copies out by the soldiers unto priestesses in many portions of the world-unto Joppa and Philadelphia; Athens and Rhinocolura; Gades, Rome and Petra; and likewise unto the priestesses of many other cities.

And the letters were filled with haughty injunctions, sly and crafty omissions, strange insinuations, disguised equivocations, most of all with explicit instructions as to how the giant, Samson of Cyrene, might most readily be ensnared, and the locket taken from him, together with lying words as to what the pearls meant which lay within that locket and the scrap of ancient parchment which entitled the Jew to his priesthood in Jerusalem. Finally, as to what the great rewards would be to the thief and idolatress who should win the pearls away from the Jew and destroy his parchment utterly.

And, in the pastures of Cyrenaica, Leah looked after the sheep of Samson, laboring diligently both by day and oft by night, and seeing in especial that the hirelings kept on about their hard work. And often she leaned upon her shepherd's crook, dreaming that Samson of Cyrene should, on a time, become her husband. She wept oft and bitterly, for that he had so little written unto her, and had never at all come back.

Word had reached her about the snares of Ophidion, which that creature of Hell had laid for the young man. She, therefore, composed an epistle, of which she sent many copies out, one unto a rabbi at this city, and yet another unto another in that—all warning of the snares which had been set by Ophidion, and many after him, as against the young Jew and his priesthood.

.. And, at this very time, was Samson of Cyrene in the desert of Sin, which is eastward of the Nile in the mountains of Sinai, together with Lampadephorus.

And Trivialis, who was then in Athens, goeth into the country and becometh a laborer in the fields.

And he married a wife, whose name was Agatha, which, by interpretation, meaneth "The Good."

But, on a day, there came into the fields one in a shining raiment, as he were a person of consequence. He said not much at first, but winked and whispered a little and smiled a great deal, and then both smiled and whispered and winked more. At length he said, "I have a message unto thee from one that is my master and also thine old friend."

"But," said Trivialis, "thou art thyself unknown to me. Thy name, therefore."

"Pothus Aporretus, which meaneth 'Secret Desire.' I bring a

word of welcome and invitation unto thee from my master, who as I have said, is an old friend of thine, Dissolutio."

For a time the worker in the field would nowise hearken to the fellow in fair raiment, for he thought: "Were I fooled, 'twere not the first time whereon a fine appearance had pleasured me to my hurt."

But Pothus Aporretus hung about the man for many days, more and more deeply blandishing him, and saying, for ensample, how very much the fellow was missed by Dissolutio, Euryophthalmus (Redeye), and others of that company, "whose names indeed I need not mention, as Lord Trivialis might easily do so very much for himself. But the harlot Blanditia (Flattery), and many others like her, they— "And indeed," he added, after a time, " 'twere a sad company if thou go not unto it. For who so like to set that whole fellowship into laughter, especially when a cypellon or two of unwatered wine hath gotten into thine otherwise so cold heart? There will be, I tell thee, the most beautiful women- Behold! thou hast money of thy wife's (as well as that which thou thyself hast saved). It is in thy handsthy hands-thy hands-"

And at length the fair-clad visitor had his way with the fool, huddling him out of the field and off toward the city.

And Trivialis journeyed unto Athens, Secret Desire beside him all the road, portraying in gaudiest colors the delights which did await (he said) them twain.

But scarcely had Trivialis, being arrived in Athens, joined himself to Dissolutio, when that son of evil asked him: "Why, of late, hast thou so little come anigh me?"

But behold, a rider from the country, who suddenly entered and said unto Trivialis: "Hold it not as a sin against me that I bring unwelcome tidings, for thy wife, even Agatha the good, she is dead. All people mourn for her."

Cried Trivialis, ere the man was gone: "Dead! Then am I free!" And, being by now aglow with the new wine, he shouted: "I am fain to laugh, and that right long also.'

"But," said Dissolutio, "thou hast not, as yet, declared unto me this thing, the reason why thou didst not earlier come back to me.' "Oh ho," said Trivialis, in a thickish voice, "didst not thou thyself declare unto me that pleasure is the only sensible object of human pursuit-wherein thou wast truly pupil unto Aristippus? Thou saidst that fame, fortune, even friendship, are only to be desired when and as these things would administer unto pleasure. Hast thou so soon forgotten? Nay, say not unto me thy friendship would have begotten pleasure in me. "Tis so now: 'twas not so lately. For a time

I needed the sweet regeneration of the country air, and life among rustics. But behold! I be ready again for my old-time acquaintance."

Then Dissolutio, falling upon his neck, kissed him and said: "That I may the better and more firmly bind thee unto me, I will show thee my sister, a woman of incomparable beauty, even Consuetudo Confirmata, or Confirmed Habit. And when thou hast seen her thou wilt say that thou shalt have her always. And when she is thy wife, then canst thou not leave me ever again."

And Trivialis indeed married Consuetudo Confirmata, the sister of Dissolutio, finding her well-favored. But on the day whereon he espoused her, he, laughing merrily, turned full sad for a passing moment, remembering that his former and sober-minded spouse, even Agatha, had once said to him, "Ever trivial shalt thou be, as thy name is. If aught of sadness be within thee, or any earnestness at all or great solemnity, then that is deep down and a-sleeping within thy nature, and only a great one from above can bring it to awakening in such a way that it may live and endure."

And Trivialis, as he remembered, had only said unto her yet again: "I am fain to laugh. And laugh, too, I shall till that I am in a very deep grave.'

But Consuetudo Confirmata led Trivialis a queer-roystering life, merry enough at first, but, later, with trumpery tricks and sharp tongue-lashings, and, at length, he found her for a harlot. He findeth also that she hath already husbands living.

Then met he, many a time and oft, as he fared forth unto his work of a morning, Agonus. And after a while, owing to the adjurations of Agonus, he gave the slip to Consuetudo Confirmata, choosing the way in which he believed it right that a man should go.

For a time, too, he was fain to laugh no more. He said, as he wandered: "I have tested, O Lord, the many things of earth, and still am unsatisfied. As to thee, I love thee. That thou knowest, of howsoever little account I may have been unto thee. Yet I fain would behold thee, O Jehovah, and would touch thy hand, and kiss thy garment's edge. Even as thy priest, Solomon, hast supplicated many a time, so pray I now, and beseech that thou shouldst be as my frienda friend I may see, an audible one also, but not with a shadow of turning."

Yet, at this, he thought he beheld that old boon companion, even Euryophthalmus, coming from a wine-house. He cried, helpless in the suddenly merry heart of him: "I am fain to laugh."

He joined himself unto Euryophthalmus, but, truth to tell,

not that he might again drink. And they twain offered themselves as legionaries to a certain captain which was near. And having taken service, avowed eternal friendship each to each till death should them part. But when, on a day, together with many other mighty soldiers, their company went up fiercely against a small band of thieves, both Euryophthalmus and Trivialis fled backward apace (each by his several way of safety) and, for a time, were not seen of men.

CHAPTER XIII

ONLY FOR JAVAN, JAPHET'S SON, THE BEARER OF THE LIGHT "STOP! I'll go no further." So said Samson of Cyrene unto Lampadephorus, the Athenian.

The Athenian answered and said, "Not for me? By the singing heavens! Listen therefore, and I will say to thee a thing.

"I will listen, by the splendor of Adonai!"

"My heart, O great Jew, is in the Phrygian mode. It is filled with the sound of trumpets."

"For whom wilt thou battle?"

"Listen."

"I hear thee."

"Have I not taught thee many things, been unto thee a schoolmaster, divided all my learning with thee?"

"Thou hast been in this matter generous."

"Lovest thou me, then, O Samson-Solomon of Cyrene?"

"I love thee, Lampadephorus, man of Athens. And never another friend have I that is like unto thee.'

"Wilt thou, then, not fight for me, fight for me most manfully, be my friendly dimachærus, live, or, it may be, die, in a glory of mighty combat by my side?"

Now the Jew was silent for a very long time. Then he looked up suddenly, asking: "Fightest thou because thou lovest me?"

At this the Greek was hurt. Yet he made not lamentation, but said only: "There was once a time when I did fight for that I well did love thee-no more of that. But now-let us reason—'

"Lampadephorus of Athens, friend of mine," brake in the Jew, "thou art very great and very wise, but thou art subtile also, and hast not dealt clearly by me. Thou saidst at the door of the Rabbi's house, that thou hadst taken for me a passage unto Joppa. Then broughtest thou me forth from the Nile, and joined both thee and me unto all these mighty men on horses. And thou as well as I didst

mount the Thessalian steeds, and eastward to these mountains didst thou bring me. And behold thou dealest but strangely with me even at the present moment, in which thou sayest unto me: 'Fight! Fight thou beside me. Fight in glory. Fight because thou lovest me.' Thou dost not speak of the manner of the men the which we should go up against, nor why we should oppose them, nor for what final purpose. Speak thou clearly unto me, O Lampadephorus, and say to me for whom thou fightest. So it may be that I will fight beside thee." The Greek said, "Yonder! In and out among the rocks they come. Robbers, all that band.

They are many more than we also."

He signed to a trumpeter, giving stern command.

And the trumpeter blew, and all the strong men formed line of battle.

"We fight for Cæsar," explaineth the Greek, "for Cæsar, the Lord of All this World. Have I not said unto thee before that I am a servant unto Cæsar? There is none can hold his little finger, while the sands run, or stand within his presence and not quake. He is Cæsar."

"Is, then, Cæsar beautiful?"

"Unbeautiful it is to struggle against him. And some who have broken his treasury have hidden in this desert the pearls, the rubies, and the silver and the gold. And I am deputed to find these things.' "A mere delator!”

"I am delator unto Cæsar, and not his chief one either. Ophidion is that. Now I see the men of might come winding up the rocks. In a twinkling they will be all about us. Samson of Cyrene, wilt thou fight for me?"

Samson looked off over to the mount whereon the Lord had given the Law to Moses, and all that was in that law came back to him, but mostly the plain command: "Thou shalt not kill."

He said to Lampadephorus, "Thee I love, but for Cæsar I will not fight."

So he rode to a place apart, which was higher than the rest of the battle ground.

And Lampadephorus looked up to him, and grew scornful.

But Samson said, "Behold, I saw these things in a dream last night, wherein one that was bearing a golden torch, placed in each of my hands a Roman sword, commanding me 'fight'."

"Then," said Lampadephorus up to him, "fight."

"But an angel also came," said Samson, "shouting, 'What will ye do? Thy swords be swords of mercy.' And he brake the points from the swords."