CHAPTER XVI
DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES
AEmilius paced the rope-walk in deep thought. He did not speak duringseveral turns, and the bishop respected his meditation and kept silence aswell.
Presently the young man burst forth with: "This is fairly put, plausibleand attractive doctrine. But what we lawyers demand is evidence. When wasthe revelation made? In the reign of the god Tiberius? That was twocenturies ago. What proof is there that this be not a cleverly elaboratedphilosophy--as you say, a groping upwards--pretending to be, and showing offitself as, a lightening downwards?"
"The evidence is manifold," answered Castor. "In the first place, thesayings and the acts of the Divine Revealer were recorded by evangelistswho lived at the time, knew Him, heard Him, or were with those who haddaily companied with Him."
"Of what value is such evidence when we cannot put the men who gave it inthe witness-box and cross-question them? I do not say that their evidenceis naught, but that it is disputable."
"There is other evidence, ever-living, ever-present."
"What is that?"
"Your own reason and conscience. You, AEmilius Lentulus, have thesewitnesses in yourself. He who made you seated a conscience in your soul toshow you that there is such a thing as a law of right and wrong, though,as far as you know, unwritten. Directly I spoke to you of the _sin_ ofmurdering men to make pastime, your color changed; you _knew_ that I wasright. Your conscience assented to my words."
"I allow that."
"My friend, let me go further. When your mind is not obscured by passionor warped by prejudice, then you perceive that there is a sphere ofholiness, of virtue, of purity, to which men have not yet attained, andwhich, for all you see, is unattainable situated as you are, but one intowhich, if man could mount, then he would be something nobler than even thepoets have conceived. You have flashes of summer lightning in your darksky. You reject the monstrous fables of the gods as inconsistent with whatyour reason and conscience tell you comport with divinity. Has any of yourgods manifested himself and left such a record of his appearance as isfairly certain? If he appeared, or was fabled to have appeared, did hetell men anything about the nature of God, His will, and the destiny ofman? A revelation must be in agreement with the highest aspirations ofman. It must be such as will regulate his life, and conduce to hisperfection and the advantage of the community. It must be such as willsupply him with a motive for rejecting what is base, but pleasing to hiscoarse nature, and striving after that which is according to the luminousideal that floats before him. Now the Christian revelation answers theseconditions, and is therefore probably true. It supplies man with a reasonwhy he should contend against all that is gross in his nature; should begentle, courteous, kindly, merciful, pure. It does more. It assures himthat the Creator made man in order that he might strive after this ideal,and in so doing attain to serenity and happiness. No other religion that Iknow of makes such claims; no other professes to have been revealed to manas the law of his being by Him who made man. No other is so completely inaccordance on the one hand with what we conceive is in agreement with thenature of God, and on the other so completely accords with our highestaspirations."
"I can say nothing to that. I do not know it."
"Yes, you do know it. The babe declared it; gave you the marrow and kernelof the gospel: Love God and man."
"To fear God is what I can understand; but to love Him is more than I cancompass."
"Because you do not know God."
"I do not, indeed."
"God is love."
"A charming sentiment; a rhetorical flourish. What evidence can you adducethat God is love?"
"Creation."
"The earth is full of suffering; violence prevails; wrong overmastersright. There is more of misery than of happiness, saving only to the richand noble; they are at any rate supposed to be exempt, but, by Hercules,they seem to me to be sick of pleasure, and every delight gluts and leavesa bad taste in the mouth."
"That is true; but why is there all this wretchedness? Because the worldis trying to get along without God. Look!" The bishop stooped and took upa green-backed beetle. "If I cast this insect into the water it willsuffer and die. If I fling it into the fire it will writhe and perish inagony. Neither water nor fire is the element for which it was created--inwhich to exist and be happy. The divine law is the atmosphere in which manis made to live. Because there is deflection from that, and man seeksother ends than that for which he was made, therefore comes wretchedness.The law of God is the law man must know, and knowing, pursue to beperfectly happy and to become a perfect being."
"Now I have you!" exclaimed AEmilius, with a laugh. "There are no men morewretched than Christians who possess, and, I presume, keep this law. Theyabstain from our merry-makings, from the spectacles; they are liable totorture and to death."
"We abstain from nothing that is wholesome and partaken in moderation; butfrom drunkenness, surfeiting, and what is repugnant to the clean mind. Asto the persecution we suffer, the powers of evil rebel against God, andstir up bad men to resist the truth. But let me say something further--if Ido not weary you."
"Not at all; you astonish me too much to weary me."
"You are dropped suddenly--cast up by the sea on a strange shore. You findyourself where you have never been before. You know not where to go--how toconduct yourself among the natives; what fruits you may eat as wholesome,and must reject as poisonous. You do not know what course to pursue toreach your home, and fear at every step to get further from it. You cryout for a chart to show you where you are, and in what direction youshould direct your steps. Every child born into this world is in a likepredicament. It wants a chart, and to know its bearings. This is not thecase with any animal. Every bird, fish, beast, knows what to do to fulfillthe objects of its existence. Man alone does not. He has aspirations,glimmerings, a law of nature traced, but not filled in. He has lived bythat natural law--you live under it, and you experience its inadequacy.That is why your conscience, all mankind, with inarticulate longingdesires something further. Now I ask you, as I did once before, is itconceivable that the Creator of man, who put in man's heart thataspiration, that longing to know the law of his being, without which hislife is but a miserable shipwreck--is it conceivable that He shouldwithhold from him the chart by which he can find his way?"
"You have given me food for thought. Yet, my doubts still remain."
"I cannot give you faith. That lightens down from above. It is the gift ofGod. Follow the law of your conscience and He may grant it you. I cannotsay when or how, and what means he may employ--but if you are sincere andnot a trifler with the truth--He will not deny it you. But see--here comessome one who desires to speak with you."
AEmilius looked in the direction indicated, and saw Callipodius coming upfrom the water-side, waving his hand to him. So engrossed had he been inconversation with Castor, that he had not observed the arrival of a boatat the landing-place.
At once the young lawyer sped to meet his client, manifesting the utmostimpatience.
"What tidings--what news?" was his breathless question.
"As good as may be," answered Callipodius. "The gods work to fulfill thydesire. It is as if thou wert a constraining destiny, or as though it werea pleasure to them to satisfy the wishes of their favorite."
"I pray, lay aside this flattery, and speak plain words."
"Resplendent genius that thou art! thou needest no flattery any more thanthe sun requires burnishing."
"Let me entreat--the news!"
"In two words----"
"Confine thyself to two words."
"She is safe."
"Where? How?"
"Now must I relax my tongue. In two words I cannot satisfy thy eagerness."
"Then, Body of Bacchus! go on in thine own fashion."
"The account may be crushed into narrow compass. When I left your radiantpresence, then I betook myself to the town and found the place i
nturmoil--the statue of the god had been broken, and the deity was brayinglike a washerwoman's jackass. The populace was roused and incensed by theoutrage, and frightened by the voice of the god. All had quieted downpreviously, but this worked up the people to a condition of frantic rageand panic. I hurried about in quest of the Lady Perpetua; and as I learnedthat she had been conveyed from the pool by Baudillas Macer, I went intothe part of the town where he lives; noble once, now slums. Then, lo! thygenius attending and befriending me, whom should I stumble against but afellow named Tarsius, a slave of a wool merchant to whom I owe moneys,which I haven't yet paid. I knew the fellow from a gash he had received atone time across nose and cheek. He was drunk and angry because he had beenexpelled the Christian society which was holding its orgies. I warrantthee I frightened the poor wretch with promises of the little horse, thepanthers, and the cross, till he became pliant and obliging. Then I wormedout of him all I required, and made him my tool to obtain possession ofthe pretty maid. I learned from him that the Lady Quincta and her daughterwere at the house of Baudillas, afraid to return home because their doorwas observed by some of the Cultores Nemausi. Then I suborned the rascalto act a part for me. From thy house I dispatched two litters andcarriers, and sent that tippling rogue with them to the dwelling of Macer,to say that he was commissioned by his master, Litomarus, to conduct themto his country house for their security. They walked into the snare likefieldfare after juniper berries. Then the porters conveyed the girl to thyhouse."
"To my house!" AEmilius started.
"Next, she was hurried off as soon as ever the gates were opened, to yourvilla at Ad Fines."
"And she is there now, with her mother?"
"With her mother! I know better than to do that. I bade the porters conveythe old lady in her palanquin to the goose and truffle market and deposither there. No need to be encumbered with her."
"The Lady Quincta not with her daughter?"
"You were not desirous for further acquaintance with the venerable widow,I presume."
"But," said AEmilius, "this is a grave matter. You have offered, as fromme, an insult most wounding to a young lady, and to a respectable matron."
"Generous man! how was it possible for me to understand the niceties thattrouble your perspicuous mind? But be at ease. Serious sickness demandsstrong medicines. Great dangers excuse bold measures. The priestess hasdemanded the restoration of the virgin. The _flamen Augustalis_ is backingher up. So are all the _Seviri_. The religious corporation feel touched intheir credit and insist on the restitution. They will heap on fuel, andkeep Nemausus in a boil. By no possibility could the damsel have remainedhidden in the town. I saw that it was imperiously necessary for me toremove her. I could think of no other place into which to put her than AdFines. I managed the matter in admirable fashion; though it is I who sayit. But really, by Jupiter Capitolinus, I believe that your geniusattended me, and assisted in the execution of the design, which wascarried out without a hitch."
AEmilius knitted his arms behind his back, and took short turns, in greatperturbation of mind.
"By Hercules!" said he, "you have committed an actionable offense."
"Of course, you look on it from a legal point of view," said Callipodius,a little nettled. "I tell you it was a matter of life or death."
"I do not complain of your having conveyed the young lady to Ad Fines, butof your not having taken her mother there along with her. You have put mein a very awkward predicament."
"How was I to judge that the old woman was to be deported as well?"
"You might have judged that I would cut off my right hand rather than doaught that might cause people to speak lightly of Perpetua."
The client shrugged his shoulders. "You seem to breed new scruples."
"I thank you," said AEmilius, "that you have shown so good a will, and havebeen so successful in your enterprise. I am, perhaps, over hasty andexacting. I desired you to do a thing more perfectly than perhaps you wereable to perform it. Leave me now. I must clear my mind and discover whatis now to be done."
"There is no pleasing some folk," said Callipodius moodily.