CHAPTER XI: A PRISONER
On leaving the propraetor Beric further informed his comrades ofthe offer that Petronius had made.
"And you think he will keep his oath?" Boduoc asked.
"I am sure of it," Beric said; "he has been sent out by Rome toundo the mischief Suetonius and Decianus have caused. His face isan honest one, and a Roman would not lie to his gods any more thanwe would."
"But you ought to have made terms with them, Beric," Boduoc said."You ought to have made a condition that you should be allowed tostay. It matters not for us, but you are the chief of all the Iceniwho are left."
"In the first place, Boduoc, I was not in a position to make terms,seeing that I am a captive and at their mercy; and in the nextplace, I would not if I could. Think you that the tribesmen wouldthen accept my counsels to leave the Fens and return to their homes?They would say that I had purchased my life and freedom from theRomans, and had agreed to betray them into their hands."
"No one would venture to say that of you, Beric."
"You may think not, Boduoc; but if not now, in the future it wouldbe said that, as before I was brought up among the Romans, so nowI had gone back to them. No, even if they offered to all of us ourliberty, I would say, let those go who will, but I remain a captive.Had the message come to us when I was free in the Fens I would haveaccepted it, for I knew that, although we might struggle long, weshould be finally overpowered. Moreover, the marsh fevers were asdeadly as Roman swords, and though for a year we have supportedthem, we should in time, perhaps this year when the summer heatscome, have lost our strength and have melted away. Thus, had Ibelieved that the Romans were sincere in their wish for peace, andthat they desired to see the land tilled, I would have acceptedtheir terms, because we were in arms and free, and could stillhave resisted; but as a captive, and conquered, I scorn to acceptmercy from Rome."
By this time they had arrived at the house where the other captiveswere guarded, and Beric repeated the terms that Petronius hadoffered.
"They will not benefit us," he said. "We are the captives ofSuetonius, and being taken with arms in our hands warring againstRome, we must pay the penalty; but, for the sake of our brethren,I rejoice. Our land may yet be peopled again by the Iceni, andwe shall have the consolation that, whatever may befall us, itis partly our valour that has won such terms from Rome. There arestill fifteen hundred fighting men in the swamps, and twice as manywomen and children. There may be many more lurking in the Fens tothe north, for great numbers, especially from our northern districts,must have taken refuge with the Brigantes. Thus, then, there will,when all have returned, be a goodly number, and it is our defenceof the Fenlands that has won their freedom for them. We maybe captives and slaves, but we are not dishonoured. For months wehave held Suetonius at bay, and two Romans have fallen for everyBriton; and even at last it was by treachery we were captured.
"None of us have begged our lives of Rome. We fought to the last,and showed front when we were but twenty against two thousand. Itwas not our fault that we did not die on the field, and we can holdour heads as high now when we are captives as we did when we werefree men. We know not what may be our fate at Rome, but whatever itbe, it will be a consolation to us to know that our people againwander in the old woods; that our women are spinning by theirhearthstones; that the Iceni are again a tribe; and that it is wewho have won this for them."
An enthusiastic assent greeted Beric's words.
"Now," he said, "we must choose the four who shall carry themessage. I said those most sorely wounded, but since four are togo they can care little who are chosen. Most of us have lost thosewe love, but there are some whose wives may have been elsewherewhen the attack was made. Let these stay, and let those who haveno ties save that of country go to Rome."
Only two men were found whose families had not been on the islandwhen it was attacked. These and the two most seriously woundedwere at once chosen as the messengers. The next morning the wholeof the captives were escorted to the temple, which was but asmall building in comparison with the great edifice that had beendestroyed at the capture of Camalodunum. Here Petronius and allthe principal officers and officials were assembled. Sacrifice wasoffered, and then Petronius, laying his hand on the altar, declareda solemn peace with the Britons, and swore that, so long as theyremained peaceable subjects of Rome, no man should interfere withthem, but all should be free to settle in their villages, to tilltheir land, and to tend their herds free from any molestationwhatever. Beric translated the words of the oath to the Britons.Petronius then bade the four men who had been chosen stand forward,and told them to carry his message to their countrymen.
"Enough blood has been shed on both sides," he said. "It is timefor peace. You have proved yourselves worthy and valiant enemies;let us now lay aside the sword and live together in friendship. Isent orders last night for the legions to leave their forts by theFenland and to return hither, so that the way is now open to yourown land. We can settle the terms of the tribute hereafter, but itshall not be onerous."
After leaving the temple Beric gave his messages to the men, andthey at once started under an escort for the camp, the officer incharge of them being ordered to provide them with a boat, in whichthey were to proceed alone to their countrymen.
That evening Petronius sent for Beric, and received him alone. "Iam sorry," he said, "that I cannot restore you and your companionsto your tribe, but in this I am powerless, as Suetonius has capturedyou, and to him you belong. I have begged him, as a personalfavour, to hand you over to me, but he has refused, and placed aswe are I can do no more. I have, however, written to friends inRome concerning you, and have said that you have done all in yourpower to bring about a pacification of the land, and have beggedthem to represent to Nero and the senate that if a report reachthis island that you have been put to death, it will undo the workof pacification, and perhaps light up a fresh flame of war."
There had, indeed, been an angry dispute between Suetonius and hissuccessor. The former, although well pleased to return to Rome, wasjealous of Petronius, and was angry at seeing that he was determinedto govern Britain upon principles the very reverse of those hehimself had adopted. Moreover, he regarded the possession of thecaptives as important, and deemed that their appearance in histrain, as proofs that before leaving he had completely stamped outthe insurrection, would create a favourable impression, and wouldgo far to restore him to popular opinion. This was, as he had heardfrom friends in Rome, strongly adverse to him, in consequence ofthe serious disasters and heavy losses which had befallen the Romanarms during his propraetorship, and he had therefore refused withsome heat to grant the request of Petronius.
The next morning the captives were mustered, and were marched downto the river and placed on board a ship. There were six vesselslying in readiness, as Suetonius was accompanied not only by hisown household, but by several officers and officials attached tohim personally, and by two hundred soldiers whose time of servicehad expired, and who were to form his escort to Rome. To Beric,from his residence in Camalodunum, large ships were no novelty,but the Britons with him were struck with astonishment at craft sovastly exceeding anything that they had before seen.
"Could we sail in these ships to Rome?" Boduoc asked.
"You could do so, but it would be a very long and stormy voyagepassing through the straits between two mountains which the Romanscall the Pillars of Hercules. Our voyage will be but a short one.If the wind is favourable we shall reach the coast of Gaul in twodays, and thence we shall travel on foot."
Fortunately the weather was fine, and on the third day after settingsail they reached one of the northern ports of Gaul. When it wasknown that Suetonius was on board, he was received with much pomp,and was lodged in the house of the Roman magistrate. As he had nodesire to impress the inhabitants of the place, the captives wereleft unbound and marched through the streets under a guard of theRoman spearmen. Gaul had long been completely subdued, but theinhabitants looked at the captives with pitying eyes. W
hen thesereached the house in which they were to be confined, the nativesbrought them presents of food, bribing the Roman guards to allowthem to deliver them.
As the language of the two peoples was almost identical, the Gaulshad no difficulty in making themselves understood by the captives,and asked many questions relating to the state of affairs in Britain.They had heard of the chief, Beric, who had for a year successfullyopposed the forces of Rome, and great was their surprise when theyfound that the youngest of the party was the noted leader. Two dayslater they started on their long march.
Inured as the Britons were to fatigue, the daily journeys were nothingto them. They found the country flourishing. Villages occurred atfrequent intervals, and they passed through several large townswith temples, handsome villas, and other Roman erections similarto those that they had sacked at the capture of Camalodunum.
"The people here do not seem to suffer under the Roman rule atany rate," Boduoc remarked; "they appear to have adopted the Romandress and tongue, but for all that they are slaves."
"Not slaves, Boduoc, though they cannot be said to be free; however,they have become so accustomed to the Roman dominion that doubtlessthey have ceased to fret under it; they are, indeed, to all intentsand purposes Roman. They furnish large bodies of troops to theRoman armies, and rise to positions of command and importance amongthem. In time, no doubt, unless misfortunes fall upon Rome, theywill become as one people, and such no doubt in the far distancewill be the case with Britain. We shall adopt many of the Romancustoms, and retain many of our own. There is one advantage, yousee, in Roman dominion--there are no more tribal wars, no moremassacres and slaughters, each man possesses his land in peace andquiet."
"But what do they do with themselves?" Boduoc asked, puzzled. "Insuch a country as this there can be few wild beasts. If men canneither fight nor hunt, how are they to employ their time? Theymust become a nation of women."
"It would seem so to us, Boduoc, for we have had nothing else toemploy our thoughts; but when we look at what the Romans have done,how great an empire they have formed, how wonderful are their arts,how good their laws, and what learning and wisdom they have storedup, one sees that there are other things to live for; and you see,though the Romans have learned all these things, they can stillfight. If they once turn so much to the arts of peace as to forgetthe virtues of war, their empire will fall to pieces more rapidlythan it has been built up."
Boduoc shook his head, "These things are well enough for you,Beric, who have lived among the Romans and learned many of theirways. Give me a life in which a man is a man; when we can live inthe open air, hunt the wolf and the bear, meet our enemies faceto face, die as men should, and go to the Happy Island withoutbothering our brains about such things as the arts and luxuries thatthe Romans put such value on. A bed on the fallen leaves under anoak tree, with the stars shining through the leaves, is better thanthe finest chamber in Rome covered with paintings."
"Well, Boduoc," Beric said good temperedly, "we are much morelikely to sleep under the stars in Rome than in a grand apartmentcovered with paintings; but though the one may be very nice, asyou say, in summer, I could very well put up with the other whenthe snow lies deep and the north wind is howling."
They did not, as Beric had hoped, cross the tremendous mountains,over which, as he had read in Polybius, Hannibal had led his troopsagainst Rome. Hannibal had been his hero. His dauntless bravery,his wonderful resources, his cheerfulness under hardships, and themanner in which, cut off for years from all assistance from home,he had yet supported the struggle and held Rome at bay, had filledhim with the greatest admiration, and unconsciously he had made thegreat Carthaginian his model. He was therefore much disappointedwhen he heard from the conversation of his guards that they wereto traverse Gaul to Massilia, and thence take ship to Rome.
The Roman guards were fond of talking to their young captive.Their thoughts were all of Rome, from which they had been so longabsent, and Beric was eager to learn every detail about the imperialcity; the days' marches therefore passed pleasantly. At night theywere still guarded, but they were otherwise allowed much liberty,and when they stopped for two or three days at a place they werefree to wander about as they chose, their great stature, fair hair,and blue eyes exciting more and more surprise as they went farthersouth, where the natives were much shorter and swarthier than thoseof northern Gaul.
One of the young officers with Suetonius had taken a great fancyto Beric, and frequently invited him to spend the evening with himat their halting places. When they approached Massilia he said, "Ihave some relations in the city, and I will obtain leave for youto stay with me at their house while we remain in the town, whichmay be for some little time, as we must wait for shipping. My uncleis a magistrate, and a very learned man. He is engaged in writinga book upon the religions of the world, and he seldom remains longat any post. He has very powerful friends in Rome, and so is ableto get transferred from one post to another. He has been in almostevery province of the empire in order to learn from the peoplethemselves their religions and beliefs. I stayed with him for amonth here two years since on my way to Britain, and he was talkingof getting himself transferred there, after he had been amongthe Gauls for a year or two; but his wife was averse to the idea,protesting that she had been dragged nearly all over the world byhim, and was determined not to go to its furthest boundaries. ButI should think that after the events of the last year he has givenup that idea. I know it will give him the greatest possible pleasureto converse with one who can tell him all about the religions andcustoms of the Britons in his own language."
Massilia was by far the largest city that the Britons had entered,and they were greatly surprised at its magnitude, and at the varietiesof people who crowded its streets. Even Boduoc, who professed aprofound indifference for everything Roman, was stupefied when hesaw a negro walking in the train of a Roman lady of rank.
"Is it a human being, think you," he murmured in Beric's ear, "ora wild creature they have tamed? He has not hair, but his head iscovered with wool like a black sheep."
"He is a man," Beric replied. "Across the sea to the south thereare brown men many shades darker than the people here, and beyondthese like lands inhabited by black men. Look at him showing histeeth and the whites of his eyes. He is as much surprised at ourappearance, Boduoc, as we are at his. We shall see many like himin Rome, for Pollio tells me that they are held in high estimationas slaves, being good tempered and obedient."
"He is hideous, Beric; look at his thick lips. But the creaturelooks good tempered. I wonder that any woman could have such anone about the house. Can they talk?"
"Oh, yes, they talk. They are men just the same as we are, exceptfor their colour."
"But what makes them so black, Beric?"
"That is unknown; but it is supposed that the heat of the sun,for the country they inhabit is terribly hot, has in time darkenedthem. You see, as we have gone south, the people have got darkerand darker."
"But are they born that colour, Beric?"
"Certainly they are."
"If a wife of mine bore me a child of that colour," Boduoc said,"I would strangle it. And think you that it is the heat of the sunthat has curled up their hair so tightly?"
"That I cannot say--they are all like that."
"Well, they are horrible," Boduoc said positively. "I did not thinkthat the earth contained such monsters."
Soon after the captives were lodged in a prison, Pollio came tosee Beric, and told him that he had obtained permission for himto lodge at his uncle's house, he himself being guarantee for hissafe custody there; accordingly they at once started together.
The house was a large one; for, as Pollio had told Beric by theway, his uncle was a man of great wealth, and it was a matter ofconstant complaint on the part of his wife that he did not settledown in Rome. Passing straight through the atrium, where he wasrespectfully greeted by the servants and slaves, Pollio passed intothe tablinum, where his uncle was sitting writing.
"Th
is is the guest I told you I should bring, uncle," he said. "Heis a great chief, young as he looks, and has given us a world oftrouble. He speaks Latin perfectly, and you will be able to learnfrom him all about the Britons without troubling yourself and myaunt to make a journey to his country."
Norbanus was an elderly man, short in figure, with a keen but kindlyface. He greeted Beric cordially.
"Welcome, young chief," he said. "I will try to make your stay herecomfortable, and I shall be glad indeed to learn from you about yourpeople, of whom, unfortunately, I have had no opportunity hithertoof learning anything, save that when I journeyed up last year tothe northwest of Gaul, I found a people calling themselves by thesame name as you. They told me that they were a kindred race, andthat your religion was similar to theirs."
"That may well be," Beric said. "We are Gauls, though it is longsince we left that country and settled in Britain. It may well bethat in some of the wars in the south of the island a tribe, findingthemselves overpowered, may have crossed to Gaul, with which countrywe were always in communication until it was conquered by you. Wecertainly did not come thence, for all our traditions say that theIceni came by ship from a land lying due east from us, and that wewere an offshoot of the Belgae, whose country lay to the northwestof Gaul."
"The people I speak of," the magistrate said, "have vast templesconstructed of huge stones placed in circles, which appear to me tohave, like the great pyramids of Egypt, an astronomical signification,for I found that the stones round the sacrificial altars were soplaced that the sun at its rising threw its rays upon the stoneonly upon the longest day of summer."
"It is so with our great temples," Beric said; "and upon that daysacrifices are offered. What the signification of the stones andtheir arrangements is I cannot say. These mysteries are known onlyto the Druids, and they are strictly preserved from the knowledgeof those outside the priestly rank."
"Spare him for today, uncle," Pollio said laughing. "We are like,I hear, to be a fortnight here before we sail; so you will haveabundant time to learn everything that Beric can tell you. I willtake him up now, with your permission, and introduce him to my auntand cousins."
"You will find them in the garden, Pollio. Supper will be servedin half an hour. Tomorrow, Beric, we will, after breakfast, renewthis conversation that my feather brained young nephew has cut soshort."
"My Aunt Lesbia will be greatly surprised when she sees you,"Pollio laughed as they issued out into the garden. "I did not seeher until after I had spoken to my uncle, and I horrified her bytelling her that the noted British chief Beric, who had defeatedour best troops several times with terrible slaughter, was cominghere to remain under my charge until we sail for Rome. She wasshocked, considering that you must be a monster of ferocity; andeven my pretty cousins were terrified at the prospect. I had half amind to get you to attire yourself in Roman fashion, but I thoughtthat you would not consent. However, we shall surprise themsufficiently as it is."
Lesbia was seated with her two daughters on couches placed underthe shade of some trees. Two or three slave girls stood behindthem with fans. A dalmatian bore hound lay on the ground in frontof them. Another slave girl was singing, accompanying herself onan instrument resembling a small harp, while a negro stood nearin readiness to start upon errands, or to fetch anything that hismistress might for the moment fancy. Lesbia half rose from herreclining position when she saw Pollio approaching, accompaniedby a tall figure with hair of a golden colour clustering closelyround his head. The Britons generally wore their hair flowing overtheir shoulders; but the Iceni had found such inconvenience fromthis in making their way through the close thickets of the swamps,that many of them--Beric among the number--had cut their hairclose to the head. With him it was but a recurrence to a formerusage, as while living among the Romans his hair had been cutshort in their fashion. The two girls, who were fifteen and sixteenyears old, uttered an exclamation of surprise as Beric came near,and Lesbia exclaimed angrily:
"You have been jesting with us, Pollio. You told me that you weregoing to bring Beric the fierce British chief here, and this younggiant is but a beardless lad."
Pollio burst into a fit of laughter, which was increased at theexpression of astonishment in Lesbia's face when Beric said, inexcellent Latin,--"Pollio has not deceived you, lady. My name isBeric, I was the chief of the Britons, and my followers gave sometrouble even to Suetonius."
"But you are not the Beric whom we have heard of as leading theinsurgent Britons?"
"There is no other chief of my name," Beric said. "Therefore, ifyou heard aught of good or evil concerning Beric the Briton, itmust relate to me."
"This is Beric, aunt," Pollio said, "and you must not judge him byhis looks. I was with Suetonius in his battles against him, and Ican tell you that we held him in high respect, as we had good causefor doing, considering that in all it cost the lives of some twelvehundred legionaries before we could overcome him, and we took himby treachery rather than force."
"But how is it that he speaks our language?" Lesbia asked.
"I was a hostage for five years among the Romans," Beric said,"and any knowledge I may have of the art of war was learned fromthe pages of Caesar, Polybius, and other Roman writers. The Romanstaught me how to fight them."
"And now," Pollio broke in, "I must introduce you in proper form.This is my Aunt Lesbia, as you see; these are my cousins Aemilia andEnnia. Do you know, girls, that these Britons, big and strong as theyare, are ruled by their women. These take part in their councils,and are queens and chieftainesses, and when it is necessary theywill fight as bravely as the men. They are held by them in farhigher respect than with us, and I cannot say that they do notdeserve it, for they think of other things than attiring themselvesand spending their time in visits and pleasure."
"You are not complimentary, Pollio," Aemilia said; "and as toattire, the young Romans think as much of it as we do, and thatwithout the same excuse, for we are cut off from public life, andhave none save home pursuits. If you treat us as you say the Britonstreat their women, I doubt not that we should show ourselves asworthy of it."
"Now I ask you fairly, Aemilia, can you fancy yourself encouragingthe legionaries in the heat of battle, and seizing spear and shieldand rushing down into the thick of the fight as I have seen theBritish women do?"
"No, I cannot imagine that," Aemilia said laughing. "I could notbear the weight of a shield and spear, much less use them in battle.But if the British women are as much bigger and stronger than I am,as Beric is bigger and stronger than you are, I can imagine theirfighting. I wondered how the Britons could withstand our troops, butnow that I see one of them there is no difficulty in comprehendingit, and yet you do not look fierce, Beric."
"I do not think that I am fierce," Beric said smiling; "but even themost peaceful animal will try and defend itself when it is attacked."
"Have you seen Norbanus?" Lesbia asked.
"He has seen him," Pollio replied; "and if it had not been for mehe would be with him still, for my uncle wished to engage him atonce in a discourse upon the religion and customs of his people;I carried Beric away almost forcibly."
Lesbia sighed impatiently. The interest of her husband in thesematters was to her a perpetual source of annoyance. It was owing tothis that she so frequently travelled from one province to another,instead of enjoying herself at the court in Rome. But although inall other matters Norbanus gave way to her wishes, in this he wasimmovable, and she was forced to pass her life in what she consideredexile. She ceased to take any further interest in the conversation,but reclined languidly on her couch, while Pollio gave his cousinsa description of his life in Britain, and Beric answered their numerousquestions as to his people. Their conversation was interrupted bya slave announcing that supper was ready, and Lesbia was relievedat finding that Beric thoroughly understood Roman fashions, andcomported himself at table as any other guest would have done. Thegirls sat down at the meal, although this was contrary to usualcustom; but Norbanus insisted that his fa
mily should take theirmeals with him, save upon occasions of a set banquet.
"It seems wonderful," Ennia said to her sister later on, "that weshould have been dining with the fierce chief of whom we have heardso much, and that he should be as courteous and pleasant and wellmannered as any young Roman."
"A good deal more pleasant than most of them," Aemilia said, "forhe puts on no airs, and is just like a merry, good tempered lad,while if a young Roman had done but a tithe of the deeds he has hewould be insufferable. We must get Pollio to take us tomorrow tosee the other Britons. They must be giants indeed, when Beric, whosays he is but little more than eighteen years, could take Polliounder his arm and walk away with him."
In the morning, accordingly, Pollio started with his two cousinsto the prison, while Beric sat down for a long talk with Norbanusin his study. Beric soon saw that the Roman viewed all the matterson which he spoke from the standpoint of a philosopher withoutprejudices.
After listening to all that Beric could tell him about the religionof the Britons, he said, "It is remarkable that all people appearto think that they have private deities of their own, who interestthemselves specially on their behalf, and aid them to fight theirbattles. I have found no exception to this rule, and the moreprimitive the people the more obstinate is this belief. In Rome atpresent the learned no longer believe in Jupiter and Mars and therest of the deities, though they still attend the state ceremoniesat the temples, holding that a state religion is necessary. Thelower class still believe, but then they cannot be said to reason. InGreece scepticism is universal among the upper class, and the samemay now be said of Egypt. Our Roman belief is the more unaccountablesince we have simply borrowed the religion of the Greeks, the godsand their attributes being the same, with only a change of name;and yet we fancy that these Greek gods are the special patrons ofRome.
"Your religion seems to me the most reasonable of any I havestudied, and approaches more nearly than any other to the highestspeculations of the Greek philosophers. You believe in one God, whois invisible and impersonal, who pervades all nature; but havingformed so lofty an idea of him, you belittle him by making him aspecial god of your own country, while if he pervades all nature hemust surely be universal. The Jews, too, believe in a single God,and in this respect they resemble you in their religion, which isfar more reasonable than that of nations who worship a multiplicityof deities; but they too consider that their God confines Hisattention simply to them, and rules over only the little tract theycall their own--a province about a hundred miles long, by thirtyor forty wide. From them another religion has sprung. This has mademany converts, even in Rome, but has made no way whatever amongthe learned, seeing that it is more strange and extravagant thanany other. It has, however, the advantage that the new God is,they believe, universal, and has an equal interest in all people.I have naturally studied the tenets of this new sect, and they aresingularly lofty and pure. They teach among other things that allmen are equal in the sight of God--a doctrine which naturallygains for them the approval of slaves and the lower people, but,upon the other hand, brings them into disfavour with those in power.
"They are a peaceful sect, and would harm no one; but as theypreach that fighting is wrong, I fear that they will before longcome into collision with the state, for, were their doctrines tospread, there would soon be a lack of soldiers. To me it appearsthat their views are impracticable on this subject. In other respectsthey would make good citizens, since their religion prescribesrespect to the authorities and fair dealing in all respects withother men. They are, too, distinguished by charity and kindnesstowards each other. One peculiarity of this new religion is, thatalthough springing up in Judaea, it has made less progress amongthe Jews than elsewhere, for these people, who are of all othersthe most obstinate and intolerant, accused the Founder of thereligion, one Christus, before the Roman courts, and He was put todeath, in my opinion most unjustly, seeing that there was no crimewhatever alleged against Him, save that He perverted the religionof the Jews, which was in no way a concern of ours, as we aretolerant of the religions of all people."
"But Suetonius attacked our sacred island and slew the priests onthe altars," Beric objected.
"That is quite true," Norbanus said, "but this had nothing whateverto do with the religion, but was simply because the priests stirredup insurrection against us. We have temples in Rome to the deitiesof almost every nation we have subdued, and have suffered withoutobjection the preachers of this new doctrine to make converts.The persecutions that have already begun against the sect are notbecause they believe in this Christus, but because they refuse toperform the duties incumbent upon all Roman citizens. Two of myslaves belong to the sect. They know well that I care not to whatreligion they belong, and indeed, for my part, I should be glad tosee all my slaves join them, for the moral teaching is high, andthese slaves would not steal from me, however good the opportunity.That is more than I can say of the others. Doubtless, had I beenfixed in Rome, the fact that they belonged to these people wouldhave been kept a secret, but in the provinces no one troubles hishead about such matters. These are, to my mind, matters of privateopinion, and they have leave from me to go on their meeting daysto the place where they assemble, for even here there are enoughof them to form a gathering.
"So long as this is done quietly it is an offence to no one. Thematter was discussed the other day among us, for orders againstChristians came from Rome; but when the thing was spoken of I saidthat, as I believed members of the sect were chiefly slaves, whowere not called upon to perform military duties, I could not deemthat the order applied to them, and that as these were harmlesspeople, and their religion taught them to discharge their duty inall matters save that of carrying arms, I could not see why theyshould be interfered with. Moreover, did we move in the matter, anddid these people remain obstinate in their Faith, we might all ofus lose some valuable slaves. After that no more was said of thematter. Now tell me about your institution of the bards, of whichI have heard. These men seem not only to be the depositors of yourtraditions and the reciters of the deeds of your forefathers, butto hold something of a sacred position intermediate between theDruids and the people."
For some hours Beric and his host conversed on these subjects,Beric learning more than he taught, and wondering much at thewide knowledge possessed by Norbanus. It was not until dinner wasannounced that the Roman rose.
"I thank you much, Beric, for what you have told me, and I marvelat the interest that you, who have for the last two years beenleading men to battle, evince in these matters. After five minutesof such talk my nephew Pollio would begin to weary."
"I was fond of learning when I was in the household of Caius Muro,but my time was chiefly occupied by the study of military worksand in military exercises; still I found time to read all themanuscripts in Muro's library. But I think I learned more from thetalk of Cneius Nepo, his secretary, who was my instructor, thanfrom the books, for he had travelled much with Muro, and had studiedGreek literature."
Pollio had returned some time before with his cousins.
"I would have come in before to carry you away," he whispered toBeric as they proceeded to the dinner table, "but it would have putout my uncle terribly, and as I knew you would have to go throughit all I thought it as well that you should finish with it at once."
"I am glad you did not," Beric replied. "It has been a greatpleasure to me to listen to your uncle's conversation, from whichI have learned a good deal."
Pollio glanced up to see if Beric was joking. Seeing that he spokein perfect good faith, he said:
"Truly, Beric, you Britons are strange fellows. I would rather gothrough another day's fighting in your swamps than have to listento uncle for a whole morning."
As they sat down he went on:
"The girls are delighted with your Britons, Beric. They declarethey are not only the biggest but the handsomest men they ever saw,and I believe that if your lieutenant Boduoc had asked either ofthem to return with him and share his hut in the sw
amps they wouldhave jumped at the offer."
The girls both laughed.
"But they are wonderful, Beric," Aemilia said. "When you told usthat you were not yet full grown I thought you were jesting, but Isee now that truly these men are bigger even than you are. I wishI had such golden hair as most of them have, and such a white skin.Golden hair is fashionable in Rome, you know, but it is scarce,except in a few whose mothers were Gauls who have married withRomans."
"It is the nature of man to admire the opposite to himself," Norbanussaid. "You admire the Britons because they are fair, while to them,doubtless, Roman women would appear beautiful because their hairand their eyes are dark."
"But Beric has not said so, father," Aemilia said laughing.
"I am not accustomed to pay compliments," Beric said with a smile,"but assuredly your father is right. I have been accustomed forthe last two years to see British maidens only. These are fair andtall, some of them well nigh as tall as I, and as they live a lifeof active exercise, they are healthy and strong."
"That they are," Pollio broke in. "I would as soon meet a soldierof the Goths as one of these maidens Beric speaks of, when herblood is up. I have seen our soldiers shrink from their attack,when, with flashing eyes and hair streaming behind them, they rushdown upon us, armed with only stones and billets of wood that theyhad snatched up. What they may be in their gentler moments I knownot, and I should hesitate to pay my court to one, for, if she likedit not, she would make small difficulty in throwing me outside thedoor of her hut."
"You are too quick, Pollio," Aemilia said. "Beric was about tocompare us with them."
"The comparison is difficult," Beric said; "but you must notimagine our women as being always in the mood in which Pollio hasseen them. They were fighting, not for their lives, but in orderto be killed rather than fall into the hands of your soldiers.Ordinarily they are gentle and kind. They seemed to Pollio to begiantesses, but they bear the same proportion to our height as youdo to the height of the Roman men."
"I meant not to say aught against them," Pollio broke in hastily."I meant but to show my cousins how impossible it was for youto make any comparison between our women and yours. All who knowthem speak well of the British women, and admire their devotion totheir husbands and children, their virtue, and bravery. You mightas well compare a Libyan lioness with a Persian cat as the Britishwomen with these little cousins of mine."
"But the Persian cat has, doubtless, its lovable qualities," Bericsaid smiling. "It is softer and gentler and better mannered thanthe lioness, though, perhaps, the lion might not think so. Buttruly your Roman ladies are beyond comparison with ours. Ours livea life of usefulness, discharging their duties as mistress of thehousehold, intent upon domestic cares, and yet interested as ourselvesin all public affairs, and taking a share in their decision. Yourladies live a life of luxury. They are shielded from all trouble.They are like delicate plants by the side of strong saplings.No rough air has blown upon them. They are dainty with adornmentsgathered from the whole world, and nature and art have combinedalike to make them beautiful."
"All of which means, Aemilia," Pollio laughed, "that, in Beric'sopinion, you are pretty to look at, but good for nothing else."
"I meant not that," Beric said eagerly, "only that the things youare good for are not the things which British women are good for.You have no occasion to be good housewives, because you have slaveswho order everything for you. But you excel in many things of whicha British woman never so much as heard. There is the same differencethat there is between a cultured Roman and one of my tribesmen."
"Human nature is the same everywhere," Norbanus said, "fair ordark, great or small. It is modified by climate, by education, bycustom, and by civilization, but at bottom it is identical. Andnow, Pollio, I think you had better take Beric down to the port,the sight of the trade and shipping will be new to him."