Ben-Hur; a tale of the Christ

onides, the latter attended by Esther, met in the great chamber of the

first to Balthasar, and saluted him, and received his reply

ces more direct--that of Iras, for example--had made him in the broadest worldly sense ambitious; and as he had given the passion place, allowing it to become a rule, and finally an imperious governor, the resolves and impulses of former days faded imperceptibly out of being, and at last almost out of recollecti

tiful; and as he stood looking at her a still voice reminded hi

, sweet Esther--peace; and thou, Simonides"--he looked to the merchant as he spoke--"the bl

ith downcast face;

and tell us of thy travels, and of thy work, and of the wonderful Nazarene--who he is, and what.

y and brought a covered s

said to her

ther conversation, he add

o tell you of

ame instant

e is waiting so anxiously. I have seen him under all circumstances said to be trials and tests of

e?" asked

l tell

interrupted him; he turned,

r old Amrah

his feet, clasped his knees, and kissed his hands over and over; and when he could he put the lank gray hair from h

which made him answer plaine

ch listener know he had no hope more of finding his people. In his eyes

e, Amrah--here. No? then at my feet; for I have much to say

ed her hands before her knees, content, they all thought, with

he more inclined, my friends, because to-morrow he will come to the city, and go up into the Temple, which he calls his father's house, where,

mulously together, and asked,

etter, I think, that you all go upon the roof ab

u be wi

riends will require me, p

med Simonides. "Does

the argume

hem stop by the wayside at nightfall to break bread or lie down to sleep, I have been reminded of a party of shepherds going back to their flocks from market, not of nobles and kings. Only when he

little less than a law of our nature to spend life in eager pursuit of certain objects; now, appealing to that law as something by which

call him a philo

ar, "the philosophers had nev

you this

ickly, "I saw him t

t is not so strange to me as that he should prefer t

t would you say to see a man multiply seven loaves and two fishes, all his store, into en

?" exclaime

of the brea

be cured, or cry to him afar? That, too, I witnessed, not once, but many times. As we came out of Jericho two blind men by the wayside called to the Nazarene, and he to

ant had n

f jugglery? Let me answer by recalling greater things which I have seen him do. Look

hands to the floor, and in her

e while I was with him down in Galilee, and said, 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.' He heard the cry, and touched the outcast with

cks from her eyes. The brain of the poor creature had long si

eet, called out--I saw and heard it all--called out, 'Master, Master, have mercy upon us!' He told them, '

were

ft them, so that there was nothing to remi

efore--never in all Israel!"

away, and walked noiselessly to the door, an

ords burned their hands; nothing would do them but action. 'He is slow to declare himself; let us force him,' they cried to me. And I too became impatient. If he is to be king, why not now? The legions are ready. So as he was once teaching by the seaside we would have

he replied, resolutely, "The Lord liveth, and so do the words o

said Balthas

em in performance as I did, let me carry you now to others infinitely greater, acknowledged since the world began to be past the power of man. Tell me, h

Balthasar,

Hur

when she speaks to wake her child asleep, undo the work of Death? It was down at Nain. We were about going into the gate, when a company came out bearing a dead man. The Nazarene stopped to let the train pass. There was a woman am

reat," said Balth

bound and rotting. There were many people standing by, and we all heard what the Nazarene said, for he spoke in a loud voice: 'Lazarus, come forth!' I cannot tell you my feelings when in answer, as it were, the man arose and came out to us with all his cerements about him. 'Loose him,' said the Nazarene next, 'loose him, and let him go.' And when the napkin was taken from the face of the resurrected, l

o give up his understanding of the sayings of the prophets, and Ben-Hur contending that the elder disputants were both

will see. Peac

k his leave, intending