16. XVI.
And from that hour a power seemed given unto
Brassid to work great things. And he went
among the people of his craft in the market place,
and he taught them, so that they hearkened with
reverence to his voice. And the people came to
hear him from all quarters of the city, and after
hearing him they went away sad and thoughtful.
Day by day, and night by night, without weariness
and without fear, did Brassid teach along the
highways, of the wonders which he had seen, and
the greater wonders which he had heard, and a
power was given to him of the goddess, so that
whoso came to hear, though it were in scorn only,
remained to do homage to the wondrous truths
which he brought, and followed him, by reason of
this homage, whithersoever he went. And the
numbers increased daily of those who followed him.
Then did the chief men of the city hold counsel
with the priests of the temple upon the hill, how
best to overcome this preacher of strange doctrines.
And they sent persons against them with
authority to seize and punish. But the multitude
rose up in defence of Brassid, even as they had
risen against Ipsistos at his summons, and they
pelted the servants of the temple with stones, and
they ran furiously upon the temple. And they
dragged the goddess from her throne, and they
drove forth the priests from within it. And Brassid
bade them smite the head from the false goddess,
and drag her carcass in the dust. And they
tore the white temple asunder, so that one stone
stood not up against another. And when this had
been done, then did Brassid bid them bring the
white marble of the temple to the pale groves
where Ipsistos had built his altar, and they raised
a temple loftier than that upon the hill, and they
raised it even over the grave of Ipsistos whom they
had slain. And in the temple over against the altar
there descended a divine form from heaven,
but over the face thereof hung a bright and shining
veil; and on the veil was written these
words:
“To those, only, who, like Ipsistos, love me ere
yet they have known me, my veil shall be uplifted.”
And the people built a high monument to the
memory of Ipsistos with the huge stones with
which they had slain him; and Brassid wrote the
inscription upon the monument, which was as follows:
“Ipsistos!
we, who hated the truth, slew him
because he loved it:
May the truth teach us better knowledge
of our friends, so that we cut not off our own
heads!”
But Damaina, the sister of Ipsistos, beheld nothing
of these things. They saw her not after
that hour when the goddess had given it in charge
to Brassid to complete the labor of Ipsistos. And
they raised for her a tomb beside that of her brother,
but left open the door thereof, as thinking
she might yet come. But to this day she came
not.
