caparisoned with silver. Poppaea followed him with
five hundred she asses to furnish milk for her bath. Cicero purchased
a dining-room table that cost him a million sesterces, or about two
hundred thousand francs. I can understand the progress of
civilization, and I can also understand civilization remaining
stationary for a given period; but I cannot understand why a citizen
of ancient Rome should be able to lodge twenty-five thousand men,
whilst a king of France could scarcely keep the ducks from waddling
about his apartments, and a queen of England could fare no better than
a ploughman."

"If," replied Frank, "there were no other criterion of civilization
than luxury and riches, you would have good grounds for surprise; but
such is not the case. Between ancient and modern times, Christianity
arose, and that has tended in some degree to keep down the ostentation
of the rich, and to augment, at the same time, the comforts of the
poor. In place of the heroes, Hercules and Achilles, we have had the
apostles Peter and Paul; so Luther and Calvin have been substituted
for Semiramis and Nero. Pride has given place to charity, and
corruption to virtue."

"Would that it were so, Frank," continued Ernest. "Christianity has,
doubtless, effected many beneficial changes, and produced many able
men; but in this last respect antiquity has not been behind. It has
also its sages: Thales, Socrates, and Pythagoras, for example."

"True," replied Frank, "antiquity has produced some virtuous men, but
their virtue was ideal, and their creed a dream."

"And the Stoics?"

"The Stoics despised suffering, and Christians resign themselves to
its chastisements; this constitutes one of the lines of demarcation
between ancient and modern theology."

"But there were many signal instances of virtue manifested in ancient
times."

"Yes; but for the most part, it was either exaggerated or false;
unyielding pride, obstinate courage, implacable resentment of
injuries. Errors promenaded in robes under the porticos. Ambition was
honored in Alexander, suicide in Cato, and assassination in Brutus."

"But what say you to Plato?"

"The immolation of ill-formed children, and of those born without the
permission of the laws, prosecution of strangers and slavery; such
were the basis of his boasted republic, and the gospel of his
philosophy."

"Why, then, are these men held up as models for our imitation?"

"Because they are distant and dead; likew