ben-hur-第62节

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BOOK　FIFTH

〃Only　the　actions　of　the　just　　Smell　sweet　and　blossom　in　the　dust。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHIRLEY。

〃And；　through　the　heat　of　conflict；　keeps　the　law；　　In　calmness　made；　and　sees　what　he　foresaw。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WORDSWORTH。




CHAPTER　I



The　morning　after　the　bacchanalia　in　the　saloon　of　the　palace；　the　divan　was　covered　with　young　patricians。　Maxentius　might　come；　and　the　city　throng　to　receive　him；　the　legion　might　descend　from　Mount　Sulpius　in　glory　of　arms　and　armor；　from　Nymphaeum　to　Omphalus　there　might　be　ceremonial　splendors　to　shame　the　most　notable　ever　before　seen　or　heard　of　in　the　gorgeous　East；　yet　would　the　many　continue　to　sleep　ignominiously　on　the　divan　where　they　had　fallen　or　been　carelessly　tumbled　by　the　indifferent　slaves；　that　they　would　be　able　to　take　part　in　the　reception　that　day　was　about　as　possible　as　for　the　lay…figures　in　the　studio　of　a　modern　artist　to　rise　and　go　bonneted　and　plumed　through　the　one；　two；　three　of　a　waltz。

Not　all；　however；　who　participated　in　the　orgy　were　in　the　shameful　condition。　When　dawn　began　to　peer　through　the　skylights　of　the　saloon；　Messala　arose；　and　took　the　chaplet　from　his　head；　in　sign　that　the　revel　was　at　end；　then　he　gathered　his　robe　about　him；　gave　a　last　look　at　the　scene；　and；　without　a　word；　departed　for　his　quarters。　Cicero　could　not　have　retired　with　more　gravity　from　a　night…long　senatorial　debate。

Three　hours　afterwards　two　couriers　entered　his　room；　and　from　his　own　hand　received　each　a　despatch；　sealed　and　in　duplicate；　and　consisting　chiefly　of　a　letter　to　Valerius　Gratus；　the　procurator；　still　resident　in　Caesarea。　The　importance　attached　to　the　speedy　and　certain　delivery　of　the　paper　may　be　inferred。　One　courier　was　to　proceed　overland；　the　other　by　sea；　both　were　to　make　the　utmost　haste。

It　is　of　great　concern　now　that　the　reader　should　be　fully　informed　of　the　contents　of　the　letter　thus　forwarded；　and　it　is　accordingly　given：

〃ANTIOCH；　XII。　Kal。　Jul。

〃Messala　to　Gratus。

〃O　my　Midas！

〃I　pray　thou　take　no　offense　at　the　address；　seeing　it　is　one　of　love　and　gratitude；　and　an　admission　that　thou　art　most　fortunate　among　men；　seeing；　also；　that　thy　ears　are　as　they　were　derived　from　thy　mother；　only　proportionate　to　thy　matured　condition。

〃O　my　Midas！

〃I　have　to　relate　to　thee　an　astonishing　event；　which；　though　as　yet　somewhat　in　the　field　of　conjecture；　will；　I　doubt　not；　justify　thy　instant　consideration。

〃Allow　me　first　to　revive　thy　recollection。　Remember；　a　good　many　years　ago；　a　family　of　a　prince　of　Jerusalem；　incredibly　ancient　and　vastly　richby　name　Ben…Hur。　If　thy　memory　have　a　limp　or　ailment　of　any　kind；　there　is；　if　I　mistake　not；　a　wound　on　thy　head　which　may　help　thee　to　a　revival　of　the　circumstance。

〃Next；　to　arouse　thy　interest。　In　punishment　of　the　attempt　upon　thy　lifefor　dear　repose　of　conscience；　may　all　the　gods　forbid　it　should　ever　prove　to　have　been　an　accident！the　family　were　seized　and　summarily　disposed　of；　and　their　property　confiscated。　And　inasmuch；　O　my　Midas！　as　the　action　had　the　approval　of　our　Caesar；　who　was　as　just　as　he　was　wisebe　there　flowers　upon　his　altars　forever！there　should　be　no　shame　in　referring　to　the　sums　which　were　realized　to　us　respectively　from　that　source；　for　which　it　is　not　possible　I　can　ever　cease　to　be　grateful　to　thee；　certainly　not　while　I　continue；　as　at　present；　in　the　uninterrupted　enjoyment　of　the　part　which　fell　to　me。

〃In　vindication　of　thy　wisdoma　quality　for　which；　as　I　am　now　advised；　the　son　of　Gordius；　to　whom　I　have　boldly　likened　thee；　was　never　distinguished　among　men　or　godsI　recall　further　that　thou　didst　make　disposition　of　the　family　of　Hur；　both　of　us　at　the　time　supposing　the　plan　hit　upon　to　be　the　most　effective　possible　for　the　purposes　in　view；　which　were　silence　and　delivery　over　to　inevitable　but　natural　death。　Thou　wilt　remember　what　thou　didst　with　the　mother　and　sister　of　the　malefactor；　yet；　if　now　I　yield　to　a　desire　to　learn　whether　they　be　living　or　dead；　I　know；　from　knowing　the　amiability　of　thy　nature；　O　my　Gratus；　that　thou　wilt　pardon　me　as　one　scarcely　less　amiable　than　thyself。

〃As　more　immediately　essential　to　the　present　business；　however；　I　take　the　liberty　of　inviting　to　thy　remembrance　that　the　actual　criminal　was　sent　to　the　galleys　a　slave　for　lifeso　the　precept　ran；　and　it　may　serve　to　make　the　event　which　I　am　about　to　relate　the　more　astonishing　by　saying　here　that　I　saw　and　read　the　receipt　for　his　body　delivered　in　course　to　the　tribune　commanding　a　galley。

〃Thou　mayst　begin　now　to　give　me　more　especial　heed；　O　my　most　excellent　Phrygian！

〃Referring　to　the　limit　of　life　at　the　oar；　the　outlaw　thus　justly　disposed　of　should　be　dead；　or；　better　speaking；　some　one　of　the　three　thousand　Oceanides　should　have　taken　him　to　husband　at　least　five　years　ago。　And　if　thou　wilt　excuse　a　momentary　weakness；　O　most　virtuous　and　tender　of　men！　inasmuch　as　I　loved　him　in　childhood；　and　also　because　he　was　very　handsomeI　used　in　much　admiration　to　call　him　my　Ganymedehe　ought　in　right　to　have　fallen　into　the　arms　of　the　most　beautiful　daughter　of　the　family。　Of　opinion；　however；　that　he　was　certainly　dead；　I　have　lived　quite　five　years　in　calm　and　innocent　enjoyment　of　the　fortune　for　which　I　am　in　a　degree　indebted　to　him。　I　make　the　admission　of　indebtedness　without　intending　it　to　diminish　my　obligation　to　thee。

〃Now　I　am　at　the　very　point　of　interest。

〃Last　night；　while　acting　as　master　of　the　feast　for　a　party　just　from　Rometheir　extreme　youth　and　inexperience　appealed　to　my　compassionI　heard　a　singular　story。　Maxentius；　the　consul；　as　you　know；　comes　to…day　to　conduct　a　campaign　against　the　Parthians。　Of　the　ambitious　who　are　to　accompany　him　there　is　one；　a　son　of　the　late　duumvir　Quintus　Arrius。　I　had　occasion　to　inquire　about　him　particularly。　When　Arrius　set　out　in　pursuit　of　the　pirates；　whose　defeat　gained　him　his　final　honors；　he　had　no　family；　when　he　returned　from　the　expedition；　he　brought　back　with　him　an　heir。　Now　be　thou　composed　as　becomes　the　owner　of　so　many　talents　in　ready　sestertii！　The　son　and　heir　of　whom　I　speak　is　he　whom　thou　didst　send　to　the　galleysthe　very　Ben…Hur　who　should　have　died　at　his　oar　five　years　agoreturned　now　with　fortune　and　rank；　and　possibly　as　a　Roman　citizen；　to　Well；　thou　art　too　firmly　seated　to　be　alarmed；　but　I；　O　my　Midas！　I　am　in　dangerno　need　to　tell　thee　of　what。　Who　should　know；　if　thou　dost　not？

〃Sayst　thou　to　all　this；　tut…tut？

〃When　Arrius；　the　father；　by　adoption；　of　this　apparition　from　the　arms　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　Oceanides　（see　above　my　opinion　of　what　she　should　be）；　joined　battle　with　the　pirates；　his　vessel　was　sunk；　and　but　two　of　all　her　crew　escaped　drowningArrius　himself　and　this　one；　his　heir。

〃The　officers　who　took　them　from　the　plank　on　which　they　were　floating　say　the　associate　of　the　fortunate　tribune　was　a　young　man　who；　when　lifted　to　the　deck；　was　in　the　dress　of　a　galley　slave。

〃This　should　be　convincing；　to　say　least；　but　lest　thou　say　tut…tut　again；　I　tell　thee；　O　my　Midas！　that　yesterday；　by　good　chanceI　have　a　vow　to　Fortune　in　consequenceI　met　the　mysterious　son　of　Arrius　face　to　face；　and　I　declare　now　that；　though　I　did　not　then　recognize　him；　he　is　the　very　Ben…Hur　who　was　for　years　my　playmate；　the　very　Ben…Hur　who；　if　he　be　a　man；　though　of　the　commonest　grade；　must　this　very　moment　of　my　writing　be　thinking　of　vengeancefor　so　would　I　were　I　hevengeance　not　to　be　satisfied　short　of　life；　vengeance　for　country；　mother；　sister；　self；　andI　say　it　last；　though　thou　mayst　think　it　would　be　firstfor　fortune　lost。

〃By　this　time；　O　good　my　benefactor　and　friend！　my　Gratus！　in　consideration　of　thy　sestertii　in　peril；　their　loss　being　the　worst　which　could　befall　one　of　thy　high　estateI　quit　calling　thee　after　the　foolish　old　King　of　Phrygiaby　this　time；　I　say　（meaning　after　having　read　me　so　far）；　I　have　faith　to　believe　thou　hast　ceased　saying　tut…tut；　and　art　ready　to　think　what　ought　to　be　done　in　such　emergency。

〃It　were　vulgar　to　ask　thee　now　what　shall　be　done。　Rather　let　me　say　I　am　thy　client；　or；　better　yet；　thou　art　my　Ulysses　whose　part　it　is　to　give　me　sound　direction。

〃And　I　please　myself　thinking　I　see　thee　when　this　letter　is　put　into　thy　hand。　I　see　thee　read　it　once；　thy　countenance　all　gravity；　and　then　again　with　a　smile；　then；　hesitation　ended；　and　thy　judgment　formed；　it　is　this；　or　it　is　that；　wisdom　like　Mercury's；　promptitude　like　Caesar's。

〃The　sun　is　now　fairly　risen。　An　hour　hence　two　messengers　will　depart　from　my　door；　each　with　a　sealed　copy　hereof；　one　of　them　will　go　by　land；　the　other　by　sea；　so　important　do　I　regard　it　that　thou　shouldst　be　early　and　particularly　informed　of　the　appearance　of　our　enemy　in　this　part　of　our　Roman　world。

〃I　will　await　thy　answer　here。

〃Ben…Hur's　going　and　coming　will　of　course　be　regulated　by　his　master；　the　consul；　who；　though　he　exert　himself　without　rest　day　and　night；　cannot　get　away　under　a　month。　Thou　knowest　what　work　it　is　to　assemble　and　provide　for　an　army　destined　to　operate　in　a　desolate；　townless　country。

〃I　saw　the　Jew　yesterday　in　the　Gr