nature as- forgive me-you are in outward semblance.”

"Were it only for an apprehension of such lamentable issue," I rejoined, "I should feel compelled to decline your hospitable request. May I never be more of that of which I am already too much. But beside this, I am bound in obedience to the wishes of my mother, to seek out the dwelling of the widow of Sameas, the wine merchant, with whom it is my purpose to abide, if indeed she yet lives and can receive me, for it is very many years since we have heard of her welfare, and know not whether she be even an inhabitant of Cæsarea."

To this the stranger replied with vivacity, "The widow of Sameas! Ah, the Lord be thanked for directing your course to that haven. She is a true mother in Israel. She still lives and dwells in Cæsarea, and is of good estate. Sameas was no idler; and when he died, his widow and children inherited the fruits of his industry; and but for the unjust exactions of Pilate, their wealth had been second to that of few within the walls. As it is, they enjoy competence and more. But the dearest wealth of the house is the zeal for the law and the rights of Judea which fires the souls of Philip and Anna, the son and daughter of the Merchant. The best I can wish thee, therefore, my young Roman, is that thou mayest dwell a space in the house of Sameas, for if there be but a drop of Jewish blood in thy body, I fear not but their ardor will so warm and swell it, that it shall fill all thy veins."

We were now separated, the vessel having reached the spot where she was to be secured, an 1 the passengers making ready to depart. The Jew, my companion, took

leave of me, after first directing me in such a manner that I could not fail to find the dwelling of the widow of the wine merchant. It was with little satisfaction that I looked forward to a residence with a family of Jewish zealots. It was enough, I thought, that I had borne so long, and with such patience, the reproaches of my own mother, quite enough that, in addition, I had just been exposed to the vituperations of a fanatic, from whom I had happily escaped alive, without being now for many days, how many I could not know, but for many days shut up, without the possibility of escape, in the very hot-bed of Judaism. What a fate for me! I had almost resolved to take ship, without so much as landing, for Alexandria, when the image of your sorrowful and rebuking countenance, my mother, presented itself before me, and I turned dutifully toward the quarter of the city where dwelt the merchant. To reach it I must pass through the central parts of the city, to where it first joins the country. The place I sought I easily found; for Cæsarea, dear mother, although the capital of Judea, is not so large as Rome. And moreover as I passed along, I could not but judge that it would scarce be so enduring, seeing that, though presenting everywhere the marks of newness, it presents also everywhere the signs of premature decay. A city built in a day is very likely to last but a day. And all around, are Herod's piles of building, whether in the form of theatre, temple, market-place, or quay, already perceived to yield to the effects of time. Even the palace of the Governor, which erewhile was the residence of Herod himself, is, in parts of it, ruinous through the falling asunder of the ill-cemented masonry. Pilate could hardly trust to his

walls to defend him against any rising of the citizens. But he is in little danger at any time, as I think, considering what the population of the city is, notwithstanding the enmity of the Jewish portion of the inhabitants.

The dwelling of Sameas, after traversing the whole breadth of the city, I at length reached. A beggar issuing from a gateway, laden with the proofs of the benevolence to which he had successfully appealed, was the only person of whom I could inquire which of the dwellings near me was that of the widow of the wine merchant. He answered, pointing to his sack of commodities which he was bearing away :

"From whom but the widow of Sameas do the poor of Cæsarea depart laden in this fashion? Pass yonder threshold, and thou shalt find thyself in Paradise."

So saying, and waving his arm with dignity, he turned away to count over his stolen treasures. The kindhearted we always approach with confidence, sothat with a quicker pace I passed the gateway, and entered a spacious garden, in the centre of which, almost buried beneath overhanging foliage and flowers of every variety of form and hue, stood the dwelling of the wine merchant. A slave now immediately approached, saying he would conduct me to that part of the house where I should see those for whom I sought. As he led me on, and I observed the great beauty of the spot, and the many tokens of wealth and refinement in the garden and in the dwelling, the forms and proportions of which were now distinctly to be seen through the opening trees, I found myself growing to a more complacent humor, and better disposed than when I left the vessel to greet with some appearance of warmth the widow of

the virtuous Sameas. It is true, I saw statue neither of god or goddess, nor vase of marble curiously wrought with nymphs and fawns, and young, dancing, half-drunk Bacchuses; nor did the imperial forms of Augustus and Tiberius greet my eye, as they do everywhere in street, and garden, market-place, and shop, in Rome. So that from art much was wanting to give the truest grace to the picture before me; but nature seemed to have made good all defect of this sort by her superior charms; and I was made soon to forget what at first struck me as a want, by the novelty, and surpassing richness, and variety, of plants, trees, and, shrubs, both native and foreign, which met my eye. I lingered to admire, and would at that moment rather have remained among the beauties of nature, than have gone farther to encounter the living beauties of these half-barbarian regions; but I was civilly urged on by the attending slave, and so in a few moments ushered into the presence of the widow and her daughter.

They were seated in a large and lofty portico, whose arches, overhung with flowers, opened immediately into the garden, while here and there, as the trees permitted, were seen gleaming through the light blue waters of the Mediterranean. The mother was occupied in some labor of the needle, adjusting or repairing what seemed to me some military garment-the daughter in arranging in groups, apparently to please her own eye, some flowers which lay spread in rich profusion upon a marble table. I may suppose that I was taken to be some new applicant for the alms of the rich and benevolent widow, as the daughter, to my vexation, did not raise her head at my approach, and the mother did but

rise, and move toward me with a stately step, yet, I must add, with an expression of gentleness in the coun

tenance.

When I had finished my introductory narrative, ana had declaimed of yourself and myself, and of the whole tribe of Alexanders, from those of Beth-Harem to those of Rome, I was one by one greeted with many smiles of welcome, and before I had ended was seated between the mother and daughter, both apparently pleased to entertain a stranger from Rome, but still more, perhaps, one of our ancient and honorable house. The daughter, as I had spoken, turned and looked upon me, and at first I thought I had never seen anything quite so dark and forbidding as her countenance; but when, as I proceeded, it came to be lighted up with emotion and with smiles, it at length put on a more agreeable aspect, though still so dark an olive I thought I had never seen upon the skin, nor eyes so large and black set in the human head. Among all who have thronged your house from Judea, my mother, one so extremely Jewish as this young Israelite was never seen there.

When I had further satisfied the widow concerning yourself, giving her so minute an account of your life and character, that I fear some part at least must have been invention rather than fact, and then had replied to all the questions which were put to me— -with a real interest in public affairs-concerning Tiberius and the present power of Sejanus, the mother said, that she had hoped the provinces would be more fortunate than the capital; and indeed had hardly thought it possible that, while there was one like Tiberius in Rome, another like Pilate could have been found for Judea; but lately