The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15


am a student. Power has no charms
for me. l would rather teach, than
command men. Wisdom l prize above
all the things of life, but / prize my
conscience more. Therefore, l cannot
bow to Efus and take your gifts, for l
will not abandon my God, the only one
true God and Jesus Christ His Son, my
Redeemer."
What matter what name we wor-
ship?" said the old man. God is
Efus-Efus is God. There is but one
Creator. And even did you give up
your God: how many have done the
same? how many are doing It today,
though in other ways? They do not
even bow to Efus, but they worship
wealth. power and wisdom and give
to the material things of life the hon
or due to the Deity, the homage of the
heart which is due God"
"Do not tempt me further" I said,
1T is of no use l have decided"
He paused after l had said this and
seemed to be overcome with emotion,
but whether of joy or sorrow | could
not tell. Then mastering himself by a
powerful effort, me raised his sphinx
like face and gazing upward said, half
to himself:
AT last, o Efus! thy power on
earth is at an end"
The majesty of his mein, together
with the simplicity and sincerity OF
his language. produced in me an in
describable feeling of awe. At first l
said: He must be mad, but in a lit
tie while after we had spoken together
1 felt (although his statements were
beyond human reascn that he told
only the truth. He seemed to know
this, for he moved closer to my bed
side. and continued:
Time presses and l cannot tarry
long. The hours--nay, even the mo-
ments of my life are numbered and will
soon have passed away I say this
not with sorrow. but rather with eX-
ultation, for death is the only boon l
have craved for in vain. Therefore,
tell you that in refusing the earthly
favors l offered to you, you have done
well: for their possession has never
yet brought perfect happiness to any
man. Nay" he said as l strove to
speak, 81 know this. l sought until
my soul was sick within me- and never
till tonight did l find one who valued
conscience above the things of life.
For these things that l have told you,
you are the one ordained to relieve me
of my earthly bondage. Standing as
| am on the threshold of eternity, l
leave in your care the account Of my
Goings that men may profit by them.
Do with them as you will"
For a moment he bowed his leonine
head, as if to collect his thoughts and
then continued:
You who have studied history need
not be told the glories of our ancient
nation. The motions of the planets
the curative powers of medicines; the
studies Of philosophy and rhetoric
were taught by the Druid priesthood.
Guided by just and simple laws we
worshipped Efus in our groves of
sacred oak, and lived at peace with
the world and each other. When the
Roman legiOns invaded our land-thc
land ye now call Wales and England
we who were not versed in arms could
only bow in submission. The Romans
found amongst us a civilization in
some respects superior to their own.
Their philosophers came to our ISL
and and found that we could improve
upon their systems; their astronomers
ing. But when they had obtained
from us all that they sought by
courtesy, the edict went forth that the
Druid priesthood menaced the safety
of the Empire. Our priests were
driven from the island at the point OF
the sword, or put to death. Those who
escaped made their way across the
| channel to Brittany country on the
west coast of France. 1t was after
this migration and during the reign OF
the emperor called Augustus, that
was born there.
This statement terrifies you. Well
before l finish you will judge me more
| deserving of pity than of terror. My
earliest recollection is of a pleasant
| spot near the ocean. Then / remem-
| Der a night of horrOr-the cries of my
| countrymen, the clash of swords and
| afterwards long journey in the arms
of some one on horseback. That night
| the survivors of the former massacre
We're slain by the Romans. My father
| and mother We're both killed, but my
| uncle, DiVitiacus, the arch-prest, es-
capped with me to the mountains OF
| Britain. There, in an inaccessible
| mountain region, l was reared and
| received my education. Like primitive
man we lived in a cave, and lived
! only for ourselves. Druidic learning
was never con1ided to writing, and so
| the mind of my uncle was better thar
a Roman library. Before 1 was six
teen l had mcmorized all of the twenty.
| four thousand verses comprising the
education of a Druid priest. Divitia.
Gus, in his flight, did not forget to take
with him his Instruments for viewing
the heavens; and when 1 had finished
in rhetoric, physics and medicine, he
| applied me to the study of astronomy
| and astrOlogy.
From my childhood, until left the
| mountain in my twentieth year,
never saw the face of man other thar
| that of DiVitiacus. The mountain |:
an admirable place for contemplation
and study-perhaps we are nearer
heaven there; however, went fur
ther in my reasoning than my uncle
taught me. The religion of the Druidl
seemed to me to be incomplete. True
we worshipped but one God; we be
lieved in the Immortality of the soul
| and a future state of reward or pun
ishment; Notwithstanding, / felt tina
there was something unsatisfactorS
something lacking in the whole. Th'
destruction of our religion by the Ro
mans had a depressing effect upon me
and, again and again-though l strov,
hard to suppress 1.-THE thought cam
to me: If our religion were divine
it would not be destroyed, for thing
divine are of eternity. l dared no
confess my doubts to my uncle, for
| pOnlH mot confirm than and I did no
wish to embltter the old mans almos
completed life.
"One night, II was in the tenth montl