was got within my doors, and had shut them against the mob, who
had pretty well vented their spleen, and seemed now contented to retire,
my wife, whom I found crying over her children, and from whom I
had hoped some comfort in my afflictions, fell upon me in the most
outrageous manner. She asked me why I would venture on such a step,
without consulting her; she said her advice might have been civilly
asked, if I was resolved not to have been guided by it. That, whatever
opinion I might have conceived of her understanding, the rest of the
world thought better of it. That I had never failed when I had asked
her counsel, nor ever succeeded without it;--with much more of the
same kind, too tedious to mention; concluding that it was a monstrous
behavior to desert my party and come over to the court.

"An abuse which I took worse than all the rest, as she had been
constantly for several years assiduous in railing at the opposition,
in siding with the court-party, and begging me to come over to it; and
especially after my mentioning the offer of knighthood to her, since
which time she had continually interrupted my repose with dinning in
my ears the folly of refusing honors and of adhering to a party and to
principles by which I was certain of procuring no advantage to myself
and my family.

"I had now entirely lost my trade, so that I had not the least
temptation to stay longer in a city where I was certain of receiving
daily affronts and rebukes. I therefore made up my affairs with the
utmost expedition, and, scraping together all I could, retired into the
country, where I spent the remainder of my days in universal contempt,
being shunned by everybody, perpetually abused by my wife, and not much
respected by my children.

"Minos told me, though I had been a very vile fellow, he thought my
sufferings made some atonement, and so bid me take the other trial."

CHAPTER XXIV

Julian recounts what happened to him while he was a poet.

"Rome was now the seat of my nativity, where I was born of a family more
remarkable for honor than riches. I was intended for the church, and
had a pretty good education; but my father dying while I was young, and
leaving me nothing, for he had wasted his whole patrimony, I was forced
to enter myself in the order of mendicants.

"When I was at school I had a knack of rhyming, which I unhappily
mistook for genius, and indulged to my cost; for my verses drew on me
only ridicule, and