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ow who he is; and what he has done; and what they are going to do with him。〃

The rabbi's face remained stolid; he glanced at the prisoner; however; and presently went to the officer。

〃The peace of the Lord be with you!〃 he said; with unbending gravity。

〃And that of the gods with you;〃 the decurion replied。

〃Are you from Jerusalem?〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Your prisoner is young。〃

〃In years; yes。〃

〃May I ask what he has done?〃

〃He is an assassin。〃

The people repeated the word in astonishment; but Rabbi Joseph pursued his inquest。

〃Is he a son of Israel?〃

〃He is a Jew;〃 said the Roman; dryly。

The wavering pity of the bystanders came back。

〃I know nothing of your tribes; but can speak of his family;〃 the speaker continued。 〃You may have heard of a prince of Jerusalem named HurBen…Hur; they called him。 He lived in Herod's day。〃

〃I have seen him;〃 Joseph said。

〃Well; this is his son。〃

Exclamations became general; and the decurion hastened to stop them。

〃In the streets of Jerusalem; day before yesterday; he nearly killed the noble Gratus by flinging a tile upon his head from the roof of a palacehis father's; I believe。〃

There was a pause in the conversation during which the Nazarenes gazed at the young Ben…Hur as at a wild beast。

〃Did he kill him?〃 asked the rabbi。

〃No。〃

〃He is under sentence。〃

〃Yesthe galleys for life。〃

〃The Lord help him!〃 said Joseph; for once moved out of his stolidity。

Thereupon a youth who came up with Joseph; but had stood behind him unobserved; laid down an axe he had been carrying; and; going to the great stone standing by the well; took from it a pitcher of water。 The action was so quiet that before the guard could interfere; had they been disposed to do so; he was stooping over the prisoner; and offering him drink。

The hand laid kindly upon his shoulder awoke the unfortunate Judah; and; looking up; he saw a face he never forgotthe face of a boy about his own age; shaded by locks of yellowish bright chestnut hair; a face lighted by dark…blue eyes; at the time so soft; so appealing; so full of love and holy purpose; that they had all the power of command and will。 The spirit of the Jew; hardened though it was by days and nights of suffering; and so embittered by wrong that its dreams of revenge took in all the world; melted under the stranger's look; and became as a child's。 He put his lips to the pitcher; and drank long and deep。 Not a word was said to him; nor did he say a word。

When the draught was finished; the hand that had been resting upon the sufferer's shoulder was placed upon his head; and stayed there in the dusty locks time enough to say a blessing; the stranger then returned the pitcher to its place on the stone; and; taking his axe again; went back to Rabbi Joseph。 All eyes went with him; the decurion's as well as those of the villagers。

This was the end of the scene at the well。 When the men had drunk; and the horses; the march was resumed。 But the temper of the decurion was not as it had been; he himself raised the prisoner from the dust; and helped him on a horse behind a soldier。 The Nazarenes went to their housesamong them Rabbi Joseph and his apprentice。

And so; for the first time; Judah and the son of Mary met and parted。





BOOK THIRD

〃Cleopatra。 。 。 。 Our size of sorrow; Proportion'd to our cause; must be as great As that which makes it。             Enter; below; DIOMEDES。                           How now? is he dead?

Diomedes。 His death's upon him; but not dead。〃           Antony and Cleopatra (act iv。; sc。 xiii。)。




CHAPTER I



The city of Misenum gave name to the promontory which it crowned; a few miles southwest of Naples。 An account of ruins is all that remains of it now; yet in the year of our Lord 24to which it is desirable to advance the readerthe place was one of the most important on the western coast of Italy。*

… * The Roman government; it will be remembered; had two harbors in   which great fleets were constantly keptRavenna and Misenum。 …

In the year mentioned; a traveller coming to the promontory to regale himself with the view there offered; would have mounted a wall; and; with the city at his back; looked over the bay of Neapolis; as charming then as now; and then; as now; he would have seen the matchless shore; the smoking cone; the sky and waves so softly; deeply blue; Ischia here and Capri yonder; from one to the other and back again; through the purpled air; his gaze would have sported; at lastfor the eyes do weary of the beautiful as the palate with sweetsat last it would have dropped upon a spectacle which the modern tourist cannot see half the reserve navy of Rome astir or at anchor below him。 Thus regarded; Misenum was a very proper place for three masters to meet; and at leisure parcel the world among them。

In the old time; moreover; there was a gateway in the wall at a certain point fronting the seaan empty gateway forming the outlet of a street which; after the exit; stretched itself; in the form of a broad mole; out many stadia into the waves。

The watchman on the wall above the gateway was disturbed; one cool September morning; by a party coming down the street in noisy conversation。 He gave one look; then settled into his drowse again。

There were twenty or thirty persons in the party; of whom the greater number were slaves with torches; which flamed little and smoked much; leaving on the air the perfume of the Indian nard。 The masters walked in advance arm…in…arm。 One of them; apparently fifty years old; slightly bald; and wearing over his scant locks a crown of laurel; seemed; from the attentions paid him; the central object of some affectionate ceremony。 They all sported ample togas of white wool broadly bordered with purple。 A glance had sufficed the watchman。 He knew; without question; they were of high rank; and escorting a friend to ship after a night of festivity。 Further explanation will be found in the conversation they carried on。

〃No; my Quintus;〃 said one; speaking to him with the crown; 〃it is ill of Fortune to take thee from us so soon。 Only yesterday thou didst return from the seas beyond the Pillars。 Why; thou hast not even got back thy land legs。〃

〃By Castor! if a man may swear a woman's oath;〃 said another; somewhat worse of wine; 〃let us not lament。 Our Quintus is but going to find what he lost last night。 Dice on a rolling ship is not dice on shoreeh; Quintus?〃

〃Abuse not Fortune!〃 exclaimed a third。 〃She is not blind or fickle。 At Antium; where our Arrius questions her; she answers him with nods; and at sea she abides with him holding the rudder。 She takes him from us; but does she not always give him back with a new victory?〃

〃The Greeks are taking him away;〃 another broke in。 〃Let us abuse them; not the gods。 In learning to trade they forgot how to fight。〃

With these words; the party passed the gateway; and came upon the mole; with the bay before them beautiful in the morning light。 To the veteran sailor the plash of the waves was like a greeting。 He drew a long breath; as if the perfume of the water were sweeter than that of the nard; and held his hand aloft。

〃My gifts were at Praeneste; not Antiumand see! Wind from the west。 Thanks; O Fortune; my mother!〃 he said; earnestly。

The friends all repeated the exclamation; and the slaves waved their torches。

〃She comesyonder!〃 he continued; pointing to a galley outside the mole。 〃What need has a sailor for other mistress? Is your Lucrece more graceful; my Caius?〃

He gazed at the coming ship; and justified his pride。 A white sail was bent to the low mast; and the oars dipped; arose; poised a moment; then dipped again; with wing…like action; and in perfect time。

〃Yes; spare the gods;〃 he said; soberly; his eyes fixed upon the vessel。 〃They send us opportunities。 Ours the fault if we fail。 And as for the Greeks; you forget; O my Lentulus; the pirates I am going to punish are Greeks。 One victory over them is of more account than a hundred over the Africans。〃

〃Then thy way is to the Aegean?〃

The sailor's eyes were full of his ship。

〃What grace; what freedom! A bird hath not less care for the fretting of the waves。 See!〃 he said; but almost immediately added; 〃Thy pardon; my Lentulus。 I am going to the Aegean; and as my departure is so near; I will tell the occasiononly keep it under the rose。 I would not that you abuse the duumvir when next you meet him。 He is my friend。 The trade between Greece and Alexandria; as ye may have heard; is hardly inferior to that between Alexandria and Rome。 The people in that part of the world forgot to celebrate the Cerealia; and Triptolemus paid them with a harvest not worth the gathering。 At all events; the trade is so grown that it will not brook interruption a day。 Ye may also have heard of the Chersonesan pirates; nested up in the Euxine; none bolder; by the Bacchae! Yesterday word came to Rome that; with a fleet; they had rowed down the Bosphorus; sunk the galleys off Byzantium and Chalcedon; swept the Propontis; and; still unsated; burst through into the Aegean。 The corn…merchants who have ships in the East Mediterranean are frightened。 They had audience with the Emperor himself; and from Ravenna there go to…day a hundred galleys; and from Misenum〃he paused as if to pique the curiosity of his friends; and ended with an emphatic〃one。〃

〃Happy Quintus! We congratulate thee!〃

〃The preferment forerunneth promotion。 We salute thee duumvir; nothing less。〃

〃Quintus Arrius; the duumvir; hath a better sound than Quintus Arrius; the tribune。〃

In such manner they showered him with congratulations。

〃I am glad with the rest;〃 said the bibulous friend; 〃very glad; but I must be practical; O my duumvir; and not until I know if promotion will help thee to knowledge of the tesserae will I have an opinion as to whether the gods mean thee ill or good in this this business。〃

〃Thanks; many thanks!〃 Arrius replied; speaking to them collectively。 〃Had ye but lanterns; I would say ye were augurs。 Perpol! I will go further; and show what master diviners ye are! Seeand read。〃

From the folds of his toga he drew a roll of paper; and passed it to them; saying; 〃Received while at table last night fromSejanus。〃

The name was alrea

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