from this world to the next-第9章

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reward　in　a　future　state。　　The　saint　was　a　good…natured　man；　and

never　gave　me　an　ill　word　but　once；　which　was　occasioned　by　my

neglecting　to　place　Aristophanes；　which　was　his　constant

bedfellow；　on　his　pillow。　　He　was；　indeed；　extremely　fond　of　that

Greek　poet；　and　frequently　made　me　read　his　comedies　to　him。　

When　I　came　to　any　of　the　loose　passages　he　would　smile；　and　say；

'It　was　pity　his　matter　was　not　as　pure　as　his　style；'　of　which

latter　he　was　so　immoderately　fond　that；　notwithstanding　the

detestation　he　expressed　for　obscenity；　he　hath　made　me　repeat

those　passages　ten　times　over。　　The　character　of　this　good　man

hath　been　very　unjustly　attacked　by　his　heathen　contemporaries；

particularly　with　regard　to　women；　but　his　severe　invectives

against　that　sex　are　his　sufficient　justification。



〃From　the　service　of　this　saint；　from　whom　I　received

manumission；　I　entered　into　the　family　of　Timasius；　a　leader　of

great　eminence　in　the　imperial　army；　into　whose　favor　I　so　far

insinuated　myself　that　he　preferred　me　to　a　good　command；　and

soon　made　me　partaker　of　both　his　company　and　his　secrets。　　I

soon　grew　intoxicated　with　this　preferment；　and　the　more　he

loaded　me　with　benefits　the　more　he　raised　my　opinion　of　my　own

merit；　which；　still　outstripping　the　rewards　he　conferred　on　me；

inspired　me　rather　with　dissatisfaction　than　gratitude。　　And

thus；　by　preferring　me　beyond　my　merit　or　first　expectation；　he

made　me　an　envious　aspiring　enemy；　whom　perhaps　a　more　moderate

bounty　would　have　preserved　a　dutiful　servant。



〃I　fell　now　acquainted　with　one　Lucilius；　a　creature　of　the　prime

minister　Eutropius；　who　had　by　his　favor　been　raised　to　the　post

of　a　tribune；　a　man　of　low　morals；　and　eminent　only　in　that

meanest　of　qualities；　cunning。　　This　gentleman；　imagining　me　a

fit　tool　for　the　minister's　purpose；　having　often　sounded　my

principles　of　honor　and　honesty；　both　which　he　declared　to　me

were　words　without　meaning；　and　finding　my　ready　concurrence　in

his　sentiments；　recommended　me　to　Eutropius　as　very　proper　to

execute　some　wicked　purposes　he　had　contrived　against　my　frend

Timasius。　　The　minister　embraced　this　recommendation；　and　I　was

accordingly　acquainted　by　Lucilius　（after　some　previous　accounts

of　the　great　esteem　Eutropius　entertained　of　me；　from　the

testimony　he　had　borne　of　my　parts）　that　he　would　introduce　me　to

him；　adding　that　he　was　a　great　encourager　of　merit；　and　that　I

might　depend　upon　his　favor。　　



〃I　was　with　little　difficulty　prevailed　on　to　accept　of　this

invitation。　　A　late　hour　therefore　the　next　evening　being

appointed；　I　attended　my　friend　Lucilius　to　the　minister's　house。



He　received　me　with　the　utmost　civility　and　cheerfulness；　and

affected　so　much　regard　to　me；　that　I；　who　knew　nothing　of　these

high　scenes　of　life；　concluded　I　had　in　him　a　most　disinterested

friend；　owing　to　the　favorable　report　which　Lucilius　had　made　of

me。　　I　was　however　soon　cured　of　this　opinion；　for　immediately

after　supper　our　discourse　turned　on　the　injustice　which　the

generality　of　the　world　were　guilty　of　in　their　conduct　to　great

men；　expecting　that　they　should　reward　their　private　merit；

without　ever　endeavoring　to　apply　it　to　their　use。　　'What　avail；'

said　Eutropius；　'the　learning；　wit；　courage；　or　any　virtue　which

a　man　may　be　possessed　of；　to　me；　unless　I　receive　some　benefit

from　them？　　Hath　he　not　more　merit　to　me　who　doth　my　business　and

obeys　my　commands；　without　any　of　these　qualities？'　　I　gave　such

entire　satisfaction　in　my　answers　on　this　head；　that　both　the

minister　and　his　creature　grew　bolder；　and　after　some　preface

began　to　accuse　Timasius。　　At　last；　finding　I　did　not　attempt　to

defend　him；　Lucilius　swore　a　great　oath　that　he　was　not　fit　to

live；　and　that　he　would　destroy　him。　　Eutropius　answered　that　it

would　be　too　dangerous　a　task：　　'Indeed；'　says　he；　'his　crimes

are　of　so　black　a　dye；　and　so　well　known　to　the　emperor；　that　his

death　must　be　a　very　acceptable　service；　and　could　not　fail

meeting　a　proper　reward：　　but　I　question　whether　you　are　capable

of　executing　it。'　　'If　he　is　not；'　cried　I；　'I　am；　and　surely　no

man　can　have　greater　motives　to　destroy　him　than　myself：　　for；

besides　his　disloyalty　to　my　prince；　for　whom　I　have　so　perfect　a

duty；　I　have　private　disobligations　to　him。　　I　have　had　fellows

put　over　my　head；　to　the　great　scandal　of　the　service　in　general；

and　to　my　own　prejudice　and　disappointment　in　particular。'　　I

will　not　repeat　you　my　whole　speech；　but；　to　be　as　concise　as

possible；　when　we　parted　that　evening　the　minister　squeezed　me

heartily　by　the　hand；　and　with　great　commendation　of　my　honesty

and　assurances　of　his　favor；　he　appointed　me　the　next　evening　to

come　to　him　alone；　when；　finding　me；　after　a　little　more

scrutiny；　ready　for　his　purpose；　he　proposed　to　me　to　accuse

Timasius　of　high　treason；　promising　me　the　highest　rewards　if　I

would　undertake　it。　　The　consequence　to　him；　I　suppose　you　know；

was　ruin；　but　what　was　it　to　me？　　Why；　truly；　when　I　waited　on

Eutropius　for　the　fulfilling　his　promises；　received　me　with　great

distance　and　coldness；　and；　on　my　dropping　some　hints　of　my

expectations　from　him；　he　affected　not　to　understand　me；　saying

he　thought　impunity　was　the　utmost　I　could　hope　for　on

discovering　my　accomplice；　whose　offense　was　only　greater　than

mine；　as　he　was　in　a　higher　station；　and　telling　me　he　had　great

difficulty　to　obtain　a　pardon　for　me　from　the　emperor；　which　he

said；　he　had　struggled　very　hardly　for；　as　he　had　worked　the

discovery　out　of　me。　　He　turned　away；　and　addressed　himself　to

another　person。



〃I　was　so　incensed　at　this　treatment；　that　I　resolved　revenge；

and　should　certainly　have　pursued　it；　had　he　not　cautiously

prevented　me　by　taking　effectual　means　to　despatch　me　soon　after

out　of　the　world。



〃You　will；　I　believe；　now　think　I　had　a　second　good　chance　for

the　bottomless　pit；　and　indeed　Minos　seemed　inclined　to　tumble　me

in；　till　he　was　informed　of　the　revenge　taken　on　me　by　Roderic；

and　my　seven　years'　subsequent　servitude　to　the　widow；　which　he

thought　sufficient　to　make　atonement　for　all　the　crimes　a　single

life　could　admit　of；　and　so　sent　me　back　to　try　my　fortune　a

third　time。〃





CHAPTER　XI



In　which　Julian　relates　his　adventures　in　the　character　of　an　

avaricious　Jew。　　



〃The　next　character　in　which　I　was　destined　to　appear　in　the

flesh　was　that　of　an　avaricious　Jew。　　I　was　born　in　Alexandria　in

Egypt。　　My　name　was　Balthazar。　　Nothing　very　remarkable　happened

to　me　till　the　year　of　the　memorable　tumult　in　which　the　Jews　of

that　city　are　reported　in　history　to　have　massacred　more

Christians　than　at　that　time　dwelt　in　it。　　Indeed；　the　truth　is；

they　did　maul　the　dogs　pretty　handsomely；　but　I　myself　was　not

present；　for　as　all　our　people　were　ordered　to　be　armed；　I　took

that　opportunity　of　selling　two　swords；　which　probably　I　might

otherwise　never　have　disposed　of；　they　being　extremely　old　and

rusty；　so　that；　having　no　weapon　left；　I　did　not　care　to　venture

abroad。　　Besides；　though　I　really　thought　it　an　act　meriting

salvation　to　murder　the　Nazarenes；　as　the　fact　was　to　be

committed　at　midnight；　at　which　time；　to　avoid　suspicion；　we　were

all　to　sally　from　our　own　houses；　I　could　not　persuade　myself　to

consume　so　much　oil　in　sitting　up　to　that　hour：　　for　these

reasons　therefore　I　remained　at　home　that　evening。



〃I　was　at　this　time　greatly　enamored　with　one　Hypatia；　the

daughter　of　a　philosopher；　a　young　lady　of　the　greatest　beauty

and　merit：　　indeed；　she　had　every　imaginable　ornament　both　of

mind　and　body。　　She　seemed　not　to　dislike　my　person；　but　there

were　two　obstructions　to　our　marriage；　viz。；　my　religion　and　her

poverty：　　both　which　might　probably　have　been　got　over；　had　not

those　dogs　the　Christians　murdered　her；　and；　what　is　worse；

afterwards　burned　her　body：　　worse；　I　say；　because　I　lost　by　that

means　a　jewel　of　some　value；　which　I　had　presented　to　her；

designing；　if　our　nuptials　did　not　take　place；　to　demand　it　of

her　back　again。



〃Being　thus　disappointed　in　my　love；　I　soon　after　left　Alexandria

and　went　to　the　imperial　city；　where　I　apprehended　I　should　find

a　good　market　for　jewels　on　the　approaching　marriage　of　the

emperor　with　Athenais。　　I　disguised　myself　as　a　beggar　on　this

journey；　for　these　reasons：　　first；　as　I　imagined　I　should　thus

carry　my　jewels　with　greater　safety；　and；　secondly；　to　lessen　my

expenses；　which　latter　expedient　succeeded　so　well；　that　I　begged

two　oboli　on　my　way　more　than　my　traveling　cost　me；　my　diet　being

chiefly　roots；　and　my　drink　water。



〃But　perhaps；　it　had　been　better　for　me　if　I　had　been　more　lavish

and　more　expeditious；　for　the　ceremony　was　over　before　I　reached

Constantinople；　so　that　I　lost　that　glorious　opportunity　of

disposing　of　my　jewels　with　which　many　of　our　people　were　greatly

enriched。



〃The　life　of　a　miser　is　very　little　worth　relating；　as　it　is　one

constant　scheme　of　getting　or　saving　money。　　I　shall　therefore

repeat　to　you　some　few　only　of　my　adventures；　without　regard　to

any　order。



〃A　Roman　Jew；　who　was　a　great　lover　of　Falernian　wine；　and　who

indulged　himself　very　freely　with　it；　came　to　dine　at　my　house；

when；　knowing　he　should　meet　with　little　wine；　and　that　of　the

cheaper　sort；　sent　me　in　half…a…dozen　jars　of　Falernian。　　Can　you

believe　I　would　not　give　this　man　his　own　wine？　　Sir；　I

adulterated　it　so　that　I　made　six　jars　of　＇them＇　three；　which　he

and　his　friend　drank；　the　other　three　I　afterwards　sold　to　the

very　person　who　originally　sent　them　me；　knowing　he　would　give　a

better　price　than　any　other。



〃A　noble　Roman　came　one　day　to　my　house　in　the　country；　which　I

had　purchased；　for　half　the　value；　of　a　distressed　person。　　My

neighbors　paid　him　the　compliment　of　some　music；　on　which

account；　when　he　departed；　he　left　a　piece　of　gold　with　me　to　be

distributed　among　them。　　I　pocketed　this　money；　and　ordered　them

a　small　vessel　of　sour　wine；　which　I　could　not　have　sold　for

above　two　drachms；　and　afterwards　made　them　pay　in　work　three

times　the　value　of　it。　　



〃As　I　was　not　entirely　void　of　religion；　though　I　pretended　to

infinitely　more　than　I　had；　so　I　endeavored　to　reconcile　my

transactions　to　my　conscience　as　well　as　possible。　　Thus　I　never

invited　any　one　to　eat　with　me；　but　those　on　whose　pockets　I　had

some　design。　　After　our　collation　it　was　constantly　my　method　to

set　down　in　a　book　I　kept　for　that　purpose；　what　I　thought　they

owed　me　for　their　meal。　　Indeed；　this　was　generally　a　hundred

times　as　much　as　they　could　have　dined　elsewhere　for；　but；

however；　it　was　quid　pro　quo；　if　not　ad　valorem。　　Now；　whenever

the　opportunity　offered　of　imposing　on　them　I　considered　it　only

as　paying　myself　what　they　owed　me：　　indeed；　I　did　not　always

confine　myself　strictly　to　what　I　had　set　down；　however

extravagant　that　was；　but　I　reconci