he terrace where he usually walked, that he might perceive, as in a
looking-glass, whether any one was approaching him. His precautions
were unavailing: he perished by the hand of an assassin, as was
foretold.

It is reported that St. John was thrown into a cauldron of boiling
oil, by order of the Emperor Domitian, but that he came out unhurt. He
was then at Rome, and from thence he was banished to the Isle of
Patmos.

Lucius Apuleius, a Platonic philosopher of the second century, having
married a lady of fortune against the wish of her relatives, they
pretended that he had made use of sorcery to gain her heart and money.
He was dragged before Claudius Maximus, on the charge of being a
magician. In his defence he said, "Do you wonder that a woman should
marry again after living thirteen years a widow? It is much more
wonderful that she did not marry sooner. You think that magic must
have been employed to induce a widow of her age to marry a young man;
on the contrary, this very circumstance shows how little occasion
there was for magic." He continued: "She was neither handsome nor
young, nor such as could in any way tempt him to have recourse to
enchantments." He also took notice of many inconveniences which
attended the marrying of widows, and spoke highly of the advantages of
a maid over a widow. "A handsome virgin," said he, "let her be ever so
poor, is abundantly portioned; she brings to her husband a heart quite
new, together with the flowers and first fruits of her beauty. It was
with great reason," he argued, "that husbands set so great value upon
virginity; all the other goods which a woman brought her husband were
of such a nature that he might return them if he had a mind, but the
flowers of virginity could not be given back; they remained in the
possession of the first husband." Through his eloquence he escaped
punishment, and the odium of being branded a sorcerer.

Maximus, the celebrated cynic philosopher and magician of Ephesus,
instructed the Emperor Julian in magic. Certain historians say it was
through his teaching that the apostacy of Julian originated. When the
emperor went in search of conquests, the magician promised him
success, and even predicted that his triumphs would be more numerous
and brilliant than those of Alexander. After the death of Julian,
Maximus was nearly sacrificed by the soldiers, but his friends
succeeded in saving his life. He retired to Constantinople.
Subsequently he was a