rmen, sung by twenty-seven noble youths, and as
many noble maidens, taken for the purpose from the bosoms of their
families to propitiate the gods of Rome. The flamens, augurs, colleges of
priests, it was endless. Last of all came the emperor himself."

"That's the late man," observed Jucundus, "Philip; no bad riddance his
death, if all's true that's said of him."

"All emperors are good in their time and way," answered Cornelius; "Philip
was good then, and Decius is good now;--whom the gods preserve!"

"True," said Aristo, "I understand; an emperor cannot do wrong, except in
dying, and then everything goes wrong with him. His death is his first bad
deed; he ought to be ashamed of it; it somehow turns all his great virtues
into vices."

"Ah! no one was so good an emperor as our man, Gordianus," said Jucundus,
"a princely old man, living and dead; patron of trade and of the arts;
such villas! he had enormous revenues. Poor old gentleman! and his son
too. I never shall forget the day when the news came that he was gone. Let
me see, it was shortly after that old fool Strabo's death--I mean my
brother; a good thirteen years ago. All Africa was in tears; there was no
one like Gordianus."

"That's old world philosophy," said Aristo; "Jucundus, you must go to
school. Don't you see that all that is, is right; and all that was, is
wrong? 'Te nos facimus, Fortuna, deam,' says your poet; well, I drink 'to
the fortunes of Rome,'--while it lasts."

"You're a young man," answered Cornelius, "a very young man, and a Greek.
Greeks never understand Rome. It's most difficult to understand us. It's a
science. Look at this medal, young gentleman; it was one of those struck
at the games. Is it not grand? 'Novum saeculum,' and on the reverse,
'AEternitati.' Always changing, always imperishable. Emperors rise and
fall; Rome remains. The eternal city! Isn't this good philosophy?"

"Truly, a most beautiful medal," said Aristo, examining it, and handing it
on to his host. "You might make an amulet of it, Jucundus. But as to
eternity, why, that is a very great word; and, if I mistake not, other
states have been eternal before Rome. Ten centuries is a very respectable
eternity; be content, Rome is eternal already, and may die without
prejudice to the medal."

"Blaspheme not," replied Cornelius: "Rome is healthier, more full of life,
and promises more, than at any former time, you may rely upon it. 'Novum
saeculum!' she has the age of the e