ben-hur- 第17部分

BOOK　SECOND

　　〃There　is　a　fire　And　motion　of　the　soul　which　will　not　dwell　In　its　own　narrow　being；　but　aspire　Beyond　the　fitting　medium　of　desire；　And；　but　once　kindled；　quenchless　evermore；　Preys　upon　high　adventure；　nor　can　tire　Of　aught　but　rest。〃

Childe　Harold。




CHAPTER　I



It　is　necessary　now　to　carry　the　reader　forward　twenty…one　years；　to　the　beginning　of　the　administration　of　Valerius　Gratus；　the　fourth　imperial　governor　of　Judeaa　period　which　will　be　remembered　as　rent　by　political　agitations　in　Jerusalem；　if；　indeed；　it　be　not　the　precise　time　of　the　opening　of　the　final　quarrel　between　the　Jew　and　the　Roman。

In　the　interval　Judea　had　been　subjected　to　changes　affecting　her　in　many　ways；　but　in　nothing　so　much　as　her　political　status。　Herod　the　Great　died　within　one　year　after　the　birth　of　the　Childdied　so　miserably　that　the　Christian　world　had　reason　to　believe　him　overtaken　by　the　Divine　wrath。　Like　all　great　rulers　who　spend　their　lives　in　perfecting　the　power　they　create；　he　dreamed　of　transmitting　his　throne　and　crownof　being　the　founder　of　a　dynasty。　With　that　intent；　he　left　a　will　dividing　his　territories　between　his　three　sons；　Antipas；　Philip；　and　Archelaus；　of　whom　the　last　was　appointed　to　succeed　to　the　title。　The　testament　was　necessarily　referred　to　Augustus；　the　emperor；　who　ratified　all　its　provisions　with　one　exception：　he　withheld　from　Archelaus　the　title　of　king　until　he　proved　his　capacity　and　loyalty；　in　lieu　thereof；　he　created　him　ethnarch；　and　as　such　permitted　him　to　govern　nine　years；　when；　for　misconduct　and　inability　to　stay　the　turbulent　elements　that　grew　and　strengthened　around　him；　he　was　sent　into　Gaul　as　an　exile。

Caesar　was　not　content　with　deposing　Archelaus；　he　struck　the　people　of　Jerusalem　in　a　manner　that　touched　their　pride；　and　keenly　wounded　the　sensibilities　of　the　haughty　habitues　of　the　Temple。　He　reduced　Judea　to　a　Roman　province；　and　annexed　it　to　the　prefecture　of　Syria。　So；　instead　of　a　king　ruling　royally　from　the　palace　left　by　Herod　on　Mount　Zion；　the　city　fell　into　the　hands　of　an　officer　of　the　second　grade；　an　appointee　called　procurator；　who　communicated　with　the　court　in　Rome　through　the　Legate　of　Syria；　residing　in　Antioch。　To　make　the　hurt　more　painful；　the　procurator　was　not　permitted　to　establish　himself　in　Jerusalem；　Caesarea　was　his　seat　of　government。　Most　humiliating；　however；　most　exasperating；　most　studied；　Samaria；　of　all　the　world　the　most　despisedSamaria　was　joined　to　Judea　as　a　part　of　the　same　province！　What　ineffable　misery　the　bigoted　Separatists　or　Pharisees　endured　at　finding　themselves　elbowed　and　laughed　at　in　the　procurator's　presence　in　Caesarea　by　the　devotees　of　Gerizim！

In　this　rain　of　sorrows；　one　consolation；　and　one　only；　remained　to　the　fallen　people：　the　high…priest　occupied　the　Herodian　palace　in　the　market…place；　and　kept　the　semblance　of　a　court　there。　What　his　authority　really　was　is　a　matter　of　easy　estimate。　Judgment　of　life　and　death　was　retained　by　the　procurator。　Justice　was　administered　in　the　name　and　according　to　the　decretals　of　Rome。　Yet　more　significant；　the　royal　house　was　jointly　occupied　by　the　imperial　exciseman；　and　all　his　corps　of　assistants；　registrars；　collectors；　publicans；　informers；　and　spies。　Still；　to　the　dreamers　of　liberty　to　come；　there　was　a　certain　satisfaction　in　the　fact　that　the　chief　ruler　in　the　palace　was　a　Jew。　His　mere　presence　there　day　after　day　kept　them　reminded　of　the　covenants　and　promises　of　the　prophets；　and　the　ages　when　Jehovah　governed　the　tribes　through　the　sons　of　Aaron；　it　was　to　them　a　certain　sign　that　he　had　not　abandoned　them：　so　their　hopes　lived；　and　served　their　patience；　and　helped　them　wait　grimly　the　son　of　Judah　who　was　to　rule　Israel。

Judea　had　been　a　Roman　province　eighty　years　and　moreample　time　for　the　Caesars　to　study　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　peopletime　enough；　at　least；　to　learn　that　the　Jew；　with　all　his　pride；　could　be　quietly　governed　if　his　religion　were　respected。　Proceeding　upon　that　policy；　the　predecessors　of　Gratus　had　carefully　abstained　from　interfering　with　any　of　the　sacred　observances　of　their　subjects。　But　he　chose　a　different　course：　almost　his　first　official　act　was　to　expel　Hannas　from　the　high…priesthood；　and　give　the　place　to　Ishmael；　son　of　Fabus。

Whether　the　act　was　directed　by　Augustus；　or　proceeded　from　Gratus　himself；　its　impolicy　became　speedily　apparent。　The　reader　shall　be　spared　a　chapter　on　Jewish　politics；　a　few　words　upon　the　subject；　however；　are　essential　to　such　as　may　follow　the　succeeding　narration　critically。　At　this　time；　leaving　origin　out　of　view；　there　were　in　Judea　the　party　of　the　nobles　and　the　Separatist　or　popular　party。　Upon　Herod's　death；　the　two　united　against　Archelaus；　from　temple　to　palace；　from　Jerusalem　to　Rome；　they　fought　him；　sometimes　with　intrigue；　sometimes　with　the　actual　weapons　of　war。　More　than　once　the　holy　cloisters　on　Moriah　resounded　with　the　cries　of　fighting…men。　Finally；　they　drove　him　into　exile。　Meantime　throughout　this　struggle　the　allies　had　their　diverse　objects　in　view。　The　nobles　hated　Joazar；　the　high…priest；　the　Separatists；　on　the　other　hand；　were　his　zealous　adherents。　When　Herod's　settlement　went　down　with　Archelaus；　Joazar　shared　the　fall。　Hannas；　the　son　of　Seth；　was　selected　by　the　nobles　to　fill　the　great　office；　thereupon　the　allies　divided。　The　induction　of　the　Sethian　brought　them　face　to　face　in　fierce　hostility。

In　the　course　of　the　struggle　with　the　unfortunate　ethnarch；　the　nobles　had　found　it　expedient　to　attach　themselves　to　Rome。　Discerning　that　when　the　existing　settlement　was　broken　up　some　form　of　government　must　needs　follow；　they　suggested　the　conversion　of　Judea　into　a　province。　The　fact　furnished　the　Separatists　an　additional　cause　for　attack；　and；　when　Samaria　was　made　part　of　the　province；　the　nobles　sank　into　a　minority；　with　nothing　to　support　them　but　the　imperial　court　and　the　prestige　of　their　rank　and　wealth；　yet　for　fifteen　yearsdown；　indeed；　to　the　coming　of　Valerius　Gratusthey　managed　to　maintain　themselves　in　both　palace　and　Temple。

Hannas；　the　idol　of　his　party；　had　used　his　power　faithfully　in　the　interest　of　his　imperial　patron。　A　Roman　garrison　held　the　Tower　of　Antonia；　a　Roman　guard　kept　the　gates　of　the　palace；　a　Roman　judge　dispensed　justice　civil　and　criminal；　a　Roman　system　of　taxation；　mercilessly　executed；　crushed　both　city　and　country；　daily；　hourly；　and　in　a　thousand　ways；　the　people　were　bruised　and　galled；　and　taught　the　difference　between　a　life　of　independence　and　a　life　of　subjection；　yet　Hannas　kept　them　in　comparative　quiet。　Rome　had　no　truer　friend；　and　he　made　his　loss　instantly　felt。　Delivering　his　vestments　to　Ishmael；　the　new　appointee；　he　walked　from　the　courts　of　the　Temple　into　the　councils　of　the　Separatists；　and　became　the　head　of　a　new　combination；　Bethusian　and　Sethian。

Gratus；　the　procurator；　left　thus　without　a　party；　saw　the　fires　which；　in　the　fifteen　years；　had　sunk　into　sodden　smoke　begin　to　glow　with　returning　life。　A　month　after　Ishmael　took　the　office；　the　Roman　found　it　necessary　to　visit　him　in　Jerusalem。　When　from　the　walls；　hooting　and　hissing　him；　the　Jews　beheld　his　guard　enter　the　north　gate　of　the　city　and　march　to　the　Tower　of　Antonia；　they　understood　the　real　purpose　of　the　visita　full　cohort　of　legionaries　was　added　to　the　former　garrison；　and　the　keys　of　their　yoke　could　now　be　tightened　with　impunity。　If　the　procurator　deemed　it　important　to　make　an　example；　alas　for　the　first　offender！




CHAPTER　II



With　the　foregoing　explanation　in　mind；　the　reader　is　invited　to　look　into　one　of　the　gardens　of　the　palace　on　Mount　Zion。　The　time　was　noonday　in　the　middle　of　July；　when　the　heat　of　summer　was　at　its　highest。

The　garden　was　bounded　on　every　side　by　buildings；　which　in　places　arose　two　stories；　with　verandas　shading　the　doors　and　windows　of　the　lower　story；　while　retreating　galleries；　guarded　by　strong　balustrades；　adorned　and　protected　the　upper。　Here　and　there；　moreover；　the　structures　fell　into　what　appeared　low　colonnades；　permitting　the　passage　of　such　winds　as　chanced　to　blow；　and　allowing　other　parts　of　the　house　to　be　seen；　the　better　to　realize　its　magnitude　and　beauty。　The　arrangement　of　the　ground　was　equally　pleasant　to　the　eye。　There　were　walks；　and　patches　of　grass　and　shrubbery；　and　a　few　large　trees；　rare　specimens　of　the　palm；　grouped　with　the　carob；　apricot；　and　walnut。　In　all　directions　the　grade　sloped　gently　from　the　centre；　where　there　was　a　reservoir；　or　deep　marble　basin；　broken　at　intervals　by　little　gates　which；　when　raised；　emptied　the　water　into　sluices　bordering　the　walksa　cunning　device　for　the　rescue　of　the　place　from　the　aridity　too　prevalent　elsewhere　in　the　region。

Not　far　from　the　fountain；　there　was　a　small　pool　of　clear　water　nourishing　a　clump　of　cane　and　oleander；　such　as　grow　on　the　Jordan　and　down　by　the　Dead　Sea。　Between　the　clump　and　the　pool；　unmindful　of　the　sun　shining　full　upon　them　in　the　breathless　air；　two　boys；　one　about　nineteen；　the　other　seventeen；　sat　engaged　in　earnest　conversation。

They　were　both　handsome；　and；　at　first　glance；　would　have　been　pronounced　brothers。　Both　had　hair