CHAPTER VI.
The clatter of arms which Apollodorus and his guests had heard proceedednot from the Jew's besiegers, but from some Roman soldiers who broughtsafety to the besieged.
It was Verus, who as he was returning from the supper he had given hisveterans, with an officer of the Twelfth Legion and his British slaves,had crossed the Canopic way and had been impeded in his progress by theincreasing crowd which stood before Apollodorus' house. The praetor hadmet the Jew at the prefect's house, and knew him for one of the richestand shrewdest men in Alexandria. This attack on his property roused hisire; still he would certainly not have remained an idle spectator evenif the house in danger, instead of belonging to a man of mark, had beenthat of one of the poorest and meanest, even among the Christians. Anylawless act, any breach of constituted order was odious and intolerableto the Roman; he would not have been the man he was if he had looked onpassively at an attack by the mob, in times of peace, on the lifeand property of a quiet and estimable citizen. This licentious man ofpleasure, devoted to every enervating enjoyment, in battle, or wheneverthe need arose, was as prudent as he was brave.
He now first ascertained what purpose the excited crowd had in view, andat once considered the ways and means of frustrating their project. Theyhad already begun to batter the Jew's door, and already several ladswere standing on the roof of the arcades with burning torches in theirhands.
Whatever he did must be done on the instant, and happily Verus had thegift of thinking and acting promptly. In a few decisive words he beggedhis companion, Lucius Albinus, to hurry back to his old soldiers andbring them to the rescue; then he desired his slaves to force a way forhim with their powerful arms up to the door of the house. This featwas accomplished in no time, but how great was his astonishment when hefound the Emperor standing there.
Hadrian stood in the midst of the crowd, and at the instant when Verusappeared on the scene had wrenched the torch out of the hand of theinfuriated tailor. At the same time, in a thundering voice, he commandedthe Alexandrians--who were not accustomed to the imperial tone--todesist from their mad project. Whistling, grunting, and words of scornoverpowered the mandate of the sovereign, and when Verus and his slaveshad reached the spot where he stood, a few drunken Egyptians had goneup to him and were about to lay hands on the unwelcome counsellor. Thepraetor stood in their way. He first whispered to Hadrian that Jupiterought to be ruling the world, and might well leave it to smaller folksto rescue a houseful of Jews; and that in a few seconds the soldierswould arrive. Then he shouted to him in a loud voice:
"Away from this Sophist! Your place is in the Museum, or in the templeof Serapis with your books, and not among the misguided and ignorant.Am I right Macedonian citizens, or am I wrong?" A murmur of assent washeard which became a roar of laughter when Verus, after Hadrian had gotaway, went on:
"He has a beard like Caesar, and so he behaves as if he wore the purple!You did well to let him escape, his wife and children are waiting forhim over their porridge."
Verus had often been implicated in wild adventure among the populace andknew how to deal with them; if he now could only detain them till theadvent of the soldiers he might consider the game as won. Hadrian couldbe a hero when it suited him; but here where no laurels were to be won,he left to Verus the task of quieting the crowd.
As soon as he was fairly gone Verus desired his slaves to lift him ontheir shoulders; his handsome good-natured face looked down upon thecrowd from high above them. He was immediately recognized, and manyvoices called out:
"The crazy Roman! the praetor! the sham Eros!"
"I am he, Macedonian citizens, yes, I am he," answered Verus in a clearvoice. "And I will tell you a story."
"Listen, Listen."
"No let us get into the Jew's house."
"Presently--listen a minute to what the sham Eros says."
"I will knock your teeth down your throat boy, if you don't hold yourtongue."
All the crowd were shouting in wild confusion.
Curiosity, on the one hand, to hear the noble gentleman's speech, andthe somewhat superficial fury of the mob contended together for a fewminutes; at last curiosity seemed to be gaining the day, the tumultsubsided, and the praetor began:
"Once upon a time there was a child who had given to him ten littlesheep made of cotton, little foolish toys such as the old women sell inthe market place."
"Get into the Jew's house, we don't want to hear children's stories--"
"Be quiet there!"
"Hush now listen; from the sheep he will go on to the wolves."
"Not wolves--it will be a she-wolf!" some one shouted in the throng.
"Do not mention the horrid things!" laughed Verus, "but listen tome.--Well, the child set his little sheep up in a row each one close tothe next. He was a weaver's son. Are there any weavers here? You? andyou--ah, and you out there. If I were not my father's son I should liketo be the son of an Alexandrian weaver. You need not laugh!--Well, aboutthe sheep. All the little things were beautifully white but one whichhad nasty black spots, and the little boy could not bear that one. Hewent to the hearth, pulled out a burning stick and wanted to burn thelittle ugly sheep so as only to have pretty white ones. The lambkincaught fire and just as the flame had begun to burn the wooden skeletonof the toy a draught from the window blew the flame towards the otherlittle sheep and in a minute they were all burned to ashes. Then thoughtthe little boy, 'If only I had let the ugly sheep alone! What can Iplay with now?' and he began to cry. But this was not all, for whilethe little rascal was drying his eyes, the flame spread and burnt up theloom, the wool, the flax, the woven pieces, the whole house--the townin which he was born, and even, I believe, the boy himself!--Now worthyfriends and Macedonian citizens, reflect a moment. Any man among you whois possessed of any property may read the moral of my fable."
"Put out the torches!" cried the wife of a charcoal dealer.
"He is right; for by reason of the Jew, we are putting the whole town indanger!" cried the cobbler.
"The mad fools have already thrown in some brands!"
"If you fellows up there fling any more I will break your ankles foryou," shouted a flax-dealer.
"Don't try any burning," the tailor commanded, "force open the door andhave out the Jew." These words raised a storm of applause and the mobpressed forward to the Jew's abode. No one listened to Verus any more,and he slipped down from his slave's shoulders, placed himself in frontof the door and called out:
"In the name of Caesar and the law I command you to leave this houseunharmed."
The Roman's warning was evidently quite in earnest, and the false Eroslooked as if at this moment it would be ill-advised to try jesting withhim. But in the universal uproar only a few had heard his words, andthe hot-blooded tailor was so rash as to lay his hand on the praetor'sgirdle in order to drag him away from the door with the help of hiscomrades. But he paid dearly for his temerity for the praetor'sfist fell so heavily on his forehead that he dropped as if struck bylightning. One of the Britons knocked down the sausage-maker and ahideous hand to hand fight would have been the upshot if help had notcome to the hardly-beset Romans from two quarters at once. The veteranssupported by a number of lictors were the first to appear, and soonafter them came Benjamin, the Jew's eldest son, who was passing down thegreat thoroughfare with his boon-companions and saw the danger that wasthreatening his father's house.
The soldiers parted the throng as the wind chases the clouds, and theyoung Israelite pressed forward with his heavy thyrsus fought and pushedhis way so valiantly and resolutely through the panic-stricken mob, thathe reached the door of his father's house but a few moments later thanthe soldiers. The lictors battered at the door and as no one opened it,they forced it with the help of the soldiers in order to set a guard inthe beleaguered house, and protect it against the raging mob.
Verus and the officer entered the Jew's dwelling with the armed men, andbehind them came Benjamin and his friends--young Greeks with whom hewas in the hab
it of consorting daily, in the bath or the gymnasium.Apollodorus and his guests expressed their gratitude to Verus, and whenthe old Jewish house-keeper, who had seen and heard from a hiding-placeunder the roof all that had taken place outside her master's house, cameinto the men's hall and gave a full report of the uproar from beginningto end, the praetor was overwhelmed with thanks; and the old womanembroidered her narrative with the most glowing colors. While thiswas going on Apollodorus' pretty daughter, Ismene, came in, and afterfalling on her father's neck and weeping with agitation the house keepertook her hand and led her to Verus, saying:
"This noble lord--may the blessing of the Most High be on him--stakedhis life to save us. This beautiful robe he let be rent for our sakes,and every daughter of Israel should fervently kiss this torn chiton,which in the eyes of God is more precious than the richest robe--as Ido."
And the old woman pressed the praetor's dress to her lips, and tried tomake Ismene do the same; but the praetor would not permit this.
"How can I allow my garment," he exclaimed, laughing, "to enjoy a favorof which I should deem myself worthy--to be touched by such lips."
"Kiss him, kiss him!" cried the old woman, and the praetor took the headof the blushing girl in his hands, and pressing his lips to her foreheadwith a by no means paternal air, he said gaily:
"Now I am richly rewarded for all I have been so happy as to do for you,Apollodorus."
"And we," exclaimed Gamaliel. "We--myself and my brother's first-bornson-leave it in the hands of God Most High to reward you for what youhave done for us."
"Who are you?" asked Verus, who was filled with admiration for theprophet-like aspect of the venerable old man and the pale intellectualhead of his nephew.
Apollodorus took upon himself to explain to him how far the Rabbitranscended all his fellow Hebrews in knowledge of the law and theinterpretation of the Kabbala, the oral and mystical traditions oftheir people, and how that Simeon Ben Jochai was superior to all theastrologers of his time. He spoke of the young man's much admired workon the subject called Sohar, nor did he omit to mention that Gamaliel'snephew was able to foretell the positions of the stars even on futurenights.
Verus listened to Apollodorus with increasing attention, and fixed akeen gaze on the young man, who interrupted his host's eager encomiumwith many modest deprecations. The praetor had recollected the nearapproach of his birthday, and also that the position of stars in thenight preceding it, would certainly be observed by Hadrian. What theEmperor might learn from them would seal his fate for life. Was thatmomentous night destined to bring him nearer to the highest goal of hisambition or to debar him from it?
When Apollodorus ceased speaking, Verus offered Simeon Ben Jochai hishand, saying:
"I am rejoiced to have met a man of your learning and distinction. Whatwould I not give to possess your knowledge for a few hours!"
"My knowledge is yours," replied the astrologer. "Command my services,my labors, my time--ask me as many questions as you will. We are sodeeply indebted to you--"
"You have no reason to regard me as your creditor," interrupted thepraetor, "you do not even owe me thanks. I only made your acquaintanceafter I had rescued you, and I opposed the mob, not for the sake of anyparticular man, but for that of law and order."
"You were benevolent enough to protect us," cried Ben Jochai, "so do notbe so stern as to disdain our gratitude."
"It does me honor, my learned friend; by all the gods it does me honor,"replied Verus. "And in fact it is possible, it might very will be--Willyou do me the favor to come with me to that bust of Hipparchus? By theaid of that science which owes so much to him you may be able to renderme an important service."
When the two men were standing apart from the others, in front of thewhite marble portrait of the great astronomer, Verus asked:
"Do you know by what method Caesar is wont to presage the fates of menfrom the stars?"
"Perfectly."
"From whom?"
"From Aquila, my father's disciple."
"Can you calculate what he will learn from the stars in the nightpreceding the thirtieth of December, as to the destinies of a man whowas born in that night, and whose horoscope I possess?"
"I can only answer a conditional yes to that question."
"What should prevent your answering positively?"
"Unforeseen appearances in the heavens."
"Are such signs common?"
"No, they are rare, on the contrary."
"But perhaps my fortune is not a common one-and I beg of you tocalculate on Hadrian's method what the heavens will predict on thatnight for the man whose horoscope my slave shall deliver to you earlyto-morrow morning."
"I will do so with pleasure."
"When can you have finished this work?"
"In four days at latest, perhaps even sooner."
"Capital! But one thing more. Do you regard me as a man, I mean, as atrue man?"
"If you were not, would you have given me such reason to be grateful toyou?"
"Well then, conceal nothing from me, not even the worst horrors, thingsthat might poison another man's life, and crush his spirit. Whatever youread in the celestial record, small or great, good or evil. I requireyou to tell me all."
"I will conceal nothing, absolutely nothing."
The praetor offered Ben Jochai his right hand, and warmly pressed theJew's slender, well-shaped fingers. Before he went away he settled withhim how he should inform him when he had finished his labors.
The Alexandrian with his guests and children accompanied the praetor tothe door. Only Ben Jamin was absent; he was sitting with his companionsin his father's dining-room, and rewarding them for the assistance theyhad given him with right good wine. Gamaliel heard them shouting andsinging, and pointing to the room he shrugged his shoulders, saying, ashe turned to his host:
"They are returning thanks to the God of our fathers in the Alexandrianfashion."
And peace was broken no more in the Jew's house but by the firm tramp oflictors and soldiers who kept watch over it, under arms.
In a side street the praetor met the tailor he had knocked down, thesausage-maker, and other ringleaders of the attack on the Israelite'shouse. They were being led away prisoners before the night magistrates.Verus would have set them at liberty with all his heart, but he knewthat the Emperor would enquire next morning what had been done to therioters, and so he forbore. At any other time he would certainly havesent them home unpunished, but just now he was dominated by a wish thatwas more dominant than his good nature or his facile impulses.