t some other
girl might have taken Philinium's clothes from the sepulchre, in order
to deceive him by the illusion.

Demostrates and Chariton, on arriving, recognized their daughter and
ran to embrace her; but she cried out, "Oh, father and mother, why
have you grudged me my happiness, by preventing me from remaining
three days longer with this innkeeper without injury to any one? for I
did not come here without permission from the gods, that is to say,
from the demon, since we cannot attribute to God, or to a good spirit,
a thing like that. Your curiosity will cost you dear." At the same
time, she fell down stiff and dead, and extended on the bed.

Phlegon, who had some command in the town, stayed the crowd and
prevented a tumult. The next day, the people being assembled at the
theatre, they agreed to go and inspect the vault in which Philinium,
who had died six months before, had been laid. They found there the
corpses of her family arranged in their places, but they found not the
body of Philinium. There was only an iron ring, which Machates had
given her, with a gilded cup, which she had also received from him.
Afterwards they went back to the dwelling of Machates, where the body
of the girl remained lying on the ground.

They consulted a diviner, who said that she must be interred beyond
the limits of the town; they must appease the furies and terrestrial
Mercury, make solemn funeral ceremonies to the god Manes, and
sacrifice to Jupiter Hospitaller, to Mercury, and Mars. Phlegon adds,
speaking to him to whom he was writing: "If you think proper to inform
the emperor of it, write to me, that I may send you some of those
persons who were eye-witnesses of all these things."

Here is the fact circumstantially related, and invested with all the
marks which can make it pass for true. Nevertheless, how numerous are
the difficulties it presents! Was this young girl really dead, or only
sleeping? Was her resurrection effected by her own strength and will,
or was it a demon who restored her to life? It appears that it cannot
be doubted that it was her own body; all the circumstances noted in
the recital of Phlegon persuade us of it. If she was not dead, and all
she did was merely a game and a play which she performed to satisfy
her passion for Machates, there is nothing in all this recital very
incredible. We know what illicit love is capable of, and how far it
may lead any one who is devoured by a violent passion. The s