XXIX.

Now about the same time there was in that city a public assembly in

honour of the false gods, and the king must needs be present at the

feast, and grace it with lavish sacrifices. But the temple-keepers,

seeing that he was careless and lukewarm with regard to their worship,

feared that he might neglect to be present in their temple, and that

they might lose the royal largess, and the rest of their revenues. So

they arose, and withdrew to a cavern situate in the depth of the

desert, where dwelt a man who busied himself with magical arts, and was

a fervent champion of the error of idolatry. Theudas was his name. Him

the king honoured exceedingly, and counted him his friend and teacher,

because, he said, it was by the guidance of his prophecies that his

kingdom ever prospered. So these idol-priests, that were no priests,

came to him, and appealed to him for help, and made known to him the

evil opinion of their gods which was growing on their king, and all

that the king's son had done, and all the eloquent discourse that

Nachor had held against them. And they said, "Except thou come thyself

to our succour, gone is all hope! and lost is all the reverence of the

gods. Thou only art left to be our comfort in this misfortune, and upon

thee we fix our hopes."

So forth marched Theudas, in company with his Satanic host; and he

armed himself against the truth, invoking many of his evil spirits, who

knew how to lend ready aid for evil ends, and whom he alway used for

his ministers; and with these allies he came to the king. When his

arrival had been announced to the king, and he had entered in, with a

palm-staff in his hand and a sheep-skin girt about his loins, the king

arose from his throne, and met and welcomed him; and, fetching a seat,

he made him to sit down beside him. Then spake Theudas unto the king,

"O king, live for ever under the shelter of the favour of the most

puissant gods! I have heard that thou hast foughten a mighty fight with

the Galileans, and hast been crowned with right glorious diadems of

victory. Wherefore I am come, that we may celebrate together a feast

of thanksgiving, and sacrifice to the immortal gods young men in the

bloom of youth and well-favoured damsels, and eke offer them an

hecatomb of bullocks and herds of beasts, that we may have them from

henceforth for our allies invincible, making plain our path of life

before us."

Hereto the king made answer, "We have not conquered, aged sir, we have

not conquered: nay, rather have we been defeated in open fight. They

that were for us turned suddenly against us. They found our host a

wild, half-drunken, feeble folk, and utterly overthrew it. But now, if

there be with thee any power and strength to help our fallen religion

and set it up again, declare it."

Theudas replied in this wise, "Dread not, O king, the oppositions and

vain babblings of the Galileans: for of what worth against reasonable

and sensible men are the arguments that they use? These methinks shall

be more easily overthrown than a leaf shaken with the wind. They shall

not endure to face me, far less join argument, or come to propositions

and oppositions with me. But, in order that the coming contest and all

our wishes may prosper, and that our matters may run smoothly with the

stream, adorn thou with thy presence this public festival, and gird on

for thy strong sword the favour of the gods, and well befall thee!"

When the mighty in wickedness had thus boasted himself and thought of

mischief all the day long (let David bear his part in our chorus), and

when, as saith Esay, he had given his neighbour a drink of turbid

dregs, by the help of the evil spirits his comrades he made the king

utterly to forget the thoughts that inclined him to salvation, and

caused him again to cleave to his wonted ways. Then the king

despatched letters hither and thither, that all men should gather

together to this loathsome assembly. Then mightest thou have seen

multitudes streaming in, and bringing with them sheep and oxen and

divers kinds of beasts.

So when all were assembled, the king arose, with that deceiver Theudas,

and proceeded to the temple, bringing one hundred and twenty bullocks

and many animals for sacrifice. And they celebrated their accursed

feast till the city resounded with the cry of the brute beasts and the

very air was polluted with the reek of sacrifice. This done, when the

spirits of wickedness had greatly vaunted them over Theudas' victory,

and when the temple-keepers had rendered him thanks, the king went up

again unto his palace, and said milo Theudas, "Behold now, as thou

badest us, we have spared no pains over the splendour of this gathering

and the lavishness of the sacrifice. Now, therefore, it is time for

thee to fulfil thy promises, and to deliver from the error of the

Christians my son that hath rebelled against our religion, and to

reconcile him to our gracious gods. For, though I have left no device

and deed untried, yet have I found no remedy for the mischief, but I

perceive that his will is stronger than all. When I have dealt gently

and kindly with him, I have found that he payeth me no regard

whatsoever. When I have treated him harshly and severely, I have seen

him driven the quicker to desperation. To thy wisdom for the future I

leave the care of this calamity that hath befallen me. If then I be

delivered from this trouble by thy means, and once more behold my son

worshipping my gods with me, and enjoying the gratification of this

life of pleasure, and this royal estate, I will set up unto thee a

golden statue, and make thee to receive divine honours from all men for

all time to come."

Hereupon Theudas, bowing an attentive ear to the evil one, and learning

from him the secret of his evil and deadly counsel, became himself the

devil's tongue and mouthpiece, and spake unto the king, "If thou wilt

get the better of thy son, and make his opposition vain, I have

discovered a plan, which he shall in no wise be able to resist, but his

hard and obdurate mind shall melt quicker than wax before the hottest

fire." The king, seeing this foolish fellow swelling with empty pride,

immediately grew merry and joyful, hoping that the unbridled and

boastful tongue would get the mastery of that divinely instructed and

philosophic soul. "And what is the plan?" he asked. Then began Theudas

to weave his web. He made his villainy sharp as any razor and did

cunningly prepare his drugs. Now behold this malicious device and

suggestion of the evil one. "Remove, O king," said he, "all thy son's

waiting men and servants far from him, and order that comely damsels,

of exceeding beauty, and bedizened to be the more winsome, be

continually with him and minister to him, and be his companions day and

night. For myself, I will send him one of the spirits told off for

such duties, and I will thus kindle all the more fiercely the coals of

sensual desire. After that he hath once only had intercourse with but

one of these women, if all go not as thou wilt, then disdain me for

ever, as unprofitable, and worthy not of honour but of dire punishment.

For there is nothing like the sight of women to allure and enchant the

minds of men. Listen to a story that beareth witness to my word."