Ware, William, 1797-1852 [1837], Letters of Lucius M. Piso, from Palmyra, to his friend Marcus Curtius at Rome, volume 1 (C. S. Francis & Co., New York) [word count] [eaf409v1].
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Front matter
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Preliminaries
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Advertisement
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[No. 412] WARE, WILLIAM. Letters of Lucius M. Piso
from Palmyra to His Friend Marcus Curtius at Rome. New
York: C. S. Francis, 1839. 2 volumes, 12mo, First Edition, original
boards, paper labels. $32.50
A beautiful copy, once the property of Maria Edgeworth and with
“Maria E” written in ink, in her hand, on each front cover. The first important
American religious novel of which Ben Hur is a late representative.
Better known by its later title Zenobia. The first edition is rare in such
fine condition.
WARE, WILLIAM. (Zenobia). Letters of Lucius M. Piso
from Palmyra to His Friend Marcus Curtius at Rome. 2
vols. New York, 1837. $130.00
Very rare. The first of the important American Religious
novels of which Ben Hur is a late representative. Better
known by its later title “Zenobia.”
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488 WHITMAN, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Boston, 1860-61.
First issue of the third edition.
489 —As A Strong Bird on Pinions Free. Washington,
Presentation copy of the first issue.
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Preliminaries
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LETTERS
OF
LUCIUS M. PISO,
FROM PALMYRA,
TO HIS FRIEND
MARCUS CURTIUS, AT ROME.
NOW FIRST TRANSLATED AND PUBLISHED.
VOLUME I.
NEW-YORK:
C. S. FRANCIS, 252 BROADWAY.
BOSTON,
JOSEPH H. FRANCIS, 128 WASHINGTON STREET.
1837.
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Acknowledgment
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1837, by
C. S. Francis,
in the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New-York.
Main text
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LETTERS FROM PALMYRA. [note]
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The first nine of the following Letters have already
appeared in the Knickerbocker Magazine.
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LETTER I.
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It is with difficulty that I persuade myself, that it is I
who am sitting and writing to you from this great city of
the East. Whether I look upon the face of Nature, or
the works of man, I see every thing different from what
the West presents, so widely different, that it seems to
me, at times, as if I were subject to the power of a dream.
But I rouse myself, and find that I am awake, and that
it is really I, your old friend and neighbor, Piso, late a
dweller upon the Cœlian hill, who am now basking in
the warm skies of Palmyra, and notwithstanding all the
splendor and luxury by which I am surrounded, longing
to be once more in Rome, by the side of my Curtius,
and with him discoursing, as we have been wont to do,
of the acts and policy of the magnificent Aurelian.
But to the purpose of this letter, which is, in agreement
with my promise, to tell you of my fortunes since I
parted from you, and of my good or ill success, as it may
be, in the prosecution of that affair which has driven me
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so far from my beloved Rome. O, Humanity! why art
thou so afflicted? Why have the immortal gods made
the cup of life so bitter? And why am I singled out to
partake of one that seems all bitter? My feelings sometimes
overmaster my philosophy. You can forgive this,
who know my sorrows. Still I am delaying to inform
you concerning my journey and my arrival. Now I will
begin.
As soon as I had lost sight of you weeping on the quay
holding in your hand the little Gallus, and the dear
Lucilia leaning on your arm, and could no longer, even
by mounting upon the highest part of the vessel, discern
the waving of your hands, nor cause you to see the fervor
with which I returned the sign of friendship, I at once
left off thinking of you, as far as I could, and, to divert
my thoughts, began to examine, as if I had never seen
them before, the banks of the yellow Tiber. At first the
crowds of shipping, of every form and from every part of
the world, distracted the sight, and compelled me to observe
what was immediately around me. The cries of
the sailors, as they were engaged in managing different
parts of their vessels, or as they called out in violent and
abusive terms to those who passed them, or as their
several gallies struck against each other in their attempts
to go up or down the river, together with the frequent
roarings and bellowings of whole cargoes of wild beasts
from the deserts of Asia and Africa, destined to the amphitheatre,
intermingled with the jargon of an hundred
different barbarian languages, from the thousands who
thronged the decks of this fleet of all nations, — these
sights and sounds at first wholly absorbed me, and for a
moment shut all the world beside — even you — out of
my mind. It was a strange yet inspiring scene, and
gave me greater thoughts than ever of the power and
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majesty of Rome. Here were men and ships that had
traversed oceans and continents to bring the offerings of
their toil, and lay them at the feet of the mistress of the
world. And over all this bustle, created by the busy
spirit of commerce, a splendor and gayety were thrown
by numerous triremes and boats of pleasure, which,
glittering under the light of a summer's morning sun,
were just setting out upon some excursion of pleasure,
with streamers floating from the slender masts, music
swelling up from innumerable performers, and shouts of
merry laughter from crowds of the rich and noble youths
of the city, who reclined upon the decks, beneath canopies
of the richest dyes. As these Cleopatra barges
floated along with their soft burden, torrents of vituperative
epithet were poured upon them by the rough children
of Neptune, which was received with an easy indifference,
or returned with no lack of ability in that sort of
warfare, according to the temper or breeding of the
parties.
When the novelty of this scene was worn out, for
though often seen it is ever new, and we had fallen a few
miles below the city, to where the eye first meets the
smiling face of the country, I looked eagerly around, first
upon one, and then upon the other bank of the river, in
search of the villas of our fortunate citizens, waiting
impatiently till the well-known turn of the stream should
bring me before yours, where, with our mutual friends,
we have passed so many happy days. It was not long
before I was gratified. Our vessel gracefully doubled
the projecting point, blackened with that thick grove of
pine, and your hospitable dwelling greeted my eyes; now,
alas! again, by that loved and familiar object, made to
overflow with tears. I was obliged, by one manly effort,
to leap clear of the power of all-subduing love, for my
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sensibilities were drawing upon me the observation of
my fellow passengers. I therefore withdrew from the
side of the vessel where I had been standing, and moving
to that part of it which would best protect me from what,
but now, I had so eagerly sought, sat down and occupied
myself in watching the movements and the figures of the
persons whom chance had thrown into my company, and
with whom I was now, for several weeks, to be shut up in
the narrow compass of our merchant-barque. I had sat
but a little while, when the master of the ship, passing
by me, stopped, and asked if it was I who was to land at
Utica — for that one, or more than one, he believed, had
spoken for a passage only to that port.
`No, truly,' I replied; and added: `Do you, then,
cross over to Utica? — that seems to me far from a direct
course for those bound to Syria.'
`Better round-about,' rejoined he, in his rough way,
`than risk Scylla and Charybdis; and so would you
judge, were the bowels of my good ship stored with your
wealth, as they are, it may be, with that of some of
your friends. The Roman merchant likes not that narrow
strait, fatal to so many, but prefers the open sea,
though the voyage be longer. But with this wind —
once out of this foul Tiber — and we shall soon see the
white shores of Africa. Truly, what a medley we seem
to have on board! Jews, Romans, Syrians, Greeks,
soldiers, adventurers, merchants, pedlars, and, if I miss
not, Christians too; and you, if I miss not again, the
only patrician. I marvel at your taking ship with so
spotted a company, when there are these gay passenger-boats,
sacred to the trim persons of the capital, admitting
even not so much as a case of jewels beside.'
`Doubtless it would have been better on some accounts,
' I replied, `but my business was urgent, and I
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could not wait for the sailing of the packet-boats; and
besides, I am not unwilling to adventure where I shall
mix with a greater variety of my own species, and gain
a better knowledge of myself by the study of others. In
this object I am not likely to be disappointed, for you
furnish me with diverse samples, which I can contemplate
at my leisure.'
`If one studied so as to know well the properties of
fishes or animals,' rejoined he, in a sneering tone, `it
would be profitable, for fishes can be eaten, and animals
can be used: but man! I know little that he is good for,
but to bury, and so fatten the soil. Emperors, as being
highest, should be best, and yet, what are they? Whether
they have been fools or madmen, the Tiber has still
run blood, and the air been poisoned by the rotting carcasses
of their victims. Claudius was a good man, I
grant; but the gods, I believe, envied us our felicity, and
so took him.'
`I trust,' said I, `that the present auspices will
not deceive us, and that the happiness begun under
that almost divine ruler, will be completed under him
whom he designated as most worthy of the sceptre
of the world, and whose reign — certainly we may say
it — has commenced so prosperously. I think better
of man than you do, and I cannot but believe that
there will yet rise up among us those who shall feel
what power, almost of a god, is lodged in the will of a
Roman emperor, and will use it like a god to bless, not
curse mankind. Why may not Nature repeat the virtuous
Antonines! Her power is not spent. For myself,
I have faith that Aurelian will restore not so much the
greatness, as the peace and happiness of the Empire.'
`So have not I,' cried the master of the ship: `is he
not sprung from the loins of a peasant? Has not the
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camp been his home? Was not a shield his cradle?
Such power as his will craze him. Born to it, and the
chance were better. Mark a sailor's word: he will
sooner play the part of Maximin, than that of Antonine
or Severus, or of our late good Claudius. When he feels
easy in the saddle, we shall see what he will do. So far,
the blood of barbarians, slain in battle, has satisfied him:
when once in Rome, that of citizens will be sweeter.
But may the gods befriend us!'
At this point of our discourse, we were interrupted by
loud vociferations from the forward part of the vessel,
where I had long observed a crowd of the passengers,
who seemed engaged in some earnest conversation. The
tones now became sharp and angry, and the group suddenly
dispersed, separating this way and that, as the
hoarse and commanding voice of the master of the ship
reached them, calling upon them to observe the rules of
the vessel, which allowed of no riot or quarrelling.
Toward me there moved one whom I hardly know how
to describe, and yet feel that I must. You will here
doubtless exclaim, `Why obliged to describe? Why say
so much of accidental companions?' But you will
answer yourself, I feel persuaded, my Curtius, by supposing
that I should not particularly notice a mere companion
of the voyage, unless he had connected himself in
some manner with my fortunes. Such has been the case
with this person, and one other whom I will shortly introduce
to you. As I was saying, then, when that group
dispersed, one of its number moved toward me, and
seated himself near me. He was evidently a Roman
and a citizen. His features were of no other nation.
But with all the dignity that characterized him as a
Roman, there were mixed a sweetness and a mildness,
such as I never remembered to have seen in another.
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And in the eye there was a melancholy and a deepness,
if I may say so, more remarkable still. It was the eye
of one who was all sorrow, all love, and all purity; in
whom the soul had undisputed sway over the passions
and the senses. I have seen an expression which has
approached it, in some of our priests, but far below it in
power and beauty. My first impulse was to address him,
but his pallid and thoughtful countenance, together with
that eye, restrained me, and I know not how I should
have overcome this strange diffidence, had not the difficulty
been removed by the intervention of a third party.
This was no other than one of those travelling Jews, who
infest all cities, towns and regions, and dwell among all
people, yet mixing with none. He was bent almost double
by the weight of large packages of goods, of all descriptions,
which he carried, part before and part behind
him, and which he had not yet laid aside, in the hope
I suppose, of effecting some sales among the passengers.
`Here's old Isaac the Jew,' cried he, as he approached
toward where I sat, and then stood before me resting his
pannier of articles upon a pile of merchandise, which
lay there — `here 's old Isaac the Jew, last from Rome,
but a citizen of the world, now on his way to Carthage
and Syria, with all sorts of jewelry and ornaments:
nothing that a lady wants that 's not here — or gentleman
either. Most noble Sir, let me press upon you this steel
mirror, of the most perfect polish: see the setting, too;
could the fancy of it be better? No? You would
prefer a ring: look then at this assortment — iron and
gold rings — marriage, seal, and fancy rings — buckles,
too: have you seen finer? Here, too, are soaps, perfumes,
and salves for the toilet — hair-pins and essences.
Perhaps you would prefer somewhat a little more useful.
I shall show you, then, these sandals and slippers: see
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what a charming variety — both in form and color:
pretty feet alone should press these — think you not so?
But, alas! I cannot tempt you.'
`How is it possible,' said I, `for another to speak when
thy tongue wags so fast? Those rings I would gladly
have examined, and now that thou hast discharged that
volley of hoarse sounds, I pray thee open again that case.
I thank thee for giving me an occupation.'
`Take care!' replied the voluble Jew, throwing a
quick and mischievous glance toward the Roman whom
I have already mentioned — `take care how my friend
here of the new faith hears thee or sees thee, an' thou
would'st escape a rebuke. He holds my beauties here
and my calling in high contempt, and as for occupation,
he thinks one never need be idle who has himself to
converse with.'
`What you have last uttered is true,' replied the person
whom he addressed: `he need never want for employment,
who possesses the power of thought But as
to thy trade, I object not to that, nor to what thou sellest:
only to being myself a buyer.'
`Ha! thou wilt not buy? Trust Isaac for that. I
keep that which shall suit all, and enslave all. I would
have made thee buy of me before, but for the uproar of
those soldiers.'
While uttering these words, he had placed the case of
rings in my hands to examine them, and was engaged
himself in exploring the depths of a large package, from
which he at length triumphantly drew forth a parchment
roll.
`Now open all thine eyes, Nazarene,' cried the Jew,
`and thou shalt see what thou shalt. Look!'
And so saying, he unfolded the first page of the book,
upon which the eye of the Roman had no sooner fallen,
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than his face suddenly glowed as if a god shone through
him, and reverently seizing the book, he exclaimed:
`I thank thee, Jew; thou hast conquered: I am a
customer too. Here is my purse — take what thou wilt.'
`Hold, hold!' interrupted the Jew, laughing, `I have
not done with thee yet; what thou hast bought in Greek,
I would now sell thee again in Latin. Thy half convert,
the soldier Macer, would greet this as a cordial
to his famishing soul. Take both, and thou hast them
cheaper.'
`Your cunning hardly deserves such a reward,' said
the Christian, as I now perceived him to be, `but you
have said well, and I not unwillingly obey your suggestions.
Pay yourself now for both, and give them to me,
carefully rolled up.'
`No better sale than this shall I make to-day, and that
too to a Jew-hating Nazarene. But what matters it whom
I tax for the upholding of Jerusalem? Surely it is
sweeter, when the cruel Roman or the heretic Christian
is made unconsciously to build at her walls.'
Thus muttered the Jew to himself, as he skilfully
bound into a parcel the Christian's books.
`And now, most excellent Sir,' said he, turning toward
me, `what do you find worthy your own or your lady's
finger? Here is another case — perhaps these may
strike you as rarer for their devices, or their workmanship.
But they are rather better suited to the tastes of
the rich Palmyrenes, to whom I am bearing them.'
`Ah!' I exclaimed, `these are what I want. This seal
ring, with the head of Zenobia, for which I sought in vain
in Rome, I will buy, nor care for its cost, if thou canst assure
me of its resemblance to the great queen. Who was
the artist?'
`As I stand here, a true son of Abraham,' he replied,
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`it was worked by a Greek jeweller, who lives hard by the
Temple of Fortune, and who has engraved it after a drawing
made by a brother, an inhabitant of Palmyra. Two
such artists in their way are not to be found. I myself,
moreover, bore the original drawing from Demetrius to
his brother in Rome, and that it is like the great queen, I
can well testify, for I have often seen her. Her marvellous
beauty is here well expressed, or as well as that which
partakes so much more of heaven than of earth can be.
But look at these, too! Here I have what I look to do
well with. See! Heads of Odenatus! Think you not
they will take well? These also are done with the same
care as the others, and by the same workmen. Nothing
of the kind has as yet been seen in Palmyra, nor indeed
in Rome. Happy Isaac! — thy fortune is made! Come,
put them on thy finger, and observe their beauty. King
and queen—how lovingly they sit there together! 'T was
just so when Odenatus was alive. They were a noble
and a loving pair. The queen yet weeps for him.'
`Jew,' said I, `on thy word I purchase these. Although
thy name is in no good repute, yet thy face is honest,
and I will trust thee so far.'
`The name of the unfortunate and the weak is never in
repute,' said Isaac, as he took my money and folded up
the rings, his whole manner suddenly changing. `The
Jew is now but a worm, writhing under the heel of the
proud Roman. Many a time has he, however, as thou
well knowest, turned upon his destroyer, and tasted the
sweetness of a brief revenge. Why should I speak of the
massacres of Egypt, Cyrene, and Syria in the days of Trajan?
Let Rome beware! Small though we seem, the
day will yet arrive when the glory of Zion shall fill the
whole earth—and He shall yet arise, before whom the
mighty Emperor of Rome shall tremble in his palaces.—
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This is what I say. Thanks to the great Aurelian, that
even a poor son of Abraham may speak his mind and not
lose his head. Here 's old Isaac: who 'll buy of old Isaac—
rings — pins — and razors, — who 'll buy?'
And so singing, he turned away, and mixed with the
passengers in the other parts of the vessel. The wild
glare of his eye, and deep, suppressed tone of his voice, as
he spoke of the condition and hopes of his tribe, startled
and moved me, and I would willingly have prolonged a
conversation with one of that singular people, about whom
I really know nothing, and with none of whom had I ever
before come in contact. When I see you again, I shall
have much to tell you of him; for during the rest of the
voyage we were often thrown together, and, as you will
learn, he has become of essential service to me in the
prosecution of my objects.
No sooner had Isaac withdrawn from our company,
than I embraced the opportunity to address myself to the
remarkable-looking person whom I have already in part
described.
`It is a great testimony,' I said, turning toward him,
`which these Jews bear to their national religion. I much
doubt if Romans, under similar circumstances of oppression,
would exhibit a constancy like theirs. Their attachment,
too, is to an invisible religion, as one may say, which
makes it the more remarkable. They have neither temples,
altars, victims, nor statues, nor any form of god or
goddess, to which they pay real or feigned adoration. Toward
us they bear deep and inextinguishable hate, for our
religion not less than for our oppressions. I never see a
Jew threading our streets with busy steps, and his dark,
piercing eye, but I seem to see an assassin, who, with Nero,
wishes the Roman people had but one neck, that he might
exterminate the whole race with a single blow. Toward
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you, however, who are so nearly of his own faith, I suppose
his sentiments are more kindly. The Christian
Roman, perhaps, he would spare.'
`Not so, I greatly fear,' replied the Christian. `Nay,
the Jew bears a deeper hatred toward us than toward you,
and would sooner sacrifice us; for the reason, doubtless,
that we are nearer him in faith than you; just as our successful
emperors have no sooner found themselves securely
seated, than they have first turned upon the members of
their own family, that from this, the most dangerous
quarter, there should be no fear of rival or usurper. The
Jew holds the Christian — though in some sort believing
with him — as a rival — a usurper — a rebel; as one who
would substitute a novelty for the ancient creed of his
people, and, in a word, bring ruin upon the very existence
of his tribe. His suspicions, truly, are not without
foundation; but they do not excuse the temper with
which he regards us. I cast no imputation upon the
virtues of friend Isaac, in what I say. The very spirit of
universal love, I believe, reigns in his soul. Would that
all of his race were like him.'
`What you say is new and strange,' I replied. `I
may possibly bring shame upon myself, by saying so,
but it is true. I have been accustomed to regard Christians
and Jews as in effect one people; one, I mean, in
opinion and feeling. But in truth I know nothing. You
are not ignorant of the prejudice which exists toward
both these races, on the part of the Romans. I have
yielded, with multitudes around me, to prevailing ideas,
taking no steps to learn their truth or error. Our writers,
from Tacitus to the base tools — for such they must have
been — who lent themselves to the purposes of the bigot
Macrianus, and who filled the city with their accounts of
the Christians, have all agreed in representing your faith
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as a dark and mischievous superstition. I have, indeed,
been struck with the circumstance, that while the Jews
make no converts from among us, great numbers are reported
to have joined the Christians; and of those, not
a few of the higher orders. The late Emperor Philip, I
think it clear, was a Christian. This might have taught
me that there is a wide difference between the Christian
and the Jew. But the general hatred toward both the
one and the other, together with the persecutions to
which they have been exposed, have made me more than
indifferent to their merits.'
`I trust the time will come,' replied the Christian,
`when our cause will be examined on the ground of its
merits. Why may we not believe that it has now come?
The Roman world is at peace. A strong and generous
prince is upon the throne. Mild and just laws restrain
the furious bigotry of an ignorant and sanguinary priesthood.
Men of intelligence and virtue adorn our profession,
from whom those who are anxious to know the truth
can hear it; and copies of our sacred books, both in
Greek and Latin, abound, whence may easily be learned
the true principles of our faith, and the light of whose
holy pages would instantly dispel the darkness by which
the minds of many, even of the virtuous and well-disposed,
are oppressed. It is hardly likely that a fitter
opportunity will soon offer for an examination of the
claims of Christianity. We have nothing to dread but
the deadness and indifference of the public mind. It is
not credible that polytheism should stand a day upon any
fair comparison of it with the religion of Christ. You
yourself are not a believer, (pardon my boldness) in the
ineffable stupidities of the common religion. To suppose
you were — I see by the expression of your countenance—
would be the unpardonable offence. I sincerely
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believe, that nothing more is wanting to change you, and
every intelligent Roman, from professed supporters of the
common religion, (but real infidels), into warm believers
and advocates of the doctrine of Christ — but simply
this — to read his sayings, and the delineation of his
character, as they have been written down by some of
his followers. You are, I see, incredulous, but not more
so than I was myself only a year ago; yet you behold me
a Christian. I had to contend against, perhaps, far more
adverse influences than would oppose you. You start
with surprise that I should give evidence that I know
you; but I have many a time seen you at the shop of
Publius, and have heard you in your addresses to the
people. I am the son of a priest of the Temple of
Jupiter — son of a man, who, to a mildness and gentleness
of soul that would do honor to the Christian, added
a faith in the religion of his fathers, deep-struck and firmrooted
as the rocks of ocean. I was his assistant in
the duties of his office. My childish faith was all he
could wish it; I reverenced a religion which had nurtured
virtues like his. In process of time, I became
myself a father. Four children, more beautiful than
ever visited the dreams of Phidias, made my dwelling a
portion of Elysium, as I then thought. Their mother —
but why should I speak of her? It is enough to say,
she was a Roman mother. At home, it was my supreme
happiness to sport with my little ones, or initiate them
into the elements of useful knowledge. And often, when
at the temple preparing for the days of ceremony, my
children were with me; and my labors were nothing,
cheered by the music of their feet running upon the
marble pavements, and of their merry voices echoing
among the columns and arches of the vast interior. O
days thrice happy! They were too happy to last. Within
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the space of one year — one cruel year — these four
living idols were ravished from my arms by a prevailing
disease. My wife, broken-hearted, soon followed them,
and I was left alone. I need not describe my grief: I
will only say, that with bitter imprecations I cursed the
gods. `Who are ye,' I cried, `who sit above in your
secure seats, and make your sport of human wo? Ye
are less than men. Man though I am, I would not inflict
upon the meanest slave the misery ye have poured upon
my defenceless head. Where are your mercies?' I
was frantic. How long this lasted I cannot tell, for I
took no note of time. I was awakened, may I not say
saved, by a kind neighbor whom I had long known to
be a Christian. He was a witness of my sufferings,
and with deep compassion ministered to my necessities.
`Probus,' said he, `I know your sorrows, and I know
your wants. I have perceived that neither your own
thoughts, nor all the philosophy of your venerable father,
have brought you peace. It is not surprising: ye are but
men, and ye have but the power and the wisdom of men.
It is aid from the Divinity that you want. I will not
discourse with you; but I leave with you this book, which
I simply ask you to read.' I read it — and read it —
again and again; and I am a Christian. As the Christian
grew up within me, my pains were soothed, and
days, once days of tears and unavailing complaints, are
now days of calm and cheerful duty: I am a new man.'
I cannot describe to you, my Curtius, the effect of
this little narrative upon myself, or upon those who, as he
spoke, had gathered round, especially those hard-featured
soldiers. Tears flowed down their weather-beaten faces,
and one of them — Macer, as I afterward learned — cried
out: `Where now are the gods of Rome?' Probus
started from his seat, apparently for the first time
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conscious of any other listener beside myself, and joined the
master of the vessel at the helm. I resigned myself to
meditation; and that night fell asleep, thinking of the
Christian and his book.
Five days brought us in sight of the African coast, but
quite to the west of Utica. So, coasting along, we presently
came off against Hippo, and then doubling a promontory,
both Utica and Carthage were at once visible—
Utica nearer, Carthage just discernible in the distance.
All was now noise and bustle, as we rapidly drew
near the port. Many of our passengers were to land
here, and they were busily employed, with the aid of the
sailors, in collecting their merchandise or their baggage.
The soldiers destined to the African service, here left us,
together with the Jew Isaac, and the Christian Probus.
I was sorry, indeed, to lose them, as beside them, there
was not one on board, except the governor of the ship,
from whose company or conversation I could derive
either pleasure or knowledge. They are both of them,
however, destined to Palmyra, as well as myself, and I
shall soon expect them to join me here. You smile at
my speaking thus of a travelling Jew, and a despised
Christian, but in the issue you will acknowledge your as
well as my obligations to them both. I confess myself
attached to them. As the Jew turned to bid me farewell,
before he sprung on shore, he said:
`Most noble Piso, if thou forsakest the gods of Rome,
let it be for the synagogue of the children of Abraham,
whose faith is not of yesterday. Be not beguiled by
the specious tongue of that heretic Probus. I can tell
thee a better story than his.'
`Fear not, honest Isaac,' I cried, `I am not yet so weary
of the faith of my ancestors. That cannot be altogether
despicable, which has had power to bind in one mass the
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whole Roman people for so many ages. I shall be no easy
convert to either you or Probus. Farewell, to meet in
Tadmor. Probus now passed me, and said: `If I should
not see you in the Eastern capital, according to my purpose,
I trust I shall in Rome. My dwelling is in the Livian
way not far from the Pantheon, opposite the well known
house of Vitruvius, still so called; or at the shop of
the learned Publius, I may be seen every morning, and
may there be always heard of.' I assured him that
no affairs could be so pressing, after I should return to
Rome, as not to allow me to seek him, but that I hoped
the fates would not interpose to deprive me of the pleasure
of first seeing him in Palmyra. So we parted. And very
soon after, the merchandise and passengers being all landed,
we set sail again, and stood out to sea. I regretted
that we were not to touch at Carthage, as my desire had
always been strong to see that famous place. An adverse
wind, however, setting in from the North, drove us farther
toward the city than the pilot intended to have gone, and
I thus obtained quite a satisfactory glimpse of the African
capital. I was surprised at the indications of its vastness
and grandeur. Since its attempted restoration by Augustus,
it has advanced steadily to almost its former populousness
and magnificence. Nothing could be more imposing
and beautiful, than its long lines of buildings, its
towers, walls, palaces, and columns, seen through the
warm and rosy mist of an African sky. I could hardly
believe that I was looking but upon a provincial city, a
dependant upon almighty Rome. It soon sunk below the
horizon, as its glory had sunk once before.
I will not detain you long with our voyage, but will only
mark out its course. Leaving the African shore, we
struck across to Sicily, and coasting along its eastern border,
beheld with pleasure the towering form of ætna,
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sending up into the heavens a dull and sluggish cloud of
vapors. We then ran between the Peloponnesus and
Crete, and so held our course till the Island of Cyprus
rose like her own fair goddess from the ocean, and filled
our eyes with a beautiful vision of hill and valley, wooded
promontory, and glittering towns and villas. A fair wind
soon withdrew us from these charming prospects, and
after driving us swiftly and roughly over the remainder of
our way, rewarded us with a brighter and more welcome
vision still — the coast of Syria and our destined port,
Berytus.
As far as the eye could reach, both toward the North
and the South, we beheld a luxuriant region, crowded
with villages, and giving every indication of comfort and
wealth. The city itself, which we rapidly approached,
was of inferior size, but presented an agreeable prospect
of warehouses, public and private edifices, overtopped
here and there by the lofty palm, and other trees of a new
and peculiar foliage. Four days were consumed here in
the purchase of slaves, camels, and horses, and in other
preparations for the journey across the Desert. Two
routes presented themselves, one more, the other less
direct; the last, though more circuitous, appeared to
me the more desirable, as it would take me within
sight of the modern glories and ancient remains of Heliopolis.
This, therefore, was determined upon; and on the
morning of the fifth day we set forward upon our long
march. Four slaves, two camels, and three horses, with
an Arab conductor, constituted our little caravan; but
for greater safety we attached ourselves to a much larger
one than our own, in which we were swallowed up and
lost, consisting of travellers and traders, from all parts of
the world, and who were also on their way to Palmyra, as
a point whence to separate to various parts of the vast
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East. It would delight me to lay before you with the
distinctness and minuteness of a picture, the whole of this
novel, and to me most interesting, route; but I must
content myself with a slight sketch, and reserve fuller
communications to the time when once more seated with
you upon the Cœlian, we enjoy the freedom of social
converse.
Our way through the valleys of Libanus, was like one
long wandering among the pleasure grounds of opulent
citizens. The land was every where richly cultivated,
and a happier peasantry, as far as the eye of the traveller
could judge, nowhere exists. The most luxuriant valleys
of our own Italy, are not more crowded with the evidences
of plenty and contentment. Upon drawing near to
the ancient Baalbec, I found, on inquiry of our guide,
that we were not to pass through it, as I had hoped, nor
even very near it, not nearer than between two and three
miles. So that in this I had been clearly deceived by
those of whom I had made the most exact inquiries at
Berytus. I thought I discovered great command of mysef,
in that I did not break the head of my Arab, who
doubtless, to answer purposes of his own, had brought me
thus out of my way for nothing. The event proved, however,
that it was not for nothing; for soon after we had
started on our journey, on the morning of the second day,
turning suddenly around the projecting rock of a mountain
ridge, we all at once beheld, as if a veil had been
lifted up, Heliopolis and its suburbs, spread out before us
in all their various beauty. The city lay about three
miles distant. I could only, therefore, identify its principal
structure, the Temple of the Sun, as built by the first
Antonine. This towered above the walls, and over all
the other buildings, and gave vast ideas of the greatness
of the place, leading the mind to crowd it with other
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edifices that should bear some proportion to this noble
monument of imperial magnificence. As suddenly as
the view of this imposing scene had been revealed, so
suddenly was it again eclipsed, by another short turn in
the road, which took us once more into the mountain valleys.
But the overhanging and impenetrable foliage of a
Syrian forest shielding me from the fierce rays of a burning
sun, soon reconciled me to my loss — more especially
as I knew that in a short time we were to enter upon the
sandy desert, which stretches from the Anti-Libanus almost
to the very walls of Palmyra.
Upon this boundless desert we now soon entered. The
scene which it presented, was more dismal than I can
describe. A red, moving sand — or hard and baked by
the heat of a sun, such as Rome never knows — low,
gray rocks just rising here and there above the level of
the plain, with now and then the dead and glittering
trunk of a vast cedar, whose roots seemed as if they
had outlasted centuries — the bones of camels and elephants,
scattered on either hand, dazzling the sight by
reason of their excessive whiteness — at a distance occasionally
an Arab of the desert, for a moment surveying
our long line, and then darting off to his fastnesses — these
were the objects which, with scarce any variation, met our
eyes during the four wearisome days that we dragged ourselves
over this wild and inhospitable region. A little after
noon of the fourth day, as we started on our way, having
refreshed ourselves and our exhausted animals, at a spring
which here poured out its warm but still grateful waters
to the traveller, my ears received the agreeable news, that
toward the east there could now be discerned the dark
line, which indicated our approach to the verdant tract
that encompasses the great city. Our own excited spirits
were quickly imparted to our beasts, and a more rapid
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movement soon revealed into distinctness the high land
and waving groves of palm trees which mark the site of
Palmyra.
It was several miles before we reached the city, that
we suddenly found ourselves — landing as it were, from a
sea upon an island or continent — in a rich and thickly
peopled country. The roads indicated an approach to a
great capital, in the increasing numbers of those who
thronged them, meeting and passing us, overtaking us, or
crossing our path. Elephants, camels, and the dromedary,
which I had before seen only in the amphitheatres,
I here beheld as the native inhabitants of the soil. Frequent
villas of the rich and luxurious Palmyrenes, to
which they retreat from the greater heats of the city now
threw a lovely charm over the scene. Nothing can exceed
the splendor of these sumptuous palaces. Italy
itself has nothing which surpasses them. The new and
brilliant costumes of the persons whom we met, together
with the rich housings of the animals which they rode,
served greatly to add to all this beauty. I was still entranced,
as it were, by the objects around me, and buried
in reflection, when I was aroused by the shout of those
who led the caravan, and who had attained the summit
of a little rising ground, saying, `Palmyra! Palmyra!
' I urged forward my steed, and in a moment the
most wonderful prospect I ever beheld — no, I cannot
except even Rome — burst upon my sight. Flanked by
hills of considerable elevation on the East, the city filled
the whole plain below as far as the eye could reach,
both toward the North and toward the South. This immense
plain was all one vast and boundless city. It
seemed to me to be larger than Rome. Yet I knew
very well that it could not be — that it was not. And it
was some time before I understood the true character of
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the scene before me, so as to separate the city from the
country, and the country from the city, which here wonderfully
interpenetrate each other, and so confound and
deceive the observer. For the city proper is so studded
with groups of lofty palm trees, shooting up among its
temples and palaces, and on the other hand, the plain in
its immediate vicinity is so thickly adorned with magnificent
structures of the purest marble, that it is not
easy, nay it is impossible at the distance at which I contemplated
the whole, to distinguish the line which divided
the one from the other. It was all city and all country,
all country and all city. Those which lay before me
I was ready to believe were the Elysian Fields. I imagined
that I saw under my feet the dwellings of purified
men and of gods. Certainly they were too glorious for the
mere earth-born. There was a central point, however,
which chiefly fixed my attention, where the vast Temple
of the Sun, stretched upward its thousand columns of polished
marble to the heavens, in its matchless beauty
casting into the shade every other work of art of which
the world can boast. I have stood before the Parthenon,
and have almost worshipped that divine achievement of
the immortal Phidias. But it is a toy by the side of this
bright crown of the Eastern capital. I have been at
Milan, at Ephesus, at Alexandria, at Antioch; but in
neither of those renowned cities have I beheld any thing
that I can allow to approach in united extent, grandeur,
and most consummate beauty, this almost more than work
of man. On each side of this, the central point, there
rose upward slender pyramids — pointed obelisks — domes
of the most graceful proportions, columns, arches, and
lofty towers, for number and for form, beyond my power
to describe. These buildings, as well as the walls of the
city, being all either of white marble, or of some stone
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as white, and being every where in their whole extent
interspersed, as I have already said, with multitudes of
overshadowing palm trees, perfectly filled and satisfied
my sense of beauty, and made me feel for the moment,
as if in such a scene I should love to dwell, and there end
my days. Nor was I alone in these transports of delight.
All my fellow travellers seemed equally affected:
and from the native Palmyrenes, of whom there were
many among us, the most impassioned and boastful
exclamations broke forth. `What is Rome to this?' they
cried: `Fortune is not constant. Why may not Palmyra
be what Rome has been — mistress of the world? Who
more fit to rule than the great Zenobia? A few years
may see great changes. Who can tell what shall come
to pass?' These, and many such sayings, were uttered
by those around me, accompanied by many significant
gestures, and glances of the eye. I thought of them afterward.
We now descended the hill, and the long line
of our caravan moved on toward the city.
LETTER II.
I fear lest the length of my first letter may have
fatigued you, my Curtius, knowing, as I so well do, how
you esteem brevity. I hope at this time not to try your
patience. But however I may weary or vex you, by my
garrulity, I am sure of a patient and indulgent reader in
the dear Lucilia, to whom I would now first of all commend
myself. I salute her, and with her the little Gallus.
My writing to you is a sufficient proof that I myself am
well.
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By reason of our delaying so long on that little hill,
and at other points, for the sake of drinking in full
draughts of the unrivalled beauty which lay spread over
all the scenery within the scope of our vision, we did
not approach the walls of the city till the last rays of the
sun were lingering upon the higher buildings of the capital.
This rendered every object so much the more
beautiful; for a flood of golden light, of a richer hue,
it seemed to me, than our sun ever sheds upon Rome,
rolled over the city, and plain, and distant mountains,
giving to the whole a gorgeousness altogether beyond
any thing I ever saw before, and agreeing well with all
my impressions of oriental magnificence. It was seen
under the right aspect. Not one expectation was disappointed,
but rather exceeded, as we came in sight of the
vast walls of the city, and of the `Roman Gate' — so it
is called — through which we were to make our entrance.
It was all upon the grandest scale. The walls were
higher, and more frequently defended by square massy
towers springing out of them, than those of Rome. The
towers, which on either side flanked the gateway, and
which were connected by an immense arch flung from
one to the other, were particularly magnificent. No
sooner had we passed through it, than we found ourselves
in a street lined as it were with palaces. It was of great
width — we have no street like it in this respect — of an
exact level, and stretched onward farther than the eye
could distinctly reach, till, as I was told, it was terminated
by another gate similar to that by which we had entered.
The buildings on each side of it were altogether of
marble of Grecian design — the city is filled with Greek
artists of every description, — frequently adorned with
porticos of the most rich and costly construction, and
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the long ranges of private dwellings often interrupted by
temples of religion, edifices of vast extent belonging to
the state, or by gardens attached to the residences of the
luxurious Palmyrene nobility.
`It is well for Palmyra,' here muttered my slave Milo,
`that the Emperor has never, like us, travelled this way
`Why so, Milo?' said I.
`I simply think,' rejoined he, `that he would burn it
down; and it were a pity so many fine buildings should
be destroyed. Was there not once a place called
Carthage? I have heard it said that it was once as large
as Rome, and as well garnished with temples, and that
for that reason the Romans `blotted it out.' The people
here may thank the desert which we have crossed, that
they are not as Carthage. Aurelian, I trow, little dreams
what glory is to be won here in the East, or else he would
not waste his time upon the savage Goths.'
`The Romans are no longer barbarians,' I replied,
`as they were once. They build up, now, instead of
demolishing. Remember that Augustus rebuilt Carthage,
and that Antoninus Pius founded that huge and beautiful
temple which rose out of the midst of Baalbec; andbeside
that — if I am not mistaken — many of the noblest
monuments of art in this very city are the fruit of his
munificence.'
`Gods, what a throng is here!' ejaculated Milo, little
heeding, apparently, what I had said; `how are we to get
our beasts along? They pay no more regard to us, either,
than if we were not Romans. Could any one have
believed a people existed of such strange customs and
appearance? What carriages! — what wagons! — what
animals! — and what unheard-of dresses, and from all
parts of the earth, too, as it would seem! But it is a
pretty sight. Pity, though, but they could move as quick,
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as they look well. Fellow, there! you will gratify us if
you will start your camels a little out of our way. We
wish to make toward the house of Gracchus, and we
cannot pass you.'
The rider of the camel turned round his turbaned
head, and fixing upon Milo a pair of fierce eyes, bade
him hold his peace:
`Did he not see the street was crowded?'
`I see it is filled with a set of dull idlers,' replied Milo,
`who want nothing but Roman rods to teach them a
quick and wholesome movement. Friend, lend me thy
cudgel; and I will engage to set thy beasts and thee,
too, in motion. If not, consider that we are new comers,
and Romans withal, and that we deserve some regard.'
`Romans!' screamed he: `may curses light on you!
You swarm here like locusts, and like them you come
but to devour. Take my counsel: turn your faces the
other way, and off to the desert again! I give you no
welcome, for one. Now pass on — if on you still will
go — and take the curse of Hassan the Arab along with
you.'
`Milo,' said I, `have a care how you provoke these
Orientals. Bethink yourself that we are not now in the
streets of Rome. Bridle your tongue betimes, or your
head may roll off your shoulders before you can have time
to eat your words to save it.'
`I am a slave, indeed,' answered Milo, with some dignity,
for him, `but I eat other food than my own words.
In that there hangs something of the Roman about me.'
We were now opposite what I discovered, from the
statues and emblems upon it, and surrounding it, to be
the Temple of Justice, and I knew therefore that the palace
on the other side of the street, adorned with porticos,
and partly hidden among embowering trees and shrubs,
must be the dwelling of Gracchus.
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We turned down into a narrower street, and after proceeding
a little way, passed under a massy arched gateway,
and found ourselves in the spacious court-yard of this
princely mansion. Slaves soon surrounded us, and by
their alacrity in assisting me to dismount, and in performing
every office of a hospitable reception, showed that we
were expected guests, and that my letters announcing my
intended visit, had been received. Leaving my slaves and
effects to the care of the servants of the house, I followed
one who seemed to be a sort of head among them, through
walks bordered with the choicest trees, flowers and shrubs,
opening here and there in the most graceful manner to
reveal a statue of some sylvan god reclining under the
shade, and soon reached the rear of the house, which I
entered by a flight of marble steps. Through a lofty hall
I passed into a saloon which seemed the reception-room
of the palace, where I had hardly arrived, and obtained
one glance at my soiled dress and sun-burnt visage in the
mirror, than my ear caught the quick sound of a female
foot hastening over the pavement of the hall, and turning
suddenly, I caught in my arms the beautiful Fausta. It
was well for me that I was so taken by surprise, for I acted
naturally, which I fear I should not have done if I had
had a moment to deliberate before I met her; for she is
no longer a girl, as in Rome, running and jumping
after her slave to school, but a nearly full-grown woman,
and of a beauty so imposing as might well cause
embarrassment in a youth of even more pretensions than
myself.
`Are you indeed,' said I, retaining each hand in mine,
but feeling that in spite of all my assumed courage, I was
covered with blushes, `are you indeed the little Fausta?
Truly there must be marvellous virtues in the air of Palmyra.
It is but four years since you left Rome, and
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then, as I remember — shall I mention such a thing? —
you were but twelve, and now though but' —
`Oh!' cried she, `never begin such a speech; it will
only trouble you before you can end it. How glad I am to
see you! Welcome, dear Lucius, to Palmyra! If open
hearts can make you happy here, you will not fail to be so.
But how did you leave all in Rome? First your friend
Marcus? and Lucilia? and the noble, good Portia?
Ah! how happy were those days in Rome! Come sit on
these cushions by this open window. But more than all,
how does the dear pedagogue and dialectician, the learned
Solon? Is he as wise yet as his great namesake?
Oh what days of merriment have his vanity and simplicity
afforded me! But he was a good soul. Would
he could have accompanied you. You are not so far out
of leading-strings that you could not have taken him with
you as a travelling Mentor. In truth, nothing could have
given me more pleasure.'
`I came away in great haste, dear Fausta,' said I,
`with scarce a moment for preparation of any kind. You
have but this morning received my letter, which was but
part of a day in advance of me. If I could have done it,
I should have given you more timely notice. I could not,
therefore, look out for companions for the way. It would,
however, have been a kindness to Solon, and a pleasure
to me. But why have I not before asked for your:
is not the noble Gracchus at home? — and is he well?'
`He is at home, or rather he is in the city,' replied
Fansta, `and why he makes it so late before returning, I
cannot tell: but you will soon see him. In the mean
time, let my slaves show you where to find your rooms,
that you may rest, and prepare for supper.'
So saying, she clapped her hands, and a tall Ethiopian
with a turban as white as his face was black, quickly
made his appearance, and took me in his charge.
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`Look well after your toilet,' cried Fausta, laughing, as
I left the room; we think more of costume here than
they do in Rome.'
I followed my dark conductor through many passages
to a distant part of the building, where I found
apartments furnished with every luxury, and already prepared
for my use.
`Here I have carefully placed your baggage,' said the
slave, as I entered the room, `and whatever else I thought
you might need. Call Hannibal, when you wish for my
services; I am now yours. This door leads to a small
room where will lodge your own slave Milo; the others
are in the stables.' Thus delivering himself, he departed.
The windows of my apartment opened upon the wide
street by which we had entered the city, not immediately,
but first upon a border of trees and flowers, then upon a
low wall, here and there crowned with a statue or a vase,
and which separated the house from the street, and last
upon the street itself, its busy throngs and noble structures.
I stood for a moment enjoying the scene, rendered
more impressive by the dim but still glowing light of the
declining day. Sounds of languages which I knew not,
fell upon my ear, sent forth by those who urged along
through the crowds their cattle, or by those who would
draw attention to the articles which they had to sell. All
was new and strange, and tended, together with my reflections
upon the business which had borne me so far
from my home and you, to fill me with melancholy. I
was roused from my reverie by the voice of Milo.
`If,' said he, `the people of these Eastern regions understand
better than we of Rome the art of taking off
heads, they certainly understand better, as in reason they
should, the art of making them comfortable while they
are on: already I have taken a longer draught at a wine
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skin than I have been blessed with since I was in the
service of the most noble Gallienus. Ah, that was life!
He was your true philosopher who thought life made for
living. These Palmyrenes seem of his school.'
`Leave philosophy, good Milo, and come help me dress;
that is the matter now in hand. Unclasp these trunks
and find something that shall not deform me.'
So desirous was I, you perceive, to appear well in the
eyes of the fair Fausta.
It was now the appointed hour to descend to the supper
room, and as I was about to leave my apartment, hardly
knowing which way to move, the Ethiopian, Hannibal,
made his appearance, to serve as my conductor.
I was ushered into an apartment, not large, but of exquisite
proportions — circular, and of the most perfect
architecture, on the Greek principles. The walls, thrown
into panels between the windows and doors, were covered
with paintings, admirable both for their design and color;
and running all around the room, and attached to the
walls, was a low and broad seat, covered with cushions of
the richest workmanship and material. A lofty and arched
ceiling, lighted by invisible lamps, represented a banquet
of the gods, offering to those seated at the tables
below a high example of the manner in which the divine
gifts should be enjoyed. This evening, at least, we did not
use the privileges which that high example sanctioned.
Fausta was already in the room, and rose with affectionate
haste to greet me again.
`I fear my toilet has not been very successful, Fausta,'
said I, `for my slave Milo was too much elated by the
generous wines with which his companions had plied him,
as a cordial after the fatigues of the journey, to give me
any of the benefit of his taste or assistance. I have been
my own artificer on this occasion, and you must therefore
be gentle in your judgments.'
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`I cannot say that your fashions are equally tasteful
with those of our Palmyrenes, I must confess. The love
of the beautiful, the magnificent, and the luxurious, is
our national fault, Lucius; it betrays itself in every department
of civil and social life, and not unfrequently declines
into a degrading effeminacy. If any thing ruins
us, it will be this vice. I assure you I was rather jesting
than in earnest, when I bade you look to your toilet.
When you shall have seen some of our young nobles, you
will find reason to be proud of your comparative simplicity.
I hear, however, that you are not now far behind us in
Rome — nay, in many excesses, you go greatly beyond us.
We have never yet had a Vitellius, a Pollio, or a Gallienus.
And may the sands of the desert bury us a thousand
fathoms deep, ere such monsters shall be bred and endured
in Palmyra!'
`I perceive,' said I, `that your sometime residence
in Rome has not taught you to love your native country
less. If but a small portion of the fire which I see
burning in your eye warms the hearts of the people, it
will be no easy matter for any external foe to subdue you.'
`There are not many, I believe,' replied Fausta, `of
your or my sex in Palmyra, who would with more alacrity
lay down their lives for their country and our sweet and
noble Queen, than I. But believe me, Lucius, there are
multitudes who would do it as soon. Zenobia will lead
the way to no battle field where Fausta, girl though she
be, will not follow. Remember what I say, I pray you, if
difficulty should ever again grow up — which the gods
forefend! — between us and Rome'
We were now suddenly interrupted by the loud and
cheerful voice of Gracchus, exclaiming, as he approached
us from the great hall of the palace, `How now! — How
now! — whom have we here? Are my eyes and ears
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true to their report — Lucius Piso? It is he indeed.
Thrice welcome to Palmyra! May a visit from so noble
a house be an augury of good. You are quick indeed
upon the track of your letter. How have you sped by the
way? I need not ask after your own welfare, for I see it,
but I am impatient to learn all that you can tell me of
friends and enemies in Rome. I dare say all this has been
once told to Fausta, but, as a penalty for arriving while I
was from home, it must be repeated for my special pleasure.
But come, that can be done while we sit at table; I
see the supper waits.'
In this pleasant mood did the father of Fausta, and
now, as you know, one of the chief pillars of the province
or kingdom — whichever it must be called — receive
me. I was struck with the fine union in his
appearance and manner of courtly ease, and a noble
Roman frankness. His head, slightly bald, but cast in
the truest mould of manly beauty, would have done honor
to any of his illustrious ancestors; and his figure was entirely
worthy of that faultless crown. I confess I experienced
a pang of regret that one so fitted to sustain and
adorn the greatness of his parent country had chosen to
cast his fortunes so far from the great centre and heart of
the Empire. After the first duties of the table had been
gone through with, and my hunger — real hunger — had
been appeased by the various delicacies which my kind
hostess urged upon me, noways unwilling to receive such
tokens of regard, I took up the questions of Gracchus,
and gave him a full account of our social and political
state in Rome, to all which Fausta, too, lent a greedy ear,
her fine face sparkling with the intelligence which beamed
out from every feature.
It was easy to see how deep
an interest she took in matters to which her sex are so
usually insensible. It is indescribable, the imperial pride
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and lofty spirit of independence which at times sat upon
her brow and curled her lip. She seems to me made to
command. She is, indeed, courteous and kind, but you,
not with difficulty, see that she is bold, aspiring and proud,
beyond the common measure of woman. Her beauty is
of this character. It is severe rather than in any sense
soft or feminine. Her features are those of her father,
truly Roman in their outline, and their combined expression
goes to impress every beholder with the truth that
Roman blood alone, and that too of all the Gracchi, runs
in her veins. Her form harmonizes perfectly with the
air and character of the face. It is indicative of great
vigor and decision in every movement; yet it is graceful,
and of such proportions as would suit the most fastidious
Greek. I am thus minute in telling you how Fausta struck
me, because I know the interest you and Lucilia both take
in her, and how you will desire to have from me as exact a
picture as I can draw. Be relieved, my dear friends, as
to the state of my heart, nor indulge in either hopes or
suspicions in this direction. I assure you I am not yet a
captive at the fair feet of Fausta, nor do I think I shall be.
But if such a thing should happen, depend upon my
friendship to give you the earliest intelligence of the event.
Whoever shall obtain the heart of Fausta, will win one of
which a Cæsar might be proud. But to return to our
present interview and its event.
No sooner had I ended my account of the state of affairs
at Rome, than Gracchus expressed, in the strongest terms,
his joy that we were so prosperous. `It agrees,' said he,
`with all that we have lately heard. Aurelian is in truth
entitled to the praise which belongs to a reformer of the
state. The army has not been under such discipline
since the days of Vespasian. He has now, as we learn
by the last arrival of news from the North, by the way of
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Antioch, nearly completed the subjection of the Goths,
and Alemanni, and rumors are afloat of an unpleasant nature,
of an Eastern expedition. For this no ground occurs
to me except, possibly, an attempt upon Persia for the
rescue of Valerian, if yet he be living, or for the general
vindication of the honor of Rome against the disgraceful
successes of the Great King. I cannot for one moment
believe that toward Palmyra any other policy will be adopted
than that which has been pursued for the last century
and a half, and emphatically sanctioned, as you well
know, by both Gallienus and Claudius. Standing on the
honorable footing, as nominally a part of the empire of
Rome, but in fact a sovereign and independent power,
we enjoy all that we can desire in the form of political
privileges. Then for our commerce, it could not be more
flourishing, or conducted on more advantageous terms
even to Rome itself. In one word, we are contented,
prosperous, and happy, and the crime of that man would
be great, indeed, who from any motive of personal ambition,
or any policy of state, would disturb our existing
relations of peace and friendship with all the world.'
To this I replied: `I most sincerely trust that no
design, such as you hint at, exists in the mind of
Aurelian. I know him, and know him to be ambitious
and imperious, as he is great in resources and unequalled
in military science, but withal he is a man of wisdom,
and in the main, of justice, too. That he is a true
lover of his country, I am sure; and that the glory
of that country is dearer to him than all other objects —
that it rises in him almost to a species of madness — this
I know, too; and it is from this quarter, if from any, that
danger is to be apprehended. He will have Rome to be
all in all. His desire is that it should once more possess
the unity that it did under the Antonines. This idea
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dwelt upon, may lead him into enterprises from which,
however defended on the ground of the empire's glory,
will result in nothing but discredit to himself, and injury
to the state. I, too, have heard the rumours of which
you speak, but I cannot give them one moment's credence;
and I pray most fervently, that springing as they
do, no one knows whence, nor on what authority resting,
they will not be permitted to have the least effect upon
the mind of the Queen, nor upon any of her advisers.
She is now in reality an independent sovereign, reigning
over an immense empire, stretching from Egypt to the
shores of the Euxine — from the Mediterranean to the
Euphrates, — and she still stands upon the records of the
senate as a colleague — even as when Odenatus shared
the throne with her — of the Emperor. This is a great
and a fortunate position. The gods forbid that any intemperance
on the part of the Palmyrenes should rouse
the anger or the jealousy of the fierce Aurelian!' Could
I have said less than this? But I saw in the countenances
of both, while I was speaking, especially in the
honest, expressive one of Fausta, that they could brook
no hint of inferiority or of dependence on the part of
their country — so deep a place has the great Zenobia
secured for herself in the pride and most sacred affections
of this people.
`I will not, with you, noble Piso,' said Gracchus,
`believe that the Emperor will do aught to break up the
present harmony. I will have faith in him; and I shall
use all the influence that I may possess in the affairs of the
state to infuse a spirit of moderation into our acts, and
above all into our language; for one hasty word uttered
in certain quarters may lead to the ruin of kingdoms
that have taken centuries to attain their growth. But
this I say: let there only come over here from the West
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the faintest whisper of any purpose on the part of Aurelian
to consider Zenobia as holding the same position in
regard to Rome as Tetricus in Gaul, and that moment
a flame is kindled throughout Palmyra that nothing but
blood can quench. This people, as you well know, has
been a free people from the earliest records of history,
and they will sink under the ruins of their capital and
their country, ere they will bend to a foreign power.'
`That will they! — that will they, indeed!' cried
Fausta; `there is not a Palmyrene who, had he two
lives, would not give one for liberty, and the other for his
good Queen. You do not know Zenobia, Lucius, nor
can you tell, therefore, how reasonable the affection is
which binds every heart to her as to a mother or a sister.'
`But enough of this for the present,' said Gracchus;
`let us leave the affairs of nations, and ascend to those
of private individuals — for I suppose your philosophy
teaches you, as it does me, that individual happiness is
the object for which governments are instituted, and
that they are therefore less than this — let us ascend, I
say, from the policy of Rome and of Aurelian, to the
private affairs of our friend Lucius Piso, for your letter
gives me the privilege of asking you to tell us, in all
frankness and love, what, beside the pleasure of seeing
us, brings you so far from Rome. It is, you hint, a
business of a painful nature. Use me and Fausta, as
you would in Rome the noble Portia and the good Lucilia,
with the same freedom and the same assurance of
our friendship.'
`Do so, indeed,' added Fausta, with affectionate
warmth, `and feel that in addressing us, you are entrusting
your thoughts to true and long-tried friends.'
`I have,' replied I, `but little to communicate, but
that little is great in its interest, and demands immediate
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action; and touching what shall be most expedient to be
done, I shall want and shall ask your deliberate counsel.
You are well aware, alas! too well aware, of the cruel
fate of my parent, the truly great Cneius Piso, whom to
name is always a spring of strength to my virtues. With
the unhappy Valerian, to whom he clung to the last, resolved
to die with him, or suffer with him whatever the
fates should decree, he passed into captivity; but of too
proud a spirit to endure the indignities which were
heaped upon the Emperor, and which were threatened
him, he — so we have learned — destroyed himself. He
found an opportunity, however, before he thus nobly
used his power, to exhort my poor brothers not at once,
at least, to follow his example. “You are young,” said
he, “and have more strength than I, and the gods may
interpose and deliver you. Hope dwells with youth, as it
dies with age. Do not despair. I feel that you will one
day return to Rome. For myself, I am a decayed trunk,
at best, and it matters little when I fall, or where I lie.
One thing at least, I cannot bear; it would destroy me
if I did not destroy myself. I am a Roman and a Piso,
and the foot of a Persian shall never plant itself upon
my neck. I die.” My elder brother, thinking example
a more powerful kind of precept than words, no sooner
was assured of the death of his father, than he too
opened his veins, and perished. And so we learned had
Calpurnius done, and we were comparatively happy in
the thought that they had escaped by a voluntary death
the shame of being used as footstools by the haughty
Sapor, and the princes of his court. But a rumor
reached us a few days before I left Rome, that Calpurnius
is yet living. We learn, obscurely, that being
favorably distinguished and secretly favored by the son of
Sapor, he was persuaded to live, and wait for the times
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[figure description] Page 038.[end figure description]
to open a way for his escape. You may imagine both
my grief and my joy on this intelligence. The thought
that he should so long have lain in captivity and imprisonment,
and no step have been taken toward his rescue,
has weighed upon me with a mountain weight of sorrow.
Yet at the same time, I have been supported by the hope
that his deliverance may be effected, and that he may
return to Rome once more, to glad the eyes of the aged
Portia. It is this hope which has brought me to Palmyra,
as perhaps the best point whence to set in motion the
measures which it shall be thought wisest to adopt. I
shall rely much upon your counsel.' No sooner had
I spoken thus, than Fausta quickly exclaimed:
`Oh! father, how easily, were the Queen now in Palmyra,
might we obtain through her the means of approaching
the Persian King with some hope of a successful
appeal to his compassion! — and yet' — She hesitated
and paused.
`I perceive,' said Gracchus, `what it is that checks
your speech. You feel that in this matter Zenobia would
have no power with the Persian Monarch or court.
The two nations are now, it is true, upon friendly
terms; but a deep hatred exists in the heart of Sapor
toward Zenobia. The successive defeats which he suffered,
when Odenatus and his Queen took it upon them to
vindicate the honor of Rome, and revenge the foul indignities
cast upon the unfortunate Valerian, will never be
forgotten; and policy only, not love or regard, keeps the
peace between Persia and Palmyra. Sapor fears the
power of Zenobia, supported, as he knows she would be,
by the strength of Rome; and moreover, he is well aware
that Palmyra serves as a protecting wall between him and
Rome, and that her existence as an independent power is
vital to the best interests of his kingdom. For these
-- 039 --
[figure description] Page 039.[end figure description]
reasons harmony prevails, and in the event of a rupture between
us and Rome, we might with certainty calculate
upon Persia as an ally. Still Sapor is an enemy at heart.
His pride, humbled as it was by that disastrous rout, when
his whole camp and even his wives fell into the hands
of the Royal Odenatus, will never recover from the
wound, and will prompt to acts of retaliation and revenge,
rather than to any deed of kindness. While his public
policy is, and doubtless will continue to be, pacific, his
private feelings are, and ever will be, bitter. I see not
how in this business we can rely with any hope of advantage
upon the interposition of the Queen. If your brother
is ever rescued, it must, I think, be achieved by private
enterprise.'
`Your words,' said I, `have pierced me through with
grief, and dispelled in a moment the brightest visions.
All the way from Rome have I been cheered by the hope
of what the Queen, at your solicitation, would be able to
attempt and accomplish in my behalf. But it is all over.
I feel the truth of what you have urged. I see it — I now
see it—private enterprise can alone effect his deliverance,
and from this moment I devote myself to that work. If
Rome leaves her Emperor to die in captivity, so will not I
my brother. I will go myself to the den of this worse than
barbarian king, and bring thence the loved Calpurnius, or
leave my own body there for that beast to batten on. It
is now, indeed, thirteen years since Calpurnius left me, a
child, in Rome, to join the Emperor in that ill-fated expedition.
But it is with the distinctness of a yesterday's
vision that he now stands before my eyes, as he then stood
that day he parted from us, glittering in his brilliant armor,
and his face just as brilliant with the light of a great
and trusting spirit. As he turned from the last embraces
of the noble Portia, he seized me in his arms, who stood
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jingling his sword against his iron greaves, and imprinting
upon my cheek a kiss, bade me grow a man at once,
to take care of the household, while they were gone with
the good Emperor to fight the enemies of Rome in Asia.
He was, as I remember him, of a quick and fiery temper,
but he was always gentle toward me, and has bound me
to him forever.'
`The gods prosper you!' cried Fausta, `as surely they
will. It is a pious work to which you put your hand, and
you will succeed.'
`Do not, Fausta,' said Gracchus, `lend the weight of
your voice to urge our friend to measures which may be
rather rash than wise, and may end only in causing a
greater evil than what already exists. Prudence must
govern us as well as affection. By venturing yourself at
once into the dominion of Persia, upon such an errand, it
is scarcely less than certain that you would perish, and
without effecting your object. We ought to consider, too,
I think, what the condition and treatment of Calpurnius
are, before too great a risk is incurred for his rescue.
He has now, we are to remember, been at the capital of
the great king thirteen years. You have hinted that he
had been kindly regarded by the son of Sapor. Possibly
his captivity amounts to no more than a foreign residence—
a sort of exile. Possibly he may, in this long series of
years, have become changed into a Persian. I understand
your little lip, Fausta, and your indignant frown,
Lucius; but what I suggest is among things possible, it
cannot be denied; and can you deny it? — not so very
unlikely, when you think what the feelings of one must
have been to be so wholly forgotten and abandoned by his
native country, and that country, Rome, the mistress of
the world, who needed but to have stretched forth the half of
her power to have broken for ever the chains of his slavery,
-- 041 --
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as well as of the thousands who with him have been left to
linger out their lives in bondage. If Calpurnius has been
distinguished by the son of Sapor, his lot, doubtless, has
been greatly lightened, and he may now be living as a
Persian prince. My counsel is, therefore, that the truth
in this regard be first obtained, before the life of another
son, and the only inheritor of so great a name, be put in
jeopardy. But what is the exact sum of what you have
learned, and upon which we may rely, and from which
reason and act?'
`Our knowledge,' I replied, `was derived from a soldier,
who, by a great and happy fortune, escaped and
reached his native Rome. He only knew what he saw
when he was first a captive, and afterward, by chance,
had heard from others. He was, he said, taken to serve
as a slave about the palace of the King, and it was there
that for a space he was an eye-witness to the cruel and
insulting usage of both Valerian and Calpurnius. That
was but too true, he said, which had been reported to us,
that whenever the proud Sapor went forth to mount his
horse, the Emperor was brought, in the face of the whole
court, and of the populace who crowded around, to serve
as his footstool. Clothed in the imperial purple, the unfortunate
Valerian received upon his neck the foot of Sapor,
and bore him to his saddle. It was the same purpose
that Calpurnius was made to serve for the young prince
Hormisdas. But, said the soldier, the prince pitied the
young and noble Roman, and would gladly, at the beginning,
have spared him the indignity put upon him by the
stern command of his haughty and cruel father. He often
found occasion at these times, while standing with his
foot upon his neck, to speak with Calpurnius, and to express
his regrets and his grief for his misfortunes, and promise
redress, and more, if he ever came to the throne. But
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the soldier was soon removed from the vicinity of the
Royal palace, and saw no more of either Valerian or Calpurnius.
What came to his ears was, generally, that
while Valerian was retained exclusively for the use of Sapor,
Calpurnius was after a time relinquished as entirely
into the hands of Hormisdas, in whose own palace he
dwelt, but with what portion of freedom he knew not.—
That he was living at the time he escaped, he was certain.
This, Gracchus, is the sum of what we have heard;
in addition only, that the Emperor sank under his misfortunes,
and that his skin, fashioned over some substance so
as exactly to resemble the living man, is preserved by
Sapor, as a monument of his triumph over the legions of
Rome.'
`It is a pitiful story,' said Fausta, as I ended: `for a
brave man it has been a fate worse than death; but having
survived the first shame, I fear me my father's thought
will prove a too true one, and that long absence, and indignation
at neglect, and perhaps gratitude and attachment
to the prince, who seems to have protected him,
will have weaned him from Rome. So that we cannot
suffer you, Lucius, to undertake so long and dangerous
a journey upon so doubtful an errand. But those can be
found, bold and faithful, who for that ample reward with
which you could so easily enrich them, would venture even
into the heart of Ecbatana itself, and bring you back
your brother alive, or advertise you of his apostacy or death.'
`What Fausta says is just,' observed Gracchus, `and
in few words prescribes your course. It will not be a difficult
thing, out of the multitudes of bold spirits who crowd
the capital, Greek, Roman, Syrian, and Arab, to find one
who will do all that you could do, and I may add, both more
and better. You may find those who are familiar with the
route, who know the customs of Persia, who can speak its
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language, and are even at home in her capitals, and who
would be infinitely more capable than either you or I, or even
Fausta, to manage to a happy issue an enterprise like this.
Let this then be our decision; and be it now our united
care to find the individual to whom we may commit this
dear but perilous service. And now enough of this. The
city sleeps, and it were better that we slept with it. But
first, my child, bring harmony into our spirits by one of
those wild, sad airs which you are accustomed to sing to
me upon the harp of the Jews. It will dispose Lucius to
pleasant dreams.'
I added my importunities, and Fausta, rising, moved to
an open window, through which the moon was now pouring
a flood of silver light, and seating herself before the
instrument which stood there, first swept its strings with
an easy and graceful hand.
`I wish,' said she, `I could give you the song which
I am going to sing in the language of the Hebrews,
for it agrees better, I think, with the sentiment and the
character of the music, than the softer accents of the
Greek. But every thing is Greek now.'
So saying, she commenced with a prelude more sweetly
and profoundly melancholy than even the wailing of the
night wind among the leafless trees of the forest. This was
followed by — an ode shall I call it?—or a hymn?—for it
was not what we mean by a song. Nor was the music
like any other music I had ever heard, but much more
full of passion; broken, wild, plaintive, triumphant, by
turns, it stirred all the deepest feelings of the heart. It
seemed to be the language of one in captivity, who, refusing
to sing one of the songs of his country for the gratification
of his conquerors, broke out into passionate strains
of patriotism, in which he exalted his desolated home to
the Heavens, and prophesied in the boldest terms her
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ultimate restoration to power and glory. The sentiment lost
nothing coming to the ear clothed in the rich music
of Fausta's voice, which rose and sank, swelled and
died away, or was full of tears or joy, as agreed with the
theme of the poet. She was herself the poet, and the
captive, and the Jew, so wholly did she abandon herself to
the sway of the thoughts which she was expressing. One
idea alone, however, had possessed me while she sang —
to which, the moment she paused, I first gave utterance.
`And think you, Fausta,' said I, `that while the captive
Jew remembers his country, the captive Roman will forget
his? Never! Calpurnius, if he lives, lives a Roman.
For this I thank your song. Melancholy and sad
in itself, it has bred joy in my soul. I shall now sleep
soundly.' So saying, we separated.
Thus was passed my first evening in Palmyra.
LETTER III.
With what pleasure do I again sit down, dear Curtius
and Lucilia, to tell you how I have passed my time, and
what I have been able to accomplish, since I last wrote;
thrice happy that I have to report of success rather than
of defeat in that matter which I have undertaken. But
first, let me thank you for all the city gossip, with which
you so greatly entertained me in your joint epistle. Although
I pass my hours and days in this beautiful capital
as happily as I could any where out of Rome, still my
letters from home are a great addition to my enjoyment.
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[figure description] Page 045.[end figure description]
After rising from the perusal of yours and my mother's,
I was a new man. Let me beg you — which indeed I
need hardly do — to send each letter of mine, as you receive
it, to Portia, and in return receive and read those
which I have written, and shall continue to write to her.
To you, I shall give a narrative of events; to her, I shall
pour out sentiment and philosophy, as in our conversation
we were wont to do. I shall hope soon to have somewhat
of interest to say of the state of letters here, and of my
interviews with distinguished men. So soon as the queen
shall return from her excursion through some of her distant
provinces, I shall call upon Gracchus to fulfil his
promise, and make me known to the great Longinus, now
with the Queen absent. From my intercourse with him,
I shall look to draw up long and full reports of much that
shall afford both entertainment and instruction to you all.
I have now passed several days in Palmyra, and have
a mass of things to say. But instead of giving you a confused
report, I shall separate one thing from another, and
set down each according to the time and manner in which
it happened. This is what I know you desire, and this
is what I shall do.
I cannot easily tell you how delicious was my slumber
after that last day of fatiguing travel, and that evening of
to me the most exciting converse. I dreamed that night
of Calpurnius rescued and returned; and ever as he was
present to my sleeping fancy, the music of Fausta's harp
and voice was floating near.
Hannibal was early at my door to warn me of the hour
of the morning meal, Milo being still under the influences
of the evening's potation. I was shown to a different
apartment from that in which we had supped, but opening
into it. It was a portico rather than a room, it being
on two sides open to the shrubbery, with slender Ionic
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[figure description] Page 046.[end figure description]
pillars of purest marble supporting the ceiling, all joined
together by the light interlacings of the most gorgeous
creeping plants. Their odors filled the air. A fountain
threw up in the most graceful forms its clear water, and
spread all around an agreeable coolness. Standing at
those points where flights of steps led down to the walks
and plats of grass and flowers, which wound about the
palace, the eye wandered over the rich scene of verdure
and blossom which they presented, and then rested where
it can never rest too often nor too long, upon the glittering
shafts of the Temple of the Sun. This morning prospect,
from this single point, I thought was reward enough
for my long voyage, and hot journey over the desert. It
inspired more cheerful thoughts than the same scene, as
I had seen it the evening before from the windows of my
chamber. I could not but draw omens of good from the
universal smile that beamed upon me from the earth and
the heavens. Fausta's little hand suddenly placed within
mine, and the cheerful greeting of her voice, awoke me
from my dreamy state.
`Your countenance shows that you have slept well,
Lucius,' said she. `it is bright as the morning itself.
Your dreams must have been favorable. Or else is it
the wonder-working power of a Palmyrene air that has
wrought so with you since the last evening? Tell me,
have you not slept as you never slept in Rome?'
`I have slept well, indeed,' I replied, `but I believe it
was owing rather to your harp and Jewish ode, than to any
mysterious qualities of the air. Your music haunted the
chambers of my brain all night, and peopled them with
the forms of those whom I love, and whose memory it last
evening recalled so vividly. Mostly I dreamed of Calpurnius,
and of his return to Rome, and with him came
ever your image dimly seen hovering around, and the
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[figure description] Page 047.[end figure description]
strains of your voice and harp. These are to me auguries
of good, even as if the voice of a god had spoken.
I shall once more embrace a brother — and what is even
more, a Roman.'
`The gods grant it may be so!' replied Fausta: `A
prayer which I repeat,' cried Gracchus, as he approached
us from the hall, through which I had just passed. `I
have thought much of your affair since I parted from you
last evening, and am more than ever persuaded that we
came to a true decision touching the steps best to be
taken. To-day I shall be much abroad, and shall not
forget to search in every direction for one who may be intrusted
with this nice, and difficult, and withal dangerous
business. I can now think of no messenger who bids so
fair to combine all the qualities we most desire, as the Jew.
I know but few of that tribe, and those are among the
rich. But then those rich are connected in various ways
with the poor — for to a marvellous extent they are one
people — it is the same you know in Rome — and through
them I think I may succeed.'
`Now have you,' I quickly added, `again poured light
into my mind. Half our labor is over. I know a Jew
whose capacities could not be more fitting for this enterprise.
I saw much of him on board the vessel which took
us first to the African coast, where, at Utica, it set him on
shore, bringing me farther on to Berytus. He is a true
citizen of the world — knows all languages, and all people,
and all places. He has all the shrewdness of his
race — their intelligence, their enthusiasm, and, I may
add, their courage. He is a traveller by profession, and
a vender of such things as any will buy, and will go
wherever he may hope to make large gains wherewith to
do his share toward “building again the walls of Jerusalem,”
as he calls it. He has a home in every city of
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the East. It was toward Palmyra that he was bending
his way: and, as I now remember, promised that he
would see me here not many days after I should arrive,
and have the pleasure, as he trusted, to sell me more of
his goods. For you must be told that I did indeed traffic
with him, however little it became a patrician of Rome.
And here I have about me, in a little casket, some rings
which I purchased of him having upon them heads of
Zenobia and Odenatus, resembling the originals to the
life, as he assured me, with much asseveration. See,
Fausta, here they are. Look now, and tell me if he has
spoken in this instance the truth; if so, it will be a ground
for trusting him farther.'
`Beautiful!' exclaimed both Gracchus and Fausta.
`He has indeed dealt honestly with you. Nothing can
be more exact than these resemblances, and the workmanship
is worthy the hand of Demetrius the Greek.'
`Provincials,' said I, `ever know the capital and its
fashions better than citizens. Now never till Isaac, my
Jew friend, rehearsed to me the praises of Demetrius, the
jeweller, had I ever heard his name, or aught concerning
his skill, and here in the heart of Asia he seems a household
word.'
`It is so, indeed,' said Gracchus; `I do not doubt that
the fashionable artists of every kind in Rome are better
known to the followers of fashion in Palmyra than they
are to the patricians themselves. Wanting the real greatness
of Rome, we try to surpass her in the trappings of
greatness. We are well represented by the frog of æsop;
happy, if our swelling pride do not destroy us. But these
rings — they are indeed of exquisite art. The head of
Odenatus is truer to life, methinks, than that of the
queen.'
`And how can poor stone and gold set out the divine
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beauty and grace of Zenobia!' cried Fausta. `This is
beautiful to you now, Lucius, but it will be so no longer
when you shall have seen her. Would that she were
here! It seems as if the sun were gone from the heavens,
when she is absent from us on these long excursions
among her distant subjects.'
`Till then, dear Fausta,' said I, `deign to wear on that
only finger which I see ungraced by a ring, this head of
your so much vaunted queen; afterward wear it, if you
will, not for her sake, but mine.'
So saying, upon her finger which she held out to me —
and which how beautiful it was I shall not say — I
attempted to pass the ring, but alas! it was too small
and would not, with all the gentle force I dared to use,
go on.
`Here is an omen, Fausta,' said I; `the queen cannot
be forced upon your hand. I fear your friendship is
threatened.'
`Oh! never entertain any such apprehension,' interrupted
Fausta. It is quite needless. Here is plenty of
room on this neighbor finger. It is quite right that Aurelian,
you know, should give way to Zenobia: so, away
with the Emperor!' and she snapped the ring across the
pavement of the Portico — `and now, Lucius, invest me
with that burning beauty.'
`And now do you think you deserve it? I marvel,
Gracchus, at the boldness of these little girls. Verily,
they bid fair to mount up over our heads. But come,
your finger: there — one cannot but say it becomes you
better than the fierce Aurelian. As for the deposed Emperor,
he is henceforward mine. Thus I re-instate him.'
In saying which, I picked up the discarded ring, and
gave to it the most honored place upon my right hand.
Fausta now, first laughingly bidding me welcome to the
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ring, called us to the table, where the breakfast, consisting
of fruits in greater proportion than with us, awaited
us. Much talk now ensued concerning the city, its growth
and numbers, power and probable destiny. I was satisfied
from what fell from each, that the most ambitious
designs are entertained by both the court and people,
and that their wonderful successes have bred in them a
real belief that they should have nothing to fear from the
valor or power of Rome, under any circumstances of collision.
When this was through, Gracchus, rising from
his seat, and pacing slowly up and down the portico, spoke
of my private affairs, and with great kindness went over
again the whole ground. The result was the same.
`Our way, then,' he said, `is clear. Wait a few days
for your fellow-traveller, Isaac. If he appears, well — if
not, we must then search the quarter of the Jews for one
who may do as good service, perhaps. I now leave you,
with a suggestion to Fausta that she should take it upon
her to drive you round the city, and into the suburbs.
No one can perform the office of a guide better than she.
`If Fausta will take that trouble upon her,' I replied,
`it will give me —'
`A great deal of pleasure,' you were going to say; so
it will me. I am sure we shall enjoy it. If I love any
thing, it is to reveal to a proud Roman the glories of Palmyra.
Take away from a Roman that ineffable air which
says “Behold embodied in me the majesty of Rome!”
and there remains a very agreeable person. But for those
qualities of mind and manners which fit men and women
for society, the Roman men and women must yield to the
Palmyrenes. So I think, who have seen somewhat of
both — and so think — gainsay my authorities if you have
the courage — Longinus and the Bishop of Antioch. I
see that you are disturbed. No wonder. Longinus,
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though a philosopher, is a man of the world, who sees
through its ways as clearly as he does through the mysticism
of Plato, and that asks for good eyes; and for the bishop —
there is not so finished a gentleman in all the East. His
appointments are not less exquisite than those of the
highest nob either of Antioch or Palmyra. If an umpire
in any question of manners were to be chosen, it
would be he.'
`As for the Greek,' I rejoined, `I am predisposed to
admit his superior claims. I will surrender to him with
alacrity my doubts both in manners and philosophy. For
I hold there is a philosophy in manners, nay, even in
clothes, and that the highest bred intellect will on that very
account best perceive the nice distinctions and relations,
in the exact perception and observance of which the highest
manners consist. Such an one may offend against the
last device in costume — and the last refinement in the
recondite art of a bow — but he will eternally excel in all
that we mean by breeding. Your bishop I know nothing
of, but your account of him strikes me not very agreeably.
These Christian bishops, methinks, are taking upon
themselves too much. And, besides, if what I gathered
of the theory of their religion from a passenger on board
the Mediterranean trader, be correct, they depart greatly
from the severity of their principles, when they so addict
themselves to the practices of courts, and of the rich. I
received from this Christian a beautiful idea of his faith,
and only lamented that our companionship was broken off
before I had had time fully to comprehend all he had to
say. The character of this man, and his very countenance,
seemed as arguments to support the strict opinions
which he advanced. This bishop, I think, can scarcely
do his faith the same service.'
`I know him not much,' said Fausta, `and of his faith,
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nothing. He has great power over the Princess Julia,
and it would not much amaze me if, by and by, she declared
herself a Christian. It is incredible how that
superstition spreads. But here is our carriage. Come,
let us forth.'
So, breakig off our talk, we betook ourselves to the
carriage. How shall I find language, my Curtius, to set
before you with the vividness of the reality, or with any
approach to it, the pictures which this drive through and
around Palmyra caused to pass successively before me?
You know indeed, generally, what the city is, from the
reports of former travellers, especially from the late book
of Spurius, about which and its speculations much was
said a little while since. But let me tell you, a more onesided,
one eyed, malignant observer never thrust himself
upon the hospitalities of a free, open-hearted people, than
that same Spurius, poet and bibliopole. His very name
is an offence to the Palmyrenes, who, whatever national
faults they may have, do not deserve the deep disgrace
of being brought before the world in the pages of
so poor a thing as the said Ventidius Spurius. Though it
will not be my province to treat as an author of the condition,
policy, and prospects of Palmyra, yet to you and
my friends I shall lay myself open with the utmost freedom,
and shall refrain from no statement or opinion that
shall possess, or seem to do so, truth or importance.
The horses springing from under the whip of the charioteer,
soon bore us from the great entrance of the palace
into the midst of the throng that crowded the streets.
The streets seen now under the advantages of a warm
morning sun, adding a beauty of its own to whatever it
glanced upon, showed much more brilliantly than ours of
Rome. There is, in the first place, a more general sumptuousness
in equipage and dress, very striking to the eye
-- 053 --
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of a Roman. Not perhaps that more wealth is displayed,
but the forms and the colors, through which it displays
itself, are more various, more tasteful, more gorgeous.
Nothing can exceed, nothing equals, it is said, any where
in the world, the state of the queen and her court; and
this infects, if I may use so hard a word, the whole city.
So that though with far less real substantial riches than
we have, their extravagance and luxury are equal, and
their taste far before us. Then every thing wears a newer,
fresher look than in Rome. The buildings of the
republic, which many are so desirous to preserve, and
whole streets even, of ante-Augustan architecture, tend
to spread around here and there in Rome a gloom — to
me full of beauty and poetry —but still gloom. Here all
is bright and gay. The buildings of marble — the streets
paved and clean — frequent fountains of water throwing
up their foaming jets, and shedding around a delicious
coolness, temples, and palaces of the nobles, or of wealthy
Palmyrene merchants — altogether present a more brilliant
assemblage of objects than I suppose any other city
can boast. Then conceive, poured through these long
lines of beautiful edifices, among these temples and fountains,
a population drawn from every country of the far
East, arrayed in every variety of the most showy and fanciful
costume, with the singular animals, rarely seen in
our streets, but here met at every turn — elephants, camels,
and dromedaries, to say nothing of the Arabian horses,
with their jewelled housings, with every now and then a
troop of the queen's cavalry, moving along, to the sound
of their clanging trumpets — conceive, I say, this ceaseless
tide of various animal life poured along among the
proud piles, and choking the ways, and you will have
some faint glimpses of the strange and imposing reality.
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Fausta was in raptures at my transports, and in her
pleasant but deep-meaning way, boasted much over the
great capital of the world. So we rode along, slowly, because
of the crowded state of the streets, and on account
of my desire to observe the manners and ways of the people—
their shops, which glittered with every rare work
of art — and the devices, so similar in all places of trade,
by which the seller attracts the buyer. I was engrossed
by objects of this sort, when Fausta's voice drew my attention
another way.
`Now,' said she, `prepare yourself for the glory of Palmyra;
look when we shall suddenly turn round the next
corner, on the left, and see what you shall see.'
The chariot soon whirled round the indicated corner,
and we found ourselves in full view of the Temple of the
Sun, so famous throughout the world. Upon a vast platform
of marble, itself decorated with endless lines of columns—
elsewhere of beauty and size sufficient for the principal
building, but here a mere appendage — stood in solitary
magnificence this peerless work of art. All I could do
was, and the act was involuntary, to call upon the charioteer
to rein up his horses and let me quietly gaze. In
this Fausta, nothing unwilling, indulged me. Then, when
satisfied with this the first point of view, we wound slowly
around the spacious square upon which it stands, observing
it well in all directions, and taking my fill of that exalted
but nameless pleasure which flows in upon the soul
from the contemplation of perfect excellence.
`This, is, if I err not, Fausta, the work of a Greek
artist.'
`It is,' said she: `here both Romans and Palmyrenes
must acknowledge their inferiority, and indeed all other
people. In every city of the world, I believe, all the great
works of art are the offspring of Grecian genius and
-- 055 --
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Grecian taste. Truly, a wonderful people! In this very
city, our artists — our men of letters — even the first minister
of state — all are Greeks. But come, let us move
on to the Long Portico, an edifice which will astonish
you yet more, than even the Temple of the Sun, through
your having heard of it so much less. We shall reach it
in about half a Roman mile.'
`This space was soon passed, and the Portico stood
revealed with its interminable ranges of Corinthian columns,
and the busy multitudes winding among them, and
pursuing their various avocations, for which this building
offers a common and convenient ground. Here the merchants
assemble and meet each other. Here various
articles of more than common rarity are brought and
exhibited for sale. Here the mountebanks resort, and
entertain the idle and lovers of amusement with their fantastic
tricks. And here strangers from all parts of the
world may be seen walking to and fro, observing the customs
of the place, and regaling themselves at the brilliant
rooms, furnished with every luxury, which are opened for
their use, or else at the public baths which are found in
the immediate neighborhood. The Portico does not, like
the Temple, stand upon an elevated platform, but more
upon a level with the streets. Its greatness is derived
from its extreme length, and its exquisitely-perfect designs
and workmanship, as seen in the graceful fluted columns
and the rich entablature running round the whole. The
life and achievements of Alexander are sculptured upon
the frieze — the artist — a Greek also — having been
allowed to choose his own theme.
`Fausta,' said I, `my soul is steeped in beauty. It
will be to no purpose to show me more now. I am like
one who has eaten too much — forgive the figure — delicacies
are lost upon him.'
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`I cannot release you yet,' cried Fausta: `a little farther
on, and you may see the palace of our great queen:
give me your patience to that point, and I will then relieve
you by a little excursion through the suburbs, where
your eye may repose upon a rural beauty as satisfying as
this of the city. You must see the palace. There! —
we are already in sight of it.'
It rose upon us, so vast is it, and of so many parts, like
a city within a city. A fit dwelling for so great, so
good, and so beautiful a woman. Of this you will find a
careful and true account, with drawings, which greatly
help the imagination, in the otherwise vile book of the
traducer Spurius. To that I refer you, and so refrain
from all description.
We now left the city, and wound at our leisure among
the shady avenues, the noble country retreats, the public
gardens, the groves and woods which encompass the
walls, and stretch away far beyond the sight, into the
interior. Returning, we passed through the arches of
the vast aqueduct which pours into the city a river of the
purest water. This is the most striking object, and
noblest work of art, without the walls.
When we had passed in this way nearly the whole day,
we at length reentered the city by the Persian Gate, on
the eastern side.
`Now, Fausta,' said I, `having given so much of the
day to pleasure, I must give the rest, not to pain, but to
duty. I will seek out and find, if I can, Demetrius,
brother to Demetrius of Rome. From him I can learn,
it seems probable, concerning the movements of Isaac.'
`You will find the shop of Demetrius in the very heart
of the city, midway between the Persian and Roman
gates. Farewell, for a time, and may the gods prosper
you!'
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I was not long in making my way to the shop of the
Greek. I found the skilful Demetrius busily engaged in
putting the last polish upon a small silver statue of a
flying Mercury. He looked up as I entered, and saluting
me in Greek, invited me to look at his works. I could
not for a long time take off my eyes from the figure upon
which he was working, and expressed my admiration.
`Ah, it is very well, I think,' said he, `but it is nothing
compared with the work of my brother at Rome.
You know him?'
`Indeed I do not, I am obliged to say.'
`What! — a Roman, as I perceive, and a patrician,
also, and not know Demetrius, the goldsmith? — he who
was the favorite of Valerian, and Gallienus, and Claudius,
and now of Aurelian? There is no hand like that of
Demetrius the elder. These, Sir, are mere scratches,
to his divine touch. These are dolls, compared with the
living and breathing gold as it leaves his chisel. Sir, it
is saying nothing beyond belief, when I say, that many
a statue like this, of his, is worth more than many a
living form that we see in and out of the shop. Forgive
me, but I must say I would rather possess one of his
images of Venus or Apollo, than a live Roman — though
he be a patrician, too.'
`You are complimentary,' I said: `but I can believe
you. When I return to Rome, I shall seek out your
brother, and make myself acquainted with his genius.
I have heretofore heard of him chiefly through a travelling
Jew, whom I fell in with on the way hither — Isaac,
as he is called.'
`Ah ha! — Isaac of Rome. I know him well,' he
replied. `He is a good man — that is, he is good for
one of that tribe. I look for him every day. A letter
from Rome informs me that he is on his way. It is a
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pleasant thing to see Isaac. I wonder what curiosities
he brings from the hand of my brother. He will be
welcome. I trust he brings some heads of our late king
and present queen, from drawings which I made and
transmitted. I am impatient to see them. Saw you
anything of this sort about him?'
`Truly I did, and if by some ill chance I have not left
them behind me, in my preparations for a morning excursion,
I can show you what you will like to see. Ah!
here it is: in this small casket I have, I presume, unless
Isaac shall have deceived me — but of which you will
be perfect judge — some of your brother's art. Look,
here are rings, with heads of your king and queen, such
as you have just spoken of. Are they genuine?'
`No instrument but that which is guided by the hand
of the elder Demetrius ever did this work,' said he,
slowly drawing out his words, as he closely scrutinized
the ring. `The gold embossment might indeed have
been done by another, but not these heads, so true to the
life, and of an art so far beyond any ability of mine,
that I am tempted sometimes to think that he is in league
with Vulcan. Gods! how that mouth of the queen
speaks! Do we not hear it? Ah, Roman, give me the
skill of Demetrius the elder, and I would spit upon all
the power of Aurelian.'
`You Greeks are a singular people. I believe that
the idea of beauty is to you food, and clothing, and
shelter and drink, more than all riches and all power:
dying on a desert island, a fragment of Phidias would
be dearer to you than a cargo of food.'
`That's a pretty conceit enough,' said he, `and something
near the truth, as must be confessed.'
As we were thus idly discoursing, we became suddenly
conscious of an unusual commotion in the street. The
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populace began to move quickly by in crowds, and
vehicles of all sorts came pouring along as if in expectation
of something they were eager to see.
`What's all this? — what's all this? said Demetrius,
leaving his work, which he had resumed, and running to
the door of his shop: `what's the matter, friend?' addressing
a citizen hurrying by: `is Aurelian at the
gates, that you are posting along in such confusion?'
`Not Aurelian,' replied the other, `but Aurelian's
mistress. The queen is coming. Clouds of dust on the
skirts of the plain show that she is advancing toward the
city.'
`Now, Roman, if thou wouldst see a sight, be advised,
and follow me. We will mount the roof of yonder
market, whence we shall win a prospect such as no eye
can have seen that has not gazed from the same point.
It is where I go to refresh my dulled senses, after the
day's hard toil.'
So saying, and pausing a moment only to give some
necessary directions to the pupils, who were stationed
at their tasks throughout the long apartment, telling
them to wait for the show till it should pass by the shop,
and not think to imitate their master in all his ways —
saying these things in a half earnest and half playful
manner — we crossed the street, and soon reached the
level roof, well protected by a marble breastwork, of the
building he had pointed out.
`We are here just at the right moment,' said he: `come
quickly to this corner and secure a seat, for you see the
people are already thronging after us. There! can
Elysium offer a more perfect scene? And look, how
inspiring is the view of these two multitudes moving
toward each other, in the spirit of friendship! How the
city opens her arms to embrace her queen!'
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At the distance of about a mile from the walls, we now
saw the party of the queen, escorted by a large body of
horse; and, approaching them from the city, apparently
its whole population, some on foot, some on horse, some
in carriages of every description. The plain was filled
with life. The sun shooting his beams over the whole,
and reflected from the spears and corslets of the cavalry,
and the gilding and polished work of chariots and harness,
caused the scene to sparkle as if strewed with diamonds.
It was a fair sight. But fairer than all, was it to witness,
as I did, the hearty enthusiasm of the people, and even of
the children toward their lovely queen. Tears of joy,
even, I could see falling from many eyes, that she was
returning to them again. As soon as the near approach
of Zenobia to the walls, began to conceal her and her
escort, then we again changed our position, and returned
to the steps of the shop of Demetrius, as the queen would
pass directly by them, on her way to the palace.
We had been here not many minutes, before the shouts
of the people, and the braying of martial music, and
the confused sound of an approaching multitude, showed
that the queen was near. Troops of horse, variously
caparisoned, each more brilliantly, as it seemed, than
another, preceded a train of sumptuary elephants and camels,
these too, richly dressed, but heavily loaded. Then
came the body guard of the queen, in armor of complete
steel — and then the chariot of Zenobia, drawn
by milk-white Arabians. So soon as she appeared, the
air resounded with the acclamations of the countless multitudes.
Every cry of loyalty and affection was heard
from ten thousand mouths, making a music such as filled
the heart almost to breaking. `Long live the great
Zenobia!' went up to the heavens. `The blessing of all
the gods on our good queen!' — `Health and happiness to
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the mother of her people!' — `Death and destruction to
her enemies!' — these, and cries of the same kind, came
from the people, not as a mere lip-service, but evidently,
from the tone in which they were uttered, prompted by
real sentiments of love, such as it seems to me never
before can have existed toward a supreme and absolute
prince.
It was to me a moment inexpressibly interesting. I
could not have asked for more, than for the first time to
see this great woman just as I now saw her. I cannot,
at this time, even speak of her beauty, and the imposing
yet sweet dignity of her manner; for it was with me, as
I suppose it was with all — the diviner beauty of the emotions
and sentiments which were working at her heart
and shone out in the expressive language of her countenance,
took away all power of narrowly scanning complexion,
feature and form. Her look was full of love for
her people. She regarded them as if they were her children.
She bent herself fondly toward them, as if nothing
but the restraints of form withheld her from throwing herself
into their arms. This was the beauty which filled
and agitated me. I was more than satisfied.
`And who,' said I to Demetrius, `is that beautiful
being, but of a sad and thoughtful countenance, who sits
at the side of the queen?'
`That,' he replied, `is the Princess Julia; a true descendant
of her great mother; and the gods grant that
she, rather than either of her brothers, may succeed to
the sovereign power.'
`She looks indeed,' said I, `worthy to reign—over hearts
at least, if not over nations. Those in the next chariot are,
I suppose the young Cæsars, as I hear they are called —
about as promising, to judge by the form and face, as
some of our Roman brood of the same name. I need not
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ask whose head that is in the carriage next succeeding;
it can belong to no other in Palmyra than the great Longinus.
What a divine repose breathes over that noble
countenance! What a clear and far-sighted spirit looks
out of those eyes! But — gods of Rome and of the world!—
who sits beside him? Whose dark soul is lodged in
that fearful tenement? — fearful and yet beautiful, as
would be a statue of ebony!'
`Know you not him? Know you not the Egyptian
Zabdas? — the mirror of accomplished knighthood — the
pillar of the state — the Aurelian of the East? Ah! far
may you go to find two such men as those — of gifts so
diverse, and power so great — sitting together like brothers.
It all shows the greater power of Zenobia, who can
tame the roughest and most ambitious spirits to her uses.
Who is like Zenobia?'
`So ends, it seems to me,' I replied, `every sentence of
every Palmyrene — “Who is like Zenobia?”'
`Well, Roman,' said he, `it is a good ending; may
there never be a worse. Happy were it for mankind, if
kings and queens were all like her. She rules to make
others happy — not to rule. She conceives herself to be
an instrument of government, not its end. Many is the
time, that, standing in her private closet, with my cases
of rare jewels, or with some pretty fancy of mine in the
way of statue or vase, I have heard the wisdom of Aristotle
dropping in the honey of Plato's Greek from her
divine lips.'
`You are all going mad with love,' said I; `I begin to
tremble for myself as a Roman. I must depart while I
am yet safe. But see! the crowd and the show are vanished.
Let me hear of the earliest return of Isaac, and
the gods prosper you! I am at the house of Gracchus, opposite
the Temple of Justice.'
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I found, on reaching the palace, Fausta and Gracchus,
overjoyed at the safe and happy return of the queen.
Fausta, too, as the queen was passing by, she standing
by one of the pillars of the great entrance, had obtained
a smile of recognition, and a wave of the hand from her
great friend, as I may justly term her, and nothing could
exceed the spirits she was in.
`How glad I am, Lucius,' said she, `that you have
seen her so soon, and more than all, that you saw her just
as you did, in the very heart of the people. I do not believe
you ever saw Aurelian so received in Rome —
Claudius, perhaps — but not again Gallienus, or his severe
but weak father. But what have you done — which is to
all of us a more immediately interesting subject — what
have you done for Calpurnius? Do you learn any thing of
Isaac?'
`I have the best news,' I replied, `possible in the case.
Isaac will be in Palmyra — perhaps this very night; but
certainly within a few days, if the gods spare his life.
Demetrius is to give me the earliest intelligence of his
arrival.'
`Now then let us,' said Fausta, `to the table, which
need not offer the delicacies of Vitellius, to insure a favorable
reception from appetites sharpened as ours have been
by the day's motion and excitement.'
Gracchus, throwing down a manuscript he had been attentively
perusing, now joined us.
Leaving untold all the good things which were said,
especially by Gracchus, while I and Fausta, more terrestrially
given, applied ourselves to the agreeable task set
before us, I hasten to tell you of my interview with the
Jew, and of its issue. For no sooner had evening set in,
and Fausta, seated at her harp, was again soothing the soul
with her sweet and wild strains, than a messenger was
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announced from the Greek Demetrius, desiring to have
communication with me. Divining at once his errand, I
sought him in the ante-room where, learning from him
that Isaac was arrived, and that if I would see him, I must
seek him on the moment, as he was but for one night in
the city, intending in the morning to start for Ctesiphon,
I bade him lead on, and I would follow, first calling Milo
to accompany me.
`To what part of the city do we go?' said I, addressing
the messenger of Demetrius.
`To the quarter of the Jews, near the Gate of the Desert,
' he replied. `Be not apprehensive of danger,' he
added; `the city is as safe by night as by day. This we
owe to the great queen.'
`Take me where thou wilt, I fear nothing,' said I.
`But methinks, master mine,' said Milo, `seeing that
we know not the ways of this outlandish capital, nor even
who this doubtless respectable person is who invites us to
this enterprise, it were more discreet to add Hannibal to
our numbers. Permit me, and I will invoke the presence
of the Ethiopian.'
`No, Milo, I replied, `in thy valor I am ready to put
my trust. Thy courage is tried courage, and if need
be, I doubt not thou wilt not hesitate to die sword in
hand.'
`Such sort of confidence I do by no means covet: I
would rather that thou shouldst place it somewhere else.
It is true that when I was in the service of the most noble
Gallienus —'
`Well, we will spare thee the trouble of that story. I
believe I do thy virtues no injustice. Moreover, the less
talk, the more speed.'
Saying this, in order that I might be left to my own
thoughts for a space, before I should meet the Jew, we
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then pressed on, threading our way through a maze of
streets, where recollection of place and of compass was
soon and altogether lost. The streets now became narrow,
filthy, darker and darker, crooked and involved.
They were still noisy with the loud voices of the inhabitants
of the dwellings, calling to each other, quarrelling
or laughing, with the rattling of vehicles returning home
after the labors of the day, and with all that variety
of deafening sounds which fall upon the ear where great
numbers of a poor and degraded population are crowded
together into confined quarters. Suddenly leaving what
seemed to be a sort of principal street, our guide turned
down into an obscure lane, and which, though extremely
narrow and crooked, was better built than the streets we
had just left. Stopping now before what seemed a long
and low white wall, our guide, descending a few steps,
brought us to the principal entrance of the dwelling, for
such we found it to be. Applying a stone to the door, to
arouse those who might be within, we were immediately
answered in a voice, which I at once recognised as that of
Isaac:
`Break not in the door,' shouted he, `with your unmannerly
blows. Who are you, that one must live standing
with his hand on the latch of the door? Wait, I say,
till I can have time to walk the length of the room. What
can the Gentiles of Palmyra want of Isaac of Rome, at
this time of night?' So muttering, he unbarred and opened
the door.
`Come in, come in: the house of Isaac is but a poor
house of a poor Jew, but it has a welcome for all. Come
in — come —. But, father Abraham! whom have
we here? The most noble Piso! A patrician of Rome
in the hovel of a poverty-pinched Jew! That would sound
well upon the exchange. It may be of account. But
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what am I saying? Welcome to Palmyra, most noble
Piso, for Palmyra is one of my homes; at Rome, and at
Antioch, and Alexandria, and Ctesiphon, and Carthage—
it is the same to Isaac. Pray seat yourselves; upon
this chair thou wilt find a secure seat, though it promises
not so much, and here upon my dromedary's furniture is
another. So, now we are well. Would that I had that
flask of soft Palmyrene, which but now I sent —'
`Take no trouble for our sakes,' I exclaimed, cordially
saluting him; `I am just now come from the table of
Gracchus. I have matters of more moment to discuss,
than either meats or wines.'
`But, noble master, hast thou ever brought to thy lips
this same soft Palmyrene? The name indicates some delicious
juice.'
`Peace, Milo, or thou goest home alone, as thou best
canst.'
`Roman,' began Isaac,' I can think only of two reasons
that can have brought thee to my poor abode so soon; the
one is to furnish thyself with more of that jewelry which
gave thee so much delight, and the other to discourse
with me concerning the faith of Moses. Much as I love
a bargain, I hope it is for the last that thou art come; for
I would fain see thee in a better way than thou art, or
than thou wouldst be if that smooth Probus should gain
thy ear. Heed not the wily Nazarene! I cannot deny
him a good heart, after what I saw of him in Carthage.
But who is he to take it upon him to sit in judgment upon
the faith of two thousand years! Would that I could once
see him in the grasp of Simon Ben Gorah! How would
his heresy wither and die before the learning of that son
of God. Roman, heed him not! Let me take thee to
Simon, that thou mayst once in thy life hear the words of
wisdom.'
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`Not now, not now, good Isaac; whenever I apostatize
from the faith of the founders of my nation, and
deny the gods who for more than a thousand years have
stood guardians over Rome, I will not refuse to weigh
whatever the Jew has to offer in behalf of his ancient creed.
But I come to thee now neither to buy of thee, nor to learn
truth of thee, but to seek aid in a matter that lies near my
heart.'
`Ha! thy heathen god Cupid has ensnared thee! Well,
well, the young must be humored, and men must marry.
It was the counsel of my father, whose beard came lower
than his girdle, and than whom the son of Sirach had not
more wisdom, “Meddle not nor make in the loves of
others. God only knoweth the heart. And how knowest
thou that in contriving happiness, thou shalt not engender
sorrow?” Howbeit, in many things have I departed from
the counsel of that venerable man. Alas for it! Had my
feet taken hold, in all their goings, of his steps, I had not
now had for my only companion my fleet-footed dromedary,
and for my only wealth this load of gilded toys.'
`Neither is it,' I rejoined, `for any love-sickness that
I am come, seeking some healing or inflaming drug, but
upon a matter of somewhat more moment. Listen to me,
while I unfold.'
So saying, I told all that you already so well know, in
as few words as I could, but leaving out no argument by
which I could hope to work upon either the cupidity, the
benevolence, or the patriotism of the Jew. He, with his
hands folded under his beard, listened without once interrupting
me, but with an expression of countenance so
stolid, that when I had ended, I could guess no better
than when I began as to the part he would act.
After a pause of some length, he slowly began, discoursing
rather with himself than with me: `A large
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enterprise — and to be largely considered. The way is long—
seven hundred Roman miles at the least — and among
little other than savage tribes, save here and there a desert,
where the sands, as is reported, rise and fall like the sea.
How can an old man like me encounter such labor and
peril? These unbelieving heathen think not so much of
the life of a Jew as of a dog. Gentile, why goest thou not
thyself?'
`Thy skill, Isaac, and knowledge of men and countries,
are more than mine, and will stand thee in good stead.
Death were the certain issue, were I to venture upon this
expedition, and then my brother's fate were sealed forever.
'
`I seem to thee, Roman Piso, to be a lone man in a
wide world, who may live or die, and there be none to
know or care how it is. It is verily much so. Yet I was
not always alone. Children once leaped at the sound of
my voice, and clung in sport to my garment. They are
in Abraham's bosom. Better than here. Yet, Roman,
I am not alone. The God of Israel is with me, and while
it is Him I serve, life is not without value. I trust in the
coming restoration of Jerusalem: for that I toil, and for
that I am ready to die. But why should my bones whiten
the desert, or my mangled carcass swing upon a Persian
gibbet? Will that be to die for my country?'
`I can enrich thee for thy services, Jew, and thou sayest
that it is for wealth, that it may be poured into the
general coffers of thy tribe, that thou traversest the globe.
Name thy sum, and so it be not beyond reason, I will be
bound to pay thee in good Roman coin.'
`This is to be thought of. Doubtless thou wouldst reward
me well. But consider how large this sum must be.
I fear me thou wilt shrink from the payment of it, for a
Roman noble loves not money less than a poor Jew. My
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trade in Ctesiphon I lose. That must be made up. My
faithful dromedary will be worn out by the long journey:
that too must be made good. My plan will require an
attendant slave and camel: then there are the dangers of
the way — the risk of life in the City of the great King —
and, if it be not cut off, the expenses of it. These, to
Isaac, are not great, but I may be kept there long.'
`But thou wilt abate somewhat of the sum thou hast
determined upon, out of love to thy kind. Is the pleasure
of doing a good deed nothing to thee?'
`Not a jot will I abate from a just sum — not a jot.
And why should I? And thou art not in earnest to ask
the abatement of a feather's weight. What doth the Jew
owe the Roman? What hath the Roman done to the
Jew? He hath laid waste his country with fire and sword.
Her towns and villages he hath levelled with the ground.
The holy Jerusalem, he hath spoiled and defiled, and then
driven the plough over its ruins. My people are scattered
abroad among all nations — subject every where to persecution
and death. This thou knowest is what the
Roman hath done. And what then owe I, a Jew — a
Jew — to the Roman? I bear thee, Piso, no ill will; nay,
I love thee; but wert thou Rome, and this wheaten straw
a dagger, it should find thy heart! Nay, start not; I would
not hurt a hair of thy head. But tell me now if thou
agreest to my terms: one gold talent of Jerusalem if I return
alive with or without thy brother, and if I perish,
two, to be paid as I shall direct.'
`Most heartily, Isaac, do I agree to them, and bless
thee more than words can tell, besides. Bring back my
brother alive, and whatsoever thou shalt desire more, shall
be freely thine.'
`I am content. To-morrow, then, I turn my back upon
Ctesiphon and Palmyra, and make for Ecbatana. Of my
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progress thou shalt learn. Of success I am sure — that
is, if thy brother hearken to the invitation.'
Then, giving such instructions as might be necessary
on my part, we separated.
LETTER IV.
If the gods, dear Marcus and Lucilia, came down to
dwell upon earth, they could not but choose Palmyra for
their seat, both on account of the general beauty of the
city and its surrounding plains, and the exceeding sweetness
and serenity of its climate. It is a joy here only to
sit still and live. The air, always loaded with perfume,
seems to convey essential nutriment to those who breathe
it; and its hue, especially when a morning or evening sun
shines through it, is of that golden cast, which, as poets
feign, bathes the tops of Olympus. Never do we tremble
here before blasts like those which from the Appenines
sweep along the plains and cities of the Italian coast. No
extremes of either heat or cold are experienced in this
happy spot. In winter, airs which in other places equally
far to the north would come bearing with them an icy
coldness, are here tempered by the vast deserts of sand
which stretch away in every direction, and which it is
said never wholly loose the heat treasured up during the
fierce reign of the summer sun. And in summer, the
winds which as they pass over the deserts are indeed like
the breath of a furnace, long before they reach the city
change to a cool and refreshing breeze by traversing as
they do the vast tracts of cultivated ground, which, as I
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have already told you, surround the capital to a very great
extent on every side. Palmyra is the very heaven of the
body. Every sense is fed to the full with that which it
chiefly covets. But when I add to this, that its unrivalled
position in respect to a great inland traffic, has poured
into the lap of its inhabitants a sudden and boundless
flood of wealth, making every merchant a prince, you will
truly suppose, that however heartily I extol it for its outward
beauties, and all the appliances of luxury, I do not
conceive it very favorable in its influences upon the character
of its population. Palmyrenes, charming as they
are, are not Romans. They are enervated by riches, and
the luxurious sensual indulgences which they bring along,
by necessity, in their train — all their evil power being
here increased by the voluptuous softness of the climate.
I do not say that all are so. All Rome cannot furnish a
woman more truly Roman than Fausta, nor a man more
worthy that name than Gracchus. It is of the younger
portion of the inhabitants I now speak. These are without
exception effeminate. They love their country, and
their great queen, but they are not a defence upon which
in time of need to rely. Neither do I deny them courage.
They want something more vital still — bodily strength
and marshal training. Were it not for this, I should almost
fear for the issue of any encounter between Rome and
Palmyra. But as it is, notwithstanding the great achievements
of Odenatus and Zenobia, I cannot but deem the
glory of this state to have risen to its highest point, and
even to have passed it. You may think me to be hasty in
forming this opinion, but I am persuaded you will agree
with me when you shall have seen more at length the
grounds upon which I rest it, as they are laid down in my
last letter to Portia.
But I did not mean to say these things when I sat down
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to my tablets, but rather to tell you of myself, and what I
have seen and done since I last wrote. I have experienced
and enjoyed much. How indeed could it be otherwise,
in the house of Gracchus, and with Gracchus and
Fausta for my companions? Many are the excursions
we have together taken into the country, to the neighboring
hills whence the city derives its ample supply of water,
and even to the very borders of the desert. I have thus
seen much of this people, of their pursuits, and modes of
life, and I have found that whether they have been of the
original Palmyrene population — Persian or Parthian emigrants—
Jews, Arabians, or even Romans — they agree
in one thing, love of their queen, and in a determination
to defend her and her capital to the last extremity, whether
against the encroachments of Persia or Rome. Independence
is their watch-word. They have already shown, in
a manner the most unequivocal, and to themselves eternally
honorable, that they will not be the slaves of Sapor, nor
dependants upon his power. And surely they have given
at the same time the clearest proof of their kindly feeling
toward us, and of their earnest desire to live at peace with
us. I truly hope that no extravagancies on the part of
the queen, or her too-ambitious advisers will endanger the
existing tranquillity; yet from a late occurrence, and of
which I was myself a witness, among other excited thousands,
I am filled with apprehensions.
That to which I allude, happened at the great amphitheatre,
during an exhibition of Games given by Zenobia
on the occasion of her return, in which the Palmyrenes,
especially those of Roman descent, take great delight.
I care, as you know, nothing for them, nor only that,
abhor them for their power to imbrute the people accustomed
to their spectacles more and more. In this instance
I was persuaded by Fausta and Gracchus to attend, as I
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should see both the queen and her subjects under favorable
circumstances, to obtain new knowledge of their
characters; and I am not sorry to have been there.
The show could boast all the magnificence of Rome.
Nothing could exceed the excitement and tumult of the
city. Its whole population was abroad to partake of the
general joy. Early in the day the streets began to be
thronged with the multitudes who were either pouring
along toward the theatre, to secure in season the best
seats, or with eager, idle curiosity, pressing after the
cages of wild animals drawn by elephants or camels toward
the place of combat and slaughter. As a part of this
throng, I found myself, seated between Gracchus and
Fausta, in their most sumptuous chariot, themselves arrayed
in their most sumptuous attire. Our horses could
scarcely do more than walk, and were frequently obliged
to stand still, owing to the crowds of men on horse, on
foot, and in vehicles of every sort, which filled the streets.
The roaring of the imprisoned animals, the loud voices of
their keepers, and of the drivers of the cumbrous wagons
which held them, the neighing, or screaming, I might
say, of the affrighted horses every now and then brought
into immediate contact with the wild beasts of the forests,
lions, tigers or leopards, made a scene of confusion, the
very counterpart of what we have so often witnessed in
Rome, which always pains more than it pleases me, and
which I now describe at all, only that you may believe
what Romans are so slow to believe, that there are other
cities in the world where great actions are done as well
as in your own. The inhabitants of Palmyra are as quick
as you could desire them to be, in catching the vices and
fashions of the great metropolis.
`Scipio, Scipio,' cried Gracchus, suddenly, to his charioteer,
`be not in too great haste. It is in vain to attempt
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to pass that wagon; nay, unless you shall be a little more
reserved in your approaches, the paw of that tawny Numidian
will find its way to the neck of our favorite Arab.
The bars of his cage are over far apart.'
`I almost wish they were yet farther apart,' said I,
`and that he might fairly find his way into the thickest of
this foolish crowd, and take a short revenge upon his civilized
tormentors. What a spectacle is this — more
strange and savage, I think, looked upon aright, than that
which we are going to enjoy — of you, Gracchus, a pillar
of a great kingdom; of me, a pillar — a lesser one, indeed,
but still a pillar — of a greater kingdom, and of you,
Fausta, a woman, all on our way to see wild beasts let
loose to lacerate and destroy each other, and what is
worse, gladiators, that is, educated murderers, set upon
one another, to die for our entertainment. The best
thing I have heard of the Christian superstition is, that
it utterly denounces and prohibits to its disciples the frequenting
of these shows. Nothing to me is plainer than
that we may trace the cruelties of Marius, Sylla, and their
worthy imitators through the long line of our emperors, to
these schools where they had their early training. Why
was Domitian and his fly worse than Gracchus, or Piso,
or Fausta, and their gored elephant, or dying gladiator?'
`You take this custom too seriously,' replied Gracchus;
`I see in it, so far as the beasts are concerned, but a
lawful source of pleasure. If they tore not one another in
pieces for our entertainment, they would still do it for
their own, in their native forests; and if it must be done,
it were a pity none enjoyed it. Then for the effects upon
the beholding crowd, I am inclined to think they are
rather necessary and wholesome than otherwise. They
help to render men insensible to danger, suffering and
death; and as we are so often called upon to fight each
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other, and die in defence of our liberties, or of our tyrants
and oppressors, whichever it may be, it seems to me we
are in need of some such initiatory process in the art of
seeing blood shed unmoved, and of some lessons which
shall diminish our love and regard for life. As for the
gladiators, they are wretches who are better dead than
alive; and to die in the excitement of a combat is not
worse, perhaps, than to expire through the slow and lingering
assaults of a painful disease. Besides, with us there
is never, as with you, cool and deliberate murder perpetrated
on the part of the assembly. There is here no
turning up of the thumb. It is all honorable fight, and
honorable killing. What, moreover, shall be done to entertain
the people? We must feed them with some such
spectacles, or I verily think they would turn upon each
other for amusement, in civil broil and slaughter.'
`Your Epicurean philosophy teaches you, I am aware,'
said I in reply, `to draw happiness as you best can from
all the various institutions of Providence and of man —
not to contend — but to receive, and submit, and be
thankful. It is a philosophy well enough for man's enjoyment
of the passing hour, but it fatally obstructs, it
appears to me, the way of improvement. For my own
part, though I am no philosopher, yet I hold to this, that
whatever our reason proves to be wrong or defective, it at
the same time enforces the duty of change and reform —
that no palpable evil, either in life or government, is to be
passively submitted to as incurable. In these spectacles
I behold an enormous wrong, a terrific evil; and though
I see not how the wrong is to be redressed, nor the evil
to be removed, I none the less, but so much the more
conceive it to be my part, as a man and a citizen, to think
and converse, as now, upon the subject, in the hope that
some new light may dawn upon its darkness. What think
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you, Fausta? I hope you agree with me — nay, as to that,
I think Gracchus, from his tone, was but half in earnest.'
`It has struck me chiefly,' said Fausta, `as a foolish
custom; not so much in itself very wrong, as childish.
It is to me, indeed, attended with pain, but that I suppose
is a weakness of my own — it seems not to be so, in the
case of others. I have thought it a poor, barren entertainment,
fit but for children, and those grown children
whose minds, uninstructed in higher things, must seek
their happiness in some spring of mere sensual joy. Women
frequent the amphitheatre, I am sure, rather to make
a show of their beauty, their dress, and equipage, than for
any thing else; and they would, I believe, easily give in
to any change, so it should leave them an equally fair occasion
of display. But so far as attending the spectacles
tends to make better soldiers and stouter defenders of our
queen, I confess, Lucius, I look upon them with some
favor: but, come, our talk is getting to be a little too
grave. Look, Lucius, if this be not a brave sight? See
what a mass of life encompasses the circus! And its vast
walls, from the lowest entrances to its very summit, swarm
as it were with the whole population of Palmyra. It is
not so large a building as your Flavian, but it is not
wholly unworthy to be compared with it.'
`It is not, indeed,' said I; although not so large, its
architecture is equally in accordance with the best principles,
both of science and taste, and the stone is of a
purer white, and more finely worked.'
We now descended from our carriage, and made our
way through the narrow passages and up the narrow stairways
to the interior of the theatre, which was already
much more than half filled. The seats to which we were
conducted were not far from those which were to be occupied
by the Queen and her train. I need not tell you
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how the time was passed which intervened between taking
our seat, the filling of the theatre, and the commencement
of the games — how we all were amused by the
fierce strugglings of those who most wished to exhibit
themselves, for the best places; by the efforts of many to
cause themselves to be recognised by those who were of
higher rank than themselves, and to avoid the neighborhood
and escape the notice of others whose acquaintance would
bring them no credit; how we laughed at the awkward
movements and labors of the servants of the circus, who
were busying themselves in giving its final smoothness to
the saw-dust and hurrying through the last little offices of
so vast a preparation, urged on continually by the voices
or lashes of the managers of the games; nor how our ears
were deafened by the fearful yellings of the maddened
beasts confined in the vivaria, the grated doors of which
opened, as in the Roman buildings of the same kind, immediately
on the arena. Neither will I inflict weariness
upon myself or you, by a detailed account of the kind and
order of the games at this time exhibited for the entertainment
of the people. The whole show was an exact copy
from the usages of Rome. I could hardly believe myself
in the heart of Asia. Touching only upon these things,
so familiar to you, I will relate what I was able to observe
of the queen and her demeanor, about which I know you
will feel chiefly desirous of information.
It was not till after the games had been sometime in
progress, and the wrestlers and mock-fighters having finished
their foolish feats, the combats of wild animals with
each other had commenced, that a herald announced by
sound of trumpet the approach of the queen. The moment
that sound, and the loud clang of martial music
which followed it, was heard, every eye of the vast multitude
was turned to the part of the circus where we were
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sitting, and near which was the passage by which Zenobia
would enter the theatre. The animals now tore each
other piecemeal, unnoticed by the impatient throng. A
greater care possessed them. And no sooner did the
object of this universal expectation reveal herself to their
sight, led to her seat by the dark Zabdas, followed by the
Princess Julia and Longinus, and accompanied by a
crowd of the rank and beauty of Palmyra, than one enthusiastic
cry of loyalty and affection rent the air, drowning
all other sounds, and causing the silken canopy of the amphitheatre
to sway to and fro as if shaken by a tempest.
The very foundations of the huge structure seemed to
tremble in their places. With what queenly dignity, yet
with what enchanting sweetness, did the great Zenobia
acknowledge the greetings of her people! The color of
her cheek mounted and fell again, even as it would have
done in a young girl, and glances full of sensibility and love
went from her to every part of the boundless interior, and
seemed to seek out every individual, and to each make a
separate return for the hearty welcome with which she
had been received. These mutual courtesies being quickly
ended, the games again went on, and every eye was
soon riveted on the arena where animals were contending
with each other or with men.
The multitude being thus intently engaged, those who
chose to employ their time differently were left at full liberty
to amuse themselves with conversation or otherwise,
as pleased them. Many a fat and unwieldly citizen we
saw soundly sleeping in spite of the roarings of the beasts
and the shouts of the spectators. Others, gathering together
in little societies of their own, passed all the intervals
between the games, as well as the time taken up by
games which gave them no pleasure, in discussing with
one another the fashions, the news, or the politics of the
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day. Of these parties we were one; for neither Gracchus,
nor Fausta, nor I, cared much for the sports of the day,
and there were few foolish or wise things that were not
uttered by one of us during the continuance of those
tedious, never-ending games.
`Well, Lucius,' said Fausta, `and what think you now
of our great queen? For the last half hour, your eyes
having scarcely wandered from her; you must by this
time be prepared with an opinion.'
`There can be little interest,' said I, `in hearing an
opinion on a subject about which all the world is agreed.
I can only say, what all say. I confess I have never before
seen a woman. I am already prepared to love and
worship her with you, for I am sure that such preëminent
beauty exists in company with a goodness that corresponds
to it. Her intellect, too, we know is not surpassed in
strength by that of any philosopher of the East. These
things being so, where in the world can we believe there
is a woman to be compared with her? As for Cleopatra,
she is not worthy to be named.'
As I uttered these things with animation and vehemence,
showing I suppose in my manner how deeply I felt
all that I said, I perceived Fausta's fine countenance
glowing with emotion, and tears of gratified affection
standing big in her eyes.
Gracchus spoke. `Piso,' said he, `I do not wonder at
the enthusiastic warmth of our language. Chilled as my
blood is by the approaches of age, I feel even as you
do: nay, I suppose I feel much more; for to all your
admiration, as a mere philosophical observer, there is
added in my case the fervid attachment which springs
from long and intimate knowledge, and from an intercourse,
which not the coolness of a single hour has
ever interrupted. It would be strange indeed, if there
were not one single flaw in so bright an emanation
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from the very soul of the divinity, wearing as it does the
form of humanity. You know me to allude to her ambition.
It is boundless, almost insane. Cæsar himself
was not more ambitious. But in her even this is partly a
virtue, even in its wildest extravagance; for it is never
for herself alone that she reaches so far and so high, but
as much or more for her people. She never separates
herself from them, even in thought, and all her aspirings
are, that she herself may be great indeed, but that her
country may with and through her be great also, and
her people happy. When I see her as now surrounded
by her subjects, and lodged in their very heart of hearts,
I wish, — and fervently would I pray were there gods to
implore — that her restless spirit may be at peace, and that
she may seek no higher good either for herself or her
people than that which we now enjoy. But I confess
myself to be full of apprehension. I tremble for my
country. And yet here is my little rebel, Fausta, who
will not hearken to this, but adds the fuel of her own fiery
spirit to feed that of her great mistress. It were beyond
a doubt a good law which should exclude women from
any part in public affairs.'
`Dear father, how do you remind me of the elder Cato,
in the matter of the Oppian Law: while women interfered
in public affairs, only to promote the interests of
their worthy husbands, the lords of the world, the great
Cato had never thought but to commend them; but no
sooner did they seek to secure some privileges very
dear to them as women, and clamor a little in order to
obtain them, than straightway they were nuisances in the
body politic, and ought to be restrained by enactments
from having any voice in the business of the state. Truly,
I think this is far from generous treatment. And happy
am I, for one, that at length the gods in their good
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providence have permitted that one woman should arise to vindicate
her sex against the tyranny of her ancient oppressors.
If I might appoint to the spirits of the departed their
offices, I could wish nothing merrier than that that same
Cato should be made the news-carrier from the kingdom
of Zenobia to the council of the gods. How he would
enjoy his occupation! But seriously, dear father, I see not
that our queen has any more of this same ambition than
men are in the same position permitted to have, and accounted
all the greater for it. Is that a vice in Zenobia
which is a glory in Aurelian? Longinus would not decide
so. But see how intent the queen is upon the games.'
`I would rather,' said I, `that she should not gaze upon
so cruel a sight. But see too, the Princess Julia has
hidden her head in the folds of her veil.'
`Julia's heart,' said Fausta, `is even tenderer than a
woman's. Besides, if I mistake not, she has on this point
at least adopted some of the notions of the Christians.
Paul of Antioch has not been without his power over her.
And truly his genius is well nigh irresistible. A stronger
intellect than hers might without shame yield to his.
Look, look! — the elephant will surely conquer after all.
The gods grant he may! He is a noble creature; but
how cruelly beset! Three such foes are too much for a
fair battle. How he has wreathed his trunk round that
tiger, and now whirls him in the air! But the rhinoceros
sees his advantage: quick — quick!'
Fausta, too, could not endure the savage sight, but
turned her head away; for the huge rhinoceros, as the
elephant lifted the tiger from the ground, in the act to
dash him again to the earth, seized the moment, and before
the noble animal could recover himself, buried his
enormous tusk deep in his vitals. It was fatal to both,
for the assailant, unable to extricate his horn, was crushed
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through every bone in his body, by the weight of the falling
elephant. A single tiger remained master of the field,
and who now testified his joy by coursing round and round
the arena.
`Well well,' said Gracchus, `they would have died in
the forest; what signifies it? But why is this blast of
trumpets? It is the royal flourish! Ah! I see how it is;
the sons of Zenobia, whom none miss not being present,
are about to enter the theatre. They make amends by
the noise of their approach for their temporary absence.
Yet these distant shouts are more than usual. The gods
grant that none of my fears may turn true!'
No sooner had Gracchus ended these words, while his
face grew pale with anxious expectation, than suddenly
the three sons of the queen made their appearance and —
how shall I say it? — arrayed in imperial purple, and habited
in all respects as Cæsars. It seemed to me as if at that
very moment the pillars of this flourishing empire crumbled
to their foundation. And now while I write, and the heat
of that moment is passed, I cannot but predict disaster
and ruin, at least fierce and desolating wars, as the consequence
of the rash act. I know the soul of Aurelian,
and that it will never brook what it shall so much as
dream to be an indignity — never endure so much as the
thought of rivalry in another, whether Roman or foreigner,
man or woman. To think it, is treason with him — a
crime for which blood only can atone.
Having entered thus the amphitheatre, assuming a high
and haughty bearing, as if they were already masters of
the world, they advanced to the front railing, and there
received the tumultuous acclamations of the people. A
thousand different cries filled the air. Each uttered the
sentiment which possessed him, regardless of all but testifying
loyalty and devotion to the reigning house. Much of
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the language was directed against Rome, which, since the
circulation of the rumors of which I have already spoken,
has become the object of their most jealous regard. Aurelian's
name was coupled with every term of reproach.
`Is Aurelian to possess the whole earth?' cried one.
`Who are Romans?' cried another; `the story of
Valerian shows that they are not invincible.' `We will
put Zabdas and Zenobia against the world!' shouted
others. `The conqueror of Egypt forever!' — long live
the great Zabdas!' rose from every quarter. It were in
vain to attempt to remember or write down half the violent
things which in this hour of madness were uttered.
The games were for a long time necessarily suspended,
and the whole amphitheatre was converted into an arena
of political discussion, from which arose the confused din
of unnumbered voices, like the roar of the angry ocean.
I looked at Zenobia; she was calm — satisfied. Pride
was upon her lip and brow. So like a god was the expression
of her whole form, that for a moment I almost
wished her mistress of the world. She seemed worthy to
reign. Julia was evidently sad, and almost distressed.
Longinus, impenetrable as marble. Zabdas, black and
lowering as night.
Quiet was at length restored, and the games went on.
A messenger came now from the queen to our seat,
with the request that Fausta should join her, not being
satisfied with the distant intercourse of looks and signs.
So, accompanied by Gracchus, she was soon placed by
the side of Zenobia, whose happiness seemed doubled by
the society of, I believe, her choicest friend. Left now to
myself, I had leisure to think and to observe. A more
gorgeous show than this vast assembly presented, I think
I never before beheld — no not even in the Flavian. Although
in Rome we seem to draw together people of all
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regions and all climes, yet after all, the North and West
preponderate, and we lack the gayer costumes which a
larger proportion of these Orientals would add to our
spectacles. Not to say, too, that here in the East the
beauty of woman is more transcendant, and the forms of
the men cast in a finer mould. Every variety of complexion
is here also to be seen, from the jet black of the
slender Ethiopian, to the more than white of the women
of the Danube. Here I saw before me, in one promiscuous
throng, arrayed in their national dresses, Persians
dark skinned Indians, swarthy Egyptians, the languishing,
soft-eyed Syrian, sylphs from the borders of the Caspian,
women of the Jews from the shores of the Mediterranean,
Greeks from Asia Minor, the Islands, and Attica, with
their classic costume and statue-like forms and faces, Romans,
and, abounding over all and more beautiful than all,
the richly habited nobles and gentry of Palmyra itself. I
enjoyed the scene as a man and a philosopher; nay, as a
Roman too; and could not but desire earnestly, that the
state, of whose prosperity it was so clear a token, might
last even with Rome itself. I wished you and Lucilia at
my side — not to mention the little Gallus — not, as you
may believe, to witness the games, but to behold in this
remote centre of Asia so fair a show of our common race.
It was not till the sun was already about to sink in the
west, that the games ended, and the crowds dispersed and
I once more found myself in the peaceful precincts of
home; for so already do I call the hospitable dwelling of
Gracchus.
`So, Fausta,' said I, `You forsook your old friend Lucius
for the companionship of a queen? Truly I cannot
blame you, for most gladly would I, too, have gone and
made one of your circle. How irksome are the forms and
restraints of station, and even of society! how little freedom
do they allow in the expression of our real
-- 085 --
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sentiments! Could I have sat with you by Zenobia, can I
doubt that by a frank disclosure of my feelings and opinions,
I could have corrected some errors, softened some
prejudices, and at the same time gained her esteem —
her esteem for me, I mean, as a sincere well-wisher to her
kingdom, although none the less a Roman? It would
have been a fortunate moment for such communication as
I desire. I trust yet, seeing such a promise has gone
forth from you, to see her in her own palace.'
`Indeed you shall,' said Fausta; `It has only been
owing to fatigue, after her long excursion, and to this show
of games, that you have not seen her long before this.
She is well aware of your rank and footing of intimacy
with Aurelian, and of the object for which you make this
visit to her capital, and has expressed frequent and earnest
desires of an interview with you. And now have I
a great mind not to tell you of the speedy pleasure and
honor that await you. What will you give to know the
tenor of what I have to say?'
`I will confer the greatest honor in my power,' said I;
`I will dislodge the Emperor from my own finger and
replace him upon yours. Here I offer you the head of
Aurelian — cut, not indeed by the cunning tool of Demetrius
of Rome, but doubtless by some competent artist.
Is it not a fair offer, Gracchus?'
`I fear unless you make a different and a better one,
you will scarce open the lips of our fierce patriot,' answered
Gracchus.
`That will he not,' said Fausta; `were he to engage by
to-morrow to make himself over into a veritable, soundhearted,
queen-loving Palmyrene, it would not be more
than he ought to do. I am sure, old Solon toiled hard to
make a Roman out of me, and how do I know but it was
at your instance? And it having been so, as I must
-- 086 --
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believe, what less can you do in atonement than to plant
yourself here upon the soil of Palmyra? A Roman, trust
me, takes quick root in this rich earth, and soon shoots up
and spreads out into a perfectly proportioned Palmyrene,
tall and beautiful as a date tree. Father, how can we
bribe him? You shake your head as if without hope.
Well, let us wait till Calpurnius returns; when you find
him an Oriental, perhaps you may be induced to emigrate
too. Surely it is no such great matter to remove from
Rome to Palmyra? We do not ask you to love Rome
any the less, but only Palmyra more. I still trust we
shall ever dwell in friendship with each other. We, certainly,
must desire it, who are half Roman. But why do
I keep you in such painful suspense? Hear, then, my
message, which is, that you will appear at the palace of
Zenobia to-morrow. The queen desires a private interview
with you, and for that purpose will receive no other
visitors. Her messenger will in the morning apprise you
of the hour, and conduct you to the palace. Ah! I see
by your countenance how delighted you are. It is no
wonder.'
`I am delighted, indeed,' said I; `that is a part of my
feeling, but not the whole of it. I cannot, accustomed even
as I have been to associate with the high in rank and intellect
in various countries, without some inward perturbation,
think of meeting for the first time so remarkable a
person; one whose name is known not only throughout
Asia, but the world; and whose genius and virtues are
the theme of universal wonder and praise. Then, Fausta,
Zenobia is a woman, and a woman inspires an awe which
man never does; and what is more yet, she is of a marvellous
beauty, and before that most perfect work of the gods,
a beautiful woman, I am apt to be awkward and dumb;
at the least — which perhaps is it — made to think too
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much of myself to acquit myself well. You may think that
I exaggerate these feelings. Possibly I do. Certainly they
are not of such strength that I do not gladly seize upon
the favor thus extended, and count myself honored and
happy.'
`Where, Lucius, tell me where you learned this new
dialect, which runs so sweetly when woman is the theme.
Sure am I, it is not Roman. Ovid has it not. Nor yet
is it Palmyrene. Do we owe it to a rich invention of your
own?'
`Fausta, I am in earnest in what I have said. It is
my own native dialect — instinctive. Therefore laugh
not, but give me a lesson how I shall deport myself. Remember
the lessons I have so many times given you in
Rome, and now that you have risen into the seat of power,
return them as you are bound to do.'
`Now are you both little more than two foolish children,
but just escaped from the nursery,' cried Gracchus,
who had been pacing up and down the portico, little heeding,
to all appearance, what was going on. `Lucius, ask
no advice of that wild school-girl. Listen to me, who am a
councillor, and of age, and ought, if I do not, to speak the
words of wisdom. Take along with thee nothing but thy
common sense, and an honest purpose, and then Venus
herself would not daunt thee, nor Rhadamanthus and the
Furies terrify. Forget not, too, that beneath this exterior
covering, first of clothes, and then of flesh, there lies enshrined
in the breast of Zenobia, as of you and me, a
human heart, and that this is ever and in all the same,
eternally responsive to the same notes, by whomsoever
struck. This is a great secret. Believe, too, that in our
good queen this heart is pure as a child's; or, if I may
use another similitude, and you can understand it, pure as
a Christian's — rather, perhaps, as a Christian's ought to
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be. Take this also, that the high tremble to meet the
low, as often as the low to meet the high. Now ask no
more counsel of Fausta, but digest what the oracle has
given out, and which now for the night is silent.'
In this sportive mood we separated.
At the appointed hour on the following day, the expected
messenger appeared, and announcing the queen's
pleasure that I should attend her at the palace, conducted
me there with as much of state as if I had been Aurelian's
ambassador.
On arriving at the palace of the queen, I was ushered
into an apartment, not large, but of exquisite architecture,
finished and furnished in the Persian taste, where sat Zenobia
and Julia. At the feet of the queen, and supporting
them, upon an embroidered cushion of silk, there lay
crouched a beautiful Indian slave. If it was her office to
bear that light and pretty burden, it seemed to be her
pleasure too; for she was ever weaving round it in playful
manner, her jewelled fingers; casting upward to her
mistress frequent glances of most affectionate regard.
`Noble Piso,' said the Queen, after I had approached
and saluted her in the appointed manner, `it gives me
pleasure to greet one of your ancient name in Palmyra.
I seem already acquainted with you through my fast friends
Gracchus and his bright daughter. You have lost nothing,
I am sure, in coming to us first through their lips;
and if any lips are honest and true, it is theirs. We welcome
you to the city of the desert.'
`Great queen,' I replied, `it is both a pleasure and a
pain to find myself in your brilliant capital. I left Rome
upon a melancholy errand, which I have as yet but half
accomplished. Till success shall crown it, I can but half
enjoy the novel scenes, full of interest and beauty, which
your kingdom and city present. It was to rescue a brother
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— if I may speak for one moment of myself — held in
captivity since the disaster of Valerian, that I set sail from
Italy, and am now a dweller in Palmyra. From this
point, I persuaded myself I could best operate for his deliverance.
My first impulse was to throw myself at your feet,
and ask of you both counsel and aid.'
`They should have been gladly yours, very heartily
yours. It was a foul deed of Sapor — and a sad fate, that
of the great Censor, and of your father the good Cneius
Piso. And yet I see not much that I could have done.'
`Refuse not my thanks,' said I, `for the expression of
so generous sentiments. I am sure I should have shared
a goodness of which all seem to partake, had I thought it
right and necessary to appeal to you. But I was soon
convinced, by the arguments of both Gracchus and Fausta,
that my chance of success was greater as a private than
as a public enterprise. And happy am I to be able to say,
that I have found and employed an emissary, who, if the
business be capable of accomplishment by human endeavors,
will, with more likelihood than any other that could
easily be named, accomplish it. Aurelian himself could
not here do as much nor as well as Isaac of Rome.'
`I believe,' said Zenobia, `you will readily agree with
me in the opinion, that Rome has never respected herself
so little as in her neglect of Valerian and his fellow sufferers.
But for the scathing got from our arm, the proud
Persian had come out of that encounter with nothing but
laurels. We, thanks to the bravery and accomplished art
of Odenatus, tore off some of those laurels, and left upon
the body of the Great King the marks of blows which
smart yet. This Indian girl at my feet, was of the household
of Sapor — a slave of one of those women of whom
we took a tent full. The shame of this loss yet rankles
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deep in the heart of the king. But should Rome have
dealt so by her good Emperor and her brave soldiers?
Ought she to have left it to a then new and small power to
take vengeance on her mean, base-minded, yet powerful
foe? It is not even yet too late, methinks, for her to stir
herself, were it only to rescue one of the noble house of Piso.
Perhaps it may be with some intent of this kind that we
hear rumors of an Asiatic expedition. Aurelian, we learn,
having wearied himself with victory in Gaul and Germany,
turns his thoughts towards the East. What can his
aim be, if not Persia? But I truly rejoice that through
efforts of your own you have so good prospect of seeing
again your captive brother.'
`I have no knowledge of the purposes of the Roman
Emperor,' I replied, `but such as is common to all.
Though honored with the friendship of Aurelian, I am
not a political confidant. I can only conjecture touching
his designs, from my acquaintance with his character, and
the features of the policy he has adopted and avowed as
that which is to govern his administration. And this policy
is that which has been acted upon by so many of those
who before him have been raised to the head of our nation,
namely this, that west of the Euphrates to the farthest
limits of Spain and Gaul, embracing all the shores of the
Mediterranean with their thickly scattered nations, there
shall be but one empire, and of that one empire but one
head. It is the fixed purpose of Aurelian to restore to the
empire the unity by which it was distinguished and blessed
under the two Antonines. And already his movements
in Gaul show that his practice is to conform to his theory.
I feel that you will pardon, nay, that you will commend
me for the plainness with which I impart such knowledge
as I may possess. It will be to me the dearest happiness,
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if I can subserve in any way, consistently with my duty to
Rome, the interests of Palmyra and her queen.'
`Roman,' said Zenobia in reply, `I honor your frankness,
and thank you for your faith in my generosity. It is
not, I assure you, misplaced. I am glad to know from so
authentic a source the policy of Aurelian. I surmised as
much before. All that I have thought, will come true.
The rumors which are afloat are not without foundation.
Your emperor understands that I have a policy as well as
he, and a fixed purpose as well as he. I will never fall
from what I have been, but into ruin final and complete.
I have lived a sovereign queen, and so I will die. The
son of Valerian received Odenatus and Zenobia as partners
in empire. We were representatives of Rome in the
East. Our dignities and our titles were those of Gallienus.
It were small boasting to say that they were worn
not less worthily here than in Rome. And this association
with Rome — I sought it not. It was offered as a
tribute to our greatness. Shall it be dissolved at the will
of Aurelian? — and Palmyra, no longer needed as a
scourge for the Great King, be broken down into a tributary
province, an obscure appendage of your greatness?
May the gods forsake me that moment I am false to my
country! I too am ambitious, as well as Aurelian. And
let him be told, that I stipulate for a full partnership of the
Roman power — my sons to bear the name and rank of
Cæsar — or the tie which unites Palmyra to Rome is at
once and forever sundered, and she stands before the
world an independent kingdom, to make good as she may,
by feats of arms, her claims to that high dignity; and the
arms which have prevailed from the Nile to the shores of
the Caspian, from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean,
and have triumphed more than once over the pride and
power of Persia, may be trusted in any encounter, if the
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fates should so ordain, with even Rome herself. The conqueror
of Egypt would, I believe, run a not ignoble tilt
with the conqueror of a Gallic province.'
`Dearest mother,' said the Princess Julia, in a voice
full of earnest entreaty, `do not, do not give way to such
thoughts. Heed not these lying rumors. Trust in the magnanimity
of Aurelian. We make the virtue we believe in.
Let it not reach his ears that you have doubted him. I can
see no reason why he should desire to disturb the harmony
that has so long reigned — and Aurelian is no madman.
What could he gain by a warlike expedition, which a few
words could not gain? Noble Piso, if your great emperor
would but speak before he acts — if indeed any purpose
like that which is attributed to him has entered his mind—
a world of evil, and suffering, and crime, might possibly
be saved. Zenobia, though ambitious, is reasonable
and patient, and will listen as becomes a philosopher, and
a lover of her people to any thing he should say. It were
a noble act of friendship to press upon him the policy, as
well as the virtue of moderation.'
Zenobia gave a mothers' smile of love to her daughter,
whose countenance, while she uttered these few words,
was brilliant with the beauty of strong emotion.
`No act of friendship like this, lady,' said I, `shall be
wanting on my part. If I have any influence over the
mind of Aurelian, it shall be exerted to serve the cause of
peace. I have dear friends in Palmyra, and this short
residence among her people has bound me to them very
closely. It would grieve me sorely to feel that as a Roman
and a lover of my country, I must needs break these so
lately knitted bonds of affection. But, I am obliged to
say it, I am now full of apprehension, lest no efforts of
mine, or of any, may have power to avert the calamities
which impend. The scene I was witness of but so few
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hours ago, seems to me now to cut of all hope of an amicable
adjustment.'
Julia's countenance fell. The air of pride in Zenobia
mounted higher and higher.
`And what was it I did?' said Zenobia. `Do I not
stand upon the records of the Senate, Augusta of the
Roman empire? Was not the late renowned Odenatus,
Augustus by the decree of that same Senate? And was I
not then right to call my own sons by their rightful title
of Cæsar? — and invest them with the appropriate robe,
and even show them to the people as their destined rulers?
I am yet to learn that in aught I have offended against
any fair construction of the Roman law. And unless I
may thus stand in equal honor with other partners of this
empire, asking and receiving nothing as favor, I sever
myself and my kingdom from it.'
`But,' said Julia, in her soft persuasive voice, whose
very tones were enough to change the harshest sentiment
to music, `why put at hazard the certain good we now
enjoy, the peace and prosperity of this fair realm, for what
at best is but a shadow — a name? What is it to you or
me that Timolaus, Herennianus, and Vabalathus be
hailed by the pretty style of Cæsar? For me at least, and
so I think for all who love you, it is enough that they are
the sons of Zenobia. Who shall heap more upon that
honor?
`Julia,' replied the queen, `as the world deems — and
we are in the world and of it — honor and greatness lie
not in those things which are truly honorable and great;
not in learning or genius, else were Longinus upon this
throne, and I his waiting-woman; not in action — else
were the great Zabdas king; not in merit, else were many
a dame of Palmyra where I am, and I a patient household
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drudge. Birth, and station, and power, are before these.
Men bow before names, and sceptres, and robes of office,
lower than before the gods themselves. Nay, here in the
East, power itself were a shadow, without its tinsel trappings.
'Tis vain to stand against the world. I am one
of the general herd. What they honor, I crave. This
coronet of pearl, this gorgeous robe, this golden chair,
this human footstool, in the eye of a severe judgment, may
signify but little. Zeno or Diogenes might smile upon
them with contempt. But so thinks not the world. It is
no secret that in Timolaus, Herennianus and Vabalathus
dwells not the wisdom of Longinus, nor the virtue of
Valerian. What then so crazed the assembled people of
Palmyra, but the purple-colored mantle of the Roman
Cæsar? I am for that, fathoms deeper in the great heart
of my people. These are poor opinions, so thou judgest,
Roman, for the pupil of the chief philosopher of our age,
and through him skilled in all the learning of the Greeks.
But forget not that I am an Oriental and — a woman.
This double nature works at my heart with more than all
the power of the schools. Who and what so strong as
the divinity within?'
This is a poor record, my Curtius, of what fell from
this extraordinary woman. Would that I could set down
the noble sentiments which, in the midst of so much that
I could not approve, came from her lips in a language
worthy her great teacher! Would that I could transfer to
my pages the touching eloquence of the divine Julia,
whose mind, I know not how it is, moves in a higher world
than ours. Sometimes, nay, many times, her thoughts,
strangely enough, raised up before me the image of the
Christian Probus, of whom I had till then scarcely thought
since our parting. For a long time was this interview
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continued — an interview to me more stirring than any
other of my life, and owing to the part I was obliged to
take, almost painfully so. Much that I said could not
but have grated harshly upon the proud and ambitious
spirit of Zenobia. But I shrunk from nothing that in the
least degree might tend to shake her in the designs which
now possess and agitate her, and which, as it seems to
me, cannot be carried out without great danger to the
safety or existence of her kingdom; though I cannot but
say, that if a rupture should occur between Palmyra and
Rome, imprudence might indeed be charged upon Zenobia,
but guilt, deep guilt, would lie at the door of Aurelian.
It was a great aid, that Julia, in all I said, was my
ally. Her assent gave double force to every argument I
used; for Zenobia trusts her as a sister, I had almost
said, reveres her as a divinity. Beautiful it was to witness
their freedom and their love. The gods avert every
calamity from their heads!
When we had in this manner, as I have said, a long
time discoursed, Zenobia, at length, rising from her seat,
said to me, `Now do we owe you some fair return, noble
Piso, for the patience with which you have listened to our
treasonable words. If it please you, accompany us now
to some other part of our palace, and it will be strange if
we cannot find something worthy of your regard.'
So saying, we bent our way in company, idly talking
of such things as offered, to a remote part of the vast
building, passing through and lingering here and there
in a many richly-wrought hall and room, till, turning suddenly
into a saloon of Egyptian device, where we heard
the sound of voices, I found myself in the presence of
Gracchus and Fausta, Longinus and Zabdas, with a few
others of the chief citizens of Palmyra. I need not say
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how delighted I was. It was a meeting never to be forgotten.
But it was in the evening of this day, walking in
the gardens of the palace between Julia and Fausta, that
I banqueted upon the purest pleasure of my life.
LETTER V.
You could not but suppose, my Curtius, when you came
to the end of my last letter, that I should soon write again,
and not leave you ignorant of the manner in which I passed
the evening at the palace of Zenobia. Accordingly,
knowing that you would desire this, I had no sooner tied
and sealed my epistle, than I sat down to give you those
minute recollections of incident and of conversation in
which you and Lucilia both so much delight, and which
indeed, in the present instance, are not unimportant in
their bearing upon my future lot. But this I shall leave
to your own conjectures. A tempest of rain makes me a
necessary prisoner to the house, but the pleasant duty of
writing to you spreads sunshine on all within my room.
I trust in the gods that you are well.
Of the banquet in that Egyptian hall, and its immediately
attendant circumstances, I need not tell you. It
was like other feasts of ceremony, where the niceties of
form constantly obtrude themselves, and check too much
the flow of conversation. Then, too, one's mind is necessarily
distracted, where the feast is sumptuous, by the
rarity of the dishes, the richness of the service, and the
pomp and stir of the attendance. Never was it my fortune
in Rome to recline at a table of more imperial
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splendor. For Lucilia's sake I will just say, that the
service was of pure gold, most elaborately carved, and
covered with designs illustrative of points of the Egyptian
annals. Our wine cups were also of gold, enriched with
precious stones; and for each kind of wine, a different
cup, set with jewels, typical of the character of the wine
for which it was intended. These were by the hand of
Demetrius. It was in all respects a Roman meal, in its
fashions and conduct, though the table was spread with
many delicacies peculiar to the Orientals. The walls and
ceiling of the room, and the carpets represented, in the
colors of the most eminent Greek and Persian artists,
scenes of the life and reign of the great Queen of Egypt,
of whom Zenobia reckons herself a descendant. Cleopatra
was all around, above, and beneath. Music at
intervals, as the repast drew toward a close, streamed in
from invisible performers, and added a last and crowning
charm. The conversation was light and sportful, taking
once or twice only, and accidentally, as it were, a political
turn. These graceful Palmyrenes act a winning part
in all the high courtesies of life; and nothing could be
more perfect than their demeanor, free and frank, yet
never forgetful of the presence of Zenobia, nor even of
me, a representative in some manner of the majesty of
Rome.
The moon, nearly at her full, was already shining
bright in the heavens, when we left the tables, and walking
first for a time upon the cool pavements of the porticos
of the palace, then descended to the gardens, and separating
in groups, moved away at will among their endless
windings. Zenobia, as if desiring some private conference
with her great teacher, left us in company with
Longinus. It was my good and happy fortune to find
myself in the society of Julia and Fausta, with whom I
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directed my steps toward the remoter and more quiet parts
of the garden — for nearer the palace there was still to be
heard the sounds of merriment, and of the instruments,
furnishing a soft and delicious entertainment for such as
chose to remain longer in the palace. Of the rest of the
company, some like ourselves wandered among the labyrinthian
walks of this vast pleasure-ground, while others,
already weary, or satisfied with enjoyment, returned early
to their homes.
The evening, shall I say it, was worthy of the company
now abroad to enjoy it. A gentle breeze just swayed the
huge leaves of the — to me — strange plants which overhung
the paths, and came, as it here always seems to
come, laden with a sweetness which in Rome it never
has, unless added by the hand of Art. Dian's face shone
never before so fair and bright, and her light, coming to
us at frequent turns in our walk, through the spray of
numerous fountains, caused them to show like falling
diamonds. A divine repose breathed over the whole
scene. I am sure our souls were in harmony with it.
`Princess,' said I, `the gardens of Nero can have presented
no scenes more beautiful than these. He who designed
these avenues, and groups of flowers and trees,
these frequent statues and fountains, bowers and mimic
temples, and made them bear to each other these perfect
proportions and relations, had no less knowledge, methinks,
of the true principles of taste, and of the very
secrets of beauty, than the great Longinus himself. The
beauty is so rare, that it affects the mind almost like
greatness itself. In truth, in perfect beauty there is
always that which overawes.'
`I cannot say,' replied Julia, `that the learned Greek
was the architect and designer of these various forms of
beauty. The credit, I believe, is rather due to Periander,
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a native Athenian, a man, it is universally conceded, of
the highest genius. Yet it is at the same time to be said,
that the mind of Longinus presided over the whole. And
he took not less delight in ordering the arrangements of
these gardens, than he did in composing that great treatise,
not long published, and which you must have seen
before you left Rome. He is a man of universal powers.
You have not failed to observe his grace — not less than
his abilities — while we were at the tables. You have
seen that he can play the part of one who would win the
regards of two foolish girls, as well as that of first minister
of a great kingdom, or that of the chief living representative
and teacher of the philosophy of the immortal
Plato.'
`For myself,' I replied, `I could hardly withdraw myself
from the simple admiration of his noble head and
form, to attend, so as to judge of it, to what fell from his
lips. It seems to me that if a sculptor of his own Greece
sought for a model of the human figure, he could hope to
find none so perfect as that of Longinus.'
`That makes it the foolisher and stranger,' said
Fausta, `that he should toil at his toilet as he so manifestly
does. Why can he not rely, for his power over
both men and women, upon his genius, and his natural
graces. It might be well enough for the Stagyrite to
deck his little person in fine clothes, and to cover his fingers
with rings — for I believe there must be something
in the outward appearance to strike the mere sensual eye,
and please it, either natural or assumed, or else even
philosophers might go unheeded. I doubt if upon my
fingers there be more or more glowing rings than upon
those of Longinus. To be sure, one must admit that his
taste is exquisite.'
`In the manners and dress of Longinus,' said I, `as
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well as in those of Aristotle, we behold, I think, simply
the power of custom. They were both, in respect to such
things, in a state of indifference — the true philosophical
state. But what happened? Both became instructors and
companions of princes, and the inmates of royal palaces.
Their manners and costume were left, without a thought,
I will dare to say, on their part, to conform themselves to
what was around them. Would it not have been a more
glaring piece of vanity, if in the palace of Philip, Aristotle
had clothed himself in the garb of Diogenes — or if
Longinus, in the presence of the great Zenobia, had appeared
in the sordid attire of Timon?'
`I think so,' said Julia.
`Your explanation is a very probable one,' added
Fausta, `and had not occurred to me. It is true, the
courts may have dressed them and not themselves. But
never, I still must think, did a rich dress fall upon more
willing shoulders than upon those of the Greek, always
excepting, Julia, Paul of Antioch.'
`Ah, Fausta,' said Julia, `you cannot, do what you
will, shake my faith in Paul. If I allow him vain, and
luxurious, and haughty, I can still separate the advocate
from the cause. You would not condemn the doctrine of
Aristotle, on the ground that he wore rings. Nor can I
altogether, nor in part, that of Paul, because he rolls
through the city in a gilded chariot, with the attendance
of a prince. I may blame or despise him — but not
therefore reject his teaching. That has a defence independent
of him. Policy, and necessity of time and place,
have compelled him to much which his reason disproves.
This he has given me to believe — and has conjured me
on this, as on all subjects, to yield my mind only to evidence,
apart from all personal considerations. But I did
not mean to turn our conversation in this direction. Here,
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Piso, have we now arrived in our walk at my favorite
retreat. This is my bower for meditation, and frequently
for reading, too. Let us take this seat. Observe how
through these openings we catch some of the prominent
points of the city. There is the obelisk of Cleopatra;
there the tower of Antonine; there the Egyptian Pyramid;
and there a column going up in honor of Aurelian;
and in this direction, the whole outline of the palace.'
`Yet are we at the same time shut out from all the
world,' said I. `Your hours must fly swiftly here. But
are your musings always solitary ones?'
`Oh no — I am not so craving as that of my own
society: sometimes I am joined by my mother, and not
seldom by my sweet Fausta here,' said she, at the same
time affectionately drawing Fausta's arm within her own,
and clasping her hand; `we do not agree, indeed, upon
all the subjects which we discuss, but we still agree in
our love.'
`Indeed we do, and may the gods make it perpetual;
may death only divide us!' said Fausta with fervor.
`And may the divinity who sits supreme above,' said
Julia, `grant that over that, not even death shall have
power. If any thing makes existence valuable, it is love.
If I should define my happiness, I should say it in one
word, Love. Without Zenobia, what should I be? I
cannot conceive of existence, deprived of her, or of her
regard. Loving her, and Fausta, and Longinus as I do—
not to forget Livia and the dear Faustula — and beloved
by all in return — and my happiness scarcely seems
to admit of addition.'
`With what pain,' said I, `does one contemplate the
mere possibility that affections such as these are to last
only for the few years which make up the sum of human
life. Must I believe, must you believe, that all this fair
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scene is to end forever at death? That you, bound to
each other by so many ties, are to be separated, and both
of you to be divided from Zenobia, and all of us to all fall
into nothingness, silence, and darkness? Rather than
that, would that the life we now enjoy might be immortal!
Here are beautiful objects, among which one might
be willing to live forever. I am never weary of the moon
and her soft light, nor of the balmy air, nor of the bright
greens of the herbage, nor of the forms of plain and mountain,
nor of the human beings, infinite in the varieties of
their character, who surround me wherever I go. Here
now have I wandered far from my home, yet in what
society and in what scenes do I find myself! The same
heaven is above me, the same forms of vegetable life
around me, and what is more, friends already dear as
those I have left behind. In this very spot, were it but
as an humble attendant upon the greatness of the queen,
could I be content to dwell.'
`Truly, I think you might,' cried Fausta, `having
chosen for yourself so elysian a spot, and filled it with
such inhabitants, it is no great proof of a contented spirit
that you should love to inhabit it. But how many such
spots does the world present? — and how many such inhabitants?
The question I think is, would you be ready to
accept the common lot of man as an immortal one? I can
easily believe that many, were they seated in these gardens,
and waited on by attendant slaves, and their whole
being made soft and tranquil, and exempt from care and
fear, would say, `Ensure me this, and I ask no more.'
For myself, indeed, I must say it would not be so. I
think not even the lot of Zenobia, enthroned as she is
in the hearts of millions, nor yet thine, Julia, beloved not
less than Zenobia, would satisfy me. I have now all that
my utmost desires crave. Yet is there a part of me, I
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know not what it is, nor where it is, that is not full. I
confess myself restless and unsatisfied. No object, no
study, no pursuit, no friendship — forgive me Julia — and
she kissed her hand — no friendship even, satisfies and
fills me.'
`I do not wonder,' said Julia.
`But how much unhappiness is there spread over the
earth,' continued Fausta: `I, and you, and Piso perhaps,
too, are in a state of dissatisfaction. And yet we are perched,
as it were, upon the loftiest heights of existence. How
must it be with those who are so far inferior to us as multitudes
are in their means of happiness. From how many
ills are we shielded, which rain down sharp-pointed, like
the hail storms of winter, upon the undefended heads of
the poor and low! They, Piso, would not, I think, pray
that their lot might be immortal.'
`Indeed I think not,' said I. `Yet, perhaps, their lot
is not so much more miserable than yours, as the difference
in outward condition might lead one to think. Remember,
the slave and the poor do not feel as you would,
suddenly reduced to their state. The Arab enjoys his
sleep upon his tent floor, as well as you, Princess, beneath
a canopy of woven gold, and his frugal meal of date or
pulse tastes as sweet, as to you do dainties fetched from
Rome, or fished from the Indian seas: and eating and
sleeping make up much of life. Then the hearts of the
great are corroded by eares and solicitudes which never
visit the humble. Still, I do not deny that their condition
is not far less enviable than ours. The slave who
may be lashed, and tormented, and killed at his master's
pleasure, drinks from a cup of which we never so much as
taste. But over the whole of life, and throughout every
condition of it, there are scattered evils and sorrows which
pierce every heart with pain. I look upon all conditions
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as in part evil. It is only by selecting circumstances, and
excluding ills which are the lot of all, that I could ask to
live forever, even in the gardens of Zenobia.'
`I do not think we differ much, then,' said Fausta, `in
what we think of human life. I hold the highest lot to be
unsatisfying. You admit all are so, but have shown me
that there is a nearer approach to an equality of happiness
than I had supposed, though evil weighs upon all. How
the mind longs and struggles to penetrate the mysteries of
its being! How imperfect and without aim does life
seem! Every thing beside man seems to reach its utmost
perfection. Man alone appears a thing incomplete and
faulty.'
`And what,' said I, `would make him appear to you a
thing perfect and complete? What change should you
suggest?'
`That which rather may be called an addition,' replied
Fausta, `and which, if I err not, all wise and good men desire—
the assurance of immortality. Nothing is sweet;
every cup is bitter; that which we are this moment drinking
from, bitterest of all, without this. Of this I incessantly
think and dream, and am still tossed in a sea of doubt.'
`You have read Plato?' said I.
`Yes, truly,' she replied — `but I found little there to
satisfy me. I have enjoyed, too, the frequent conversation
of Longinus, and yet it is the same. Would that he were
now here! The hour is serene, and the air which comes
in so gently from the West, such as he loves.'
As Fausta uttered these words, our eyes at the same
moment caught the forms of Zenobia and Longinus, as
they emerged from a walk very near, but made dark by
overhanging and embowering roses. We immediately
advanced toward them, and begged them to join us.
`We are conversing,' said Julia, `upon such things as
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you both love. Come and sit now with us, and let us
know what you can say upon the same themes.'
`We will sit with you gladly,' said the queen; `at least
for myself I may say it, for I am sure that with you I shall
find some other subjects discussed beside perplexing
affairs of state. When alone with Longinus — as but
now — our topic is ever the same.'
`If the subject of our discourse, however, be ever the
same,' said the Greek, `we have this satisfaction in reflecting
upon it, that it is one that in its nature is real and
tangible. The well-being of a nation is not an undefined
and shadowy topic, like so many of those which occupy
the time and thoughts of even the wise. I too, however,
shall gladly bear a part in whatever theme may engross
the thoughts of Julia, Fausta, and Piso.'
With these words, we returned to the seats we had left,
which were not within the arbor of Julia, but were the marble
steps which led to it. There we placed ourselves, one
above and one beside another, as happened — Zenobia
sitting between Fausta and Julia, I at the feet of Julia,
and Longinus on the same step with myself, and next to
Fausta. I could hardly believe that Zenobia was now the
same person before whom I had in the morning, with
little agitation, prostrated myself, after the manner of
the Persian ceremonial. She seemed rather like a friend
whom I both loved and revered. The majesty of the
queen was gone; there remained only the native dignity
of beauty, and goodness, and intellect, which, though it
inspires reverence, yet is there nothing slavish in the feeling.
It differs in degree only, from that sentiment which
we entertain toward the gods; it raises rather than depresses.
`We were speaking,' said Julia, resuming the subject
which had engaged us, `of life and of man — how
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unsatisfactory life is, and how imperfect and unfinished, as it
were, man; and we agreed, I believe, in the opinion, that
there can be no true happiness, without a certain assurance
of immortality — and this we are without.'
`I agree with you,' said Longinus, `in all that you can
have expressed concerning the unsatisfactoriness of life,
regarded as a finite existence, and concerning the want of
harmony there is between man and the other works of
God, if he is mortal; and in this also, that without the
assurance of immortality, there can, to the thinking mind,
be no true felicity. I only wonder that on the last point
there should exist in the mind of any one of you doubts so
serious as to give you much disturbance. I cannot, indeed,
feel so secure of a future and then unending existence,
as I am sure that I live now. What I am
now I know; concerning the future, I can only believe,
and belief can never possess the certainty of knowledge.
Still, of a future life I entertain no doubts that distress me.
My belief in it is as clear and strong as I can well conceive
belief in things invisible and unexperienced to be.
It is such as makes me happy in any thought or prospect
of death. Without it, and life would appear to me like
nothing more to be esteemed than a short, and often
troubled or terrific dream.
`So I confess it seems to me,' said Fausta. `How
should I bless the gods, if upon my mind there could rest
a conviction of immortality strong like yours! The very
certainty with which you speak, seems, through the power
of sympathy, to have scattered some of my doubts. But,
alas! they will soon return.'
`In what you have now said,' replied Longinus, `and
in the feeling you have expressed on this point, do I found
one of the strongest arguments for the immortality of the
soul.'
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`I do not comprehend you,' said Fausta.
`Do you not, Fausta,' asked Longinus, `intensely desire
a life after death?'
`I do indeed. I have just expressed it.'
`And do not you too, Zenobia, and Piso, and Julia?'
`Surely, and with intensity,' we answered; `the question
need scarcely be asked.'
`I believe you,' resumed Longinus. `You all earnestly
desire an immortal life — you perpetually dwell upon the
thought of it, and long for it. Is it not so with all who
reflect at all upon themselves? Are there any such, have
there ever been any, who have not been possessed by the
same thoughts and desires, and who, having been greatly
comforted and supported by them during life, have not at
death relied upon them, and looked with some good degree
of confidence toward a coming forth again from
death? Now I think it is far more reasonable to believe
in another life, than in the delusiveness of these expectations.
For I cannot suppose that this universal expectation
will be disappointed, without believing in the wickedness,
nay, the infinite malignity, of the Supreme Ruler,
which my whole nature utterly refuses to do. For what
more cruel, than to create this earnest and universal longing,
and not gratify it? Does it not seem so?'
We all admitted it.
`This instinctive desire,' continued Longinus, `I cannot
but regard as being implanted by the Being who
created us. It can proceed from no other. It is an
instinct, that is, a suggestion or inspiration of God. If it
could be shown to be a consequence of education, we
might refer it for its origin to ingenious philosophers.
But it exists where the light of philosophy has never shone.
There have been none, of whom history has preserved
even obscurest traditions, who have wanted this instinct.
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It is then the very inspiration of the Divinity, and will not
be disappointed. I trust much to these tendencies of our
nature. This is the best ground for our belief of a
God. The arguments of the schools have never succeeded
in establishing the truth, even to the conviction of a philosophical
mind, much less a common one. Yet the truth
is universally admitted. God, I think, has provided for
so important an article of faith in the structure of our
minds. He has not left it to chance, or special Revelation.
So, too, the determinations of the mind concerning
virtue and vice, right and wrong, being for the most part
so accordant throughout the whole race — these also I
hold to be instinctive.'
`I can think of nothing,' said Fausta, `to urge against
your argument. It adds some strength, I cannot but
confess, to what belief I had before. I trust you have yet
more that you can impart. Do not fear that we shall be
dull listeners.'
`I sit here a willing and patient learner,' said Zenobia,
`of any one who will pour new light into my mind. Go
on, Longinus.'
`To such a school,' said he, `how can I refuse to
speak? Let me ask you, then, if you have never been
perplexed by the evils of life, such as either you have
yourselves experienced, or such as you have witnessed?'
`I have, indeed,' said Fausta, `and have deeply deplored
them. But how are they connected with a future
existence?'
`Thus,' replied Longinus, `as in the last case, the
benevolence of the Supreme God cannot be sustained
without the admission of the reality of a future life. Nor
only that, but, it seems to me, direct proof may be adduced
from the existence and universality of these evils to
establish the blackest malignity. So that to me, belief in
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a future existence is in proportion to the difficulty of admitting
the idea of divine malignity, and it cannot therefore
be much stronger than it is.'
`How can you make that clear to us?' said Fausta; `I
should truly rejoice if out of the evils which so darken the
earth, any thing good or beautiful could be drawn.'
`As this dark mould,' rejoined the philosopher, `sends
upwards, and out of its very heart, this rare Persian rose,
so does hope grow out of evil, and the darker the evil
the brighter the hope, as from a richer and fouler soil
comes the more vigorous plant and larger flower. Take
a particular evil, and consider it. You remember the
sad tale concerning the Christian Probus, which Piso,
in recounting the incidents of his journey from Rome to
Palmyra, related to us while seated at the tables.'
`Indeed, I did not hear it,' said Zenobia; `so that
Piso must, if he pleases, repeat it.'
`We shall willingly hear it again,' said Julia and
Fausta.
And I then related it again.
`Now do you wonder,' resumed Longinus, when I had
finished, `that Probus, when one after another, four children
were ravished from his arms by death, and then, as
if to crown his lot with evil, his wife followed them, and
he was left alone the world, bereaved of every object
to which his heart was most fondly attached, do you wonder,
I say, that he turned to the heavens and cursed the
gods? And can you justify the gods so that they shall not
be chargeable with blackest malignity, if there be no
future and immortal state? What is it to bind so the
heart of a parent to a child, to give that affection a force
and a tenderness which belong to no other tie, so that
anxieties for its life and welfare, and cares and sacrifices
for its good, constitute the very existence of the parent,
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what is it to foster by so many contrivances this love,
and then forever disappoint and blast it, but malignity?
Yet this work is done every hour, and in almost every
heart; if for children we lament not, yet we do for others
as dear.'
Tears to the memory of Odenatus fell fast from the eyes
of Zenobia.
`Are we not then,' — continued Longinus, without
pausing — `are we not then presented with this alternative,
either the Supreme God is a malignant being, whose
pleasure it is to torment, or, there is an immortal state, where
we shall meet again with those, who, for inscrutable purposes,
have been torn from our arms here below? And
who can hesitate in which to rest? The belief, therefore,
in a future life ought to be in proportion to the difficulty
of admitting the idea of divine malignity. And this idea
is so repulsive — so impossible to be entertained for one
moment — that the other cannot, it seems to me, rest upon
a firmer foundation.'
`Every word you speak,' said Zenobia, `yields pleasure
and instruction. It delights me, even when thickest beset
by the cares of state, to pause and contemplate for a moment
the prospects of futurity. It diffuses a divine calm
throughout the soul. You have given me new food for
my thoughts.'
`I will add,' said Longinus, `only one thing to what I
have said, and that is, concerning the incompleteness of
man, as a divine work, and which has been mentioned by
Fausta. Is not this an argument for a future life? Other
things and beings are finished and complete — man only
is left, as it were, half made up. A tree grows and bears
fruit, and the end of its creation is answered. A complete
circle is run. It is the same with the animals. No
one expects more from a lion or a horse than is found in
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both. But with man, it is not so. In no period of history,
and among no people, has it been satisfactorily determined
what man is, or what are the limits of his capacity
and being. He is full of contradictions, and of incomprehensible
organization, if he is considered only in relation
to this world. For while every other affection finds
and rests in its appropriate object, which fully satisfies
and fills it, the desire of unlimited improvement and of
endless life — the strongest and best defined of any of the
desires — this alone is answered by no corresponding
object: which is not different from what it would be, if
the gods should create a race like ours, having the same
craving and necessity for food and drink, yet never provide
for them the one or the other, but leave them all to
die of hunger. Unless there is a future life, we all die of
a worse hunger. Unless there is a future life, man is a
monster in creation — compared with other things, an
abortion — and in himself, and compared with himself,
an enigma — a riddle — which no human wit has ever
solved, or can ever hope to solve.'
`This seems unanswerable,' said Fausta; `yet is it no
objection to all such arguments, which we ourselves construct,
that the thing they establish is too great and good
almost to be believed, without some divine warrant. It
does to me appear almost or quite presumptuous to think
that for me, there is by the gods prepared a world of
never-fading light, and a never-ending joy.'
`When,' replied the Greek, `we look at the lower forms
of man which fall under our observation, I confess that
the objection which you urge strikes me with some
force. But when I think that it is for beings like you to
whom I speak, for whom another and fairer world is to
be prepared, it loses again much of its force. And when
I think of the great and good of other times, of Homer and
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Hesiod, of Phidias and Praxiteles, of Socrates and Plato,
and of what the mind of man has in them, and in others
as great and good, accomplished, the objection which you
urge loses all its force. I see and feel that man has been
made not altogether unworthy of a longer life and a happier
lot than earth affords. And in regard to the ignorant,
the low, and the almost or quite savage, we are to
consider that the same powers and affections are in them
as in us, and that their inferiority to us is not intrinsic
and essential, but as it were accidental. The difference
between the soul of Plato and yonder Ethiopian slave, is
not in any original faculty or power; the slave here equals
the philosopher; but in this, that the faculties and powers
of Plato were strengthened, and nurtured, and polished,
by the hand of education, and the happy influences of a
more civilized community, all which to the slave has been
wanting. He is a diamond just as it comes from the
mine; Plato like that one set in gold, which sparkles with
the radiance of a star, Fausta, upon your finger. But,
surely, the glory of the diamond is, that it is a diamond;
not that Demetrius has polished and set it. Man has
within him so much of the god, that I do not wonder he
has been so often deified. The great and excellent
among men, therefore, I think not unworthy of immortality,
for what they are; the humble, and the bad, for
what they may so easily become, and might have been,
under circumstances but slightly altered.'
`I cannot,' said Julia, as Longinus closed, `deny
strength and plausibility to your arguments, but I cannot
admit that they satisfy me. After the most elaborate
reasoning, I am still left in darkness. No power or wit
of man has ever wholly scattered the mists which rest
upon life and death. I confess, with Socrates, that I
want a promise or a revelation to enable me to take the
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voyage of life in a spirit of cheerfulness, and without the
fear of fatal shipwreck. If your reasonings, Longinus,
were only accompanied with authority more than that of
man, if I could only believe that the Divinity inspired
you, I could then rest contented and happy. One word
authoritatively declaring man's immortality, a word which
by infallible token I could know to be a word from the
Supreme, would to me be worth infinitely more than all
the conjectures, hopes, and reasonings of all the philosophers.
I fully agree with you, that the instincts of our
nature all point both to a God and to immortality. But
the heart longs for something more sure and clear, at least
my woman's heart does. It may be that it is the woman
within me which prompts the feeling — but I wish to lean
upon authority in this great matter; I wish to repose
calmly in a divine assurance.'
`In that, princess,' I could not help saying, `I am a
woman too. I have long since lost all that regard for the
gods in which I was so carefully nourished. I despise
the popular superstitions. Yet is there nothing which I
have found as yet to supply their place. I have searched
the writings of Plato, of Cicero, of Seneca, in vain. I
find there indeed, wisdom, and learning, and sagacity,
almost more than human. But I find nothing which can
be dignified by the name of religion. Their systems of
morals are admirable, and sufficient perhaps to enable one
to live a happy or fortunate life. But concerning the soul
of man, and its destiny, they are dumb, or their words, if
they utter any, are but the dark speeches of an oracle.'
`I am happy that I am not alone,' said Julia; `and I
cannot but think that many, very many, are with me. I
am sure that what most persons, perhaps, who think and
feel upon these subjects want, is, some divine promise
or revelation. Common minds, Longinus, cannot
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appreciate the subtlety of your reasonings, much less those of the
Phædo. And, besides, the cares and labors of life do not
allow time to engage in such inquiries, even if we supposed
all men to have capacity for them. Is it not necessary
that truths relating to the soul and futurity should
rest upon authority, if any, or many, beside philosophers
are to embrace them? And surely, if the poor and ignorant
are immortal, it is as needful for them, as for us, to
know it. It is, I conceive, on this account, that the religion
of the Christians has spread so rapidly. It meets our
nature. It supplies authority. It professes to bring annunciations
from Heaven of man's immortality.'
`It is for that reason,' replied Longinus, `I cannot
esteem it. The very term revelation offends. The right
application of reason effects all, it seems to me, that what
is called revelation can. It perfectly satisfies the philosopher,
and as for common minds, instinct is an equally
sufficient guide and light.'
`I cannot but judge you, Longinus,' said Julia, `wanting
in a true fellow feeling for your kind, notwithstanding
all you have said concerning the nature and powers of
man. How is it, that you can desire that mankind should
remain any longer under the dominion of the same gross
and pernicious errors that have for so many ages oppressed
them! Only consider the horrors of an idolatrous religion
in Egypt and Assyria, in Greece and in Rome —
and do you not desire their extermination? — and what
prospect of this can there be, but through the plain authoritative
language of a revelation?'
`I certainly desire with you,' replied Longinus, `the
extermination of error, and the overthrow of horrible and
corrupting superstitions; and of nothing am I more sure
than that the reason of man, in un olding and constantly
improving ages, will effect it. A plain voice from Heaven,
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announcing important truth, might perhaps hasten the
work. But this voice, as thought to be heard in Christianity,
is not a plain voice, nor clearly known to be a
voice from Heaven. Here is the Bishop of Antioch set
upon by the Bishops of Alexandria and Cesarea, and
many others, as I learn, who accuse him of wrongly receiving
and falsely teaching the doctrines of Christ; and
for two hundred years has there prevailed the like uncertainty
about the essence of the religion.'
`I look not with much hope to Christianity,' said
Fausta. `Yet I must first inform myself more exactly
concerning it, before I judge.'
`That is spoken like Fausta,' said Julia; `and it is
much for you to say who dislike so heartily that Paul,
whom I am constantly wishing you to hear.'
`Whenever he shall lay aside a little of his pomp, I
may be willing to listen,' replied Fausta; `but I could
ill brook a discourse upon immortality from one whose
soul seems so wedded to time.'
`Well,' said Julia, `but let us not be drawn away from
our subject. I admit that there are disputes among the
Christians, but like the disputes among philosophers, they
are about secondary matters. There is no dispute concerning
the great and chiefly interesting part of the religion—
its revelation of a future life. Christians have
never divided here, nor on another great point, that Christ
the founder of the religion was a true messenger from
God. The voice of Christianity on both these points is a
clear one. Thus, I think, every one will judge, who, as
I have done, will read the writings in which the religion
is found. And I am persuaded it is because it is so plain a
voice here, that it is bidding fair to supercede every other
form of religion. And that it is a voice from God, is, it
seems to me, made out with as much clearness as we
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could look for. That Christ the author of this religion
was a messenger from God, was shown by his miracles.
How could it be shown otherwise? I can conceive of no
other way in which so satisfying proof could be given of
the agency and authority of God. And certainly there is
evidence enough, if history is to be believed, that he
wrought many and stupendous miracles.'
`What is a miracle?' asked Longinus.
`It is that,' replied Julia, `which being done or said,
furnishes satisfactory proof of the present interposing power
of God. A man who, by a word spoken, can heal sick
persons, and raise to life dead ones, can be no other than
a messenger of God!'
`Why not of some other superior being — perhaps a
bad one?'
`The character, teaching, objects, acts of Christ, make
it unlikely, if not impossible, that he should have been
sent by any bad intelligence. And that he came not only
from a good being, but from God, we may believe on his
own word.'
`His goodness may have been all assumed. The whole
may be a deception.'
`Men do not sacrifice their lives merely to deceive, to
play a child's game before the world. Christ died, to
show his attachment to his cause, and with him, innumerable
others. Would they have done this merely to impose
upon mankind? And for what purpose? — for that of
teaching a religion inculcating the loftiest virtue! But I
do not set myself forward as a champion of this new religion,
' continued Julia, plainly disturbed lest she might
have seemed too earnest; `would that you, Longinus, could
be persuaded to search into its claims. If you would but
read the books written by the founders of it, I am sure
you would say this at least, that such books were never
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written before, nor such a character portrayed as that of
Jesus Christ. You who profess yourself charmed with
the poetry of the Jewish Scriptures, and the grandeur of
the sentiments expressed in them, would not be less impressed
by the gentler majesty, the mild, sweet dignity of
the person and doctrine of Christ. And if the reasonings
of Socrates and Plato have any power to convince you of
the immortality of the soul, how must you be moved by
the simple announcements of the truth by the Nazarene,
and above all by his resurrection from the dead! Christianity
boasts already powerful advocates, but I wish it
could say that its character and claims had been examined
by the great Longinus.'
The soft yet earnest, eloquent tones of Julia's voice fell
upon pleased and willing ears. The countenance of the
Greek glowed with a generous satisfaction, as he listened
to the reasoning of his fair pupil, poured forth in that noble
tongue it had been his task and his happiness to teach
her. Evidently desirous, however, not to prolong the conversation,
he addressed himself to the queen.
`You are pleased,' said he, `you must be, with the aptness
of my scholar. Julia has not studied dialectics in
vain. Before I can feel myself able to contend with her,
I must study the books she has commended so — from
which, I must acknowledge, I have been repelled by a
prejudice, I believe, rather than any thing else, or more
worthy — and then, perhaps, I may agree in opinion with
her.'
`In truth,' said Zenobia, `Julia is almost or quite a
Christian. I knew not, daughter, that Paul had made
such progress in his work. But all have my full consent
to cherish such form of religious faith as most approves
itself to their own minds. I find my highest satisfaction
in Moses and the prophets. Happy shall I be if Julia find
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as much, or more, in Christ and his apostles. Sure am I,
there is no beneficent power, or charm in the religions of
Greece or Rome, or Persia, or Egypt, to cause any of us
to adhere to them, though our very infancy were instructed
in their doctrines.'
`It is not, I assure you,' said Julia, `to Paul of Antioch
that I owe such faith in Christ as I have, but to the Christian
books themselves; or if to any human authority beside,
to St. Thomas, the old hermit of the mountain, to whom I
would that every one should resort who would draw near
to the purest living fountain of Christian knowledge.'
`I trust,' said I, `that at some future time I may, with
your guidance, or through your influence, gain admittance
to this aged professor of the Christian faith. I confess
myself now, since what I have heard, a seeker after Christian
knowledge.'
`Gladly shall I take you there,' replied the princess,
`and gladly will St. Thomas, receive you.'
We now at the same time rose from our seats. Zenobia,
taking the hand of Fausta, walked toward the
palace; Longinus, with folded arms, and as if absorbed by
the thoughts which were passing through his mind, began
to pace to and fro beneath the thick shadows of a group
of orange trees. I was left with Julia.
`Princess,' said I, `it is yet early, and the beauty of
the evening makes it wrong to shut ourselves up from the
sight of so fair a scene: shall we follow farther some of
these inviting paths?'
`Nothing can be more pleasant,' said she; `these are
my favorite haunts, and I never am weary of them, and
never did they seem to me to wear a more lovely aspect
than now. Let me be our guide, and I will lead you by
a winding way to Zenobia's Temple, as we call it, for the
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reason that it is her chosen retreat, as the arbor which we
have now left is mine.'
So we began to walk toward the spot of which she
spake. We were for some time silent. At length the
princess said: `Roman, you have now seen Zenobia, both
as a queen and a woman. Has fame done her more than
justice?'
`Great as her reputation is in Rome,' I replied, `fame
has not, to my ear at least, brought any thing that more
than distantly approaches a true and faithful picture of her.
We have heard much indeed — and yet not enough — of
her surpassing beauty, of the vigor of her understanding,
of her vast acquirements in the Greek learning, of the
wisdom and energy of her conduct as a sovereign queen,
of her skill in the chase, of her bravery and marshal bearing,
when, at the head of her troops, she leads them to the
charge. But of this union of feminine loveliness with so
much of masculine power, of this womanly grace, of this
winning condescension, — so that it loses all the air of
condescension, — to those even much beneath her in every
human accomplishment as well as in rank, of this I
had heard nothing, and for this I was not prepared.
When, in the morning, I first saw her seated in all the
pride of oriental state, and found myself prostrate at her
feet, it was only Zenobia that I saw, and I saw what I
expected. But no sooner had she spoken, especially no
sooner had she cast that look upon you, princess, when
you had said a few words in reply to me, than I saw not
Zenobia only, but the woman and the mother. A veil
was suddenly lifted, and a new being stood before me.
It seemed to me that that moment I knew her better than
I know myself. I am sure that I know her. Her countenance
all living with emotion, changing and working
with every thought of her mind, and every feeling of her
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heart, reveals her with the truth of a magic mirror. She
is not known at Rome.'
`I am sorry for it,' said Julia; `if they only knew her,
they could never do her harm. You, Piso, may perhaps
do much for her. I perceive, already, that she highly
regards you, and values your opinion. If you are willing
to do us such service, if you feel interest enough in our
fate, speak to her, I pray you, with plainness, all that you
think. Withhold nothing. Fear not to utter what you
may deem to be most unpalatable truths. She is candid
and generous as she is ambitious. She will at least hear
and weigh whatever you may advance. God grant, that
truth may reach her mind, and reaching, sway it!'
`I can now think of no higher satisfaction,' I replied,
`than to do all I may, as a Roman, in your service. I
love your nation; and as a Roman and a man, I desire
its welfare and permanent glory. Its existence is necessary
to Rome; its ruin or decay must be, viewed aright,
but so much injury to her most vital interests. Strange,
how strange, that Zenobia, formed by the gods to draw
her happiness from sources so much nobler than any
which ambition can supply, should turn from them, and
seek for it in the same shallow pool with Alexander, and
Aurelian, and the hireling soldier of fortune!'
`Strange indeed,' said Julia, `that she who can enter
with Longinus into the deepest mysteries of philosophy,
and whose mind is stored with all the learning of the
schools, should still love the pomp of power better than
all. And Fausta is but her second self. Fausta worships
Zenobia, and Zenobia is encouraged in her opinions, by
the kindred sentiments of that bright spirit. All the influence,
Piso, which you can exert over Fausta will reach
Zenobia.'
`It seems presumptuous, princess,' said I, `to seek to
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draw the minds of two such beings as Zenobia and Fausta
to our bent. Yet surely they are in the wrong.'
`It is something,' quickly added the Princess, `that
Longinus is of our mind; but then again Zabdas and
Gracchus are a host on the other part. And all the power
and pride of Palmyra are with them, too. But change
Zenobia, and we change all. Oh how weary am I of
ambition, and how sick of greatness! Willingly would
I exchange all this for an Arab's tent, or a hermit's cell.'
`The gods grant that may never be,' I replied; `but
that you, princess, may yet live to sit upon the throne of
Zenobia.'
`I say it with sincerity, Roman — that prayer finds no
echo in my bosom. I have seen enough of power, and of
the honors that wait upon it. And when I say this, having
had before my eyes this beautiful vision of Zenobia
reigning over subjects as a mother would reign over her
family, dealing justly with all, and living but to make
others happy — you must believe me. I seek and love a
calmer, humbler lot. — This, Piso, is the temple of Zenobia.
Let us enter.'
We approached and entered. It was a small building,
after the model of the temple of Vesta at Tivoli, constructed
of the most beautiful marbles, and adorned with
statues. Within, were the seats on which the queen was
accustomed to recline, and an ample table, covered with
her favorite authors, and the materials of writing.
“It is here,' said Julia, `that, seated with my mother,
we listen to the eloquence of Longinus, while he unfolds
the beauties of the Greek or Roman learning; or, together
with him, read the most famous works of former ages.
With Homer, Thucydides, and Sophocles for our companions,
we have here passed precious hours and days,
and have the while happily forgotten the heavy burden of
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a nation's cares. I have forgotten them; not so Zenobia.
They are her life, and from all we have read would she
ever draw somewhat that should be of service to her in
the duties of her great office.'
Returning to the surrounding portico, we stood and for
a time enjoyed in silence the calm beauty of the scene.
As we stood thus, Julia gazing upon the objects around
us, or lost in thought, I — must I say it: — seeing scarce
any thing but her, and thinking only of her — as we stood
thus, shouts of merry laughter came to us, borne upon the
breeze, and roused us from our reverie.
`These sounds,' said I, `cannot come from the palace;
it is too far, unless these winding walks have deceived
me.'
`They are the voices,' said Julia, `I am almost sure,
of Livia and Faustula, and the young Cæsars. They
seem to be engaged in some sport near the palace. Shall
we join them?'
`Let us do so,' said I.
So we moved toward that quarter of the gardens whence
the sounds proceeded. A high wall at length separated
us from those whom we sought. But reaching a gate, we
passed through and entered upon a lawn covered as it
seemed with children, slaves, and the various inmates of
the palace. Here, mingled among the motley company,
we at once perceived the queen, and Longinus and Fausta,
together with many of those whom we had sat with at the
banquet. The centre of attraction, and the cause of the
loud shouts of laughter which continually arose, was a
small white elephant with which the young princes and
princesses were amusing themselves. He had evidently
been trained to the part he had to perform, for nothing
could be more expert than the manner in which he went
through his various tricks. Sometimes he chased them
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and pretended difficulty in overtaking them; then he
would affect to stumble, and so fall and roll upon the
ground; then springing quickly upon his feet, he would
surprise some one or other lurking near him, and seizing
him with his trunk would hold him fast, or first whirling
him in the air, then seat him upon his back, and march
gravely round the lawn, the rest following and shouting;
then releasing his prisoner, he would lay himself
upon the ground, while all together would fearlessly
climb upon his back, till it was covered, when he would
either suddenly shake his huge body, so that one after
another they rolled off, or he would attempt to rise
slowly upon his legs, in doing which, nearly all would
slip from off his slanting back, and only two or three succeed
in keeping their places. And other sportive tricks,
more than it would be worth while for me to recount, did
he perform for the amusement of his play-fellows. And
beautiful was it to see the carefulness with which he
trod and moved, lest any harm might come to those children.
His especial favorite was the little flaxen-haired
Faustula. He was never weary with caressing her, taking
her on his trunk, and bearing her about, and when he set
her down, would wait to see that she was fairly on her
feet and safe, before he would return to his gambols.
Her voice calling out `Sapor, Sapor,' was sure to bring
him to her, when, what with words and signs, he soon
comprehended what it was she wanted. I myself came in
unwittingly for a share of the sport. For as Faustula came
bounding by me, I did as those are so apt to do who know
little of children — I suddenly extended my arms and
caught her. She, finding herself siezed and in the arms
of one she knew not, thought, as children will think, that
she was already borne a thousand leagues from her home,
and screamed; whereupon at the instant, I felt myself
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taken round the legs by a force greater than that of a man,
and which drew them together with such violence that
instinctively I dropped the child, and at the same time
cried out with pain. Julia, standing next me, incontinently
slapped the trunk of the elephant, for it was that
twisted round me, with her hand, at which, leaving me, he
wound it slightly round the waist of the princess, and held
her his close prisoner. Great laughter from the children
and the slaves testified their joy at seeing their elders,
equally with themselves, in the power of the elephant.
Milo being of the number, and in his foolish exhilaration
and sportive approbation of Sapor's feats having gone up to
him and patted him on his side, the beast, receiving as an
affront that plebeian salutation, quickly turned upon him,
and taking him by one of his feet held him in that displeasing
manner — his head hanging down — and paraded
leisurely round the green, Milo making the while hideous
outcry, and the whole company, especially the slaves and
menials, filling the air with screams of laughter. At
length Vabalathus, thinking that Milo might be injured,
called out to Sapor, who thereupon released him, and he
rising and adjusting his dress, was heard to affirm, that it
had never happened so while he was in the service of Gallienus.
These things for the little Gallus.
Satisfied, now, with the amusements of the evening,
and the pleasures of the day, we parted from one another,
filled with quite different sentiments from those which had
possessed us in the morning. Do members of this great
human family ever meet each other in social converse,
and freely open their hearts, without a new and better
strength being given to the bonds which hold in their embrace
the peace and happiness of society? To love each
other, I think we chiefly need but to know each other.
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Ignorance begets suspicion, suspicion dislike or hatred,
and so we live as strangers and enemies, when
knowledge would have led to intimacy and Friendship.
Farewell!
LETTER VI.
Many days have passed, my Curtius, since I last wrote,
each bringing its own pleasures, and leaving its ineffaceable
impressions upon the soul. But though all have been in
many things delightful, none has equalled that day and
evening at the palace of the queen. I have now mingled
largely with the best society in Palmyra. The doors of
the noble and the rich have been opened to me with a
liberal hospitality. As the friend of Gracchus and Fausta—
and now I may add, I believe, without presumption — of
Zenobia also, of Julia, and Longinus, I have been received
with attentions of which Aurelian himself might with
reason have been proud. More and more do I love this
people, more and more fervently do I beg of the Being or
Beings who rule over the affairs of men, to interpose and
defend them from any threatening danger. I grieve that
the rumors still reaching us from Rome tend so much to
confirm the belief that our emperor is making preparations
for an eastern expedition. Yet I cannot bring myself to
think that he aims at Zenobia. If it were so, would there
be first no communication with the queen? Is it like
Aurelian to plan and move so secretly? And against a
woman too? — and that woman Zenobia? I'll not believe
it. Your letters would not be what they are, if there
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were any real purpose like that which is attributed to
Aurelian. But time will make its revelations. Meanwhile,
let me tell you where I now am, and what pleasures
I am enjoying. This will be written under various
dates.
I write to you from what is called the Queen's Mountain
Palace, being her summer's residence — occasionally—
either to avoid the greater heats of the city, or that she
may divert herself with athletic sports, or hunting, of
which she is excessively fond, and in which she has few
equals of her own or even of our sex. Roman women of
the present day would be amazed, perhaps shocked, to be
told what the sports and exercises are in which this great
eastern queen finds her pleasures. She is not more exalted
above the women of Rome by genius, and the severer
studies of the closet, than she is, in my judgment, by the
manner and fashion of her recreations. Let not the dear
Lucilia be offended. Were she here with me, her fair and
generous mind would rest, I am sure, after due comparisons,
in the very same conclusions. Fausta is in these
respects too, as in others, but her second self. There is
not a feat of horsemanship or archery, or an enterprise in
the chase, but she will dare all and do all that is dared or
done by Zenobia. Not in the spirit of imitation or even
rivalry, but from the native impulses of a soul that reaches
at all things great and difficult. And even Julia, that
being who seems too ethereal for earth, and as if by some
strange chance she were misplaced, being here, even
Julia has been trained in the same school; and, as I shall
show you, can join in the chase, and draw the bow, with
scarcely less of skill and vigor — with no less courage —
than either her mother or Fausta. Although I have now
seen it, I still can hardly associate such excess of beauty—
a beauty both of form and face so truly belonging to
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this soft, Syrian clime — with a strength and dexterity at
every exercise that might put to shame many a Roman
who wears both a beard and the manly gown. But this, I
need not say, is not after Julia's heart. She loves more
the gentler encounters of social intercourse, where wit,
and sense, and the affections, have their full play, and the
god-like that is within us asserts its supremacy.
But my purpose now is, to tell you how and why it is I
am here, and describe to you, as well as I can, this new
Elysium: and how it is the happy spirits, whom the gods
have permitted to dwell here, pass their hours.
I am here by the invitation of the queen. A few days
after that which we had so highly enjoyed at the palace,
she expressed her desire that Gracchus, Fausta, and myself
would accompany her, with others of her select friends,
to her retreat among the hills, there to indulge in perfect
repose, or engage in the rural sports of the place, according
to our pleasure. I was not slow, neither were Gracchus
and Fausta, to accept so agreeable an invitation.
`I feared,' said Fausta, `lest the troubled state of affairs
would prevent the queen from taking her usual vacation,
where she loves best to be. But to say the truth, Lucius,
I do not think the prospect of a rupture with Rome does
give her very serious thought. The vision of a trial of
arms with so renowned a soldier as Aurelian, is, I doubt,
not wholly displeasing to her; there being especially so
good reason to believe that what befell Heraclianus might
befall Aurelian. Nay, do not look so grave. Rome is
not fallen — yet.'
`Your tongue, Fausta, is lighter than your heart. Yet
if Rome must fall, why, truly I know not at whose feet it
could fall so worthily as those of Zenobia and Fausta.
But I trust its destiny is never to fall. Other kingdoms
as great, or almost as great, I know you will say, have
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fallen, and Rome must in its turn. It seems, however,
I must say, to possess a principle of vitality which never
before belonged to any nation. Its very vastness, too,
seems to protect it. I can as soon believe that shoals of
sea-carp may overcome the whale, or an army of emmets
the elephant or rhinoceros, as that one nation, or many
banded together can break down the power of Rome.'
`How very, very naturally and easily is that said. Who
can doubt that you are a Roman, born upon the Cœlian
Hill! Pity but that we Palmyrenes could copy that
high way you Romans have. Do you not think that
strength and success lie much in confidence? Were
every Roman such as you, I can believe you were then
omnipotent. But then we have some like you. Here are
Zenobia and I, you cannot deny that we have something
of the Roman about us.'
`I confess it would be a drawn battle, at least, were
you a nation of Zenobias. How Fausta is at the lance, I
cannot yet tell.'
`That you shall see as soon as we are among the mountains.
Is not this charming, now, in the queen, to bring
us all together again so soon, under her own roof? And
such a place too, Lucius! We shall live there, indeed;
each day will, at least, be doubled. For I suppose life is
to be measured, not by hours, but sensations. Are you
ready for the morning start? Oh, that Solon were here!
what exquisite mirth should we have! Milo is something;
but Solon were more,'
`Fausta, Fausta,' cried Gracchus, `when will you be a
woman?'
`Never, I trust,' replied Fausta; `if I may then neither
laugh nor cry, nor vex a Roman, nor fight for our
queen. These are my vocations, and if I must renounce
them, then I will be a man.'
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`Either sex may be proud to gain you, my noble girl,'
said Gracchus.
Early in the morning of the following day, all at the
house of Gracchus gave note of preparation. We were to
meet the queen and her party a few miles from the walls
of the city, at an appointed place, whence we were to
make the rest of the journey in company. We were first
at the place of meeting, which was a rising ground, shadowed
by a few cedars, with their huge branching tops.
We reined up our horses, and stood with our faces toward
the road, over which we had just passed, looking to catch
the first view of the queen. The sun was just rising
above the horizon, and touching with its golden color the
higher objects of the scene — the tall cedars — the gray
crags, which here jutted out into the plain — the towers,
and columns, and obelisks of the still slumbering city.
`How beautiful!' exclaimed Fausta: `but look! that
is more beautiful still — that moving troop of horse! See!—
even at this distance you can distinguish the form and
bearing of the queen. How the slant beams of this ruddy
sun make her dress, and the harness of her gallant steed,
to sparkle! Is it not a fair sight, Lucius?'
It was beautiful, indeed. The queen was conspicuous
above all, not more for her form and bearing, than for the
more than imperial magnificence of her appointments. It
is thus she is always seen by her people, dazzling them
equally by her beauties and her state. As she drew nearer,
I felt that I had never before seen aught on earth so
glorious. The fiery Arabian that bore her knew, as well
as I, who it was that sat upon him; and the pride of his
carriage was visible in a thousand expressive movements.
Julia was at her side, differing from her only as one sun
differs from another. She, like Zenobia, seemed almost
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a part of the animal that bounded beneath her, so perfect
was the art with which she rode.
`A fair morning to you all,' cried the queen, accompanying
the words with a glance that was reward enough
for a life of service. `The day smiles upon our enterprise.
Fausta, if you will join me, Piso will take care of
Julia; as for our Zabdas and Longinus, they are sad loiterers.
'
Saying these things — scarcely checking her steed —
and before the rest of the party had quite come up — we
darted on, the queen leading the way, and, as is her wont,
almost at the top of her horse's speed.
`Zenobia,' said Julia, `is in fine spirits this morning,
as you may judge from her beaming countenance, and the
rate at which she travels. But we can hardly converse
while we are going so fast.'
`No bond has been signed,' said I, `that we should ride
like couriers. Suppose, princess, we slacken our pace.'
`That will we,' she replied, `and leave it to the queen
to announce our approach. Here now, alas! are Zabdas
and Longinus overtaking us. The queen wonders at
your delay,' said she, addressing them; `put spurs to
your horses, and you may easily overtake her.'
`Is it required?' asked the Egyptian, evidently willing
to linger.
`Not so, indeed,' answered Julia, `but it would be
gallant; the queen, save Fausta, is alone. How can we
answer it, if evil befall her? Her girth may break.'
At which alarming suggestion, taking it as merrily as
it was given, the two councillors quickened their pace,
and, bidding us good morning, soon, as we saw, at the
ascent of a little hill, overtook Zenobia.
For the rest of us, we were passing and repassing each
other, mingling and separating all the remainder of the
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way. Our road lay through a rather rough and hilly
country, but here and there sprinkled with bright spots of
the richest beauty, and highest cultivation. The valleys,
whenever we descended into them, we found well watered
and tilled, and peopled by an apparently happy peasantry.
And as we saw them from first one eminence and then
another, stretching away and winding among the hills, we
agreed that they presented delicious retreats for those who,
weary of the world, wished to taste, toward the close of
life, the sweets of a repose which the world never knows.
As we drew toward the end of our ride — a ride of quite
twenty Roman miles — we found ourselves forsaken of
all the rest of the company, owing either to our horses not
being equal to the others, or — rather, perhaps — to the
frequent pauses which we made at all those points where
the scenery presented any thing beautiful or uncommon.
Every thing now at last indicated that we were not far
from the royal demesne. All around were marks of
the hand and eye of taste having been there, and of the
outlay of enormous wealth. It was not, however, till we
had, for a mile and more, ridden through lawns and fields
covered with grains and fruits, laid out in divisions of
tillage or of wood, that, emerging from a dark grove, we
came within sight of the palace. We could just discern,
by the glittering of the sun upon the jewelry of their
horses, that the last of the company were wheeling into
the grounds in front of what seemed the principal part of
the vast structure. That we might not be too much in the
rear of all, we put spurs to our horses, which then, with the
fleetness of wind, bore us to the outer gates of the palace.
Passing these, we were in a moment in the midst of those
who had preceded us, the grooms and slaves of the palace
surrounding us, and taking charge of our horses. Zenobia
was still standing in the great central portico, where
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she had dismounted, her face glowing with the excitement
of the ride, and engaged in free discourse with the
group around her. Soon as Julia reined up her horse,
and quicker than any other could approach, she sprang
to her daughter's side, and assisted her to dismount, holding
with a strong hand the while, the fiery and restless
animal she rode.
`Welcome in safety, Julia,' said the queen, `and thanks,
noble Piso, for your care of your charge. But perhaps we
owe your safety more to the strength of your Arab's girth,
than to any care of Piso.'
Julia's laugh rang merrily through the arches of the
portico.
`Truly,' said she, `I was glad to use any sudden conceit
by which to gain a more solitary ride than I was like
to have. It was my ambition to be Piso's companion, that
I might enjoy the pleasure of pointing out to new eyes the
beauties of the country. I trust I was rightly comprehended
by our grave councillors.'
`Assure yourself of it,' said Longinus; `and though we
could not but part from you with some unwillingness, yet
seeing whom we were to join, we bore the loss with such
philosophy as we were able to summon on the sudden.'
Zenobia now led the way to the banqueting hall, where
tables loaded with meats, fruits, and wines, offered
themselves most temptingly and seasonably, to those who
had ridden, post as it were, twenty Roman miles.
This villa of the queen's for its beauty and extent unrivalled
in all the East, I would that I could set before you,
so that you might form some conception of its greatness
and variety. The palace stands at the northern extremity
of a vast plain, just where the wild and mountainous
region ends, and the more level and cultivated begins.
To the North stretches a savage country, little inhabited,
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and filled with the wild animals which make the forests
of Asia so terrible. This is the queen's hunting-ground.
It was here that, with Odenatus, she pursued the wild
boar, the tiger, or the panther, with a daring and a skill that
astonished the boldest hunstsmen. It was in these forests,
that the wretch Mæonius, insolently throwing his
javelin at the game, just as he saw his uncle was about to
strike, incurred that just rebuke, which, however, his revengeful
nature never forgave, and was appeased only
with the blood of the noble Palmyrene. Zenobia is never
more herself than when she joins the chase mounted
upon her fleet Arabian, and roused to all her power by
the presence of a gallant company of the boldest spirits of
Palmyra,
The southern view, and which my apartments overlook,
presents a wide expanse of level ground, or gently undulating,
offering a various prospect of cultivated fields,
unbroken lawns, dense groves, of standing or flowing
waters, of light bridges spanning them, of pavilions,
arbors, statues, standing out in full view, or just visible
through the rich foliage or brilliant flowering plants of
these sunny regions. The scene is closed by the low,
waving outline of the country, through which we passed
on the morning of our ride from Palmyra, over which
there is spread a thin veil of purple haze, adding a new
charm to whatever objects are dimly discerned through
it. At one point only can we, when this vapor is by any
cause diminished, catch a glimpse of the loftier buildings
of the distant city. But the palace itself, though it be
the work of man, and not of gods, is not less beautiful than
all these aspects of nature. It is wholly built after the
light and almost fantastic forms of the Persian architecture,
which seem more suited to a residence of this kind
than the heavier fashions of the Greek or Roman taste.
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Hadrian's villa is alone to be compared with it for vastness
and magnificence, and that, compared with this,
seems a huge prison, so gay and pleasing are the thoughts
and sensations which this dream-like combination of arch
upon arch — of pinnacle, dome, and tower — all enriched
with the most minute and costly work — inspires the
mind.
Nothing has pleased me more than at times, when the
sultry heats of the day forbid alike study and recreation,
to choose for myself some remote and shaded spot, and
lying along upon the flowery turf, soothed by the drowsy
hum of the summer insects, gaze upon this gorgeous pile
of oriental grandeur, and lazily drink in the draughts of
a beauty (as I believe) no where else to be enjoyed.
When at such hours Julia or Fausta is my companion,
I need not say in how great degree the pleasure is heightened,
nor what hues of a more rosy tint wrap all the
objects of the scene. Fountains here, as every where in
the Eastern world, are frequent, and of such size as to
exert a sensible influence upon the heated atmosphere.
Huge columns of the coldest water, drawn from the recesses
of the mountains, are thrown into the air, and then
falling and foaming over rocks rudely piled, to resemble
some natural cascade, disappear, and are led by subterranean
conduits to distant and lower parts of the ground.
These fountains take many and fantastic forms. In the
centre of the principal court of the palace, it is an enormous
elephant of stone, who disgorges from his uplifted
trunk a vast but graceful shower, sometimes charged with
the most exquisite perfumes, and which are diffused by
the air through every part of the palace. Around this
fountain, reclining upon seats constructed to allow the
most easy attitudes, or else in some of the apartments
immediately opening upon it, it is our custom to pass the
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evening hours, either conversing with each other, or listening
to some tale which he who thinks he can entertain
the company is at liberty to relate, or gathering at once
instruction and delight, as Longinus, either from his memory
or a volume, imparts to us the choicest parts of the
literature of Athens or of Rome. So have I heard the
Œdipus Tyrannus, and the Prometheus, as I never have
heard them before. At such times, it is beautiful to see
the group of listeners gathering nearer and nearer, as the
philosopher reads or recites, and catching every word and
accent of that divine tongue, as it falls from his lips.
Zenobia, alone, of all who are there, ever presumes to
interrupt the reader with either question or comment.
To her voice, Longinus instantly becomes a willing listener;
and well may he: for never does she speak, at such
moments, without adding a new charm to whatever theme
she touches. Her mind, surprisingly clear, and deeply
imbued with the best spirit of ancient learning, and poetically
cast, becomes of right our teacher, and commands
always the profound respect, if not always the assent, of
the accomplished Greek. Not unfrequently, on such
casual remark of the queen, the reading is thereupon suspended,
and discussion between her and the philosopher,
or conversation upon topics suggested, in which we all
take part, ensues. But, however this may be, all moves
on in a spirit the most liberal, frank, and free. No
restraint is upon us but that which reverence for superior
learning, or goodness, or beauty, imposes. I must add,
that on these occasions the great Zabdas is always seen
to compose himself to his slumbers, from which he often
starts, uttering loud shouts, as if at the head of his troops.
Our bursts of laughter wake him not, but by the strange
power of sleep seem to be heard by him as if they were
responsive cries of the enemy, and only cause him to send
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forth louder shouts than ever, `Down with the Egyptian
dogs!' `Let the Nile choak with their carcasses!' —
The queen for —' and then his voice dies away in inarticular
sounds.
But I should weary you, indeed, were I to go on to tell
you of half the beauties and delights of this chosen spot,
and cause you, perhaps, to be discontented with that quiet,
modest house, upon the banks of the Tiber. I leave you,
therefore to fill up with your own colors the outline which
I have now set before you, as I best could, and pass to
other things.
Every day has seen its peculiar games and entertainments.
Sometimes the queen's slaves, trained to their respective
feats, have wrestled, or fought, or run, for our amusement.
At other times, we ourselves have been the performers.
Upon the race-course, fleet Arabians have contended for
the prize, or those who have esteemed themselves skilful,
have tried for the mastery in two or four horse chariots.
Elephants have been put to their strength, and dromedaries
to their speed. But our chief pleasure has been derived
from trials of skill and of strength with the lance
and the arrow, and from the chase.
It was in using the lance, that Antiochus — a kinsman
of the queen, whom I believe I have not before mentioned,
although I have many times met him — chiefly
signalized himself. This person, half Syrian and half
Roman, possessing the bad qualities of both, and the good
ones of neither, was made one of this party, rather, I suppose,
because he could not be left out, than because he
was wanted. He has few friends in Palmyra, but among
wild and dissolute spirits like himself. He is famed for
no quality either great or good. Violent passions and
intemperate lusts are what he is chiefly noted for. But,
except that pride and arrogance are writ upon the lines
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of his countenance, you would hardly guess that his lighttinted
and beardless cheeks, and soft blue eyes, belonged
to one of so dark and foul a soul. His frame and his
strength are those of a giant; yet is he wholly destitute of
grace. His limbs seem sometimes as if they were scarcely
a part of him, such difficulty does he discover in marshalling
them aright. Consciousness of this embarrasses
him, and sends him for refuge to his pride, which darts
looks of anger and bitter revenge upon all who offend or
make light of him. His ambition is, and his hope, to succeed
Zenobia. You may think this strange, considering
the family of the queen. But as for the sons of Zenobia,
he calculates much, so it is reported, upon their weakness
both of mind and body, as rendering them distasteful
to the Palmyrenes, even if they should live; and as
for Julia and her sisters, he has so high conceptions of
his own superior merit, that he doubts not in case of the
queen's demise, that the people would by acclamation
select him, in preference to them, as her successor; or in
the last emergency, that it would be but to marry Julia,
in order to secure the throne beyond any peradventure.
These are the schemes which many do not scruple to impute
to him. Whether credited or not, by Zenobia, I
cannot tell, But were they, I believe she would but
smile at the poor lack-brain who entertains them. Intrenched
as she is in the impregnable fortress of her
people's heart, she might well despise the intrigues of a
bolder and worthier spirit than Antiochus. For him she
can spare neither words nor thoughts.
It was Fausta, who, a few days ago, as we rose from
the tables, proposed that we should try our strength and
skill in throwing the lance. `I promised you, Lucius,'
said she, `that when here, you should be permitted to
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judge of my abilities in that art. Are all ready for the
sport?'
All sprang from their seats, like persons weary of one
occupation, and grateful for the proffer of another.
Zenobia led the way to the grounds, not far from the
palace, appropriated to games of this kind, and to the
various athletic sports. Not all the company entered the
lists, but many seated themselves, or stood around, spectators
of the strife. Slaves now appeared, bearing the
lances, and preparing the ground for our exercise. The
feat to be performed seemed to me not difficult so much
as impossible. It was to throw the lance with such unerring
aim and force, as to pass through an aperture in a
shield of four-fold ox-hide, of a size but slightly larger
than the beam of the lance, so as not so much as to graze
the sides of the perforated place. The distance, too, of
the point from which the lance was to be thrown, from
the shield, was such as to require great strength of arm
to overcome it.
The young Cæsars advanced first to the trial. `Now,'
whispered Fausta, `behold the vigor of the royal arm.
Were such alone our defence, well might Palmyra
tremble.'
Herennianus, daintily handling and brandishing his
lance, in the manner prescribed at the schools, where
skill in all warlike arts is taught, and having drawn all
eyes upon him, at length let it fly, when, notwithstanding
so much preparatory flourish, it fell short of the staff upon
which the shield was reared.
`Just from the tables,' said the prince, as he withdrew,
angry at his so conspicuous failure; `and how can one
reach what he can scarcely see?'
`Our arm has not yet recovered from its late injury,'
said Timolaus, as he selected his weapon; `yet will we
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venture a throw.' His lance reached the mast, but dropped
feebly at his foot. Vabalathus, saying nothing, and
putting all his strength in requisition, drove his weapon
into the staff, where it stood quivering a moment, and fell
to the ground.
Carias, Seleucus, Otho, Gabrayas, noblemen of Palmyra,
now successively tried their fortune, and all showed
themselves well trained to the use of the weapon, by each
fixing his lance in the body of the shield, and in the near
neighborhood of the central hole.
Zabdas now suddenly springing from his seat, which
he had taken among those who apparently declined to
join in the sport, seized a lance from the hands of the
slave who bore them, and hurling it with the force of a
tempest, the weapon, hissing along the air, struck the
butt near the centre; but the wood of which it was made,
unused to such violence, shivered and crumbled under
the blow. Without a word, and without an emotion, so
far as the face was its index, the Egyptian returned to his
seat. It seemed as if he had done the whole in his sleep.
It is actual war alone that can rouse the energies of
Zabdas.
Zenobia, who had stood leaning upon her lance, next
advanced to the trial. Knowing her admirable skill at all
manly exercises, I looked with certainty to see her surpass
those who had already essayed their powers. Nor
was I disappointed. With a wonderful grace she quickly
threw herself into the appointed position, and with but a
moment's preparation, and as if it cost her but a slight
effort, sent her lance, with unerring aim and incredible
swiftness, through the hole. Yet was not the feat a
perfect one. For, in passing through the aperture, the
weapon not having been driven with quite sufficient force,
did not preserve its level, so that the end grazed the
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shield, and the lance then consequently taking an oblique
direction, plunged downward, and buried its head in the
turf.
`Now, Fausta, said the queen, `must you finish what
I have but begun. Let us now see your weapon sweep
on till its force shall be evenly spent.'
`When Zenobia fails,' said Fausta, `there must be
some evil influence abroad that shall cripple the powers
of others yet more. However, let me try; for I have
promised to prove to our Roman friend that the women
of Palmyra know the use of arms not less than the men.'
So saying, she chose her lance, and with little ceremony,
and almost before our eyes could trace her movements,
the weapon had flown, and passing through, as it
seemed, the very centre of the perforated space, swept on
till its force died away in the distance, and it fell gracefully
to the ground.
A burst of applause rose from the surrounding groups.
`I knew,' said Zenobia, `that I could trust the fame
of the women of Palmyra to you. At the harp, the needle,
or the lance, our Fausta has no equal; unless,' turning
herself round, `in my own Julia. Now we will see what
your arm can do.'
Standing near the lances, I selected one eminent for
its smoothness and polish, and placed it in her hand.
With a form of so much less apparent vigor than either
Zenobia or Fausta, so truly Syrian in a certain soft languor
that spreads itself over her, whether at rest or in
motion, it was amazing to see with what easy strength
she held and balanced the heavy weapon. Every movement
showed that there lay concealed within her ample
power for this and every manly exercise, should she please
to put it forth.
`At the schools,' said the princess, `Fausta and I went
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on ever with equal steps. Her advantage lies in being at
all times mistress of her power. My arm is often treacherous,
through failure of the heart.'
It was not difficult to see the truth of what she said, in
her varying color, and the slightly agitated lance.
But addressing herself to the sport, and with but one
instant's pause, the lance flew toward the shield, and entering
the opening, but not with a perfect direction, it
passed not through, but hung there by the head.
`Princess,' said Zabdas springing from his repose with
more than wonted energy, `that lance was chosen, as I
saw, by a Roman. Try once more with one that I shall
choose, and see what the issue will be.'
`Truly,' said Julia, `I am ready to seize any plea
under which to redeem my fame. But first give me yourself
a lesson, will you not?'
The Egyptian was not deaf to the invitation, and once
more essaying the feat, and with his whole soul bent to
the work, the lance, quicker than sight, darted from his
hand, and following in the wake of Fausta's, lighted farther
than her's — being driven with more force — upon
the lawn.
The princess now, with more of confidence in her air,
again balanced and threw the lance which Zabdas had
chosen — this time with success; for, passing through the
shield, it fell side by side with Fausta's.
`Fortune still unites us,' said Julia; `if for a time she
leaves me a little in the rear, yet she soon repents of the
wrong, and brings me up.' Saying which, she placed
herself at Fausta's side.
`But come, our worthy cousin,' said the queen, now
turning and addressing Antiochus, who stood with folded
arms, dully surveying the scene, `will you not try a
lance?'
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`'Tis hardly worth our while,' said he, `for the gods
seem to have delivered all the honor and power of the
East into the hands of women.'
`Yet it may not be past redemption,' said Julia, `and
who more likely than Hercules to achieve so great a
work? Pray begin.'
That mass of a man, hardly knowing whether the
princess were jesting or in earnest — for to the usual
cloud that rested upon his intellect, there was now added
the stupidity arising from free indulgence at the tables —
slowly moved toward the lances, and selecting the longest
and heaviest, took his station at the proper place. Raising
then his arm, which was like a weaver's beam, and
throwing his enormous body into attitudes which showed
that no child's play was going on, he let drive the lance,
which, shooting with more force than exactness of aim,
struck upon the outer rim of the shield, and then glancing
sideways was near spearing a poor slave, whose
pleasure it was, with others, to stand in the nighborhood
of the butt, to pick up and return the weapons thrown, or
withdraw them from the shield, where they might have
fastened themselves.
Involuntary laughter broke forth upon this unwonted
performance of the lance; upon which it was easy to see,
by the mounting color of Antiochus, that his passions
were inflamed. Especially — did we afterward suppose—
was he enraged at the exclamation of one of the
slaves near the shield, who was heard to say to his fellow:
`Now is the reign of women at an end.' Seizing,
however, on the instant, another lance, he was known to
exclaim, by a few who stood near him, but who did not
take the meaning of his words: `With a better mark,
there may be a better aim.' Then resuming his position,
he made at first, by a long and steady aim, as if he were
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going, with certainty now, to hit the shield; but, changing
suddenly the direction of his lance, he launched it
with fatal aim, and a giant's force, at the slave who had
uttered those words. It went through him, as he had
been but a sheet of papyrus, and then sung along the
plain. The poor wretch gave one convulsive leap into
the air, and dropped dead.
`Zenobia!' exclaimed Julia.
`Great queen!' said Fausta.
`Shameful!' — dastardly!' — `cowardly!' — broke
from one and another of the company.
`That 's the mark I never miss,' observed Antiochus;
and at the same time regaled his nose from a box of perfume.
`'Tis his own chattel,' said the queen; `he may do
with it as he lists. He has trenched upon no law of the
realm, but only upon those of breeding and humanity.
Our presence, and that of this company, might, we
think, have claimed a more gentle observance.'
`Dogs!' fiercely shouted Antiochus — who, as the
queen said these words, her eyes fastened indignantly
upon him, had slunk sulkily to his seat — `dogs, said he,
aiming suddenly to brave the matter, `off with yonder
carrion! — it offends the queen.'
`Would our cousin,' said Zenobia, `win the hearts of
Palmyra, this surely is a mistaken way. Come, let us to
the palace. This spot is tainted. But that it may be
sweetened, as far as may be, slaves!' she cried, `bring
to the gates the chariot, and other remaining chattels of
Antiochus!'
Antiochus, at these words, pale with the apprehensions
of a cowardly spirit, rose and strode toward the palace,
from which, in a few moments, he was seen on his way
to the city.
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`You may judge me needlessly harsh, Piso,' said the
queen, as we now sauntered toward the palace, `but
truly the condition of the slave is such, that seeing the
laws protect him not, we must do something to enlist in
his behalf the spirit of humanity. The breach of courtesy,
however, was itself not to be forgiven.'
`It was a merciful fate of the slave,' said I, `compared
with what our Roman slaves suffer. To be lashed to
death, or crucified, or burned, or flayed alive, or torn by
dogs, or thrown as food for fishes, is something worse
than this quick exit of the thrall of Antiochus. You of
these softer climes are in your natures milder than we,
and are more moved by scenes like this. What would
you think, queen, to see not one, but scores or hundreds
of these miserable beings, upon bare suspicion of attempts
against their master's life, condemned, by their absolute
irresponsible possessors, to death in all its most revolting
forms? Nay, even our Roman women, of highest rank,
and gentlest nurture, stand by while their slaves are
scourged, or themselves apply the lash. If under this
torture they die, it is thought of but as of the death of
vermin. War has made with us this sort of property of
so cheap possession, that to destroy it is often a necessary
measure of economy. By a Roman, nothing is less regarded
than life. And in truth, I see not how it can be
otherwise.'
`But surely,' said Julia, `you do not mean to defend
this condition of life. It is not like the sentiments I
have heard you express.'
`I defend it only thus,' I replied: `so long as we have
wars — and when will they cease? — there must be
captives; and what can these be but slaves? To return
them to their own country, were to war to no purpose.
To colonize them were to strip war of its horrors. To
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make them freemen of our own soil, were to fill the land
with foes and traitors. Then if there must be slaves,
there must be masters and owners. And the absolute
master of other human beings, responsible to no one, can
be no other than a tyrant. If he has, as he must have,
the power to punish at will, he will exercise it, and that
cruelly. If he has the power to kill, as he must have,
then will he kill and kill cruelly, when his nature
prompts. And this his nature will prompt, or if not his
nature absolutely, yet his educated nature. Our children
grow up within the sight and sound of all the horrors
and sufferings of this state of things. They use their
slaves — with which, almost in infancy, they are provided—
according to their pleasure — as dogs, as horses;
they lash, they scourge them, long before they have the
strength to kill. What wonder if the boy, who, when a
boy, used a slave as his beast of burden, or his footstool,
when he grows to be a man, should use him as a mark to
be shot at? The youth of Antiochus was reared in
Rome. I presume to say that his earliest play-things
were slaves, and the children of slaves. I am not surprised
at his act. And such acts are too common in
Rome, for this to disturb me much. The education of
Antiochus was continued and completed, I may venture
also to say, at the circus. I think the result very natural.
It cannot be very different, where slavery and the sports
of the amphitheatre exist.'
`I perceive your meaning,' said Julia: `Antiochus
you affirm to be the natural product of the customs and
institutions which now prevail. It is certainly so, and
must continue so, until some new element shall be introduced
into society, that shall ultimately reform its practices,
by first exalting the sentiments and the character
of the individual. Such an element do I detect —'
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`In christianity,' said Fausta: `this is your panacea.
May it prove all you desire; yet methinks it gives small
promise, seeing it has already been at work more than
two hundred years, and has accomplished no more.'
`A close observer,' replied Julia, `sees much of the
effect of christianity beside that which appears upon the
surface. If I err not greatly, a few years more will reveal
what this religion has been doing these two centuries and
more. Revolutions which are acted out in a day have
often been years or centuries in preparation. An eye
that will see, may see the final issue, a long time foreshadowed
in the tendencies and character of a preceding age.'
The princess uttered this with earnestness. I have reflected
upon it. And if you, my Curtius, will look around
upon the state of the empire, you will find many things
to startle you. But of this another time.
Assembled in the evening in the court of the elephant,
we were made to forget whatever had proved disagreeable
during the day, while we listened to the `Frogs,' read by
Julia and Longinus.
The following day was appointed for the chase, and
early in the morning I was waked by the braying of trumpets,
and the baying of dogs. I found the queen already
mounted, and equipped for the sport, surrounded by Zabdas,
Longinus, and a few of the nobles of Palmyra. We
were soon joined by Julia and Fausta. In order to insure
our sport, a tiger, made fierce by being for some days deprived
of food, had the preceding evening been let loose
from the royal collection into the neighboring forests.
These forests, abounding in game, commence immediately,
as it were, in the rear of the palace. They present a
boundless continuity of crag, mountain, and wooded
plain, offering every variety of ground to those who seek the
pleasures of the chase. The sun had not been long above
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the horizon when we sallied forth from the palace gates,
and from the smooth and shaven fields of the royal
demesne, plunged at once into the * * *
It was a moment of inexpressible horror. At the same
instant, our eyes caught the form of the famished tiger,
just in the act to spring from the crag upon the unconscious
queen. But before we had time to alarm Zenobia—
which would indeed have been useless — a shaft from
an unerring arm arrested the monster mid-air, whose body
then tumbled heavily at the feet of Zenobia's Arab. The
horse, rearing with affright, had nearly dashed the queen
against the opposite rocks, but keeping her seat, she soon,
by her powerful arm and complete horsemanship, reduced
him to his obedience, though trembling like a terrified
child through every part of his body. A thrust from my
hunting spear quickly despatched the dying beast. We
now gathered around the queen, * * *
Hardly were we arrived at the lawn in front of the palace,
when a cloud of dust was observed to rise in the
direction of the road to Palmyra, as if caused by a body
of horse in rapid movement. `What may this mean?'
said Zenobia: `orders were strict, that our brief retirement
should not be disturbed. This indicates an errand
of some urgency.'
`Some embassy from abroad, perhaps,' said Julia, `that
cannot brook delay. It may be from your great brother
at Rome.'
While we, in a sportive humor, indulged in various
conjectures, an official of the palace announced the approach
of a Roman herald, `who craved permission to
address the Queen of Palmyra.' He was ordered to
advance.
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In a few moments, upon a horse covered with dust and
foam, appeared the Roman herald. Without one moment's
hesitancy, he saw in Zenobia the queen, and taking off
his helmet, and bending to his saddle-bow, said, `that
Caius Petronius, and Cornelius Varro, ambassadors of
Aurelian, were in waiting at the outer gates of the palace,
and asked a brief audience of the Queen of Palmyra,
upon affairs of deepest interest, both to Zenobia and the
Emperor.'
`It is not our custom,' said Zenobia in reply, `when
seeking repose, as now, from the cares of state, to allow
aught to break it. But we will not be selfish nor churlish.
Bid the servants of your Emperor draw near, and we will
hear them.'
I was not unwilling that the messengers of Aurelian
should see Zenobia just as she was now. Sitting upon
her noble Arabian, and leaning upon her hunting spear,
her countenance glowing with a higher beauty than ever
before, as it seemed to me — her head surmounted with a
Parthian hunting-cap, from which drooped a single ostrich
feather, springing from a diamond worth a nation's rental,
her costume also Parthian, and revealing in the most perfect
manner the just proportions of her form — I thought
I had never seen even her, when she so filled and satisfied
the eye and the mind — and, for that moment, I was
almost a traitor to Aurelian. Had Julia filled her seat, I
should have been quite so. As it was, I could worship
her who sat her steed with no less grace, upon the left of
the queen, without being guilty of that crime. On Zenobia's
right were Longinus and Zabdas, Gracchus, and
the other noblemen of Palmyra. I and Fausta were near
Julia. In this manner, just as we had come in from the
chase, did we await the ambassadors of Aurelian.
Announced by trumpets, and followed by their train,
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they soon wheeled into the lawn, and advanced toward the
queen. `Caius Petronius and Cornelius Varro,' said Zenobia,
first addressing the ambassadors, and moving
toward them a few paces, `we bid you heartily welcome
to Palmyra. If we receive you thus without form, you
must take the blame partly to yourselves, who have sought
us with such haste. We put by the customary observances,
that we may cause you no delay. These whom
you see, are all friends or councillors. Speak your errand
without restraint.'
`We come,' replied Petronius, `as you may surmise,
great queen, upon no pleasing errand. Yet we cannot
but persuade ourselves, that the Queen of Palmyra will
listen to the proposals of Aurelian, and preserve the good
understanding which has lasted so long between the West
and the East. There have been brought already to your
ears, if I have been rightly informed, rumors of dissatisfaction
on the part of our Emperor, with the affairs of the
East, and of plans of an eastern expedition. It is my
business now to say, that these rumors have been well
founded. I am farther to say, that the object at which
Aurelian has aimed, in the preparations he has made, is
not Persia, but Palmyra.'
`He does us too much honor,' said Zenobia, her color
rising, and her eye kindling; `and what, may I ask, are
specifically his demands, and the price of peace?'
`For a long series of years,' replied the ambassador,
`the wealth of Egypt, and the East, as you are aware,
flowed into the Roman treasury. That stream has been
diverted to Palmyra. Egypt, and Syria, and Bithynia,
and Mesopotamia, were dependants upon Rome, and Roman
provinces. It is needless to say what they now are.
The Queen of Palmyra was once but the Queen of Palmyra;
she is now Queen of Egypt and of the East —
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Augusta of the Roman empire — her sons styled and
arrayed as Cæsars. By whatever consent of former emperors
these honors have been won or permitted, it is not,
we are required to say, with the consent of Aurelian. By
whatever service in behalf of Rome, they may, in the
judgment of some be thought to be deserved, in the judgment
of Aurelian, the reward exceeds greatly the value of
the service rendered. But while he would not be deemed
insensible to those services, and while he honors the greatness
and the genius of Zenobia, he would, he conceives,
be unfaithful to the interests of those who have raised him
to his high office, if he did not require that in the East,
as in the West, the Roman empire should again be restored
to the limits which bounded it in the reigns of the
virtuous Antonines. This he holds essential to his own
honor, and the glory of the Roman world.'
`You have delivered yourself, Caius Petronius,' replied
the queen, in a calm and firm voice, `as it became a Roman
to do, with plainness, and as I must believe, without
reserve. So far I honor you. Now hear me, and as you
hear, so report to him who sent you. Tell Aurelian that
what I am, I have made myself; that the empire which
hails me queen, has been moulded into what it is by Odenatus
and Zenobia; it is no gift, but an inheritance — a
conquest and a possession; it is held, not by favor, but by
right of power, and that when he will give away possessions
or provinces which he claims as his or Rome's, for
the asking, I will give away Egypt and the Mediterranean
coast. Tell him that as I have lived a queen, so, the
gods helping, I will die a queen, — that the last moment
of my reign and my life shall be the same. If he is ambitious,
let him be told that I am ambitious, too — ambitious
of wider and yet wider empire — of an unsullied fame,
and of my people's love. Tell him I do not speak of
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gratitude on the part of Rome, but that posterity will say,
that the Power which stood between Rome and Persia,
and saved the empire in the East, which avenged the
death of Valerian, and twice pursued the king of kings
as far as the gates of Ctesiphon, deserved some fairer
acknowledgment than the message you now bring, at the
hands of a Roman emperor.'
`Let the queen,' quickly rejoined Petronius, but evidently
moved by what he had heard, `let the queen fully
take me. Aurelian purposes not to invade the fair region
where I now am, and where my eyes are rejoiced by
this goodly show of city, plain and country. He hails you
Queen of Palmyra! He does but ask again those appendages
of your greatness, which have been torn from Rome,
and were once the members of her body.'
`Your emperor is gracious indeed!' replied the queen,
smiling; `if he may hew off my limbs, he will spare the
trunk! — and what were the trunk without the limbs?'
`And is this,' said Petronius, his voice significant of
inward grief, `that which I must carry back to Rome?
Is there no hope of a better adjustment?'
`Will not the queen of Palmyra delay for a few days
her final answer?' added Varro: `I see, happily, in her
train, a noble Roman, from whom, as well as from us,
she may obtain all needed knowledge of both the character
and purposes of Aurelian. We are at liberty to
wait her pleasure.'
`You have our thanks, Romans, for your courtesy, and
we accept your offer; although in what I have said, I
think I have spoken the sense of my people.'
`You have, indeed, great queen,' interrupted Zabdas,
with energy.
`Yet, I owe it to my trusty councillor, the great Longinus,
continued the queen, `and who now thinks not
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with me, to look farther into the reasons — which, because
they are his, must be strong ones — by which he
supports an opposite judgment.”
`Those reasons have now,' said the Greek, `lost much
or all of their force,' — Zabdas smiled triumphantly —
yet still I would advocate delay.'
`Let it be so, then,' said the queen; `and in the meanwhile,
let the ambassadors of Aurelian not refuse the hospitalities
of the eastern queen. Our palace is yours,
while it shall please you to remain.'
`For the night and the morning, queen, we accept
your offers; then, as strangers in this region, we would
return to the city, to see better than we have yet done the
objects which it presents. It seemed to us, on a hasty
glance, surrounded by its luxuriant plains, like the habitations
of gods. We would dwell there a space.'
`It shall be as you will. Let me now conduct you to
the palace.'
So saying, and putting spurs to her horse, Zenobia led
the way to the palace, followed by a long train of Romans
and Palmyrenes. The generous hospitality of the tables
closed the day and wore away the night.
LETTER VII.
You will be glad to learn, my Curtius, that the time
has now come, when I may with reason look for news
from Isaac, or for his return. It was his agreement to
write of his progress, so soon as he should arrive at Ecbatana.
But since he would consume but a very few days
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in the accomplishment of his task, if, the gods helping,
he should be able to accomplish it at all, I may see him,
even before I hear from him, and, O day thrice happy,
my brother perhaps with him! Yet am I not without solicitude,
even though Calpurnius should return. For how
shall I meet him? — as a Persian, or a Roman? — as a
friend, or an enemy? As a brother, I can never cease to
love him; as a public enemy of Rome, I may be obliged
to condemn him.
You have indeed gratified me by what you have told
me concerning the public works in which the emperor is
now engaged. Would that the erection of temples and
palaces might draw away his thoughts from the East.
The new wall, of so much wider sweep, with which he is
now enclosing the city, is well worthy the greatness of
his genius. Yet do we, my Curtius, perceive in this rebuilding
and strengthening of the walls of Rome, no indication
of our country's decline? Were Rome vigorous
and sound, as once, in her limbs, what were the need of
this new defence about the heart? It is to me a confession
of weakness, rather than any evidence of greatness
and strength. Aurelian achieves more for Rome by the
strictness of his discipline, and his restoration of the ancient
simplicity and severity among the troops, than he
could by a triple wall about the metropolis. Rome will
then already have fallen when a Gothic army shall have
penetrated so far as even to have seen her gates. The
walls of Rome are her living and moving walls of flesh.
Her old and crumbling ramparts of masonry, upon which
we have so often climbed in sport, rolling down into the
surrounding ditch huge masses, have ever been to me,
when I have thought of them, pregnant signs of security
and power.
The ambassadors, Petronius and Varro, early on the
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morning succeeding their interview with the queen, departed
for the city. They were soon followed by Zenobia
and her train of councillors and attendants. It had been
before agreed that the princess, Fausta, and myself, should
remain longer at the palace, for the purpose of visiting, as
had been proposed, the aged Christian hermit, whose retreat
is among the fastnesses of the neighboring mountains.
I would rather have accompanied the queen,
seeing it was so certain that important interviews and discussions
would take place, when they should be all returned
once more to the city. I suppose this was expressed
in my countenance, for the queen, as she took her seat
in the chariot, turned and said to me: `We shall soon
see you again in the city. A few hours in the mountains
will be all that Julia will require; and sure I am that the
wisdom of St. Thomas will more than repay you for what
you may lose in Palmyra. Our topics will relate but to
worldly aggrandizement — yours to more permanent interests.
'
How great a pity that the love of glory has so fastened
upon the heart of this wonderful woman; else might she
live, and reign, and die the object of a universal idolatry.
But set as her heart is upon conquest and universal empire
throughout the East, and of such marvellous power
to subdue every intellect, even the strongest, to her will,
I can see nothing before her but a short and brilliant
career indeed, ending in ruin, absolute and complete.
Zenobia has not, or will not allow it to be seen that she
has, any proper conception of the power of Rome. She
judges of Rome by the feeble Valerian, and the unskilful
Heraclianus, and by their standard measures such men as
Aurelian, and Probus, and Carus. She may indeed gain
a single battle, for her genius is vast, and her troops well
disciplined and brave. But the loss of a battle would be
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to her the loss of empire, while to Rome it would be but
as the sting of a summer insect. Yet this she does not or
will not see. To triumph over Aurelian, is, I believe,
the vision that dazzles, deludes, and will destroy her.
No sooner had the queen and her train departed, than,
mounting our horses, we took our way, Julia, Fausta, and
myself, through winding valleys and over rugged hills,
toward the hermit's retreat. Reaching the base of what
seemed an almost inaccessible crag, we found it necessary
to leave our horses in the care of attendant slaves, and
pursue the remainder of the way on foot. The hill which
we now had to ascend, was thickly grown over with every
variety of tree and bush, with here and there a mountain
stream falling from rock to rock, and forcing its way to
the valley below. The sultry heat of the day compelled
us frequently to pause, as we toiled up the side of the
hill, seating ourselves, now beneath the dark shadows of
a branching cedar or the long-lived terebinth, and now
on the mossy banks of a descending brook. The mingled
beauty and wildness of the scene, together with such companions,
soon drove the queen, Rome, and Palmyra, from
my thoughts. I could not but wish that we might lose
our way to the hermit's cave, that by such means our
walk might be prolonged.
`Is it, I wonder,' said Fausta, `the instruction of his
religion which confines this Christian saint to these distant
solitudes? What a singular faith it must be which
should drive all who embrace it to the woods and rocks!
What would become of our dear Palmyra, were it to be
changed to a Christian city? The same event, I suppose,
Julia, would change it to a desert.'
`I do not think christianity prescribes this mode of life,
though I do not know but it may permit it,' replied the
princess. `But of this, St. Thomas will inform us. He
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may have chosen this retreat on account of his extreme
age, which permits him no longer to engage in the affairs
of an active life.'
`I trust for the sake of christianity it is so,' added
Fausta; `for I cannot conceive of a true religion inculcating,
or even permitting inactivity. What would become
of the world, if it could be proved that the gods
required us to pass our days in retired contemplation?'
`Yet it cannot be denied,' said Julia, `that the greatest
benefactors of mankind have been those who have in solitude,
and with patient labor, pursued truth till they have
discovered it, and then revealed it to shed its light and
heat upon the world.'
`For my part,' replied Fausta, `I must think that they
who have sowed and reaped, have been equal benefactors.
The essential truths are instinctive and universal. As for
the philosophers, they have, with few exceptions, been occupied
as much about mere frivolities as any Palmyrene
lady at her toilet. Still, I do not deny that the contemplative
race is a useful one in its way. What I say is,
that a religion which enjoined a solitary life as a duty,
would be a very mischievous religion. And what is more,
any such precept, fairly proved upon it, would annihilate
all its claims to a divine origin. For certainly, if it were
made a religious duty for one man to turn an idle, contemplative
hermit, it would be equally the duty of every
other, and then the arts of life by which we subsist would
be forsaken. Any of the prevalent superstitions, if we
may not call them religious, were better than this.'
`I agree with you entirely,' said Julia; `but my acquaintance
with the Christian writings is not such as to
enable me to say with confidence that they contain no
such permission or injunction. Indeed, some of them I
have not even read, and much I do not fully understan
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But as I have seen and read enough to believe firmly that
christianity is a divine religion, my reason teaches me
that it contains no precept such as we speak of.'
We had now, in the course of our walk, reached what
we found to be a broad and level ledge, about half way to
the summit of the hill. It was a spot remarkable for a
sort of dark and solemn beauty, being set with huge
branching trees, whose tops were woven into a roof,
through which only here and there the rays of the fierce
sun could find their way. The turf beneath, unincumbered
with any smaller growth of tree or shrub, was
sprinkled with flowers that love the shade. The upper
limit of this level space was bounded by precipitous rocks,
up which, ascent seemed impossible, and the lower by
similar ones, to descend which seemed equally difficult or
impossible.
`If the abode of the Christian is hereabouts,' we said,
it seems well chosen both for its security and the exceeding
beauty of the various objects which greet the eye.'
`Soon as we shall have passed that tumbling rivulet,'
said Julia, `it will come into view.'
Upon a rude bridge of fallen trunks of trees, we passed
the stream as it crossed our path, and which then shooting
over the edge of the precipice, was lost among the
rocks and woods below. A cloud of light spray fell upon
us as we stood upon the bridge, and imparted a most refreshing
coolness.
`Where you see,' said Julia, `that dark entrance, beneath
yonder low-browed rock, is the dwelling of the aged
Christian.'
We moved on with slow and silent steps, our spirits
partaking of the stillness and solitariness of the place.
We reached the front of the grotto, without disturbing the
meditations of the venerable man. A part of the rock
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which formed his dwelling, served him for a seat, and
another part projecting after the manner of a shelf, served
him for a table, upon which lay spread open a large
volume. Bending over the book, his lean and shrivelled
finger pointing to the words, and aiding his now dim and
feeble eye, he seemed wholly wrapped in the truths he
was contemplating, and heeded not our presence. We
stood still for a moment, unwilling to break a repose so
peaceful and profound. At length, raising his eyes from
the page, they caught the form and face of the princess,
who stood nearest to him. A quick and benignant smile
lighted up his features; and rising slowly to his full height,
he bade her welcome, with sweet and tremulous tones, to
his humble roof.
`It is kind in you,' said he, so soon again to ascend
these rough solitudes, to visit a now unprofitable old man.
And more kind still to bring others with you. Voices
from the world ring a sweet music in my ear — sweeter
than any sound of bird or stream. Enter, friends, if it
please you, and be rested, after the toil of your ascent.'
`I bring you here, Father,' said Julia, `according to my
sometime promise, my friend and companion, the daughter
of Gracchus, and with her a noble Roman, of the house
of Piso, lately come hither from the capital of the world.'
`They are very, very welcome,' replied the saint;
`your presence breaks most gratefully the monotony of
my life.'
`We almost doubted,' said I, `venerable Father, whether
it would please you to find beneath your roof those who
receive not your belief, and what is much more, belong
to a faith which has poured upon you and yours so full
a flood of suffering and reproach. But your countenance
assures us that we have erred.'
`You have, indeed,' replied the sage; `as a Christian
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I see in you not pagans and unbelievers, not followers of
Plato and Epicurus, not dwellers in Rome or in Alexandria,
but members of the great family of man, and as such
I greet you, and already love you. The design of christianity
is to unite and draw together, not divide and drive
asunder. It teaches its disciples, indeed, to go out and
convert the world, but if they cannot convert it, it still
teaches them to love it. My days and my strength have
been spent in preaching Christ to Jews and heathen, and
many of those who have heard have believed. But more
have not. These are not my brethren in Christ, but they
are my brethren in God, and I love them as his.'
`These are noble sentiments,' said Fausta. `Religion
has, in almost all its forms, condemned utterly all who
have not received it in the form in which it has been proposed.
Rome used to be mild and tolerant of every form
which the religious sentiment assumed. But since the
appearance of christianity, it has wholly changed its policy.
I am afraid it formerly tolerated, only because it saw
nothing to fear. Fearing christianity, it seeks to destroy
it. That is scarcely generous of you, Lucius; nor very
wise, either — for surely truth can neither be created nor
suppressed by applications of force. Such is not the doctrine
of christianity, if I understand you right.'
`Lady, most certainly not,' he replied. `Christianity
is offered to mankind, not forced upon them. And this
supposes in them the power and the right to sit in judgment
upon its truth. But were not all free judgment destroyed,
and all worthy reception of it, therefore, if any
penal consequences — greater or less, of one kind or
another, present or future — followed upon its rejection?
Rome has done wickedly, in her aim to suppress error
and maintain truth by force. Is Rome a god to distinguish
with certainty the one from the other? But alas! Rome
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is not alone to blame in this. Christians themselves are
guilty of the same folly and crime. They interpret differently
the sayings of Christ — as how should they not? —
and the party which is stronger in numbers already begins
to oppress, with hard usage and language, the weaker
party, which presumes to entertain its own opinions.
The Christians of Alexandria and Rome, fond of the ancient
philosophy, and desirous to recommend the doctrines
of Christ, by showing their near accordance with it, have,
as many think, greatly adulterated the gospel, by mixing
up with its truths the fantastic dreams of Plato. Others,
among whom is our Paul of Antioch, deeming this injurious
and erroneous, aim to restore the Christian doctrine
to the simplicity that belongs to it in the original
records, and which, for the most part, it still retains
among the common people. But this is not willingly
allowed. On the contrary, because Paul cannot see with
their eyes, and judge with their judgment, he is to be
driven from his bishopric. Thus do the Christians imitate
in their treatment of each other their common enemy,
the Roman. They seem already ashamed of the gentleness
of Christ, who would have every mind left in its own
freedom to believe as its own powers enable it to believe.
Our good Zenobia, though no Christian, is yet in this
respect the truest Christian. All within her realm, thought
is free as the air that plays among these leaves.'
`But is it not,' said Fausta, `a mark of imperfection in
your religion, that it cannot control and bind to a perfect
life its disciples? Methinks a divine religion should
manifest its divinity in the superior goodness which it
forms.'
`Is not that just?' I added.
`A divine religion,' he replied, `may indeed be expected
to show its heaven-derived power in creating a
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higher virtue than human systems. And this, I am sure,
christianity does. I may safely challenge the world to
show in human form the perfection which dwelt in Jesus,
the founder of this religion. Yet his character was formed
by the power of his own doctrines. Among his followers,
if there have been none so perfect as he, there have been
multitudes who have approached him, and have exhibited
a virtue which was once thought to belong only to philosophers.
The world has been accustomed to celebrate,
with almost divine honors, Socrates, and chiefly because
of the greatness of mind displayed by him when condemned
to drink the cup of poison. I can tell you of
thousands among the Christians, among common and unlearned
Christians, who have met death, in forms many
times more horrible than that in which the Greek encountered
it, with equal calmness and serenity. This they
have been enabled to do simply through the divine force
of a few great truths, which they have implicitly believed.
Beside this, consider the many usages of the world, which,
while others hold them innocent, the Christians condemn
them, and abstain from them. It is not to be denied that
they are the reformers of the age. They are busy, sometimes
with an indiscreet and violent zeal, in new modelling
both the opinions and practices of the world. But
what then? Are they to be condemned if a single fault
may be charged upon them? Must they be perfect, because
their religion is divine? This might be so, if it
were of the nature of religion to operate with an irresistible
influence upon the mind, producing an involuntary
and forced obedience. But in such an obedience, there
would be nothing like what we mean by virtue, but something
quite inferior in the comparison. A religion, for
the reason that it is divine, will, with the more certainty,
make its appeals to a free nature. It will explain the
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nature, and reveal the consequences of virtue and vice,
but will leave the mind free to choose the one or the
other. Christianity teaches, that in goodness, and faithfulness
to the sense of duty, lies the chief good; in these
there is a heaven of reward, not only now and on earth,
but throughout an existence truly immortal. Is it not
most evident that with whatever authority this religion
may propound its doctrines, men not being in a single
power coerced will not, though they may receive them,
yield to them an equal observance. Hence, even among
Christians, there must be, perhaps ever, much imperfection.
'
`Does not this appear to you, Fausta and Piso,' said
Julia, as the old man paused, `just and reasonable? Can
it be an objection to this faith, that its disciples partake
of the common weaknesses of humanity? Otherwise, religion
would be a principle designed, not so much to improve
and exalt our nature, as to alter it.'
`We allow it readily to be both just and reasonable.'
`But it seemed to us,' said Fausta, `as we ascended
the mountain, and were conversing, to be with certainty
a proof of imperfection in your religion — pardon my freedom,
we are come as learners, and they who would learn,
must, without restraint, express their doubts — that it
recommended or permitted a recluse and inactive life.
Have your days, father, been passed in this deep solitude?
and has your religion demanded it?'
`Your freedom pleases me,' replied the venerable man,
`and I wonder not at the question you propose. Not my
religion, lady, but an enfeebled and decrepit frame chains
me to this solitude. I have now out-lasted a century, and
my powers are wasted and gone. I can do little more
than sit and ponder the truths of this life-giving book, and
anticipate the renewed activity of that immortal being
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which it promises. The Christian converts, who dwell
beneath those roofs which you see gleaming in the valley
below supply the few wants which I have. When their
labor is done for the day, they sometimes come up, bringing
with them baskets of fresh or dried fruits, which serve
me, together with the few roots and berries which I myself
can gather as I walk this level space, for my food. My
thirst I quench at the brook which you have just passed.
Upon this simple but wholesome nutriment, and breathing
this dry mountain air, my days may yet be prolonged
through many years. But I do not covet them — since
nature makes me a prisoner. But I submit, because my
faith teaches me to receive patiently whatever the Supreme
Ruler appoints. It is not my religion that prescribes this
manner of life — or permits it, but as the last refuge of
an imbecility like mine. Christianity denounces selfishness,
in all its forms, and what form of selfishness more
gross than to spend the best of one's days in solitary musing
and prayer, all to secure one's own salvation? The
founder of this religion led an active and laborious life.
He did good not only to himself by prayer and meditation.
He went about doing it to others — seeking out objects
whom he might benefit and bless. His life was one of
active benevolence; and the record of that life is the religious
code of his followers. No condemnation could be
more severe than that which the Prophet of Nazareth
would pronounce upon such a life as mine now is, were
it a chosen, voluntary one. But it never has been voluntary.
Till age dried up the sources of my strength, I
toiled night and day in all countries and climates, in the
face of every danger, in the service of mankind. For it
is by serving others, that the law of Christ is fulfilled.
This disinterested labor for others constituted the greatness
of Jesus Christ. This constitutes true greatness in
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his followers. I perceive that what I say falls upon your
ear as a new and strange doctrine. But it is the doctrine
of christianity. It utterly condemns, therefore, a life of
solitary devotion. It is a mischievous influence which
is now spreading outward from the example of that Paul,
who suffered so much under the persecution of the Emperor
Decius, and who then, flying to the solitudes of the
Egyptian Thebais, has there in the vigor of his days
buried himself in a cave of the earth, that he may serve
God by forsaking man. His maxim seems to be, “The
farther from man, the nearer to God” — the reverse of
the Christian maxim, “The nearer man, the nearer God.”
A disciple of Jesus has truly said: “He who loves not
his brother whom he hath seen, how shall he love God,
whom he hath not seen?” This, it may be, Roman, is
the first sentence you have ever heard from the Christian
books.'
`I am obliged to confess that it is,' I replied. `I have
heretofore lived in any easy indifference toward all religions.
The popular religion of my country I early learned to
despise. I have perused the philosophers, and examined
their systems, from Pythagoras to Seneca, and am now,
what I have long been, a disciple of none but Pyrrho.
My researches have taught me only how the more ingeniously
to doubt. Wearied at length with a vain inquiry
after truth that should satisfy and fill me, I suddenly
abandoned the pursuit, with the resolve never to resume it.
I was not even tempted to depart from this resolution when
christianity offered itself to my notice; for I confounded
it with Judaism, and for that, as a Roman, I entertained
too profound a contempt to bestow upon it a single thought.
I must acknowledge that the reports which I heard, and
which I sometimes read, of the marvellous constancy and
serenity of the Christians, under accumulated sufferings
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and wrongs, interested my feelings in their behalf; and the
thought often arose, “Must there not be truth to support
such heroism?” But the world went on its way, and I with
it, and the Christians were forgotten. To a Christian, on
my voyage across the Mediterranean, I owe much, for my
first knowledge of christianity. To the Princess Julia I
owe a larger debt still. And now from your lips, long
accustomed to declare its truths, I have heard what makes
me truly desirous to hear the whole of that which, in the
little glimpses I have been able to obtain, has afforded so
real a satisfaction.'
`If you studied the Christian books,' said the recluse,
`you would be chiefly struck, perhaps, with the plainness
and simplicity of the doctrines there unfolded. You
would say that much which you found there, relating to
the right conduct of life, you had already found scattered
through the books of the Greek and Roman moralists.
You would be startled by no strange or appalling truth.
You would turn over their leaves in vain in search of
such dark and puzzling ingenuities as try the wits of those
who resort to the pages of the Timœus. A child can understand
the essential truths of Christ. And the value of
christianity consists not in this, that it puts forth a new,
ingenious, and intricate system of philosophy, but that it
adds to recognised and familiar truths divine authority.
Some things are indeed new; and much is new, if that
may be called so which, having been neglected as insignificant
by other teachers, has by Christ been singled out
and announced as primal and essential. But the peculiarity
of christianity lies in this, that its voice, whether heard
in republishing an old and familiar doctrine, or announcing
a new one, is not the voice of man, but of God. It is a
revelation. It is a word from the invisible, unapproachable
Spirit of the universe For this Socrates would have been
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willing to renounce all his wisdom. Is it not this which we
need? We can theorize and conjecture without end, but
cannot relieve ourselves of our doubts. They will assail
every work of man. We wish to repose in a divine
assurance. This we have in christianity. It is a message
from God. It puts an end to doubt and conjecture.
Wise men of all ages have agreed in the belief of
One God; but not being able to demonstrate his being
and his unity, they have had no power to change the popular
belief, which has ever tended to polytheism and idolatry.
Christianity teaches this truth with the authority
of God himself, and already has it become the faith of
millions. Philosophers have long ago taught that the
only safe and happy life is a virtuous life. Christianity
repeats this great truth, and adds, that it is such a life
alone that conducts to immortality. Philosophers have
themselves believed in the doctrine of a future life, and
have died hoping to live again; and it cannot be denied
that mankind generally have entertained an obscure expectation
of a renewed existence after death. The advantage
of christianity consists in this, that it assures us
of the reality of a future existence, on the word and
authority of God himself. Jesus Christ taught, that all
men come forth from death, wearing a new spiritual body,
and thereafter never die; and to confirm his teaching, he
himself being slain, rose from the dead, and showed himself
to his followers alive, and while they were yet looking
upon him, ascended to some other and higher world.
Surely, Roman, though christianity announced nothing
more than these great truths, yet seeing it puts them forth
in the name, and with the authority of God, it is a vast
accession to our knowledge.'
`Indeed it cannot be denied,' I answered. `It would
be a great happiness, too, to feel such an assurance, as
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he must who believes in your religion, of another life.
Death would then lose every terror. We could approach
the close of life, as calmly and cheerfully, sometimes as
gladly, as we now do the close of a day of weary travel
or toil. It would be but to lie down and rest, and sleep,
and rise again refreshed, by the slumber for the labors
and enjoyments of a life which should then be without
termination, and yet unattended by fatigue. I can think
of no greater felicity than to be able to perceive the
truth of such a religion as yours.'
`This religion of the Christians,' said Fausta, `seems
to be full of reasonable and desirable truth — if it all be
truth. But how is this great point to be determined?
How are we to know whether the founder of this religion
was in truth a person holding communication with God?
The mind will necessarily demand a large amount of
evidence, before it can believe so extraordinary a thing.
I greatly fear, Julia, lest I may never be a Christian.
What is the evidence, Father, with which you trust to
convince the mind of an inquirer? It must possess potency,
for all the world seems flocking to the standard of
Christ.'
`I think, indeed,' replied the saint, `that it possesses
potency. I believe its power to be irresistible. But do
you ask in sincerity, daughter of Gracchus, what to do in
order to believe in christianity.'
`I do, indeed,' answered Fausta. `But know that my
mind is one not easy of belief.'
`Christianity asks no forced or faint assent. It appeals
to human reason, and it blames not the conscientious
doubter or denier. When it requires you to examine,
and constitutes you judge, it condemns no honest decision.
The mind that approaches christianity must be
free and ought to be fearless. Hesitate not to reject that
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which evidence does not substantiate. But examine and
weigh well the testimony. If then you would know
whether christianity be true, it is first of all needful that
you read and ponder the Christian books. These books
prove themselves. The religion of Christ is felt to be
true, as you read the writings in which it is recorded.
Just as the works of nature prove to the contemplative
mind the being of a God, so do the books of the Christians
prove the truth of their religion. As you read them,
as your mind embraces the teaching, and above all, the
character of Christ, you involuntarily exclaim: “This
must be true; the sun in the heavens does not more
clearly point to a divine author, than do the contents of
these books.” You find them utterly unlike any other
books — differing from them just in the same infinite and
essential way that the works of God differ from the works
of man.'
He paused, and we were for a few moments silent.
At length Fausta said: `This is all very new and strange,
Father! Why, Julia, have you never urged me to read
these books?'
`The princess,' resumed the hermit, `has done wisely
to leave you to the promptings of your own mind. The
more every thing in religion is voluntary and free, the
more worth attaches to it. Christ would not that any
should be driven or urged to him; but that they should
come. Nevertheless the way must be pointed out. I
have now shown you one way. Let me tell you of
another. The Christian books bear the names of the
persons who profess to have written them, and who declare
themselves to have lived and to have recorded
events which happened in the province of Judea, in the
reigns of Tiberius and Nero. Now it is by no means
a difficult matter for a person, desirous to arrive at the
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truth, to institute such inquiries, as shall fully convince
him that such persons lived then and there, and performed
the actions ascribed to them. We are not so far removed
from those times, but that by resorting to the places
where the events of the Christian history took place, we
can readily satisfy ourselves of their truth — if they be
true — by inquiring of the descendants of those who were
concerned in the very transactions recorded. This
thousands and thousands have done, and they believe in
the events — strange as they are — of the Christian history
as implicitly as they do in the events of the Roman
history, for the same period of time. Listen, my children,
while I rehearse my own experience as a believer
in Christ.
`My father, Cyprian, a native of Syria, attained, as I
have attained, to an extreme old age. At the age of five
score years and ten, he died within the walls o this
quiet dwelling of nature's own hewing, and there at the
roots of that ancient cedar, his bones repose. He was
for twenty years a contemporary of St. John the evangelist—
of that John, who was one of the companions of
Jesus, the founder of christianity, and who, ere he died,
wrote a history of Jesus, and of his acts and doctrine.
From the very lips of this holy man, did the youthful
but truth-loving and truth-seeking Cyprian receive his
knowledge of christianity. He sat and listened while
the aged apostle — the past rising before him with the
distinctness of a picture — told of Jesus; of the mild majesty
of his presence; of the power and sweetness of his
discourse; of the love he bore toward all that lived; of
his countenance radiant with joy when, in using the
miraculous power intrusted to show his descent from
God, he gave health to the pining sick, and restored
the dying and the dead to the arms of weeping friends.
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There was no point of the history which the apostle has
recorded for the instruction of posterity, which Cyprian
did not hear, with all its minuter circumstances, from
his own mouth. Nay, he was himself a witness of the
exercise of that same power of God which was committed
without measure to Jesus, on the part of the
apostle. He stood by — his spirit wrapt and wonderstruck—
while at the name of Jesus the lame walked,
the blind recovered their sight, and the sick leaped from
their couches. When this great apostle was fallen asleep,
my father, by the counsel of St. John, and that his faith
might yet farther be confirmed, travelled over all the
scenes of the Christian history. He visited the towns,
and cities of Judea, where Jesus had done his marvellous
works. He conversed with the children of those who
had been subjects of the healing power of the Messiah.
He was with those who themselves had mingled among
the multitudes who encompassed him, when Lazarus was
summoned from the grave, and who clung to the cross
when Jesus was upon it dying, and witnessed the sudden
darkness, and felt the quaking of the earth. Finding,
wherever he turned his steps in Judea, from Bethlehem
to Nazareth, from the Jordan to the great sea, the whole
land filled with those who, as either friends or enemies,
had hung upon the steps of Jesus, and seen his miracles,
what was he, to doubt whether such a person as Jesus
had ever lived? or had ever done those wonderful works?
He doubted not; he believed, even as he would have
done had he himself been present as a disciple. In addition
to this, he saw at the places where they were kept,
the evangelic histories, in the writing of those who drew
them up; and at Rome, at Corinth, at Philippi, at Ephesus,
he handled with his own hands the letters of Paul,
which he wrote to the Christians of those places; and in
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those places and others, did he dwell and converse with
multitudes who had seen and heard the great apostle,
and had witnessed the wonders he had wrought. I, the
child of Cyprian's old age, heard from him all that I
have now recounted to you. I sat at his feet, as he had
sat at the evangelist's, and from him I heard the various
experiences of his long, laborious, and troubled life.
Could I help but believe what I heard? — and so could
I help but be a Christian? My father was a man — and
all Syria knows him to have been such an one — of a
passionate love of truth. At any moment would he have
cheerfully suffered torture and death, sooner than have
swerved from the strictest allegiance to its very letter.
Nevertheless, he would not that I should trust to him
alone, but as the apostle had sent him forth, so he sent
me forth, to read the evidences of the truth of this religion
in the living monuments of Judea. I, too, wandered
a pilgrim over the hills and plains of Galilee. I sat in
the synagogue at Nazareth. I dwelt in Capernaum. I
mused by the shore of the Gallilean lake. I haunted
the ruins of Jerusalem, and sought out the places where
the Saviour of men had passed the last hours of his life.
Night after night I wept and prayed upon the Mount of
Olives. Wherever I went, and among whomsoever I
mingled, I found witnesses eloquent and loud, and without
number, to all the principal facts and events of our
sacred history. Ten thousand traditions of the life and
acts of Christ and his apostles, all agreeing substantially
with the written records, were passing from mouth to
mouth, and descending from sire to son. The whole
land, in all its length and breadth, was but one vast monument
to the truth of christianity. And for this purpose
it was resorted to by the lovers of truth from all parts of
the world. Did doubts arise in the mind of a dweller in
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Rome, or Carthage, or Britain, concerning the whole or
any part of the Christian story, he addressed letters to well
known inhabitants of the Jewish cities, or he visited them
in person, and by a few plain words from another, or by the
evidence of his own eyes and ears, every doubt was scattered.
When I had stored my mind with knowledge
from these original sources, I then betook myself to some
of the living oracles of Christian wisdom, with the fame
of whose learning and piety the world was filled. From
the great Clement of Rome, from Dyonysius at Alexandria,
from Tertullian at Carthage, from that wonder of
human genius, Origen, in his school at Cæsarea, I gathered
together what more was needed to arm me for the
Christian warfare; and I then went forth full of faith
myself to plant its divine seeds in the hearts of whosoever
would receive them. In this good work my days
have been spent. I have lived and taught but to unfold
to others the evidences which have made me a Christian.
My children,' continued he, `why should you not receive
my words? why should I desire to deceive you? I am
an old man, trembling upon the borders of the grave.
Can I have any wish to injure you? Is it conceivable
that, standing thus already as it were, before the bar of
God, I could pour false and idle tales into your ears?
But if I have spoken truly, can you refuse to believe?
But I must not urge. Use your freedom. Inquire for
yourselves. Let the leisure and the wealth which are
yours carry you to read with your own eyes that widespread
volume which you will find among the mountains
and valleys of the holy land. Princess, my strength is
spent, or there is much more I could gladly add.'
`My friends,' said the princess, `are, I am sure, grateful
for what you have said, and they have heard.'
`Indeed we are,' said Fausta, `and heartily do we
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thank you. One thing more would I ask. What think
you of the prospects of the Christian faith? Are the
common reports of its rapid ascendency to be heeded? Is
it making its way, as we are told, even into the palaces
of kings? I know, indeed, what happens in Palmyra;
but elsewhere, holy father?'
As Fausta spoke these words, the aged man seemed
wrapped in thought. His venerable head sank upon his
breast; his beard swept the ground. At length, slowly
raising his head, and with eyes lifted upward, he said, in
deep and solemn tones: `It cannot, it cannot be difficult
to read the future. It must be so. I see it as if it were
already come. The throne which is red with blood, and
he who sits thereon, wielding a sword dropping blood,
sinks — sinks — and disappears; and one all white, and
he who sits thereon, having upon his frontlet these words,
`Peace on earth and good will toward men,' rises and fills
its place. And I hear a movement as of a multitude which
no man can number, coming and worshipping around the
throne. `God of the whole earth, arise! — visit it with
thy salvation! Hasten the coming of the universal kingdom
of thy Son, when all shall know thee, and love to
God and love to man possess and fill every soul.'
As the venerable man uttered this prayer, Julia looked
steadfastly upon him, and a beauty more than of earth
seemed to dwell upon her countenance.
`Father,' said Fausta, `we are not now fair judges of
truth. Your discourse has wrought so upon us, that
we need reflection before we can tell what we ought to
believe.'
`That is just,' said the saint; `to determine right, we
must think rather than feel. And that your minds may
the sooner return to the proper state, let me set before
you of such as my dwelling will afford.'
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Saying this, he moved from the seat which till now he
had retained, and closing the volume he had been reading,
laid it away with care, saying as he did so, `This,
children, is the Christian's book; not containing all those
writings which we deem to be of authority in describing
our faith, but such as are most needful. It is from reading
this, and noting as you read the inward marks of
honesty, and observing how easy it were, even now, by visiting
Judea, to convict its authors of error and falsehood,
had they been guilty of either, that your minds will be
best able to judge of the truth and worth of christianity.'
`At another time, father,' said Fausta, `it would give
me great delight, and equally, too, I am sure, our friend
from Rome, if you would read to us portions of that volume,
that we may know somewhat of its contents from
your lips, accompanied, too, by such comments as you
might deem useful to learners. It is thus we have often
heard the Greek and Roman writers from the mouth of
Longinus.'
`Whenever,' he replied, `you shall be willing to ascend
these steep and rugged paths, in pursuit of truth, I in my
turn will stand prepared to teach. To behold such listeners
before me, brings back the life of former days.'
He then, with short and interrupted steps, busied himself
in bringing forth his humble fare. Bread and fruits,
and olives former our slight repast, together with ice-cold
water, which Julia, seizing from his hand the hermit's
pitcher, brought from a spring that gushed from a neighboring
rock.
This being ended, and with it much various and agreeable
conversation, in the course of which the Christian
patriarch gave many striking anecdotes of his exposed and
toilsome life, we rose, and bidding farewell, with
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promises to return again, betook ourselves to our horses, and
mounting them, were soon at the gates of the palace.
I confess myself interested in the question of christianity.
The old religions are time-worn, and in effect
dead. To the common people, when believed, they are as
often injurious as useful — to others, they are the objects
of open, undisguised contempt. Yet religion, in some
form, the human mind must have. We feel the want of
it as we do of food and drink. But, as in the case of
food and drink, it must be something that we shall perceive
to nourish and strengthen, not to debilitate and poison.
In my searches through antiquity, I have found no
system which I could rest in as complete and satisfying.
They all fail in many vital points. They are frequently
childish in their requisitions and their principles; their
morality is faulty; their spirit narrow and exclusive; and
more than all, they are without authority. The principles
which are to guide, control, and exalt our nature, it
seems to me, must proceed from the author of that nature.
The claim of christianity to be a religion provided for man
by the Creator of man, is the feature in it which draws me
toward it. This claim I shall investigate and scan, with
all the ability and learning I can bring to the work. But
whatever I or you may think of it, or ultimately determine,
every eye must see with what giant steps it is striding
onward — temples, religions, superstitions, and powers
crumbling and dissolving at its approach. Farewell.
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LETTER VIII.
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The words of that Christian recluse, my Curtius, still
ring in my ear. I know not how it is, but there is a
strange power in all that I have heard from any of that
sect. You remember how I was struck by the manner,
the countenance, and above all, by the sentiments, of
Probus, the Christian whom I encountered on his way to
Carthage. A still stronger feeling possesses me, when
I hear the same things from the lips of Julia. It seems
as if she herself, and the religion she discourses of, must
proceed from the same author. She is certainly a divine
work. And there is such an alliance between her and
those truths, that I am ready almost to believe that for
this reason alone they must have that very divine origin
which is claimed for them. Is there any thing in our
Roman superstitions, or philosophy, even, that is at all
kindred to the spirit of a perfect woman? — any thing
suited to her nature? Has it ever seemed as if woman
were in any respect the care of the gods? In this, Christianity
differs from all former religions and philosophies.
It is feminine. I do not mean by that, weak or effeminate.
But in its gentleness, in the suavity of its tone, in
the humanity of its doctrines, in the deep love it breathes
toward all of human kind, in the high rank it assigns to
the virtues which are peculiarly those of woman, in these
things and many others, it is throughout for them as well
as for us — almost more for them than for us. In this
feature of it, so strange and new, I see marks of a wisdom
beyond that of any human fabricator. A human inventor
would scarcely have conceived such a system; and could
he have conceived it, would not have dared to publish it.
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It would have been in his judgment to have wontonly forfeited
the favor of the world. The author of christianity,
with a divine boldness, makes his perfect man, in the
purity and beauty of his character, the counterpart of a
perfect woman. The virtues upon which former teachers
have chiefly dwelt, are by him almost unnoticed, and
those soft and feminine ones, which others seem to have
utterly forgotten, he has exalted to the highest place. So
that, as I before said, Julia discoursing to me of christianity
is in herself, in the exact accordance between her
mind and heart and that faith, the strongest argument I
have yet found of its truth. I do not say that I am a
believer. I am not. But I cannot say what the effect
may be of a few more interviews with the hermit of the
mountains, in company with the princess. His arguments,
illustrated by her presence, will carry with them
not a little force.
When, after our interview with the Christian, we had
returned to the queen's villa, we easily persuaded ourselves
that the heat of the day was too great for us to set
out, till toward the close of it, for the city. So we agreed,
in the absence of the queen and other guests, to pass the
day after our own manner, and by ourselves. The princess
proposed that we should confine ourselves to the cool
retreats near the fountain of the elephant, made also more
agreeable to us than any other place by the delightful
hours we had sat there, listening to the melodious accents
of the great Longinus. To this proposal we quickly and
gladly assented. Our garments being then made to correspond
to the excessive heats of the season, soothed by
noise of the falling waters, and fanned by slaves who
waved to and fro huge leaves of the palm tree, cut into
graceful forms, and set in gold or ivory, we resigned ourselves
to that sleepy but yet delicious state which we reach
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only a few times in all our lives, when the senses are
perfectly satisfied and filled, and merely to live is bliss
enough. But our luxurious ease was slightly diversified
with additions and changes no ways unwelcome.
Ever and anon slaves entered, bearing trays laden with
every rare and curious confection which the art of the
East supplies, but especially, with drinks cooled by snow
brought from the mountains of India. These, in the most
agreeable manner, recruited our strength when exhausted
by fits of merriment, or when one had become weary by
reading or reciting a story for the amusement of the others,
and the others as weary, or more weary, by listening.
It were in vain to attempt to recall for your and Lucilia's
entertainment the many pleasant things which were both
said and done on this day never to be forgotten. And
besides, perhaps, were they set down in order, and sent to
Rome, the spicy flavor which gave life to them here,
might all exhale, and leave them flat and dull. Suffice it,
therefore, to say, that in our judgment many witty and
learned sayings were uttered — for the learning, that
must rest upon our declaration — for the wit, the slaves
will bear witness to it, as they did then, by their unrestrained
bursts of laughter.
It was with no little reluctance, that, as the last rays of
the sun fell upon the highest jet of the fountain, we heard
the princess declare that the latest hour had come, and
we must fain prepare for the city. A little time sufficed
for this, and we were soon upon our horses threading the
defiles among the hills, or flying over the plains. A few
hours brought us within the gates of the city. Leaving
Julia at the palace of the queen, we turned toward the
house of Gracchus. Its noble front soon rose before us.
As we passed into the court-yard, the first sound that
greeted me was Milo's blundering voice: `Welcome,
most noble Gallienus, welcome again to Palmyra!'
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`I am not,' said I, `quite an emperor yet, but notwithstanding,
I am glad to be in Palmyra — more glad to be
at the house of Gracchus — and glad most of all to see
Gracchus himself at home, and well' — the noble Roman—
as I shall call him — at that moment issuing from a
door of the palace, and descending at a quick pace the
steps, to assist Fausta from her horse.'
`We are not,' said he, `long separated; but to those
who really love, the shortest separation is a long one, and
the quickest return an occasion of joy.' Saying so, he
embraced and kissed his beautiful daughter, and grasped
cordially my hand.
`Come,' added he, `enter and repose. Your ride has
been a sharp one, as your horses declare, and the heat is
great. Let us to the banqueting-hall, as the coolest, and
there sit and rest.' So we were again soon within that
graceful apartment, where I had first sat and tasted the hospitalities
of Palmyra. The gods above were still at their
feast, drinking or drunken. Below, we sat at the open
windows, and with more temperance regaled ourselves
with the cool air that came to us, richly laden with the
fragrance of surrounding flowers, and with that social
converse that is more inspiring than Falernian, or the
soft Palmyrene. After talking of other things, Gracchus
addressed me, saying:
`But is it not now time, Lucius, that a letter, at least,
came from Isaac? I have forborne to inquire, from time
to time, as I would do nothing to add to your necessary
anxiety. It surely now, however, is right to consider the
steps next to be taken, if he shall have failed in his enterprise.
'
`Isaac and Calpurnius,' I replied, `are never absent
from my thoughts, and I have already resolved — the gods
willing and favoring — that when a period of sufficient
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length shall have elapsed, and the Jew does not appear,
having either perished on the way or else in the capital
of the Great King — myself to start, as I at first designed
to do, upon this expedition, and either return with my
brother, or else die, also, in the endeavor. Seek not,
Fausta, as I perceive you are about to do, to turn me
from my purpose. It will be — it ought to be — in vain.
I can consent no longer to live thus in the very heart of
life, while this cloud of uncertainty hangs over the fate of
one so near to me. Though I should depute the service
of his rescue to a thousand others, my own inactivity is
insupportable, and reproaches me like a crime.'
`I was not, as you supposed, Lucius,' replied Fausta,
`about to draw you away from your purpose, but, on the
contrary, to declare my approbation of it. Were I Lucius,
my thoughts would be, I am sure, what yours now are;
and to-morrow's sun would light me on the way to Ecbatana.
Nay, father, I would not wait a day longer. Woman
though I am, I am almost ready to offer myself a
companion of our friend on this pious service.'
`I shall not,' said Gracchus, `undertake to dissuade
our friend from what seems now to be his settled purpose.
Yet still, for our sakes, for the sake of the aged Portia,
and all in Rome, I could wish that — supposing Isaac
should fail — one more attempt might be made in the
same way, ere so much is put at hazard. It needs no
great penetration to see how highly prized by Persia must
be the possession of such a trophy of her prowess as the
head of the noble house of Piso — with what jealousy his
every movement would be watched, and what danger
must wait upon any attempt at his deliverance. Moreover,
while a mere hireling might, if detected, have one
chance among a thousand of pardon and escape, even
that were wanting to you. Another Piso would be either
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another footstool of the Persian despot, while life should
last, or else he would swing upon a Persian gibbet, and
so would perish the last of a noble name.'
`I cannot deny that reason is on your side,' I said, `in
reply to this strong case of Gracchus, `but feeling is on
mine, and the contest is never an equal one. Feeling is,
perhaps, the essence of reason, of which no account need
or can be given, and ought to prevail. But however this
may be, I feel that I am right, and so I must act.'
`But let us now think of nothing else,' said Fausta,
`than that before another day is ended, we shall get intelligence
of Isaac. Have you, Lucius, inquired, since your
return, of Demetrius?'
`Milo is now absent on that very errand,' I replied,
`and here he is, giving no signs of success.'
Milo at the same moment entered the hall, and stated
that Demetrius was himself absent from the city, but was
every moment expected, and it was known that he had
been seeking anxiously — the preceding day — for me.
While Milo was yet speaking, a messenger was announced,
inquiring for me, and before I could reach the extremity
of the apartment, Demetrius himself entered the
room in haste, brandishing in his hand a letter, which he
knew well to be from Isaac.
`'T is his own hand,' said he. `The form of his letters
is not to be mistaken. Not even the hand of Demetrius
can cut with more grace the Greek character. Observe,
Roman, the fashion of his touch. Isaac would have
guided a rare hand at the graving tool. But these Jews
shun the nicer arts. They are a strange people.'
`Quickly,' said I, interrupting the voluble Greek, `as
you love the gods, deliver to me the letter! Bye and bye
we will discourse of these things' — and, seizing the
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epistle, I ran with it to another apartment, first to devour
it myself.
I cannot tell you, dear friends, with what eagerness I
drank in the contents of the letter, and with what ecstacy
of joy I leaped and shouted at the news it brought. In one
word, my brother lives, and it is possible that before this
epistle to you shall be finished, he himself will sit at my
side. But to put you in possession of the whole case, I
shall transcribe for you the chief parts of Isaac's careful
and minute account, preserving for your amusement much
of what in no way whatever relates to the affair in hand,
and is useful only as it will present a sort of picture of
one of this strange tribe. As soon as I had filled myself
with its transporting contents, I hastened to the hall
where I had left Fausta and Gracchus, to whom — Demetrious
having in the mean time taken his departure — I
quickly communicated its intelligence, and received their
hearty congratulations, and then read it to them very
much as I now transcribe it for you. You will now acknowledge
my obligations to this kind-hearted Jew, and
will devoutly bless the gods for my accidental encounter
with him on board the Mediterranean trader. Here now
is the letter itself.
Isaac, the son of Isaac of Rome, to the most noble
Lucius Manlius Piso, at Palmyra:
That I am alive, Roman, after the perils of my journey,
and the worse perils of this Pagan city, can be
ascribed to nothing else than to the protecting arm of the
God of our nation. It is new evidence to me, that somewhat
is yet to be achieved by my ministry, for the good
of my country. That I am here in this remote and
benighted region, that I should have adventured hither in
the service of a Roman to save one Roman life, when,
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were the power mine, I would cut off every Roman life,
from the babe at the breast to the silver head, and lay
waste the kingdoms of the great mother of iniquity with
fire and sword, is to me a thing so wonderful, that I refer
it all to the pleasure of that Power who orders events according
to a plan and wisdom impenetrable by us. Think
not, Roman, that I have journeyed so far, for the sake of
thy two talents of gold — though that is considerable.
And the mention of this draws my mind to a matter, overlooked
in the stipulations entered into between thee and
me, at my dwelling in Palmyra. Singular, that so weighty
a part of that transaction should have been taken no note
of! Now I must trust it wholly to thee, Piso, and feel
that I may safely do so. In case of my death, the double
of the recompense agreed upon was to be paid, in accordance
with directions left. But what was to be done
in case of thy death? Why, most thoughtful Isaac,—most
prudent of men — for this thou didst make no provision!
And yet may not Piso die as well as Isaac? Has a Roman
more lives than a Jew? Nay, how know I but thou art
now dead, and no one living to do me justice? See
to this excellent Roman. Thou wouldst not have me go
unrequited for all this hazard and toil. Let thy heirs be
bound, by sure and legal instruments, to make good to me
all thou hast bound thyself to pay. Do this, and thy gods
and my God prosper thee! Forget it not. Let it be done
as soon as these words are read. Demetrius will show
thee one who will draw up a writing in agreement with
both the Palmyrene and Roman Law. Unheard of heedlessness!
But this I thought not about till I took my pen
to write.
What was I saying? — that I came not for thy gold—
that is, not for that solely or chiefly. For what, and
and why, then? Because, as I have hinted, I felt myself
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driven by an invisible power to this enterprise. I wait
with patience to know what its issue is to be.
Now let me inform thee of my journey and my doings.
But first, in one brief word, let me relieve thy impatience
by saying, I think thy brother is to be rescued. No more
of this at present, but all in order. When I parted from
thee that night, I had hardly formed my plan, though my
mind, quick in all its workings, did suddenly conceive
one way in which it appeared possible to me to compass
the desired object. Perhaps you will deem it a piece of
rashness rather than of courage so quickly to undertake
your affair. I should call it so too, did I not also catch
dimly in the depth of the Heavens the form of the finger
of God. This thou wilt not and canst not understand.
It is beyond thee. Is it not so? But, Roman, I trust the
day is to come when by my mouth, if not by another's, thou
shalt hear enough to understand that truth is to be found
no where but in Moses. Avoid Probus. I fear me he is
already in Palmyra. There is more cunning in him than
is good. With that deep face and serene air he deceives
many. All I say is, shun him. To be a Roman unbeliever
is better than to be a Christian heretic. But to
my journey.
The morning after I parted from thee saw me issuing
at an early hour from the Persian Gate, and with my single
Ethiopian slave, bearing toward the desert. I took
with me but a light bale of merchandise, that I might not
burden my good dromedary. Than mine, there is not a
fleeter in the whole East. One nearly as good, and at a
huge price, did I purchase for my slave. 'T was too suddenly
bought to be cheaply bought. But I was not cozened.
It proved a rare animal. I think there lives not
the man in Palmyra or Damascus who could blind Isaac.
I determined to travel at the greatest speed we and our
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beasts could bear, so we avoided as far as we could the
heats of day, and rode by night. The first day being
through the peopled regions of the queen's dominions,
and through a cultivated country, we travelled at our
case; and not unfrequently at such places as I saw promised
well, did we stop, and while our good beasts regaled
themselves upon the rich herbage or richer grain, trafficked.
In this surely I erred not. For, losing as I have
done, by this distant and unwonted route, the trade of
Ctesiphon, 't was just, was it not, that to the extent possible,
without great obstruction thrown in the way of your
affairs, I should repair the evil of that loss? Truth to
speak, it was only because my eye foresaw some such
profitings on the way, that I made myself contented with
but two gold talents of Jerusalem. Two days were passed
thus, and on the third we entered upon a barren region—
barren as where the prophet found no food, but such
as birds from Heaven brought him. But why speak of
this to thee? O, that thou wouldst but once, only once,
sit at the feet of that man of God, Simon Ben Gorah!
Solomon was not more wise. His words are arrows with
two heads, from a golden bow. His reasons weigh as the
mountains of Lebanon. They break and crush all on
whom they fall. Would, Roman, they might sometime
fall on thee! The third day we were on this barren region,
and the next fairly upon the desert. Now did we
reap the benefit of our good beasts. The heat was like
that of the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, out of which the
three children, Shadrach, Mescheck, and Abednego
came, through the power of God, unscorched. And
moreover, they were soon put to an unwonted and unlooked
for burden, and in such manner as, to thy wonder, I
shall relate.
It was a day the air of which was like the air of that
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furnace — burning — burning hot. Death was written
upon the whole face of the visible earth. Where leaves
had been, there were none now, or they crumbled into
ashes as the hand touched them. The atmosphere, when
moved by the wind, brought not, as it is used to do,
a greater coolness, but a fiercer heat. It was full of
flickering waves that danced up and down with a quivering
motion, and dazzled and blinded the eye that looked
upon them. And often the sand was not like that which,
for the most part is met with on that desert stretching
from the Mediterranean to Palmyra, and of which thou
hast had some experience — heavy, and hard, and seamed
with cracks — but fine, and light, and raised into clouds
by every breath of wind, and driven into the skin like
points of needles. When the wind, as frequently it did,
blew with violence, we could only stop and bury our faces
in our garments, our poor beasts crying out with pain. It
was on such a day, having, because there was no place of
rest, been obliged to endure all the noonday heat, that,
when the sun was at the highest, and when we looked
eagerly every way for even a dry and leafless bush that
we might crouch down beneath its shade, we saw at a
distance before us the tall trunk of a cedar, bleached to
ivory, and twinkling like a pharos under the hot rays.
We slowly approached it, Hadad, my Ethiopian, knowing
it as one of the pillars of the desert.
`There it has stood and shone a thousand years,' said
he, `and but for such marks, who could cross these seas
of sand, where your foot-mark is lost, as soon as made?'
After a few moment's pause, he again exclaimed: `And
by the beard of holy Abraham! a living human being sits
at the root — or else mayhap my eyes deceive me, and I
see only the twisted roots of the tree.'
`'T is too far for my eyes to discern aught but the
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blasted trunk. No living creature can dwell here. 'T is
the region of death only.'
A blast of the desert struck us at the moment, and well
nigh buried us in its rushing whirlwind of sand. We
stood still, closed our eyes, and buried our faces in the
folds of our garments.
`Horrible and out of nature!' I cried — `the sun blazing
without a cloud as big as a locust to dim his ray, and
yet these gusts, like the raging of a tempest. The winds
surely rise. Providence be our guide out of this valley of
fire and death!'
`There is no providence here,' said the slave, `nor any
where; else why these savage and dreary deserts, which
must be crossed, and yet we die in doing it.'
`Hold thy peace, blasphemer!' I could not but rejoin,
`and take heed lest thy impious tongue draw down a
whirlwind of God to the destruction of us both.'
`The curse of Arimanes' — began the irritated slave—
when suddenly he paused, and cried out in another
tone: `Look! look! Isaac, and see now for thyself: I
am no Jew, if there sit not a woman at the root of yonder
tree.'
I looked, and now that we had drawn nearer, and
the wind had subsided for an instant, I plainly beheld the
form of a woman, bent over, as if in the act of holding
and defending an infant. I believed it a delusion of Satan.
`It is awful,' said I; `but let us hasten; if it be a
reality, our coming must be as the descent of angels.'
I pressed on my weary animal, and in a few moments
we stood before what seemed indeed a human being, of
flesh and bone — and what was more wonderful still, a
woman. Yet she stirred not, nor gave other sign of life.
`Is the breath of life yet in you?' I cried out — not
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doubting, however, that whoever it was, death had already
released her from her misery — and at the same time
laid my hand upon her shoulder. At which she started,
and lifting up her head, the very ghastliness of death
stamped upon every feature, she shrieked: `I drown! I
drown! Hassan, save me!' and her head fell again upon
her knees.
`Poor fool,' said I, `thou art upon the sands of the desert,
and thou dreamest: awake! — awake! — and here is
water for thee — real water.'
At which she waked indeed, with a convulsive start,
and while with one hand she held fast her child — for a
child was indeed laid away among the folds of her garments—
with the other she madly grasped the small cup
I held out to her, and tearing aside the covering from the
face of the child, she forced open its mouth, and poured
in some of the water we gave her, watching its effect.
Soon as the little one gave signs of life, she drank the remainder
at a draught, crying out, `More! more!' Our
water, of which we had as yet good store, though hot as
the wind itself, quickly restored both mother and child.
`And now tell me, miserable woman, what direful
chance has brought and left thee here? — but hasten —
speak quickly as thou canst — and dost thou look for any
one to come to thy relief?'
`Robbers of the desert,' said she, `have either murdered
or carried into slavery my husband, and destroyed and
scattered the caravan of which we made a part. I am
alone in the desert; and I know of no relief but such as
you can give. Leave us not, if you are men, to perish in
these burning sands!'
`Fear not that I will leave you,' said I: `what I can
spare, shall freely be thine. But time is precious, for we
are yet but midway the desert, and the signs of the
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heavens forbode wind and whirlwind: hasten then, and mount
the dromedary of my slave, while I upon mine bear — as
stronger than thou — the child.'
`Isaac,' here muttered Hadad, in an under tone, `art
thou mad? Is thy reason wholly gone? It is scarcely to
be hoped that we alone may cross in safety what remains
of the desert, beset as we are by these sweeping gusts,
and wilt thou oppress our fainting beasts with this new
burden?'
`Thou accursed of God! wouldst thou leave these here
to perish? I believed not before that out of hell there could
be so black a soul. Bring down thy dromedary. One
word of hesitancy, and thy own carcass shall bleach upon
the sands.'
I knew well who I was dealing with — that I was safe
from immediate violence, though not from ultimate revenge.
Hadad then drew up his beast, which kneeling received
the woman, while I took in my arms the child. We then
set forward at an increased pace, to reach before night, if
possible, the `place of springs,' where a small green spot,
watered by fountains which never fail, blesses these inhospitable
plains.
Not a cloud was to be seen in all the compass of the
heavens, yet the winds raged. The blueness of the sky
was gone, and the whole inflamed dome above us was
rather of the color of molten brass, the sun being but its
brightest and hottest spot. At a distance, we saw clouds
of sand whirled aloft, and driven fiercely over the boundless
plain, any one of which, it seemed to us, if it should
cross our path, would bury us under its moving mass.
We pressed on, trembling and silent through apprehension.
The blood in my veins seemed hotter than the
sand, or the sun that beat upon my face. Roman, thou
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canst form no conception of the horrors of this day. But
for my faith, I should have utterly failed. What couldst
thou have done? — nay, or the Christian Probus? But I
will not taunt thee. I will rather hope. The wind became
more and more violent. The sand was driven
before it like chaff. Sometimes the tempest immediately
around us would abate, but it only served to fill us with
new apprehensions, by revealing to us the tossings of this
great deep, in the distance. At one of these moments,
as I was taking occasion to speak a word of comfort to
the half dead mother, and cherish the little one whom I
bore, a sound as of the roar of ocean caught my ear —
more awful than aught I had yet heard — and at the same
time a shriek and a shout from Hadad, `God of Israel,
save us! The sand! the sand!'
I looked in the direction of the sound, and there in the
south it looked — God, how terrible to behold! — as if
the whole plain were risen up, and were about to fall
upon us.
`'T is vain to fly!' I screamed to Hadad, who was
urging his animal to its utmost speed. `Let us perish
together. Besides, observe the heaviest and thickest of
the cloud is in advance of us.'
The mother of the child cried out, as Hadad insanely
hastened on, for her offspring, to whom I answered:
`Trust the young Ishmael to me — fear me not — cleave
to the dromedary.'
Hardly were the words spoken, when the whirlwind
struck us. We were dashed to the earth as we had been
weeds. My senses were for a time lost in the confusion
and horror of the scene. I only knew that I had been
torn from my dromedary — borne along and buried by the
sand — and that the young Ishmael was still in my arms.
In the first moment of consciousness, I found myself
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struggling to free myself from the sand which was heaped
around and over me. In this, after a time, I succeeded,
and in restoring to animation the poor child, choked and
blinded, yet — wonderful indeed — not dead. I then
looked around for Hadad and the woman, but they were
no where to be seen. I shouted aloud, but there was no
answer. The sand had now fallen — the wind had died
away — and no sound met my ear, but the distant rumbling
of the retreating storm. Not far from me, my own
dromedary stood, partly buried in sand, and vainly endeavoring
to extricate himself. With my aid, this was
quickly effected. I was soon upon his back. But I knew
not which way to turn. My dependence was upon Hadad,
familiar with the route. The sun, however had
declined sensibly toward the west — I knew that my general
direction was toward the east and north, so that with
some certainty as to the true path, I sorrowfully recommenced
my journey. Have I not thy pity, Roman? Has
a worse case ever come to thy ear? I will not distress
thee by reciting my sufferings all the way to the `place of
springs,' which by the next morning, plodding on wearily
through the night, I safely reached.
There one of the first objects that greeted me, was
Hadad and the mother of my Ishmael. I approached
them unobserved, as they sat on the border of a spring, in
the midst of other travellers, some of whom I saw were
comforting the wailing Hagar — and without a word dropped
the young child into the lap of its mother. Who shall
describe the transports of her joy? 'T was worth, Piso,
the journey and all its hazards.
How refreshing it was to lie here on the cool soil, beneath
the shade of the grateful palm, enjoying every
moment of existence, and repairing the injuries the journey
had inflicted upon ourselves and our beasts! Two
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days we passed in this manner. While here, Hadad related
what befel him after our separation. Owing to his
urging on his animal in that mad way, at the time I called
out to him, instead of stopping or retreating, he was farther
within the heart of the cloud than I, and was more
rudely handled.
`Soon as the blast fell upon us,' said he, `that instant
was my reason gone. I knew nothing for I cannot tell
how long. But when I came to myself, and found that
I was not in the place of the wicked — whereat I rejoiced
and was amazed — I discovered, on looking around, that
my good dromedary, whom I could ill spare, was dead
and buried, and your Hagar, whom I could have so well
spared, alive and weeping for her lost boy. I made her,
with difficulty, comprehend that time was precious, and
that strength would be impaired by weeping and wailing.
Knowing at once in what direction to travel — after
searching in vain for thee — we set out upon a journey,
which, on foot, beneath a burning sun, and without water,
there was small hope of accomplishing. I looked with
certainty to die in the desert. But Oromasdes was my
protector. See, Isaac, the advantage of a little of many
faiths. We had not travelled far among the hillocks, or
hills rather, of sand which we found piled up in our way,
and completely altering the face of the plain, before, to
our amazement and our joy, we discovered a camel, without
rider or burden, coming toward us. I secured him
without difficulty. At a little distance, we soon saw
another; and bye and bye we found that we were passing
over the graves of a caravan, the whole or chief part of
which had been overwhelmed by the storm. Here was a
body partly out of the sand, there the head or leg of a
dromedary or camel. Ruin and death seemed to have
finished their work. But it was not quite so. For
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presently on reaching the summit of a wave of sand, we discerned
a remnant mounted upon the beasts that had been
saved, making in the same direction, and probably to the
same point, as ourselves. We joined them, and partaking
of their water, were recruited, and so reached this place
alive. It is now from here,' he added, `a safe and easy
road to Ecbatana.'
So we found it. But confess now, noble Piso, if in thy
judgment it would have been exorbitant if I had required
of thee three talents of Jerusalem instead of two? For
what wouldst thou cross that moulten sea, and be buried
under its fiery waves! It is none other than a miracle
that I am here alive in Ecbatana. And for thee I fear
that miracle would not have been wrought. Hadst thou
been in my place, the sands of the desert were now thy
dwelling-place. Yet have I again to tempt those horrors.
Being here, I must return. The dromedary of my slave
Hadad, was worth an hundred aurelians. A better or a
fleeter, never yet was in the stables of Zenobia. And dost
thou know, Roman, how curious the queen is in horses
and dromedaries? There cannot a rare one of either kind
enter the walls of Palmyra, but he is straightway bought
up for the service of Zenobia. The swiftest in the East
are hers. 'T was my purpose, returning, to have drawn
upon Hadad's beast the notice of the queen. Doubtless
I should have sold it to her, and two hundred aurelians
is the very least I should have asked or taken for her.
To no other than Zenobia would I have parted with her
for less than three hundred. But alas! her bones are on
the desert. But why, you ask, should I have so favored
Zenobia? It is no wonder you ask. And in answer, I
tell thee, perhaps, a secret. Zenobia is a Jewess! Receive
it or not, as thou wilt — she is a Jewess — and her
heart is tender toward our tribe. I do not say, mark me,
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that she is one by descent, nor that she is so much as even
a proselyte of the Gate, but that she believes in some sort
Moses and the prophets, and reads our sacred books.
These things I know well from those who have been near
her. But who ever heard that she has been seen to read
the books of the Christians! Probus will not dare to assert
it. 'T is not more public that Longinus himself is inclined
to our faith — by my head, I doubt not that he is
more than inclined — than 't is that Zenobia is. If our
Messiah should first of all gird on the sword of Palmyra,
what Jew, whose sight is better than a mole's, would be
surprised? My father — may his sleep be sweet!—whose
beard came lower than his girdle, and whose wisdom was
famous throughout the East, built much upon what he
knew of the queen, and her great minister, and used to
say, `That another Barchochab would arise in Palmyra,
whom it would require more than another Hadrian to hinder
in his way to empire; and that if horses again swam
in blood, as once at Bither, 't would be in Roman blood.'
Who am I, to deny truth and likelihood to the words of
one in whom dwelt the wisdom of Solomon, and the meekness
of Moses—the faith of Abrabam, the valor of Gideon,
and the patience of Job? I rather maintain their truth.
And in the features of the present time, I read change
and revolution — war, and uproar, and ruin — the falling
of kingdoms that have outlasted centuries, and the uprising
of others that shall last for other centuries. I see
the Queen of the East at battle with the Emperor of
Rome, and through her victories deliverance wrought out
for Israel, and the throne of Judah once more erected
within the walls of Jerusalem. Now dost thou, Piso,
understand, I suppose, not one word of all this. How
shouldst thou? But I trust thou wilt. Surely now you
will say, `What is all this to the purpose?' Not much to
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any present purpose, I confess freely; and I should not
marvel greatly if thou wert to throw this letter down and
trample it in the dust — as Rome has done by Judea —
but that thou lookest to hear of thy brother. Well, now I
will tell thee of him.
When we drew near to the capital of the Great King,
wishing to enrage Hadad, I asked `What mud-walled village
is it that we see yonder over the plain?' Thou
shouldst have seen the scowl of his eye — answer he gave
none. I spit upon such a city — I cast out my shoe upon
it! I who have dwelt at Rome, Carthage, Antioch, and
Palmyra, may be allowed to despise a place like this.
There is but one thing that impresses the beholder, and
that is the Palace of Sapor, and the Temple of Mithras,
near it. These, truly, would be noted even in Palmyra.
Not that in the building any rule or order of art is observed,
but that the congregation of strange and fantastic
trickery — some whereof, it cannot be gainsaid, is of rare
beauty — is so vast that one is pleased with it as he is
with the remembrance of the wonderful combinations of
a dream.
Soon as we entered the gates of the city, I turned to
the woman whom we brought from the desert, and who
rode the camel with Hadad, and said to her: `First
of all, Hagar, we take thee to those who are of thy kinddred,
or to thy friends, and well may they bless the good
Providence of God that they see thee. 'T was a foul deed
of thy husband, after the manner of the patriarch, to leave
thee and thy little one to perish on the burning sands of
the desert.'
`Good Jew,' she replied, `my name is not Hagar, nor
did my husband leave me willingly. I tell thee we were
set upon by robbers, and Hassan, my poor husband, was
either killed, or carried away no one can tell whither.'
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`No matter — names are of little moment. To me,'
`thou art Hagar, and thy little one here, is Ishmael—
and if thou wilt, Ishmael shall be mine. I will take
him and rear him as mine — he shall be rich — and
thou shalt be rich, and dwell where thou wilt.' The
child, Roman, had wound itself all around my heart. He
was of three years or more, and, feature for feature, answered
to the youngest of my own, long since lost, and
now in Abraham's bosom. But it was not to be as I
wished. All the mother rushed into the face of the
woman.
`Good Jew,' she cried, `the God of Heaven will
reward thee for thy mercy shown to us; but hadst thou
saved my life a thousand times, I could not pay thee with
my child. I am poor, and have nought to give thee but
my thanks.'
`I will see thee again,' said I to the widow of Hassan,
as we set her down in the street where her kinsfolk
dwelt, `if thou wilt allow me. Receive thy child.'
The child smiled as I kissed him, and gave him again
to his mother. It was the smile of Joseph. I could at
that moment almost myself have become a robber of the
desert, and taken what the others had left.
We here parted, and Hadad and myself bent our way
to the house of Levi, a merchant well known to Hadad,
and who, he assured me, would gladly receive us. His
shop, as we entered it, seemed well stored with the
richest goods, but the building of which it made a part
promised not very ample lodgings. But the hospitable
welcome of the aged Levi promised better.
`Welcome every true son of Israel,' said he, `as we
drew near where, in a remoter part of the large apartment,
he sat busy at his books of account. Make
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yourselves at home beneath the roof of Levi. Follow me and
find more private quarters.'
So, leaving Hadad and the camels to the care of those
whom our host summoned, I followed him as desired to
another part of the dwelling. It now seemed spacious
enough. After winding about among narrow and dark
passages, we at length came to large and well-furnished
rooms, apparently quite remote from the shop, and far
removed from the street. Here we seated ourselves, and
I unfolded to Levi the nature of my business. He listened,
wondered, smiled, shook his head, and made a
thousand contrary movements and signs. When I had
done, he comforted and instructed me after this manner.
`Something like a fool's errand. Yet the pay is good—
that cannot be doubted. It had been better, I think,
for thee to have followed thy trade in Palmyra or Ctesiphon.
Yet perhaps this may turn out well. The promised
sum is large. Who can tell? 'T is worth a risk.
Yet if, in taking the risk, one loses his head, it were a
mad enterprise. Verily, I can say nothing but that time
will disclose it, and the event prove it. A thing is not
seen all at once, and the eye cannot at once reach
every part of a ball. Wait with patience, and God shall
show it.'
I saw that nothing was to be got from this prophet.
Yet perhaps he knew facts. So I asked him of Hormisdas
and Sapor, and if he knew aught of the Roman Piso,
held a strict prisoner in Ecbatana.
`A prisoner, say you?' he replied, beginning at the
end of my question; `how can a Persian Satrap be
called a prisoner? He dwells in the palace of Hormisdas,
and when seen abroad, rides upon a horse whose
harness is jewelled like the prince's, and his dress, moreover,
is of the richest stuffs, and altogether Persian. 'T is
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forgotten by most that he is any other than a native
Persian.'
`Is he ever seen to ride alone?' I asked.
`Why the question? I know not. Who should know
who rides alone and who in company? When I have
seen him, it has always been in the train of others.'
`I thought as much. Doubtless he goes abroad well
guarded. His companions, Levi, I doubt are little better
than jailers?'
Levi opened his eyes, but it was to no purpose; they
can see no other thing clearly, save a Persian coin.
I found, upon further inquiry, that it was even as I
had supposed and had heard. Calpurnius lives in the
palace of Hormisdas, and is his chosen companion and
friend, but is allowed by Sapor no liberty of movement,
and wherever he goes, is attended by persons appointed
to guard him. Nor have the many years that he has
been here caused this vigilance in any degree to relax.
All outward honor is shown him, except by the king,
who, had he not, in the time of Valerian, passed his
word to the prince his son, and fully surrendered Piso
into his hands, would, it is believed, even now use him as
he did the unhappy emperor. But he is safe in the
keeping of the prince. And the guard about him, it is
my present suspicion, is as much to defend him against
any sudden freak of the king or his satellites, as it is to
prevent his escape. The least that could happen to any
Roman falling into Sapor's power, would be to be flayed
alive. My safety will lie in my being known only as a
Jew, not as a dweller in Rome.
And now, Roman, thou desirest to know in what
manner I mean to accomplish the deliverance of thy
brother. It is thus. Commend the cunning of it. My
Ethiopian slave is then — I must tell thee to thine
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amazement — no Ethiopian and no slave! He is one of
my own tribe whom I have many times employed in
difficult affairs, and having often conferred upon him
the most essential favors, have bound him to my will.
Him I am to leave in Ecbatana, being first cleansed
of the deep dye with which by my art — and what
art is it I am not familiar with? — I have stained his skin
to the darkest hue of the African, and then in his place,
and stained to the same hue, am I to take thy brother,
and so with security, and in broad day, walk through the
gates of Ecbatana. Is it to be thought of that I should
fail? All will rest with Calpurnius. If, in the first
place, he shall be willing to return, and then, in the
next place, shall consent to submit to this momentary and
only apparent degradation, the issue is as certain to be
happy, as the means shall be tried. My head never set
with a sense of more security upon my shoulders, than
now, while planning and putting into execution this
Carthaginian plot.
It was first of all necessary that I should become acquainted
with the city, with the situation and structure of
the palace of Hormisdas, and become known in the
streets as one of those way-side merchants whom all
abuse, yet whom all are glad to trade with. So, with
my slave bending under the burden of those articles of
use or luxury which I thought would be most attractive,
we set forth into the midst of the busy streets, seeking a
market for our commodities. Several days were passed
in this manner, returning each night to lodge in the house
of the rich and foolish, but hospitable Levi.
While thus employed, I frequently saw Calpurnius, in
company with the prince or other nobles, either riding in
state through the streets of the city, or else setting out
upon excursions of pleasure beyond the walls. But my
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chief object was to observe well the palace of the prince,
and learn the particular part of it inhabited by the Roman,
and how and where it was his custom to pass his
time. This it was not difficult to do. The palace of the
prince I found to occupy a square of the city not far from
that of the king his father. It is of vast extent, but of a
desolate aspect, from the fewness of its inhabitants and
the jealousy with which the prince and all his movements
are watched by the wicked and now superannuated
Sapor. Every day I diligently paced the streets upon
which its stands. I at first went without Hadad, that I
might observe with the more leisure. I at length discovered
the apartments used by Calpurnius, and learned
that it was his custom, when not absent from the palace
upon some enterprise of pleasure, to refresh himself by
breathing the air, and pacing to and fro upon a gallery of
light Persian architecture, and which bordered immediately
upon one of the four streets which bounded the
palace. This gallery was not so high above the street
but what the voice could easily reach those who were
walking there, and that without greatly increasing its
natural tone. From pillar to pillar there ran along a low
lattice-work of fanciful device, upon which it was the
usage of Calpurnius, and those who were with him, often
to lean, and idly watch the movements of the passengers
below. Here, I found, must be my place of audience.
Here I must draw his attention, and make myself known
to him. For an opportunity to do this, I saw at once I
might be obliged to wait long, for scarce ever was Calpurnius
there, but Hormisdas, or some one of the nobles,
was with him; or if he was alone, yet the street was so
thronged that it must be difficult to obtain a hearing.
Having learned these things, I then came forth, with
Hadad bearing my merchandise, I myself going before
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him as owner and crier. Many times did I pass and
repass the gallery of Calpurnius, to no purpose — he either
not being there, or attended closely by others, or wrapped
in thought so that my cries could not arouse him. It
was clear to me that I must make some bold attempt.
He was one day standing at the lattice-work already
named, alone, and looking at the passers by. Seeing him
there, as I entered the street, I made directly toward the
spot, crying in the loudest tone my goods; and notwithstanding
the numbers who were on their way along the
street, I addressed myself boldly to him, purposely mistaking
him for Hormisdas. `Prince,' said I, `buy a little,
if it please you, of a poor Jew, who has lately traversed
the desert to serve you. I have in these panniers wonders
from all parts of the world. There is not a city famous
for its art in any rare and curious work, that is not
represented here. Kings, queens, and princes, have not
disdained to purchase of me. The great Sapor at Ctesphon
has of me procured some of his largest diamonds.
I have sold to Claudius, and Zenobia, and half the nobility
of Palmyra. Dost thou see, prince, the glory of this
assortment of diamonds? Look! How would they become
thy finger, thy hunting-cap or thy sandals?'
Thy brother listened to me with unmoved countenance,
and folded arms, receiving passively whatever I was pleased
to say. When I paused, he said, in a tone of sadness,
though of affected pleasantry:
`Jew, I am the worst subject for thee in all Ecbatana.
I am a man without wants. I do nothing but live, and I
have nothing to do to live.'
`Now,' I replied, `is it time for me to die, having
seen the chief wonder of the world — a man without
wants.'
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`There is a greater yet,' said he smiling; `thou must
live on.'
`And what is that?'
`A woman.'
`Thou hast me. But I can easily compound with life.
I have many wants, yet I love it. I was but a day or two
since buried alive under the burning sands of the desert,
and lost there a dromedary worth — if a farthing — four
hundred aurelians, for which thou mayest have him. Yet
I love to live, and take the chances of the world as they
turn up. Here now have I all the way consoled myself
with the thought of what I might sell to the great Prince
Hormisdas, and thou seest my reward. Still, I cry my
goods with the same zeal. But surely thou wantest
something? I have jewels from Rome — of the latest
fashion.'
`I want nothing from Rome.'
Seeing no one was near, and lowering my voice, I said,
`thou wantest nothing from Rome? What wouldst thou
give, Roman, for news from Rome?'
`News from Rome? Not an obolus. How knowest
thou me to be a Roman? But now, I was the Prince
Hormisdas?'
`I have seen thee many times, and know thee well, as
the Roman Piso. I have news for thee.'
`The prince approaches!' said Piso, in a hurried manner.
`Begone, but come again at the hour of dusk, and
I shall be alone, and will have thee admitted within the
gates of the palace.'
The fates ordering it so, I was obliged to depart, and
trust again to the future for such chances of renewing my
conversation with him as it might have to offer. Here
let me tell thee, Lucius Piso, that not having seen thy
brother, thou hast never seen a man. He is one with
every mark of the noblest manhood. His air is that of a
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born prince, of the highest bearing, yet free and unrestrained.
The beauty of his countenance is beyond that
of any other I have ever seen, yet is it a manly beauty.
A line of dark short hair covers his upper lip. His eyes
are large, dark, and soft in their general expression. He
seems of a melancholy and thoughtful temper, and sometimes
in his words there is an inexpressible bitterness.
Yet it has appeared to me, that his nature is gentle, and
that the other character is one accidental or assumed. If
I should compare him with any one for beauty, it would
be, Roman, not with thee — though I see him and thee
to be of the same stock — but with the Princess Julia.
Were her beauty only made masculine, she would then be
Calpurnius; or were his made feminine, he would then
be Julia. But this fancy might not strike others. His featurs
and air are not so much Roman as oriental — thine
are purely Roman. It may be that costume alone imparts
this Eastern aspect to the countenance and the form —
for his dress is wholly that of a Persian.
As I passed into the dwelling of my host, entering it as
at first by the way of the shop, its owner was holding a
conversation of business with some of his customers.
How does money seem native to the palm of some men!
They have but to open it, and straight it is lined with gold.
If they blunder, it is into more wealth. With wit scarce
sufficient to make it clear to another that they are properly
men, do they manage to make themselves the very chief
of all, by reason of the riches they heap up — which ever
have claimed and received, and ever will, the homage of
the world. Levi is of this sort. The meanness of his
understanding words cannot express — or no words but
his own. He was talking after this manner, as I entered,
to one who seemed to hold him in utmost reverence:
`The thing is so — the thing is so. If 't were
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otherwise 't is most clear it would not be the same. Ha! The
price may change. Who can say? The world is full of
change. But it cannot be less, and leave a gain to the seller—
unless indeed, circumstances altering, the pro t should
still be the same. But who can understand the future?
An hour is more than I can comprehend. He that deals
well with the present, is it not he, Holy Abraham! who
best secures the passing time? It cannot be denied!'
As the oracle ended, the Persian bowed low, saying:
`The wisdom of it is clearer than the light. I shall so
report to the prince.' Seeing me, he, in his friendly way,
inquired after my success, shaking his head at what he is
pleased to regard my mad enterprise. `Better not meddle
nor make in such matters. With thy pack upon thy
back, and exercising diligence, thou wouldst become rich
here in the streets of Ecbatana. And for what else
shouldst thou care? 'T is only money that remains the
same in the midst of change. All agree in the value they
place upon this, while they agree in nothing else. Who
can remember a difference here? Leave thy project,
Isaac, which thou must have undertaken half for love,
and I will make thee a great man in Ecbatana.' Little
does he know of Isaac, and thou I believe as little.
No sooner had the god of these idolaters gone down to
his rest, and the friendly twilight come, than I set forth
for the palace of Hormisdas. Upon coming beneath the
gallery, I waited not long before thy brother appeared,
and pointed out the way in which, through a low and private
entrance at a remote spot, I might reach an apartment
in which I should find him. Following his directions,
I was received, accompanied by Hadad, at the
specified place, by a slave of the palace who conducted
me to Piso's presence. It was in one of his more private
apartments, but still sumptuously set out with every
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article of Persian luxury, in which I found myself once more
in company with thy brother, and where I ordered Hadad
to display for his entertainment the most curious and
costly of the contents of his pack.
`I marvel chiefly, Roman,' I began by saying, `at the
ease with which I obtain an entrance into the palace, and
into thine own apartment. I had thought this to have
been attended with both difficulty and danger.'
`It is not without danger,' he replied; `thou mayst
lose thy head for this adventure. But this risk I suppose
thee to have weighed. Every one in Ecbatana knows
Sapor and me — with what jealousy I am guarded — and
that the king will not flinch to keep his word, and take off
any head that meddles. But fear not. The king is old
and weak, and though cruel as ever, forgets me, as every
thing else. Besides, it is found that I am so good a Persian,
that all strictness in the watch has long since ceased.
Half Ecbatana believe me more a Persian than a Roman—
and in truth they are right.'
`Thou hast not, Roman, forgotten thy country! Surely
thou hast not, though suffering captivity, ceased to
love and long for thy native land. The Jew never forgets
his. He lives indeed in every corner and hole of the
earth, but in the hope — 't is this that keeps his life —
either himself or through his children to dwell once more
within the walls of Jerusalem, or among the hills and
valleys of Judea.'
`Where we are not loved or remembered, we cannot
love,' he bitterly replied. `I loved Rome once, more
than I loved parent or kindred. The greatness and glory
of Rome were to me infinitely more than my own. For
her — in my beardless youth — I was ready to lay down
my life at any moment. Nay, when the trial came, and
the good Valerian set forth to redeem the East from the
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encroaching power of Persia, I was not found wanting,
but abandoned a home, than which there was not a
prouder or happier within the walls of Rome, to take my
chance with the emperor and my noble father. The
issue thou knowest. How has Rome remembered me,
and the brave legions that with me fell into the hands of
these fierce barbarians? Even as Gallienus the son
seemed to rejoice in the captivity of his parent, so has
Rome the mother seemed to rejoice in the captivity of her
children. Not an arm has she lifted, not a finger has
she moved, to lighten the chains of our bondage, or rescue
us from this thraldom. Rome is no longer my country.
'
`Consider, Roman,' I replied, `in extenuation of thy
country's fault, who it was that succeeded the good
Valerian — then the brief reign of virtuous Claudius,
who died ere a single purpose had time to ripen — and
the hard task that has tied the hands of Aurelian, on the
borders of Gaul and Germany. Have patience.'
`Dost thou not blush, old man,' he said, `with that
long gray beard of thine, and thy back bent with years,
to stand there the apologist of crime? If ingratitude and
heartlessness are to be defended, and numbered among
the virtues, the reign of Arimanes has indeed begun.
Such is not the lesson, Jew, thy sacred books have taught
thee. But a truce with this! Thy last words this morning
were, that thou hadst news for me. For Roman news
I care not, nor will hear. If thou canst tell me aught of
family and friends, say on — although — O gods, that it
should be so! — even they seem to share the guilt of all.
How many messengers have I bribed with gold, more
than thou hast ever seen, Jew, to bear my letters to
Rome, and never a word has been returned of good or
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evil. Canst thou tell me any thing of Portia, my mother?
or of Lucius Piso, my brother? Live they?'
`Do I not know them well?' I replied: `who that
dwells in Rome knows not the noble Portia? She lives
yet; and long may she live, the friend of all! To Jew,
and even to Nazarene, she is good, even as to her own.
Never did age, or want, or helplessness, ask of her in
vain. Years have not stopped the fountains of her tears,
nor chilled a single affection of her heart. And dost
thou think that while she remembers the outcast Jew,
and the despised Nazarene, she forgets her own offspring?
Where is thy heart, Roman, to suppose it? Have I not
heard her, many a time, when I have been to solicit alms
for some poor unfortunate of my tribe, run back upon the
line of years, and speak of the wars of Valerian, of the
day when she parted from her great husband, and her
two sons, and of that dark day, too, when the news came
that they were all fast in the clutch of that foul barbarian,
Sapor — and stood a silent and astonished witness of a
love, such as I never saw in any other, and which seemed
so great as to be a necessary seed of death to her frail
and shattered frame? Of thee, especially, have I heard
her descant as mothers will, and tell one after another of
all thy beauties, nay and of the virtues, which bound her
to thee so, and of her trust, so long cherished, that thou,
more than either of her other sons, wouldst live to sustain,
and even bear up higher, the name of Piso.'
`My noble mother! Was it so indeed?'
`How should it be otherwise? Is it any thing, that thou
hast not heard from her? Was she to tempt herself the horrors
of a Persian journey? Was she, in her age, to seek
thee over the sands of Asia? or thy brother? Especially
when it was held in Rome not more certain that Valerian
was dead, than that thy father and thou wert also. The
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same messengers related both events. No other news
ever came from Ctesiphon. Was not one event as likely
as the other? Did not both rest upon the same authority?
In the same commemorative acts of the Senate were thy
name, thy father's, thy brother's, and the emperor's, with
others who were also believed to have perished. Was
Portia, alone, of all Rome, to give the lie to universal
fame? As for thy messengers, art thou so foolish as to
believe that one ever crossed the desert, or escaped the
meshes set for him by the jealous and malignant Sapor?'
`It is enough, Jew — say no more.'
`But I have much more to say, or else be false to those
who sent me.'
`Sent thee? who sent thee? Speak! do Portia, then,
and Lucius, know that I live? And art thou here, a messenger
from them?'
`It is even so.'
Thy brother was greatly moved. At first he made as
though he would have embraced me, but turned and
paced with quick and agitated steps the room.
I then related to him how we had in Rome first heard
through that soldier a rumor of his being yet alive — but
at the same time, that he had renounced his country, and
become a Persian Satrap. I told him of thy faith in him,
and of Portia's, that he would never prove a recreant to
his country — of thy instant journey to Palmyra, with
purpose to cross the desert thyself, and risk all the dangers
of Ecbatana to accomplish his deliverance, and of
the counsel of Gracchus, which caused thee to make me
a substitute.
`Lucius, then,' he at length said, approaching me, `is
in Palmyra? Is it so?'
`It is,' I said. `At least I left him there. He was to
remain there, and learn the issue of my attempt. If I
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perished, or failed in the endeavor to obtain thy freedom,
then was it his purpose himself to try — unless in the
mean time he should learn through me, or otherwise, that
thou wert too wedded to Persia, and to Persian customs,
to consent to change them for Rome and Roman ways.'
`Jew, thou seest that now I hesitate. Thou hast roused
all the son, the brother, and something of the Roman
within me. I am drawn many ways. To Rome I will
never return. Toward her, a resentment burns deep
within, which I know will close only with life itself. But
toward Palmyra, my heart yearns. 'T was Zenobia alone,
of all the world, that ever moved for the rescue of Valerian:
't was she alone, of all the world, who pitied our
sorrows, and though she could not heal, revenged them.
Her image has been a dear source of consolation in this
long captivity. I have eagerly sought for all that could
be obtained concerning her character, her acts, her policy,
and the state of her affairs. And often have I thought
to slip my bonds, and throw myself at her feet, to serve
with her, if need should be, either against Rome or Persia.
But habit has prevailed, and the generous friendship
of Hormisdas, to keep me here. And why should I
change this not unpleasing certainty for the doubtful
future that must await me in Palmyra? Here I am in
the very lap of luxury. I am, as I have said to thee, a
man without wants. All countries, and climates, and
seas, and arts, minister to my pleasure. The learning of
ancient and of modern times, you see there piled upon
shelves, to entertain my leisure, or task my hours of study.
I am without care — without the necessity of toil — with
a palace, its slaves, and I may add its prince, at my command.
And beyond all this present reality, there is the
prospect of every thing else that Persia contains, upon the
death of Sapor, which, in the course of nature, cannot be
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far off, if violence do not anticipate that hour. Yet what
thou now tellest me, renews my desire of change. Lucius
is in Palmyra — perhaps he would dwell there. 'T is the
home, I learn, of many noble Romans. Who can say
that Portia might not come and complete our happiness?'
And saying these things, he began to muse. He again
paced, with folded arms, the long apartment. I saw that
he was still distracted by doubts. I knew of but one
thing more to say, by which to work upon his passionate
nature. I resolved to do it, though I know not what thou
wilt to say to it, nor what the event may be. There was,
thou knowest, ere I left Palmyra, rumor of war between
Palmyra and Rome. Barely to name this, it seemed to
me, would be on the instant to fix his wavering mind. I
could not withstand the temptation. But, Piso once in
Palmyra, and sure I am I shall be forgiven. I began
again thus.
`Gracchus, too, Roman, dost thou not remember the
family of Gracchus? He, also, is in Palmyra.'
`Ay, I remember him well. A man of true nobility —
now one of the queen's chief advisers, and head of the
Senate. He had a daughter too, who, her mother dying
young, was committed to the care of Portia, and was as
a sister. Does she live? — and dwells she in Palmyra?'
`She lives, and beneath her father's roof. Fame speaks
loudly of her beauty and her wit, and more loudly still, of
her young wisdom, and influence with the queen. Her
spirit is the counterpart of Zenobia's. She is, notwithstanding
her long Roman nurture, a Palmyrene of the
truest stamp. And ever since there have been these
rumors of a war with Rome'—
`What sayst thou? What is that? War with Rome?
Did I hear aright?'
`Verily thou didst. 'T was the current report when I
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left Palmyra. It came both by the way of Antioch and
Alexandria. Nothing was talked of else, ever since,
I say.'
`Why hast thou not said this before? How shall I
believe thee?'
`I said it not before, simply because I thought not of
it. How was I to know what thou most desired to hear?
I can give thee no other ground of belief than common
rumor. If my own opinion will weigh aught, I may add,
that for myself I have not a doubt that the report springs
from truth. When at Rome, it was commonly spoken of,
and by those, too, whom I knew to be near the emperor,
that Aurelian felt himself aggrieved and insulted, that a
woman should hold under her dominion territories that
once belonged to Rome, and who had wrested them from
Rome by defeat of Roman generals — and had sworn to
restore the empire in the East as well as West, to its ancient
bounds. At Palmyra, too, I found those who were
of deep intelligence in the politics of the times, who felt
sure of nothing more than that, what with the pride of
Zenobia and the ambition of Aurelian, war was inevitable.
I tell thee these things as they fell upon my ear.
Before this, as I think, it is most likely that war may have
broken out between the two nations.'
`Thou hast now spoken, Jew,' said Calpurnius. `Hadst
thou said these things at first, thou hadst spared me
much tormenting doubt. My mind is now bent and determined
upon flight. This it will not be difficult, I
think, to accomplish. But what is thy plan? — for I suppose,
coming upon this errand, thou hast one well digested.
But remember, now, as I have already warned thee,
that thy head will answer for any failure: detection will
be death.'
`Death is little to a Jew, who in dying dies for his
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country. And such would be my death. Whether I
live or die, 't is for Jerusalem. Thy brother rewards me
largely for this journey, and these dangers I encounter;
and if I perish, the double of the whole sum agreed upon
is to be paid according to certain directions left with him.
I would rather live; but I shall not shrink from death.
But, Piso, detection shall not ensue. I have not lived to
this age, to writhe upon a Persian spear, or grin from
over a Persian gateway. What I have devised is this.
Thou seest my slave Hadad?'
`I see him — an Ethiopian.'
`So he seems to thee. But his skin is white as thine.
By an art, known only to me, it has been changed to this
ebon hue.'
`What follows?'
`This follows. Thou art to take his place, thy skin
being first made to resemble his, while he is cleansed, and
remains in Ecbatana. We, then, thou bearing my packages
of merchandise, take our way, quietly and in broad
day-light, through the gates of Ecbatana. How sayst
thou?'
`The invention is perfect. I cannot fear the result.
Soon, then, as I shall have made some few preparations,
for which tomorrow will suffice, I shall be ready for the
desert.'
`I heard these words with joy. I now called to Hadad
to open his cases of jewels, from which I took a seal, having
upon it the head of Zenobia, and offered it to Calpurnius.
He seized it with eagerness, having never before
seen even so much as a drawing of the Great Queen. I
then drew forth thine own ring and gave him, with that
locket containing the hair of Portia, and thy letter. He
received them with emotion; and as I engaged myself in
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re-packing my goods, my quick ear caught tears falling
upon the sheet as he read.
I then returned to the house of Levi.
Thus have I accomplished, successfully so far, my
errand. I write these things to thee, because a caravan
leaves Ecbatana in the morning, and may reach Palmyra
before ourselves. Though it is quite possible that we
may overtake and join it. But we may also be delayed
for many days. So that it is right, in that case, thou
shouldst hear.
In these words, my Curtius, you have, for the most
part, the letter of Isaac. I have omitted many things
which at another time you shall see. They are such as
relate chiefly to himself and his faith — abounding in
cautions against that heretic, Probus, who haunts his imagination
as if he were the very genius of evil.
How can I believe it, that within a few hours I may
embrace a brother, separated so long, and so long numbered
with the dead? Yet how mixed the pleasure! He
returns a brother, but not a Roman. Nay, 't is the expectation
of war with Rome, that has gained him. I am
perplexed and sad, at the same time that I leap for joy.
Fausta cannot conceal her satisfaction — yet she pities
me. Gracchus tells us to moderate our feelings and expectations,
as the full cup is of often spilled. No more now—
except this — that you fail not at once to send this
letter to Portia. Farewell!
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LETTER IX.
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Several days have elapsed since I last wrote, yet
Calpurnius is not arrived. I am filled with apprehensions.
I fear lest he may have thought too lightly of the
difficulties of an escape, and of the strictness with
which he is watched; for while he seems to have held it
an easy matter to elude the vigilance of his keepers,
common opinion at Ecbatana appears to have judged
very differently. Yet, after all, I cannot but rely with
much confidence upon the discretion and the cunning of
Isaac. I must now relate what has happened in the
mean time.
It was the morning after Isaac's letter had been received
and read, that Milo presented himself, with a
countenance and manner indicative of some inward disturbance.
`And what,' I asked, `may be the matter?'
`Enough is the matter, both for yourself and me,' he
replied. `Here now has been a wretch of an Arab, a
fellow of no appearance, a mere camel driver, desiring
to see you. I told him flatly that you were not to be seen
by scum such as he. I advised him to be gone, before
he might have to complain of a broken head. And what
do you suppose was the burden of his errand? Why,
truly, to ask of the most noble Piso concerning his wife
and child! I begged him to consider whether, supposing
you did know aught concerning them, you would deign to
communicate with a sun-baked beggar of the desert, like
him? Whereupon, he raised a lance longer than a mast,
and would have run me through, but for the expertness
with which I seized and wrested it from him, and then
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broke it over his head. 'T was the same scowling knave
whose camels choked the street the first day we entered
the city, and who sent his curse after us. Hassan is his
name. His eye left a mark on me that 's not out yet.
A hyena's is nothing to it.'
Thus did he run on. I could have speared him as
willingly as Hassan. It was plain that the husband of
the woman found in the desert by Isaac, hearing a rumor
of intelligence received by me, had been to obtain such
information as possibly I might possess of his wife and
child. Upon asking my slave where the camel-driver
now was, he replied that, `Truly he did not know; he
had been driven from the court-yard with blows, and it
was a mercy that his life was left to him. He had been
taught how again to curse Romans.'
It was in vain that I assured him once and again that
he was no longer in the service of an emperor, and that
it was unnecessary to treat me with quite so much deference;
his only regret was that the robber had got off so
easily. As the only reparation in my power for such
stupidity and inhumanity, I ordered Milo instantly to set
forth in search of Hassan, in the quarter of the city
which the Arabs chiefly frequent, and, finding him, to
bring him to the house of Gracchus, for I had news for
him. This was little relished by Milo, and I could see,
by the change of his countenance, that his cowardly soul
was ill-inclined to an encounter with the insulted Arab,
in the remote parts of the city, and unaccompanied by
any of the slaves of the palace. Nevertheless, he started
upon his mission — but, as I afterward learned, bribed
Hannibal to act as life-guard.
Thinking that I might possibly fall in with him myself,
and desirous, moreover, of an occupation that should
cause me to forget Calpurnius and my anxieties for a
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season, I went forth also, taking the paths that first offered
themselves. A sort of instinct drew me, as it almost
always does, to one of the principal streets of the city,
denominated, from the size and beauty of the trees which
adorn it, the Street of Palms. This is an avenue which
traverses the city in its whole length; and at equal distances
from its centre, and also running its whole length,
there shoots up a double row of palms, which, far above
the roofs of the highest buildings, spread out their broad
and massy tufts of leaves, and perfectly protect the
throngs below from the rays of the blazing sun. Thus a
deep shadow is cast upon the floor of the street, while, at
the same time, it is unencumbered by the low branches,
which on every other kind of tree stretch out in all directions,
and obstruct the view, taking away a greater
beauty and advantage than they give. This palm is not
the date-bearing species, but of another sort, attaining a
loftier growth, and adorned with a larger leaf. A pity,
truly, it is, that Rome cannot crown itself with this
princely diadem; but even though the bitter blasts from
the Appennines did not prevent, a want of taste for what
is beautiful would. The Roman is a coarse form of humanity,
Curtius, compared with either the Greek or the
Palmyrene. Romans will best conquer the world, or defend
it; but its adorning should be left to others. Their
hands are rude, and they but spoil what they touch.
Since the days of Cicero, and the death of the Republic,
what has Rome done to advance any cause, save that of
slavery and licentiousness? A moral Hercules is needed
to sweep it clean of corruptions, which it is amazing
have not ere this drawn down the thunder of the gods.
Julia would say that Christ is that Hercules. May it
be so!
Along the street which I had thus entered, I slowly
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sauntered, observing the people who thronged it, and
the shops with their varieties which lined it. I could
easily gather, from the conversation which now and then
fell upon my ear — sometimes as I mingled with those
who were observing a fine piece of sculpture, or a new
picture, exposed for sale, or examining the articles which
some hawker, with much vociferation, thrust upon the
attention of those who were passing along, or waiting at
a fountain, while slaves in attendance served round in
vessels of glass, water, cooled with snow, and flavored
with the juice of fruits peculiar to the East — that the
arrival of the ambassadors had caused a great excitement
among the people, and had turned all thoughts into
one channel. Frequently were they gathered together in
groups, around some of the larger trees, or at the corners
of the streets, or at the entrance of some conspicuous
shop, to listen to the news which one had to tell, or to
arguments upon the all-engrossing theme with which
another sought to bring over those who would listen to
one or another side of the great question. But I must
confess, that but in a very few instances, the question
was no question at all, and had but one side. Those
whom I heard, and who were listened to by any numbers,
and with any patience, were zealous patriots, inveighing
bitterly against the ambition and tyranny of Rome,
and prognosticating national degradation, and ruin, and
slavery, if once the policy of concession to her demands
was adopted.
`Palmyra,' they said, `with Zenobia and Longinus at
her head, the deserts around her, and Persia to back her,
might fearlessly stand against Rome and the world.
Empire began in the East: it had only wandered for a
while to the West — losing its way. The East was its
native seat, and there it would return. Why should not
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Palmyra be what Assyria and Persia once were? What
kingdom of the world, and what age, could ever boast
a general like Zabdas, a minister like Longinus, a queen
like the great Zenobia?' At such flights, the air would
resound with the plaudits of the listening crowd, who
would then disperse and pursue their affairs, or presently
gather around some new declaimer.
I was greatly moved on several of these occasions, to
make a few statements in reply to some of the orators,
and which might possibly have let a little light upon
minds willing to know the truth; but I doubted whether
even the proverbially good-natured and courteous Palmyrenes
might not take umbrage at it. As I turned from
one of these little knots of politicians, I encountered
Otho, a nobleman of Palmyra, and one of the queen's
council. `I was just asking myself,' said I, saluting him,
`whether the temper of your people, even and forbearing
as it is, would allow a Roman in their own city to
harangue them, who should not so much advocate a side,
as aim to impart truth.'
`Genuine Palmyrenes,' he answered, `would listen
with patience and civility. But in a crowded street, one
can never answer for his audience. You see here not
only Palmyrenes, but strangers from all parts of the East—
people from our conquered provinces and dependencies,
who feel politically with the Palmyrene, but yet have
not the manners of the Palmyrene. There is an Armenian,
there a Saracen, there an Arab, there a Cappadocian,
there a Jew, and there an Egyptian — all politically,
perhaps, with us, but otherwise, a part of us not more
than the Ethiopian or Scythian. The Senate of Palmyra
would hear all you might say — or the queen's council —
but not the street, I fear. Nay, one of these idle boys,
but whose patriotism is ever boiling over, might, in his
zeal and his ignorance, do that which should bring
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disgrace upon our good city. I should rather pray you to
forbear. But if you will extend your walk to the Portico
which I have just left, you will there find a more select
crowd than jostles us where we stand, and perhaps, ears
ready to hear you. All that you may say to divert the
heart of the nation from this mad enterprise, I shall be
most grateful for. But any words which you may speak,
or which a present god might utter, would avail no more
against the reigning frenzy, than would a palm leaf
against a whirlwind of the desert.'
As he uttered these words, with a voice somewhat
elevated, several had gathered about us, listening with
eagerness to what the noble and respected Otho had to
say. They heard him attentively, shook their heads,
and turned away — some saying: `He is a good man,
but timid.' Others scrupled not to impute to him a
`Roman bearing.' When he had ended, seeing that a
number had pressed around, he hastily wished me a
happy day, and moved down the street. I bent my way
toward the Portico, ruminating the while upon the fates
of empire.
I soon reached that magnificent structure, with its endless
lines of columns. More than the usual crowd of
talkers, idlers, strangers, buyers and sellers, thronged its
ample pavements. One portion of it seems to be appropriated,
at least abandoned, to those who have aught that
is rare and beautiful to dispose of. Around one column
stands a Jew with antiquities raked from the ruins of
Babylon or Thebes — displaying their coins, their mutilated
statuary, or half legible inscriptions. At another,
you see a Greek with some masterpiece of Zeuxis —
nobody less — which he swears is genuine, and to his
oaths added a parchment containing its history, with
names of men in Athens, Antioch and Alexandria, who
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attest it all. At the foot of another, sits a dealer in manuscripts,
remarkable either as being the complete works
of distinguished authors, or for the perfection of the art of
the copyist, or for their great antiquity. Here were Manetho
and Sanchoniathon to be had, perfect and complete!
Not far from these stood others, who offered statuary, ancient
and modern — vases of every beautiful form, from
those of Egypt and Etruria, to the freshly-wrought ones
of our own Demetrius — and jewelry, of the most rare
and costly kind. There is scarce an article of taste, or
valuable of any sort whatever, but may be found here,
brought from all parts of the world. In Persian, Indian,
and Chinese rarities — and which in Rome are rarities
indeed — I have dealt largely, and shall return with much
to show you.
When, with some toil, I had won a passage through
this busy mart, I mingled with a different crowd. I passed
from buyers and sellers among those who were, like
myself, brought there merely for the purpose of seeing
others, of passing the time, and observing the beautiful
effects of this interminable Portico, with its moving and
changing crowds, robed in a thousand varieties of the
richest costume. It was indeed a spectacle of beauty,
such as I never had seen before, or elsewhere. I chose
out point after point, and stood a silent and rapt observer
of the scene. Of the view from one of these points, I
have purchased a painting, done with exquisite skill,
which I shall send to you, and which will set before you
almost the living reality.
To this part of the Portico those resort who wish to
hear the opinions of the day upon subjects of politics
or literature, or philosophy, or to disseminate their own.
He who cherishes a darling theory upon any branch of
knowledge, and would promulgate it, let him come here,
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and he will find hearers at least. As I walked along, I
was attracted by a voice declaiming with much earnestness
to a crowd of hearers, and who seemed, as I drew
near to listen with attention, some being seated upon low
blocks of marble, arranged among the columns of the Portico
for this purpose, others leaning against the columns
themselves, and others standing on the outside of the circle.
The philosopher — for such I perceived him at
once to be — was evidently a Greek. He was arrayed in a
fashionable garb, with a robe much like our toga, thrown
over his shoulders, and which he made great use of in his
gesticulations. A heavy chain of gold wound around his
neck, and then crossing several times his breast, hung
down in artificially-arranged festoons. A general air of
effeminacy produced in the hearer at once a state of mind
not very favorably disposed to receive his opinions. The
first words I caught were these: `In this manner,' said
he, `did that wonderful genius interpret the universe.
'T is not credible that any but children and slaves should
judge differently. Was there once nothing? Then were
there nothing now. But there is something now. We
see it. The world is. Then it has always been. It is
an eternal Being. It is infinite. Ha! can you escape
me now? Say, can there be two infinites? Then where
are your gods? The fabled creator or creators — be they
many or one — of the universe? Vanished, I fancy, at
the touch of my intellectual wand, into thin air. Congratulate
yourselves upon your freedom. The Egyptians
had gods, and you know what they were. The Greeks
had gods, and you know what they were. Those nations
grovelled and writhed under their partly childish, partly
terrific, and partly disgusting superstitions. Happy that
the reality of divine natures can, so easily as I have now
done it, be disproved! The superincumbent gloom is
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dispersed. Light has broken through. And so, too, touching
the immortality of the soul. Immortality of the soul!
Did any one of you ever see a soul? I should like to have
that question answered:' — he swung defyingly his robe
and paused — `did any one ever see a soul? Yes, and
that it was immortal, too! You see a body, and therefore
you believe in it. You see that it is mortal, and therefore
you believe in its mortality. You do not see the soul—
therefore you believe in one? Is that your reasoning?
How plain the argument is! When the god or gods —
suppose their being — shall send down and impart to me
the astounding fact that I am not one, as I seem, but two—
am not mortal, as I seem, but immortal — do not melt
into dust at death, but rise in spirit — then will I believe
such things, not otherwise. Have we knowledge of any
other existences — elemental existences — than corporeal
atoms? None. These constitute the human being.
Death is their separation, and that separation means the
end of the being they once did constitute. But it may
all be summed up in a word. When you can see and
touch your own soul, as you do see and touch your body,
believe in it. Deny and reject this principle, and the world
will continue to suffer from its belief in gorgons, demons,
spectres, gods, and monstres — in Tartarean regions and
torments of damned spirits. Adopt it, and life flows undisturbed
by visionary fears, and death comes as a long
and welcome sleep, upon which no terrors and no dreams
intrude.'
Such was the doctrine, and such nearly the language
of the follower of Epicurus. You will easily judge how
far he misrepresented the opinions of that philosopher.
As I turned away from this mischievous dealer in Cimmerian
darkness, I inquired of one who stood near me,
who this great man might be?
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`What,' said he, in reply, `do you not know Critias,
the Epicurean? You must be a stranger in Palmyra. Do
you not see, by the quality of his audience, that he leads
away with him all the fine spirits of the city? Observe
how the greater number of these who hang upon his lips
resemble, in their dress and air, the philosopher.'
`I see it is so. It seems as if all the profligates and
young rakes of Palmyra — of the nobler sort — were assembled
here to receive some new lessons in the art of
self-destruction.'
`Many a philosopher of old would, I believe,' he rejoined,
`have prayed that his system might perish with himself,
could he have looked forward into futurity, and known
how it would be interpreted and set forth by his followers.
The temperate and virtuous Epicurus little thought that
his name and doctrine would in after times be the rallying
point for the licentious and dissolute. His philosophy was
crude enough, and mischievous, I grant, in its principles
and tendencies. But it was promulgated, I am sure, with
honest intentions, and he himself was not aware of its
extreme liability to misapprehension and perversion. How
would his ears tingle at what we have now heard!'
`And would, after all, deserve it,' I replied. `For he,
it seems to me, is too ignorant of human nature, to venture
upon the office of teacher of mankind, who believes that
the reality of a superintending providence can be denied,
with safety to the world. A glance at history, and the
slightest penetration into human character, would have
shown him, that atheism, in any of its forms, is incompatible
with the existence of a social state.'
`What you say is very true,' replied the Palmyrene;
`I defend only the intentions and personal character of
Epicurus, not his real fitness for his office. This Critias,
were it not for the odiousness of any interference with
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men's opinions, I should like to see driven from our city
back to his native Athens. Listen, now, as he lays down
the method of a happy life. See how these young idlers
drink in the nectarean stream. But enough. I leave them
in their own stye. Farewell! Pray invite the philosopher
to visit you at Rome. We can spare him.'
Saying this, he turned upon his heel, and went his way.
I also passed on. Continuing my walk up the Portico, I
perceived at a little distance, another dark mass of persons,
apparently listening with profound attention to one
who was addressing them. Hoping to hear some one
discoursing upon the condition of the country, and its
prospects, I joined the circle. But I was disappointed.
The orator was a follower of Plato, and a teacher of his
philosophy. His aim seemed to be to darken the minds
of his hearers by unintelligible refinements, at least such
I thought the effect must be. He clothed his thoughts —
if thoughts there really were any — in such a many-colored
cloud of poetic diction, that the mind, while it was
undoubtedly excited, received not a single clear idea, but
was left in a pleasing, half-bewildered, state, with visions
of beautiful divine truth floating before it, which it in vain
attempted to arrest, and convert to reality. All was
obscure, shadowy, impalpable. Yet was he heard with
every testimony of reverence, on the part of his audience.
They evidently thought him original and profound, in proportion
as he was incomprehensible. I could not help
calling to mind the remark of the Palmyrene who had just
parted from me. It is difficult to believe that Plato himself
labored to be obscure, though some affirm it. I would
rather believe that his great mind, always searching after
truth at the greatest heights and lowest depths, often but
partially seized it, being defeated by its very vastness; yet,
ambitious to reveal it to mankind, he hesitated not to
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exhibit it in the form, and with the completeness, he best
could. It was necessary, therefore, that what he but half
knew himself, should be imperfectly and darkly stated,
and dimly comprehended by others. For this reason, his
writings are obscure — obscure, not because of truths for
their vastness beyond the reach of our minds, but because
they abound in conceptions but half formed — in inconsequential
reasonings — in logic overlaid and buried beneath
a poetic phraseology. They will always be obscure, in
spite of the labors of the commentators; or, a commentary
can make them plain, only by substituting the sense
of the critic for the no-sense of the original. But Plato did
not aim at darkness. And could his spirit have listened to
the jargon which I had just heard proclaimed as Platonism,
consisting of common-place thoughts, laboriously
tortured and involved, till their true semblance was lost,
and instead of them a wordy mist — glowing indeed,
oftentimes, with rainbow-colors — was presented to the
mind of the hearer, for him to feed upon, he would at the
moment have as heartily depised, as he had formerly
gloried in, the name and office of philosopher.
I waited not to learn the results at which this great
master of wisdom would arrive, but quickly turned away,
and advanced still farther toward the upper termination
of the Portico. The numbers of those who frequented
this vast pile diminished sensibly at this part of it. Nevertheless,
many were still like myself wandering listlessly
around. Quite at the extremity of the building, I observed,
however, a larger collection than I had noticed
before; and, as it appeared to me, deeply absorbed by
what they heard. I cared not to make one of them, having
had enough of philosophy for the day. But as I stood not
far from them, idly watching the labors of the workmen
who were carrying up the column of Aurelian — noting
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how one laid the stone which another brought, and how
another bore along and up the dizzy ladders the mortar
which others tempered, and how the larger masses of
marble were raised to their places by machines worked
by elephants, and how all went on in an exact order —
while I stood thus, the voice of the speaker frequently fell
upon my ear, and at last, by its peculiarity, and especially
by the unwonted earnestness of the tone, drew me away
to a position nearer the listening crowd. By the words
which I now distinctly caught, I discovered that it was a
Christian who was speaking. I joined the outer circle of
hearers, but the preacher — for so the Christians term
those who declare their doctrines in public — was concealed
from me by a column. I could hear him distinctly,
and I could see the faces, with their expressions, of those
whom he addressed. The greater part manifested the
deepest interest and sympathy with him who addressed
them, but upon the countenances of some sat scorn and
contempt — ridicule, doubt, and disbelief. As the voice
fell upon my ear, in this my nearer position, I was startled.
`Surely,' I said, `I have heard it before, and yet as surely
I never before heard a Christian preach.' The thought
of Probus flashed across my mind; and suddenly changing
my place — and by passing round the assembly, coming
in front of the preacher — I at once recognised the pale
and melancholy features of the afflicted Christian. I was
surprised and delighted. He had convinced me, at the
few interviews I had had with him, that he was no common
man, and I had determined to obtain from him, if I should
ever meet him again, all necessary knowledge of the
Christian institutions and doctrine. Although I had
learned much, in the mean time, from both Julia and the
Hermit, still there was much left which I felt I could
obtain, probably in a more exact manner, from Probus.
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I was rejoiced to see him. He was evidently drawing to
the close of his address. The words which I first caught,
were nearly these:
`Thus have I declared to you, Palmyrenes, Romans,
and whoever are here, how Christianity seeks the happiness
of man, by securing his virtue. Its object is your
greater well-being through the truths it publishes and enforces.
It comes to your understandings, not to darken
and confound them, by words without meaning, but to
shed light upon them, by a revelation of those few sublime
doctrines of which I have now discoursed to you.
Has the Greek, the Roman, or the Persian philosophy,
furnished your minds with truths like these? Has life a
great object, or death an issue of certainty and joy, under
either of those systems of faith? Systems of faith! I
blush to term them so. I am a Roman, the son of a
priest of the temple of Jupiter. Shall I reveal to you the
greater and the lesser mysteries of that worship? I see
by most expressive signs that it cannot be needful.
Why, then, if ye yourselves know and despise the popular
worship, why will you not consider the claims of
Jesus of Nazareth?'
`I despise it not,' cried a voice from the throng, I
honor it.'
`In every nation,' continued the preacher, `and among
all worshippers, are there those whom God will accept.
The sincere offering of the heart will never be refused.
Socrates, toiling and dying in the cause of truth — though
that truth in the light of the Gospel were error — is beloved
of God. But if God has in these latter days announced
new truth, if he has sent a special messenger to
teach it, or if it be asserted by persons of intelligence,
and apparent honesty, that he has, ought not every sincere
lover of truth and of God, or the gods, to inquire
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diligently whether it be so or not? Socrates would
have done so. Search, men of Palmyra, into the certainty
of these things. These many years has the word
of Christ been preached in your streets, yet how few
followers can as yet be counted of him who came to bless
you? Sleep no longer. Close not the ear against the
parent voice of the Gospel. Fear not that the religion
of Jesus comes to reign over aught but your hearts. It
asks no dominion over your temporal affairs. It cares
not for thrones, or the sword, or princely revenues, or
seats of honor. It would serve you, not rule over you.
And the ministers of Christ are your servants in spiritual
things, seeking not yours, but you.'
`Paul! Paul of Antioch!' shouted several voices at
once.
`I defend not Paul of Antioch,' cried Probus, no ways
disconcerted. `Judge Christianity, I pray you, not by
me, or by Paul, but by itself. Because a fool lectures
upon the philosophy of Plato, you do not therefore condemn
Plato for a fool. Because a disciple of Zeno lives
luxuriously, you do not, for that, take up a judgment
against the philosopher himself. Paul of Samosata, not
in his doctrine, but in his life, is an alien — a foreigner—
an adversary, and no friend or servant of Jesus.
Listen, citizens of Palmyra, while I read to you what
the founder of Christianity himself says touching this
matter;' and he drew from beneath his robe a small
parchment roll, and turning to the page he sought, read
in a loud voice words of Jesus such as these: `He that
is greatest among YOU shall be your servant. Whosoever
shall exalt himself, shall be abased, and he that shall
humble himself, shall be exalted.' This is the doctrine
of Christ. According to Jesus, `he among his disciples
is greatest, who performs for others the most essential
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service.' He then turned to another part of the book,
and read a long, and, as it struck me, beautiful passage,
in which the author of Christianity was represented as
stooping and washing the feet of his disciples, to enforce,
in a more lively way, his doctrine of humility and philanthropy.
When he had finished it, a deep silence had
fallen upon those who listened. It was broken by the
voice of Probus once more saying, in low and sorrowful
tones: `I confess — with grief and shame, I confess —
that pride, and arrogance, and the lust of power, are
already among the ministers of Jesus. They are sundering
themselves from their master, and thrusting a
sword into the life of his Gospel. And if this faith of
Christ should ever — as a prophetic eye sees it so sure to
do — fill the throne of the world, and sit in Cæsar's
place — may the God who gave it, appear for it, that it
perish not through the encumbering weight of earthly
glory. Through tribulation and persecution it has held
on its way without swerving. Prosperity begins already
to weaken and defile —'
What more Probus would have added, I know not;
but at this point, an unusual disturbance arose in the
streets. Trumpets sent forth their long peal, and a troop
of out-riders, as accompanying some great personage, rode
rapidly along, followed by the crowd of idle lookers-on.
And immediately a chariot appeared, with a single individual
seated in it, and who seemed to take great pleasure
in his own state. No sooner had the pageant arrived
over against that part of the Portico where we stood, than
one and another of Probus's hearers exclaimed:
`Ha! Paul! Paul of Antioch! Behold a Christian
servant?' And the whole throng turned away in confusion,
to watch the spectacle.
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`An unhappy commentary upon the doctrine,' said a
Palmyrene to me, as he turned sneeringly away.
`What say you to this?' asked another, of Probus
himself, as he descended from his rostrum, and stood
gazing with the rest, but with a burning cheek and downcast
eye.
`I say,' he replied, `what I have said before, that
yonder bishop, however christianized his head may be, is
a misbeliever in his heart. He is a true anti-Christ.'
`I am disposed to trust you,' rejoined the other. `I
have heard you, not without emotion. We have had
among us many who have declared the doctrine of Christ,
but I have heeded them not. It is different with me
now. I am desirous to know what this doctrine of Christ
is. I have been impressed by what you recited from the
writings of Jesus. How, Christian, shall I apply myself,
and where, to learn more than I know now?'
`If thou wilt learn of so humble a teacher as I am —
who yet know somewhat of what Christianity really is —
come and hear me at the place of Christian worship in the
street that runs behind the great Persian Inn. There,
this evening, when the sun is down, shall I preach again
the truth in Christ.'
`I shall not fail to be there,' said the other, and moved
away.
`Nor shall I, Probus,' said I, heartily saluting him.
`Noble Piso!' he cried, his countenance suddenly growing
bright as the sun, `I am glad to meet you at length.
And have you, too, heard a Christian preach? A senator
of Rome?'
`I have; and shall gladly hear more. I am not, however,
a Christian, Probus; I profess to be but a seeker
after truth, if perhaps it may be found in your faith,
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having failed to discover it among dead or living philosophers.
I shall hear you to-night.'
After many mutual inquiries concerning each other's
welfare, we separated.
Upon returning to the house of Gracchus, and finding
myself again in the company of Fausta and her father, I
said: `I go to-night to hear a Christian — the Christian
Probus — discourse concerning the Christian doctrine.
Will you accompany me, Fausta?'
`Not now, Lucius,' she replied; `my head and heart
are too full of the interests and cares of Zenobia, to allow
me to think of aught else. No other reason, I assure you,
prevents. I have no fears of the opinions of others to
hinder me. When our public affairs are once more in a
settled state, I shall not be slow to learn more of the religion
of which you speak. Julia's attachment to it, of
itself, has almost made a convert of me already, so full of
sympathy in all things is a true affection. But the heart
is a poor logician. It darts to its object, overleaping all
reasons, and may as well rest in error as truth. Whatever
the purity of Julia and the honesty and vigor of Zenobia
accept and worship, I believe I should, without farther investigation,
though they were the fooleries and gods of
Egypt. Did you succeed in your search of the Arab?'
`No: but perhaps Milo has. To tell the truth, I was
soon diverted from that object, first by the excitement I
found prevailing among the people on the affairs of the
kingdom, and afterward by the spectacles of the Portico,
and the preaching of Probus, whom I encountered there.'
In the evening, soon as the sun was set, I wound my
way to the Christians' place of worship.
It was in a part of the city remote and obscure, indicating,
very plainly, that whatever Christianity may be
destined to accomplish in this city, it has done little as
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yet. Indeed, I do not as yet perceive what principle of
strength or power it possesses, sufficient to force its way
through the world, and into the hearts of men. It allows
not the use of the sword; it resorts not to the civil arm;
it is devoid of all that should win upon the senses of the
multitude, being, beyond all other forms of faith, remarkable
for its simplicity, for its spiritual and intellectual
character. Moreover, it is stern and uncompromising in
its morality, requiring the strictest purity of life, and making
virtue to consist not in the outward act, but in the
secret motive which prompts the act. It is at open and
unintermitting war with all the vain and vicious inclinations
of the heart. It insists upon an undivided
sovereignty over the whole character and life of the
individual. And in return for such surrender, it bestows
no other reward than an inward consciousness of
right action, and of the approbation of God, with the
hope of immortality. It seems thus to have man's
whole nature, and all the institutions of the world, especially
of other existing religions, to contend with. If it
prevail against such odds, and with such means as it alone
employs, it surely will carry along with it, its own demonstration
of its divinity. But how it shall have power to
achieve such conquests, I now cannot see, nor conjecture.
Arriving at the place designated by Probus, I found a
low building of stone, which seemed to have been diverted
from former uses of a different kind, to serve its present
purpose as a temple of religious worship. Passing through
a door, of height scarce sufficient to admit a person of
ordinary stature, I reached a vestibule, from which, by a
descent of a few steps, I entered a large circular apartment,
low but not inelegant, with a vaulted ceiling, supported
by chaste Ionic columns. The assembly was
already seated, but the worship not begun. The service
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consisted of prayers to God, offered in the name of Christ—
of reading a portion of the sacred books of the Christians,
of preaching, of music sung to religious words,
and voluntary offerings of money, or other gifts, for the
poor.
I cannot doubt that you are repelled, my Curtius, by
this account of a worship of such simplicity, as to amount
almost to poverty. But I must tell you that never have I
been so overwhelmed by emotions of the noblest kind, as
when sitting in the midst of these despised Nazarenes, and
joining in their devotions; for to sit neuter in such a
scene, it was not in my nature to do, nor would it have
been in yours, much as you affect to despise this `superstitious
race.' This was indeed worship. It was a true communion
of the creature with the Creator. Never before
had I heard a prayer. How different from the loud and
declamatory harangues of our priests! The full and rich
tones of the voice of Probus, expressive of deepest reverence
of the Being he addressed, and of profoundest humility on
the part of the worshipper, seeming, too, as if uttered in
no part by the usual organs of speech, but as if pronounced
by the very heart itself, fell upon the charmed ear like
notes from another world. There was a new and strange
union, both in the manner of the Christian, and in the
sentiments he expressed, of an awe such as I never before
witnessed in man towards the gods, and a familiarity and
child-like confidence, that made me feel as if the God to
whom he prayed was a father and a friend, in a much
higher sense than we are accustomed to regard the Creator
of the universe. It was a child soliciting mercies from a
kind and considerate parent — conscious of much frailty
and ill desert, but relying, too, with a perfect trust, both
upon the equity and benignity of the God of his faith. I
received an impression, too, from the quiet and breathless
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silence of the apartment, from the low and but just audible
voice of the preacher, of the near neighborhood of
gods and men — of the universal presence of the infinite
spirit of the Deity — which certainly I had never received
before. I could hardly divest myself of the feeling that
the God addressed, was, in truth, in the midst of the temple;
and I found my eye turning to the ceiling, as if there
must be some visible manifestation of his presence. I
wish you could have been there. I am sure that after
witnessing such devotions, contempt or ridicule would be
the last emotions you would ever entertain toward this
people. Neither could you any longer apply to them the
terms fanatic, enthusiast, or superstitious. You would
have seen a calmness, a sobriety, a decency, so remarkable;
you would have heard sentiments, so rational, so instructive,
so exalted, that you would have felt your prejudices
breaking away and disappearing without any volition or
act of your own. Nay, against your will, they would have
fallen. And nothing would have been left but the naked
question — not is this faith beautiful and worthy — but is
this religion true or false?
When the worship had been begun by prayer to God,
in the name of Christ, then one of the officiating priests
opened the book of the Christians — the Gospels — and
read from the Greek in which they are written — changing
it into the Palmyrene dialect, as he read — diverse passages,
some relating to the life of Jesus, and others being
extracts of letters written by apostles of his to individuals
or churches, to which I listened with attention and pleasure.
When this was over, Probus rose, standing upon a
low platform, like the rostrums from which our lawyers
plead, and first reading a sentence from the sayings of
Paul, an apostle of Jesus, of which this was the substance,
`Jesus came into the world, bringing life and immortality
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to light,' he delivered, with a most winning and persuasive
beauty, a discourse, or oration, the purpose of which
was to show, that Jesus was sent into the world to bring
to light or make plain the true character and end of the
life on earth, and also the reality and true nature of a
future existence. In doing this, he exposed — but in a
manner so full of the most earnest humanity, that no one
could be offended — the errors of many of the philosophers
concerning a happy life, and compared, with the greatest
force, their requisitions with those of the gospel, as he
termed his religion; showing what unworthy and inadequate
conceptions had prevailed, as to what constitutes a
man truly great, and good, and happy. Then he went
on to show, that it was such a life only as he had described,
that could make a being like man worthy of immortality—
that although Jesus had proved the reality of a
future and immortal existence, yet he had, with even
more importunity, and earnestness, and frequency, laid
down his precepts touching a virtuous life on earth. He
finally went into the Christian argument in proof of a
future existence, and exhorted those who heard him, and
who desired to inhabit the Christian's heaven, to live
the life which Christ had brought to light, and himself
had exemplified, on earth, laboring to impress their minds
with the fact, that it was a superior goodness which made
Jesus what he was, and that it must be by a similar goodness
that his followers could fit themselves for the immortality
he had revealed. All this was with frequent
reference to existing opinions, and practices, and with
large illustrations drawn from ancient and modern religious
history.
What struck me most, after having listened to the discourse
of Probus to the end, was the practical aim and
character of the religion he preached. It was no fanciful
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speculation or airy dream. It was not a play-thing of the
imagination he had been holding up to our contemplation,
but a series of truths and doctrines bearing with
eminent directness, and with a perfect adaptation,
upon human life, the effect and issue of which, widely
and cordially received, must be to give birth to a condition
of humanity not now any where to be found on the
earth. I was startled by no confounding and overwhelming
mysteries; neither my faith nor my reason was burdened
or offended; but I was shown, as by a light from
heaven, how truly the path which leads to the possession
and enjoyment of a future existence, coincides with that
which conducts to the best happiness of earth. It was a
religion addressed to the reason and the affections; and
evidence enough was afforded in the representations given
of its more important truths, that it was furnished with
ample power to convince and exalt the reason, to satisfy
and fill the affections. No sooner shall I have returned
to the leisure of my home, to my study and my books,
than I shall seriously undertake an examination of the
Christian argument. It surely becomes those who fill
the place in the social state which I do, to make up an
intelligent judgment upon questions like this, so that I
may stand prepared to defend it, and urge it upon my countrymen,
if I am convinced of its truth, and of its advantage
to my country, or assail and oppose it, if I shall determine
it to be what it is so frequently termed, a pernicious and
hateful superstition.
When the discourse was ended, of the power and various
beauty of which I cannot pretend properly to acquaint
you, another prayer, longer and more general, was offered,
to parts of which there were responses by the hearers.
Then, as a regular part of the service, voluntary offerings
and gifts were made by those present for the poor. More
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than once, as a part of the worship, hymns were sung to
some plain and simple air, in which all the assembly
joined. Sometimes, to the services which I witnessed,
Probus informed me there is added a further ceremony,
called the `Lord's supper,' being a social service, during
which bread and wine are partaken of, in memory of
Jesus Christ. This was the occasion, in former times, of
heavy charges against the Christians, of rioting and intemperance,
and even of more serious crimes. But Probus
assures me that they were even then utterly groundless,
and that now nothing can be more blameless than this
simple spiritual repast.
The worship being ended, and Probus having descended
from his seat, I accosted him, giving him what I am
certain were very sincere thanks for the information I
had obtained from his oration, concerning the primary
articles of the Christian faith.
`It has been,' said he, in reply, `with utmost satisfaction,
that I beheld a person of your rank and intelligence
among my hearers. The change of the popular
belief throughout the Roman empire, which must come,
will be a less tumultuous one, in proportion as we can
obtain even so much as a hearing, from those who sit at
the head of society, in rank and intelligence. Let me
make a sincere convert of a Roman emperor, and in a
few years the temples of Paganism would lie even with
the ground. Believe me, Christianity has penetrated
deeper and farther than you in the seats of power dream
of. While you are satisfied with things as they are, and
are content to live on and enjoy the leisure and honors
the gods crown you with, the classes below you, less absorbed
by the things of the world — because perhaps having
fewer of them, — give their thoughts to religion and the
prospects which it holds out of a happier existence after
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the present. Having little here, they are less tied to the
world than others, and more solicitous concerning the
more, and the better, of which Christianity speaks.'
`I am not insensible,' I replied, `to the truth of what
you say. The cruelties, moreover, exercised by the
emperors toward the Christians, the countless examples
of those who have died in torments for the truth of this
religion, have drawn largely and deeply upon the sympathy
of the general heart, and disposed it favorably toward belief.
In Rome, surrounded by ancient associations,
embosomed in a family remarkable for its attachment to
the ancient order of things — friends of power, of letters,
and philosophy, I hardly was conscious of the existence
of such a thing as Christianity. The name was never
heard where I moved. Portia, my noble mother, with a
heart beating warm for every thing human, instinctively
religious beyond any whom I have ever seen or known of
the Christian or any other faith, living but to increase the
happiness of all around her, was yet — shall I say it? —
a bigot to the institutions of her country. The government
and the religion under which all the Pisos had lived,
and flourished, which had protected the rights and nursed
the virtues of her great husband and his family, were good
enough for her, for her children, and for all. Her ear
was closed against the sound of Christianity, as naturally
as an adder's against all sound. She could not, and never
did hear it. From her I received my principles and first
impressions. Not even the history, nor so much as a
word of the sufferings of the Christians, ever fell on my
ear. I grew up in all things a Piso — the true child of
my mother — in all save her divine virtues. And it was
not till a few years since, I broke loose from domestic and
Roman life, and travelled to Greece and Egypt, and now
to the East, that I became practically aware of the
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existence of such a people as the Christians — and my own
is, I suppose, but a specimen of the history of my order.
I now perceive, that while we have slept, truth has been
advancing its posts, till the very citadel of the world is
about to be scaled. The leaven of Christianity is cast
into the lump, and will work its necessary end. It now,
I apprehend, will matter but little what part the noble and
the learned shall take, or even the men in power. The
people have taken theirs, and the rest must follow, at least
submit. Do I over-estimate the inroads of the religion
upon the mind and heart of the world?'
`I am persuaded you do not,' replied the Christian.
`Give me, as I said before, one Roman Emperor for a
convert, and I will insure the immediate and final triumph
of Christianity. But in the mean time, another Nero,
another Domitian, another Decius, may arise, and the
bloody acts of other persecutions stain the annals of our
guilty empire.'
`The gods forbid!' said I; `yet who shall say it may
not be! Much as I honor Aurelian for his many virtues, I
feel not sure that in the right hands he might not be
roused to as dark deeds as any before him — darker they
would be — inasmuch as his nature for sternness and
severity has not, I think, been equalled. If the mild and
just Valerian could be so wrought upon by the malignant
Macrianus, what security have we in the case of Aurelian?
He is naturally superstitious.'
`O that in Aurelian,' said the Christian, `were lodged
the woman's heart of Zenobia! — we then could trust
the morrow as well as enjoy to-day. Here no laws seal
the lips of the Christian: he may tell his tale to as many
as choose to hear. I learn, since my arrival, that the
Princess Julia is favorably inclined toward the Christian
cause. Dost thou know what the truth may be?'
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`It is certain that she admires greatly the character
and the doctrine of Christ, and I should think, believes—
but she does not as yet openly confess herself a follower
of the Nazarene. She is perhaps as much a
Christian as Zenobia is a Jewess.'
`I may well rejoice in that,' replied the Christian —
`yes, and do.'
The lights of the apartment were now extinguished,
and we parted.
If I am ever again in Rome, my Curtius, it shall be my
care to bring to your acquaintance and Lucilia's, the
Christian Probus. Farewell!
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NOTE.
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Some readers may be pleased to be able to compare together
the representations of Piso, and those of Pollio.
Having by me a copy of the Historiæ Augustæ, I will transcribe
the most material passages.
“Et quidem peregrina, nomine Zenobia, de qua jam multa dicta
sunt, quæ se de Cleopatrarum Ptolemæorumque gente jactaret,
post Odenatum maritum imperiali sagulo perfuso per humeros
habitu, donis ornata, diademate etiam accepto, nomine filiorum
Herenniani et Timolai diutius quam fæmineus sexus patiebatur, imperavit.
Si quidem Gallieno adhue regente Remp. regale mulier
superba munus obtinuit; et Claudio bellis Gotthicis occupato,
vix denique ab Aureliano victa et triumphata, concessit in jura
Rom.” “Vixit (Zenobia) regali pompa, more magis Persico.
Adorata est more regum Persarum. Convivata est imperatorum,
more Rom. Ad conciones galeata processit, cum limbo purpureo,
gemmis dependentibus per ultimam fimbriam media etiam cyclade
veluti fibula muliebri astricta, drachio sæpe nudo. Fuit vultu subaquilo
fusci coloris, oculis supra modum [1]vigentibus, nigris,
spiritus divini, venustatis incredibilis; tantus candor in dentibus,
ut margaritas eam plerique putarent habere, non dentes. Vox
clara et virilis; severitas, ubi necessitas postulabat, tyrannorum;
bonorum principum elementia, ubi pietas requirebat. Larga prudenter,
conservatrix thesaurorum ultra fæmineum modum. Usa
vehiculo carpentario, raro pilento, equo sæpius. Fertur autom vel
tria, vel quatuor milliaria frequenter eam peditibus ambulasse.
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Nata est Hispanorum Cupiditate; bibit sæpe cum ducibus, quum
esset alias sobria; bibit etiam cum Persis atque Armeniis, ut eos
vinceret. Usa est vasis aureis gemmatis ad convivia, quibus et
Cleopatra usa est. In ministerio Eunuchos, gravioris ætatis
habuit, puellas nimis raras. Filios Latine loqui jusserat, adeo ut
Græce vel difficile vel raro loquerentur. Ipsa Latini sermonis non
usquequaque ignara, sed loqueretur pudore cohibita; loquebatur
et Egyptiacè ad perfectum modum. Historiæ Alexandrinæ at
que Orientalis ita perita ut eam epitomasse dicatur: Latinam
autem Græce legerat.” “Ducta est igitur per triumphum ea
specie ut nihil pompabilius populo Rom. vederetur, jam primum
ornata gemmis ingentibus, ita at ornamentorum onere laboraret.
Fertur enim mulier fortissima sæpissime restitisse, quum diceret se
gemmorum onera ferre non posse. Vincti erant preterea pedes
auro, manus etiam catenis aureis; nec collo aureum vinculum
deerat, quod scurra Persicus præferebat. Huic ab Aureliano vivere
concessum est. Ferturque vixisse cum liberis, matronæ jam
more Romanæ, data sibi possessione in Tiburti quæ hodieque
Zenobia dicitur, non longe ab Adriani palatio, atque ab eo loco cui
nomen est Conche.” — Hist. Aug. Lugd. Batav. 1661, p. 787.
“Ille (Odenatus) plane cum uxore Zenobia non solum Orientem
quem jam in pristinum reformaverat statum, sed omnes omnino
totius orbis partes reformasset, vir acer in bellis, et, quantum
plerique scriptores loquuntur, venatu memorabili semper inclytus,
qui a prima ætate capiendis leonibus et pardis, cervis, cæterisque
sylvestribus animalibus, sudorem officii virilis impendit, quique
semper in sylvis ac montibus vixit, perferens calorem, pluvias, et
omnia mala que in se continent venatoriæ voluptates; quibus
duratis, solem ac pulverem in bellis Persicis tulit. Non aliter
etiam conjuge assueta, quæ multorum sententia fortior marito fuisse
perhibetur; mulierum omnium nobilissima, Orientalium fæminarum
et (ut Cornelius Capitolinus asserit) speciocissima.”— Ib. p.
771.
Also what Aurelian himself says in a letter to the Roman
Senate, preserved by Pollio.
“Audio, P. C. mihi objici quod non virile munus impleverim,
Zenobiam triumphando. Næ illi qui me reprehendunt satis laudarent,
si scirent qualis illa est mulier, quam prudens in consiliis,
quam constans in dispositionibus, quam erga milites gravis, quam
larga quum necessitas postulet, quam tristis quum severitas poscat.
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Possum dicere illus esse quod Odenatus Persos vicit, ac Sapore
fugato Ctesiphontem usque pervenit. Possum asserere, tanta
apud Orientalis et Egyptiorum populos timori mulierem fuisse, ut
se non Arabes, non Sarraceni, non Armeni commoverent. Nec
ego illi vitam conservassem nisi eam scissem multum Rom. Repubprofuisse,
quum sibi, vel liberis suuis Orientis servaret imperium,
etc.— Tr.
eaf409v1.n1[1] Ingentibus.
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Ware, William, 1797-1852 [1837], Letters of Lucius M. Piso, from Palmyra, to his friend Marcus Curtius at Rome, volume 1 (C. S. Francis & Co., New York) [word count] [eaf409v1].
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