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from this world to the next-第11章

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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 reconciled taking the overplus to

mys
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