We shunned the
stranger as an unclean thing that must defile our solitary sanctity,
and, keeping to ourselves and to our God, our lives flowed on in one
great solemn tide of deep religion, making the meanest of our multitude
feel greater than the kings of other lands. It was a glorious time: I
thought it had returned; but I awake from this, as other dreams.'

'We must leave off dreaming, good Jabaster, we must act. Were I, by any
chance, to fall into one of those reveries, with which I have often lost
the golden hours at Hamadan, or in our old cave, I should hear, some
fine morning, his Sultanship of Roum rattling at my gates.' Alroy smiled
as he spoke; he would willingly have introduced a lighter tone into the
dialogue, but the solemn countenance of the priest was not sympathetic
with his levity.

'My heart is full, and yet I cannot speak: the memory of the past
overpowers my thought. I had vainly deemed that my voice, inspired by
the soul of truth, might yet preserve him; and now I stand here in his
presence, silent and trembling, like a guilty thing. O, my prince! my
pupil!' said the priest, advancing, falling on his knee, and seizing the
robe of Alroy, 'by thy sacred lineage; by the sweet memory of thy ardent
youth, and our united studies, by all thy zealous thoughts, and solemn
musings, and glorious aspirations after fame; by all thy sufferings, and
by all thy triumphs, and chiefly by the name of that great God, who
hath elected thee his favoured child; by all the marvels of thy mighty
mission, I do adjure thee! Arise, Alroy, arise and rouse thyself. The
lure that snared thy fathers may trap thee, this Delilah may shear thy
mystic locks. Spirits like thee act not by halves. Once fall out from
the straight course before thee, and, though thou deemest 'tis but to
saunter 'mid the summer trees, soon thou wilt find thyself in the dark
depths of some infernal forest, where none may rescue thee!'

'What if I do inherit the eager blood of my great ancestor, at least
I hold his sceptre. Shall aught of earthly power prevail against the
supernatural sway of Heaven and Hades?'

'Sire, sire, the legend that came from Sinai is full of high
instruction. But shape thy conduct by its oracles, and all were well. It
says our people can be established only by him who rules them with the
rod of Solomon. Sire, when the Lord offered his pleasure to that mighty
king, thou knowest his deep discretion. Riches and length of days,
empire