ble to tell her, in all good faith, that
the danger was as good as over. Posidonius, the Magian, had been to see
him, and had completely reassured him. This man, whose accomplice he
had been again and again in producing false apparitions of spirits and
demons, had once gained an extraordinary influence over him by
casting some mysterious spell upon him and reducing his will to abject
subjection to his own; and this magician, who had recovered his
own self-possession, had assured him, with an inimitable air of
infallibility, that the fall of the Temple of Serapis would involve no
greater catastrophe than that of any old worn-out statue. Since this
announcement Medius had laughed at his own alarms; he had recovered his
"strong-mindedness," and when Posidonius had given him three tickets for
the Hippodrome he had jumped at the offer.

The races were to be run next day, in spite of the general panic that
had fallen on the citizens; and Dada, when he invited her to join him
and his daughter in-the enjoyment of so great a treat, dried her eyes
and accepted gleefully.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Alarming as was the outlook in Alexandria, the races, were to be held
as usual. This had been decided only a few hours since at the Bishop's
palace, and criers had been sent abroad throughout the streets
and squares of the city to bid the inhabitants to this popular
entertainment. In the writing-office of the Ephemeris, which would be
given to the public the first thing in the morning, five hundred slaves
or more were occupied in writing from dictation a list of the owners of
the horses, of the 'agitatores' who would drive them, and of the prizes
offered to the winners, whether Christians or heathen.

[Ephemeris--The news-sheet, which was brought out, not only in Rome,
but in all the cities of the Empire, and which kept the citizens
informed of all important events.]

The heat in the Episcopal council-hall had been oppressive, and not less
so the heat of temper among the priests assembled there; for they
had fully determined, for once, not to obey their prelate with blind
submission, and they knew full well that Theophilus, on occasion, if his
will were opposed, could not merely thunder but wield the bolt.

Besides the ecclesiastical members of the council, Cynegius,
the Imperial legate--Evagrius, the Prefect--and Romanus, the
commander-in-chief and Comes of Egypt,--had all been present. The
officials of the Empire--Roman st