The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-19

was stoned ey them as oiasphenscr. According 10 Lucian, when Marcus Au- relius began his war with the Marco u,auni. which was the occasion of the celebrated story in christian mythology of the Thnndenng Legion. he applied to Alexander. and wAs told that if he de. voted two lions ,o the gods. and threw them into the Danube. the issue of the campaign would be fortunate. The em- percr jos, a disastrous battle. but Alex ander saved his credi; with R1niian. at least, by showing him ,hat f-scalapius had foretold victory. but had neg lecied to say by which side il would be won.
 8 troublesome had the visits of skep- tieal Romans become that .fscalapius was finally compelled to order strangers 10 hal; without the city aad no, so cater l, w,,hou, his permission. Lepidus made another effort 10 entrap the prophet, bu, his messenger, on beng assured thai in a future life he would be d prophet like Alexander. deserted to the enemy Finally Iucian himself undertook to un- raSel the uysteres- Rutilians friendship secured him respectful treatment. and he was. he owns, struck by the prophets manners and appearance. but. fortified with hls unbelief in the supernatural, the Italian visitor soon opened the campaign. He plied the oracle wi,h unusual qaes- ,ians such as Does Alexander wear false hair: :" and sealed the envelopes so that they could xot bc tempered with. The oracle returned answers m an unknown tongue. Then Lncian. finding that Alex ander was edeavcr,ng 10 pump his ,al>t. put in two envelopes the same question !: Where was Homer born ~ and drop ped hint to the servant that he had in- quired wha, would cure him of pain in the side, and whether he should return to Italy by land or sea. In duo course the oracle answered: "Try Aiexandcr's plaster" and "A voyage will prove dan gerous." Then Lucian asked: "When will the villanies of Alexander be ex- posed." and made note on the back of the envelope that it contained eight ques- tions- The seal held good, and the oracle returned eight answers in an un- known tongue With shis evidence Lueian went to Ku,ilian-and lost Ru,il ian $ friendship.
 The kcen-wi,,cd Roman had now be- come interested on his own account, and returned to the temple. accompanied by 2 Roman guard. He neglected to pay his ohe.sance io the Seandse ef the eongfe gatlan. and when Alexander gave hlm h,s haad to kIss bl' it te the bone The Wofshper shreked. and. hu, ief tu- eian : sGaId. would have torn han in pfeees bu, Alcxandei bafe the pam man taiY. L. the Rom su sa3pilse and real 4iaita;4e, and iel.4as Als friends ,hat he and his god had fu4ed rndcf ,pIuts h..ae them leave hm alone with hl= Sis- Hef. At hen they were alone he asked iaetan quietly why a person whose aC- 9a.untance ne hal valued vas fespi,cd ,9 be his enemy. Tha, he Fl ..h, study the prophet at his leisure. luclan accepted h,s overture. and remained for some days his guest, and though Alexander did not succeed m disarming his visitors sus- pieions. he did soften the Sehemence of that visitors dislike. He was SO clever. So weli-informed, and apparently SO frank and open that Lucian said he would have deceived Epicurus himself. The search for evidence was dropped. the guard dis missed, and the skept,c even accepted Alexanders offer to send him by water 10 the Bosphorus. In one of the prophets best vessels. loaded with gifts. he sci sail from Abono,ichus and had no, been long at sea when he found that the pilot had orders ,o knock him on the head and drop him overboafd' The pilot. how ever, being unwilling to stain his con science with a murder, and possibly be- cause he knew Iucian to be a person about whose disappearance there would be an outcry, agreed to set hts passenger ashore m Biihynia. Lueian laid his s,oy before the governor, but was assured that even fl he could convict Alexander upon the dearest evidence, !, would he impos- s,ble to bring him to justice or to shake the popular belief in hun. So Lucian got of with his life and the materials for his book: RutiiIan was abandoned to fate, and the daughter of the moon and the prophe, of Abono,ichus was established far above the reach of ealumny. The emperor bestowed distinctions on him the name of his town was changed coins were struck bearing hrs head on one side and the sweet one'sr face on the other and he died in old age. with his fame un- dmmed and the popular belief in him unshaken. What became of the serpent we are not told, bu, the oracle certainly continued 10 prophecy after his death, and there was squabble among his dis ciples as to which of them should suc- ceed him. The dispute being referred to Kutilian. he decided that no successor was needed, as Alexander vas not dead, but had only been translated into a bet fer world. whence he watched over his faithful followers.