BOOK FIFTH
"Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust."
SHIRLEY.
"And, through the heat of conflict,
keeps the law,
In calmness made, and sees what he
foresaw."
WORDSWORTH.
CHAPTER I
The morning after
the bacchanalia in the saloon of the palace, the divan was covered with young
patricians. Maxentius might come, and the city throng to receive him; the
legion might descend from Mount Sulpius in glory of arms and armor; from
Nymphaeum to Omphalus there might be ceremonial splendors to shame the most
notable ever before seen or heard of in the gorgeous East; yet would the many
continue to sleep ignominiously on the divan where they had fallen or been
carelessly tumbled by the indifferent slaves; that they would be able to take
part in the reception that day was about as possible as for the lay-figures in
the studio of a modern artist to rise and go bonneted and plumed through the
one, two, three of a waltz.
Not all, however,
who participated in the orgy were in the shameful condition. When dawn began to
peer through the skylights of the saloon, Messala arose, and took the chaplet
from his head, in sign that the revel was at end; then he gathered his robe
about him, gave a last look at the scene, and, without a word, departed for his
quarters. Cicero could not have retired with more gravity from a night-long
senatorial debate.
Three hours
afterwards two couriers entered his room, and from his own hand received each a
despatch, sealed and in duplicate, and consisting chiefly of a letter to
Valerius Gratus, the procurator, still resident in Caesarea. The importance
attached to the speedy and certain delivery of the paper may be inferred. One
courier was to proceed overland, the other by sea; both were to make the utmost
haste.
It is of great
concern now that the reader should be fully informed of the contents of the
letter thus forwarded, and it is accordingly given:
"ANTIOCH,
XII. Kal. Jul.
"Messala to
Gratus.
"O my Midas!
"I pray thou take no offense at the address,
seeing it is one of love and gratitude, and an admission that thou art most
fortunate among men; seeing, also, that thy ears are as they were derived from
thy mother, only proportionate to thy matured condition.
"O my Midas!
"I have to
relate to thee an astonishing event, which, though as yet somewhat in the field
of conjecture, will, I doubt not, justify thy instant consideration.
"Allow me
first to revive thy recollection. Remember, a good many years ago, a family of
a prince of Jerusalem, incredibly ancient and vastly rich - by name Ben-Hur. If
thy memory have a limp or ailment of any kind, there is, if I mistake not, a
wound on thy head which may help thee to a revival of the circumstance.
"Next, to
arouse thy interest. In punishment of the attempt upon thy life - for dear repose
of conscience, may all the gods forbid it should ever prove to have been an
accident! - the family were seized and summarily disposed of, and their
property confiscated. And inasmuch, O my Midas! as the action had the approval
of our Caesar, who was as just as he was wise - be there flowers upon his
altars forever! - there should be no shame in referring to the sums which were
realized to us respectively from that source, for which it is not possible I
can ever cease to be grateful to thee, certainly not while I continue, as at
present, in the uninterrupted enjoyment of the part which fell to me.
"In
vindication of thy wisdom - a quality for which, as I am now advised, the son
of Gordius, to whom I have boldly likened thee, was never distinguished among men
or gods - I recall further that thou didst make disposition of the family of
Hur, both of us at the time supposing the plan hit upon to be the most
effective possible for the purposes in view, which were silence and delivery
over to inevitable but natural death. Thou wilt remember what thou didst with
the mother and sister of the malefactor; yet, if now I yield to a desire to
learn whether they be living or dead, I know, from knowing the amiability of
thy nature, O my Gratus, that thou wilt pardon me as one scarcely less amiable
than thyself.
"As more
immediately essential to the present business, however, I take the liberty of
inviting to thy remembrance that the actual criminal was sent to the galleys a
slave for life - so the precept ran; and it may serve to make the event which I
am about to relate the more astonishing by saying here that I saw and read the
receipt for his body delivered in course to the tribune commanding a galley.
"Thou mayst
begin now to give me more especial heed, O my most excellent Phrygian!
"Referring
to the limit of life at the oar, the outlaw thus justly disposed of should be
dead, or, better speaking, some one of the three thousand Oceanides should have
taken him to husband at least five years ago. And if thou wilt excuse a
momentary weakness, O most virtuous and tender of men! inasmuch as I loved him
in childhood, and also because he was very handsome - I used in much admiration
to call him my Ganymede - he ought in right to have fallen into the arms of the
most beautiful daughter of the family. Of opinion, however, that he was
certainly dead, I have lived quite five years in calm and innocent enjoyment of
the fortune for which I am in a degree indebted to him. I make the admission of
indebtedness without intending it to diminish my obligation to thee.
"Now I am at
the very point of interest.
"Last night,
while acting as master of the feast for a party just from Rome - their extreme
youth and inexperience appealed to my compassion - I heard a singular story.
Maxentius, the consul, as you know, comes to-day to conduct a campaign against
the Parthians. Of the ambitious who are to accompany him there is one, a son of
the late duumvir Quintus Arrius. I had occasion to inquire about him
particularly. When Arrius set out in pursuit of the pirates, whose defeat
gained him his final honors, he had no family; when he returned from the
expedition, he brought back with him an heir. Now be thou composed as becomes
the owner of so many talents in ready sestertii! The son and heir of whom I
speak is he whom thou didst send to the galleys - the very Ben-Hur who should
have died at his oar five years ago - returned now with fortune and rank, and
possibly as a Roman citizen, to - Well,
thou art too firmly seated to be alarmed, but I, O my Midas! I am in danger -
no need to tell thee of what. Who should know, if thou dost not?
"Sayst thou
to all this, tut-tut?
"When
Arrius, the father, by adoption, of this apparition from the arms of the most
beautiful of the Oceanides (see above my opinion of what she should be), joined
battle with the pirates, his vessel was sunk, and but two of all her crew
escaped drowning - Arrius himself and this one, his heir.
"The
officers who took them from the plank on which they were floating say the
associate of the fortunate tribune was a young man who, when lifted to the
deck, was in the dress of a galley slave.
"This should
be convincing, to say least; but lest thou say tut-tut again, I tell thee, O my
Midas! that yesterday, by good chance - I have a vow to Fortune in consequence
- I met the mysterious son of Arrius face to face; and I declare now that,
though I did not then recognize him, he is the very Ben-Hur who was for years
my playmate; the very Ben-Hur who, if he be a man, though of the commonest
grade, must this very moment of my writing be thinking of vengeance - for so would
I were I he - vengeance not to be satisfied short of life; vengeance for
country, mother, sister, self, and - I say it last, though thou mayst think it
would be first - for fortune lost.
"By this
time, O good my benefactor and friend! my Gratus! in consideration of thy
sestertii in peril, their loss being the worst which could befall one of thy
high estate - I quit calling thee after the foolish old King of Phrygia - by
this time, I say (meaning after having read me so far), I have faith to believe
thou hast ceased saying tut-tut, and art ready to think what ought to be done
in such emergency.
"It were
vulgar to ask thee now what shall be done. Rather let me say I am thy client;
or, better yet, thou art my Ulysses whose part it is to give me sound direction.
"And I
please myself thinking I see thee when this letter is put into thy hand. I see
thee read it once; thy countenance all gravity, and then again with a smile;
then, hesitation ended, and thy judgment formed, it is this, or it is that;
wisdom like Mercury's, promptitude like Caesar's.
"The sun is
now fairly risen. An hour hence two messengers will depart from my door, each
with a sealed copy hereof; one of them will go by land, the other by sea, so
important do I regard it that thou shouldst be early and particularly informed
of the appearance of our enemy in this part of our Roman world.
"I will
await thy answer here.
"Ben-Hur's
going and coming will of course be regulated by his master, the consul, who,
though he exert himself without rest day and night, cannot get away under a
month. Thou knowest what work it is to assemble and provide for an army
destined to operate in a desolate, townless country.
"I saw the
Jew yesterday in the Grove of Daphne; and if he be not there now, he is
certainly in the neighborhood, making it easy for me to keep him in eye.
Indeed, wert thou to ask me where he is now, I should say, with the most
positive assurance, he is to be found at the old Orchard of Palms, under the
tent of the traitor Sheik Ilderim, who cannot long escape our strong hand. Be
not surprised if Maxentius, as his first measure, places the Arab on ship for
forwarding to Rome.
"I am so
particular about the whereabouts of the Jew because it will be important to
thee, O illustrious! when thou comest to consider what is to be done; for
already I know, and by the knowledge I flatter myself I am growing in wisdom,
that in every scheme involving human action there are three elements always to
be taken into account - time, place, and agency.
"If thou
sayest this is the place, have thou then no hesitancy in trusting the business
to thy most loving friend, who would be thy aptest scholar as well.
MESSALA."
CHAPTER II
About the time
the couriers departed from Messala's door with the despatches (it being yet the
early morning hour), Ben-Hur entered Ilderim's tent. He had taken a plunge into
the lake, and breakfasted, and appeared now in an under-tunic, sleeveless, and
with skirt scarcely reaching to the knee.
The sheik saluted
him from the divan.
"I give thee
peace, son of Arrius," he said, with admiration, for, in truth, he had
never seen a more perfect illustration of glowing, powerful, confident manhood.
"I give thee peace and good-will. The horses are ready, I am ready. And
thou?"
"The peace
thou givest me, good sheik, I give thee in return. I thank thee for so much
good-will. I am ready."
Ilderim clapped
his hands.
"I will have
the horses brought. Be seated."
"Are they
yoked?"
"No."
"Then suffer
me to serve myself," said Ben-Hur. "It is needful that I make the
acquaintance of thy Arabs. I must know them by name, O sheik, that I may speak
to them singly; nor less must I know their temper, for they are like men: if
bold, the better of scolding; if timid, the better of praise and flattery. Let
the servants bring me the harness."
"And the
chariot?" asked the sheik.
"I will let
the chariot alone to-day. In its place, let them bring me a fifth horse, if
thou hast it; he should be barebacked, and fleet as the others."
Ilderim's wonder
was aroused, and he summoned a servant immediately.
"Bid them
bring the harness for the four," he said -”the harness for the four, and
the bridle for Sirius."
Ilderim then
arose.
"Sirius is
my love, and I am his, O son of Arrius. We have been comrades for twenty years -
in tent, in battle, in all stages of the desert we have been comrades. I will
show him to you."
Going to the
division curtain, he held it, while Ben-Hur passed under. The horses came to
him in a body. One with a small head, luminous eyes, neck like the segment of a
bended bow, and mighty chest, curtained thickly by a profusion of mane soft and
wavy as a damsel's locks, nickered low and gladly at sight of him.
"Good
horse," said the sheik, patting the dark-brown cheek. "Good horse,
good-morning." Turning then to Ben-Hur, he added, "This is Sirius,
father of the four here. Mira, the mother, awaits our return, being too
precious to be hazarded in a region where there is a stronger hand than mine.
And much I doubt," he laughed as he spoke -”much I doubt, O son of Arrius,
if the tribe could endure her absence. She is their glory; they worship her;
did she gallop over them, they would laugh. Ten thousand horsemen, sons of the
desert, will ask to-day, 'Have you heard of Mira?' And to the answer, 'She is
well,' they will say, 'God is good! blessed be God!'"
"Mira -
Sirius - names of stars, are they not, O sheik?" asked Ben-Hur, going to
each of the four, and to the sire, offering his hand.
"And why
not?" replied Ilderim. "Wert thou ever abroad on the desert at night?"
"No."
"Then thou
canst not know how much we Arabs depend upon the stars. We borrow their names
in gratitude, and give them in love. My fathers all had their Miras, as I have
mine; and these children are stars no less. There, see thou, is Rigel, and
there Antares; that one is Atair, and he whom thou goest to now is Aldebaran,
the youngest of the brood, but none the worse of that - no, not he! Against the
wind he will carry thee till it roar in thy ears like Akaba; and he will go
where thou sayest, son of Arrius - ay, by the glory of Solomon! he will take
thee to the lion's jaws, if thou darest so much."
The harness was
brought. With his own hands Ben-Hur equipped the horses; with his own hands he
led them out of the tent, and there attached the reins.
"Bring me
Sirius," he said.
An Arab could not
have better sprung to seat on the courser's back.
"And now the
reins."
They were given
him, and carefully separated.
"Good
sheik," he said, "I am ready. Let a guide go before me to the field,
and send some of thy men with water."
There was no
trouble at starting. The horses were not afraid. Already there seemed a tacit
understanding between them and the new driver, who had performed his part
calmly, and with the confidence which always begets confidence. The order of
going was precisely that of driving, except that Ben-Hur sat upon Sirius
instead of standing in the chariot. Ilderim's spirit arose. He combed his
beard, and smiled with satisfaction as he muttered, "He is not a Roman,
no, by the splendor of God!" He followed on foot, the entire tenantry of
the dowar - men, women, and children - pouring after him, participants all in
his solicitude, if not in his confidence.
The field, when
reached, proved ample and well fitted for the training, which Ben-Hur began
immediately by driving the four at first slowly, and in perpendicular lines,
and then in wide circles. Advancing a step in the course, he put them next into
a trot; again progressing, he pushed into a gallop; at length he contracted the
circles, and yet later drove eccentrically here and there, right, left,
forward, and without a break. An hour was thus occupied. Slowing the gait to a
walk, he drove up to Ilderim.
"The work is
done, nothing now but practice," he said. "I give you joy, Sheik
Ilderim, that you have such servants as these. See," he continued,
dismounting and going to the horses, "see, the gloss of their red coats is
without spot; they breathe lightly as when I began. I give thee great joy, and
it will go hard if" - he turned his flashing eyes upon the old man's face
-”if we have not the victory and our -”
He stopped,
colored, bowed. At the sheik's side he observed, for the first time, Balthasar,
leaning upon his staff, and two women closely veiled. At one of the latter he
looked a second time, saying to himself, with a flutter about his heart,
"'Tis she - 'tis the Egyptian!" Ilderim picked up his broken sentence
-
"The
victory, and our revenge!" Then he said aloud, "I am not afraid; I am
glad. Son of Arrius, thou art the man. Be the end like the beginning, and thou
shalt see of what stuff is the lining of the hand of an Arab who is able to
give."
"I thank
thee, good sheik," Ben-Hur returned, modestly. "Let the servants
bring drink for the horses."
With his own
hands he gave the water.
Remounting
Sirius, he renewed the training, going as before from walk to trot, from trot
to gallop; finally, he pushed the steady racers into the run, gradually
quickening it to full speed. The performance then became exciting; and there
were applause for the dainty handling of the reins, and admiration for the
four, which were the same, whether they flew forward or wheeled in varying
curvature. In their action there were unity, power, grace, pleasure, all
without effort or sign of labor. The admiration was unmixed with pity or
reproach, which would have been as well bestowed upon swallows in their evening
flight.
In the midst of
the exercises, and the attention they received from all the bystanders, Malluch
came upon the ground, seeking the sheik.
"I have a
message for you, O sheik," he said, availing himself of a moment he
supposed favorable for the speech -”a message from Simonides, the
merchant."
"Simonides!"
ejaculated the Arab. "Ah! 'tis well. May Abaddon take all his
enemies!"
"He bade me
give thee first the holy peace of God," Malluch continued; "and then
this despatch, with prayer that thou read it the instant of receipt."
Ilderim, standing
in his place, broke the sealing of the package delivered to him, and from a
wrapping of fine linen took two letters, which he proceeded to read.
[No. 1.]
"Simonides
to Sheik Ilderim.
"O friend!
"Assure
thyself first of a place in my inner heart.
"Then -
"There is in
thy dowar a youth of fair presence, calling himself the son of Arrius; and such
he is by adoption.
"He is very
dear to me.
"He hath a
wonderful history, which I will tell thee; come thou to-day or to-morrow, that
I may tell thee the history, and have thy counsel.
"Meantime,
favor all his requests, so they be not against honor. Should there be need of
reparation, I am bound to thee for it.
"That I have
interest in this youth, keep thou private.
"Remember me
to thy other guest. He, his daughter, thyself, and all whom thou mayst choose
to be of thy company, must depend upon me at the Circus the day of the games. I
have seats already engaged.
"To thee and
all thine, peace.
"What should
I be, O my friend, but thy friend?
"SIMONIDES."
[No. 2.]
"Simonides
to Sheik Ilderim.
"O friend!
"Out of the
abundance of my experience, I send you a word.
"There is a
sign which all persons not Romans, and who have moneys or goods subject to
despoilment, accept as warning - that is, the arrival at a seat of power of
some high Roman official charged with authority.
"To-day
comes the Consul Maxentius.
"Be thou
warned!
"Another
word of advice.
"A
conspiracy, to be of effect against thee, O friend, must include the Herods as
parties; thou hast great properties in their dominions.
"Wherefore
keep thou watch.
"Send this
morning to thy trusty keepers of the roads leading south from Antioch, and bid
them search every courier going and coming; if they find private despatches
relating to thee or thine affairs, THOU SHOULDST SEE THEM.
"You should
have received this yesterday, though it is not too late, if you act promptly.
"If couriers
left Antioch this morning, your messengers know the byways, and can get before
them with your orders.
"Do not hesitate.
"Burn this
after reading.
"O my
friend! thy friend,
"SIMONIDES."
Ilderim read the letters a second time, and
refolded them in the linen wrap, and put the package under his girdle.
The exercises in
the field continued but a little longer - in all about two hours. At their
conclusion, Ben-Hur brought the four to a walk, and drove to Ilderim.
"With leave,
O sheik," he said, "I will return thy Arabs to the tent, and bring
them out again this afternoon."
Ilderim walked to
him as he sat on Sirius, and said, "I give them to you, son of Arrius, to
do with as you will until after the games. You have done with them in two hours
what the Roman - may jackals gnaw his bones fleshless! - could not in as many
weeks. We will win - by the splendor of God, we will win!"
At the tent
Ben-Hur remained with the horses while they were being cared for; then, after a
plunge in the lake and a cup of arrack with the sheik, whose flow of spirits
was royally exuberant, he dressed himself in his Jewish garb again, and walked
with Malluch on into the Orchard.
There was much
conversation between the two, not all of it important. One part, however, must
not be overlooked. Ben-Hur was speaking.
"I will give
you," he said, "an order for my property stored in the khan this side
the river by the Seleucian Bridge. Bring it to me to-day, if you can. And, good
Malluch - if I do not overtask you -”
Malluch protested
heartily his willingness to be of service.
"Thank you,
Malluch, thank you," said Ben-Hur. "I will take you at your word,
remembering that we are brethren of the old tribe, and that the enemy is a
Roman. First, then - as you are a man of business, which I much fear Sheik
Ilderim is not -”
"Arabs
seldom are," said Malluch, gravely.
"Nay, I do
not impeach their shrewdness, Malluch. It is well, however, to look after them.
To save all forfeit or hindrance in connection with the race, you would put me
perfectly at rest by going to the office of the Circus, and seeing that he has
complied with every preliminary rule; and if you can get a copy of the rules,
the service may be of great avail to me. I would like to know the colors I am
to wear, and particularly the number of the crypt I am to occupy at the
starting; if it be next Messala's on the right or left, it is well; if not, and
you can have it changed so as to bring me next the Roman, do so. Have you good
memory, Malluch?"
"It has
failed me, but never, son of Arrius, where the heart helped it as now."
"I will
venture, then, to charge you with one further service. I saw yesterday that
Messala was proud of his chariot, as he might be, for the best of Caesar's
scarcely surpass it. Can you not make its display an excuse which will enable
you to find if it be light or heavy? I would like to have its exact weight and
measurements - and, Malluch, though you fail in all else, bring me exactly the
height his axle stands above the ground. You understand, Malluch? I do not wish
him to have any actual advantage of me. I do not care for his splendor; if I
beat him, it will make his fall the harder, and my triumph the more complete.
If there are advantages really important, I want them."
"I see, I
see!" said Malluch. "A line dropped from the centre of the axle is
what you want."
"Thou hast
it; and be glad, Malluch - it is the last of my commissions. Let us return to
the dowar."
At the door of
the tent they found a servant replenishing the smoke-stained bottles of leben
freshly made, and stopped to refresh themselves. Shortly afterwards Malluch
returned to the city.
During their
absence, a messenger well mounted had been despatched with orders as suggested
by Simonides. He was an Arab, and carried nothing written.
