The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-01-31

Peter ard Pau On thcir mission OF
spreading tie pew. religion If Christ ;
Penpaea, VIE Vi Nero. beautiful az Il
Grea.l uut wicked as a nightmare
Eunige the charming slave u Perro'
MUS: CulIO, WHY Greek VITO can he
Oh. sr5an or pagan as profit lends him
I'rS.s. prndigious in his strength. Siu-
Die - Il child in his faith in Christ
AMI III. devotion to I.y&ja from whom
C. T.. !. may have drawn Su&geN-
f,l Il, "AndrocleS aud tAp L-on), ant
msfl minor folk who help 10 make Tx
story stand out as unusually human
among The numerous tales of Gr"c"
Roman times.
When Vinicius told his uuc.e Petr"
Mas u his passion for Lyg.l, the LAT
Ter th0uzht nothing was easier than
10 rrovide his nephew with what he
regarded as q new playthin@; word
10 Nero. who as emperor had all hos
taccS in his care-summOn the maiden
TO the palace. hand her over to the
Young patrician as her guardian-Whal
more c1u'I be needed TO satisfy any
ones lIc eS, especially as ne r'aide1
manifestty was pleased with >iniciuS'
But Petronius and his nephew recK
oned without new force thar had en-
tered into this Roman world. They
could not understand a g.ri nho flc1
from Ner0S court and al its H"gniti-
ccnce. fed even from ii" l0y"r whom
She loved. But Finally I" understood
this, which he and petru4..a~ hal net
uuders God. that the new religion. ell
grated into the soul something un-
known to that world in which he lived.
and that Lygia, even if she loved him,
would not sacrifice any Of her Chris
tan truths for his sake. and thar, II
pleasure existed for her, it was a
pleasure different altogether from that
which he and PetrOnius and Caesars
court. and all Rome were pursuing.
Every other woman whom he knew
might become his mistress. but that
Christian would only become his vie
tim. And VI IN he thought of this, he
felt anger and burning pain, for he felt
that his anger was pOWerleSS. To
carry off Lygia seemed TO him posi-
bic; he was even sure that he could
10 so, but he was equally sure that, in
view of her religion, he himself, with
his bravery, was nothing, that his pow
ar was nothing. and that through it he
could effect nothing. That Roman
military tribune, convinced that the
0ower of the sword and the fist, which
lad conquered the world, would com
nand it forever, said for the first time
II his life that beyond that power
here might be something else; hence
ne asked himself with amaZcment what
t was"
Ii is g definite and concrete way that
he author has chosen to show the
power of the new religion over human
lives. Struggle as he would, backed
by birth, by wealth and all the beauty,
charm and allurements that wealth
could bring, by the ingenuity and wit
of Petronius, by the strOng-arm meth
DDS of Croton, champion bruiSer OF
his time, even by the force Of the
known world in Nero's sway, Vinicius
could accomplish nothing if all he
could win to himself was a mere IN
willing body, while soul and spirit
were beyond his grasp. And the mad
dening part to him was that he owed
all his troubles to the teachings of a
parcel of Jewish fishermen or their
- ell
had never before entered into serious
consideration in the thoughts Of pa
trician like himself. 1t was a long
struggle with him, and as the reader
follows the various people of the story
through their part in the action, ne
gets an admirable picture of Rome
Nero, tyrant, actor and artist, with all
MS magnifcence and all his debauch-
cries; the poor and humble In their
crowded quarters Of the great city
the delight Of all the senses in the life
led by Petronius; the lawleSs streets
of Rome by night; the pursuit of Lygta
by Vinicius and his hirelings, result
ing in the death of his professional
bruiser Croton at the hands of the
faithful Ursus, and the disaster to
Vinicius which led % his nursing back
to health by the Christians; his meet
ing with Peter and Paul; the gradual
opening of his eyes, physical and spir-
ituaI; his discovery Of Christians
everywhere, among the people, among
his own slaves, among soldiers and Off
GERS, even in the very court of Nero.
And the growing worry and astonish-
ment of Petronius:
"'vinicius, thou art losing sense,
Judgment, moderation exclaimed Pc
troniuS.
81 love only her in the world re-
sponded Vinicius.
"'TNhat of thatT
This, that I wish no other love.
I have no wish for your life, your
feasts, your shamelessness, your
crimes
"What is taking place in thee? Art
thou a ChristianT"
And then the great fire of Rome,
set by Tigellinus that Nero might not
lack the experience of Priam, who had
seen Troy burn; Of rescuing Lygia
from the flames the persecution of the
Christians with the thought Of throw
ing on them the rage Of the people
At the burning of the city; the
out Of Lygia by the hate Of
Poppaea because Vinicius had spurned
the empress proffered charms; the
final rescue by a miracle Of strength
on the part Of the ever-faithful Ursus,
and the words Of Vinicius to Peter:
"'What thou commanded I will
do
"Tove men as thy own brothers,
answered the apostle, for only with