s not dishonoured by
having seen a naked woman."

"Then you are wrong," said the judge severely. Rhadamanthus returned to
history.

"Apropos of the accidents which happened to the cavalry of Mithridates,
you have contested the virtues of herbs and plants. You have denied that
a herb like the securiduca, could make the shoes of horses fall off."

"Pardon me," replied Ursus. "I said that the power existed only in the
herb sferra cavallo. I never denied the virtue of any herb," and he
added, in a low voice, "nor of any woman."

By this extraneous addition to his answer Ursus proved to himself that,
anxious as he was, he was not disheartened. Ursus was a compound of
terror and presence of mind.

"To continue," resumed Rhadamanthus; "you have declared that it was
folly in Scipio, when he wished to open the gates of Carthage, to use as
a key the herb aethiopis, because the herb aethiopis has not the
property of breaking locks."

"I merely said that he would have done better to have used the herb
lunaria."

"That is a matter of opinion," murmured Rhadamanthus, touched in his
turn. And the man of history was silent.

The theologian, Minos, having returned to consciousness, questioned
Ursus anew. He had had time to consult his notes.

"You have classed orpiment amongst the products of arsenic, and you have
said that it is a poison. The Bible denies this."

"The Bible denies, but arsenic affirms it," sighed Ursus.

The man whom Ursus called AEacus, and who was the envy of medicine, had
not yet spoken, but now looking down on Ursus, with proudly half-closed
eyes, he said,--

"The answer is not without some show of reason."

Ursus thanked him with his most cringing smile. Minos frowned
frightfully. "I resume," said Minos. "You have said that it is false
that the basilisk is the king of serpents, under the name of
cockatrice."

"Very reverend sir," said Ursus, "so little did I desire to insult the
basilisk that I have given out as certain that it has a man's head."

"Be it so," replied Minos severely; "but you added that Poerius had seen
one with the head of a falcon. Can you prove it?"

"Not easily," said Ursus.

Here he had lost a little ground.

Minos, seizing the advantage, pushed it.

"You have said that a converted Jew has not a nice smell."

"Yes. But I added that a Christian who becomes a Jew has a nasty one."

Minos lost his eyes over the accusing documents.

"You have affirmed and propagated th