ben-hur-第6节

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auditors　first　wondered；　then　laughed。　I　tried　again；　they　pelted　me　with　epigrams；　covered　my　God　with　ridicule；　and　darkened　my　Heaven　with　mockery。　Not　to　linger　needlessly；　I　fell　before　them。〃

The　Hindoo　here　drew　a　long　sigh；　as　he　said；　〃The　enemy　of　man　is　man；　my　brother。〃

Balthasar　lapsed　into　silence。

〃I　gave　much　thought　to　finding　the　cause　of　my　failure；　and　at　last　succeeded；〃　he　said；　upon　beginning　again。　〃Up　the　river；　a　day's　journey　from　the　city；　there　is　a　village　of　herdsmen　and　gardeners。　I　took　a　boat　and　went　there。　In　the　evening　I　called　the　people　together；　men　and　women；　the　poorest　of　the　poor。　I　preached　to　them　exactly　as　I　had　preached　in　the　Brucheium。　They　did　not　laugh。　Next　evening　I　spoke　again；　and　they　believed　and　rejoiced；　and　carried　the　news　abroad。　At　the　third　meeting　a　society　was　formed　for　prayer。　I　returned　to　the　city　then。　Drifting　down　the　river；　under　the　stars；　which　never　seemed　so　bright　and　so　near；　I　evolved　this　lesson：　To　begin　a　reform；　go　not　into　the　places　of　the　great　and　rich；　go　rather　to　those　whose　cups　of　happiness　are　emptyto　the　poor　and　humble。　And　then　I　laid　a　plan　and　devoted　my　life。　As　a　first　step；　I　secured　my　vast　property；　so　that　the　income　would　be　certain；　and　always　at　call　for　the　relief　of　the　suffering。　From　that　day；　O　brethren；　I　travelled　up　and　down　the　Nile；　in　the　villages；　and　to　all　the　tribes；　preaching　One　God；　a　righteous　life；　and　reward　in　Heaven。　I　have　done　goodit　does　not　become　me　to　say　how　much。　I　also　know　that　part　of　the　world　to　be　ripe　for　the　reception　of　Him　we　go　to　find。〃

A　flush　suffused　the　swarthy　cheek　of　the　speaker；　but　he　overcame　the　feeling；　and　continued：

〃The　years　so　given；　O　my　brothers；　were　troubled　by　one　thoughtWhen　I　was　gone；　what　would　become　of　the　cause　I　had　started？　Was　it　to　end　with　me？　I　had　dreamed　many　times　of　organization　as　a　fitting　crown　for　my　work。　To　hide　nothing　from　you；　I　had　tried　to　effect　it；　and　failed。　Brethren；　the　world　is　now　in　the　condition　that；　to　restore　the　old　Mizraimic　faith；　the　reformer　must　have　a　more　than　human　sanction；　he　must　not　merely　come　in　God's　name；　he　must　have　the　proofs　subject　to　his　word；　he　must　demonstrate　all　he　says；　even　God。　So　preoccupied　is　the　mind　with　myths　and　systems；　so　much　do　false　deities　crowd　every　placeearth；　air；　sky；　so　have　they　become　of　everything　a　part；　that　return　to　the　first　religion　can　only　be　along　bloody　paths；　through　fields　of　persecution；　that　is　to　say；　the　converts　must　be　willing　to　die　rather　than　recant。　And　who　in　this　age　can　carry　the　faith　of　men　to　such　a　point　but　God　himself？　To　redeem　the　raceI　do　not　mean　to　destroy　itto　REDEEM　the　race；　he　must　make　himself　once　more　manifest；　HE　MUST　COME　IN　PERSON。〃

Intense　emotion　seized　the　three。

〃Are　we　not　going　to　find　him？〃　exclaimed　the　Greek。

〃You　understand　why　I　failed　in　the　attempt　to　organize；〃　said　the　Egyptian；　when　the　spell　was　past。　〃I　had　not　the　sanction。　To　know　that　my　work　must　be　lost　made　me　intolerably　wretched。　I　believed　in　prayer；　and　to　make　my　appeals　pure　and　strong；　like　you；　my　brethren；　I　went　out　of　the　beaten　ways；　I　went　where　man　had　not　been；　where　only　God　was。　Above　the　fifth　cataract；　above　the　meeting　of　rivers　in　Sennar；　up　the　Bahr　el　Abiad；　into　the　far　unknown　of　Africa；　I　went。　There；　in　the　morning；　a　mountain　blue　as　the　sky　flings　a　cooling　shadow　wide　over　the　western　desert；　and；　with　its　cascades　of　melted　snow；　feeds　a　broad　lake　nestling　at　its　base　on　the　east。　The　lake　is　the　mother　of　the　great　river。　For　a　year　and　more　the　mountain　gave　me　a　home。　The　fruit　of　the　palm　fed　my　body；　prayer　my　spirit。　One　night　I　walked　in　the　orchard　close　by　the　little　sea。　'The　world　is　dying。　When　wilt　thou　come？　Why　may　I　not　see　the　redemption；　O　God？'　So　I　prayed。　The　glassy　water　was　sparkling　with　stars。　One　of　them　seemed　to　leave　its　place；　and　rise　to　the　surface；　where　it　became　a　brilliancy　burning　to　the　eyes。　Then　it　moved　towards　me；　and　stood　over　my　head；　apparently　in　hand's　reach。　I　fell　down　and　hid　my　face。　A　voice；　not　of　the　earth；　said；　'Thy　good　works　have　conquered。　Blessed　art　thou；　O　son　of　Mizraim！　The　redemption　cometh。　With　two　others；　from　the　remotenesses　of　the　world；　thou　shalt　see　the　Saviour；　and　testify　for　him。　In　the　morning　arise；　and　go　meet　them。　And　when　ye　have　all　come　to　the　holy　city　of　Jerusalem；　ask　of　the　people；　Where　is　he　that　is　born　King　of　the　Jews？　for　we　have　seen　his　star　in　the　East　and　are　sent　to　worship　him。　Put　all　thy　trust　in　the　Spirit　which　will　guide　thee。'

〃And　the　light　became　an　inward　illumination　not　to　be　doubted；　and　has　stayed　with　me；　a　governor　and　a　guide。　It　led　me　down　the　river　to　Memphis；　where　I　made　ready　for　the　desert。　I　bought　my　camel；　and　came　hither　without　rest；　by　way　of　Suez　and　Kufileh；　and　up　through　the　lands　of　Moab　and　Ammon。　God　is　with　us；　O　my　brethren！〃

He　paused；　and　thereupon；　with　a　prompting　not　their　own；　they　all　arose；　and　looked　at　each　other。

〃I　said　there　was　a　purpose　in　the　particularity　with　which　we　described　our　people　and　their　histories；〃　so　the　Egyptian　proceeded。　〃He　we　go　to　find　was　called　'King　of　the　Jews；'　by　that　name　we　are　bidden　to　ask　for　him。　But；　now　that　we　have　met；　and　heard　from　each　other；　we　may　know　him　to　be　the　Redeemer；　not　of　the　Jews　alone；　but　of　all　the　nations　of　the　earth。　The　patriarch　who　survived　the　Flood　had　with　him　three　sons；　and　their　families；　by　whom　the　world　was　repeopled。　From　the　old　Aryana…Vaejo；　the　well…remembered　Region　of　Delight　in　the　heart　of　Asia；　they　parted。　India　and　the　far　East　received　the　children　of　the　first；　the　descendant　of　the　youngest；　through　the　North；　streamed　into　Europe；　those　of　the　second　overflowed　the　deserts　about　the　Red　Sea；　passing　into　Africa；　and　though　most　of　the　latter　are　yet　dwellers　in　shifting　tents；　some　of　them　became　builders　along　the　Nile。〃

By　a　simultaneous　impulse　the　three　joined　hands。

〃Could　anything　be　more　divinely　ordered？〃　Balthasar　continued。　〃When　we　have　found　the　Lord；　the　brothers；　and　all　the　generations　that　have　succeeded　them；　will　kneel　to　him　in　homage　with　us。　And　when　we　part　to　go　our　separate　ways；　the　world　will　have　learned　a　new　lessonthat　Heaven　may　be　won；　not　by　the　sword；　not　by　human　wisdom；　but　by　Faith；　Love；　and　Good　Works。〃

There　was　silence；　broken　by　sighs　and　sanctified　with　tears；　for　the　joy　that　filled　them　might　not　be　stayed。　It　was　the　unspeakable　joy　of　souls　on　the　shores　of　the　River　of　Life；　resting　with　the　Redeemed　in　God's　presence。

Presently　their　hands　fell　apart；　and　together　they　went　out　of　the　tent。　The　desert　was　still　as　the　sky。　The　sun　was　sinking　fast。　The　camels　slept。

A　little　while　after；　the　tent　was　struck；　and；　with　the　remains　of　the　repast；　restored　to　the　cot；　then　the　friends　mounted；　and　set　out　single　file；　led　by　the　Egyptian。　Their　course　was　due　west；　into　the　chilly　night。　The　camels　swung　forward　in　steady　trot；　keeping　the　line　and　the　intervals　so　exactly　that　those　following　seemed　to　tread　in　the　tracks　of　the　leader。　The　riders　spoke　not　once。

By…and…by　the　moon　came　up。　And　as　the　three　tall　white　figures　sped；　with　soundless　tread；　through　the　opalescent　light；　they　appeared　like　specters　flying　from　hateful　shadows。　Suddenly；　in　the　air　before　them；　not　farther　up　than　a　low　hill…top　flared　a　lambent　flame；　as　they　looked　at　it；　the　apparition　contracted　into　a　focus　of　dazzling　lustre。　Their　hearts　beat　fast；　their　souls　thrilled；　and　they　shouted　as　with　one　voice；　〃The　Star！　the　Star！　God　is　with　us！〃




CHAPTER　VI



In　an　aperture　of　the　western　wall　of　Jerusalem　hang　the　〃oaken　valves〃　called　the　Bethlehem　or　Joppa　Gate。　The　area　outside　of　them　is　one　of　the　notable　places　of　the　city。　Long　before　David　coveted　Zion　there　was　a　citadel　there。　When　at　last　the　son　of　Jesse　ousted　the　Jebusite；　and　began　to　build；　the　site　of　the　citadel　became　the　northwest　corner　of　the　new　wall；　defended　by　a　tower　much　more　imposing　than　the　old　one。　The　location　of　the　gate；　however；　was　not　disturbed；　for　the　reasons；　most　likely；　that　the　roads　which　met　and　merged　in　front　of　it　could　not　well　be　transferred　to　any　other　point；　while　the　area　outside　had　become　a　recognized　market…place。　In　Solomon's　day　there　was　great　traffic　at　the　locality；　shared　in　by　traders　from　Egypt　and　the　rich　dealers　from　Tyre　and　Sidon。　Nearly　three　thousand　years　have　passed；　and　yet　a　kind　of　commerce　clings　to　the　spot。　A　pilgrim　wanting　a　pin　or　a　pistol；　a　cucumber　or　a　camel；　a　house　or　a　horse；　a　loan　or　a　lentil；　a　date　or　a　dragoman；　a　melon　or　a　man；　a　dove　or　a　donkey；　has　only　to　inquire　for　the　article　at　the　Joppa　Gate。　Sometimes　the　scene　is　quite　animated；　and　then　it　suggests；　What　a　place　the　old　market　must　have　been　in　the　days　of　Herod　the　Builder！　And　to　that　period　and　that　market　the　reader　is　now　to　be　transferred。

Following　the　Hebrew　system；　the　meeting　of　the　wise　men　described　in　the　preceding　chapters　took　place　in　the　afternoon　of　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　the　third　month　of　the　year；　that　is　say；　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　December。　The　year　was　th