1. CHAPTER I.
MESSALA DOFFS HIS CHAPLET.
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 armour; from Nymphaeum to Omphalus
there might be ceremonial splendours 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 orgie 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 offence 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 honours, 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
sestertia! 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, too.-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 unfortunate 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 should be first-for fortune lost.
"By this time, O good my benefactor and friend! my Gratus! in
consideration of thy sesteria 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 neighbourhood, 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
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."