Vergilius: A Tale of the Coming of Christ

and in a playful humor. The hour of his banquet was appr

e he loves me," th

I will put him to the test. Soon we shall know if he be worthy of so great a

, great

d be a test with y

all not know. Let me be your slave and stand behind you in gr

u have gone above-stairs to find Clia, mistress of the robes. Tell her to give you a

f joy, and presently Au

meet hi

easure or the gate of paradise. A plate of polished brass hung on its lintel, bearing in large letters the word Salve. A slave opened the door and took his pallium. Julia, that wayward daughter of Augustus, now three times married but yet beautiful, met him in the inner hall, and together they walked to the banquet-room

put his hand upon the shoulder of Vergilius, "keep the number one i

ivans set around as many sides of the table. They ate resting on their elbows, and were so disposed that each could s

h us an able officer in this young Manius, one of our assessors in Jerusalem. I as

is fixed serenity of face and

hat he thought me a tyrant wallowi

every hand and face one might have seen evidence of quickened

"To Jerusalem is quite two thousand miles; and, then he was very y

h true and kindly,"

r to Rome for two purposes: to show him, first, that I live no better than the poorest nobleman; secondly, that I am only

ey all, and clap

hand of his, clinched now and quivering a little, had it grasped a reaching, invisible serpent within him? Kindly? Yes, but with the kindness of a deep and subtle chara

table, and the guests greeted him with loud laughter as he looked down. He had a hard, unlovely face, that little dwarf. He suggested to Vergilius unwelcome thoughts of a new sort of Cupid-deformed, evil, and hideous-typifying the degenerate pas

a knot in his

you," said the dwarf, quickly, "I'

n the laughter had died away, "I think we shall

id his daughter, rising and pointing at her father

re in his arms and bore him aw

o lines to read us-you that have youth and beauty a

" said he; "I have youth and a swe

My dear friends, tell me, in the baths or the forum or the theatre, or wherever

little, but th

il days," said the

s the questi

honor beautiful and love sacred and valor a thing of imperishable fame. I assure you, good people, one po

ergilius. They must have poets to do th

e full of poets

with me, and got no answer. He was a proud man"-this with a merry smile. "Again I invited him, and then he deigned to write me a sentence, merely, and said: 'Thanks, I am happy out here on my farm.' I did not know w

him. He made a signal and she quickly put in

the better. Will each of you take one and retire from the table and write upon it the thing he most desires? Now, my dea

pped their wishes in the box. The playful emp

er, I shall soon be done talking. Another has on it the words 'your health'-a charming compliment, dear Lady Lucia. 'Courage,' 'wisdom,' 'success,'" he added, reading from the tablets. "Naturally, and who, indeed, does not desire those things? Here is one that says 'help'-a great word, upon my soul! He that prays for help and not for favor, if he do his best, may have many good things-even 'courage,' 'wi

d Vergilius, "I desir

your quality. With one word you ask for one thing. To try your wit, I give you a theme so

nless all numbers are as one they are nothing. I desire one mistress for m

m!" said Augustus,

as written. It is 'Arria,' and stands,

silent figure of the slave behind h

ontent?" h

away, revealing the be

ent quickly

s all rose and gathered around the two. He took the

ria, looking up at the great man

ck maiden," said Augustus. "He sha

said the Lady Lucia, her ha

" said the great father,

their way to the gate

ater,

your oath,

son of a praetor and I am the son of a king. Curse the old fox! He never spoke to me after

said Gracus, "they dr