The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-04-05
NUMBER g.

AlctoEs moVeas making largo room among tne
| crowd. sejanus appeared in the robes Of q
prntor and Paulus and his friend ThellEs
found themselves borne along, like leaves in
o stream, toward the back Of the Mamusran
palace, in q large room on the ground floor Of
| which they presently behsld tho big, dusky-
colored man Of City or thereabouts, with the
long, rudy, gray.streaked beard, standing
bsfore o sort of bar. Behind the bar, ON o
chair of state, like the curule chair OF the
senator's, Augustus was sitting A crowd Of
famous persona, many Of whom we have
already had occasion to mention, stood behind
him, and on either hand Livy, Lueius Yaxius.
Haterius, Domitius Afer, Antistius Labio,
Germanicus, and Tiberius Cesar were there.
In q row behind were Cneius Piso, Pontius
PLATE. and the boy Herod Agrippa.
"And go" said Augustus, you tell Us you
| are the son of Herod the Great, as he 10 called;
| in other words, Herod the Idumean; his SON
| Alexander Z"
"we have SEEM" said Paulus to Thellus, in
! q whisper, the fate of dog; We are now to
! learn that of king, D pretender to the
| dignity"
"Great and dread commander, such am"
| answered the red-bearded big, dark man.
"Bus," said Augustus, "the accredited
| rumor runs that Herod Condemned his two
sons, Aristobulus and Alexander, to death.
Nay, fave the official report sent to me at
the time by the project Of Syria, and letters
from Herod the Idum@an himself"
"Herod condemned them, but the execu-
TONER killed others instead" answered the
Jew. "Izey escaped to sidon."
"TRen and they ?" said Augustus" you mean
that others were executed instead of themH
eyes, my commander"
"Why do you not" pursued Augustus, "say
instead Of u.s."
az do not understand" replied the Jew.
care you not" asked Augustus, " one Of
| ttemf" '"t
al am the son of Herod."
"You speak as though you had gone ont Of
that persons. You speak rather like q historian
than like o sufferer and an actor. You are
| talking Of yourself and your brother, yet you
say they, not ICE !"
"Such is the style of the east, emperor.
"Pardon me-" said Augustus; know tho
fstyle of the east perfectly well. Solve me
now another difficulty: also well knew Hofod
| the Idum@an, many cases connected with
| whom were litigated before me, and decided
by me. Now, never knew man who, having
determined that anybody was to die. took
such naethodical pains to carry that deternina-
ton into effect. He dealt largely n executions;
land If there was person in the world, 1s was
| Herod, who saw with his own eyes that his
intended executions should be realities"
"Mine was not" said the Jew, and laugh
arose in court "An the jews in Sidon know
that am Alexander, son of Herod all those
| in Crete know it all those in Melas know it
and when landed at Dicearchia, all the Jews
received me as their king; and you are not
ignorant, great emperor, that thousands ofny
countrymen in Rome, the other DAY, carried me
upon q royal litter through the streets, ana
clothed me in royal robes and ornaments, ana
received me. wherever went, with shOuts' of
welcome as Herod's SON." @ .
"And you have ther," replied AugustSS.
after pause, ''boen nurtured asa royal person
lie In the east ~
"AlWayS," answered the Jew.
"I mysslf," returned Augustus, have seen
and known the son Alexander, as Weii as his
father Herod and though you are not unlike
the rOn, yet y0u-shO~ me yoar hands."
The Jew stretched forth his hands.
"Thoss hands have tOiled from infancy. Un-
cover your neck and shoulders"
This was done.
Augustus immedistely ordered the room to
DO cleared and il WA afterward kRown that
he had extoFted confession Of his inPostRrs
from this Alexander; and that, Sparing his
life, he condemned him TO row one of the state
galleys in chains for the rest Of his days
"Not much like dotage, AL this" muttersd
Tiberius to CneiusPiso -,- .5, 49,. ann.
Tho eastern-lOoking youth, holding the hand
Of the child Caius Caligulas and followed By
Pontius PLATE, waited for Augustus In pas
sage - through which Paulus snd ThsllOA