ben-hur- 第33部分

〃Thank　thou　thy　God；〃　he　said　to　Ben…Hur；　after　a　look　at　the　galleys；　〃thank　thou　thy　God；　as　I　do　my　many　gods。　A　pirate　would　sink；　not　save；　yon　ship。　By　the　act　and　the　helmet　on　the　mast　I　know　a　Roman。　The　victory　is　mine。　Fortune　hath　not　deserted　me。　We　are　saved。　Wave　thy　handcall　to　thembring　them　quickly。　I　shall　be　duumvir；　and　thou！　I　knew　thy　father；　and　loved　him。　He　was　a　prince　indeed。　He　taught　me　a　Jew　was　not　a　barbarian。　I　will　take　thee　with　me。　I　will　make　thee　my　son。　Give　thy　God　thanks；　and　call　the　sailors。　Haste！　The　pursuit　must　be　kept。　Not　a　robber　shall　escape。　Hasten　them！〃

Judah　raised　himself　upon　the　plank；　and　waved　his　hand；　and　called　with　all　his　might；　at　last　he　drew　the　attention　of　the　sailors　in　the　small　boat；　and　they　were　speedily　taken　up。

Arrius　was　received　on　the　galley　with　all　the　honors　due　a　hero　so　the　favorite　of　Fortune。　Upon　a　couch　on　the　deck　he　heard　the　particulars　of　the　conclusion　of　the　fight。　When　the　survivors　afloat　upon　the　water　were　all　saved　and　the　prize　secured；　he　spread　his　flag　of　commandant　anew；　and　hurried　northward　to　rejoin　the　fleet　and　perfect　the　victory。　In　due　time　the　fifty　vessels　coming　down　the　channel　closed　in　upon　the　fugitive　pirates；　and　crushed　them　utterly；　not　one　escaped。　To　swell　the　tribune's　glory；　twenty　galleys　of　the　enemy　were　captured。

Upon　his　return　from　the　cruise；　Arrius　had　warm　welcome　on　the　mole　at　Misenum。　The　young　man　attending　him　very　early　attracted　the　attention　of　his　friends　there；　and　to　their　questions　as　to　who　he　was　the　tribune　proceeded　in　the　most　affectionate　manner　to　tell　the　story　of　his　rescue　and　introduce　the　stranger；　omitting　carefully　all　that　pertained　to　the　latter's　previous　history。　At　the　end　of　the　narrative；　he　called　Ben…Hur　to　him；　and　said；　with　a　hand　resting　affectionately　upon　his　shoulder；

〃Good　friends；　this　is　my　son　and　heir；　who；　as　he　is　to　take　my　propertyif　it　be　the　will　of　the　gods　that　I　leave　anyshall　be　known　to　you　by　my　name。　I　pray　you　all　to　love　him　as　you　love　me。〃

Speedily　as　opportunity　permitted；　the　adoption　was　formally　perfected。　And　in　such　manner　the　brave　Roman　kept　his　faith　with　Ben…Hur；　giving　him　happy　introduction　into　the　imperial　world。　The　month　succeeding　Arrius's　return；　the　armilustrium　was　celebrated　with　the　utmost　magnificence　in　the　theater　of　Scaurus。　One　side　of　the　structure　was　taken　up　with　military　trophies；　among　which　by　far　the　most　conspicuous　and　most　admired　were　twenty　prows；　complemented　by　their　corresponding　aplustra；　cut　bodily　from　as　many　galleys；　and　over　them；　so　as　to　be　legible　to　the　eighty　thousand　spectators　in　the　seats；　was　this　inscription：

　TAKEN　FROM　THE　PIRATES　IN　THE　GULF　OF　EURIPUS；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BY　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　QUINTUS　ARRIUS；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DUUMVIR。　





BOOK　FOURTH

〃Alva。　　　Should　the　monarch　prove　unjust　And；　at　this　time

　Queen。　　　　　　　　　Then　I　must　wait　for　justice　Until　it　come；　and　they　are　happiest　far　Whose　consciences　may　calmly　wait　their　right。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Schiller；　Don　Carlos　（act　iv。；　sc。　xv。）




CHAPTER　I



The　month　to　which　we　now　come　is　July；　the　year　that　of　our　Lord　29；　and　the　place　Antioch；　then　Queen　of　the　East；　and　next　to　Rome　the　strongest；　if　not　the　most　populous；　city　in　the　world。

There　is　an　opinion　that　the　extravagance　and　dissoluteness　of　the　age　had　their　origin　in　Rome；　and　spread　thence　throughout　the　empire；　that　the　great　cities　but　reflected　the　manners　of　their　mistress　on　the　Tiber。　This　may　be　doubted。　The　reaction　of　the　conquest　would　seem　to　have　been　upon　the　morals　of　the　conqueror。　In　Greece　she　found　a　spring　of　corruption；　so　also　in　Egypt；　and　the　student；　having　exhausted　the　subject；　will　close　the　books　assured　that　the　flow　of　the　demoralizing　river　was　from　the　East　westwardly；　and　that　this　very　city　of　Antioch；　one　of　the　oldest　seats　of　Assyrian　power　and　splendor；　was　a　principal　source　of　the　deadly　stream。

A　transport　galley　entered　the　mouth　of　the　river　Orontes　from　the　blue　waters　of　the　sea。　It　was　in　the　forenoon。　The　heat　was　great；　yet　all　on　board　who　could　avail　themselves　of　the　privilege　were　on　deckBen…Hur　among　others。

The　five　years　had　brought　the　young　Jew　to　perfect　manhood。　Though　the　robe　of　white　linen　in　which　he　was　attired　somewhat　masked　his　form；　his　appearance　was　unusually　attractive。　For　an　hour　and　more　he　had　occupied　a　seat　in　the　shade　of　the　sail；　and　in　that　time　several　fellow…passengers　of　his　own　nationality　had　tried　to　engage　him　in　conversation；　but　without　avail。　His　replies　to　their　questions　had　been　brief；　though　gravely　courteous；　and　in　the　Latin　tongue。　The　purity　of　his　speech；　his　cultivated　manners；　his　reticence；　served　to　stimulate　their　curiosity　the　more。　Such　as　observed　him　closely　were　struck　by　an　incongruity　between　his　demeanor；　which　had　the　ease　and　grace　of　a　patrician；　and　certain　points　of　his　person。　Thus　his　arms　were　disproportionately　long；　and　when；　to　steady　himself　against　the　motion　of　the　vessel；　he　took　hold　of　anything　near　by；　the　size　of　his　hands　and　their　evident　power　compelled　remark；　so　the　wonder　who　and　what　he　was　mixed　continually　with　a　wish　to　know　the　particulars　of　his　life。　In　other　words；　his　air　cannot　be　better　described　than　as　a　noticeThis　man　has　a　story　to　tell。

The　galley；　in　coming；　had　stopped　at　one　of　the　ports　of　Cyprus；　and　picked　up　a　Hebrew　of　most　respectable　appearance；　quiet；　reserved；　paternal。　Ben…Hur　ventured　to　ask　him　some　questions；　the　replies　won　his　confidence；　and　resulted　finally　in　an　extended　conversation。

It　chanced　also　that　as　the　galley　from　Cyprus　entered　the　receiving　bay　of　the　Orontes；　two　other　vessels　which　had　been　sighted　out　in　the　sea　met　it　and　passed　into　the　river　at　the　same　time；　and　as　they　did　so　both　the　strangers　threw　out　small　flags　of　brightest　yellow。　There　was　much　conjecture　as　to　the　meaning　of　the　signals。　At　length　a　passenger　addressed　himself　to　the　respectable　Hebrew　for　information　upon　the　subject。

〃Yes；　I　know　the　meaning　of　the　flags；〃　he　replied；　〃they　do　not　signify　nationalitythey　are　merely　marks　of　ownership。〃

〃Has　the　owner　many　ships？〃

〃He　has。〃

〃You　know　him？〃

〃I　have　dealt　with　him。〃

The　passengers　looked　at　the　speaker　as　if　requesting　him　to　go　on。　Ben…Hur　listened　with　interest。

〃He　lives　in　Antioch；〃　the　Hebrew　continued；　in　his　quiet　way。　〃That　he　is　vastly　rich　has　brought　him　into　notice；　and　the　talk　about　him　is　not　always　kind。　There　used　to　be　in　Jerusalem　a　prince　of　very　ancient　family　named　Hur。〃

Judah　strove　to　be　composed；　yet　his　heart　beat　quicker。

〃The　prince　was　a　merchant；　with　a　genius　for　business。　He　set　on　foot　many　enterprises；　some　reaching　far　East；　others　West。　In　the　great　cities　he　had　branch　houses。　The　one　in　Antioch　was　in　charge　of　a　man　said　by　some　to　have　been　a　family　servant　called　Simonides；　Greek　in　name；　yet　an　Israelite。　The　master　was　drowned　at　sea。　His　business；　however；　went　on；　and　was　scarcely　less　prosperous。　After　a　while　misfortune　overtook　the　family。　The　prince's　only　son；　nearly　grown；　tried　to　kill　the　procurator　Gratus　in　one　of　the　streets　of　Jerusalem。　He　failed　by　a　narrow　chance；　and　has　not　since　been　heard　of。　In　fact；　the　Roman's　rage　took　in　the　whole　housenot　one　of　the　name　was　left　alive。　Their　palace　was　sealed　up；　and　is　now　a　rookery　for　pigeons；　the　estate　was　confiscated；　everything　that　could　be　traced　to　the　ownership　of　the　Hurs　was　confiscated。　The　procurator　cured　his　hurt　with　a　golden　salve。〃

The　passengers　laughed。

〃You　mean　he　kept　the　property；〃　said　one　of　them。

〃They　say　so；〃　the　Hebrew　replied；　〃I　am　only　telling　a　story　as　I　received　it。　And；　to　go　on；　Simonides；　who　had　been　the　prince's　agent　here　in　Antioch；　opened　trade　in　a　short　time　on　his　own　account；　and　in　a　space　incredibly　brief　became　the　master　merchant　of　the　city。　In　imitation　of　his　master；　he　sent　caravans　to　India；　and　on　the　sea　at　present　he　has　galleys　enough　to　make　a　royal　fleet。　They　say　nothing　goes　amiss　with　him。　His　camels　do　not　die；　except　of　old　age；　his　ships　never　founder；　if　he　throw　a　chip　into　the　river；　it　will　come　back　to　him　gold。〃

〃How　long　has　he　been　going　on　thus？〃

〃Not　ten　years。〃

〃He　must　have　had　a　good　start。〃

〃Yes；　they　say　the　procurator　took　only　the　prince's　property　ready　at　handhis　horses；　cattle；　houses；　land；　vessels；　goods。　The　money　could　not　be　found；　though　there　must　have　been　vast　sums　of　it。　What　became　of　it　has　been　an　unsolved　mystery。〃

〃Not　to　me；〃　said　a　passenger；　with　a　sneer。

〃I　understand　you；〃　the　Hebrew　answered。　〃Others　have　had　your　idea。　That　it　furnished　old　Simonides　his　start　is　a　common　belief。　The　procurator　is　of　that　opinionor　he　has　beenfor　twice　in　five　years　he　has　caught　the　merchant；　and　put　him　to　torture。〃

Judah　griped　the　rope　he　was　holding　with　crushing　force。

〃It　is　said；〃　the　narrator　continued；　〃that　there　is　not　a　sound　bone　in　the　man's　body。　The　last　time　I　saw　him　he　sat　in　a　chair；　a　shapeless　cripple；　propped　against　cushions。〃

〃So　tortured！〃　exclaimed　several　listeners　in　a　breath。

〃Disease　could　not　have　produced　such　a　deformity。　Still　the　suffering　made　no　impression　upon　him。　All　he　had　was　his　lawfully；　and　he　was　making　lawful　use　of　itthat　was　the　most　they　wrung　from　him。　Now；　however；　he　is　past　persecution。　He　has　a　license　to　trade　signed　by　Tiberius　himself。〃

〃He　paid　roundly　for　it；　I　warrant。〃

〃These　ships　are　his；〃　the　Hebrew　continued；　passing　the　remark。　〃It　is　a　custom　among　his　sailors　to　salute　each　other　upon　meeting　by　throwing　out　yellow　flags；　sight　of　which　is　as　much　as　to　say；　'We　have　had　a　fortunate　voyage。'〃

The　story　ended　there。

When　the　transport　was　fairly　in　the　channel　of　the　river；　Judah　spoke　to　the　Hebrew。

〃What　was　the　name　of　the　merchant's　master？〃

〃Ben…Hur；　Prince　of　Jerusalem。〃

〃What　became　of　the　prince's　family？〃

〃The　boy　was　sent　to　the　galleys。　I　may　say　he　is　dead。　One　year　is　the　ordinary　limit　of　life　under　that　sentence。　The　widow　and　daughter　have　not　been　heard　of；　those　who　know　what　became　of　them　will　not　speak。