Quo Vadis - Henryk Sienkiewicz (best ereader under 100 .txt) 📗

heads altogether, and, forgetting

to flee, waited stupidly till the flames seized them. Some fell into

bewilderment, others howled in despair; I saw some also who howled from

delight. O lord, there are many bad people in the world who know not

how to value the benefactions of your mild rule, and those just laws in

virtue of which ye take from all what they have and give it to

yourselves. People will not be reconciled to the will of God!”

 

Vinicius was too much occupied with his own thoughts to note the irony

quivering in Chilo’s words. A shudder of terror seized him at the

simple thought that Lygia might be in the midst of that chaos on those

terrible streets where people’s entrails were trampled on. Hence, though

he had asked at least ten times of Chilo touching all which the old man

could know, he turned to him once again,—

 

“But hast thou seen them in Ostrianum with thy own eyes?”

 

“I saw them, O son of Venus; I saw the maiden, the good Lygian, holy

Linus, and the Apostle Peter.”

 

“Before the fire?”

 

“Before the fire, O Mithra!”

 

But a doubt rose in the soul of Vinicius whether Chilo was not lying;

hence, reining his mule in, he looked threateningly at the old Greek and

inquired,—

 

“What wert thou doing there?”

 

Chilo was confused. True, it seemed to him, as to many, that with the

destruction of Rome would come the end also of Roman dominion. But he

was face to face with Vinicius; he remembered that the young soldier had

prohibited him, under a terrible threat, from watching the Christians,

and especially Linus and Lygia.

 

“Lord,” said he, “why dost thou not believe that I love them? I do. I

was in Ostrianum, for I am half a Christian. Pyrrho has taught me to

esteem virtue more than philosophy; hence I cleave more and more to

virtuous people. And, besides, I am poor; and when thou, O Jove, wert

at Antium, I suffered hunger frequently over my books; therefore I sat

at the wall of Ostrianum, for the Christians, though poor, distribute

more alms than all other inhabitants of Rome taken together.”

 

This reason seemed sufficient to Vinicius, and he inquired less

severely,—

 

“And dost thou not know where Linus is dwelling at this moment?”

 

“Thou didst punish me sharply on a time for curiosity,” replied the

Greek.

 

Vinicius ceased talking and rode on.

 

“O lord,” said Chilo, after a while, “thou wouldst not have found the

maiden but for me, and if we find her now, thou wilt not forget the

needy sage?”

 

“Thou wilt receive a house with a vineyard at Ameriola.”

 

“Thanks to thee, O Hercules! With a vineyard? Thanks to thee! Oh,

yes, with a vineyard!”

 

They were passing the Vatican Hill now, which was ruddy from the fire;

but beyond the Naumachia they turned to the right, so that when they had

passed the Vatican Field they would reach the river, and, crossing it,

go to the Flaminian Gate. Suddenly Chilo reined in his mule,

and said,—

 

“A good thought has come to my head, lord!”

 

“Speak!” answered Vinicius.

 

“Between the Janiculum and the Vatican Hill, beyond the gardens of

Agrippina, are excavations from which stones and sand were taken to

build the Circus of Nero. Hear me, lord. Recently the Jews, of whom,

as thou knowest, there is a multitude in Trans-Tiber, have begun to

persecute Christians cruelly. Thou hast in mind that in the time of the

divine Claudius there were such disturbances that Cæsar was forced to

expel them from Rome. Now, when they have returned, and when, thanks to

the protection of the Augusta, they feel safe, they annoy Christians

more insolently. I know this; I have seen it. No edict against

Christians has been issued; but the Jews complain to the prefect of the

city that Christians murder infants, worship an ass, and preach a

religion not recognized by the Senate; they beat them, and attack their

houses of prayer so fiercely that the Christians are forced to hide.”

 

“What dost thou wish to say?” inquired Vinicius.

 

“This, lord, that synagogues exist openly in the Trans-Tiber; but that

Christians, in their wish to avoid persecution, are forced to pray in

secret and assemble in ruined sheds outside the city or in sand-pits.

Those who dwell in the Trans-Tiber have chosen just that place which was

excavated for the building of the Circus and various houses along the

Tiber. Now, when the city is perishing, the adherents of Christ are

praying. Beyond doubt we shall find a countless number of them in the

excavation; so my advice is to go in there along the road.”

 

“But thou hast said that Linus has gone to Ostrianum,” cried Vinicius

impatiently.

 

“But thou has promised me a house with a vineyard at Ameriola,” answered

Chilo; “for that reason I wish to seek the maiden wherever I hope to

find her. They might have returned to the Trans-Tiber after the

outbreak of the fire. They might have gone around outside the city, as

we are doing at this momnent. Linus has a house, perhaps he wished to

be nearer his house to see if the fire had seized that part of the city

also. If they have returned, I swear to thee, by Persephone, that we

shall find them at prayer in the excavation; in the worst event, we

shall get tidings of them.”

 

“Thou art right; lead on!” said the tribune.

 

Chilo, without hesitation, turned to the left toward the hill.

 

For a while the slope of the hill concealed the conflagration, so that,

though the neighboring heights were in the light, the two men were in

the shade. When they had passed the Circus, they turned still to the

left, and entered a kind of passage completely dark. But in that

darkness Vinicius saw swarms of gleaming lanterns.

 

“They are there,” said Chilo. “There will be more of them to-day than

ever, for other houses of prayer are burnt or are filled with smoke, as

is the whole Trans-Tiber.”

 

“True!” said Vinicius, “I hear singing.”

 

In fact, the voices of people singing reached the hill from the dark

opening, and the lanterns vanished in it one after the other. But from

side passages new forms appeared continually, so that after some time

Vinicius and Chilo found themselves amid a whole assemblage of people.

 

Chilo slipped from his mule, and, beckoning to a youth who sat near,

said to him,—“I am a priest of Christ and a bishop. Hold the mules for

us; thou wilt receive my blessing and forgiveness of sins.”

 

Then, without waiting for an answer, he thrust the reins into his hands,

and, in company with Vinicius, joined the advancing throng.

 

They entered the excavation after a while, and pushed on through the

dark passage by the dim light of lanterns till they reached a spacious

cave, from which stone had been taken evidently, for the walls were

formed of fresh fragments.

 

It was brighter there than in the corridor, for, in addition to tapers

and lanterns, torches were burning. By the light of these Vinicius saw

a whole throng of kneeling people with upraised hands. He could not see

Lygia, the Apostle Peter, or Linus, but he was surrounded by faces

solenm and full of emotion. On some of them expectation or alarm was

evident; on some, hope. Light was reflected in the whites of their

upraised eyes; perspiration was flowing along their foreheads, pale as

chalk; some were singing hymns, others were repeating feverishly the

name of Jesus, some were beating their breasts. It was apparent that

they expected something uncommon at any moment.

 

Meanwhile the hymn ceased, and above the assembly, in a niche formed by

the removal of an immense stone, appeared Crispus, the acquaintance of

Vinicius, with a face as it were half delirious, pale, stern, and

fanatical. All eyes were turned to him, as though waiting for words of

consolation and hope. After he had blessed the assembly, he began in

hurried, almost shouting tones,—

 

“Bewail your sins, for the hour has come! Behold the Lord has sent down

destroying flames on Babylon, on the city of profligacy and crime. The

hour of judgment has struck, the hour of wrath and dissolution. The

Lord has promised to come, and soon you will see Him. He will not come

as the Lamb, who offered His blood for your sins, but as an awful judge,

who in His justice will hurl sinners and unbelievers into the pit. Woe

to the world, woe to sinners! there will be no mercy for them. I see

Thee, O Christ! Stars are falling to the earth in showers, the sun is

darkened, the earth opens in yawning gulfs, the dead rise from their

graves, but Thou art moving amid the sound of trumpets and legions of

angels, amid thunders and lightnings. I see Thee, I hear Thee, O

Christ!”

 

Then he was silent, and, raising his eyes, seemed to gaze into something

distant and dreadful. That moment a dull roar was heard in the cave,—

once, twice, a tenth time, in the burning city whole streets of partly

consumed houses began to fall with a crash. But most Christians took

those sounds as a visible sign that the dreadful hour was approaching;

belief in the early second coming of Christ and in the end of the world

was universal among them, now the destruction of the city had

strengthened it. Terror seized the assembly. Many voices repeated,

“The day of judgment! Behold, it is coming!” Some covered their faces

with their hands, believing that the earth would be shaken to its

foundation, that beasts of hell would rush out through its openings and

hurl themselves on sinners. Others cried, “Christ have mercy on us!”

“Redeemer, be pitiful!” Some confessed their sins aloud; others cast

themselves into the arms of friends, so as to have some near heart with

them in the hour of dismay.

 

But there were faces which seemed rapt into heaven, faces with smiles

not of earth; these showed no fear. In some places were heard voices;

those were of people who in religious excitement had begun to cry out

unknown words in strange languages. Some person in a dark corner cried,

“Wake thou that sleepest!” Above all rose the shout of Crispus, “Watch

ye! watch ye!”

 

At moments, however, silence came, as if all were holding the breath in

their breasts, and waiting for what would come. And then was heard the

distant thunder of parts of the city falling into ruins, after which

were heard again groans and cries,—“Renounce earthly riches, for soon

there will be no earth beneath your feet! Renounce earthly loves, for

the Lord will condemn those who love wife or child more than Him. Woe

to the one who loves the creature more than the Creator! Woe to the

rich! woe to the luxurious! woe to the dissolute! woe to husband, wife,

and child!”

 

Suddenly a roar louder than any which had preceded shook the quarry.

All fell to the earth, stretching their arms in cross form to ward away

evil spirits by that figure. Silence followed, in which was heard only

panting breath, whispers full of terror, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” and in

places the weeping of children. At that moment a certain calm voice

spoke above that prostrate multitude,—

 

“Peace be with you!”

 

That was the voice of Peter the Apostle, who had entered the cave a

moment earlier. At the sound of his voice terror passed at once, as it

passes from a flock in which the shepherd has appeared. People rose from

the