obtained me of her for a present. The scene was now totally
changed, and I had as much reason to be satisfied with my present

situation as I had to lament my former. I was so absolutely my
master's favorite, that the rest of the slaves paid me almost as

much regard as they showed to him, well knowing that it was
entirely in my power to command and treat them as I pleased. I

was intrusted with all my master's secrets, and used to assist
him in privately conveying away by night the sacrifices from the

altars, which the people believed the deities themselves
devoured. Upon these we feasted very elegantly, nor could

invention suggest a rarity which we did not pamper ourselves
with. Perhaps you may admire at the close union between this

priest and his slave, but we lived in an intimacy which the
Christians thought criminal; but my master, who knew the will of

the gods, with whom he told me he often conversed, assured me it
was perfectly innocent.

"This happy life continued about four years, when my master's
death, occasioned by a surfeit got by overfeeding on several

exquisite dainties, put an end to it.
"I now fell into the hands of one of a very different

disposition, and this was no other than the celebrated St.
Chrysostom, who dieted me with sermons instead of sacrifices, and

filled my ears with good things, but not my belly. Instead of
high food to fatten and pamper my flesh, I had receipts to

mortify and reduce it. With these I edified so well, that within
a few months I became a skeleton. However, as he had converted

me to his faith, I was well enough satisfied with this new manner
of living, by which he taught me I might insure myself an eternal

reward in a future state. The saint was a good-natured man, and
never gave me an ill word but once, which was occasioned by my

neglecting to place Aristophanes, which was his constant
bedfellow, on his pillow. He was, indeed, extremely fond of that

Greek poet, and frequently made me read his comedies to him.
When I came to any of the loose passages he would smile, and say,

'It was pity his matter was not as pure as his style;' of which
latter he was so immoderately fond that, notwithstanding the

detestation he expressed for obscenity, he hath made me repeat
those passages ten times over. The character of this good man

hath been very unjustly attacked by his heathen contemporaries,
particularly with regard to women; but his severe invectives

against that sex are his sufficient justification.
"From the service of this saint, from whom I received

manumission, I entered into the family of Timasius, a leader of
great eminence in the imperial army, into whose favor I so far

insinuated myself that he preferred me to a good command, and
soon made me partaker of both his company and his secrets. I

soon grew intoxicated with this preferment, and the more he
loaded me with benefits the more he raised my opinion of my own

merit, which, still outstripping the rewards he conferred on me,
inspired me rather with satisfaction" target="_blank" title="n.不满">dissatisfaction than gratitude. And

thus, by preferring me beyond my merit or first expectation, he
made me an envious aspiring enemy, whom perhaps a more moderate

bounty would have preserved a dutiful servant.
"I fell now acquainted with one Lucilius, a creature of the prime

minister Eutropius, who had by his favor been raised to the post
of a tribune; a man of low morals, and eminent only in that

meanest of qualities, cunning. This gentleman, imagining me a
fit tool for the minister's purpose, having often sounded my

principles of honor and honesty, both which he declared to me
were words without meaning, and finding my ready concurrence in

his sentiments, recommended me to Eutropius as very proper to
execute some wicked purposes he had contrived against my frend

Timasius. The minister embraced this commendation" target="_blank" title="n.推荐；劝告">recommendation, and I was
accordingly acquainted by Lucilius (after some previous accounts

of the great esteem Eutropius entertained of me, from the
testimony he had borne of my parts) that he would introduce me to

him; adding that he was a great encourager of merit, and that I
might depend upon his favor.

"I was with little difficulty prevailed on to accept of this
invitation. A late hour therefore the next evening being

appointed, I attended my friend Lucilius to the minister's house.
He received me with the utmostcivility and cheerfulness, and

affected so much regard to me, that I, who knew nothing of these
high scenes of life, concluded I had in him a most disinterested

friend, owing to the favorable report which Lucilius had made of
me. I was however soon cured of this opinion; for immediately

after supper our discourse turned on the injustice which the
generality of the world were guilty of in their conduct to great

men, expecting that they should reward their private merit,
without ever endeavoring to apply it to their use. 'What avail,'

said Eutropius, 'the learning, wit, courage, or any virtue which
a man may be possessed of, to me, unless I receive some benefit

from them? Hath he not more merit to me who doth my business and
obeys my commands, without any of these qualities?' I gave such

entire satisfaction in my answers on this head, that both the
minister and his creature grew bolder, and after some preface

began to accuse Timasius. At last, finding I did not attempt to
defend him, Lucilius swore a great oath that he was not fit to

live, and that he would destroy him. Eutropius answered that it
would be too dangerous a task: 'Indeed,' says he, 'his crimes

are of so black a dye, and so well known to the emperor, that his
death must be a very acceptable service, and could not fail

meeting a proper reward: but I question whether you are capable
of executing it.' 'If he is not,' cried I, 'I am; and surely no

man can have greater motives to destroy him than myself: for,
besides his disloyalty to my prince, for whom I have so perfect a

duty, I have private disobligations to him. I have had fellows
put over my head, to the great scandal of the service in general,

and to my own prejudice and disappointment in particular.' I
will not repeat you my whole speech; but, to be as concise as

possible, when we parted that evening the minister squeezed me
heartily by the hand, and with great commendation of my honesty

and assurances of his favor, he appointed me the next evening to
come to him alone; when, finding me, after a little more

scrutiny, ready for his purpose, he proposed to me to accuse
Timasius of high treason, promising me the highest rewards if I

would undertake it. The consequence to him, I suppose you know,
was ruin; but what was it to me? Why, truly, when I waited on

Eutropius for the fulfilling his promises, received me with great
distance and coldness; and, on my dropping some hints of my

expectations from him, he affected not to understand me; saying
he thought impunity was the utmost I could hope for on

discovering my accomplice, whose offense was only greater than
mine, as he was in a higher station; and telling me he had great

difficulty to obtain a pardon for me from the emperor, which he
said, he had struggled very hardly for, as he had worked the

discovery out of me. He turned away, and addressed himself to
another person.

"I was so incensed at this treatment, that I resolvedrevenge,
and should certainly have pursued it, had he not cautiously

prevented me by taking effectual means to despatch me soon after
out of the world.

"You will, I believe, now think I had a second good chance for
the bottomless pit, and indeed Minos seemed inclined to tumble me

in, till he was informed of the revenge taken on me by Roderic,
and my seven years' subsequentservitude to the widow; which he

thought sufficient to make atonement for all the crimes a single
life could admit of, and so sent me back to try my fortune a

third time."
CHAPTER XI

In which Julian relates his adventures in the character of an
avaricious Jew.

"The next character in which I was destined to appear in the
flesh was that of an avaricious Jew. I was born in Alexandria in

Egypt. My name was Balthazar. Nothing very remarkable happened