by G. A. Henty
Chapter 19: At Rome.
Tibellus at once ordered John to be released from all further work,the badge of slavery to be removed, and that he should be suppliedwith handsome garments, removed into the house, and assigned anapartment with the freedmen. The bearer of the signet of Titus--nowthat it was ascertained that the signet had been really given tohim by Caesar--was an important person, and was to be received withconsideration, if not honour. When these changes had been made,John was again brought before Tibellus.
"Is there anything else that I can do for your comfort, as one whohas been honoured by Titus, himself, our future emperor? You havebut to express your wishes, and I shall be glad to carry them out."
"I would ask, then," John said, "that my friend and companion maybe set free, and allowed to accompany me to Rome. He is my adoptedbrother. He has fought and slept by my side, for the last fouryears; and your bounty to me gives me no pleasure, so long as he islabouring as a slave."
Tibellus at once sent for Philo, and ordered the collar to be filedfrom the neck of Jonas, and for him to be treated in the samemanner as John.
The next day Tibellus invited John to accompany him to the barracksand, as he would take no excuses, he was obliged to do so.
Tibellus presented him to the general and his officers, whoreceived him very cordially; and were much struck with his quietdemeanour, and the nobility of his bearing. John had, for fouryears, been accustomed to command; and the belief, entertained byhis followers, in his special mission had had its effect upon hismanner. Although simple and unassuming in mind; and always ready,on his return to the farm, to become again the simple worker uponhis father's farm; he had yet, insensibly, acquired the bearing ofone born to position and authority.
He was much above the ordinary height; and although his figure wasslight, it showed signs, which could well be appreciated by theRomans, of great activity and unusual strength. His face washandsome, his forehead lofty, his eyes large and soft; and in theextreme firmness of his mouth and his square chin and jaw werethere, alone, signs of the determination and steadfastness whichhad made him so formidable a foe to the Romans.
"So you are John of Gamala!" the general said. "We have, doubtless,nearly crossed swords, more than once. You have caused us many asleepless night, and it seemed to us that you and your bands wereubiquitous. I am glad to meet you, as are we all. A Roman cherishesno malice against an honourable foe, and such we always found you;and I trust you have no malice for the past."
"None," John said. "I regard you as the instruments of God for thepunishment of my people. We brought our misfortunes upon ourselves,by the rebellion--which would have seemed madness had it not,doubtless, been the will of God that we should so provoke you, andperish. All I ask, now, is to return to my father's farm; and toresume my life there. If I could do that, without going to Rome, Iwould gladly do so."
"That can hardly be," Tibellus said. "The rule is that when oneappeals to Caesar, to Caesar he must go. The case is at once takenout of our hands. Besides, I should have to report the fact toRome, and Titus may wish to see you, and might be ill pleased athearing that you had returned to Galilee without going to see him.Besides, it may be some time before all animosity between the twopeoples dies out there; and you might obtain from him an imperialorder, which would prove a protection to yourself, and family,against any who might desire to molest you. If for this reason,alone, it would be well worth your while for you to proceed toRome."
Three days later, Tibellus told John that a ship would sail, nextmorning; and that a centurion, in charge of some invalidedsoldiers, would go in her.
"I have arranged for you to go in his charge, and have instructedhim to accompany you to the palace of Titus, and facilitate yourhaving an interview with him. I have given him a letter to presentto Titus, with greetings, saying why I have sent you to him.
"Here is a purse of money, to pay for what you may require on thevoyage; and to keep you, if need be, at Rome until you can seeTitus, who may possibly be absent.
"You owe me no thanks," he said, as John was about to speak. "Tituswould be justly offended, were the bearer of his signet ring sentto him without due care and honour."
That evening Tibellus gave a banquet, at which the general andseveral officers were present. The total number present was nine,including John and the host--this being the favourite number forwhat they regarded as small, private entertainments. At largebanquets, hundreds of persons were frequently entertained. Afterthe meal John, at the request of Tibellus, related to the officersthe manner of his escapes from Jotapata and Jerusalem, and severalof the incidents of the struggle in which he had taken part.
The next morning, he and Jonas took their places on board the ship,and sailed for Rome. It was now far in November, and the passagewas a boisterous one; and the size of the waves astonished John,accustomed, as he was, only to the short choppy seas of the Lake ofGalilee. Jonas made up his mind that they were lost and, indeed,for some days the vessel was in imminent danger. Instead of passingthrough the straits between Sicily and the mainland of Italy, theywere blown far to the west; and finally took shelter in the harbourof Caralis, in Sardinia. Here they remained for a week, to refitand repair damages, and then sailed across to Portus Augusti, andthen up the Tiber.
The centurion had done his best to make the voyage a pleasant one,to John and his companion. Having been informed that the former wasthe bearer of a signet ring of Titus, and would have an audiencewith him, he was anxious to create as good an impression aspossible; but it was not until Caralis was reached that Johnrecovered sufficiently from seasickness to take much interest inwhat was passing round him. The travellers were greatly struck withthe quantity of shipping entering and leaving the mouth of theTiber; the sea being dotted with the sails of the vessels bearingcorn from Sardinia, Sicily, and Africa; and products of all kinds,from every port in the world.
The sight of Rome impressed him less than he had expected. Of itsvastness he could form no opinion; but in strength, and beauty, itappeared to him inferior to Jerusalem. When he landed, he saw howmany were the stately palaces and temples; but of the former nonewere more magnificent than that of Herod. Nor was there one of thetemples to be compared, for a moment, with that which had so latelystood, the wonder and admiration of the world, upon Mount Moriah.
The centurion procured a commodious lodging for him and, findingthat Titus was still in Rome, accompanied him the next day to thepalace. Upon saying that he was the bearer of a letter to Titus,the centurion was shown into the inner apartments; John being leftin the great antechamber, which was crowded with officers waitingto see Titus, when he came out--to receive orders, pay theirrespects, or present petitions to him.
The centurion soon returned, and told John to follow him.
"Titus was very pleased," he whispered, "when he read the letter Ibrought him; and begged me bring you, at once, to his presence."
Titus was alone in a small chamber, whose simplicity contrastedstrangely with the magnificence of those through which he hadpassed. He rose from a table at which he had been writing.
"Ah, my good friend," he said, "I am truly glad to see you! I madesure that you were dead. You were not among those who came out, andgave themselves up, or among those who were captured when the citywas taken; for I had careful inquiry made, thinking it possiblethat you might have lost my ring, and been unable to obtain accessto me; then, at last, I made sure that you had fallen. I am trulyglad to see that it is not so."
"I was marvellously preserved, then, as at Jotapata," John said;"and escaped, after the Temple had fallen, by a secret passageleading out beyond the wall of circumvallation. As I made my wayhome, I fell into the hands of some slave dealers, who seized meand my companion--who is my adopted brother--and carried us away toAlexandria, where I was sold. As you had not yet returned to Rome,I thought it better not to produce your signet, which I hadfortunately managed to conceal.
"When I heard that you had reached Rome, and had received yourtriumph, I produced
the ring to my master Tibellus; and prayed himto send me and my companion here to you, in order that I might askfor liberty, and leave to return to my home. He treated me with thegreatest kindness and, but that I had appealed to you, would ofhimself have set us free. It is for this, alone, that I have comehere; to ask you to confirm the freedom he has given me, and topermit me to return to Galilee. Further, if you will give me yourorder that I and mine may live peacefully, without molestation fromany, it would add to your favours."
"I will do these, certainly," Titus said, "and far more, if youwill let me. I shall never forget that you saved my life; andbelieve me, I did my best to save the Temple, which was what Ipromised you. I did not say that I would save it, merely that Iwould do my best; but your obstinate countrymen insisted inbringing destruction upon it."
"I know that you did all that was possible," John said, "and thatthe blame lies with them, and not with you, in any way. However, itwas the will of God that it should be destroyed; and they were theinstruments of his will, while they thought they were trying topreserve it."
"But now," Titus said, "you must let me do more for you. Have youambition? I will push you forward to high position, and dignity. Doyou care for wealth? I have the treasures of Rome in my gift. Wouldyou serve in the army? Many of the Alexandrian Jews had high rankin the army of Anthony. Two of Cleopatra's best generals were yourcountrymen. I know your bravery, and your military talents, andwill gladly push you forward."
"I thank you, Caesar, for your offers," John said, "which farexceed my deserts; but I would rather pass my life as a tiller ofthe soil, in Galilee. The very name of a Jew, at present, ishateful in the ear of a Roman. All men who succeed by the favour ofa great prince are hated. I should be still more so, as a Jew. Ishould be hated by my own countrymen, as well as yours, for theywould regard me as a traitor. There would be no happiness in such alife. A thousand times better a home by the Lake of Galilee, with awife and children."
"If such be your determination, I will say nought against it,"Titus said; "but remember, if at any time you tire of such a life,come to me and I will give you a post of high honour and dignity.There are glorious opportunities for talent and uprightness in ourdistant dependencies--east and west--where there will be noprejudices against the name of a Jew.
"However, for the present let that be. Tomorrow I will haveprepared for you an imperial order--to all Roman officers, civiland military, of Galilee and Judea--to treat you as the friend ofTitus; also the appointment as procurator of the district lyingnorth of the river Hieromax, up to the boundary of Chorazin, for adistance of ten miles back from the lake. You will not refuse thatoffice, for it will enable you to protect your country people fromoppression, and to bring prosperity upon the whole district.
"Lastly, you will receive with the documents a sum of money. I knowthat you will not use it on yourself, but it will be long beforethe land recovers from its wounds. There will be terrible miseryand distress; and I should like to think that in the district, atleast, of my friend, there are peace and contentment. Less thanthis Caesar cannot give to the man who spared his life."
John thanked Titus, most heartily, for his favours; which would, hesaw, ensure his family and neighbours from the oppression andtyranny to which a conquered people are exposed, at the hands of arough soldiery. Titus ordered an apartment to be prepared for him,in the palace; and begged him to take up his abode there, until avessel should be sailing for Casarea. Slaves were told off toattend upon him, and to escort him in the city; and everything wasdone to show the esteem and friendship in which Titus held him.Titus had several interviews with him; and learned now, for thefirst time, that he was the John of Gamala who had so long andstoutly opposed the Romans.
"If I had known that," Titus said, with a smile, "when you were inmy hands, I do not think I should have let you go free; though yourcaptivity would have been an honourable one. When you said that youwould not promise to desist from opposing our arms, I thought thatone man, more or less, in the ranks of the enemy would make littledifference; but had I known that it was the redoubtable John ofGamala who was in my hands, I should hardly have thought myselfjustified in letting you go free."
John, at the request of Titus, gave him a sketch of the incidentsof his life, and of the campaign.
"So you have already a lady love," Titus said, when he hadfinished. "What shall I send her?
"Better nothing, at present," he said, after a moment's thought anda smile, "beyond yourself. That will be the best and mostacceptable gift I could send her. Time, and your good report, maysoften the feelings with which doubtless she, like all the rest ofyour countrywomen, must regard me; though the gods know I wouldgladly have spared Galilee, and Judea, from the ruin which hasfallen upon them."
In addition to the two documents which he had promised him, Titusthoughtfully gave him another, intended for the perusal of his owncountrymen only. It was in the form of a letter, saying to Johnthat he had appointed him procurator of the strip of territorybordering the Lake of Galilee on the east, not from any submissionon his part, still less at his request; but solely as a proof ofhis admiration for the stubborn and determined manner in which hehad fought throughout the war, the absence of any cruelty practisedupon Romans who fell into his hands, of his esteem for hischaracter, and as a remembrance of the occasion when they two hadfought, hand to hand, alone in the valley going down from Hebron.
The gold was sent directly on board a ship. It was in a box, whichrequired four strong men to lift. A centurion, with twenty men, wasput on board the ship; with orders to land with John at Casarea,and to escort him to his own home, or as near as he might choose totake them. Titus took a cordial leave of him, and expressed a hopethat John would, some day, change his mind and accept his offer ofa post; and that, at any rate, he hoped that he would, from time totime, come to Rome to see him.
The voyage to Caesarea was performed without accident.
"I shall look back at our visit to Rome as a dream," Jonas said,one evening, as they sat together on the deck of the ship. "Tothink that I, the goatherd of Jotapata, should have been living inthe palace of Caesar, at Rome; with you, the friend of Titus,himself! It seems marvellous; but I am weary of the crowdedstreets, of the noise, and bustle, and wealth and colour. I long toget rid of this dress, in which I feel as if I were acting a partin a play.
"Do not you, John?"
"I do, indeed," John replied. "I should never accustom myself tosuch a life as that. I am longing for a sight of the lake, and mydear home; and of those I love, who must be mourning for me, asdead."
At Caesarea, a vehicle was procured for the carriage of the chest,and the party then journeyed until they were within sight ofTarichea. John then dismissed his escort, with thanks for theirattention during the journey, and begged them to go on to the cityby themselves. When they were out of sight, he and Jonas took offtheir Roman garments, and put on others they had purchased atCaesarea, similar to those they were accustomed to wear at home.Then they proceeded, with the cart and its driver, into Tarichea;and hired a boat to take them up the lake. The boatmen wereastonished at the weight of John's chest, and thought that it mustcontain lead, for making into missiles for slingers.
It was evening when the boat approached the well-known spot, andJohn and his companion sprang out on the beach.
"What shall we do with the chest?" one of the boatmen asked.
"We will carry it to that clump of bushes, and pitch it in amongthem, until we want it. None will run off with it, and theycertainly would not find it easy to break it open."
This reply confirmed the men in their idea that it could containnothing of value and, after helping John and Jonas to carry thechest to the point indicated, they returned to their boat and rowedaway down the lake.
"Now, Jonas, we must be careful," John said, "how we approach thehouse. It would give them a terrible shock, if I came upon themsuddenly. I think you had better go up alone, and see Isaac, andbring him to me; then we can talk over the best way of breaking
itto the others."
It was nearly an hour before Jonas brought Isaac down to the spotwhere John was standing, a hundred yards away from the house; forhe had to wait some time before he could find an opportunity ofspeaking to him. Jonas had but just broken the news, that John wasat hand, when they reached the spot where he was standing.
"Is it indeed you, my dear young master?" the old man said, fallingon John's neck. "This is unlooked-for joy, indeed. The Lord bepraised for his mercies! What will your parents say, they who havewept for you for months, as dead?"
"They are well, I hope, Isaac?"
"They are shaken, greatly shaken," old Isaac said. "The tempest haspassed over them; the destruction of Jerusalem, the woes of ourpeople, and your loss have smitten them to the ground but, now thatyou have returned, it will give them new life."
"And Mary, she is well, I hope, too?" John asked.
"The maiden is not ill, though I cannot say that she is well,"Isaac said. "Long after your father and mother, and all of us, hadgiven up hope, she refused to believe that you were dead; even whenthe others put on mourning, she would not do so--but of late I knowthat, though she has never said so, hope has died in her, too. Hercheeks have grown pale, and her eyes heavy; but she still keeps up,for the sake of your parents; and we often look, and wonder how shecan bear herself so bravely."
"And how are we to break it to the old people?" John asked.
Isaac shook his head. The matter was beyond him.
"I should think," Jonas suggested, "that Isaac should go back, andbreak it to them, first, that I have returned; that I have been aslave among the Romans, and have escaped from them. He might saythat he has questioned me, and that I said that you certainly didnot fall at the siege of Jerusalem; and that I believe that you,like me, were sold as a slave by the Romans.
"Then you can take me in, and let them question me. I will stick tothat story, for a time, raising some hopes in their breasts; tillat last I can signify to Mary that you are alive, and leave it toher to break it to the others."
"That will be the best way, by far," John said. "Yes, that will doexcellently well.
"Now, Isaac, do you go on, and do your part. Tell them gently thatJonas has returned, that he has been a slave, and escaped from theRomans; and that, as far as he knows, I am yet alive. Then, whenthey are prepared, bring him in, and let him answer theirquestions."
The evening meal had been ended before Isaac had left the room tofeed, with some warm milk, a kid whose dam had died. It was whilehe was engaged upon this duty that Jonas had come upon him. When heentered the room Simon was sitting, with the open Bible before him,at the head of the table; waiting his return to commence theevening prayers.
"What has detained you, Isaac?" he asked. "Surely it is not afterall these years you would forget our evening prayers?"
"I was detained," the old man said, unsteadily and, at the sound ofhis voice, and the sight of his face, as it came within the circleof the light from the lamp, Mary rose suddenly to her feet, andstood looking at him.
"What is it?" she asked, in a low voice.
"Why," Simon asked calmly, "what has detained you, Isaac?"
"A strange thing has happened," the old man said. "One of ourwanderers has returned--not he whom we have hoped and prayed formost--but Jonas. He has been a slave, but has escaped, and comeback to us."
"And what is his news?" Simon asked, rising to his feet; but evenmore imperative was the unspoken question on Mary's white face, andparted lips.
"He gives us hope," Isaac said to her. "So far as he knows, Johnmay yet be alive."
"I knew it, I knew it!" Mary said, in a voice scarcely above awhisper.
"O Lord, I thank thee. Why have I doubted Thy mercy?"
And she stood, for a moment, with head thrown back and eyesupraised; then she swayed suddenly, and would have fallen, had notIsaac run forward and supported her until, at Martha's cry, two ofthe maids hastened up and placed her on a seat.
Some water was held to her lips. She drank a little, and then said,faintly, "Tell us more, Isaac."
"I have not much more to tell," he replied. "Jonas says that Johncertainly did not fall in Jerusalem--as, indeed, we were told bythe young man of his band who returned--and that he believes that,like himself, he was sold as a slave.
"But Jonas is outside. I thought it better to tell you, first. Now,I will call him in to speak for himself."
When Jonas entered, Martha and Mary were clasped in each other'sarms. Miriam, with the tears streaming down her cheeks, wasrepeating aloud one of the Psalms of thanksgiving; while Simonstood with head bent low, and his hands grasping the table, uponwhich the tears were raining down in heavy drops.
It was some little time before they could question Jonas further.Martha and Mary had embraced him as if he had been the son of one,the brother of the other. Simon solemnly blessed him, and welcomedhim as one from the dead. Then they gathered round to hear hisstory.
"John and I both escaped all the dangers of the siege," he said."We were wounded several times, but never seriously. God seemed towatch over us; and although at the last, of the six hundred menwith which we entered Jerusalem there were but twelve who remainedalive, we were among them."
"Yes, yes, we knew that," Martha said. "News was brought by a youngman of his band, who belonged to a village on the lake, that twelveof you had escaped together on the day the Temple fell. The othersall returned to their homes, but no news ever came of you; and theysaid that some party of Romans must have killed you--what elsecould have befallen you? And now we are in February--nearly sixmonths have passed--and no word of you!"
"We were carried off as slaves," Jonas said, "and taken, likeJoseph, to be sold in Egypt."
"And have you seen him, since?" Simon asked.
"Yes, I saw him in Egypt."
"And he was well then?"
"Quite well," Jonas replied. "I was sent to Rome, and thencemanaged to make my way back by ship."
"We must purchase him back," Simon said. "Surely that must bepossible! I have money, still. I will make the journey, myself, andbuy him."
And he rose to his feet, as if to start at once.
"Well, not now," he went on, in answer to the hand which Marthalaid on his shoulder, "but tomorrow."
While he was speaking, Mary had touched Jonas, gazing into his facewith the same eager question her eyes had asked Isaac. The thoughtthat Jonas was not alone had flashed across her. He noddedslightly, and looked towards the door. In a moment she was gone.
"John!" she cried, as she ran out of the house; at first in a lowtone, but louder and louder as she ran on. "John! John! Where areyou?"
A figure stepped out from among the trees, and Mary fell into hisarms. A few minutes later, she re-entered the room.
"Father," she said, going up to Simon, while she took Martha's handin hers, "do you remember you told me, once, that when you were ayoung man you went to hear the preaching of a teacher of the sectof the Essenes, whom they afterwards slew. You thought he was agood man, and a great teacher; and you said he told a parable, andyou remembered the very words. I think I remember them, now:
"'And his father saw him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissedhim, and said, "Let us be merry, for this my son was dead, and isalive again; he was lost and is found."'
"And so, father, is it even unto us."
Illustration: The Return of John to his House on the Lake.
Martha gave a loud cry, and turned to the door and, in anothermoment, was clasped in John's arms. Then his father fell on hisneck.
There was no happier household in the land than that which joinedin the Psalms of thanksgiving that night. The news spread quicklyto the fishermen's cottages, and the neighbours flocked in tocongratulate Simon and Martha on the return of their son; and itwas long since the strains of the songs of joy had floated out soclear and strong over the water of Galilee for, for years, strainsof lamentation and humiliation, alone, had been on the lips of theJewish maidens.
After the s
ervice of song was over, Miriam and the maids loaded thetable, while Isaac fetched a skin of the oldest wine from thecellar, and all who had assembled were invited to join the feast.
When the neighbours had retired, John asked his father and Isaac tocome down with him, and Jonas, to the side of the lake, to bring upa chest that was lying there.
"It is rather too heavy for Jonas and me to carry, alone."
"It would have been better, my son, to have asked some of ourneighbours. They would gladly have assisted you, and Isaac and Ihave not, between us, the strength of one man."
"I know it, father, but I do not wish that any, besides ourselves,should know that the box is here. We will take a pole and a ropewith us, and can adjust the weight so that your portion shall notbe beyond your strength."
On arriving at the spot, Simon was surprised at seeing a small box,which it would be thought a woman could have lifted, with ease.
"Is this the box of which you spoke, John? Surely you want no aidto carry this up?"
"We do, indeed, father, as you will see."
With the assistance of Jonas, John put the rope round the box, andslung it to the pole near one end. He and Jonas then took this end.Simon and Isaac lifted that farthest from the box, so that but asmall share of the weight rested upon them. So the chest wascarried up to the house.
"What is this you have brought home?" Martha asked, as they laidthe box down in the principal room.
"It is gold, mother--gold to be used for the relief of the poor anddistressed, for those who have been made homeless and fatherless inthis war. It was a gift to me, as I will tell you, tomorrow; but Ineed not say that I would not touch one penny of it, for it isRoman gold. But it will place it in our power to do immense good,among the poor. We had best bury it, just beneath the floor, sothat we can readily get at it when we have need."
"It is a great responsibility, my son," Simon said; "but truly,there are thousands of homeless and starving families who soughtrefuge among the hills, when their towns and villages weredestroyed by the Romans and, with this store of gold, which must beof great value, truly great things can be done towards relievingtheir necessities."
The next morning, John related to his family the various incidentswhich had befallen him and Jonas since they had last parted; andtheir surprise was unbounded, when he produced the three documentswith which he had been furnished by Titus. The letters, saying thatthe favour of Caesar had been bestowed upon John as a token ofadmiration, only, for the bravery with which he had fought, andordering that all Romans should treat him as one having the favourand friendship of Titus, gave them unbounded satisfaction. Thatappointing him procurator of the whole district bordering the laketo the east surprised, and almost bewildered them.
"But what are you going to do, my son? Are you going to leave us,and live in a palace, and appear as a Roman officer?"
"I am not thinking of doing that, father," John said, with a smile."For myself I would much rather that this dignity had not beenconferred on me by Titus; and I would gladly put this commission,with its imperial seal, into the fire. But I feel that I cannot dothis, for it gives me great power of doing good to our neighbours.I shall be able to protect them from all oppression by Romansoldiers, or by tax gatherers. There is no occasion for me to livein a palace, or to wear the garments of a Roman official. Theletter of Titus shows that it is to a Jew that he has given thispower, and as a Jew I shall use it.
"While journeying here from Rome, I have thought much over thematter. At first, I thought of suppressing the order. Then, I feltthat a power of good had been given into my hands; and that I hadno right, from selfish reasons, to shrink from its execution.Doubtless, at first I shall be misunderstood. They will say that I,like Josephus, have turned traitor, and have gone over to theRomans. Even were it so, I should have done no more than all thepeople of Tiberias, Sepphoris, and other cities which submitted tothem.
"But I do not think this feeling will last long. All those whofought with me outside Jerusalem, against the Romans, know that Iwas faithful to the cause of my country. The few survivors of theband I led into Jerusalem can testify that I fought until theTemple fell, and that I escaped by my own devices, and not from anyagreement with the Romans.
"Moreover they will, in time, judge me by my acts. I shall rule, asI said, as a Jew, and not as a Roman--rule as did the judges in theold times, sitting under my own fig tree, here, and listening tothe complaints that may be brought to me--and I trust that wisdomwill be given to me, by the Lord, to judge wisely and justly amongthem."
"You have decided well, my son," Simon said. "May God's blessing beupon you!
"What think you, little Mary? How do you like the prospect of beingthe wife of the ruler of this district?"
"I would rather that he had been the ruler only of this farm," Marysaid, "but I see that a great power of good has been given into hishands, and it is not for me to complain."
"That reminds me," Simon said, "of what Martha and I were speakingtogether, last night. You have both waited long. There is nooccasion for longer tarrying. The marriage feast will be prepared,and we will summon our neighbours and friends to assemble here,this day week.
"And now, John, what are you going to do?"
"I am going, father, at once to Hippos, the chief town in thedistrict. I shall see the authorities of the town, and the captainof the Roman garrison, and lay before them the commission ofCaesar. I shall then issue a proclamation, announcing to all peoplewithin the limits of the district that have been marked out that Ihave authority, from Rome, to judge all matters that may comebefore me, in the district; and that all who have causes ofcomplaint, or who have been wronged by any, will find me here,ready to hear their cause, and to order justice to be rendered tothem. I shall also say that I shall shortly make a tour through thedistrict, to see for myself into the condition of things, and togive aid to such as need it."
Great was the surprise of the Roman and Jewish authorities, inHippos, when John produced the imperial commission. There was,however, no doubting or disputing it. The Roman officers at onceplaced themselves under his orders, and issued proclamations oftheir own, in addition to that of John, notifying the fact to allthe inhabitants of the district.
Among the Jewish authorities there was, at first, some feeling ofjealousy that this young man should be placed over them; but theyfelt, nevertheless, the great benefits that would arise from theprotection which one of their own countrymen, high in the favour ofTitus, would be able to afford them. When showing his commission,John had also produced the letter of Titus, giving his reasons forthe nomination; and indeed, the younger men in the district, manyof whom had followed John in his first campaigns--and who hadhitherto, in accordance with the oath of secrecy taken onenrollment, concealed their knowledge that John of Gamala was theson of Simon--now proclaimed the fact, and hailed his appointmentwith joy.
On the appointed day, the marriage of John and Mary took place and,as the news had spread through the country, a vast gatheringassembled, and it was made the occasion of a public demonstration.The preparations which Martha and Mary had made for the feast,ample as they had been, would have availed but little among such amultitude; but Isaac and the menservants drove in and slaughteredseveral cattle and, as those who came for the most part borepresents of wine, oil, bread, goats, and other articles, and theneighbours lent their assistance in preparing a feast at the greatfires which were lighted along the shore, while Simon contributedall the contents of his wine store, the feast proved ample for allassembled.
John and his wife moved among the throng, receiving congratulationsand good wishes; Mary blushing, and tearful with happiness andpride in the honour paid to John; John himself radiant withpleasure, and with satisfaction at the thought of the good whichthe power, so strangely conferred upon him, would enable him toeffect for his neighbours.
After that, things went on in their ordinary routine at the farm;save that John was frequently away visiting among the villages ofthe district, which was some t
hirty miles long by ten wide. Thenorthern portion was thinly inhabited; but in the south thevillages were thick, and the people had suffered greatly from theexcursions of the Roman foragers, at the time of the siege ofGamala. Many of the villages had been rebuilt, since that time; butthere was still great distress, heightened by the number offugitives from the other side of Jordan.
The aid which John gave enabled most of the fugitives in hisdistrict to return to their distant villages, and to rebuild theirhomes, where there was now little fear of their being againdisturbed. The distress in his own district was also relieved. Insome cases money was given, in others lent, to enable thecultivators to till their fields, to replant vineyards, and topurchase flocks so that, in the course of a year, the wholedistrict was restored to its normal appearance, and the signs ofthe destructive war were almost entirely effaced.
Then John was able to settle down in his quiet home. In the morninghe worked with his father. In the afternoon he listened to thecomplaints, or petitions, of those who came before him; settlingdisputes between neighbours, hearing the stories of those whoconsidered that they were too hardly pressed upon by the taxcollector, and doing justice to those who were wronged.
Soon after he married, mindful of the doctrines he had heard duringhis visit among the community of Nazarites by the Dead Sea, Johnmade inquiries and found that many of the sect, who had left theland when the troubles with the Romans commenced, had now returned;and were preaching their doctrines more openly than before, nowthat those of the ancient religion could no longer persecute them.At Tiberias a considerable community of the sect soon establishedthemselves; and John, going over, persuaded one of their teachersto take up his abode with him, for a time, and to expound theirdoctrines to him and his family. He was astonished at the spirit oflove, charity, and goodwill which animated the teaching of theChristians--still more at the divine spirit that breathed in theutterances and animated the life of their Master.
The central idea, that God was the God of the whole world--and not,as the Jews had hitherto supposed, a special Deity of theirown--struck John particularly, and explained many things which had,hitherto, been difficult for him to understand. It would have beengalling to admit as much, in the days of Jewish pride andstubbornness; but their spirit was broken, now; and John couldunderstand that although, as long as the nation had believed in himand served him, God had taken a peculiar interest in them, and hadrevealed to them much of his nature and attributes--while the restof the world had had been left to worship false gods--He yet lovedall the world, and was now about to extend to all men thatknowledge of him hitherto confined to the Jews. Above all, John sawhow vastly higher was the idea of God, as revealed in the newteaching, than that which the Jews had hitherto entertainedregarding him.
A month after the arrival of the teacher, John and Mary werebaptized into the new faith; and a few months later Simon andMartha, who had been harder to convince, also became converts.
When Titus was raised to the imperial throne, John, in compliancewith the request he had made him, journeyed to Rome, and remainedthere for a short time as his guest. Titus received him withaffection.
"I shall not try to tempt you with fresh offers of honours," hesaid, "though I regret that you should refuse to accept a sphere ofwider usefulness. From time to time, I have heard of you from thereports of my governors; who say that the district under yourcharge is the most prosperous and contented in all Palestine, thatthere is neither dispute nor litigation there, that there are nopoor, that the taxes are collected without difficulty; and that,save only that you do not keep up the state and dignity which aRoman official should occupy, you are in all respects a modelruler."
"I have every reason to be thankful," John said. "I have beenblessed in every way. My parents still survive. I am happy with mywife and children. Your bounty has enabled me to bind up thewounds, and relieve the distress caused by the war. My mind hasbeen opened to heavenly teaching, and I try humbly to follow in thesteps of that divine teacher, Jesus of Nazareth."
"Ah, you have come to believe in him!" Titus said. "There are manyof his creed, here in Rome, and they say that they are even on theincrease. I would gladly hear, from you, something of him. I haveheard somewhat of him from Josephus, who for three years dweltamong the Essenes, and who has spoken to me very highly of thepurity of life, the enlightenment, and religious fervour of thatsect--to which, I believe, he himself secretly inclines; although,from the desire not to offend his countrymen, he makes no openconfession of his faith."
John, before he left, explained to the emperor the teachings of hisMaster; and it may be that the wisdom, humanity, and mildness whichTitus displayed, in the course of his reign, was in no small degreethe result of the lessons which he learned from John.
The latter came no more to Rome but, to the end of his life, dwelton the shore of Galilee, wisely governing his little district afterthe manner of the judges of old.
Jonas never left his friend. He married the daughter of one of thefishermen, and lived in a small house which Simon built for him,close to his own. At the death of the latter, he became John'sright hand on the farm; and remained his friend, and brother, tothe end.