can.'

'And are we to degrade ourselves because the masses are degraded?'

'Not in the least. For my own part, this whole business, like the
catering for the weekly pantomimes, is as great a bore to me as it
could have been to Julian himself. But, my dearest madam--"Panem and
Circenses"--they must be put into good humour; and there is but one
way--by "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride
of life," as a certain Galilaean correctly defines the time-honoured
Roman method.'

'Put them into good humour? I wish to lustrate them afresh for the
service of the gods. If we must have comic representations, we can only
have them conjoined to tragedy, which, as Aristotle defines it, will
purify their affections by pity and terror.'

Orestes smiled.

'I certainly can have no objection to so good a purpose. But do you not
think that the battle between the gladiators and the Libyans will have
done that sufficiently beforehand? I can conceive nothing more fit for
that end, unless it be Nero's method of sending his guards among the
spectators themselves, and throwing them down to the wild beasts in
the arena. How thoroughly purified by pity and terror must every worthy
shopkeeper have been, when he sat uncertain whether he might not follow
his fat wife into the claws of the nearest lion!'

'You are pleased to be witty, sir,' said Hypatia, hardly able to conceal
her disgust.

'My dearest bride elect, I only meant the most harmless of _reductiones
ad absurdum_ of an abstract canon of Aristotle, with which I, who am a
Platonist after my mistress's model, do not happen to agree. But do,
I beseech you, be ruled, not by me, but by your own wisdom. You cannot
bring the people to appreciate your designs at the first sight. You are
too wise, too pure, too lofty, too far-sighted for them. And therefore
you must get power to compel them. Julian, after all, found it necessary
to compel--if he had lived seven years more he would have found it
necessary to persecute.'

'The gods forbid that--that such a necessity should ever arise here.'

'The only way to avoid it, believe me, is to allure and to indulge.
After all, it is for their good.'

'True,' sighed Hypatia. 'Have your way, sir.'

'Believe me, you shall have yours in turn. I ask you to be ruled by
me now, only that you may be in a position to rule me and Africa
hereafter.'

'And such an Africa! Well, if they are born low and earthly, they must,
I suppose,