from a
palace in which the master now held his revels. The doors were open for
coolness, and the gladiator beheld the numerous and festive group
gathered round the tables in the atrium; while behind them, closing the
long vista of the illumined rooms beyond, the spray of the distant
fountain sparkled in the moonbeams. There, the garlands wreathed around
the columns of the hall--there, gleamed still and frequent the marble
statue--there, amidst peals of jocund laughter, rose the music and the
lay.

EPICUREAN SONG

Away with your stories of Hades,
Which the Flamen has forged to affright us--
We laugh at your three Maiden Ladies,
Your Fates--and your sullen Cocytus.

Poor Jove has a troublesome life, sir,
Could we credit your tales of his portals--
In shutting his ears on his wife, sir,
And opening his eyes upon mortals.

Oh, blest be the bright Epicurus!
Who taught us to laugh at such fables;
On Hades they wanted to moor us,
And his hand cut the terrible cables.

If, then, there's a Jove or a Juno,
They vex not their heads about us, man;
Besides, if they did, I and you know
'Tis the life of a god to live thus, man!

What! think you the gods place their bliss--eh?--
In playing the spy on a sinner?
In counting the girls that we kiss, eh?
Or the cups that we empty at dinner?

Content with the soft lips that love us,
This music, this wine, and this mirth, boys,
We care not for gods up above us--
We know there's no god for this earth, boys!

While Lydon's piety (which accommodating as it might be, was in no
slight degree disturbed by these verses, which embodied the fashionable
philosophy of the day) slowly recovered itself from the shock it had
received, a small party of men, in plain garments and of the middle
class, passed by his resting-place. They were in earnest conversation,
and did not seem to notice or heed the gladiator as they moved on.

'O horror on horrors!' said one; 'Olinthus is snatched from us! our
right arm is lopped away! When will Christ descend to protect his own?'

'Can human atrocity go farther said another: 'to sentence an innocent
man to the same arena as a murderer! But let us not despair; the
thunder of Sinai may yet be heard, and the Lord preserve his saint.
"T