Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

For wo do not receive these tilings as common bre;ul and coin
nion drink; but as both flesh and blood of that same incarnate
Josu.s. "
"According to this,' remarked Lydia, "we are taught, that
as soon as the thanksgiving is pronounced over the bread, it becomes
the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, and passes over into
our flesh and blood, to nourish our souls. " " The Apostles," she
read on, "in the memoirs composed by them, which arc called
Gospels, have delivered, that Jesus gave them this injunction:
that, having taken bread and given thanks, lie said; This do
in remembrance of me; this is my body, and that, in like manner,
having taken the cup and given thanks, He said: Thts is my
blood."
" We have also, on that day, which is called after the sun, an
assembly in one place, of all who dwell in the cities or country,
and the memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings of the prophets
are read. Then, when the reader has ceased, the president de-
livers a discourse, in which he reminds and exhorts to the imita-
tion of these good things. We then all rise together and pray;
and when we have ceased from prayer, bread is brought, and
wine and water; and the president m like manner, offers up
prayers and thanksgiving with his utmost power, and the
people assent by saying, Amen. Those who are able, give money,
according to their means. The president takes charge of the
collection, and distributes it to the orphans, the widows, the
sick, to those in prison, and to strangers: in short, he is the
guardian of the oppressed.
This meeting is held on Sunday, because this is the day on
which Jesus Christ, our Redeemer rose from the dead.
" So far as this appears to you truthful and reasonable, so give
it due esteem. If it appears to you only empty talk, despise it.
But do not condemn harmless men to death as enemies. But
we tell you beforehand that as long as you persevere in injustice,
you will not be able to escape the judgment of God. But we
exclaim let it be done as it pleaseth God."
The learned Grecian listened to the Apologia with attention.
She knew well the impression it had made on the noble Anton-
inus Pius, and that the Emperor had sent out orders to Athens,
Larissa, Thessaiomca, and other great cities, forbidding them to
persecute the Christians. As soon as the Apologia was finished,
the young Christian was obliged to answer numerous questions
put to her by her mistress. For example, she required information
on the life and miracles of Jesus Christ, and on his family.
Above all, she admired the Pounder of Christianity, on account
of the calmness and greatness of soul, He exhibited in His agonizing
death. "Formerly." added she, " such a death seemed
more fitting for a malefactor, than for a great man. But Plato,
who has also described the Just One, has taught me: '
Virtuous
till death, he will be looked upon as perverse and unjust, and as
such scourged, tormented and fastened to across.' *Since, I have
made myself more familiar witli this view of Plato, I am more
reconciled, with the sort of death that your God suffered."
Though she had not the most distant idea of becoming a Chris-
tian, still the Apologia, which held the highest place amongst
writings of that description, was a means by which she became
more intimately acquainted with the Christian doctrine.
Lydia recommended her mistress to speak on the religion with
the most learned men. and named for that purpose, the then
Bishop of Athens, the pious Quadratus, whom the Church now
reckons in the number of her Saints. She offered to make the
humble Bishop acquainted with this wish, but said, if she preferred
a conversation with a Christian philosopher, Aristides
was one, and he also had composed an Apologia which, according
to Eusebms, the writer of Church History, was to be found
in the hands of many. There was also the renowned philosopher
of Athens, Athenagoras, who had written a book on the resur-
rection of the dead.
Metella promised to think further on the matter, and for that
day, put an end to the conversation.
Rousseau acknowledges, in hie Emii, i. 4 '
Plato paint* here, Jesus Christ
feature for feature."
/. ) 11 I A 17
.
CHAPTER IX.
THE erLVEK MIRROR.
It js well known that the ancients were strangers to the luxury
of glass mirrors, for the Phoenicians, afterwards called Tyrians,
who first discovered the art of making glass, kept it a secret
amongst themselves; and it could only be purchased from
them, for its weight in gold. It is recorded that evtn so i|te as
the time of Nero, it was so expensive, that this Emperor paid
50,000 for two small drinking cups of transparent glass.
The mirrors of those days were made of burnished gold or silver
for the nobles; while the lower classes had to content them-
selves with highly polished baser metals, or by looking
at their
reflection in a vessel of water. Later on, as the love of spiendor
became the order of the day, mirrors were made as large
as the human form, and were at hist set m precious stones. A
single mirror cost a lady more than a dowry, and the daughters
of poor generals were provided with this commodity at the ex-
pense of the city.*
The mirror which Lydia had received as a present from her
mistress, was of an oval form, and although it did not sparkK
with precious stones, still it was one of great value. Looking
in it one day, affected her with more than ordinary melancholy
for her own features recalled forcibly to her mind, the calm but
suffering countenance of her mother. Lost in thought, her im
agination carried her to distant Rome, and placed her m a narrow
cell, wrapt in the embraces of her captive parent. Returning
to her sad reality, she exclaimed: " O, could I but know
whether slavery or prison separates us. how gladly would this
precious mirror be parted with, for thy ransom." At this moment
she was interrupted by the friendly Ophne, who entered
with a large parcel of ribbons, which she had just purchased.
" You look melancholy, dear Lydia," said she, " but I'll tell you
something that will cheer you. The man, from whom we purchase
our leather, has a grown-up daughter, named Aspasia; she
is as light in her character, as she is handsome, and on this ac-
count she is known throughout Athens. Only think, Lydia, she
inquired most particularly after you. She would like to know
you, and if agreeable, would bring you into much company.
But remember, she belongs to those of light character, or as
others say, she is one of the noted persons of Athens, and if I
had not a solemn dread of your morality, I could tell you much
more about her." Lydia was silent, and the other continued:
"I have heard of her for the last two years. Latterly she
thinks of entering the married state, but she must first have a
good sum, and as she cannot get this, she must go on in the old
way." Lydia still preserved a dead silence, and Ophne receiving
no "
encouragement said : Now I must go to my mistress and
show her these beautiful ribbons, and give her back the remain-
der ot her money." f
An opportunity offers itself here to speak a few words upon
the moral state of Athens, at this time. Still it is an ungracious
task, to call up mouldering bodies to the light of day, and
where would you come to an end? Therefore let this alone be
understood, that the Athenians, immediately after the Persian
war, put up a painting of Venus, under which was represented a
procession of the Athenians, and below, the following inscrip-
tion, written by the poet Simonides These called on tne god-
dess Venus, and for the love of them, she saved Greece.' Solon,
himself, the Stoic Law-giver, caused a temple to be built to the
shameless goddess; and in a short time, the entire of Greece
was a scene of abominations. In Athens, honorable marriage no
longer found a sanctuary. Vice was thus raised into a religion,
and therein lay the worst and most horrible of all errors, of
which the heart is capable.
From the time that our young Christian had received information
of Aspasia, she made a firm resolution not to oppose the
wished-for acquaintance. But how different were the motives
Seneca's Meditations on Nature, 1st Book.
+ At this period silk was as expensive us glass, and the Emperor Amelias re
faced Ins Empress a robe nf th( main