e most
dangerous enemies of the Romans? And I once knew a certain Julius who
swore: 'Rome before all things!'--_Vale_."

Cethegus rolled the papyrus together, tied it with a string of red
bast, fastened the knot with wax, and pressed his amethyst ring,
engraved with a splendid head of Jupiter, upon it. Then he touched a
silver eagle which protruded from the marble wainscoting of the room;
outside, upon the wall of the vestibule, a bronze thunderbolt struck
upon the silver shield of a fallen Titan with a clear bell-like tone.
The slave re-entered the room.

"Let the messenger have a bath; give him food and wine, a gold solidus,
and this letter. To-morrow at sunrise he will return to Neapolis."

CHAPTER VII.

Several weeks later we find the grave Prefect in a circle which seemed
very ill-suited to his lofty character, or even to his age.

In the singular juxtaposition of heathenism and Christianity which,
during the first century succeeding Constantine's conversion, filled
the life and manners of the Roman world with such harsh contrasts, the
peaceful mingling of the old and the new religious festivals played a
striking part. Generally the merry feasts of the ancient gods still
existed, together with the great holidays of the Christian Church,
though usually robbed of their original significance, of their
religious kernel. The people allowed themselves to be deprived of the
belief in Jupiter and Juno, of sacrifices and ceremonies, but not of
the games, the festivities, the dances and banquets, by which those
ceremonies had been accompanied; and the Church was at all times wise
and tolerant enough to suffer what she could not prevent. Thus, even
the truly heathen Lupercalia, which were distinguished by gross
superstition and all kinds of rude excess, were only, and with great
difficulty, abolished in the year 496.

The days of the Floralia were come, which formerly were celebrated over
the whole continent with noisy games and dances, as being specially a
feast of happy youth; and which, in the days we speak of, were at least
passed in banqueting and drinking.

And so the two Licinii, with their circle of young gallants and
patricians, had made an appointment to meet together for a symposium
upon the principal holiday of the Floralia, to which, as at our
picnics, every one contributed his share of food and wine.

The guests assembled at the house of young Kallistratos, an amiable a