ben-hur-第15章

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〃The　cave？〃

〃Yes。　Come　with　us。〃

They　went　through　the　court…yard　without　notice；　although　there　were　some　up　even　then　talking　about　the　wonderful　light。　The　door　of　the　cavern　was　open。　A　lantern　was　burning　within；　and　they　entered　unceremoniously。

〃I　give　you　peace；〃　the　watchman　said　to　Joseph　and　the　Beth　Dagonite。　〃Here　are　people　looking　for　a　child　born　this　night；　whom　they　are　to　know　by　finding　him　in　swaddling…clothes　and　lying　in　a　manger。〃

For　a　moment　the　face　of　the　stolid　Nazarene　was　moved；　turning　away；　he　said；　〃The　child　is　here。〃

They　were　led　to　one　of　the　mangers；　and　there　the　child　was。　The　lantern　was　brought；　and　the　shepherds　stood　by　mute。　The　little　one　made　no　sign；　it　was　as　others　just　born。

〃Where　is　the　mother？〃　asked　the　watchman。

One　of　the　women　took　the　baby；　and　went　to　Mary；　lying　near；　and　put　it　in　her　arms。　Then　the　bystanders　collected　about　the　two。

〃It　is　the　Christ！〃　said　a　shepherd；　at　last。

〃The　Christ！〃　they　all　repeated；　falling　upon　their　knees　in　worship。　One　of　them　repeated　several　times　over；

〃It　is　the　Lord；　and　his　glory　is　above　the　earth　and　heaven。〃

And　the　simple　men；　never　doubting；　kissed　the　hem　of　the　mother's　robe；　and　with　joyful　faces　departed。　In　the　khan；　to　all　the　people　aroused　and　pressing　about　them；　they　told　their　story；　and　through　the　town；　and　all　the　way　back　to　the　marah；　they　chanted　the　refrain　of　the　angels；　〃Glory　to　God　in　the　highest；　and　on　earth　peace；　good…will　towards　men！〃

The　story　went　abroad；　confirmed　by　the　light　so　generally　seen；　and　the　next　day；　and　for　days　thereafter；　the　cave　was　visited　by　curious　crowds；　of　whom　some　believed；　though　the　greater　part　laughed　and　mocked。




CHAPTER　XII



The　eleventh　day　after　the　birth　of　the　child　in　the　cave；　about　mid…afternoon；　the　three　wise　men　approached　Jerusalem　by　the　road　from　Shechem。　After　crossing　Brook　Cedron；　they　met　many　people；　of　whom　none　failed　to　stop　and　look　after　them　curiously。

Judea　was　of　necessity　an　international　thoroughfare；　a　narrow　ridge；　raised；　apparently；　by　the　pressure　of　the　desert　on　the　east；　and　the　sea　on　the　west；　was　all　she　could　claim　to　be；　over　the　ridge；　however；　nature　had　stretched　the　line　of　trade　between　the　east　and　the　south；　and　that　was　her　wealth。　In　other　words；　the　riches　of　Jerusalem　were　the　tolls　she　levied　on　passing　commerce。　Nowhere　else；　consequently；　unless　in　Rome；　was　there　such　constant　assemblage　of　so　many　people　of　so　many　different　nations；　in　no　other　city　was　a　stranger　less　strange　to　the　residents　than　within　her　walls　and　purlieus。　And　yet　these　three　men　excited　the　wonder　of　all　whom　they　met　on　the　way　to　the　gates。

A　child　belonging　to　some　women　sitting　by　the　roadside　opposite　the　Tombs　of　the　Kings　saw　the　party　coming；　immediately　it　clapped　its　hands；　and　cried；　〃Look；　look！　What　pretty　bells！　What　big　camels！〃

The　bells　were　silver；　the　camels；　as　we　have　seen；　were　of　unusual　size　and　whiteness；　and　moved　with　singular　stateliness；　the　trappings　told　of　the　desert　and　of　long　journeys　thereon；　and　also　of　ample　means　in　possession　of　the　owners；　who　sat　under　the　little　canopies　exactly　as　they　appeared　at　the　rendezvous　beyond　the　Jebel。　Yet　it　was　not　the　bells　or　the　camels；　or　their　furniture；　or　the　demeanor　of　the　riders；　that　were　so　wonderful；　it　was　the　question　put　by　the　man　who　rode　foremost　of　the　three。

The　approach　to　Jerusalem　from　the　north　is　across　a　plain　which　dips　southward；　leaving　the　Damascus　Gate　in　a　vale　or　hollow。　The　road　is　narrow；　but　deeply　cut　by　long　use；　and　in　places　difficult　on　account　of　the　cobbles　left　loose　and　dry　by　the　washing　of　the　rains。　On　either　side；　however；　there　stretched；　in　the　old　time；　rich　fields　and　handsome　olive…groves；　which　must；　in　luxurious　growth；　have　been　beautiful；　especially　to　travellers　fresh　from　the　wastes　of　the　desert。　In　this　road；　the　three　stopped　before　the　party　in　front　of　the　Tombs。

〃Good　people；〃　said　Balthasar；　stroking　his　plaited　beard；　and　bending　from　his　cot；　〃is　not　Jerusalem　close　by？〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　woman　into　whose　arms　the　child　had　shrunk。　〃If　the　trees　on　yon　swell　were　a　little　lower　you　could　see　the　towers　on　the　market…place。〃

Balthasar　gave　the　Greek　and　the　Hindoo　a　look；　then　asked；

〃Where　is　he　that　is　born　King　of　the　Jews？〃

The　women　gazed　at　each　other　without　reply。

〃You　have　not　heard　of　him？〃

〃No。〃

〃Well；　tell　everybody　that　we　have　seen　his　star　in　the　east；　and　are　come　to　worship　him。〃

Thereupon　the　friends　rode　on。　Of　others　they　asked　the　same　question；　with　like　result。　A　large　company　whom　they　met　going　to　the　Grotto　of　Jeremiah　were　so　astonished　by　the　inquiry　and　the　appearance　of　the　travellers　that　they　turned　about　and　followed　them　into　the　city。

So　much　were　the　three　occupied　with　the　idea　of　their　mission　that　they　did　not　care　for　the　view　which　presently　rose　before　them　in　the　utmost　magnificence：　for　the　village　first　to　receive　them　on　Bezetha；　for　Mizpah　and　Olivet；　over　on　their　left；　for　the　wall　behind　the　village；　with　its　forty　tall　and　solid　towers；　superadded　partly　for　strength；　partly　to　gratify　the　critical　taste　of　the　kingly　builder；　for　the　same　towered　wall　bending　off　to　the　right；　with　many　an　angle；　and　here　and　there　an　embattled　gate；　up　to　the　three　great　white　piles　Phasaelus；　Mariamne；　and　Hippicus；　for　Zion；　tallest　of　the　hills；　crowned　with　marble　palaces；　and　never　so　beautiful；　for　the　glittering　terraces　of　the　temple　on　Moriah；　admittedly　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　earth；　for　the　regal　mountains　rimming　the　sacred　city　round　about　until　it　seemed　in　the　hollow　of　a　mighty　bowl。

They　came；　at　length；　to　a　tower　of　great　height　and　strength；　overlooking　the　gate　which；　at　that　time；　answered　to　the　present　Damascus　Gate；　and　marked　the　meeting…place　of　the　three　roads　from　Shechem；　Jericho；　and　Gibeon。　A　Roman　guard　kept　the　passage…way。　By　this　time　the　people　following　the　camels　formed　a　train　sufficient　to　draw　the　idlers　hanging　about　the　portal；　so　that　when　Balthasar　stopped　to　speak　to　the　sentinel；　the　three　became　instantly　the　centre　of　a　close　circle　eager　to　hear　all　that　passed。

〃I　give　you　peace；〃　the　Egyptian　said；　in　a　clear　voice。

The　sentinel　made　no　reply。

〃We　have　come　great　distances　in　search　of　one　who　is　born　King　of　the　Jews。　Can　you　tell　us　where　he　is？〃

The　soldier　raised　the　visor　of　his　helmet；　and　called　loudly。　From　an　apartment　at　the　right　of　the　passage　an　officer　appeared。

〃Give　way；〃　he　cried；　to　the　crowd　which　now　pressed　closer　in；　and　as　they　seemed　slow　to　obey；　he　advanced　twirling　his　javelin　vigorously；　now　right；　now　left；　and　so　he　gained　room。

〃What　would　you？〃　he　asked　of　Balthasar；　speaking　in　the　idiom　of　the　city。

And　Balthasar　answered　in　the　same；

〃Where　is　he　that　is　born　King　of　the　Jews？〃

〃Herod？〃　asked　the　officer；　confounded。

〃Herod's　kingship　is　from　Caesar；　not　Herod。〃

〃There　is　no　other　King　of　the　Jews。〃

〃But　we　have　seen　the　star　of　him　we　seek；　and　come　to　worship　him。〃

The　Roman　was　perplexed。

〃Go　farther；〃　he　said；　at　last。　〃Go　farther。　I　am　not　a　Jew。　Carry　the　question　to　the　doctors　in　the　Temple；　or　to　Hannas　the　priest；　or；　better　still；　to　Herod　himself。　If　there　be　another　King　of　the　Jews；　he　will　find　him。〃

Thereupon　he　made　way　for　the　strangers；　and　they　passed　the　gate。　But；　before　entering　the　narrow　street；　Balthasar　lingered　to　say　to　his　friends；　〃We　are　sufficiently　proclaimed。　By　midnight　the　whole　city　will　have　heard　of　us　and　of　our　mission。　Let　us　to　the　khan　now。〃




CHAPTER　XIII



That　evening；　before　sunset；　some　women　were　washing　clothes　on　the　upper　step　of　the　flight　that　led　down　into　the　basin　of　the　Pool　of　Siloam。　They　knelt　each　before　a　broad　bowl　of　earthenware。　A　girl　at　the　foot　of　the　steps　kept　them　supplied　with　water；　and　sang　while　she　filled　the　jar。　The　song　was　cheerful；　and　no　doubt　lightened　their　labor。　Occasionally　they　would　sit　upon　their　heels；　and　look　up　the　slope　of　Ophel；　and　round　to　the　summit　of　what　is　now　the　Mount　of　Offence；　then　faintly　glorified　by　the　dyin