She looked

her illuminated her features. ent as if the reality had been suddenly reer, and had stood forth in all its glory. not despair,' continued Gracchus, of the hemselves doing something toward the reof that which they have wantonly and foolishly

hey cannot give life to the dead, and therebut little that they can do at best,' said 'They may indeed rebuild the Temple of but they cannot give us back the godlike Longinus, and kindle within it that intellec light over the world; they may raise agai

of the citizen's humble dwelling, but the e-animate the bodies of the slaughtered mul and call them out from their trenches to peopl e silent streets.'

7 cannot indeed,' rejoined Gracchus; the do everything--they may not do anything ink they will, and that the Emperor himsel eason returns, will himself set the exampl m you, Lucius, when once more in Rom look for substantial aid in disposing favourab id both of Aurelian and the Senate.' in never be more happily employed,' I replie in serving either you or Palmyra. You w powerful advocate also in Zenobia.'

,' said Gracchus, if her life be spared, whi or some time be still quite uncertain. AF g the triumph of Aurelian, she, like Longin e offered as a new largess to the still-hunger s.'

ay, there I think, Gracchus, you do Aurel justice. Although he has bound himself

262

no oath, yet virtually is he sworn to spare Zenobia-
and his least word is true as his sword.'

Thus have we passed the last days and hours of my residence here. I should in vain attempt, my Curtius, to tell you how strongly I am bound to this place to this kingdom and city, and above all to those who survive this destruction. No Palmyrene can lament with more sincerity than I the whirlwind of desolation that has passed over them, obliterating almost their place and name-nor from any one do there ascend more fervent prayers that prosperity may yet return, and these wide-spread ruins again rise and glow in their ancient beauty. Rome has by former acts of unparalleled barbarism covered her name with reproach, but by none has she so drenched it in guilt as by this wanton annihilation-for so do I regard -of one of the fairest cities and kingdoms of the earth. The day of Aurelian's triumph may be a day of triumph to him, but to Rome it will be a day of never-forgotten infamy.

263

LETTER XVIII.

FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.

st that you have safely received the lett as we entered the Tiber, I was fortuna to place on board a vessel bound directly

In that I have told you of my journey a and have said many other things of m ience still, both to you, Gracchus, and myse w write to you from my own dwelling up lian, where I have been these many days t tervened since the date of my former let have waited impatiently to hear from I hope that shall now atone for what 1 a too long delay, by telling you of those g whom you wish chiefly to hear and kno ia and Julia,

t first let me say that I have found Porti 1, and as happy as she could be after her b pointment in Calpurnius. This has prov =rtune less only than the loss of our father

That a Piso should live, and be other th an; that he should live and bear arms ag ountry- this has been to her one of those

264

plicable mysteries in the providence of the gods that
has tasked her piety to the utmost. In vain has she
scrutinised her life to discover what fault has drawn
down upon her and her house this heavy retribution.
Yet her grief is lightened by what I have told her of
the conduct of Calpurnius at Antioch and Emesa. At
such times, when I have related the events of those
great days, and the part which my brother took, the
pride of the Roman has yielded to that of the mother,
and she has not been able to conceal her satisfaction.
'Ah,' she would say, 'my brave boy! That was like
him! I warrant Zabdas himself was not greater!
What might he not be, were he but in Rome!'

Portia is never weary with inquiring into every-
thing relating to yourself and Gracchus. My letters,
many and minute as they have been, so far from satis-
fying her, serve only as themes for new and endless
conversations, in which, as well as I am able, I set
before her my whole life while in Palmyra, and every
event, from the conversation at the table or in the
porticos, to the fall of the city and the death of Lon-
ginus.
So great is her desire to know all concerning
the 'hero Fausta,' and so unsatisfying is the all that
I can say, that I shall not wonder if, after the cere-
mony of the triumph, she should herself propose a
journey to Palmyra, to see you once more with her
own eyes, and once more fold you in her arms. You
will rejoice to be told that she bewails, even with
tears, the ruin of the city, and the cruel massacre of
She condemns the Emperor in lan-
guage as strong as you or I should use. The slaugh-
ter of Sandarion and his troops she will by no means
allow to be a sufficient justification of the act.
of her opinion are all the chief citizens of Rome.

its inhabitants.

And

I

The

gree

Was

80

res ad

610

found Curtius and Lucilia also in health. at their villa upon the Tiber. The first to here were Laco and Colia. Their gratitude ing and oppressive. Indeed there is no duty to receive with grace the thanks of those u have obliged. Curtius is for once satisfied ve performed with fidelity the part of a cor t. He even wonders at my diligence. Th eis, I believe for the first time, fairly on m ugh you can yourself bear testimony, havin 1 his epistles, how many he wrote, and wit idness and exactness he made Rome to pas S. I think he will not be prevented from to you by anything I can say. He drops i y, Lucilia sometimes with him, and nev still he has exhausted his prepared question ing you, and the great events which have take there remaining innumerable points to a ma xact turn of mind, about which he must insi ller and more careful information. I think w up a history of the war. I hope he will could do it better.

lian, you will have heard, upon leaving P nstead of continuing on the route upon whi out toward Emesa and Antioch, turned aside in order to put down by one of his sudd ents the Egyptian merchant Firmus, who, w is for war greater than for traffic, had pla fat the head of the people, and proclaimed th Indence of Rome. As the friend and ally ia-although he could render her during 10 assistance-I must pity his misfortunes d. News has just reached us that his arm been defeated, he himself taken and put to de