Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero by Henryk Sienkiewicz (nonfiction book recommendations .txt) ๐
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- Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
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โThat man can find the maiden,โ thought he. Meanwhile Vinicius wrinkled his joined brows, and said,โโWretch, in case thou deceive me for gain, I will give command to beat thee with clubs.โ
โI am a philosopher, lord, and a philosopher cannot be greedy of gain, especially of such as thou hast just offered magnanimously.โ
โOh, art thou a philosopher?โ inquired Petronius. โEunice told me that thou art a physician and a soothsayer. Whence knowest thou Eunice?โ
โShe came to me for aid, for my fame struck her ears.โ
โWhat aid did she want?โ
โAid in love, lord. She wanted to be cured of unrequited love.โ
โDidst thou cure her?โ
โI did more, lord. I gave her an amulet which secures mutuality. In Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, is a temple, O lord, in which is preserved a zone of Venus. I gave her two threads from that zone, enclosed in an almond shell.โ
โAnd didst thou make her pay well for them?โ
โOne can never pay enough for mutuality, and I, who lack two fingers on my right hand, am collecting money to buy a slave copyist to write down my thoughts, and preserve my wisdom for mankind.โ
โOf what school art thou, divine sage?โ
โI am a Cynic, lord, because I wear a tattered mantle; I am a Stoic, because I bear poverty patiently; I am a Peripatetic, for, not owning a litter, I go on foot from one wine-shop to another, and on the way teach those who promise to pay for a pitcher of wine.โ
โAnd at the pitcher thou dost become a rhetor?โ
โHeraclitus declares that โall is fluid,โ and canst thou deny, lord, that wine is fluid?โ
โAnd he declared that fire is a divinity; divinity, therefore, is blushing in thy nose.โ
โBut the divine Diogenes from Apollonia declared that air is the essence of things, and the warmer the air the more perfect the beings it makes, and from the warmest come the souls of sages. And since the autumns are cold, a genuine sage should warm his soul with wine; and wouldst thou hinder, O lord, a pitcher of even the stuff produced in Capua or Telesia from bearing heat to all the bones of a perishable human body?โ
โChilo Chilonides, where is thy birthplace?โ
โOn the Euxine Pontus. I come from Mesembria.โ
โOh, Chilo, thou art great!โ
โAnd unrecognized,โ said the sage, pensively.
But Vinicius was impatient again. In view of the hope which had gleamed before him, he wished Chilo to set out at once on his work; hence the whole conversation seemed to him simply a vain loss of time, and he was angry at Petronius.
โWhen wilt thou begin the search?โ asked he, turning to the Greek.
โI have begun it already,โ answered Chilo. โAnd since I am here, and answering thy affable question, I am searching yet. Only have confidence, honored tribune, and know that if thou wert to lose the string of thy sandal I should find it, or him who picked it up on the street.โ
โHast thou been employed in similar services?โ asked Petronius.
The Greek raised his eyes. โTo-day men esteem virtue and wisdom too low, for a philosopher not to be forced to seek other means of living.โ
โWhat are thy means?โ
โTo know everything, and to serve those with news who are in need of it.โ
โAnd who pay for it?โ
โAh, lord, I need to buy a copyist. Otherwise my wisdom will perish with me.โ
โIf thou hast not collected enough yet to buy a sound mantle, thy services cannot be very famous.โ
โModesty hinders me. But remember, lord, that to-day there are not such benefactors as were numerous formerly; and for whom it was as pleasant to cover service with gold as to swallow an oyster from Puteoli. No; my services are not small, but the gratitude of mankind is small. At times, when a valued slave escapes, who will find him, if not the only son of my father? When on the walls there are inscriptions against the divine Poppรฆa, who will indicate those who composed them? Who will discover at the book-stalls verses against Cรฆsar? Who will declare what is said in the houses of knights and senators? Who will carry letters which the writers will not intrust to slaves? Who will listen to news at the doors of barbers? For whom have wine-shops and bake-shops no secret? In whom do slaves trust? Who can see through every house, from the atrium to the garden? Who knows every street, every alley and hiding-place? Who knows what they say in the baths, in the Circus, in the markets, in the fencing-schools, in slave-dealersโ sheds, and even in the arenas?โ
โBy the gods! enough, noble sage!โ cried Petronius; โwe are drowning in thy services, thy virtue, thy wisdom, and thy eloquence. Enough! We wanted to know who thou art, and we know!โ
But Vinicius was glad, for he thought that this man, like a hound, once put on the trail, would not stop till he had found out the hiding-place.
โWell,โ said he, โdost thou need indications?โ
โI need arms.โ
โOf what kind?โ asked Vinicius, with astonishment.
The Greek stretched out one hand; with the other he made the gesture of counting money.
โSuch are the times, lord,โ said he, with a sigh.
โThou wilt be the ass, then,โ said Petronius, โto win the fortress with bags of gold?โ
โI am only a poor philosopher,โ answered Chilo, with humility; โye have the gold.โ
Vinicius tossed him a purse, which the Greek caught in the air, though two fingers were lacking on his right hand.
He raised his head then, and said: โI know more than thou thinkest. I have not come empty-handed. I know that Aulus did not intercept the maiden, for I have spoken with his slaves. I know that she is not on the Palatine, for all are occupied with the infant Augusta; and perhaps I may even divine why ye prefer to search for the maiden with my help rather than that of the city guards and Cรฆsarโs soldiers. I know that her escape was effected by a servant,โa slave coming from the same country as she. He could not find assistance among slaves, for slaves all stand together, and would not act against thy slaves. Only a co-religionist would help him.โ
โDost hear, Vinicius?โ broke in Petronius. โHave I not said the same, word for word, to thee?โ
โThat is an honor for me,โ said Chilo. โThe maiden, lord,โ
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