and recent history of the country than I could have obtained from any sources whatever in Rome. Of these things I shall impart what knowledge I have gathered at my future leisure. Let me, at present, return to our arrival. We thus floated into this beautiful harbor, making our way slowly along amongst vessels of all nations, which like ourselves were coming in, or departing, or riding securely at their anchors. The noise and confusion were scarcely less than in the Tiber. I enjoyed the scene greatly, as I do everywhere whatever leads to uproar and contention. Particularly was I delighted with the quarrels which arose among the sailors, when the vessels either could not easily pass each other, or became entangled, when it frequently came to blows, and more or fewer were overset into the water. If they who were thus thrust overboard did not readily recover themselves by clinging to the sides of the vessel, or laying hold upon some rope, the combatants then ceased till the drowning men were drawn up again. Yet are many daily lost in these rude encounters, and I myself saw blows given and taken, which seemed to me more than enough to demolish the head on which they fell. But when the governor of a people is full of quarrel, and violence, and injustice, how can anything better be expected from the very lowest of the populace! As I stood watching what was thus going on about me, I was surprised to find ourselves suddenly brought up against a vessel, which, from the bellowings which proceeded from it, I perceived to be crowded with wild beasts, and indeed the deck was covered with their cages. As I expressed to one who stood by me, and with whom I had had frequent intercourse during the voyage, my wonder to see such a cargo making its way into a port of Judea, where the customs and religion of the people differed so widely from those of Rome and other heathen cities, he replied, that they, who knew anything of the manner in which Judea had been governed by Herod, and after him by the Ethnarch, would see, in what had occasioned surprise to me, nothing but what agreed exactly with the now altered character of the population. I answered, that I was obliged to confess great ignorance of all that related to the Jews, as I was Roman born, and my reading and studies had lain in a quite different direction. At this flourish, which I had hoped should pass with him, he quickly rejoined, 'You may be Roman born, but, if so, your Hebrew blood wears well, for the Jew looks out at your eyes as plainly as the Roman out of your cloak and your speech. Never hope to play Roman with those eyes in your head.' I was somewhat taken down, as you may suppose, by this; but seeing I had failed,. I put the best face upon the matter, and said that I could not but acknowledge that, although I had been born in Rome, my parents had removed thither from the upper part of Judea. My education had, however, been so completely Roman, owing to my father's early abandonment of all outward observance of his faith, that it was strictly true, as I had stated, that my ignorance was great of all that related to the present condition and late history of the country of my ancestors. 'The more the pity,' replied my companion, that a son of Abraham should be found to deny his country and his ancestry, and make a boast of what should be his shame, that he knows nothing of the people from whom he sprung. It is to such traitors' and his dark eye sparkled like a living coal, -'that Judea owes her slavery and her apostacy, her slavery to a foreign yoke, and her apostacy from the faith and the customs of the early days of our history. The people are no longer Jews, but Herodians, Greeks, Romans, anything, -anything but Jews. Is this a city of Jews we are entering? It stands on the soil of Judea, but it belongs not to the rightful occupants of the soil. Cæsarea is first Greek, then Roman, last and least Jewish. But a word in your ear - the Jews that are there are of the true stuff. They are zealous for the law and for liberty. A little thing would rouse them to the defence of either or both.' - - "As he said this, our further conversation was suddenly interrupted by our vessel coming into violent contact with that containing the cargo of wild animals, which caused them to utter their savage cries with terrific uproar; and to this was added the oaths and shouts of the sailors and the pilots, each laying upon the other the fault of the encounter, and all preparing to go from words to blows. This issue was, however, happily avoided, and the vessels being soon free of each other, we proceeded on our way. These animals,' then resumed the Jew, ' about which you wondered that they should be here, are destined to the games instituted by Herod in commemoration of the building of Cæsarea, and which return every fifth year. On the third day from this they commence; and if you are a stranger in this part of the world, and would observe the customs of a new people, you will be well repaid for the delay by remaining and witnessing them.' I said that I should certainly do so. That I was abroad for the single purpose of seeing the people of various regions, and obtaining such knowledge as might in this way be gathered without much expense of labor or thought, that although, as he had seen, I was no Jew, except in the misfortune of having descended from that tribe, I was yet especially desirous of dwelling awhile among them, as, if not a polite or powerful nation, they certainly were a remarkable one, and well merited the observation of a curious traveller. A mingled look of scorn and rage was the only response I received at first for this speech. He paced the deck of the vessel a few moments, and I supposed would not deign to hold further communication with me. He, however, soon returned to my side, having swallowed his indignation. Young man,' said he, 'I forgive the levity of your speech, for the reason that I well deserved it for persuading you to be present at heathen sports on a Jewish soil. But in truth they have been now so long celebrated, that they have become a part of the life of the people, and it is only a few of the stricter sort who condemn them or keep back from them. It had agreed better with my real opinions, however, had I denounced them as I should have done, and warned thee against them. But you will use in this your liberty. I now wish to say that, in spite of your enmity toward your own people, I have conceived a regard for you, and while you shall sojourn in Cæsarea offer you my house and home; and once beneath the roof of a true son of Abraham, I will not doubt that your long perished affection for the land of your fathers may be revived, and that we may send you home a Jew in 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 now 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 haShe 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 VOL. XXVII. 3D S. VOL. IX. NO. I. ven. - 13 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 Sameas. 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, and 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 Sameas, 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 now 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 wine merchant. To reach it I must pass through the central parts of the city, to where it first joins the country. But I found it easily; 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 entire 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, so that, 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 that 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 nor 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-civilized regions; but I was civilly urged |