The Emperor, Complete

the first of December of the year of our Lord 129, but was still

er to shore are of quite a different hue, and meet their sisters that lie nearer to the horizon in a dull greenish-grey, as dusty plains join darker lava beds. The northeasterly wind, which had risen as the sun rose, now blew more keenly, wreaths of white foam rode on the crests of the waves, though these did not beat wildly and s

ch he gently shook his head, which was somewhat sunk into his beard. A narrow strip of desert stretched westward before him as far as the eye could reach, dividing two levels of water. Along this natural dyke a caravan was passing, and the elastic feet of the camels fell noiselessly on the road they trod. The leader, wrapped in his white mantle, seemed asleep, and the camel-drivers to be dreaming; the dull-colored eagles by the ro

cond, a slave who carried rugs and cloaks on his broad shoulders, never took his eyes off

ligible words into his beard, turned round and hastily retraced his steps to the narrow way, down which he went towards the valley. His young companion followed him without raising his head or interrupting his reverie, as if he were his shadow, but the slave lifted

for whom the greeting was intended, did not observe this mute courtship, for her eyes followed the travellers, and especially the young man, as if spellbound. As soon

l, laid her hand on her gran

was

Emp

herself up, against her grandmother, with vehement curiosity stretchi

e one in front w

the young one

pproached the reed-swamp, the kites flew up in the air, and from behind a sand-hill on the edge of the broader road which Hadrian had avoided, came two men in prie

s way?" said one to the othe

at he could always find a road again by w

ng more at the clou

promised us

g for certain," int

t-and I heard him distinctly: 'Perhaps

rha

he said '

up in the sky may not have turned him b

standing ready for h

n there. Come, it is a wretched

tle longer-

ha

wear a hat to co

n seen to travel with

oak is not very

rs the purple

is walk and appear

ho

d to walk in that ponderous, meditative w

ad the same pie

oth the same broad forehead, too; but Abibaal's nose

, while Hadrian's lips twitch and curl at all he

his favorite-Antonius I thi

us. He picked him up

beautif

figure and what a face! Still, I

eror's f

ady as if he had tried every pleasure, an

.........

eding the flames with dry stems of sea-grass and dead desert-shrubs; but though the blaze flew high, the smoke did not rise; but driven here and there by the squalls of wind, swirled about close to the ground in little clouds, like a flock of scattered sheep. It seemed as though it feared to rise in the grey, damp, uninviting atmosphere. The largest of the tents,

wrinkled, and blue-veined-turning his eyes up to heaven or rolling them to one side and then downwards towards the middle of the tent. There, on the skin of a huge bear trimmed with blue cloth, lay Hadrian's favorite Antinous. His beautiful head rested on that of the beast, which had been slain by his sovereign, and its skull and skin skilfully preserved, his right leg, supported on his left knee, he

in, but only a glance, not a word of blame. And soon the expression, even of his eyes, changed, and he fixed them on the lads's figure with a gaze of loving contemplation, as though it were some noble work of art that he could never tire of admiring. And truly the Immortals had moulded this child of man to such a type; every

ing here?" asked

," said

ceeded in doing nothing we still continue to think t

annot ev

des you were not doing not

tretched out his legs on the ground, pushed away

red?" asked

es

rtion of the night, and I, who am s

were saying that old soldiers

nodded, an

p twice as long. You have every right to be tired. To be sure it was not till three hours afte

ld and uncomfor

fter the su

otice it, for till then you we

y of yoursel

th too when that cold wind r

ed to await

events by the way and mann

negation, looked up at the top of the tent, and after a long

of the field; the rain falls from the darkest clouds; a new generation is born of the mother's womb

mperor had remained for some t

ng the future why should you so often break your

editatively, stroking his grizzled beard;

nswered by means of parables. Those who take part in life are actors, and the world is their stage. He who wants to look tall on it wears the cothurnus, and is not a mountain the highest van

e godlike is your title-you command and the world must obey. With a mountain

el

ay what came

ak o

stretch out her arms and exclaim, 'I am so tall!' She fancied t

the night vanishes before my eyes, when the splendor of the young sun brings the world into new life for me, by restoring to my consciousness all that just before had been engulfed in gloom, then a deeper breath swells my breast, and my lungs fill with the purer and lighter air of the heights. Up there, alone and in silence, no hint can reach me of the turmoil below, and I feel myself one with the great aspect of nature spread before me. The surges of the sea come

ole being feels not merely elevated, but expanded, and that vague longing which comes over me as soon as I mix once more in the turmoil of life, an

them!" cried Antinous, who had turned round to face th

ockery, parted his lips. "From you I should no more have a s

and dyed them flaming crimson. The E

are pleased to give it a bodily existence, even in our own days, and to look at you reconciles me to the discords of existence. It does me good. But how

s left arm, and lifting his ri

es

h," asked

what lon

r w

any th

l me

not followed by depressi

youth of Rome, only they are apt to pos

not te

your speaking

urself d

me to speak of my home,

w darkened, and h

d your whole soul sh

shoulders, for a gust blew coldly in at the side of the tent, through which Phlegon, the Emperor's private secre

es and letters that have just arrived?" asked the official, wh

at I was able to observe in the heavens

ent set up especially

as become ve

st both at once, and the sea is very ro

id she

hich is to fetch her to Alexandria is a fine ship, but

oudly and sharply

ll certainly forget to paint this morning; and who will construct that edifice of hair if all her ladies share her fate.

couch, and waving his hand to Antinous,

or than the pillows on which the Emperor had been reclining. The man, who was handsome and well grown, stood for some time twisting the ends of his long red moustache, and stroking his round, closely-cropped head with his bands; then he drew the

but often, too, he repulsed him more sharply than the haughtiest upstart would repel the meanest of his servants. At last the slave took courage and called the lad by his name, for it seemed less hard t

t is

he little girl was that you so often took upon your shoulders. It was

his shoulders heaved so violently that it would seem that he was weeping.-Ma

me, and I am always glad to hear about little girl

already about my mother and little Parthea,

nd in the kitchen I can talk about my people as much as I like. But you-tel

her would not allow it but we persuaded my mother. I was her favorite, and when I put my a

yes; he had remembered a whole wealth of