fficiency. Make it sharp, prolonged, excessive. It is time! To
work!"

He proceeds to lash himself vigorously.

"Ah! no! no! No pity!"

He begins again.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Each stroke tears my skin, cuts my limbs. This smarts
horribly! Ah! it is not so terrible! One gets used to it. It seems to me
even ..."

Antony stops.

"Come on, then, coward! Come on, then! Good! good! On the arms, on the
back, on the breast, against the belly, everywhere! Hiss, thongs! bite
me! tear me! I would like the drops of my blood to gush forth to the
stars, to break my back, to strip my nerves bare! Pincers! wooden
horses! molten lead! The martyrs bore more than that! Is that not so,
Ammonaria?"

The shadows of the Devil's horns reappear.

"I might have been fastened to the pillar next to yours, face to face
with you, under your very eyes, responding to your shrieks with my
sighs, and our griefs would blend into one, and our souls would
commingle."

He flogs himself furiously.

"Hold! hold! for your sake! once more! ... But this is a mere tickling
that passes through my frame. What torture! What delight! Those are like
kisses. My marrow is melting! I am dying!"

And in front of him he sees three cavaliers, mounted on wild asses, clad
in green garments, holding lilies in their hands, and all resembling one
another in figure.

Antony turns back, and sees three other cavaliers of the same kind,
mounted on similar wild asses, in the same attitude.

He draws back. Then the wild asses, all at the same time, step forward a
pace or two, and rub their snouts against him, trying to bite his
garment. Voices exclaim, "This way! this way! Here is the place!" And
banners appear between the clefts of the mountain, with camels' heads in
halters of red silk, mules laden with baggage, and women covered with
yellow veils, mounted astride on piebald horses.

The panting animals lie down; the slaves fling themselves on the bales
of goods, roll out the variegated carpets, and strew the ground with
glittering objects.

A white elephant, caparisoned with a fillet of gold, runs along, shaking
the bouquet of ostrich feathers attached to his head-band.

On his back, lying on cushions of blue wool, cross-legged, with eyelids
half-closed and well-poised head, is a woman so magnificently attired
that she emits rays around her. The attendants prostrate themselves, the
elephant bends his knees, and the Queen of Sheba, gliding down by his
shoulder, steps