HISTORICAL MINIATURES

by

AUGUST STRINDBERG (Translated by CLAUD FIELD, M. A. )

PREFACE

Maximilian Harden, the well-known critic, writes in the _Zukunft_(7th September 1907) of the _Historical Miniatures_:

"A very interesting book, as might be expected, for it isStrindberg's. And I am bold enough to say a book which should andmust be successful with the public. The writer is not here concernedwith Sweden, nor with Natural History. A philosopher and poet heredescribes the visions which a study of the history of mankind hascalled up before his inner eye. Julian the Apostate and Peter theHermit appear on the stage, together with Attila and Luther, Alcibiades and Eginhard. We see the empires of the Pharaohs and theCzars, the Athens of Socrates and the 'Merry England' of Henry VIII. There are twenty brief episodes, and each of them is alive. Sopowerful is the writer's faculty of vision, that it compels beliefin his descriptions of countries and men. "

"The question whether these cultured circles really were asdescribed, hardly occurs to us. Never has the remarkable writershown a more comprehensive grasp. Since the days of the _Confessionof a Fool_, Strindberg has become a writer of world-widesignificance. "

[Footnote: one collection of Maximilian Harden's essays is published byMessrs. Blackwood, and another by Mr. Eveleigh Nash. ]

CONTENTS

PREFACE

THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE

THE HEMICYCLE OF ATHENS

ALCIBIADES

SOCRATES

FLACCUS AND MARO

LEONTOPOLIS

THE LAMB

THE WILD BEAST

THE APOSTATE

ATTILA

THE SERVANT OF SERVANTS

ISHMAEL

EGINHARD TO EMMA

THE CLOSE OF THE FIRST MILLENNIUM

PETER THE HERMIT

LAOCOON

THE INSTRUMENT

OLD MERRY ENGLAND

THE WHITE MOUNTAIN

THE GREAT CZAR

THE SEVEN GOOD YEARS

DAYS OF JUDGMENT

STRINDBERG'S DEATH-BED

THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE

The old worker in ebony and cabinet-maker, Amram, dwelt by theriver-side in a clay-hut which was covered with palm-leaves. Therehe lived with his wife and three children. He was yellow incomplexion and wore a long beard. Skilled in his trade of carvingebony and hard wood, he attended at Pharaoh's court, and accordinglyalso worked in the temples. One morning in midsummer, just beforesunrise, he got out of bed, placed his implements in a bag, andstepped out of his hut. He remained standing on the threshold fora moment, and, turning to the east, uttered a low prayer. Thenhe began to walk between fishermen's huts, following the blackbroken bank of the river, where herons and doves were resting aftertheir morning meal. 

His neighbour, the fisherman, Nepht, was overhauling his nets, andplacing carp, grayling, and sheat-fish in the different partitionsof his boat. 

Amram greeted him, and wished to say some words in token offriendliness. 

"Has the Nile ceased to rise?" he asked. 

"It remains standing at ten yards' height. That means starvation!"

"Do you know why it cannot rise higher than fifteen yards, Nepht?"

"Because otherwise we should drown, " answered the fisherman simply. 

"Yes, certainly, and that we cannot. The Nile, then, has a Lord whocontrols the water-level; and He who has measured out the starryvault, and laid the foundations of the earth, has set up a wall forthe waters, and this wall, which we cannot see, is fifteen yardshigh. For during the great flood in the land of our fathers, Ur ofthe Chaldees, the water rose fifteen yards--no more, no less. Yes, Nepht, I say 'we, ' for you are of our people, though you speakanother tongue, and honour strange gods. I wish you a good morning, Nepht, a very good morning. "

He left the abashed fisherman, went on, and entered the outskirts ofthe city, where began the rows of citizens' houses built ofNile-bricks and wood. He saw the merchant and money-changer Eleazartaking down his window-shutters while his assistant sprinkled wateron the ground before the shop. Amram greeted him, "A fine morning, cousin Eleazar. "

"I cannot say, " answered the tradesman sulkily. "The Nile hasremained stationary, and begins to sink. The times are bad. "

"Bad times are followed by good times, as our father Abraham knew;and when Joseph, Jacob's son, foresaw the seven lean years hecounselled Pharaoh to store up corn in the granaries. .. . "

"May be, but that is a forgotten tale now. "

"Yes, and have you also forgotten the promise which the Lord gave tohis friend Abraham?"

"That about the land of Canaan? We have waited four hundred yearsfor its fulfilment, and now, instead of receiving it, Abraham'schildren have become bond-servants. "

"Abraham believed through good and through evil days, through joyand through sorrow, and that was counted to him for righteousness. "

"I don't believe at all, " Eleazar broke in, "or rather, I believethat things go backwards, and that I will have to put up myshutters, if there is a failure in the crops. "

Amram went on with a sad face, and came to the market, where hebought a millet loaf, a piece of an eel, and some onions. 

When the market-woman took the piece of money, she spat on it, andwhen Amram received his change, he did the same. 

"Do you spit on the money, Hebrew?" she hissed. 

"One adopts the customs of the country, " answered Amram. 

"Do you answer, unclean dog?"

"I answer speech, but not abuse. "

The Hebrew went on, for a crowd began to gather. He met the barber, Enoch, and they greeted each other with a sign which the Hebrews haddevised, and which signified, "We believe in the promise to Abraham, and wait, patient in hope. "

Amram reached at last the temple square, passed through the avenueof Sphinxes, and stood before a little door in the left pylon. Heknocked seven times with his hand; a servant appeared, took Amram bythe arm and led him in. A young priest tied a bandage round hiseyes, and, after they had searched his bag, they took thecabinet-maker by the hand, and led him into the temple. Sometimes theywent up steps, sometimes down them, sometimes straight-forward. Now andthen they avoided pillars, and the murmur of water was heard; atone time there was a smell of dampness, at another of incense. 

At last they halted, and the bandage was taken off Amram's eyes. Hefound himself in a small room with painted walls, some seats, and acupboard. A richly-carved ebony door divided this room from a largerone which on one side opened on to a broad staircase leading down toa terrace facing eastward. 

The priest left Amram alone after he had shown him that the doorrequired repair, and had, with an unmistakable gesture, enjoined onhim silence and secrecy. 

When Amram was left alone, and found himself for the first timewithin the sacred walls which could not overawe a Hebrew's mind, heyet felt a certain alarm at all the mysteriousness, of which he hadheard since his youth. In order to shake off his fear of the unknown, he resolved to satisfy his curiosity, though at the risk of beingturned out, if he met anyone. As a pretext he took a fineplane in his hand, and entered the great hall. 

It was very spacious. In the midst was a fountain of red granite, with an obelisk set upright in the basin. The walls were adornedwith figures painted in simple colours, most of them in red ochre, but also in yellow and black. He drew off his sandals, and went oninto a gallery where stood mummy-coffins leaning against the wall. 

Then he entered a domed room, on the vault of which were painted thegreat constellations of the northern hemisphere. In the middle ofthe room stood a table, on which lay a half-globe covered withdesigns resembling the outlines of a map. By the window stoodanother table, with a model of the largest pyramid set upon aland-surveyor's board, with a scale of measurements. Close by stoodan alidade, an instrument for measuring angles. 

There was no visible outlet to this room, but after some search theuninitiated Hebrew found some stairs of acacia-wood leading upthrough a wooden tower. He climbed and climbed, but when he lookedthrough the loopholes, he found himself always on a level with theroof of the domed room. But he continued to ascend, and after he hadagain counted a hundred steps and, looked through a loop hole, hefound himself on a level with the floor of the domed room. Thena wooden door opened, and an elderly man in half-priestly garbreceived him with a greeting as though he were a well-known andexpected superior. But when he saw a stranger, he started, and thetwo men gazed at each other long, before they could speak. Amram, who felt unpleasantly surprised, began the verbal encounter:"Reuben? Don't you know me, the friend of your youth, and yourkinsman in the Promise?"

"Amram, the husband of Jochebed, the son of Kohath! Yes, I knowyou!"

"And you here! After you have vanished from my sight for thirtyyears!"

"And you?"

"I was sent for to repair a door; that is all; and when I was leftalone, I wanted to look round. 

"I am a scribe in the chief school. .. . "

"And sacrificest to strange gods. .. . "

"No, I do not sacrifice, and I have kept my faith in the promise, Amram. I have entered this temple in order to learn the secrets ofthe wise, and to open from within the fortress which holds Israelcaptive. "

"Secrets? Why should the Highest be secret?"

"Because the common people only understand what is low. "

"You do not yourself believe in these animals which you callsacred?"

"No, they are only symbols--visible signs to body forth theinvisible. We priests and scribes revere the Only One, the Hidden, under His visible shape, the Sun, giver and sustainer of life. Youremember, when we were young, how Pharaoh Amenophis the Fourthforcibly did away with the ancient gods and the worship of thesacred animals. He passed down the river from Thebes proclaiming thedoctrine of the Unity of God. Do you know whence he derived thatdoctrine? From the Israelites, who, after Joseph's marriage toAsenath, daughter of the High Priest of On, increased in numbers, and even married daughters of the house of Pharaoh. But after thedeath of Amenophis the old order was restored, the King againresided at Thebes, and the ancient gods were brought out again, allto please the people, "

"And you continue to honour the Only One, the Hidden, the Eternal. 

"Yes, we do. "

"Is, then, your God not the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac, andJacob?"

"Probably, since there is only One. ""It is strange. Why, then, do you persecute the Hebrews?"

"Foreigners are not generally loved. You know that our Pharaoh haslately conquered the Syrian race of Hittites. "

"In the land of Canaan and the region round about, in the land ofour fathers, and of the promise. Do you see, the Lord of Zebaoth, our God, sends him to prepare the way for our people?"

"Do you still believe in the promise?"

"As surely as the Lord liveth! And I am told that the time will besoon fulfilled when we shall leave our bondage, and go to thepromised land. "

The scribe did not answer, but his face expressed simultaneouslydoubt in Amram's declaration, and the certainty of something quitedifferent which would soon happen. Amram, who did not wish to havehis faith shaken by any kind of explanations, let the subject drop, and spoke of something indifferent. 

"That is a strange staircase. "

"It is an elevator, and not a staircase. "

Amram glanced up at the domed roof, and found a new pretext forcontinuing the conversation, which he did not wish to drop. 

"Does that represent the sky?" he asked. 

"Yes. "

"And its secrets?"

"Ah, the secrets? They are accessible to all who can understandthem. "

"Tell them in a few words. "

"Astronomy is not my province, and I know little of it, but still Iwill tell you in a few words. The vault up there represents the sky, the board lying on the table, the earth. Now the wise speak thus: Inthe beginning Earth (Sibu) and Heaven (Nuit) lay near each other. But the god of air and of sunlight (Shu) raised the sky, and set itas a vault over the earth. The fixed constellations which we knowform as it were an impression, like that of a seal on wax, of theearth, and when the learned study the stars, they can find out theunknown parts of our earth. Look at the constellations which youknow. In the north the Great Bear; in the south, at a certain seasonof the year, the Hunter (Orion), with four stars at the corners andthree stars in the middle. These three we Hebrews call Jacob'sStaff, and through the uppermost of them passes the sky-gauge orequator, which corresponds to the earth-gauge where the sourcesof our Nile are said to be. 

"You know also the constellation which we specially love--the River(Nile). Look, how it flees from the Hunter (Orion), and makes asmany windings as the Nile here on earth. Therefore he who wishes tolearn the hidden secrets of earth must learn them from the sky. Ourwise men know only the lands which lie towards the east; but thosewhich lie in the north under the Great Bear are unknown to us, asalso are the lands towards the west. But it looks as though thelands of the Bear had great destinies assigned to them. Theirnumbers are four and three, like those of the Hunter. Threerepresents the Divine with its attributes, four denotes the mostperfect possible: three and four together form the mysterious numberseven. To gods sacrifices are offered with the unequal number, three;to men, with the equal number four. 

"This is about all that I have cursorily understood of the secretsof the sky. If you now wish to understand some of the secrets of theearth, let us consider the tombs of the Pharaohs. These, apart from theirostensible purposes of being tombs, have also a hidden one--_i. E. _ to conceal in their numbers and proportions the discoveriesof the learned regarding the mutual relations of Sibus and Nuits. Inthe first place, the sepulchre of the Pharaohs, or the Pyramid, operates with the numbers four and three; the base with four, thesides with three. That was indeed one of the secrets of the sky. Butthe base of the Great Pyramid is 365 ells broad. There you have the365 days of the year. Now the triple side of the Pyramid is 186great ells, or a stadium long. There you see where our road-measurescome from. 

"If you multiply the breadth of the base with the number 500, whichis about double the breadth measured in great ells, you obtain alength which is equivalent to 1/360 of the whole orbital path of thesun in a year, since the number of days in a lunar year is 360. Thislength represents four minutes, and those who live a degree west ofus see the sun rise four minutes later than we do. 

"This is all I remember about numbers and proportions. If you wishto learn more--for example, why the sides of the pyramid are inclinedat an angle of 5l°--you must ask the astronomers. The steps to thefunereal chamber, on the other hand, are inclined at an angle of27°. This corresponds to the difference between the axis of theuniverse and the axis of the earth. "

Amram had listened with special attention to the learned scribe'sexplanation of the tombs of the Pharaohs, and when Reuben mentionednumbers he concentrated his attention still more, as though hewished to fix something in his mind. Finally he interrupted him, andbegan to speak: "You just now mentioned 27°. Good! That is not theinclination of the axis of the universe, but of the Milky Way, whichprobably is the real axis and lies 27° north of the heavenlyequator, while the inclination of the earth's axis to the orbit ofthe sun is 23°. But you have forgotten the third Pyramid, that ofMenkheres, the base of which is 107 great ells broad. This number107 we find again three or five times in the universe; there are 107smaller suns between the earth and the sun; 107 is the distanceof the planet Venus, and also of Jupiter from the sun. "

Reuben started. "What? Where did you get all that? Here you let mestand, and make a fool of me! Where have you learnt that?"

"From our oldest and wisest, who have preserved the memories oftheir home at Ur in Chaldaea. You despise Assur, you men of Egypt, for you believe the Nile is the centre of the earth. But there aremany centres in the infinite. Behind Assur, on the Tigris andEuphrates, there lies another land with another river. It is calledthe Land of the Seven Rivers, because its river debouches into sevenmouths as the Nile does. "

"The Nile has seven arms, as you say, like the seven-branchedcandlestick!

"That betokens the Light of the world, which shall shine from everyland where a river divides itself in order to flow into the sea. Therivers, you see, are the blood-vessels of the earth, and as thesecarry blue and red blood alternately, so our land has its Blue Nileand its Red Nile. The Blue Nile is poisonous like dark blood, andthe Red is fertilising, life-giving, like red blood. So everythingcreated has its counterpart above in heaven and below on earth, forall is one, and the Lord of all is One--One and the Same. "

Reuben kept silence and listened. "Speak on!" he said at last. 

Amram therefore continued: "The tombs of the Pharaohs have alsogrown out of the earth on which they rest. The first or GreatPyramid is built after the pattern of sea-salt when it crystallisesin the warmth of the sun. If you could look through a dewdrop into asalt-crystal, you would find it built up of an infinite number ofsquares just like the Great Pyramid. But if you let alumcrystallise, you will see a whole field of pyramids. Alum is thesalt deposited in clay. There you have the salt of the earth and ofthe sea. 

"But there is another kind of pyramid with blunted corners. That isthe original form of sulphur when found in chalk. Now we have water, earth, and chalk with its fire-stone. There is still a third kind ofpyramid with blunted edges; these resemble crystallised flint orrock crystal. There you have the foundation of the mountains. Acloser examination of the Nile-mud will discover all these primaryforms and substances--clay, salt, sulphur, and flint. Therefore theNile is the blood of the earth. And the mountains are the flesh, notthe bones. "

Reuben, whose Egyptian name was Phater, had regarded Amram while hespoke with alarm and amazement. When the latter had ceased to speak, he began, "You are not Amram the worker in ebony and cabinet-maker. "

"I am certainly a worker in ebony and cabinetmaker, but I am also ofIsrael's priestly line. I am the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, theson of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. I am a Leviteand the husband of Jochebed. Miriam, and Aaron are the childrenhitherto born to me; one unborn I still await. Now I go back to mywork; show me the way!"

Phater went in front, but led Amram by another way than that bywhich he had come. As they passed by an open door, which led into alarge hall lined with bookcases, Amram stopped, full of curiosity, and wished to enter, in order to look at the numerous books. ButPhater held him back by his garment, "Don't go in, " he said; "theplace is full of traps and snares. The guardian of the library sitsconcealed in the middle of the hall, and guards his treasuresjealously. He has had the floor made of dried willow-withes, whichcreak when they are trodden upon. He hears anyone stealing in, and he hears if a scribe touches the forbidden books. He has heardus, and he is feeling after us! Don't you feel as if coldsnake-tongues were touching your cheeks, your forehead, youreyelids?"

"Yes, I do. "

"It is he, stretching out the fingers of his soul, as we stretch outan arm. But now I cut off the feeler which wants to examine us. "

He took out a knife, and made a cut through the air in front ofthem. 

Amram felt a sudden glow, and at the same moment saw a great adderwrithing on the ground in its death-struggle. 

"You practise magic arts here?" he said. 

"Did you not know that?"

"I did not expect it. "

At the same instant the wall seemed to open, and they saw a mass ofNile mud in which crocodiles and snakes twined round each other, while a hippopotamus trampled threateningly with its forefeet. 

Amram was alarmed, but Phater took out an amulet in the shape of ascarabaeus, and, holding it as a shield in front of him, he passedthrough the terrible shapes, which dissolved like smoke, while Amramfollowed him. 

"The magician only cheats our eyes, " said Phater, and as he wavedhis hand the whole appearance vanished. 

Now they stood again in the first hall, and, pointing to theNilometer, Amram said, "Famine!"

"There is no doubt of that. Therefore all superfluous mouths shouldbe stopped. "

"What!"

Phater saw that he had made a slip of the tongue. 

"I mean, " he said, "Pharaoh must consider how to get corn. "

"He would find a Joseph useful just now. "

"Why?" broke in Phater more vehemently than he intended. "Don't youknow that Joseph the son of Jacob brought the Egyptians to bePharaoh's bond-slaves. Your chronicles and ours relate that he madethe peasants mortgage their land in return for help during the sevenlean years, and that, by his doing so, Pharaoh became sole possessorof all the land of Egypt. "

"You are not Reuben; you are Phater the Egyptian, for if you were anIsraelite, you would not have spoken thus. Our ways part. I go to mywork. "

Amram laid his hand on the door, and Phater glided into the shadowof the columns and vanished. But Amram saw by his bent back that hehad evil designs. 

 * * * * *

When Amram came home in the evening, he found that his wife hadborne a son. He was like other healthy children, but did not cry;after the bath he was wrapped in linen and laid in the darkestcorner of the cottage. 

The next day before sunrise Amram went again to his work in theTemple of the Sun, and was again led into the chamber with his eyesbandaged. There he was left alone without receiving any counsel oradvice regarding what he was to do. This carelessness seemed to himlike indifference, and indicated a general laxness in the templeservants. Therefore he again entered the columned hall. He lookeduneasily at the Nilometer, in which the water had sunk. There wasno hope of the fifteen ells of water which the earth needed for theharvest of the year. 

He stepped out on the terrace, which looked towards the east, andentered an open colonnade. But before he went farther, he took theprecaution of dropping small pieces of papyrus to show him the wayback. He went through narrow courtyards, but took care not to climbsteps; his experience of yesterday had warned him. At last he foundhimself in a forest of pillars whose tops were crowned withlotus-buds, and, as he listened, he heard what seemed a faint song ofchildren's voices from the roof. He laid his ear to a pillar, andheard it more clearly, like the ringing music of zither and harp. Heknew that this was caused by the sun, which had already warmed thestones of the roof, and was about to ascend the sky. 

He went forward, and suddenly saw a terrace upon which stood asacrificial altar. From the terrace, a flight of stairs flanked withsphinxes descended to the river. Thence there sloped a valley, bounded on the east by the mountains of the Red Sea. At the altarthere stood a priest in a white linen robe with a purple border. Hehad raised his arms towards heaven, and stood motionless. His handswere quite white, since the blood had sunk into his arms, and theface of the old man seemed astrain with the strength he had invokedfrom above. Sometimes his body shuddered as though streams of fireran through it. He was silent, and gazed towards the East. Then theshining edge of the sun's disk rose above the mountain-ridge, andthe white hands of the priest became transparently crimson like hisface. And he opened his mouth and said: "Sun-god: Lord of thesplendour of rays, be Thou extolled in the morning when Thourisest, and in the evening when Thou descendest. I cry to Thee, Lordof Eternity, Thou Sun of both horizons, Thou Creator who hastcreated Thyself. All the gods shout aloud when they behold Thee, O King of heaven; my youth is renewed when I see thy beauty. Hail toThee, as Thou passest from land to land, Thou Father of the gods!"

He stopped speaking and remained standing, his arms outstretchedtowards the sun, as though he absorbed warmth from it. 

Then in the forest of pillars a rattle of arms was heard, whichceased immediately, and forthwith a stately beardless man appeared, clothed in purple and gold. His walk was as noiseless as that of apanther's, and he seemed to glide over the floor which reflected hisimage, a bright shadow which followed him as he went. When he cameout on the terrace the sun cast behind him a gigantic dark shadowwhich lay there like a carpet. 

"Already at prayer, thou wisest of the wise!" was Pharaoh's greetingto the Chief Priest. 

"My lord has called me, thy servant has obeyed. My lord has returnedto his land after long and victorious campaigns in far and foreigncountries. Thy servant greets Pharaoh to his face. "

Pharaoh sat down on a chair of state, his face turned towards therising sun, and began to speak like one who wishes to set histhoughts in order. "My chariots have rolled over the red soil ofSyria, my horses have trampled the highways of Babylon and Nineveh;I have crossed the Euphrates and Tigris, and marched through theregion between the two rivers; I have come to the land of the FiveRivers, and seen the Seven in the distance, where the Land of Silkbegins, that stretches towards the sunrise. I have returned on mytraces and gone northward towards Scythia and Colchis. Wherever Iwent I heard murmurs and saw movements. The people have awaked; inthe temples they prophesied the return of the gods; for men had beenleft alone to manage their affairs and to guide their destinies, buthad done both badly. Justice had become injustice, and truth, falsehood; the whole earth groaned for deliverance. At last theirprayers reached the throne of the All-merciful. And now the wise, the gentle, the saintly proclaim in all tongues the joyful message, 'The gods return again. They return in order to put right what thechildren of men have thrown in confusion, to give laws and toprotect justice. ' This message I bring home as a spoil of victory, and thou, wisest of the wise, shalt receive it first from thy lord. "

"Thou hearest, my Lord Pharaoh, what is spoken over the whole circleof the earth; thine eyes see farther than the stars of heaven andthe eye of the sun!"

"And yet only my ear has heard, but my intelligence has not graspedwhat the gods have revealed to me in a dream. Interpret it for me. "

"Tell it, my lord. "

"I saw nothing, but I heard a voice, when sleep had quenched thelight of my eyes. The voice spoke in the darkness, and said, 'Thered earth will spread over all lands, but the black shall bedispersed like the sand. '"

"The dream, my lord is not hard to interpret, but it forebodesnothing good. "

"Interpret it. "

"Very well; the red earth is Syria, as thou knowest, my lord, wherelive the wretched Hittites, that is the hereditary land of theHebrew, Canaan. The black earth is that of the Nile, thy land, mylord. "

"Again the Hebrews, always the Hebrews! Centuries have passed sincethis people wandered into our land. They have increased withoutdisturbing us. I neither love nor hate them; but now I fear them. They have had to toil, of late more severely than ever, but they donot murmur; they are patient as though they expected something tohappen. "

"Let them go, my lord. "

"No! for then they will go, and found a new kingdom. "

"Let them go. "

"No, I will destroy them. "

"Let them go. "

"Certainly I will destroy them. "

"But thy dream, my lord. "

"I interpret that as a warning and exhortation. "

"Touch not that people, my lord, for their God is stronger thanours. "

"Their God is that of the Chaldaeans. Let our gods fight. I havespoken; thou hast heard; I add nothing and retract nothing. "

"My Lord, thou seest one sun in the sky, and believest that itshines over all nations: do you not believe that there is one Lordof the heaven who rules the destinies of all nations?"

"It should be so, but the Lord of heaven has made me ruler over thisland, and now I rule it. "

"Thou rulest it, my lord, but thou rulest not wind and weather; thoucanst not raise the water of the Nile by one inch, and thou canstnot prevent the crops failing again this year. "

"Failing? What does the Nilometer say?"

"My lord, the sun has entered the sign of the Balance, and the wateris sinking already. It means famine. "

"Then I will destroy all superfluous and strange mouths which takethe bread from the children of the country. I will annihilate theHebrews. "

"Let them go free, my lord. "

"I will summon the midwives, and have every boy that is born of aHebrew woman destroyed. I have spoken; now I act. " Pharaoh rose fromhis chair, and departed more quickly than he had come. Amram soughtto find his way back, but could only discover one piece of papyrus. Then he remained standing and feared much, for he could not find hisway. 

The sun had risen, and there was no more music in the forest ofpillars, but silence. But as Amram listened he began to be aware ofthat compressed stillness which emanates from a listener, or fromchildren who do something forbidden and do not wish to be discovered. He felt that someone was near who wished to be concealed, but whostill kept his thoughts directed towards him. In order to satisfyhimself Amram went in the direction where the silence seemed to bedensest. And lo! behind a pillar stood Phater. He did not show a signof embarrassment, but only held out his open hand, in which lay allthe pieces of papyrus, which Amram had strewed as he went. 

"You must not strew pieces of papyrus on the ground, " said Phaterwith an inscrutable smile. "Yes--I am not angry, I only wish youwell. For now you will follow me, and not return to your work, whichwas only a trap set for your life. You must return to your house, and take care that your new-born child is not killed. You see thatReuben-Phater is a true Israelite, although you would not believehim. "

Amram followed him out of the temple, and went home. 

 * * * * *

Jochebed went about in Pharaoh's garden watering cucumbers; she wentto and fro with her watering pot between the Watergate that openedon the river and the cucumber-bed. But sometimes she went throughthe gate and remained for a while outside. 

Miriam, her daughter, pruned the vines which grew against thegarden-wall, but seemed to direct her attention more towards thebroad walk which led up to the summer palace of the princesses. Herhead moved like the leaf of the palm-tree when the wind blowsthrough it, looking sometimes towards the Watergate, sometimestowards the great walk, while her hands carried on her work. Asher mother delayed her return, she went from the wall down to thegate, and out to the low river shore where the bulrushes swayed inthe gentle south wind. A stonechat of the desert sat on a rock bythe river, wagged its tail, and flapped its wings, as though itwished to show something which it saw; and chattered at the sight ofsomething strange among the bulrushes. High up in the air a hawkhovered in spiral circles, eyeing the ground below. Miriam brokeoff some lotus-buds and threw them at the stonechat, which flewaway, but kept its beak still pointing towards the rushes. Thegirl girt up her dress, waded into the water, and now saw her motherstanding, hidden up to her waist in a forest of papyrus-reeds, bending over a reed-basket with a baby at her breast. 

"Mother, " whispered Miriam, "Pharaoh's daughter is approaching; shecomes to bathe in the river. "

"Lord God of Israel, have mercy on my child!"

"If you have given the child enough to drink, hasten and come. "

The mother bowed herself like an arch over the child; her hair hungdown like an insect-net, and two tears fell from her eyes on thelittle one's outstretched hands. Then she rose, placed a sweet datein its mouth, softly closed the cover, murmured a blessing, and cameout of the water. 

A gentle breeze from the land swayed the rushes and crisped thesurface of the river. 

"The basket swims, " she said, "but the river flows on; it is redwith blood and thick as cream. Lord God of Israel, have mercy!"

"Yes, He will, " answered Miriam, "as He had mercy on our fatherAbraham, who obtained the promise, because he obeyed and believed, 'Through thy seed shall all the families on the earth be blessed. '"

"And now Pharaoh slays all the first-born. "

"But not thy son. "

"Not yet. "

"Pray and hope. "

"What? That the monsters of the river do not swallow him, that thewaves of the river do not drown him, that Pharaoh's executioners donot kill him! Is that the hope?"

"The promise is greater, and it lives: 'Thy seed shall possess thegate of his enemies. '"

"And then Amram thy father has fled. "

"To Raamses and Pithom, where our people toil in the buildings; hehas gone there to warn and advise them. He has done well. Hush!Pharaoh's daughter comes. "

"But she cannot bathe in the blood of our child. "

"She comes, however. But she is the friend of the poor Hebrews; fearnot. "

"She is her father's daughter. "

"The Egyptians are our cousins; they are Ham's descendants, and weare Shem's. Shem and Ham were brothers. "

"But Ham was cursed by his father Noah, and Kanaan was Ham's son. "

"But Noah said, 'Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and let Kanaan behis servant. ' Have you heard? Shem received the promise, and webelong to him. "

"Lord of Hosts, help us; the basket drifts with the wind! It driftstowards the bathing-house, --and the vulture up there in the air. "

"That is a hawk, mother!" Jochebed ran up and down the bank, like adog whom its master has deserted; she beat her breast, and weptgreat tears. 

Steps and voices were audible. "Here is Pharaoh's daughter!"

"But the Lord God of Israel is watching over us. "

The two women hid themselves in the reeds, and Pharaoh's daughterappeared with her attendants at the watergate. She stepped on thebridge leading to the bath-house, which was a hut of colouredcamel's skin, supported by pillars which stood in the bed of theriver. But the basket drifted against the bridge and excited thecuriosity of the princess. She remained standing and waited. Jochebed and Miriam could not hear what she said on account of thewind, but by her quiet movements they saw that she expected someamusement from the strange gift brought by the river. Now she senta slave to the bank. The latter ran and broke off a long reed, which she handed to her mistress, who fished for the basket andbrought it within reach. Then she knelt down and opened it. Jochebed saw two little arms outstretched. The princess laughedaloud, and turned to the women. She uttered an expression of joy, and then lifted the infant, which nestled in her maiden bosom andfelt about in her white robe. Then the princess kissed it, pressedit to her breast, and turned back to the shore. 

Miriam, who had now lost all fear, stepped forward and fell on herface. "See, Miriam, " said the princess, whose name was Temma, "Ihave found a baby. I have received it from the Nile, and thereforeit is a child of the gods. But now you must find a nurse for it. "

"Where shall I find one, noble princess?"

"Search! But you must find one before evening. Do not forget, however, that it is my child, since I drew it out of the water. Ihave given him his name, and he shall be called Moses. And I willhave him educated so that he becomes a man after our mind. Go inpeace, and find me a nurse!"

Pharaoh's daughter went with her child up to the palace, and Miriamlooked for her mother among the reeds, where she had waited andheard what Pharaoh's daughter had said and resolved. 

"Mother, Pharaoh's daughter will bring up Amram and Jochebed's son. Ham's children will serve Shem's. Praised be the Lord, the God ofShem! Now you believe in the promise, mother!"

"Now I believe, and God be praised for His great mercy!"

THE HEMICYCLE OF ATHENS

After a hot day the sun began to sink, and the market-place layalready in shadow. The shadow rose and climbed up the Acropolis, onwhich the shield of Pallas still gleamed as the aegis of the city. 

Before the vari-coloured colonnade stood a group of men who hadassembled before the semi-circular marble seat called theHemicyklion; they appeared to be awaiting someone's arrival beforethey sat down. Among them were stately and handsome men, but therewas also an extraordinarily ugly one, round whom, however, theothers seemed to press. His face resembled that of a slave or satyr, and there were Athenians who thought they could trace in it themarks of all kinds of wickedness and crime. On hearing of suchsuspicions, Socrates is said to have remarked, "Think how muchSocrates must have had to contend against, for he is neither wickednor a criminal!"

This was the man known to the whole population of Athens as aneccentric character who carried on philosophical discussions instreets and market-places, in drinking-houses and brothels. Heshunned no society, and was on equally intimate terms with Pericles, the head of the state, and with the licentious Alcibiades. He satdown to table with tradesmen and artisans, drank with sailors in thePiraeus, and lived himself with his family in the suburb Ceramicus. When it was asked why Socrates was always out of doors, his friendsanswered, "because he was not comfortable at home. " And when hismore intimate friends asked how he could be on intimate terms withseamen and tax-gatherers, Socrates himself answered, "They arealso men!"

At the philosopher's side, and when he sat, standing behind him, wasalways to be seen a youth, whose broad brow attracted attention. This was his best disciple, whose real name was Aristokles, but who, on account of his forehead, had the nickname Plato. 

Vying with him in an almost jealous rivalry to appear by theMaster's side, stood the beautiful Alcibiades. 

The third after them was the stately austere Euripides, the tragicdramatist. Turning his back to the company, absorbed in thought andtracing designs on the ground, as though he were always at work, stood Phidias, the man "who made gods for Athens. " On the edge ofthe fountain sat a man with his legs dangling and his mouthperpetually moving, as though he were sharpening his tongue forthrust and counter-thrust; his brow was furrowed and worn as though withfruitless thought, his eyes glowered like those of a serpentwatching for its prey. That was the Sophist, Protagoras, thereasoner for hire, who for a few figs or a pair of obols, could makeblack seem white, but was tolerated in this brilliant society, because he could carry on a dialogue. They used him to enliventheir meetings, and pitted him in argument against Socrates, who, however, always entangled him in the meshes of his dialectic. Atlast came the one they expected. It was the head of the State, whowould have been king had not the kingship been abolished. Hisappearance was majestic, but his entrance without a body-guard waslike that of a simple citizen. He ruled also only by force of hispersonal qualities--wisdom, strength of will, moderation, forethought. 

After exchanging greetings which showed that they had already metthat day, for they had been celebrating the deliverance from Persiaat the Salamis festival, the company sat down on the longsemicircular marble seat, called the Hemicyklion. When all had takentheir seats, which were reserved for each according to prescription, a silence followed which was unusual in this circle, for they wereaccustomed to assemble as if for an intellectual feast at everysunset. It was a symposium of minds, at which the excesses, according to Alcibiades, were only spiritual. 

Alcibiades, the second youngest, but spoilt and aggressive, was thefirst to break the silence. "We have been celebrating the battle ofSalamis, the day of our deliverance from the barbarians and the Kingof Persia, and I see we are tired. "

"Not too tired, " answered Pericles, "to forget the birthday of ourfriend Euripides, for, as we all know, he first saw the daylightwhen the sun shone on the battle of Salamis. "

"He shall have a libation, " answered Alcibiades, "when we sit attable with our cups in front of us. "

The Sophist, sitting by the fountain, had now collected enough yarnto commence spinning with. 

"How do you know, " he began, "that our deliverance from the King ofPersia was really a piece of good fortune? How do you know thatSalamis was a happy day for Hellas? Has not our great Aeschyluslamented and sympathetically described the defeat of the Persians?

 "'Hateful to me is thy name, Salamis, And with a sigh I think of thee, Athens!'"

"For shame, Sophist!" Alcibiades broke in. 

But Protagoras whetted his beak and continued, "It is not I who saythat the name of Salamis is hateful, but Aeschylus, and I, aseveryone knows, am not Aeschylus. Neither have I maintained that itwas a good thing to serve the Persian King. I have only questioned, and a questioner asserts nothing. Is it not so, Socrates?"

The master drew his fingers through his long beard, and answered. 

"There are direct and indirect assertions; a question can be anindirect and mischievous assertion. Protagoras has made such a oneby his question. "

"Good! Socrates!" exclaimed Alcibiades, who wished to kindle aflame. 

Pericles spoke: "Protagoras, then, has asserted that you would behappier under the Persian King. What should be done with such aman?"

"Throw him backwards in the fountain, " cried Alcibiades. 

"I appeal!" protested the Sophist. 

"To the mob! They will always justify you, " Alcibiades interrupted. 

"One does not say 'mob' if one is a democrat, Alcibiades. And onedoes not quote Aeschylus when Euripides is present. When Phidiassits here one would rather speak of his Parthenon and his Athene, whose robe even now glitters in the sinking sun. Courtesy is thesalt of social life. "

Thus Pericles sought to direct the conversation into a new channel, but the Sophist thwarted him. 

"If Phidias' statue of Athene must borrow its gold from the sun, that may prove that the gold granted by the State did not suffice, and that therefore there is a deficiency. Is it not so, Socrates?"

The master silenced with his outstretched hand the murmur ofdisapproval which arose, and said:

"It must first be proved that Phidias' statue must borrow gold fromthe sun, but since that is unproved, it is absurd to talk of adeficit. Moreover, gold cannot be borrowed from the sun. Thereforewhat Protagoras says is mere babble, and deserves no answer. On theother hand, will Phidias answer this question? 'When you have madeAthene up there on the Parthenon, have you made Athene?'"

"I have made her image, " answered Phidias. 

"Right! You have made her image. But after what pattern?"

"After the pattern in my mind. "

"Not after an external one, then? Have you seen the goddess withyour eyes?"

"Not with my outward eyes. "

"Does she then exist outside you, or inside you?"

"If no one were listening to us, I would answer 'She is not outsideof me, therefore she is not anywhere at all. '"

Pericles interrupted him: "You are talking of the gods of the State:friends, take care!"

"Help, Protagoras! Socrates is throttling me!" cried Phidias. 

"In my opinion it is not Zeus but Prometheus who has created men, "answered the Sophist. "But Zeus gave unfinished man two imperishablegifts--the sense of shame and conscience. "

"Then Protagoras was not made by Zeus, for he lacks both. " Thisthrust came from Alcibiades. But now the taciturn tragedianEuripides began to speak: "Allow me to say something both about Zeusand about Prometheus; and don't think me discourteous if I cite mygreat teacher Aeschylus when I speak about the gods. "

But Pericles broke in: "Unless my eyes deceive me, I saw just now apair of ears projecting from behind the pillar of Hermes, and theseass's ears can only belong to the notorious tanner. "

"Cleon!" exclaimed Alcibiades. 

But Euripides continued: "What do I care about the tanner, since Ido not fear the gods of the State? These gods, whose declineAeschylus foretold long ago! Does not his _Prometheus_ say that theOlympian Zeus will be overthrown by his own descendant--the son thatwill be born of a virgin? Is it not so, Socrates?"

"Certainly: 'she will bear a son who is stronger than his father. 'But who it will be, and when he will be born, he does not say. Now Ibelieve that Zeus already lies _in extremis_. "

Again the warning voice of Pericles was heard. "The gods of theState! Hush, friends! Cleon is listening!"

"I, on the other hand, " broke in Alcibiades, "believe that Athens isnear her end. While we have been celebrating the victory of Salamis, the Spartans have risen and devastated the north. Megaris, Locris, Boeotia, and Phocis are already on her side. "

"What you say is well known, " answered Pericles deprecatingly, "butat present there is a truce, and we have three hundred ships at sea. Do you think, Socrates, that there is danger?"

"I cannot mix in the affairs of State; but if Athens is in danger, Iwill take up shield and lance as before. "

"When you saved my life at Potidaea, " added Alcibiades. 

"No, the danger is not there, " interrupted Euripides--"not inSparta, but here at home. The demagogues have stirred up the marsh, and therefore we have the pestilence in the Agora, and thepestilence in the Piraeus. "

"That in Piraeus is the worse of the two, " said Protagoras; "don'tyou think so, Alcibiades?"

"Yes, for there are my best girls. My flute-players, who are toperform at supper this evening, live by the harbour. But, byHercules, no one here fears death, I suppose?"

"No one fears, and no one wishes it, " answered Socrates; "but if youhave other girls, that would increase our pleasure. "

"Euripides does not like girls, " interrupted Protagoras. 

"That is not true, " answered Euripides; "I like girls, but notwomen. "

Pericles rose: "Let us go to supper, and have walls round ourconversation--walls without ears! Support me, Phidias, I am tired. "

Plato approached Socrates: "Master, let me carry your mantle?" heasked. 

"That is my function, boy, " said Alcibiades, intercepting him. 

"It was once, " objected Socrates; "now it belongs to Plato of thebroad head. Notice his name! He descends from Codrus, the last king, who gave his life to save his people. Plato is of royal birth. "

"And Alcibiades is of the race of heroes, the Alcmaeonidae, like hisuncle Pericles; a noble company. "

"But Phidias is of the race of the gods; that is more. "

"I am probably descended from the Titans, " broke in Protagoras. "Isay 'probably, ' for one knows nothing at all, and hardly that. Don'tyou think so, Socrates?"

"_You_ know nothing at all, and least of all what you talk about. "The company passed through the Sacred Street, and went together tothe theatre of Dionysus, near which Alcibiades lived. 

 * * * * *

The demagogue Cleon had really been lurking out of sight, andlistening to the conversation. And so had another man with a yellowcomplexion and a full black beard, who seemed to belong to theartisan class. When the brilliant company had departed, Cleonstepped forward, laid his hand on the stranger's shoulder, and said:

"You have heard their conversation?"

"Certainly I have, " he answered. 

"Then you can give evidence. "

"I cannot give evidence, because I am a foreigner. "

"Still you have heard how they spoke against the gods of the State. "

"I am a Syrian, and only know one true God. Your gods are not mine. "

"You are a Hebrew, then! What is your name?"

"I am an Israelite, of the family of Levi, and call myself nowCartophilus. "

"A Phoenician, then?"

"No, a Hebrew. My forefathers came out of Ur of the Chaldees, thenfell into bondage in Egypt, but were brought by Moses and Joshua tothe land of Canaan, where we became powerful under our own kings, David and Solomon. "

"I don't know them. "

"Two hundred years ago our city Jerusalem was destroyed byNebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and our people were carried captiveto Babylon. But when Babylon was overthrown by the King of Persia, we fell under the power of the Persians, and have groaned under thesuccessors of your Xerxes of Salamis, whom we called Ahasuerus. "

"Your enemies, our enemies! Very well, friend; how did you comehere. "

"When the Assyrian was about to carry us for the first time intocaptivity, those who could flee, fled to Rhodes, Crete, and theislands of Greece. But of those who were carried away some were sentnorthwards to Media. My ancestors came hither from Media, and I am anew-comer. "

"Your speech is dark to me, but I have heard your nation praisedbecause they are faithful to the gods of the State. "

"God! There is only One, the Single and True, who has created heavenand earth, and given the promise to our people. "

"What promise?"

"That our nation shall possess the earth. "

"By Heracles! But the commencement is not very promising. "

"That is our belief, and it has supported us during our wanderingsin the wilderness, and during the Captivity. "

"Will you give evidence against these blasphemers of the gods?"

"No, Cleon, for you are idolaters. Socrates and his friends do notbelieve in your gods, and that will be counted to them forrighteousness. Yes, Socrates appeared to me rather to worship theEternal and Invisible, whom we dare not name. Therefore I do notgive evidence against him. "

"Is _that_ the side you are on? Then go in peace, but beware! Go!"

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will protect me, so long as Iand my house keep His laws. "

Cleon had espied his friend and fellow-artisan in the colonnade, andtherefore let the inflexible Hebrew go. The latter hastened towardsthe sycamore avenue of the oil-market, and disappeared there. 

Anytos the tanner and politician approached, rehearsing a writtenspeech which he was intending to deliver: "Athens or Sparta, --thatis the whole question at issue. .. . "

Cleon, full of curiosity, interrupted him: "What are you rehearsing, Anytos?"

"A speech. "

"So I heard! Athens or Sparta! Government by the people, orgovernment by donkeys. The people, the weightiest element in theState, the cultivators of the land, the producers of wealth, lie atthe bottom like gold. The worthless, the drones, the rich, thearistocratic, the most frivolous, swim on the surface like chips andcorks. Athens has always represented government by the people, andwill always do so; Sparta represents the donkey-government. 

"The oligarchy, you mean, Cleon. "

"No; donkeys. Therefore, Anytos, Athens is badly governed, forPericles the rich man, who boasts of royal ancestors, has come topower. How can he sympathise with these people, since he has neverbeen down there below? How can he see them rightly from above? Hesits on the gable-roof of the Parthenon, and views the Athenians asants, while they are lions, with their claws pared and their teethdrawn. We, Anytos, born down there amid the skins of the tanyardand dog's-dung, we understand our perspiring brothers--we knowthem by the smell, so to speak. But like readily associates withlike; therefore Sparta feels attracted to Athens, to Periclesand his followers. Pericles draws Sparta to himself, and we sink. .. . "

Anytos, himself an orator, did not like to hear eloquence fromothers, therefore he cut abruptly through Cleon's speech. 

"Pericles is ill. "

"Is he ill?"

"Yes, he has fever!"

"Really? Perhaps the plague. "

"Perhaps. "

This interjected remark of Anytos had crossed Cleon's prolixdiscourse, and a new hope glimmered before him. 

"And after Pericles?" he said. "Cleon, of course. "

"Why not? The man of the people for the people, but no philosophersnor actors. So, Pericles is sick, is he? Listen, Anytos? Who isNicias?"

"He is a grandee who believes in oracles. "

"Don't attack the oracles. I certainly do not believe in them, but aState requires for its stability a certain uniformity in everything--laws, customs, and religion. Therefore I support the gods of theState--and what belongs to them. "

"I also support the gods of the State, so long as the people do. "

The two orators began to be mutually weary, and Cleon wished forsolitude in order to hatch the eggs which Anytos had laid for him. Therefore he remarked, "You say that Nicias. .. . "

"I am going to bathe, " broke in Anytos; "otherwise I will get nosleep to-night. "

"But Alcibiades, who is he?"

"He is the traitor Ephialtes, who will lead the Persian King toThermopylae. "

"The Persian King in the east, Sparta in the south. "

"Macedonia in the north. "

"And in the west, new Rome. "

"Enemies in all four quarters! Woe to Athens!"

"Woe to Hellas!"

 * * * * *

The guests had assembled at the house of Alcibiades, who on hisarrival had immediately gone off, with the laudable object ofprocuring flute-players. Since the evening was warm, supper wasserved in the Aula, or inner court, which was surrounded by Corinthiancolonnades, and lighted by many lamps which hung between the pillars. 

After they had taken a light meal, ivy wreaths were distributed andcups were set before the guests. 

Aspasia, the only woman present, had the place of honour next toPericles. She had come at the beginning, accompanied by her slaves, and was waiting impatiently for the verbal contests to begin. ButPericles was depressed and tired. Socrates lay on his back, silent, and looked up at the stars, Euripides chewed a wood-splinter and wasmorose; Phidias kneaded balls of bread, which in his hand took theshapes of animals; Protagoras whispered to Plato, who, with becomingyouthful modesty, kept in the background. 

Quite at the bottom of the table sat the skeleton, with a wreath ofroses round its white forehead. In order to counteract the uncannyfeeling likely to be aroused by this unbidden guest, Alcibiades hadplaced an onion between its front teeth, and in one of its hands anasphodel lily, which the skeleton appeared to smell at. 

When the silence at last became oppressive, Pericles roused himselffrom his lethargy, and opened the conversation. 

"I should like, " he said, "without raising any bitterness or strife, to suggest as a subject for discussion the often-raised question ofEuripides' supposed misogyny. What do you say, Protagoras?"

"Our friend Euripides has been married three times, and each timehas had children. He can therefore not be a woman-hater. Is it notso, Socrates?"

"Euripides, " answered Socrates, "loves Aspasia, as we all do, andcan therefore not be a woman-hater. He loves, with Pericles'consent, the beauty of Aspasia's mind, and is therefore nomisogynist. Not much that is complimentary can be said aboutAspasia's person, and we have nothing to do with it. Is Aspasiabeautiful, Phidias?"

"Aspasia is not beautiful, but her soul is beautiful and good. Is itnot, Pericles?"

"Aspasia is my friend, and the mother of our child; Aspasia is awise woman, for she possesses modesty and conscientiousness, self-knowledge and foresight; Aspasia is prudent, for she is silentwhen wise men speak. But Aspasia can also cause wise men to speakwisely by listening to them; for she helps them to produce thoughts, not like Socrates' midwife, who only brings corporeal births to pass, but she incarnates their souls. "

Protagoras continued: "Aspasia is like the Mother Cybele of us all;she bears us in her bosom. "

"Aspasia is the scale of the zither, without whom our strings wouldnot sound. "

"Aspasia is the mother of us all, " recommenced Socrates, "but she isalso the midwife who washes our new-born thoughts and wraps them inbeautiful swaddling-clothes. Aspasia receives our children dirty, and gives them back to us purified. She gives nothing of herself, but by receiving gives the giver the opportunity to give. "

Euripides resumed the topic which they had dropped: "I was accused, and am acquitted--am I not, Aspasia?"

"If you can acquit yourself of the accusation, you are acquitted, Euripides. "

"Accuse me, dear Accuser; I will answer. "

"I will bring the accusation in your own words. Hippolytus says inone passage in your tragedy of that name: 'O Zeus, why, in the nameof heaven, didst thou place in the light of the sun that speciousevil to men--women? For if thou didst will to propagate the race ofmortals, there was no necessity for this to be done by women, butmen might, having placed an equivalent in thy temples, either inbrass or iron, or weighty gold, buy a race of children eachaccording to the value paid, and thus might dwell in unmolestedhouses, without females. '"

"But now first of all, when we prepare to bring this evil to ourhomes, we squander away the wealth of our houses. "

"How evil woman is, is evident from this also, that the father whobegat her and brought her up, having given her a dowry, sends heraway in order to be rid of her. "

"Now defend yourself, Euripides. "

"If I were a Sophist like Protagoras, I should answer, 'It wasHippolytus who said that; not I. ' But I am a poet, and speak throughmy characters. Very well; I said it, I meant it when I wrote it, andI mean it still. And yet I almost always love any given woman, thoughI hate her sex. I cannot explain it, for I was never perverse likeAlcibiades. Can you explain it, Socrates?"

"Yes, a man can hate and love a woman simultaneously. Everything isproduced by its opposite--love by hate, and hate by love. In my wifeI love the good motherly element, but I hate the original sin inher; therefore I can hate and love her at the same time. Is it notso, Protagoras?"

"Now it is Socrates who is the Sophist. Black cannot be white. "

"Now it is Protagoras who is simple. This salt in the salt-cellar iswhite, but put out the lamps, and it is black. The salt therefore isnot absolutely white, but its whiteness depends on the light. Ishould be inclined rather to believe that salt is absolutely black, for darkness is merely the absence of light, and is nothing initself, communicates no quality of its own to the salt, which in thedarkness is something independent, consequently its real nature isblack. 

"But in the light a thing can be both black and white. This sea-sole, for instance, is black above, but white below. In the same waysomething can be good and bad at the same time. Therefore Euripidesis right when he says that he loves and hates woman simultaneously. The misogynist is he who only hates woman, but Euripides loves heralso. Therefore he is not a misogynist. What do you think, Aspasia?"

"Wise Socrates! You confess that Euripides hates women, therefore heis a woman-hater. "

"No, my dear child, I admitted that Euripides _both_ loves and hateswomen, --_both_, mark you. I love Alcibiades, but I abhor and hatehis want of character; now I ask the friends here, am I a hater ofAlcibiades?"

"No, certainly not, " they answered simultaneously. But Aspasia wasroused, and wished to rouse him. "Wise Socrates, how do mattersstand between you and your wife?"

"The wise man does not willingly speak of his wife, " Protagorasstruck in: "nor of his weakness. "

"You have said it. One sacrifices to the earth, but unwillingly; onebinds oneself, but without pleasure; one endures, but loves not; onedoes one's duty to the State, but with difficulty. There is only oneAspasia, and she belongs to Pericles--the greatest woman to thegreatest man. Pericles is the greatest in the State, as Euripides isthe greatest on the stage. "

This was an opportunity for Protagoras, without his needing to seekit. "Is Euripides greater than Aeschylus and Sophocles?" he asked. 

"Certainly, Protagoras! He is nearer to us; he speaks _our_thoughts, not those of our fathers; he does not cringe before thegods and fate; he fights with them; he loves men, knows them, andlaments them; his art is more elaborate, his feelings warmer, hispictures more life-like than those of the ancients. But now I shouldlike to speak of Pericles. "

"Stop, Socrates! In the Pnyx or the Agora, but not here! Though Ishould be glad of a word of encouragement since false accusationsrain on me. We have come here to forget and not to rememberourselves, and Socrates delights us most when he speaks of thehighest things, among which I do not count the State of Athens. Herecomes Alcibiades with his following. Kindle more lights, boys, andput more ice in the wine. "

There was a noise at the entrance; the dog barked, the doorkeepershouted, and Alcibiades entered with his companions. These consistedof girls and of two strangers whom he had found in a wine-house. 

"Papaia!" he cried. "Here is the host! And here is Aristophanes, afuture dramatist. Here is the Roman Lucillus, formerly a Decemvir, who has been banished. There is one of the many Laises who have satto Phidias. Aspasia must not take it ill. And here are flute-playersfrom Piraeus. Whether they have the pestilence, I know not! What canthey do to me? I am twenty years old, and yet have done nothing?Why, then, should I live? Now Lais will dance. Papaia!"

Euripides rose and made a sign for silence. "Let the dance wait;Pericles is not pleased, and looks serious. " A pause followed. Theheat was oppressive. It was not thunder-weather, but something likeit, and a sense of uneasy expectation seemed to weigh upon all theirspirits. 

Then, as if by accident, the arm of the skeleton fell on its kneewith a slight snap. The flower, which it had held under its nose, lay on the earth. 

All started, even Alcibiades, but, angry with himself for thisweakness, he took a cup and stepped forward. 

"The skeleton is thirsty! I drink to it! Who pledges me?"

"Socrates can do so the best. He can drink half a jar of wine in onepull, without winking. "

As a matter of fact, Socrates was notorious for his drinking powers, but now he was not in the mood. "Not to-day! Wine is bitter to mytaste, " he said. 

And turning to Pericles, he whispered: "Evil eyes have come here. This Aristophanes is not our friend! Do you know him?"

"Very little, but he looks as though he would like to murder us. "

Alcibiades continued to address the skeleton: "Thus looks Athens atthis moment! Sparta and the Persian King have gnawed off its flesh;Cleon has tanned its skin; the allies have gouged out its eyes; thecitizens have drawn out its teeth, --those citizens whom Aristophanesknows and whom he will soon describe. Here's to you, skeleton!'[Greek: _Polla metaxu pelei kulikos kai cheileos akrou_]!'"

There was a sudden change in the scene. The skeleton sank backwardslike a drunken man; the lamps began to sway on their chains, thesalt-cellar was spilt on the table. 

"Ohioh!" cried Alcibiades, "Tralall! Ha! Ha! Ha! The table wobbles, the sofa rocks; am I drunk, or is the room drunk?"

All were alarmed, but Socrates commanded quiet. "A god is near! Theearth shakes, and I hear . .. Does it thunder? No! That is anearthquake. "

All jumped up, but Socrates continued, "Be quiet! It is alreadypast. "

After they had all taken their places again, he continued: "I wasfive years old when Sparta was visited by an earthquake; twentythousand men perished, and only six houses remained standing. Thenit was Sparta. Now it is Athens. Yes, friends, a voice says to me, 'Before a babe can become a man, we shall have been dispersed anddestroyed like a bevy of birds. '"

Again the dog barked, and the door-keeper shouted. There entered anuninvited guest in a state of excitement. 

Alcibiades greeted him. "It is Nicias, " he said. "Now I will besober; the thoughtful Nicias comes to our feast. What is thematter?"

"Allow an uninvited guest. "

"Speak, Nicias!"

"Pericles!" began the new-comer hesitatingly, "your friend, ourfriend, the glory of Athens and Hellas, --Phidias is accused. .. . "

"Stop! Silence!"

"Accused! O shame and disgrace! I cannot say it without weeping:Phidias is accused of having purloined gold from the statue ofAthene. "

The silence which followed was first broken by Pericles: "Phidiashides his face in his mantle; he is ashamed for Athens. But by thegods and the nether world, let us swear to his innocence. "

"We swear!" exclaimed all like one man. 

"I swear also, " said Nicias. 

"Athens is dishonoured, if one has to swear that Phidias has notstolen. "

Nicias had approached Pericles, and, bowing to Aspasia, hewhispered, "Pericles, your son Paralos is ill. "

"Of the pestilence! Follow me, Aspasia. "

"He is not my son, but yours; therefore I follow you. "

"The house collapses, friends depart, all beauty passes away, theugly remains. "

"And the gods sleep. "

"Or have emigrated. "

"Or are dead! Let us make new ones. "

Another shock of earthquake extinguished the lamps, and all went outinto the street, except Socrates and Alcibiades. 

"Phidias accused of theft! Let the walls of the world fall in!" saidSocrates, and sank, as was his custom, into a fit of absent-mindednessthat resembled sleep. 

Alcibiades took one of the largest double-goblets, veiled it, andimprovised the following dithyramb:

 "May everything break up from Pindus to the Caucasus! Then will Prometheus be unbound and bestow fire again on frozen mortals! And Zeus descends to Hades, Pallas sells herself; Apollo breaks his lyre in two, and cobbles shoes; Ares lets his war-horse go, and minds sheep; And on the ruins of all earthly glory, stands Alcibiades alone, In the full consciousness of his almightiness, And laughs!"

 * * * * *

The pestilence had broken out in Athens accompanied by shocks ofearthquake. 

When Pericles, accompanied by Aspasia, reached his house, his son byhis divorced wife was dead. 

According to the prevailing custom, and to show that he had not beenmurdered, the corpse was placed in the doorway. A small coffin ofcedar-wood, painted red and black, stood on a bier, and showed thedead child dressed in a white shroud. He had a garland on his head, woven of the plant of death, the strong-scented Apium or celery. Inhis mouth he had an obol as Charon's fee. 

Pericles uttered a prayer in an undertone, without showingespecially deep sorrow, for he had gone through much, and learnt tosuffer. 

"Two sons the gods have taken from me. Are they enough to atone?"

"What have you to atone for?" asked Aspasia. 

"One must suffer for another; the individual for the State. Pericleshas suffered for Athens. "

"Pardon me that my tears dry sooner than yours. The thought that_our_ son lives, gives me comfort. "

"It comforts me also, but not so much. "

"Shall I go, before your wife comes?"

"You must not leave me, for I am ill. "

"You have spoken of it for a long time now. Is it serious?"

"My soul is sick. When the State suffers, I am ill. .. . There comesthe mother of the dead. "

A black-robed woman appeared in the doorway; she wore a veil inorder to hide the fact that her hair was cut off; she had a garlandin her hand, and a slave followed her with a torch. 

She did not immediately notice Aspasia's presence, greeted herformer husband with a glance, and laid the garland at the dead boy'sfeet. "I only bring a funeral garland for my son, " she said, "butinstead of the obol, he shall take a kiss from the lips of hismother. "

She threw herself on the dead child, and kissed him. 

"Beware of the dead!" said Pericles, and seized her arm; "he died ofthe pestilence. "

"My life has been a lingering death; a quick one is preferable tome. "

Then she noticed Aspasia, and, rising, said with quiet dignity, "Tell your friend to go. "

"She goes, and I follow her. "

"That is right! For now, my Pericles, the last tie between us isdissolved! Farewell!"

"Farewell, my wife!"

And, turning to Aspasia, he said, "Give me your hand, my spouse. "

"Here it is. "

The mourning mother lingered: "We shall all meet again some day, shall we not? And then as friends--you, she, and he who is gonebefore to prepare a dwelling for the hearts which are separated bythe narrow laws of life. "

 * * * * *

Pericles and Socrates wandered in the avenue of plane-trees below theHemicyklion, and conversed together. 

"Phidias has been acquitted of theft, but re-arrested on the chargeof blaspheming the gods of the State. "

"Arrested? Phidias!" "They say that he has represented me andhimself in Athene's shield. "

"That is the mob's doing, which hates all greatness! Anaxagorasbanished because he was too wise; Aristides banished because he wastoo just; Themistocles, Pausanias. .. . What did you do, Pericles, when you gave the people power?"

"What was lawful and right. I fall certainly by my own sword, buthonourably. I go about and am dying piecemeal, like Athens. Did weknow that we adorned our statues for a funeral procession? that wewere weaving our own shrouds? that the choruses of our tragedieswere dirges?"

"Athens is dying--yes! But of what?"

"Of Sparta. "

"What is Sparta?"

"Sparta is Heracles; the club, the lion-skin, brute-strength. WeAthenians are the sons of Theseus, ranged against the Heraclidae, Dorians, and Ionians. Athens dies by Sparta's hand, but Hellas diesby her own. "

"I believe the gods have forsaken us. "

"I believe so too, but the Divine lives. "

"There comes Nicias, the messenger of misfortune. "It was Nicias; and when he read the question in the faces andglances of the two, he answered, without waiting to be asked: "Fromthe Agora!"

"What is the news from the Agora?"

"The Assembly seeks help from the Macedonians. "

"Why not from the Persians? Good! then the end is near. Do they seekhelp from the enemy? From the barbarian, the Macedonian, who liesabove us like a lion on a hill. Go, Nicias, and say, 'Pericles isdying. ' And ask them to choose the worthiest as his successor! Notthe most unworthy! Go, Nicias, but go quickly. "

"I go, " said Nicias, "but for a physician. "

And he went. 

"No physician can cure me!" answered Pericles; but in a weak voice, as though he spoke to himself. He took his old seat in theHemicyklion. When he had rested a while, he made Socrates a sign tocome near, for he did not wish to raise his voice. 

"Socrates, my friend, " he began, "this is the farewell of a dyingman. You were the wisest, but take it not ill if I say, 'Be not toowise'; seek not the unattainable, and confuse not men's minds withsubtleties; do not make the simple complicated. You wish to seethings with both eyes, but he who shoots with the bow, must closeone eye; otherwise he sees his mark doubled. You are not a Sophist, but may easily appear so; you are not a libertine, but you go aboutwith such; you hate your city and your country, and rightly; butyou should love them to the death, for that is your duty; youdespise the people, but you should be sorry for them. I have notadmired the people, but I have given them laws and justice;therefore I die!

"Good-night, Socrates! Now it is dark before my eyes. You shallclose them, and give me the garland. Now I go to sleep. When Iawake, _if_ I awake, then I am on the other side, and then I willsend you a greeting, if the gods allow it. Good-night. "

"Pericles is dead. Hear it, Athenians, and weep as I do!"

The people streamed thither, but they did not weep. They onlywondered what would now happen, and felt almost glad of a change. 

 * * * * *

Cleon the tanner stood in the orator's pulpit in the Pnyx. Among hismost attentive hearers were Alcibiades, Anytos, and Nicias. Cleonsaid: "Pericles is dead, and Pericles is buried; now you know it. Let him rest in peace with his merits and faults, for the enemy isin Sphacteria, and we must have a commander; Pericles' shadow willnot serve for that. Here below sit two adventurers, fine gentlemenboth; one is called Nicias, because he never has conquered; theother Alcibiades, and we know his conquests--goblets and girls. Onthe other hand, we do not know his character, but you will some dayknow him, Athenians, and he will show his incisors himself. Such andsuch and such a one have been proposed for commander--oddly enoughall fine gentlemen, and all grandees, of course. Athens, which hasabjured all kings and their like, must now fight with royal Sparta, and must, faithful to its traditions, appear in the field under aman of the people on whom you can rely. We need no Pericles whocommissions statues and builds temples to Fame and Glory; Athens hasenough of such gewgaws. But now we must have a man who understandsthe art of war, who has a heart in his breast and a head on hisshoulders. Whom do you wish for, men of Athens?"

Alcibiades sprang up like a young lion, and went straight to thepoint. "Men of Athens, I propose Cleon the tanner, not because he isa tanner, for that is something different. At any rate the army maybe compared to an ox-skin, and Cleon to a knife; but Cleon has otherqualities, especially those of a commander. His last campaignagainst Pericles and Phidias closed with a triumph for him. He hasdisplayed a courage which never failed, and an intelligence whichpassed all mortal comprehension. His strategy was certainly not thatof a lion, but he conquered, and that is the chief point. I proposeCleon as leader of the campaign. "

Now it so fell out that this patent irony was still too subtle forthe mob, who took it seriously. Alcibiades also had a certaininfluence with them because of his relationship to Pericles, andthey listened to him readily. Accordingly the whole assembly calledout for Cleon, and he was elected. 

But Cleon had never dreamt of the honour of being commander, and hewas prudent enough not to endeavour to climb beyond his capacity. Therefore he protested against the election, shouting and swearingby all the gods. 

Alcibiades, however, seized the opportunity by the forelock, and, perceiving that the election of Cleon meant his death, he mounted anempty rostrum and spoke with emphasis: "Cleon jests, and Cleon ismodest; he does not himself know what sort of a commander he is, forhe has not proved himself; but I know who he is; I insist upon hiselection; I demand that he fulfil his duty as a citizen; and Isummon him before the Areopagus if he shirks it when the fatherlandis in danger. " "Cleon is elected!" cried the people. 

But Cleon continued to protest, "I do not know the differencebetween a hoplite and a peltast; [Footnote: a heavy-armed and alight-armed soldier. ] I can neither carry a lance nor sit upon ahorse. "

But Alcibiades shouted him down. "He can do everything; guide theState and criticise art; carry on law-suits and watch Sophists; hecan discuss the highest subjects with Socrates; in a word, hepossesses all the public virtues and all the private vices. "

Now the people laughed, but Cleon did not budge. 

"Athenians!" said Alcibiades in conclusion, "the people have spoken, and there is no appeal. Cleon is elected, and Sparta is done for!"

The assembly broke up. Only Cleon remained behind with his friendAnytos. "Anytos!" he said. "I am lost!"

"Very probable!" answered Anytos. 

But Alcibiades went off with Nicias: "Now Cleon is as dead as a dog. Then comes my turn, " he said. 

 * * * * *

Socrates walked, deep in thought, up and down the courtyard of hishouse, which was very simple and had no colonnades. His wife wascarding wool, and did it as if she were pulling someone's hair. 

The wise man kept silence, but the woman spoke--that was her nature. "What are you doing?" she asked. 

"For the sake of old acquaintance, I will answer you, though I amnot obliged to do so. I am thinking. "

"Is that a proper business for a man?"

"Certainly; a very manly business. "

"At any rate no one can see what you are doing. "

"When you were with child, it was also invisible; but when, it wasborn, it was visible, and especially audible. Thus occupations whichare at first invisible, become visible later on. They are thereforenot to be despised, least of all by those who only believe in thevisible. "

"Is your business with Aspasia something of that sort?"

"Something of that, and of another sort too. "

"You drink also a good deal. "

"Yes, those who speak become thirsty, and the thirsty must drink. "

"What is it in Aspasia that attracts men?"

"Certain qualities which give zest to social intercourse--thoughtfulness, tact, moderation. "

"You mean that for me?"

"I mean it for Aspasia. "

"Is she beautiful?"

"No. "

"Anytos declares that she is. "

"He tells an untruth. Do you see Anytos, Cleon's friend and myenemy?"

"He is not my enemy. "

"But mine. You always love my enemies and hate my friends; that is abad sign. "

"Your friends are bad men. "

"No, on the contrary. Pericles was the greatest of the Athenians, Phidias the best, Euripides the noblest, Plato the wisest, Alcibiades the most gifted, Protagoras the most acute. "

"And Aristophanes?"

"He is my enemy, though I do not know why. I suppose you have heardof the comedy which he has written about me. "

"Anytos told me. Have you seen it?"

"I saw the _Clouds_ yesterday. "

"Was it amusing--was it clever?"

"What did Anytos think?"

"He made me laugh when he described some scenes. "

"Then it must be amusing, or you would not have laughed. "

"Did you not laugh, my Socrates?"

"Yes, of course; otherwise they would have thought me a blockhead. You know that he has depicted me as a rogue and fool. Since I amneither, it was not serious; therefore it was in jest. "

"Do you think so? I think it was serious. ""And you laugh at the serious? Do you weep, then, at jesting? Thenyou would be mad. "

"Do you think I am mad?"

"Yes, if you think me a rogue. "

"You know that Cleon is with the army. "

"I was astonished to hear it. "

"Astonished! You think, then, that he is not fit to command. "

"No, I know nothing about his fitness as commander, for I have neverseen him in the field. But I am astonished at his election, as hehimself was, because it was unexpected. "

"You therefore expect him to be defeated. "

"No, I wait for the result, in order to see whether he wins orloses. "

"You would be glad if he lost?"

"I do not love Cleon, but as an Athenian I would mourn if he weredefeated; therefore I would not rejoice at his overthrow. ""You hate Cleon, but you do not wish his overthrow. "

"On account of Athens--no. "

"But except for that?"

"Except for that, Cleon's overthrow would be a blessing for theState, for he has been unjust to Pericles, to Phidias, to all whohave done anything great. "

"Here comes a visitor. "

"It is Alcibiades. "

"The wretch! Are you not ashamed to be on intimate terms with him?"

"He is a man; he has great faults and great merits, and he is myfriend. I do not wish to be on intimate terms with my enemies. "Alcibiades knocked at the door, and rushed in. "Papaia! The pairare philosophising together, and talking of yesterday's comedy!This Aristophanes is an ass! If one wishes to kill an enemy, onemust hit him; but Aristophanes aims at the clouds. Hit, yes! Doyou know that Cleon is defeated?"

"What a pity!" exclaimed Socrates. 

"Is it a pity that the dog is unmasked?"

"I think Alcibiades is misinformed, " broke in Xantippe. 

"No, by Zeus, but I wish I was!"

"Hush! here is Anytos coming, " said Socrates. 

"The second tanner! It is strange that the destiny of Athens isguided by tanners. "

"The destiny of Athens! Who knows it?"

"I, Alcibiades, am the destiny of Athens. "

"[Greek: _Hubris_]! Beware of the gods!"

"I come after Cleon; Cleon is no more; therefore it is my turn. "

"Here is Anytos!"

Anytos entered: "I seek Alcibiades. "

"Here I am. "

"Must I prepare you. .. . '

"No, I know. "

"Prepare you for the honour. .. . "

"Have I waited long enough. "

"To go at the head. .. . "

"That is what I was born for. "

"To take the lead. .. . "

"That is my place. "

"And conduct the triumphal procession?"

"What procession?"

"Ah! you did not know. Cleon's triumphal procession from theharbour. "

Alcibiades passed his hand downwards over his face, as though hewished to changed his mask, and it was done in a moment. 

"Yes, certainly, certainly, certainly. I have in fact just come hereto--announce his victory. "

"He lies, " broke in Xantippe. 

"I jested with the pair. There will be a triumphal procession, then, for Cleon! How fine!"

"Socrates, " continued Anytos, "are you not glad?"

"I am glad that the enemy is beaten. "

"But not that Cleon has won a victory?"

"Yes, it is nearly the same thing. "

Xantippe seized the opportunity and struck in: "He is not glad, andhe does not believe in Cleon. "

"I know you, " concluded Anytos. "I know you philosophers andquibblers! But take care!--And now, Alcibiades, come and receive thedespised Cleon, who has saved the fatherland!"

Alcibiades took Socrates by the hand, and whispered in his ear. "What a cursed mischance! Well, not yet!--but the next time!"

ALCIBIADES

Kartaphalos, the shoemaker, sat in his shop by the Acarnanian Gate, and repaired cothurns for the Dionysian theatre, which was about tomake a last attempt to revive the tragic drama, which had beeneclipsed by the farces of Aristophanes. The Roman Lucillus loungedat the window-sill, and, since philosophy had been brought intofashion by Socrates and the Sophists, the shoemaker and the exiledDecemvir philosophised as well as they could. 

"Roman!" said Kartaphalos, "you are a stranger in the city, as I am:what do think of the state and the Government?"

"They are exactly like the Roman. One may sum up the whole pasthistory of Rome in two words--Patricians and Plebeians. "

"Just as it is here. "

"With the difference that Rome has a future. Hellas only a past. "

"What is known of Rome's future?"

"The Cumaean Sibyl has prophesied that Rome will possess the earth. "

"What do you say? Rome? No, Israel will possess it; Israel has thepromise. "

"I do not venture to deny that, but Rome has also the promise. "

"There is only one promise, and one God. "

"Perhaps it is the same promise, and the same God. "

"Perhaps Israel will conquer through Rome. "

"Israel will conquer through the promised Messiah. "

"When will Messiah come, then?"

"When the time is fulfilled, when Zeus is dead. "

"May we live to see it. I wait, for Zeus has gone to Rome, and iscalled there Jupiter Capitolinus. "

Aristophanes, who was easily recognised by his crane-like neck andopen mouth, looked in through the window. 

"Have you a pair of low shoes, Kartaphalos? A pair of 'socks'?[Footnote: a low-heeled shoe worn by comic actors. ] You have plenty ofcothurns, I see, but the 'sock' has won the day. "

"At your service, sir. "

"We want them for the theatre, you understand. .. . Ah! there isLucillus! . .. And of raw leather, not tanned. "

"What are you going to play in the theatre, then?"

"We are going to bring on Cleon, and make him dance, and fancy!since no one dares to represent the low-born tanner, I must do it. Iwill play Cleon. "

"Where is the great general, Cleon, now?"

"In a new campaign against Brasidas. When the commander Demostheneswon the battle of Sphacteria, Cleon claimed the honour of thevictory and received a triumph. Then, since he regarded himself as agreat warrior, he marched against Brasidas. The pitcher goes sooften to the well. .. . "

"Till it is broken, " interrupted a new arrival. It was Alcibiades. "Papaia!" he exclaimed, "Cleon is beaten! Cleon has fled! Now it ismy turn! Come to the Pnyx. " And he went on. 

"Very well--to the Pnyx, " said Aristophanes, "and I will obtainmatter for a new comedy, to be called _Alcibiades_. "

"You are right, perhaps, " answered Lucillus. "The whole matter isnot worth weeping for. Therefore let us laugh!"

 * * * * *

Alcibiades stood again on the orator's platform in the Pnyx. He feltat home there, and he always had the ear of the people, for he wasnot tedious. They all spoilt him, and his grotesque impudence had anenlivening effect upon them. 

Before the orator's platform, among others, was to be seen the wise, rich, and aristocratic Nicias, who had always sought to mediatebetween Sparta and Athens, but through his over-deliberation haddone more harm than good. 

Alcibiades, who knew Nicias and his political views, and fearedhis opposition, resolved on a master-stroke. He would not speak ofSparta and Athens as Nicias expected, but determined to make adiversion, and speak of something quite different. The people lovednovelties, and to-day they should have something quite new. 

"Athenians!" he began, "Cleon is defeated and dead, and I place myundoubted talents at the service of the State. You know my smallfailings, but now you will know my great merits. Listen, Athenians. There was a time when Hellas possessed Asia Minor and extended itswings eastward. The Persian King took these settlements from us oneafter the other, and he is now in Thrace. Since we cannot go farthereastward, we must go westward, towards the sunset. You have heardmore or less vaguely of the Roman Republic, which is growing andgrowing. Our countrymen have long ago taken possession of that partof the Italian peninsula which is called Tarentum, and we havethereby become close neighbours of Rome. And the finest of theislands, opulent Sicily, became ours. But the Romans have graduallysurrounded our colonies, and threaten their independence. The Romansare pressing on us, but they are also pushing northward towards Gauland Germany, and southward towards Africa. The Persian King, whowas formerly our enemy, has now nearly become our friend, and ourdanger is not now Persia, but Rome. Therefore, with the future inview, I say to you Athenians, 'Let us go to Italy and Sicily. WithSicily as our base, we can dispute with the Romans the possession ofSpain and the Pillars of Hercules. In Sicily we have the Key toEgypt; by means of Sicily we protect the threatened Tarentum, andcan, in case of need, save sinking Hellas. The world is wide; whyshould we sit here and moulder in the wilderness? Hellas is anexhausted country; let us break up new ground. Hellas is an outwornship; let us build a new one, and undertake a new Argonauticenterprise to a new Colchis to win another Golden Fleece, followingthe path of the sun westward. Athenians! let us go to Sicily!'"

These new prospects which the speaker opened to them pleased thepeople, who were tired of the everlasting Sparta and the PersianKing; and stimulated by fear of Rome, the growing wolf's-cub, theyreceived the ill-considered proposal with applause, and raised theirhands in token of assent. 

Nicias sought an opportunity to speak, and warned them, but no onelistened to him. The Scythian police who kept order in the Pnyxcould procure him no audience. And when Nicias saw that he could notprevent the enterprise, he placed his services at Alcibiades'disposal, and began to equip the fleet. 

 * * * * *

Aspasia was now the widow of Pericles, and had mourned him for along time. The "Hemicyklion" was no more, but her few remainingfriends visited her from time to time. Socrates was the mostfaithful among them. One evening he sat with her in the littlebrick-roofed villa on the bank of the Cephisos. 

"No, Aspasia, " he said, "I advised against the Sicilian expedition, so did Nicias, so did the astronomer Meton, but it was to be. Alcibiades had managed to procure a favourable response from theoracle in the Temple of Ammon. "

"Do you believe in oracles, Socrates?"

"Yes--and no! I have my own 'demon, ' as you know, who warns butnever urges--who advises, but never commands. This inner Voice hassaid to me, 'Hellas will not conquer the world. '"

"Will Rome do it?"

"Yes, but for another!"

"You know that Pericles' great thought was a single Hellas--a unionof all the Grecian States. "

"That was Pericles' wish, but the will of the gods was otherwise. Alcibiades' dream of Hellas governing the world is also great, butthe dreams of the gods are greater. "

"What gain do you think comes to Athens from Cleon's death?"

"None! After Cleon comes Anytos. Cleon is everlasting, for Cleon isthe name of an idea. "

Protagoras, grown old and somewhat dull, appeared in the innercourtyard. 

"There is Protagoras!"

"The Sophist! I do not like him, " said Aspasia. "He is a file whofrets all will away; his endless hair-splitting robs one of allresolution. "

"You speak truly and rationally, Aspasia, and in an earlier age youwould have sat upon the Pythoness's tripod and prophesied. Like thepriestess, you know not perhaps what you say, but a god speaksthrough you. "

"No, Socrates; I only utter your thoughts; that is all!"

Protagoras came forward. "Mourning in Athens! Mourning in Hellas!Alas!" was his greeting. 

"What is the matter, Protagoras?"

"Phidias of immortal memory lies dead in prison. "

"Alas! then they have killed him. "

"So it is rumoured in the city. "

"Phidias is dead!"

"Probably poisoned, they say; but that need not be true. "

"All die here in Athens before their proper time. When will our turncome?"

"When it does. "

"Are we falling by the arrows of the Python-slayer? We are shot likebirds. "

"We are the children of Apollo. Would our father kill us?"

"Saturn has returned to devour his children. "

Socrates sank in meditation, and remained standing. 

"We have angered the gods. "

Lucillus the Roman entered. "See the Roman!" said Socrates, "thelord of the future and of the world. What has he to tell us?"

"I come to warn Protagoras. He is to be banished. "

"I?"

"You are banished. "

"On what grounds?"

"As a blasphemer. You have repudiated the gods of the State. "

"Who is the informer?"

"The sycophant, the invisible, who is present everywhere. "

"All is probable; nothing is certain, " exclaimed Protagoras. 

"Yes, this is certain. "

"Well, my fabric of thought is shattered against this certainty aseverything else is shattered. "

"[Greek: _Pànta reî_]. Everything flows away; nothing endures; allcomes to birth, grows, and dies. "

"Farewell, then, Aspasia, Socrates, friends, fatherland!

"Farewell!"

Protagoras departed with his mantle drawn over his head. 

"Will Athens miss Protagoras?" asked Aspasia. 

"He has taught the Athenians to think and to doubt; and doubt is thebeginning of wisdom. "

"Aristophanes has murdered Protagoras, and he will murder you someday, Socrates. "

"He has done that already; my wife rejoices at it, but still Ilive. "

"Here comes young Plato with an ominous look. More bad news Iexpect. "

"Expect? I am certain! Sing your dirge, Plato. "

"Dirges, you mean. Alcibiades has been accused and recalled. "

"What has he done?"

"Before his departure he has mutilated all the images of Hermes inthe city. "

"That is too much for one man; he could not do that. "

"The accusation is definite; injury to the gods of the State. "

"And now the gods avenge themselves. "

"The gods of Greece have gone to Rome. "

"There you have spoken truth. "

"Now comes number two: The Athenians have been defeated in Sicily. And number three: Nicias is beheaded. "

"Then we can buy sepulchres for ourselves in the Ceramicus. "

 * * * * *

Near the Temple of Nemesis in the Agora stood the tanner Anytoschatting with Thrasybulos, a hitherto obscure but rising patriot. 

Anytos rattled away: "Alcibiades is in Sparta; Sparta seeks the helpof the Persian King; only one thing remains for us--to do the same. "

"To go over to the enemy? That is treachery. "

"There is nothing else to be done. "

"There were once Thermopylae and Salamis. "

"But now there is Sparta, and the Spartans are in Deceleia. Ourenvoys have already sailed to the Persian King. "

"Then we may as well remove Athene's image from the Parthenon!Anytos! look at my back; for I shall be ashamed to show my face nowwhen I walk. "

Anytos remained alone, and walked for some time up and down in frontof the temple portico. Then he stopped and entered the vestibule. 

The priestess Theano seemed to have been waiting for him. Anytosbegan: "Have you obeyed the order of the Council?"

"What order?"

"To pronounce a curse on Alcibiades, the enemy of his country. "

"No, I am only ordered to bless. "

"Have the avenging goddesses, then, ceased to execute justice?"

"They have never lent themselves to carry out human vengeance. "

"Has Alcibiades not betrayed his country?""Alcibiades' country is Hellas, not Athens; Sparta is in Hellas. "

"Have the gods also become Sophists?"

"The gods have become dumb. "

"Then you can shut the temple--the sooner, the better. "

 * * * * *

The incorrigible Alcibiades had really fled from Sicily to the enemyat Sparta, and now sat at table with King Aegis; for Sparta hadretained the monarchy, while Athens at an early date had abjured it. 

"My friend, " said the King, "I do not like your dining at the commonpublic table, after being accustomed to Aspasia's brilliant feastsin Athens. "

"I! Oh no! My rule was always the simplest food: I went to sleepwith the sun, and rose with the sun. You do not know what a severeascetic I have been. "

"If you say so, I must believe it. Rumour, then, has slandered you?"

"Slandered? Yes, certainly. You remember the scandal about thestatues of Hermes. I did not mutilate them, but they have become mydestruction. "

"Is that also a lie?"

"It is a lie. "

"But tell me something else. Do you think that it is now the will ofthe gods that Sparta should conquer Athens?"

"Certainly, as certainly as virtue will conquer vice. Sparta is thehome of all the virtues, and Athens of all the vices. "

"Now I understand that you are not the man I took you for, and Iwill give you the command of the army. Shall we now march againstAthens?"

"I am ready!"

"Have you no scruple in marching against your own city?"

"I am a Hellene, not an Athenian, Sparta is the chief city ofHellas. "

"Alcibiades is great! Now I go to the general, and this evening wemarch. "

"Go, King! Alcibiades follows. "

The King went, but Alcibiades did not follow, for behind thecurtains of the women's apartment stood the Queen, and waited. Whenthe King had gone, she rushed in. 

"Hail! Alcibiades, my king!"

"Queen, why do you call your servant 'king'?"

"Because Sparta has done homage to you, because I love you, andbecause you are a descendant of heroes. "

"King Aegis the Second lives. "

"Not too long! Win your first battle, and Aegis is dead. "

"Now life begins to smile on the hardly-tried exile. If you knew mychildhood with its sorrows, my youth with its privations! The vinehad not grown for me, woman had not been made for me; Bacchus knewme not; Aphrodite was not my goddess. The chaste Artemis and thewise Pallas guided me past the devious ways of youth to the goal ofknowledge, wisdom, and glory. But when I first saw you, Timia, myqueen. .. . "

"Hush!"

"Then I thought that beauty was more than wisdom. "

"Hush! some one is listening. "

"Who?"

"I, Lysander, the General, " answered a sharp voice, and the speakerstood in the middle of the room. 

"Now I know you, Alcibiades, and I have your head under my arm, butI have the honour of Sparta under the other. Fly before I strangleyou!"

"Your ears have deceived you, Lysander!"

"Fly! do us the kindness to fly! Fifty hoplites stand without, waiting for your head. "

"How many do you say? Fifty? Then I will fly, for I cannot overcomemore than thirty. My queen! farewell! I have thought better ofSparta. This would never have happened in Athens. Now I go to thePersian King; there they understand better what is fitting, andthere I shall not be obliged to eat black broth!"

 * * * * *

Alcibiades sat with the Persian satrap Tissaphernes, and Alcibiadesthe eloquent spoke. "Yes, my teacher Protagoras taught me once, thateverything is born from its opposite; therefore you see my heart canembrace all opposites. Sparta and Athens are both dear to me; thatis to say, both hateful--the state--gods of the one, and the virtuesof the other. "

"You have a great heart, stranger! Is there room in it for Persia?"

"For the whole world. "

"What do you think of our chief city?"

"I love all large cities!"

"But at the present moment, you ought to love ours the most. "

"Yes, I do. ""You must also love our allies. "

"Pardon me, who is your present ally?"

"At present, it is Sparta. "

"Very well, then, I love Sparta. "

"And suppose it is Athens to-morrow?"

"Then I will love Athens to-morrow. "

"Thank you. Now I understand that it is all over with Hellas. OldGreece is so corrupt, that it is hardly worth conquering. "

"Protagoras taught that man is the measure of all things; thereforeI measure the value of all things by myself; what has value for me, that I prize. "

"Is that the teaching of your prophets? Then we have better ones; doyou know Zarathrustra?"

"If it would do you a pleasure, I wish I had known him fromchildhood. "

"Then you might have been able to distinguish good and evil, lightand darkness, Ormuzd and Ahriman. And you would have lived in thehope that light will eventually conquer; and that all discordanceswill be reconciled through suffering. "

"I can at any rate try. Is it a large book?"

"What are the names of your sacred books?"

"Sacred! What is that?"

"From whence do you get your religion, the knowledge of your gods?"

"From Homer, I believe. "

"You do not believe that Zeus is the supreme ruler of the world?"

"Yes, I do certainly. "

"But he was a false swearer and a lecher. "

"Yes! But how can that be helped?"

Tissaphernes rose. "Listen, my guest; we cannot share any commonundertaking, for we do not serve the same gods. You call usbarbarians. I, on my part, know no term of reproach strong enoughfor people who honour such gods. But the Athenians are as rotten asyou, for they have pardoned you. Outside there stands an envoy fromAthens come to beg you to return. Go to Athens; that is your place. "

"To Athens? Never! I do not trust them. "

"Nor they, you! That is appropriate. Go to Athens, and tell yourcountrymen--the Persian does not want them. The vine tendrils seekthe sound elm, but turn away from the rotten cabbage-top. "

Alcibiades had begun to walk up and down the room. That meant thathe was irresolute. 

"Is the Athenian really outside?" he asked. 

"He kneels outside in order to beg the traitor Alcibiades to betheir lord. But listen, you are a democrat, are you not?"

"Yes, of course. "

"Then you must change your point of view, for now an oligarchygoverns Athens. "

"Yes, ah! yes, yes--but I am an aristocrat, the most aristocratic inthe State. "

"Spinning-top! Seek for a whip!"

Alcibiades stood still. "I think, I must speak with the Athenianafter all. "

"Do that! Speak the Athenian language to him! He does not understandPersian. "

 * * * * *

Alcibiades returned to Athens; the death-sentence against him wasannulled; and as a commander who had won a battle, he was able tohave a triumphal procession from Piraeus to the city. But popularfavour was fickle, and, becoming suspected of aspiring to be king, he fled again, this time to the Persian satrap Pharnabazes. Sincehe could not live without intrigues, he was soon entangled in one, unmasked, and condemned, without his knowing it, to death. 

One day he was sitting with his paramour, and chatting quietly athis ease: "You think, then, Timandra, that Cyrus marches againsthis brother Artaxerxes, in order to seize the throne of Persia. "

"I am sure of it, and equally sure that he has ten thousandAthenians under Xenophon with him. "

"Do you know whether Artaxerxes has been warned?"

"Yes, I know it. "

"Who could have warned him?"

"You did. "

"Does Cyrus know that?"

"Yes, he does. "

"Who has betrayed me?"

"I did. "

"Then I am lost. "

"Yes, you are. "

"To think that I must fall through a woman!"

"Did you expect anything else, Alcibiades?"

"No, not really! Can I not fly?"

"You cannot, but I can. "

"I see smoke! Is the house on fire?"

"Yes, it is. And there are archers posted outside!"

"The comedy is over! We return to tragedy. .. . "

"And the satyr-play begins. "

"My feet are hot; generally cold is a precursor of death. "

"Everything is born from its opposite, Alcibiades. "

"Give me a kiss. "

She kissed him, the handsomest man of Athens. 

"Thank you!"

"Go to the window; there you will see!"

Alcibiades stepped to the window. "Now I see. "

At that moment he was struck by an arrow. "But now I see nothing! Itgrows dark, and I thought it would grow light. "

Timandra fled, as the corpse began to burn. 

SOCRATES

Sparta had conquered Athens, and Athens lay in ruins. The governmentby the people was over, and the rule of the Thirty Tyrants hadsucceeded it. Socrates and Euripides walked with sad faces amongthe ruins on the Agora. 

Socrates spoke: "We are on the ruins of Athens' walls! We havebecome Spartans. We would have no tyrants, and now thirty rule overus. "

"I go to the North, " said Euripides, "to Macedonia, whither I aminvited. "

"In that you are right, for the Tyrants have forbidden the acting ofyour tragedies. "

"That is true. "

"And they have forbidden me to teach. "

"Have they forbidden Socrates to speak? No! Then he can teach, forhe cannot speak without teaching. But they must have forbidden theoracles to speak, for they have ceased to prophesy. Everything hasceased! Hellas has ceased to be! And why?"

"You may well ask. Has Zeus begotten the son who is to overthrowhim, as Aeschylus foretold?"

"Who knows? The people have introduced a new God called Adonai orAdonis. He is from the East, and his name signifies the Lord. "

"Who is the new god?"

"He teaches readiness for death, and the resurrection. And they havealso got a new goddess. Have you heard of Cybele, the mother of thegods, a virgin, who is worshipped in Rome like Vesta by vestalpriests. "

"There is so much that is new and obscure, like wine in fermentation. There comes Aristophanes. Farewell, my friend, for the last time herein life. "

"Wait! Aristophanes beckons! No, see! he weeps! Aristophanes weeps!"

Aristophanes approached. "Euripides, " he said, "don't go till I havespoken to you. "

"Can you speak?" answered Euripides. 

"I weep. "

"Do not quit your role. Shall that represent tears?"

"Sympathise with a companion in distress, Euripides; the Tyrantshave closed my theatre. "

"Socrates, shall I sympathise with my executioner?"

"I believe that the Temple of Nemesis has been opened again, "answered Socrates. "Aristophanes has never been ingenuous hitherto;now he is so with a vengeance. Very well, Aristophanes, I sympathisewith you that you can no more scoff at me. I pardon you, but Icannot help you to stage your comedies. That is asking too much. NowI follow Euripides home. "

 * * * * *

Socrates sat by Aspasia, who had grown elderly. "Euripides has goneto Macedonia, " he said. 

"From his wives. "

"You have become bitter. "

"I am tired of seeing ruins and all the rest. The Tyrants aremurdering the citizens. "

"That is the occupation of tyrants. "

"Shall we soon have rest?"

"In the Ceramicus, in a cedar coffin. "

"I will not die; I will live, but quietly. "

"Life is not quiet. "

"Yes, if one is well off. "

"One never is. "

"No, not if one is unhappily married, like you, Socrates. "

"My wife is certainly the worst possible; if she had not had me fora husband, she would long ago have been murdered. "

"Xantippe betrays you with her gossiping; and when she does notunderstand what you say, she gives others distorted ideas of youropinions and your person. "

"Yes, I know that, but I cannot alter it. "

"Why do you continue in such a state of humiliation?"

"Why should I fly? One is only justified in flying from superiorforce, and Xantippe is not a superior force to me. "

"You are forbidden, on pain of death, to give instruction; that isher work and that of Anytos. "

"She may bring about my death, if she likes, for then she has onlybrought about my freedom. .. . Aspasia, I hear that our friendship ison the decline; you have found new friends, you have become anotherperson. Let me say farewell before Lysicles comes. "

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, and the whole town speaks of your coming marriage. "

"With the cattle-dealer, Lysicles?"

"Yes, that is your affair; I don't talk about it. " "But you think Ishould have cherished Pericles' memory better?"

"I would fain have seen Aspasia's memory better preserved; but sinceI have seen Athenians adorn themselves with garlands to celebrateAthens' overthrow; since I have seen Phidias. .. . "

"How, then, will Socrates end?""Certainly not like Aspasia. "

"The gods jest with us. Beware! O Socrates!"

 * * * * *

Socrates was at last in prison, accused of having seduced the youth, and blasphemed or repudiated the gods of the State. Among theaccusers were a young poetaster, Melitos, the tanner Anytos, and theorator Lykon. 

Socrates made his Apology, and declared that he had always believedon God, and the voice of his conscience, which he called his"demon. " He was condemned to drink hemlock, and kept in prison, where, however, he was allowed to see his wife and his few remainingfriends. 

Just now his wife was with him, and wept. 

"Weep not, " said Socrates; "it is not your fault. "

"Will you see the children?"

"Why should I lacerate their little souls with a uselessleave-taking? Go to them and comfort them; divert their mindswith an expedition to the woods. "

"Shall we rejoice while you are dying?"

"Rejoice that my sufferings come to an end! Rejoice that I die withhonour. "

"Have you no last wish?"

"I wish for nothing, except peace and freedom from your foolishtears and sighs, and your disturbing lamentations. Go, woman, andsay to yourself that Socrates wants to sleep for he is tired and outof humour; say to yourself that he will wake again, refreshed, rejuvenated, happy and amiable. "

"I wish you had taught me all this before; you had nothing to learnfrom me. "

"Yes! I have learnt from you patience and self-control. "

"Do you forgive me?"

"I cannot, for I have done it already. Say farewell now, as though Iwere going on a journey. Say 'We meet again, ' as though I were soonreturning!"

"Farewell, then, Socrates, and be not angry with me. "

"No, I am always well-disposed towards you. "

"Farewell, my husband, for ever. "

"Not for ever. You wish to see me again, don't you? Put on acheerful face, and say, 'We meet again. '"

"We meet again. "

"Good! and when we meet again, we will go with the children togetherinto the woods. "

"Socrates was not what I thought he was. "

"Go! I want to sleep. "

She went, but met in the doorway Plato and Crito. 

"The hour approaches, friends, " said Socrates wearily, and withfeverish eyes. 

"Are you calm, Master?"

"To say the truth, I am quite calm. I will not assert that I amjoyful, but my conscience does not trouble me. "

"When, Socrates, when--will it happen?"

"You mean, When is it to happen, --the last thing? Plato, my friend, my dearest . .. It hastens. .. . I have just now enjoyed a sleep. Ihave been over the river on the other side; I have seen for a momentthe original forms of imperishable Beauty, of which things on earthare only dim copies. .. . I have seen the future, the destinies of thehuman race; I have spoken to the mighty, the lofty, and the pure; Ihave learnt the wise Order which guides the apparent great disorder;I trembled at the unfathomable secret of the Universe of which I hada glimmering perception, and I felt the immensity of my ignorance. Plato, you shall write what I have seen. You shall teach thechildren of men to estimate things at their proper value, to look upto the Invisible with awe, to revere Beauty, to cultivate virtue, and to hope for final deliverance, as they work, through faithfulperformance of duty and self-renunciation. "

He went to the bed, and lay down. 

Plato followed him, "Are you ill, Master?"

"No, I have been; but now I am getting well. "

"Have you already. .. . "

"I have already emptied the cup!"

"Our Wisest leaves us. "

"No mortal is wise! But I thank the gods who gave me modesty andconscience. "

There was silence in the room. 

"Socrates is dead!"

FLACCUS AND MARO

After the death of Socrates, the greatness of Athens was no more. Sparta ruled for a time, and then came the turn of Thebes. Subsequently the Macedonians invaded the country, and governed ittill the year 196 B. C. , when the Romans conquered both Macedonia andGreece, and completely destroyed Corinth, but spared Athens, whichwas deprived of its fortifications under Sulla, on account of thegreat memories which gathered round it. 

Now, in Julius Caesar's time, it had become the fashion to sendyouths to Athens to study Grammar, Rhetoric, and Philosophy there. There was no great philosopher there, but they studied the historyof philosophy. There was also no religion, for no one believed onthe gods of the State, although, from old habit, they celebrated thesacrificial feasts. 

Athens was dead, and so was the whole of the ancient world--Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor. In Rome they lived on the memories of the past ofGreece, and the greatest Roman, Cicero, when he wished to discusssome philosophic theme, always commenced by citing the opinions ofthe ancient Greeks on the subject; he also closed in the same way, for he had no original opinion of his own on any subject, such asthe nature of the gods, &c. 

One early spring day, during the last years of Julius Caesar, twostudents sat in an arbour below Lykabettos, opposite the college ofKynosarges. Wine was on the table, but they did not seem verydevoted to their yellow "Chios. " They sat there with an air ofindifference, as though they were waiting for something. The sameatmosphere of lethargy seemed to pervade their surroundings. The innkeeper sat and dozed; the youths in the college oppositelounged at the door; pedestrians on the high road went by withoutgreeting anyone; the peasant in the field sat on his plough, andwiped the sweat from his forehead. 

The elder of the two students fingered his glass, and at last openedhis mouth. 

"Say something!"

"I have nothing to say, for I know nothing. "

"Have you already learnt everything?"

"Yes. ""I came yesterday from Rome with great hopes of being able to learnsomething new and of hearing something remarkable, but I hear onlysilence. "

"My dear Maro, I have been here for years, and I have listened, but heard nothing new. I have heard in the Poikile that Thalesmaintained that there were no gods, but that everything had beenproduced from moisture. I have further heard Anaximines' doctrinethat air was the source of all things; Pherecydes' doctrine of etheras the original principle; Heraclitus' doctrine of fire. Anaximanderhas taught me that the universe came from some primitive substance;Leucippus and Democritus spoke to me of empty space with primitivecorpuscles or atoms. Anaxagoras made believe that the atom hadreason. Xenophanes wished to persuade me that God and the Universewere one. Empedocles, the wisest of the whole company, despairedat the imperfection of reason, and went in despair and flunghimself head foremost into Etna's burning mountain. "

"Do you believe that?"

"No! it may well be a lie like everything else. Then I learnt anumber of interesting doctrines from Plato which were subsequentlyall confuted by Aristotle. At last I took up my position with thewisest of the wise--Socrates, who openly declared, as you know, thathe knew nothing. "

"That is the same as the Sophists said, --that one knew nothing, andhardly so much. "

"You are right, and our good Socrates was a Sophist, without wishingto be one. But there is one, a single one, who. .. . Yes, I meanPythagoras. He has proclaimed this and that doctrine in the East andthe West, but I have found one anchor in his philosophy, and I havegripped firm ground with it. I certainly swing in the wind, but I donot drift away from it. "

"Tell me. "

"Do what you think right at the risk of being banished from yourcountry; the mob cannot judge what is right. Therefore you shouldthink little of their praise, and despise their blame. Cultivate thefriendship of kindred spirits, but regard the rest of mankind as aworthless mass. Always be at war with 'the beans' (he means thedemocrats). 'Odi profanum vulgus et arceo!'"

"You ought to live at home in Rome, Flaccus, where. .. . "

"Yes, what are you doing now in Rome?"

"Caesar is Caesar; he conquers the world, and unites all the highestfunctions, even the priestly, in his own person. I have nothingagainst it, but they say he is aiming at his own deification. "

"Why not? All gods have first been heroes, and many gods have notbeen so great as Caesar. Romulus was certainly no giant, though hehad the luck to come first, as someone must. Now he is a god, has atemple, and they sacrifice to him. "

"It is probably a lie, like everything else. "

"Probably. ""Yes, I have heard another legend of the founding of Rome by Aeneas'son Ascanius, who fled from Troy; and I intend to take it as thestarting-point of my great poem. .. . "

"You mean the _Aeneid_, of which I have heard mention. "

"Yes, the _Aeneid_. "

"Is it difficult to write poetry?"

"No; one follows good patterns. Hitherto Theocritus has been mine, but now I shall go to Father Homer himself. "

"By Heracles! Now there you will be undisturbed--so long, that is, as Maecenas sends you the sesterces regularly. "

"Yes, he does! But how do you get along?"

"My father, a freedman, toils as quaestor, and will find me aplace. "

"Have you no interests, no passions, no ambitions?""No; what should I do with them? 'Nihil admirari. ' That is my motto. If there are gods who guide the destinies of men and nations, whyshould I interfere and wear myself out in a useless struggle? Thinkof Demosthenes, who for thirty years delivered speeches against theMacedonian, and warned his countrymen, who would not listen to him!The gods were with the Macedonian, and condemned Hellas to beoverthrown. Demosthenes was imprisoned. Comically enough, he wasaccused of having been bribed by the same Macedonian. That was, ofcourse, a lie. This patriot who sacrificed himself for the salvationof his fatherland, who believed he was fighting on the gods' side, had to take poison, and fell, fighting against the gods! Vestigiaterrent!"

During their conversation, the sun had gone down, and now in thetwilight beacons were visible flaming on Aegina, on Salamis, byPhaleros, in the Piraeus, and finally on the Acropolis. The murmursfrom the city became louder till they rose to one immense paean ofjoy. Men came down the streets, and brought their wives and childrenwith them, some on foot, others riding and driving. The worthyinnkeeper Agathon was aroused, and went out into the highway tolearn the cause of the confusion. The two students had gone on theinn roof to look out. But they surmised danger for foreigners likethemselves, and, alarmed by the ever louder shouting, descendedagain, and concealed themselves in the wine-press. At last Agathon'svoice was heard: "Caesar is assassinated! Death to the Romans!Freedom for Hellas!"

Such was the news. The garden of the inn filled with people, wineflowed, and shouts of joy resounded, varied by sarcastic remarks onthe passing Romans who were fleeing northwards from the town inorder to reach the Macedonian frontier. 

Maro and Flaccus underwent great anxiety, hidden as they were in thevat of the wine-press, from which hiding-place they heard the wholenews, with its accompanying details. Caesar had been assassinated byCassius and Brutus in the Capitol. 

"Brutus?" whispered Maro. "Then it is certainly over with theCaesars, just as the old Brutus made an end of the Kings!"

And Brutus was flying to Hellas to rouse the Greeks against theRomans. "Long live Brutus!" they cried in the garden. 

"Then we shall live also!" said the pliant Flaccus. "Caesar is dead;let us do homage to Brutus for the present. "

 * * * * *

Many years had passed when the former student of Athens, QuintusHoratius Flaccus, was walking one day in the garden of his villaon the Sabine Hills. This villa he had received as a gift from hisfriend Maecenas, who possessed a splendid country-house close by inTibur itself. 

Horace was now a very famous poet, but still essentially the same ashe had been when a student in Athens. Destiny or the gods had playedwith him, but the poet had taken it as a good joke on the part ofthe Higher Powers, and answered it with a satire. After the murder ofCaesar, Brutus had fled to Greece, and been so well received there, that the Athenians had erected a statue to him, and raised troops forhim against Antonius and the other generals, among whom was theinvalid Octavianus (afterwards Augustus). 

Horace was compelled to serve as a soldier, and actually commanded alegion at Philippi, where Brutus fell. The poet, who was no warrior, fled from the superior force of the enemy, and came to Rome, where, after the amnesty had been proclaimed, he became a clerk in a publicoffice. At the same time he had begun to write verses, was discoveredby Maecenas, and received his reward in the form of an estate. 

The Emperor Augustus admired him, and offered him a position assecretary, but Horace refused, partly because he could never seeanything else but an usurper in this Emperor, partly because heloved freedom and independence above all things. 

Just now he was walking in his garden, whose fruit-trees he hadhimself cultivated. He plucked roses and hyacinths, for he awaitedthe visit of a favourite guest, his old friend and fellow-student ofAthens, Publius Virgilius Maro, as well known as Horace himself, although he had not yet allowed his _Aeneid_ to appear inmanuscript. 

A table was laid in a vine-arbour; flagons of old Massisian andFalernian lay already on ice, oysters and eels were there; a kid andsome quails were roasting on the spit in the kitchen; fruit had beenplucked in the garden; and the only thing wanting on the table, which had been laid for two persons, were flowers. 

A little slave, who was able to write, ran to and fro between thegarden-gate and the dove-tower, in order to look out for theexpected guest. The poet was standing at the water-barrel andwashing his hands, after he had finished plucking flowers, whensomeone clapped him on the shoulder. 

"Virgil! Which way have you come, then?"

"Over the hills of Tibur from Maecenas. "

"Welcome, wanderer, whichever way you have come! Sit down--you mustbe tired--in my hemicyklion, under the olives I planted myself, while the spits turn, and they ply the chopping-knife. Here you seemy plot of land which represents the world to me. "

Their first greetings and questions were over, and the two friendssat down to the table. The host was certainly an Epicurean or votaryof pleasure; but in order to be able to enjoy, one must be moderate, and the meal, judging by Roman customs, was quite a frugal one, butsimple and brilliant. Then the cups were passed round, and the wineawoke memories in spite of its supposed lethal capacity of quenchingthem. 

"Well, you were in the war, friend?" began Virgil. 

"Yes, and I fled disgracefully, as you know. "

"I have read so in one of your poems, but it is said not to be true, and you have slandered yourself. "

"Have I? Perhaps! One talks nonsense when one writes. "

"You poet, do you remember how you asked me in Athens whether itwere difficult? How did you come to write?"

"I needed money!"

"Now you slander yourself again! If all clients who needed moneycould write, the world would be full of poets. "

"Well, perhaps it was not so. But speak of yourself--of your_Aeneid_. "

Virgil looked gloomy: "Of that I will not speak. "

"Is it finished?"

"More than that! It is done with!"

"Done with?"

"Yes! When I read it, I found it a failure! It was not Homer; it wasnothing. It was a punishment, because I wished to outshine myfather. "

"Have you destroyed it?"

"Not yet; but it is sealed up, in order to be destroyed after mydeath. "

"Now _you_ are slandering yourself, and you are depressed, Maro, notby years, not by work, but by something else. "

"Yes, by something else. The future disturbs me!"

Horace shook his cup and recited: [Footnote: Hor. Od. I. Ii. ] "Do not goto the astrologers, Leuconoe. Better bear life as it comes. Be wise, clear your wine! While we speak, envious life is flying. Enjoy thepresent, and think as little as possible about the future. "

"That I cannot!" broke in Virgil. "I cannot drown myself in my cups, when I see my fatherland perishing. "

"Has Rome ever been so powerful as it is now? Do we not possess thewhole known world--Egypt, Syria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Gaul, Britain? And yet we live in a time of peace: the Temple ofJanus is closed; the earth rejoices; the arts flourish; and commercewas never so active as at present. "

"Yes, the peace that precedes a war. For all these conquered nationsare awake, and have an eye on Rome. Not on Greece as before, forGreece is barren and laid waste, and passes into the great silence. Do you know that Sulla and Mithridates have gone slaying andpillaging over Hellas, so that science and art have fled to theEgyptian Alexandria or the growing Byzantium? Do you know thatpirates, whose origin is unknown, from the East, have recentlyplundered every temple in Hellas, so that hardly any religiousservice can be held there? The oracles are dumb, the poets are silentlike song-birds in a storm, the great tragedies are no longerperformed; people rather go to see farces and gladiatorial shows. Hellas is a ruin, and Rome will soon be one. "

"Times are bad, I grant, but every time has been one of decay, andhas, however, prepared the way for a new epoch. The fallen leaves ofautumn form a forcing-bed for the coming spring; Nature, life, andhistory ever renew themselves through death. Therefore death is tome only a renewal, a change, and whenever I meet a funeral, I alwayssay to myself, 'O how pleasant it is to live!'"

"My dear Flaccus, you live with your dreams in the Golden Age, whilewe others only drag ourselves through this life of the Iron Age. Doyou remember how Hesiod complains already of his own time?"

"No, I have forgotten that, but in order to oblige you I willlisten. "

"'The people of to-day are an iron race, and never rest from theburden of work, neither by day nor by night. They are a sinful folk, and the gods send them heavy troubles. But even when they send joy, this turns to their misfortune. Some day Zeus will destroy them, these many-tongued people, when they are born with grey locks ontheir temples. Yes, our children are born old men already, toothless, wrinkled and with bald heads. The father is not gracious to the child, nor the child to the father, nor the guest to his host, nor servantto fellow-servant, nor brother to brother. Children dishonour theirold parents, revile them and speak unfriendly words--these youngscoundrels who know nothing of divine vengeance, and never thank theirageing parents for their fostering care of them as children. Might isright, and one city destroys another. Honesty and faithfulness inkeeping vows are never rewarded, as little as kindness or justice. Oh no, they who practise sin and break the law, demand honour. Scoundrels betray noble men, and commit perjury without scruple. Envy follows men, these unhappy ones with their harsh voices anddreadful faces, who rejoice over the evil and the mischief which theydo. '"

"Yes, so Hesiod spoke a thousand years ago, and I must confess hiswords are well deserved, but what can one do?"

"Yes, they are. Cicero was murdered, and I feel inclined to followthe example of Cato, who died in order to escape sin. I sink, Flaccus, in lies and hypocrisy. But I will not sink . .. I willmount. I have praised Augustus and his son Marcellus in my verses, but I believe no more in them, for they are not the future. Therefore the _Aeneid_ shall be burnt!"

"You disquiet me, Maro. But what do you believe in?"

"I believe in the Sibyl, who has prophesied that the Iron Age willend, and the Golden Age return. "

"You have sung of that in the Fourth Eclogue, I remember. .. . Haveyou fever?"

"I believe I have. Do you remember--no! our fathers remember whenthe Capitol was burnt, and the Sibylline books destroyed. But nownew books have come from Alexandria, and in them they have read thata new era will begin; that Rome will be destroyed but built upagain, and that a Golden Age. .. . "

Here the seer was silent. Then he continued: "Pardon me, Flaccus, but I am poorly, and must ride home before the mists rise from theCampagna. "

"Eheu fugaces, Postume, Postume! Labuntur anni! I will follow you, friend, on my ass, for you are sick. But 'the man of righteous heartand rock-like purpose will not be shaken nor terrified by the blindzeal of the citizens commanding evil, nor the glance of thethreatening tyrant. .. . If the walls of the world fall in, they willbury him unterrified beneath their ruin. '"

 * * * * *

Some days later Virgil died in Naples. His will was opened, andactually found to contain a request that his _Aeneid_ should beburnt. But it was not carried out. Posterity has passed variousjudgments on this ignoring of a dead man's wish--some think it wasa pity; others that it was a good thing. 

When Christianity arrived, Virgil was enrolled among the prophets. The _Aeneid_ was regarded as a Sibylline book and included in theliturgy. Pilgrimages were made to the poet's tomb. And later on hewas raised to the rank of a saint by Dante. 

LEONTOPOLIS

A caravan was encamped on a height eastward of the ancient Egyptiantown Heliopolis. There were many people in it, but all were Hebrews. They had come on camels and asses from Palestine through the desert--the same desert which the Israelites had passed through thousandsof years before. 

In the evening twilight, by the faint light of the half-moon, hundreds of camp-fires were to be seen, and by them sat the womenwith their little children while the men carried water. 

Never yet had the desert beheld so many little children, and, asthey were now being put to bed for the night, the camp echoed withtheir cries. It was like an enormous nursery. But when the washingwas over, and the little ones were laid to their mothers' breasts, the cries one after the other ceased, and there was completesilence. Under a sycamore tree sat a woman, and suckled her child;close by stood a Hebrew, feeding his ass with branches of thebroom plant; when he had done that, he went higher up the hill, andlooked towards the north. A foreigner--a Roman, to judge by his dress--passed, and regarded the woman with the child closely, as thoughhe were counting them. 

The Hebrew showed signs of uneasiness, and began a conversation withthe Roman, in order to divert his attention from the woman. 

"Say, traveller, is that the City of the Sun there in the west?"

"You see it!" answered the Roman. 

"Then it is Bethshemesh. "

"Heliopolis, from which both Greeks and Romans have derived theirwisdom; Plato himself has been here. "

"Can Leontopolis also be seen from here?"

"You see the pinnacles of its temple two miles northward. "

"But that is the land of Goshen, which our father Abraham visited, and which Jacob had portioned out to him, " said the Hebrew, turningto his wife, who only answered with an inclination of her head. Then, speaking to the Roman, he continued, "Israel wandered fromEgypt to Canaan. But after the Babylonish captivity a part of themreturned and settled down here. You know that. "

"Yes, I know that. And now the Israelites here have increased tillthey number many thousand souls, and have built a temple forthemselves, which you see standing in the distance. Did you knowthat?"

"Yes, something about it. So that, then, is Roman territory?"

"Yes. Everything is Roman now--Syria, Canaan, Greece, Egypt--Germany, Gaul, Britain; the world belongs to Rome, according tothe prophecy of the Cumaean Sibyl. "

"Good! But the world is to be redeemed through Israel, according toGod's promise to our father Abraham. "

"I have heard that fable also, but for the present Rome has thefulfilment of the promise. Do you come from Jerusalem?"

"I come through the desert like the others, and I bring wife andchild with me. "

"Child--yes! Why do you Hebrews carry so many children with you?"

The Hebrew was silent, but since he perceived that the Roman knewthe reason, and since the latter looked like a benevolent man, heresolved to tell the truth. 

"Herod the King heard from the Wise Men of the East the prophecythat a King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem in the land ofJudaea. In order to escape the supposed danger, Herod had all thechildren recently born in that district put to death. Just asPharaoh once had our first-born put to death here. But Moses wassaved, in order to free our people from the Egyptian bondage. "

"Well! but who was this King of the Jews to be?"

"The promised Messiah. "

"Do you believe that he is born?""I cannot tell. "

"I can, " said the Roman. "He is born; he will rule the world, andbring all people under his sceptre. "

"And who will that be?"

"The Emperor, Augustus. "

"Is he of Abraham's seed or of David's house? No. And has he comewith peace, as Isaiah prophesied, 'His kingdom shall be great, andof peace there shall be no end'? The Emperor is certainly not a manof peace. "

"Farewell, Israelite. Now you are a Roman subject. Be content withthe redemption through Rome. We know not of any other. "

The Roman departed. 

The Hebrew approached his wife. "Mary!" he said. 

"Joseph!" she answered. "Hush! The child sleeps. "

THE LAMB

Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch, had come to Jerusalem, because therewas much unrest among the populace. He had taken up his dwellingwith Pilate, the Governor. Since on the preceding evening he hadwitnessed a gladiatorial show in the circus and then taken part inan orgy, he slept late into the morning--so late that his host, whowas waiting for his guest, had gone upon the roof. 

There lay the Holy City, with Mount Moriah and the Temple, Zion andDavid's House. To the north-west and west there stretched the Valleyof Sharon to the Mediterranean Sea, which in the clear air appearedlike a blue streak at a distance of five miles. 

In the east there rose the Mount of Olives, with its gardens andvineyards, olives, figs and terebinths, below ran the brook Kedronwhose banks were decked in their spring apparel of flourishinglaurels, tamarisks, and willows. 

The Governor was restless, and often paused to stand by the parapetof the roof in order to look down into the forecourt of the Temple. Here numbers of people moved about busily, forming themselves intoknots which dissolved and then formed larger groups. 

At last the Tetrarch appeared. He had overslept himself, and hiseyes were blood-shot. He gave the Governor a brief greeting, andsettled himself as though for a conversation. But he found it hardto bring out a word; his head hung down, and he did not know how tobegin, for the orgies of the preceding night had made him forgetwhat he had come for. 

Pilate came to his help: "Speak, Herod; your heart is full, and yourmind uneasy. "

"What do you say, my brother?"

"We were speaking yesterday of the strange man who stirs up thepeople. "

"Quite right! I had John beheaded. Is it he who is going about?"

"No, it is another one now. "

"Are there two of them?"

"Yes, this is another one. "

"But they have the same history--a prophecy which foretold theirbirth, and the fable of a supernatural origin, just like the Perseusof mythology, and the philosopher Plato in history. Is it aconfusion of persons?"

"No, not at all. "

"What is his name? Josua, Jesse. .. ?"

"His name is Jesus, and he is said to have passed his childhood inthe Egyptian towns Heliopolis and Leontopolis. "

"Then he must be a magician or wizard; can he not come and divertme?"

"It is difficult to find him, for he is now in one place, now inanother. But we will question the High Priest; I have had himcalled, and he waits below. "

"Why is there this commotion in the court of the Temple?"

"They are going to erect the Emperor's statue in the Holy ofHolies. "

"Quite right! Our gracious Emperor Tiberius lives like a madman onCapri, and is pummelled by his nephew Caligula, if the offspring ofincest can be called a nephew. And now he is to become a god. Ha!Ha!"

"Antiochus Epiphanes had the statue of Zeus set up in the Holy ofHolies. He, however, _was_ a god. But to set up this beast, Tiberius, means a tumult. "

"What are we to do? Call the Priest here. "

Pilate went and fetched the High Priest Caiaphas. 

Herod closed his eyes, and folded his hands over his breast. Heregarded all matters of business as an interruption to hispleasures, and generally liked to cut them short. When Pilatereturned with Caiaphas, the Tetrarch awoke from his doze, and didnot know where he was, or what they were talking about. Pilatestepped forward, aroused him to consciousness, and directedhis attention to the matter in hand. 

"There is a tumult in the Temple, " was his first observation, forthat disturbed his sleep. "Ah! the Priest is here. What is themeaning of the uproar below?"

"It is the Galilaean, who has taken to using force, and has driventhe money-changers out of the Temple. "

Herod's curiosity was aroused: "I should like to see him. "

"He has already gone. "

"Tell us, High Priest, who is this man? Is he the Messiah?"

"That is incredible. The son of a poor carpenter, who is weak inthe head!"

"Is he a prophet?"

"He stirs up the people, he breaks the law, he is a glutton andwine-bibber, and he blasphemes God. Yes, he says that he himself isGod, the Son of the Highest. "

"Have you witnesses to this?"

"Yes, but they contradict each other. "

"Then procure better witnesses, who will agree. But now, Priest, wemust talk of something else. You know that the Senate have decreedthe apotheosis of the Emperor, and that his image is to be set up inthe Temple. What do you think about it?"

"We live by the favour of the Emperor. But if this abomination isdone, we will all die as the Maccabees did. "

"Then die!"

Caiaphas considered a moment before he answered. "I will summon theSanhedrim, and tell them what the Emperor wishes. "

"Yes, do that. And before the Passover you must bring the Galilaeanbefore me, for I wish to see him. "

"I will. "

"Then go in peace. "

Caiaphas retired. 

"They are a hard people, these Israelites, " said Pilate, for want ofsomething better to say. "I am also of Israel, " answered Herodsomewhat curtly, "for I am an Edomite, of Esau's race, and my motherwas a Samaritan, belonging to the despised people. "

Pilate saw that he had made a slip, and therefore struck the groundthree times with his official staff. A large trap-door opened, and atable came up covered with all kinds of delicacies according toRoman taste. 

Herod's countenance cleared. 

 * * * * *

In the Court of the Priests stood Caiaphas and Annas, and spoke witheach other. 

"Since we cannot avert the abomination, " said Caiaphas, "and theEmperor's image is to be erected in the Holy of Holies, and thepeople will be destroyed if there is an insurrection, it is betterfor us to bring an offering to the Lord, and that one man die forthe people. "

"You are right. An extraordinary atoning sacrifice is necessary, andas the Passover is approaching, let us sacrifice the Galilaean. "

"Good! But the offering should be pure. Is the Galilaean pure?"

"Pure as a lamb. "

"May he then take Israel's sins upon him, that we may be set freethrough his blood. Who brings him into our hands?"

"One of his disciples, who stands outside. "

"Fetch him in. "

John, later known as the "Evangelist, " was brought in, and Caiaphasbegan to examine him. 

"What do you say concerning your teacher? Has he transgressed thelaw of Moses?"

"He has fulfilled the law. "

"But what new commandment has he introduced into our holy law?"

"Love one another. "

"Did he say he was the King of the Jews?"

"The Master said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. '"

"Has he not made children rebel against their parents?"

"The Master said, 'He who loveth father or mother more than me isnot worthy of me. '"

"Did he not say that one has a right to neglect one's duties as acitizen?"

"The Master said, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and Hisrighteousness. '"

"Did he tell labourers to leave their work?"

"The Master said, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and areheavy-laden. '"

"Did he say that he would conquer the world?"

"The Master said, 'In the world ye have tribulation, but be of goodcheer; I have overcome the world. '"

Caiaphas was weary: "According to all that I have heard andperceived, this man has not answered a single question. "

"The Master answers in spirit and in truth, but you ask according tothe flesh and the letter. We are not the children of one spirit. "

"I don't understand. "

"He has sent me to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal thebroken in heart, to preach deliverance to the captives, to givesight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. "

"What you speak in foolishness, young man, can neither bring creditto you nor to your teacher. "

"Woe unto you when men praise you, and he who departeth from evilmaketh himself a prey. "

Caiaphas turned to Annas: "This is not the man who will deliver theGalilaean up to us. "

"They have sent another one--Listen! Is your name Iscariot?"

"No; my name is John. "

"Then go in peace, but send us Iscariot instead. But wait! Give usin two words the teaching of your Master regarding the meaning oflife. "

"Death is a gain for the righteous, " answered John without stoppingto think. 

"Is life not itself. .. ?"

"Through death ye shall enter into life. "

"We have heard enough. Go. "

But Caiaphas repeated to himself, as though he thought he wouldunderstand those words in his own mouth better: "Death is a gain forthe righteous. "

Now there arose a clamour from the market-place and the hall ofjustice. Annas and Caiaphas went out upon the battlemented walls tofind out the cause. Levites were standing there, and looking down. 

"Has he been taken?"

"He has already been seized as an inciter to insurrection, becausehe bade his disciples to sell their garments and buy a sword. "

"Have they found them with weapons?"

"They have found two swords. "

"Then he is already condemned. "

Then they heard a cry rise from the crowd before the Court ofJustice--at first difficult to distinguish, but ever clearer. Thepeople were crying "Crucify! Crucify!"

"Is that not too severe, regarded as a punishment?" said Caiaphas. 

"No, " answered the Levite; "one of his disciples called Simon orPeter drew his sword and wounded one of the servants calledMalchus. "

"Do we need any more witnesses?"

"But the Teacher said, 'Put up thy sword into its sheath, for theythat take the sword, shall perish with the sword. '"

"That is a difficult saying, " said Annas, and went down. But thepeople continued to cry, "Crucify! Crucify!"

THE WILD BEAST

Before the temple of Jupiter Latiaris in Rome, two men of the middleclasses met each other. They both remained standing in order tocontemplate the new temple, which was different from all others, andlooked as if it had felt the effects of an earthquake. The basementhad the shape of a roof; the columns stood reversed with theircapitals below, and the roof was constructed like a basementwith cellar-windows. 

"So we meet here again, Hebrew, " said one of the two, who resembleda Roman merchant. "Was it not in Joppa that we last met?"

"Yes, " answered the Hebrew. "One meets the Roman everywhere; he isat home everywhere; one also meets the Hebrew everywhere, but he isat home nowhere. But tell me, whose temple is this?"

"This is the Temple of the Wild Beast, the Emperor Caligula, themadman, the murderer, the incestuous. He has erected it to himself;his image stands within; and the madman comes every day to worshiphimself. "

So saying, the Roman made a sign on his forehead, moving theforefinger of his right hand first from above, below, and then fromleft to right. 

The Hebrew looked at him in astonishment. 

"Are you not a Roman?"

"Yes, I am a Roman Christian. "

"Where do you live?""Here under Rome, in the catacombs. "

He pointed to a hole in the ground, which resembled those that leddown to the cloacae. 

"Do you live here under the ground?"

"Yes, that is where we Christians live; there we lie like seed inthe earth, and germinate. "

"Those are grave-vaults down there. "

"Yes, we are buried with Christ, and await the resurrection. "

"Have you a temple down there?"

"We have our religious service there, and to-day we celebrate thebirth of Christ. "

"Someone is coming down the street, " said the Hebrew. The Roman opened the trap-door in the ground in order to descend. From below the sounds of a choral hymn were heard. "The City hath noneed of the moon, neither of the sun, for the glory of God dothlighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. "

"Who is the Lamb?" asked the Hebrew. 

"Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the World. "

"Do you think the world is redeemed, while this mad Caligula. .. . "

"The world will be redeemed, if we continue to hope. "

"You have, then, taken the promise away from Israel?"

"No, we have inherited the promise, for Christ was of the stock ofIsrael. "

"Someone is coming. "

"Then farewell. We shall always meet, for the earth is ours. "

In the temple, which people called "the world turned upside down, "a man slunk along the walls in a state of panic, as though he wereafraid to display his back. He had the face of a youth without anyhair round it. His upper lip was drawn upwards on the left side, andshowed a long canine tooth, while at the same time his right eyeshot a sharp glance like a poisonous arrow. 

He glided along the wall to the apse, where an image was erected. Itwas a likeness of the timid man himself, representing him exactlyeven to his clothes. 

"Is the priest there?" the mad Emperor whispered, for it was he. 

No answer followed. 

"Priest, dear priest, I am so frightened. Are you not coming?"

A sacrificial priest came forward, fell on his knee before theEmperor, and worshipped him. 

"Jupiter, Optimus, Maximus, Latiaris, frighten away thy foes. "

"Have I foes, then? Yes, and that is what frightens me. Do youbelieve that I am God?"

"Thou art. "

"Let us then have thunder, to frighten my foes. "

The priest beat upon a kettledrum, and the echoes rolled through thetemple. 

The Emperor laughed, so that all his teeth were visible. 

"Priest!" he cried as he seated himself on his throne, "now youshall sacrifice to me. "

The priest kindled a fire on the little altar before the madman. 

The Emperor said, "The scent is good. Now I am the mightiest inheaven and on earth. I rule over living and dead; I cast intoTartarus and lift into Elysium. How mighty I am! I tame the waves ofthe sea, and command the storm to cease: I hold sway over theplanets in their courses; I myself have created chaos, and the humanrace lie at my feet, from the primeval forests of Britain to thesources of the Nile, which I alone have discovered. I have mademy favourite horse consul, and the people have acknowledged hisconsulship. Priest! Worship me! Or do you forget who I am? No, I amI, and I shall always worship myself in my own image. Caius CaesarCaligula, I honour thee, Lord of the world, how I honour myself!Jupiter Latiaris Caligula!"

He fell before the image on his knee. 

"Some one is coming, " said the priest warningly. 

"Kill him. "

"It is the tribune, Cassius Chaeraea!"

"Frighten him away. "

"Chaeraea does not let himself be frightened. "

The tribune came in fearlessly and without ceremony. 

"Caius Caesar, your wife is dead. "

"All the better, " answered the Emperor. 

"They have dashed your only child against a wall. "

"Ah, how pleasant!" laughed the madman. 

"And now you are to die. "

"No, I cannot. I am immortal. "

"I wait for you outside. It shall not take place here. "

"Creep away, ant! My foot is too great to reach thy littleness. "

Then a sound of singing rose from the basement of the temple, orfrom the earth; they were children's voices. 

The Emperor was again alarmed, and crept under his chair. 

Chaeraea, who had waited at the door, lost patience. 

"Dog! are you coming? Or shall I strike you dead here?"

"Chaeraea, " whimpered the Emperor, "do not kill me! I will kiss yourfoot. "

"Then kiss it now when I trample you to death. "

The gigantic tribune threw the chair to one side, leapt on themadman and crushed his windpipe beneath his heel; the tongue, protruded from his jaws, seemed to be spitting abuse even in death. 

 * * * * *

The Wild Beast had three heads; the name of the second was Claudius. He played dice with his friend Caius Silius, who was famous for hiswealth and his beauty. 

"Follow the game, " hissed Caesar. 

"I am following it, " answered his friend. 

"No, you are absent-minded. Where were you last night?""I was in the Suburra. "

"You should not go to the Suburra; you should stay with me. "

"Follow the game. "

"I am following it; but what are the stakes we are playing for?"

"You are playing for your life. "

"And you, Caesar?"

"I am also playing for your life. "

"And if you lose?" asked Silius. 

"Then you will lose your life. "

The Emperor knocked with the dice-box on the table. His secretaryNarcissus came in. 

"Give me writing materials, Narcissus. The antidote for snake-bitesis yew-tree resin. .. . "

"And the antidote to hemlock?"

"Against that there is no antidote. "

"Follow the game, or I shall be angry. "

"No, you cannot be angry!" answered Silius. 

"Yes, that is true, --I cannot! I only said so!"

Messalina, the Emperor's wife, had entered. 

"Why is Silius sitting here and playing, " she asked, "when he shouldaccompany me to the theatre?"

"He is compelled, " answered the Emperor. 

"Wretch! what rights have you over him?"

"He is my slave; all are slaves of the Lord of the world. ThereforeRome is the most democratic of all States, for all its citizens areequal--equal before Men and God. "

"He is your slave, but he is my husband, " said Messalina. 

"Your husband! Why, you are married to me. "

"What does that matter?"

"Do you go and marry without asking my permission?"

"Yes, why not?"

"You are certainly droll, Messalina! And I pardon you. Go, mychildren, and amuse yourselves. Narcissus will play with me. "

When the Emperor was left alone with Narcissus, his expressionchanged. 

"Follow them, Narcissus!" he hissed. "Take Locusta with you, andgive them the poison. Then I shall marry Agrippina. "

But when Silius and the Empress had gone without, Silius askedinnocently: "Have you yourself prepared the mushrooms which he willeat this evening?"

"I have not done it myself, but Locusta has, and she understands herbusiness. "

 * * * * *

The name of the third head of the Wild Beast was Nero. He wasAgrippina's worthy son, had poisoned his half-brother Britannicus, murdered his mother, kicked his wife to death, and committedunnatural crime. He falsified the coinage and plundered the temples. He made an artistic tour to Greece, where he first appeared as apublic singer and brought eight hundred wreaths home, then asa charioteer, in which capacity he upset everything, but receivedthe prize because nobody dared to refuse it to him. 

To such a depth had Rome and Greece sunk. Claudius was an angelcompared to this monster; but he also received apotheosis. 

To-day the Emperor had returned home from his artistic tour, andfound his capital in flames. Since, in his fits of intoxication, hehad so often raged against his old-fashioned Rome, with its narrowstreets, and had on various occasions expressed the wish that firemight break out at all its corners, he came under the suspicion ofhaving set it in flames. 

He sat in his palace on the Esquiline in a great columned hall, andfeasted his eyes on the magnificent conflagration. It was a marblehall with only a few articles of furniture, because the Emperorfeared they might afford lurking-places for murderers. But in thebackground of the hall was a strong gilded iron grating, behindwhich could be caught a glimpse of two yellow-brown lions fromLibya. These the Emperor called his "cats. "

At the door of the grating stood two slaves, Pallas and Alexander, and watched every change in the Emperor's face. 

"He smiles, " whispered Pallas; "then it is all over with us. Brother, we shall meet again. Pray for me and give me the kiss ofpeace. "

"The Lord shall deliver thee from all evil, and preserve thee forHis heavenly kingdom. This mortal must put on immortality, and thiscorruptible, incorruption. "

The red face of the Emperor, red with wine and the light of theconflagration, began to assume a look of attention, and it could beseen from his eyes and ears that he was listening. Did he hearperhaps how the masses of people whispered their suspicions of the"incendiary"?

"Pallas!" he roared, "Rome is burning!"

The slave remained speechless from fright. 

"Pallas! Are you deaf?"

No answer. 

"Pallas! Are you dumb? They say down there that I have fired thetown, but I have not. Run out in the streets and spread about thereport that the Christians have done it. "

"No, I will not!" answered the slave. 

Nero believed that his ears had deceived him. 

"Do you not know, " he said, "that the Christians are magicians, andlive like rats in the catacombs, and that all Rome is undermined bythem? I have thought of making the Tiber flow in to drown them, orof opening the walls of the cloacas and submerging the catacombs infilth. Their Sibylline books have prophesied the fall of Rome, thoughthey use the name 'Babylon. ' See, now the Capitol takes fire. Pallas, run out, and say the Christians have done it. "

"That I will not do, " answered Pallas loud and clearly, "because itis not true. "

"This time my ears have not deceived me, " roared the Emperor rising. "You will not go into the town; then go in through the grating-doorand play with my lions. "

He opened the door, and pushed Pallas into the fore-court of thelions. 

"Alexander!" said Pallas, "I have prayed you to be firm andcourageous!"

"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the latter day He shallraise me from the earth. "

"What is that you are saying?" said the Emperor, and pulled a cord, which opened the second door to the lions. 

"Alexander, go out into the town, and spread the report that theChristians have set Rome on fire. "

"No, " answered Alexander, "for I am a Christian. "

"What is a Christian?"

"God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son thatwhosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlastinglife. "

"Will you not perish? Have I not the power to destroy you?"

"You have no power over me, except it be given from above. "

"He does not fear death. Lentulus! bring fire here; I will set fireto your clothes, that we may see if you can burn, I will set yourhair, your beard, your nails on fire; but we will first soak you inoil and naphtha, in pitch and sulphur. Then we will see whether youhave an everlasting life. Lentulus!"

Lentulus rushed in: "Emperor! The city is in an uproar! Fly!"

"Must I fly? First bring fire!"

"Spain has revolted, and chosen Galba as Emperor. "

"Galba! Eheu! fugaces, Postume . .. Galba! Well, then, let us fly, but whither?"

"Through the catacombs, sire. "

"No! the Christians live there, and they will kill me. "

"They kill no one, " said Alexander. 

"Not even their enemies?"

"They pray for their enemies. "

"Then they are mad! All the better!"

 * * * * *

The Christians were assembled in one of the crypts of thecatacombs. "The Capitol is burning; that is the heathen's Zion, "said Alexander. 

"The Lord of Hosts avenges his destroyed Jerusalem. "

"Say not 'avenges, ' say 'punishes. '"

"Someone is coming down the passage. "

"Is it a brother?"

"No, he makes no obeisance before the cross. "

"Then it is an executioner. "

The Emperor appeared in rags, dirty, with a handkerchief tied roundhis forehead. As he approached the Christians, whom in their whitecloaks he took for Greeks, he became quiet and resolved to bargainwith them. 

"Are you Greeks?"

"Here is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but all are brothers in Christ! Welcome, brother!"

"It is the Wild Beast, " said Alexander. 

The Emperor now recognised his escaped slave, and in his terror fellon his knees. 

"Kill me not! I am a poor stone-cutter, who has lost his way. Showme the way out, whether right or left. "

"Do you know me?" asked Alexander. 

"Alexander!" answered the Emperor. 

"He whom you wished to burn. It is I!"

"Mercy! Kill me not!"

"Stand up, Caesar! Thy life is in God's hand. "

"Do I find mercy?"

"You shall have a guide. "

"Say whether right or left; then I can help myself. "

"Keep to the left. "

"And if you lie. "

"I cannot lie! Do you see, that is the difference. "

"Why do you not lie? I should have done so. "

"Keep to the left. "

The Emperor believed him, and went. But after going some steps, he stood still and turned round. 

"Out upon you, slaves! Now I shall help myself. "

It was a terribly stormy night, when Nero, accompanied by the boySporus, and a few slaves, reached the estate of his freedman Phaon. Phaon did not dare to receive him, but advised him to hide in aclay-pit. But the Emperor did not wish to creep into the earth, butsprang into a pond, when he heard the pursuers approaching, andremained standing in the water. From this place he heard those whowere going by seeking him, say that he was condemned to be floggedto death. Then, after some hesitation, he thrust a dagger into hisbreast. 

His nurse Acte, who had also been his paramour, buried him in agarden on Monte Pincio. The Romans loved him after his death, andbrought flowers to his grave. But the Christians saw in him the WildBeast and the Antichrist of the Apocalypse. 

THE APOSTATE

At a date rather more than three hundred years after the Birth ofChrist, the stage of the world's history had shifted from theMediterranean to the East. Greece was sunk in everlasting sleep, Rome lay in ruins and had become a tributary state. Jerusalem wasdestroyed, Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile in a state of decay. The world's metropolis lay on the Black Sea, and was a half-orientalcolony called Byzantium, or, after Constantine the Great, Constantinople. The heathen world was a waste, and Christianityhad become the State religion. But the spirit of Christianity hadnot penetrated the empire. Doctrine indeed there was--plenty ofdoctrine--but those at court lived worse lives than the heathen, and the way to the throne in Byzantium was generally through a murder. 

But while the centre of gravity in Europe had shifted to the East, new conquests had been made in the West and in the North. The Romanshad founded fifty cities on the Rhine, and, since Julius Caesar'stime, all Gaul lay under Roman ploughs and worshipped Roman gods inRoman temples. 

But now that Christianity was to be introduced into Gaul, itencountered great difficulties. The original religion of thecountry, Druidism, had been proscribed by the Emperor Claudius, and the Roman cult of the gods substituted. And now that a secondalteration of their religion was proposed, the Gauls stronglyresented it. Accordingly Gaul was in a state of disorganisation, which was likely to result in some new growth. 

But under the rule of Constantius, new danger from another sidethreatened the newly-formed provinces of Gaul. The German races, theFranks and the Alemanni, were attracted by the charm of the fertileland, where the mountains seemed to drop with wine, and the plainswere covered with yellow corn. In order to protect the best of hisprovinces, and perhaps for other reasons, the Emperor sent hiscousin and brother-in-law, Julian, to subdue the Germans. AlthoughJulian had been educated in a convent and at a university, he seemsto have understood the art of war, for he defeated the invaders andthen retired to Lutetia Parisiorum. 

The legions had marched up the Mons Martis or Martyrorum, as it wascalled by turns. At their head went the insignificant-looking manwith his beard trimmed like a philosopher's--Julian, surnamedCaesar, but not therefore Emperor. High on the summit of the hillstood a temple of Mars, but it was closed. When the army hadencamped, Julian went alone to the edge of the hill, in order toview the town Lutetia, which he had never seen. 

On the island between the two arms of the Seine lay the main part ofthe town with the temple of Jupiter; but the Imperial Palace and theAmphitheatre stood on the slope of Mount Parnassus, on the left bankof the river. For three hundred years from the time of Julius Caesar, the Emperors had stayed here at intervals. The two last occupantshad been Constantine the Great and Constantius. 

After thoughtfully contemplating for a while the valley with theriver flowing through it, Julian exclaimed, "Urbs! Why, it is Rome!A river, a valley, and hills, seven or more, just as at Rome. Don'tyou see, we stand on the Capitoline? On the opposite side we haveJaniculum represented by Mount Parnassus, and in the north MonsValerian forms our Vatican. And the city on the island! The islandresembles a ship, just like the island in the Tiber, on which theyhave erected an obelisk as a mast, so striking was the similarity. Caesar indeed was too original to have wished to copy. They callByzantium New Rome, but Rome is like a worm; when cut in two, aliving creature is formed from each piece. What do you say, Maximus?"

"Rome was the city of the seven hills and the seven kings; how manythere will be here, none can say. "

"It had never occurred to me, " answered Julian, "that Rome had hadjust as many kings as hills--a curious coincidence!"

Maximus the Mystic, who, together with the Sophist Priscus, alwaysaccompanied the Emperor, in order to give him opportunities forphilosophising, immediately objected: "There are no 'coincidences, 'Caesar, everything is reckoned and numbered; everything is createdwith a conscious purpose, and in harmonious correspondence--thefirmament of heaven and the circle of the earth. "

"You have learnt that in Egypt, " Priscus interrupted, "for theEgyptians see the river Nile in the constellation Eridanus. I shouldlike to know under which constellation this Lutetia lies!"

"It lies under Andromeda, like Rome, " answered Maximus, "but Perseushangs over the Holy Land, so that Algol stands over Jerusalem. "

"Why do you call that cursed land 'holy'?" broke in Julian, whocould not control his generally quiet temper as soon as any subjectwas mentioned connected with Christianity, which he hated. 

"I call the land 'holy' because the Redeemer of the world was bornthere. And you know that He was born without a father, like Perseus;you know also that Perseus delivered Andromeda, as Jesus Christ willdeliver Rome and Lutetia. "

Julian was silent, for, as a Neo-platonist, he liked analogiesbetween the heavenly and the temporal, and a poetic figure was morefor him than a rhetorical ornament. 

Educated in a convent by Christian priests, he had early gained aninsight into the new teaching of Christianity; but he believed thathis philosophic culture had shown him that the seed of Christianityhad already germinated in Socrates and Plato. After he had made theacquaintance of the Neo-Platonists, he found nothing to object to inthe recently-promulgated dogmas of Christianity. But he felt aboundless hate against these Galilaeans who wished to appropriateall the wisdom of the past ages and give it their own name. Heregarded them as thieves. The doctrine of Christ's Divine Sonshipseemed to him quite natural, for as a Pantheist he believed that thesouls of all men are born of God and have part in Him. He himselfacknowledged the dogma recently promulgated at Nicaea, that the Sonis of the same essence as the Father, although he interpreted, it inhis own way. As to miracles, they happened every day, and could beimitated by magicians. He acknowledged the truth of the Fall of Man, for Plato also had declared that the soul is imprisoned in matter--in sinful matter, with which we must do battle. And this had beenconfirmed by St. Paul's saying in the Epistle to the Romans, "Thegood which I would, that I do not, but the evil, which I would not, that I do, " and again, "I delight in the law of God after theinward man. But I see another law in my members, which warrethagainst the law of my mind. .. . O wretched man that I am! who shalldeliver me from the body of this death?" That was the lament of thethinking sensitive man regarding the soul's imprisonment in matter;the disgust of human nature at itself. 

Julian, as a sensitive and struggling spirit, had felt thispressure, and had honestly and successfully combated the lusts ofthe flesh. Grown up though he was, among murderers and sybarites, inthe extravagant luxury of the Byzantine Court, where, for example, he had at first possessed a thousand barbers and a thousand cooks, he had abandoned luxury, lived like a Christian ascetic, actedjustly, and was high-minded. He had a perfect comprehension ofthe soul's imprisonment in the flesh or of "sin, " but understoodnothing of the Redemption through Christ. Three hundred years hadpassed since the birth of Christ, and the world had becomecontinually more wretched. The Christians he had seen, especiallyhis uncle Constantine the Great, lived worse than the heathen. Asa young man he had tested the new teaching in his own internalstruggles; he had prayed to Christ as to God, but had not beenheard. When he had lamented his plight to the devout Eusebius, thelatter had answered, "Be patient in hope! Continue constant inprayer. "

But the youth answered, "I cannot be patient. "

Then Eusebius said, "The deliverance comes, but not in our time. Athousand years are as a day before the Lord God! Wait five days, then you will see. "

"I will not wait, " exclaimed the youth angrily. 

"So say the damned souls also. But look you, impatience is one ofthe torments of hell, and you make a hell for yourself with yourimpatience. "

Julian became a hater of Christ, without exactly knowing why. Thephilosophers did not teach it him, for they adapted Christianity totheir philosophy. Celsus' feeble attack on Christianity had notmisled Julian's ripe and cultured intelligence. Eusebius explainedhis pupil's hatred of Christ in the following way: "He has heathenblood in him, for he comes of Illyrian stock; he does not belong tothis sheepfold. Or is his pride so boundless, his envy so great, that he cannot tolerate any Autocrat in the realm of the spirit? Helives himself like a Christian, and teaches the same as Christ, butat the same time is a Christ-hater. "

 * * * * *

Meanwhile Julian, in order to hide his anger, had approached thelittle Temple of Mars on the hill. The building was in ruins, thedoors had been carried away, and the columns were broken. As heentered it, he saw the statue of Mars, modelled after a good Greekone of Ares, standing in the apse, but the nose was broken off, thefingers were lacking, and the whole statue was streaked with dirt. 

"This is the work of the Galilaeans, " said Julian, "but they shallpay for it. "

"They have already paid with their lives, " answered Maximus. 

"Dionysius [Footnote: St. Denis] was beheaded on the hill, and hischapel stands there on the slope. "

"Are you also a Galilaean?"

"No; but I love justice. "

"Justice and its guardian-goddess Astrasa left the earth when theIron Age began; now she is a star in heaven. "

"In the Zodiac, " interrupted Priscus; "I believe also, we all livein Zodiacs, and there justice has no place. "

A sudden murmur of voices was heard from the camp. Julian mounteda heap of stones to see what was the matter. The whole of thenorth-east side of Mars' Hill was covered with soldiers, and belowin the valley were to be seen tents and camp-fires. These thousandsbelonged to all the nations of the world. They comprised Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Negroes, Hebrews, Persians, Afghans, Scythians, Germans, Britons, and Gauls. But now they were in movementand swarming, as gnats do when they dance. 

"What is the excitement about?" asked Julian. 

A little bell from the chapel of St. Denis sounded the Angelus, andthe Christians fell on their knees, while the heathen remainedstanding or continued their occupations. The Christians consideredthemselves disturbed, and so did the heathen. 

"This religion, " said Julian, "which should unite all, only dividesthem. If the Church Councils, instead of formulating new creeds, haddone away with all forms, and proclaimed free worship with praiseand adoration of the Highest, all peoples would have bent the kneebefore the Nameless, but look at the Christians! Since the law is ontheir side, they have the upper hand, and therefore compel theheathen to adore their Galilaean! But I will not help them. I canhold nations together, but not professors of creeds. Let us go intothe town. I will not mix in the matter. "

Some Christian tribunes approached Julian, with the evident purposeof complaining, but he waved them off. 

 * * * * *

Julian had entered Lutetia on foot, accompanied by his philosophers. He had not allowed himself to be escorted by generals or otherofficers, because he did not trust them. 

He found the new town to be a miniature of the Rome of the Caesars. It is true that huts with straw roofs formed the nucleus of it, butthere were also several temples and chapels, a prefecture, a forum, and an amphitheatre. The forum or market-place was surrounded bycolonnades, in which tradesmen and money-changers' had opened theirshops. One side--the shortest--of it was occupied by the prefecture, in which the Aedile and Quaestor lived. 

Unnoticed and unrecognised by the people, Julian went into theprefecture. In the hall he saw Christian symbols--the cross, thefish, the good shepherd, etc. Christianity was certainly the Statereligion, but Julian's hatred against everything Christian was sogreat that he could not look at these figures. Accordingly he wentout again, called the Prefect down, and bade him show the way to theImperial palace and the left side of the river. There he took uphis abode in a simple room resembling a monk's cell. As he had beenobliged to make many detours since he had left Byzantium, and thepunitive expedition against the Franks and Alemanni had consumedmuch time, he found letters waiting his arrival. Among them was onefrom the Emperor which seriously discomposed Julian. 

The attitude of the Emperor towards his cousin had always beensomewhat dubious, almost hostile, and now, after the latter'svictories, envy and fear had taken possession of the mind of theByzantine despot. The letter contained a command for Julian to sendback the legions at once, as the war was at an end. Julian saw thedanger if he stripped the newly recovered land bare of defence, buthis sense of duty and conscientiousness bade him obey, and withouthesitation he sent the Emperor's edict to the camp. This was on theevening of the first day of his arrival. 

The next morning Julian had gone out for an excursion with hislearned staff. They slowly climbed Mount Parnassus, and wanderedthrough the oak wood on the north side, avoiding the beaten paths. He and his companions philosophised and disputed eagerly, and, forgetting their surroundings, wandered ever deeper into the forest. Finally they reached an open space where grazing deer hadtaken refuge, and set themselves down to rest on strangely-shapedstones which lay in a circle. In the oaks over their heads werelarge green clumps of a different colour from the oak-leaves, andthese they thought were birds' nests. 

"I have never seen so many crows' nests together, " said Julian. 

"They are not crows' nests, your Majesty, " answered the scribeEleazar, who acted as Julian's secretary. "That is the sacredmistletoe, which grows on the oak, and through the operation ofcosmic forces takes this globular form, which is also said to bethat of the earth and the other heavenly bodies. "

"Is that. .. ?"

"Yes, and we seem to have entered a sacred sacrificial grove, inwhich the primeval deities of the land are still worshipped by theDruids, although their worship is forbidden. "

"Forbidden in spite of the Emperor's edict regarding religiousfreedom, " broke in the Sophist Priscus. 

Julian did not like to be reminded of this edict, through whichChristianity had won freedom to suppress other creeds. He rose withhis companions in order to continue their excursion. After a whilethey reached Suresnes and its vineyards, where figtrees andpeach-trees lined the walls. When they had ascended a height, theysaw the whole Seine Valley lying before them, with its fields, gardens, and villas. 

"Why, that is like the sacred land of Canaan!" exclaimed Julian, enchanted by the lovely landscape. 

On the other side of the river rose the Hill of Mars, with itstemples and chapels, and where the soil had been laid bare the whitechalk gleamed in patches, as though a countless number of tents hadbeen erected on the slopes. 

The philosophers stood for a long time there, and contemplated theview, when a sound was heard like that of an approaching tempest. But no cloud was visible, and they remained listening and wondering. The noise increased till cries, shouts, and the clash of arms wereheard. Now the Hill of Mars seemed to be in movement; there wereswarms of men on its summit, and here and there steel could be seenflashing. Like a river, the mass began to roll down the hill to thetown. 

Then the spectators understood. "It is a revolt of the legions, "exclaimed Maximus. 

"The edict has taken effect. "

"They seek their own Emperor. "

"Then the only thing for us to do is to turn round and go home. "They turned into the path which ran along the river, and followedit up the stream, in order to be able to see what the legions weredoing. The dark mass, interspersed with flashes From swords andhelmets, poured on in an ever stronger tide. 

Quickening their steps, Julian and his companions reached thepalace, in which there was great excitement. Julian was naturally acourageous man, but as a philosopher he was retiring, and wished toavoid public scenes. He therefore went through the bath-house andsought his lonely chamber, in order to await what would happen. Hepaced restlessly up and down the room, feeling that the destiny ofhis whole future life was just now being decided. So there came whathe half expected. Cries were audible from the courtyard of thepalace, --"Ave Caesar Julianus Imperator! We choose Julian as Emperor!The crown for Julian! Death to Constantius the murderer and weakling!"

There was no longer any room for doubt. The legions had chosenJulian Emperor because they would not leave this fertile land, whichthey had conquered at the cost of their blood. Julian, who had notstriven for power because he feared responsibility, wished todecline; but messengers from the army warned him, "If you do notaccept, you will be slain. " He who does not dare to rule will beenslaved. Thus Julian became Emperor of the great realm whichstretched from the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. 

 * * * * *

The night which followed this day was spent by the Emperor inreflection; and when in the morning, after a bath, he appeared tohis friends, he was hardly recognisable as the same man. He hadliterally thrown off the mask, and showed a new face, with a newexpression, almost new features. In spite of his upright character, Julian, like Constantine, had been compelled to live in a perpetualstate of hypocrisy, by being obliged to favour and practise theChristian teaching in which he did not believe. He had even beenforced to acknowledge the Trinity and Deity of Christ as promulgatedby the Council of Nicaea, to attend services and observe fasts. Thefirst thing he did after obtaining power, was to use his freedom andbe what he was. His first act was to separate the sheep from thegoats, i. E. To pick out the "Galilaeans, " and form them into legionsby themselves, under the pretext that they could thus better carryout their religious practices. But at the same time he surroundedhis person exclusively with heathen of the old type, --Hebrews, Syrians, Persians, and Scythians. Simultaneously he assumed thegorgeous purple and glittering diadem of the emperors, trimmedand gilded his beard, and showed himself abroad only on horsebackand with a great train. This done, he made preparations for publiclyreceiving the homage of the people, and determined to use thetheatre for that purpose, and to put on the stage _Prometheus_, the trilogy of Aeschylus, which at that time existed in itsentirety. The Emperor had brought actors with him, and the theatrestood ready. The news of this had spread in the town, and wasjoyfully hailed by the heathen, while the Christians were vexed. Thelower classes had, it is true, expected a gladiatorial show and wildbeast fights, but a "comedy, " as they called it, was always welcome. 

The day arrived, and the town was in gala attire. The play was tolast from morning to evening without pauses for meals; and as thespring weather was cold and uncertain, the spectators were advisedto bring the garment known as "cucullus, " a short white Roman mantlewith a hood, which was all the more necessary as the theatre stoodunder the open sky. 

Julian, now called Augustus, came to the theatre at the appointedtime, accompanied by his philosopher friends, who had to take theirseats at a little distance, for the Emperor sat in the imperial box, whither he had summoned the Prefect, Aedile and Quaestor to be inattendance on him. He was somewhat astonished not to find these cityauthorities there, and as the Aedile was president of the theatre, they could not begin before he came. 

The people had risen as Julian entered, and many tribunes hadshouted "Long live the Emperor!" but thereupon there followed anembarrassing silence, during which the Emperor was regarded withcold curiosity. When at last the latter was weary of waiting, hecalled his secretary, the Hebrew Eleazar, and commanded him to goto the prefecture in order to find out the reason of the defaulters'absence, and at the same time he gave the signal for the play tocommence. 

The actors entered, and at the altar commenced to offer the ancientkind of sacrifice which used to serve as an introduction totragedies. Since animal sacrifices had ceased in all religions, evenin the Jewish after the destruction of the Temple, under Titus inA. D. 70, this unusual proceeding aroused great curiosity. Thelegionaries were inured to the sight of blood, but the citizens andtheir wives turned away when the goat was sacrificed to Dionysus. People sought to find the reason for Julian's wish to reintroducethis custom in his laudable attempt to mingle all religionstogether, and to discover a deeper meaning in the ceremonies of all. The offering indeed was a gift, a sacrifice, and an expression ofgratitude, but Maximus the mystic had also persuaded the Emperorthat there were hidden powers in the blood itself, the source oflife, which attracted spiritual forces of a lower order. Man shedhis mother's blood at his birth and the sacred institution ofcircumcision was intended to be a reminder of the bloody and painfuloperation of birth. Slaves were slaughtered on the graves ofchieftains, and in the time of Julius Caesar the Romans had on oneextraordinary occasion sacrificed three hundred prisoners. Captivated by this and by similar philosophical arguments, Julianwas enticed into a course which was destined to lead to hisdestruction. After the sacrifice, at which the soldiers had laughedand the women had wept, the drama commenced in the poet's originallanguage. Greek was indeed spoken by all people of cultivation fromPalestine to Gaul, but the uneducated did not know it, and thereforethe citizens sat there inattentively. 

As the chorus entered for the second time, Eleazar returned withnews. "This is what has happened, " he said. "The Bishop of Sens, the Primate of the Church of Gaul, has entered the town, and isperforming mass in the church. The high officials are present there, and they accordingly beg to be excused attending on the Emperor. They thought that he was aware that Christians never go tothe theatre, and they rely upon the edict granting religiousliberty. "

Julian turned white with rage. "Good! They shall pay for that! Now, my Jewish friend, Eleazar, you shall sit near and talk with me. Theactors are wretched, and I cannot endure their pronunciation of Greek. "

Eleazar demurred, but the Emperor overruled his objections. Themorning passed, and when the first part of the trilogy was at anend, part of the public seemed to wish to steal away; but the exitswere closed, in order to avoid the fiasco of actors playing to anempty house, and the disrespect which would thereby be shown to theEmperor. But the discontent of the audience continually increased, for they were tired and hungry. They were also unpleasantlysurprised by the presence of a Jew in the Emperor's box. It wasnot, however, because he was a Jew, for hatred of the Jews arosemuch later, after the Crusades. During the first centuries afterChrist, Jews were confused with Christians because people believedthat the new religion came from Palestine and was a continuationof Mosaism. The hostile glances which were cast at Eleazar weretherefore more on account of his mean appearance and position thanof his religion. The favour shown him by the Emperor was especiallya challenge to the Christians, in whose eyes he was an alien and aheathen. 

When, in the second part of the trilogy, Prometheus was nailed tothe rock, the spectators must have thought of the Crucified as theantitype, for the actor playing that part took that posture, extended his arms, and let his head sink on his breast. The commonpeople became more attentive, and as they neither had learnt Greeknor were acquainted with mythology, they thought that the sufferingsof Christ were being represented on the stage. Since this hadnever been done before, they were displeased, and half-audibleconversations began. The Emperor was angry, but did not move amuscle. He was generally quiet, but when he was enraged hisintelligence forsook him. He sat there in silence, revolving plansagainst these barbarians, who had forgotten the wisdom of theancients. It was now past noon, and the impatience of the audienceincreased. Then the sky began to be covered with clouds and someflakes of snow fell slowly like white feathers. Those who hadmantles drew them over their heads. The actors looked towards theEmperor's box, but he did not move, although it had no roof. He wasa soldier, and would not be afraid of anything so trivial as badweather. 

Now Prometheus began to prophesy to Io of the Deliverer who would beborn to overthrow Zeus and deliver the fire-bringer. The educatedChristians and the heathen looked at each other questioningly, whenIo said, "What dost thou say? Shall my son be thy deliverer?" Andwhen Prometheus answered, "He will be the third scion after tengenerations, " a murmur broke out in the theatre. "Ten generations, "that was in round numbers 700 years--a period nearly extending tothe birth of Christ, since the Christians reckoned dates from 763A. D. , the end of the mythological era, to which the drama belonged. 

Julian perceived that he had "carried wood to the fire, " and helpedthe Christians without intending to do so. Aeschylus had prophesiedChrist's birth almost to the very year, and intimated that he wouldoverthrow Zeus. The orthodox followers of Athanasius wished for nobetter weapon with which to crush the Arians, who denied the Deityof Christ. 

The snow fell ever more thickly, till at last it was a snowstorm. Julian was as white as though he wore a shroud, but he did not move, for he was beside himself with rage against himself, against thedemons who had enticed him to choose this play, and against theheavenly powers who mocked him. 

The whole audience was covered with snow, and discussed theology;the rabble laughed and quarrelled. The only ones who were protectedagainst the inclemency of the weather were the actors under thecanopy. But the damp snow was heavy, and the linen awning presentlybent and broke. 

Then the whole audience rose and burst into laughter; the actorscrept out from under the masses of snow, the doors opened, and allfled except Julian and his philosophers. 

 * * * * *

As soon as Julian had been elected Emperor, he had sent anambassador to the Emperor at Byzantium, and now awaited his reply. It was about the time of the winter solstice and the turn of theyear. The Christians had, at this period, just begun to celebratethe birth of Christ, and had adopted certain Roman customs from theSaturnalia, the feast in honour of Saturn. Julian, irritated by thechallenge of the Nazarenes, began to arm himself for resistance andattack. Now he determined to use his power to give back toheathendom what belonged to it, and to show the Christians whencethey had derived their knowledge of the highest things. At the sametime he wished to lend heathenism a Christian colouring, so that, atits return, it might be able to conquer everything. The old Templeof Jupiter, on the island in the river, was opened one night, andlights were seen in it. There was also a noise of hammers andsaws, mattocks and trowels. This lasted for some time, and peopletalked about it in the town. 

One night in midwinter, Julian sat with Maximus, Priscus, andEleazar in the Opisthodomos or priests' room, behind the altar inthe Temple of Jupiter. The whole temple was lit up, and the purposeof the improvements which had taken place could be seen. By thecolonnade on the left hand was an ambo or pulpit, and under it aconfessional; there were also a seven-branched candlestick, abaptismal font, a table with shewbread, and an incense-altar. Theserepresented Julian's attempt to attach the new doctrine to theold, and to amalgamate heathenism, Christianity, and Judaism. Heliogabalus had indeed attempted the same in his own rough fashion, by introducing Syrian sun-worship into Rome, but he retained all theheathen gods, even the Egyptian ones. Neither Christians, however, nor Jews would have anything to do with it. 

Julian did not love the Jews, but his hatred of Christianity was sogreat that he preferred to help the stiff-necked race in Palestine, in order to rouse them against Christ. For that purpose he had givenorders that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt, and this wasthe matter which he wished to discuss with his philosophers andEleazar. "What is your opinion, then?" he asked, after finishing along speech on the subject. "Let Maximus speak first. "

"Caesar Augustus, " answered Maximus the mystic, "Jerusalem has beendestroyed from the face of the earth, as the prophets foretold, andthe Temple cannot be rebuilt. "

"Cannot? It shall be. "

"It cannot! Constantine's mother, indeed, built a church over thegrave of Christ, but the Temple cannot be rebuilt. Since Solomon'stime the history of this city has been a history of successivedestructions. Sheshach, the Philistines, Arabs, Syrians, Egyptians, and Chaldaeans, destroyed it in early times. Then came AlexanderPtolemaus, and finally Antiochus Epiphanes, who pulled down thewalls and set up an image of Jupiter in the Temple. But now, mark!--sixty-three years before Christ, Jerusalem was conquered by Pompey. What happened in the same year after Christ in the Roman Empire?Pompeii, the town by Naples, named after the conqueror, wasdestroyed in A. D. 63 by an earthquake. That was the answer, and theLord of Hosts conquered Jupiter, --Zeus. "

"Listen!" broke in Julian, "I don't agree with your Pythagoreanspeculations about numbers. If both events had happened in the year63 before Christ, then I would be nearly convinced. "

"Wait, then, Caesar, and you will be. After Pompey had conqueredJerusalem, and Cassius had plundered it, Herod rebuilt the city andthe Temple. But soon afterwards--_i. E. _ in A. D. 70, Jerusalem wascompletely destroyed by Titus. Only nine years later Monte Sommabegan to throw up fire as it had never done before, and by itPompeii and Herculaneum were both destroyed. Pompeii and Herculaneumwere Sodom and Gomorrah, and a temple in Pompeii contained animage of Vespasian, who had laid waste part of Jerusalem beforeTitus. It disappeared altogether. Do you think perhaps that theChristians set Vesuvius on fire, as Nero believed they had firedRome in A. D. 64?"

Julian reflected: "There were nine years between, " he said, "but itseems strange. "

"Yes, " answered Maximus, "but precisely in the same year 70, inwhich Titus destroyed the Temple, the Capitol was burnt. "

"Then it is the gods who are warring, and we are only soldiers, "exclaimed Julian. 

Priscus the Sophist, who liked word-encounters, determined to stirup the embers, as they seemed to be expiring: "But Christ has saidthat one stone shall not remain upon another, and that the Templeshall never be built again. "

"Has Christ said that?" answered Julian. "Very well; then he shallshow whether he was a god, for I will build again the Temple ofSolomon. "

And turning to Eleazar, he continued, "Do you believe in prodigies?"

"As surely as the Lord lives, as surely as Abraham's God has broughtus out of Egyptian bondage and given us Canaan, so surely will Hefulfil the promise, and restore to us land, city, and Temple!"

"May it be with you according to your belief. The Temple shall bebuilt up, even though it be not in three days as the Galilaeanthought. "

 * * * * *

The winter solstice had come, and the Feast of the Saturnaliacommenced in Lutetia. The heathen had always kept the feast inrecollection of the legendary Golden Age, which was said to havebeen under the reign of the good Saturn. Then there was peace uponearth; the lion played with the lamb, the fields brought forthharvests without husbandry, weapons were not forged, for men weregood and righteous. This beautiful festival, which had beendiscontinued by the Romans, had been revived by the Christians, whoat Christ's coming expected a new Golden Age or the Millennium. Butnow Julian wished to restore to the heathen their privilege, and atthe same time to show the Nazarenes whence they had derived theirreligious usages. 

The heathen began to keep the festival in the old way. The shopswere closed, and the city decorated, when on the morrow a processionwas seen issuing from the Basilica to the market-place. At thehead went King Saturn, with his horn of plenty, corn-sheaves, anddoves; he was followed by the Virtues, Fortune, Wealth, Peace, Righteousness. Then followed an actor dressed like the Emperor, andby the hand he led a captive, who, in honour of the day, had beenfreed from his chains. He was followed by citizens who took theirslaves by the arm; and these in their turn by women and children, who scattered corn from the sheaves for the sparrows in the street. The procession passed through the streets, and at first pleased thebeholders. 

Then they entered the temple, where there was a seated image ofJupiter in the apse. It had been cunningly modelled to resemble Godthe Father, or Moses, as he began to be represented about that time. Near and a little beneath this image stood Orpheus in the characterof the Good Shepherd, with a lamb on his shoulders, and carved inrelief on the pedestal was to be seen his descent to Hades, fromwhich he returned bringing Diké (Justice), --a play on the nameEurydice. This was a direct hit at the Christians. Before thedivine images stood the Jewish shewbread table, with the bread andthe wine--a reminder of the source from which the Christians hadtaken the Eucharist or the Mass. As though by chance, a new-bornheathen child was brought and baptized in the font. To the questionof one, who had studied his part, whether heathen were baptized, itwas answered by one, who also had his role assigned him, thatthe ancients had always washed their new-born children. 

The whole affair was a comedy staged by Julian. 

Then Maximus mounted the pulpit, and, in a Neo-platonic discourse, expounded all religious images, symbols, and customs. He also showedthat the heathen only worshipped one God, whose many attributesfound expression in various personifications. Then he ostensiblydefended Christ's Deity, the Virgin birth, and miracles. "We are, "he said, "all of divine origin, since God has created us, and we areHis children. There is nothing remarkable in Christ being bornwithout a father, since the philosopher Plato was also born ofa virgin without a father. " In the middle of his discourse heexclaimed: "Miracles! Why should we not believe in miracles, sincewe believe in Almighty God? His omnipotence signifies that He cansuspend the laws of nature which he has established. He who believesnot in miracles is therefore an ass. " The discourse was listenedto by heathen and Christians. The latter thought that they had neverheard anything which so clearly explained mysterious dogmas, and theheathen found that they were one with the Christians. "What, then, stands between us?" exclaimed Maximus, carried away by the sight ofthe harmony and mutual understanding which prevailed among hisaudience. "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?Why, then, strive one against the other? Have we not here to daycelebrated the recollection of the better times which have been, and which will surely return, as the light returns with the renewalof the sun--times of reconciliation and peace on earth, when no onewill be master and no one slave? Here is neither Jew nor Greek norBarbarian, but we are all brothers and sisters in one faith. Therefore love one another; reconcile yourselves with God and eachother; give each other the kiss of peace; rejoice, perfectyourselves, be of one mind, and the God of love and peace shall bewith you. "

The audience was delighted, and with streaming eyes fell in eachother's arms, pressed each other's hands, and kissed each other'scheeks. 

Then suddenly a row of lights was kindled on the altar; that waspart of the ceremonial of the Saturnalia, and signified the returnof the sun. This custom was adopted by the Christians in celebratingthe Birth of Christ or Christmas. 

After this beggars were brought forward, and those of the upperclasses washed their feet. Then twelve slaves took their seats at acovered table, while their masters served them. Julian, who, hiddenin the Opisthodom, had watched the whole ceremony, secretlyrejoiced, because by means of these ancient heathen rites he hadentirely defeated the Christians. In them, as he had intended, therewas a wordless expression of philanthropy and charity, and bothhad existed from time immemorial. 

Finally, the children were brought forward, and received as presentsdolls modelled of wax and clay. The illusion was complete, and theChristians felt as though under an enchanter's spell. "The heathenare Christians after all!" they exclaimed. "Why, then, strive andquarrel, when we are one?"

There was an overflow of emotion, and the success of the experimentwas complete. That was the victory of the first day. When, on thefollowing day, the Christians wished to celebrate their Christmasfestival, it necessarily appeared a mere copy of that of theheathen. 

 * * * * *

The Saturnalia lasted seven days, and Julian, intoxicated with hissuccess, resolved to introduce the whole of the ancient ceremoniesin all their terrible splendour. His philosophers warned him, but hedid not listen to them any more; he must have his hecatombs; ahundred oxen adorned with garlands were to be slaughtered in theopen space before the Temple of Jupiter, as a sacrifice to theancient gods. 

"He is mad!" lamented Eleazar. 

"Whom the gods would destroy, they strike with blindness. Now hepulls down, what he had built up. "

It is difficult to explain how the highly cultivated, clever, andaesthetic Julian could conceive the wild idea of reintroducinganimal sacrifices. It was really butchery or execution, and neitherbutchers nor executioners enjoyed much respect in society. It lookedas though his hatred of Christ had clouded his understanding, when, arrayed in the garb of a sacrificial priest, he led forth the firstox, with its horns gilded and wearing a white fillet. 

After he had kindled incense on the altar, he poured the bowl ofwine over the head of the ox, thrust his knife in its throat andturned it round. A shudder ran through the crowd, who remainedriveted to their places. 

But as the blood spirted around, and the Emperor opened thequivering body of the animal in order to take an augury from itsentrails, a cry rose which ended in an uproar, and all fled. Theword "Apostate!" for the first time struck his ear. That was thesignal of his defeat, and, as the animals were released by those whoheld them, they fled away through the streets of the town. 

The Emperor, in his white robe sprinkled with blood, had to returnalone to his palace, while Christians and heathen alike shoutedtheir disapprobation. 

"See the butcher!" they cried; "Apostate! Renegade! Madman!"

When Julian came to his palace, he looked as though petrified; but, without changing his clothes, he sat down to the table and wrote anedict against the Christians, in which they were forbidden to study, and to fill offices of State. That was his first step. 

In the evening of the same day Julian received a letter: it was fromthe Emperor Constantius in Byzantium, who did not acknowledge hiselection to the imperial throne, and threatened to bring an armyagainst him in Gaul. This was quite unexpected, and Julian leftLutetia in order to march against his cousin. As he went towards theEast, he felt as though he were going to his death. But the firstthrow of the dice of destiny was a lucky one for him. Constantiusdied on the march, and Julian was left sole Emperor. This he tookfor a sign that the gods were on his side, and he proceeded on hiscampaign feeling that he was supported by the higher powers. But itwas only the last jest of his gods. 

It is related that before his last march against the Persians, hewished to ascertain his destiny, and had a woman's body cut open inorder to take an augury from the entrails. But that may be untrue, as is also the case with the conflicting reports of his death, whichhappened soon after. One thing, however, is certain; the "Galilaean"conquered Zeus, who rose no more. 

It is also a fact, confirmed by Christian, Jewish, and heathenwriters, that the Temple of Jerusalem was never built again, for asthe foundation was about to be laid, fire broke out of the groundaccompanied by an earthquake. The same earthquake also destroyedDelphi, "the centre of the earth, " and the focus of the religiousand political life of Greece. 

ATTILA

With the demise of Constantine the Great, Greece, Rome, andPalestine had ceased to exist. Civilisation had passed Eastward, forConstantinople was the metropolis of Europe; and from the East, Rome, Spain, Gaul, and Germany were governed by satraps with varioustitles. It seemed as though the vitality of Europe had been quenched, and as though Rome had been buried, but it was only apparently so. History did not proceed in a straight line, but took circuitouspaths, and therefore development seemed to be in disorder and astray. But it was not really so. 

Christianity, which was about to penetrate the West, had sprung fromthe East, and so ancient Byzantium formed a transition stage. InRome, which had been left to itself, for its governors dwelt inMilan and Ravenna, a new spiritual world-power was springing up, which was silently forging a new imperial crown, in order to give itto the worthiest when the time was fulfilled. The advent of thisheir had already been announced by Tacitus--a new race from theNorth, healthy, honest, good-humoured. These were the Germans, whowere to hold the Empire for a thousand years from 800 to 1815. Already, at the commencement of the fifth century, the West Gothshad captured Rome, but again withdrawn; other German races hadoverrun Spain, Gaul, and Britain, but none of them had taken firmroot in Italy. Then an entirely new race appeared upon the scene, whose origin was unknown, and the promise of possessing the landwhich had been given to the Germans seemed to have been revoked, forthe Huns finally settled in Hungary, and exacted tribute from allthe nations in the world. Round a wooden castle and a few barrackson the river Theiss, there collected a crowd of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Germans of all kinds to do homage before a throne onwhich sat a savage who resembled a lump of flesh. 

In the year 453 A. D. This King, after many adventures, wished tocelebrate one of his numerous marriages. He had summoned the chiefmen of all Europe--summoned--for a King does not invite. So theycame riding from North, South, East, and West. 

From the west, along the bank of the Danube, just below the placewhere the river makes a curve at the modern Gran, came two menriding at the head of a caravan. For several days they had followedthe picturesque banks of the green river, with its bulrushes andwillows, and its swarms of wild duck and herons. Now they were aboutto leave the cool shades of the forest region, and turn eastwardtowards the salt desert, which stretched to the banks of theyellow Theiss. 

One leader of the caravan was a well-known Roman, called Orestes;the other was Rugier, also called Edeko. He was a chief from theshores of the Baltic Sea, and had been compelled to follow Attila. 

The two leaders had hitherto spoken little together, for theymistrusted each other. But as they emerged on the wide plain, whichopened out as clear and bright as the surface of the sea, theyseemed themselves to grow cheerful, and to lay aside all mistrust. 

"Why are you going to the marriage?" asked Orestes. 

"Because I cannot remain away, " answered Edeko. 

"Just like myself. "

"And the Bride--the Burgundian did not dare to say 'no' either?"

"She? Yes, she would have dared to. "

"Then she loved this savage?"

"I did not say that. "

"Perhaps she hates him, then? A new Judith for this Holofernes?"

"Who knows? The Burgundians do not love the Huns since they pillagedWorms in their last raid. "

"Still it is incomprehensible how he recovered from his defeat onthe Catalaunian Plain. "

"Everything is incomprehensible that has to do with this man, if heis a man at all. "

"You are right. He is said to have succeeded his father's brother, Rua, of whom we know nothing; he has murdered his brother Bleda. Fortwenty years we have had him held over us like an iron rod, and yetlately, when he was before Rome, he turned back. "

"But he has promised his soldiers to give them Rome some day. "

"Why did he spare Rome?"

"No one knows. No one knows anything about this man, and he himselfseems to be ignorant about himself. He comes from the East, he says;that is all. People say the Huns are the offspring of witches anddemons in the wilderness. If anyone asks Attila what he wants, andwho he is, he answers, 'The Scourge of God. ' He founds no kingdom, builds no city, but rules over all kingdoms and destroysall cities. "

"To return to his bride: she is called Ildico; is she then aChristian?"

"What does Attila care? He has no religion. "

"He must have one if he calls himself 'the Scourge of God, ' anddeclares that he has found the War-God's sword. "

"But he is indifferent as regards forms of religion. His chiefminister, Onegesius, is a Greek and a Christian. "

"What an extraordinary man he is to settle down here in a salt-plaininstead of taking up his abode in Byzantium or in Rome. "

"That is because it resembles his far Eastern plains--the same soil, the same plants and birds; he feels at home here. "

They became silent, as the sun rose and the heat increased. Thelow-growing tamarisk, wormwood, and soda-bushes afforded no shade. Wild fowl and larks were the only creatures that inhabited the waste. The herds of cattle, goats, and swine had disappeared, for Attila'sarmy of half a million had eaten them up, and his horses had not lefta single edible blade of grass. 

At noon the caravan came suddenly to a halt, for on the easternhorizon there was visible a town with towers and pinnacles, on theother side of a blue lake. "Are we there?" asked Edeko. "Impossible;it is still twenty miles, or three days' journey. "

But the city was in sight, and the caravan quickened its pace. Afterhalf an hour the town appeared no nearer, but seemed, on the contrary, to grow more distant, to dwindle in size, and to sink out of sight. After another half hour, it had disappeared, and the blue lake also. 

"They can practise enchantment, " said the Roman, "but that goesbeyond everything. "

"It is the Fata Morgana, or the mirage, " explained the guide. 

As the evening came on, the caravan halted in order to rest for thenight. 

 * * * * *

On the stretch of land between Bodrog and Theiss, Attila had hisstanding camp, for it could not be called a town. The palace was ofwood, painted in glaring colours, and resembled an enormous tent, whose style was probably borrowed from China, the land of silk. Thewomen's house, which was set up near it, had a somewhat differentform, which might have been brought by the Goths from the North, oreven from Byzantium, for the house was ornamented with round woodenarches. The fittings seemed to have been stolen from all nationsand lands; there were quantities of gold and silver, silk and satincurtains, Roman furniture and Grecian vessels, weapons from Gaul, and Gothic textile fabrics. It resembled a robber's abode, and suchin fact it was. 

Behind the palace enclosure began the camp, with its smoke-grimedtents. A vast number of horse-dealers and horse-thieves swarmed inthe streets, and there were as many horses as men there. Without thecamp there grazed herds of swine, sheep, goats, and cattle--livingprovision for this enormous horde of men, who could only devour anddestroy, but could not produce anything. 

Now, on the morning of Attila's wedding day, there were moving aboutin this camp thousands of little men with crooked legs and broadshoulders, clothed in rat-skins and with rags tied round theircalves. They looked out of their tents with curiosity, when strangerswho had been invited to the marriage feast came riding up from theplain. 

In the first street of tents, Attila's son and successor, Ellak, metthe principal guests; he bade them welcome through an interpreter, and led them into the guest-house. 

"Is that a prince, and are those men?" said Orestes to Edeko. 

"That is a horse-dealer, and the rest are rats, " answered Edeko. "They are monsters and demons, vampires, created from dreams ofintoxication. They have no faces; their eyes are holes; their voiceis a rattle; their nose is that of a death's-head; and their earsare pot-handles. "

"You speak truly, and it is from these half-naked savages, who haveno armour and no shield, that the Roman legions have fled. They aregoblins, who have been able to 'materialise' themselves. "

"They will not conquer the world. "

"At any rate not in this year. "

Then they followed Prince Ellak, who had heard and understood everyword, although he pretended not to know their language. 

 * * * * *

In the women's house sat Attila's favourite, Cercas, and sewed thebridal veil. Ildico, the beautiful Burgundian, stood at the windowlost in thought and absent-minded. She had seen in Worms the herobefore whom the world trembled, and she had really been captivatedby the little man's majestic bearing. Herself fond of power, andself-willed, she had been enticed by the prospect of sharing powerwith the man before whom all and everything bowed; therefore she hadgiven him her hand. 

But she had had no correct comprehension of the manners and customsof the Huns, and had therefore imagined that her position as wifeand Queen would be quite otherwise than it proved to be. Only thismorning she had learnt that she could not appear at all at themarriage feast, nor share the throne, but would simply remain shutup with the other women in the women's house. 

Cercas, the favourite, had explained all this with malicious joy toher rival, and the haughty Ildico was on the point of forming aresolution. She had no friends in the palace, and could not approachthe foreign princes. 

Cercas was sewing, and accompanied her work with a melancholy songfrom her home in the far East. Ildico seemed to have collected herthoughts: "Can you lend me a needle?" she said, "I want to sew. "

Cercas gave her a needle, but it was too small; she asked for alarger one, and chose the largest of all. She hid it in her bosom, and did not sew. 

At that moment there appeared in the doorway a creature soabominably ugly and of such a malicious aspect, that Ildico thoughthe was a demon. He was as jet-black as a negro from tropical Africa, and his head seemed to rest on his stomach, for he had no chest. Hewas a dwarf and humpback; his name was Hamilcar, and he was Attila'scourt-fool. 

In those days the court-fool was generally not a wit, but a naiveblockhead, who believed all that was said, and was therefore a buttfor jests. He only placed a letter in Cercas' hand, and disappeared. When Cercas had read the letter, she changed colour and seemed tobecome a different being. Overcome with rage, she could not speak, but sang, "The tiger follows the lion's trail. "

"Ildico, you have found a friend, " she said at last. "You have afriend here in the room, here at the window, here on your breast. "And she threw herself on the Burgundian maiden's breast, weeping andlaughing alternately. "Give me your needle--your fine beautifulneedle; I will thread it. No! I will sharpen it on steel; no, I willdip it in my perfume-flask, my own special little perfume flask, andthen together we will sew up the Tiger's mouth, so that he canbite no more!"

"Let me read your letter, " Ildico interrupted. 

"You cannot. I will tell you what it says. He, our master, woosagain for the hand of the daughter of the Emperor Valens--Honoria, and this time he has vowed to burn us all;--that he calls giving usan honourable burial. "

Ildico reached out her hand as an answer, "Very well, to-night. Asingle needle-prick will deprive the world of its ruler!"

 * * * * *

Edeko and Orestes had thoroughly rested from their journey in theguest-house. At noon, when they wished to go out, they found thedoor bolted. 

"Are we prisoners? Have we fallen into a trap?" asked the Roman. 

"We have not had any food either, " answered Edeko. 

Then two voices were heard without: "We will strangle them; that isthe simplest way. "

"I think we had better set the house on fire; the tall one isstrong. "

"And they thought we did not understand their language. "

The two prisoners, whose consciences were uneasy, were alarmed, andbelieved that their end was near. Then a small trap-door opened inthe wall, and the fool Hamilcar showed his hideous head. 

"Whether you are the devil or not, " exclaimed the Roman, "answer ussome questions. "

"Speak, sirs, " said the negro. 

"Are we prisoners, or why cannot we see your King?"

Prince Ellak's head appeared at the trap-door. 

"You will first see the King this evening at the feast, " said thePrince, with a malicious grimace. 

"Are we to fast till then?"

"We call it so, and do it always when we have a feast before us, inorder to be able to eat more. "

"Cannot we at any rate go out?"

"No, " answered the Prince with the horse-dealerlike face. "One mustconform to the custom of the country. " So saying, he closed thetrap-door. 

"Do you think we shall get away alive?" asked Edeko. 

"Who knows? Attila is composed of treachery. You do not know thatonce he wrote two letters, one to Dieterich, King of the West Goths, asking for an alliance against the Romans as the common enemy; andon the same day he wrote a similar letter to the Romans, in which heproposed an alliance against the West Goths. The deceit wasdiscovered, and Attila fell between two stools. "

"He seems to be immortal, otherwise he would have been killed inbattle, as he always goes at the head of his army. "

Until evening the travelling companions remained incarcerated. Atlast the door was opened, and a master of the ceremonies led theminto the hall where the great feast was to take place. Here therewere countless seats and tables covered with the most costly clothsand drinking vessels of gold and silver. The guests were assembled, but the two travellers saw no faces that they knew; they looked invain for the bridegroom and the bride. As they were conducted totheir places, a low murmur broke out among the guests, who talked inan undertone, and asked where the great King would show himself. 

Orestes and Edeko cast their eyes over the walls and ceiling withoutbeing able to see where the wonder would happen, for the childishand cunning Huns used to amuse their guests with surprises andpractical jokes. 

Suddenly the whole assembly stood up. The curtain which covered thewall in the background was drawn aside, and on a platform sat alittle insignificant-looking man, with a table before him and a sofabeside him. On the table stood a wooden goblet. He sat quitemotionless, without even moving his eyelids. Somewhat lower than hestood his chief Minister, the Greek Onegesius. He kept his eyesunwaveringly fixed on his master, who seemed to be able to conversewith him through his eyes. 

Attila remained in the same attitude, his legs crossed, and hisright hand on the table. He gave no greeting, neither did he answerany. 

"He does not see us! He only shows himself!" whispered Orestes. "Hesees well!"

Onegesius received a command from the despot's eye, and lifted hisstaff. A poet stepped forward with an instrument that resembled aharp and a drum combined. After he had struck the strings, andbeaten the drum, he began to recite. It was a song celebrating allAttila's feats in terms of strong exaggeration, and it would havebeen endless, if the assembly had not taken up the refrain andstruck with their short swords on the table. The poet representedAttila's defeat on the Catalaunian Plain as an honourable butindecisive battle. After the guests had for some time contemplatedthe insignificant-looking hero in his simple brown leather dress, they both felt the same irresistible reverence that all did whosaw him. 

There was something more than vanity in this self-conscious calm;this visible contempt for all and everything. He kept his side-faceturned to the guests, and only his Minister could catch his eye. 

When the panegyric was at an end, Attila raised his goblet, and, without drinking to anyone, sipped it. That was, however, the signalfor a drinking orgy, and the wine was poured into gold and silvergoblets, which had to be emptied at a draught, for Attila liked tosee those around him intoxicated, while he remained sober. 

After they had drunk for a while, the negro Hamilcar came forwardand performed feats of jugglery. Then the great King rose, turnedhis back to the assembly, and laid down on the sofa. But in each ofhis movements there was majesty, and as he lay there thinking, hisknees drawn up, his hands under his neck, and his eyes directedtowards the ceiling, he was still imposing. 

"But what about the bride and the marriage?" Orestes asked one ofthe Huns. 

"We do not even mention our wives, " he answered, "how, then, shouldwe show them?"

The drinking continued, but no food was placed before the guests. Atintervals the whole assembly sang, and beat upon the tables. 

While the noise and excitement were at their height, the hallsuddenly filled with smoke, and the building was in flames. Allstarted up, shouted and sought to flee, but Attila's Minister struckwith his staff on the table, and the assembly broke into laughter. It was a jest for the occasion, and only some waggon-loads of hayhad been kindled outside. When quiet had been restored, Attila wasno more to be seen, for he had left the hall by a secret door. And now began the feast, which lasted till morning. 

 * * * * *

When the sun rose, Orestes was still sitting and drinking with anAvar chief. The condition of the hall was indescribable, and most ofthe guests were dancing outside round the fire. 

"This is a wedding-feast indeed!" said Orestes. "We shall not quicklyforget it. But I would gladly have spoken with the wonderful man. Canone not do that?"

"No, " answered the Avar; "he only speaks in case of need. 'What isthe use of standing, ' he asks, 'and deceiving one another?' He is awise man, and not without traces of kindness and humanity. He allowsno unnecessary bloodshed, does not avenge himself on a defeated foe, and is ready to forgive. "

"Has he any religion? Does he fear death?"

"He believes on his sword and his mission, and death is for him onlythe door to his real home. Therefore he lives here below, as thoughhe were a guest or traveller. "

"Quite like the Christians, then?"

"It is remarkable that in Rome he received respect from Pope Leo--What's the matter now?"

Outside there was a shouting which at first seemed to issue from thepalace, but soon spread itself over the camp. Half a million of menwere howling, and it sounded like weeping. 

The guests hurried out, and saw all the Huns dancing, cutting theirfaces with knives, and shouting unintelligible words. Edeko came upand pulled Orestes away through the crowds. "Attila is dead! MayJesus Christ be praised!"

"Dead? That is Ildico's doing!"

"No! she sat by the corpse, veiled and weeping. "

"Yes, it is she. "

"Yes, but these savages are too proud to believe that Attila couldbe killed by a human being!"

"How fortunate for us!""Quick to Rome with the news. The fortune of the man who firstbrings it is made. "

Orestes and Edeko departed the same morning. They never forgot thiswedding which had brought them together. 

Later on they renewed their acquaintance, under other and still morestriking circumstances. For the son of Edeko was Odovacer, whodefeated the son of Orestes, who was no other than the last EmperorRomulus Augustus. Strangely enough his name was Romulus, as was thatof Rome's first King, and Augustus, as was that of the first Emperor. After his deposition, he closed his life with a pension of sixthousand gold pieces, in a Campanian villa, which had formerlybelonged to Lucullus. 

THE SERVANT OF SERVANTS

Rome had become a provincial town and a dependency of Byzantium. Itwas governed by an Exarch in Ravenna, but often abandoned to itsfate when the barbarians from the north amused themselves from timeto time by raiding and pillaging it. For three hundred years noEmperor had visited Rome, and the former queen of the world laydespised in rubbish and ruin. But presently people began tocollect and piece together the ruins of temples and palaces, andbuild churches out of them. Five hundred years after the death ofNero, an already ancient church of St. Peter stood in the middle ofthe tyrant's circus, where the martyrs had suffered death. Therewere at least seven other churches in different parts of the town, and the Bishop of Rome dwelt in the Lateran Palace, near the churchof the same name. There were also convents, and on the Appian Waystood the St. Andrew's Convent, close to the Church of the Cross, which was built at the entrance to the catacombs. 

About two o'clock one summer morning, all the fathers and brothershad risen, and read or sung early mass in the chancel. Afterwardsthe Abbot had gone into the garden in order to reflect. It was stilldark, but the stars shone between the olive and orange trees, andthe flowers swayed in the gentle breeze of the dawn. 

The Abbot, a man of about fifty, strolled up and down in a coveredarbour-walk, and every time he reached the south end he remainedstanding, in order to contemplate a marble tablet, erected by theside of other tablets. It stood over his future grave, which was bythe side of the abbots who had already been buried. His name and theyear of his birth were engraved upon the marble, while a space wasleft for the date of his death. 

"O Lord, how long wilt Thou forget me?" he sighed, as he turnedround again. After he had thus continued walking till daybreak, hesat down in an arbour, in order to write something in a book whichhe took out of his pocket. The noise of awaking life in the city didnot disturb him--nothing disturbed the white-haired man of fifty whohad already been two hours on his legs without eating anything. Church bells rang, carts rattled, and the rushing of the Tibercould be heard through all other noises. But the old man continuedto write, while his wrinkled face was faintly lit up by the red ofdawn. At last steps were heard on the gravel-path; a novice enteredthe arbour, and placed a bowl of bread and milk by the Abbot. Thelatter started, as though he had been recalled from far away, andexclaimed, "Leave me in peace!" The novice remained standing, frightened and troubled. Then a little bird, which had been sittingin the arbour, struck up its song. The Abbot looked up, hiscountenance cleared, he cast a glance on the bowl of milk which heeagerly seized, and was in the act of raising it to his mouth, but, as he noticed the youth's troubled aspect, he stopped. "Forgive myanger, " he said, "but I was far away. As a penance, I do this!"

He was about to pour the milk on the ground, but in order that itmight not be wasted, he poured it on the roots of a reddish-yellowlily that stood in one of the border-beds. As the novice gave nosign of going, the Abbot asked, "You wish to speak with me? Speak!"

"Holy Father. "

"I am not holy; One is holy, the Lord your God in heaven! If youhave a complaint, make it. "

"I was a rich youth, who went and sold all that he had. "

"I also did that when I was young, and then built seven convents, but have not regretted it. What have you against it? Why do youcomplain?"

The youth was silent. 

"Is it about the food? There is a famine round us, and we must sharewith the poor. "

"Not only that, venerable father, but the whole way of living heredoes not accomplish what it is intended to do. "

"Say on. "

"The scanty food does not subdue the flesh, for as I go about hungrythe whole day, I involuntarily think only about eating--in church, during prayer, in solitude. The small amount of sleep makes mesleepy the whole day, and I go to sleep in the chancel. Desires, which I had not known before, are aroused by suppression; when I seewine, I feel a real longing to get vital warmth into my body. "

"Then go and ask a brother to scourge you till you swim in yourblood, then you will feel the vital warmth return. "

"I have done that, but the blows only waken new desires. "

"Read St. Augustine. "

"I have done that. But the worst of all is the dirt. If I couldbathe. 

"Are you dirty? That betokens inward defilement. I never bathe, butmy body is always clean. But I have noticed, as soon as my thoughtsbecome impure, the body becomes impure! What do you think, then, will do you good? You do not wish to marry. Tertullian says marriageand fornication are the same. And St. Jerome is of opinion that itis better to burn than to marry. "

"But St. Paul. "

"Let St. Paul alone! But what do you want to do?"

"I cannot remain here, for I think that desires can only beextinguished by being satisfied. "

"Servant of Satan! Do you not know that desires never can besatisfied? You were once with your parents. You ate as much as youliked in the morning. Well! Were you not hungry again by noon?Certainly. So you cannot really satisfy yourself by eating! Now Iwill tell you one thing. You are a child of the world; you don'tbelong here; therefore go in peace! Eat of the swine's husks whichdo not satisfy; but when you are sick of them, you will be welcomehere again. The father's house always stands open for the prodigalson. "

The youth did not go, but burst into tears. 

"No, " he said, "I cannot return to the world, for I hate it and ithates me, but here I perish. "

The Abbot rose and embraced him. "Poor child! Such is the world, such is life; but if it is so, and if you see that it is so, theonly thing left is to live it; and count it a point of honour tolive till death comes and liberates us. "

"No! I want to die now, " sobbed the youth. 

"We may not do that, my son"; the words escaped from the old man. "If you knew . .. If you knew. .. . "

But he restrained himself: "What shall we do, then? Go to FatherMartin and have some food, and a glass of wine, but only one; thengo and have a good long sleep. Sleep for a day or two. Then come, that I may see you. Go now--but wait a minute--you must have adispensation from me. "

He sat down and wrote something on a page which he had torn out ofthe book. Armed with this permission, the youth departed, looking, however, somewhat hesitatingly and abashed. 

The Abbot remained sitting, but did not begin to write again. Instead of that, he commenced crumbling the bread and strewing thecrumbs on the table. Immediately a little bird came and picked oneup; then there followed several, who settled on the old man's hand, arms, and shoulders. A spray of vine hung from the roof of thearbour and swayed gently in the wind. Its ring-like tendrils feltabout in the air for a support. The Abbot was amused, and placed hisfinger jestingly into one of the rings: "Come, little thing! here isyour support!"

The tendril seemed to hear him, immediately curled round his finger, and formed a ring. 

"Shall I get the ring?" jested the old man. "Perhaps I shall be abishop. God deliver me!"

The Dean appeared in the door of the arbour. "Do I disturb you, brother?"

"No, not at all! I am only sitting here and playing. "

"Birds and flowers! White lilies too? I have never seen suchbefore. "

"White? Just now they were reddish-yellow! Where do you see them?"

"There!"

The Abbot looked down on the ground where he had poured his milk, and behold! there were only white lilies, without a single yellowone. He did not venture to speak about it, for one cannot speak ofsuch things; but he smiled to himself, and saw a token of grace init. 

"Well, Dean, how goes it in the city?"

"The Tiber is sinking. "

"God be praised; but the whole of Trastevere has been ruined by theflood. I really wish that a great flood would come and drown us all--the whole human race--and very likely it will come some day. "

"Still as hopeless as ever!"

"No, not without hope, but for that world, not for this. Christ saysit Himself in the Apocalypse: here is nothing on which one canbuild; for the best that we have enjoyed was but trouble and misery. "

"Not so, brother. "

"You can flourish in mud, but that I have never done. And it seemsas though one were compelled to wade in it with both feet. Did I notbegin in my youth to preserve my soul by withdrawing from the world?Then I was compelled to go out into it, thrust into the confusion byforce. They made me Prefect of the city. I wished to live in theservice of the Lord, and had to distribute eatables for the poor, procure beds for the hospitals, look after drains and water-pipes. The burden of the day's task hindered my thoughts from rising, and Isank in the swamp of material things--sank so deep that I believed Ishould never rise again. "

"But the people blessed you. "

"Hush! And I--I who had never worn a sword--had to collect soldiersand march to the field. When I was six years old Rome was pillagedby Totila the Goth, and so ravaged that only five hundred Romansremained. When I was seven years old, there came Belisarius--when Iwas twelve, Narses. Then I was sent as ambassador to Constantinople--I who hated travelling and publicity. All that I hate, I have beenobliged to accept. Now I am tired, and would like to go to rest. Isit here and wait, for my grave to open. "

"Do you remember what Virgil says in the _Georgics_ regarding thelabour of the husbandman?"

"No, I hate the heathen. "

"Wait! He says these words of wisdom: 'If Zeus sends bad weather, mice and vermin, it is to stimulate the husbandman's energy, andcall forth his inventive capacity. ' Misfortune comes to help theworld forward. "

"The world goes backward towards its overthrow and its damnation. For five hundred years we have awaited the Redemption, but we haveonly seen one wild race come after another, to murder and pillage. Do you see any reason in all this sowing without reaping?"

"Blasphemer! Yes, I see how green harvests are ploughed up tofertilise the soil. "

"Dragon's-seed and hell's harvest. No--now I go into my grave, andclose the door behind me; I have a right to rest after a life sofull of trouble and work. "

"The bell is ringing for prime. "

"Jam moesta quiesce querela. "

 * * * * *

The Tiber had overflowed Rome, and destroyed quite a quarter of it, but spared the convent of St. Andrew. The Abbot sat again onemorning in his garden and wrote, but in such a position that hecould see his grave when he looked up from his work. Deep in hiswriting, he did not hear what was happening around him. But he sawthat the flowers in the beds began to shake like reeds, frogsjumped about at his feet, and there was a smell of dampness that wasat the same time mouldy and poisonous. 

He continued to write, but his eye, although intent on the passageof his pen over the paper, noticed something dark that moved on theground, spread itself like a black carpet, and came nearer. Suddenlyhis feet were wet, and a deathlike chill crept up his legs. Then heawoke and understood. The Tiber had risen, and he was driven out ofhis last refuge. "I will not go, " he cried, as the alarm-bellsounded, and the monks fled. 

He went to his cell in the upper story, firmly resolved not to flee. He would not go out into the world again, but would die here. Theflood which he had prayed for, had come. But he had a spiritualconflict and agony of prayer in his cell: "Lord, why dost thou punishthe innocent? Why dost thou chastise Thy friends and let Thy foesflourish? For five hundred years Thou hast avenged Thyself on Thychildren for the misdeeds of their fathers! If that is not enough, then destroy us all at once!"

The water rose and lapped against the walls; the garden wasdestroyed, and the Abbot's grave filled with water, but he remainedwhere he was. At one time he sang hymns of praise, then he raged;then he prayed for pardon, and raged again. 

After that he set himself to write at the great work which shouldmake him immortal, --his "Magna Moralia. " It was now noon, but hefelt no hunger, for by practice he had learned to fast for threedays together. During the afternoon, a noise at the window made himlook up from his book. There lay a boat, and in it sat the noviceAugustinus. The extraordinary, almost comic, aspect of things, elicited a smile from him, and, remembering his conversation withthe youth, he asked through the open window, "Well, did you getthe wine and good food, you glutton?" "No, venerable Father; I didnot want it when I could have it, and then the temptation was over. But now I have to speak of something else. The plague has brokenout, and people are dying like flies. "

"The plague too! Oh Lord, how long wilt Thou altogether forget us!The plague too!"

Then he rose. "Everyone to his post! Let us do our duty! Bless theLord, and die!" The Abbot stepped out of his window into the boat, and left his sinking ship. 

 * * * * *

The Tiber sank to its level again, but left behind snakes, fishes, and frogs, which died and infected the air. The people had fled tothe hills; on the Palatine Hill they had made a hospital out of achurch. Here the Abbot of the St. Andrew's Convent walked about, gave drink to the sick, and spoke comfort to the dying. "Why do youfear death, children?" he said. "Fear life, for that is the realdeath. " He seemed to be quite in his element here, showed a calm, cheerful temper, and sought to decipher on the faces of the dead, "whether they were happy on the other side. "

Death would have nothing to do with him. Often he went to the otherhills, and walked about among the sick and dying, so that the peoplebegan to think that he was an immortal who had come down to comfortthem. The older ones remembered him as Prefect, when he defended thecity against the Goths, Vandals, and Longobards, and his famecontinually grew. 

The pestilence raged, and the number of the dead increased, so thatthe corpses could no longer be buried. All occupations ceased, andthe peasants brought no more food into the city. There was a famine. The Abbot of the St. Andrew's Convent, Gregory, lost courage, andwanted to abandon all, "I cannot fight against God, and if it be Hiswill that Rome perish, it is godless to wish to prevent it. " In themidst of this tribulation, Pelagius II, the Bishop or Pope of Rome, as he was afterwards called, died. The people with one voiceclamoured for the Abbot Gregory to succeed him. But, like King Sauland the Emperor Julian, he hid himself. He fled from the town to ahermit's grotto in the Sabine Mountains. But the people came, brought him out, and led him back to Rome, where he was consecratedas Gregory I. For thirteen years Gregory ruled over the former queencity of the world. He was Governor, for the Exarch of Ravennaexisted no more, having been driven away by the Longobards. Heasked help from the Emperor in Byzantium, but obtained none. He wasthrown upon his own resources, and succeeded by the power of hiseloquence in disarming King Agilulf, who threatened Rome. 

But he was also Bishop, and as such had to govern all the churchesof the West. He succeeded in bringing them to abandon Arianism andto accept a single creed, which became the universal or "catholic"confession of faith. 

To the heathen of England he sent the former novice Augustine, whohad quickly overcome his initiatory difficulties. The little"glutton" ended as Archbishop of Canterbury. 

The former retiring and life-weary Abbot had with great effectdeveloped the necessary strength for his duties. The high post towhich he had been summoned called out his capacities. He had timefor great and small things alike. He reformed the liturgy, wroteletters, composed books, arranged church music. His manner of life, however, was as simple as before. From his cell in the LateranPalace, he ruled over souls from the Highlands of Scotland tothe Pillars of Hercules. His empire was as great as the Caesars', though his legions were only pen and ink. It was the beginning ofthe Kingdom of Christ, but it was a spiritual empire, and Gregorywas the ruler. 

ISHMAEL

After the death of Gregory the Great, Christianity seemed to haveconquered all Europe which was known at the time, and alsoByzantium, Palestine, Egypt, and the north coast of Africa. Theconqueror was about to betake himself to rest, when a quite new andunexpected event happened which threatened Christendom withdestruction and heralded the arrival of a new race upon the scene. Ishmael's descendants, Abraham's illegitimate sons, who had wanderedin the deserts, seeming to continue the Israelites' wandering in thewilderness, began to collect in troops and seek a Promised Land. 

Six years after Gregory's death, the Prophet Muhammed, then fortyyears old, was "awakened. " His armies spread like a conflagration, and a hundred years later, Christian Europe thought the last day hadcome. The countries first conquered by Christianity--Syria, Palestine, Asia Minor, Egypt, and North Africa--had fallen away and done homageto the new Antichrist. Byzantium was threatened; Sicily and Sardiniahad been taken, and Italy was in danger. 

From the southernmost point of Spain one could see in clear weatherthe coast of Africa, where the Saracens dwelt. Spain was a countrywhich, somewhat remote from Rome, had grown and developed into oneof the richest provinces, after Phoenicians and Carthaginians hadlaid the foundations of her civilisation. But when Rome fell intodecay, Barbarians from the Baltic sea belonging to the new Germanraces, whose advent had been foretold by Tacitus, poured intoSpain, founded a kingdom or two, and now at the beginning of theeighth century, possessed the important cities Toledo and Seville. 

 * * * * *

In Seville, on the Guadalquivir, in the beautiful province ofAndalusia, the old Jew Eleazar sat in the shop where he soldweapons, and counted his day's takings. 

"Many weapons are sold in these days, " was the sudden remark of astranger who had stepped up to the counter. 

Eleazar looked up, liked the appearance of the well-dressedstranger, and answered cautiously, "Yes, certainly, many are sold. "

"Are you expecting war?"

"There is always war here--especially verbal warfare. "

"You refer to the twenty Church Councils which have been held here. The Christians are never united. "

Eleazar did not answer. 

"Excuse me, " continued the stranger, "but I forgot who you are, andthat you would rather forget the last Council. "

"No, not at all! why should I?"

"It was directed against your people. "

"And my only son, who was about to marry a Christian maiden, had togive her up, since marriages with Jews were forbidden. .. . "

"Well! and what was the end of it?"

"He could not survive it, but laid hands on himself, and, as shefollowed him in death, the blame was laid on us, and we lost ourproperty and freedom. "

"Eleazar!" exclaimed the stranger. "Don't you know me?"

"No. "

"But when I tell you my name, you will know who I am. Julius--CountJulius. .. . "

"Are you--Count Julius?"

"I am he, whose daughter Florinda was brought up in Toledo, and fellinto the hands of King Roderick, the robber and lecher. Can I seeyou in your chamber? We have much to say to each other!"

Eleazar hesitated, although both, as injured fathers of lostchildren, had much in common. He was afraid of the Christians, whohad begun to persecute the Jews. The Count understood that, but didnot withdraw his proposal, for he seemed to have a special object inhis visit. 

"Let me into your chamber, and I will tell you, in three words, asecret that concerns us both. "

Eleazar did not yield, but began to parley. 

"Say one word, a single word to convince me, " he asked. 

"Oppas! there is one for you. "

Eleazar opened his eyes, but asked for yet another one. 

"Zijad's son. ""Still better!" said Eleazar, "but now the last!"

"Bar-coch-ba. "

Eleazar reached him his hand. "Come under my roof, eat of my bread, and drink of the sacred wine. " In a moment the shop was closed, andthe two elderly men sat at supper in the room behind it. Theyconversed eagerly. 

"There are some hundreds of thousands of us Hebrews here in Spain, for when the Emperor Hadrian had destroyed Jerusalem for the lasttime, he sent some fifty thousand Hebrews here. That is six hundredyears ago, and we have naturally increased--yes, to such a number, that ninety thousand of us could be compulsorily baptized. I, too, have been baptized, but, though they poured water on me, I have heldfast the faith of my fathers, and how could I do otherwise? TheChristians have not one faith, but many. The Synod held in Toledo in589 A. D. Taught, for example, that the Holy Spirit did not onlyproceed from the Father, but from the Son also. But the Synod of675 A. D. Declared that the Son was not only sent by the Father butby the Holy Spirit. That is nonsense, and therefore they fall awayfrom their own doctrine. 

"But instead of falling back on the Old Testament, which is themother of the New, they plunge into unbelief and heathenism. That isthe case with Archbishop Oppas himself in Toledo, who calls himselfa hater of Christ, and would rather acknowledge Islam thanCatholicism. "

"Do you know Oppas?"

"He is our man. ""You mentioned Islam; what do you think of its teaching?"

"It is our own holy faith; a single God, the Only and True One. Andthe Prophet is Abraham's seed, who has inherited the promise. It istrue Ishmael was the son of a bond-woman, but still he was Abraham'sseed!"

"But Muhammed expelled the Jews from Arabia. "

"Yes, he did that; he was not perfect; but things have altered forthe better. Muhammed received his first impressions from his cousinWaraka, who was of Jewish descent. At first he was friendly towardsIsrael; he told his followers to turn in prayer not towards theKaaba, but towards Jerusalem. There is also a tradition that theprophet was a Jew, which may mean that he was an Arab or Ishmaelite, which is the same thing. "

"You would, then, rather serve under the Half-Moon than under theCross?"

"Certainly. "

"And Simon, whom you call Bar-coch-ba, is negotiating with theArchbishop Oppas in order to overthrow Roderick?"

"That is true. "

"Good! Then I am one with you. But listen carefully to what I say:--Since our common aim is the overthrow of the West Gothic King, Ihave, as Governor of Ceuta on the African coast, inquired of EmirMussa al Nazir and his principal officer, Tarik, the son of Zijad, whether they will perhaps help us in case of a claim for damagesmade by Ceuta and its neighbourhood. Do you think we can let thestorm loose?"

Eleazar gnawed his beard. "Is it not already loose?" he asked drily. 

"Have you gone further than I know?"

"What do you know?"

"You are so far as that, then? Well! It is all over with mybeautiful Spain!"

"Nothing comes to an end; it only changes when its time is over. Spain had its time when it gave Emperors to Rome--Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius, Marcus Aurelius, Theodosius, who may just as likely havebeen Iberians and Phoenicians. Spain gave Rome learned men andpoets, Seneca, Lucan, Martial, Quintilian, Pomponius, Mela, Columella. That is now five hundred years ago, and now we havehad barbarism introduced by the Christian Norsemen from the Baltic. Now we might use something Oriental!"

"Do you believe on the future of Islam?"

"Yes, certainly. Mussa has sworn that he will march by Hannibal'sroute through Gaul and Germany to Rome, in order to turn the'heathen and women-worshippers' to the one true God. "

"You know that! Then there is no turning back. "

"No! It is too late. On the 19th of July the half-moon rises overSpain, and it will continue to wax through its phases to the fullmoon. What follows then we know not, and have nothing to do with, for One rules--the Lord Zebaoth. "

 * * * * *

On the 17th of July, 711 A. D. , when it had become dark, fire waskindled on the southernmost point of Spain, Punta de Europa. On theAfrican coast, two miles distant, this was answered by a similarsignal. A west wind blew from the Atlantic, and brought across thefleet of the Saracens, with five thousand men and horses. 

On the Punta de Europa, afterwards called Gibraltar, high above theprecipitous cliff stood long-bearded citizens, and fanned the fireand threw fuel on it. In the morning the first troops landed at thefoot of the cliff, and the conquest of Spain by the Moors began. Mussa ibn Nazir came on the following day with the chief body. The King of the West Goths assembled as rapidly as possible ahundred thousand men, and, believing himself invincible, marchedthither to view the victory. Clothed in silk and gold, like aByzantine Emperor, he lay in a chariot of ivory drawn by two whitemules, and followed by his attendants and the women of his harem. 

For three days all went well, but on the fourth day, somethingunexpected happened. 

Shut in between the mountains and rivers of Andalusia, his troopscould hardly move, and the King had encamped on the bank of theGuadalete. 

Then he saw his people pouring down like a stream from the heights--one division under Archbishop Oppas, the other under Count Julius. 

Roderick, who believed that they were fleeing from the enemy, brokeup his camp. He could not, however, turn round, but was forced intothe stream. He tried to reach the other side by swimming, but therehe was met by archers. An Amazon came galloping along the bank on ared roan, and directed her bow against the drowning man in themiddle of the stream. On the one bank he saw his troops, who hadhalted, signal with white flags as a sign of peace to the enemy onthe opposite bank. When he saw that he was betrayed, he sank, andwith him the whole kingdom of the West Goths. Mussa marched at onceto Toledo, before a new king could be chosen. Thereby Islam becamedomiciled in Spain, and remained there till 1492. The Jews, who hadespecially helped the Moors, were at once emancipated, and in everytown of Spain a Jew was appointed governor. 

EGINHARD TO EMMA

EASTER, A. D. 843, The Benedictine Convent in Seligenstadt on the Main. 

To my dear wife and present sister in Christ, Emma, from Eginhard, formerly secretary to Charles the Great, now amonk in Seligenstadt on the Main:

Passion-week is at an end, and the Resurrection days are here;spring has melted the frost; mind and memory have woken, and thepast rises up again. 

Yesterday, on Easter Eve, I walked in the convent garden, andthought of my vanished five and seventy years. I thought of the finethings which were said in the learned circle or academy of the GreatUnforgettable, when we played with words and thoughts, likechess-players with their pieces. 

"What is man?" asked our teacher, our wisest, Alcuin, whom we calledFlaccus. 

Angilbert, the Emperor's son-in-law, the husband of the beautifulBertha, answered, "Man is the slave of death, a flying traveller, aguest in his own dwelling. "

"Yes, truly, " I said to myself, "a guest; and soon I will pack myknapsack, pay my account, and journey on. "

I went along the river-bank and thought, "The same river, always thesame river, but always new water; the same water never runs twicepast. Such is life, such is the river of time, the heroes and eventsof history--the panorama of time, the years and the glory of them, all pass and perish. "

I then wished to pluck the first Easter lilies to send to you, whowere once my wife, and went to the gardener down by the carp-pond. Whom did I meet on the path under the ivy, this plant of eternity, which only knows of death and birth, but not the changes of theseasons? I met the last survivor of the great days, of the Emperor'sRound Table, Thiodolf the Goth, now Bishop of Orleans. I cannotdescribe to you my joy at meeting him again, nor depict my feelingswhen I read in the face of the old man the whole history of our life. 

It was six o'clock in the evening, and after we had sung Vespers, our fast was at an end. I had a large round table placed in therefectory, only for us two, but with twelve chairs and twelve placeslaid. From the Bishop's guest-room I had the largest armchairbrought, and decorated it with leaves and flowers; it was that ofthe Emperor of blessed memory, who now rests in the cathedralat Aachen, the cathedral which I had the favour and honour ofbuilding. The other chairs I assigned to absent friends, firstAlcuin, then the poet Angilbert-Homerus, the Irishman Clement, theBavarian Leidrade, and others whom you knew, but have forgotten. 

What an evening, what a night, we passed by the open garden window!We spoke naturally of the Great Unforgettable, and lived his richand varied life again in our thoughts. We followed him against theLongobards and Saracens, against the Hungarians and other Slavs. Butwe did not like to linger over his thirty years' war against theSaxons, chiefly out of reverence for his memory, for he ought tohave used only spiritual weapons in his campaign of conversion. Remember the Frankish King who sent our friend Anschar to the wildSwedes. He had no armed men, but only God's Holy Word. Certainlyhe was robbed by thieves like St. Paul, but when once he hadarrived he won the King and the nobles of the country by hisgentle bearing and preaching. 

On the other hand, we lingered gladly in our conversation over thegreat Christmas Day of 800 A. D. In Rome, when the Western RomanEmpire was restored, and the crown was bestowed on Germany. This hadbeen prophesied by Tacitus, and Hermann in the Teutoburger Wald hadshed his martyr's blood for it. Rome and Germany! A spiritual and aworldly kingdom! Inscrutable are the ways of the Lord!

When we drank to the strong and gentle Carolus Magnus Augustus, weboth rose, Thiodolf and I, and bowed before the empty chair, asthough he sat there in bodily presence. Where is he now, thedeparted of blessed memory--where is his great kingdom, which onlyhis powerful spirit could hold together? What he united has now beenscattered by his successors! You know, after the last treaty atVerdun, the kingdom of Karl the Great has ceased to exist; in itsplace we now have three--Germany, France, and Italy. Perhaps itmust be so, and perhaps a single man cannot rule so great an empire. But it is sad to perceive in history that every great achievementcarries within it the seeds of decay, and that the heights arealways bordered by deep abysses. Brother Thiodolf broughtdisquieting news from France. The Saxons, who were finallyoverthrown with their powerful chief Widukind, have devised aterrible revenge. They have invited Danish and Swedish pirates, called Vikings, into the country. These have sailed up the Rhine, upthe Seine as far as Rouen, and up the Loire. These Scandinavians areof German stock, and are therefore of kin to us Franks, but are morenearly related to the Goths, Heruli, Rugieri, and Longobards, ofwhom the last three are Scandinavian. Odovacer, who overthrew theWestern Roman Empire, and deposed the last Emperor RomulusAugustulus, was a Rugier from the Danish island Rugen. These menfrom the North seem to be now about to step on the stage. Possiblythey are the Gog and Magog concerning whom the Old Testamentprophesied that they should come from the North. We did not endour conversation till midnight, Thiodolf and I; then we walked upand down in the garden till early mass, for we could not sleep. 

Now I close this letter, dear wife, by wishing you happy days farfrom all the tumult of the world. I only wait for my departure, forlife has lost its relish for me, since my lord and Emperor haspassed into the great silence. Greet the brethren and the few whostill survive from the time of the Great Emperor, and accept, dearEmma, the greeting of your dead husband, whom you will not seebefore the Day of Resurrection, the great Easter, when we shallall meet again. Till then, "Be of one mind, live in peace, and theGod of Jove and of peace shall be with you. "

THE CLOSE OF THE FIRST MILLENNIUM

In the year 998 A. D. Rome had become a German Empire and theGerman Emperor had become a Roman. Otto III, brought up by hisGraeco-Byzantine mother Theofano, had inherited her love of thesouthern lands, and therefore generally occupied his palace on theAventine, installed himself as Emperor, and cherished a plan ofconverting Rome into the capital of the German Empire. He was nowtwenty years old, ambitious, crochety, pious, and cruel. 

During one of his absences, the old Roman spirit had revived, andthe high-born senator Crescentius had set up himself as Tribune ofthe people, freed Rome from the Germans, driven away Pope Gregory V, and installed John XVI in his place. The Emperor returned quickly toRome, took Crescentius and his Pope prisoner, and then presented theRomans with a vivid spectacle, the like of which they had not seen, though their fathers had. 

The Leonine quarter, which embraced the Vatican Hill, with theoldest St. Peter's Church and a papal palace, was connected withthe town by the Pons Aelius or Bridge of Hadrian. At the head ofthe bridge, on the right side, was the sepulchre of Hadrian, atower-shaped building in which the Emperors up to the time ofCaracalla had been buried. When the Goths took Rome, the sepulchrebecame a fortress, and remained so for a long time. 

When the Romans woke up on that memorable morning of the year 998A. D. , they saw twelve wooden crosses erected on Hadrian's Towerterrace. Right above them was to be seen the image of the ArchangelMichael, with his drawn sword, which had been erected by Gregory theGreat. Many people were assembled on the Aelian Bridge to see thespectacle, and among them were a French merchant and a Gothicpilgrim who had come from the west across the Leonine quarter. The sword of the Archangel flamed in the beams of the sun, whichwas now high. 

"What are those crosses for?" asked the pilgrim, shading his eyes. 

"There are twelve! Perhaps they are intended to represent thetwelve Apostles. "

"No, they have finished their sufferings, and the pious Emperor doesnot crucify the disciples of the Lord anew. "

"Yes, the Emperor! The Saxon! Neither the Goth, nor the Longobard, nor the Frank were to have Rome, but the Saxon--one of the cursednation whom Charles the Great thought that he had extirpated. Hesent ten thousand to Gaul, in order to make a present of thesesavages to the enemy, and he beheaded four thousand five hundred ina single day, without its costing him a sleepless night. Wonderful are the ways of the Lord!"

"The last are often the first. "

"O Lord Jesus, Redeemer of the world! there is something moving onthe crosses! Do you see?"

"Yes, by heaven! No, I cannot look! They are crucified men!"

Two Romans stood by the strangers: "Hermann, you are avenged, " saidone. 

"Was Hermann a Saxon?" objected the other. 

"Probably, since he lived in the Harz district. "

"A thousand years ago Thusnelda passed through the streets in thetriumph-train of Germanicus, and carried the unborn Thumelicus underher heart! To think that a thousand years had to pass before she wasavenged!"

"A thousand years are as a day! But are not these our Roman brotherson the cross martyrs for Rome's freedom?"

"Martyrs for our cause! But this time they were wrong, because thegods so willed it. "

Now there was a change in the scene. Under the tower a band ofsoldiers made a passage through the crowd of people. Pope John XVIcame riding backwards on an ass. His ears and nose had been cutoff, and his eyes had been dug out. It was a gruesome sight. Awine-bladder, waving over his head in the wind, made it worse. Thepeople were silent, and shuddered simultaneously, for he was, afterall, Christ's representative and St. Peter's successor, although nomartyr. 

A Sicilian stood on the bridge close to a Jew. 

The Sicilian was a Muhammedan, for Sicily was then in the possessionof the Saracens, and had been so for about two hundred years. 

"He must be suffering for his predecessors' sins, " said the Jew;"that is the Christian belief: _satisfactio vicaria_. "

"Suffering is necessary, " answered the Moslem; "and I do not grieveat such an end to the pornocracy. For a hundred years the Popes havelived like cannibals. You remember Sergius III, who lived with theharlot Theodora and her daughters. John X continued with Marozia, who with her own hand first killed her brother and then suffocatedthe Pope with a cushion. John XII was only nineteen when he becamePope. He took bribes, and consecrated a ten year-old boy as bishopin a stable. He committed incest, and turned the Lateran into abrothel. He played cards, drank and swore by Jupiter and Venus. .. . You know it well. "

"Yes, " answered the Jew, "the Christians live in hell since theyhave abandoned the one true God. The fools have, however, stolenfrom us the Messianic promise; but the promise to Abraham we stillpossess. Rome is a mad-house, Germany a slaughter-house, and Francea brothel. It is a matter to rejoice at, to see how they destroyeach other. "

He placed himself by the balustrade of the bridge, in order to beable to see better what now followed. 

Between the twelve patriots, who writhed on their crosses like wormson hooks, appeared five men dressed in red, who began to construct aplatform. 

"Those are the executioners--on the Emperor's grave!" said the Jew. "Against Crescentius I have nothing; he was a noble man who foughtfor the Roman State. But there is one Christian the less!"

"The Christians have always two ways of explaining a man'ssufferings. If he is innocent, his suffering is a test, and if he isguilty, well! he deserved his fate. There he comes!"

Crescentius, the last Roman, was led forth. His head fell, andthereby Rome became German, or Germany Roman--till 1806! In theafternoon the nomination of the new Pope (for one could not call itan election) took place, and Gerbert of Auvergne was made Pope, withthe title of Silvester II. 

 * * * * *

The Emperor sat in his palace on the Aventine, and did not ventureto go out, for the Romans hated him. In the little hermitage on theslope of the hill, where his friend Adalbert of Prague, themissionary martyr recently killed by the Saxons, used to live, theEmperor shut himself up with his teacher, the new Pope, SilvesterII. 

The latter--a Frenchman--had studied in Cordova, where the Caliphhad built a university, where Arabian philosophy, itself derivedfrom Greece and India, was taught. In Rheims Silvester has alsostudied philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry. He hadbeen Abbot of Bobbio, Archbishop of Rheims and Ravenna, and, afterprotesting in many ecclesiastical assemblies against thecorruption of the Papacy, had himself become Pope. 

The excitement caused by the execution of Crescentius compelled himto seek refuge on the Aventine with his pupil, the Emperor. From thecell of the little convent, near Adalbert's chapel, he guided thedestinies of Europe, while at leisure moments he devoted himself tohis favourite sciences. For this reason he was reported to be awizard. 

One night as he sat, sunk in thought, at his table, which wascovered with letters, the Emperor entered unannounced. He was a tallyoung man, dressed in an extraordinary garb, a dalmatica adornedwith symbols from the Book of the Apocalypse, the Wild Beast and theHarlot, the Book of Seven Seals, and so on. 

"Let me talk, " he said; "I cannot sleep. "

"What has happened, my son?"

"Letters have come--warnings--dreams. "

"Tell me. "

"Yes; you listen to me, but you don't believe me, when I tell youthe truth, and you are afraid of all new thoughts. "

"What is new under the sun? Does not St. Augustine say regarding ourholy faith, 'What is called in our days Christianity, already existedsince the creation of mankind to the birth of Christ. It was thenthat they began to call Christianity the true religion, which hadalready existed before. The truths taught by Christ are the same asthe ancient ones, only more developed'?"

"Heretic, beware! You do not know what is taking place in theworld. "

"Let me hear. "

"Pilgrims from many lands have been here, and tell of prodigies, visions, and wonders. In the south of France there are pestilenceand famine, and human flesh has been sold in the butchers' shops; inGermany a fiery iron rod has been seen in the sky, and here in Italythese endless pilgrimages have recommenced. In Jerusalem the Churchof the Holy Sepulchre has been plundered, and the temple of theFalse Prophet erected. The whole of Christendom is trembling, for inthe immoral Popes of the last century they have seen the Antichrist. Christ's ambassador is murdered; yes, my friend Adalbert was thelast up there in Poland: the heathen have reconquered all Christ'sconquests in Asia and Africa. The followers of the False Prophetare in Spain, Sicily, and Naples, and threaten Rome. This can meannothing less than the Last Judgment and destruction of the world, as announced in the Apocalypse. "

"So it is the old story again?"

"Story! Get thee hence Satan, for thou savourest not the thingswhich be of God, but those which be of men. "

"Do you call me Satan?"

"Yes, when you deny the Word. Is it not written in John's Apocalypse, 'And when the thousand years are accomplished, Satan will be letloose from his prison. And he shall go to deceive the nations whichare in the four ends of the earth, Gog and Magog'? There you have thenorthern peoples who are now in England, Normandy, and Sicily. Is notTheodora the great Babylonian Harlot? Is not the deceiver Muhammedthe Wild Beast?"

"Wait, my son! I might quote a verse from the same chapter: 'He whohath part in the first resurrection shall reign with Christ athousand years. ' So that the Millennium is _beginning_ now, andcannot end forthwith. "

"The old one ends, and the new begins. "

"Just so! The old dark age is past, and we await Christ's secondcoming on earth. If you retained the hope, you would see the new eradawn. "

"I do not believe a word of what you say. The last year of thethousand years is here, and now I go out in the desert to await, with fasting, prayer, and penance, the day of the Lord, and thecoming of my Redeemer. I will pray for you, my father, but here ourways part, and you will see me no more. "

The Emperor departed, and Silvester remained alone. 

"I wait!" he said to himself, "but meanwhile I look after ourworldly affairs. " And he unfolded a map of the then known world. With a piece of red chalk he drew crosses and crowns, for the mostpart in the North. But above Jerusalem he drew a flag with a lance. 

 * * * * *

The year 999 approached its end, and the Christians lived in a stateof deadly anxiety. In Rome and its neighbourhood, all the activebusiness of life had ceased. The fields were not sown, but laycovered with weeds; trade was at a stand-still; the shops wereclosed. Those who had anything gave it away, and had difficulty infinding anyone to take it. The churches stood open day and night forthree months, and each day was like Sunday. People wore their bestclothes, for there was no object in keeping them, and they wished tobe well dressed in order to meet the Redeemer on His arrival. Christmas had been kept with unwonted solemnity, and men lived atpeace with one another. The guards of the city had nothing to do, for the fear of what was coming sufficed to maintain order. Peopleslept with open doors, and no one dared to steal or to deceive. There was no need to do so, for everyone received what he askedfor; bakers distributed bread gratis, and innkeepers allowedunlimited credit; the payment of debts was not exacted. The churcheswere crowded day and night; there was a ceaseless round ofconfessions, absolutions, masses and communions. 

It was the day before New Year's Eve. Views were divided as to thenature of the coming catastrophe--whether it would come as a floodor as an earthquake. Most of the people remained outside theirhouses, some on the plain, others on the hills; all with their eyesdirected towards heaven. 

In the morning, the Plain of Mars was full of men, and a crowdformed a circle round a pile of wood. A madman stood on the pile andspoke, with a quantity of papers and parchments in his hand. He wasa rich citizen who for three months had practised fasting andpenance, and now, reduced to a skeleton, wished to escape the wrathto come. He had collected a large quantity of dry wood under thepretext of giving warmth to all passing beasts of burthen. Sincenobody troubled about what others did, he was allowed to do as heliked. 

Near the pile of wood stood the remains of an old orator's pulpit, and in that he took his stand after he had kindled the pile. "In thename of the Eternal God, " he said, "so surely as I burn thesebonds, will God the Lord erase my sins from His Book. For allsufferings which I have caused others, I will now suffer myself. Purifying fire, burn my wretched body with all its sins! Mountingflames, let me follow you upwards! Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"He leaped from the pulpit, and fell in the midst of the flames, where he remained on his knees with folded hands till he wassuffocated. 

In the Forum a man was seen working with a miner's iron bar at arubbish-heap which should cover him: "Say to the mountains, Coverus, " he sang. 

From the Pons Sublicius a young couple sprang into the river, lockedin an embrace which death could not loosen. 

At mid-day the prisons were opened, and the prisoners were receivedas heroes and martyrs. They were taken to the houses of thenobility, made to sit at table, and senators and their wives washedtheir feet. 

"We are all sinners, " people said, "and have nothing to boast of. These prisoners have endured their punishment while we went aboutfree. "

Never had there been such a display of philanthropy and mercy sincethe early days of Christianity. 

The sick in the hospitals wanted to come outside, and their bedswere carried into the streets and market-places. Everyone, in fact, wanted to be in the open air, and families brought their furnitureinto the streets. Birds were liberated from their cages, and horsesfrom their stables. At first the latter ran about in the town, butas they scented the fresh air and reached the town gates theygalloped off to the Campagna, to seek green pasture. Many, however, remained in the town, and lay about here and there, while childrenclambered on their backs. The children were the only ones who feltno fear. They jumped about and played as usual, rejoicing in theirfreedom and the unusual aspect of things. No one wanted to restrainthem, and as they did not understand what was the matter, theyremained free from anxiety and went on playing. 

New Year's Eve had arrived, and the universal alarm rose to a greatheight. Masters and servants were seen embracing each other andweeping, the former lamenting their severity--the latter, theirdishonesty. Old enemies, who met each other on the street, graspedhands and led each other about like children, singing hymns ofpraise. It was something like the Golden Age as imagined by theFathers of the early Church. 

The air was as mild as that of a spring day, and the sky was cleartill noon. Then it became overclouded. No one ate or drank, but allbathed and put on their festal attire. During the afternoonprocessions of priests and monks marched through the town, and sanglitanies, in which the people joined. Their Kyrie Eleison, "Christ, have mercy upon us, " rang all over the town. All Rome was preparingfor its own judgment and execution. 

There were, however, a number of unbelieving and profligate personswho expected nothing new; they had assembled themselves in thecatacombs and ruins, where they celebrated Bacchanalian feasts andorgies. In the ruins of Nero's Golden House a banquet on a largescale had been arranged. In the centre on the ground there burned afire, surrounded by tables and seats. There was abundance of victualsand wine, for which they only needed to go to the store-room andcellar. There were music, dancing, and singing, and between whilesthey amused themselves by watching the bats and owls, which flittedabout, scorch and singe themselves in the fire. 

Their hilarity was loud, but not unforced. Here, too, philosophisingand prophecy were in evidence. 

"There is not going to be any Last Judgment to-day, " said a youngman, who looked as though he were a descendant of the Emperor Nero. 

"Anyhow, if it comes, death cannot introduce us to anything worsethan we have had in life. "

"It has always seemed to me that we are in hell. Headaches everymorning, debts and disgrace, varied by occasional imprisonments. "

"The Emperor sits naked in a grotto at the foot of Soracte. "

"Vides ut alta stet nive candidum, Soracte. "

"As we are speaking, life the envious flits away. Enjoy the presentday, nor trust the morrow!"

"And the Pope is going to hold a midnight mass--he who has no faithin it himself. "

"But he must put a good face on it, and go through with it. "

"I know one woman who will not go to mass to-day. "

"That is the beautiful Stephania, the widow of Crescentius. "

"But she watches for vengeance. "

"What have these Germans to do in Rome? I wish the owner of thisGolden House could rise from the dead. He was the last Roman!"

"He was a man who did not caress his enemies. He feared nothingbetween heaven and earth, not even the lightning. Once there wasa lightning-flash in his dining-hall as he reclined at table. Whatdo you think he said? 'To your health!' and raised his goblet. "

At this moment a heated stone fell from the vaulted roof into thefire, and caused a shower of sparks. The night wind rushed throughthe hole thus formed, and blew the smoke into the feasters faces. Atfirst they were amused at the occurrence, but were soon obliged toleave the vault. 

"Let us go out and witness the end of the world!" cried one of theyouths. They formed a procession of Bacchanals and Maenads, one infront carrying a filled wineskin. There were flute-players amongthem, and all carried goblets in their hands. 

 * * * * *

Below, in the old Basilica of St. Peter, stood the Pope before thealtar, and performed in silence the midnight mass. The church wascrowded, and everyone was on his knees. The silence was so deep thatthe rustle of the white sleeve of the officiant could be heard whenhe elevated the cup. But another sound was audible, which seemed tobe measuring out the last moments of the Millennium. It beat likethe pulse in the ear of a feverish man, and at the same rate. Thedoor of the sacristy stood open, and the great clock which hungthere ticked calmly and steadfastly, once in a second. 

The Pope, who was outwardly just as calm, had probably left the dooropen in order to produce the utmost effect at the great moment, forhis face was pale with emotion, but he did not move, and his handsdid not tremble. 

The mass was over, and a death-like silence ensued. The peopleexpected the Lord's servant at the altar to speak a few words ofcomfort. But he said nothing; he seemed absorbed in prayer, and hadstretched out his hands towards heaven. 

The clock ticked, the people sighed, but nothing happened. Likechildren afraid of the dark, the congregation lay with their facestowards the ground, and dared not look up. A cold sweat of anxietydropped from many brows, knees which had gone to sleep caused pain, or were numb, and felt as though they had been amputated. 

Then the clock suddenly ceased ticking. 

Had the works run down? Was it an omen? Was everything going tostand still, time to be at an end, and eternity begin? From thecongregation rose some stifled cries, and, lifeless with terror, some bodies dropped on the stone pavement. 

Then the clock began to strike--One, Two, Three, Four. .. . Thetwelfth stroke sounded, and the echoes died away. A fresh death-likesilence ensued. 

Then Silvester turned round, and, with the proud smile of a victor, he extended his hands in blessing. At the same moment all the bellsin the tower rang out joyfully, and from the organ-loft a choir ofvoices began to sing, somewhat unsteadily at first, but soon firmlyand clearly, "Te Deum Laudamus!"

The congregation joined in, but it was some time before they couldstraighten their stiffened backs, and recover from the spectacle ofthose who had died of fright. When the hymn was over, the peoplefell in each other's arms, weeping and laughing like lunatics, asthey gave each other the kiss of peace. 

So ended the first Millennium after the birth of Christ. 

In the little castle Paterno on Mount Soracte, the Emperor had spentthe Christmas week and New Year's Eve in the strictest fast andpenance. But when New Year's Day was come, and nothing had happened, he returned to Rome to meet Silvester and take measures for thefuture. The Emperor's friend and teacher received him with a smilewhich was easy to interpret. But the monarch was still so much underthe effect of his fit of alarm that he did not venture to be angry. 

"Will you now return to earth, my son, and look after your mundaneaffairs?" said Silvester. 

"I will, but I must first fulfil two vows which I made in the hourof need. "

"Fulfil them certainly. "

"I go to the grave of my friend Adalbert in Gnesen, and I must visitthe funeral vault of Charles the Great in Aachen. "

"Do so, but you must at the same time fulfil some commissions whichI give you for the journey. "

So they parted. 

 * * * * *

Two years had passed, when, one day in January, Pope Silvester wassummoned to Paterno, the little castle on Soracte, where theRoman-German Emperor dwelt, and now lay ill. 

When Silvester entered the sick-room, the Emperor sat upright, butlooked troubled. "You are ill, " said Silvester: "is it the soul orbody?"

"I am tired. "

"Already, at twenty-two years of age. "

"I am despondent. "

"You are despondent although you saw the world awake from itsnightmare. Consider, ungrateful man, all that these two years havebrought, what triumphs for Christ, who really seems to havereturned. I will enumerate them: listen! Bohemia has received itsDuke, who has eradicated heathenism; Austria has concentrated itselfas a Danube-state the heathen Magyar has allowed himself to bebaptized, and received the crown from our own hand as Stephen theFirst; Boleslaw in Poland has also received a crown and anarchbishop; the new kingdom of Russia has accepted baptism andVladimir the Great protects us against the Saracens, who are on thedecline, and Seljuks or Turks, who are in the ascendant; Harold ofDenmark and Olaf of Sweden have established Christianity in theirdominions; so has Olaf Tryggveson in Norway and Iceland, in theFaroe Island, in Shetland and Greenland; and the Dane Sven Tveskägghas secured Britain for Christianity. France is under the piousRobert II, of the new race of the Capets, but also of Saxon descentlike you. In Spain, the northern States Leon, Castille, Aragon, Navarre, have at last united, and protect us from the Moors inCordova. All this in five years, and under the aegis of Rome! Isnot all this the return of Christ, and do you understand now whatProvidence means by the Millennium? Those who are alive at the endof another thousand years will perhaps see the ripe fruits, while wehave only seen the blossoms. The world is certainly not a paradise, but it is better than when we had savages in the North and East. Andall kings receive the crown and the pallium from Rome. You are aruler over the nations, my Emperor. "

"I? You rule their minds, not I, and I will not rule. "

"So I have heard, for you have accepted the rule of a woman. "

"Who is that?"

"They say, and you know the report as well as I do, that it is thewidow of Crescentius, the beautiful Stephania. Well, that is yourown affair, but Solomon says, --'Beware of your enemies, but be warywith your friends. '"

The Emperor looked as though he wished to defend himself, but couldnot, and so the conversation was at an end. 

Some days after, Otto III was dead, poisoned, so ran the report, insome way or other, by the beautiful Stephania. 

A year later Silvester II died also. 

PETER THE HERMIT

Christendom had awoken to new life after the great and terrible NewYear's Eve of 999. Nearly a hundred more years had passed when aragged barefooted pilgrim wandered out of the gate of Caesarea, onthe shore of the Mediterranean. This was the town from which Paulhad sailed for Rome in order to spread Christianity, which had nowconquered all Europe, but had not been able to maintain a hold uponits birthplace, the Land of Promise, in which Christ had lived, suffered, and been buried. 

The "False Prophet" had been the last possessor of Palestine. Butwhen his kingdom, like all others, fell to pieces, quite a new racehad issued from the unknown parts of Central Asia and now theSeljuks ruled in Syria. The last Fatimide Caliphs had been veryindifferent in matters of belief, and the renowned Al Asis, who hadmarried a Christian wife and was himself a sceptic, had made hiswife's brothers Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Alexandria. Everythingwas altered since the time when the terrible Al Hakim hadpersecuted Christians as well as Jews, and destroyed the Church ofthe Resurrection in Jerusalem. And when the Seljuk Melikscha had atlast captured the town, matters looked almost hopeless for theChristians, who still made pilgrimages to the Holy Sepulchre. 

The pilgrim we spoke of above pursued his journey in a south-easterndirection, and now on the first day he saw the lovely Plain ofSharon spread out before him like a carpet or rather a sea offlowers--crocuses, narcissi, ranunculi, anemones, and especially thetall white Sharon lilies. 

It was the Promised Land indeed! The whole of the morning he wadedin flowers; at last he reached a village at the foot of a hill. There were waving corn-crops, climbing vines, flourishing olive andfig trees; well-fed cattle were watered at the spring, cows andgoats were milked. The pilgrim, who possessed nothing in the worldexcept his rags, asked for a bowl of milk, but obtained none. Hewent begging from door to door, but was hunted away. Every time thathe received a refusal he seemed to be surprisingly cheerful. Thefact was, he had come hither from a distant land in order to be ableto realise how his Saviour had suffered, and now he was graciouslyallowed to experience it on the holy soil itself. He passed throughthe village, and found another sea of flowers outside it. He bathedhis feet in a brook, and felt refreshed. But now at mid-day a windfrom the sea arose, and clouds passed over the land. The violentrain beat down the fragile lilylike plants, the wind rooted them upor tore them in two, and collected them in heaps, which rolled alongincreasing in size as they went, and crushing other flowers in theirpath. 

Towards evening the rain ceased, but the wind continued to blow, andthe darkness came. The weary and hungry traveller prepared himself abed with a heap of flowers which he kept in its place with somestones. After he had hollowed out the heap till it looked like aneagle's nest, he spread another pile of flowers over himself, andwent to sleep, pleasantly narcotised by all the sweet scents. Forseveral years he had tasted no wine and never been intoxicated, but this was a good substitute for it. He did not know whether hewas asleep or awake; sometimes he felt as though he were rollingaway like a wave; sometimes he lay still and listened to ascratching going on in his nest; there was a blowing and a roaring, a murmur in his ears and flashing before his eyes. Finally all wasstill; he believed he had gone to sleep, for he dreamt. 

In his dream he was walking on the Mediterranean Sea; that he foundquite natural, but there followed him knights on horseback, troopsof armed men, whole races of people. They reached the land, theymarched towards the East, and finally saw Jerusalem crowning theheights. Walls, battlements, and towers were crowded with heathenwarriors, and the Christian knights halted in order to take counsel. But he, the poor pilgrim, spoke to them, and they listened to him. 

"Why do you fear?" he said, "why do you fear these heathen and theirwalls? Look at me! I take my staff, ascend Mount Zion, strike thegate of David with my staff, and the city opens all her gates!"

He did so--in his dream, and Jerusalem was taken. It was a verysimple matter; the knights and the armies honoured him, and hebecame governor of Jerusalem. When he awoke on the morrow, he gotout of his nest, and when he looked round, he found himself beforethe Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem. He asked himself whether the wind hadblown him all that long way, or whether he had traversed it insleep. But his dream had been so vivid, that he found everythingnatural and simple. 

He knocked with his staff at the door. And behold! it really opened, but only by the space of a hand-breadth, and a soldier asked what hewanted. 

He wished, he said, to visit the Holy Sepulchre. 

He could do so, was the answer, if he paid thirty silver zecchines. 

As he had not so much, the gate was again closed. 

The pilgrim, however, not to be frightened, struck again with hisstaff, certain that he would get in. Get in he did, quickly enough, and, after he had been well thrashed, was thrown out again and fellon a rubbish-heap on which dogs hunted for bones. This reception wasnot encouraging, but for the pilgrim it was exactly what he hadexpected and wished. He had been beaten in the same city where hisMaster Christ had been beaten and tortured. 

What an honour! What undeserved grace!

But the thirty silver pieces! Why was the price just thirty? Becauseit was the traitor's reward for betraying the Beloved. He would tryto collect them by begging, even if it took him ten years to do so. 

He exhorted himself to patience, and went southward into the valleyof Hinnom or the valley of Hell, where all the rubbish of the citywas thrown. There was filth and an evil smell there, but the pilgrimdid not notice it, for he only sought to catch a glimpse of thewalls of the Holy City. When he came to the south end of the valley, he really beheld Mount Zion with David's Sepulchre. Then he fell onhis knees and praised God in song:

 "Lauda Sion Salvatorem Lauda Ducem et pastorem In hymnis et canticis. "

Strengthened by prayer, he went on. He knew the topography of theplace well, and when he came on a piece of waste ground underneaththe Hill of Evil Counsel, he knew that it was Aceldama, or the Fieldof the Dead, which had been purchased with the traitor's blood-moneyto bury strangers in. But he had no thoughts of death, for he knewthat he would live till he had taken the City. On the other hand, hewas hungry. How bitterly he regretted now that he had not accustomedhimself in his youth, like other famous eremites, to eat grass. Weary, but not depressed, he sat down on a rubbish heap which seemedquite fresh. 

As he sat there, a dog came--a mangy famished creature--and laid hishead on the pilgrim's knee. 

"I have nothing to give you, poor thing, " said the pilgrim, andwiped the dog's eyes with the flaps of its ears, for it looked asthough it had wept. But when the dog heard what the pilgrim said, itunderstood, for animals understood all languages merely by the tone. It then began to rummage in the rubbish heap. And behold! there lay, between two cabbage leaves, a pomegranate and a piece of whitebread. The pilgrim, who was accustomed to all kinds of miracles, praised God, and ate. And when he had eaten, he thanked God theMerciful. The dog stood by the whole time, and watched him. "Ungrateful wretch that I am to have forgotten thee!" said thepilgrim; "now I will try my fortune!" He began to dig with hisstaff, and see! there lay a fresh bone, which he gave to the dog, his benefactor. They became friends, and kept together. They nowwent round the southern end of the city, and turned northwardtowards the Kedron. They followed the brook, having the city wall ontheir left and the Mount of Olives on their right. From the bottomof the valley he saw the place where the Temple had been, but noTemple was there now--only the dome of the Muhammedan mosque. Of theHoly Sepulchre there was nothing visible, for it lay within the Cityand was inconspicuous. He came to Gethsemane, where Christ hadsuffered, and he climbed the Mount of Olives, from whence he couldlook over Jerusalem. He did so, and wept. After he had paid hisdevotions in the ruins of the Church of the Resurrection, he wenton northwards round the city, and came again to the Jaffa Gate, where he sat down, firmly resolved to wait till some Christianpilgrims came, for they came hither from all countries of theworld. He wanted to beg from them till he had collected the thirtyzecchines. So he sat through the first night without anybody coming. Towards morning the door was opened for the peasants who brought inprovisions, and the bold idea occurred to him of trying to get inwith them, but he was immediately detected and thrashed again. This, however, did not frighten him; he repeated the attempt every morning, though unsuccessfully. He slept on the ground, and ate from therubbish heaps; he was jeered at by the children, beaten by theadults, and took everything quietly, convinced that some day hisdream would be fulfilled. For thirty days he sat at the gate andreceived no money, but on the thirty-first he got up in order totake some exercise. He wandered down into the Valley of Hinnom, andhis dog "Trusty" ran in front of him. 

After he had walked for a while he noticed that his companion hadvanished. When he called him, the dog answered by barking. Thepilgrim followed the sound, and presently he saw the dog standing bya hole in the wall. There was an entrance, and, following his guide, he came without hindrance right into the town. The first thing hedid was to visit the Holy Sepulchre, but it was closed. Then heremembered that there was a Patriarch of Jerusalem, who in somedegree acted as a protector of the Christians. But where did helive? "Perhaps you know, " he said to the dog. 

The dog understood, pricked up his ears, and ran through a labyrinthof crooked streets till he stood at a little door, with a bell-cordhanging by it. The pilgrim pulled it, the door opened, and an oldwhite-bearded man came out, reached the new-comer his hand, led himlike a friend into the house, and bade him sit down. "I have waitedlong for you, Peter, " he said. "Yes, I recognise you, for I haveseen you for a year in my dreams, but I know not who you are, andwhence you come. Tell me your history. "

"My history! I am from Amiens in France. I am now called Peter; wasformerly a soldier, followed William the Conqueror to Hastings, andtook part in the invasion of England. I returned to my own country, and became a school teacher. I could, however, obtain no peace in mysoul, but entered a convent. In the solitude of my cell, I reflectedon what I heard from my brother monks in the chapter. It was thetime when Henry IV began the conflict with Gregory VII. The Pope wasright, for Europe ought to be governed from Rome, and Gregory, who wished to set up Christ's Kingdom in spirit and in truth, hadunited all Christian States together; he imposed tribute fromScandinavia to the Pillars of Hercules. The Emperor was aschismatic, and worked only in the interests of Germany. The matterended at Canossa, as you know, when the Emperor had to kiss thePope's foot. And that was right at that time, for the spiritual headis higher than the worldly one. But Canossa was not the end. Gregory, the mighty champion of the Lord, fell into the same sin asDavid. In the first place, he summoned the Norman Guiscard fromSicily to his aid. Guiscard came with a horde of Turks and heathen, pillaged Rome, and set it on fire. That was shameful of the Pope, who now fled with Guiscard to Salerno--which was _his_ Canossa. But he was also still cruel enough to stir up Henry's sons againsttheir father. Then the great Gregory died in banishment, and Romewas extinct. Rome is no more, but Jerusalem shall be. The chiefcity of Christendom shall be born again, and rise from its ruins. "

The Patriarch had listened, and, though he smiled at first, he wasfinally serious. "Your faith is great, my son, " he said. "But whowill take the lead? Who will collect the people?"

"I, " answered the Hermit--"I will open the Holy Sepulchre; I willdrive out the heathen, and I will have the first Christian King ofJerusalem crowned!"

"With two empty hands?"

"With my rock-like faith. "

There was silence. 

"Say something, Patriarch!" resumed Peter. "Try to damp my courageif you can; confront me with objections, and rob me of confidence. You cannot! There, I will go now to Rome and speak with Urban II. But give me a letter to confirm my statements when I describe thebehaviour of the heathen in the city of Christ. I ask nothing elseof you; the rest I will do myself. "

"Whoever you are, you shall have the letter, but rest first for afew days. "

"No! I have gone three hundred and fifty miles and rested for thirtydays. Give me something to eat in the kitchen, while you write theletter, and I start before sunset. When I come again, I shall not bealone, but my name will be Legion. And you will see theaccomplishment of my words and your dreams, for God wills it. "

 * * * * *

The Hermit Peter walked a hundred and fifty miles to Piacenza, andthere met Pope Urban II, who was holding a council. He received noencouragement, for the idea of a crusade was no novelty. Gregory VIIhad collected fifty thousand men for that purpose, but could notcarry out his plan. With a true Christian spirit, the Hermit tookthis failure as a warning to redouble his efforts. 

He went to France, preached and stirred up the people, with theresult that all France was aflame with crusading fervour when UrbanII came to Clermont to hold another council. Then the Crusade wasdetermined on. Peter could not wait, but, together with WalterPexejo and Walter von Habenichts, he collected a host which finallyreached forty thousand in number, including old men, women, andchildren. There were no soldiers however, but only adventurerswho wanted to run away, slaves who sought freedom, and malcontentswho wished for change. 

They followed the Rhine towards its source, and then the Danube, along whose banks the great road to the East ran. As they approachedthe frontier of Hungary their number had increased to sixty thousand. The King of Hungary, Kolowan, was not exactly hospitable, and not aperson whom it was safe to jest with. The Crusaders received a hintthat they were not very welcome, and therefore sent their onlymounted men, --exactly six in number--as ambassadors to the King. 

Kolowan was in Pesth, with a well-equipped army, and his country wasenjoying the blessings of peace, when the envoys arrived. "What doyou want?" he asked. 

"We seek a free passage to Constantinople. "

"How many of you are there?"

"Exactly sixty thousand. "

"Although I feel honoured by the visit, I cannot entertaingrasshoppers. I have heard of your wild enterprise; I know that youhave no provisions with you, and that you beg and steal. Returntherefore to your country, or I will treat you as enemies!"

The envoys rode back with the King's answer. But Peter would notturn back. 

"Forward! forward! Crusaders and Christians!" he cried, and thewhole host crossed the frontier. The Hermit rode on an ass at thehead of them, and knew not what went on behind him--robbery, drunkenness, and licence. 

The King learned what had happened, and rode out with all hisknights. When he saw this mass of ragged rascals, drunk and savage, but all wearing the red cross, he fell in a rage and attacked them. Those who did not fly were trampled underfoot and sabred down somercilessly, that, out of the sixty thousand, only three thousandreached Constantinople, among whom was the Hermit. 

"We have sown our blood, " he said; "our successors will reap. "

The Emperor of Constantinople had certainly for a long time waitedfor help from the West against the wild Seljuks, but he had expectedarmed men. When he now received a rabble of three thousand beggarsand vagabonds, many of them wounded, he resolved to get rid of theseguests as honourably as possible. He set them in flat-bottomedboats, and shipped them across to Asia Minor. "Thence you have astraight road to Jerusalem, " he said. But he did not say thatthe Seljuks were encamped on the opposite coast. Accordingly, therest of them were massacred by the wild hordes near Nicasa--in thesame town in which, during the early days of Christianity, so manyfateful debates had taken place. 

But the Hermit escaped, and returned to Constantinople, where hewaited for the great army of the Crusaders. He waited a whole year, just as confident of victory and undismayed as before. 

 * * * * *

In the little town Tiberias, on the shore of the Lake of Gennesarethsat the old Jew Eleazar, with his family, prepared to celebrate thePassover, or the Exodus from Egypt. It was the tenth day of themonth Nisan of the year 1098. The lake shone clear, and its bankswere green; the oleanders were in blossom, the lilies had sprung upin the pleasant season when the earth rejoices. 

It was evening; all members of the family were dressed as though fora journey, with shoes on their feet and staves in their hands. Theystood round the covered table on which the roasted lamb smoked in adish surrounded by bitter lettuce. The ancestral wine-cup was filledwith wine, and white unleavened bread laid on a plate close by. 

After the head of the family had washed his hands, he blessed thegifts of God, drank some wine, returned thanks, and invited theothers to drink. Then he took some of the bitter herbs, and ate andgave to the others. Then he read from the book of Moses a passageconcerning the significance of the feast. After that, the second cupof wine was served, and the youngest son of the house stepped forwardand asked, according to the sacred custom, "What is the meaning ofthis feast?"

The father answered: "The Lord brought us with a strong hand out ofthe Egyptian bondage. "

As he drank from the second cup, he said, "Praise the Lord, O mysoul, and forget not all His benefits. " They then all sang the 115thPsalm, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give thepraise, for Thy truth and mercy's sake. Wherefore should the heathensay, Where is now their God?"

Thereupon a blessing was pronounced on the unleavened bread and theroasted lamb, and they sat down to eat, in a state of contentmentand with harmless talk. The old Eleazar spoke of past times, andcontrasted them with them the present: "Man born of a woman livesbut a short time, and is full of trouble; he cometh up like aflower, and is cut down; he fleeth hence like a shadow, andcontinueth not. A stranger and a sojourner is he upon earth, andtherefore he should be always ready for his journey as we are, thisholy evening. "

The eldest son Jacob, who had come home in the evening after ajourney, seemed to wish to say something, but did not venture to doso, till the fourth and last cup was drunk. 

"But, my children, " continued Eleazar, "not only is Israel unsettledand roaming on the earth, but all nations are in a state of wandering. The difference between them and us is that their gods are mortal, while Israel's God lives. Where is Zeus, the god of the Greeks?Where is the Romans' Jupiter? Where are the Egyptians' Isis, Osiris, and Ptha? Where is the Woutan of the Germans, the Teutates of theGauls? They are all dead, but Israel's God lives; He cannot die. We are at any rate in Canaan, in our fathers' land, even if Zion isno longer ours, and we cannot forget the goodness which the Lord hasshown us. "

The last cup was drunk, and after another psalm the festival was atan end. 

"Now, Jacob, " said Eleazar, "you want to talk. You come from ajourney, though somewhat late, and have something new to tell us. Hush! I hear steps in the garden!"

All hurried to the window, for they lived in troublous times; but, as no one was to be seen outside, they sat down again at the table. 

"Speak, Jacob, " Eleazar said again. 

"I come from Antioch, where the Crusaders are besieged by Kerboga, the Emir of Mosul. Famine has raged among them, and of three hundredthousand Goyim, [Footnote: Gentiles. ] only twenty thousand remain. "

"What had they to do here?"

"Now, on the roads, they are talking of a new battle which the Goyimhave won, and they believe that the Crusaders will march straight onJerusalem. "

"Well, they won't come here. "

"They won't find the way, unless there are traitors. "

"Moslems or Christians, they are all alike, but Moslems could be ourfriends, because they are of Abraham's seed. 'God is One!' Had theirProphet stood by that, there would have been nothing between us, buthe fell through pride and coupling his own name with that of theHighest--'Muhammed is His Prophet. ' Perhaps, but he should not benamed in the same breath with the Eternal. The Christians call him a'false prophet, ' but that he was not. "

"The Christians could rather. .. . "

"The Christians are misguided, and their doctrine is folly. Theybelieve the Messiah has come, although the world is like a hell, andmen resemble devils! And it ever gets worse. .. . "

Then the door was flung open, and on the threshold appeared a littleman, emaciated as a skeleton, with burning eyes. He was clothed inrags, carried a cross in his hand, and bore a red cross-shaped signon his shoulder. 

"Are you Christians?" he asked, "since you drink of the cup and eatthe bread, as our Lord Jesus Christ did on the night of hisbetrayal?"

"No, " answered Eleazar, "we are of Israel. "

"Then you have eaten and drunk your own damnation, and misused theHoly Sacrament for purposes of witchcraft! Out with you!--down tothe lake and be baptized, or you will die the death!"

Then Eleazar turned to the Hermit, and cried "No! I and my housewill serve the Lord, as we have done this holy evening according tothe law of our fathers. We suffer for our sins, that is true, butyou, godless, cursed man, pride not yourself on your power, for youhave not yet escaped the judgment of Almighty God. I will give mylife and shed my blood for the law of my fathers, but God's justicewill punish you, as your pride has deserved. "

The Hermit had gone out to his followers. Those within the houseclosed the window-shutters and the door. 

There was a cry without: "Fire the house!"

"Let us bless God, and die!" said Eleazar, and none of themhesitated. 

All fell on their knees. Eleazar spoke: "I know that my Redeemerliveth, and that He will stand at the latter day upon the earth. Andwhen I am free from my flesh, I shall see God. Him shall I see andnot another, and for that my soul and my heart cry out. "

The mother had taken the youngest son in her arms, as though shewished to protect him against the fire which now seized on the wall. 

Then Eleazar began the Song of the Three Children in the fire, andwhen they came to the words, "O Thank the Lord, for He is good, And His mercy endureth for ever, "

their voices were choked, and they ended their days like theMaccabees. 

On 16th July 1069, Peter the Hermit entered Jerusalem through thesame Jaffa Gate before which he had sat as a beggar. When Godfreyof Bouillon became King of Jerusalem, Peter was appointed Governor. After he had seen his dream fulfilled, he returned to his owncountry, entered the convent Neufmoustier, near Lüttich, andremained there till his death. 

The Kingdom of Jerusalem soon came to an end. The Muhammedansre-occupied it, and remain there to this day. 

The remarkable thing about these predatory expeditions--theCrusades--was that they were led by the Normans, and were curiouslylike the raids of the Vikings. The indirect results of the Crusadesare still treated of in students' essays, which generally close withthe moral, "there is nothing evil which does not bring some goodwith it. " Voltaire and Hume, on the other hand, regard the Crusadesas the enterprises of lunatics. It is a difficult matter to decide!

LAOCOON

On the Esquiline Hill in Rome, on a spring day in 1506, Signer deFredis was walking in his vineyard. The day before, his workmen hadbeen digging a pit to seek water, but found none. Signer de Fredisstood by it, and asked himself whether it was not a pity that somuch earth had been thrown out, and whether it could not be utilisedin the vineyard. He felt about with his stick in the upper part ofthe pit to ascertain how deep the soil was. The stick sank inthe earth up to its handle without meeting with any resistance. 

"There must be a hollow under the ground, " he said to himself. Hefirst thought of calling the workmen, but since it was better tomake the discovery himself, he took a mattock and spade and set towork. By noon he had made a hole large enough to get through, butsince it was pitch-black inside, he first went to fetch a lantern. Carrying this, he went down into the earth, and came into a vaultedroom. He went through five rooms and found no treasures, but inthe sixth he saw a sight that startled him. 

Two enormous snakes had enfolded in the coils a bearded man ofheroic stature and his two boys. 

One snake had already bitten the man in the right side, and theother had bitten one of the boys in the left. The apparition was astatue of Pentelic marble, and might therefore possess as much valueas a treasure. Signor de Fredis went at once to the Prefect of theCity, who followed him in company with the Aedile and some learnedantiquaries. The work of art was brought to the light, andinspected. Its subject was seen to be the Trojan priest Laocoon, against whom Apollo had sent two snakes because he had warned hiscountrymen against receiving the dangerous Greek gift of the Trojanhorse, in which warriors lay concealed. 

It was not an edifying story, nor a comforting one, since itillustrated the sad lot of a prophet in this world. The Romans, however, did not think of that, but greeted the statue as a sign ofthe Renaissance, a memorial of the classical period, and an omen ofbetter times to come. 

Pope Julius II bought the Laocoon for the Vatican, after MichaelAngelo had declared it was the greatest work of art in the world, and Signor de Fredis received a pension for life. The excavation andcleaning of the statue took a considerable time. But when at last itwas ready, it was decorated with flowers, and carried in processionthough the streets of Rome, while all the church-bells rang for awhole hour. 

As the procession passed up the Via Flaminia, an Augustinian monkcame down it from the northern gate of the city. In front ofHadrian's triumphal arch, he met the crowd carrying their belovedLaocoon. The monk did not immediately understand the matter. Hethought, it is true, that the statue was that of a martyr, but couldnot think of any martyr who had died in a pit of snakes. He thereforeturned to a citizen, and asked in Latin, "Which of the holy Churchmartyrs is it?"

The citizen laughed as at a good jest, but did not think itnecessary to answer. 

Now came the crowd singing about the Trojan horse, and jesting aboutpriests. The fact that it was a priest on whom the snakes hadfastened seemed to afford especial delight to the sceptical andpriest-hating rabble. 

The Augustinian monk thought of his Virgil, when he heard the wordTroy, and, as the statue came nearer, he could read the nameLaocoon, the celebrated priest of Apollo. "Are the church-bellsringing for _that_?" he asked his neighbour again. 

The latter nodded. 

"Are the people mad?" he asked, and this time he received an answer:"No, they are wise; but you are somewhat stupid; probably you comefrom Germany. "

At the dawn of this day, the monk had seen the Holy City at sunrise, and had fallen on his knees in the high road to thank God for thegreat favour vouchsafed to him of at last treading the soil whichhad been hallowed by the footprints of Apostles and martyrs. But nowhe felt depressed, for he understood nothing of this heathenishbusiness, and, wandering through the streets of the city, he triedto find the Scala Santa in the southern quarter, where all pilgrimsfirst paid their devotions when they came to Rome. 

Here, in the square by the Lateran, Constantine's wife, Helena, hadcaused the staircase of Pilate's Palace to be erected, and it wascustomary to ascend it kneeling, and not in an erect attitude. 

The monk approached the holy spot with all the reverence with whichhis pious spirit inspired him. He hoped to feel the same ecstasywhich he had felt before other sanctuaries and relics, for theRedeemer Himself had trodden these marble steps heavily as he wentto His doom. 

The monk's astonishment was therefore great when he sawstreet-urchins playing on them with buttons and little stones, and he could hardly contain himself when young priests came runningand sprang up the eight and twenty steps in a few bounds. 

He paid his devotions in the usual way, but without feeling theecstasy which he had hoped for. 

Then he went into the Church of the Lateran and heard a mass. He hadimagined that he would find a cathedral in the genuine Gothic style, something like that of Cologne, but he found a Basilica or Romanhall, where in heathen times a market had been held, and it lookedvery worldly. 

At the High Altar there stood two priests before the Epistle and theGospel. However, they neither read nor sang; they only gossiped witheach other, and pretended to turn the leaves; sometimes they laughed, and when it was over they went their way, without giving a blessingor making the sign of the cross. 

"Is this the Holy City?" he asked himself, and went out into thestreets again. 

His business in Rome was to interview the Vicar-General of theAugustinians, about a matter which concerned his convent, but hefirst wished to look about him. As he went along he came to a littlechurch on the outer wall. In the open space in front of it a paganfestival was being held: Bacchus was represented sitting on abarrel, scantily clothed nymphs rode on horses, and behind them weresatyrs, fauns, Apollo, Mercury, Venus. 

The monk hastened into the church to escape the sight of theabomination. But in the sacred place he came upon another scandal. Before the altar stood an ass with an open book before it; below theass stood a priest and read mass. Instead of answering "Amen, " thecongregation hee-hawed like asses, and everyone laughed. 

That was the classical "Asses' Festival, " which had been forbiddenin the previous century, but which, during the Carnival, had beenagain resumed. The monk did not understand where he was, but thoughthe was in the hell of the heathen; but it was still worse when apriest disguised as Bacchus, his face smeared with dregs of wine, entered the pulpit, and, taking a text from Boccaccio's _Decameron_, preached an indecent discourse, presently, with a skilful turn, going on to narrate a legend about St. Peter. It began in a poeticalway, like other legends, but then made Peter come to an alehouseand cheat the innkeeper about the reckoning. 

The monk rushed out of the church, and through the streets till hereached the Convent of the Augustines which he sought. He rang, wasadmitted, and led into the refectory, where the Prior sat at acovered table surrounded by priests who were entertained in theconvent in order to make their confessions, and to take thecommunion during the fast. Before them were pheasants, with trufflesand hard-boiled eggs, salmon and oysters, eels and heads of wildboar--above all, quantities of wine in pitchers and glasses. 

"Sit down, little monk!" was the Prior's greeting. "You have aletter: good! Put it under the table-cloth. Eat, drink, and bemerry, for tomorrow we die!"

The monk sat down, but it was Friday, and he could not bring himselfto eat flesh on that day. It pained him also to see the licencewhich prevailed here; still they were his superiors, and the rule ofhis order forbade him to reprove them. 

The Prior, who had just been speaking with some special guest, continued to talk volubly, although conversation was forbidden. 

"Yes, worthy friend, we have come as far as this now in Rome. Thisis Christ's Kingdom as it was announced at the first Christmas, 'OneShepherd, One Sheepfold. ' The Holy Father rules over the whole RomanEmpire as it was under Caesar and Augustus. But mark well! thisempire is a spiritual one, and all these earthly princes lie at thefeet of Christ's representative. This is the crown of all epochs ofthe world's history. 'One Shepherd, One Sheepfold!' Bibamus!"

On the little platform, where formerly a reader used to read out ofholy books while the meal was going on, some musicians now sat withflutes and lutes. They struck up an air, and the cups were emptied. 

"Now, " continued the Prior to the monk, "you have come from far;what news have you brought?"

"Anything new under the sun? Yes, " answered a slightly inebriatedprelate, "Christopher Columbus is dead, and buried in Valladolid. Hedied poor, as was to be expected. "

"Pride comes before a fall. He was not content with his honours, butwished to be Viceroy and to levy taxes. "

"Yes, but at any rate he got to India, to East India, after he hadsailed westward. It is enough to make one crazy when one tries tounderstand it. Sailing west in order to go east!"

"Yes, it is all mad, but the worst is that he has brought the cursedsickness, lues"--(here he whispered). "It has already attackedCardinal John de Medici. You know he is said to be the Pope'ssuccessor. "

"As regards the Holy Father, our great Julius II, he is a valiantchampion of the Lord, and now the world has seen what thisbasilisk-egg, France, has hatched. Fancy! they want to come nowand divide our Italy among them! As if we did not have enough withthe Germans. "

"The French in Naples! What the deuce have we to do with them?"

The Prior now felt obliged to attend to his guest, the monk. 

"Eat, little monk, " he said. "He who is weak, eateth herbs, and allflesh is grass, _ergo_. .. . "

"I never eat meat on Friday, the day on which our Lord Jesus Christsuffered and died!"

"Then you are wrong! But you must not speak so loud, you understand, for if you sin, you must go in your room, and hold your mouth!Practise obedience and silence, the first virtues of our Order. "

The monk turned first red, then pale, and his cheekbones could beseen through his thin cheeks. But he kept silence, after he hadtaken a spoonful of salt in his mouth to help him to control histongue. 

"He is a Maccabee, " whispered the prelate. 

"Conventual disciple is decaying, " continued the Prior, jocosely;"the young monks do not obey their superiors any more, but we musthave a reformation! Drink, monk, and give me an answer!"

"We must obey God rather than man, " answered the monk. There was anembarrassed pause, and the prelate who had to communicate in theevening declined to drink any more. But this vexed the Prior, whofelt the implied reproof. 

"You are from the country, my friend, " he said to the monk, "andknow not the time, nor the spirit of the time. You must have alicence for me--it must be paid for of course--and then the day isnot dishonoured. Besides--_panis es et esto_. Here you have wine andbread--with butter on it. More wine, boy!"

The monk rose to go; the Prior seemed to wake to recollection. 

"What is your name, monk?"

"My name is Martin, Master of Philosophy, from Wittenberg. "

"Yes, yes, thank you. But don't go yet! Give me your letter. " Themonk handed over the letter, which the Prior opened and glancedthrough. 

"The Kurfürst of Saxony! Master Martin Luther, go if you wish toyour chamber. Rest till the evening, then we will go together to theassembly at Chigi. There we shall meet elegant people like CardinalJohn de Medici, great men like Raphael, and the Archangel Michaelhimself. Do you know Michael Angelo, who is building the new Churchof St. Peter and painting the Sistine Chapel? No! then you willlearn to know him. _Vale_, brother, and sleep well. "

Master Martin Luther went, sorely troubled, but resolved to see moreof the state of affairs before judging too hastily. 

Cards were now brought out, and the Prior shuffled them. 

"That is an unpleasant fellow, whom the Kurfürst had sent to us. Ahypocrite, who does not drink wine and crosses himself at the sightof a pheasant!"

"There was an ill-omened look about the man. "

"He looked something like the Trojan horse, and Beelzebub only knowswhat he has in his belly. "

 * * * * *

When Luther came into his lonely cell, he wept with a young man'sboundless grief when reality contradicts his expectations, and hefinds that all which he has learnt to prize is only contemptible andcommon. 

He was not, however, allowed to be alone long, for there was a knockat the door, and there entered a young Augustinian monk, who seemed, with a confidential air, to invite his acquaintance. 

"Brother Martin, you must not be solitary, but open your heart tosympathetic friends. "

He took Martin's hands. "Tell me, " he said, "what troubles you, andI will answer you. "

Luther looked at the young monk, and saw that he was a swarthyItalian with glowing eyes. But he had been so long alone that hefelt the necessity of speech. 

"What do you think, " he said, "our Lord Christ would say if he nowarose and came into the Holy City?"

"He would rejoice that His churches, His three hundred andsixty-five churches, are built on the foundations of the heathentemples. You know that since Charles the Great dragged the greatmarble pillars to Aachen in order to build his cathedral, our Popeshave also gone to work, and the heathen and their houses have beenliterally laid at the feet of Christ. That is grand and somethingto rejoice at! _Ecclesia Triumphans!_ Would not Christ rejoiceat it? How well Innocent III has expressed the 'Idea' of theconquering Church, as Plato would call it. You know Plato--the Popehas just paid five thousand ducats for a manuscript of the_Timoeus_. Pope Innocent says: 'St Peter's successors havereceived from God the commission not only to rule the Church butthe whole world. As God has set two great lights in the sky, he hasalso set up two great powers on earth, the Papacy, which is thehigher because the care of souls is committed to it, and the Royalpower which is the lower, and to which only the charge of the bodiesof men is committed. ' If you have any objection to make to that, brother, speak it out. "

"No, not against that, but against everything which I have seen andheard. "

"For example? Do you mean eating and drinking?"

"Yes, that also. "

"How petty-minded you are! I speak of the highest things, and youtalk about eating and drinking. Fie! Martin! you are a meat-rejectorand a wine-eschewing Turk! But I accept your challenge. Our LordChrist allowed His disciples to pluck ears of corn on the Sabbath;that was against the law of Moses, and was disapproved of by thePharisees. .. . You are a Pharisee. But now I will also remind you ofwhat Paul writes to the Romans--the Romans among whom we countourselves; perhaps as a German subject, you have not the rightto do that. Well, Paul writes: 'You look on the outside. '"

"Pardon me, that is the Epistle to the Corinthians. "

"Oh, you look on the outside too. But Paul says further, 'All thingsare lawful to me, but all things are not profitable. All that issold in the market-place, that eat and ask nothing for conscience'sake; for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. ' Thoseare clear words, and a Frenchman would call them liberal-minded. Butyou come here like a Pharisee, and wish to rebuke your superiors fortrifles; and the ordinances of men are more to you than God'scommand. Fie! Martin! Remember your own words: 'We should obeyGod rather than men!' You conceited slave of the letter, you shouldread Paul. "

Luther was not yet so familiar with the Holy Scriptures as heafterwards became, for in the convent he had chiefly studied theCorpus Juris, Aristotle, Virgil, and the comedies of Plautus, andwas somewhat depressed after his severe inward conflicts. Thereforehe gave no answer, but chafed internally. 

"Have you any other question for me?" began the Augustinian again, with an affected air of sympathy which irritated Luther still more. "I can understand that our national customs have annoyed you as a--foreigner. Every country has its own customs, and we keep our RomanCarnival by making ridicule of the dead gods of the old heathen, ifone can call them gods! I believe you do the same in Germany, thoughin a coarser way. You must put up with that. As regards the'Festival of the Ass, ' that had originally a beautiful significance, since the poor animal was honoured with the task of carrying ourSaviour and His mother into Egypt. But, as you know, the commonpeople drag everything that is great and beautiful into the dust. Can we help it? Can I do you any service? Do you want anything?"

"Nothing; but I thank you!" Luther was again alone, and the fiendsof doubt were again let loose upon him. The man was certainly rightfrom his own point of view, and he had strengthened his assertionsby arguments and by citations from Paul. But his point of view wasfalse;--that was the matter. How, then, was one to alter one's pointof view? That was only the effect of faith through grace, andtherefore not the work of man. 

Then his introspective mind, which had been trained in theAristotelian dialectic, began to examine his opponent's point ofview. A merciful loving Heavenly Father might very well smile at thefollies and weaknesses of His human children; why, then, should wenot be able to do the same? Why should we be stricter than He? Aslong as we live in the flesh, we must think according to the flesh, but that does not prevent the spirit obtaining its due rights. 

Did not Paul himself say, "So then we hold that man is justified byfaith without the deeds of the law"?

Yes, but were these drunken and licentious ecclesiastics reallybelievers? The Prior had blasphemed the Sacrament, and given theprelate a dispensation from hearing confession and celebrating massin consideration of a fee. That was monstrous, heathenish, and aSatanic abomination. Certainly, but faith itself was a gift bestowedby grace, and if these men had not obtained grace they wereguiltless. But they were hardened sinners! Paul again gave theanswer to this: "The Lord receives whom He will, and whom He will Hehardeneth. " If God had hardened them, as He hardened Pharaoh'sheart, then they were guiltless; and if so, why should we venture tojudge and condemn them. A mill-wheel seemed to go round in his head, and he blamed Aristotle the heathen, who had seduced him in hisyouth, and taught him to split hairs about simple matters. He feltalso that Paul could not help him, since such was his teaching. Feeling quite crushed, he knelt down again on his praying stool, and implored God to take him out of this world of lying deceit anduncertainty. In this world one was surrounded by darkness withoutbeing able to kindle a light; in this life one was driven to battlewithout having received weapons. So he prayed and struggled withhimself till the evening. 

Then the Prior came and fetched him. "My son, " he said, "my dearbrother, you must not make a paramour of religion; you must notpractise it as a daily task or a bad habit. You must live your lifeand regard it as a melody, while religion is a gentle accompanimentto it. Work is for every day, rest and festival for Sundays. But ifyou keep your Sabbath on the week-day you sin. .. . Come! now I willshow you Rome!"

Martin followed him, but unwillingly. The streets were illuminated, and the people were amusing themselves with dancing, music, andjugglers' feats. 

"You must know where we are going, " said the Prior. "This AgostinoChigi is a banker, almost as rich as the House of Fugger inAugsburg, and he looks after the Pope's business affairs. Moreover, he is a Maecenas, who patronises the fine arts. His especial protégéis Raphael, who has just painted some beautiful large pictures inhis villa, which we will now see. "

They reached the Tiber, followed the right bank, went over a bridge, and stood before a garden which was enclosed by marble pillars anda--gilded iron fence. It was now dark, and the garden wasilluminated by lanterns which hung on the boughs of theorange-trees, and so lit up the ripe fruits that they gleamed likegold. 'White marble statues stood among the dark-leaved trees;fountains sent up jets of perfumed spray; among the shrubberies onesaw ladies with their gallants; here a singer was accompanyinghimself on the lute; there a poet was reading his verses. 

In the midst of the park stood the villa which resembled that ofMaecenas in the Sabine Hills or Cicero's Tusculum, and was adornedwith statues' of heathen gods. The doors stood open, and there was asound of music within. "People are not introduced to the host here, "said the Prior, "for he does not like ceremony; therefore I leaveyou alone now, and you must find acquaintances for yourself;surprises are always pleasant. "

Luther found himself alone, and turned irresolutely to the right, where he saw a row of illuminated rooms. They were full of guestsdrinking and chatting, but no one noticed the poor monk, who couldlisten undisturbed to their conversation. In the first room a grouphad formed round a man who was distributing specimens of a printedbook, the leaves of which people were eagerly turning. 

"Hylacompus? is that a pseudonym?" asked one of them. 

"He is a--printer called Waldseemüller in Saint-Dié. "

"_Cosmographies Introductio_--a description of the New World. "

"We shall at last get information about these fables of Columbus. "

"Columbus will not travel any more. "

"Columbus has travelled to--hell! Now it is Amerigo Vespucci'sturn. "

"He is a Florentine and a fellow-countrymen. "

"Well, Columbus was a Genoese. "

"Look you! Rome rules the world, the known and the unknown alike!_Urbs est urbs!_ And nowadays you can meet all the nations of theworld at the house of the Roman Chigi. I have, as a matter of fact, seen Turks, Mongols, Danes, and Russians here this evening. "

"I should like to see a Turk! I like the Turks especially, becausethey have blown that rotten Byzantium to pieces--Byzantium whichdared to call itself the 'Eastern Rome. ' Now there is only oneRome!"

"Do you know that our Holy Father is treating with Sultan Bajazetregarding help against Venice. "

"Yes, but that is diabolical! We must at any rate act as though wewere Christians. "

"Act--yes; for I am not a Christian, nor are you. "

"If one must have a religion, give me Islam! God is One! That isthe whole of its theology; a prayer-mat is its whole liturgy. "

"You have to have a washing-basin besides. "

"And a harem. "

"Things are certainly in a bad way with our religion. If one readsits history, it is a history of the decay of Christianity. That hasbeen continually going on for fifteen hundred years since the daysof the Apostles; soon the process of degeneration must be complete. "

"And if one reads the history of the Papacy, it is the same. "

"No, hush!" said a fat Cardinal, "you must let the papal throneremain till I have sat in it. "

"After a Borgia, it would suit as well to have a Medici like you, and especially a son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. "

"Will not the cardinals dance?" asked one, who seemed to be Chigihimself. 

"Yes, after supper, in the pavilion, and behind closed doors, "answered the Cardinal de Medici, "and after I have hung up the redhat. "

So much was clear to Luther from the foregoing conversation, --thathe had seen and heard the representatives of the highest ranks of thepriesthood, and that the stout man was John de Medici, thecandidate for the papal chair. 

He went quickly through several other rooms where half-intoxicatedwomen were coquetting with their paramours. At last he came into thegreat banqueting hall. There stood groups of ambassadors andpilgrims, representing all nations of the world. They were lookingat the ceiling and admiring the paintings on it. Luther followedtheir example, while he listened to their remarks. 

"This is like looking at the sky; one has to lie on one's back. "

"I know nothing more beautiful than sunrise and the nude. "

"Raphael is indeed a divine painter. ""What luck that Savonarola is burnt, else he would have burnt thesepaintings. "

At the mention of Savonarola's name the monk awoke from the state ofaesthetic intoxication into which the pictures had brought him, andrushed out into the night. Savonarola, the last of the martyrs, whohad sought to save Christendom and had been burnt! All were burntwho tried to serve Christ--by way of encouraging them. 

How could one expect people to believe in Christianity? What addedto his trouble of mind was the fact that this painter who had thename of an angel, and looked like an angel, painted Jupiter and nudewomen! Nothing kept what it promised; all was dust and ashes. _Vanitas!_ But this heathenism which sprang from the earth, what wasits object?

Even the divine Dante had chosen a heathen Roman poet, Virgil, ashis guide through Hell, and a beautiful maiden as his companion onthe way to heaven. That was foolishness and blasphemy. 

The end of the world must be approaching, for Antichrist was comeand ruled in Rome. But an Antichrist had always sat on the Papalthrone, which was itself an evil, for Paul had taught that inChrist's Church we are all priests and should form a priesthood. 

So he reached his cell again, and recovered himself and his God insolitude. 

 * * * * *

The next morning he went out in order to see the Church of St. Peterand the Vatican, which had become the residence of the Popes aftertheir return from Avignon. Since he did not know his way about thetown, he happened to come into the Forum. There were several bodiesof troops collected for review, and on a great black stallion sat anold man, armed from top to toe in steel. The troops passed in reviewbefore him, and he seemed to be the commander. 

"He looks like a Rabbi, " said a citizen, "and he must be quite fiveand sixty now. "

"He seems to me to resemble the prophet Muhammed. And he began as atradesman. "

"Yes, and he has bought the papal chair. "

"Well, let it go! But his summoning Charles VIII with the French toNaples was a betrayal of his country. Now he goes against Venice, and leads the troops himself. "

"And expects help from the Turks. "

"They ought not to play with the Turks, who are already in Hungaryand mean to get to Vienna. "

"We have forgotten the Crusades, and tolerance is a fine quality. "

"Yes, the last thing they did was to undertake a crusade against theChristian Albigenses, while they tried to conciliate the Muhammedansin Sicily. "

"The world is a madhouse. "

This, then, was Pope Julius II, who had overcome the monsterAlexander VI, and now led his army against Venice, His kingdom wasquite obviously of this world, and Luther lost all desire for anaudience with him. 

He went now to the Leonine quarter, where the new Church of St. Peter's was to be built in place of the one which had been pulleddown. This, in its turn, was a successor of Nero's Circus, in whichthe first Christian martyrs had suffered. He found the site enclosedby a iron fence, but at the entrance stood two Dominican monks, anda civilian who looked like a clerk. Between them was a great ironchest, and the monks called aloud the scale of prices for theforgiveness of sins. All who entered, and wished to see thebuilding, threw money to the clerk, who counted and entered it inhis book. This functionary had been appointed by Hans Fugger, whofarmed the sale of indulgences. 

Luther also wished to see the building, and without thinking putdown some silver pieces. As a receipt, he received a piece of paperon which was written the formula of forgiveness for some triflingsins. 

When he had read the paper, he returned it to the clerk, and burstout, "I don't buy forgiveness of sins, but I gladly pay the entrancefee. "

He entered the site, but now noticed the dark-eyed Augustinian monkfollowing him. 

"Are you dissatisfied, brother?" said the latter. "Do you think thatthe forgiveness of sins is bought? Who ever said so? Don't you knowthat the Civil Law exacts fines for certain trespasses? Why shouldnot the Ecclesiastical Law do the same? Tell me any reason. Whatnonsense you talk? What is buying? You pay out money, and by doingso deprive yourself of certain enjoyments! Instead of buying wineand women, you give this money to the Church. Good! By doing so, you renounce the sin with which you would otherwise have pollutedyourself. "

"Who taught you such arguments?"

"We learn in the schools here to think, you see; we read Cicero andAristotle. "

"Do you read the Bible also?"

"Yes, certainly. The Epistle always lies beside the Gospel on thealtar-desk. "

"Do you understand what you read?"

"Now you are impolite, Martin, but you are also proud, and you mustnot be that. Look now at the new church. What we see is only thefoundation, but we can go in the architect's cottage, and see thedesigns there. "

The designs were hung up in a little pavilion, and another fee wascharged for entrance. 

"Now what does my critical brother say?"

"That is simply a Roman bath-house, " answered Luther after aglance. "Caracalla's Thermae, I should say. "

"It is a heathen building, then!"

"Yes, if you like, but everything is heathenish here, althoughbaptized. The heathen were not so stupid. .. . I won't see any more. "

"But look at those two great men there, before you go. The tall manwith the patriarchal beard is Michael Angelo, and that slim youthwith the long neck and feminine features is Raphael. "

"Is that Raphael?"

"Yes; he looks like an angel, but is not so dangerous. He is a verygood man; they talk of getting him married. He does not want to, however, for his eye is on a cardinal's hat, which they have promisedhim. "

"Cardinal's hat?"

"Yes, he is spiritually-minded, although he paints worldly objects. "

"I remember, but I want to forget them. "

"Listen, Martin!" the monk interrupted him, with an insulting airof familiarity; "when you go away from here, and get home, don'tforget to curb your tongue! Think of what I say: there are eyes andears which follow you where you go, and when you least suspect it. "

"If the Lord is with me, what can men do against me?"

"Are you sure that the Lord is with you? Do you know His ways andHis will?--You only? Can you interpret His meaning when He speaks?"

"Yes, I can; for I hear his voice in my conscience. Get thee hence, Satan, or I shall pray that heaven's lightning may smite thee! Icame here as a believing child, but I shall depart as a believingman, for your questions have only evoked my silent answers whichyou have not heard, but which some day you will hear. You havekilled Savonarola, but I am young and strong, and I shall live. Mark that!"

 * * * * *

Luther did not stay long in Rome, but he took the opportunity oflearning Hebrew, and attended the lectures of the Jew Elia Levi benAsher, surnamed Bachur or Elias Levita. 

There he met Cardinal Viterbo, the patron of the Jews, and manyother celebrities, for Oriental languages were then in fashion afterthe Turks had established themselves in Constantinople. 

Luther enjoyed the friendship of the old Jew, for Elias was the only"Christian" whom he found in Rome. It was a pity, to be sure, thathe lived under the Law, and was not acquainted with the Gospel, buthe knew no better. 

THE INSTRUMENT

In the year 1483, the same year in which Luther was born, DocterCoctier sat in his laboratory at Paris, and carried on aphilosophical discussion with a chemical expert who was passingthrough the city. 

The laboratory was in the same building as his observatory, in theMarais quarter of the town, a site occupied to-day by the Place desVosges. Not far away is the Bastille, the magnificent Hôtel deSaint-Pol, and the brilliant Des Tournelles, the residence of theKings before the Louvre was built. Here Louis XI had given hisprivate physician, chancellor, and doctor of all the sciences, Coctier, a house which lay in a labyrinth-like park called theGarden of Daedalus. The doctor was speaking, and the expertlistened: "Yes, Plato in his _Timaeus_ calls gold one of the densestand finest substances which filters through stone. There is a metalderived from gold which is black, and that is iron. But a substancemore akin to gold is copper, which is composed of shining congealedfluids, and one of whose minor constituents is green earth. Now Iask, 'Why cannot copper be freed from this last, and refined togold?'"

"Yes, " answered the expert, "it can, if one uses atramentum or thephilosopher's stone. "

"What is that?"

"Atramentum is copperas. "

"Ventre-saint-gris! that is Plato's iron! Now I see! Who taught youthat?"

"I learnt it from the greatest living magician in Wittenberg. Hisname is Dr. Faustus, and he has studied magic in Krakau. "

"He is alive, then! Tell me! Tell me!"

"This man, according to many witnesses, has done miracles likeChrist; he has undertaken to restore the lost comedies of Plautusand Terence; his mind can soar on eagle's wings and discover secretsof the heights and depths. "

"Has he also found the elixir of life?"

"Yes, since gold can be resolved into its elements. "

"If gold can be resolved, then it has constituents. What are they?"

"Gold can be easily dissolved in oil of vitriol, salts of ammonia, and saltpetre. "

"What do you say?"

The Doctor jumped up; the stove had heated the room and made himuncomfortable. 

"Let us go for a little walk, " he said; "but I must first make anote of what you say, for, when I wish to remember somethingimportant, the devil makes confusion in my head. These, then, aremeans of dissolving gold--oil of vitriol, salts of ammonia, andsaltpetre!"

The expert, whose name was Balthasar, now first noticed that he hadgiven his information without obtaining a receipt or any equivalentfor it, and, since he was not one of the unselfish kind, he threwout a feeler. 

"How is our gracious King?"

The question revealed his secret and his wish, and put DoctorCoctier on his guard. "Ah, " he said to himself, "you have your eyeon the King with your elixir of life. " And then he added aloud, "Heis quite well. "

"Oh! I had heard the opposite!"

"Then they have lied. "

Then there was silence in the room, and the two men tried to readeach other's thoughts. It was so terribly still that they felt theirhatred germinate, and had already begun a fight to the death. DoctorCoctier's thoughts ran as follows: "You come with an elixir tolengthen the life of the monster who is our King; you wish therebyto make your own fortune and to bring trouble on me; and you knowthat he who has the King's life in his hands, has the power. "

Quick as lightning he had taken his resolve, coolly and cruelly, asthe custom of the time was. He resumed the conversation, and said, "Now you must see my 'Daedalus' or labyrinth. Since the time of theMinotaur, there has been none like it. "

The labyrinth was a thicket threaded by secret passages, borderedby hornbeam-hedges, four ells high, and so dense that one did notnotice the thin iron balustrade which ran along them. Artisticallycontrived and impenetrable, the labyrinth meandered in everydirection. It seemed to be endlessly long, and was so arranged thatits perspectives deceived the eye. It also contained secret doorsand underground passages, and a visitor soon grew aware that it hadnot been constructed as a joke, but in deadly earnest. Only the Kingand Doctor Coctier possessed the key to this puzzle. 

When the two men had walked for a good time, admired statues andwatched fountains play, Balthasar wished to sit upon a bench, whether it was that he was tired or suspected some mischief. 

But the Doctor prevented him: "No, not on _that_ seat, " he said. They continued their walk. But now the Doctor quickened his steps, and, after a while, his guest felt again weary and confused in hishead from the perpetual turning round. Therefore he threw himself onthe first seat which he saw, and drew a deep breath. 

"You run the life out of me, Doctor, " he said. 

"No, you are not so short-lived, " answered the Doctor; "I see a longline of life on your forehead, and the bar between your eyes showsthat you were born under the planet Jupiter. Besides, you possessthe elixir of life, and can prolong your existence as much as youlike, can't you?"

The expert noticed a cruel smile on the Doctor's face, and, feelinghimself in danger, tried to spring up, but the arms of the chair hadclosed around him, and he was held fast. The next moment DoctorCoctier seemed to be seeking for something in the sand with his leftfoot, and, when he had found it, he pressed with all his weight onthe invisible object. 

"Farewell, young man, " he said; "loquacious, conceited young man, who wanted to lord it over Doctor Coctier. Now I will settle theKing for you. "

The seat disappeared in the earth with the expert. It was anoubliette--a pit with a trap-door, which drew the veil of oblivionover the man who had vanished. 

When he had finished the affair, the Doctor sought to leave thelabyrinth, but could not find the way at once, for he was deep inthought, and kept on repeating the formula for the elixir which hehad just learnt, to impress it on his mind, in case the recipeshould be lost--"oil of vitriol, salts of ammonia, saltpetre. "Suddenly he found himself in a round space where many pathsconverged, and to his great astonishment saw a body lying on theground. It looked like that of a large brown watchdog, but limp andlifeless. 

"It is not the first who has been caught in this crab-pot, " hethought, and came nearer. But as the brown mass moved, he saw thatit was a man with torn clothes and a shabby fur cap. 

It was the King--Louis XI in the last year of his life. 

"Sire, in the name of all the saints, what is the matter with you?"exclaimed the Doctor. 

"Wretch!" answered the King, "why do you construct such traps thatone cannot find the way out of them?"

Now it was Louis himself who, in his youth, had constructed themaze, but the Doctor could not venture to tell him so. Therefore hespoke soothingly. 

"Sire, you are ill. Why do you not remain in Tours? How have youcome here?"

"I cannot sleep, and I cannot eat. The last few days I have passedin Vincennes, in Saint-Pol, in the Louvre, but I find peace nowhere. At last I came here, in order to be safe in the place which only youand I know; I came yesterday morning, and would have stayed longer, but I was hungry, and when I wanted to get out, I could not find theway. I have been here, freezing, last night. Take me away; I am ill;feel my pulse, and see whether it is not the quartan ague. "The Doctor tried to feel his pulse, but did so with difficulty forit was hardly beating at all; but he dared not tell the King so. 

"Your pulse is regular and strong, sire; let us get home!"

"I will eat at your house; you only can prepare food properly; allthe rest spoil it with their everlasting condiments; they spice allmy dishes, and the spices are bad. Jacob, help me to get away fromhere--help me. Did you see the star last night? Is there anythingnew in the sky? There is certain a comet approaching. I feel itbefore it comes. "

"No, sire; no comet is approaching. .. . "

"Do you answer impertinently? Then you believe I am sick--perhapsincurably. "

"No, sire, you are healthier than ever; but follow me--I will makeyou a bed, and prepare you a meal. "

The King rose and followed the Doctor. The latter, however, wishedthe monarch to go before him but the King mistrusted his only lastfriend, who certainly did not love him, and would have gladly seenhim dead. 

"Beware of the seats, sire, " he cried. "Do not go too near to thehedge; keep in the middle of the path. "

"Your seats themselves should. .. . Forgive me my sins. " He crossedhimself. 

When they came out of the labyrinth, the King fell in a rage at therecollection of what he had suffered, and, instead of being gratefultowards his rescuer, he burst into abuse: "How could you let me goastray in your garden, and let me sleep on the bare ground in theopen air? You are an ass. " They entered the laboratory, where it waswarm, and the King, who was observant, noticed at once the recipewhich the Doctor had left there. 

"What are you doing behind my back? What recipe have you beenwriting? Is it poison or medicine? Oil of vitriol is poison, saltsof ammonia are only for dysentery, saltpetre produces scurvy. Forwhom have you made this mixture?"

"It is for the gardener's cow, which has calved, " answered theDoctor, who certainly did not wish to prolong the tyrant's life. 

The King laid down on a sofa. "Jacob, " he said, "you must not goaway; I will not eat, but I will sleep, and you must sit here by me. I have had to sleep for eight nights. But put out the fire; it hurtsmy eyes. Don't let down the blinds; I want to see the sun; otherwiseI cannot sleep. "

He seemed to fall asleep, but it was only a momentary nap. Then hegrew wide awake again, and sat up in bed. 

"Why do you keep starlings in your garden, Jacob?"

"I have no starlings, " answered the Doctor impatiently, "but if youhave heard them whistling, sire, they must be there with yourpermission. "

"Don't you hear them, then?"

"No! but what are they singing?"

"Yes, you know! After the shameful treaty of Peronne, when I had toyield to Charles of Burgundy, the Parisians taught their starlingsto cry 'Peronne!' Do you know what they are saying now?"

The Doctor lost patience, for he had heard these old storiesthousands of times: "They are not saying 'Guienne, ' are they?" heasked. 

There was an ugly reference to fratricide in the question, for theKing was suspected of having murdered his brother, the Duke ofGuienne. He started from the sofa in a pugnacious attitude. "What!You believe in this fable? But I have never committed murder, thoughI would certainly like to murder you. .. . "

"Better leave it alone!" answered the Doctor cynically; "you knowwhat the starshave said--eight days after my death, follows yours. "

The King had an attack of cramp, for he believed this fable, whichCoctier had invented to protect his own life. But when he recoveredconsciousness, he continued to wander in his talk. 

"They also say that I murdered my father, but that is a lie. Hestarved himself to death for fear of being poisoned. "

"Of being poisoned by you! You are a fine fellow! But your hour willsoon come. "

"Hush!. .. I remember every thing now. My father was a noodle wholet France be overrun by the English, and when the Maid of Orleanssaved him, gave her up to the English. I hate my father who wasfalse to my mother with Agnes Sorel, and had his legitimate childrenbrought up by his paramour. When he left the kingdom to itself, Iand the nobles took it in hand. That you call 'revolt, ' but Ihave never stirred up a revolt! That is a lie. "

"Listen!" the Doctor broke in; "if you wish to confess, send foryour father confessor. "

"I am not confessing to you; I am defending myself. "

"Who is accusing you, then? Your own bad conscience. "

"I have no bad conscience, but I am accused unjustly. "

"Who is accusing you? The starling?"

"My wife and children accuse me, and don't wish to see me. "

"No; if you have sent them to Amboise, they cannot see you, and, asa matter of fact, they do not wish to. "

"To think that I, the son of King Charles VII, must hear this sortof thing from a quack doctor! I have always liked people of lowrank; Olivier the barber was my friend. "

"And the executioner Tristan was your godfather. "

"He was provost-marshal, you dog!"

"The tailor became a herald. "

"And the quack doctor a chancellor! Put that to my account andpraise me, ingrate! for having protected you from the nobles, andfor only having regard to merit. "

"That is certainly a redeeming feature. "

Just then a man appeared in the doorway with his cap in his hand. 

"Who is there?" cried the King. "Is it a murderer?"

"No, it is only the gardener, " the man answered. 

"Ha! ha! gardener!--your cow has calved, hasn't she?"

"I possess no cow, sire, nor have I ever had one. "

The King was beside himself, and flew at Coctier's throat. 

"You have lied to me, scoundrel; it is not medicine you werepreparing, but poison. "

The gardener disappeared. "If I wished to do what I should, "said Coctier, "I would treat you like Charles the Bold did when youcheated him. "

"What did he do? What do people say that he did?"

"People say that he beat you with a stick. "

The King was ashamed, went to bed again, and hid his face in thepillow. The Doctor considered this a favourable moment forpreferring a long-denied request. 

"Will you now liberate the Milanese?" he asked. 

"No. "

"But he cannot sit any more in his iron cage!"

"Then let him stand!"

"Don't you know that when one has to die, one good deed atones fora thousand crimes?"

"I will not die!"

"Yes, sire, you will die soon. "

"After you!"

"No, before me. "

"That is also a lie of yours. "

"All have lied to you, liar. And your four thousand victims whom youhave had executed. .. . "

"They were not victims; they were criminals. "

"Those four thousand slaughtered will witness it the judgment seatagainst you. "

"Lengthen my life; then I will reform myself. "

"Liberate the Milanese. "

"Never!"

"Then go to perdition--and quickly. Your pulse is so feeble thatyour hours are numbered. "

The King jumped up, fell on his knees before the physician, andprayed, "Lengthen my life. "

"No! I should like to abbreviate it, were you not the anointed ofthe Lord. You ought to have rat-poison. "

"Mercy! I confess that I have acted from bad motives; that I haveonly thought of myself; that I have never loved the people, but usedthem in order to put down the nobles; I grant that I made agreementsand treaties with the deliberate purpose of breaking them; that I. .. Yes, I am a poor sinful man, and my name will be forgotten; allthat I have done will be obliterated. .. . "

A stranger now appeared in the open door. It was a young man in thegarb of the Minorites. 

"Murderer!" screamed the King, and sprang up. 

"No, " answered the monk, "I am he whom you called Vincent of Paula. "

"My deliverer! say a word--a single word of comfort. "

"Sire, " answered Vincent, "I have heard your confession, and willgive you absolution in virtue of my office. "

"Speak. "

"Very well. Your motives were not pure, as you yourself confess, butyour work will not perish, for He who guides the destinies of menand nations uses all and each for His purposes. Not long ago it wasa pure virgin who saved France; now it is not quite so blameless aman. But your work, sire, was in its result of greater importancethan that of the Maid, for you have completed what the Roman Caesarbegan. The hundred-year war with England is over, the Armagnacsand Burgundians quarrel no more, the Jacquerie war has ceased, andthe peasants have returned to their ploughs. You have united elevenprovinces, France has become one land, one people, and will now takethe place of Rome, which will disappear and be forgotten forcenturies, perhaps some day to rise again. France will guide thedestinies of Europe, and be great among the crowned heads, so longas it does not aim at empire like the Rome of the Caesars, for thenit will be all over with it. Thank God that you have been able to beof service, though in ignorance of the will and purposes of yourLord, when you thought you were only going your own way!"

"Montjoie Saint Denis!" exclaimed the King. "Lord, now lettest ThouThy servant depart in peace. "

"But not here, " broke in the Doctor, who was tired of the wholebusiness. "Travel back to Tours, take the priest with you, and leaveme in peace!"

The King returned to Plessis-les-Tours, where he ended his daysafter severe sufferings. He did not obtain peace, but he did obtaindeath. 

"Now the rod is thrown into the fire, " said Doctor Coctier, "let itburn; the children have grown up, and can look after themselves. Executioners also have their uses, as Tristan L'Ermite and hismaster Louis XI know. Peace be with them. "

OLD MERRY ENGLAND

Cardinal Wolsey's oared galley pushed off from the Tower Bridge, below the iron gateway. It gleamed with red and gold; flags andsails flapped lazily in a gentle breeze. The Cardinal sat on thestern-deck surrounded by his little court; most of his attendants hehad left at home in York Palace, later known as Whitehall. His facewas red both from the reflection of his red dress as from the winewhich he had been drinking at noon with King Henry VIII in theTower, and also from the new French sickness, which was veryfashionable, as everything French was. 

He was in a cheerful mood, for he had just received fresh proofs ofthe King's favour. 

At his side stood the King's secretary, Thomas Cromwell. Both wereparvenus. Wolsey was the son of a butcher, Cromwell the son of asmith, and that was probably one of the causes of their friendship, although the Cardinal was by twenty years the elder of the two. 

"This is a happy day, " said Wolsey joyfully, and cast a glance up atthe Tower, which was still a royal residence, though it was soon tocease to be one. "I have obtained the head of Buckingham, that foolwho believed he had a right of succession to the crown. "

"Who has the right of succession, " asked Cromwell, "since there isno male heir, and none is expected?"

"I will soon see to that! Katherine of Aragon is weak and old, butthe King is young and strong. "

"Remember Buckingham, " said Cromwell; "it is dangerous to meddlewith the succession to the throne. "

"Nonsense! I have guided England's destiny hitherto, and will guideit further. "

Cromwell saw that it was time to change the topic. 

"It is a good thing that the King is leaving the Tower. It must bedepressing for him to have only a wall between himself and theprisoners, and to see the scaffold from his windows. "

"Don't talk against our Tower! It is a Biblia Pauperum, anillustrated English History comprising the Romans, King Alfred, William the Conqueror, and the Wars of the Roses. I was fourteenyears old when England found its completion at the battle ofBosworth, and the thirty years' War of the Roses came to an endwith the marriage between York and Lancaster. .. . "

"My father used to talk of the hundred years' war with France, whichended in the same year in which Constantinople was taken by theTurks--_i. E. _ 1453. "

"Yes, all countries are baptized in blood; that is the sacramentof circumcision, and see what fertility follows this manuring withblood! You don't know that apple-trees bear most fruit after ablood-bath. "

"Yes I do; my father always used to bury offal from butchers' shopsat the root of fruit-trees. "

Here he stopped and coloured, for he had made a slip with histongue. In the Cardinal's presence no one dared to speak ofslaughter or the like, for he was hated by the people, and oftencalled "The Butcher. " Cromwell, however, was above suspicion, andthe Cardinal did not take his remark ill, but saved the situation. 

"Moreover, " he continued, "my present was well received by the King;Hampton Court is also a treasure, and has the advantage of beingnear Richmond and Windsor, but can naturally not bear comparisonwith York Place. "

The galley was rowed up the river, on whose banks stood the moststately edifices which existed at the time. They passed bycustomhouses and warehouses, fishmarkets, and fishers'landing-places; the pinnacles of the Guildhall or Council House;the Convent of Blackfriars, the old Church of St. Paul's; the Temple, formerly inhabited by the Templars, now a court of justice; theHospital of St. James, subsequently appropriated by Henry VIII andmade a palace. Finally they reached York Place (Whitehall) byWestminster, where Wolsey, the Cardinal and Papal Legate, Archbishopof York and Keeper of the Great Seal, dwelt with his court, comprising about eight hundred persons, including court ladies. 

Then they disembarked after conversing on ordinary topics; for theCardinal preferred discussing trifles when he had great schemes inhand, and that which occupied him especially just now was hiscandidature for the papacy. 

 * * * * *

Sir Thomas More, the King's Treasurer and Privy Councillor, sat inhis garden at Chelsea above Westminster. He was correcting proofs, for he was a great scholar, and wrote on all the controversialquestions of the day, religious and political, though he wasessentially a man of peace, living in this suburb an idyllic lifewith his family. 

He wore his best attire, although in the house and at work. He alsoshowed signs of disquietude, looking now and then towards the door, for at an early hour of the day no one less than the King had sentan intimation of his intention to pay him a visit. He knew fromexperience how dangerous it was to be on intimate terms with theKing and to share his secrets. His sovereign had the bad habitof asking for advice which he did not follow, and of impartingsecrets the knowledge of which often cost his confidants theirheads. The most dangerous thing of all was to undertake to act asintermediary between Henry and anyone else, for then one fellbetween two millstones. 

With a mind prepared for the worst, More tried to quiet himself byreading his proofs, but his efforts were vain. He rose and began towalk up and down the garden path, went over in his mind all possiblecauses of the King's coming, rehearsed answers to objections, refutations of arguments, and ways of modifying the King's toostrong views without causing offence. 

Henry was certainly a learned man, who had a respect for knowledge, but he had a savage nature which he tried to tame with the scourgeof religion, though without success. 

The clank of armour and tramp of horses was now audible, and theTreasurer hastened, cap in hand, to the garden gate. 

The King had already dismounted from his horse, and hastened towardshis friend, carrying a portfolio in his hand. 

"Thomas, " he said without any preface, "take and read! He hasanswered me! Who? Luther, of course! He--the man whose mind reekslike carrion, and whose practices are damnable--has answered mybook, _The Babylonish Captivity_. Take and read what he says, andtell me if you have ever seen anything like it. "

He gave the Treasurer a printed pamphlet. "And then this devil of aliar says I have not written my book myself. Take and read it, andgive me your advice. "

More began to read Luther's answer to Henry's attack. He read it tohimself, and often found it hard to remain serious, although theKing kept his eyes fixed on his face in order to read his thoughts. 

Among other things, Luther had written: "It matters nothing to mewhether King Heinz or Kunz, the Devil or Hell itself, has composedthis book. He who lies is a liar--therefore I fear him not. It seemsto me that King Henry has provided an ell or two of coarse stuff forthis mantle, and that the poisonous fellow Leus (Leo X), who wroteagainst Erasmus, or someone of his sort, has cut and lined the hood. But I will help them--please God--by ironing it and attaching bellsto it. "

More felt that he must say something or lose his head, so he said:"That is monstrous! That is quite monstrous!"

"Go on!" exclaimed Henry. 

After saying that he postponed the discussion of the other sixsacraments, Luther added: "I am busy in translating the Bible intoGerman, and cannot stir up Heinz's dirt any more. "

The Treasurer was nearly choking with suppressed laughter, but hefelt the sword suspended over his head, and continued: "But I willgive the poisonous liar and blasphemer, King Heinz, once for all, acomplete answer, and stop his mouth. .. . Therefore he thinks to hangon to the Pope and play the hypocrite before him. .. . Therefore theymutually caress and tickle each other like a pair of mule's ears. .. . "

"No, sire, " More broke off, "I cannot go on; it is high treason toread it. "

"I will read, " said the King, and took the pamphlet from him:

"'I conquer and defy Papists, Thomists, Henrys, Sophists, and allthe swine of hell!' He calls us swine!"

"He is a madman who ought to be beaten to death with iron bars orhunted in a forest with bloodhounds. "

"Yes, he ought! But imagine!--this scoundrel gives himself out for aprophet and servant of Christ. And he has married a nun. That isincest! But he has been punished for it. The Kurfürst of Saxony hasabandoned him, and none of his so-called friends went to thewedding. .. . "

"What is his object? What is his new teaching? Justification throughfaith. If one only believes, one may live like a swine!"

"And his doctrine about the Communion. The Church says the Elementsare changed by consecration, but this materialist says they actually_are_ Christ's Body and Blood. Then the corn in the field and thegrapes in the vineyard are already Christ's Body and Blood! He is anass! And the world is mad. "

"And the consequence, --sin with impunity! Sire, allow me to readsome lines, which I have written as an answer, not to these but tohis other follies--only some lines which I hope to add to. "

"Read! I listen when you speak, for I have learnt to listen, and, through that, I know something. "

The King sat down astride on a chair, as though he would rideagainst his formidable foe. 

"Honourable brother, " read More, "father, drinker runaway from theAugustinian Order, clumsy tipsy reveller of the worldly andspiritual kingdoms, ignorant teacher of sacred theology. "

"Good, Thomas; he knows no theology!"

"And this is the way he composed his book against King Henry, theDefender of Our Faith: he collected his stable-companions, andcommissioned them to collect all manner of abuse and bad language, each in his own department. One of them among carters and boatmen;another in baths and gaming-houses; a third in barbers' shops andrestaurants; a fourth in mills and brothels. They wrote down intheir note-books the most daring, dirtiest, and vulgarestexpressions which they heard, brought home all that was coarse andnasty, and emptied it into a disgusting drain, called Luther'ssoul. "

"Good! Very good! But what shall we do now?"

"Burn the rubbish, sire, and make an end of the matter. "

"Yes, I will have his heresies burnt to-morrow at St. Paul's Crossin the City. "

 * * * * *

In the great library of the Temple sat the King and Cardinal Wolsey, examining collections of laws and precedents. Outside in the gardenthe Queen was walking with some of the court ladies. This garden--really a large rose-garden--had been preserved as a promenade forthe royal personages who could not sleep in the Tower, because itwas haunted, and did not retain their health in the insignificantBride-well in the City; it was also preserved as a place ofhistorical interest, for here the adherents of Lancaster andYork were said to have plucked the red and white roses as theirrespective badges. 

Queen Katherine of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the patrons of Christopher Columbus, had now, after twenty years'marriage with Henry VIII, reached a certain age. She had borne himseveral sons, but all had died: only one, a daughter, lived, knownlater on as Queen, under the title "Bloody Mary. " Katherine had agedearly, and sought comfort in religion; she used to rise at night andattend mass in the garb of a Franciscan nun. She knew of theKing's unfaithfulness, but accepted it quietly; she had heard thename of Elizabeth Blunt, but ignored it. 

Now she sat on a seat, and watched her young attendants playing, while she turned over the pages of her prayer book. One pairespecially her eyes followed with pleasure--the uncommonly beautifulAnna of Norfolk and young Henry Algernon Percy of Northumberland, Hotspur's descendant. The pair were playing with roses; the youthhad an armful of white and the girl an armful of red roses, whichthey threw at each other, singing as they lid so. 

It was a beautiful sight, but the Queen became sad: "Don't play likethat, children, " she said; "it awakens memories which ought to sleepin the Tower, where Only the dead can sleep quietly. Besides, theKing, and consequently the Cardinal, will be vexed; they sit therein the library. Play something else!"

The two young people seemed not to understand. Accordingly the Queencontinued: "The Wars of the Roses, children, did not end altogetherat Bosworth but--in the Tower happened much that is best forgotten. Take a book and read something. "

"We have been reading all the morning, " answered Anne surnamedBoleyn or Bullen. 

"What are you reading then?

"Chaucer. "

"_The Canterbury Tales_? Those are not for children: Chaucer was ajester. You had better take my book. It has beautiful pictures. "The young Percy took the little breviary, and, going down the pathas though they sought the shade, they both quietly disappeared fromthe Queen's eyes. 

But from the library four eyes had followed them, those of the Kingand the Cardinal, while they turned over the folios. 

The King was uneasy, and spoke more for the sake of speaking thanbecause he had something to say, and so did the Cardinal. 

"You ought to aim at the Papacy, Cardinal, as Hadrian's successor. "

"Yes, so they say. "

"What about the votes?"

"They are controlled by the Emperor Charles V and King Francis I. "

"How can one bring such a discordant pair into harmony?"

"That is just what requires diplomatic skill, sire. "

"You cannot stand on good terms with both. "

"Who knows? The Emperor has taken Rome, and placed the Pope in theCastle of St. Angelo . .. That was a droll stroke! Then the soldiersin jest, under the windows of the Castle, called out for MartinLuther as Pope. "

"Name not his cursed name, " growled the King, but more in anger atwhat he saw in the rose-garden than at the mention of Luther. 

The Cardinal understood him. "I do not like a union betweenNorthumberland and Norfolk, " he said. 

"What do you say?" asked the King. He was angry that Wolsey had readhis thoughts, but did not wish to betray himself. 

"Anne is really too good for a Percy, and I find it improper of theQueen to act as a match-maker, and let them go alone in theshrubbery. No, that must have an end!"

"Sire, it is already at an end; I have written to Anne's father tocall her home to Hever. "

"You did well in that, by heaven! Two such families, who both aim atthe succession, ought not to unite. "

"Who is there that does _not_ aim at the throne? Just now it wasBuckingham, now it is Northumberland, and only because there is noproper heir. Sire, you must consider the country, and your people, and name a successor. "

"No! I will not have anyone waiting for my decease. "

"Then we shall have the Wars of the Roses again, which cost Englanda million men and eighty of our noblest families. "

The King smiled. "Our noblest!" Then he rose and stepped to thewindow: "I must now accompany the Queen home, " he said. "She hasgone to sleep outside, and this damp is not good for her in her weakcondition. "

"At her Majesty's age one must be very careful, " replied the Cardinal. He emphasized the word _age_, for Katherine was forty, and gave nomore hopes of an heir to the throne. Her daughter Mary might certainlybe married, but one did not know to whom. 

"Sire, " he continued, "do not be angry, but I have just now openedthe Holy Scripture. .. . It may be an accident--will you listen?"

"Speak. "

"In the third Book of Moses, the twentieth and twenty-firstchapters, I read the following--but you will not be angry with yourservant?"

"Read. "

"These are the Lord's solemn words: 'If any man take his brother'swife, it is evil; they shall be childless. '"

The King was excited, and approached the Cardinal. 

"Is that there? Yes, truly! God has punished me by taking my sonsone after the other. What a wonderful book, in which everything iswritten! That is the reason then! But what says Thomas Aquinas, the'Angel' of the Schoolmen?"

"Yes, sire, if you wish the matter elucidated, we must consult thelearned. "

"Let us do so, --but quietly and cautiously. The Queen is blameless, and nothing evil must happen to her. Quietly and cautiously, Wolsey!But I must know the truth. "

 * * * * *

In a room near the "Bloody Tower, " the Cardinal and More werecarrying on a lively conversation. 

"What is happening now in Germany?" asked the Cardinal. 

"While Luther was in the Wartburg, his pupil Karlstadt came toWittenberg, and turned everything upside down. Citing theprohibition of images in the Old Testament, he stirred up studentsand the rabble to attack the churches and throw all sacred objectsoutside. "

"That's the result of the Bible! To give it into the hands of theunlearned means letting hell loose, "

"Then. .. . "

"What did Luther say to that?"

"He hurried down from the Wartburg and denounced Karlstadt and hisfollowers, but I cannot say that he confuted them. A councillorquoted the book of Moses, 'Thou shalt not make to thee any image norlikeness. ' And a shoemaker answered, 'I have often taken off my hatbefore images in a room or in the street; but that is idolatry, androbs God of the glory which belongs to Him alone. '"

"What did Luther say?"

"That then, on account of occasional misuse, one must kill all thewomen, and pour all the wine into the streets. "

"That was a stupid saying; but that is the result of disputing withshoemakers. Besides, it is degrading to compare women to wine! Heis a coarse fellow who sets his wife on the same level with abeer-barrel. "

"Logic is not his strong point, and his comparisons halt oncrutches. In his answer to the Pope's excommunication, he writes, among other things: 'If a hay-cart must move out of the way of adrunken man, how much more must Peter and Jesus Christ keep out ofthe way of the Pope?'"

"That is a pretty simile! Let us return to James Bainham. "

"But let me tell you a little more about the fanatics in Germany. Besides Karlstadt and his followers, other enthusiasts, quoting theBible and Luther, have had themselves rebaptized; their leader hastaken ten wives, supporting his action by the example of David, Solomon, and even Abraham. "

"The Bible again!--Call in Bainham, and then we will hear how thematter stands! He was a lawyer in the Temple, you say, and has beenspreading Luther's teaching. Have we not had enough of Wycliffe andthe Lollards? Must we have the same thing again, grunted out by thisGerman plagiariser?"

"I am not an intolerant man, " said More, "but a State must behomogeneous, or it will fall to pieces. Ignoramuses and lunaticsmust not come forward and sniff at the State religion, be it betteror worse. "

"Let Bainham come, and we will hear him. "

More went to a door which was guarded on the outside by soldiers, and gave an order. 

"You examine him, and I will listen, " said the Cardinal. 

After a time Bainham was brought into the room in chains. 

More sat at the end of a table, and commenced. 

"James Bainham, can you declare your belief in a few words?"

"I believe in God's Word--_i. E. _ the whole of Holy Scripture. "

"Do you really--in the Old as well as the New Testament?"

"In both. "

"In the Old also?"

"In both. "

"Very well, then, you believe in the Old Testament. Now, you havehad yourself baptized again, for the Bible says, 'Go, and teachall nations and baptize them. ' Good. But have you had yourselfcircumcised, as the Bible commands?"

Bainham looked confounded, and the Cardinal had to turn his head, in order not to smile. 

"I am not an Israelite, " answered Bainham. 

"No! but Nathanael, who sought our Saviour and believed on him, wascalled by John 'an Israelite indeed. ' If you are not an 'Israeliteindeed, ' you are not a Christian. "

"I cannot answer that. "

"No, you cannot answer, but you can preach and talk rubbish. Are youa Lutheran?"

"Yes. "

"But Luther is against the Anabaptists; therefore he is against you, and he has asked the princes to kill the Anabaptists like wild dogs. Are you still a Lutheran?"

"Yes, according to his early teaching. "

"You mean justification by faith. What do you believe?"

"I believe in God the Father. .. . "

"Who is the Father? In Luther's catechism it is written, 'Thou shalthave none other Gods but me. ' But that is the Law of Moses, and itis Jehovah who is intended there. If you believe in Jehovah, thenyou are a Jew, are you not?"

"I believe also on Christ the Son of God. "

"Then you are a Jew-Christian! So you have admitted that you are aLutheran, Anabaptist, Jew, and Christian--all this together. You area fool, and you don't know what you are. But that may be passedover, if you do not seduce others. "

"Give him a flogging, " said the Cardinal, who did not like the turnthe conversation had taken, especially the challenging of the Bible, which just now he wished to use for his own purposes. 

"He has already had that, " answered More, "but besides his doctrine, this conceited man, who wants to make himself popular, belongs to asociety which circulates a bad translation of the Bible. " "You seeyourself, " he continued, turning to Bainham, "what Bible readingleads to, and I demand that you give up the names of yourfellow-criminals. "

"That I will never do! The just shall live by his faith. "

"Will you call yourself just, when there is no one just? Read theBook of Job, and you will see. And your belief is really tooeccentric to be counted to you for righteousness. "

"Send him down in the cellar to Master Mats! Must one listen to suchnonsense! Away with him!"

More pointed to the door, and Bainham went out. 

"Yes, " said Wolsey, "what is there in front of us? Schisms, sectarianism, struggles. If we only had an heir to the throne. "

"We cannot get the King divorced. "

"You yourself have spoken the word. There is no need for divorce, because his marriage is null. "

"Is it? How do you prove that?"

"From the third book of Moses, the twentieth and twenty-firstchapters: 'If any one taketh his brother's wife, it is evil. '"

"Yes, but in the fifth book of Moses, five and twentieth chapter, fifth verse, it is commanded. "

"What, in Christ's name, are you saying?"

"Certainly it is: 'If brothers dwell together, and one die withoutchildren, his brother shall take his wife and raise up seed to hisbrother. "

"Damnation! This cursed book. "

"Moreover: Abraham married his half-sister; Jacob married twosisters: Moses' father married his aunt. "

"That is the Bible, is it? Thank you! Then I prefer the Decretalsand the Councils. The Pope must dissolve the marriage. "

"Is it then to be dissolved?"

"Didn't you know? Yes, it is. If Julius II could grant adispensation, Clement VII can grant an absolution. "

"It is not just towards the Queen. "

"The country demands it--the kingdom--the nation! The King'sconscience. .. . "

"Oh! is it the fair Anne?"

"No, not she!"

"Is it. .. . "

"Don't ask any more. "

"Then I answer, Margaret of Valois. "

"I give no answer at all, but I am not responsible for your life, ifyou talk out of season! The Bible won't help you there. "

"It would be a useful reform, if we could cancel the Old Testamentas a Jewish book. "

"But we cannot cancel the Psalms of David, which are our only Churchcanticles. Luther himself has taken his hymns from the Psalter, and'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' from the Proverbs of Solomon; he hasborrowed the melody from the Graduale Romanum. "

"But we must relegate the law of Moses to the Apocrypha, otherwisewe are Pharisees and Jewish Christians. What have we to do withcircumcision, the paschal lamb, and levitical marriage? Wait till Iam Pope. "

"Must we really wait so long?"

"Hush! The noon-bell is ringing. Do not let us neglect our duties. The flesh must have its due, in order not to burn. Come with me toWestminster; then you can go on to Chelsea afterwards. "

 * * * * *

Henry VIII was twelve years old when he was engaged to the widow ofhis brother Arthur. At fourteen he protested against the marriage, which was distasteful to him, but at eighteen he married Katherine, the aunt of the Emperor Charles V. Cardinal Wolsey would have gladlybrought about a divorce, for he wished for a successor to the thronein order to keep the power in his own hands. This power he hadmisused to such an extent that the fact that there was such a thingas Parliament had almost been forgotten. Wolsey wished to have theKing married to a powerful princess, and thought for a time ofMargaret of Valois, but under no circumstances did he wish to take awife for him from the English nobility. But when he aroused theKing's conscience with regard to his marriage with Katherine, he hadlet loose a storm which he could not control, much less guide in thedesired direction, for the King's passion for Anne Boleyn wasnow irresistible. 

Then the Cardinal had recourse to plotting, and this brought abouthis downfall. For six years negotiations went on, and the King wastrue to Anne. He wrote letters which can still be read and whichdisplay a great and honourable love. Most of them were signed "HenryTudor, Rex, your true and constant servant, " and began "My mistressand friend. " Anne answered coldly, but her love to Percy was nipt inthe bud by a marriage being arranged for him. After all the learnedauthorities had been consulted, and much controversy had taken placeregarding the third and the fifth books of Moses, the Pope sent aNuncio with secret instructions to get rid of the whole matter bypostponing it. But Henry did not yield, though his feelings forKatherine, whom he respected, cost him a terrible struggle. Thetrial began in the chapter-house of Blackfriars in the presence ofthe King and Queen. But Katherine stood up, threw herself at theKing's feet, and found words which touched the tyrant. Shechallenged the right of the court to try her, appealed to the Pope, and returned to Bridewell. It is there that we find her inShakespeare's _Henry VIII_, singing sorrowfully a beautiful song:

 "Orpheus with his lute made trees And the mountain tops that freeze Bow themselves when he did sing. "

The divorce proceedings had gone on for some years; people had sidedalternately with the King and with the Queen, and often sympathisedwith both, when suddenly rumour announced the outbreak of apestilence. 

It was not the Black Death or the boil-pest, but the English"sweating-sickness. " This hitherto unknown disease had first brokenout in the same year when the wars of the Roses ended on the fieldof Bosworth; but it was entirely confined to England, passingneither to Scotland nor Ireland. It was so mysteriously connectedwith English blood, that in Calais only Englishmen and no Frenchmenwere attacked by it. Since then the sickness had twice appearedamong the English. Now it returned and broke out in London. 

The King, who had said that "no one but God could separate him fromAnne, " was alarmed, and did not know what to think--whether it was awarning or a trial. The symptoms of the sickness were perspirationand a desire to sleep; but if one yielded to the desire, one mightbe dead in three hours. In London the citizens died like flies: SirThomas More lost a daughter; the Cardinal, who had come to presideat Hampton Court, had his horses put to the carriage again, andhurried away. Finally one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting was attacked. Then the King lost all presence of mind, sent Anne home to herfather, and fled himself from place to place, from Waltham toHunsdon. He reconciled himself to Katherine, lived in a towerwithout a servant, prepared his will, and was ready for death. 

Then there came the news that Anne herself had been seized by thesickness. The King had lost his chamberlain, and now wrote letterafter letter. Then he fled again to Hatfield and Tittenhanger. 

But Anne recovered, the pestilence ceased, and Henry resumed thedivorce proceedings. The Cardinal and the Nuncio wavered, and inthe seventh year the King lost patience. He had now found the man hesought for. Sir Thomas More would not declare Katherine's marriagenull. The new man was Thomas Cranmer, who hated the Pope and themonks, and dreamt of a free England--free, that is, from Rome. TheKing and his new friend worked in secret at something whichCardinal Wolsey did not know, and one day the preliminaries weresettled, the papers were in order, and the mine exploded. 

 * * * * *

The King's galley pushed off from the Tower. It did not look sobrilliant as the Cardinal's had once been. Cranmer sat by the King. 

"I shall not sleep in the Tower any more, " said the King. "I amleaving it now, Thomas; this is my removal. I move to Whitehall, forthat will be the name of York Palace; because I, as a Lancastrian, hate York, and because my white rose shall dwell in my castle. Now, _you_ will sit in the Tower, my hell-dog! To think that this Satanof a Cardinal has deceived me for six years. What troubles hisplotting has caused me! Six years! I have always hated the man, butI needed him, for he was clever. "

The King glanced at the north side of the Thames. "And I have livedin the city which has not been my own; Rome possesses a third of it. I have lived like a beggar, but now--London is mine. The Temple, St. James's, Whitehall, Westminster to begin with; then the rest. "

The galley reached York Palace, and the King hastened in with hisbody-guard, without giving the password or answering thechamberlain's questions. He went straight to the Cardinal's room, and laid some letters before him: "Read! you snake! your lyingletters behind my back. "

The Cardinal's face seemed to shrink to half its size, and resembleda death's-head. He did not, however, fall on his knees, but raisedhis head for the last time: "I appeal to the Pope. "

"There is no Pope in England! Nay, I am the Pope, and therefore youare no longer Cardinal! Accordingly, I have granted myself adispensation, and married Anne Boleyn yesterday! In a few days Ishall have her crowned. And then we will dwell here! _Here!_ But youwill live in the Tower. Go, or I throw you out. "

Thus England became free; a third part of London, which had belongedto the monks, reverted to the Crown, and afterwards the wholecountry followed. 

The King had obtained his beloved Anne, but after three years shewas beheaded, for having dishonoured the King by adultery. Afterthat the King married four times. Cardinal Wolsey died before hecame to the scaffold; Sir Thomas More was beheaded; and Cromwell, who at first defended Wolsey, but afterwards became a "_malleusmonachorum_, " was also beheaded. All this seems very confusedand tragic, but from this confusion a free, independent, andpowerful England emerged. When the Germans were preparing to castoff the yoke of Rome in the Thirty Years' War, England had alreadycompleted her task. 

THE WHITE MOUNTAIN

While the peace negotiations were being carried on in Osnabrück andMünster, the Thirty Years' War still flamed up here and there, moreperhaps to keep the troops in practice, to provide support for thesoldiers, and to have booty at command, than to defend any faith orthe adherents of it. 

All talk of religion had ceased, and the powers now played withtheir cards exposed. Protestant Saxony, the first State to supportLutheranism, worked in conjunction with Catholic Austria, andCatholic France with Protestant Sweden. In the battle ofWolfenbüttel, 1641, French Catholics fought against GermanCatholics, the latter of whom, however, later on carried the bodyof Johan Baner in their ranks. 

The Swedish Generals thought little of peace, but when thenegotiations dragged on to the seventh year, they thought the timehad come to have some regard to it. "He who takes something, hassomething, " Wrangel wrote to his son. 

Hans Christoph von Königsmarck, who continued Johan Baner'straditions, had lately been with him at Zusmarshausen, and was nowsent eastward in the direction of Bohemia. Since, besides cavalry, he had only five hundred foot-soldiers, he did not know what to do, but wandered about at random, and looked for booty. But nothing wasto be found, for Johan Baner had already laid the district waste. 

"Then they marched farther, " like Xenophon, and found the woodswhich bordered the highways' cut down; the fields were covered withweeds, and in the trees hung corpses; the churches had been burnt, but watch was kept in the churchyards in order that the corpsesshould not be eaten. 

One night Königsmarck himself was leading a small detachment insearch of provisions. They rode into a wood where they saw a lightburning. But it was only a red glow as if from a charcoal pile or asmithy. They dismounted from their horses, and stole on foot to theplace. When they reached it, they heard voices singing a "Miserere"in low tones, and they saw men, women, and children sitting round anoven, the last remains of a village. 

Königsmark went forward alone, and, hidden behind a young fir-tree, he beheld a spectacle. .. . He had seen such sights before, but notunder such circumstances. In an iron scoop on the oven some game wasbeing roasted; it might have been an enormous hare, but was not. Like a hare, it was very spindle-shanked and lean over back andbreast; only the hinder-parts seemed well developed; the head wasplaced, between the two fore-paws. .. . No! they were not fore-paws, but two five-fingered hands, and round the neck a charred rope wasknotted. It was a man who had been hung, and whom they had cut downin order to eat him. 

The General was not squeamish by nature, and had in his life passedthrough many experiences, but this went beyond all bounds. He was atfirst angry, and wished to interrupt the cannibals' meal, but whenhe saw the little children sitting on their mothers' knees withtufts of grass in their mouths, he was seized with compassion. Thecannibals themselves looked like corpses or madmen, and the eyes andexpectations of all were fastened on the oven. At the same time theysang "Lord, have mercy, " and prayed for pardon for the grievous sinwhich they were obliged to commit. "What does it really matter tome?" said the General to himself; "I only wish I had not seen it. "He returned to his men, and they marched on. 

The wood became thinner, and they came to an open place where wassomething resembling a heap of stones, out of which there arose asingle pillar. In the half-twilight which reigned they could not seedistinctly, but on the pillar something seemed to be moving. The"something" resembled a man, but had only one arm. 

"It is not a man, for he would have two arms, " said one of thesoldiers. 

"It would be strange, if a man could not have an arm missing. "

"Strange indeed! Perhaps it is a pillar-saint. "

"Give him a charge of powder, and we shall soon see. "

At the rattle of arms which was now heard there, rose a howl soterrible and multitudinous, that no one thought it came from thepillar-saint. At the same time the apparent heap of stones movedand became a living mass. 

"They are wolves! Aim! Fire!"

A volley was fired, and the wolves fled. Königsmarck rode throughthe smoke, and now saw a one-armed Imperialist standing on thechimney, which was all that was left of a burnt cottage. "Come down, and let us look at you, " he said. 

The maimed man clambered down with his single arm, showingincredible agility. "We ought to have him to scale the wall with astorming-party, " said the General to himself. 

Then the examination commenced. 

"Are you alone?"

"Alone _now_--thanks to your grace, for the wolves have been roundme for six hours. "

"What is your name? Where do you come from? Whither do you wish togo?"

"My name is Odowalsky; I come from Vienna; and I shall go to hell, if I don't get help. "

"Will you go with us?"

"Yes, as sure as I live! With anybody, if only I can live. I havelost my arm; I was given a house; they burnt it, and threw me out onthe highway--with wife and child, of course!"

"Listen; do you know the way to Prague?"

"I can find the way to Prague, to the Hradschin and the Imperialtreasure-house, Wallenstein's palace, the royal castle, Wallenstein's dancing-hall, and the Loretto Convent. There thereis _multum plus Plurimum_. "

"What is your rank in the army?"

"First Lieutenant. "

"That is something different. Come with me, and you shall have ahorse, Mr. First Lieutenant, and then let us see what you are goodfor. "

Odowalsky received a horse, and the General bade him ride besidehim. He talked confidentially with him the whole night till theyagain rejoined the main body of the army. 

 * * * * *

Some days later Königsmarck stood with his little troop on the WhiteMountain left of Prague--"Golden Prague, " as it was called. It waslate in the evening of the fifteenth of June. He had Odowalsky athis side, and seemed to be particularly good friends with him. Butthe troop knew nothing of the General's designs, and, as they sawthat he went towards Prague, his officers were astounded, for thetown was well fortified, and defended by a strong body of armedcitizens. 

"One can at any rate look at the show, " Königsmarck answered to allobjections; "that costs nothing. "

They halted on the White Mountain, without, however, pitching acamp. They saw nothing of the beautiful town, for it was dark, butthey heard the church and convent bells. 

"This, then, is the White Mountain, where the war broke out justthirty years ago, " said Königsmarck to Odowalsky. 

"Yes, " answered the Austrian. "It was then the Bohemian revolt brokeout, your King Frederick V of the Palatinate was slain here, andthere was great rejoicing at his death. "

"If you forget who you are, forget not who I am. "

"We will not quarrel about something that happened so long ago! But, as a matter of fact, the revolt was crushed, and the Protestants hadto withdraw. What did they get by their trouble--the poor Bohemians?Hussites, Taborites, Utraquists sacrificed their lives, but Bohemiais still Catholic! It was all folly!"

"Do you belong to the Roman Church, First Lieutenant?"

"I don't belong to any Church at all; I belong to the army. And nowwe will take Prague with a _coup de main_. "

So it fell out. At midnight the foot-soldiers clambered over thewall, threw the sentinels into the moat, cut down the guards at thegates, and took that side of the town. 

For three days the part of the city which lay on the left bank ofthe Moldau was plundered, and Königsmarck is said to have sent fivewaggons laden with gold and silver to the north-west throughGermany, as his own share of the spoil. Odowalsky received sixthousand thalers for his trouble, and later on was raised to theSwedish House of Peers with the title of "Von Streitberg. "

But the right bank had not been captured. It was defended by tenthousand citizens, assisted by students, monks, and Jews. Fromancient times there had been a large Jewish colony in Prague; theJews were said to have escaped thither direct from Jerusalem duringthe last German crusade, and for that reason the island in theMoldau is still called Jerusalem. On this occasion the Jews sodistinguished themselves that they received as a token of honourfrom the Emperor Ferdinand III a great flag, which can be still seenin their synagogue. Königsmarck could not take the Old Town, but hadto send for help to Wittenberg. The latter actually plundered Taborand Budweis, but Prague, which had been plundered, did not attracthim. Then the Count Palatine Karl Gustav had to come, and formallybesieged the eastern portion of the town. 

Königsmarck dwelt in the Castle, where he could see the old hall ofthe States-General, from the window of which Count Thurn had thrownthe Imperial governors Martiniz and Slavata; the Protestants saythat they fell on a dungheap, but the Catholics maintain that it wasan elder-bush. 

Meanwhile Count Karl Gustav, who was a cousin of Frederick V, had aslittle success before Prague as the former. He became ill, and wassure that he had been poisoned. But he recovered, and was about tobe reinforced by Wrangel, when news arrived that the Peace ofWestphalia had been concluded. 

With that the Thirty Years' War was at an end. Sweden received twomillion thalers and some places of importance; these were enfeoffedto Germany, and in exchange Sweden had three votes in the GermanReichstag. 

But Germany's population was only a quarter of what it had been, and, while it had formerly been one State under the Emperor, it wasnow split up into three hundred little States. However, the libertyof faith affirmed in the Confession of Augsburg, 1555, wasrecovered, and extended to the reformed districts. It was dearlybought, but with it North Germany had also obtained freedom fromRome, and that could not be too dearly purchased. 

Out of chaos comes creation and new creation. From the Germanicchaos emerged North Germany, the seed of which was Brandenberg, later on developing into Prussia, and finally the German Empire, which received the imperial crown at Versailles, but not from thehands of Rome. 

THE GREAT CZAR

On the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland lay the little villageStrelna, halfway between Petersburg and the half-completed Peterhof. At the end of the village, on the edge of the Strelka stream, stooda simple country-house under oaks and pines. It was painted greenand red, and the window-shutters were still fastened, for it wasonly four o'clock on a summer morning. 

The Gulf of Finland lay smooth under the rays of the rising sun. ADutch trading vessel, which had wished to enter the harbour andreach the Admiralty House, now furled its sails and dropped anchor. It carried a flag at its main-top which hung down idly. 

Near the red and green country-house stood an ancient lime-tree witha split trunk; in the cleft a wooden platform with a railing hadbeen fitted, and a flight of steps led up to this arbour. In thisearly morning hour there sat a man in the tree at an unpainted, unsteady table, writing letters. The table was covered with papers, but there was still room for a clock without a glass, a compass, acase of drawing instruments, and a large bell of bronze. 

The man sat in his shirt-sleeves; he wore darned stockings whichwere turned down, and large shoes; his head seemed incredibly large, but was not so in reality; his neck was like that of an ox, and hisbody that of a giant; the hand which was now writing was coarse, andstained with tar; he wrote carelessly, with lines somewhat slanting, but quickly. The letters were short and to the point, with nointroductions and no conclusions, merely signed "Pe ter, " the namedivided in two, as though it had been split by the heavy hand whichwrote it. 

There were probably about a million men bearing that name in Russia;but this Peter was the only one of importance, and everyonerecognised the signature. 

The lime-tree was alive with bees, the little Strelka brook bubbledand fretted like a tea-kettle, and the sun rose gloriously; its raysfell between the leaves of the lime-tree, and threw patches of lighton the strange face of one of the strangest and most incomprehensiblemen who have ever lived. 

Just now this handsome head, with its short hair, looked like thatof a wild boar; and when the writer licked his goose-quill like aschool-boy, he showed teeth and a tongue like those of a memoriallion. Sometimes his features were convulsed with pain, as though hewere being tortured or crucified. But then he took a new sheet, andbegan a new letter; his pen ran on; his mouth smiled till his eyesdisappeared, and the terrible man looked roguish. Still anothersheet, and a little note which was certainly directed to a lady; nowthe face changed to that of a satyr, melted so to speak, intoharmonious lines, and finally exploded in a loud laugh which wassimply cynical. 

His morning correspondence was now ended. The Czar had written fiftyletters. He left them unsealed. Kathia, his wife, would collect andfasten them. 

The giant stretched himself, rose with difficulty, and cast a glanceover the bay. With his spy-glass he saw Petersburg and his fleet, the Fort of Kronstadt, which had been commenced, and finallydiscovered the trading-vessel. "How did that come in withoutsaluting?" he thought, "and dare to anchor immediately before myhouse!"

He rang, and a valet-de-chambre came at once, running from the rowof tents which stood concealed behind the pines-trees, and whereboth soldiers and servants lodged. 

"Take five men in a boat, " he ordered, "and hail that brig! Can yousee what country it belongs to?"

"It is Dutch, your Majesty!"

"Dutch! Bring the captain here, dead or alive. At once! On the spot!But first my tea!"

"The household is asleep, most gracious lord. "

"Then wake it up, you ass! Knock at the shutters! Break the door in!Asleep in broad daylight!"

He rang again. A second servant appeared. "Tea! and brandy--plenty of brandy!"

The servants ran, the household was aroused, and the Czar occupiedthe interval by making notes on slate tablets. When he becameimpatient, he got down, and knocked at all the shutters with hisstick. Then a voice was heard from within: "Wait a moment. "

"No! that I won't; I am not born to wait. Hurry! or I will set thehouse on fire!"

He went into his gardens, cast a glance at his medicinal plants, plucked up some weeds, and watered here and there. He went into thecattle-sheds, and looked at some merino sheep which he himself hadintroduced. Here he found a trave which had been broken; he took asaw and plane, and mended it. He threw some oats in the manger ofhis favourite trotting-horse. He drove for the most part, whenhe did not go on foot; riding seemed to him unworthy of a seaman, and it was as a seaman that the Czar chiefly wished to be regarded. Then he went into the lathe-shop, sat for a while on theturning-bench, and worked. At the window stood a table with acopper-engraver's tools; with the graving-tool he drew some lineswhich were wanting in the map plate. He was about to proceed tothe smithy, when a woman's voice called him under the lime-tree. 

On the platform stood his wife the Czarina, in her morning dress. She had massive limbs and large feet; her face was stout and plain, her eyes were not level, but had a steady expression. 

"How early you are up this morning, Little Father?" she said. 

"Is it early? It is six at any rate!"

"It is only just five. "

"Five? Then it shall be six. "

He pushed the hand of the clock an hour forward. His wife smiled alittle superciliously, but took care not to irritate him, for sheknew how dangerous it was to do so. Then she gave him his tea. 

"There is some occupation for you, " said Peter, pointing to hisletters. 

"But how many there are!"

"If there are too many I can get help. "

The Czarina, did not answer, but began to look through the letters. The Czar liked that, for then there would be occasion forquarrelling; and he always wished for a quarrel in order to keephis energies active. 

"Pardon me, Peter, " said his wife, "but is it right that you shouldapply to the Swedish Government about the Dutch ships?"

"Yes, it is! All that I do is right!"

"I don't understand it. Our Russians fired by mistake at friendlyDutch vessels, and you demand indemnity from the Swedes because themischance occurred in Swedish waters. "

"Yes, according to Roman law, the injury must be made good in theland where it happened. .. . "

"Yes, but. .. . "

"It is all the same anyhow: he who can pay, pays; I cannot, and theDutch will not, therefore the Swedes must! Do you understand?"

"No. "

"The Swedes have incited the Turks against me; they must pay forthat. "

"May be! But why do you write so harshly to the Dutch Governmentsince you like the Dutch?"

"Why! Because since the Peace of Utrecht, Holland is on the decline. It is all over with Holland; on to the rubbish-heap with it! I holdon to England, since France is also declining. "

"Should one abandon one's old friends?. .. "

"Certainly, when they are no more good. Moreover, there is nofriendship in love and in politics. Do you think I like thiswretched August of Poland? No! I am sure you don't. But I must gowith him through thick and thin, for my country, for Russia. He whocannot sacrifice his little humours and passions for his country isa Don Quixote, like Charles the Twelfth. This fool, with his madhatred against August and myself, has worked for Sweden's overthrowand Russia's future. But that this Christian dog should incite theTurks against us was a crime against Europe, for Europe needs Russiaas a bulwark against Asia. Did not the Mongol sit for two hundredyears on our frontier and threaten us? And when our ancestors had atlast driven him away, there comes a fellow like this and brings theheathen from Constantinople upon us. The Mongols were once inSilesia, and would have destroyed Western Europe if we Russians hadnot saved it. Charles XII is dead, but I curse his memory, and Icurse everyone who seeks to hinder me in my laudable endeavour toraise Russia from a Western Asiatic power to an Eastern Europeanone. I shall beat everyone down, whoever he may be, who interfereswith my work, even though it were my own son. "

There was silence for some moments. The last words referred to theDelicate topic of Alexis, Peter's son by his first marriage, who wasnow a prisoner awaiting his death-sentence in the Peter-PaulFortress. He was accused of having endeavoured to hinder hisfather's work in the civilisation of Russia, and was suspected ofhaving taken part in plots of rebellion. The Czar's firstdivorced wife Eudoxia was confined in the convent of Suzdal. 

Katharina naturally did not love Alexis, since he stood in the wayof her children, and she would have been glad of his death, but didnot wish to incur the guilt of it. Since Peter also did not wish totake the responsibility for it, he had appointed a court of ahundred and twenty-seven persons to try his son. 

The topic therefore was an unwelcome one, and, with hisextraordinary facility for quick changes of thought and feeling, Peter broke the silence with the prosaic question, "Where is thebrandy?"

"You will get no brandy so early, my boy. "

"Kathrina!" said Peter in a peculiar tone, while his face began totwitch. 

"Be quiet, Lion!" answered his wife, and stroked his black mane, which had begun to bristle. She took a bottle and a glass out of abasket. 

The Lion cheered up, swallowed the strong drink, smiled, and strokedhis spouse's expansive bust. 

"Will you see the children?" asked Katherine, in order to bring himinto a milder mood. 

"No, not to-day! Yesterday I beat them, and they would think I wasrunning after them. Keep them at a distance. Keep them under, orthey will get the better of you!"

Katherine had taken the last letter, as though absent-mindedly, andbegan to read it. Then she coloured, and tore it in two. "You mustnot write to actresses. That is too great an honour for them, andcan only disgrace us. "

The Czar smiled, and was not angry. He had not intended to send theletter, but only scribbled it in order to excite his wife, perhapsalso to show off. 

There was a sound of approaching footsteps underneath. 

"See! there is my friend, the scoundrel!"

"Hush!" said Katherine, "Menshikoff is your friend. "

"A fine friend! Already once I have condemned him to death as athief and deceiver; but he lives still, thanks to your friendship. "

"Hush!"

Menshikoff (he was a great soldier, an able statesman, anindispensable favourite, enormously rich) came hurrying up thewooden stairs. It was in his house that the Czar had found hisKatherine. He was handsome, looked like a Frenchman, dressed well, and had polished manners. He greeted the Czar ceremoniously, andkissed Katherine's hand. 

"Now they are there again, " he commenced. 

"The Strelitzil? [Footnote: a Russian body-guard first established byIvan the Terrible. ] Have I not rooted them out?"

They grow like the dragon's seed, and now they want to deliverAlexis. "

"Have you any more exact information?"

"The conspirators meet this evening at five o'clock. "

"Where?"

"Number fourteen the Strandlinje, at an apparently harmless meal. "

"Strand--14, " wrote the Czar on his tablets. "Any more?"

"To-night at two o'clock they fire the city. "

"At two o'clock?" The Czar shook his head, and his face twitched. 

"I build up, and they pull down. But now I will extirpate them rootand branch. What do they say?"

"They look back to Holy Moscow, and regard the building ofPetersburg as a piece of godlessness or malice. The workmen die, like flies, of marsh fever, and they regard your Majesty's buildingin the midst of a marsh as an act of bravado a la Louis Quatorze, who built Versailles on the site of a swamp. "

"Asses! My town is to command the mouth of the river, and to be theKey to the sea, therefore it must be there. The marsh shall bedrained off into canals, which will carry boats like those ofAmsterdam. But so it is when monkeys judge!"

He rang; a servant appeared; "Put the horses to the cabriolet"; hecalled down, "and now, goodbye, Katherine; I shall not be home tillto-morrow. It will be a hot day. But don't forget the letters. Alexander can help you. "

"Will you not dress, little son?" answered Katherine. 

"Dress? I have my sabre. "

"Put at least your coat on. "

The Czar put on his coat, drew the belt which held the sabre someholes tighter, and sprang at one bound from the platform. 

"Now it will come off, " whispered Menshikoff to Katherine. 

"You have not been lying, Alexander?"

"A few lies adorn one's speech. The chief point is gained. To-morrow, Katherine, you can sleep quietly in the nursery withthe heirs to the throne. "

"Can any misfortune happen to him?"

"No! he never has misfortune. "

 * * * * *

The Czar ran down to the seashore; he never walked, but always ran. "Life goes fast, " he was wont to say, "and there is much to do. "

When he reached the gravel bank he found a boat landing, with fivemen and the Dutch prisoner. The latter sat stolidly by the rudder, and smoked his pipe. But when he saw the Czar, he took off his cap, threw it in the air, and cried, "Hurrah!"

Czar Peter shaded his eyes, and, when he recognised his old teacherand friend, Jaen Scheerborck from Amsterdam, he jumped into the boatover the rowers' shoulders and knees, rushed into Jaen's arms andkissed him, so that his pipe broke and the seaman's great grey beardwas full of smoke and nearly took fire. Then the Czar lifted the oldman up, and carried him in his arms like a child to the shore. 

"At last, you old rascal! I have you here with me! Now you shall seemy city and my fleet, which I have built myself, for you have taughtme. Bring the cabriolet here, boy! and a grapnel from the boat; wewill go, and tack about. Quickly!"

"Dear heart alive!" said the old man, picking the tobacco-ashes outof his beard, "to think that I have seen the Carpenter-Czar before Idie; that is. .. . "

"Into the cabriolet, old fellow! Boy, hang the grapnel behind. Whereare you to sit? On my knees, of course!"

The cabriolet had only room for one person, and the captain actuallyhad to sit on the Czar's lap. Three horses were yoked to ittandem-fashion, and a fourth ran beside the leader. The whipcracked, and the Czar played being at sea. "A good wind, isn't it?Twelve knots! Furl the sheet! so!"

A toll-gate appeared, and the captain, who knew the Czar's wildtricks but also his skill, began to cry "There is a toll-gate!Stop!"

But the Czar, who had found again his youth with his old friend offormer times, and with his indestructible boyishness, likedpractical jokes and dangers, whipped on the horses, whistled andshouted, "Let her go! Clear for action! Jump!"

The toll-gate was burst clean open, and the old man laughed so thathe swayed on the Czar's knees. And so they drove along the shore. At the town gate the sentinels presented arms and saluted; on thestreets people cried "Hurrah!" and when they reached the Admiralty, cannon were fired and the yards manned. But the Czar seriously or inplay, as though he were on the sea, shouted "Anchor!"

So saying, he so threw the grapnel towards the wall, that it caughtin a torch-holder, which bent but did not break. But the horses, which were still running, were suddenly forced back, and sank ontheir knees. The first of the three rose no more; it had beenfatally injured by bursting in the toll-gate. 

Three hours later, when the fleet and docks had been inspected, theCzar and Jaen Scheerborck sat in a seamen's tavern. The cabrioletstood without, and was "anchored" to a thatched roof. Brandy was onthe table, and their pipes had filled the room with smoke. The twofriends had discussed serious matters. The Czar had paid six visits, one to his staff of generals, from which he returned in a veryexcited state to the waiting captain. But, with his extraordinarycapacity for shaking off what was unpleasant and for changing hismoods, he now beamed with hilarity. 

"You ask whence I shall get the inhabitants for my new town. I firstbrought fifty thousand workmen here. That was the nucleus. Then Icommanded all officials, priests, and great landowners to buildhouses--each of them, one--whether they intended to live in it ornot. Now I have a hundred thousand. I know they talk and say that Ibuild towns, but don't dwell in them myself. No! I build not formyself, but for the Russians. I hate Moscow, which smells of theKhan of the Tartars, and would prefer to live in the country. Thatis no one else's affair. Drink, old man! We have the whole daybefore us till five o'clock. Then I must be sober. "

The old man drank cautiously, and did not know exactly how to behavein this grand society, which was at the same time so nautical. 

"Now you must tell me some of the stories which the people relateabout me. You know lots of them, Jaen. "

"I know some certainly, but it is not possible. .. . "

"Then I will tell some, " said Peter, "Do you know the story of thepair of compasses and the cheese? No? Well, it runs thus: 'The Czaris so covetous that he always carries a box of drawing instrumentsin his pocket. With a pair of compasses he measures his cheese, tosee whether any of it has been stolen since the last meal!' That isa good story! Here is another! 'The Czar has a Tippler's Club. Oncethey determined to hold a festival, and the guests were shut upthree days and three nights in order to drink. Each guest had abench behind him, on which to sleep off his intoxication, besidestwo tubs, one for food and one for . .. You understand?'"

"No, that is too absurd!"

"Such are the stories they like to tell in Petersburg. Have you notheard that I also extract teeth? In my palace, they say, there is asack full of them. And then I am said to perform operations inhospital. Once I drew off so much water from a dropsical woman thatshe died. "

"Do the people believe that?"

"Certainly they do. They are so stupid, you see; but I will cut offtheir asses' ears and singe their tongues. .. . "

His eyes began to sparkle, and it was plain what direction histhoughts were taking. But however confidential he might be, therealways seemed to be secret checks at work, so that, even whenintoxicated, he always kept his great secrets though he toldunimportant ones. 

Just then an adjutant came in, and whispered something to the Czar. 

"Exactly at five o'clock, " answered the Czar in a loud voice. "Sixtygrenadiers, with loaded guns and cutlasses! Adieu! Jaen, " continuedthe Czar, giving a sudden turn to his thoughts, "I will buy yourloom, but I will not give more than fifty roubles for it. "

"Sixty, sixty. "

"You Satan of a Dutchman! You skinflint! If I offer fifty, that isan honour for you! Indeed it is!"

The Czar's anger rose, but it was connected with the adjutant'smessage, not with the loom. The pot was boiling, and the cover hadto fly. "You miserable peddlers of groceries! Always fleecingpeople! But your time is past! Now come the English! They areanother sort!"

Jaen the seaman became gloomy, and that annoyed the Czar still more. He wanted to enjoy Jaen's company, and therefore sought to diverthis thoughts. "Landlord, " he cried, "bring champagne!"

The landlord came in, fell on his knees, and begged for mercy, forhe had not the luxurious drink in his store-cellar. This superfluousword "store-cellar" might sound ironical and provocative, thoughunintentionally. Still it was welcome as an occasion for using thestick. 

"Have you a store-cellar, you rascal? Will you tell me that thekeeper of a seaman's alehouse has a cellar of spirits!" And now thestick danced. But as the Dutchman turned away with a gesture ofdisapproval, the Czar's fury broke loose. From time to time hisdisposition necessitated such outbreaks. His sabre flew out of itssheath; like a madman, he broke all the bottles on the dresserand cut all the legs off the chairs and tables. Then he made a pileout of the fragments, and prepared to burn the landlord on it. 

Then a door opened, and a woman entered with a little child on herarm. When the child saw its father prostrate with his neck stretchedout, it began to scream. The Czar paused, quieted down, went to thewoman, and accosted her. "Be easy, mother; no mischief is going on;we are only playing at sailors. "

Then he turned to the landlord: "Send the account to PrinceMenshikoff; he will pay. But if you scratch me. .. . Well, I forgiveyou this time. .. . Now let us go, Jaen. Up with the anchor, and standby the sheet!"

Then they drove into the town. The Czar ran up into various housesand came down again, until it was noon. They then halted beforeMenshikoff's palace. "Is dinner ready?" asked the Czar from thecabriolet. 

"Yes, your Majesty, " answered a lackey. 

"Serve up for two! Is the Prince at home?"

"No, your Majesty. "

"Never mind. Serve up for two. "

It was the Czar's habit thus to make himself a guest in his friends'houses, whether they were at home or not, and he is said once tohave thus quartered himself upon somebody, with two hundred of hiscourtiers. 

After a splendid dinner, the Czar went into an ante-room and laiddown to sleep. The captain had already gone to sleep at the table. But the Czar laid a watch beside him; he could wake whenever hewished. 

When he awoke, he went into the dining-room, and found JaenScheerborck sleeping at the table. 

"Bring him out!" commanded the Czar. 

"Is he not to accompany your Majesty any more?" the chamberlain, whowas a favourite, ventured to ask. 

"No! I have had enough of him; one should not meet people more thanonce in a lifetime. Carry him to the pump--that will sober him, andthen take him to his ship"--and with a contemptuous glance he added, "You old beast!"

Then he felt whether his sabre was secure, and went out. 

After his sleep, Peter was again the Emperor--lofty, upright, dignified. He went along the promenade, serious and sedate, asthough to a battle. When he had found Number 14, he entered at once, sure of finding his fifty men there. On the right hand ground-floortowards the courtyard, all the windows stood open. There he saw theconspirators sitting at a long table and drinking wine. He steppedinto the room, saw many of his friends there, and felt a stab at hisheart. 

"Good-day, comrades!" was his cheery greeting. 

The whole company rose like one man. They exchanged looks and put onfaces for the occasion. 

"Let us drink a glass together, friends!" Peter threw himself on achair; then he looked at a clock in the room, and saw it was onlyhalf-past four. He had made a mistake of half an hour. Was it hisown error, or was Menshikoff's clock wrong?

"Half an hour!" he thought to himself, but in the next second he hademptied a huge glass, and began to sing a very popular soldiers'song, keeping time by knocking the glass against the table. 

The effect of the song was magical. They had sung it as victors atPultowa; they had marched to the accompaniment of its strains; itcarried their memories to better, happier times, and they all joinedin. Peter's strong personality, the winning amiable air he couldassume when he liked, had an attractive power for all. One song ledto another, and singing relieved the terrible embarrassment. It wasthe only possible way of avoiding a conversation. Between the songsthe Czar proposed a health, or drank to an old friend, reminding himof some experience which they had shared in common. He dared not lookat the clock lest he should betray himself, but he found the halfhour in this den of murderers intolerably long. 

Several times he saw two exchanging glances, but then he threw in ajesting word and the thread was broken. He was playing for his life, and he played well, for he misled them with his cheerfulness andnaivete, so that they could not tell whether he knew anything or not. He played with their irresolution. 

At last he heard the rattle of arms in the courtyard, and with onebound he was out of the window. 

"Massacre!" was his only word of command, and then the blood-bathbegan. He himself stood at the window, and when any one tried tojump out, the Czar struck off his head. "Alles tot!" he exclaimed inGerman, when it was all over. Then he went his way in the directionof the Peter-Paul Fortress. 

He was received by the Commandant, and had himself conducted toPrince Alexis, his only surviving and eldest son, on whom he hadbuilt his hope and Russia's destiny. 

With the key in his hand, he remained standing before the cell, madethe sign of the cross and prayed half-aloud:--"O Eternal God ofarmies, Lord of Hosts, who hath put the sword into the hands ofrulers that they may guide and protect, reward and punish, enlightenthy poor servant's understanding that he may deal righteously. Thouhast demanded from Abraham his son, and he obeyed. Thou hastcrucified Thine own Son in order to redeem mankind. Take mysacrifice, O Terrible One, if Thou requirest it. Yet not my will bedone, but Thine. May this cup pass if it be Thy will. Amen! in thename of Christ, Amen!"

He entered the cell, and remained there an hour. When he came outagain, he looked as though he had been weeping; but he said nothing, handed the key to the Commandant, and departed. There are manyvarying rumours regarding what passed that evening between fatherand son. But one thing is certain: Alexis was condemned to death bya hundred and twenty-seven judges, and the verdict was entered onthe State records. But the Crown Prince died before the executionof the sentence. 

 * * * * *

The same evening, about eight o'clock, the Czar entered hiscountry-house and sought Katherine. "The old has passed away, " hesaid. "Now we will begin the new--you and I and our children. "

The Czarina asked no questions, for she understood. But the Czar wasso tired and exhausted, that she feared lest he should have one ofthe attacks which she knew so well. And the only way of quieting himwas the old customary one. 

She sat down in the corner of the sofa; he laid down resting hishead on her capacious bosom; then she stroked his hair till he fellasleep. But she had to sit for three hours without moving. 

A giant child on a giant bosom, the great champion of the Lord laythere, his face looked small, his high brow was hidden by his longhair; his mouth was open, and he snored like a little child asleep. When at last he awoke, he looked up at first astonished, to findhimself where he was. Then he smiled, but did not say Thank you, anddid not fondle her. 

"Now we will have something to eat, " was the first thing he said. "Then something to drink, and then a great firework. I will light itmyself down on the shore. But Jaen Scheerborck must be present. "

"You have thrown him out. "

"Have I? He was drunk, the fellow. Send for him at once. "

"You are so strange, Peter! Never the same for two minutestogether. "

"I will not be the same; it would be too monotonous. Alwayssomething new! And I am always new. What! I do not weary you witheverlasting sameness. "

His orders were carried out. Jaen was brought, but had to be boundfirst; he was angry with Peter because of his ducking at the pump, and refused to come. But when he landed, he was embraced and kissedon the mouth, and then his wrath blew over. 

They ate and drank and had their firework display, which was a greatpleasure for the Czar. 

So ended the fateful day which secured the succession to the throneto the house of Romanoff. And such was the man who termed himself"the Great, the Self-ruler, the Emperor of All the Russias. "

The Barbarian, who civilised his Russia; who built towns and did notdwell in them himself; who beat his wife, and allowed extensiveliberty to women, --his life was great, copious, and useful on thepublic side of it; in private, as it might chance to be. But he hada beautiful death, for he died in consequence of an illnesscontracted when saving a life from shipwreck--he who, with hisown hand, had taken the lives of so many!

THE SEVEN GOOD YEARS

Monsieur Voltaire, gentleman-in-waiting to Frederick the Great, possessor of the much prized Order Pour Le Mérite, Academician, andmany other things besides, had been for three years a guest atSans-Souci, near Potsdam. He was sitting this beautiful evening inthe wing of the castle where he lived, busy writing a letter. Theair was still and warm, so that the sensitive Frenchman, who wasalways shivering, could leave the window open. 

His letter, only half written, was directed to the Marquise, thefriend of Cardinal Fleury, who carried on a sort of superiorspy-service by means of correspondence with foreign countries. .. . "Everything is transitory, " he wrote, "and it was plain that thiswould not last. I have to act as a tutor and correct his bad verses, though he knows neither German nor French properly. Malicious as anape he has written satires on all the ruling heads of Europe whichare certainly not fit for printing, but are quite vulgar and unjust. With a view to the future dear friend, I have caused his pamphlet tobe copied, and at the moment when he strikes, I shall strike back. If you only knew what this Prussia is, and threatens to become! Itis an eagle sketched in outline with the tip of one wing resting onthe Rhine, and the other on the Russian frontier. There are gapshere and there in the outline, but when they are filled up the wholeof North Germany will hang like a vulture over Austria's two-headedimperial eagle. France must control her hatred against the House ofHapsburg, and not compromise with the Hohenzollerns, for you knownot what you do. One hears much talk of plans here, but I dare notwrite them all down, for he is not to be jested with. "

At this point there was heard from the castle the penetrating soundof a flute, which executed trills and shakes. The old man (for hewas now in his sixtieth year) first put his fingers in his ears, butthen continued to write. .. . "And then his confounded flute! He isplaying on it just now . .. That means we are all to dance to hispiping. But still worse than the flute is something which they calla fugue; I do not know whether one can call it music, but yesterdaySebastian Bach was here--'the great Bach' of course--and had his sonPhilipp Emanuel with him. The whole afternoon they played so-calledfugues, so that I had to go to bed and take medicine. As regards hisplans, I will only indicate some of them. One plan is to divideAustria between France and Prussia, but he is too cunning to do so, for he needs Austria to help him against France. A second plan is, to divide Prussia between Russia and Austria, and I have heardrumours of a third to divide Poland between Russia, Prussia, andAustria. (The flute is silent, and a heavenly stillness spreads overSans-Souci, which for the future I shall write 'Cent-Soucis, ' for ahundred petty vexations threaten to shorten my life here. ) Our RoundTable, which hitherto only consisted of men of talent, Maupertuis, La Mettrie, Algarotti, D'Argens, and their like, is now recruited byguardsmen from Potsdam, and is in course of degenerating into atobacco-club. Ziethen and his Dessauers wear greasy leather boots, and brag of their 'five victories. ' The day before yesterday theytook liberties, silenced all intelligent conversation, and finallytried to make me the butt of their jests. What annoyed me the mostwas that _he_ could not hide his pleasure at it. Altogether, theprocession of the leather boots means war--as might be expected--against the lady Maria Teresa. The other lady, the EmpressElizabeth of Russia, he denotes by another uglier name. .. . He hasbecome a women's hero, the nasty woman-hater. His wife, ElizabethChristine, is still confined in Schönhausen. "

A head looked in at the window, and the King greeted him, "Goodevening, Monsieur; so busy?"

Like a boy surprised in cribbing, the writer threw his papers intodisorder, and drew half a sheet of Dutch vellum over them. 

"Yes, sire, I have just finished a poem to the Emperor Kian-Loung, which is an answer to his 'Eloge de Mukden. '"

"To the Emperor of China! You have grander acquaintances than I. "

"But you have me, sire. "

This he said with a superior air of satirising himself, as though hewould make game of his own notorious vanity. 

The King took the jest as it was intended. "Yes, Monsieur Voltairebelongs to my most honourable acquaintances, but I would not say tothe grandest. "

"May I now read my poem to the Chinese Emperor? Do you allow me, sire?"

"Would it be any use, if I did not allow it, you pushing man?"

"Very well:

 "'Recois mes compliments, charmant roi de la Chine. '"

"But he is an Emperor. "

"Yes, but that is a politeness towards you, sire, who are only aKing!"

"Only!"

"I continue:

 "'Ton trône est done placé sur la double colline On sait dans l'Occident, que malgre mes travers J'ai toujours fort aimé les rois qui font des vers!'"

"Thank you. "

 "'O toi que sur le trône un feu céleste enflamme Des moi si ce grand art don't nous sommes épris, Est aussi difficile à Pekin qu'à Paris. 

 Ton peuple est-il soumis a cette loi si dure, Qui vent qu'avec six pieds d'une égale mesure

 De deux Alexandrins, côte à côte marchants L'un serve pour la rime, et l'autre pour le sens? Si bien que sans rien perdre, en bravant cet usage, On pourrait retrancher la moitié d'un ouvrage. '"

"Bravo! Very good!" broke in the King, who felt the sting of thesatire but could control himself. 

"But do you think that the Emperor will understand that--at anyrate as you intend it?"

"If he does not understand it, then he is a blockhead. .. . "

"But if he does, you may expect a declaration of war. "

"China against Voltaire!"

"What would you do then?"

"I would beat them, as you do, with my troops, of course. "

"But if the Emperor has more troops than you?"

"Then I should flee, of course, like you do, sire, or I let myselfbe put to flight, and so save my honour as a soldier. "

The King was accustomed to Voltaire's impertinences, and he pardonedthem for the moment, but stored them in his memory. 

"But now, don't stick poking about in your room, Monsieur. Come outfor a walk with me. We will philosophise in the cool of the evening. I have so much to say, and must put my thoughts in order for thegreat work. "

"Sire, I will come immediately. "

"No, now; I am waiting. "

Monsieur Voltaire became nervous, and began to tidy his desk; hepulled out drawers, and protracted the business. But the King stoodas if on guard, and watched him. At last the old man had to stoptidying up and come out, but his limbs twitched, and he shookhimself, as though he wished to shake off something. The King ledhim down the third terrace, and turned to the right into the park, where they found a long avenue which led to a small circular openspace. Here there stood the Temple of Friendship. 

There was an embarrassing silence between them, but Frederick, whohad learnt self-control, was the first to find the thread which theyhad lost. But he had to introduce the conversation by commencingwith their present surroundings. 

"What a peaceful evening, Monsieur! Peace in nature and in humanlife! Have you noticed that there has been no war in the world forseven years--that is, since the Peace of Aachen?"

"Now I have not thought about it. Well, you can now expect the sevenlean kine--I mean years. "

"Who knows! You spoke just now of Kian Loung, the peaceful princewho philosophises and writes verses on tea-plant blossoms; whoserves his people and makes them happy. His neighbour Japan hasenjoyed peace for a hundred years. In India the French and Englishare rivalling each other in trade. That is the great East, which weshall soon have to take into account--. If we consider our portionof the world, with which I reckon Egypt, the latter lies asleepunder Pashas and Mamelukes. Greece, our motherland, has entered itslast sleep. The Athens of Pericles is an appendage of the Sultan'sharem, and is ruled by black eunuchs. Rome, or rather Italy, isparcelled out between Lorraine, the House of Bourbon, and Savoy. Butin Rome is my friend Benedict XIV; he is also a man of peace, andthe first Pope, moreover, who acknowledges the King of Prussia. Hetolerates Protestants, helps forward science, and has allowedlatitude and longitude to be measured. .. . "

"And expelled the Jesuits, whom you, sire, have received. You oughtnot to have done that. "

"What do you know of the Jesuits? In Spain we have Ferdinand VI, whoencourages mining, combats the Inquisition, fosters the sciences. "

"The itch for writing seems to be spreading over the earth like apestilence. "

"In England my uncle George, the pupil of Adam Smith, is workingsolely for the commercial prosperity of his country. The others weknow. But we ought to remember the great discoveries of our century--fire-machines, thermometers, lightning-conductors, anchor-watches. In fact it is the Golden Age which has returned at this late epoch. "

"Think only of the fire-machines which they now call steam-engines. And of the telegraphs! What may we not next expect!"

"War, of course. "

"I have never loved war, as you know, but I have been driven to it. "

"With the stick. "

The King was not angry, but he was troubled that a remarkable man, who had been his friend and teacher, should commit such a _bêtise_. 

"You are right; it was my father's stick, and I bless it. Butalthough I do not believe that the Golden Age is before the door, yet I do see a brighter future in the distance. "

"I see only clouds which foretell earthquakes. France is undermined;America is moving; all Europe is prepared to discard Christianity asa crab its shell; Economics are reduced to a science; nature isransacked; we are on the verge of something novel and tremendous; Ifeel it already in my corns. "

"I also! My leisure-time is drawing to an end, my Tusculum will beclosed, and dreadful things are about to happen. "

On the King's face at this moment there was such an indescribableexpression of pain, as though he had foreseen the Seven Years' Warwhich followed immediately on the seven years' of peace, and heseemed to be bowed to the earth bearing the destiny of his countryand the future on his shoulders. 

"Sire, at such moment, you need some religion. "

"My duty is my religion. My God is the Providence which guides thedestinies of the nations but leaves individuals to themselves! Whatare men that you should take notice of these ants?"

The conversation was interrupted by a person who appeared in thebackground and resembled a judicial official. Voltaire saw who itwas, and became furious: "Your Majesty, how can you allow thisrag-tag and bob-tail to enter the castle-park? Why do you notenclose it with iron gates and railings?"

"No, " answered the King; "I am not the master of my own person, still less of this castle, but all have rights over me!"

"But this is atrocious! Can I not drive him away?"

"No, you cannot!"

The King beckoned, and the stranger approached with his hat in hishand. 

"What do you want, my friend?" asked the King. 

"Only to deliver a document to Monsieur Voltaire, your Majesty. "

"Then do your duty. "

The man handed the document to Voltaire, and retired. When the oldman had opened and read it, he fell on his knees before the King andexclaimed, "Save me, sire!"

"That is your law-suit with Hirschel about the Saxon state papers. You thought to deceive each other and the public, but the Jew didnot let you lead him by the nose, Monsieur, and now you are exposedas a falsifier!"

"Save me, your Majesty!"

"How can I?"

"With a word--a single good word before the court. .. . "

"For shame, old man! Do you think I can bend the law? Do you want meto bribe the judges? No, Monsieur, there are judges in Berlin whocannot be bribed! My word counts as little as that of the meanest. Stand up, go to your room, and meet me at supper. "

"Sire, I beg to be excused coming to supper this evening. "

"Good! then we will meet to-morrow. "

 * * * * *

When Voltaire reached his room, he began to search through hispapers which he had left in disorder. He looked for a whole hour forthe letter he had written to the Marquise, without being able tofind it. Then he perceived that the letter had been seized, and heconceived a suspicion against the King. He stormed about in the roomtill it had become dark outside. He felt that it was all over withfriendship and hospitality, with high position and honour, and thathe must depart--perhaps by flight. 

Accordingly he closed the window-shutters, and made a fire in thestove in order to burn dangerous papers. When he had finished, hewent to bed, and rang for a servant: "Ask Monsieur La Mettrie tocome; I am ill, " he ordered. 

La Mettrie, the author of _L'Homme Machine_, a most rigorousmaterialist and atheist, enjoyed Frederick's favour on account ofhis writings. After his death the King himself delivered a funeraloration over him in the Academy. Voltaire was jealous of him, ashe was of everyone who stood in his way, but La Mettrie was aphysician, and Voltaire could be amiable to anyone of whom he stoodin need. 

The doctor came, not out of philanthropy, but from curiosity and acertain malicious satisfaction at seeing the favourite in disgrace. 

"My dear friend, " said the old man, "I am sick in body and soul. "

"You haven't got a soul. "

"But the trouble is in the heart. "

"_Cor, cordis_, the heart; then you have eaten too much. Take apurge, Monsieur; then you will be lighter than lightmindednessitself. "

"Prescribe me some proper medicine, man; I am dying. "

"Then go to a watering-place. "

"Like a minister who is in disgrace; no, thank you. "

"Go home to your own country; you are suffering from homesickness. "

"Yes, there you are right! The air here does not suit me. "

"You are beginning to get stout. "

"What do you mean by that?"

"And the Marquises are longing for you. "

"Are they? What nonsense you talk! But I must have a watering-place. "

"Well, take Plombières! There you will meet the court. "

"That is an excellent idea! Plombières! But I will return, ofcourse. "

"Of course!"

"I will be back in three weeks--let us say a month. If only the Kingwill not be vexed. .. . "

"Let me assure you, the King will console himself. "

"Yes, yes, I will consider the matter. But say--he is not angrywith me?"

"Who?"

"The King!"

"He is not angry with you, otherwise he would have been so long ago!No, you are belated in thinking that. "

"Give me a sleeping powder, and then you can go. "

The doctor took the powder, and poured it in a glass of water. 

The old man drank, but his large eyes followed the changingexpressions of the doctor's face, who looked very amused. He did notaltogether trust him. 

"Monsieur Voltaire, " said the doctor, "when you make a fire in theoven, draw up the small oven-shutters, else there is too much smoke. The Potsdam fire-engines would very likely be summoned. "

"Oh! That too! Well! _La comedia è finita!_ Good-night!"

"_Sic transit gloria mundi!_ Sleep well!"

Voltaire slept during the night, but not well, and was awakened onthe following morning by the sound of salutes fired at Potsdam; fromwhich he concluded that the King was holding manoeuvres. Neither didhe see any sign of the King, but about noonday he received a letterbearing the royal arms which ran as follows:--

 "MONSIEUR, --Doctor La Mettrie has told me of your determination to travel to a watering-place. Although I shall miss your pleasant and instructive conversation, I will not resist your wish, since I am sure that a thorough course of treatment will benefit your nerves and the wretched state of your heart. Wishing you a good recovery, or at any rate hoping that you will not be worse than you are, "I am

 "F. R. "

That was his passport for the journey. The same evening Voltairetravelled to Leipzig, where he read extracts from Frederick'scollection of satires which he also thought of having printed. But in Frankfurt he was arrested and deprived of the preciousmanuscripts, which might have made more enemies for Frederick thanhe actually did make later on. Rebuked, and again liberated, Voltaire fled at first to France, where he published in the_Dictionnaire Historique_ the most abominable assertions regardingFrederick's private life. 

Two years later he was settled at Ferney, on the Lake of Geneva, asa multi-millionaire, patriarch, and king. 

 * * * * *

Many years passed, and still the old Voltaire reigned at hisSans-Souci called Ferney--just as energetic as ever, just asrestless and vain. 

His little château was a modest two-storied building in a circularenclosure, surrounded by a courtyard planted with trees. On the leftof the entrance stood a small stone chapel. A tablet over the doorbore the inscription, "Deo erexit Voltaire, " which roused the mirthof his literary friends and the hatred of the ecclesiastical party. 

Below in the garden he had an arbour-walk of hornbeam covered in, and resembling a long hall with windows cut in the side, lookingtowards the lake. From thence he could see Mont Blanc, whichespecially at sunset showed all its splendour, and the blue levelsof the lake stretching towards Clarens and the Rhone Valley, wherethe unfortunate Rousseau had wandered, loved, and suffered. Justnow in the twilight, the old man sat in his arbour walk and playedbezique with the local pastor, when the post arrived. There weremany letters with shining seals. 

"Excuse me, Abbé, I must read my letters!"

"Pray do so, " answered the priest, and stood up in order to promenadeup and down the arbour walk. 

After a while the old man called his friend back: "Come, Abbé, come!You must hear something!"

The Abbé, who, for the sake of his flock, kept on good terms withVoltaire, and humoured his whims, without, however, yielding to himin theological discussions, came at the summons. 

"You must hear a letter from Frederick the Great, the Unique, theIncomparable. He has pardoned me, and I am ashamed. My last eveningin Sans-Souci I was irritated, and in my cruelty I was mean enoughto remind him of his father's stick. The moment that the wordescaped, I felt his retort in the air, but he restrained it. He hadonly needed to return the thrust with a reference to the stick whichhad played a certain part in my youth, but he kept silent, whetherout of regard for my years or for some other reason. (It isremarkable that the stick has also had an influence on thedevelopment of the great Shakespeare and others. ) Excuse, Abbé, this_garrulitas senilis_--he has pardoned me, and writes, 'My oldfriend!'

"'The years have passed; to the seven good years which you sharedwith me succeeded the seven lean ones--the Seven Years' War and allthat it brought with it. Friends have departed, and a greatloneliness enfolds the ageing man, who now, among other things, begins to be far-sighted, after being formerly short-sighted. Hesees life in a perspective where the apparently shorter lines arethe longest. He knows that from experience, and therefore letshimself no longer be deceived. Standing on the height which he hasgained, he is glad to look back, but he can also now see in front ofhim. 

"'What is now impending? Who can say? This century, which has seenall the sovereigns leading revolutionary movements, is the strangestof all. We despots, who forced enlightenment and freedom on thepeoples--we were the demagogues and they rewarded us withingratitude. It was a perverse world! I have suffered for mydoctrines and actions, but the fate of Joseph II is tragic. They areslowly but surely murdering him. 

"'You do not love war: nor do I, but I was forced to it byProvidence and solicitude for my country. What have I effectedthereby? you ask. I have made a "re-distribution, " as land-surveyorscall it, and out of scattered patches and scraps of territory I havewoven together a Prussia, so that we can now walk on our own ground, without treading on our neighbour's. Do not fear Prussia; you needit as a bulwark against Russia, which now, since the time of theCzar Peter, has a voice and vote in the Council of Europe. Youdisapprove of my sharing in the partition of Poland, but I wasobliged to do so; otherwise Russia would have taken all. Poland hadlost its significance in the geographical economy of Europe; it wasRussianised, and the role it had played was taken over by theSarmatian. .. . Silesia was ours, and thank God that the Swedes didnot obtain it, as they at first wished. Moreover, we have sent theGoths home to their own country, and look after our own affairsourselves. '"

"And so on! Then he says something about Rousseau. "

"'You call Rousseau a swindler; that is a somewhat severeexpression. Even if he did really steal a piece of ribbon, or asilver spoon, it is not worth talking about. I share his love fornature and his hatred of mankind. One evening lately, as the sunwent down, I thought: "God! how beautiful are Thy natural creations, and how hideous are Thy human creatures!" We men, I mean--forI except neither myself nor you, Monsieur. This cursed race trulybelongs to the Iron Age as described by Hesiod. And we are asked tobelieve that they are created after God's image! After the image ofthe Devil, I would rather say! Rousseau is right when he believes ina past Golden Age. '

"What do you say to that, Monsieur l'Abbé?"

"It is what the Church teaches regarding the lost Paradise and theFall, and also agrees with the Greek legend of Prometheus, who ateof the tree of knowledge, and thereby brought misfortune on men. "

"Good heavens! Have you too become a freethinker? Shoemaker, stickto your last! If you are a priest, then be a priest, but don't tryto make a botch of my work. And don't think you need to flatter mefor an increase of wages. But let us return to Frederick:"

"'History rolls on like an avalanche; the race improves, theconditions of life become easier, but men are still the same--faithless, unthankful, criminal; and he just as well as the unjustgo to hell. I do not dare to put down on paper the conclusions to bedrawn from this observation, for that would be to acquit Lazarus, and to crucify Christ. .. . Great men have little weaknesses orrather great weaknesses. We, Monsieur, have been no angels, butProvidence has used us for great objects. Is it a matter ofindifference to Providence whom it takes in hand, or how we live inthe flesh, provided we keep the spirit uppermost? _Sursum corda!_'"

"What do you say to that, Abbé?"

"The Law cannot be fulfilled, says St. Paul, but the Law rouses thesense of guilt, and therefore it is only imposed in order to driveus to grace. "

"That was not such a stupid remark of Paul's. But I should like toadd, --in the prison of the flesh grows the longing for liberation:'Who shall deliver me, wretched man, from this body of sin?' Yes, Abbé, _Vanitas vanitatum! Vanitas!_ You are young, but you must notdespise the old man when he turns round and spits behind him all theunpleasantness of his past life. Might but a generation be bornwhich knew at once the value of life, as long as a mud-bath is notpart of the treatment!"

Just then a dark lean man came tortuously along the garden path. 

"See! there is my Jesuit!" said Voltaire. 

The old man kept on friendly terms with a Jesuit, partly becausethe Pope had expelled them, partly because Frederick the Great hadpatronised them; but his chief object was to have someone to disputewith. Perhaps also he wished to show his freedom from prejudice, forhe did not like the uncongenial man. 

"Now, you child of Satan!" was the old man's greeting, "whatmischief have you got in your mind? You look so maliciouslypleased!"

"I come from Geneva, " answered the Jesuit with an evil smile. 

"What are they doing there?"

"I saw the executioner burn Rousseau's _Emile_. "

"They may do that, as far as I am concerned, and throw the foolhimself into the fire. "

"Monsieur Voltaire!"

"Yes: one cannot tolerate lunatics: there are limits!"

"Where?"

"Imposed by a sound intelligence. "

"Yes, and saw them burn the new edition of Monsieur Voltaire's_Candide_. "

"For shame! But it is merely a mob in Geneva. "

"A Protestant mob, with your permission. "

"Don't trouble yourself; I hate Protestants equally with Catholics!This terrible Calvin burnt his friend Servetus in Geneva, because hedid not believe in the Trinity. And had Jean Calas in Toulouse beena Catholic, and his son a Protestant, I would still have attackedthe judges, although I am nothing. I am nothing; only, what I writeis something. "

"Then some day we will raise a monument to Monsieur Voltaire'swritings--not to Voltaire. "

"You have no need; I have already raised my monument myself in thehundred volumes of my collected works. The world has nothing to dowith how the old ass looked; there is nothing to see in that. Weknow my weaknesses; I have lied, I have stolen, I have beenungrateful; something of a scoundrel, something of a brute! That isthe dirty part of me, and I bequeath it to Jesuits, pettifoggers, hair-splitters and collectors of anecdotes;--but my spirit toGod who gave it, and to men an honest purpose to understand theirMonsieur Voltaire. "

He rose, for the sun had descended. 

"Good-night, Mont Blanc; you have a white head like myself, andstand with your feet in cold water, as I do! Now I go and lie down!Tomorrow I travel to Paris, where I will die. "

DAYS OF JUDGMENT

In the northern tower of the Church of Notre Dame de Paris wasthe tower-watchman's chamber. But it had been arranged like abookbinder's workshop, for the watchman's day-duty was notparticularly heavy, and the hours of the night passed with sleep orwithout sleep, no one troubling themselves to oversee this nowsuperfluous church servant. 

Nobody entered the church, which had been damaged in various ways, and no one ascended the northern tower, for the bells hung in thesouthern one. There the watchman's duty was regarded more seriously, for on all extraordinary occasions the alarm-bell had to sound. 

The watchman kept up a sort of telegraphic communication with thebellringer in the southern tower. In calm weather they could chatwith each other, but when it was windy, they had to use speakingtrumpets. 

The workshop had, in the course of years, developed into a verycomfortable room. Its southern side was occupied by a single largebookcase. There the first edition of the _Encyclopédie_ in five andthirty volumes, shone resplendent in red morocco with gilt letters. There stood Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Locke, Hume--all theauthors who ought to have been present. There were also periodicals, the _Moniteur_, Père Duchesne and Marat's _L'Ami du Peuple_. Thislast was bound in somewhat greasy leather, which resembledpig's-skin, and had curled up at the corners. 

Another wall was covered with engravings, some coloured and someplain. They hung in chronological order from left to right, from topto bottom, so that one could read the whole history of theRevolution pictorially. The Oath in the ball-room on June 20, 1789, with Mirabeau's portrait; the burning of the Bastille, and the headof the commandant; the Jacobite Club, with Marat, Saint-Just, Couthon, Robespierre; the Feast of Brotherhood on the Champ duMars; the King's Flight to Varennes; Lafayette; the Girondists; theexecution of the King and Queen; the Committee of Public Welfare, with Danton and the newly hatched Robespierre; the Reign of Terror;Charlotte Corday stabbing Marat in the bath; Robespierre again;Feast of the Supreme Being; Voltaire's Funeral; Robespierre again, this time on the 9th Thermidor. Then came Buonaparte and theDirectory, mixed with Pyramids and Alps. 

In the middle of the room stood a very large table. At the one endwere the bookbinder's tools; at the other, writing materials. Theinkstand was a skull; the ruler was a fore-arm; the paper-weight wasa guillotine, and the penholder a rib. 

The bookbinder himself, a centenarian, with an apostolic beard, satand wrote under a lantern which hung from the roof. He was the onlyperson visible in the room. Outside it was stormy, and theroof-plates rattled from time to time; it was cool in the room, butnot cold, for a stove was lit in a corner, where lay the watchman'sbelongings--a great wolfskin fur-coat, a speaking trumpet, someflags, and a lantern with variously coloured glass sides. The old man pushed his glasses up his forehead, looked up, andspoke, though the person with whom he talked could not be seen. 

"Are you hungry?"

A voice behind the bookcase answered: "Fairly so. "

"Are you cold?"

"No, not yet. "

"Wait a little; I must just go outside and make an observation. "

"What are you writing?"

"My reminiscences. "

"Is it quiet in the town?"

"Yes, but they have gone out to Saint Cloud. "

"Then it will soon come to shooting. "

"It won't come to shooting, but we may expect a proclamation. Bequiet now; I must step out, and send a message. Then you will getsome food and drink; perhaps a pipe of tobacco also. "

There was silence behind the bookcase, and the old man put on hisfur-coat, lit his many-coloured lamp, took up a speaking-trumpet, and stepped out on the balcony. 

It was very dark, but the old man was familiar with his menagerieout there on the parapet; he loved his stone monsters--the owl, thegriffin, the gorgon, and stroked them every time that he passedthem. But the creature with a man's body, goat's feet and horns, inspired him with a certain awe, as it stood there leaning on itshands like a priest, and bending forward as if to preach to thegodless city or to hurl anathemas at it. He took his stand near it, and began to signal with the lantern. But the wind was so violentthat the old man swayed, and had to put his arm round the creature'sbody, in order to support himself. 

After he had stood for a time signalling with the lantern, andgazing out into the darkness, he suddenly raised himself upright, put down the lantern, and raised the speaking-trumpet to his mouth. Holding on to the stone balustrade, he turned to the southern tower, and cried "Hullo! Francis! Hallo!"

After a while a reply came through the darkness. 

"Qui vive?"

"Mont-joie--Saint-Denis. "

"Sacre!" answered the other. "Ring the great bell! Ring, forheaven's sake!"

The watchman remained standing for a while looking at the colouredlights on the church tower of St. Cloud. In order to be quitecertain, he repeated his signal, and received for answer: "Rightunderstood. "

The old man sighed "Thy will be done, O Lord!" He was on the pointof returning to the turret-chamber, when the wind blew so violently, that he had to seize the arm of the horned monster in order to standfast. But the figure had got loose; it yielded, and moved a little. 

"He too!" muttered the old man to himself. "Nothing stands fast, everything slips; nothing remains on which to support oneself. " Hecrouched down in order not to be blown away, and so stooping, as hewalked, reached the door of the turret-chamber, which he flung open. 

"The Revolution is over, " he called out to the bookcase. 

"What do you say?"

"The Revolution is over! Come out, sire. "

He laid hold of the bookcase, and opened it like a door on itshinges. It concealed a neat little room furnished in the style ofLouis XV. Out of it stepped a man of about thirty, with paledelicate features and a melancholy aspect. 

"Sire, " said the bookbinder in a humble voice, "now your time iscome, and mine runs out. I do not exactly know what has happened onthis eighteenth of Brumaire in Saint Cloud, but one thing I know:Buonaparte has taken the helm. "

"Jaques, " answered the nobleman, "I do not wish to hurt yourfeelings, but I cannot conceal my joy. "

"Don't conceal it, sire! You have saved me from the scaffold, and Ihave saved you; let us thank each other, and be quits. "

"To think that this bloody drama is ended--that this madness. .. . "

"Sire, don't speak so. "

His eyes began to sparkle, but he quickly changed his tone. "Let useat our last meal together, but in love like fellow-men; let us talkof the past, and then part in peace. This evening we are stillbrothers, but to-morrow you are the lord and I am the servant. "

"You are right. To-day I am an emigrant, tomorrow I am a count. "

The old man brought out a cold fowl, a cheese, and a bottle of wine, and both took their places at the table. 

"This wine, sire, was bottled in '89. It has a history, andtherefore. .. . "

"Have you no white wine? I do not like red. "

"Is it the colour you dislike?"

"Yes, it looks like blood! You have lost a wife and four sons. "

"Why should I weep for them? They fell on the field of honour. "

"The scaffold!"

"I call the scaffold the field of honour! But you want white wine!Good! You shall have it. You prefer the colour of tears; I preferthat of blood!"

He opened a bottle of white wine: "_Suum cuique!_ Tastes differ. We can now breathe again, and sleep quietly at night. That was thehardest thing to bear during this last decade--the loss of sleep atnight. The fear of death was worse than death itself. "

"The worst for us--pardon the expression--was to see the State andsociety turned topsyturvy, and brutality enthroned. "

"Wait a little! Louis XIV paid two gentlemen of the chamber twentythousand livres yearly to examine and carry away his night stoolevery morning. The Sansculottes could not be coarser than that. Marie Antoinette used to go and spend the night drinking with herboon-companions, so that she returned home about eleven o'clock thenext morning exhausted; that was coarse conduct for such a finelady. "

"You may draw the long bow to-night, Jaques; but to-morrow take careof your head! You ought not to speak so of these high personages whohave suffered a martyr's death. "

"Stop! stop! The King was what they call 'a fine fellow, ' but theQueen was a wretch. But both were justly condemned to death--both!Look you! if Turgot could have remained at his post, the Revolutionwould not have broken out. All the reforms in the State, Church, andSociety, which we--pardon the expression--have carried through couldhave been carried through then, if Turgot had been allowed to puthis plans into operation. The Queen would not endure the Minister'sretrenchment of her revenue, and plotted for his removal, and theKing supported her. That was a great crime. The second was theoverthrow of Necker. Then the Queen and her Court minxes ruled. BothKing and Queen sought to stir up foreign countries against their own;their correspondence relating to this was discovered, and then thebetrayers of their country were condemned to death. Don't talk ofMartyrs, or I shall be angry. For I am angry when I hear lies, andcannot control myself. "

The Count laid his hand on his sword. 

"Put your sword in its sheath, young man, or otherwise. .. . "

They sat down on opposite sides of the table, and darted angryglances at each other. 

"The ultimate causes, " continued the old man, "may be sought inheaven, but we have here only to do with secondary causes, and thosewe know. The Revolution was a Last Judgment which had to come, justas it came in England exactly a hundred years before, in 1689. "

"But Cromwell's republic did not last. "

"Nor does this; but it comes again! But let us rather talk ofsomething cheerful on this last evening. I have been present ateverything; I have a strong memory, and can forget nothing. But whatshines most brightly through all the dark days is the recollectionof the day on the Champs du Mars, the Feast of Brotherhood of July14, '90. Twenty thousand workmen were employed to clear it, but, asthey could not finish the work by the appointed day, all Paris wentout. There I saw bishops, court marshals, generals, monks, nuns, society ladies, workmen, sailors, dustmen, and street-girlslevelling the ground with hoes and spades. Finally the King himselfmade up his mind to join in the work. That was the greatest feat ofequalisation which mankind have carried out; the hills were madelow, and the valleys filled. At last the great theatre of libertywas ready. At the altar of the Fatherland a fire of perfumed woodwas kindled, and Talleyrand, Bishop of Autun, with a retinue of fourhundred white-robed priests consecrated the flags. The King in civildress and the Queen sat on the platform, and, as the 'first citizensof the State, ' took the constitutional oath. All was forgotten; allwas forgiven. Half a million people, collected in one place, animated by one spirit, felt themselves that day to be brothersand sisters. We wept, we fell in each other's arms, we kissed eachother. We wept to think what wretches we had been, and how good andamiable we were now. We wept perhaps, also, because we guessed howfragile all this was. 

"And afterwards, in the evening, when Paris turned out in thestreets and market-places. Families ate their mid-day meal on thepavement; the old and sick were carried into the open air; food andwine were distributed at the public expense. That was the Feast ofTabernacles, the recollection of the Exodus from Egyptian bondage;it was the Saturnalia, the return of the Golden Age! And then. .. . "

"Then came Marat, Danton, and Robespierre. "

"Yes! Robespierre, the most hated of all, was not worse than LouisXI and Henry VIII. "

"A murderer. "

"The judge is not a murderer, nor is the executioner. "

"But the Golden Age passed--as it came. "

"Yet it comes again. "

"Not with Buonaparte!"

"No, not with him, but through him. ""Who is he?"

"A Corsican, born in the same year in which France annexed hiscountry. He will avenge it, and, since he can never feel himself aFrenchman, he will exploit our country only for his own purposes. But nevertheless, in spite of his unparalleled selfishness, hiswickedness and crimes, he will serve humanity--for everythingserves. "

"And afterwards?"

"Who can say? Probably things will go on as they have done hitherto;sometimes advancing, then a halt; then again advance. "

"And then the obsolete turns up again. "

"Yes, like a drowning man. Three times he comes to the surface tobreathe, but the fourth time he remains below. Or, like an animalchewing the cud; for some time there are small eructations, re-mastications, and then everything is ejected through the gullet, after going through the circle. "

"Do you believe in the return of the Golden Age?"

"Yes I believe like Thomas, when I have seen. And I have seen. Atthe moment, which I now recall, on the Champs du Mars, --then I saw!We had a forefeeling of the future, we were sure that we had had avision of some new order of things, but were uncertain when it wouldbe established. "

"How long are we to wait?"

"We should not sit still and wait, but work! That makes the timepass. The learned say that it took a million years for the Hill ofMontmartre to be deposited from the water. Now history is only threethousand years old; for three thousand years more, men can reflectover their past, and perhaps in six thousand an improvement may benoticeable! We are too proud and impatient, sire. And yet thingsmove quickly. America was discovered only three hundred years ago, and now it is an European republic. Africa, India, China, Japanare opened, and soon the whole world will belong to Europe. Do yousee the promise to Abraham, 'In thy seed shall all the nations ofthe earth be blessed, ' is on the way to fulfilment--on the way, Isay. "

"The promise to Abraham?"

"Yes! Have not Christians, Jews, and Muhammedans a share in thepromise?"

"Christians of Abraham's seed?"

"Through Christ, who was of Judah, we are spiritually Abraham'sseed. One faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all!"

"I have listened to you, and must say that your faith is great, andhas delivered you. "

"As it will deliver mankind. "

The conversation now ceased, for the alarm-bell began to ring in thesouth tower. The sound of it overpowered the din of the storm, andfilled the room with its vibrations, made the table and chairsshake, and both men tremble. The old man tried to speak, but hisguest heard nothing, and only saw his lips move. Then the old manrose and pointed to one of the many engravings. 

It represented Anacharsis Clootz, the philanthropist and philosopher, in a convent, with a crowd of people from all corners of theearth--black, yellow, white, copper-coloured--seeking to have themadmitted as citizens into the world-republic. The Count smiledin answer half-distrustfully, half-tolerantly. The old man tried tospeak, but could not be heard. The boom of the bell seemed to comefrom the depths of ages, ringing out the past century and ringing inthe new, which would commence in a few weeks--the nineteenth centurysince the birth of the Redeemer, who has promised to return, andperhaps will do so in one way or another. 

The Count sat there fingering the letter-weight in the shape of aguillotine. Suddenly he seized it, and looked questioningly at theold man, who nodded in the affirmative. The letter-weight was throwninto the paper-basket. 

The great bell ceased ringing, the room was quiet, and the old man, his arms folded over his breast, spoke as though with a sigh ofgratitude. 

"The Revolution is over. "

"_This_ Revolution!"

"'Tribulation worketh patience; patience, experience; experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed!'"

STRINDBERG'S DEATH-BED

(From the _Aftonbladet_, Stockholm, May 15, 1912)The last time that Strindberg was in full possession of his senseswas late on Monday afternoon (May 13th). He recognised his daughterGreta, who sat by his bed, and her husband, Dr. Philp. He was fullyaware that the end was near. He made a sign that he wished to havehis Bible, which lay on the table by the bed. They gave it him; hetook it in his hand and said: "All that is personal is nowobliterated. I have done with life and closed the account. This isthe only truth. "

He kissed his daughter, but only said, "Dear Greta. " Then he said toDr. Philp, "Are you still here, Henry?" After talking a little more, his last utterance was, "Now I have said my last word. Now I talk nomore. " He kept his Bible so closely clasped to his breast as thoughthat were the only thing he had to hold fast before the end. 

 So Stromboli retreated in the gloom, Flinging red flame and molten lava high, A flaring portent: We, who passed it by, Carry that lurid memory to the tomb; Yet round its crater living flowers bloom, The vine, fig, olive grow and fructify, Over it laughs the blue Sicilian sky, A paradise upon the verge of doom. As fiery as that red volcanic blast, Through years he wrestled with his unseen Foe, Wailing in pain "I will not let Thee go Unless Thou bless me who have held Thee fast, "-- And thus, like Jacob, from his overthrow, He rose a cripple, but a prince at last_.