so
+much trouble concerning a matter so obscure and seemingly trifling.
+
+Capito, however, assured me, that although I might have good occasion to
+wonder at the steps taken by the Emperor, it would no longer be said by
+any one, that the progress of the Christian sect deserved to be considered
+as a matter either of obscurity, or of no consequence. "On the contrary,"
+said he, "from what you have just heard of the numbers and quality of
+those that have lately suffered various punishments, you cannot hesitate
+to admit that the head of the empire has been justified in considering it
+as a subject worthy his attention."
+
+"We have adopted the gods of many nations," said Pontius Mamurra, "nor do
+I see why, because the Jews have been unfortunate in a contest with Rome,
+we should take it for granted that theirs are unworthy of respect. If,
+however, as we have heard asserted, he who embraces this creed becomes an
+infidel in regard to the deities of Rome, I say Caesar does well in
+refusing toleration to the intolerant superstition. Domitian was a tyrant,
+and a monster of humanity; the late prince was wise and good; and yet it
+may be, that, in regard to these Christians, the principle of Domitian's
+conduct was right in the main, and that of Nerva's wrong. But you, Capito,
+regard both sides of the question, I have no doubt, with the same
+indifference."
+
+"I hope," replied Capito, "I shall never regard with indifference any
+question, in which the interest of the empire and the honour of Trajan are
+concerned. But if you mean only that I am indifferent about the nature of
+this Syrian superstition, you are in the right. I have no knowledge of its
+dogmas, nor desire to have. I presume they have their share of that old
+eastern barbarity, in the shady places of which the elder Greeks used to
+think they could discover the outlines of something really grand and
+majestic."
+
+"It may be so," said Mamurra; "but if the superstition be found dangerous
+to the state, the Prince does well in repressing its progress. That is the
+only question of which I spake."--"There is, indeed, no other," said
+Capito; "I thought of none."--"And how do you answer it, dear uncle?" said
+Athanasia, (lifting herself up, for the first time, to take part in the
+conversation.)--"Nay, my love," said the old man, "to answer that is the
+business of Caesar, and of the Senate. I only regret, that blood should be
+shed, and citizens exiled; above all, in the reign of a just and merciful
+Prince.--Sempronia," continued he, "what is that strange story your father
+was telling about one of the daughters of Serennius?"
+
+"They only allege," replied Sempronia, with a smile, "that Tertulla had a
+flirtation with a handsome young Greek, and the Greek happened to be a
+Christian,--and she was converted by the Greek,--and she was found out in
+going with him to some secret assembly of these people, in a vault by the
+Vatican Hill,--and her father has been glad to send her to Corsica, partly
+to escape the lawyers, and partly, I suppose, in hopes that the quietness
+of the island, and the absence of handsome young Christians, may perhaps,
+in time, restore poor Tertulla to her right mind--This is all. Do you think
+that a strange story, uncle?" "Not, if it be exactly as you have told it,
+Sempronia. What says Athanasia?" Athanasia answered gravely, that she was
+sorry for Tertulla, and had never heard any thing of the young Greek
+before.
+
+By this time, the increasing darkness of the chamber had warned me that we
+ought to be thinking of our return. I had more than once looked towards
+Sextus, but he refused to meet my eye. When I was on the point of
+speaking, Sempronia, starting from her couch, exclaimed, that she was sure
+there was thunder in the skies; and presently flash after flash gleamed
+along the horizon. All sat silent, as if awe-struck; but Sempronia was the
+only one that seemed to be in terror from the tempest. Nevertheless, my
+eyes rested more on Athanasia, who looked paler than she had done,
+although her countenance preserved its serenity. "How awful," said I, "is
+the voice of Jupiter!" Athanasia folded her arms upon her bosom, and
+lifting her eyes to heaven, said in a whisper,--"How awful is the voice of
+God!" She then dropt her hand on the end of her couch, and half
+unconsciously taking hold of it in mine, I asked her if she was afraid.
+"No," said she, "I am not afraid, but the heaviness of the air makes me
+faint, and I never can listen to thunder without feeling something
+extraordinary within me."
+
+Capito said, he could not think of our going into the city that evening,
+and that we must all make up our minds to remain in the villa. The
+countenance of Sextus brightened up, and he looked to me as if to ask my
+assent. I was easily persuaded, and our host despatched a messenger to
+inform Licinius of the cause of our absence. The old man then led us into
+another apartment, which was richly furnished with books and paintings.
+Here he read for some time out of one of the poets, to a party, none of
+whom, I am afraid, were very attentive in listening to him, till, the hour
+of rest being come, we were conducted to our several apartments, Sextus
+and myself, indeed, being lodged in the same chamber.
+
+We were no sooner left alone than I began to rally my friend on the beauty
+of his mistress, and the earnest court he had been paying her. The youth
+listened with blushes of delight to her praises, but seemed not to have
+the least idea that he had been so fortunate as to make any impression on
+her mind. On the contrary, he scarcely appeared to be aware of having done
+any thing to attract attention from her, and expressed astonishment when I
+assured him, that his behaviour had been such as could not possibly admit
+of more than one explanation in the eyes of a person so quick and
+vivacious as the lovely Sempronia.
+
+After we had both retired to our beds, and the lights were extinguished,
+we still continued for some time to talk over the incidents of our visit,
+and the future prospects of Sextus and his love; until at length sleep
+overpowered us in easy bonds, and agreeable dreams followed, I doubt not,
+in the hearts of us both, the thoughts and sights of a delightful day.
+Mine surely were delightful, for they were all of Athanasia. Yet, even in
+the visions of the night, I could never gaze on her face without some
+strange impression of mystery. I saw her placid smile--I heard the sweet
+low cadence of her voice--but I felt, and I could not feel it without a
+certain indescribable anxiety, that her deep thoughts were far away.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VI._
+
+
+I awoke early, and drew near to the bed of Sextus; but seeing that he was
+fast asleep, and that a quiet smile was on his lips, I could not think of
+awakening him. The sun shone bright into the apartment, and I resolved to
+walk forth and breathe the balmy air of the garden.
+
+The moisture was still heavy on the green paths, and the birds were
+singing among glittering leaves; the god-like statues stood unscathed in
+their silent beauty. I walked to and fro, enjoying the enchantment of the
+scene;--a new feeling of the beauty of all things seemed to have been
+breathed into my soul; and the pensive grace of Athanasia hovered over my
+imagination, like some presiding genius of the groves.
+
+I found myself near the favourite grotto, and had stood over against its
+entrance for some space, contemplating the augmented stream as it fell
+from the superincumbent rock, and regretting the ravage which the nightly
+tempest had made among the delicate flowers round its basin. Twice I
+thought I heard the murmurs of a voice, and twice I persuaded myself that
+it was only the rippling of the waters; but the third time I was satisfied
+that some person must be near. I passed between the water and the rock,
+and beheld the fair creature that had been occupying so many of my
+thoughts, kneeling far within the grotto, as it seemed, in supplication.
+To disturb her by advancing farther, would have been impious; to retire,
+without the risk of disturbing her, almost impossible; but I remained
+there fixed to the spot, without perhaps considering all these things as I
+should have done. The virgin modesty of her attitude was holy in my eyes,
+and the thought never occurred to me, that I might be doing wrong in
+permitting myself to witness the simple devotions of Athanasia. "Great
+God, listen to my prayers," was all I understood of what she said; but she
+whispered for some moments in a lowly and fervent tone, and I saw that she
+kissed something with her lips ere she arose from her knees. She then
+plunged her hands into the well, by whose brink she had knelt, and turned
+round to the light. "Athanasia, forgive me," was already on my lips; but
+on seeing me, she uttered a faint cry and fell prostrate upon the marble.
+I rushed forward, lifted up her head, and laved water from the fountain,
+till I saw her lips tremble. At last she opened her eyes, and after gazing
+on me wildly for a moment, she gathered her strength, and stood quite
+upright, supporting herself against the wall of the grotto. "Great
+heavens!" cried I, "in what have I offended, that I should be rendered the
+cause of affliction to Athanasia? Speak, lady, and say that you forgive
+me."
+
+"I thought," said she, with a proud calmness, "that Valerius was of
+Roman--of Patrician blood. What brings him to be a spy upon the secret
+moments of a Patrician maiden?"--Then bursting into a tone of unutterable
+fervour, "Speak," said she, "young man, what have you heard? How long have
+you stood here? Am I betrayed?"
+
+"Witness, heaven and earth!" cried I, kneeling, "and witness every god,
+that I have heard nothing, except to know that you were praying. I have
+only seen you kneeling, and been guilty of gazing on your beauty." "You
+heard not the words of my prayer?" said she. "No, not its words,
+Athanasia, nor any thing of its purpose." "Do you swear this to me, young
+man?" "Yes, I swear by Jupiter and by Rome--as I am a man and a Roman, I
+know not, neither do I desire to know, any thing of what you said. Forgive
+me for the fault of my indiscretion--you have no other to forgive."
+
+Athanasia paused for a moment, and then resuming more of her usual tone of
+voice, (although its accents were still somewhat disturbed and faltering,)
+said to me, "Valerius, since the thing is so, I have nothing to forgive.
+It is you that must pardon me for my suspicion." "Distress me not,
+Athanasia," said I, "by speaking such words." "From this hour, then," said
+she, "what has passed here is forgotten. We blot it from our
+memories;"--and with that, as if in token of the paction, she extended to
+me her hand. I kissed it as I knelt, and swore that all things were safe
+with me; but added, as I arose, "that I was afraid I should be promising
+more than I should be able to perform,--did I say I should be able to
+forget any hour, or any place, where I had seen Athanasia." "Nay," said
+she, "no compliment, or I shall begin to suspect you of insincerity." I
+was then about to withdraw from the grotto; but seeing a scroll of
+parchment lying at the feet of Athanasia, I stooped, and presented it to
+her, saying, "I was afraid she might forget it." She took it eagerly, and
+saying, "Of that there was no danger," placed it in her bosom, within the
+folds of her tunic. She was then gathering up her black tresses, and
+fastening them hastily on the back part of her head, when we heard the
+sound of footsteps not far off, and beckoning to me to remain where I was,
+she darted from me, and in a moment vanished among the trees. I waited for
+a few minutes, and then stepping forth, beheld her walking at a distance,
+beside her sister, in the direction of the villa. They were soon lost
+among the paths, and I returned alone into the grotto.
+
+I sat down beside the dark well, wherein she had dipt her hands, and mused
+in a most disturbed mood on all the particulars of this strange and
+unexpected interview. Every motion of her features--every modulation of her
+voice, was present with me; I had gathered them all into my heart, and I
+felt that I must cherish them there for ever. From the first moment I saw
+her, my eyes had been constrained to gaze upon her with an interest quite
+novel to me; but now I knew that she could not smile, without making my
+heart faint within me, and that the least whisper of her voice was able to
+bring tears into mine eyes. Now I thought of my own unworthiness, and
+could not help saying to myself, "Why should a poor ignorant provincial,
+such as I am, be torturing myself with the thoughts of such a creature as
+this?" Then, again, some benign glance of hers would return before me, and
+I could not help having some faint hopes, that her innocent heart might be
+won to me by faithful unwearied love. But what always threw me back into
+despair, was the recollection of the mystery that I knew hung over her
+mind, although what it was I could not know. That she had been saying
+something in her prayers which could not be overheard without betraying
+her, she had herself confessed. What could be this secret, so cherished in
+dread, and in darkness?--A crime?--No crime could sully the clear bosom of
+her innocence. No consciousness of guilt could be concealed beneath that
+heavenly visage. But perhaps she had been made the confidante of some
+erring,--some unhappy friend. Perhaps, in her prayer, she had made mention
+of another's name, and implored the pardon of another's guilt. Last of
+all, why might it not be so, that the maiden loved, and was beloved again;
+that she might have some reason to regard any casual betrayal of her
+affection as a calamity; and that, having uttered the name of her lover in
+her secret supplications, her terrors might all have been occasioned by
+her apprehensions of my having overheard it? And yet there was something
+in the demeanour of Athanasia, that I could not bring myself to reconcile
+entirely with any one of these suppositions. Had she feared that I had
+overheard any confession of guilt,--even of the guilt of another,--surely
+some semblance of shame would have been mingled with her looks of terror.
+Had she apprehended only the discovery of an innocent love, surely her
+blushes would have been deeper, and her boldness less. Yet the last
+solution of the difficulty was that which haunted me the most powerfully.
+
+When I came forth into the open air, I perceived that the sun was already
+high in heaven, and proceeded in haste towards the villa, not doubting
+that Sextus and Capito would be astonished by the length of my absence. I
+found them and the ladies walking under the northern colonnade, having
+returned, as they told me, from a fruitless search after me through almost
+the whole of the garden. I looked to Athanasia, as if to signify that she
+well knew where I might have been found; but, although I saw that she
+understood my meaning, she said nothing in explanation. Sextus drew me
+aside shortly after, and told me, that his father had sent to inform him,
+that our presence was necessary in the city before supper-time, to attend
+a great entertainment which was to be given that evening by the lady whose
+cause he had successfully pleaded in the Forum on the preceding day; which
+lady, I now for the first time learned, was no other than the same Marcia
+Rubellia, to whom his father was very anxious the youth should be married.
+The success of this pleading had increased very much the wealth of the
+lady, and, of course, as Sextus well knew, the anxiety of Licinius for the
+proposed union; and to remain at the villa any longer, was, he said,
+entirely impossible, since he already suspected his father had not been
+quite pleased with him for leaving the Forum the day before, without
+staying to hear out a cause in which his duty, if not his inclination,
+ought to have made him feel so greatly interested.
+
+We bade adieu, therefore, to our kind host and the young ladies, not
+without more reluctance than either of us durst express, and ready
+promises to return soon again to the villa. We found Dromo and Boto
+waiting for us at the gate, the former of whom looked unutterable things,
+while the latter appeared to be as joyful in seeing me again, as if we had
+been parted for a twelvemonth. The two slaves were mounted on asses, but
+they led horses for our conveyance; so we mounted with all speed, and were
+soon beyond the beautiful enclosures of Capito. As soon as we were fairly
+out of sight of the house, Dromo began to ply Sextus with innumerable
+questions about the result of the visit, all of them in bad Greek; that,
+as he said, there might be no chance of what passed being understood by
+the Druid; for by that venerable designation, he informed us, the
+primitive Boto had already come to be best known in the vestibule of
+Licinius. "Ah!" quoth he, "there is no need for many words; I am sure my
+young master has not been behindhand with himself. If he has, it is no
+fault of mine, however. I put Opportunity into his hands, and she, you
+know, as the poets say, has only one lock of hair, and that is in front."
+
+Sextus being very shy of entering into particulars, I found myself obliged
+to take upon me the satisfying of the curiosity of this inquisitive
+varlet, which I did in a manner that much astonished Sextus, who by no
+means suspected, that in the midst of my own attention to the other
+cousin, I had been able to take so much notice of what passed between him
+and Sempronia. However, the gentle youth took a little raillery all in
+good part, and we laughed loudly in unison at the triumphant capers which
+the whip of Dromo made his poor ass exhibit, in testimony of his
+satisfaction with the progress which all things appeared to be making. We
+reached the city about three hours after noon, and were told by the slaves
+in attendance, that Xerophrastes had gone out some time before, and that
+Licinius was already busy in arraying himself for the feast of Rubellia.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VII._
+
+
+Her mansion was situated about the middle of the Suburra, in a
+neighbourhood nowise splendid, and itself distinguished, on the side
+fronting to the street, by no uncommon marks of elegance or opulence. A
+plain brick wall covered almost the whole of the building from the eye of
+the passenger; and what was seen deserved the praise of neatness, rather
+than of magnificence. Nevertheless, the moment one had passed the gate,
+and entered the court, one could not help perceiving, that taste and
+wealth had been alike expended abundantly on the residence; for the broad
+terrace and gallery behind were lavishly adorned, the one with sculpture
+and the other with paintings; and the gardens, which these overlooked,
+appeared to be both extensive and elaborate.
+
+We were conducted through several pillared halls, and then up a wide
+staircase, of somewhat sombre magnificence, into the chamber where the
+company were already in part assembled, and busy in offering their
+congratulations to the mistress of the feast. She was so much engaged with
+their flatteries that she did not at first perceive our entrance; but as
+soon as she knew who had come, the chief part of her attention was divided
+between her victorious advocate and his blushing son.
+
+Rapidly as we have been advancing in our imitation of the manners of the
+capital, our island, most unquestionably, has never yet displayed any
+thing that could sustain the smallest comparison with what then met my
+eyes in the stately saloon of this widow. The group around her was gay and
+various, and she was worthy of forming its centre; young and handsome,
+dressed in a style of the utmost splendour, her deportment equally elegant
+and vivacious. Her complexion was of that clear rich brown which lends to
+the eye a greater brilliancy than the most exquisite contrast of red and
+white; and over which the blood, when it does come into the face, diffuses
+at once the warmest and the deepest of blushes. Her hair appeared to be
+perfectly black, unless where the light, streaming from behind, gave an
+edging of glossy brown to the thick masses of her curls. Her robe of
+crimson silk was fastened by a girdle, which seemed to consist of nothing
+but rubies and emeralds, strung upon threads of gold. She wore a tiara
+that rose high above her tresses, and was all over resplendent with
+flowers woven in jewellery; and around her delicate wrists and ankles were
+twined broad chains of virgin gold, interspersed with alternate wreaths of
+sapphire. Her form was the perfection of luxury; and although I have said
+that her deportment was in general lively and brilliant, yet there was a
+soft seriousness that every now and then settled in her eyes, which gave
+her, for a moment, a look of melancholy that seemed to me more likely to
+be in harmony with the secret nature of her disposition. I watched her in
+particular when she spoke to Sextus; her full rich-toned voice was then
+merry, and her large eyes sparkled; but when she was engaged with any
+other person, she could not help gazing on the beautiful youth in silence;
+and then it was that her countenance wore its deepest expression of
+calmness--I had almost said, of sadness.
+
+I had been gazing on her, I know not how long, from another part of the
+room, when I heard a hearty chuckle from behind me, and thought I could
+not be unacquainted with the voice. Looking round, I saw, not without
+delight, the stately figure of my Praetorian Captain, Sabinus, whose
+cheerful eye soon distinguished me, and who forthwith came up to salute me
+in the most friendly manner. I introduced him to Licinius and Sextus, the
+former of whom expressed himself as being much gratified with the
+attention the centurion had shewn to me during our voyage; so that I felt
+myself, as it were, no longer a stranger in the place; and the lutes and
+trumpets at that moment announcing that supper was ready to be served up,
+I took care to keep close to Sabinus, and to place myself near him on the
+couch.
+
+The room in which the feast was prepared, communicated by a pair of brazen
+folding doors, richly sculptured, with that in which the company had
+assembled; but from it, although the sun had not yet gone down, all light
+was excluded, excepting what streamed from golden candelabra, and broad
+lamps of bronze suspended overhead from the high and painted ceiling. The
+party might consist of about twenty, who reclined along one demi-circular
+couch, the covers of which were of the softest down, and the frame-work
+inlaid with ivory;--the part of the room enclosed by its outline being
+occupied with the table, and an open space to which the attendants had
+free access. We had no sooner taken our seats than a crowd of slaves
+entered, carrying large boards upon their heads, which being forthwith
+arranged on the table, were seen to be loaded with dishes of gold and
+silver, and all manner of drinking vessels, also with vases of rare
+flowers, and urns of perfume. But how did the countenance of Sabinus
+brighten, when the trumpet sounded a second time as if from below, and the
+floor of the chamber was suddenly, as it were, pierced in twain, and the
+pealing music ushered up a huge roasted boar, all wreathed with stately
+garnishings, and standing erect on his golden platform as on a chariot of
+triumph! "Ah! my dear boy," cries he, "here comes the true king of beasts,
+and only legitimate monarch of the woods. What should we not have given
+for a slice of him when we were pent up, half-starved and fainting, in
+that abominable ship of ours?--All hail, most potent conqueror! but whether
+Germanic or Asiatic be thy proper title, I shall soon know, when that
+expert Ionian has daintily carved and divided thee." But why should I
+attempt to describe to you the particulars of the feast? Let it suffice,
+that whatever idea I had formed of Roman profusion was surpassed, and that
+the splendour of the entertainment engaged the attention of all except
+Rubellia herself, who, reclining immediately above Sextus, kept her eyes
+fixed almost all the time it lasted, upon his luxuriant curls of dark
+hair, unless when she caused the young damsel, her cup-bearer, to pour out
+to her wine in a goblet of onyx, which she touched with her lips, and then
+handed to the indifferent boy. When the supper was half over, the
+folding-doors were again thrown open, and there entered a group of maidens
+and beautiful youths, who danced before us to the music of the lute, and
+scattered crowns of roses at the feet of Rubellia and her guests. She
+herself placed one of them on the head of Sextus, and another on that of
+his father, who lay on the other side of her, and then caused a large cup
+of wine to be carried all around, whereof each of us tasted, and drank to
+the health of the orator, in whose honour the entertainment was made. The
+ladies that were present imitated the example of the hostess, and crowned
+such as were by them; but Sabinus and I, not being near enough to any of
+them, received that courtesy from some of the dancing maidens. Libations
+were poured out abundantly on the marble floor, and all the gods were
+invoked to shower down their blessings on Rubellia, and those that had
+been so fortunate as to serve her. Sweet strains of music resounded
+through the tall pillars of the banqueting-room, and the lamps burned
+heavily in an atmosphere overloaded with perfumes.
+
+It appeared to me, from the beginning, that my friend Sabinus witnessed,
+not without some feelings of displeasure, the excessive attentions which
+Rubellia lavished on young Sextus; and I gathered, from the way in which
+he every now and then looked towards them during the supper, that, had the
+place permitted, he would not have allowed such things to go on without
+some comment. But when we had left the banqueting-room, and removed to
+another apartment, where, amidst various entertainments of dancing, music,
+and recitation, Rubellia still retained close to herself the heir of
+Licinius, the centurion made to himself abundant amends for the previous
+restraint to which his temper had been subjected. "Confess now," said he,
+"that she is a lovely creature, and that your British beauties are tame
+and insipid, when compared with such a specimen of Roman fascination; and
+confess, withal, that this curled boy is either the most ignorant, or the
+most insusceptible of his sex. Good heavens! in what a different style was
+she treated by the old magistrate, whose very bust there, in the corner,
+looks quite blank and disconsolate with its great white eyes, while she,
+that sate for so many months pale and weeping by his bed-side, is thinking
+of nothing but to bestow all the wealth he left her on a beardless
+stripling, who appears to regard the bust and the beauty with almost equal
+indifference.--Alas! poor old withered Leberinus, little did you imagine
+that so small a phial would suffice to hold all her tears. My only wonder
+is, that she still permits your marble image to occupy even a corner of
+her mansion; but, no doubt, you will soon be sent on your travels. I dare
+say, some cold pedestal in the garden will, ere long, be the best birth
+you need look for.--Well, well, you see what fools we may be made by the
+cunning of these pretty crocodiles. I trust my dotage, when it does come,
+will not shew itself in the same shape with that of my good old friend. I
+hope the ghost of the worthy Praetor will not frown unseen the night she
+takes this Adonis to her arms. If I were in his place, I should give her
+curtains a pretty shake. By Hermes! it would not be a pretty monument and
+a flowery epitaph that would make me lie still."
+
+"How long is it," said I, "since this venerable magistrate died? Surely
+she has allowed him the decency of a tenmonth's grief, before she began to
+give suppers, and perceive the beauty of Sextus?" "Whether it be a
+tenmonth ago or not," replied the Centurion, "is more than I can take upon
+me to decide; all I know is, that it appears to me as if it were but
+yesterday that I supped here, (it was just before I set off for Britain,)
+and saw the young lady reclining, even at table, with those long black
+curls of her's, in the bosom of the emaciated Leberinus. By Jupiter! the
+old man would not taste a drop of wine unless she kissed the cup--she
+coaxed every morsel he swallowed down his throat, and clasped the garland
+round his bald pate with her own fingers; ay, twice before that sleek
+physician--that solemn-faced Greek, whom you see at this moment talking
+with your kinsman, advised her to have him carried to his bed. For all the
+gravity of his looks, I would lay a trifle, that worthy Boeotian has his
+own thoughts about what is passing, as well as I. But the worst-pleased
+face in the whole room is, I think, that of old Rubellius himself yonder,
+who has just come in, without, it is evident, being aware that any feast
+was going forward. Without question, the crafty usurer is of opinion he
+might have been invited. I promise you, I can interpret the glances of
+that gray-headed extortioner; and well I may, for it is not the first time
+I have had an opportunity of studying them. Ay, ay, quoth he to himself,
+she may do as she will with the bonds of Leberinus; but she might have
+remembered, that a codicil can be easily tacked to the end of a living
+man's testament."
+
+"But, after all," said I, "one must admit, that if she married old
+Leberinus to please her father, the widow has some right to choose her
+second husband according to the pattern of her own fancy." "Oh! by all
+means," answered he; "let her please herself; let her make a fool of
+herself now, if she will. She may perhaps learn, some time or other, that
+it is as possible to have too young a husband, as to have too old a one."
+"Come now," said I, "Sabinus, confess that if she had selected some
+well-made, middle-aged man--some respectable man--some man of note and
+distinction, you would have judged less harshly of poor Rubellia." "Ah!
+you cunning dog," said he; "who would have thought that you had brought so
+much wickedness from that new world of yours? But do you really think she
+will wed Sextus? The boy appears strangely cold. I should not wonder, when
+all is done, if the match were more of the orator's seeking than his own."
+"I can only tell you," said I, "that I have never heard Licinius mention
+any thing about it; and, I dare say, Sextus would be very sorry to think
+of losing his liberty for the sake of the wealth of Leberinus--ay, or for
+that of old Rubellius to boot." "Young friend," quoth he, "you are not
+quite acquainted with the way in which these matters are managed at Rome.
+If we had you six weeks at the other side of the Viminal, we should teach
+you better."
+
+I know not how long this sort of talk might have lasted; but Licinius put
+an end to it by joining us, and soon engaged the worthy Centurion, and
+several more of us, with some lively, but unintelligible discussion on the
+merits of some new edict, of which none of us had ever heard, or were
+likely ever to hear any thing again. We were glad to escape from the
+lawyer into another room, where some Greek slaves were performing a sort
+of comic pantomime, that appeared to give more delight to old Rubellius
+than any other of the spectators. As for Sextus, I saw plainly that he was
+quite weary of the entertainment, and anxious to get away; but we were
+obliged to remain till after Licinius was gone, for it was evident that he
+wished his son to see out the last. But no sooner had we heard his chariot
+drive off, than the young man and I took leave of the lady, and withdrew.
+Sabinus lingered a moment behind us, and then joined us in the vestibule,
+from which, his course lying so far in the same direction as ours, we all
+proceeded homewards on foot.
+
+We had proceeded along the street of the Suburra for a considerable space,
+and were already beneath the shade of the great Temple of Isis and
+Serapis, (which stands on the northern side of the Esquiline Hill, nigh
+over against the Amphitheatre of Vespasian,) when, from the opposite side
+of the way, we were hailed by a small party of soldiers, who, as it turned
+out, had been sent from the Praetorian camp in search of Sabinus, and one
+of whom had now recognized his gait and stature, notwithstanding the
+obscurity of the hour. The Centurion went aside with the leader of these
+men for some moments, and then informed us that it was very fortunate they
+had so easily recognized him, as the business on which they had been sent
+was such as did not admit of being negligently dealt with. "To-morrow,"
+said he, pointing to the Amphitheatre before us, "that glorious edifice is
+to be the scene of one of the grandest shows exhibited by Trajan since his
+accession to the empire. It is the anniversary of the day on which he was
+adopted by Nerva, and the splendour of the spectacle will be in proportion
+to the gratitude and veneration with which he at all times regards the
+memory of that excellent benefactor. But there are some parts of the
+exhibition that I am afraid old Nerva, could he be present to behold them,
+would not regard with the same feelings as his successor." "Surely," said
+I, "the beneficent Trajan will not stain the expression of his gratitude
+by any thing unworthy of himself, or that could give displeasure to
+Nerva?" "Nay," replied the Centurion, "it is not for me to talk about any
+thing that Trajan chooses to do being unworthy of Trajan; but you well
+know that Nerva would never suffer any of the Christians to be molested
+during his reign, and now here are some of these unhappy fanatics, that
+are to be compelled either to renounce their faith in the face of the
+assembly to-morrow, or to die in the arena. It is to inspect the condition
+of these unfortunates, who, I know not for what reason, are confined in a
+dungeon below the ramparts in the vicinity of our camp, and to announce to
+them the final determination of their fate, that I, as Centurion of the
+night, have now been summoned. If you are curious to see the men, you are
+at liberty to go with me, and I shall be obliged to you for your company."
+
+My curiosity having been excited in regard to the new faith and its
+adherents, I was very desirous to accept of this offer. Nor did Sextus any
+sooner perceive that such was my inclination, than he advised me to
+gratify it, undertaking, at the same time, to satisfy his father, in case
+of any inquiry, that I was in a place of safety, and under the protection
+of Sabinus. With him, therefore, and with his Praetorians, I proceeded
+along various streets which led us by the skirts of the Esquiline and
+Viminal Hills, on to the region of the Mounds of Tarquin, over against
+which, as you have heard, the great camp of those bands is situated;--if
+indeed that ought of right to be called by the name of a camp, which is
+itself a city of no slender dimensions, and built with great splendour of
+architecture, spread out beyond the limits of Rome, for the accommodation
+of that proud soldiery. There my friend took me into his chamber, and
+furnished me with a cloak and helmet, that I might excite no suspicion by
+accompanying him on his errand. The watch-word of the night also was given
+me, _Silent faith_; and proceeding again, we shortly reached the place
+where the Christians were lying.
+
+
+
+
+                             _CHAPTER VIII._
+
+
+Entering the guard-room, we found it crowded with spearmen of Sabinus's
+band, some playing at dice, others carousing jovially, many wrapt up in
+their mantles, and asleep upon the floor; while a few only were sitting
+beneath the porch, with their spears in their hands, and leaning upon
+their bucklers. From one of these, the Centurion, having drawn him aside,
+made inquiry concerning the names and condition of the prisoners, and
+whether as yet they had received any intelligence as to the morrow. The
+soldier, who was a grave man, well stricken in years, made answer, "that
+the men were free-born and of decent estate, and that he had not heard of
+any thing else being laid to their charge, excepting that which concerned
+their religion. Since they have been here," he continued, "I have been
+several times set on watch over them, and twice have I lain with one of
+them in his dungeon; yet have I heard no complaints from any of them, for
+in all things they are patient. One of them only is to suffer
+to-morrow--but for him I am especially concerned, for he was known to me of
+old, having served often with me when I was a horseman in the army of
+Titus, all through the war of Palestine, and at the siege of Jerusalem."
+
+"And of what country is he?" said Sabinus. "Is he also a Roman?" "No,
+sir," answered the spearman, "he is no Roman; but he was of a troop of the
+allies that was joined often to our legion, and I have seen him bear
+himself on the day of battle as well as any Roman. He is by birth a Greek
+of the Syrian coast; but his mother was of the nation of the Jews." "And
+yet, although the son of a Jewess, he was with us, say you, at the siege
+of Jerusalem?" "Even so," replied the man; "and not he only, but many
+others; for the Jews were divided against themselves; and of all them that
+were Christians, not one abode in the city, or gave help to defend it. As
+this man himself said, the oracles of the Christians, and their prophets,
+had of old given warning that the city must fall into the hands of Caesar,
+by reason of the wickedness of that people; therefore, when we set our
+camp against Jerusalem, these all passed out from the city, with their
+wives and children, and dwelt safely in the mountainous country until the
+fate was fulfilled. But some of their young men fought in our camp, and
+did good service, because the place was known to them, and they had
+acquaintance with all the secrets of the Rock. Of these, this man was one.
+He and all his household had departed from the ancient religion of the
+Jews, and were believers in the doctrines of the Christians, for which
+cause he is now to suffer; and of that, although I have not spoken to him
+this evening, I think he has already received some intelligence, for
+certain of his friends passed in to him, and they covered their faces as
+they went in, as if weeping." "Are these friends still with him?" said
+Sabinus. "Yes," answered he, "for I must have seen them had they come
+forth again. Without doubt, the two women are still with him in his
+dungeon." "Women?" quoth Sabinus; "and of what condition think you they
+may be?" "That I know not," replied the soldier; "for, as I have said,
+they were muffled in their mantles. But one of them, at least, is a Roman,
+for I heard her speak to him that is by the door of the dungeon." "How
+long is it," said the Centurion, "since they went in to the prisoner?"
+"More than an hour," replied the soldier, looking at the water-clock that
+stood beneath the porch; "and if they be Christians, they are not yet
+about to depart, for they never separate without singing together, which
+is said to be their favourite manner of worship."
+
+He had scarcely uttered these words, when the soldiers that were carousing
+within the guard-room became silent, and we heard the voices of those that
+were in the dungeon singing together in a sweet and lowly manner. "Ah,
+sir!" said the old soldier, "I thought it would be even so--there is not a
+spearman in the band that would not willingly watch here a whole night,
+could he be sure of hearing that melody. Well do I know that soft
+voice--Hear now, how she sings by herself--and there again, that deep strong
+note--that is the voice of the prisoner."
+
+"Hush!" quoth the Centurion, "heard you ever any thing half so divine? Are
+these words Greek or Syrian?" "What the words are I know not," said the
+soldier; "but I know the tune well.--I have heard it played many a night
+with hautboy, clarion, and dulcimer, on the high walls of Jerusalem, while
+the city was beleaguered." "It is some old Jewish tune then," said
+Sabinus; "I knew not those barbarians had had half so much art."
+
+"Why, as for that, sir," replied the man, "I have been all over Greece and
+Egypt--to say nothing of Italy--and I never heard any music like that music
+of the Jews. When they came down to join the battle, their trumpets
+sounded so gloriously, that we wondered how it was possible for them ever
+to be driven back; and then, when their gates were closed, and they sent
+out to beg their dead, they would play such solemn awful notes of
+lamentation, that the plunderers stood still to listen, and their warriors
+were delivered to them with all their mail as they had fallen." "And the
+Christians also," said Sabinus, "had the same tunes?" "Oh yes, sir--why,
+for that matter, these very tunes may have been among them, for aught we
+know, since the beginning of their nation. I have stood sentinel with this
+very man, and seen the tears run down his cheeks by the star-light, when
+he heard the music from the city, as the Jewish captains were going their
+rounds upon the battlements." "But this, surely," said the Centurion, "is
+no warlike melody." "I know not," quoth the old soldier, "whether it be or
+not--but I am sure it sounds not like any music of sorrow,--and yet what
+plaintive tones are in the part of that female voice!" "The bass sounds
+triumphantly, in good sooth." "Ay, sir, but that is the old man's own
+voice--I am sure he will keep a good heart to the end, even though they
+should be singing their farewell to him. Well, the Emperor loses a good
+soldier, the hour Tisias dies. I wish to Jupiter he had not been a
+Christian, or had kept his religion to himself. But as for changing
+now--you might as well think of persuading the Prince himself to be a Jew."
+
+"That last high strain, however," quoth Sabinus, "has ended their singing.
+Let us speak to the women as they come out; and if it be so that the man
+is already aware of what is to be done to-morrow, I see not why we should
+trouble him with entering his cell. He has but a few hours to live, and I
+would not willingly disturb him." "I hear them coming," said the soldier.
+"Then do you meet them," said Sabinus, "and tell them that the Centurion
+wishes to speak to them ere they go away--we will retire out of hearing of
+the guard."
+
+With that he and I withdrew to the other side of the way, over against the
+door of the prison; and we stood there waiting for the women under a
+fig-tree, close by the city wall. In a few minutes two persons, arrayed as
+the soldier had described, drew near to us; and one of them, without
+uncovering her countenance, said,--"Master, we trust we have done no evil
+in visiting the prisoners; had it been so, surely we should not have been
+permitted to enter without question."
+
+These words were spoken in a voice tremulous, as if with grief rather than
+with terror; but I could not help starting when I heard them. However, I
+commanded myself, and heard in silence what Sabinus replied.--"Be not
+alarmed," said he; "there is no offence committed, for no orders have been
+issued to prevent these men from seeing their friends. I sent for you, not
+to find fault with what you have done, but only to ask whether this
+prisoner has already been told that the Emperor has announced his
+resolution concerning him, and that he must die to-morrow, in the
+Amphitheatre of Vespasian, unless he renounce his superstition."--"He knows
+all," answered the same voice; "and is prepared for all."
+
+"By heavens! Valerius," whispered Sabinus; "it is no mean person that
+speaks so--this is the accent and the gesture of a Roman lady." Then
+raising his voice, "In that case there is no need for my going into the
+dungeon; and yet, could I hope to say any thing that might tend to make
+him change his purpose, I would most gladly do so. The Emperor is as
+humane as he is just, and unless when rebellious obstinacy shuts the gates
+of mercy, he is the last that would consent to the shedding of any
+blood.--For this Tisias, of whose history I have just been hearing
+something, I am in a particular manner interested, and to save him, I wish
+only I had power equal to my inclination. Is there no chance of convincing
+him?"--"He is already convinced."--"Could his friends do nothing?"--"His
+friends have been with him," said the voice.--This last sentence was spoken
+so distinctly, that I knew I could no longer be mistaken; and I was on the
+brink of speaking out, without thinking of the consequences that might
+occur, when she that had spoken, uttered a faint cry, and dropping on her
+knees before Sabinus, said,--"Oh, sir! to us also be merciful, and let us
+go hence ere any one behold us!"--"Go in peace, lady," answered the
+Centurion, "and henceforth be prudent as well as kind;" and they went away
+from us, and were soon lost to our sight in the windings of the street.
+
+We stood there for some moments in silence, looking towards the place
+where they disappeared. "Strange superstition," said Sabinus; "what
+heroism dwells with this madness!--you see how little these men regard
+their lives;--nay, even women, and Roman women too--you see how their nature
+is changed by it."--"It is, indeed, a most strange spectacle," said I; "but
+what is to be the end of it, if this spirit become diffused widely among
+the people?"--"In truth I know not," answered the Centurion; "as yet we
+have heard of few who had once embraced this faith, renouncing it out of
+fear for their lives."--"And in the days of Nero and Domitian," said I,
+"were not many hundreds of them punished even here in the capital?"--"You
+are within the mark," said he; "and not a few of those who were sent into
+exile, because of their Christianity, were, as you may have heard, of no
+ordinary condition. Among these there were Flavius Clemens, the Consular,
+and his wife, Domitilla; both of whom I have often seen in my youth--both
+relations to the family of Vespasian--whom, notwithstanding, all the
+splendour of the imperial blood could not save from the common fate of
+their sect. But Nerva suffered all of them to live in peace, and recalled
+such as were in exile, excepting only Domitilla, whose fate has been
+regretted by all men; but I suppose it was not at first judged safe to
+recal her, lest any tumult should have been excited in her name, by those
+that regretted (and I am sorry to say these were not a few) the wicked
+license of which they had been deprived by the death of her tyrannical
+kinsman, and the transition of the imperial dignity into another line. She
+also with whom we have been speaking, is, I am sure, a Roman lady of
+condition; and you may judge of her zeal, when you see it brings her
+hither at midnight, to mingle tears and prayers with those of an obscure
+Asiatic. Did you observe, that the other female both walked and stood
+behind her."
+
+"I observed all this," answered I. But little did Sabinus suspect that I
+had observed so much more than himself had done. Before parting from him,
+I said I should still be gratified with being permitted to see the
+prisoner; and although he declined entering himself, he accordingly gave
+command that the door of his dungeon should be opened for me, requesting
+me, at the same time, to refrain from saying any thing more than was
+necessary for the explaining the apparent purpose of my visit,--the
+communication, namely, of Trajan's decree.
+
+The Centurion withdrew to his camp; and the same old spearman with whom we
+had conversed at the Porch, carried a torch in his hand, and shewed me the
+way into the dungeon.
+
+Between the first door and the second, which appeared to be almost
+entirely formed of iron, there intervened a few broad steps of mason-work;
+and upon the lowest of these, I stood waiting till he should open the
+inner door. Several keys were applied before he discovered the right one;
+but at last the heavy door swung away from before him so speedily, that
+the air, rushing out of the vault, extinguished the torch; insomuch, that
+we had no light excepting that which streamed from an aperture high up in
+the wall of the dungeon itself; a feeble ray of star-light alone--for the
+moon had, long ere this time, been gone down--which, nevertheless, sufficed
+to shew us to the prisoner, although we at first could see nothing of him.
+
+"Soldiers," said the old man, in a voice of perfect calmness, "for what
+reason are you come?"--"We come," said my companion, "by command of the
+Centurion, to inform you of things which we would willingly not have to
+tell--To-morrow Trajan opens the Amphitheatre of Vespasian."--"My comrade,"
+said the prisoner, "is it your voice I hear? I knew all this already; and
+you know of old that I fear not the face of death."--"I know well, Tisias,
+you fear not death; yet why, when there is no need, should you cast away
+life? Think well, I beseech you, and reserve yourself for a better
+day."--"The dawn of that better day, Romans, already begins to open upon my
+eyes. I see the east red with the promise of its brightness. Would you
+have me tarry in darkness, when I am invited to walk forth into the
+light?"--"Your words rejoice me," answered the spearman; "and I am sure all
+will rejoice in hearing that you have at length come to think thus--Trajan
+himself will rejoice. You have but to say the word, and you are
+free,"--"You mean kindly," said the old man, rising from his pallet, and
+walking towards us as far as his fetters permitted; "but you are much
+mistaken--I have but to keep silence, and I am free."--"Alas! what mean you?
+Do you know what you say? You must worship the gods in the morning, else
+you die."--"Evening, and morning, and for ever, I must worship the God that
+made heaven and earth. If I bow down to the idols of Trajan, I buy the
+life of a day at the price of death everlasting. Tempt me not in your
+kindness: I fell once. Great God, preserve me from falling! I have bade
+farewell to my friends already. Leave me to spend these few hours by
+myself.--Leave me to prepare the flesh for that from which the spirit
+shrinks not." So saying, he extended his hand to the spearman, and the two
+old men embraced each other before me.
+
+"Prisoner," said I, "if there be any thing in which we can serve you,
+command our aid. We have already done our duty; if we can also do any
+thing that may give ease to your mind now, or comfort to your kindred, you
+have but to speak."--"Sir," replied he, "I see by the eagle wings on your
+helmet, that you are one in authority, and I hear by your voice that you
+are young. There is a certain thing, concerning which I had some purpose
+to speak to this old brother."--"Speak with confidence," said I; "although
+I am a Roman, and bear all loyalty to Caesar, yet this Praetorian helmet is
+not mine, and I have but assumed it for the sake of having access to your
+prison. I am no soldier of Trajan: Whatever I can do for you without harm
+to others, speak, and I will do it. I will swear to you----" "Nay, sir,"
+said he, "swear not--mock not the God of heaven, by invoking idol or
+demon--I believe your word--but, since you will hear, there is no need why
+any other should be witness to my request."--"I will retire," said the
+other, "and keep watch at the door. I am but a poor spearman, and this
+young patrician can do more than I."--"Be it so," said the prisoner, a
+second time embracing him; "I would not willingly expose you to any
+needless danger; and yet I see not what danger there is in all that I have
+to ask."
+
+With this the spearman withdrew; and being left alone with Tisias, I took
+his hand, and sitting down beside him on his pallet, shortly explained to
+him the circumstances under which I had come thither.
+
+"Young sir," said he, "I know not what is about the sound of your voice,
+and the frankness of your demeanour, that makes me feel confidence enough
+to intrust you with a certain thing, which concerns not myself, nor any
+hope of mine, for that were little--but the interests of one that is far
+dearer to me than I can express, and who, I hope, will live many happy
+days upon earth, after I shall have sealed my belief in the message of
+God, by blood that has of old been exposed a thousand times to all mortal
+perils, for the sake of worthless things. But a very short while ago, and
+I might have executed this thing for myself; but weakness overcame me at
+the moment of parting."
+
+"If it be any thing which you would have me convey to any one, say where I
+may find the person," said I, "and be assured I shall deliver it in
+safety."
+
+"Sir," he proceeded, "I have here with me certain writings, which I have
+carried for these twenty years continually in my bosom. Among these, is
+one of the sacred books of the faith for which I am to die, and I would
+fain have it placed in the hands of one to whom I know it will be dearest
+of all for the sake of that which it contains; but, I hope, dear also for
+the sake of him that bequeaths it. Will you seek out a certain Roman lady,
+and undertake to give into her own hands, in secret, the scroll which I
+shall give you?"--"I will do my endeavour," said I; "and if I cannot find
+means to execute your command, I shall destroy the book with my own hands
+before I quit Rome--for my stay here is uncertain."--"If you cannot find
+means to do what I ask safely," he replied, "I do not bid you destroy the
+book--_that_ is yours to do with as it shall seem good to you--but I conjure
+you to read it before you throw it away. Nay, even as it is, I conjure you
+to read it before you seek to give it to her whose name I shall
+mention."--"Old man," said I, "almost I believe that I already know her
+name, and more besides. If it be so that I have conjectured aright, be
+assured that all you ask shall be fulfilled to the letter; be assured
+also, that I would die with you to-morrow, rather than live to be the
+cause or instrument of any evil thing to her that but now visited you in
+your dungeon."--"Alas!" cried the old man, starting up, "lay not this also,
+O Lord! upon my head. Let the old bear witness--but let the young be
+spared, to serve thee in happier years upon the earth!"--"Be not afraid,"
+said I, "if it was Athanasia, no one suspected it but myself; and I have
+already told you that I would die rather than bring evil upon her head."
+
+"Yes," he answered, after a pause--"it was, indeed, Athanasia. Who is it
+but she that would have left the halls of nobles, and the couches of
+peace, to breathe at midnight the air of a dungeon, that she might solace
+the last moments of a poor man, and, save the bond of Christ, a stranger!
+But if you have known her before, and spoken with her before, then surely
+she must indeed be safe in your hands. You know where she dwells--that I
+myself know not. Here is the scroll, from which that noble maiden has
+heard my humble voice essay to expound the words of eternal life. I charge
+you to approach her with reverence, and give into her own hands my dying
+bequest; yet, as I have said, deliver it not to her till you have yourself
+read what it contains."--"Christian," said I, placing the writing in my
+bosom, "have no fear--I will read your book, and ere two nights have gone
+over my head, I shall find means to place it in the hands of Athanasia;
+and now, farewell."--"Nay, not yet for the last time. Will you not come in
+the morning, and behold the death of a Christian?"--"Alas!" said I, "what
+will it avail that I should witness the shedding of your blood? The Prince
+may have reason to regard you as an offender against the state; but I have
+spoken with you in your solitude, and know that your heart is noble. Would
+to Heaven, that by going thither I could avert your fate!"--"Methinks,
+sir," he replied, "it may be weakness--but yet methinks it would give me
+some farther comfort in my death, to know that there was at least one
+Roman there, who would not see me die without pity; and besides I must
+have you constrain yourself, that you may be able to carry the tidings of
+my departure. Her prayers will be with me, but not her eyes. You must tell
+Athanasia the manner of my death."--"For that cause," said I, "I will
+constrain myself, and be present in the Amphitheatre."--"Then, farewell,"
+said he; "----and yet go not. In whatsoever faith you live,--in whatsoever
+faith you die, the blessing of an old man and a Christian can do you no
+harm." So saying, the old man stood up, and leaning his hand on my head as
+I sat, pronounced over me a blessing which I never shall forget. "The Lord
+bless thee--the Lord enlighten thy darkness--the Lord plant his seed in thy
+kind heart--the Lord give thee also to die the death of a Christian!"
+
+When he had said so, he sat down again; and I departed greatly oppressed
+in spirit, yet feeling, I know not how or why, as I would rather have lost
+many merry days, than that dark and sorrowful hour. The soldiers in the
+guard-room were so much engaged in their different occupations, that they
+heeded me not as, dropping my borrowed habiliments, I stept silently to
+the gate; and I was soon out of sight of their flaming watch-fires, and
+far from the sounds of their noisy mirth.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IX._
+
+
+The Roman streets were totally silent and deserted. It was the first time
+that I had been in the presence of a human being, foreseeing distinctly,
+and quietly waiting, the termination of his mortal existence, and I could
+not help asking of myself, how, under similar circumstances of terror, I
+should have been able to sustain my spirits?--to what resources I should,
+in such a moment, look for the support which seemed to have been
+vouchsafed so abundantly to this old man; by what charm, in fine,--by what
+tenet of philosophy, or by what hope of religion,--I should, in the midst
+of life, be able to reconcile myself to a voluntary embrace of death! To
+avoid disgrace, indeed, and dishonour, said I, I think I could be Roman
+enough to dare the worst; but this poor man is willing to die, rather than
+acknowledge, by one offering on the altar, the deities in whose worship
+all his Greek ancestors have been trained; yet who, except perhaps a few
+obscure individuals that have adopted the same new superstition, would
+think this man dishonoured by returning to the religion of his fathers?
+Deep, indeed, must be his conviction of the truth of that which he
+professes to believe--serious indeed must be his faith, and high his trust.
+What if, after all, his faith should be true, and his trust wise? And the
+gentle Athanasia!--She too a Christian! Might not this mystery be hereafter
+explained to me by her lips?
+
+Musing and meditating thus, it was no wonder that I, who knew so little of
+Rome, should have soon wandered from the straight way to the home of my
+kinsman. But that I at last caught, at the turning of a street, a glimpse
+of the Flavian Amphitheatre, which I had before passed on my way from the
+feast of Rubellia, I might, perhaps, have wandered long. I had some notion
+how that grand edifice was situated with respect to the house of Licinius,
+and therefore moved towards it immediately, intending to pass straight
+down from thence into the Sacred Way. But when I came close to the
+Amphitheatre, I found that, surrounded on all sides by a city of sleep and
+silence, that region was already filled with all manner of noise and
+tumult, in consequence of the preparations which had begun to be made for
+the spectacles. The east hardly yet indicated dawn; but the torches and
+lanterns of workmen and artificers were in motion every where. On one
+side, the whole way was blocked up with a throng of waggons; the
+conductors, almost all Ethiopians and Numidians, lashing each other's
+horses, and exchanging, in their barbarous tongues, outcries of wrath and
+execration. The bellowings that resounded from any of the waggons, which
+happened to be set in motion amidst the throng, intimated that savage
+beasts were confined within them; and when I had discovered this, and then
+regarded the prodigious multitude of the vehicles, I cannot say what
+horror came over me at thinking what cruel sights, and how lavish in
+cruelty, were become the favourite pastimes of the most refined of
+nations. I recognized the well-known short deep snort of the wild boar,
+and the long hollow bark of the wolf; but a thousand fierce sounds,
+mingled with these, were new to my ears. One voice, however, was so grand
+in its notes of sullen rage, that I could not help asking a soldier, who
+sate on horseback near me, from what monster it proceeded. The man
+answered, that it was a lion; but then what laughter arose among some of
+the rabble, that had overheard my interrogation; and what contemptuous
+looks were thrown upon me by the naked negroes, who sate grinning in the
+torch-light, on the tops of their carriages! Then one or two of the
+soldiers would be compelled to ride into the midst of the confusion, to
+separate some of these wretches, fighting with their whips about
+precedence in the approach; and it seemed to me that the horses could not
+away with the strong sickly smell of the wild beasts; for they would
+prance, and caper, and rear on end, and snort as if panic-struck, and dart
+themselves towards the other side; while some of the riders were thrown
+off in the midst of the tumult, and others, with fierce and strong bits,
+compelled the frightened or infuriated animals to endure the thing they
+abhorred--in their wrath and pride forcing them even nearer than was
+necessary. In another quarter, this close-mingled pile of carts and horses
+was surmounted by the enormous heads of elephants, thrust up into the air,
+some of them with their huge lithe trunks lashing and beating (for they,
+too, as you have heard, would rather die than snuff in the breath of these
+monsters of the woods,) while the tiara'd heads of their riders would be
+seen tossed to and fro by their contortions. What a cry of cursing, what
+cracking of whips and cords, what blowing of horns, and whistling and
+screaming; and all this mixed with what roaring and howling from the
+savage creatures caged in darkness!
+
+I went, however, for a moment, into the Amphitheatre, by a little
+side-way, where admission was cheaply obtained. Here, as yet, all things
+were in order, for the hour had not yet come for giving the wild beasts
+entrance to the huge dens prepared for them. A few carpenters only were
+seen in one corner, erecting a sort of low stage, and singing merrily, of
+whom, when I made inquiry concerning the purpose of that erection, one of
+these fellows also began to jeer; "Whence come you, good sir, that you do
+not know a common scaffold when you see it? It is surely not the first
+time that a Christian has had his head chopped off in the Flavian?"--"By
+Pluto, I am not so sure about that matter," quoth another. "I don't know
+whether any of the dogs were ever beheaded here or not; if they have been,
+I can only say it was better than they deserved."--"There spoke a true
+man," cries a third. "No, no; keep beheading for Romans--let citizens have
+their own. Things are come to a pretty pass, when they shew us nothing but
+tigers against tigers. By Jove, I would rather see one of those
+misbelieving Atheists set right before the mouth of a true Getulian lion's
+cage, and hear his bones cracked ere all be over,--I say, I would rather
+see that, than fifty of your mere beast fights."--"After all," rejoined the
+first, "it must be allowed that our Caesar had a fine eye for the
+Amphitheatre."--"Who doubts it?" says the other. "Rome has never seen any
+thing that deserved to be called a show, since he was killed by sneaking
+traitors. They say, Nero was still better at that sort of work; but 'let
+the skinless Jew believe,' as the saying is. I desire to see no better
+sport than Domitian gave us the very week before his death. We shall never
+live to see his like again!"--"Come, boys," rejoins one of the rest; "no
+despairing! I had begun to think that these good princes, as they call
+them, would never shew us a bit of real sport again. Here, now, is at
+least something. Who can tell what may follow? and, besides, if the worst
+come to the worst, we shall still have lions against lions, tigers against
+tigers, Dacians against Dacians, and now and then a Jew or a Christian, or
+whatever you please to call him, exhibited _solus_ on such a stage as
+this. Come, come, don't make matters worse than they are."
+
+The ruffians shewed that they knew well enough I was displeased, and I
+half regretted, as I strode away from them, the want of that Praetorian
+helmet, which would have preserved me from the insolence of their mirth.
+However, I was well pleased to gain a distance at which I could no longer
+be troubled with them, and walked with rapid steps along the wide streets,
+over which morning was now beginning to shine; while the air, agitated
+with a quick breeze, refreshed my cheeks and temples--of which I had need,
+being heated with the glare and noise, and, perhaps, faint, too, after the
+manner of the young, from want of sleep.
+
+I was admitted into the house by Dromo, who seemed to have been looking
+out for me; for he opened the door almost before I had time to knock at
+it. He regarded me as I entered with a very cunning face; insomuch, that I
+comprehended without difficulty, he believed me to have spent the night in
+some scene of debauch; but he, nevertheless, attended me, without saying a
+word, into my chamber. He then assumed a countenance of great reflection,
+and advised me, with much appearance of friendly concern, to go to bed,
+even although I could not stay long there; "because," said he, "you will
+feel much fresher when you get up; and let me tell you, you must be up
+early, for I have already been with Licinius, who intends to send Sextus
+with a present to Rubellia immediately after breakfast; and you may be
+sure he will insist on your company, for he can do nothing without you.
+Ah! had it not been for a certain pretty creature, the young gentleman
+would not, I am confident, have permitted you to be going the rounds in
+this way by yourself. But I take it something amiss, and shall tell him
+so, that he did not depute me (who am not particularly enamoured just at
+present) to go with you, and take care of your safety. I only wonder how
+you have got home so well as it is."--"Indeed," said I, "good Dromo, I
+cannot help wondering a little at that myself--for I have been all through
+the city, and lost my way half-a-dozen times over, and yet here you see I
+am."--"The more reason," quoth the slave, "that you should send some little
+offering to Mercury's Temple over the way, in the morning--a few sesterces
+will be sufficient--and if you have no objections, I shall willingly take
+care of them for you. Mercury is the guardian of all that travel about in
+the dark; and besides, he is the special patron of love expeditions. But
+to say the truth, you are not the only person that owes a gift to that
+shrine; for the worthy sage--Xerophrastes--he, too, has been a
+night-wanderer--and he has not yet come in. I have my doubts whether, when
+he does so, he will be as sober as you are; but I must take care to be at
+my post, and admit him in silence, for the time is not yet come to uncloak
+his doings. Trust me, this is not the only vagary I have set down to his
+account--all in good time. But what says my master Valerius, touching the
+offering to the great God Hermes?"
+
+I saw, by the knave's face, that it was necessary the sesterces should be
+forthcoming. "Here they are," said I, "good Dromo; and remember, that
+although Mercury, among other things, is the god of thieves also, he will
+not be well pleased if you curtail his offering." "Never mind," answered
+the varlet, as he was shuffling out of the room, "Mercury and I understand
+each other of old. Go to bed, and try to get a little of your own old
+British red into your cheeks again; for Licinius has a hawk's eye, and
+will be sure to have his suspicions, if he sees you come down with such a
+haggard look. Remember you have not a beard to cover half your face, and
+all your iniquities."
+
+So saying, he left me to my couch, indeed, but not to slumber; for busy
+thoughts kept me broad awake, till, after the lapse of perhaps an hour,
+young Sextus entered my apartment, already arrayed with more than usual
+elegance, to execute, however unwillingly, the message of his father. He
+had in his hand a small casket of open ivory-work, which he flung down on
+my bed, saying, "Get up, dear Valerius, and save me at least from the pain
+of going alone with these gewgaws. Would to Heaven my father would marry
+her himself, and then I should have no objection to carry as many caskets
+as he pleases. But do you get up and assist me; and as we go along, you
+shall tell me what you have seen and heard in company with your jovial
+Praetorian."
+
+I was soon ready, and ascended, along with my young friend, the chariot
+which Licinius had commanded to be ready. I told him, as we glided through
+the streets, as much as I judged expedient; and, in particular, when I
+perceived that our charioteer was making a circuit, in order to avoid the
+neighbourhood of the Amphitheatre, I could not help expressing to him the
+effect which had been produced in my mind, by my casual inspection of the
+preparations. "I am afraid, then," said he, "that you will scarcely be
+willing to witness the exhibition itself; and yet I would fain have you to
+overcome your aversion, both because, whatever you may think of such
+things, it is not fitting that you should go from Rome without once, at
+least, seeing how they are conducted; and more particularly, because I
+much suspect Rubellia intends to be present at the festival--in which case
+I should be sorry to be compelled to attend upon her without you; and as
+to leaving her at the gate of the Amphitheatre, that, you know, would be
+quite impossible, unless I wished openly to contradict the wishes of my
+father."
+
+I assured him he should not want any comfort my presence could afford him;
+although not without, at the same time, expressing my astonishment that he
+should consider it at all probable that his dainty Rubellia would choose
+to sit among the spectators of an exhibition so abounding in circumstances
+of cruelty, and, as I had understood, forbidden to her sex. "Nay,"
+answered he, "laws and edicts are made to be broken in such cases; and as
+for the cruelty of the scene, there is scarcely a lady in Rome that would
+be more scrupulous on that head than my widow. To tell you the truth, one
+of the things that makes me most unwilling to go, is the fear that
+Sempronia also may be there; and, perhaps, when she sees me with Rubellia,
+give credence to some of the reports which have been circulated (not
+without my father's assent, I think, if all were known,) about this odious
+marriage, which I swear to you shall never take place, although Licinius
+were to drive me from his door, and adopt a stranger."--"Sextus," I made
+answer, "if Sempronia thinks there is any thing serious between the widow
+and you, she must think you a pretty rascal, for the violent love you made
+to herself at the Villa. But I am sure she will easily perceive, by your
+countenance, that you do not regard Rubellia, handsome as she is, with any
+extraordinary admiration; whereas--if you were not conscious of it, I am
+sure she must have been so--there was never a face of more passionate love
+than yours, all the time you were in _her_ company. And, even now, the
+very mention of her name calls a glow into your cheeks,--yes, and even into
+your eyes,--that I think would flatter Rubellia, could she excite such
+another, more than all the jewels of all the caskets your father will ever
+send."--"Distract me not, O Valerius!" said the youth,--"distract me not
+with speaking of that too lovely, and, I fear, too scornful girl. Do you
+not perceive that we have at last struck into the Suburra, and are quite
+near to Rubellia's house?"--"It is so," said I, looking out of the
+carriage, "and I suspect you are right in thinking she means to be present
+at the Amphitheatre, for there is a crowd of urchins about her gate, and I
+perceive a brilliant group of equipages has attracted them. She purposes
+to go in all her splendour."--"Good Heavens!" replied he, "I believe all
+the world is to be there. I never passed so many chariots; and as for the
+rabble, see what a stream of heads continues pouring down out of every
+alley. My only hope is, that Rubellia may arrive too late for the best
+situations, and perhaps disdain to witness the spectacle from any inferior
+part of the Amphitheatre; and yet she must have interest, no doubt, to
+have secured good accommodation beforehand."
+
+We were just in time to meet Rubellia stepping from her portico with a gay
+cluster of attendants. On seeing us, however, she beckoned with her
+finger, and said, "Oh, are you come at last? Well, I must take Valerius
+with myself, for I insist upon it that I shall be best able to point out
+what is worthy of his notice; and you, Sextus Licinius, come you also into
+my chariot; we will not separate you from your Orestes." She said so with
+an air of sprightly ease and indifference, and sprung into the carriage.
+An elderly lady, with a broad merry face, went into it also, but there was
+still room for Sextus and myself; and the rest of the party followed in
+other vehicles that were waiting.
+
+The crowd by this time had so accumulated, that our horses could not
+advance but at leisurely pace; but the noise of the multitude as they
+rushed along, and the tumult of expectation visible on every countenance,
+prevented us from thinking of any thing but the festival. The variety,
+however, and great splendour of the equipages, could not but attract my
+attention. Now it was an open chariot, drawn by milk-white Thessalian
+horses, in which reclined some gorgeous female, blazing with jewellery,
+with a cluster of beautiful boys or girls administering odours to her
+nostril; and perhaps some haughty Knight or Senator now and then offering
+the refreshment of his flattery. Then, perhaps, would come rumbling along,
+a close clumsy waggon, of the old-fashioned matronly sort, stuck full with
+some substantial plebeian family--the fat, comfortable-looking citizen, and
+his demure spouse, sitting well back on their cushions, and having their
+knees loaded with an exulting progeny of lads and lasses, whose faces
+would, every now and then, be thrust half out of the window, in spite of
+the mother's tugging at their skirts. And then, again, a cry of "Place,
+place," and a group of lictors, shoving every body aside with their rods,
+before the litter of some dignified magistrate, who, from pride or gout,
+preferred that species of motion to the jolting of a chariot. Such a
+portly person as this would soon be hurried past us, but not before we had
+time to observe the richness of the silken cushions on which he lay
+extended, or the air of majesty with which he submitted himself to the fan
+of the favoured freedman, whose business it was to keep those
+authoritative cheeks free from the contamination of common dust and flies.
+Anon, a jolly band of young gallants, pushing their steeds along, to not a
+few of whom the fair Rubellia would vouchsafe her salutation. But wherever
+the carriage was stopped for an instant, it was wonderful to see the
+number of old emaciated men, and withered hags, that would make their way
+close up to the windows, imploring wherewithal to obtain a morsel. The
+widow herself leaned back on these occasions, as if to avoid the sight;
+but she pointed to a bag of small coin that hung in a corner of the
+chariot, and from it Sextus distributed to the one side, and I to the
+other; and yet it was impossible to give to every one; we were surrounded
+all the way with a mingled clamour of benedictions from those that had
+received, and execrations from those that had got nothing, and noisy
+ever-renewed solicitations from that ever-swelling army of mendicants. At
+last, however, we arrived in safety at the western gate--the same around
+which I had, the night before, witnessed such tumultuous preparation. One
+of the officers in waiting there, no sooner descried the equipage, than he
+caused a space to be laid open for its approach, and himself advanced to
+hand Rubellia into the interior, but she whispered to Sextus and me, by no
+means to separate from her in the crowd.
+
+
+
+
+                               _CHAPTER X._
+
+
+Behold me, therefore, in the midst of the Flavian Amphitheatre, and
+seated, under the wing of the luxurious Rubellia, in a very convenient
+situation. There was a general silence in the place, because proclamation
+had just been made that the gladiators, with whose combats the exhibition
+was to commence, were about to enter upon the arena, and shew themselves
+in order to the people. As yet, however, they had not come forth from that
+place of concealment to which so many of their number would never return;
+so that I had leisure to collect my thoughts, and survey for a moment,
+without disturbance, the mighty and most motley multitude, piled above,
+below, and on every side around me, from the lordly senators, on their
+silken couches, along the parapet of the arena, up to the impenetrable
+mass of plebeian heads which skirted the horizon, above the topmost wall
+of the Amphitheatre itself. Such was the enormous crowd of human beings,
+high and low, that when any motion went through their assembly, the noise
+of their rising up or sitting down might be likened to the sullen roaring
+of the sea, or the rushing of a great night-wind in a forest. Not less
+than eighty thousand human beings, they told me, were here met together.
+Such a multitude could no where be regarded, without inspiring a certain
+indefinable sense of majesty; least of all, when congregated within the
+wide sweep of such a glorious edifice, and surrounded on all sides with
+every circumstance of ornament and splendour, befitting an everlasting
+monument of Roman victory and imperial munificence. Judge, then, with what
+eyes all this was surveyed by me, who had but of yesterday emerged from a
+British valley--who had been accustomed all my life to consider as among
+the most impressive of spectacles, the casual passage of a few scores of
+legionaries through some dark alley of a wood, or awe-struck village of
+barbarians.
+
+Trajan himself was already present--his ivory chair distinguished only by
+its canopy from that of the other Consul who sate over against him; tall
+and majestic in his demeanour; grave, sedate, and benign in countenance,
+as you have seen in his medals and statues. He was arrayed in a plain
+gown, and appeared to converse quite familiarly, without affectation of
+condescension, with such Patricians as had their places near him; among
+whom Sextus and Rubellia pointed out many remarkable personages to my
+notice; as Adrian, afterwards emperor; Pliny, the orator, a man of courtly
+presence, and lively, agreeable aspect; and, above all, the historian
+Tacitus, the worthy son-in-law of our Agricola, in whose pallid
+countenance I could easily recognize the depth, but sought in vain to
+discover any traces of the sternness of his genius. Of all the then proud
+names that were whispered into my ear, could I recollect or repeat them
+now, how few would awaken any interest in your minds! Those, indeed, which
+I have mentioned, have an interest that will never die. Would that the
+greatest and the best of them all were to be remembered only for deeds of
+greatness and goodness!
+
+The proclamation being repeated a second time, a door on the right hand of
+the arena was laid open, and a single trumpet sounded, as it seemed to me,
+mournfully, while the gladiators marched in with slow steps, each
+man--naked, except being girt with a cloth about his loins--bearing on his
+left arm a small buckler, and having a short straight sword suspended by a
+cord around his neck. They marched, as I have said, slowly and steadily;
+so that the whole assembly had full leisure to contemplate the forms of
+the men; while those skilled in such business were fixing, in their own
+minds, on such as they thought most likely to be victorious, and laying
+wagers concerning their chances of success, with as much unconcern as if
+they had been contemplating irrational animals, or rather, indeed, I
+should say, so many pieces of ingenious mechanism. The diversity of
+complexion and feature exhibited among these devoted athletes, afforded at
+once a majestic idea of the extent of the empire, and a terrible one of
+the purposes to which that wide sway had often been made subservient. The
+beautiful Greek, with a countenance of noble serenity, and limbs after
+which the sculptors of his country might have modelled their symbols of
+graceful power, walked side by side with the yellow-bearded savage, whose
+gigantic muscles had been nerved in the freezing waves of the Elbe or
+Ister, or whose thick strong hair was congealed and shagged on his brow
+with the breath of Scythian or Scandinavian winters. Many fierce Moors and
+Arabs, and curled Ethiopians, were there, with the beams of the southern
+sun burnt in every various shade of swarthiness upon their skins. Nor did
+our own remote island want her representatives in the deadly procession,
+for I saw among the armed multitude--not surely without some feelings of
+more peculiar interest--two or three gaunt barbarians, whose breasts and
+shoulders bore uncouth marks of blue and purple, so vivid in the tints,
+that I thought many months could not have elapsed since they must have
+been wandering in wild freedom along the native ridges of some Silurian or
+Caledonian forest. As they moved around the arena, some of these men were
+saluted by the whole multitude with noisy acclamations, in token, I
+suppose, of the approbation wherewith the feats of some former festival
+had deserved to be remembered. On the appearance of others, groans and
+hisses were heard from some parts of the Amphitheatre, mixed with
+contending cheers and huzzas from others of the spectators. But by far the
+greater part were suffered to pass on in silence;--this being in all
+likelihood the first--who could tell whether it might not also be the last
+day of their sharing in that fearful exhibition!
+
+Their masters paired them shortly, and in succession they began to make
+proof of their fatal skill. At first, Scythian was matched against
+Scythian--Greek against Greek--Ethiopian against Ethiopian--Spaniard against
+Spaniard; and I saw the sand dyed beneath their feet with blood streaming
+from the wounds of kindred hands. But these combats, although abundantly
+bloody and terrible, were regarded only as preludes to the serious
+business of the day, which consisted of duels between Europeans on the one
+side, and Africans on the other; wherein it was the well-nigh
+intransgressible law of the Amphitheatre, that at least one out of every
+pair of combatants should die. Instead of shrinking from these more
+desperate brutalities, the almost certainty of their termination seemed
+only to make the assembly gaze on them with a more intense curiosity and
+delight. Methinks I feel as if it were but of yesterday, when,--sickened
+with the protracted terrors of a conflict, that seemed as if it were never
+to have an end, although both the combatants were already covered all over
+with hideous gashes,--I at last bowed down my head, and clasped my hands
+upon my eyes. I had scarcely done so, when Rubellia laid her hand upon my
+elbow, whispering, "Look, look, now look," in a voice of low, steady
+impatience. I did look, but not to the arena: No; it was upon the
+beautiful features of that woman's face that I looked, and truly it seemed
+to me as if they presented a spectacle almost as fearful. I saw those rich
+lips parted, those dark eyes extended, those smooth cheeks suffused with a
+steadfast blush, that lovely bosom swelled and glowing; and I hated
+Rubellia, for I knew not before how utterly beauty can be brutalized by
+the throbbings of a cruel heart. But I looked round to escape from the
+sight of her;--and the hundreds of females that I saw fixed with equal
+earnestness on the same horrors, taught me, even at the moment, to think
+with more charity of that pitiless gaze of one.
+
+At that instant all were silent in contemplation of the breathless strife;
+insomuch, that a groan, the first that had escaped from either of the
+combatants, although low and suppressed, sounded distinctly amidst the
+deep hush, and being constrained to turn once more downwards, I beheld
+that, at length, one of the two had received the sword of his adversary
+quite through his body, and had sunk upon the sand. A beautiful young man
+was he that had received this harm, with fair hair, clustered in glossy
+ringlets upon his neck and brows; but the sickness of his wound was
+already visible on his drooping eye-lids, and his lips were pale, as if
+the blood had rushed from them to the untimely outlet. Nevertheless, the
+Moorish gladiator who had fought with him had drawn forth again his
+weapon, and stood there awaiting in silence the decision, whether at once
+to slay the defenceless youth, or to assist in removing him from the
+arena, if perchance the blood might be stopped from flowing, and some hope
+of recovery even yet extended. There arose, on the instant, a loud voice
+of contention; and it seemed to me as if the wounded man regarded the
+multitude with a proud, contemptuous glance, being aware, without
+question, that he had executed all things so as to deserve their
+compassion, but aware, moreover, that even had that been freely vouchsafed
+to him, it was too late. But the cruelty of their faces, it may be, and
+the loudness of their cries, were a sorrow to him, and filled his dying
+breast with loathing. Whether or not the haughtiness of his countenance
+had been observed by them with displeasure, I cannot say; but those who
+had cried out to give him a chance of recovery, were speedily silent, and
+Caesar looking round, and seeing all the thumbs turned downwards, was
+constrained to give the sign, and forthwith the young man, receiving again
+without a struggle the sword of the Moor into his gashed bosom, breathed
+forth his life, and lay stretched out in his blood upon the place of
+guilt. With that a joyous clamour was uplifted by many of those that
+looked upon it, and the victorious Moor, being crowned with an ivy
+garland, was carried in procession around the arena by certain young men,
+who leaped down for that purpose from the midst of the assembly. In the
+meantime, those that had the care of such things, dragged away, with a
+filthy hook, the corpse of him that had been slain; and then, raking up
+the sand over the blood that had fallen from him, prepared the place, with
+indifferent countenances, for some other tragedy,--while all around me, the
+spectators were seen rising from their places, and saluting each other;
+and there was a buzz of talking as universal as the silence had been
+during the combat; some speaking of this thrust and that ward, and paying
+and receiving money lost and won; some already discoursing of other
+matters, as if nothing uncommon had been witnessed; while others, again,
+appeared to be entirely occupied with the martial music which ever struck
+up majestically at such pauses, beating time upon the benches before them,
+or joining their voices with the proud notes of the trumpets and clarions.
+Rubellia talked gaily with Sextus, inviting him to ridicule me with her,
+for the strangeness of behaviour I had displayed.
+
+The sun, by this, had already mounted high in the heavens, and the glare
+became so intolerable, that men could no longer fight on equal terms;
+which being perceived, Caesar gave command to look after the wild beasts,
+and, in the meantime, (for I heard his voice distinctly,) to give warning
+to the Flamens that they should have their altar set forth.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER XI._
+
+
+Upon this, Trajan, with those immediately about his person, withdrew; but
+Rubellia told me he had only gone to the Palatine by the subterraneous
+path, for the purpose of taking some refreshment, and that there was no
+doubt he would return in time to witness the rest of the spectacle. This
+example, however, was followed in some sort by a great part of the
+spectators, for some departed altogether from the Amphitheatre, while many
+more were seen moving from place to place, crossing from one vomitory to
+another, and paying their respects to different parties of friends, who
+had occupied places at a distance from them during the combats. In the
+meantime, servants of Trajan's household were observed giving directions
+in the arena to a great number of persons, who afterwards began to
+distribute baskets of dried fish, bread, and other eatables, among such as
+chose to accept of them; while viands of a more costly description were
+introduced among the wealthy, by slaves and freedmen of their own. Neither
+were the bearers of water-jars idle, nor the street hawkers of fruit;
+least of all, those whose traffic is in snow,--of whom, I believe, hundreds
+were scrambling in all quarters over the benches, whistling shrilly, as is
+their method, to announce the article in which they dealt.
+
+The Lady Rubellia was not one of those who would ever leave her friends
+destitute of the means of refreshment on such an occasion as this; and
+accordingly two or three of her household were soon with us, bearing jars
+of sweet-meats, baskets of fruit, flasks of wine, with other appurtenances
+of a luxurious collation. We had scarcely begun to taste of these things,
+when our attention was attracted by some one striding, with great
+activity, from one row of benches to another behind us, and looking round,
+I discovered the rosy countenance of Sabinus, whose anxiety to join us
+was, as I immediately suspected, the cause of this exertion. An ordinary
+person would have sought some circuitous method of approach, rather than
+attempt the sheer descent from one of the stone parapets which rose
+immediately in our rear; but the brawny limbs of the Centurion shrunk not
+from that adventurous leap, and, in a word, I soon found him seated beside
+us, bowing and smiling to Rubellia with his usual mixture of boldness and
+suavity. He delayed not from participation in her delicacies; but lifting
+a goblet of Falernian, drank down, without stopping, till he could see the
+foundation of its interior gold. His fingers also soon became acquainted
+with the receptacles of fruit and confectionary; and I was half-inclined
+to some suspicion, that he might perhaps have remained in his original
+situation, had he not chanced to observe the slaves of Rubellia, as they
+came up the vomitory, with their comely-looking, napkin-covered baskets
+upon their heads. As it was, his arrival was acceptable, except perhaps to
+Rubellia, who I thought looked as if she were not overmuch pleased with
+the interruption his mirthful talk occasioned to the conversation on which
+she had been endeavouring to fix the attention of young Licinius.
+
+For that, however, another interruption had been already prepared in
+another part of the assembly, from which our Xerophrastes also had taken
+cognizance of our position. There was such a crowd, however, immediately
+below us, that I know not whether the philosopher would ever have been
+able to make his way to the region where we sat, had it not been that we
+heard his voice in disputation, and entreated those that opposed his
+passage, if possible, to make room for him. The first glimpse we had of
+his countenance, shewed us that the squeeze had been giving him serious
+inconvenience, for the drops of perspiration stood visible on his bald
+front. The persons whom he was addressing, however, seemed to listen with
+such unconcern, that it was impossible not to feel somewhat displeased
+with them, for treating so disrespectfully one whom his venerable aspect
+might have entitled to more courtesy. In vain did he represent to them,
+(for we heard his strong voice distinctly every now and then,) that it was
+not for the sake of any personal ease or convenience he was desirous of
+penetrating into an upper part. In vain did he reiterate "My pupil"--"my
+disciple"--"my young scholar, Sextus Licinius"--"the son of Caius
+Licinius"--"the son of the great orator Caius Licinius is there." In vain
+did he enlarge upon the constancy of attention which philosophers owe to
+those who are placed by the hands of parents under their superintendence.
+No sooner, however, did Sextus and I begin to shew the interest we took in
+his situation, than Sabinus raised himself up on the bench, and called
+aloud on those that surrounded the Stoic, with a voice of much sternness
+and authority, to let him pass immediately at their peril.
+
+Many eyes were forthwith turned towards us; and whether it were the
+dignity and haughtiness of the Centurion's voice and attitude, or that his
+garb alone gave him much weight in the assembly, the resistance was
+relaxed, and Xerophrastes enjoyed an opportunity of almost entirely
+recovering his usual serenity of aspect before he reached us. The first
+thing he did was to accept of a cup which I held out to him, and then with
+much courtesy did he thank us all, but most the Centurion, for the part he
+had taken in working out his deliverance from the hands, as he expressed
+it, of those inhuman and illiterate persons; "while you," he continued,
+"brave warrior, have shewn that in your breast, as in that of
+Epaminondas--of Alexander--and of your own Julius--the reverence of the
+muses, and of divine philosophy, does not disdain to inhabit with the
+ardour of active patriotism, and the spirit-stirring delights of Mars."
+
+"As for that," said Rubellia, with a smile, "all the world knows that
+Sabinus is quite a philosopher--he was just beginning a very learned
+harangue when we were attracted by your voice in the crowd; and you have
+the more reason to thank him, because he was cut very unseasonably short,
+in consequence of the distress in which we perceived you."
+
+"Most noble lady!" replied the Stoic, "you know not how much you have
+delighted me; from the first moment, indeed, that my eyes rested upon the
+countenance of your heroic friend, I suspected that he had subjected
+himself to some other discipline besides that of camps. I saw the traces
+of thought, lady--and serious contemplation. The mind can never exercise
+its faculties, without conveying some symptoms of those internal
+operations to the external surface of the visage. The soul can never
+energize habitually, without betraying its activity in the delicacy and
+acumen, which the more elegant and susceptible parts of the corporeal
+frame acquire during those elaborate and mysterious processes of thought.
+I saw, therefore, and suspected. But what thanks are not due to you, for
+having so agreeably confirmed me in this happy suspicion! Of a surety, the
+noise and tumult of the camp is not so well adapted for the theoretic or
+contemplative life, as perfect leisure and retirement; yet, who shall
+doubt that the soul of great energy can overcome all such disadvantages?
+Who shall think that the spirit of Socrates did not eagerly philosophize
+during the campaign he served?--Who shall say that the Stagyrite must have
+suspended his acute, although imperfect investigations, even although he
+had accompanied his royal pupil across the Hellespont, and attended all
+the motions of his victorious army, instead of staying at home to teach
+the youth of Greece?--Who, finally," said he, casting his courteous eyes
+full on the Praetorian, "shall suspect but that this generous warrior has
+been effectually advancing the growth of philosophic science, within his
+own mind at least,--if not composing works, in his intervals of leisure,
+destined hereafter to benefit and instruct the world, even although he may
+have been attending the flight of the Eagle from utmost Britain to the
+desert frontiers of the Parthian?"--"Nobody, indeed," replied the sportive
+lady--"nobody, indeed, who has enjoyed any opportunity of being acquainted
+with the Centurion, can have any doubt on that head.--Sabinus," she
+continued, turning towards him, "what treatise are you at present engaged
+with? Come, now, speak out, and truly;--are you still busy with your peri
+tes Phuseos tou oistrou bakchikou,(1) that you were quoting from the other
+night?--or are you deep in '_the delight of contemplation_?'--or----"--"Not at
+all," quoth the Centurion, interrupting her; "I am only deep in _love_----"
+Saying so, he laid his hand in a very tender fashion upon his breast, and
+even, as I thought, began to throw a little sentiment into his eyes; but
+he had no opportunity of going on with his speech, for Xerophrastes had no
+sooner heard him utter the word _love_, than he immediately began to pour
+out a new rhapsody.
+
+"Love!" quoth he; "Ha! love:--in good sooth, a noble subject, and one
+concerning which not a few laudable treatises have been composed. Yet,
+without question, much remains to be done in this matter; and I should be
+most proud if the illustrious Sabinus would vouchsafe to me a perusal of
+his speculations. Without question," he continued, "you have commenced
+with a proper definition and division of the subject. You have
+distinguished betwixt what is properly called _love_, and the other more
+or less kindred affections, with which hallucinating writers have too
+often committed the error of confounding it. You have described, in the
+first place, the difference between it and the _Storge_ or natural
+affection which parents have for their offspring--an affection in which not
+a few of the irrational tribes appear (if physiologists may be trusted) to
+be even superior to the human race."--"Hens, for example," quoth the
+Centurion, with a face of infinite gravity.--"Even so--_hens_," continued
+the sage; "an apt illustration.--I perceive, indeed, lady," whispered he to
+Rubellia, "that you have not deceived me concerning the attainments of
+this your noble friend.--Hens--a most acute illustration!--See you now, O
+Sextus!" he went on, "it is not the characteristic of true philosophy to
+despise those illustrations which are drawn from the affairs of ordinary
+life, and the common surfaces of things. No: it is rather her part to shew
+forth her own intrinsic excellence and splendour, by raising that which is
+in itself low and customary, to unexpected dignity, by her methods of
+felicitous application. See you, now, with what unexampled skill this
+hero--this philosopher, I should rather say--may I presume to add, this
+brother philosopher?--has illustrated the nature of love in this treatise
+of his, by introducing the domestic habits of your common household fowl.
+Such things should not pass unheeded by the young aspirants to learning,
+because these, more than any other circumstances, may furnish them with
+encouragement to proceed in their course, by shewing how many of the
+materials of philosophy lie every where under the eyes of the most common
+traveller of the path of life; and how assuredly it is the fault of the
+individual himself, if he neglect the means of spiritual advancement,
+which are sure to be afforded in whatever situation may chance to have
+been assigned to him."
+
+"I beg your pardon for interrupting you," said Rubellia; "but Sabinus has
+almost finished the grapes while you have been speaking; and I would only
+just beg to suggest, that it is the fault of the individual, Xerophrastes,
+if he neglects the means of corporeal refreshment, which may yet be
+afforded to him by what remains in the basket."
+
+"Most kind lady," resumed he, "your benevolence is worthy of your
+nobility.--But you know not how much the philosophy I have embraced, tends
+to lessen the natural desire of man for such things as you allude
+to--nevertheless," he continued, "I will not refuse to partake yet farther
+of your bounty; for I have been sorely dealt with in the multitude, as
+yourselves witnessed."
+
+So saying, he took hold of the basket, and began to feel in the bottom of
+it, but found very little to his purpose; for, to say the truth, the rest
+of the party had been almost as eager in their attentions to it as the
+Centurion. A few slender bunches, notwithstanding, were still there, one
+of which the philosopher thrust into his mouth, and the rest he concealed
+beneath one of the folds of his huge mantle, until he should have made an
+end of his criticism. Meantime, the natural language of the broad, jovial,
+unreflective countenance of our worthy Centurion, seemed considerably at
+variance from the notion of his attainments and pursuits, which this merry
+lady had been instilling into the pedagogue. Rubellia herself, however,
+appeared to enjoy the thing far more keenly than either Sextus or I;
+insomuch, that I was afraid Xerophrastes would penetrate through the joke
+she was playing off upon him, before he had given himself his full swing
+in commendation of the Praetorian. But Sabinus, on his side, was, as it
+seemed, of opinion, that he had already heard enough of such
+disquisitions; for he had scarcely seen out the last cup of Falernian, ere
+he began to give hints that he wished very much to descend into the arena,
+for the purpose of observing the animals about to be exhibited, while they
+were yet in their cages. Xerophrastes, however, even when he had heard him
+signify this desire, appeared still to be resolved on considering him as
+one of the philosophic order of mankind; for he at once offered to
+accompany him, saying, that the visit was of course intended for the
+gratification of some scientific curiosity, and that therefore he should
+think himself culpable did he neglect the opportunity.
+
+"Come, then," quoth the good-natured Sabinus, "by all means prepare
+yourself for the descent; but at least allow me to precede you, that there
+may be no risk of untimely obstructions."--"Most assuredly, noble
+Centurion," replied Xerophrastes, "in this, as in all things, I shall be
+proud to be enumerated among your followers. My pupil, also," he added,
+"and his friend, will no doubt accompany us, that they may benefit by our
+discourse on whatever may be subjected to observation."--"Venerated
+friend," said Rubellia, "would you leave the ladies by themselves in the
+midst of the Amphitheatre? I hope Sextus Licinius, at least, will consider
+our weakness, and remain for our protection."
+
+She laid her hand on my companion's arm, with a look which was decisive.
+Her ancient crony whispered something about the impropriety of leaving
+only one of the party to attend upon two females; but I took advantage of
+her low tone to pretend ignorance of that hint, and rose with the
+Centurion.
+
+"Go quickly," said Sextus, "for the interval must be well-nigh at an end;
+and if those that have gone out begin to rush in again, you may have
+difficulty in regaining your places."--"Give fear to the winds," quoth
+Sabinus; "am not I with them, that know every lion-feeder in Rome? No
+chance of the exhibition recommencing without my having sufficient
+warning. It is not for nothing that I have lost and won so many thousand
+sesterces in the Amphitheatre. Would to Hercules as much respect were paid
+to experience every where else, as in the Arena to your true old Better.
+Already, I perceive that half a dozen of those knowing characters down
+below, about the entrances to the dens, have detected me. They must fancy
+my purse is in a poor state indeed, when I don't seem to think it worth
+while to take even a single peep at the cages. Come, worthy brother in
+philosophy, and you, my fellow-voyager, let us be alert, lest we arrive
+after Plataea."
+
+We obeyed with due alacrity, and, leaving the reluctant Sextus to his
+fate, touched presently the margin of the arena. We had no sooner arrived
+there, than an old skin-dried limping Numidian, with a bit of lion's hide
+fastened round his loins--one who, from his leanness and blackness, had
+very much the appearance of having been baked to a cinder, drew to the
+Centurion, with many nods and significant grins of recognition. Sabinus,
+on his part, seemed noways backward to acknowledge this acquaintance; but,
+on the contrary, began to talk volubly with him in a strange sort of
+broken dialect, chiefly composed, as I afterwards learned, of Punic
+vocables. After this had lasted some minutes, he took Xerophrastes and me
+by the hand, and seemed to introduce us to the Numidian, who then desired
+us all to come down, and he would conduct us to a place where we should
+see something not unworthy of being seen. About to follow these
+directions, I felt my gown seized from behind, and looking round, observed
+that it was my faithful Briton, who, from the heat and confusion of his
+aspect, appeared not to have come thither without a considerable struggle.
+Sabinus seeing him, said, "Ah! my old friend Boto, how have you come to
+this part of the Amphitheatre? We must not leave you behind us, however:
+Of a surety, you have never seen a lion--you shall descend along with your
+master; and who knows but we may persuade Xerophrastes that you also are a
+brother philosopher?"--"Most noble Centurion," replied the grateful slave,
+"I saw you and my master from the very topmost bench, where I have been
+sitting for these three hours with Dromo, and I was determined to draw
+near to you, if it were possible. To go from this place up to yonder
+quarter would perhaps be impossible; but it is never a very difficult
+matter to go down in this world; so, saving your reverence, I trundled
+myself over the benches, and when heads were in my way, I trundled myself
+over them too."--"It is well, good Briton," quoth the Centurion--by this
+time we had crossed the arena--"and now prepare to exercise your eyes as
+well as you already have exercised your limbs; for know, that very near to
+you is the abode of nobler animals than even your lord hath ever
+observed."
+
+With this the African opened one of the iron doors edging the arena, and
+having received some money, admitted us to the sight of a long flight of
+marble steps, which appeared to descend into the bowels of the earth, far
+below the foundation of the Amphitheatre. "Come along, masters," quoth he;
+"we had better go down this way, for we shall have a better view of the
+animals so, than on the other side. My master, Sabinus, will tell you all,
+that old Aspar knows as much about these things as any Numidian in the
+place."--"Indeed, since friend Bisbal is gone," quoth the Centurion, "there
+is not another of these that is to be compared to you."--"Ah!" replied
+Aspar, "Bisbal was a great man; there is not a feeder in Rome that is
+worthy to tie the latchet of his sandals, if he were alive."--"Why, as to
+that," said the other, "old Bisbal was very seldom worth a pair of sandals
+worth the tying, when he was alive; but, come on, we have no great leisure
+for talking now, and Aspar shall shew a lion with any Bisbal that ever
+wielded whip.--Come on."
+
+We soon reached a large vaulted place, apparently below the Amphitheatre,
+the sides of which were almost entirely covered with iron-gratings,--while
+up and down the open space were strolling many strange groupes of men,
+connected in different capacities with the bloody spectacles of the arena.
+On one hand, we saw some of the gladiators, who had already been
+combating, walking to and fro with restless and agitated steps, as if they
+had not yet been able to recover themselves from the excitement into which
+their combats had thrown them. Even of such as had been victorious, I
+observed that not a few partook in all these symptoms of uneasiness; and
+the contrast thus exhibited to the haughty mien of calmness they had so
+lately been displaying, affected me with a strange sense of the irrational
+and inhuman life these unhappy persons were condemned by folly or
+necessity to lead. The blood had forsaken the lips and cheeks of others,
+and from the fixed stare of their eyes, it appeared that their minds were
+entirely withdrawn from every thing passing around them. Their limbs, so
+recently nerved to the utmost show of vigour, were now relaxed and
+unstrung, and they trod the marble floor with heavy and straggling feet.
+But they that appeared to me to be in the most wretched state, were such
+as, they told us, expected to be led forth shortly to contend with the
+wild beasts, in whose immediate vicinity they were now walking. The
+summons to battle with a human opponent calls into action the fierceness
+and the pride of man; but he that has to fight with a beast, how should he
+not be weighed down with the sense of mortal degradation; how should the
+Reason that is in him not fill him, in such a prospect, with dispiriting
+and humbling, rather than with strengthening and stimulating thoughts?
+Howbeit, the Centurion, although the most good-natured of mankind, being
+rendered from custom quite callous to these things, immediately entered
+into conversation with some of those unfortunates, in a tone of coolness
+and unconcern that shocked me the more, because it did not seem in the
+smallest degree to shock them. Among other topics, he enlarged at much
+length to one of them upon the best method of evading the attack of a
+tiger.
+
+"Look ye now," said he, "there are some that are always for taking things,
+as they call it, in good time,--these will be pointing their swords before
+the creature makes his spring; but I have seen what comes of that, and so
+has old Aspar here, if he would be honest enough to confess it. The true
+way is to watch his eye when he is setting; let him fairly fix upon his
+mark, and spring; but at the moment when he is taking his leap, then is
+the time for the gladiator to start aside, and have at him with a
+side-thrust. Your side-thrust is the only one I would lay an _as_
+upon."--"Yea," quoth the grinning Aspar,--"it was always on your cool steady
+side-thrust, the moment he had sprung, that the great Bisbal used to stake
+himself. Ha! ha! I was fond of the side-thrust in my day myself; but I got
+a scratch once--witness my poor leg, masters,--and since then I am a poor
+feeder."--"I was always clear for the side-thrust," quoth Sabinus. "I never
+saw it fail but twice, and then, to be sure, the men died; but they could
+have had no chance at all with the frontguard; and it is always
+something," continued he, clapping one of the poor expecting gladiators on
+the back,--"it is always something to have a chance. Be sure you try him
+with the side-thrust, if it come to your turn to-day."
+
+The poor creature--he also was an African--lifted up his head on being so
+addressed, and shewed all his white teeth in a melancholy attempt at a
+smile; but said not a word in reply, and forthwith became as downcast as
+before. But the Centurion took little or no heed of the manner in which
+his advice had been received. He contemplated the man's figure for a
+moment, as if to form some judgment concerning the measure of his
+strength; and after doing the like in regard to some of his companions,
+commanded Aspar to shew us where the prime lions of the day were reposing.
+
+The Numidian seized a long pole that was leaning against one of the
+pillars of the vault, and led us to a certain part of the grated wall,
+behind which was the den, wherein six monstrous Atlantic lions were kept.
+I looked in upon them with wonder, and not without dread, through the iron
+net-work of the doors. An imperfect gleam of light descended from above
+upon their tawny hides and glaring eyes. They, like the gladiators, seemed
+also to be preparing for the combat; but not like them in fear, nor in
+cold dewy tremors; for the deprivation of food, which they had been made
+to suffer in prospect of the exhibition, had roused all the energies of
+their savage natures; insomuch, that a sulky and yearning rage seemed to
+spread through every nerve and sinew of their gigantic frames, and to make
+them paw their quadrangular prison with long and pliant strides. They
+moved, however, as yet in total silence; so that Boto having fixed his
+eyes upon them, took courage to approach the grate,--slowly, nevertheless,
+and with a face that appeared to lengthen an inch for every inch he
+advanced. But when he had almost touched the bars, one of the huge lions
+came forward towards him, with something between a growl and a sigh, which
+made Boto spring backward with great and surprising agility, and with such
+force, that both he and Xerophrastes, who happened unfortunately to have
+been standing a little way behind him, were overthrown at all their length
+upon the floor.
+
+The Centurion, and the limping old keeper, burst into laughter; but
+Xerophrastes rising, and shaking his garment, said, with some warmth,
+"Think not, O Sabinus, that any sudden start of fear has thus ridiculously
+stretched me upon the floor; but attribute the mischance only to this rude
+offspring of British earth, whose unreclaimed natural feelings are still
+shamefully affected by natural causes."--"Castor and Pollux," quoth the
+Centurion,--"you take every thing too seriously, my friend."--"I take it not
+seriously," replied he, with admirable gravity. "My philosophy forbids me
+to do so; it has steeled me against externals."--"Has it so, in faith!"
+rejoined the Centurion. "I think some of your equanimity is, in fact,
+owing to the trifling circumstance, that you have in reality received no
+injury whatever from your tumble. And as to steeling, let me tell you, I
+think the iron in the grated door there is much better placed, than in the
+bosom of a philosopher; for, in the door, it serves the purpose of
+preventing all harm; but if these animals were once out, all the mental
+steel of which you boast would not save every bone in your body from being
+cracked in the twanging of a bow-string."--"You speak," replied
+Xerophrastes, "as if you had embraced the tenets of a sect not worthy of
+the lovers of wisdom--You speak as if the artificial contrivances of human
+workmen were all in all. An iron cage may confine wild beasts; but can
+cages be made for all those misfortunes to which mankind are liable, and
+against which the force of the mind is their only means of defence? Can
+you cage the Eumenides, when they come to avenge a life spent in ignoble
+indolence and degrading luxury?"--"In truth," replied the Centurion with a
+smile, "I have never seen the Eumenides except once, and that was in the
+theatre of Athens. But Boto, perhaps, has been more fortunate. Did you
+ever see the Eumenides, good Boto?" "No, master," replied, stupidly, the
+perplexed Boto, "I never was at the theatre."
+
+"Ye gods!" exclaimed the Stoic, "of a surety this Britain must have been
+the last spot rescued from the dominion of Chaos!"
+
+But while we were yet contemplating those enormous animals, and amused
+with the awkward gestures of Boto, the trumpets were blown in the
+Amphitheatre, and no sooner did the sound of them penetrate into the
+vaults, than it was evident, from the bustle which ensued, that the
+Emperor had returned to his place. With all speed, therefore, did we
+reascend to the upper air, leaving the gladiators in the act of mustering
+in their respective quarters of the gloomy vault; and the feeders not less
+busied in preparing their beasts for the expected combat. Had we not been
+under the protection of Sabinus, we should have attempted in vain to
+regain our places; but he being an acknowledged and current authority,
+known in every department of the Amphitheatre, the door-keepers, and other
+functionaries, durst refuse him nothing; room was made for us where no
+room appeared; and, in a word, we shortly found ourselves once more seated
+by the side of Rubellia and Sextus.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER XII._
+
+
+The day was by this time considerably advanced; and, in spite of the
+awnings spread all over head, the rays of the sun were so powerful, that
+the marble benches felt hot to the touch, wherever they were exposed to
+them; and altogether there was such a glare and fervour throughout the
+place, that my eyes began to be weary of gazing; and very gladly would I
+have retired, rather than remain to see out the rest of the exhibition.
+Nevertheless, there was no appearance of any one having gone away in
+weariness; but, on the contrary, the seats, and even the passages, seemed
+to be more crowded than they had been in the anterior part of the morning.
+
+The arena was vacant, when I looked down upon it; but in a short time, a
+single old man, who, as Rubellia told me, had, without doubt, been found
+guilty of some atrocious wickedness, was led forth from a small wicket on
+the one side, and presently his fetters being struck off, those that
+conducted him retired, leaving him alone upon the sand. The eyes of this
+malefactor refused at first to look steadfastly on the objects around him,
+and it seemed to me that he had probably been long confined in some dark
+place, so grievously did the dazzling splendour, reflected from the floor
+and walls, appear to bewilder and confound him. Nevertheless, after a
+brief space, he seemed in some measure to recover himself, and assumed a
+posture of resignation, leaning with one hand against the parapet, as if
+he needed support to uphold himself. Pallid and extenuated were the
+outlines of the old man's visage, and his hair and beard exhibited not a
+little of the squalidness attendant on long confinement; yet there was
+something in the attitude, and even in the countenance, which made me
+harbour the suspicion that he had not, at some former period, been
+altogether unacquainted with the luxuries and refinements of social life.
+The beauty, indeed, of the mould in which his form had originally been
+cast, might, perhaps, have been the sole cause of these casual
+demonstrations of elegance; yet it was impossible not to regard the man
+with greater interest, by reason of the contrast suggested between what he
+once perhaps had been, and what he now was.
+
+A feeling of the same sort seemed to pervade many more in the assembly;
+and I heard a continual whispering among those around me, as if there was
+a general anxiety to learn something of the history of the man. No one,
+however, appearing to be able to say any thing concerning this, I kept my
+eyes fixed upon himself, awaiting the issue in silence. Judge then, what
+was my surprise, when one of the heralds of Trajan, having commanded that
+there should be silence in the amphitheatre, said, "Let Tisias of Antioch
+come forth, and answer to the things that shall be alleged against him."
+To which the old man, that was alone in the arena, immediately made
+reply,--"Here am I--my name is Tisias of Antioch."--In vain, however, even
+after hearing the well-remembered voice, did I attempt to persuade myself
+that the face was such as I had pictured within myself; for, as to seeing
+it, I have already told you that utter darkness prevailed in the dungeon
+all the time I was there with him.
+
+Then arose the Prefect of the city, who had his place immediately under
+the chair of Caesar, and said in a voice, which, although not loud, was
+heard distinctly all through the Amphitheatre,--"Tisias of Antioch, being
+accused of blasphemy and contempt for the Gods, has been brought hither,
+either to refute this charge, by doing homage at the altar of Jupiter Best
+and Greatest; or, persisting in his rebellion, to suffer openly the
+punishment which the laws have affixed to such perversity. Let him remain
+where he is until the Flamens invite all to join in the sacrifice."
+
+Tisias, hearing these words, stept forth into the middle of the arena, and
+folding his arms upon his breast, stood there composedly, without once
+lifting up his eyes, either to the place from which the Prefect had
+spoken, or to any other region of the Amphitheatre. The situation in which
+he stood was such, that I commanded, where I sate, a full and distinct
+view of every movement of the old man's countenance, and assuredly my eyes
+were in no danger of being directed away from him. For a few moments there
+was perfect silence throughout the assembly, until at length the same
+herald made proclamation for the doors to be thrown open, that the priests
+of Jupiter might have access. There was heard forthwith a noise, as of the
+turning of some heavy machinery, and a part of the ground-work of the
+arena itself appeared to be giving way, right over against that quarter in
+which Tisias had his station. But of this the purpose was soon manifested,
+when there arose from underneath into the space thus vacated, a wooden
+stage, or platform, covered all over with rich carpetings, whereof the
+centre was occupied by a marble altar, set forth already with all the
+usual appurtenances of sacrifice, and surmounted on one side by a gigantic
+statue of bronze, in which it was easy to recognize the features of the
+great Phidian Jupiter. Neither had the altar any sooner made its
+appearance there, and the sound of the machinery, by which its great
+weight had been lifted, ceased to be heard, than even as the herald had
+given command, the main gates of the Amphitheatre were expanded, and
+thereby a free passage prepared for the procession of the Flamens. With
+that, all those that were present in the Amphitheatre, arose from their
+seats and stood up, and a sweet symphony of lutes and clarions ushered in
+the sacred band to the place appointed for them. And, first of all, there
+marched a train of fifty beautiful boys, and then an equal number of very
+young maidens, all, both boys and maidens, arrayed in white tunics, and
+having their heads crowned with oaken garlands, and bearing in their hands
+fresh branches of the oak tree, which, above all the other trees of the
+forest, is, as you have heard and well know, held dear and sacred to
+Jupiter. Then these youthful bands were separated, and they arranged
+themselves, the boys on the right, and the girls on the left hand of the
+altar, some of them standing on the arena itself, and others on either
+side, upon the steps of the platform whereon the altar was fixed; and
+beautiful, indeed, was their array, and comely and guiltless were their
+looks; and much modesty was apparent, both in the downcast eyes and closed
+lips, with which some of them stood there to await the issue of their
+coming, and in the juvenile admiration wherewith others of them were
+regarding the wide and splendid assemblage around them; insomuch, that I
+could not but feel within myself a certain dread and fearfulness, when I
+saw the feet of so many tender and innocent ones placed there upon the
+same hot and guilty sand, which had so often drunk the blood of fierce
+beasts and cruel malefactors--alas!--which had drunk the blood of the
+innocent also--and which was yet to drink thereof abundantly.
+
+And after them there came in the priests themselves of Jupiter, arrayed in
+the white garments of sacrifice, walking two by two, the oldest and
+principal of them coming last. And behind them again, were certain younger
+assistants, clothed also in white, who led by a cord of silk inwrought
+with threads of silver, a milk-white steer, without spot or blemish, whose
+horns were already gilt, and his broad brows crowned with oak leaves and
+roses. And last of all entered the Vestal Virgins, none of whom had ever
+before been seen by me, and they also walked two by two; and no one could
+contemplate without veneration the majesty of their demeanour. With broad
+fillets were they bound around the forehead, and deep flowing veils hung
+down to their feet, entirely covering their faces and their hands;
+nevertheless, their dignity was apparent; and it was not the less
+impressive, by reason of the great mystery in which all things about them
+appeared to be enveloped.
+
+Imagine, therefore, to yourselves, how magnificent was the appearance of
+all things, when youths and damsels, and priests and vestals, had taken
+their places, according to the custom of their sacred observances; and all
+that innumerable company of spectators yet standing up in the
+amphitheatre, the choral-hymn was begun, in which every voice there was
+united, except only that of Tisias the Christian. Now, it was the soft low
+voices of the young maidens that sounded, and then these would pause, and
+give place to the clearer and more piercing notes of the boys that stood
+on the other side of the altar; then again the priestesses of Vesta would
+break in from afar with their equable harmony; and anon these in their
+turn ceasing, the Flamens of Jupiter would lift up their strong deep
+chanting, until, at the appointed signal from him that stood on the
+highest step of the altar, with the cup of libation in his hand, the whole
+people that were present burst in and joined in the rushing stream of the
+burden, "Jupiter,--Jupiter, hear us!--hear us, Father of Gods and men!"
+while the wine was poured out, gushing red upon the marble, and the
+incense flung on high from fifty censers, rolled its waves of smoke all
+over the surface of the arena, and quite up to the gorgeous canopy of that
+resounding Amphitheatre. Magnificent, indeed, was the spectacle, and
+majestic the music; yet in the midst of it, how could I take away my eyes
+from the pale and solitary old man, by reason of whose presence alone all
+these things were so? With calm eyes did he regard all the pageantry of
+those imperial rites,--with closed lips did he stand amidst all the
+shouting multitudes. He bowed not his head; he lifted not up his hand;
+neither would he bend his knee, when the victim was slain before the horns
+of the altar; neither would he in any thing give semblance of being a
+partaker in the worship.
+
+At length the song ceased, and there was a proclamation again for deep
+silence; and the Prefect of the city, addressing himself once more to
+Tisias, spoke thus:--"Impious and unhappy man, with great clemency have all
+things been conducted as concerning thee. When, after long imprisonment,
+and innumerable exhortations in private and in public, thou hadst always
+rejected every means of safety, and spurned from thee the pardon of those
+in whose hands thy being is placed, yet, notwithstanding of all thine
+obstinacy and continual rebellion, was it determined, that, in the face of
+all the people, thou shouldst once more have free grace offered to thee,
+provided only thou shouldst, when all the assembly worshipped, join thy
+voice with them, and bow thy head also toward the altar of Jupiter.
+Nevertheless all that now hear me shall bear witness, that, with open and
+visible contumacy, thou hast rejected this opportunity also of being
+reconciled unto the prince and the empire,--that, when every knee bent, and
+every voice was lifted up, thou alone hast stood upright, and thy lips
+alone have been closed. If it be so, that, from some inflicted, rather
+than voluntary perversion of mind, thou hast never yet been able to
+understand the danger in which thou art placed, know now, that there
+remains no hope at all for thee, except for a moment; and let the strong
+fear of death open thine eyes, that thou mayst see where thou art, and for
+what purpose thou hast been brought hither. Thou art a born subject of
+Rome, and thy life can only be held by thee, in virtue of obedience to the
+laws. These are clearer upon nothing, than the necessity that all men
+should acknowledge the deities of Rome; and of good reason, since, if they
+be despised, and their authority set at nought, by what means shall an
+oath be ratified, or a pledge given; or how may the head, which counsels
+and protects, be assured that the members shall not be lifted up against
+it? Let silence remain in the assembly, and let Tisias of Antioch make his
+election, whether he will give obedience, or suffer the penalty of
+transgression."
+
+Then the Prefect, and all those round about Trajan, sat down, and there
+was a deep silence throughout the lower region, where, for the most part,
+they of condition were placed; but when the rabble, that sat above, beheld
+the stern and resolute countenance with which the old man stood there upon
+the arena, it seemed as if they were enraged beyond measure, and there
+arose among them a fierce uproar, and a shouting of hatred; and, amidst
+groans and hisses, there was a cry from innumerable voices of--"Christian!
+Christian!--Blasphemer! Blasphemer!--Atheist! Atheist!--A tiger! A tiger!--Let
+loose a tiger upon the Christian!"
+
+Nevertheless, the old man preserved unmoved the steadfastness of his
+demeanour, and lifting up his eyes to the place from whence the tumult
+proceeded, regarded the ferocious multitude with a visage, not of anger or
+of scornfulness, but rather of pity and calmness; insomuch, that I
+perceived the nobles and senators were somewhat ashamed of the outcry, and
+the Prefect of the city arose from his place, and beckoned with his hand,
+until the people were weary of shouting, and order was, in some measure,
+re-established in the Amphitheatre.
+
+Then Tisias, perceiving that silence once more prevailed, lifted up his
+hand, and bowed himself before Trajan, and the great men of authority that
+were near to his chair, and said, with a firm clear voice, in the Roman
+tongue, "My name, O Trajan, is Tisias--the son of Androboulos. I am a
+native of Antioch, in Syria, and have in all things, except only in what
+pertains to this cause, observed throughout all the years of my life the
+statutes of the empire, as they, by whose accusation I have been led
+hither, shall themselves be constrained to bear witness for me this day.
+My father was a Greek of Macedonian extraction, being descended from one
+of those that came into Syria beneath the banners of the great King
+Seleucus; but he took to wife a maiden of the Hebrew nation, and in
+process of time became a proselyte to the faith of her fathers.
+Nevertheless, he lived in trust and honour beneath the governors appointed
+by those that were before you in the empire, and brought up me and all his
+children to reverence, in all things that are lawful, the authority of
+Caesar. But as to the faith of the true God, whose worshippers ye blindly
+and foolishly call atheists and blasphemers, from that he neither swerved
+himself, nor would permit any of those that were in his household to
+depart. Now, when he had been a dweller for some time in Jerusalem, the
+great city of the Jews, he began to examine into those things which were
+reported publicly concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who is also called the
+Christ, of which things not a few that had been eye-witnesses were then
+living in that city. And when he had been satisfied from their testimony,
+that those miracles, of which you have all heard, were in truth performed
+in the sight of the people by Jesus, and had listened unto the words of
+their teachers, and saw how they proved that the old prophets of the
+Hebrews had foretold those wonderful works, he perceived that Jesus of
+Nazareth was indeed the Christ of God, and the great Deliverer that had
+been promised to that people, even from the beginning of their nation. And
+he believed on him with all his household; and I also, from a stripling,
+have, although unworthy, been a Christian; for by that name were they
+first called in Antioch, the city of my birth.
+
+"But being brought into trouble by reason of his religion, which the
+rulers of the Jews abhorred, my father departed, after a time, from
+Jerusalem, and dwelt with my mother in one of the villages of Palestine,
+until his death. Not long after which time, the Jews rebelled against
+Caesar, and the great war began, which terminated in the overthrow of
+Jerusalem, and the utter ruin of their nation. Now, when Vespasian first
+came with his army into those regions, I, being without employment in the
+place where we had our habitation, and having, moreover, taken up a great,
+and perhaps a sinful, wrath against the Jews, on account of the sufferings
+which my father had undergone among them, and of the evils which, at their
+hands, our whole household had sustained, joined myself to one of the
+bands of Syrian auxiliaries; and although my mother entreated me, could
+not be persuaded to refrain from following the camp of Caesar with them. Of
+which thing it has often since then repented me, and in which, it may be,
+I still hold myself not to have done altogether as was right; for if the
+Jews had offended Caesar, it was, indeed, a reasonable thing that Caesar
+should visit them with his vengeance; but, peradventure, it behoved not
+any of them that were descended from the fathers of that people, to take
+part in the warfare. Nevertheless, being then young, and, as I have said,
+irritated by the sense of domestic injuries, I scrupled not to fulfil in
+all things the duty of a soldier, and followed the eagles of Vespasian and
+his son, even to the day when the lines were drawn around the Holy City;
+and it was manifest, that the war could have no end, but in the eternal
+overthrow of the power of the Jews. Neither did the length of the siege
+weary me, or produce within me any sort of unwillingness; but, on the
+contrary, so long as the city was beleaguered, I remained with the band in
+which I had numbered myself, and did in all labours such service as my
+strength would permit. Even among the soldiers that have guarded my
+prison, since I was led into Rome for the sake of that accusation which
+has been brought against me in the matter of my belief,--even among them, I
+have seen the faces of some that were my comrades in that fierce war, and
+that long beleaguerment, who also, if they be commanded, will not refuse
+to bear testimony before you, that all these things are true, even as I
+have said, and that I was a faithful soldier, both of Vespasian and of
+Titus, unto the last. Neither, indeed, did I lay down arms immediately
+when Jerusalem had been sacked, and the Temple burnt, according to the
+prediction of Christ, but went with Caesar along the sea-coast, and was
+present with him all through the journeyings he made in Egypt, even to the
+day when he made his great festival at Alexandria, and crowned the Ox Apis
+with his own hands, in the presence of all that people. On which day it
+was, that, for the first time, I also was accused of being a Christian,
+and at the command of Titus himself, was interrogated by one of the rulers
+of the army.
+
+"Now with shame and confusion of face must I acknowledge, that on that day
+I, from desire of life, forgot myself utterly, and being deserted of all
+steadfastness, went up to the altar in presence of my judge, and offered
+gifts there, whereon I was declared free of all blame; and even received
+honour and commendation thereafter from them, on account of my services in
+the war. But, from that day, my spirit sunk within me, and I knew not what
+to do; I grew weary of all things, and determined to leave the band in
+which I was serving, that I might seek out, if it were possible, the
+habitation of my mother, and make atonement in secret for the wickedness
+of which I, unhappy and fearful man, had been guilty at Alexandria. Being
+absolved, therefore, from my oath of service, on account of the length of
+time I had remained with the army, I departed from Egypt, and, after a
+time, found out my mother where she was dwelling in the mountainous
+country of Palestine, to the north of Jerusalem. In going thither,
+however, I was constrained to pass by the place where I had so long lain
+in your camp, O Romans! and to look with my own eyes on the sorrowful
+desolation of that ancient city, where so many holy prophets of the
+Hebrews had ministered, and so many great kings reigned in the days of the
+old time, when their nation flourished, and was chosen and favoured of the
+Almighty. And it was then, indeed, that I first began to repent me of
+having been present in the host of Titus, and of having had a part in that
+terrible destruction; to which, when I added the recollection of my own
+miserable timorousness at Alexandria, great was my perplexity, and I fled
+across the mountains with much speed, seeking in vain to fly from the
+stings and unceasing torment of my own meditations, which nevertheless
+continued ever more and more to sink into my spirit; insomuch, that when I
+came into the place where my mother was dwelling, scarcely could she
+recognize me, wasted and worn as I was with that perpetual misery of shame
+and repentance. Without reproaches, however, and indeed with great
+kindness, did she receive me into her habitation, even although, as I have
+said, she had been much offended with me because of my going up to the
+beleaguerment of the city of her fathers. But when I, being humbled, made
+confession to her and her household, and to all the faithful that were in
+that place, of the grievous sin whereof I had been guilty in Egypt, both
+she and all the rest of them busied themselves continually to comfort me,
+and to assure me that there was yet hope, if my repentance were sincere,
+and my resolution immovable never again to yield myself to any similar
+temptation. One of them also, that had been set apart to minister in holy
+things among the scattered believers that dwelt up and down in that
+region, came not many days after to the same place, and having publicly
+heard my confession, admitted me once more to be a partaker with them in
+the mysteries of the sanctuary. From which day, O Trajan! I have never
+again been so far deserted of myself, as to fall back into that miserable
+error, or by any cowardly word of mine, to deny the faith that is in me,
+which is the faith of the True God that made heaven and earth, and of his
+Son Jesus Christ, whom he sent into the world to teach loving-kindness,
+and long-suffering, and patience, among all kindreds, and tongues, and
+nations of mankind; and to make expiation, by the accursed death of the
+cross, for the evil and the wickedness that is in the world. From which
+faith, should I now depart, out of terror for that which, by your command,
+may befal me in this place, of a surety no comfort could ever again come
+to me in my mind, for I should be bowed down, and utterly miserable, out
+of grief and shame; which as you yourself, O Caesar, will admit and
+acknowledge, is far worse than death itself, or any evil which the body of
+man can sustain. Neither could I have any hope of being reconciled unto
+the True God, whom I should have so, once and again, denied; insomuch,
+that neither in life nor in death should I be able to have any
+happiness;--for in life, what happiness is there to him that is ashamed of
+himself?--and, in departing from life, what comfort can be given to him,
+that, knowing the truth, hath openly abjured the truth for the sake of a
+few, at the utmost, and these most miserable and unhappy years? I am an
+old man, and my near kindred and my friends are already dead, so that poor
+after all, and not worthy to be mentioned, is the sacrifice on which I
+have this day resolved. And as for you, O Romans, should I now make
+shipwreck of my faith, and tell a lie to save my life before you, with
+what contempt would yourselves be constrained forthwith to look upon me?
+Whosoever is wise among you, according to the philosophy of the earth,
+would utterly despise me; and whosoever is brave and steadfast of spirit,
+would think foul scorn that a soldier of Titus should be so much afraid to
+die. Therefore, O Trajan, am I resolved to endure all things rather than
+sacrifice to your gods; and if such be your will, I will not refuse to die
+for this cause, to which witness has already been borne in Rome by the
+blood of holy Apostles, and other noble martyrs of Christ."
+
+The old man, having said these words, bowed himself once more reverently
+before Trajan, and then folding his arms in his cloak, appeared to await
+whatever might be appointed. Steadfastly did I look upon his face at that
+moment, to see whether it might exhibit no trace of wavering, or at least,
+if pride barred irresolution, whether, nevertheless, there might not
+appear some token of natural sorrow, and human unwillingness to die; yet
+in vain did I scrutinize and seek for any such symptoms of spiritual
+weakness; for although it was visible that, with the exertion of so long
+standing and speaking, to say nothing of thought and anxiety, his bodily
+strength was much spent, still his eye preserved firmness, and his brow
+remained serene; and the parched lips of the old man did not once betray
+the least shadow of trembling. Methinks I see him even now, as he then
+stood--his deep calm eyes sometimes turned upwards to Trajan, but for the
+most part bent to the ground, beneath those gray brows of his, whose dark
+shade rested upon his large solemn eyelids. Upon his broad front, as he
+stooped, no hair appeared, but long hoary ringlets, clustered down on
+either side, mingling with the venerable, although dishevelled beard, that
+lay upon his bosom. Heroic meekness was enthroned visibly upon all his
+lineaments, and a murmur began to run through the assembly, as if--even in
+a Christian--it were not possible to contemplate such things without
+admiration.
+
+But as they afterwards related to me--for I myself was not indeed
+sufficiently attentive to it--Trajan, who had as yet, during all the
+occurrences of the day, preserved unmoved the majestic serenity of his
+countenance, when he observed this last movement in the spirit of the
+assembly, began all at once to be very indignant, that such things should
+occur in such a place, in consequence of the appearance merely, and the
+language, of a culprit and a Christian. I confess it, that I was too much
+occupied with gazing on Tisias, to have any leisure for remarking the
+particulars of the deportment of any other person present--no, not even of
+Caesar; yet such had been the effect produced on me by the history which
+the old man delivered of himself, that I indeed was not prepared at the
+moment to find the strong arm of power directed ruthlessly, and
+immediately against him. At least, said I to myself, the Prince will
+institute an inquiry among all those now present in the capital, who are
+likely to be able either to contradict essentially, or to confirm, the
+narrative in which this man has thought fit to embody his only defence.
+Many years indeed have elapsed since the walls of Jerusalem were shattered
+by the engines of Rome, and the golden gate of its antique temple refused
+to be any protection against the furious soldiery of Titus. Yet surely not
+a few of such as were present in that proud host, must be still in life;
+yea, not a few of them must be now present in the capital of the world.
+The old spearman, with whom I talked in the guard-room, and beside the
+ramparts underneath which this Christian was imprisoned, he surely cannot
+be the only witness that remains to give testimony. He at least there is,
+and we shall forthwith have him at least confronted with Tisias.
+
+Such were my thoughts within me; judge, therefore, what was my
+astonishment when I heard the trumpet sound, and perceived that its note,
+without any word being spoken, was at once received as a sufficient
+warning by the priests and the vestals, and the youths and the damsels,
+and all those that had in any way been connected with the service of the
+altar, to retire from the place whereon they stood, and leave the old man
+there alone, to await the issue of his destiny. Immediately on the signal
+being given by the trumpet, did all these begin to move away; but although
+in silence they had at first marched into the Amphitheatre, they did not
+retire from it in silence. Another hymn, on the contrary, in which also,
+as it seemed, different parts were allotted for each different order of
+singers, was begun to be sung by them even before they had moved from the
+arena; and after the last of their procession had disappeared behind the
+wide folding-doors of the Amphitheatre, we still heard their voices
+chanting solemnly until they had entered the great Temple of Isis and
+Serapis, which, as I have already said, stands over against it, on the
+brink of the Esquiline. And while all were yet listening to their singing,
+and to the harmony of lutes and other sweet-sounding instruments that
+accompanied their voices, the slaves and other attendants removed every
+thing from the arena, except only the altar and statue of Jupiter, which
+were still left where they had been placed; insomuch, that ere they had
+made an end of singing, and we of listening, the old man was left alone
+there as at the beginning, when he first came forth.
+
+But just when deep silence once more prevailed, and expectation was most
+intense concerning what should be at length commanded by Trajan, it fell
+out so, that a little bald ape escaped through the bars of one of the
+grated doors, which were along the boundary-wall of the arena, and leaping
+forth upon the sand, began to skip up and down, challenging, by all manner
+of foolish gestures, the attention of those that sate over against it,
+leaning down from the parapet. And immediately certain painted courtezans,
+that were sitting not far from thence, with gilded breasts and
+bright-coloured garlands, and all other gorgeous trappings of the
+degradation of harlotry, began to throw down apples and nuts to the
+obscene creature, and to testify much delight in the grimaces with which
+it received them, hopping to and fro, and casting them away, and then
+catching them up again, with continual gibbering and prating; and no
+sooner did the rabble that were above perceive these things, than they
+all, as with one consent, began to applaud; so that the vaulted vomitories
+and wide arches of entrance, and all the marble walls, re-echoed with
+every wild sound of carelessness and merriment. While, in the meantime,
+the African feeders and naked gladiators, and all those hangers-on of the
+Amphitheatre, whom we had seen in the dark places below, hearing now the
+sounds that had arisen among the assembly, began to shew themselves in
+crowds from behind the same grated doors through one of which the monkey
+had escaped, and to partake in the mirth of the spectators, and to whistle
+upon the creature, and to excite it to new caperings, by their outcries
+and jeerings. It seemed as if the minds of all present were entirely
+occupied with the pranks of this brute; and that almost it was forgotten
+amidst the tumult, not only for what purpose all that solemn and stately
+pageantry had just been exhibited before them; but even that Tisias was
+still standing there upon the same arena.
+
+For myself, who had never before looked upon any creature of this
+disgusting tribe, and had gathered only some general notion of its
+appearance from the treatises of the physiologists and the narratives of
+travellers,--I could not, indeed, refuse to contemplate at first its
+motions with some curiosity; but I knew not, after the scene had lasted
+for a little space, whether to be more humbled within myself by the
+monkey's filthy mimickings of the form and attitudes of mankind, or by the
+display of brutish heartlessness, which burst forth from all that
+countless multitude, while gazing on that spectacle of humiliation.
+
+But it was not until my eye fell again on Tisias, who stood all this time
+solitary and silent amidst the hub-bub, that my sorrow and indignation
+were the greatest. There stood the old man even as before, with his arms
+folded in his gown, and his eyes resting on the sand before him, pale,
+calm, and unmoved in his meekness, even as if his ears had not once
+received any sound of all the shoutings and the joyous laughters of that
+unpitying rabble, that had come there to behold him die. Once, indeed--it
+was but once--I thought I could perceive that a slight emotion of contempt
+wreathed for an instant his thin and bloodless lips; but it seemed as if
+that were but the involuntary and momentary passing over him of one proud
+thought, which he cast from him immediately, as a thing unworthy of the
+resolute mind of his integrity, choosing rather to array himself in the
+divine armour of patience, than to oppose, with any weapon of human
+passion, the insults heaped upon his head by the cruel callousness of that
+degenerate congregation of men. And, whether it were that the sight of all
+this did not affect me alone with such reflections, or only that they in
+authority were afraid too much of the day might be occupied with what
+formed so unseemly an addition to the ordained business of the assembly,
+while the uproar of mirth was yet at its height, certain of the lictors
+that were about the consular chairs leapt down into the arena, and beat
+the monkey back again among the feeders, and other base hirelings, that
+stood behind the grated doors of which I have spoken. Whereupon there was
+at once an end of the tumult, and the lictors having reascended to their
+places, the eyes of all began once more to fix themselves upon the
+Christian.
+
+And he also, when he perceived that it was so, and was sensible of the
+silence that once more prevailed, it seemed as if he, too, were aware that
+at last his appointed hour had come, and that he must needs prepare
+himself in good earnest for the abiding of the issue. For, instead of
+continuing steadfast in his place, as he had done during all the time he
+had as yet been exposed there, it appeared as if now at length, being
+swallowed up in the contemplation of the approaching fate, he had quite
+forgotten all the rules he had laid down to himself concerning his
+behaviour. Not that he now lost remembrance of the courage which hitherto
+he had manifested, or even, that any the least symptom of changeableness
+was made visible upon his countenance. But it seemed to me, of a truth,
+that of such things as he had determined upon within himself before he
+came thither, touching the mere external demeanour of his bodily frame,
+the memory now, in this final moment of expectation, had somewhat passed
+away; for Tisias stood still no longer on the centre of the arena; but
+retaining his arms folded as they had been, and his eyes fixed upon the
+sand, he began to pace rapidly to and fro, traversing the open space
+whereon he alone now was, from side to side, without once looking up, or
+exhibiting any token that he was conscious of the presence of any man. By
+and by, nevertheless, in the deeper knittings of his brows, and in the
+closer pressure of his extenuated lips, and then again in the quivering of
+the nerves and muscles upon the arms and legs of the old man, as he moved
+before us, it was testified how keenly the spirit was at work within; the
+strong soul wrestling, it may be, with some last stirring temptations of
+the flesh, and the mind itself not altogether refusing to betray its
+sympathy with the natural shudderings of the body. But the moment that the
+herald of Trajan commanded attention in the assembly, and that the Prefect
+of the city began again to prepare himself for speaking, that moment did
+the old man appear to return at once again entirely to himself; and he
+fixed his eyes upon the Prefect with even the same steadfastness as when
+he made his oration to Caesar.
+
+"By all the gods," whispered Sabinus at that moment, "this is a true
+soldier of Vespasian and Titus. He will die for this superstition with the
+constancy of a Roman."--"With all the constancy of a philosopher, say
+rather," quoth Xerophrastes, who had overheard his whisper--"yea, with all
+the constancy of a philosopher. Of a surety, there must be some lessons of
+nobility in this faith of the Jews."--"Now, speak not, but look at the old
+man," interrupted Rubellia; "the signal is given for the executioner."
+
+And I looked, and saw that the Prefect was standing up in his place,
+immediately below the chair of Trajan, and immediately he began to speak;
+and he said, first looking towards the people,--"Let there be silence, and
+let no man stir in this place until this matter be ended." And then
+addressing himself, as it seemed, to Tisias,--"With all patience,"
+proceeded he, "have the words which this man chose to utter in his
+defence, been listened to; but it must be manifest to all men, that they
+contain no shadow of apology, but rather afford the strongest confirmation
+of all that had before been alleged. Instead of departing from his error,
+or offering any extenuation of its magnitude, his words have tended only
+to shew what was already well known to all that have had any dealings with
+the adherents of this blasphemous sect; that their obstinacy is as great
+as their atheism is perverse; and that no clemency can, without blame, be
+extended to their wilfulness, and to the scorn wherewith they are resolved
+to regard all things sacred. Nevertheless, inquiry has been made, and
+confirmation has been given, by those who were present in the wars of the
+Divine Titus, as to that which this man hath said concerning his own
+service throughout the glorious campaign of Palestine, and the siege of
+the city of the Jews. For which service, it hath seemed right unto Caesar,
+Ever-Merciful, that no circumstance of needless shame be added to the
+death by which this Christian must now expiate before all them who have
+seen his contempt of the sacrifice of Jupiter, and heard his words of
+blasphemy against all the gods, the guilt of which, it is manifest to all,
+he hath been justly and necessarily accused. Let those, therefore, who had
+been commanded to bring forth a tiger, depart now with their beast, and
+let this man be beheaded before the Altar of Jupiter; after which, for
+this day, the assembly will disperse; for, until the morrow, the spectacle
+of the wild animals, which the Prince hath prepared, must be deferred."
+
+The Prefect made his obeisance again to Caesar, and sate down in his place,
+and immediately one of the doors of the arena was flung open, and there
+entered some slaves, bearing a wooden block upon their shoulders, behind
+whom followed also certain ill-favoured blacks, out of the company of
+African gladiators, one of whom carried bare in his hand a long and heavy
+sword, the surface of which glittered brightly as he moved, as if newly
+sharpened and burnished for the occasion. Seeing all which fatal
+preparations, Tisias immediately flung aside the long cloak in which
+hitherto his arms and all his body had been wrapped; and after regarding
+those that had come in for a moment with a steadfast eye, he turned
+himself to the place where the Prefect was sitting, as if he had yet one
+word to say before he should submit himself to the sword; whereupon the
+Prefect said,--"If the prisoner has yet any thing to offer, it is not too
+late for mercy--Let him speak."
+
+"I have nothing more to offer, O Romans!" answered the old man, "as
+concerning that of which I have spoken. But since already some favour has
+been extended to me by reason of my services in the army of Caesar, perhaps
+so neither will this be refused, that my body may be given to such as
+shall ask for it, that it may be treated without indignity after my soul
+is released."
+
+"It is granted," replied the Prefect.--"Is there any thing more?"
+
+The old man was silent.
+
+With that, the block being already fixed upon the sand immediately in
+front of the Altar of Jupiter, one of the Africans moved towards Tisias,
+as if to conduct him to the place where it behoved him to kneel; but he,
+observing what was his intention, forthwith prevented him, and walked of
+himself steadily close up to him in whose hand the sword was unsheathed.
+Being come thither, he immediately took his station over against the
+block, and having for a moment placed his hand upon his eyes, and moved
+his lips, as it seemed, in fervent supplication, dropped his one knee on
+the ground, and stretched forth his neck towards the block; but suddenly,
+after he had done so, he sprung again upon his feet, and began to gaze
+with a keen eye all around the assembly, as if he were in search of some
+one to whom he had something yet to say. In vain, however, as it appeared,
+did he make this endeavour; for after a little space, he shook his head
+despairingly, and gave over the steadfastness of his look. Nevertheless,
+he lifted up his voice, and, surveying once more the whole face of the
+Amphitheatre round about, from side to side, said audibly,--"There is one
+here who made last night a promise to me in my dungeon. I cannot see him
+where he is; but I conjure him to take good heed, and execute, as he is a
+man and a Roman, all those things which he said to me he would do." Now,
+when I heard him say so, I well knew within myself that it was for me only
+his eye had been searching, and half did I arise from my seat, that he
+might see I was there, and observe my resolution to keep the faith I had
+plighted voluntarily to him in his prison. But Sabinus, having watched my
+earnestness in contemplating Tisias, and comprehending something of that
+which was meant, held me firm upon the bench, whispering, "As you regard
+me, Valerius, and as you regard your own safety, be still."
+
+Being thus constrained, I neither rose up, nor made any attempt to attract
+the attention of Tisias--for which forbearance, I confess to you, I have
+since that day undergone the visitation of not a few bitter thoughts--but
+remained steadily in my place, while the old man once more addressed
+himself to kneel down upon the block that was before him. Calmly now at
+length did he kneel, and with much composure did he place himself. Yet,
+before the gladiator was ready to strike, he lifted his head once again,
+and gazed upwards for a moment towards heaven, with such a countenance of
+faith and hope, that there went through all the assembly a murmur, as it
+were, and a stirring breath of admiration. Then bowed he for the last time
+his gray hairs, and almost before he had rested his neck upon the tree,
+the strong sword of the African smote with merciful fierceness, and the
+headless trunk falling backwards upon the sand, the blood spouted forth in
+a gushing stream, and sprinkled all over with red drops the base of the
+statue of Jupiter Capitolinus, and the surface of the marble altar,
+whereupon the sacrifice of the Flamens had been offered.
+
+The executioner having made an end of his duty, wiped his sword from the
+blood of the Christian, and advancing towards the seats of the
+magistrates, claimed the largess that was due to him,--which when he had
+received, as is the custom, he and all his attendants withdrew immediately
+from the arena; the Emperor, at the same moment, and the Consulars, and
+all they that were about him, departing also from the assembly; and the
+whole Amphitheatre speedily being filled with the clamours of an universal
+upbreaking and dispersion.
+
+
+
+
+
+                          _BOOK II. CHAPTER I._
+
+
+I saw, my friends, that you listened with not less of indignation, than of
+astonishment, to the account which I yesterday gave you of a day spent in
+the Amphitheatre of Vespasian. Neither did I expect that it should be
+otherwise with young persons of ingenuous minds, whose feelings have never
+been hardened by any experience of the life of Rome.
+
+And yet, when you reflect a little more upon the matter, I think you will
+abate something of the wonder you manifested on hearing of the fondness of
+the Roman people for some of those cruel, ruthful spectacles. You will
+admit, at least, that there is a certain natural principle, on an
+exaggerated and morbid obedience to which, rather than on any total and
+absolute departure from the laws of our mind, much of that which excited
+so much of your astonishment and indignation also may be supposed to
+depend. In and by myself, I maintain it must always be a most interesting
+thing for a man to witness, in whatever shape, the last moments of any
+human creature. I mean not those merely corporeal struggles, in which
+there must always be every thing to revolt, and nothing to interest,
+because in them, it is evident, the nobler part of our nature can have no
+share--the soul being already swallowed up, and its divinity absorbed in
+the intense convulsions of animal suffering. These are things on which no
+eyes can gaze willingly, without indicating degradation of spirit. But
+before that curtain falls, beyond which every one must shudder to
+penetrate, there is a last terrible act of the real tragedy, which must
+ever have power to fix the eyes with an earnestness not the less deep,
+because of its being preceded by some struggles of reluctance. We live in
+a state in which, however we may clothe ourselves in the armour of levity,
+or with the more effectual armour of occupation, it is impossible that the
+one fearful idea of dissolution should not ever and anon come to scare us
+with its terrors. We feel that we are walking over a soil, on the most
+level and the most rugged parts of which it is equally possible we may
+meet with the dark pit wherein it is our destiny to stumble. How sudden,
+or how gradual soever the inevitable fall may be, we well know we shall
+have little enough space to prepare ourselves for the last leap, when we
+shall be fairly on the declivity; and I maintain, once more, that it is a
+rational, no less than a natural, curiosity, which leads us to seek to
+supply, in some measure, this necessary defect, and to gather, if
+possible, from witnessing the last moments of others, some hints which may
+be of use to us when our own dark hour shall come. We see a being standing
+on the edge of a precipice, to which the only thing we know certainly, is,
+that we ourselves shall one day be brought; and shall it be possible to
+feel no curiosity concerning the manner in which he conducts himself on
+that giddy brink? That which is denied to us in our own person, may, in
+part, be supplied in his; and the eyes which dwell upon his features,
+while they are filled with the overwhelming expectation of near
+approaching death, make the closest approximation of which our nature
+admits to penetrating the actual mysteries of the unseen region. For
+myself, both wiser and better did I come away from all that mournful
+spectacle. But perhaps I am joining together things which, after all, had
+no necessary connection, when I ascribe to my contemplation of the death
+of Tisias, and the other cruel sights which, as it seemed, were regarded
+with indifference by the great multitudes around me, so much of the change
+which, about this period, my own spirit underwent.
+
+The slumbers which followed that busy day of novelties and terrors, were
+long and heavy; for utterly worn out were both mind and body, and youth
+hastened to repair the waste of its energies, by drinking deeply at the
+great fountain of natural refreshment. Nevertheless, although the hand of
+sleep had lain steadily upon me, when I awoke in the already-confirmed
+light of morning, I found myself yet filled with a confused and tremulous
+sense of excitation, as if the spirit had disdained to be idle after
+having received so much food for activity, and Fancy had still been
+garnishing the passive sphere of the night with aerial representations of
+all the gorgeous and solemn realities of the by-past day. I lay there
+ruminating amidst the dispersing shadows of the mysterious world of
+dreams, and scarcely as yet aware that a whole night had passed since I
+had returned from the Amphitheatre, when I was at length roused to a
+sudden and complete recollection of all things by the entrance of Boto.
+
+"My dear master," said he, making a sort of start after he had come in, "I
+was afraid you would be angry with me for not coming to you sooner, but
+now I perceive you have been as lazy as the rest of us. Why, surely, you
+are not aware what time of day it is! What would my dear old lady over the
+water say, if she heard of my young master lying in bed till within three
+hours of noon? Oh, what a place is this you have brought me to! Why, when
+I awake in the morning, the first thought that comes into my head always
+is, What, Boto, and is it really possible that all that wide roaring sea
+lies between you and the green banks of quiet Anton? Is it truth, good
+truth, and neither dream nor witching, that you, _Boto_, are in _Rome_?
+But I sometimes have to jump up, and take a look out of the window before
+I am quite convinced; and then, to be sure, I know well enough that I, who
+used always to dream about driving cattle to Venta, and perhaps kissing a
+Brigian lass by the way, could never dream of so many fine things unless I
+were really among them. Good heavens! what a heap of stories I shall have
+to tell, when we get safe back to Old Britain!"--"Indeed, Boto," said I,
+"you will be quite a travelled man. Be sure you do not give yourself too
+many airs on the occasion."--"Travelled man, in faith," replied the clown.
+"I should like to know, who it is that will be able to hold up his head
+with me, when I am once fairly back again? Oh, how the old smith will be
+humbled! He thought himself such a mighty person, because my old master,
+your father, had taken him with him as far as Camolodunum, and how he used
+to brag of what he had seen there; but now, I trow, Master Pernorix will
+be fain to talk quietly about his journeys.--O Rome, Rome! what fine things
+shall I have to tell them all about Rome,--and the lions, and the monkeys,
+and Caesar, and the elephants, and the fighting men, and the Christian, and
+all the wonderful sights we saw yesterday. But the worst of it is, that
+nobody will ever be able to believe one half of what I shall tell
+them.--And when does my dear Master Valerius think we shall be returning to
+my old lady, and all the rest of them in Britain?"
+
+"Of a truth, good Boto," said I, "that is more than I can pretend to give
+you any notion of; but I dare say, you shall have both time and
+opportunity to pick up a few more marvels still before we go. In the
+meantime, you are comfortable, I hope, in your quarters, and Dromo takes
+good heed of you."--"Dromo," quoth he, looking as arch as his massive
+features would admit of,--"Dromo, indeed!--If I had nobody to trust to but
+him, I should be very ill off. Dromo is a great man; the young lord of the
+house has him up in his chamber every day to talk with him by himself; and
+when he comes down again, or returns from any of the errands he is sent
+out upon, there is no bearing with him in the court-yard, where we are all
+huddled together. As for the overseer, old Sarcalus, the freed-man, he has
+quite given him up. Nobody dare speak about whipping him; he looks upon
+himself as almost as important a person as his master, I believe, if the
+truth were known; and yet I should not complain, for, after all, it was
+Dromo that carried me yesterday to the Amphitheatre."--"Ay, that was very
+kind of Dromo--I should have thought of it myself. And did he not see that
+you got your supper snugly, when you came back?"--"Ah! now, master, don't
+make them whip me--I see they have told you all."--"All!" said I--"I do
+assure you they have told me nothing about you; but come, speak out. It
+must be something very bad that would make me think of having you whipt.
+You have only been three days in Rome--I shall make allowance for a few
+vagaries, provided they be not very extravagant."--"Well, then, Master
+Caius," quoth he, "since they have told you nothing beforehand, and you
+seem inclined to be so good-natured with me, I shall e'en tell you all
+myself, and I hope you won't think me, after all, very much to
+blame."--"Speak out, my honest Boto, and remember there is Dromo also to be
+examined, in case you keep any thing back from me."--"Ah! master, but Dromo
+would not be so easily caught as poor Boto. Dromo is a cunning man, and a
+close; and besides, they say he was born in a city they call Crete, and
+the people of that place can't speak a word of truth, even although they
+were willing. Do not think any thing at all about Dromo; but trust
+entirely to your own poor Boto, and he will tell you every thing. Dromo is
+a sad dog."
+
+I know not what more he might have proceeded to say concerning Dromo, had
+not that crafty Cretan, who, without question, had been listening all the
+while behind the door, just at that moment glided in on very delicate
+tiptoe, and coming close up behind the British slave, as he stood in the
+act of haranguing me, smote him a smart fillip upon the cheek with the
+back of his fingers, mimicking, at the same time, the outlandish accent of
+the man, and repeating after him into his tinkling ears, the words, _Dromo
+is a sad dog--Dromo is a cunning man, and a close--Dromo would not be so
+easily caught as poor Boto_.--"Ha, ha! Master Valerius," then said he to
+me, "and so you would really take the trouble to ask questions of this
+worthy man, when you had it in your power to send for me? I thought it had
+not been for nothing that three persons I could name entered upon a
+certain alliance--but 'tis all one to the Cretan.--Both Sextus, and you, may
+manage your own affairs for yourselves, if such be your pleasure."
+
+I knew not on this whether to be more amazed with the impudence of the
+Cretan, or the confusion of poor Boto, who stood rubbing his cheek with a
+strangely mingled aspect of sheepishness and sulkiness; but Dromo soon put
+an end to the affair, by turning round with a face of admirably feigned
+astonishment to my Briton, and saying, "Good heavens! Boto, are you still
+there? Do you not perceive that your master and I have something to say to
+each other in private? Begone, my good man--shall I never be able to render
+you susceptible of the smallest polish?"
+
+These last words being accompanied with a gentle push on the back, soon
+expelled poor Boto, who, nevertheless, did not depart without casting
+towards me a look of woful appeal over his shoulder. But I perceiving
+plainly, in the midst of all his frolicsome behaviour, that Dromo had
+really something to say to me; and suspecting, of course, that the
+interest of Sextus might be concerned in what he had to say, suffered my
+slave to withdraw in good earnest. Dromo, after the door was shut, laid
+his finger upon his lip, and stood still for a moment in an attitude of
+close attention; but the heavy heels of the reluctant Briton were heard
+with great distinctness, lumbering along the marble floor of the gallery;
+so, being satisfied that there was no eavesdropping in the case, the
+varlet seated himself forthwith in a posture of great familiarity on the
+nether end of my couch, and, to judge from the expression of his
+countenance, seemed evidently to be preparing himself for a disclosure of
+some importance. At length, after not a few winks of much intelligence, it
+was thus he began:--"You may hear Boto's story, sir, at any time you
+please, and I dare say it will amuse you; but, in the meantime, I must
+really have you attend to me, for, without jesting, things are by no means
+in so fair a train as I had thought for my young master; and if something
+effectual be not speedily discovered, I am really at a loss to think how
+we shall be able to get out of our difficulties, in such a manner as may
+be either satisfactory to him, or creditable to my management. But you had
+better get up and dress yourself, and while you are doing so, I will tell
+you every thing."
+
+I did as he bade me, and then the Cretan proceeded:--"As I was coming out
+of the Amphitheatre yesterday, I happened to find myself rubbing shoulders
+with a certain old fat Calabrian, whom I had seen before about Rubellia's
+house in the Suburra, and thinking that no harm could possibly come of
+being civil to him, I began immediately to ask his opinion of the
+spectacles. I wish you had been there to see how much he was delighted
+with the attention I paid him, and how he plumed himself on being admitted
+to talk on such subjects with such a person as me; for the man himself is
+but an ignorant fellow, and seems never to have kept company but with the
+grooms and hinds. From less to more, we began to be the greatest friends
+in the world; and by the time we got to the Arch, it was evident that we
+could not possibly part, without having a cup together to cement the
+acquaintance. Well, we were just about to dive into one of the
+wine-cellars there, below the gate-way, when I saw your friend Boto
+standing by himself in the middle of the street, apparently quite a-gaze
+and bewildered, and not able to form the smallest guess which way he ought
+to take in order to reach home; and being a good-natured fellow, in spite
+of all that has been said, I immediately shouted out his name till he was
+compelled to hear me, and then beckoned to him to come along with us,
+which indeed he did without much coaxing."
+
+"Well, Dromo," said I, "and so all your great news is, that you have been
+leading my Briton into one of your debauches? In truth, I think you need
+not have made such an affectation of mystery withal."--"Stop now," quoth
+he, cutting me short; "if the slave be too slow, I am sure the master's
+quickness will make up for it.--Hear me out before you begin commenting;
+such interruptions would bring the Stagyrite himself to a stand. We were
+soon, all three of us, seated in one of those snug little places, which if
+you have not yet seen, you are ignorant of the most comfortable sight
+within all the four walls of Rome,--a quiet cleanly little place,--three
+good hassocks upon the floor, a handful of sausages, a plate of dried fish
+as broad as the shield of Ajax, and a good old fashioned round-bellied
+jolly jug of Surrentine in the midst of us. I dare say, there were a
+hundred besides employed in the same way in the house; but we shut the
+door, and were as private as behind the altar of Vesta."--"A tempting
+scene, Dromo; and what use did you make of your privacy?"--"All in good
+time, Master Valerius; you would have the apple before the egg. We had
+scarcely emptied our first jug, ere the conversation between the Calabrian
+and me took a turn that was not quite unnatural; for slaves, however
+little you may trust them, will always be smelling out something of the
+truth; and you may be sure, all this visiting, and feasting, and riding
+about in chariots, and sitting together at the Amphitheatre, has not been
+going on, without causing a good deal of talk both in this house and the
+rich widow's. The courtship was of course the subject of our conversation,
+and I, pretending to know nothing of it myself, except from the common
+report of the slaves about our house, affected to consider it as highly
+probable, that the fat Calabrian might have had much better opportunities
+than mine of being informed how the affair really stood."
+
+"And did he really seem to have any knowledge about it?" said I.--"Not
+much--not much; but still the man did tell me something that I think may
+turn out to be well worth the knowing. 'I am sure,' said I, (by this time
+Boto was fast asleep,)--'I am sure, if Rubellia won't have my young master,
+it won't be for want of presents; for we all know he has already given her
+a whole casket of rings and bracelets that belonged to his mother, and he
+is sitting for his picture, which, they say, he is to give her
+besides.'--'And _I_ am sure,' quoth the Calabrian in return, 'that if your
+young master don't have my lady, it won't be for want of presents neither;
+for she is the most generous open-handed lady in the world, and that her
+worst enemies will allow, although her father be an old rogue, and an
+usurer, as all the town says he is. No, Dromo,' continued he, 'nor will it
+be for want of philtres, nor of charms, nor of any thing that soothsaying
+can procure; for, between ourselves, my lady keeps up a constant traffic
+of late with all that sort of gentry; and what the issue of it all may be,
+Hecate only knows.' Now, Master Valerius, when I heard him speak of
+philtres and charms, you may be sure I began to quicken up my ears more
+keenly than ever."
+
+"Dromo!" said I; "you are not serious. You do not mean surely to make me
+think that you believe in the efficacy of love-potions, or any such
+quackeries?" "Quackeries! do you call philtres quackeries? Why, there was
+a girl once gave myself a philtre that kept me raving for six
+months."--"What sort of a looking girl was she, good Dromo?"--"Bah!" quoth
+he; "don't expect to jeer me out of memory as well as judgment. Heavens
+and earth! when did any body ever hear of any body denying the efficacy of
+philtres? What an atheistical sort of barbarians those Britons must be. I
+wonder you are not afraid of some evil coming upon you. Remember Dian's
+handful; remember the fate of Actaeon!"--"Good Dromo," said I, "I suppose
+you also suffered from peeping. But talk seriously; are you yourself a
+dealer in philtres, that you are so anxious I should believe in their
+power? Or what is your meaning?"
+
+"My meaning is this," quoth he, with great vehemence,--"it is, that if
+Rubellia gives Sextus such another philtre as a certain cunning damsel
+gave me, before I left pleasant Crete, to be a drudge and a packhorse here
+in Rome, where a man may sweat all his life in another's service without
+being once thanked for his pains, and perhaps be laid out, look ye, for a
+supper to the vultures at last, because no body will treat his carcase to
+a blaze of old sticks,--I say, that if the Lady Rubellia contrives to give
+Sextus such another philtre as that, the game's up, Master Valerius; and
+we may as well set about painting the dead, as try to save him from her
+clutches. The man's gone--he's as lost as Troy."--"Well, Dromo," said I, for
+I perceived there was no use in fighting it with him, "and have you not
+been able to hit upon any feasible scheme?"--"Ay, have you come to that at
+last? that is just what I have been cudgelling my brains about for the
+last twelve hours. But if I do hit upon any thing, I shall need
+assistance. In such cases, the best judgment can do nothing by
+itself."--"Fear not, Dromo," quoth I; "if my assistance can do you any
+good, you well know you can command it to the utmost."--"Then prepare,"
+replied the Cretan, rising up with an air of much solemnity--"then prepare
+in good earnest; for, may Cerberus growl upon me, if I don't find out some
+scheme before another day goes over, and shew you all what stuff I am made
+of. To think of entrapping Sextus without consulting Dromo!--No, by Cretan
+Jove, she shall not accomplish it--no, not even with a sea of philtres."
+
+"And, in the meantime," said I, "what must Sextus do with himself?"--"He
+must not go near the Suburra; he must remain closely at home; and as for
+tasting any thing at her house, or any thing that comes from her--by
+heavens, if he does not take his oath against that--we may as well leave
+him to his destiny. If he will but take good care for this one day, I
+think there is every chance something may be hit upon ere the morning. I
+have got my cue, and shall not be idle, I promise you; but I undertake
+nothing, unless you swear to keep Sextus safe, and at a distance from her,
+till night-fall."--"Good Dromo," said I, "make yourself easy on that score;
+it will be a new circumstance indeed, if we find any difficulty in
+persuading Sextus to stay a single day away from the Suburra."
+
+"Persuading!" quoth the slave; "who ever heard of such a word as
+persuasion at such a crisis as this? I tell you he _must_ be kept away;
+and if no other plan can be fallen on, I have a great mind to turn the key
+on him and his pedagogue both together. I heard them hammering at their
+lessons already as I came along--and that puts me in mind that I have a
+very shrewd notion there is more between that bearded goat of ours and
+this Rubellia, than any of us had been suspecting. Unless that Calabrian
+lies--and I think lying is above his sphere--this old rogue has been oftener
+in the Suburra of late than we had any thought of. So help me Hermes! I
+believe Licinius has been employing him to go his private messages to
+Rubellia--but that is only one insult more, and I shall have my revenge all
+in a lump."
+
+"I think it very likely," answered I, quietly, "that Licinius may have
+been employing Xerophrastes in some such embassies; and, if I mistake not
+the matter, he would feel himself quite as much in his element, trotting
+along the Sacred Way, and so forth, on such delicate errands for the
+father, as in expounding musty parchments to the son."--"No matter for all
+that," quoth Dromo, rubbing his hands; "the more enemies the more glory.
+Would Miltiades have been pleased had the Spartans arrived?--Leave all to
+me--take you care only of Sextus, and I am not afraid for any reinforcement
+that rascally rhetorician may bring against me."--While he was saying so,
+the face of the Cretan exhibited symptoms of incipient glee; and he
+concluded with snapping his fingers, and uttering a short keen whistle,
+such as you have heard from the lips of a hunter, when the dogs begin to
+bay around a thicket.
+
+Seeing his eyes dance with the expectation of some bustling scene, I could
+not help participating, in some measure, in the feelings of the Cretan;
+and, "Dear Dromo," said I, "I beseech you, if it be possible, let me have
+a share in whatever you resolve upon."--"Watch well," replied he, "during
+the day, and you shall see what you shall see, when the moon mounts above
+the Coelian, and the hour for grubbing among herbs and bones is come.--But
+now I hear some one coming--it is Licinius."--Dromo, finger on lip, glided
+from the room. Nor had his well-practised ears deceived him, for he
+scarcely vanished, before my kinsman entered.
+
+"Valerius," said he, saluting me affectionately, "I thought you were
+probably much fatigued with your spectacles, so I desired that nobody
+should call you this morning; but I met Boto in the hall, and hearing that
+you were astir, I have come up, for I wish a little private conversation.
+Shall we walk in the eastern portico, till Xerophrastes leaves Sextus at
+liberty?"
+
+He led the way along the gallery, and in passing, we also heard the deep
+voice of the rhetorician resounding among the pillars, and could even
+catch a few of the magniloquent phrases with which he was feeding the ears
+of his pupil. "Ay, ay," says Licinius, "I wish, indeed, it were possible
+to inspire the youth with some sense of what is due to the dignity of
+principle, and how absurd it is to think of gratifying whims at the
+expense of duty. But I fear the boy is incorrigible; and, Caius, I am
+sorry to say, I suspect you have been looking on his errors with a
+countenance rather of favour and of confirmation, than, as I should have
+expected, of rebuke."
+
+"Licinius," said I, "you know not how much you distress me. I could rather
+die than encourage Sextus in any thing I thought evil; but, indeed, I have
+seen nothing to make me imagine him capable of such conduct."
+
+"Come, by Hercules," returned he, "there is no occasion for so many words.
+I thought it very odd that you went away so soon from the Forum the other
+day, considering that you had never been there before; but I thought it
+doubly and trebly remarkable that Sextus should have accompanied you, when
+the case in hand affected the affairs of Rubellia. But I have since found
+out that it was not the society of old Capito which attracted him--no, my
+friend, nor yet the alarm of a thunder storm that detained you at the
+villa. In a word, Valerius, I strongly suspect that Sextus is carrying on
+an intrigue with a young lady whom I never saw, but who, I am quite sure,
+will never be mistress of a dozen lizards, and that this is the true cause
+of his reluctance concerning a match, which, to say nothing of the
+pleasure it would give to me, is the only means by which I can see any
+prospect of the young man's fortune being made, and the dignity of his
+family kept up, after another effigy shall have been added to our hall.
+Infatuated and headstrong boy! if he owes nothing to himself or to me, is
+it possible that he can look upon that venerable line of sages and heroes,
+without feeling shame in the degradation of his own earth-stooping
+desires?"
+
+"Without question," said I, "you allude to the Lady Rubellia, whom, as I
+have heard from various quarters, you are desirous of seeing wedded to
+Sextus."
+
+"Yes, Caius Valerius, it is indeed to her I allude; and it is of the
+obstacle which--unwittingly, I doubt not--you yourself have been throwing in
+the way of that union, that I have now to make my complaint. Not such the
+service that I had expected from my kinsman. Rubellia is descended from a
+noble family, and, both in possession and expectation, her wealth is
+great. Two heavy fines laid upon me by Domitian, and the expense at which
+I have maintained my rank among the great patrons of Rome--these things
+together have impoverished me, and to an extent not altogether convenient.
+In this boy my hopes were placed; and see now how they are all likely to
+be blasted for a dimpled cheek and a pair of wanton eyes!--or rather,
+indeed, I should say, for the sake of the malignant pleasure that is
+derived from thwarting my purposes; for, if beauty were what the boy
+wanted, where should he find beauty beyond Rubellia? Perhaps, Caius, I
+should, before this time, have made you acquainted with my intentions from
+my own lips. But it is my own foolish indulgence which has made my
+degenerate boy quite forget, not only what is the duty of a son, but what
+is the power of a father."
+
+"I trust," said I, "there is no need for all this seriousness. Sextus has
+only laid aside the garb of a stripling; it is too much to be despairing
+of his success in life, only because he is unwilling, at a period so
+early, to enter upon a permanent connection. Is it possible, that, if he
+really dislike Rubellia, you would wish to see him marry her--only to
+divorce her, without question, as soon as he should find it possible to do
+so without inconvenience?"--"Handsome, rich, noble, and almost as young as
+himself, why, in the name of all the gods, for what cause should he
+divorce Rubellia?"--"Sir," said I, "he loves not Rubellia, nor will ever
+love her; and if you cause your son to marry this woman, look you well to
+it, that the unhappiness of both rest not on your head. Handsome, rich,
+noble, and young she may be; but I am sure, she has neither such a heart,
+nor such a mind, as should belong to the wife of your Sextus. A luxurious
+woman is Rubellia, and I have seen her find luxury in the contemplation of
+blood. Wed not Rubellia to your son."--"Peace, Valerius," he answered;
+"what boyish nonsense is this?--I _will_ wed Rubellia to my son; and let
+him see to it, that he tempts me not farther with his disobedience."
+
+Licinius said these last words in a voice of so much earnestness, that I
+knew not well what answer to make to him; but while I was hesitating, one
+of the little boys about the house, (I mean the children of the domestic
+slaves,) said, "If it please my lord, the same senator that was here in
+the morning is waiting in the hall."--"Pontius Mamurra!" said the orator,
+leaving me.
+
+I, for my part, when I heard the name of the visiter, began to understand
+somewhat of the channel through which my kinsman had been informed about
+what had passed at the Suburban. I had no leisure, however, to reflect
+long upon this hint; for I found Sextus waiting for me. "Come," he said,
+"I was afraid I must set off without you. My father has been looking on me
+this morning with such an aspect of displeasure as I rarely before
+witnessed in him, and if I defer going to the painter about this likeness,
+he will be altogether enraged at supper-time. I know very well he means
+the ring, in which it is to be placed, for another present to Rubellia;
+but notwithstanding, what can I do? Any opposition to him in lesser
+matters would only tend to bring on some final explanation about the great
+affair itself, and that, whether it be weakness in me or not, I as yet
+have no courage to encounter. The man must be expecting me; and I am sure
+you will accompany me, for I have much need of you to keep up my heart.
+Xerophrastes, indeed, has been desired to go with me; but he will be no
+comfort, for I see plainly, from the drift of his harangues, that he is
+enlisted against me. Dear Caius, I have nobody in the whole world I can
+trust to but Dromo and yourself."
+
+He had scarcely said so, when we heard Xerophrastes pacing up and down
+with solemn strides in the gallery; so I knew not how to excuse myself,
+although I was very anxious to have staid at home for another purpose.
+Sextus had taken my gown from the nail; he threw it over my shoulders
+before I had time to say any thing, and we were soon on our way to his
+ungrateful destination.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER II._
+
+
+We had to traverse a considerable part of the city; for this painter was
+one of those who exercise their art during the public hours of the day in
+the baths of the Palatine, where, as you have heard, in the wide circuit
+of the princely residence, abundant accommodation is set forth for all
+such ingenious persons. We proceeded along the edge of the river, and by
+the west of the Capitol, following the line of that great Triumphal Way
+which has been witness of so many glorious pageants; for so, they told me,
+we should most easily ascend into the Caesarian courts. But when we had
+come thither, we found the whole open space, in front of the portico and
+stairs of Trajan, occupied by a detachment of the Praetorian cohorts, drawn
+up in splendid array to receive some promised donative; while the music,
+and the clamours of their mustering, had collected enough of spectators to
+render the passage onwards in some measure difficult. We were constrained
+to form part of their attendance, and stood gazing among the multitude.
+Even Xerophrastes caught some animation from the brilliancy of the
+spectacle; and the enamoured and perplexed Sextus himself, beating time on
+my shoulder, seemed to have forgotten, for a moment, the anxieties of his
+situation.
+
+Some horsemen, however, riding along to keep the ground open in front of
+the soldiery, compelled us to shift to the eastward, where many chariots
+were drawn up--and in one of these Rubellia. The lady looked paler than I
+had before seen her, and had not the air of being in the smallest degree
+occupied with what was passing. I did not think it necessary to take any
+notice of her being there to my companions, and was willing, indeed, to
+keep myself turned away from the place where she sat, in order to avoid
+our being recognized. Yet there was something in her aspect and attitude,
+that, as by a sort of fascination, drew my eyes to the spot I wished to
+avoid. From time to time, therefore, I felt myself constrained to regard
+the melancholy lady; and by and by, Sextus perceived what it was that
+attracted my attention:--so I discovered, although he said not a word, from
+a fervent pressure upon my arm as I stood before him. At that moment there
+drew near a little ugly old woman, with no covering upon her head but long
+coarse gray clusters of hair hanging matted and twisted down upon her
+shoulders, who lifted up a basket of trinkets, and presented it; but
+Rubellia started on her seat, and, looking in the face of the old
+creature, manifested signs of no trivial emotion; for her colour returned
+with a sudden flush, and her eyes recovered all their animation, and it
+was evident she had something to say which could not regard the gaudy
+ornaments offered to her view. Whatever it was, however, she did not
+occupy much time in saying it; for scarcely a minute elapsed before the
+basket was lowered again, and the old woman began to move towards another
+part of the crowd; on which Rubellia sunk back in her chariot, and
+appeared to relapse into pensive abstraction.
+
+Presently a low voice croaking out, "Rings, rings--amulets and rings!"
+amongst the crowd that stood immediately behind me; and I perceived the
+same woman pushing her basket between Xerophrastes and Sextus.--"Noble
+youth," quoth the hag, leering, "lovely young gentleman--sweet Adonis, my
+charming lord, do now look into old Pona's basket--do take a look at
+Ponula's rings and amulets--her amulets and rings. Here is one that I could
+have sold a hundred times, but I was determined to keep it till I should
+see the prettiest young gentleman in Rome, and I will never go back to
+Naples without selling it, after this day; for this little amulet must be
+nobody's but yours. You will break my heart, my prince, if you buy not my
+beautiful amulet."
+
+"And what," said Sextus, blushing and laughing, "may be the virtues of
+your amulet?"
+
+Then laying her yellow hand upon his shoulder, till she had made him stoop
+down so that she might get close to his ear, she began to pour out, with
+much mysterious volubility, all the story of its marvellous potencies; but
+what she said even I could not know, only I heard the words, "AEthiopian,
+AEthiopian," and "Memnon, Memnon," and something about "not a pretty lady
+in Rome." But just as the woman was most earnest in her whisper, and
+Sextus, apparently at least, in listening, I found my gown plucked from
+behind, and behold, there was Dromo, with a countenance tremulously
+agitated, and white as a piece of dead parchment, pointing to his young
+master and the old hag, and beseeching me to separate them, by motions in
+nowise to be mistaken. How he had come thither, or what was the cause of
+this anxiety, I had no time to conjecture, for before I could say a word,
+he began to bellow out,--"The horses, the horses--make room for the horses;"
+and immediately those that stood near him began to move a little, and
+then, the cry being repeated, those that stood farther off mistaking the
+noise of their feet for the approach of some new squadron, there arose a
+sort of rushing among the crowd; and, in a twinkling, the voice of Pona
+was heard grumbling and croaking at a distance from the place to which our
+party were borne. Close, nevertheless, did the faithful Cretan stick to
+us; and no sooner was quiet in some measure restored, and the false alarm
+he had created at an end, than he whispered into my ear, "For the sake of
+all that is sacred, let not that foul hag speak another word to my young
+master--I will tell you more anon. Meantime, haste ye, haste ye. Make the
+best of your speed to the Palatine; it will be much easier for you to push
+your way thither, than it was for me to reach you."
+
+My friend being already weary of the heat and the pressure, we were ready
+to take advantage of an opening pointed out by the Cretan. It so happened,
+however, that in the same commotion the chariot of Rubellia also had
+changed its situation; for just as we had escaped, as I thought, and were
+about to place our feet on the magnificent flight of stairs that leads
+from the New Way to the Augustan Towers, there came to us a lad of that
+lady's household, who told us she was near at hand, and desirous, if it so
+pleased us, of our company. Aware that we were in sight, how could we
+disobey? We found the lady in her chariot, but not such as we had seen her
+before. On the contrary, the liveliness of her aspect seemed now to be
+restored, and she received us with her usual gaiety of address. "Careless
+men," said she, as we drew near; "I suppose I might have sat here till the
+Greek Kalends, before any one of you would have observed me."
+
+"Most noble lady," quoth Xerophrastes, "bear it not indignantly, that
+amidst all the confusion of men and horses, and trumpets and shoutings,
+our attention was abstracted from that which was most worthy of notice. My
+young friends deserve to be excused, since even I, who am not in the habit
+of being much troubled by such vanities, was so bewildered that I scarcely
+knew my right hand from my left, in this human chaos.--Pardon, noble
+Rubellia; we have been unwitting offenders."
+
+"And was it so?" said the lady, not looking at the Stoic.--"But I did not
+call for you to hear useless apologies. What new sight is it that attracts
+you to the Palatine?--or is it only that you are desirous of exhibiting to
+Valerius the old-established wonders of the place? In either case, I have
+half a mind to accompany you. In spite of all they tell us about the
+Golden House, I can scarcely think the Palatine shewed more splendidly
+than it does now, even in the days of Nero."
+
+"Indeed," said I, as we began to mount together the broad slabbed steps
+which rise up, tier above tier, from the portico on the street, to that
+which hangs on the brow--"Indeed, it is not easy for me to doubt that
+Rubellia is in the right."--For now, on one side, were all the pillars and
+arches of the Forum stretched out below us, and, on the other, lay the
+great Circus, topped with its obelisk; while before rose the gray cliffs
+of the Capitoline, with their domes and proud pinnacles in the glow of
+noontide--the space between, radiant with arms and banners. Even
+Xerophrastes did not refrain from some ejaculations.--"Illustrious Rome!
+how great is thy sublimity!" And then, after a pause, he repeated, in a
+voice of much majesty, those verses from the Fury of Ajax:
+
+  "Oh! might I be where o'er the living deep
+  Lies the broad shadow of the Sounian cliff,
+  Waving with all its glorious garniture,
+  Of rock-sprung foliage: from old Ocean's side,
+  That I might look on Athens once again!"
+
+Some of the hints which had reached me concerning his nativity recurring
+to my recollection, I could not help echoing his quotation with another
+from the AEneid, about the wide tracts ploughed by the Thracians; of which
+impertinence the sage took no notice.
+
+Nor was admiration diminished when, having gained the top of that massive
+staircase, or rather, as I should say, hill of marble, we passed beneath
+the sounding portal, the sole remnant of the original pile of Augustus,
+and found ourselves within the first of those great imperial quadrangles,
+by which the whole summit of that once so variously and multitudinously
+peopled region is now occupied. The light and airy porticoes--the domes--the
+princely towers--the universal profusion of marble, brass, ivory, flaming
+gold, lavished on arch, metope, and architrave--all conspired to dazzle the
+sight, and I stood still to gaze.
+
+"Observe," said Sextus, "those two equestrian statues of bronze on the
+left hand. I have heard my father say that they mark the sites of two
+houses, which, before Augustus began to enclose the whole Palatine in his
+walls, were inhabited, the one by Cicero, the other by Clodius; these are
+the only traces of their mansions."
+
+"What grim-looking figures!" said the lady; "yet, I dare say, they don't
+cast half such fierce looks on each other, as the predecessors you
+mention. I should like to have seen the countenance of old Tully, the
+morning he went down the hill to deliver his harangue for Milo."
+
+"I am glad," said I, "that Sextus has told me this; for in reading those
+famous philippics in time to come, I shall possess a new key to the
+bitterness of their phraseology, knowing, as I do, that the two lived just
+over the way from each other, and that the orator, when his spirits were
+flagging, could derive a new reinforcement of spleen from merely putting
+his head out of the window."--"To hear you," says Rubellia, "one would
+think you were studying the art of making philippics--I am afraid, that if
+it be so, my joining your party may prove to have been but an ill-judged
+thing; for if any of you be preparing to abuse me, my presence will serve
+to sharpen your weapons."--"In that case, however," interrupted the smiling
+Xerophrastes, "my noble lady will admit, that the converse also will hold
+good, and that if praise be in meditation, it will not be the feebler
+because the subject of the intended panegyric has passed before our
+eyes."--"Most courteous of men," replied the lady, "who talks of the
+stiffness of the Porch? To-day and yesterday you have paid me as many
+compliments as might give a lesson to the gayest trifler about these
+baths. If all," she continued, (gazing as she spoke, with all her eyes
+upon Sextus,)--"if all were as profuse, I should be unable to sustain the
+weight of their civilities."--"Nay, Oh! generous lady," quoth the sage
+again, "it must be remembered, that, as the poet has expressed it, there
+are two kinds of shame--there is the wicked shame and the good shame. Why
+should it be doubted, that a modest Verecundity, not unsuitable to their
+age, has laid her finger on the lips of our young friends? I swear by the
+Victrix of Ida, that your presence itself is that which occasions their
+silence;--bear it not ill--bear it not harshly--the young will learn--not
+every one has seen Corinth."--"No, truly," answered the laughing lady; "but
+I doubt whether they that have been so fortunate, have ever seen any thing
+half so fine as what now awaits Valerius."
+
+She pointed to the solemn Doric columns which sustain the portico of the
+famous Temple of Apollo, whose shade lay far out upon the court before us;
+and, passing between those brazen horsemen, we soon began to ascend the
+steps that lead up to the shrine. Nor can I tell you how delightful was
+the fragrant coolness, which reigned beneath the influence of that massive
+canopy of marble, to us whose eyes had been so long supporting the
+meridian blaze. We entered with slow steps within the vestibule of the
+Temple, and stood there for some space, enjoying in silence the soft
+breath of air that played around the flowing fountains. Then passing on,
+the airy hall received us; and I saw the statue of Phoebus presiding, like
+a pillar of tender light, over the surrounding darkness of the vaulted
+place; for, to the lofty shrine of the God of day no light of day had
+access, and there lay only a small creeping flame burning thin upon his
+altar; but a dim and sweet radiance, like that of the stars in autumn, was
+diffused all upon the statue, and the altar, and the warlike trophies
+suspended in the inner recesses, from the sacred tree of silver that
+stands in the centre; amidst the trembling enamelled leaves and drooping
+boughs of which hung many lamps, after the shape and fashion of
+pomegranates: and out of every pomegranate flowed a separate gleam of that
+soft light, supplied mysteriously through the stem of the silver tree.
+
+There appeared presently from behind the statue, a majestic woman, arrayed
+in long white garments, and having a fillet of laurel leaves twined above
+her veil. Venerable and stately was her mien, but haughty, rather than
+serene, the aspect of her countenance. Without looking towards us, she
+went up to the altar, and began to busy herself in trimming the sacred
+fire, which, as I have said, exhibited only a lambent flame. When, with
+many kneelings and other ceremonies, she had accomplished this service,
+the priestess turned again, as if to depart; and then first, as it seemed,
+observing the presence of strangers, she stood still before the altar, and
+regarding us attentively, began to recognize the Lady Rubellia; whom,
+forthwith advancing, she saluted courteously, and invited to come with the
+rest of us into her privacy, behind the shrine of the God.
+
+She led the way, Rubellia and the rest of us in her train, through several
+folding-doors, and along many narrow passages all inlaid, on roof, wall,
+and floor, with snow-white alabaster and rich mosaic work; until at length
+we came to a little airy chamber, where three young maidens were sitting
+with their embroidering cushions, while one, taller than the rest, whose
+back was placed towards us, knelt on the floor, touching, with slow
+fingers, the strings of a Dorian lyre. Hearing the sound of her music as
+we entered, we stood still in the door-way, and the priestess, willing
+apparently that our approach should remain unknown, advancing a step or
+two before us, said, "Sing on--I have trimmed the flame; but remember, I
+pray you, that the precincts of Phoebus are not those of Pluto, and let not
+your chant be of such funereal solemnity. We solitaries have little need
+of depressing numbers."
+
+"Dear friend," replied she that had been thus addressed, without changing
+her attitude, "you must bear with my numbers such as they are; for if you
+bid me sing only merry strains, I am afraid neither voice nor fingers may
+be able well to obey you."
+
+These words were spoken in a low and melancholy voice, which I well
+recognized. Sextus, also, perceived who spoke; but when he looked at me to
+signify this, I motioned to keep silence.
+
+"Then please yourself," said the priestess, laying her hand on Athanasia's
+shoulders; "but do sing, for I should fain have my maidens to hear
+something truly of your music." With that she again applied her fingers to
+the lyre, and stooping over it, began to play some notes of prelude, less
+sorrowful than what we had at first heard. "Ay, my dear girl," says the
+priestess, "you could not have chosen better. Heavens! how many lordly
+choirs have I heard singing to that old Delian air. There are a hundred
+hymns that may be sung to it--give us whichsoever of them pleases your
+fancy the best."--"I will try," replied the maiden, "to sing the words you
+have heard before. If I remember, you liked them." Then boldly at once,
+yet gently, did her voice rush into the current of that ancient strain
+that you have heard so often; but it was then that I myself for the first
+time heard it.
+
+  The moon, the moon is thine, O night,
+  Not altogether dark art thou;
+  Her trembling crescent sheds its light,
+  Trembling and pale, upon thine ancient brow.
+
+  The moon is thine, and round her orb
+  A thousand sweet stars minister,
+  Whose twinkling rays dark wells absorb,
+  And all the wide seas drink them far and near.
+
+  They kiss the wide sea, and swift smiles
+  Of gladness o'er the waters creep;
+  Old hoary rocks rejoice, and isles,
+  And there is glory on the slumbering deep
+
+  Afar. Along the black hill's side,
+  Right blithe of heart the wanderers go,
+  While that soft radiance, far and wide,
+  Gleams on the winding streams and woods below.
+
+  And gaily for the fragile bark,
+  Through the green waves its path is shorn,
+  When all the murmurs of the dark
+  Cold sea lie calm'd beneath that gliding horn.
+
+  Yet hail, ye glittering streaks, that lie
+  The eastern mountain tops upon!
+  Hail, ye deep blushes of the sky,
+  That speak the coming of the bridegroom sun!
+
+  Hail to the healing beam of day,
+  That rouses every living thing!
+  The forest gulphs confess thy sway,
+  And upon freshening branches glad birds sing.
+
+  And loathsome forms, that crept unseen
+  Beneath the star-light faint and wan,
+  Cower in their brakes the thorns between,
+  Dreading that fervid eye, and its sure scan
+
+  Triumphant. Welcome life and light!
+  Sing rocks and mountains, plain and sea;
+  Fearful though lovely was the night;
+  Hail to more perfect beauty--hail to THEE!
+
+"Why stop you, Athanasia?" said the priestess, finding that here she
+paused,--"why do you rise up, and take your fingers from the lyre, before
+you sing out the chorus?"--"No more, dear aunt--excuse me--no more. I have
+already sung all that I can," replied Athanasia.--"Nay, then," says she,
+"if you be fatigued, sing not; but join me, maidens, in the close--perhaps
+it rises too high for Athanasia."
+
+And with that the ancient lady herself, joined by the three damsels that
+had been embroidering, took up the strain, which, indeed, rose higher
+towards its end
+
+  Hail to thee Phoebus, son of Jove,
+  Glorious Apollo, Lord of Light,
+  Hail, lovely in thy Delian grove,
+  And terrible on Delphos' haunted height!
+
+  Hail to thee here beneath the dome,
+  Great Phoebus, of thy Latian shrine;
+  All hail from Caesar and from Rome;
+  Hail by thy dearest name, God Palatine!
+
+But as they were singing the last verse of all, Rubellia also aided their
+melody with a rich strong gushing voice, which rose far above all the
+others; and the silent Athanasia turning round quickly, perceived, not
+without manifestation of alarm, by how many strangers her song had been
+overheard. On seeing who we were, she saluted Sextus and myself with
+modest courtesy, amidst her confusion; and it may be that my companion, as
+well as myself, blushed at the same moment; for he could not see Athanasia
+without thinking of Sempronia.
+
+It seemed as if her confusion were not unconnected with some suspicion of
+having been recognized near the Praetorian guard-house; for, after the
+first glance, I in vain endeavoured to meet her eye; while on the
+contrary, to Sextus she directed both looks and words, enough to provoke
+visibly some not altogether benign movements in our Rubellia. Such, at
+least, was my interpretation of the fair widow's aspect, and the tone of
+impatience in which she, after a minute or two had passed, began to urge
+the propriety of our proceeding to the part of the imperial edifice in
+which the painter was expecting us.
+
+The priestess of Apollo hearing her say so, courteously offered to guide
+us beyond the precincts of the temple, and our whole party were again in
+motion; but Athanasia remained behind with the three young damsels, and I,
+who walked last, saw her, ere the portal received me, preparing again to
+handle the lyre, with fingers visibly trembling, and a pale countenance,
+not as I thought unstained with some yet more distinct traces of keen
+emotion. The sight of her agitation fixed my footstep for a moment, and it
+was then that, on her casting a sudden glance round to the place where I
+stood, I perceived truly that I had not been mistaken, and that the tears
+were gathered within her eyelids. It was no more, however, than one
+glance, for immediately she stooped again, and, dashing her fingers along
+the chords of the instrument, appeared to bury her thoughts in its
+harmony. I stood for a moment, and then ashamed of myself, and troubled
+with her troubles and with my own, I followed the rest into the great
+library which Augustus placed beneath the protection of the Palatine
+Apollo. The priestess parted from us at its entrance, after pointing out a
+low and massive door of bronze on the right hand, within which, as she
+told me, the remains of the Sybilline prophecies are preserved, unseen by
+profane eyes, watched over perpetually by the guardians of the place.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER III._
+
+
+I had walked by the side of my young friend, and behind the Stoic, (who, I
+think, was expressing, in his pompous fashion, much admiration of the
+singing of Rubellia,) along one or two of the great halls in which the
+library is contained, before the novelty of the objects surrounding me
+made any impression even on my eyes; and even after these were in some
+measure engaged, my mind still continued to dwell on that troubled aspect,
+and on the notes of the uncompleted song. At length, however, the levity
+of youth, and natural curiosity revived; and I began to be present, not in
+body merely, in a place where there was much that might well interest the
+mind. Far-receding rows of columns conducted my eyes into the interminable
+recesses of that wide range of chambers, in which the records of the
+thought and spirit of all past ages are piled up together; and gazing on
+the loaded shelves which every where ascended into the galleries, I could
+not but be affected with many new emotions. I perused glorious names on
+the busts that seemed to preside over the different compartments. The high
+filletted front of Homer detained for the first time my contemplation; the
+eyes of the divine old man, even in sculpture, distinctly and visibly
+blind, while the serenity and sanctity of the towering forehead, revealed
+how the intense perception at once of the lovely and the great could
+compensate for visions of earthly beauty shut out. The mild Plato, and the
+imperious Stagyrite--Pindar--Simonides--Alcaeus--and I know not how many more,
+succeeded as we passed along--each in his own sphere, reigning by himself;
+yet all connected together by a certain common air of greatness, like so
+many successive princes, or contemporary heroes of the same mighty empire.
+
+From this main range, there diverged many lesser chambers, in which we saw
+studious persons engaged, each seated by himself, and having his eyes
+fixed on the parchment before him. Of these, some deigned not to intimate
+by the smallest movement their perception that any one had approached; but
+with others Xerophrastes exchanged, as he walked, lofty salutation, and
+one or two even entered, for a moment, into conversation with him. With
+one of these, indeed, (an ancient of bitter aspect,) to such a length did
+the colloquy extend, that we began to think we should never be able to get
+our Stoic away from him; till, as our fortune would have it, it became
+necessary for them to have a certain book for the purpose of reference,
+and then Xerophrastes began to make inquiries concerning Parmeno, who, as
+I gathered, must needs be one of those intrusted with the care of the
+library.
+
+"I am afraid," said the other, "if we must wait for him, we shall not be
+able to get that work either to-day or to-morrow; for his pupil, the son
+of Fabricius, is dead, and I suppose he will now change his quarters, and
+be no longer seen so often about these haunts of the muses."
+
+"Alas!" interrupted Sextus, "I met Fabricius in the Forum a few days ago,
+and he told me his son was ill; but little did I imagine my dear companion
+was so near his end! Is it indeed so?"
+
+"Even so," rejoined the other. "Rapid have been the shears of Atropos! It
+is but a few moments since Agaso, the painter passed; and, he told me he
+had been receiving orders to take a likeness, as well as he could, from
+the corpse."
+
+"If Agaso be so engaged," replied Xerophrastes, "I am afraid we need not
+expect to find him neither in his usual place. Perhaps we had better make
+inquiry for him at the dwelling of Fabricius."
+
+To this Sextus assented; or rather, being lost in reflection concerning
+the death of his friend, he suffered himself to be conducted by the Stoic.
+Passing, therefore, through one or two more apartments, we issued forth,
+and drew near to the vestibule of Fabricius' house, who, as they told me,
+was a noble Roman, having the chief superintendance of the whole library,
+and an intimate friend of Licinius--one whose domestic calamity could not
+fail to spread much affliction through a wide circle of patrician kindred.
+
+At the vestibule, we found assembled not a few of the young man's
+relations; but Xerophrastes immediately said, "Behold Parmeno, he is the
+most afflicted; and what wonder that it should be so?"
+
+"Alas!" said Sextus, "the bier is set forth; the last rites are to be
+performed this evening."
+
+This Parmeno was a striking figure. Seated close by the bier, his head was
+involved in his cloak, so that only his eyes and his nose could be seen,
+but these of themselves expressed a decorous affliction; and the folds of
+the cloak fell down over the rest of his person in great order and
+dignity. On the pavement beside him was seen lying, half-unfolded, a book
+inscribed with the name of Heraclitus, which he appeared to have been
+reading. When Xerophrastes approached, this mourner stretched forth his
+hand, and shook his head, but he did not say any thing, nor even look
+towards the rest of us; and indeed to have done so, would have disturbed
+the attitude in which he had placed himself. Xerophrastes, on his part,
+received the proffered hand, and shaking his head in response, said, "Yes,
+my Ionian friend, I may still bid thee hail and live; but I must say
+farewell to the plant thou wast rearing. Farewell to the youthful promise
+of Fabricius!"
+
+On hearing these words, the sitting philosopher drew his mantle quite over
+his face, and leant himself heavily against one of the fluted columns of
+the vestibule, for he seemed to be much shaken. In the meantime Sextus
+approached the bier, and contemplated his companion as he lay there
+wreathed with melancholy garlands; his countenance bearing a natural
+mixture of sadness and astonishment. Nor could I, who had never before
+seen the young man, behold the spectacle without similar emotions; for his
+age, as it seemed, could not have been much different from my own, and the
+pale features were interesting, their expression not less amiable than
+solemn.
+
+"Alas!" said Sextus, "the last time I saw him, how differently did he
+appear! We rode out together with some others to Tibur, and spent all the
+day there; and as we returned by the moonlight, how joyous his
+conversation! Methinks I yet hear him laughing and speaking. We parted at
+the foot of the Capitoline, and never did I see him again till now."
+
+"Oh, fate of man!" quoth Xerophrastes; "how uncertain is life, how certain
+death! Without doubt, young Fabricius had as little thought of dying as
+any of your company; and yet, see now, he is arrayed for the last time,
+and this juvenile gown, which he should so soon have laid aside for the
+manly, is destined to be consumed with him."
+
+"A fine lad he was," cries one of the standers by,--"a fine lad, and an
+excellent horseman. The Martian Field did not often behold such a rider in
+these degenerate days of the Roman youth."
+
+But while the rest were still contemplating the bier, Xerophrastes,
+turning to his brother philosopher, said, "Tell me now, my learned friend,
+do you still, after this mournful event, continue to reside with the elder
+Fabricius? Has that excellent man any more sons to be educated, or will he
+retain you only for the sake of the library, with which assuredly he will
+find few so conversant as yourself?"
+
+To which Parmeno replied, "Your question, O Xerophrastes, shews that clear
+judgment concerning the affairs of men, for which you have always been
+celebrated. No, my friend, the gray-haired Fabricius no longer requires my
+residence here; for he is about to retire into one of his villas on the
+Campanian shore, and to bury for ever his affliction in the privacy of his
+woods. We are about to part, not without mutual tears; and several
+Patricians have already been applying to him for his influence with me,
+whom, although unworthy of so much research, they earnestly covet, and
+wish to engage as the instructor of their young men. I have been sitting
+here not unseen, beside this my former charge, and each is impatient to
+solicit me into his service."
+
+"Your reputation I well know is high," replied Xerophrastes, "and
+deservedly so; more particularly, for that fine talent you have for giving
+metaphysical interpretations of mythology, and for explaining the obscure
+allegories of ancient poets. But for my own part, Parmeno, I find not so
+much delight in abstract ideas, or in the passive contemplation of the
+universe; but incline rather to study, as heretofore, that part of
+philosophy which relates to action, and the morality of duty."
+
+"Yes, worthy Xerophrastes," returned he, with a most languid serenity;
+"and so far as I understand, you sort well in this with the stirring
+disposition of your friend Licinius."
+
+To which Xerophrastes made answer:--"My patron Licinius is fond of action,
+and I of the rules of action. He says, it is only in war, or in civil
+functions of a public nature, that a person can prove himself a man. The
+rest, he says, is visionary, and comes to nothing, or is a slumber of the
+mind in sensuality, without thought."
+
+"Does he think, then," quoth Parmeno, his wobegone countenance relaxing
+into a smile,--"Does Licinius think, then, there is no sensuality in
+perpetual action, and declamation and noise? To me such things appear
+almost as trivial as the lazy enjoyments of Epicureans, besides being
+harsh and disagreeable, and not unfrequently ridiculous. But observe, O
+Xerophrastes! that I speak these things as it were abstractly, and not by
+any means in disparagement of Licinius, your excellent patron and friend."
+
+To which the stoic replied in astonishment--"What is this you have said? Do
+you assert that action is sensual?"
+
+Then Parmeno, lifting from the pavement the book which he had been
+reading, or appearing to read, said, "It is even so, most erudite
+Xerophrastes. Indeed, I have always delighted in the most primitive and
+remote doctrines handed down from antiquity; and among others, in the
+riddles of this obscure Ephesian. Following the scope of his philosophy, I
+am led to believe, that, so often as the mind impels, or is impelled by
+other causes, it begins to lose sight of pure knowledge, and becomes in
+danger of thinking that every thing is vain, light, and evanescent, except
+what is perceived by the senses. Heraclitus well says, that Love and
+Hatred govern all things. Now, when the principle of Discord prevails, it
+subjects all things to the dominion of action, and to the gross
+perceptions of sense. But when that of Love is prevalent, it emancipates
+the struggling chaos of things from the yearning of compulsion, and from
+the darkness of sensual proximity; for, between things that struggle
+immediately against each other, light has no room to enter in and shine;
+and therefore it is, that, when Love gains the ascendency, a new
+arrangement is produced--an arrangement which, if I may so express it, is
+more serene, transparent, orderly and divine, and wherein things exist in
+safety from the danger of mutual destruction."
+
+After a preliminary cough:--"My opinion," replied Xerophrastes, "coincides
+rather with that of Empedocles. The immortal Sicilian thinks that Discord
+is the only separating and arranging principle which marks the boundaries
+between things, and enables them mutually to act and repel, in such a way
+as to preserve order."--"Nay, nay," interrupted Parmeno, his hands being by
+this quite disentangled from his cloak, and his countenance lighted
+up,--"Nay, nay, to such doctrine I never shall assent. From Empedocles--even
+from Xerophrastes, I must differ for ever on this head. The order of which
+you and the Sicilian speak, is the order of darkness only, and of blind
+force,--a kind of order in which fierceness and cruelty always reign." But
+Xerophrastes continued:--"And I farther concur with Empedocles in thinking,
+that Love is a principle of which the predominance is more fit to turn
+order into a chaos, than to produce the effects you have described."--"Nay,
+speak not against Love," quoth Parmeno--"Speak not against Love, nor
+believe that any respect is due to the dictates of Empedocles, who taught
+the worst that can be taught by any man--that is to say, the alternation of
+order and confusion succeeding each other throughout all time. To seek for
+truth in conceptions like these, is no better than to seek repose in the
+bosom of AEtna."--"In reference to that point," resumed Xerophrastes, "I
+agree with you in your disapprobation of Empedocles. But when you say,
+that Love is the source of knowledge, you much astonish me; for I have
+always thought rather that its tendency is to bring confusion upon the
+mind."
+
+"Once more," said Parmeno--"once more, let me beseech you to say nothing
+against love. You are thinking of the love of particular objects. You
+speak of Cupid, and not of that heavenly Eros, who, so far from
+enchaining, or tyrannizing over the mind, rather enables it to escape into
+the tranquil freedom of far extended contemplation. But what is
+contemplation without the knowledge of permanent forms, on which the mind
+may find repose, and so keep itself from being perplexed by the shifting
+aspects of the many-coloured universe? And therefore it is, O
+Xerophrastes, that, sometimes laying aside Heraclitus, I study the ancient
+verses of the poet, Xenophanes, who shews, by the nature of abstract
+forms, that a certain unity pervades all things. Xenophanes mused of old
+at Colophon, looking through the blue ether of my native Ionia.--But why
+should I speak thus at length? Alas! what is the occasion of our being
+here!--I perceive the approach of the poet, who was to compose an
+inscription for the urn of my dear Fabricius. Yonder also is the
+architect, who comes with a design for the tomb. Oh! day of wo, that I
+should sit in judgment concerning the epitaph and tomb of my ingenuous
+youth!"
+
+"It is, indeed, true," replied Xerophrastes, "that even I, in the
+repercussions of our talk, had well-nigh forgotten this unhappy
+occurrence; but, perhaps, there is something not after all entirely
+excusable in our giving so much superiority to the affairs of
+philosophical discussion. Now, however, it is evident, that we must
+suspend our colloquy--And who, I beseech you, above all things, is he that
+now draws near to the place of this mournful assembly, holding a horse in
+his hand. Methinks I have seen his face before."
+
+"That you have indeed, Master," quoth he that had come up,--"that you have;
+and no longer ago than yesterday neither, if you will be pleased to give
+yourself the trouble of recollecting. My name is Aspar--I am well known. If
+but my excellent friend, the noble Centurion Sabinus, were here, poor old
+Aspar would have no reason to complain of the want of a good word."
+
+"Good morrow to you, Aspar," said Sextus; "but what is it that brings you
+hither just at this moment? And for what purpose have you brought your
+horse with you? for people of your sort do not in general ride in the
+courts of the Palatine."
+
+"Alas!" quoth Aspar, "and is it you, who seem to have been one of the
+contemporaries of that peerless youth--is it you that ask such a question
+as this? I did not, in truth, imagine that there was any friend of young
+Fabricius, who did not know his affection for little Sora. There is not
+such another within twenty miles of the Capitol; but I brought her hither
+merely out of regard for the family. As for myself, I should never bear to
+look on her again with pleasure, after knowing the sudden manner of his
+death. I wish to Heaven the filly were fairly lodged in one of the
+paddocks of the Lord Fabricius himself."
+
+"Lead the animal round into the stables," says Parmeno, "and I doubt not
+care will be taken of her.--Yonder comes one of the buffoons of the
+theatre;--he, I doubt not, is here to disgrace, if he be permitted, this
+solemn scene, with ranting quotations from the tragic poets. Alas! alas! I
+cannot bear all this: There also advance the officiators from the Temple
+of Libitina; they have their cypress boughs ready in their hands. Oh, my
+learned friend, I cannot sustain these things; let me be gone into the
+mansion."
+
+The admirer of Heraclitus, picking up his scroll, and gathering together
+the folds of his mantle, moved slowly into the house, Xerophrastes
+following with similar gestures. Sextus and I also were about to take our
+departure; and he, having procured from one of the slaves of the house a
+myrtle garland, had already placed it upon the bier of the young
+Fabricius, as the last testimonial of his concern; when there drew near
+two young men, clad in long mantles of black, who, solemnly embracing my
+friend, began to exchange with him many expressions of grief.
+
+While they were thus engaged, Rubellia, who had been standing all this
+while a little apart, sent a boy to inform us that the painter we were in
+search of had at last made his appearance, and was anxious to proceed with
+his portrait. I drew Sextus away, therefore, and soon joined the lady and
+the artist; but as we were moving off thus, one of the bystanding slaves,
+an old gray-headed man, came up and whispered to Sextus, "Sir, be not
+deceived; these two nephews of my bereaved master are to me the most
+disagreeable part of all this preparation. You have heard their
+lamentation, and seen their sweeping raiment of mourning; but, be sure, a
+principal subject of their reflection is the probability that one or other
+of them must be adopted by Fabricius. Alas! alas! so goes all between
+Lucina and Libitina. There was never a birth nor a marriage that did not
+create some sorrow, nor a funeral procession that did not give rise to
+some joy. Your rhetoricians talk, but what avails it all? Slaves and
+masters are alike subjected to the evils of the world, and of these death
+is both the last and the least."
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IV._
+
+
+Agaso, the painter, was a smart dapper little bandy-legged man of Verona,
+dressed in a Grecian mantle, and endeavouring to look as much as possible
+like a Greek. Had Xerophrastes not gone off with his brother of Ionia, I
+have no doubt this man would have made his presence a sufficient excuse
+for speaking nothing but Greek to us; but, even as it was, his
+conversation was interlarded with an abundant intermixture of that noble
+tongue. Nothing could be spoken of which Agaso did not think fit to
+illustrate, either by the narration of something he himself had seen or
+heard during his residence at Athens, or, at least, by some quotation from
+the Grecian poets. To judge from the square, and somewhat ponderous
+formation of the man's features, Nature had not designed him for any of
+the most mercurial specimens of her workmanship; but he contrived,
+notwithstanding, by perpetual shrugging and grimacing, and, above all, by
+keeping his eyes and eyebrows continually in motion, to give himself an
+air of no inconsiderable life and vivacity.
+
+Hopping before us with much alacrity, this artist conducted our steps
+through eight or ten galleries, until at length a curtain being withdrawn,
+which had covered the space between two pilasters, we found ourselves in a
+spacious apartment, which, from the courteousness wherewith he bowed us
+into it, there could be no difficulty in perceiving to be the customary
+sphere of his own exertions. It was not altogether deserted even when we
+entered, but the removal of the curtain attracted more of the loungers of
+the baths, and ere Sextus was fairly fixed before the table of the
+painter, the modest youth had the mortification to find himself surrounded
+with a very crowd of knowing and curious physiognomies. The presence of
+these, however, appeared not unwelcome to the master. On the contrary,
+there arose between the little man, as he was preparing his brushes, and
+those who had come to survey him at his work, such a gabble of
+compliments, remarks, and disquisitions, that it seemed to me as if he
+would have been disappointed had he not been favoured with their
+attendance.
+
+"How noble," cries one, "is that portrait you have just been finishing of
+Rupilius!--Heavens! with what felicity you have caught the air! Methinks I
+see him about to enter the Basilica, when he knows that some great cause
+is awaiting his decision. What solemnity in his aspect! what grandeur in
+the gown!--How finely the purple of the laticlave is made to harmonize with
+the colouring of the cheeks and chin! What beautiful handling about the
+fingers with which he grasps his tablets!--As for the head of the stylus,
+it is the very eye of the picture."--"Exquisite indeed," quoth another;
+"but who can look at it, or at any thing else, in the same room with this
+little jewel?--Heavens! what a beauty! who can it be? for I never saw her
+either at the Circus or the Amphitheatre. What an inimitable modesty!"
+
+The painter heard this last piece of eulogy with an air of some
+embarrassment, and at the same time looked very cunningly towards the
+person who had uttered it. But the Lady Rubellia tossed her head, and
+whispered to me, "Pretty she may be, though I cannot say that style of
+dressing the hair is at all adapted for such features; but for modesty!
+hem. I asked Agaso two or three days ago who it was, and he told
+me--guess!--it is a little Spanish girl, whom that august-looking person,
+with the grand laticlave, and the purple cheeks and chin, and the
+glittering stylus, thought fit to bring home with him when he was relieved
+from the hard duties of the Pro-praetorship. I dare say, he takes care she
+shall not be seen either at Circus or Amphitheatre; and, indeed, I think
+it is sufficient impudence to shew her likeness in the company of so many
+portraits of respectability."
+
+"My dear lady," quoth the painter, who overheard somewhat, "for the sake
+of all that is sacred, no word of this again! Wait, at least, till the
+canvass for the Augurship be over. There are always so many to exaggerate
+and misrepresent."--"Exaggerate, indeed! I think Rupilius ought to be
+ashamed of himself; and at his time of life too. I think you said he was
+just the same age with my uncle?"--"Yes," says the painter, "he must be of
+that standing; and I think he went to Spain just about the period of your
+marriage."--"Filthy old fellow," quoth she, very quickly; "and this is the
+treasure he has brought home with him! I have a great mind to tell his
+wife."--"Hush, hush," said Agaso, "this is the very day Rupilius spoke of
+bringing her to see his own portrait; and, indeed, I am sure that is the
+Senator's cough. I rely on your prudence."
+
+And the portly original of the laticlaved portrait walked into the room,
+having his gown and every part of his dress arranged as represented in the
+picture; although in the living countenance it was easy to discover a few
+lines and spots which had been omitted in the copy. By his side moved a
+short woman, arrayed in the extremity of costly attire, whose swarthy
+complexion did not, in spite of cosmeticism, harmonize very well with the
+bright golden ringlets of her Sicambrian peruque; while behind the pair
+came a thin damsel, whose lineaments exhibited a sort of faint shadow of
+the same visage, the rudiments of which had been so abundantly filled up
+in that of the rubicund magistrate. The ex-pro-praetor, after saluting
+Agaso, stood still with dignity in the midst of the apartment, while the
+fond daughter, rushing close up to his picture, could with difficulty
+affix any limits to her expressions of satisfaction:--"O Jupiter! look at
+the ring. It is the very ring he wears!--the very images are engraved upon
+it; one can see the three Graces. I never saw such a picture--when will it
+be brought home?"--"Hush, hush, now, Primula," quoth the mother. "It is
+certainly a likeness; but why will artists, now-a-days, always paint
+people older than they are? And besides, it wants something of his
+expression. Don't you think so yourself, sir?" (turning to the painter)
+"Rupilius has surely been looking very gloomily when he sat."
+
+On this the painter, leaving Sextus, advanced to her side, and after a
+pause of some moments, spent in contemplating alternately his own work and
+the original, said, with a courteous simper, "How much am I indebted to
+you, most noble lady, for this visit, and these judicious remarks! I only
+wish you had accompanied the senator, for then, without question, his
+countenance would have worn the look you desiderate; and I perhaps might
+have more easily succeeded in catching it, being aided by your
+suggestions. I hope it may yet be amended."--"How modest he is!" ejaculated
+the spouse. "A single sitting will suffice, I am sure. We shall come some
+day when you are quite alone, and I will sit by you, and talk to Rupilius
+all the while."--"Delightful!" replied the artist; "how happy shall I be in
+such an opportunity of improving both the picture and myself! We must
+positively prevail on the senator to give us this one sitting
+more."--"Never ask his consent," quoth the matron, smiling upon her lord;
+"leave the whole matter to me. The picture is for me. And besides, if he
+were to refuse, I know how I should be certain to overcome him; for he has
+asked me to sit to you myself, and you know if I were to persist in
+sitting with my gloomy face, as he has with his, we should soon bring him
+to his right reason."--"_Your_ gloomy face, noble lady!" replied the
+artist, strutting back a pace or two. "I am afraid, if that is the charm
+by which alone he is to be softened, we must give up all our hopes."--"I
+protest," says the lady, "I believe you will keep me laughing all the time
+I sit. And pray now, what dress do you think I should wear? Prima says, I
+ought certainly to be in green; but I was thinking, that perhaps a yellow
+byssine would suit me better. But I shall send over half a dozen robes,
+and then we can choose whichever seems to be the best. One thing only I am
+quite resolved upon, and that is, that I shall have my golden chain, with
+the miniature of the Pro-praetor--the Senator, I mean--at the end of
+it."--"Nothing could be in finer taste," he made answer; "and if my lady
+should think of green, or purple, or any dark colour for the gown, the
+rings of the chain and the setting of the miniature would have the richest
+effect."--"And do, my dear mother," interrupted Prima; "and do have on the
+sapphire tiara when you sit to Agaso. Or what would you think of having
+your own hair simply like this lady here? What a beauty!"--"A smart little
+girl, indeed," quoth the mother. "I think I should know that face. Is she
+Roman, Agaso?"--"No, not a Roman," answered the artist; "nor do I think my
+lady can ever have met with her. But perhaps my Lord Rupilius may, for she
+is a Spaniard."
+
+Agaso turned with a smile to the Senator; but he, scarcely appearing to
+look at the picture, answered, with great gravity, "I think I have seen
+the countenance before; and perhaps it was in my province. The face is
+certainly a pretty one; but nothing so very extraordinary."--"They may say
+what they like," observed the spouse, drawing herself up; "but there is no
+such thing as a really urbane air to be got out of Rome."
+
+Meantime, in another part of the room, some other picture appeared to be
+exciting a scarcely inferior measure of curiosity. On approaching the
+party, I perceived that this was a sketch, in chalk only, of the head and
+shoulders of an old man; and when I had gained an opportunity of more
+nearly surveying it, I recognized without difficulty the features of
+Tisias of Antioch. The greater number of those who were looking on it,
+seemed also to have been present at his death; for I heard pointed out by
+them with exactness the parts in which the resemblance had been most
+successfully taken. The beauty of the old man's lineaments, and the
+serenity of his aspect, they all admired; and while they were loud in
+praising these, Agaso himself also joined them, saying, "Oh, so you have
+found out my old Christian! How did you get hold of him? for I meant it
+not to be seen till I had lain on a little of the colour. But is it not a
+fine study?--is it not a noble head? I think I shall introduce it in the
+picture I am painting for Pliny. The subject is the sacrifice of
+Iphigenia. I went to the Amphitheatre," he continued, "rather late,
+without expecting any thing particular; but it immediately struck me that
+he might be turned to some account. I made several little sketches of him,
+for it was a long time ere it was over; and this is from the one I took
+just after he had made his oration. His hands and feet were singularly
+fine, I thought. Here," said he, turning over the leaves of his
+tablets--"here you have him in a variety of shapes!--the muscles shewed
+powerfully when he knelt;--there, again, you have his fingers as they were
+folded on his breast--not much flesh, but the lines good--veins well
+expressed."
+
+But about this time the great bell rung in the tower above the Baths, and
+the greater part of the young loungers soon dispersed themselves; some to
+fence or wrestle--others to play in the tennis-court--others to ride in the
+Hippodrome, in preparation for the bath. So Agaso, being left alone with
+Sextus, Rubellia, and myself, had at length leisure to proceed with his
+portrait of the youth.
+
+Much did the lady and the painter discourse, and many merry things were
+said by them both; but all they said could not entirely remove the
+embarrassment fixed on the countenance of Sextus; nor, of a truth, did he
+present himself with much advantage before the artist. Rubellia,
+nevertheless, sate over against him with looks of no severe criticism; and
+I doubt not she would have remained to the end of the sitting, had not one
+of her household come with a message, which, as it seemed, rendered
+necessary her departure. It struck me, that the messenger answered very
+well to Dromo's description of the fat Calabrian with whom he and Boto had
+been drinking; but of this I said nothing to Sextus.
+
+It was near the hour of supper before we were dismissed, and we found
+Licinius already about to enter his eating chamber.
+
+
+
+
+                               _CHAPTER V._
+
+
+The orator received us with less coldness than I could have expected. I
+suppose his knowledge that our morning had been spent in Rubellia's
+company, had in some measure softened his feelings of jealousy towards his
+son; and perhaps he had given me credit for advice, to the merit of which
+I had no claim. But he remained not long at table after supper was
+concluded, being summoned to discourse in private with a client:--so that
+Sextus and I were left to spend the evening as it might please ourselves;
+for as to Xerophrastes, he had not as yet made his appearance, and we took
+it for granted he had remained at the mansion of Fabricius, for the
+purpose of consoling with philosophical controversies his bereaved brother
+of Ionia.
+
+We retired, therefore, into the apartment of my young friend; but he could
+not read a page without coming upon some verse which made him throw down
+the scroll to ruminate on the charms of his Sempronia. When he took up his
+lute, his fingers seemed to evoke only the most melancholy sounds. It was
+only in the exercise of the foil, that he succeeded in banishing from his
+thoughts the troubles of his situation; but both of us having contended
+till we were breathless, were soon compelled to sit down, and then the
+unhappy boy's exhausted body seemed to communicate a new debility to his
+mind. We sat for the most part in silence, (for I soon found that I could
+not say any thing capable of interesting him,) until the shades of evening
+had quite darkened the chamber, and then we walked together, not less
+silently, in the adjoining open gallery, until the moon had arisen from
+above the tall poplars around the Pantheon and Baths of Agrippa, and
+diffused her radiance over all the beautiful gardens and noble edifices
+that lay beneath us down to the brink of the river. Lassitude of spirit
+then, if not expectation of sleep, rendered Sextus desirous of retiring to
+his couch; so, having exhorted the youth to wrestle with his grief, and to
+call hope to his aid, I at length left him to himself. But as for me, I
+had as yet no feeling of weariness, and, besides, I remembered the promise
+I had made to Dromo in the morning.
+
+I was very much surprised, indeed, that the Cretan had not as yet come to
+me, and made inquiry concerning him of Boto; but hearing that the man was
+absent from the house, I thought from this there was the more likelihood
+of his being engaged in some scheme, the result of which I should by and
+by learn from his own lips. I dismissed my Briton, therefore, and prepared
+to read by my watch-light, and while I was considering what I should read,
+I remembered the scroll I had received from Tisias, which forthwith I took
+from the place in which I had locked it up on the morning of the preceding
+day. There fell from out of it, as I unfolded it, a letter sealed, but
+without any superscription. This I of course considered as meant only for
+the eye of Athanasia; so I kissed the parchment her fingers were destined
+to touch, and, before I began to read, restored it to its receptacle.
+
+More than one of you, my young friends, have already heard me speak, on
+another occasion, of the impression which that night's reading made upon
+my mind, and been told, from my own lips, what book it was that was
+contained in the scroll of Tisias; the rest of you will judge for
+yourselves with what astonishment it was that I, who had at the best
+expected to unfold some obscure treatise of Asiatic lore, some
+semi-barbarous exposition of mystical riddles, found myself engaged in the
+perusal of a plain and perspicuous narrative of facts, written evidently
+by a man of accomplishment and learning, and in Greek of which the most
+elegant penman of these times could have had no occasion to be ashamed. In
+a word, it was the Gospel of the holy physician St Luke which had been put
+into my hands; and at this day I am still grateful that this was the first
+of the Christian books which I had an opportunity of seeing; for such had
+been my education, that I am afraid others, not less worthy of the true
+faith, might have repelled me by the peculiarities of their composition,
+as well as by the acquaintance with many things, to me then entirely
+unknown, which they take for granted in the style of their commencement.
+Here, however, there was enough only of mystery, the more effectually to
+stimulate my curiosity, while the eagerness with which I engaged myself in
+its gratification, was abundantly repaid from the beginning, both by the
+beauty of the simple narrative itself, and the sublimity of the
+conceptions embodied and evolved in its course.
+
+Considering the book which I was reading, as one merely of human origin
+and invention, I could not help regarding it with such admiration, that it
+appeared to me above all things wonderful, I had never seen it mentioned
+by any of the writers of the age, or heard it spoken of by any of those
+who, in my presence, since I came to Rome, had talked concerning the faith
+and doctrines of the persecuted Christians. But this was not all. At
+least, said I to myself, there is something here which deserves to be
+inquired into and examined. Of things such as these, if told falsely, it
+must needs have been--nay, it must still be, easy to prove the falsehood.
+It is impossible that, in the days of Tiberius, any such events should
+have occurred in Palestine, without being more or less submitted to the
+inspection of Roman eyes. This is no wild tale, handed down from the dark
+ages of a barbarous race. Here I have a Roman Centurion described as among
+the witnesses of this man's miraculous power, and acknowledging the
+divinity of his benevolence. Here, at least, must have been one spectator
+without prejudices, otherwise than against this Prophet of Nazareth. Of a
+surety, the legends of Rome herself contain many tales which demand a much
+greater measure of indulgence; since the wonders they narrate appear to
+have been oftentimes attended with no beneficial consequences, either to
+individuals or to the state; whereas here the occasion seems always to
+have been such as might justify the interference of supernatural might.
+The power of this person seems to have been exerted only for good; and his
+precepts are full of such godlike loftiness as neither Socrates, nor
+Plato, nor any of those Greek sages, who bowed in reverence to the hoary
+wisdom of Egypt and India, would have disdained to admire.
+
+The doubts, suspicions, and distrusts, with which such thoughts were
+mingled,--the under-current of reluctance with which I felt myself all
+along contending,--were such as you may more easily imagine than I can
+describe.
+
+As the narrative went on, however, you will have no difficulty in
+supposing that my attention became more and more rivetted, and that,
+occupied with the strange events and sublime scenes it unfolds--and
+agitated by turns with the pity, the wonder, the terror, and the
+admiration that matchless story must ever awaken,--I had forgotten every
+thing beyond the page of the volume on which my finger was fixed.
+
+It was only the rustling of Dromo's cloak against the edge of my chair,
+that made me aware my privacy was disturbed. His hands seemed to be busied
+in tightening his girdle even before he was able to speak, and the first
+words he uttered, were--"Come, sir--this is no time for study. I have
+acquaintance with some of the soldiers at the Capene Gate, and they will
+let us pass through; but they are relieved at the next watch, and then we
+shall have no chance."--"And why," said I, hastily thrusting the scroll
+into my bosom--"why, Dromo, or for what purpose should we desire to pass
+through the Capene Gate at the dead hour of night?"--"Come," said he;
+"there is no time for explanation. It is simply because it is the dead
+hour of night that we must pass through the gate; for it would do nobody
+any good to pass through at any other time. Come--or abandon Sextus to his
+fate."
+
+Thus adjured, I could not oppose any obstacle to his zeal. The chained
+porter was lying asleep across the threshold; but Dromo had already found
+means to have the door opened, so he leaped lightly over the man, and I
+imitated his agility. The Cretan then locked the gate on the outside, by
+means of a key which he carried in his bosom; and I followed his rapid
+steps without farther question.
+
+This cunning varlet, (who seemed, indeed, to move as if he had a natural
+aversion to every open place,) threaded one obscure lane after another,
+keeping always, where the moonlight had any access, to the dark side of
+the way; a person better skilled than myself might well have been somewhat
+puzzled; as for me, I had not the least conception whither I was going.
+Close, however, did I adhere to him; and we reached the Capene Port, which
+is on the south side of the city, not many bow-shots from the Anio, before
+I could have imagined it possible to traverse so great a space.
+
+Here Dromo told me to wait for him a single moment, and stepped down into
+a cellar, in which a light was burning; but he staid not long, and when he
+returned to me, I observed that his style of walking was more clumsy than
+usual, which, indeed, was not to be wondered at, considering that he had
+now to carry, not only himself, but two huge skins of wine, intended, as I
+at once suspected, for the purpose of facilitating our passage. I told him
+my suspicion in a whisper; but he made no answer, except by handing to me
+one of his burdens. So laden, we crept on as well as we could to the
+portal, beneath the shadow of which two Praetorians were pacing, their
+armour ringing audibly upon them amidst the silence of the night.--Silently
+did the well-oiled hinges turn, and very silently stooping did we step
+beneath the lintel of the Capene Gate, which as silently was again made
+fast.
+
+As we advanced among the funereal monuments which line the Appian Way on
+either side, Dromo stood still every now and then for a moment, as if to
+listen; but whatever he might have heard, or expected to hear, I perceived
+nothing, except here and there the howl of a dog, or the lazy hooting of
+the night-owl, from the top of some of the old cypresses that rose between
+us and the moon.
+
+At last he seemed to catch the sound he had been expecting, for he started
+suddenly; and laying his finger on his lip, crept to the parapet.
+
+The ground behind was more desolate of aspect than any part of that which
+we had traversed--stoney and hard, with here and there tufts of withered
+fern; and immediately below the wall two human figures were visible. The
+one was sitting on the ground, wrapped in a dark cloak which entirely
+concealed the countenance: the other was a half-naked boy, holding in a
+string a little new-shorn lamb, which with one of his hands he continually
+caressed. But forthwith the sitter arose, and throwing away the cloak,
+displayed the gray tangled tresses of an old woman, and two strong boney
+arms, one of which was stretched forth with an impatient gesture towards
+the stripling, while the other was pointed upwards to the visible moon.
+"Strike," said she, "strike deeply--beware lest the blood tinge your feet
+or your hands;"--and I recognized at once the voice of the same Pona that
+had attracted my notice in the morning, at the foot of the Palatine.
+
+The boy drew forth instantly a knife from his bosom, whose glittering
+blade was buried in the throat of the yearling, and it was then first that
+I perceived a small ditch dug between the boy and the woman, into which,
+the lamb's throat being held over it, the blood was made to drop from the
+wound. So surely had the blow been given, that not one bleat escaped from
+the animal, and so deeply, that the blood flowed in a strong stream,
+dashing audibly upon the bottom of the trench. And while it was dropping,
+the old woman muttering a sort of chant to Hecate, as I gathered, showered
+from her girdle I know not what of bones or sticks, mingled with leaves
+and roots, which afterwards she seemed to be stirring about in the blood
+with one of the tall strong stems of the fern that grew there. The
+wildness of her gestures was such, that I could not doubt she had herself
+some faith in the efficacy of the foul charms to which she had resorted;
+nor could I see her stirring that trench of innocent blood, without
+remembering the still more ruthless charms, whose practice the poets of
+Italy have ascribed to such hoary enchantresses. The dreariness of the
+midnight wind, too, as it whistled along the bare and steril soil around
+us, and the perpetual variations in the light, by reason of the careering
+of those innumerable clouds, and the remembrance of the funereal purposes
+for which, as it seemed, all this region was set apart--the whole of this
+together produced, I know not how, a certain pressure upon my spirits, and
+I confess to you, I felt, kneeling there by the side of my now trembling
+Cretan, as if I owed him no great thanks for having brought me that night
+beyond the Capene Gate.
+
+It seemed as if the goddess, to whom the witch's song had been addressed,
+did not listen to it with favourable ear; for the clouds gathered
+themselves more thickly than ever, while the wind howled only more loudly
+among the tombs, and the half-scared owl sent up a feebler hooting.
+Notwithstanding, the old woman continued fixed in the same attitude of
+expectation, and the stripling still held the well-nigh drained throat of
+his lamb above the trench. By degrees, however, the patience of both
+seemed to be exhausted; and there arose between them an angry altercation.
+"Infernal brat of Hades!" quoth the witch, "look ye, if you have not
+stained your filthy hands, and if the thirsty shadows be not incensed,
+because you have deprived them of some of the sweet blood which they
+love!"--"Curse not me, mother," replied the boy--"Did you think, in truth,
+that the blood of a stolen lamb would ever propitiate Hecate?"--"Imp!"
+quoth she, "Hold thy peace, or I will try whether no other blood may make
+the charm work better!"--"Beware!" quoth the boy, leaping backwards--"beware
+what you do! I am no longer so weak that I must bear all your blows."
+
+"Stop," cried I, "for there are eyes that you think not of, to take note
+of your wickedness;" and in my vehemence I shook one of the great loose
+stones that were on the top of the wall, which rolled down and bounded
+into the ditch beside them; and the woman, huddling her cloak over her
+head, began to run swiftly away from us, along the wall over which we were
+leaning. The boy only stood still for a moment, and looked upwards towards
+the place where we were, and then he also fled, but in the opposite
+direction; and Dromo said to me in a very piteous whisper, but not till
+both were out of sight,--"Heaven and earth! was ever such madness as to
+scare the witch from her incantation? Alas! for you and for me, sir--and,
+most of all, alas for Sextus--for I fear me after this we shall have no
+luck in counteracting the designs of Rubellia."
+
+"Rubellia! what? can you possibly imagine Rubellia to have any thing to do
+with this madness?"
+
+"Imagine?" quoth he; "do you need to be told, that if things had gone well
+with that woman and her ditch, we should never have been able to preserve
+Sextus from her clutches?"
+
+"By the rod of Hermes, good Dromo!" said I, "this will never do. I shall
+believe much on your credit, but not things quite so extravagant as this."
+
+He made no reply save a long, incredulous, and, I think, contemptuous
+whistle, which seemed to reach the ears of every owl between us and the
+Appian; with such a hooting and screeching did they echo its note from
+every cypress. And when Dromo heard that doleful concert, his dread
+redoubled within him, for he shook from head to foot, while I held his arm
+in mine; until, at last, he seemed to make one violent effort, and
+springing on his feet, said--"Come, Master Valerius, let us behave after
+all like men!"--I smiled when he said so--"The hour has not yet come, if my
+Calabrian friend is to be trusted, at which the lady was to visit Pona in
+her dwelling. It is but daring a little more. If she has seen and known us
+already, then nothing can endanger us farther; and if she hath not, we may
+escape again."--"Well spoken," said I, "most shrewd Dromo, and like
+yourself; but what is it that you would have us to do?"--"The first thing,"
+he replied, "is what has already been too long delayed."
+
+The Cretan produced from under his cloak a long fictitious beard, which he
+immediately proceeded to fix upon his own face with a string. A thin tall
+cap of black cloth was next brought forth, which he fastened in like
+manner around his brows; and a little piece of chalk, with which he once
+or twice rubbed over his black bushy eye-brows, completed a disguise
+beneath which I should certainly have sought in vain to discover any trace
+of the natural countenance of Dromo. In short, after a few changes in the
+folding of his cloak, there stood before me a figure so venerably
+mysterious, that had I met it unawares at midnight, in the neighbourhood
+of so many tombs, I am not sure, although of no superstitious temper, that
+I could have regarded it without awe.
+
+"Come now, good Master," quoth he, "you are taller than I, pluck me a
+branch from the nearest tree, and I think you shall confess I make a
+decent Soothsayer." In this it was easy to gratify him; for there was an
+old willow just a few yards off, and its boughs were so dry with age, that
+I soon abstracted a very proper wand for him. After receiving which, he
+stood for a moment leaning on it in a dignified fashion, as if to rehearse
+an attitude worthy of his new vocation; and then said--"Well, sir, I think
+if the Lady Rubellia comes now, we shall be tolerably prepared for her.
+But I have no disguise for you; therefore, the moment you hear a footstep,
+be sure you wrap your face in your gown, and stand behind me, for so shall
+you best consult both your own concealment, and the dignity of this
+Assyrian. There is no other way by which she can come from the Suburra,
+therefore we might stay very well where we are; but I think it might be
+still better to await her coming where there are either tombs or larger
+trees to cast a shade over our equipage, in case the moon should take it
+into her head to be more kind to us than she was to Pona."--"By all means,"
+said I, "most venerable man--and besides, the wind is rather chilly,
+therefore I shall be well pleased to have shelter as well as shade."
+
+"You shall have both," quoth he; "there is a thick grove of pines only a
+little way on. I believe there is a very grand tomb in the midst of them,
+in case you should prefer to sit under it.--By the bye," he continued,
+after some little pause, "it is odd enough that it should be so; but I
+believe it is the very place where all that race of the Sempronii, to
+which a certain young damsel belongs, have been burnt and buried ever
+since Rome was a city. You cannot see their tomb yet; but that is only
+from the thickness of the trees, some of which are, I suppose, even older
+than itself. Now I remember me, it was just there that they set up two
+winters ago the funeral pile of old Caius--I mean the father of the Lady
+Athanasia, whom you saw at Capito's villa. They are a very noble race, and
+although none of the richest now-a-days, there is not a prouder in Rome. I
+saw the procession at that old man's funeral myself, and I think the
+images of his ancestors that they carried before him, would have reached
+half way from hence to the Great Road. Grim, dusty figures, I trow they
+were; but I doubt not there had been many a haughty captain among them
+when they were alive."
+
+These words were spoken as we were moving onwards towards this same grove
+of pines, and before he had made an end of speaking, we could clearly hear
+the wind sighing among their branches, and along the dry underground. And
+on coming to them I found that he had said truly there was a tomb in the
+midst of them, for a very noble, high, circular tower was indeed there,
+which, from the grayness of its walls, and luxuriance of ivy, had the
+appearance of being at least as ancient as any of the surrounding trees.
+The only method of access to the inside, seemed to be by means of a
+winding stair, which rose on the exterior from the ground to the summit--a
+method not unusual in Roman sepulchres--and it was on one of the steps of
+this stair that I seated myself, where, between the shaded wall on the one
+side, and the pine branches on the other, I was effectually concealed. As
+for Dromo, I know not whether it was that he coveted not exactly such
+close proximity to the stones of such an edifice; but instead of ascending
+with me, he took up a position beside one of the largest pines over
+against me.
+
+Although the moon had got rid of her clouds, and the sky, where any of it
+could be seen, was abundantly brilliant, the natural darkness of that
+funereal grove was such, that very little difference could be produced in
+the midst of it by any variation on the face of any nightly luminary. The
+tower itself received some of the moonbeams on its carved surface; but its
+contemporary trees participated not in any such illumination,--one solemn
+shade covering all things beneath the influence of their growth. "I can
+scarcely see you, Dromo," said I; "but I think that speck must be your
+beard, and if so, I beg you would tell me what it is you really have in
+view by all this preparation? Do you expect me to stay here on a
+tomb-stone all night, merely because you wish to have an opportunity of
+terrifying poor Rubellia by some ghost-like howl or other when she passes
+you?--which, by the way, it seems by no means certain she will do at all.
+Or what is your purpose?"--"Hush!" was his answer; "ask no questions, but
+hem thrice if you hear a footstep--for young ears are the keenest."
+Accordingly silence was kept so strictly, that, in spite of the chillness
+of the stone on which I sate, I presently fell into a sort of dozing
+slumber.
+
+By degrees, however,--nor, considering the hour and the fatigue I had
+undergone, is it wonderful that it should have been so,--my sleep must have
+become sufficiently profound, for I did not at first, on waking from it,
+very well remember either where I was, or for what purpose I had come
+thither. And, indeed, I have little doubt my slumbers might have continued
+till day-break, but for the interruption I am now to mention.
+
+And yet it seemed as if even in my sleep I had been prepared for this by
+some strange anticipation, for although it was a near sound of singing
+voices that dispelled my slumbers, and made me start from the stone on
+which I had placed myself, I could not help feeling as if that sound were
+not altogether new to me;--whether it were that the half-sensible ear had
+been already ministering indistinctly to the dreaming spirit, or that some
+purely fantastic prelude had been vouchsafed to the real music. I started
+up suddenly, that much is certain, and listened with astonishment, yet not
+altogether with such surprise as might have been expected to attend a
+transition so hasty from sleep to waking, and from silence to the near
+neighbourhood of sounds at once so strange and so sweet. With breathless
+curiosity, nevertheless, with awe, and not entirely I think without
+terror, did I listen to the notes which seemed to ascend out of the
+habitation of the noble dead into the nightly air--wild, yet solemn, as if
+breathed from the bosom of a stately repose and a pensive felicity;
+insomuch, that almost I persuaded myself I was hearing the forbidden
+sounds of another world, and the thought came over me,--yet almost I think
+at that moment without farther disturbing me,--what fearful interpretations
+the old poets have affixed to such untimely communion, and how the
+superstition of all antiquity has shrunk from its omen.
+
+My first impulse, after a moment had elapsed, was to call on Dromo, and I
+did so, at first in a low whisper, and then two or three times more
+loudly--but all equally in vain, for no answer was returned; and though I
+strained my eyes in gazing on the place where I had last seen him, yet
+there I could perceive no trace whatever of any human figure. The
+moonlight indeed shewed with more distinctness than before the tall stem
+of the old pine-tree against which he had been leaning; but no motion, nor
+the least appearance of whiteness, could either my eyes or my imagination
+discover there. I might easily, you will say, have stept across the road,
+and entirely satisfied myself; but I know not well what it was that nailed
+me to the place where I stood, and prevented me even from once thinking of
+doing so. The calm sepulchral music, my friends, still continued to stream
+from the recess of the mausoleum, and painless awe held me there, as if by
+a charm incontrollable. I gazed upwards, and beheld the moon riding above
+the black pine tops, in a now serene and cloudless heaven. The wind also
+had passed away, as it appeared, with the clouds it had agitated. The bird
+of night was asleep on her unseen bough; and all was silent as death,
+except only the dwelling of the departed; and a certain indescribable
+delight was beginning, as I gazed and listened, to be mixed with the
+perturbation wherewith at first I had been inspired.
+
+And I know not how long I might have stood so, but while I was yet
+listening to this mysterious music, there was mingled with its expiring
+cadence the sound of a heavy footstep on the staircase above me, and
+looking up, I perceived in the moonlight the figure of a man, clad in a
+white gown, but having a naked sword stretched forth in his hand,
+immediately over the place whereon I was standing. I obeyed the first
+natural impulse, and leaped downwards swiftly on seeing him; but this
+availed me nothing, for he also leaped, and almost before my feet had
+touched the ground, I felt the grasp of his hand upon my shoulder, and
+that so strongly, that I perceived plainly there was as little possibility
+of escape as of resistance. I made therefore no farther effort, but
+suffered him to do with me as he pleased; and he, on his part, said not a
+single word, but still retaining his hold, pointed with his sword to the
+same steps from which I had descended, and compelled me to mount them
+before him, up to the very summit of the round tower.
+
+"Why is this, sir?" said I; "and whither do you conduct me?"
+
+"Peace," was all his answer; and, in like manner as he had made me climb
+the exterior, so also he compelled me to begin the descent of a similar
+flight of steps, which led down from an aperture above, into the interior
+of the edifice. And although I must confess to you that I obeyed not this
+silent guidance without considerable fear, yet I strove as well as I could
+to control myself. I moved with a step in which I think not there could be
+perceived any trembling.
+
+Yet you will admit that even had I been master at that moment of less
+firmness, I might have been excusable; for looking down, I perceived that
+a lamp was burning in the midst of the sepulchral tower far below me, and
+saw sitting around it a company of eight or ten persons, at whose mercy,
+it was quite visible, I must be placed. Neither, if I might judge from the
+demeanour of the person that was bringing me into their assembly, did
+there appear to be any great room for dependance on them; for, as to
+themselves, not one of them looked up towards me as I was stepping down,
+and being wrapped in their cloaks, I had no means of discovering what
+manner of persons they were. The way in which I had been treated, however,
+by one of their number, was a sufficient evidence, either that they
+conceived themselves to have been injured by my being there, or that they
+were capable of taking some undue advantage of my helpless condition. The
+calmness of their attitudes, and the recollection of the sounds that I had
+heard, inclined me to the former of these suppositions; and when I
+perceived that not one of them stirred, even till I had reached the
+lowmost step of the interior staircase, in this, without question, I
+already felt myself considerably strengthened.
+
+"Behold," said my guide, as I at length touched the marble floor of the
+mausoleum itself--"Behold proof, and that living, that my suspicions were
+not quite so groundless as you were pleased to imagine. Here is a man whom
+I found listening, even on the very steps of this tower. It is for you to
+decide what shall be done with the eaves-dropper."
+
+With this the whole company sprung at once to their feet, and I perceived
+evidently, from the surprise expressed in their looks and attitudes, that
+until that moment not one of them had been aware of my approach. I was
+about to speak, and declare my innocence of any treachery, or even of any
+knowledge concerning the purpose of their meeting; but before I could do
+so, one of them, and I think the oldest of all that were present, having
+in an instant recovered the tranquillity which my arrival had disturbed,
+said to me in a voice of the utmost gentleness, "Young man, what has
+brought thee hither, or who sent thee? Art thou indeed a spy, and was it
+thy purpose to betray our assembly?"
+
+"Sir," said I, "I know nothing of your assembly, or of its purpose; I fell
+asleep by accident on the outside of this tower, and, when I awoke, the
+music that I heard detained me."
+
+"Examine the stripling," quoth he that had conducted me--"examine his
+person."--"His looks belie him," replied the senior, "if you have cause for
+suspicion. But if you will it so, search the young man." And with that my
+guide, laying his unsheathed sword upon a table, or altar of black marble,
+proceeded to search my garments, and finding in my bosom the scroll which
+I had received from Tisias, he glanced on it for a moment, and then
+handing it to the senior, said, "Now, sirs, doubt ye if ye will."--"Before
+heaven--it is the book of the holy Luke!" said the other; "this is indeed
+suspicious. How came this scroll into thy hands, young man? Art thou aware
+that one of the books of the Christians has been found in thy bosom?"--"I
+know it," said I; "it is one of the books of their faith, and I have read
+in it this evening for the first time."--"Then thou art not thyself a
+Christian?"--"I received the book from one Christian," said I, waiving the
+question; "and I made promise to deliver it into the hands of
+another?"--"Name the Christian who gave thee this book!" said my stern
+guide.--"Tisias of Antioch," I replied; "the same who died yesterday in the
+Amphitheatre."--"Yes," quoth he, again; "and I suppose it was there he gave
+it to you. Every one knows the name of Tisias. Name, if you please, the
+person to whom you are to deliver the book."--"You shall pardon me," said
+I, "that I will not. You may call me an eaves-dropper, if you will; but
+you shall find I am no traitor. It is a Roman--a noble Roman lady to whom I
+must give this book; and I would not tell you her name although you should
+slaughter me here in this tomb, which I have entered living and without
+guilt." And having said this, I folded my arms, and stood still, abiding
+their will.
+
+But scarcely had I finished these words, ere I felt a small trembling hand
+laid upon my shoulder, and looking round, I perceived Athanasia herself,
+who whispered into my ear,--"Valerius, was the book for me? If so, you may
+say it boldly, and I will vouch for your word."--"For you, lady," I
+answered in the same tone, "and for none other. You well know that I was
+present in his prison the night before his death; so far at least you can
+confirm what I have said."
+
+"Sir," said she, addressing the old man that had before questioned me, "I
+know this young man: and I believe what he has said, and will be
+answerable for his fidelity. It was he that went in to our friend the
+other night in his prison, and the book was intrusted to him by the old
+man, that it might be given into my hands. His name is Valerius--Caius
+Valerius--and he is by birth a noble Roman."
+
+"Say you so, lady?" interrupted my original conductor; "then I ask his
+pardon. I have wronged Caius Valerius; but both you and he must forgive
+me, for it must be confessed he was found in a very extraordinary
+situation."
+
+"Even so," I replied, "I have nothing to complain of. I perceive that I am
+present in an assembly of Christians; but he shall do me much wrong that
+thinks I bear any enmity to them,--or, from all that I have yet seen or
+read, to the faith which they profess. I have read part of that book," I
+continued, "for I made promise to Tisias that I should do so before giving
+it to Athanasia; and I trust I shall still be permitted by her to read
+more of it before it is finally demanded from me."--"Oh, read it!" said
+Athanasia, gently again whispering to me. "Oh yes, read the book,
+Valerius, and may God enlighten the reader." And so saying, she herself
+took up the scroll from the table on which it was lying, and gave it again
+into my hands.--"There was also a letter for you," said I, receiving it,
+"but that I left at home."--"No matter," said Athanasia, "you shall give me
+the letter and the book both together hereafter."
+
+"In the meantime," said I, "I suppose it were better I should retire."
+
+"Young sir," said the senior, "that is as you please; in a little while we
+shall all be moving towards the city. Stay with us till then, if such be
+your will; that which you may hear, can at least do you no harm. Already,
+I doubt not, you have seen enough to despise the ignorant calumnies of our
+enemies."
+
+When he had said so, the old man walked to the side of the sepulchre, and
+took out from behind one of the urns that stood there, (ranged in their
+niches,) a small casquet, which, returning, he placed before him on the
+marble table. Then, opening the casquet, he brought forth a silver goblet,
+and a salver containing some little pieces of bread; and, untying from his
+neck a massive cross of gold, he set that also on the table, between the
+cup and the salver. In brief, the Christian priest, (for such, as you
+already see, he was,) had finished his preparation, and was about to
+commence the administration of the blessed Eucharist. And when all the
+rest were kneeling before the table, Athanasia, laying her hand upon my
+arm, beckoned to me to kneel by her side; and so indeed I would have done
+in my ignorance, had not the priest himself pointed to a station a few
+yards behind the lady, to which, accordingly, I drew back--apart from those
+who were to be privileged with the participation of those holy symbols.
+
+Scarcely had they composed themselves in their places, and listened to the
+first words of the appointed service, when I, standing there by myself,
+thought, unless my ears deceived me, there must be some one on the outer
+stair-case of the tower; and my eyes instinctively, I suppose, were fixed
+upon the aperture, which, as I have told you, was in the high roof above
+the circle of the niched walls. Here, however, when I first looked, there
+was nothing to be seen, but the round spot of the sky, far up in the midst
+of the marble roof; but while I was looking steadfastly, that space was
+suddenly diminished; and a dog bayed, and at the same moment a voice which
+I well knew, screamed, "I have them--I hold them--let them burst the net if
+they can."
+
+The cry of Pona disturbed effectually the Christian priest, and the whole
+of those that were with him. Rising up hastily from their knees, they
+stood all together around the table, while the old man, having kissed both
+the cup and the cross, restored them as quickly as he could to the casket
+from which they had been taken. But while the priest was doing this, he
+that found me on the stair appearing to revert into his suspicion, and
+looking sternly upon me where I stood, said, "Is this then the innocence
+which we spared! Is this the noble Roman for whom Athanasia pledged
+herself? Speak, brethren, what shall be done to this traitor, by whom,
+even more than by those dogs of the tombs, it is a shame for us that we
+have been hunted?" Saying so, the man lifted up his sword again, and it
+seemed as if he would have smitten me to the ground without farther
+question. But Athanasia threw herself swiftly between him and me. "For
+shame, Cotilius," said she; "such suspiciousness is unworthy of a Roman
+knight."--"You say well, noble damsel," quoth the old priest, interrupting
+her; "but you might say also that such cruelty is unworthy of a soldier of
+Christ. Peace, peace, children; there is no evil in the youth, nor, if
+there were, would it be our part to avenge it."
+
+While he was saying this, three or four blazing torches were thrust down
+into the place from above, and Athanasia, laying her hand upon my arm,
+said, "Look up, Caius, I see helmets.--Alas! am I not already here? why, if
+they will slay me, should they drag me away now from the tomb of my
+fathers?" I felt the trembling of her hands, and she leaned upon my
+shoulder. I know not, I will confess to you, whether at that moment I
+tasted more of pleasure or of pain.
+
+But by this time several of the soldiers had already begun to descend into
+the tower, and before another minute had elapsed, we found ourselves
+surrounded by the flame of their torches. And he that seemed to lead the
+party, after counting us one by one, said, turning to his companions,
+"Well, an old woman has told the truth for once--here are even more I think
+than she warned us of.--Come along, worthy people, you must not keep the
+Tribune waiting for you all night, and our watch is well-nigh expired
+already. Come, mount the stair--it will take a good half hour yet, I
+believe, to lodge you all safely in the Tullian--And do you," he added,
+laying his hand on the hilt of Cotilius' sword--"do you, brave sir, allow
+me to save you the trouble of carrying this bauble." Nor was the stern
+knight so foolish as to dispute the command; but having yielded up his
+sword, he forthwith began to ascend, one or two spearmen preceding him
+with their torches. The priest followed, and so did the rest; the last
+being Athanasia and myself.
+
+On every side around the old tower, when I looked from the summit of it, I
+perceived foot soldiers drawn up in a double line, while the road along
+which I had come with Dromo, was occupied by a band of horsemen, one of
+whom moved forward when he saw us descending, as if to take cognizance of
+the number and quality of the surprised assembly. His long cloak being
+muffled about his ears as he sate, and the shadow of his helmet falling
+deeply, I did not at first suspect who it was; but he had not counted half
+the party to the superior Officer behind him, ere I recognized him from
+the sound of his voice; and who, think ye, should it be but my good friend
+Sabinus?
+
+The Centurion, when his eye detected me, checked his horse so sharply that
+the animal bounded into the air; and, "Valerius!" quoth he, "ha! by the
+life of Caesar, what is the meaning of this? Valerius in a Christian
+synagogue! By all the gods, there must be some mistake." But before I, in
+my confusion, could make any answer to these exclamations, his eye chanced
+to glance on Athanasia, who, trembling, still retained the support of my
+arm; whereupon, "Ha! ha!" said he, in a quite different tone of voice,
+"there is a lady in the case." And then, stooping in his seat, he
+whispered, half laughing, into my ear, "My most hypocritical smooth-face,
+you shall see what is the consequence of bringing these transatlantic
+pranks of yours to Rome. By Hercules, you wild dog, it may cost you some
+little trouble to get out of this scrape."
+
+Having said so, he turned his horse, and rejoining the troop, appeared to
+enter into close conversation with him who sate at the head of the line.
+Of what my friend said, I could catch nothing more than certain vehement
+oaths, while, all the time, the Tribune (for such he was) continued to
+shake his head, in a way significant at once of doubt and determination.
+The end was, that he pointed with his sword; and Sabinus forced his horse
+backwards, at one plunge, into the place from which he had advanced.
+
+Our party were immediately separated one from another. I saw the priest
+lifted on a mule and hurried away towards the city, with a horseman on
+each hand of him. The fiery Cotilius, and one or two more, were compelled
+to follow, with similar attendance, in the same direction; others, again,
+had their horses' heads turned more to the westward--but all departed at
+speed, and were soon lost to my view among the projections of the tombs.
+The last that remained to be disposed of were Athanasia and myself, and
+for a moment I had some hope that we might perhaps be intrusted to the
+same guards; but this hope was in vain, and after I perceived that it was
+so, scarcely even was time permitted to me for bidding her farewell. To
+kiss her hand, and to whisper a single word of parting hope into her ear,
+was all I could do. A tear rolled from her cheek and fell upon my hand;
+yet she smiled faintly upon me, and "Hope," said she--"yes, dear Valerius,
+Hope and Faith both go with me." And with that the pale maiden was
+separated from the arm to which she had trusted, and I saw her also
+mounted and borne away rapidly. A moment after, I found myself, in like
+manner, seized and lifted upon a horse, and almost before I could look
+around me, we had escaped from the flare of the torches, and the crowd of
+the soldiery, and were stretching at a rapid pace, I knew not whither,
+although I suspected, from the width of the road, that we had regained the
+Appian.
+
+But I have forgotten to mention to you, that just at the moment when they
+were lifting Athanasia upon the mule that was to bear her from my sight,
+my eye caught a glimpse of the witch Pona, who was sitting at the root of
+one of the pine-trees, close to the tower. And behind her stood, leaning
+against the tree, a figure wrapped in a rich red cloak, which I suspected
+to be a female also, but could not be certain, because the countenance was
+concealed in the folds of the garment. To this person, whoever it might
+be, the witch turned round eagerly, while the soldiers were carrying off
+Athanasia. I saw no more, for, as I have told you, immediately afterwards
+I also was carried away.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VI._
+
+
+Our hasty pace had not borne us to any great distance from the place where
+all these things occurred, ere the sky, which, as ye have heard, had all
+that night been sufficiently variable, began to exhibit appearances which
+my two companions interpreted as significant of the approach of one of
+those nocturnal storms, to which, at that season of the year, the fair
+heaven of Italy is peculiarly subject. That they apprehended somewhat of
+this sort, I perceived from their looks, as they stopped for a moment to
+draw the hoods of their mantles over their brazen helmets; for words they
+uttered none, either to me or to each other, until our journey drew near
+its close. For me, however, the numberless agitations through which I had
+passed in the course of the few preceding hours, had, I suppose,
+communicated an unnatural measure of ardour to my boyish blood; for
+neither did I feel the night-breeze chill me as we rushed through it, nor
+partook, in any sort, of the desire my companions testified to cover
+themselves from the rain, which seemed to be about to discharge itself out
+of all those black and lowering clouds now gathered above our heads from
+every region of the heavens. When, on the contrary, the first heavy drops
+fell, I bared my forehead with the eagerness of one who, in a parched
+region, comes suddenly upon the margin of a well-spring. Nor did this
+sensation subside even after the storm had thickened to the utmost, and
+the dusty roads had drunk abundantly of the plashing rain. The strong wind
+blew with redoubled coolness upon my moistened neck--the rain-drops dashed
+on my hot hands; and I perceived, that, as is the nature of those animals,
+the thunder which was mustering in the air, filled my horse one moment
+with dread, and the next with a blind fierceness. At last the thunder
+shouted over-head, and its echoes spread wide and far on either side,
+until they seemed to be absorbed to the left in the remote depths of the
+Appenine, and on the right hand in the measureless bosom of the Western
+Sea--of which, as we galloped along the hill side, the broad lightning
+(unless my fancy deceived me) revealed ever and anon a distant and
+melancholy glimpse.
+
+We had passed a hill covered with towns, villages, and stately mansions,
+(which I afterwards learned was no other than the famous Alban,) ere the
+storm subsided beneath the influence of the reddening dawn. Yet even then
+we slackened not our pace, although the horses were by this time not a
+little exhausted with the swiftness of their motion, and the weight of
+their wet riders. On rode we in the growing light of the morning; but I
+perceived ere long that we had left the wide and magnificent Appian Way,
+and were pursuing the line of a narrower road, which seemed to carry us
+more and more westward.
+
+We halted for a moment on the brow of a declivity, where three paths
+separated; and I perceived that among my guides there was some little
+uncertainty as to which of these it behoved them to follow. While they
+were muttering together, I looked and beheld at length the wide sea
+heaving far below, over what appeared to me to be a forest as mighty as I
+had ever seen in my native island.
+
+Old hoary oaks leaned on either hand quite over the narrow path-way, into
+which (after their brief pause of consultation) my conductors directed our
+course. Here and there, such a shield had those huge leafy boughs extended
+over the road, that the dust rose from amongst the feet of our horses as
+if all that night not one drop of rain had fallen there; although
+elsewhere, in the absence of such mighty trees, the water lying across the
+path in pools testified abundantly that the tempest had not spared the
+forest any more than the champaign. Vast waving gulfs of bay and ilex,
+with here and there some solitary pine raising itself proudly in the
+midst, seemed to stretch away on either hand between the groves of those
+gigantic oaks.
+
+The path we followed carried us ever deeper and deeper into the bosom of
+the woods; and, at length, so buried were we in the windings of their
+stifling shade, that I had lost all notion of the direction in which I was
+moving; until, after two or three hot hours, weary man and jaded horse
+were, I believe, equally delighted with snuffing once more the open
+current of the air. We reached not the edge of the forest, however, before
+I could hear distinctly the dashing of the Mediterranean waves; and the
+last ascent we climbed laid open to my view a long sweep of the rolling
+waters, and their rocky coast garnished every where with the richness of
+superincumbent woods. Far, very far, in the distant north, I thought I
+could recognize some of the stately towers of Ostium, bosomed apparently
+within the billows over which they presided. All between was one wide
+waste of wood and rock, save here and there a watch-tower perched on the
+margin, and whitened half-way up with the foam of the yet uncalmed sea.
+
+Then, nor ever could I look upon the waters of the great deep, without
+something of that filial yearning which seems so natural to every native
+of our sea-girt island. But neither could I contrast the condition in
+which I now approached it, with the gay and hopeful mood in which I had so
+lately left it behind me, without many thoughts more sad and serious than
+as yet had frequently visited my bosom. What a strange brood of visions
+had passed before my eyes, since, but a few days before, I stept for the
+first time, light of heart, beneath the shadow of those far-off bulwarks!
+What new emotions had arisen, in the interval! How had every sense been
+gratified! how had every dream of imagination been exceeded! Yet what a
+void had been revealed within!--Alas! said I to myself, why is it that I
+have been subjected to all these novelties? Had I not done better to have
+remained, after all, where life flowed ever calmly--where affection hung
+over me like a protecting buckler, and my soul could sleep in the security
+of unbroken faith! But this was only for a moment. The thoughts of
+Athanasia haunted me more deeply and more firmly. I thought over every
+word she had spoken--every look of hers rose up in succession, with all the
+vividness of a beautiful and a troubled dream. I seemed to feel, as if she
+were yet present beside me, the trembling of her pale fingers upon my
+shoulder--I kissed the hand on which her parting tear had fallen, as if it
+were yet wet with the dear moisture. When I thought of the perils in which
+she must now be enveloped--of the pains she must have suffered--must at that
+moment be suffering,--it was as if I could have burst bands of iron, like
+flax, from off my hands. When a glimpse of the darker future opened before
+me, I shuddered, and, urging my poor horse onwards in the recklessness of
+total abstraction, I perceived that even my guides pitied the agony of my
+despair.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VII._
+
+
+We stopped before one of the watch-towers which, as I have told you, I had
+seen scattered along the edge of the sea. But this, when we came up to it,
+appeared larger than I had expected to find any of them. The narrow way,
+alongst which we had been riding, brought us close to its gate, on the
+side towards the land; but the rock shelving rapidly on the other side,
+gave it the semblance, at a little distance, of being suspended over the
+waves.
+
+It was a building of rude, and apparently very antique structure, the
+under part square, but the upper circular; as is, for the most part, the
+old Roman fashion in such erections. And this, indeed, I doubt not, might
+have stood there long enough to have shewn a beacon, when some fleet of
+Syracuse or Carthage darkened the blue sea over against the Lestrigonian
+bay renowned in old song, or the snow-white promontory of Gaieta.
+
+One of the soldiers dismounted, and began to knock rather violently at the
+door; but some little time elapsed ere any sound from within responded to
+the clamour he raised. At last a hard and withered face made its
+appearance at a little opening above the door, and then the helmets
+passed, I suppose, for a sufficient warrant, for in a twinkling we heard
+the bolts creaking; the old postern was soon set ajar, and forth stepped
+the venerable keeper. Imagine a tall, skinny man of threescore years, with
+a face as dry and yellow as ye have seen on the outside of a pye, and hair
+as white as ever the skill of a confectioner could represent, and legs
+bearing the same proportion to the feet, which the shaft of Saturn's
+scythe usually does to its blade. Clothe the nether part of this figure in
+Dacian, or Gaulish breeches, throw a somewhat threadbare cloak over his
+shoulders, and to finish the outfit, deck his head with a casque of the
+Macedonian cut, that is to say, sitting close above the ears, and topped
+with a bristling plume of horse hair. The Warder stood with dignity, and
+listened with gravity, while one of my Praetorians whispered his message.
+On its conclusion, he shrugged his shoulders, and regarding me with a
+glance made up, I think, in pretty equal proportions, of surprise and
+contempt, signified by the motion of his hand that we might all three
+enter. He whistled at the same moment, and there came forth a comely
+damsel, who, with many blushes and smiles, took possession of the reins of
+our horses.--"Stand there," quoth he, "stand there, little Cestia, and see
+if there be never a handful of corn to be got for the prince's
+cattle,--stand there, and we shall be with you again anon." And then he
+also whispered something into the maiden's ear, and I saw her looking at
+me from under her eyelids with an expression of very uncommon curiosity.
+Two or three curly-pated urchins, of different sizes, joined her at the
+same moment, and to them, in her turn, the maiden whispered; whereupon the
+eldest of the children retreating behind her, eyed me earnestly along the
+skirt of her tunic, while the younger ones continued to gaze where they
+were, with looks of open stupidity and wonder. Of all this I could make
+nothing at the moment, but when we had got fairly into the inside of the
+tower, I heard the children whispering to each other, "A Christian! A
+Christian! A Jew! A Jew!"
+
+The lower part of the tower, into which I had now been conducted, seemed
+to form nothing more than one huge, bare, and quadrangular apartment,
+serving, I supposed (and rightly) at once as hall and vestibule to the
+upper chambers contained within the walls. A small flight of steps, in one
+of the corners, seemed to afford the only means of access to what was
+above; but from the position of a door immediately below these, it was we
+inferred that there were vaults under ground. Close beside this door there
+stood, upon a very rude pedestal, a still more rude bust, either of
+Jupiter, of Apollo, or of Hercules. The workmanship was such, that I could
+not be very certain which of the family it was intended to represent, nor
+whether the principal appendage was a club, a lyre, a bow, or a
+thunder-bolt; but it did not escape my observation, that the old keeper
+crept as close as he could to the sacred stone, as soon as I stepped over
+the threshold.
+
+One of the little boys that had come out to the door on our arrival,
+busied himself in setting forth a wooden board, whereon he placed in great
+order a huge piece of yellow cheese, and a heap of crisp white cakes of
+rye. A large jug of water also garnished the mess; but there seemed to be
+a little less of diligence, or more of difficulty, about the wine. After
+some pause, however, the mistress of the garrison appeared. A string of
+amber beads floated to and fro on the ocean of her bosom. She had fine
+golden bracelets on her arms too, but they were only half seen, being
+almost buried in fat; and she wore a flaxen wig, which did not entirely
+conceal the dark bristles below. At the girdle of the amazon hung, on the
+right side, the much desiderated bunch of keys, being balanced on the left
+by a dagger and toothpick case, almost of equal dimensions.
+
+"Will _you_ drink to Caesar, young man?" cried the matron, ere the sitting
+had been much prolonged; "will you drink honestly to the Emperor, in case
+you also have a full cup given you? and, by the by, I think you must have
+almost as much need of it as the rest." And, with this courteous
+invitation, I heard her whisper to one of my guards,--"By Jove, 'tis a
+proper lad, after all; is this true that they have told me of him? Why, I
+believe, the young man has a red edge to his gown. What is his name? who
+is he?"--I heard him answer,--"By the life of Caesar, you know as much about
+him as any of us. There was a whole cluster taken last night a little way
+beyond the Capene-Gate, and he was one; but what they were about, or who
+he is, I know not, only he is certainly somebody, for I saw our Centurion
+salute him."--"I saw him with Sabinus," whispered the other--"I am quite
+sure of it, the last day the Amphitheatre was open; they sate together,
+and appeared familiar."--"I pray you, sir," quoth the lady, raising her
+voice,--"I pray you fill your cup, and here I pledge you to our better
+acquaintance. You shake your head--well. But what must be, must; and while
+you are with us, we may at least be good friends."--"Thanks," said I,
+complying with her command; "Here, then, is health to all present; and
+fair health to the great Trajan, says no one here more heartily than I."--I
+drank off the wine, and setting down the goblet, I believe I said,
+"Excellent, by Jove," or something of that sort; for they all started when
+they heard what I said, and the old woman called out lustily, "Fill him
+another cup to the brim, whether he be Christian or not. The young man at
+least swears by the gods, and drinks to Caesar."
+
+"The old man," observed one of the soldiers,--"he that was killed the other
+day in the Amphitheatre--he might have saved his head, even at the last
+moment, if he would have done as much."--"Well, well," quoth she again;
+"let every one mind his own matters. Husband, bring down your book, and
+let the new-comer enter his name with his own hand."
+
+Having drained his cup, the keeper rose, and ere long returned with a
+musty scroll of parchment, which, having blown away the dust from it, he
+presented to me. I glanced over the record, and found in it the names of
+various persons, all apparently entered in their own handwriting; and most
+of them, as I could perceive, bearing date in the troublous reign of
+Domitian. The last was that of Marcus Protius Lamontanus, who, as it
+seemed, had been set free from his confinement immediately on the
+accession of Nerva; and immediately under this I wrote my own name, with
+that of my birthplace. The keeper read, and said, "So preserve me the
+power of Jove! A Valerius! and born in Britain! Can you be the son of the
+same Valerius who was Centurion in the ninth legion under Agricola?"--"You
+have guessed rightly--I am the same."--"Then the more is the pity," he
+replied, in a grave voice, "that you should have entered, in such a case
+as this, the dwelling of one that was a true soldier beneath the eagle of
+your father. But forgive me if in any thing we have been
+disrespectful."--"There is no occasion," said I, "for any such apology. I
+am here as a prisoner, and have been treated with all courtesy beyond what
+a prisoner could expect."
+
+"By Hercules!" interrupted the spouse, "I thought I had some knowledge of
+the face--Well, I hope ten years hence he will be as fine a man as his
+father was the day he slew the Caledonian giant, and tumbled him from his
+chariot in front of all the line--yes, in sight of Galgacus himself. It was
+the same day," said she, turning to her lord, "that you were taken
+prisoner, and driven away into the woods."--"As witness these marks," quoth
+the man; and with that he stripped open his tunic, and displayed part of
+his breast, stamped with various figures of blue and yellow, after the
+northern fashion, and bearing withal the traces of two formidable wounds.
+
+The woman redoubled her kindness; but not wishing to interrupt festivity,
+I soon requested her to shew me the place where I was to be confined. And,
+indeed, as you may imagine, I had by this time not a little need of
+repose.
+
+Both she and her husband accordingly rose to usher me to my prison. I gave
+money to the soldiers, and requested them to inform Sabinus of the place
+to which I had been conveyed; but did not choose to write any thing,
+either to him or to Licinius, until I should have had a little time for
+reflection.
+
+
+
+
+                             _CHAPTER VIII._
+
+
+My fatigue brought speedy sleep; and so profound, that before I again
+unclosed my eyes, the calm sea was already purple below me, and the sun
+about to set. But neither purple sea, nor golden sky, nor all the divine
+tranquillity of the evening air, could sooth my mind into repose, after I
+had once awaked to a sense of the situation into which I had been
+brought--I should say rather of the situation in which Athanasia was
+placed. For myself, I could not in seriousness fear any calamity worthy of
+the name,--if such should come, it must be my business to wrestle with it
+as I might. But to think of her, young, beautiful, innocent; and of all to
+which she might be exposed amidst the rude hands in which I had left her!
+
+Some time had passed before my attention was attracted by a conversation
+carried on in the chamber below me, in which you will not be surprised
+that I should have felt myself interested, even although the distance was
+such that I could not distinguish one word that was said. I knew from the
+first moment that it was impossible I should be mistaken--I was perfectly
+certain it was Sabinus himself, who was talking with the old woman; and I
+at once suspected that the worthy Centurion, having learned from the
+soldiers who carried me off, to what place they had conveyed me, had
+undertaken this speedy journey, for the purpose of comforting me in my
+confinement. The kindness with which he had treated me from the beginning
+of our acquaintance had been such, that I could have no occasion to wonder
+at his exerting himself to discover me; but I confess this alacrity was
+more than I had been prepared for, and I waited only for the moment when
+he should enter my apartment to throw myself upon his bosom, and intrust
+all my troubles to him, as to a friend and a brother. There was something,
+however, which I could not at all comprehend in the merriment which seemed
+to be reigning below on his arrival. Peals of female laughter interrupted
+the uniform hearty tone of the Centurion's voice; and the feeble treble of
+the old Warder himself was stretched ever and anon in attempt at a
+chuckle.
+
+At last in they came, and Sabinus, embracing me affectionately, thrust
+into my hand a piece of parchment, which I perceived to be nothing less
+than an order for my immediate release. Then taking off his riding-cap,
+and rubbing with his handkerchief his most audacious and soldier-looking
+brows, "My dear boy," quoth he, "I see you are going to thank me--but wound
+not modesty by fine speeches. There was war before Helen--have a better
+care another time, and don't pay Rome such a poor compliment, as to say
+that you can find nobody to charm you but a Christian damsel, and no place
+for flirtation but a gloomy tomb lined with urns and lachrymatories. My
+honest friend here was quite frightened with the idea of having such an
+unbelieving reprobate as they said you were, under the same roof with her
+children. But now her fears are dispelled, for good souls are always
+tolerant to the little vagaries of young blood; so thank your hostess, my
+lad, kiss her hand, take one cup to the hearth of the old tower, and
+tighten your girdle."
+
+"Well!" quoth the woman; "who should have thought when the soldiers
+brought him in with such mystery, that it was all for kissing by
+moonlight! I protest to Venus, they would have made me believe he had been
+caught eating an infant; but still I cannot quite pardon him. Well--well--we
+must e'en take good hope he will mend ere he dies."
+
+"Die?" cried the Centurion; "do you talk of dying to one that has scarcely
+yet begun to live!--Come, come, Caius, I hope, after all, you may never get
+into a worse scrape."
+
+"And if I do," said I, "I hope I shall always be equally fortunate in my
+jailers."
+
+"By the beard of Jove!" quoth Sabinus, "it needs no great skill to see
+that you have been fortunate in that respect. I swear that, if the truth
+were known, you are almost as unwilling to leave this tower now, as you
+were last night to be torn away from another."
+
+"Oh, Master Kaeso," quoth she again, "when will you have done with your
+joking? Well, your father loved a jest in his time himself; but now he, I
+suppose, is quiet enough. And he, good old man, how does he wear?--Can he
+still sit in his porch of a fine morning, and listen to the news, as he
+used to do, with his cup at his knee?"
+
+"I trust the old grasshopper can still chirp when the sun shines. But to
+tell you the truth, it is long since I have seen him; and if this young
+blade has no objection, I mean to pay him a visit this very night. I am
+only just come home from Britain, and have not yet had leisure to salute
+my Lares."
+
+I said something about being anxious to return as soon as possible to
+Rome; but the Centurion answered me with another shout, "Come, come; she's
+safe enough. I suppose you think every one gets out of jail as easily as
+yourself."
+
+I found it was out of the question to disapprove of any of the schemes of
+Sabinus; so, having saluted the hostess, and flung my purse to her
+children, (who, by the way, still regarded me with looks of apprehension,)
+I accompanied him with a good grace to the gate. I made inquiry before I
+went forth concerning the old jailer likewise; but I could easily gather
+from the expression of face with which his wife accompanied her indistinct
+reply, that he had, long before that time, reached a state in which she
+felt little desire to exhibit him. The Centurion whistled as he stepped
+across the threshold, and there forthwith drew near a soldier, wearing the
+Praetorian helmet, (now sufficiently familiar to my sight,) and leading in
+his hand three horses. In the rear, I recognized, not without
+satisfaction, the busy countenance of my friend Dromo, whose ass did not
+appear quite so eager to join the party as its rider. A few sturdy thumps,
+however, at last brought the Cretan close to us, who saluted me with great
+appearance of joy, and then whispered into my ear, "Great Jove! we must
+keep silence for the present. What a story I have to tell; and I suppose
+there is one to hear likewise--but all in good season. We must not crack
+nuts before monkeys. I have a letter for you," he added, "from Sextus, and
+another from Licinius."
+
+The Centurion sprung on his trusty war-horse, who seemed to rejoice in the
+feeling of his weight; and we were soon in motion. I asked no questions
+either about the course or distance, but rode by his side so silently,
+that he bestowed on me many good-natured rebukes, for suffering a little
+affair of love to distress me so greatly. "Cheer up now," quoth he, "and
+do not make me repent of carrying you to my father's house, by shewing the
+old man, who has had enough of troubles, such a countenance as must make
+him think of Orcus, even although he did not know himself to be near its
+gates. It is more than a year since I have seen him."
+
+This sort of speech he repeated so often, that I thought the best way
+would be to tell him frankly the true history of the adventure, from whose
+immediate consequences he had delivered me. I told him, therefore, every
+thing about both Tisias and Athanasia, and, indeed, kept nothing from him
+in the whole matter, except only what referred to the impression made on
+my own mind by what I had read of the Christian book,--for, as to this
+subject, it was one which I totally despaired of being able to make him in
+any measure comprehend,--and besides, the state of my own mind was still so
+uncertain in regard to it, and my information so imperfect, that I could
+not trust myself with speaking of it to any one, until I should have had
+leisure for more both of reading and of reflection.
+
+He preserved silence for some minutes, and then said, "In truth, Caius,
+you have distressed me. I thought it was merely some little frolic born of
+an hour, to be forgotten in a day; but I cannot refuse you my sympathy.
+Would I had more to offer!"--"Dear Sabinus," said I, "I know not how to
+thank you. You saw me but a few days ago the merriest young fellow that
+ever trod the pavement of Rome--happy in the moments that passed, and full
+of glad hopes for all that were to come; but now I feel myself quite
+changed. Almost I wish I had never left my British fields; and yet I
+should never have seen Athanasia."--"Poor fellow!" quoth he, laying his
+hand on the mane of my horse, "I perceive there is, indeed, no trifling in
+your case. Compose yourself; whatever chances there may be in your favour
+will never be bettered by despondence." He paused a little, and
+proceeded--"The worst of the whole is this new bitterness against these
+Christians. Except during Nerva's time, there was always some punishment
+to be feared by them, in case of being detected; but there was a way of
+managing things in almost every case, and people were well enough disposed
+to grant immunities which were always attended with some good to the Fisk.
+Nero and Domitian, to be sure, acted otherwise--but these were madmen; and
+even they did so only by fits and starts. But now, when a prince like
+Trajan has taken up the matter, it is no wonder that one should consider
+it more seriously. One cannot help fancying he must have had some good
+reason before he began--that is one thing; and having once begun, he is not
+the man to drop it lightly--which is a more weighty consideration. Do you
+think there is positively no chance of her giving up this dream, when she
+finds what it has exposed her to?"
+
+"No," said I; "I am sure she will not, nor can I wish it would be
+otherwise with her."
+
+"Well," he resumed, "I enter into your feelings so far, my friend, even on
+that point. I cannot imagine you to have been so deeply smitten with a
+girl of a flighty unsteady character. But then this is not a case to be
+judged of on common principles. It is no light thing to be exposed to such
+examinations as are now set afoot for these people; and if she behaves
+herself so resolutely as you seem to expect, what is the end of it? I
+consider it highly probable--for there is no friendship in uncandid
+speaking--that, in spite of all her friends can do, they will banish her at
+the very least; scarcely dare I speak of it, but even worse than
+banishment has heretofore befallen Romans--ay, Roman ladies too,--and these
+as high in birth and place as Athanasia."
+
+"My dear Sabinus," said I, "do not imagine that now for the first time all
+these things are suggested to me. Imagine rather, how, unable for a moment
+to expel them from my mind, I have spent these miserable hours. Her
+friends, too, what must not be their alarm!"
+
+"The thing was so done," quoth the Centurion, "that I think it is
+impossible it should have made much noise as yet. If there was in the
+family no suspicion that the lady had any connection with these people,
+they must be in perfect perplexity. I lay my life they take it for granted
+she has had some private intrigue, and has gone off with her lover."
+
+"Alas!" said I, "when they hear the truth, it will be still worse than
+this in their eyes. Yet it appears fit that no time should be lost in
+making them acquainted with the real state of the case. O Sabinus, I
+foresee that in all these things I shall have need of your counsel and
+your help."
+
+"You shall have them both, my dear boy," said he,--"you shall have them
+both to the uttermost. But there is no question at all about the propriety
+of telling the relations all you know. Licinius is probably well
+acquainted with them. I am almost sorry for having prevented your
+immediate return to the city; and yet one night will soon be over."
+
+"But Athanasia herself----"
+
+"Ah! that indeed is a point of some difficulty. It was merely from having
+remembered who the men were that rode off with you, that I was enabled to
+learn so soon whither you yourself had been conveyed. But the party
+consisted of a few men out of almost every one of our cohorts,--those, in
+short, that were on duty, scattered up and down in different parts of the
+city; and I may not find it very easy to discover who had the care of any
+other individual."
+
+"But Athanasia----"
+
+"True," said he, "I had not thought of it. There was but one female
+besides herself. That will furnish a clue. You may rely on it, I shall
+easily find out the place to which they have taken her; but then where,
+and at what distance that may be, Heaven only knows; for it seemed as if
+every prisoner were to be carried to a separate place of confinement. At
+all events, even if we knew where she is, we could do nothing at present.
+Come, cheer up, now you have unburdened yourself of all this load. I shall
+be ready to start as early as ever you please in the morning."
+
+By this time the moon was in full splendour, and nothing could be more
+beautiful than the scenery of the native place of Sabinus, as we drew near
+to its precincts. A little gentle stream, which kissed our path, did not
+desert us as we entered the village, but murmured all through its humble
+street. Street, indeed, I should not say; for there were dwelling-houses
+on the one side only, the other being occupied with gardens, in the midst
+of which I saw the Doric portico of a small temple. In front of this a
+bridge crossed the stream, and there we were met by a troop of maidens,
+who seemed to be moving toward the sacred place with some purpose of
+devotion, for they were singing in alternate measures, and in their hands
+they carried garlands. Some recognized Sabinus, and, without interrupting
+their chant, saluted him with their laughing eyes. We halted our horses,
+and saw them proceed all together into the hallowed enclosure, which they
+did, not by means of the bridge, although they were close by it, but by
+wading hand in hand through the stream below; whose pebbles, as it
+appeared from the evenness of their motion, dared not to offer any
+violence to the delicate feet that trod upon them. "Happy creatures," said
+I to the Centurion; "of a surety they think these moonbeams shine on
+nothing but glad faces like their own. Alas! with what heart does poor
+Athanasia at this moment contemplate this lovely heaven!"--"Nay, Valerius,"
+quoth he, "if people were not to be contented with their own share of
+sorrow, would the world, think ye, be worth living in? I hope Athanasia
+herself will ere long sing again by the moonlight.--But stop, here is my
+own old haunt, the abode of our village barber, and now I think of it,
+perhaps it might be as well that you and Dromo should remain here for a
+moment, till I ride on to the house, and let them know you are coming, for
+the sudden sight of strange faces might alarm the old folks at this hour."
+
+He had scarcely said so, when the tonsor himself, hearing, I suppose, the
+sound of our horses' feet, ran out with his razor and basin in his hand,
+to see what might be the matter. "Ah, good Virro," quoth the Centurion,
+"with joy do I once more behold your face. Well, the girls still sing, and
+Virro still shaves; so every thing, without question, goes well."--"The
+Centurion himself!" replies the barber; "so Venus smile upon me, it is
+Kaeso Sabinus, who I began to think would never come back again.--Here, boy,
+bring out a cup of the best. Alight, I pray you--well, at least, you shall
+kiss the rim of the goblet."--"I will," said he, "I promise you, my good
+friend, and that in a minute or two; but I must first salute my father;
+and, in the meantime, I leave with you in pledge, good Virro, my excellent
+friend here, and the most knowing Cretan that ever landed at
+Brundusium.--Dismount, Valerius, I shall be with you again ere Virro can
+half smoothen the chin of Dromo, which even this morning shewed no small
+need of trimming."--"Well, well," said the tonsor, "eagles will have their
+own way. Be speedy."
+
+The Centurion had set the spur to his charger; and we, in obedience to his
+command, submitted ourselves to the guidance of the oily-faced little
+barber. A stripling was already holding two horses at the door, but
+another came out and took care of our animals, and we entered, exchanging
+courteous salutations, the tonsorial penetralia.
+
+They were occupied by as various and talkative a company, as the
+imagination of Lucilius ever assembled in such a place. In the middle of
+the room, which was spacious, though low-roofed, hung a huge shield of
+brass, with a dozen mouths of flame blazing around the edge of its
+circumference, close beside which sat a man with a napkin tucked about his
+neck, the one side of whose visage, still besmeared with a thick coat of
+lather, testified that the curiosity of Virro had induced him to abandon a
+yet uncompleted job. The half-trimmed physiognomy, however, displayed no
+sign of impatience, and the barber himself seemed not to think any apology
+necessary, for he resumed his operations with an air of great
+cheerfulness, saying, "Neighbours all, here is Kaeso Sabinus, that is now
+the Centurion, come once more to gladden the old village with his merry
+face, and that, I promise you, is prettily tanned since we knew him
+first."
+
+This piece of news appeared not a little to interest several of those who
+were sitting under the tonsor's roof. "Ha!" said one, "the noble
+Centurion! Well, has he brought home a wife with him at last? for the talk
+was, that he had been seen at the Amphitheatre, paying great court to one
+of the richest ladies in Rome."
+
+"A wife?" says Virro, "no, no, centurions and barbers can do without
+wives. But if he is to have one, I shall be happy to hear she is rich; for
+centurions, after all, sometimes carry most of their silver upon their
+helmets, as we do most of our brass on our basins."--"Indeed," said I, "I
+never heard of it before."
+
+"If it please you, friend," said another of them, "is this the same
+Sabinus that has lately been in Britain?"--"Britain," quoth an ancient
+dame; "I never heard that name before--Britain! I know it not--I know not
+where he hath been, but they told me it was over the sea, perhaps in
+Palestine."--"Tut, dame," interrupted the barber, (who was now busy on
+Dromo,) "you think every one goes to Palestine, because your own boy
+carried a spear with Titus; but you know they ruined the city, and killed
+all the Jews and Christians, and there is no occasion for sending
+Centurions thither now."--"Killed all the Jews and Christians, said you?"
+quoth another. "I think the old dame has the better of you as to that
+point at least, Virro. Not Trajan himself will ever be able to kill them
+all; the superstition spreads like a pestilence. It was but last night
+that a hundred of them were taken together in one place, eating human
+flesh."--"Human flesh!" quoth the barber. "Oh, ye gods, why do ye endure
+such barbarians!"
+
+"Human flesh!" echoed Dromo, springing from his seat, and I looked at him,
+and saw that the barber in his horror had made in truth a deep incision
+upon the cheek of the poor man. The blood, oozing from the cut, had
+already traced a river of crimson upon the snowy surface of his
+well-soaped chin. It was this that had deranged the philosophic composure
+and customary phlegm of my Cretan; and no wonder; but the enthusiastic
+tonsor took no notice of what had occurred.--"Great Jove," he proceeded,
+and he pointed to the roof with his razor as he spake--"Great Jove! I
+adjure thee! are all thy lightnings spent; is there never a thunderbolt
+remaining?"
+
+"In the meantime," quoth one of the bystanders, "they are in the hand not
+of Jove, but of Trajan, and he, I think, cannot now be accused of treating
+these wretches with too much lenity. You have all heard of that
+Tisias?"--"We have," cried another; "but what was a single individual to
+this great assembly? what a sight will it be the day they are all
+executed!"
+
+"I think," said the same person who had inquired whether our Centurion
+were the Sabinus that had been in Britain,--"I think you are overrating the
+numbers of that assembly. I heard of no more than a dozen."
+
+This stranger (for such he seemed) had probably taken that day a
+considerable journey, for his tunic and boots were covered with dust. He
+was attired in the plainest manner, but notwithstanding, there was
+something about him which gave one the idea of rank superior to the
+company in which he was seated; and his complexion was so dark that I
+could not help thinking to myself,--I am not the only provincial in the
+room; here is certainly some well-born African or Asiatic.
+
+"You have not told me, however," said he, after a pause, "whether or not
+this be the Sabinus that was lately in Britain."--"Sir," said I, "it is the
+same; I myself came in the same ship with him, but a few days ago. He is a
+Centurion in the Praetorian Bands."--"Yes," replied the stranger, "I guessed
+in truth, it must be the same; for I remember no other of that rank
+bearing the same name."--"If you are acquainted with him," said I, "you may
+have an opportunity of seeing him immediately, for I expect him here every
+moment to conduct me to his father's villa, which is hard by."
+
+"Well," quoth the barber, who by this time had ended, without fresh
+misadventure, the trimming of the Cretan--"well, I hope he will stay for a
+moment when he does come, and then we shall be sure to hear the truth as
+to this story about the Christian assembly. They may talk as they please,
+but may Jove devote me, if I had Caesar's ring upon my finger for one
+night, this should be the last of them."--"And how, friend," said the
+stranger, "by what means, if I may ask you, should you propose so speedily
+to do away with this fast-spreading abomination?"--"Look ye, sirs," quoth
+he, "I would place myself thus in my tribunal"--(he took his seat at a
+little table, beside a goblet of wine, as he spake,) "I would seat myself
+thus in the midst of a field, as Cato and the great Censors of old used to
+do. I would cause Rome to be emptied--man, woman, and child should pass
+before me; and every one that did not acknowledge the gods as he passed,
+by all the gods! he should sprawl upon a tree in presence of all the
+people. What avails watching, prying, spying, and surprising? I should
+make shorter work of it, I trow."
+
+"You may say what you will," said one who had not before spoken, "I cannot
+bring myself to believe every thing I hear concerning their
+superstition."--"Ay, goldsmith," quoth the barber, "you were always fond of
+having an opinion of your own; and, pray, what is it that you have had
+occasion to know about the Christians, more than the rest of us who hear
+you? If you mean that you have seen some of them die bravely in the
+Amphitheatre, why, that we have all heard of at least, and I think nobody
+disputes it."--"No, master barber," replied he, "that is not what I was
+thinking of. I have seen your common thief-knave, when he knew he could do
+no better, brace you his nerves for the extremity, and die like a
+Hercules. I would rather judge of a man by his living than his
+dying."--"True," rejoins Virro; "and pray, what have you got to tell us
+about the life, then, of the Christians?"--"Not much," said he, "you shall
+hear. My old mother (peace to her manes) was passing the Salarian one day
+last year, and there came by a hot-headed spark, driving four abreast in a
+chariot as fiercely as Nero in the Circus. He called out, that I believe,
+but the dame was deaf, and whether he tried to pull up, I know not, but
+the horses trod upon her as she fell. Another of the same sort came close
+behind, and I have been told they were running a race; but however that
+might be, on they both passed like a whirlwind, and my poor mother was
+left by herself among the flying dust. But the gods had mercy on her; they
+sent a kind heart to her aid. She was carried into one of the stateliest
+villas on that side of Tiber, and tended for six weeks by a noble lady, as
+if she had been not my mother, but her own; and this lady, friends--by Jove
+I suspected it not for long after--this lady was a Christian; but I shall
+not say how I found it out, nor would I mention the thing at all but among
+honest men. But where were these you spoke of taken?--I should like to know
+who they were."
+
+"They were taken," said the stranger, "not far from the Appian Way, within
+one of the old monuments there,--a monument, it is said, of the
+Sempronii."--"Of the Sempronii?" cried the goldsmith, "Phoebus Apollo shield
+us!" and from that moment he became as silent as hitherto he had been
+communicative.
+
+The swarthy stranger, the silence yet continuing, arose from his seat,
+laid a piece of money upon the table, and moved towards the door. The
+barber also rose up, but he said to him, "Sit still, I pray you, my
+friend;" at the same time beckoning with his finger to the goldsmith, who,
+with a very dejected countenance, followed him into the street. What
+passed between them there, we perceived not; but the artificer re-entered
+not the chamber till some moments after we had heard the departing tread
+of the stranger's horses. When he did come in again, he had the appearance
+of being in great confusion.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IX._
+
+
+Shortly after Sabinus reappeared, and bidding adieu to our tonsor, we
+walked with him towards the paternal mansion,--and we soon reached it; for,
+as I have already said, it was but a little way out from the village.
+
+The dwelling was modest enough, having no external ornament but a single
+portico, with a few statues ranged between its pillars. We entered by this
+portico, and found the feeble old man sitting by himself in an apartment
+immediately adjacent, wherein the beams of the moon, having partial
+access, were mingled with the subdued light of a painted lamp suspended
+from the ceiling. The father of my friend had all the appearance of
+sinking apace; yet he received me with an air, not of cheerfulness, but of
+kindness. The breeze found admission through the open pillars, and his
+countenance exhibited in its wan and faint lines the pleasure with which
+the coolness affected him. Beside him were placed baskets of roses,
+gathered from the abundance of his gardens. The young Vernae, who from time
+to time brought in these flowers, came into the chamber with a decent
+appearance of sobriety and concern; but they were never long gone before
+we could hear them laughing again at their play.--"Poor children," quoth
+the old man; "why should they trouble themselves with thinking of the not
+remote victim of Orcus?"--To which the Centurion replied, somewhat
+softening that loud and cheerful tone with which he was accustomed to
+address all persons--"Courage, my dear father, you must not speak so.
+Cerberus, I perceive, has only been making an ineffectual snap at you, and
+you will be growing younger after all this."
+
+At which the old man shook his head, without any external sign of emotion,
+and replied, in a low monotonous voice,--"Younger in the wrong way, my boy;
+for I become every day smaller in body, and feebler, and less able to do
+any thing to help myself. Nor am I unconscious that I have seen my due
+proportion of time. And yet, oh! fast sliding gentle brook, which I see
+between these paternal trees--I am still loath to exchange thee for Styx,
+and to lose the cheerful and sacred light of the sun and moon. I wish only
+I were once more able to repair with thy stream to the banks of father
+Tiber, that I might salute the good Emperor, who has been so kind to my
+son, and who would treat even an old broken-down, and long-retired
+soldier, like myself, with more favour than is to be expected from
+Rhadamanthus. As clouds let down their drops, so the many-peopled earth
+lets fall dismissed ghosts upon the Stygian shore."
+
+While he was saying things in the same strain, an ancient Egyptian, who
+seemed to have the chief management of every thing, came into the chamber,
+and after desiring some of the boys to bring forth refreshments, took his
+place on a low stool by the foot of his master's couch. "Come, Tarna,"
+said the Centurion, "what has become of all your philosophy? Why do you
+not inspire our friend with less of gloominess? Why is it that you do not
+bring out for his use some of those old stories, with which, when I was
+young, you were more willing to treat my ears than they were to attend?"
+
+"Nay," said the invalid, before the Egyptian could make any answer,--"I
+liked well to listen to his Epicurean theories when I was able to walk
+about the fields; but now I would rather have him be silent. Do not
+trouble me any more, good Tarna, with any of your speeches. Allow me to
+believe as all my fathers did, and to contemplate not only the sepulchre
+in which their urns are placed, but the same dim regions in which many
+dear shades expect the greeting of a descendant."
+
+"To me," said the slave modestly, "it still seems, that by the rushing
+shower of atoms which moves every where through space, the mind is
+soothed, as by the sound of a great river carrying continually the watery
+offspring of the mountains into the bosom of ocean. The mind, sirs,
+appears to me to be calmed by the contemplation of infinity, even as the
+ear of an Egyptian sleeper is calmed by the eternal music of rolling
+Nilus. It mingles itself with that which it contemplates; it perceives--it
+feels itself to be a liquid part of that vast endless stream of universal
+being: a part which has been casually arrested and detained, but which
+will soon mingle again and be scattered away in a thousand fragments, to
+wander, no one knows whither, through the great all-receiving void--not to
+lose existence, for in that my dear master entirely misunderstands me--but
+to cease from feeling as a Sabinus, or a Tarna."
+
+The old man kept regarding his Egyptian with a placid smile; but I could
+not help interposing: "What is this you have said? Do you assert that I
+can cease to be Valerius, to feel as Valerius, and yet not lose my
+existence? Can I _be_, and yet not be _myself_?"
+
+"Most easily," replied he; "the divided fragments may move about for a
+thousand years, before it befall any of them to be stopped in some future
+combination of atoms. These, it is manifest, only tremble and suffer when
+they form part of a soul, but are immediately released from all pain or
+mischance, when this confinement and cohesion are at an end, and they,
+being dispersed, regain liberty and wander about singly, as of yore; for,
+as our great dispeller of delusion says--When death is, we are not. If,
+therefore, Sabinus shrinks from the fear of death, it is an idle fear.
+Does he not perceive that when death arrives, Sabinus is no longer to be
+found. Whatever its effects may be, they must affect not him, but an army
+of innumerable disjointed essences, in no one of which could he by any
+means be able to recognize himself."
+
+"To make a short story out of a very long one," interrupted the Centurion;
+"life, you think, is not worthy of the name of existence--that being so, it
+is no wonder you should think lightly of death."
+
+"Mistake me not," quoth the sage; "no--life _is_ existence; I not only
+admit that, but I assert that it is the business of every man, and the
+sole true object of wisdom, to render life, while it endures, pleasant.
+Earthly pleasure consists in a bland juxta-position of atoms necessarily,
+though not permanently, connected; the removal of pain implies that
+quiescence which pervades the nobleness of the unenclosed ALL. To exist in
+this shape, we are compelled; it is our business to render our existence
+as near an approach to felicity as we may."
+
+"Fill your cup, Tarna," quoth the Centurion; "I am no great philosopher,
+yet methinks I can see the drift of this part of your story. Fill up your
+goblet, most venerable Epicurean, and see (if it be not below your
+dignity,) whether the atoms, which, by a fortuitous and temporary
+juxta-position have formed your throat, will not feel their corners very
+philosophically softened by the rushing of a little rivulet of good
+Falernian--one cup of which, saving your presence, I hold to be more worthy
+of wetting my guttural atoms, than all the water that ever sported its
+music between Memphis and Alexandria."
+
+While the slave and the Centurion were thus discoursing, the old man
+appeared to taste, as it were, the pleasure of a renovated existence, in
+contemplating the brown health and strong muscular fabric of the inheritor
+of his name. The hearty masculine laugh with which my friend usually
+concluded his observations, was, I take leave to think, richer music to
+his ears than ever Egyptian heard in the dark rollings of the Nile, or
+Epicurean dreamt of in the airy dance of atoms. I suspect he was more
+reconciled to the inevitable stroke of fate, by considering that he was to
+leave such a representative behind him, than by any argument which his own
+superstition, or the philosophy of his attendant, could suggest. In return
+for this obvious admiration, the Centurion, without question, manifested
+every symptom of genuine affection. Yet, I think, the instinctive
+consciousness of his own strength made the piety of the robust son assume
+an air more approaching to that of patronage, than might have been
+altogether becoming. If such a fault there were, however, it escaped the
+notice of the invalid, who continued, till Tarna insisted upon his
+retiring, to gaze upon my friend, and listen to his remarks, with looks of
+exultation.
+
+The Centurion withdrew with his father, so that I was left alone with
+Tarna for some time; and it was then that, in my juvenile simplicity, I
+could not help expressing my surprise at finding in servile condition a
+man possessed of such acquirements as his, and addicted to such pursuits.
+
+"It would argue little," he replied, "in favour of such pursuits, if they
+tended only to make me repine at the place which has been allotted me--no
+matter whether by the decree of fate, or the caprice of fortune. And after
+all, I am not of opinion that any such external circumstances can much
+affect the real happiness of any one. Give to him that has been born a
+slave, what men are pleased to call his freedom; in a few weeks he will
+become so much accustomed to the boon, that he will cease to think of it.
+Heap wealth upon him; to wealth also he will gradually become habituated.
+Rank--power--with all it is the same. It is in the mind only that the seat
+of happiness is placed; and there it never can be, unless in companionship
+with thoughts that look down upon, and despise being affected by trifling
+things."
+
+"And are such," said I, "the views of all those who follow your sect?"
+
+"I wish it were so," he replied; "but ere you remain long in the city, you
+will meet with not a few, philosophers only in the name, who, having small
+means of subsistence, but being desirous of leading a luxurious and
+agreeable life, become teachers of such doctrines as may accord best with
+the vicious inclinations of those who are most likely to entertain them.
+These persons assume too often the name of Epicureans. They are seen every
+where at feasts crowned with myrtle, and fawning upon gouty senators; and
+whenever a boar's-head appears, they are sure to call it worthy of
+Meleager. Their conversation is made up of stale jests about Charon and
+his boat, and the taking of Auguries; and, when finally inebriated, they
+roll upon the ground like those animals, to whom, in consequence of the
+proceedings of such hypocritical pretenders, the ignorant have dared too
+often to liken the wisest of mankind. Such things I disdain--I am satisfied
+to remain, as I was born, in the rank of AEsop, Epictetus, Terence."
+
+By this time the Centurion had returned. He had a lamp in his hand; and he
+interrupted our conversation. "Come, we start betimes, Caius; and you too,
+my sweet cock of Cyrene, I think you had better fold your wings, and
+compose yourself upon your roost."
+
+Oh, enviable temperament! said I to myself--you liken the slave to a bird.
+Methinks yourself are more deserving of the simile. The light and the air
+of heaven are sufficient to make you happy--your wings are ever
+strong--their flight ever easy--and the rain of affliction glides off them
+as fast as it falls. Sleep softly, kind heart. It is only the troubles of
+a friend that can ever disturb your serenity.
+
+
+
+
+                               _CHAPTER X._
+
+
+I was in bed before Dromo interrupted my reflections by saying, in a low
+tone of considerable confidence, "And now, Master Valerius, do you still
+continue, as much as two days ago, to disbelieve in philtres and despise
+enchantresses? You see what, with all my precaution, has come of this
+connection between Rubellia and the Neapolitan."
+
+"In truth, Dromo," I replied, "it is visible that Pona had some share in
+leading the soldiers to the Sempronian Sepulchre; but I am doubtful if
+that had any thing to do with the private affairs of the lady Rubellia. As
+to that matter, I confess myself entirely in the dark."--"Dark indeed,"
+quoth he, "must your observation have been, if you have yet to learn that,
+but for that accursed witch, nothing of all this had befallen; but if
+there be an edict against the Christians, there are twenty laws against
+sorcery; and that both Pona and she that consulted her shall know well ere
+long, if they do not as yet know it; or may Cretan change places with
+Boeotian!"--"Say on, good Dromo," I replied, "I am all ears; and as you
+appear to have been all eyes, I shall probably soon be more enlightened."
+
+"Well," quoth he, "I am glad to find that you are in a mood to listen to
+me decently. You remember where I took my station when you mounted those
+unfortunate steps upon the tower. I had not stood there many minutes
+before I heard somebody approaching; and having no doubt it was Rubellia,
+I was preparing myself for giving her such a salutation as I thought would
+put a speedy end to her wandering for that night. On came the steps, but
+no Rubellia. No; it was Xerophrastes himself; and although he had laid
+aside the Greek mantle, and donned a boatman's black cloak for the nonce,
+I promise you I knew his stately gait well enough beneath all these new
+trappings. It was no part of my job, however, to attempt frightening the
+stoic."--"And so you let him pass without doing any thing?"--"I did; I
+confess I gave one or two groans after he had gone on a few paces, but I
+did not observe him much quicken his walk, and I believe, to do the man
+justice, he set it all down to the wind rustling among the trees. But I
+thought not much of him at all, to speak the truth; for, said I to myself,
+Well, if it be as I have suspected for these two blessed days, and this
+master long-beard is really in league with the widow, the chances are, she
+herself is not far behind him. I lay by, therefore, and expected in
+silence till I should hear another tread; and in the meantime I spoke to
+you once or twice across the path, but you made me no answer, for which
+you know your own reasons."--"The reason," said I, "was a very simple one,
+I assure you. I had fallen asleep, and no wonder, for you know how long I
+had been a watcher."--"Well," said he, "I guessed as much, and it was
+nothing but the born tenderness of my disposition, which made me cease
+from offering you any disturbance. I thought I should surely be enough
+single-handed for the widow; and besides, in case of need, I knew your
+waking would always be in my power."
+
+"Admirably reasoned, Dromo," said I; "and so it seems no need came, for
+you certainly never awakened me; for which I may thank the bonds from
+which the Centurion's kindness has just set me free. But you have atoned
+abundantly--I pray you, get on with your tale."
+
+"Presently," he resumed, "I heard footsteps, indeed, my good master, and
+not footsteps alone, but voices; and I moved from the place as hastily as
+I could, till I came to a tree, the branches of which, springing low on
+the trunk, offered an opportunity for mounting, which I should have been a
+Boeotian indeed had I neglected. I mounted, and hiding myself as well as I
+could among the boughs, awaited the arrival of the party, which
+consisted--ay, stare if you will--of Xerophrastes and the widow, walking in
+front, in earnest talk by themselves,--and the Neapolitan in the rear. They
+halted, and though they spoke low, I could hear them distinctly."--"And
+what, in the name of Heaven, said they?"
+
+"'Are you sure,' said the widow, 'that this is indeed the girl whom Sextus
+went to see at the Villa? Can there be no mistake?'--'Mistake, lady, there
+is none,' replied the Stoic. 'Pona was at the villa with her basket, and
+she saw them all walking together in the garden.'--'And this little
+Christian,' said the lady as if to herself, 'it is she that has cost me
+all this trouble! It is for this Athanasia that I have been insulted as
+never woman was by man, and they are both here in the tower!'--'They are,
+lady,' quoth the witch; 'they are both in the tower, for I saw her go in
+by her self first, and then in went some dozen of those muffled
+blasphemers, and, last of all, went in he himself. I saw him not enter
+indeed, but I swear to you, that I saw him here not twenty paces from
+hence, and he had with him that cunning slave of his, (meaning myself,
+sir,) whose ugly face, (the foul woman added,) I would know although it
+were disguised beneath all the washes that were ever mixed in the
+seething-pots of Calabria.'--'But what,' interrupted our long-beard, 'what
+will Licinius say? At least, my lady and my friend Pona will take good
+care that no suspicion rests upon me. Sextus is a silly boy, without
+taste, judgment, or discretion; but Licinius is acute and powerful.'--'Fear
+not,' said Rubellia; 'fear not, dear Xerophrastes. Nobody shall appear in
+the matter except Pona, and she tells you she has already given warning at
+the Capene Gate. There are always a hundred men stationed on the Coelian.
+Nothing can save them!'
+
+"These words were scarcely out of her mouth, ere the soldiers were heard
+approaching. Xerophrastes ascended with great agility a tree just over
+against mine; Rubellia retreated among the pines; and Pona alone awaited
+the guard. I would have periled a limb to have been able to give you the
+alarm; but little did I suspect, that had I sought you where I left you, I
+should have sought in vain.--How, I pray you, did you contrive to get into
+the accursed tower?"
+
+I told him I should give him the story another time at full length, and
+mentioned briefly what had occurred. And then the Cretan proceeded with
+his narrative.
+
+"I leave you to guess, Valerius, how my heart beat when I saw the witch
+lead the soldiers straight to the place where I supposed you were still
+sitting--with what anxiety I saw the tower surrounded--its tenants brought
+out,--with what astonishment I saw you led out, the last of their number.--I
+had neither time to think by what means all this had happened, nor the
+least power to interfere. I saw you all mounted--guarded--borne away.
+Whither they carried you, I was unable to make the smallest conjecture. I
+saw Sabinus speak to you, and then I had hope,--but that too failed. In
+brief, I did not venture from my tree till the whole assembly, not
+forgetting Xerophrastes, had departed; and you may judge what a story I
+had to tell Sextus when I reached home.
+
+"Instead of waiting to ponder and hesitate, as he used to do when his own
+matters perplexed him, he went from me straight to his father. But before
+they had done with their conversation, Sabinus himself arrived, and he was
+immediately taken into the same chamber where they were. Licinius and he
+went out together soon afterwards, and I think they walked towards the
+Palatine; but whithersoever they went, they had a good deal of work before
+them, for the day had advanced considerably before they returned. The
+Centurion's horses were brought to the door shortly after; my master
+desired me to accompany him; and gave me letters for you, which I had
+almost forgotten to deliver."
+
+Such was the story of the faithful Cretan. The letter of Licinius I have
+still preserved:--
+
+"Since our Sabinus desires that I should write to you, although his own
+kindness renders it unnecessary that I should do so, I cannot refuse. I
+understand little, my Valerius, of what has brought you into this
+condition, from which, not without difficulty overcome, you are,
+notwithstanding, speedily to be delivered. I guess, that hastiness of
+various sorts, not, however, entirely without excuse in a person of your
+age, has been the means of implicating you in the affairs of a sect,
+equally unworthy of your communication, whether you consider the country
+in which their superstition originated, or the barbarities with which it
+is stained. But even for beauty, my young friend, it becomes not a Roman,
+least of all a Valerius, to forget what is due to the laws of Rome, and
+the will of the Prince. Consider with yourself how nearly you have escaped
+serious evil. Return to us, and forget what has passed, except for the
+lesson it must teach you. Of Rubellia and Xerophrastes I am unwilling to
+believe, without farther examination, what has been told me by my slave
+Dromo. We shall speak of that and other matters, when (which I hope will
+be early to-morrow) you once more give me the pleasure of seeing you. I
+have then much to say. Farewell."
+
+
+
+
+
+                          _BOOK III. CHAPTER I._
+
+
+Day was far advanced before the Centurion and myself once more drew near
+to the city. When we reached the first declivity beyond the Anio, the sun
+was about to sink behind the Janicular. The innumerable sounds of the
+capital, blended together into one mighty whisper, seemed only to form
+part of the natural music of the air, and might almost have been
+confounded with the universal hum of insects. We rode slowly down the
+hill, the base of which is ever darkened by the solemn groves of the
+Appian.
+
+We advanced in silence through that region of melancholy magnificence. I
+scarcely knew whether I should be able of myself to recognize, among so
+many similar edifices, the mausoleum of the Sempronii, and some feeling
+rendered me unwilling to put any questions concerning it to Sabinus.
+
+But while we were moving leisurely, we heard of a sudden a clang of
+cymbals among the trees, a little to the right hand, and the Centurion,
+saying, "What company can this be?" led the way down a narrow path
+branching from the main road. This path was winding and dusky, being edged
+on either side with pines and cypresses, so that for some space we saw
+nothing; and the cymbals having ceased again, the Centurion said, "I
+suppose it is some funeral; they have probably completed every thing, and
+have seen out the last gleam among the embers. Let us get on, for perhaps
+we may be kept back by their procession, if they are already returning."
+We quickened our pace accordingly, till a sharp turning of the road
+discovered to us a great number of persons who were standing silent, as if
+in contemplation of some ceremony. Several persons on horseback seemed,
+like ourselves, to have had their progress interrupted; but they were
+sitting quietly, and making no complaint. The silence of the whole
+assembly was indeed such, that Sabinus motioned to me to ask no questions,
+adding, in a whisper, "Take off your cap; it is some religious rite--every
+body is uncovered."
+
+The Centurion, however, was not a person to be stopped thus, without
+wishing to understand farther the cause of the interruption. The one side
+of the road was guarded by a high wall, to the top of which a number of
+juvenile spectators had climbed;--the other by a ditch of great breadth,
+and full of water, beyond which was a grove of trees; and I saw him eyeing
+the ditch, as if considering whether, by passing it, it might not be
+possible, without disturbing the crowd, to get nearer the object of their
+attention, or at least to make progress in our journey. At last he
+beckoned to me to follow him, and the bold equestrian at one leap passed
+easily. I imitated the example, and so did the Praetorian soldier, his
+attendant, who had now come up to us; but as for Dromo, he was obliged to
+remain behind.
+
+Ere we reached the bottom of the declivity, I perceived that we had come
+close to the Sempronian monument, and that the ceremony, whatever it might
+be, was taking place in front of the tower. We gave our horses to the
+soldier, and contrived to gain the bank over against it--the same place, in
+fact, where the Cretan slave had taken his station among the pine-trees,
+on the night when all those things occurred of which I have spoken to you.
+Like him, we placed ourselves as quietly as we could behind the trees,
+and, indeed, for our purpose, there could have been no better situation.
+We were contented, however, to occupy it as much as possible without
+attracting observation; for it was evident, in spite of the curiosity that
+detained so great a multitude near at hand, there must be something
+mysterious or ominous of nature in that which was taking place, since not
+one of the crowd had dared to come forward, so as to be within hearing of
+the officiators.
+
+And these, indeed, were a melancholy group. For men, and women, and
+children of every age, to the number it may be of an hundred, appeared all
+standing together in garments of black; while, in the midst of them, and
+immediately by the base of the tower, two or three veiled priests, with
+their necessary assistants, seemed to be preparing for sacrifice a black
+bull, whose hoofs spurned the dust as they held him, and his gilded horns
+glittered in the light of the declining sun. Sabinus no sooner discovered
+the arrangement of the solemn company, than he whispered to me, "Be sure,
+these are all the kindred of the Sempronii. Without question they have
+come to purify the mausoleum, and to avert the vengeance of the violated
+Manes. Behold," said he, "that stately figure, close to the head of the
+animal on the right hand; that, I know, is Marcia Sempronia, Priestess of
+Apollo. Without doubt, these by her are her brothers."
+
+"Some of her near relations they must be," I made answer; "for observe you
+that girl whose face is wrapped in her mourning veil, and whose sobs are
+audible through all its folds? I had one glimpse of her countenance, and I
+am sure it is young Sempronia, the cousin and companion of Athanasia,--the
+daughter of Lucius the senator."
+
+"Poor girl," replied Sabinus, "from my heart I pity her. They are all
+joining hands, that the nearest of the kindred touching the priest, his
+deed may appear manifestly to be the deed of all."
+
+At this moment, one of the officiators sounded a few mournful notes upon a
+trumpet. The priest who held the axe, clave at one blow the front of the
+bull. The blood streamed, and wine streamed with it abundantly upon the
+base of the mausoleum; and then, while we were yet gazing on the
+convulsions of the animal, the trumpet sounded a second time, and the
+whole company sung together, the priest leading them.
+
+The shadows of the tower and of the pine trees lay strongly upon them, and
+I thought there was something of a very strange contrast between the
+company and their chant, on the one hand, and the beautiful sculptures,
+full of all the emblems of life and happiness, on the other, with which,
+according to the gay dreams of Grecian fancy, the walls of the funereal
+edifice itself had here and there been garnished. Fauns, and torch-bearing
+nymphs, and children crowned with garlands, and wreathed groups and
+fantastic dances, seemed to enliven almost to mockery the monumental
+marbles; but one felt the real gloominess both of death and of
+superstition, in the attitudes and accents of the worshippers. It was thus
+they sung:--
+
+  Ye Gods infernal! hear us from the gloom
+  Of venerable depths remote, unseen;
+  Hear us, ye guardians of the stained tomb,
+  Majestic Pluto--and thou, Stygian Queen,
+  On the dark bosom leaning of great Dis--
+  Thou reconciled Star of the Abyss.
+
+  Blood, not for you, unholy hands have poured,
+  Ye heard the shriek of your insulted shrine;
+  Barbarian blasphemies, and rites abhorred,
+  Pollute the place that hath been long divine;
+  Borne from its wounded breast an atheist cry
+  Hath pierced the upper and the nether sky.
+
+  With blood of righteous sacrifice again
+  The monumental stone your suppliants lave.
+  Behold the dark-brow'd bull--Behold him slain!
+  Accept, ye powers of the relenting grave,
+  The sable current of that vital stream;
+  And let the father's hope upon the children gleam.
+
+  And ye, that in the ever dusky glades
+  Of Hades, wandering by Cocytus' shore,
+  Ancestral spirits--melancholy shades--
+  With us the tresspass of the tomb deplore;
+  Oh! intercede--that terror and disgrace
+  May not possess (as now) your resting-place.
+
+  What though the liquid serpent of the deep
+  Between lie coil'd in many a glittering ring:
+  Not unobserved of your pale eyes we weep,
+  Nor to deaf ears this doleful chant we sing;
+  Strong is the voice of blood through night to go,
+  Through night and hell, and all the realms below.
+
+  Then hear us, kindred spirits--stately Sire
+  And pensive Mother! wheresoe'er ye glide;
+  If ever solemn pile and soaring fire
+  In freedom sped you to the Stygian tide,--
+  Have pity on your children: let the breath
+  Of living sorrow melt the frozen ear of death.
+
+  For Her that, sprung like us from your high line,
+  Hath mingled in the sacrifice of guilt,
+  Ye know that angry star, her natal sign,
+  To expiate whose curse this blood is spilt;
+  If not suffices this atoning blood,
+  Oh, steep the thought of her in Lethe's flood.
+
+  Beneath that current lazy and serene,
+  In whose unfathomable waters lie
+  The slumbering forms of horrors that have been
+  In Hades, and in Ocean, Earth, and Sky--
+  With long forgotten curse and murder old,
+  Steep that lost daughter's errors manifold.
+
+  Once more for you an hallowed flame there burns.
+  Once more for you an hallowed stream there flows;
+  Despise not our lustrations of your urns,
+  Nor let unhoused Manes be our foes!
+  Above the children of your lineage born,
+  Hover not, awful ghosts, in anger and in scorn.
+
+These words were sung, as I have said, by the whole of this kindred there
+assembled together; the first part of them distinctly, though not loudly;
+but the last verses in a note so low, that no one, unless quite near,
+(like ourselves,) could have comprehended their meaning. But as for the
+young Sempronia, when they came to that part of the chant in which
+reference was so particularly made to Athanasia, not only did her lips
+refuse to join in the words, but her agitation was such that I thought the
+poor maiden would have screamed outright, had she not been controlled by
+the eye, and the hand also, of her aunt the Priestess. Sobs, however, and
+low hysterical groans, could not be stifled; and at last so great was her
+agony, that even the haughty Priestess was compelled to give way to it.
+
+"Bring water," said she; "dash ye water upon the foolish thing: methinks
+it seems almost as if she had partaken in the frenzy of her unhappy----"
+
+And before she could finish the sentence, one or two of the females that
+were present did take hold of Sempronia, and began, seeing there was no
+water nearer at hand, to bear her slender form towards the small stream of
+which I have already spoken, and which flowed immediately behind the clump
+of pine trees, amongst which the Centurion and I were standing.
+
+She was quite passive in their hands; and they dragged her without
+resistance or difficulty to the place where we were standing; but they
+could not pass without seeing us: and no sooner did the eyes of Sempronia
+fall upon me, than she burst by one unexpected effort from the arms of
+those that were sustaining her, and ere I or any one could suspect what
+she was to do, there lay she at my feet, clinging with her arms around my
+knees. "Oh, Valerius," said she--"Oh, dear Valerius, they curse Athanasia!
+Where is my Athanasia? whither have they taken her? Oh, tell me, that I
+may go to her--that I may go to comfort Athanasia!"
+
+"Peace!" said, before I could answer, the Priestess of Apollo--"Peace, mad,
+wretched thing,--has infatuation blasted the whole of our line?" And she
+seized Sempronia by the arm, and compelled her to spring from her knees.
+But the maiden still clung by her hands to me, and continued, with looks
+and words of misery, to demand from me that knowledge which, alas! I would
+myself have given so much to possess. Sabinus, however, smote me on the
+shoulder, as if to make me recollect myself; and I had resolution enough
+not to betray the feelings with which I listened to Sempronia's frantic
+supplication.
+
+"What is this, sir?" then said the Priestess--"What is it that you know of
+Athanasia? and why is it that you have presumed to witness the secret
+sacrifice of a noble race?--Speak--or is there no meaning in this poor
+girl's frenzy? And yet, methinks I have seen you before, and that, too, in
+the presence of----"
+
+"It was," said I, hastily--"it was indeed in the presence of Athanasia; but
+that circumstance, if you please to remember, was altogether accidental. I
+was with the lady Rubellia when you found her in the Temple of Apollo----"
+
+"Yes," said she, "it was that same day when she refused to name the name
+of Phoebus in his own precincts! Ha! little did I imagine what thoughts
+were in her breast--else might we at least have been spared this open
+degradation. And yet you, methinks, saluted Athanasia.--What is your name,
+sir?--Know you, in truth, whither the lady Athanasia has been conveyed?"
+
+"He was with her!--he was with her!" exclaimed Sempronia,--"he was with her
+in the tower when the soldiers came.--O Valerius! tell me where she is
+now,--into what dungeon have they cast my friend--my sister----"
+
+"Ha!" quoth the Priestess, "he was with her in the
+tower!--Romans--kinsmen--Lucius--Marcus--hear ye this? I charge ye, seize upon
+this treacherous blasphemer!--It is he that has deceived Athanasia; and now
+must he come here to taint the smoke of our sacrifice, and pollute our
+prayers with his presence.--Seize him!"--And she herself grasped my cloak as
+she spake--"Seize, I charge ye, this accursed Christian!"
+
+But Sabinus, when he saw the Priestess thus furious, stept forward, and
+said to her kinsmen, who were standing in perplexity behind her, "Sirs, I
+beseech you, be not you also carried away with this madness.--My friend
+here knows nothing of the lady Athanasia, except that she was borne away
+by soldiers from the very place where we are standing. I myself witnessed
+it also, being here with the Praetorians. Valerius is no more a Christian
+than she who accuses him."
+
+"I know not, sirs, how we are to understand all this," said one of the
+Sempronii, in a calm voice. "Is this young man the same Valerius who is
+living in the house of Licinius?--Yet it must be he. I have been with
+Licinius this very day; and if this be he, whatever he may have known
+before, I am sure he knows nothing of where Athanasia is now,--and, sister,
+I am well assured he is no Christian."
+
+"It is the same, sir," said Sabinus. "He is the same Caius Valerius of
+whom you spake, and I am Sabinus, a Centurion of the Praetorians."
+
+"We have all heard of your name," said Sempronius, respectfully; "I
+perceive there is some mistake in all this matter. If it please you, let
+us walk aside, and understand each other."
+
+So saying, he withdrew Sabinus to a little distance, and beckoned to me to
+accompany him. "Valerius," said the old man, when he perceived that we
+were out of hearing, "I crave you, in the first place, to forget all this
+trouble which has been occasioned to you by the violence of my daughter,
+on the one hand, and of my sister on the other. They are women; and, for
+different reasons, the violence of both is excusable. I have been for a
+considerable part of this day with Licinius, and have heard from him
+enough to satisfy me how guiltlessly you yourself have been involved in
+this affair; and your speedy liberation from confinement is more than
+enough to confirm my belief of all that he said. Yet there is much which I
+do not understand. I pray you speak openly, and fear nothing--you have,
+indeed, nothing to fear. Was it in consequence of any private meeting with
+my niece--nay, I mean not to suspect you of any thing amiss--in one word,
+how was it that you happened to be taken into custody with that unhappy
+girl?"
+
+"Sir," I replied, "you are a noble Roman, and the near kinsman of
+Athanasia. You have a right to put these questions, and whatever
+reluctance I may have to overcome, I feel that I have no right to refuse
+an answer." And so I told Sempronius, plainly and distinctly, the story
+both of my unwilling entrance into the mausoleum, and of my forcible
+abduction from it. In short, I saw no reason to conceal any thing from the
+person who was most likely to be able to serve Athanasia, if any thing to
+serve her were possible.
+
+"It is well," he said; "you speak as becomes a man of the Valerian blood.
+But as for poor Athanasia, I swear to you I cannot yet bring myself to
+believe that she hath in reality been privy to such things as have been
+discovered concerning these Christians."--"Discovered!" said I. "I pray
+you, what has been discovered concerning them? If you allude to any of the
+wild stories that are circulated about their religion, you may depend upon
+it, it is all mere madness to believe a word of it. I have read in their
+sacred books myself, and I swear to you, that, so far as I have seen,
+nothing can be more simple, benign, humane, than the morality inculcated
+by their leader."
+
+"Young man," he answered, "I was not thinking of their creed, which, for
+aught I know or care, may be sublime enough; for there was always a
+mysterious sort of philosophy current among those old Asiatic nations. But
+I speak of the designs of these men; in one word, I speak of their
+conspiracy."--"Conspiracy!--What? How? Against whom? I will pledge my life,
+no conspiracy was sheltered beneath yon tower that night. I swear to you,
+they are simple people, and were thinking of nothing but their
+worship."--"Worship!" quoth he; "I promise you it will not be so easy to
+persuade me that Cotilius has suddenly become a man of so much piety,
+either to our gods, or to the deities (if they have any) of the
+Christians.--What, Cotilius? By Jove, Rome does not hold at this moment a
+more bold, daring, godless rascal. You may as soon try to make me believe
+that Capaneus came to Thebes with a hymn in his mouth. No, no--the sworn
+friend of Domitian will not easily gain credit for his new-sprung
+sanctity."--"Cotilius? That was the very name of the man that seized me, as
+I have told you."--"I should have guessed as much," said he;--"Yes, I
+promise you, how little soever Athanasia might have known, secrets they
+had; and Cotilius was well aware at what peril they should be revealed."
+
+"The late example," said I, "must indeed have alarmed him."--"What," said
+he, "do you speak of that fanatic Syrian? You know little of Cotilius. No,
+no--had the worst of his fears been the necessity to worship all the
+deities between Euphrates and Rhine, he would have slept soundly."--"But
+surely," said I, "you do not believe that Athanasia had any knowledge of
+the man's secret designs, if he had any. He may have used Christianity, or
+desired to use it, as a weapon against the State; but be certain, neither
+she nor any of those really attached to their religion, had any notion of
+his purpose."
+
+"It may be so, indeed," he answered;--"Heaven grant it may. As for
+Cotilius, I will speak to you more at length of him anon. I will bid adieu
+to my sister, and take order about my daughter; and then, if it so please
+you, we shall walk together to the city."
+
+To this I agreed, but Sabinus rode on to the camp of the Praetorians. He
+whispered to me, however, that unless he were most necessarily detained,
+he should be, ere long, at the house of Licinius.
+
+"To you," said the Senator, as we went on, "who have so lately come from
+your island, the whole of this expiatory spectacle is probably quite new;
+but I am sure Sabinus could not have been aware what was its purpose,
+otherwise he would not have been guilty of so grievously offending the
+feelings of my sister, and some of the rest of my kindred, by remaining a
+witness of these most private rites. The Priestess is indeed inconsolable,
+and her grief has set half her other passions in motion likewise.
+Athanasia was as dear to her as if she had been her daughter; so, in
+truth, she was to us all, ever since her parents died. But Cotilius, this
+knave Cotilius, has, I fear, blasted her hopes and ours."--"It occurs to
+me," said I, "and I should have mentioned it to you before, that there
+seemed to be no great understanding between this Cotilius and Athanasia.
+She was evidently displeased with many things he both said and did; and
+he, on his part, did not appear to relish her interference."--"True," he
+continued, "you have already hinted as much; and I assure you, these are
+some of the circumstances in the whole case that tend most to excite my
+hopes. Great Heavens! what would Caius have said had he dreamt that his
+orphan was to be suspected of having sympathy with any of the dark designs
+of that shame to Roman knighthood! But you, of course, are a stranger to
+this man's history."--"With its end, at least," I replied, "it is like we
+may all be soon enough acquainted."
+
+"Yes," said he, "Heaven grant we have not cause too deeply to remember it!
+but I have known him from the beginning. I told you already that he was in
+great favour with Domitian."--"And the reverse, of course," said I, "both
+with Nerva and Trajan."
+
+"Even so," he continued, "and with reason; for in all the disturbances
+which occurred on the accession of the last sovereign, and, in particular,
+in those foul intrigues among the Praetorians, which at one time brought
+Nerva's own life into immediate danger and compelled him to bare his neck
+to the soldiery at his gate, this Cotilius was more than suspected to have
+had a deep concern. When Petronius and Parthenius(2) were hacked in
+pieces, it needed no great witchcraft to detect some of the moving spirits
+that produced their catastrophe; but proof there was none at the time; and
+even had there been proof enough, the good old man would have been too
+timid to act upon it. These things, however, could not be forgotten either
+by Nerva or his successor. Hitherto, the strong hand has repressed every
+rebellious motion; but be sure that no man ever lived more an object of
+suspicion, than this man has done ever since Nerva adopted Trajan."
+
+"And you think," said I, "that, among other intrigues, it had occurred to
+this man to make his own use of the Christians; despised and persecuted
+though they be, there can, indeed, be no doubt that their numbers are
+considerable, and that their faith is a strong bond of cohesion."
+
+"It is even so," said the Senator. "But as yet the treason even of
+Cotilius rests on suspicion only, and report; and, after all, even if he
+were proved guilty of having nourished such schemes, the account you give
+of what you saw and heard at their assembly, inspires me with considerable
+doubts whether he can be supposed to have ever as yet ventured to invite
+their participation;--unless, indeed, they practised deception while you
+were with them. The moment I heard of what had happened, I went to the
+Palatine, in hopes of attaining either assistance from Urbicus, or mercy,
+if that were all we could look for, from Trajan. But Urbicus could give me
+no satisfaction, except that my niece was in a solitary and safe place.
+The charges, he said, against one of the leaders (he meant Cotilius) were
+heavy; and until these were sifted, it was impossible that access could be
+afforded to any one who had been thrown into confinement. The Emperor had
+shewn unusual symptoms of anxiety, and had even, so he hinted, been in
+person investigating the matter at a distance from the city, during great
+part of the preceding night and day. To tell you the truth, Valerius, till
+this thing fell out, I was wont to consider the new violence about the
+Christians as somewhat unworthy of the enlarged intellect of Trajan: it
+had not occurred to me, how easily the resources of such a superstition
+might be enlisted in the cause of discontent."
+
+"Of course," said I, "nothing will be done in regard to Athanasia until
+all circumstances have been examined."
+
+"Done!" said he; "has not enough been done already to justify almost in a
+man more than you have seen among our women? Has not a whole family been
+disgraced? Has not the mausoleum of their fathers been prostituted for the
+unholy purposes of this barbarian sect? If the Senate should be summoned,
+with what countenance should I shew myself among my friends?--Unhappy girl!
+How little did she know in what trouble she was to involve those that love
+her the best."
+
+By this time we had come within sight of the house of Licinius, and the
+Senator took leave, with a promise that I should see him on the morrow.
+
+I found Sextus alone in his chamber, where he embraced me with all the
+ardour of juvenile affection. "Alas!" said he, "my dear Caius, at any
+other time I might have found fault with you for taking so great a part in
+my griefs, and yet keeping so many of your own to yourself. But if it be
+indeed as Sempronia has said, I should be a strange friend to choose this
+hour for complaining of such trifles as regard only myself."
+
+"Sextus," I replied, "it was only because of the greatness of your own
+distresses that I concealed from your kindness any of mine."
+
+"My Valerius," he answered, "we shall talk at length to-morrow; at
+present, I have only time to say, that the misfortune of Athanasia was
+communicated to Sempronia almost immediately, by an old freedwoman, who
+had been in the habit of attending her when she went from home in secret,
+and who, going to the mausoleum to accompany her on her return, arrived
+there just in time to see what befel her. She saw you also, (how she knew
+who you were, I know not,) and when she had told her story to Sempronia,
+the poor girl, before speaking even with her father, sent for me to come
+to her in the gardens. I did so; all that passed I need not repeat; but I
+hope my advice was the right one. At all events, I acted for the best, and
+my father, who is now aware of every thing, seemed to approve of what I
+had done. O Valerius! were Athanasia free, and you happy, many things have
+occurred to make me much more at ease than when you left us. My father is
+evidently shocked with what Dromo told about Rubellia; and as for
+Xerophrastes, he had not once spoken to him either yesterday or to-day.
+Indeed, neither of them have been much here. My father is continually
+exerting himself concerning Athanasia; and Xerophrastes, I suppose, is
+afraid of a discovery. As for me, I am sorry I must leave you, for I
+promised to meet Sempronia; and although I have nothing to tell her, I
+cannot fail in my appointment. She must have returned before this time
+from the mausoleum, where an expiatory sacrifice was to be made at
+sunset."
+
+Sabinus by this time had hastened to me once more, according to his kind
+promise. I told him that my kinsman was not at home, and that I proposed,
+in the meantime, accompanying his son a part of the way towards the
+Suburban of Capito. The Centurion insisted on going with us, saying, that
+he could not think of returning to the camp without having spoken with
+Licinius.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER II._
+
+
+The Centurion, in virtue of his office, had free access to the gardens of
+Trajan; so he led us by both a more delightful and a nearer path towards
+the Salarean Gate. Young Sextus then quitted us; and we returned slowly
+through the beautiful groves of the Imperial Villa, in hopes of finding my
+kinsman by the time we should reach his mansion. But as we were walking
+very quietly along one of the broad green terraces, we heard voices in an
+adjoining alley, separated from us by luxuriant thickets of myrtle, and
+Sabinus, whispering to me, "Hush, let us see what we have got here,"
+insinuated himself with great dexterity among the verdant shrubs. I
+followed him with as little noise as was possible, and having found a
+convenient peeping place, we soon perceived two figures at some little
+distance from us in the moonlight.--"Come, Sabinus," I whispered, "they are
+lovers perhaps--I don't see what right we have to overhear."--"Peace," quoth
+he, "if you stir, they will detect us, and it is nothing unless it be
+known."
+
+With some reluctance I remained where I was; but my scruples were at an
+end the moment I perceived who they were.
+
+"Most noble, most illustrious lady," said Xerophrastes, "this matter has
+indeed been conducted unfortunately, yet no reason see I why you should
+give way to so many groundless apprehensions. The only thing, after all,
+that you have lost, if indeed you have lost it, is the good opinion of
+Licinius; for, as to that foolish boy----"--"Name him not," replied Rubellia,
+"name not the stripling. Surely madness alone can account for my
+behaviour."--"Madness!" quoth the Stoic; "yes, truly, and who, at certain
+moments, is free from such madness? As Euripides has expressed it, Venus,
+if she come in wisdom, is the wisest; if otherwise, the most frenzied of
+influences. The greatest have not been exempt from such visitations.
+Banish it from your heart, noble lady, or replace it by something more
+worthy of your discernment. There is, I think, but one pair of eyes in
+Rome that could have been blind to such perfections."--"O Xerophrastes!"
+said she, "speak not to me of perfections. Alas! I was born under a
+deceitful star--a star of apparent splendour and real misery."--"Noble
+lady," he replied, "I swear to you that what tincture of philosophy I have
+imbibed, is unable to sustain my serenity when I hear such words from your
+lips. You are surrounded by all that externals can minister. It is your
+part to compose your mind, and then how should it be possible for you to
+taste of unhappiness? Think no more of that boy."
+
+The philosopher took her hand with an air of the deepest sympathy, and at
+the same time drew the end of his mantle over his face, as if to conceal
+the extent of his participation in her distresses.--"Alas! lady, this is,
+after all, a miserable world. There is no rest but in the affections, and
+behold how they are harassed on every hand by the invidious accidents of
+life. Philosophy proclaims her antidote, but the poison is every where;
+and it is all one course of being wounded to be cured, and being cured
+only to be more easily wounded again."
+
+Our friend continued in an attitude of pensive contemplation. The
+moonbeams fell full on his high brow and the large massy features of his
+countenance, and on the robust limbs which emerged from below the stately
+folds of his mantle; and I could not help thinking that there was
+something almost heroic, which I had never before remarked, in the whole
+of his appearance. Rubellia kept her eyes fixed steadfastly upon him.
+
+"I should have known nothing of it," he resumed, "had I never deserted my
+paternal valley for the vain pleasures of Athens, and the magnificence of
+Rome."--"You repent," said she, "that you ever visited Italy? I pray you
+deal with me openly. If it be your wish to leave Rome, speak, and I shall
+put it in your power to retire to Greece as handsomely as you could ever
+have hoped to do from the family of Licinius. Of wealth, as you well know,
+I have enough both for myself and for my faithful friends, among whom, be
+sure, I place you in the first rank. Control your feelings, I pray you
+once more--and speak freely."
+
+Hastily and fervently he pressed his lip upon the beautiful hand of
+Rubellia, and whispered something into her ear. She started, and I think
+blushed in the moonlight; but neither seemed offended very deeply with
+what he had said, nor with the gesture he had used.--"Softly, softly,"
+whispered the Centurion, "be not ashamed, fair lady, of the love of thy
+servant."
+
+But (whether the echo of his Horatian parody had reached her ear or not, I
+cannot tell,) scarcely had these words been uttered, ere Rubellia started
+from her seat, and began to move pretty quickly down the shaded alley, as
+if towards the entrance of the gardens. Xerophrastes sate still for a
+moment, even after the lady had arisen, covering his eyes, and part of his
+broad forehead with his hands, as if buried in his own thoughts too deeply
+to be with ease affected with a sense of things passing around him. Then,
+at last, he arose, and uttering an exclamation of surprise, walked after
+the noble dame, taking heed, however, (it did not escape our observation,)
+to arrange, as he rapidly followed her, the massive folds of his mantle
+into a graceful drapery.
+
+Sabinus restrained himself till they were beyond the reach of his voice;
+but he then made himself ample amends. "Ha!" said he, "is this to be the
+end? Most pensive ghost of Leberinus, is this to be thy successor?"--"Good
+heavens!" said I, "Sabinus, do you think it possible she should make the
+pedagogue her husband--she that was but yesterday so desperately enamoured
+of the beautiful young Sextus?"--"My dear islander," quoth the Centurion,
+"do you remember the story of a certain beautiful boy, called Adonis?"--"To
+be sure," said I, "who is ignorant of the story of Adonis, or of the
+beautiful verses of Bion--
+
+  "I weep for fair Adonis--for Adonis is no more,
+  Dead is the fair Adonis--his beauty I deplore;
+  His white thigh with a tusk of white the greenwood monster tore,
+  And now I weep Adonis--for Adonis is no more.'"
+
+"Well spouted," quoth the soldier; "and with an excellent gravity: But
+think you Venus never altered the burden of her ditty? Have you never
+heard of Mars the blood-stained, the destroyer of men, the leveller of
+city walls--nor of Anchises, the Dardan shepherd, wiser in his generation
+than one who inherited both his station and his opportunity; no, nor even
+of Vulcan, the cunning Artificer, the Lord of the One-eyed Hammerers, the
+Lemnian, the Chain-maker, the Detector, the awkward Cup-bearer, whose
+ministration, as honest Homer confesses, fills Olympus with
+inextinguishable laughter. Have you heard of all these, and I take it of a
+few more besides; and yet do you talk as if Venus, after the white boar's
+tusk had pierced the white thigh of her Adonis, had made no use of her
+beautiful girdle, but to wipe the tears from her pretty eyes withal?--her
+girdle, of which, heaven pity your memory, I know not how many blessed
+ages after Adonis had fallen, the same faithful bard said,
+
+  'In it is stored whate'er can love inspire:
+  In it is tender passion, warm desire,
+  Fond lovers' soft and amorous intercourse;
+  The endearing looks and accents that can fire
+  The soul with passionate love's resistless force,
+  'Gainst which the wisest find in wisdom no resource.'
+
+I was there the night she espoused Leberinus, and I pitied her very
+sincerely, when I saw the pretty creature lifted over the old man's
+threshold in her yellow veil, which I could not help thinking concealed
+more sighs, if not more blushes, than are usual on such occasions. But I
+promise you the glare of her new torches shall affect me with different
+emotions."
+
+Such talk passed as we were leaving the gardens of Trajan. But as we
+advanced into the more peopled region, we found the streets full of
+clamour, insomuch that quiet discourse could no longer be carried on. The
+evening was one of the most lovely I had ever seen, and the moon was
+shedding a soft and yellow light upon the lofty towers and trees, and upon
+all that long perspective of pillars and porticos. Yet groups of citizens
+were seen running to and fro with torches in their hands; while many more
+were stationary in impenetrable crowds, which had the air, as it seemed to
+us, of being detained in the expectation of some spectacle. Accordingly we
+had not jostled on much farther, ere there arose behind us a peal of what
+seemed to me martial music; but my companion, as soon as the sounds
+reached him, warned me that a procession of the priests of Cybele must be
+at hand.
+
+At last they came quite close to us, and passed on dancing around the
+image of the Goddess, and singing the chaunt of Atys. A path being opened
+for them by the crowd all along, they made no halt in their progress, but
+went on at the same pace, some of them leaping high from the ground as
+they dashed their cymbals, and others dancing lowly while they blew the
+long Phrygian trumpets and crooked horns of brass. The image itself was
+seated in a brazen chariot, to which brazen lions also were fastened, the
+whole being borne on the shoulders of some of the assistants. Behind it
+came others, beating great hollow drums; and then again more, leaping, and
+dancing, and singing, like those who preceded it. They were all clad in
+long Asiatic vests, with lofty tiaras; and their countenances, as well as
+their voices, intimated sufficiently that they were ministers of the same
+order to which the hapless Atys had belonged. Yet nothing but enthusiasm
+and triumph could be discovered in their manner of singing that terrible
+hymn.
+
+They had not advanced much beyond the spot where we were standing, ere
+they stopped of a sudden, and, placing the chariot and image of Cybele
+between the pillars of one of the porticos that run out into the street,
+began a more solemn species of saltation. When they had finished this
+dance also, and the more stately and measured song of supplication with
+which it was accompanied, the priests then turned to the multitude, and
+called upon all those who reverenced the Didymaean mysteries, to approach
+and offer their gifts. Immediately the multitude that were beyond formed
+themselves into a close phalanx, quite across the street, and torches
+being conveyed into the hands of such as stood in the foremost rank, there
+was left in front of the image an open space, brightly illuminated, for
+the convenience, as it seemed, of those who might come forward to carry
+their offerings to the foot of the statue. And, indeed, it appeared as if
+these were not likely to be few in number; for the way being quite blocked
+up by those torch-bearers, no one could hope to pass on easily without
+giving something, or to pass at all without being observed. Not a few
+chariots, therefore, and litters also, having been detained, the persons
+seated in these vehicles seemed to be anxious, as soon as possible, to
+present their offerings, that the path onward might be cleared to them by
+command of the priests. It was necessary, however, as it turned out, that
+each person in advancing to the chariot of Cybele, should imitate the
+motions practised by the Galli themselves; and this circumstance, as may
+be imagined, was far from being the most acceptable part of the ceremony
+to some of those who had thus been arrested. A few of the common sort,
+both men and women, stepped boldly into the open ring, and with great
+appearance of joy went through the needful gesticulations. But, at first,
+none of the more lordly tenants of the chariots and litters seemed to be
+able to prevail on themselves to follow the example. At length, however,
+the impatience even of these dignified persons began to overcome their
+reluctance; one and another red-edged gown was seen to float in lofty
+undulations across the torch-lighted stage, and when a handful of coin was
+heard to ring upon the basin of the Goddess, doubt not the priests
+half-cracked their cheeks in blowing horn and trumpet, and clattered upon
+their great tambarines as violently as if they had made prize of another
+Atys. But how did the Centurion chuckle when he observed that one of the
+next chariots was no other than that of Rubellia herself, and perceived
+that she and the Stoic were now about to pass onwards like the rest, at
+the expense of exhibiting their agility before the multitude.
+
+"Jove in heaven!" cried he, "I thought the garden scene was all in all;
+but this is supreme! Behold how the sturdy Thracian tucks up his garment,
+and how, nodding to the blows of the tambarine, he already meditates
+within himself the appropriate convolutions. And the pretty widow! by the
+girdle of Venus, she also is pointing her trim toe, and, look ye! better
+and better, do you not see that she has given her veil to the Stoic, that
+so she may perform the more expeditely?"
+
+At this moment, some one from behind laid hold of my arm, and whispered my
+name. I looked round, and perceived an old man, wrapped in a very large
+and deep mantle, the folds of which, however, were so arranged that I
+could see very little of his features. Stepping a pace or two backwards,
+he beckoned to me with his hand. I hesitated; but his gesture being
+repeated, I also entered within the shade of the pillars, and then he,
+dropping his mantle on his shoulders, said, "Valerius, do you not remember
+me? We met last at the tomb of the Sempronii."--"At the tomb of the
+Sempronii!" said I; and recognized, indeed, the features of the Christian
+priest, who had treated me on that eventful evening with so much courtesy;
+but my wonder was great to find him in such a situation; for I had seen
+him conveyed away between armed guards, and I could not imagine by what
+means he, of all others, should have so soon regained his freedom. He
+observed my astonishment, and said, in a low voice, "My friend, perhaps I
+might have as much reason to be surprised with seeing you here, as you
+have in seeing me. But follow me into this house, where we may communicate
+what has occurred."
+
+The hope of perhaps hearing something concerning Athanasia determined me.
+I cast a look towards Sabinus, and saw him attentively engaged in
+witnessing the performance; and hoping that he might continue to amuse
+himself so for a few minutes longer, I permitted the old man to lead me
+into the vestibule. The slaves, who were waiting there, seemed to receive
+him with much respect. He passed them, saying, "Do not trouble
+yourselves--I shall rejoin your master;" and shortly ushered me into a
+chamber situated over the hall of entrance, where a grave personage was
+reclining by the open window. He perceived not our approach till we had
+come close up to his couch, for he was occupied with what was going on
+without. When the old man accosted him, and said, "Pontius, I have been
+successful. Here is my friend, Caius Valerius," the stranger rose up, and
+saluted me with kindness. "Caius Valerius," said he, "will pardon me for
+being desirous of seeing him here, when he learns that I was one of his
+father's oldest friends, and served with him many campaigns both in
+Germany and Britain. I should have been ill pleased had I heard that you
+had been in Rome, and departed without my having an opportunity of
+retracing, as I now do, the image of my comrade."
+
+I had to answer not a few questions concerning the situation of my mother
+and myself, before I could lead the conversation into the channel I
+desired; and at length, indeed, it was not so much any thing I said, as
+the readiness of the priest himself, which gave to it that direction; for
+the first pause that occurred in the discourse between Pontius and myself,
+he filled up, by saying, "And now, will Valerius pardon me for asking, if
+he has ever looked again into the narrative of Luke, or whether his
+curiosity, in regard to these matters, has been entirely satisfied by the
+adventures of one unfortunate night?"
+
+The manner in which Pontius regarded me when the priest said this, left me
+no doubt that he was at least favourably inclined to the opinions of the
+Christians; so I answered without hesitation, "My curiosity, instead of
+being satisfied by what I saw that evening, received new strength; but you
+may easily believe that the troubles in which I was involved, and still
+more the troubles with which I know others yet to be surrounded, have
+hitherto taken away from me both the means and the power of gratifying my
+curiosity as I would wish.--But tell me, I pray you, by what means is your
+imprisonment at an end?"--"My friend," replied the priest, "you speak
+naturally but rashly. I believe you yourself are the only one of those
+surprised in the tower, whose imprisonment has as yet terminated. Yet
+hope, good hope is not absent,--above all, I trust there is no reason to
+despair concerning that dear child who interfered in your behalf, when a
+bold, and, I fear me, a false man, had drawn his weapon to your peril. As
+for me, I have but gained the liberty of an hour or two, and long ere dawn
+I shall be restored again to my fetters."--"Your fetters!" said I, "am I to
+understand, that, by the connivance of a Roman jailor, you are this night
+at liberty to perambulate the streets of Rome?"--"Young man," answered the
+priest, "he is a Christian."--"Even for his sake," said I, "the name is
+honourable."
+
+"Valerius," said he, "I pray you speak not things which may hereafter give
+pain to your memory. Already you have read something of the life of ONE,
+for whose sake our name is indeed honourable--of Him I trust you shall ere
+long both read and think more; but how shall I bless God, that threw my
+lot, since captivity it was to be, into a place where such authority was
+to have the superintendence of me? Yet more, how shall I be sufficiently
+grateful, that She, in all things so delicate, although in nothing
+fearful, has shared the same blessing?"
+
+"Heavens," said I, "what do I hear!--Is Athanasia indeed lodged in the same
+prison with yourself, and may she also go abroad thus freely?"
+
+"Think not," he replied, "that I embrace such freedom for any purposes of
+mine own. What I do for the service to which I am bound, think not that
+Athanasia will ever desire to do for herself. She abides her time
+patiently where the lot hath been cast for her; in due season, if such be
+the will of the Lord, she shall regain that in truth, of which this is but
+the shadow."
+
+"God grant our prayer," said Pontius, "and not ours only, but the prayer
+of all that know her, and have heard of this calamity!--Whatever the
+exertions of her family and their friends can accomplish, most surely
+shall not be awanting. Would that those who are linked to her by ties yet
+more sacred had the power, as they have the will, to serve her! Yet Hope
+must never be rejected. The investigations of this very night may produce
+the true accomplices of Cotilius; and then Trajan will be satisfied that
+the Christians stand guiltless of that treason."
+
+"Alas!" said I, "if this faith be a crime, how can any one hope to follow
+it without being continually liable to accidents as unfortunate? In Rome,
+at all events, what madness is it thus to tempt the fate which impends
+over the discovery of that which it must be so difficult, so impossible to
+conceal?"
+
+The aged Priest laid his finger on his lips, and pointed to the window. I
+listened, and heard distinctly the shrill voices of the mutilated dancers,
+as they brake forth above the choral murmurs of the drums and cymbals, and
+I perceived that the bloody legend of Atys was once more the subject of
+their song.
+
+The ancient waited till the voices were drowned again in the clamour of
+the instruments, and then said to me, "Young man, do you know to what
+horrid story these words of theirs refer? Do you know what sounds all
+these are designed to imitate? Do you know what terror--what flight--what
+blood--what madness are here set forth in honour of a cruel demon--or
+rather, I should say, for the gain of these miserable and maimed
+hirelings? Do you know all these things, and yet give counsel of flight
+and of cowardice to me, upon whose head the hand of Christ's holy apostle
+hath been laid? Read, dear Valerius, read and ponder well.--My prayers, and
+the prayers of one that is far purer than me--they are ever with you. But
+now since I have introduced you to Pontius, why should I delay here any
+longer? He, both for your father's sake and for your own, and for that of
+the faith, (of which you have had some glimpses) will abundantly aid you
+in all things. Deal not coldly nor distantly with him. I commit you into
+his hands, as a brand to be snatched from the burning."
+
+Pontius reached forth his hand and grasped mine in token of acquiescence
+in all the old man expressed. He, by and by, looking into the street,
+said, "These jugglers have now departed to their dens, and the gaping
+multitudes have dispersed. But I still see one person walking up and down,
+as if expecting somebody; and it seems to me that it is the same,
+Valerius, who was in your company." I perceived that it was indeed
+Sabinus, whistling to himself on the bright side of the pavement. I
+therefore bade them adieu, saying, "Dear father, when shall I see you
+again, and when shall I hear farther of Athanasia?"--The old man pausing
+for a moment, said, "To-morrow at noontide be in the Forum, over against
+the statue of Numa. You will there find tidings."
+
+The Centurion plainly intimated that he took it for granted I had been
+engaged in something which I wished to keep from his knowledge; but such
+affairs made no great impression on him; and after laughing out his laugh,
+he bade me farewell by the portico of Licinius.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER III._
+
+
+In the morning I found my kinsman and his son extremely uneasy, in
+consequence of the absence of Xerophrastes, who had not returned during
+the night; but Sabinus came in while they were talking to me, and
+narrated, without hesitation, all he had seen and heard both in the garden
+of Trajan, and at the procession of the Galli. Young Sextus could scarcely
+be restrained by respect for his father, from expressing, rather too
+openly, his satisfaction in the course which the affairs of the
+disappointed lady appeared to be taking; while the orator muttered words
+which I thought boded not much of good to the ambitious pedagogue. The
+Centurion alone regarded all these things as matters of mere amusement, or
+so at least he seemed to regard them; for, as I have already hinted, I was
+not without my suspicion, that he was at bottom by no means well pleased
+with the contemplation of the future splendour of the Stoic.
+
+However, after many jests had been exchanged between Sextus and the
+Centurion concerning this incongruous amour, Licinius said, he was in so
+far much relieved by what he had heard, as it satisfied him that both the
+widow and Xerophrastes were now otherwise occupied, than in prosecuting
+their designs against the niece of his friend Capito.
+
+"I myself," he continued, "was all yesterday, as well as the day before,
+exerting every means in my power for her extrication from this unfortunate
+confinement. Cotilius, without question, has indeed been a traitor; but I
+believe the Prince himself is, by this time, well inclined to absolve, not
+only the young lady, but by far the greater part of those who were taken
+with her, from any participation in his traitorous designs. The charge,
+however, of which it rests with them alone to exculpate themselves, is one
+of a nature so serious, that it is impossible to contemplate without much
+anxiety the pain to which so many families--above all, the noble and
+excellent Sempronii--may still be exposed. But this day Cotilius will, in
+all likelihood, pay the last penalty of _his_ crimes--and then we shall see
+what intercession may avail. Would to heaven there were any one who could
+obtain access to the deluded lady, and prevail with her to do that which
+would be more effectual than I can hope any intercession to prove. This
+infatuation--this dream--this madness--is, indeed, a just source of fear; and
+yet, why should we suppose it to be already so deeply confirmed in a
+breast young, ingenuous, so full, according to report, of every thing
+modest and submissive? Surely this affectionate girl cannot be insensible
+to the affliction of those who love her.--But you still shake your head,
+Valerius; well, it is in our hands to do what we can; as for the issue,
+who can hope to divert Trajan from doing that which he believes to be
+just? Our best hope is in his justice----"
+
+"And in his clemency," interrupted the Centurion; "you will scarcely
+persuade me that Caesar can meditate any thing serious concerning a young
+beauty, who has been guilty of nothing but a little superstition and
+enthusiasm. Nobody will confound her case with that of any obstinate old
+fanatic. In the meantime, what avails it to distress ourselves more than
+is necessary? Licinius is able to do something; and as for Valerius, the
+best thing he can do is to get on horseback, and go with Sextus and myself
+to inspect the cohorts that have arrived from Calabria."
+
+Young Sextus, on all occasions fond of military spectacles, embraced this
+proposal; and fain would they both have prevailed on me to accede to it
+likewise. I knew, however, that it would be impossible, if I accompanied
+them, to keep my appointment with the old Christian; and that I was
+resolved on no account to forego. I therefore retired to my chamber, there
+to await the approach of the hour; and spent the time till it drew near,
+in perusing once more the volume which had been restored to me by
+Athanasia. This volume, and the letter which I have before mentioned, I
+placed together in my bosom, before I went forth into the city.
+
+I entered the Forum, and found it, as formerly thronged with multitudes of
+busy litigants and idle spectators. A greater concourse, indeed, than was
+usual, crowded not it only, but the avenues to it, and the neighbouring
+streets, by reason of a solemn embassy from the Parthian, which was to
+have audience that day in the Senate. But I, for my part, having
+discovered the statue of Numa Pompilius, resolved to abide by it, lest,
+being mingled in the tumult of the expecting multitudes, I should, by any
+mischance, escape the notice of the old man, who, I doubted not, meant to
+seek me there in person. The time, however, went on--senator after senator
+entered the temple--and, at last, the shouts of the people announced that
+Trajan had arrived. And immediately after he had gone in, the pomp of the
+embassy appeared, and every eye was fixed upon the long line of slaves,
+laden with cloth of gold and rich merchandise, and upon the beautiful
+troop of snow-white horses, which pawed the ground, in magnificent
+caparisons, before the gate of the Senate-house. But while all were intent
+upon the spectacle, I observed a little fair-haired girl standing over
+against me, who, after looking at me for some moments, said with great
+modesty, "Sir, if you be Caius Valerius, I pray you, follow me."
+
+I followed her in silence up the hanging stairs, and, in a word, had soon
+reached the level of the Capitol, from whence, looking back, I could
+perceive the whole array of the forensic multitudes far below me. The
+child paused for a moment at the summit, and then, still saying nothing,
+conducted me across two magnificent squares, and round about the Temple of
+Jupiter, until, at length, she stopped at one of the side doors of an
+edifice, which, from the manner in which it was guarded, I already
+suspected to be the Mammertine.
+
+The girl knocked, and he who kept the gate, saluting her cheerfully,
+allowed us to pass without question into the interior of the prison. My
+companion tripped before me along many passages, till we reached at length
+a chamber which was arranged in such a manner that I could with difficulty
+believe it to belong to a place of punishment.
+
+Here I was soon joined by the old priest, (whose name, if I have not
+before mentioned it, was Aurelius Felix,) together with a mild-looking man
+of middle age, whom he desired me to salute as the keeper of the prison,
+saying, "Here, Valerius, is that Silo, of whom yesterday evening you spake
+with so great admiration. But I hope the benevolence of a Christian will
+ere long cease to be an object of so much wonder in your eyes."
+
+"My father," said the jailer, "methinks you yourself say too much about
+such little things. But, in the meantime, let us ask Valerius if he has
+heard any thing of what has been determined by Caesar."
+
+I answered by telling what I had just heard from Licinius; upon which the
+countenance of the old man was not a little lightened; but Silo fixed his
+eyes upon the ground, and seemed to regard the matter very seriously. He
+said, however, after a pause, "So far, at least, it is well. Let us hope
+that the calumnies which have been detected, may turn more and more of
+discredit upon those that have gone abroad concerning that which is dearer
+to you, my father, and to all your true companions, than any thing of what
+men call their own. But, alas! these, after all, are but poor tidings for
+our dear young lady."
+
+"Fear not," answered Aurelius: "have I not told you already oftentimes,
+that strength of heart goes not with bone and sinew, and that my gentle
+child is prepared for all things? She also well knows that the servant is
+not greater than the master."
+
+The old man motioned to us to remain where we were, and withdrew. I sate
+for some minutes by the side of Silo, who was, indeed, manifestly much
+troubled, until at length the same modest little damsel opened the door,
+and addressing the jailer as her father, asked leave to conduct me to
+Aurelius.
+
+The child led me, therefore, into the adjoining chamber, and tapped gently
+at a door on the other side of it. The voice of the old priest bade us
+come in, and Athanasia arose with him to receive me. She was dressed in a
+white tunic, her hair braided in dark folds upon her forehead; her
+countenance was calm, and, but for the paleness of her lips, I should have
+said that her gravity scarcely partook of sadness. When, however, we had
+exchanged our salutations, it was evident that some effort had been
+necessary for this appearance of serenity; for when she spoke to me her
+voice trembled in every tone, and, as she stooped to caress my young
+guide, who had sate down by her feet, I saw the tear that had been
+gathering drop heavily, and lose itself among the bright clusters of the
+little damsel's hair. I took her unresisting hand, and imitated as best I
+could the language of consolation. But it seemed as if my poor whispers
+only served to increase the misery. She covered her face with her hands,
+and sobs and tears were mingled together, and the blood glowed red in her
+neck, in the agony of her lamentation.
+
+The old priest was moved at first scarcely less than myself by this
+sorrowful sight. Yet the calmness of age deserted him not long, and after
+a moment there remained nothing on his countenance but the gravity and
+tenderness of compassion. He arose from his seat, and walked quietly
+towards the end of the apartment, from which when he returned, after a
+brief space, there was an ancient volume open in his hand. And standing
+near us, he began to read aloud, in the Greek tongue, words which were
+then new, and which have ever since been in a peculiar manner dear to me.
+
+_God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Therefore
+will not we fear though the earth be removed; though the mountains be
+carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be
+troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof._
+
+Athanasia took her hands from her face, and gradually composing herself,
+looked through her tears upon the old man as he proceeded.
+
+_There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God;
+the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High._
+
+_God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her,
+and that right early._
+
+_The heathen raged; the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice; the
+earth melted._
+
+_The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge._
+
+The blood had mounted in the countenance of Aurelius, ere he reached these
+last words. The tears also had been dried up on the pale cheek of
+Athanasia; and although her voice was not heard, I saw that her lips moved
+fervently along with those of the priest. Even in me, ignorant of their
+source, the words of the royal prophet produced I know not what of
+buoyance and emotion, and perhaps my lips, too, had involuntarily essayed
+to follow them; for when he paused from his reading, the old man turned to
+me with a face full of benignity, and said, "Yes, Valerius, it is even so;
+Homer, Pindar, AEschylus--these, indeed, can stir the blood; but it is such
+poetry as this that alone can sooth in sorrow, and strengthen in the hour
+of tribulation. Your vain-glorious Greeks called all men barbarians but
+themselves; and yet these words, and thousands not less precious than
+these, consoled the afflictions, and ennobled the triumphs of the chosen
+race of Israel long, long years, ere ever the boasted melody of Ionian or
+Doric verse had been heard of. From this alone, young man, you may judge
+what measure of candour inhabits along with the disdain of our proud
+enemies:--how fairly, without question, or opportunity of defence, the
+charge of barbarity is heaped upon what they are pleased to call our
+_superstition_;--how wisely the learned and the powerful of the earth have
+combined in this league against the truth which they know not,--of which
+they fear or despise the knowledge. Surely the truth is mighty, and the
+gates of hell shall not prevail against her."
+
+"But, alas! my dear father," said Athanasia, "I fear me this is not the
+place, nor the situation, in which Valerius might be most likely to listen
+to your words. It may be that his own narrow escape, to say nothing of our
+present danger, has rendered him even more cautious than he was before."
+
+"And who, my dear child," he replied hastily,--"and who is he that shall
+dare to blame caution, or to preach, above all in such things as these,
+the rashness that is of folly? Valerius will not believe that we, like the
+miserable creatures whose impious songs he heard last night, are studious
+only of working upon the fears of the ignorant, and harassing, with dark
+and lying dreams, the imaginations of the simple. _Here_ are no wild
+stories of blood-thirsty deities, and self-sacrificing maniacs. _Here_ is
+that which Socrates vainly sought by all the ingenuity of reason. _Here_
+is that of which some faint and mysterious anticipations would appear to
+have been shadowed forth in the visions of Plato. _Here_ is that which, as
+that Mighty Martyr who died in this very city hath said, innumerable
+prophets and kings of the old time desired to see, and yet saw not. Do
+nothing rashly, young man; but it is possible, as you yourself well know,
+that this may be the last opportunity I shall ever have of speaking with
+you; and therefore, before we part, I must needs charge you solemnly, that
+henceforth, if your knowledge increase not, the sin shall be upon your
+head. I charge you, Valerius, that when you return to your island, you
+blot not from your memory the things that you have seen and heard in this
+great city of light and of darkness. Examine--judge--ask aid, and aid shall
+not be refused you. I take Athanasia to witness, that I have given you the
+warning that is needful."
+
+"Oh, sir!" said Athanasia, "I am sure it shall not be in vain that you
+have done so. I am sure Valerius will never forget this hour----"
+
+She gazed in my face, and a tear was again visible, yet on all her
+countenance there was no other semblance of passion. The venerable
+Aurelius clasping his thin hands together, whispered,--"Would to God that I
+were here alone! Shall the axe be laid to the root of the fair young tree
+that hath but begun to blossom, when so many old trunks stand around
+withered with the lightnings, and sore broken by the winds?--The will of
+the Lord be done!"
+
+"Amen!" said Athanasia, taking the old man by the hand, and smiling, I
+think, more cheerfully than I had yet seen her--"My dear father, I fear you
+yourself, after all, are teaching Valerius to take but a sad farewell of
+us."
+
+"Alas! my child," he replied, "he must have a hard heart that could look
+unmoved on that sweet face in this hour of sadness. But we are in the
+hands of a greater than Trajan. If so it please Him, all may yet go well
+with us even here upon the earth. You may live to see many happy years
+among your kindred--and I, (the old man smiled most serenely,) and for me,
+my gray hairs may be laid in bloodless dust. Whatever awaits us, blessed
+be the name of the Lord!"
+
+So saying, the old man retired from the chamber, and once more I was left
+alone in the presence of Athanasia. I took from my bosom the book and the
+letter which I had placed there, and laid them upon her knee. She broke
+the seal, and read hastily what Tisias had written, and then concealed the
+scroll within her tunic, saying, "Alas! Valerius, little did the brave old
+soldier suspect how soon his peril was to be mine--Will you permit me like
+him to make you my messenger?--will you seek out my cousin, my sister, and
+tell Sempronia in what condition you have found me?--no, not in what you
+found--but in what you now see me. Will you go, Valerius, and speak comfort
+to my poor friend? Her pity, at least, I am sure is mingled with no angry
+thoughts; and yet she only has reason to complain, for her secret thoughts
+were not hid from me, and, alas! I concealed mine from her."
+
+"I have already seen her," said I, "and you do her no more than justice.
+But, indeed, Sempronius himself thinks of you even as gently as his
+daughter."
+
+"I doubt it not, Valerius; but, alas! there are many others besides these;
+and I know not what relic of weakness it is, but methinks I could have
+borne the worst more easily, had it not been for what I picture to myself
+of their resentment. Alas! I am cut off for ever from the memory of my
+kindred." She threw open the lattice, as if that she might inhale the free
+air, and her eyes wandered to and fro over all the magnificent prospect
+that lay stretched out below us,--the temples and high porticos of the
+Forum--the gleaming battlements and long arcades of the Palatine--the baths,
+and theatres, and circuses between and the river--Tiber winding away among
+fields and groves--and the sky of Italy extending over all things its arch
+of splendour. When the trumpets were blown by the gate of the
+Senate-house, the sound floated upwards to us as gently as if it had been
+borne over the waters. The shouts of the multitude were faintly re-echoed
+from the towers and the rocks. The princely pageant shewed like a pomp of
+pigmies; spear, and helmet, and eagle glittered together, almost like dews
+upon the distant herbage. Athanasia rested her eye once more upon the wide
+range of the champaign, where fields and forests were spread out in
+interminable succession--away towards the northern region and the visible
+mountains. She raised her hand, and said, "Valerius, your home lies far
+away yonder. I must give you something which you shall promise me to carry
+with you, and preserve in memory--of Rome."
+
+Before I had time to make any answer, she had taken out of a casket that
+stood beside us, a scroll of parchment, bound with a silk ribbon, which
+she immediately put into my hands, and--"To-morrow," said she, "Valerius,
+our fate, they tell us, must at length be determined;--if we share the fate
+of Tisias, the last gift of Tisias shall be yours. If, however, any mercy
+be extended to us, I cannot part with that memorial of a dying martyr. I
+must keep to myself the old man's favourite volume, for it was for me he
+had designed it. But I have made a copy of the same book for yourself. I
+have written it since I came hither, Valerius, and you must not despise it
+because the Mammertine has not furnished the finest of materials. Take
+this, Valerius, and take with it my thanks--my prayers. I know you will not
+forget my message to my dear sister.--Sextus and she--may many happy days be
+theirs--and yours."
+
+I kissed the sad gift, and placed it in my bosom.
+
+"Valerius," she said, "dry up your tears. You weep for me because I am a
+Christian; forget not that the Roman blood flows in my veins, and think
+not that its current is chilled, because I have forsworn the worship of
+idol and demon, and am in peril for the service of The Living God."
+
+"Athanasia!" said I,--"I weep for you, but not for you alone. I ask
+nothing--I hope nothing--but I could not bear to part with you thus, and not
+to tell you that when I part from you, I bid farewell to all things.
+Pardon me--once more pardon me."
+
+A single flush of crimson passed over her face, and I saw her lips move,
+but the syllables died ere they were uttered. She continued for a moment
+gazing on me, pale, and trembling; and then at last she fell upon my neck
+and wept--not audibly--but I felt her tears.
+
+Athanasia was still folded to my bosom in that strange agony of sorrow and
+of confidence, when Silo, the jailer, entered the apartment, abrupt and
+breathless.
+
+"Oh, sir!" said he, "your sufferings are mine--but it is necessary that you
+should leave us, and on the instant, for the Prefect is already at the
+gate, and unquestionably he will examine every part of the prison; and
+should you be recognized as the person who was taken in the Mausoleum, you
+see plainly to what suspicions it might give rise. Come then, sir, and let
+me secure your escape--we shall take care to warn you of whatever occurs,
+and we shall send for you, if there be opportunity."
+
+Athanasia recovered herself almost instantly, when she heard what Silo
+said.
+
+"We shall meet again," said I.
+
+"Once more," she replied--"at least once more, Valerius."
+
+And I tore myself away from her; and the jailer having once again
+committed me to the guidance of his child, I was in a few moments
+conducted to the same postern by which I had been introduced. In a word, I
+found myself in the court of the Capitol, at the instant when the Prefect,
+with all his attendants, was entering by the main gate of the Mammertine.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IV._
+
+
+On reaching home, I was told that Licinius was still absent; and found at
+the same time a billet upon the table, which informed me that Sabinus had
+carried Sextus with him to his quarters, and that both expected I would
+join them there immediately upon my return. I knew not how to refuse
+compliance, and yet I could not bear the thought of being so far from the
+Capitol, in case of any message being sent to me from the prison. Since I
+could do no better, however, I charged Boto to remain in my apartment till
+sunset, and bring me, without delay, any letter or messenger that might
+arrive in my absence. Should none such appear within that space, I gave
+him a note, which I desired him to deliver into the hands of Silo; and
+having, as I thought, furnished him with sufficient directions how to
+discharge this commission, I myself took the path to the Praetorian Camp,
+where I thought it very probable that I might gather some new intelligence
+as to Cotilius.
+
+The Praetorian who had accompanied Sabinus at my release from the rustic
+tower, recognized me at the gate, and conducted me immediately to the
+Centurion, who, to my surprise and displeasure, had directed that I should
+be ushered without delay to, not his own apartment, but the general table.
+Here I was received most courteously, however, and hoping the feast was
+nearly over, took my place near my friend.
+
+Several of those high-fed warriors who had more than once disposed of the
+empire, were reclining upon rich couches around the board; and their
+effeminate exterior would, perhaps, have made them less formidable in my
+eyes, had I not remembered the youth of the great Caesar, the Parthian
+retreat of Antony, and the recent death of Otho.(3) There were present,
+besides, a few casual visiters like ourselves; among others, a sleek
+Flamen, who reclined on the right hand of the presiding Tribune, and a
+little bald Greek, who seemed to think it incumbent upon himself to fill
+up every pause in the conversation, by malicious anecdotes or sarcasms, of
+which last it was easy to see that the Flamen opposite was a favourite
+subject. Neither wit nor impiety, however, could make speedy impression
+upon the smooth-faced Flamen, who seemed to think, if one might judge from
+his behaviour, that the most acceptable service he could render to the
+deities, was to do full and devout justice to the gifts of their
+benevolence.
+
+A very animated discussion concerning the review of the newly-arrived
+cohorts, (which, I have told you, had taken place that morning by the
+river side,) relieved for some time the patient Flamen from the attacks of
+this irreverent person, and engaged the zealous participation of those who
+had hitherto been the most silent of the company. Sabinus, among the rest,
+was ready with a world of remarks upon the equipments, the manoeuvres, the
+merits, and the demerits of the troops in question; but something he said
+was quite at variance with the sentiments of one of his brother
+Centurions, who disputed with him rather warmly than successfully for a
+few moments, and at last ended with saying,--"But why should I take so much
+trouble to discuss the point with you, who, we all know, were thinking of
+other matters, and saw not much more of the review than if you had been a
+hundred miles off from it?"
+
+The Centurion coloured a little, and laughed, as it seemed to me, with
+rather less heartiness than usual; but the disputant pursuing his
+advantage, said, "Yes, you may laugh if you will; but do you think we are
+all blind, or do you suppose we are not acquainted with certain
+particulars? Well, some people dislike the Suburra, but for my part I
+agree with Sabinus; I think it is one of the genteelest places in Rome,
+and that there are some of the snuggest houses in it too--and if old men
+will die, for me, I protest, I don't see why young men should not succeed
+them." The Centurion laughed again, and natural ruddiness of complexion
+was, I thought, scarcely quite sufficient to account for the flush on his
+countenance, as he listened to these innuendos. But the master of the
+feast cut the matter short, by saying that he had a health to propose, and
+that he expected all present should receive it with honour.--"Here," said
+he, "is to the fair lady Rubellia, who is never absent when the Praetorians
+turn out, and may all things fair and fortunate attend her now and
+hereafter." I whispered to Sabinus,--"My friend, I think you have really
+some reason for blushing. If you had no pity on Xerophrastes, you might at
+least have had some for the pretty widow."
+
+He made no answer to this, and looked, if possible, more confused than
+ever; but, just at that moment, a soldier came in, and delivered a billet
+to the presiding Tribune, who handed it to Sabinus immediately after he
+had read it, and said, loud enough to be heard by all those who sate near
+him, "I wish the Prince would give some of this work to these new comers.
+But, indeed, I wonder what Lictors are good for now-a-days; but every
+thing that these Christians are any way concerned in seems to be a matter
+of importance."
+
+Sabinus, having read the billet, handed it back again to the Tribune, and
+said aloud, "_Exit_ Cotilius!--Who would not be of the chorus at the
+falling of that curtain?"
+
+The Tribune shrugged his shoulders, whispered something into the ear of
+the messenger, and then, dashing more wine into his cup, said, "Rome will
+never be a quiet place, nor the Praetorian helmet a comfortable head-piece,
+till these barbarians be extirpated."
+
+The Flamen tossed off a full goblet, and, smiting with his hand upon the
+table, said, "There spake a true Roman, and a worshipper of the Gods. I
+rejoice to find that there is still some religion in the world; for, what
+with skulking Jews on the one hand, and bold blasphemous Cyrenaeans on the
+other, so help me Jupiter, the general prospect is dark enough!"
+
+"In my opinion," quoth the bald Greek, putting on an air of some gravity,
+"the Jews will have the better of the Cyrenaeans. Indeed, I should not be
+much surprised to see this Christian superstition supplant every other."
+The Flamen half started from his couch. "You observe, gentlemen,"
+proceeded the Greek,--"what great advantage any new superstition has over
+any thing of the same sort that is old. We all know, for example, that
+Isis and Cybele have for many years past left comparatively few
+worshippers to Mars, Apollo,--even to Jupiter. It is lamentable; but it is
+true. I have heard that unless on some very great day, a gift is now quite
+a rarity upon the altar of any of the true ancient deities of Rome. Egypt
+and Mount Ida have done this; and why should not Palestine succeed as well
+as either? In the meantime, the enlightened contemplate every different
+manifestation of the superstitious principle with equal indifference; and,
+I confess to you, I have been a little surprised to perceive how far
+Trajan is from imitating their example. But that Chaeronaean master of his,
+that Plutarch, was always an old woman; and I fear the Prince has not been
+able to shake off the impression of his ridiculous stories."
+
+"Hush!" quoth the master of the day, "if it please you, nothing can be
+said here against either Trajan or his friends; and, as for Plutarch, he
+was one of the pleasantest fellows that I ever met with."
+
+Sabinus, desirous of restoring the harmony of the assembly, called
+forthwith on a musical senior, to join him in a song. The gentleman
+required solicitation, but at last announced his consent to attempt the
+female part in the duet of Horace and Lydia. Sabinus, always ready, began
+to roar out the tender words of regret and expostulation which the most
+elegant of poets has ascribed to himself; and the delicate squeaking
+response of our wrinkled Lydia formed an agreeable contrast.
+
+All, in short, were once more in perfect good humour, when another soldier
+appeared behind the couch of the president, and handed to him what seemed
+to be another billet of the same complexion. He tossed the paper as before
+to my friend, who looked very serious as he read it.--"Caius," he
+whispered, "an additional guard is ordered to the Palatine--and the reason
+is said to be that the rest of the Christian prisoners are to be examined,
+within an hour, by the Emperor himself."
+
+I had scarcely had a moment to compose myself, when one of the slaves in
+attendance signified that a person wished to speak with me in the
+anti-chamber. It was Dromo.--"Sir," said he, "I have no time for
+explanation. Silo wishes to see you--I left Boto with him at the
+Mammertine."
+
+As we walked from the camp, Sabinus, with his guard, passed without
+noticing me; and I received some explanations which I must give to you
+very briefly. Boto, mistrusting his recollection of my instructions, had
+requested Dromo to assist him in finding his way to the Mammertine; and
+the Cretan had come to be witness of a scene, which, in spite of his
+sarcastic disposition, he could not narrate without tokens of sympathy. I
+mentioned to you that my faithful slave, in coming with me to Rome, had
+indulged the hope of meeting once more with a brother, who many years
+before had been carried off from Britain. I smiled when the poor man
+expressed confidence that he should find out this ere he had been many
+days in the metropolis of the world. But now, in truth, a fortunate
+accident had recompensed much ill-regulated search. He had found his
+brother, and he had found him in the Mammertine. That very brother was
+Silo, to whose kindness I, and one dearer than myself, had been so deeply
+indebted. The Cretan, himself a slave and an exile, had partaken in the
+feelings of the long-lost brothers, and hastened to bring me from the
+camp, that Boto might be spared the pain of immediately parting from Silo.
+
+
+
+
+                               _CHAPTER V._
+
+
+I had hurried along the darkening streets, and up the ascent of the
+Capitoline, scarce listening to the story of the Cretan. On reaching the
+summit, we found the courts about the Temple of Jupiter already occupied
+by detachments of foot. I hastened to the Mammertine--and before the
+postern opened to admit us, the Praetorian squadron had drawn up at the
+great gate. Sabinus beckoned me to him. "Caius," said he, stooping on his
+horse, "would to heaven I had been spared this duty! Cotilius comes forth
+this moment, and then we go back to the Palatine; and I fear--I fear we are
+to guard thither your Athanasia. If you wish to enter the prison, quicken
+your steps."
+
+We had scarcely entered the inner-court, ere Sabinus also, and about a
+score of his Praetorians, rode into it. Silo and Boto were standing
+together; and both had already hastened towards me; but the jailer, seeing
+the Centurion, was constrained to part from me with one hurried
+word:--"Pity me, for I also am most wretched. But you know the way--here,
+take this key--hasten to my dear lady, and tell her what commands have
+come."
+
+Alas! I said I to myself, of what tidings am I doomed ever to be the
+messenger!--but she was alone; and how could I shrink from any pain that
+might perhaps alleviate hers? I took the key, glided along the corridors,
+and stood once more at the door of the chamber in which I had parted from
+Athanasia. No voice answered to my knock; I repeated it three times, and
+then, agitated with indistinct apprehension, hesitated no longer to open
+it. No lamp was burning within the chamber, but from without there entered
+a wavering glare of deep saffron-coloured light, which shewed me Athanasia
+extended on her couch. Its ominous and troubled hue had no power to mar
+the image of her sleeping tranquillity. I hung over her for a moment, and
+was about to disturb that slumber--perhaps the last slumber of peace and
+innocence--when the chamber-walls were visited with a yet deeper glare.
+"Caius," she whispered, as I stepped from beside the couch; "why do you
+leave me? stay, Valerius." I looked back, but her eye-lids were still
+closed; the same calm smile was upon her dreaming lips. The light streamed
+redder and more red. All in an instant became as quiet without as within.
+I approached the window, and saw Cotilius standing in the midst of the
+court; Sabinus and Silo near him; the horsemen drawn up on either side,
+and a soldier close behind resting upon an unsheathed sword. I saw the
+keen blue eye as fierce as ever. I saw that the blood was still fervid in
+his cheeks: for the complexion of this man was of the same bold and florid
+brightness so uncommon in Italy, which you have seen represented in the
+pictures of Sylla, and even the blaze of the torches seemed to strive in
+vain to heighten its natural scarlet. The soldier had lifted his sword,
+and my eye was fixed, as by fascination, when suddenly a deep voice was
+heard amidst the deadly silence--"Cotilius!--look up, Cotilius!"
+
+Aurelius, the Christian priest, standing at an open window, not far
+distant from that at which I was placed, stretched forth his fettered hand
+as he spake:--"Cotilius! I charge thee, look upon the hand from which the
+blessed water of baptism was cast upon thy head. I charge thee, look upon
+me, and say, ere yet the blow be given, upon what hope thy thoughts are
+fixed?--Is this sword bared against the rebel of Caesar, or a martyr of
+Jesus?--I charge thee, speak; and for thy soul's sake speak truly."
+
+A bitter motion of derision passed over his lips, and he nodded, as if
+impatiently, to the Praetorian. Instinctively I turned me from the
+spectacle, and my eye rested again upon the couch of Athanasia--but not
+upon the vision of her tranquillity. The clap with which the corpse fell
+upon the stones had, perhaps, reached the sleeping ear, and we know with
+what swiftness thoughts chase thoughts in the wilderness of dreams. So it
+was that she started at the very moment when the blow was given; and she
+whispered--for it was still but a deep whisper--"Spare me, Trajan, Caesar,
+Prince--have pity on my youth--strengthen, strengthen me good Lord!--Fie!
+fie! we must not lie to save life. Felix--Valerius--come close to me,
+Caius--Fie! let us remember we are Romans--'Tis the trumpet----"
+
+The Praetorian trumpet sounded the march in the court below, and Athanasia,
+starting from her sleep, gazed wildly around the reddened chamber. The
+blast of the trumpet was indeed in her ear--and Valerius hung over her--but
+after a moment the cloud of the broken dream passed away, and the maiden
+smiled as she extended her hand to me from the couch, and began to gather
+up the ringlets that floated all down upon her shoulder. She blushed and
+smiled mournfully, and asked me hastily whence I came, and for what
+purpose I had come; but before I could answer, the glare that was yet in
+the chamber seemed anew to be perplexing her: and she gazed from me to the
+red walls, and from them to me again: and then once more the trumpet was
+blown, and Athanasia sprung from her couch. I know not in what terms I was
+essaying to tell her what was the truth, but I know that ere I had said
+many words, she discovered my meaning. For a moment she looked deadly
+pale, in spite of all the glare of the torch-beams; but she recovered
+herself, and said in a voice that sounded almost as if it came from a
+light heart,--"But Caius, I must not go to Caesar, without having at least a
+garland on my head. Stay here, Valerius, and I shall be ready anon--quite
+ready."
+
+It seemed to me as if she were less hasty than she had promised, yet many
+minutes elapsed not ere she returned. She plucked a blossom from her hair
+as she drew near to me, and said, "Take it: you must not refuse one token
+more; this also is a sacred gift. Caius, you must learn never to look upon
+it without kissing these red streaks--these blessed streaks of the
+Christian flower."
+
+I took the flower from her hand, and pressed it to my lips; and I
+remembered that the very first day I saw Athanasia, she had plucked such
+an one, when apart from all the rest, in the gardens of Capito. I told her
+what I remembered; and it seemed as if the little circumstance had called
+up all the image of peaceful days; for once more sorrowfulness gathered
+upon her countenance. If the tear was ready, however, it was not permitted
+to drop; and Athanasia returned again to her flower.
+
+"Do you think there are any of them in Britain?" said she; "or do you
+think that they would grow there? You must go to my dear uncle, and he
+will not deny you, when you tell him that it is for my sake he is to give
+you some of his. They call it the Passion-flower--'tis an emblem of an
+awful thing. Caius, these purple streaks are like trickling drops; and
+here, look ye, they are all round the flower. Is it not very like a bloody
+crown upon a pale brow? I will take one of them in my hand, too, Caius;
+and methinks I shall not disgrace myself when I look upon it, even though
+Trajan should be frowning upon me."
+
+I had not the heart to interrupt her; but heard silently all she said, and
+I thought she said the words quickly and eagerly, as if she feared to be
+interrupted.
+
+The old priest came into the chamber while she was yet speaking so, and
+said very composedly, "Come, my dear child, our friend has sent again for
+us, and the soldiers have been waiting already some space, who are to
+convey us to the Palatine. Come, children, we must part for a
+moment--perhaps it may be but for a moment--and Valerius may remain here
+till we return to him. Here, at least, dear Caius, you shall have the
+earliest tidings, and the surest."
+
+The good man took Athanasia by the hand, and she, smiling now at length
+more serenely than ever, said only, "Farewell, then, Caius, for a little
+moment!" And so, drawing her veil over her face, she passed away from
+before me, giving, I think, more support to the ancient Aurelius than, in
+her turn, she received from him. I began to follow them, but the priest
+waved his hand as if to forbid me:--the door closed after them, and I was
+alone.
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VI._
+
+
+I know not, my friends, how to proceed with the narrative of what
+followed. Thoughts, passions, fears, hopes, succeeding so rapidly, give to
+that strange night, when I look back upon it through the vista of years,
+the likeness of some incoherent, agonizing dream. Much, without doubt, of
+what passed within my own mind I have forgotten; but it seems to me as if
+what I saw or heard were still present in the distinctness of reality.
+That chamber in the Mammertine! Its walls are before me blazing with the
+reflection of torch-light, and then again, all dim and shadowy--the stars
+shining feebly upon them from the twilight sky--every thing around lonely
+and silent, except the voice of Silo's little maiden,--bewailing no doubt
+in her privacy the departure of Athanasia.
+
+Her father after a little time rejoined me. "Sir," said he, "all is now
+quiet here; will you walk with me towards the Palatine, that we may at
+least be near to know what is reported of their proceedings? My brother
+will stay here till we return."
+
+We soon had descended from the Capitoline, passed through the silent
+Forum, and gained the brow of the opposite eminence, where, as shortly
+before at the Mammertine, all was light and tumult. Every court was
+guarded with soldiery, and groups of busy men were passing continually
+about the imperial gates and porticos. Silo led me round and round the
+buildings, till we reached what seemed an abandoned wing. "Sir," said he,
+"you do not know more familiarly the house in which you were born and
+reared, than I do every corner within these wide walls. But I have not
+crossed the threshold since the day Caesar died.--I was the slave of
+Domitian, and he gave me my freedom.--He was kind to his household."
+
+We entered beneath a small portico--and Silo drew a key from his bosom. The
+lock, after two or three trials, yielded to its pressure. A large empty
+hall received us, the circumference of which was scarcely visible by the
+light of the newly-risen moon, streaming down from a cupola.
+
+Another and another sombre chamber we in like manner traversed, till at
+length Silo opened one so comparatively light, that I started back,
+apprehending we had intruded farther than he intended. A second glance,
+however, seemed to indicate that we were still in the region of
+desolation, for a statue lay in the midst of the floor, one of its limbs
+snapped over, as if it had fallen and been permitted to remain.
+
+"Where are we, Silo?" I whispered, "what means this unnatural light among
+so many symptoms of confusion?"
+
+"Sir," said the freedman, "this is the place in which alone Domitian used
+to eat and sleep, and walk about for the last months of his life, when he
+was jealous of all men; and he contrived these walls, covered all over
+with the shining Ethiopian stone, that no one might be able to approach
+him without being discovered. Even when a slave entered, he would start as
+if every side of the chamber had been invaded by some host of men; fifty
+different reflections of one trembling eunuch. It was, they say, behind
+this shattered piece of marble that he ran when he had felt the first
+treacherous blow. Yonder in the corner is the couch he slept upon, and he
+had always a dagger under his head, and he called to the little page that
+was waiting upon him to fetch it from the place; but the scabbard only
+remained; and then in came Parthenius and Claudianus, and the gladiator,
+and the rest, who soon finished what the cunning Stephanus had begun. Let
+us go on;--we have not yet reached the place to which I wished to bring
+you--but it is not far off now."
+
+With this Silo walked to the end of the melancholy chamber, and pressing
+upon a secret spring, where no door was apparent, opened the way into a
+room, darker and smaller than any of those through which we had come. He
+then said to me, "Now, sir, you must not venture upon one whisper more--you
+touch on the very heart of Domitian's privacy. It is possible that the
+place I have been leading you to may have been shut up--it may exist no
+longer; but the state in which all things are found here makes me think it
+more likely that Trajan has never been master of its secret. And in that
+case, we shall be able both to see and to hear, without being either seen
+or heard, exactly as Domitian used to do, when there was any council held
+either in the Mars or the Apollo."
+
+I started at the boldness of the project which now, for the first time, I
+understood; but Silo laid his finger on his lip again,--cautiously lifted
+up a piece of the dark-red cloth with which this chamber was hung,--and
+essayed another spring in the pannelling beneath. Total darkness appeared
+to be beyond; but the jailer motioning to me to remain for a moment where
+I was, and to keep up the hanging, glided boldly into the recess. I
+wondered how he should tread so lightly, that I could not perceive the
+least echo; but this no longer surprised me, when I had the sign to
+follow. The floor felt beneath my foot as if it were stuffed like a
+pillow; and, after I had dropped the hanging, every thing was totally
+dark, as it had at first appeared to me, except only at certain points,
+separate and aloft, which let in gleams of light, manifestly artificial.
+Silo, taking hold of me by the hand, conducted me up some steps towards
+the nearest of these tiny apertures; and, as I approached it, I heard
+distinctly the voices of persons talking together in the room beyond. I
+did not draw my breath, you may well believe, with much boldness; but my
+eye was soon fixed at one of the crevices, and, after the first dazzle was
+over, I saw clearly. Silo took his station by my side, gazing through
+another of these loop-holes, which, that you may understand every thing,
+were evidently quite concealed among the rich carved-work of an ivory
+cornice.
+
+The chamber was lighted by three tall candelabra of silver, close beside
+one of which was placed a long table covered with an infinity of scrolls
+and tablets. One person, who had his back turned towards us, was writing,
+and two others, in one of whom I instantly recognized the Emperor, were
+walking up and down on the other side.
+
+"No, Palma," said Trajan, for it was that old favourite whom he
+addressed--"I have made up my mind as to this matter. I shall never permit
+any curious inquisition as to private opinion. Every man has a right,
+without question, to think--to believe--exactly what pleases him; and I
+shall concede as much in favour of every woman, Palma, if you will have it
+so. But it is totally a different affair, when the fact, no matter how, is
+forced upon my knowledge, that a subject, no matter who or what he be--a
+subject of the Roman empire, refuses to comply with the first, the
+elemental, and the most essential of the laws. The man--aye or the
+woman--that confesses in my presence contempt for the deities whom the
+commonwealth acknowledges in every step of its procedure--that person is a
+criminal; and I cannot dismiss him unpunished, without injuring the
+commonwealth by the display of weakness in its chief. As for these poor
+fanatics themselves, it is the penalty of my station that I must control
+my feelings."
+
+"But you are satisfied, my lord," said Palma, "that these people are quite
+innocent as to Cotilius's designs; and as it was upon that suspicion they
+were apprehended, perhaps it may be possible----"
+
+"Yes, Palma," interrupted the Prince; "quite possible and quite easy,
+provided they will condescend to save themselves by the most trivial
+acknowledgment of the sort which, I repeat to you, I do and must consider
+as absolutely necessary. And women too--and girls forsooth--I suppose you
+would have me wait till the very urchins on the street were gathering into
+knots to discuss the nature of the Gods.--Do you remember what Plato
+says?"--
+
+"No, my lord, I do not know to what you refer."
+
+"Why, Plato says that nobody can ever understand any thing accurately
+about the Deity, and that, if he could, he would have no right to
+communicate his discoveries to others; the passage is in the Timaeus, and
+Tully has translated it besides. And is it to be endured that these modest
+fanatics are to do every hour what the Platos and the Ciceros spoke of in
+such terms as these? I think you carry your tolerance a little farther
+than might have been expected from a disciple of the Academy."
+
+"I despise them, my lord, as much as yourself; but, to tell you the truth,
+it is this young lady that moves me to speak thus--and I crave your pardon,
+if I have spoken with too much freedom.--Her father was one of the best
+soldiers Titus had."
+
+"The more is the pity, Palma. Have you ever seen the girl yourself? Did
+you give orders that she should be brought hither? I have not the least
+objection that you should have half an hour, or an hour if you will, to
+talk with her quietly; perhaps your eloquence may have the effect we
+desire."
+
+"I doubt it, my lord, I greatly doubt it," he replied; "but, indeed, I
+know not whether she be yet here--Did you not send to the Mammertine?"
+
+The man writing at the table, to whom this interrogation was addressed,
+said, "I believe, sir, both this lady and the old man that was in the same
+prison are now in attendance." And upon this Trajan and Palma retired
+together towards the farther end of the apartment, where they conversed
+for some minutes in a tone so low, that I could not understand any thing
+of what was said. Trajan at length turned from his favourite with an air,
+as I thought, of some little displeasure, and said aloud, coming back into
+the middle of the room,--"I know it is so; but what is that to the affair
+in hand? I am very sorry for the Sempronii, but I doubt if even they would
+be so unreasonable as you are."
+
+"Will you not see the poor girl yourself, Caesar?"
+
+"You do not need to be told, that my seeing her would only make it more
+difficult for me to do that, which, seeing or not seeing her, I know to be
+my duty. Do you accept of my proposal? Are you willing to try the effect
+of your own persuasion? I promise you, if you succeed, I shall rejoice not
+less heartily than yourself; but it is rather too much to imagine that I
+am personally to interfere about such an affair as this--an affair which,
+the more I think of it, seems to me to be the more perfectly contemptible.
+Nay, do not suppose it is this poor girl I am talking of--I mean the whole
+of this Jewish, this Christian affair, which does indeed appear to me to
+be the most bare-faced absurdity, that ever was permitted to disturb the
+tranquillity of the empire. A mean and savage nation have but just
+suffered the penalty of obstinacy and treachery alike unequalled, and from
+them--from the scattered embers of this extinguished fire, we are to allow
+a new flame to be kindled--ay, and that in the very centre of Rome. I tell
+you, that if my own hand were to be scorched in the cause, I would
+disperse this combustion to the winds of heaven; I tell you, that I stand
+here Caesar, and that I would rather be chained to the oar, than suffer,
+while the power to prevent it is mine, the tiniest speck to be thrown upon
+the Roman majesty. By all the Gods, Palma, it is enough to make a man sick
+to think of the madness that is in this world, and of the iron arguments
+by which we are compelled to keep those from harming us, that at first
+sight of them excite no feeling but our pity. But I am weary of these very
+names of Palestine--Jew--Christian. Go to this foolish girl, and try what
+you can make of her; I give you fair warning--no breeders of young
+Christians here."
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER VII._
+
+
+Cornelius Palma, after the Prince retired, was apparently for some space
+busied with his reflections. He then talked in a whispering manner with
+the secretary, and moved towards an extremity of the chamber. But the
+moment Silo perceived this, he plucked my sleeve, and drew me to the other
+end of our closet, where, as I have told you, the light had admittance in
+a similar manner. Here another of the imperial apartments was visible in
+equal distinctness; and in it appeared Athanasia and her friend, as
+waiting now at length in entire composure the moment when they should be
+summoned.
+
+Palma entering, both rose, and he, returning their salutation, remained
+before them for a moment in silence, his eyes fixed on Athanasia. It was
+to Aurelius, nevertheless, that his first words were addressed:--"From what
+has been reported of your behaviour at the execution of Cotilius, I fear
+there is nothing to be gained by speaking to _you_, concerning the only
+means by which your own safety can yet be secured. You are obstinate, old
+man, in your superstition?"--"Noble Palma," said the priest, "contempt is
+the only thing I fear from men. But I thank my God, that it is the only
+thing I have it in my power to avoid."--"I will not argue with you,"
+answered Palma, pointing to a door near him:--"It was not with any purpose
+of bending you, that I undertook this painful office. I desire to speak in
+freedom with one whose case is, I trust, less hopeless."
+
+The old man, pointing to his fetters, said meekly, "Let them guard me
+whither it pleases you."
+
+"Sir," said Athanasia, "I pray you let Aurelius remain; imagine not that I
+shall either hear or answer less freely because of my friend's presence."
+
+"He will, at least, retire to the other end of the chamber," said
+Palma--"and interfere no farther."
+
+The priest drew back;--Athanasia, on her part, seeing that Palma hesitated,
+and seemed at a loss how to begin, said to him in a tone of modest
+composure:--"Noble sir, if your purpose be indeed as kind as I think it is,
+I pray you spare me at least the pain that is needless, and spare yourself
+what I am sure is painful to you. You see my youth and my sex, and it is
+not unnatural for you to think as you do; but know that my faith is fixed,
+and that I hope I shall not be deserted, when I strive even at the last
+moment to do it no dishonour."
+
+"This gray beard," said Palma, "has made you, then, thoroughly a
+Christian?"
+
+"I would it were so," she answered--"I would to God it were so!"
+
+"Lady," resumed Palma, "we have knowledge both of your father's high
+character, and of your own amiable dispositions. If you persist in this
+manner, you will give grief to Caesar; and as for your family, have you yet
+seriously considered into what misery they must be plunged?"
+
+"Sir," she replied, "this is cruel kindness. I have considered all
+things."
+
+"Young maiden," continued Palma, "the touch of the physician's knife is
+painful, yet his hand must not falter. But I have sent for those, who, I
+hope, may speak more effectually."
+
+The Senator turned from the pedestal on which he had been leaning, and
+walked to the door over against where Aurelius was sitting: and after a
+moment had elapsed, there entered, even as I had anticipated, both her
+uncles, Lucius and Velius. Behind them came, wrapped in her consecrated
+veil, the Priestess of Apollo; and last of all, gazing wildly around, her
+apparel disordered, the friend of her youth, the sister of her bosom,--she
+to whom in all things, save one, Athanasia's heart had ever been laid
+open. The two Patricians advanced, deeply dejected, towards the place
+where Athanasia stood waiting their approach. The stately Priestess,
+walking yet more slowly, lifted the veil from her face, which was pale and
+calm as marble. But when the youthful companion at last rested her eye
+upon her friend, and the fettered hands clasped together on that bosom,
+she rushed past them all, and was folded in a cold embrace; for though
+Athanasia pressed Sempronia to her bosom, I saw also that she trembled
+from head to foot, and that her eyes were riveted on those who approached
+with seriousness more terrible than the passion of young sympathy.
+
+"Athanasia," said Lucius, taking her by the hand, "look not upon us thus;
+we come as to a daughter."
+
+"Dearest," said old Velius, "listen to thy true friends. Do you put more
+faith in the words of strangers than in the blood of kindred--the affection
+of your father's brothers--the guardians of his dear orphan?"
+
+"Wo is me!" said Athanasia--"O God, strengthen me! Why, oh, why am I forced
+to wound these kind hearts! Have pity upon me, have pity upon me--you know
+not what you speak of, else you would all be silent."
+
+"Weep," said the Priestess; "weep, and weep largely. There is yet time to
+repent. Abjure this madness; let the last of your tears be shed upon the
+altars of your paternal Gods, and they also will be merciful. Nay, tremble
+not when you hear my voice, Athanasia. I love you as tenderly as the rest,
+and if you have deceived me also, I have long since pardoned."
+
+The Priestess kissed her forehead; and she bowed her head, weeping at
+length audibly. But Athanasia speedily recovered herself, and gently
+removing the hands of Sempronia, stood erect again in the midst.
+
+"Dear friends," said she, "the moments you have to be with me are
+numbered; what avails it that they should be spent in words that can have
+no effect? I have been baptized in the name of the one true God--I have
+partaken of the symbols of the Christian mystery--and I have no more power
+to bring myself out of this peril, than he that stands in the front
+rank--without sword or buckler--deprived of all things but his honour."
+
+"Athanasia!" said Velius, "alas! my dear girl, what madness is this? Do
+you hold yourself wiser than all the wise men, and all the good, and all
+the great men that have ever lived in Rome? Do you deem yourself able to
+penetrate mysteries from which all the sages of the earth have retreated
+with humility? Consider with yourself--remember the modesty that might be
+becoming in your tender years--and, I must speak the truth, your
+ignorance."
+
+"Oh, sir!" she answered, "believe not that I have been brought into this
+place, because of my being puffed up with emptiness of conceit. I know
+well that I am a poor, young, unlearned creature; but God gives not
+according to our deserts; and because I am poor and ignorant, must I
+therefore reject the promise of his riches, and the great light that has
+been manifested to me,--which, would to God it had also been to you,
+despite the perils which a dark world has thrown around it."
+
+"O Athanasia!" said young Sempronia, "I know the secrets of your heart,
+although you have kept from me some of them. Think, dear sister, of all
+the love that we bear to you--and, oh! think of Valerius."
+
+"The more, then, is the sacrifice!" said Athanasia. "Caius Valerius also
+is a Christian--at least I hope in God he will soon be sealed into our
+brotherhood."
+
+"Amen! amen!" said Aurelius.
+
+The Priestess turned round when he uttered this, and observing that he
+also was fettered, "Blasphemer!" cried she, "behold the end of your
+frenzy. Your eyes are dim, your clay is already yearning, it may be, to be
+sprinkled into ashes; but behold your victim. Ye Gods that see all things,
+have mercy upon the errors of deceived, ensnared, murdered youth! Hoary
+Apostate! feeble though you be, may strength be given to you in anger,
+that you may taste the full struggle and the true agony. May you be strong
+to wrestle, that you may fall slowly, and feel your fall! Would to the
+Gods, just and merciful, that you might struggle and fall alone!"
+
+"Rash woman," said the manacled Saint, "most surely your last wish is
+mine. But why is it that you have come hither with cruel words, to
+imbitter equally the last moments of a life that is dear to you, and a
+life that you despise? You speak of ignorance and of deceit. Little know
+ye who are the deceived. We are the servants of the living God, whose
+light will soon shine abroad among the nations, and quench glimmering
+tapers, fashioned with the hands of men, with which, hitherto, ye have sat
+contented amidst darkness. Caesar may bind and slay--but think ye that the
+spirit is his to do with it what he will? Think ye that chains and
+dungeons, and the sword of man can alter the course of things that are to
+be, or shake from its purpose the will of Him, in whom, blind and
+ignorant, ye refuse to behold the image of the Maker of all--shutting eyes,
+and ears, and your proud hearts; and blaspheming against the God of
+heaven, whose glory ye ascribe to stocks and stones, and to the ghosts of
+wicked and bloody tyrants, long since mouldered into dust,--and to the sun,
+and the moon, and the stars of the sky, which God set there to rule the
+day and the night, even as he lets loose his winds to scatter the leaves
+of the forest, and to lift up the waves of the great deep?--Leave us, I
+beseech you.--The young and the old are alike steadfast, for God is our
+strength, and he bestows it on them that ask for it in the name of the
+Redeemer."
+
+"Peace, thou accursed!" said the Priestess; "I serve the altar, and came
+not hither to hear the Gods of heaven and earth insulted by the lips of
+hardened impiety.--Athanasia! will you go with us, or will you stay here,
+and partake the fate of this madman?"
+
+"O God!" cried the maiden; "how shall I speak that they may at length hear
+me!--Friends--dear friends--if you have any love, any compassion, I pray you
+kiss me once, and bid me farewell kindly, and lay my ashes in the
+sepulchre of my fathers--beside the urn of my mother. Fear not that I will
+disturb the repose of the place--I shall die in anger against no one, and I
+shall have rest at length when I am relieved from this struggle. Pardon,
+if in any thing besides I ever gave you pain--remember none of my offences
+but this--think of me kindly. And go now, dear friends; kiss my lips in
+love, and leave me to bear that which must be borne, since there is no
+escape but in lying, and in baseness, and in utter perdition here and
+hereafter. May the Lord strengthen his day soon, and may ye all bless the
+full light, although now ye are startled by the redness of the dawn!
+Farewell--kiss me, Velius--kiss me, Lucius--my aunt also will kiss me."
+
+They did kiss her, and tears were mingled with their embraces; and they
+said no more, but parted from her where she was. Palma himself lifted the
+desolate Sempronia from the ground, and he and her father carried her away
+senseless, her tresses sweeping the pavement as they moved.
+
+The prisoners were alone. "The moment is come," said Silo; "now, sir,
+prepare yourself to risk every thing where every thing may be gained."
+
+He did not whisper this, but spake the words boldly; and ere I could
+either answer any thing, or form any guess as to his meaning, he had
+leaped down from my side, and thrown open another secret spring. Silo
+rushed in, and I followed him. It was all done so rapidly, that I scarce
+remember how. I cannot, indeed, forget the wild and vacant stare of
+Athanasia, the cry which escaped from her lips, nor the fervour with which
+she sunk into my embrace. But all the rest is a dream. The door closed
+swiftly behind us;--swiftly I ran, bearing the maiden in my arms through
+all the long course of those deserted chambers. Door after door flew open
+before us. All alike, breathless and speechless, we ran on. We reached the
+last of the chambers, the wide and echoing saloon, ere my heart had
+recovered from the first palpitation of surprise; and a moment after we
+breathed once more the free air of heaven.
+
+"Stop not," said I, "for the sake of God. Hasten, Silo, it is you that
+must guide us."--"Ha!" said he, "already have they perceived it? Great God!
+after all, is it in vain?" We heard shout echoing shout, and the clapping
+of doors. "Treachery, treachery! Escape, escape!"--and trumpet and horn
+mingled in the clamour of surprise, wrath, terror. "Ride, ride," screamed
+a voice high over all the tumult--"ride this instant--guard every
+avenue--search every corner--the wing of Domitian!"
+
+"We are lost," said Silo;--"we can never reach the gate."
+
+"To the Temple of Apollo!" said I; "the Priestess will shelter Athanasia."
+
+"Thank God," whispered Silo, "there is one chance more."--And so we began
+again to run swiftly, keeping close beneath the shaded wall of the
+edifice, and then threading many narrow passages of the hanging gardens of
+Adonis, we reached indeed the adjoining court of the Palatine, and found
+ourselves, where all was as yet silent and undisturbed, under the sacred
+portico. The great gate was barred. Athanasia herself pointed out a
+postern, and we stood within the temple.
+
+It was filled as before, (for here the alternations of day and night made
+no difference,) with the soft and beautiful radiance proceeding from the
+tree of lamps. But the fire on the altar burned high and clear, as if
+recently trimmed, and behind its blaze stood one of the ministering
+damsels. Her hand held the chain of the censer, and she was swinging it
+slowly, while the clouds of fragrant smoke rolled high up above the
+flames;--and the near light, and the intervening smoke, and the occupation
+with which she was busied, prevented her from at first perceiving what
+intrusion had been made on the solitude of the place. Athanasia ran on,
+and clasping the knees of the astonished girl with her fettered hands,
+began to implore her by the memory of old affection and companionship, and
+for the sake of all that was dear to her, to give escape, if escape were
+possible--at least to give concealment. The girl had dropped the censer
+from her hand, and seemed utterly confused, and unable to guess the
+meaning of what she saw and heard. "Lady!" cried Silo, falling by the side
+of Athanasia--"Oh, lady! stand not here considering, for this is the very
+moment of utmost peril. Behold these fetters--they tell you from what her
+flight hath been."
+
+The girl grasped the hands of Athanasia, and gazed upon the manacles, and
+still seemed quite amazed and stupified; and while Silo was renewing his
+entreaties, we heard suddenly some one trying to open the postern which
+the freedman had fastened behind us. Once and again a violent hand essayed
+to undo the bolt, and then all was quiet again. And in a moment after, the
+great gate was itself thrown open, and the Priestess entered, followed by
+her two brothers, who supported between them the yet faint and weeping
+young Sempronia.
+
+In a moment Athanasia had rushed across the temple, and knelt down with
+her forehead to the ground, close by where the feet of her haughty
+kinswoman were planted.
+
+"Unhappy!" said she; "by what magic do I behold you here? How have you
+escaped? and why--oh! why fled hither? Think ye, that here, in the Temple
+of Apollo, the priestess of an insulted God can give shelter to blasphemy
+flying from the arms of justice? Ha! and he, too, is here!--Outcast! how
+durst thou? Speak, unhappy Athanasia--every thing is dark, and I see only
+that you have brought hither----"--"Friends, friends--oh! blame them not,"
+interrupted the maiden--"Oh! blame them not for venturing all to save me.
+Oh! help us, and help speedily--for they search every where, and they may
+speedily be here."
+
+"Here?" cried the priestess--"who, I pray you? Ha! run, fly, bolt the door.
+If Caesar speaks, I answer."
+
+The ring of arms, and voices of angry men, were heard distinctly
+approaching. In a moment more we could hear them talking together beneath
+the very portico, and trying, in their turn, to thrust open the massive
+valves of the temple. "Who calls there?" cried the Priestess--"Who calls
+and knocks? If a suppliant approaches, let him come as a
+suppliant."--"Castor! We are no suppliants," answered a rough voice:--"Dead
+or alive, you must give up our pretty Christians. Come, come, my sly
+masters; yield, yield, there is no flying from Caesar."
+
+"Peace, insolent!" quoth the Priestess--"peace, and begone! This is the
+Temple of Apollo, and ye shall find no Christians here. Turn, rude man,
+and dread the arm that guarded Delphos!" And saying so, she at length
+lifted up Athanasia, and moved towards the other extremity of the fane,
+where, as I had occasion once to tell you before, the private chamber of
+the Priestess was situated on the right hand beyond the statue of Apollo.
+In passing the image she halted an instant, laid her hand on her eyes, and
+kissed its feet, with a murmur of supplication; but that was her only
+utterance: and the rest gave none.
+
+She thus led us across the chamber in which, on a former day, I had heard
+Athanasia sing; and in like manner, having taken a lamp in her hand, on
+through the long passages which conduct towards the receptacle wherein the
+Sybilline prophecies are said to be preserved. She opened the door which
+she had, on that earlier day, told me led into the repository of those
+mysterious scrolls. Two inner doors appeared before us; that to the left
+she opened likewise, and we perceived, descending from its threshold, a
+dark flight of steps, as if down into the centre of the rock.
+
+"Here," said she, as she paused, and held the lamp over the gloomy
+perspective--"here, at last, I leave you, having already done too much,
+whether I think of the God I serve, or of Trajan, or of myself. But for
+the blood of kindred not little may be dared. Go with her, since you have
+come with her. More I cannot do. Here--take this lamp; the door at the
+bottom is fastened only from within; let it fall behind you, and make what
+speed you may."
+
+"One thing," said Silo, "had better be done ere you depart;" and so, very
+adroitly, he, by means of his jailer's key, relieved both of them from
+their fetters. He then whispered, "Go no farther, Valerius; you may rest
+assured that no one suspects us." I saw that he designed to return into
+the courts of the Palatine, and so proceed homewards, as if ignorant of
+every thing that had occurred. The good freedman had no other course to
+pursue, either in duty to himself or to his family. But for me, all my
+cares were here. I squeezed by the hand both Lucius and Velius, and both
+warmly returned my pressure. The Priestess gave the lamp into my hand, and
+the door was shut upon us; and we began, with hearts full of thankfulness,
+but not yet composed enough to taste of lightness--with thankfulness
+uppermost in our confused thoughts, and with no steady footsteps, to
+descend into the unknown abyss.
+
+
+
+
+                             _CHAPTER VIII._
+
+
+The steps were abrupt and narrow; but in a few minutes our feet became
+accustomed to them, and we descended rapidly. After we had done so for
+some time, we found ourselves in a low chamber of oblong form, in the
+midst of which an iron stake was fixed into the floor, having chains of
+ponderous workmanship attached to its centre, and over against it, a
+narrow chair of the same metal, it also immoveable. I asked Athanasia to
+repose herself here for a moment; for it was evident that the tumultuous
+evening had much worn out her strength. But she said, shuddering, "No, not
+here, Valerius; I never saw this place before, but the aspect of it recals
+to me fearful stories. Here, wo is me, many a poor wretch has expiated
+offences against the dignity of the shrine, and the servants of its Demon.
+My father knows, I doubt not, some humble Christian roof, beneath which we
+may be safe until the first search be over. Let us breathe at least the
+open air, and He who has hitherto helped will not desert us."
+
+"No, my children," said Aurelius; "let us not linger here. Christian
+roofs, indeed, are known to me, both humble and lofty; but how to know how
+far suspicion may already have extended?--or why should we run any needless
+risk of bringing others into peril, having by God's grace escaped
+ourselves, when all hope as to this life had been utterly taken away? Let
+us quit these foul precincts--let us quit them speedily--but let us not
+rashly be seen in the busy city. There is a place known to me, (and
+Athanasia also has visited it heretofore,) where safety, I think, may be
+expected, and where, if danger do come, it shall find no unnecessary
+victim. Let us hasten to the Esquiline."
+
+"Thanks, father!" said Athanasia; "there no one will seek us: there best
+shall our thanksgivings and our prayers be offered. We will rest by the
+sepulchre of our friend, and Valerius will go into the city, and procure
+what things are needful."
+
+We began the descent of another flight of steps, beyond the dark chamber.
+This terminated at length in a door, the bolts of which being withdrawn,
+we found ourselves beneath the sky of night, at the extremity of one of
+the wooded walks that skirt the southern base of the Palatine--the remains
+of the Assyrian magnificence which had once connected the Golden House of
+Nero with the more modest structures of his predecessors. I wrapped
+Athanasia in my cloak, and walked beside her in my tunic; and Aurelius
+conducted us by many windings, avoiding as far as was possible the glare
+of the Suburra, all round about the edge of the city, to the gardens which
+hang over the wall by the great Esquiline Gate.
+
+"Is it here," said I, when he paused--"is it in the midst of this splendour
+that you hope to find a safe obscurity?"
+
+"Have patience," replied the old man; "you are a stranger:--and yet you
+speak what I should have heard without surprise from many that have spent
+all their days in Rome. Few, indeed, ever think of entering a region which
+is almost as extensive as the city itself, and none, I think, are
+acquainted with all its labyrinths."
+
+So saying, the priest led the way into one of the groves. Its trees formed
+a dense canopy overhead; nor could we pass without difficulty among the
+close-creeping undergrowth. At length we reached the centre of the wide
+thicket, and found a small space of soil comparatively bare. The light of
+moon and star plunged down there among the surrounding blackness of
+boughs, as into some deep well, and shewed the entrance of a natural
+grotto, which had, indeed, all the appearance of oblivion and utter
+desertedness. "Confess," said he, "that I did not deceive you. But there
+is no hurry now; let me taste once more the water of this forgotten
+spring."
+
+I had not observed a small fountain hard by the mouth of the grotto,
+which, in former days, had evidently been much cared for, although now
+almost all its surface was covered with leaves. The marble margin shewed
+dim with moss; nor had a statue just within the entrance of the grot
+escaped this desolation. Damp herbage obscured its recumbent limbs, and
+the Parian stone had lost its brightness. "You can scarcely see where the
+inscription was," said Aurelius, "for the letters are filled up or
+effaced; but I remember when many admired it, and I can still repeat the
+lines--
+
+  'Nymph of the grot, these sacred springs I keep,
+  And to the murmur of these waters sleep;
+  Ah! spare my slumbers, gently tread the cave,
+  And drink in silence, or in silence lave.'(4)
+
+Little did they, who graved this command, conjecture how well it was to be
+obeyed. But there should be another inscription.--Ay, here it is," said he,
+stepping on a long flat piece of marble among the weeds. I was advancing
+to examine the stone, but the old man stopped me:--"What avails it to spell
+out the record? Do you remember the story of Asinius? It was within this
+very cavern that the man was butchered;(5) and now you see both he and his
+monument are alike sinking into forgetfulness. I believe, however, the
+monument itself must bear the blame in part; for I have heard my father
+say that he had been told this was a favourite fountain until that
+slaughter."
+
+Athanasia meantime had sat down by the grotto, and was laving her forehead
+with the water of the solitary fountain. Aurelius, too, dipped his hands
+in the well, and tasted of the water, and then turning to me, he said,
+with a grave smile, "Valerius, methinks you are religious in your regard
+for the slumbers of the nymph." He whispered something into the ear of
+Athanasia, and received an answer from her in the same tone, ere he
+proceeded:--"Draw near--fear not that I shall do any thing rashly--we owe all
+things to your love--we know we do; but speak plainly.--Do you indeed desire
+to be admitted into the fellowship of the true Faith? Let not the symbol
+of regeneration be applied hastily. Without doubt, great were my joy might
+my hands be honoured to shed the blessed water of baptism upon the brow of
+dear Valerius."
+
+"Caius," said Athanasia, "I know God has touched your heart; why should
+this be delayed any longer? You have shared the perils of the faithful.
+Partake with them in good as in evil. Hesitate no longer; God will perfect
+what hath been so begun."
+
+"Dearest friends!" said I, "if I hesitate, it is only because I doubt if I
+am yet worthy. Surely I believe that this is the right faith, and that
+there is no God but He whom you worship."
+
+"Acceptable is humility in the sight of Heaven," said the priest; and he
+rose up from the place where he had been sitting, and began, standing by
+the margin of the well, to pour out words of thanksgiving and
+supplication, such as I have never heard equalled by any lips but his. The
+deep calm voice of the holy man sounded both sweet and awful in the
+breathless air of midnight. The tall black trees stood all around, like a
+wall, cutting us off from the world, and from the thoughts of the world;
+and the moon, steady in the serene sky, seemed to shower down light and
+beauty upon nothing in all the wide earth, but that little guarded space
+of our seclusion. I stepped into the cool water of the fountain. The old
+man stooped over me, and sprinkled the drops upon my forehead, and the
+appointed words were repeated. Aurelius kissed my brow, as I came forth
+from the water, and Athanasia also drew slowly near, and then hastily she
+pressed my forehead with trembling lips.
+
+We sate down together by the lonely well; and we sate in silence, for I
+could not be without many thoughts partaken by none but myself, at the
+moment when I had thus, in the face of God and man, abjured the faith of
+all my fathers, and passed into the communion of the despised and
+persecuted Few; nor did either the priest or Athanasia essay to disturb my
+meditations.
+
+There were moments (for I must not conceal from you my weakness) in which
+I could scarcely help suspecting that I had done something that was wrong.
+I thought of my far distant mother; and I could not reflect without pain
+upon the feelings with which I had every reason to suppose that she, kind
+as she was, and merciful in all things, would have contemplated the scene
+which had passed. I thought of my dead parent too; and that was yet more
+serious and awful. The conviction of my own mind, in obedience to which I
+had acted, relieved me, however, from any feelings of self-reproach.--My
+father is dead, said I to myself--He died in ignorance, and he has not been
+judged according to the light, which never shone upon him. But now--Oh,
+yes! it must be so--the darkness has passed from before his eyes; and, if
+the spirits of the departed ever visit, in the dim hours of silence, those
+who were dear to them upon this earth, surely his venerable shade stood by
+smiling while the forehead of his son was laved with these blessed waters.
+
+Meantime, minutes--hours, perhaps, glided away, while troubled, and solemn,
+and tender thoughts thus occupied by turns my bosom. The old priest sate
+by me, his arms folded on his breast, gazing upwards upon the spangled
+glories of the firmament. Athanasia was on the other side, close by the
+statue of the Sleeping Naiad. From time to time, she too would fix her
+eyes for a moment upon the untroubled beauty of the moon; and then,
+stooping over the brink of the fountain, once and again I saw its calm
+dark waters rippled beneath her by the dropping of a tear.
+
+"My children," said, at length, Aurelius, "methinks more sadness is
+amongst us than might suit the remembrance of what Providence has done for
+us, since the sun that went down upon fear and sorrow is about to rise
+upon many fair hopes. I am old; the world lies behind me, save a remnant I
+know not how brief. It lies all before you, and you have a light whereby
+to look upon it, which my early day wanted. I trust that soon, very soon,
+ye shall both be far from this city--I say both, for I know well, go where
+ye may, ye will go together. As for me, my lot is cast here, and here I
+will remain. Caius, you must leave us betimes--you must return into the
+city, and consult with your friends and hers, how best Athanasia may be
+conveyed safely beyond the bounds of Italy. Caesar, indeed, rules every
+where; but at a distance from Rome suspicion is, at least, less watchful;
+and there is no precept given by which ye are bound to seek unnecessary
+perils."
+
+"Aurelius," said I--"dear father, think not but that I have already been
+considering all these things anxiously. As soon as I have seen you safely
+placed within the retreat of which you have spoken, I shall hasten to
+Licinius, my kinsman, who already, indeed, must be feeling no small
+anxiety from my absence. I shall speak with him, and with both the
+Sempronii. My own errand to the capital I value as nothing, and I shall be
+ready on the instant, if Athanasia herself will consent to partake my
+voyage."
+
+"Yes, Caius," said the father--"this child of God will be your wife, and ye
+will both serve the Lord many days, amidst the quiet valleys of your far
+off island.--Nay, daughter, do not weep, for these are not common days, and
+you must follow without fear the path which God's providence points out.
+Before ye go, my children, I myself shall join your hands in the name of
+our God."
+
+Athanasia heard his words, and saw me gaze upon his face, but she made no
+reply, except by the tears which Aurelius rebuked, and a timid, yet grave
+and serious pressure, with which she, when he had made an end of speaking,
+returned the fervid pressure of my hand upon hers.
+
+"Children," said the old man, "there is no need of words when hearts are
+open--the tears that ye have shed together are the best earnest of the vows
+that ye shall ere long, I trust, pronounce. Yet, let no rashness attend
+your steps. The dawn must now be near, and Athanasia and I had better
+retire into our protecting covert. Valerius will leave us, and return at
+eventide. Till then, fasting and praying, we shall give thanks for our
+deliverance, and ask the aid that alone is precious for the time that yet
+remains."
+
+I had, fortunately, brought all the way with me the lamp which lighted our
+steps down the mysterious staircase, from the shrine of Apollo. Some
+little oil still remained within it, and Aurelius soon struck a light,
+and, taking it in his hand, began to enter before us the dark cavern, by
+the mouth of which we had all this while been sitting. You, perhaps, have
+never heard of those strange excavations, the whole extent of which has
+probably never been known to any one person, but which appear, indeed, as
+the priest had said, to be almost co-extensive with the great city beneath
+which they are placed. For what purpose they were at first dug, is a
+subject which has long exercised the conjectures of those fond of
+penetrating into the origin of things, and the customs of antiquity. By
+some it is supposed, that in such caverns, winding far away into unseen
+recesses, the first rude inhabitants of Italy, like the Troglodytes of
+Upper Egypt and Ethiopia, had fixed their miserable abodes. Others assert,
+that they owe their origin merely to the elder builders of the visible
+Rome, who, to avoid marring the surface of the earth, were contented to
+bring their materials of sand, clay, and stone, from these subterraneous
+labyrinths, which so grew with the progress of diligence, and with the
+extension of the city itself. Perhaps both conjectures may have some
+foundation in truth; but be that as it may, there is no question, that, in
+succeeding times, these catacombs had been widened and extended, to serve
+as places of burial for the mortal remains of the poor citizens. And now
+is it to be wondered at, that here, in regions so obscure and dismal, the
+persecuted adherents of the Faith should have frequently sought not only
+resting-places for the bodies of their dead, but even shelter for
+themselves, amidst the terror of those relentless days? Hither, more than
+once, the aged priest said, he had fled to escape the pursuit of his
+enemies--here once more he hoped the shield of safety would lie over his
+peril--here, at last, by whatever death he should die, his brethren had
+promised to lay his bones in the earth, beside Tisias of Antioch, and many
+more that, in the bloody times of Nero and Domitian, had already, in the
+sight of all that heartless city, merited the crown, and the spotless
+robe, and the palm-branch of martyrdom, by patient endurance of the last
+insolence of man.
+
+Our father, therefore, held the lamp before us, and we entered those
+gloomy regions, wherein alone the servants of the Son of God could at that
+troubled era esteem themselves in safety from the hot pursuit of
+contemptuous power. We passed along beneath the arches of the rock-hewn
+roof, and between the endless winding walls, on either side of which
+appeared many humble inscriptions, recording the virtues of the departed
+and the regrets of the surviving poor. Of these last, however, as it
+appeared, all must long since have been gathered to the ashes of those
+they lamented, for there was no semblance of any new monument among all
+that we observed, and most of them, to judge from the shape of the letters
+upon them, must have been set up at least as long ago as the period of
+Asinius. After traversing many of these subterraneous galleries, we came,
+at last, to one more low-roofed than the rest, into which Aurelius struck
+aside, saying, "Here Tisias lies, but no inscription marks the place where
+a martyr finds repose. Here is the spot; with my own hands I lent feeble
+help in digging the grave. Athanasia, too, knows it well, for she also did
+not fear to assist in rendering the last honours to that soldier of
+Christ."
+
+A flat thin stone, without mark or epitaph, indicated the spot.
+
+"Father," said Athanasia, "let me rest here. I am weary and worn--but here
+I shall fear no evil. Conduct Caius back to the grotto; it is time he
+should go."
+
+Thus leaving her by the funeral-stone, Aurelius and I retraced our steps
+to the mouth of the catacomb.
+
+"Already," said he, "the sky is red eastward--walk cautiously through the
+gardens, and regain with all speed the house of your kinsman. Go, my son;
+may all blessings attend your steps. Come back at the rising of the moon,
+and cast a stone into the fountain, and I shall be within hearing. Go, and
+fear not."
+
+
+
+
+                              _CHAPTER IX._
+
+
+I passed without disturbance through the gardens of the Esquiline, and the
+streets of the city, in which no one was as yet moving, except a few
+rustics driving asses laden with herbs to the market-place. When I reached
+the house of my kinsman, however, it was evident that sleep did not
+prevail within its gates; lights were visible in the vestibule, and there
+I found several of the slaves sitting in conversation. My own could not
+conceal the extravagance of his satisfaction on seeing me enter among them
+in safety; so that I had no doubt his brother had informed him, in so far
+at least, of what had passed after our leaving him in the Mammertine.
+Dromo received me also with warm demonstrations of joy, and conducted me
+to the chamber of Licinius, in which, with the orator himself, were
+Sextus, pale with watching, Sabinus, still habited in military attire,
+with a goblet of wine before him on the table, and Lucius Sempronius, who
+was reclining at some little distance from the rest. It was he that
+eagerly began to question me; and I perceived from the style in which he
+spoke, that all present had already been made aware of the manner in which
+Athanasia had been withdrawn from the council-chamber. A few words
+informed them of what had followed after we quitted the Temple of Apollo.
+
+"I thank the gods," said Sempronius,--"so far at least it goes well--but if
+this strictness, of which the Centurion speaks, shall be adhered to, there
+still must be no small difficulty about conveying her beyond the city."
+
+"In truth," quoth Sabinus, after a little pause, "I am afraid this is
+scarcely a matter in regard to which I should be consulted. I know not but
+already I have done several things that could not be quite reconciled with
+my duty. I shall, in all probability, be set on the watch myself, and if
+so--much as I must regret the necessity--it certainly will be most necessary
+for me to discharge what is committed to my trust. Is there no
+possibility, think you, of inventing some impenetrable disguise? Depend on
+it, it is quite impossible the young lady should remain any where in Rome,
+without being ere long discovered. The first thing is to have her safe
+beyond the city-walls."
+
+"I myself," said I, "shall embark instantly for Britain. Sempronius,
+Athanasia must go with me--Surely it may be possible to have her carried
+unobserved to the shore."
+
+"You!" said Licinius--"you embark instantly for Britain?--You know not what
+you speak; your law-suit has been determined this very afternoon. Every
+thing that Cneius left is your own."
+
+"O Jove!" cried Sabinus, "did ever mortal receive such news with such a
+face! But come, here is health to the heir of the Valerii, and may this
+Massic choke me, if I love him not the better for his gravity."
+
+"Would to heaven!" said Sempronius, "our young friend had loved under
+other auspices! No, Valerius must stay and take possession, destined, as I
+hope he is, to equal, under the favour of the gods, the noblest name in
+his lineage. My dear niece--let us trust she may be concealed somewhere in
+safety from the pursuit. Separated from this fanatic crew, she will, ere
+long, without question, abandon the dreams they have filled her mind
+withal; and on some happier day, our friend may perhaps have no reason
+either to fear or to blush, for lifting her over the threshold of the
+Valerii."
+
+I drew near to the old man, and, receiving his embrace, whispered into his
+ear, "Sempronius, you speak generously; but know that this very evening I
+also have become a Christian."
+
+"Heavens!" cried he, "what limits shall be affixed to this contagion! Rash
+boy! have you not seen already to what consequences this must lead?"
+
+"What?" says Licinius--"what new calamity is this? Have my ears deceived
+me? Speak, dear Caius--for the sake of all the blood in your veins--you have
+not embraced this frenzy?"
+
+"My friends," said I, "why should I speak to one, when all of you are, I
+well know, alike interested? In all things else I bow to age and
+understanding so much above my own; but here I have thought for myself,
+and my faith is fixed."
+
+Licinius heard me with a countenance of painful and anxious emotion. In
+the eye of young Sextus I saw a tear ready to start, and his whole aspect
+was that of one sad and bewildered. Sempronius leaned his brow upon his
+hand, and turned himself away from me. But as for the Centurion, he
+preserved his usual air; and after a moment, all the rest continuing
+silent, said, "Valerius, I have been in love ere now, and perhaps am not
+out of the scrape at present; but you have thrown a new light upon the
+matter. What do you fancy to be the great merits of the present age, that
+it should be treated with more favour than all that have gone before it?
+And, if you come to speak of the Jews, every body knows they are a most
+pitiful, mean, knavish set of creatures. They were always by the ears
+among themselves; but I think it is rather too much that they should have
+the credit of bringing their betters (by which I mean all the world
+besides) into confusion. You are but green yet; all this will blow over
+anon, and you will laugh more heartily than any one else when you think of
+your weakness. But look up, good friend, I don't think you are listening
+to me."
+
+"My dear Sabinus," said I, "I do listen, but I think it is rather to the
+gay Praetorian, than to the patient friend I had expected to find in you."
+
+"Come!" said he again, "you take every thing so seriously. If you are
+resolved to be a Christian, I am very sorry for it; but even that shall
+not stand between me and a true friend. I hope you will soon see the thing
+as I do--I know you will; but, in the meantime, Valerius, you may count
+upon me."--And the kind man squeezed my hand with his customary fervour.
+
+He then turned round to the rest of our friends, and began to propose for
+their consideration a dozen different schemes of escape, that had already
+suggested themselves to his imagination.
+
+Licinius took advantage of the first pause, to suggest that the Centurion
+seemed in a hurry to get rid of me. He then passed into an account of the
+speech he had delivered on the preceding afternoon before the Court of the
+Centumvirs, and of the unhesitating manner, so gratifying to his feelings,
+in which its judgment had been pronounced. For some moments, in his detail
+of these proceedings, he seemed almost to have lost sight of the present
+situation and views of the person most interested in their termination.
+But when, in the progress of his story, he came to enlarge upon the
+magnificence of my new possessions--the domains in Africa--the rich farms in
+Sicily--the numerous slaves engaged in their cultivation--the Spanish silver
+mine--and, last of all, the splendours of the great villa upon the banks of
+the Tiber--it was not difficult to perceive that he could scarcely restrain
+his indignation at the purpose I had been expressing. "And such," said he,
+"are the realities which our young friend quits for the reasons he has
+mentioned! Well, every man must judge for himself. If it must be so, let
+it be so."
+
+I heard him patiently to the end, and then said, "You have well summed up
+the whole matter, my dear Licinius. It must indeed be so. I go immediately
+to Britain, and I trust she--for whom I would leave all these things, were
+they greater than they are--shall, by the aid of your kindness, go with me
+in safety. There is one request only which I have, in addition to all
+this, to lay before you; and that you may hear it the more patiently, it
+does not concern myself.
+
+"In a word, then," I continued, "should happier days arrive, I hope once
+more to be among you here in Rome. The wealth which, thanks to your zeal,
+Licinius, is this day mine, can be of little use to me in the British
+valley, to which, for the present, I retire. Above all, this beautiful
+villa of which you speak,--why, because for a time I am unable to occupy
+it, should the mansion of my fathers stand empty, when there are others
+among their descendants, who lie not under the same necessity of exile?
+Till I am enabled to breathe in freedom the air of Italy, I trust Licinius
+will consent to let Sextus represent me in my villa. There, too, I hope
+Sempronius will permit his daughter to be. It will give pleasure to
+Athanasia, to think that those halls contain the dearest of our friends.
+When we come back, if ever we do so, they will not grudge to make room for
+us beneath the same roof with themselves. Licinius--Sempronius--what say
+you?"
+
+They were both silent for a moment; but Sabinus was at hand to answer for
+them:--"By all Olympus! I shall knock down any man henceforth, that in my
+presence abuses Christianity as a destruction of men's hearts. Let it be,
+good friends, as our Caius says. I know, Sextus, I have at least your
+voice upon my side. Let it be so; and, for heaven's sake, let it be
+immediately. A wedding is the very thing to divert attention from these
+troubles in both kindreds."
+
+Our conversation was interrupted by Dromo, who told me that Silo the
+jailer had come to see me, and was below in the hall. There I found the
+humane man, with his little daughter in his hand, and walked aside with
+him into the inner portico of the house. I told him how the escape, for
+which his zeal alone was to be thanked, had been terminated--and to what
+resolution I had now come;--and then inquired whether no suspicion had been
+attached to himself, in consequence of his absence from the Capitoline.
+Having assured me that he had no reason to think so,--"The oath which I had
+taken to Trajan," said he, "prevented me from adopting the simpler course
+of setting open for our dear friends the gates of the Mammertine; and I
+trust that I did not offend against that oath by acting as I did, after
+they had been taken away for the time from my keeping. But both they and
+you must be aware of the pain which I suffered during their confinement,
+and of the dangers which I have encountered by their escape. I am resolved
+no more to be subject to such struggles. I cannot preserve my faith as a
+Christian, and my honour as a servant of Trajan. This very day I resign my
+charge in the Mammertine; this very night, if it so please you, I am ready
+to accompany you and my dear young lady, in your flight to Britain."
+
+I need not say with what gladness I heard this proposal. Returning to my
+friends, I informed them of what I had just heard, and perceiving now at
+last that there was no chance of diverting me from my project, they
+entered, like true friends, into serious consultation respecting the best
+method of carrying my project into execution. The aid of Silo, who had
+already given such proofs both of presence of mind, and of prudence, and
+courage, was regarded by them as of the highest importance. He was shortly
+summoned to take part in our deliberation, and it was resolved, that after
+resigning in a formal manner the office he held, and transferring his
+property for the present into the custody of Licinius, he should forthwith
+repair to Ostium, and there hire and put in readiness, for immediate use,
+a small vessel, the lightest he could find, in which the fugitive party
+might transport themselves at least as far as Corsica. To this the zealous
+Silo without hesitation assented. It was agreed that he should have the
+mariners on their benches by the coming on of night, and that he himself
+should be waiting for us by a certain ruined tower, which stands
+conspicuously by the river side, about a mile and a half above Ostium. We
+left it to Silo himself, to stock the bark with any merchandise which he
+might deem best adapted to deceive the superintendents of the haven.
+
+Partly from the necessity of making provision of various kinds for this
+voyage, but still more in consequence of the law-suit, with the
+termination of which you have just been made acquainted, I had no leisure
+that day, from which to work out unnecessary pain either for myself or for
+others. I had to assist Licinius in looking over an infinity of deeds, and
+to superintend the drawing out of others. In the next place, I had to go
+to the Forum for the purpose of manumitting some slaves, (such a largess
+being naturally expected); and while I was occupied with this, need I tell
+you, that my own poor Briton was not forgotten? Licinius having, at the
+joint request of Sextus and myself, accorded that morning to the Cretan
+also the well-merited gift of his liberty, Boto and Dromo were seen
+strutting about the Forum together for some moments, each arrayed in that
+worshipful cap which had formed the most prominent object in their
+day-dreams of felicity. I shall not trouble you with needless particulars.
+Let it suffice, that the greater part of the day was thus spent in
+unavoidable business.
+
+Towards evening, I stole privately from my kinsman's house, being willing
+to avoid a formal farewell, and repaired to Sabinus, who received me with
+very lively emotion. What he dwelt upon most fervently, however, was the
+probability--the certainty he seemed to esteem it--that a persecution of
+this nature could not be long persisted in by such a prince as Trajan; and
+the pleasure with which, that being all at an end, he should see me come
+back to Rome, and take due possession of the inheritance of my fathers.
+After expatiating most fluently for some minutes on the expected delights
+of that day, he paused suddenly, and then added, in a tone of some little
+hesitation, "And as for me, I wonder in what state you shall find me. Rich
+or poor--married or single--Centurion or Tribune--one thing is certain, that
+I shall, in all circumstances, be not a little rejoiced to see you."
+
+"You had better marry, my good captain," said I.
+
+"Marry! me to marry? I have not the least thought of such a thing. You did
+not put any faith, did you, in the raillery of those waggish fellows of
+yesterday?"
+
+"A little--a very little, Sabinus."
+
+"Poh! poh! now you are jesting."
+
+"And much, very much, Sabinus, in the conscious looks of a certain
+blushing Centurion, yesterday."
+
+"Come," quoth he, "there is more cunning in these British eyes than I ever
+should have dreamt of. Fill your cup to the brim, boy, and since you are
+to leave us so speedily, I shall have no secrets for you. I have seen
+service;--true, but what of that? I have kept a light heart in all my
+campaigns. But my day, it must be confessed, begins to wear a little, a
+very little, towards the evening; and, Castor! if you allow supper-time to
+slip over, I don't know but you must go to bed with a light stomach. Now
+or never was the word, my boy; and the widow is mine own."
+
+"And Xerophrastes?" said I.
+
+"And as for the most sagacious and venerable Xerophrastes, why, to tell
+you the truth, I see nothing for him but that he should allow his beard to
+curl as it pleases, drop his long cloak over his ambitious pair of shanks,
+forswear moonlight, purchase for himself a dark lantern instead, and see
+whether he can't find, within the four walls of Rome, an honest Greek, and
+a constant widow, to make one blessed wedding withal. That is my advice to
+the Stoic--Stoic no longer--but, if there be hoops upon a tub, the most
+cynical of all Cynics."
+
+When it was at last necessary that I should move--"Dear Caius," said the
+Centurion, "you know the Prefect has set a price on their heads, and I
+promise you it is such a temptation as no virtue, that keeps watch beneath
+any common praetorian breast-plate, could well be trusted to wrestle with.
+But hope, and dare. And here, take once more this helmet, and cloak, and
+sword, and with them share the password of the night."
+
+Sabinus then gave private orders to one of his troop, and walked with me
+towards the Esquiline.--But why should I linger over what little remains of
+this story? Why pain you with the parting which I witnessed between my
+Athanasia and the holy Aurelius, afterwards numbered among the martyrs of
+Christ?--Behold us at last issued from the Catacombs, and mounted on the
+trusty horses which our friend had caused to be waiting at no great
+distance from the thicket that clothed their entrance. Behold us arrived
+without interruption at the Ostian Gate of Rome.
+
+The soldiers on guard challenged us cheerily as we came up to them.
+
+"The word, comrades?"
+
+"_Titus!_" quoth the Centurion.
+
+"Pass on--whom bear you with you, comrades!"
+
+"A Christian--a Christian prisoner," said I.
+
+"By Jove, that's worth gold to you, brother," quoth the guard.--"Open the
+gate there;--pass on, friends. I hope I shall have luck one day myself."
+
+
+
+
+
+                                  FINIS.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+            PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                                FOOTNOTES
+
+
+    1 "Concerning the nature of the Bacchic Stimulus."
+
+    2 These were the principal conspirators by whom Domitian was slain.
+      They were afterwards butchered by the Praetorians, who regretted the
+      tyrant; and it was supposed to be chiefly in consequence of that
+      slaughter, and its shameful consequences to himself, (for he was
+      compelled, among other insults, to return public thanks to the
+      butchers,) that Nerva called to his aid the personal vigour and high
+      military genius of Trajan.
+
+                       3 ----Catonem
+        Novisti moriens vincere, mollis Otho.
+
+    4 So Pope has rendered the beautiful lines:
+
+        Hujus Nympha Loci, sacri custodia fontis,
+        Dormio, dum blandae sentio murmur aquae;
+        Parce meum, quisquis tangis cava marmora, somnum
+        Rumpere; sive bibas, sive lavere, tace.
+
+    5 Asinius autem brevi illo tempore quasi in hortulos in _arenarias_
+      quasdam juxta portam Exquiliniam perductus, occiditur.--Cic. _Pro
+      Cluent._
+
+
+
+
+
+                            TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
+
+
+Variations in hyphenation (e.g. "eyebrows", "eye-brows"; "godlike",
+"god-like") have not been changed.
+
+Other changes, which have been made to the text:
+
+      page 72, question mark added after "him", quote mark added before
+      "His"
+      page 267, "Aybss" changed to "Abyss"
+      page 307, "Capito" changed to "Capitol"
+
+
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VALERIUS. A ROMAN STORY***
+
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