Hypatia — or New Foes with an Old Face

Philo Judaeus, pulling the ears of his huge British mastiff, watching the sparkle of the fountain in the court out

ruins of the Serapeium, as High Priestess of the Abomination of Desolation!. And now.... Well I call all heaven and earth to witness, that I have fought valiantly. I have faced naughty little Eros like a man, rod in hand. What could a poor human being do more than try to marry her to some one else, in hopes of sickening himself of the whole matter? Well, every moth has its candle, and every man his destiny. But the daring of the little fool! What huge imaginations she has! She m

ons the page entered, and anno

hionable chambers in Alexandria, came in hurriedly; and instead of seating hersel

rascal, you have brought in no wine for the

course,' answered the boy, wit

no time for winebibbing. Raphael Aben-Ezra, why are y

ap out of Jeremiah? "Arise, and flee for thy life, for evil is determined against the whole house of Israel

acred words of the prophets, get up

ading hard at the Cabbala, or Philo-who is s

, gnashing her teeth, and, before he was aware, dragged him out of bed

me the one daily torture of life-gett

God and man, that you will see your nation given up for a prey, and your wealth plundered by heathen dogs? I tell you, Cyr

andemonium as I am. But how can I help it? Am I Queen Esther, to go to Ahasuerus

gone and saved us, and your name would have been handed down

either fast asleep, or far too drunk to l

ou fancy me a sluggard like yourself? At the risk of my lif

dress? What c

There! do you hear the shouts and screams? They are

if it has really come to a practical joke of that kind, I shall have the greatest

resistance, and let them pillage. Cyril and his monks are there, to p

prudent to resist, but too manful to complain-while furniture came flying out of every window, and from door after door poured a stream of rascality, carrying off money, jewels, silks, and all the treasures which Jewish usury had accumulated during many a generation. But unmoved amid the roaring sea of plunderers and plundered, stood, scattered up and

had followed him upstairs, paced the room in an ecs

utes more before they pay me a visit, and in the meantime what can

ongs to the Red Sea triumph! Then we borrowed, every woman of h

to have listened to Jeremiah a thousand years ago, and never gone bac

est of our sins!-Our sons have forgotten the faith of their forefathers for the philosophy of the Gentiles, and

cked, after the fashion of Jewish women. The rascal had just seized with one hand her streaming black tresses, and with the other a heavy collar of gold, which was wound round her throat, when a

etch?' cried the man of the desert, as the fellow d

wonder, as a savage might at some incomprehensible product of civilised industry, and

of all evil!' And he rushed on, yelling, 'Down with the circumcision! D

ful smile, while Miriam shrieked aloud at

hat method, they must beat us. It has been our ruin from the

cried Miriam, clut

will y

exandria I stay; no Christian hound shall make old Miriam move afoot against her wi

y solicitous about my welfare, abo

that another time. But I loved yo

nce for a few minutes, and

sisting destiny. They are the strong men of the time, after all, and the

neither father nor mother, hus

e jewels enough in that closet to buy

th

That young savage of a monk understood them better than we Jew

gga

is brute of a dog is the only friend I have on earth; and I love her, because she has the true old, dogged, spiteful, cunning, obs

o the prefect's, and save

a dead camel, or the vulture who eats him. And to tell the truth

ked the old w

d the first ship to Cyrene, and go and study life in Italy with Heraclian's expedition. Quick-take the jewels,

s, rubies and emeralds, and concealed them among her ampl

that all-embracing bosom. You will have doubled th

he name of the four archangels, that if you are in trouble

sopher, who hangs about

ains of Kaf, to deliver you!-I will pay you all back. By Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I swear!

I can but borrow a few gold pieces of a rabbi, and turn pedler. I really do not tru

ack. Spirit of Elias! where is the black agate? Why is it n

How did you know that

ll depends on that! Fool!' she went on, throwing him off from her at arm's lengt

terious old witch, who seem to know every

d of her-the strange woman who flatters with her words, to whom the simple go in, and know not that the dead are there, and that

as pure as the sunlight! I only gave it her

ou with it, t

r wretches whom you buy and sell to shame, that you may make the

for her poniard-and then burst into an agony of tears, hid her face in her withered hand

rising when the other sets. A worthy pair of Dioscuri! Come, Bran!...Boys! Slaves! Where are y

of monks, costermongers and dock-workers, fishwives and beggars, who were thronging up the narrow entry, and bursting into the doors rig

eating and drinking, my kitchen and cellar are at your service. For clothing, if any illustrious personage will do me the honour to change his holy rags with me, here are

rson addressed, tried to

e British breed; if she seizes you, red-hot iron will not loose her, till she hears the bone crack. If any

, Philammon could have met him on his own ground: but there was an easy self-possessed disdain about

u, you Jewish dog!' roared a

hree pence. I leave it to your good sense to treat it accordingly. Now then, my friend!' And in the midst of the raging vortex of plunderers, who were snatching up everything which they could ca

tearing down pictures, and dashing statues to the ground. Heathen they were, doubtless; but still, the Nymphs and Venuses looked too lovely to be so brutally destroyed... There wa

laugh it away; for he pointed to the fragme

, '"If you can't make it, Y

urse,' said

our apprenticeship in the noble art of monkery. Riot and pillage, shrieking women and houseless children in your twentieth summer, are the sure path to a Saint-ship, such as Paul of Tarsus, who

hilammon, trying in his sh

ewell! Stand out of the way, fr

ho made way respectfully enough for h