Achates as I have lately been by Silas? Have Virgilian commentators anything to tell us on that head? The fact is that I was foolish enough to appoint Silas my Master of Horse, as I think I wrote to-you at the time. The High Priest didn't approve of the appointment, because he was a Samaritan; the Samaritans once vexed the Jews at Jerusalem, the ones who had returned there from their Babylonian captivity, by knocking down every night the walls they built by day; and the Jews have never forgiven them this. So I went to the trouble of deposing the High Priest on Silas's account. Silas had already begun to be very self-important and was daily giving fresh proof of his famous frankness and bluntness of speech. My removal of the High Priest encouraged him to put on greater airs than ever. Upon my word, sometimes visitors at Court could not make out which of us was the King and which was only the Master of Horse. Yet if I hinted to Silas that he was presuming on his friendship he used to sulk, and dear Cypros used to reproach me for my unkindness to him, and remind me of all that he had done for us. I had to be pleasant to him again end as good as apologize to him for my ingratitude.
His worst habit was constantly harping on my former troubles - in mixed company too - and giving most embarrassingly circumstantial details of how he had saved me from this danger and that, and how faithful he had shown himself, and how much excellent advice of his I had neglected, and how he had never looked for any reward but my friendship, in fine weather or rain or tempest - for that was the Samaritan character. Well, he opened his mouth once too often. I was at Tiberias, on the Lake of Galilee, where I was once magistrate under Antipas, and the leading men of Sidon were banqueting with me. You may remember the difference of opinion that I once had with the Sidonians when I was Flaccus's adviser at Antioch? Trust Silas to be on his worst behaviour at a banquet of such unusual political importance. Almost the first thing that he, said to Hasdrubal, the harbour-master of Sidon, a man of the greatest influence in Phoenicia, was: `I know your face, don't I? Isn't your name Hasdrubal? Of course, yes, you were one of the delegation thatcame to
King Herod Agrippa, about nine years ago, asking him to use his influence with Flaccus on behalf of Sidon in that boundary dispute with Damascus. I well remember advising Herod to refuse your presents, pointing out that it was, dangerous to take-bribes from both parties in a dispute:' he would be sure to get into trouble. But he only laughed at me. That's his way.' '
Hasdrubal was a man of delicacy and said that he had no recollection of the incident at all: he was sure that Silas must be mistaken. But you can't stop Silas. `Surely your memory isn't as bad as that?' he persisted. `Why, it was because of that case that Herod had to clear out of Antioch in the disguise of a camel-driver I provided him with it - leaving his wife and children behind - I had to smuggle them aboard a ship to take - them away and make a long detour by way of the Syrian desert to Edom. He went on a stolen camel. No, in case you ask me about that camel, it wasn't I who stole it, but King Herod Agrippa himself.'
This made me pretty hot, and it was no use denying the main facts of the story. But I did my best to gloze it over with a light-hearted romance of how one day my desert blood stirred in me and I grew weary of Roman life at Antioch and felt an overpowering impulse to ride out into the vast desert spaces and visit my kinsmen in Edom; but knowing that Flaccus would detain me - he was dependent on me for political advice - I was forced to take my leave secretly, and so arranged with Silas for my family to meet me at the port of Anthedon at the conclusion of my adventure. And a very enjoyable holiday it had proved to be. At Anthedon, I said, I had been met by an Imperial courier, who had failed to find me at Antioch, with a letter from the Emperor Tiberius: inviting me to Rome to act as his adviser, because my brains were wasted in the provinces.
Hasdrubal listened with polite interest, admiring my lies, for he knew the story almost as well as Silas did. He asked, 'May I inquire of your Majesty whether this was your first visit to Edom? I understand that the Edomites are a very noble, hospitable, and courageous race, and despise luxury and frivolity with a primitive severity which I find it easier, myself, to admire than to imitate.'
That fool Silas must needs put his oar in again. 'Oh, no, Hasdrubal, that wasn't his first visit to Edom. I was his only companion - except for the Lady Cypros, as she was then, and the two elder children - on his first visit. That was the year that Tiberius's son was murdered. King Herod had been obliged because of this to escape from his creditors at Rome, and Edom was the only safe place of refuge. He had run up the most enormous debts in spite of my repeated warnings that a day of reckoning would come at last. He loathed Edom, to tell the honest truth, and was contemplating suicide; but the Lady Cypros saved him by swallowing her pride and writing a very- humble letter to her sister-in-law Herodias, with whom she had quarrelled. King Herod was invited here to Galilee and King Antipas, made him a judge of the Lower Courts in this very town. His annual income was only seven hundred gold pieces.'
Hasdrubal was opening his mouth to express surprise and incredulity when Cypros suddenly came- to my help: She had not minded, Silas's telling tales about me, but when he brought up that old memory of the letter to Herodias, it was quite another matter: `Silas,' she said, `you talk far too much and most of what you say is inaccurate and nonsensical. You will oblige me by holding your tongue.'
Silas grew very red and once more addressed Hasdrubal: `It is my Samaritan nature to tell the truth frankly, however disagreeable. Yes, King Herod passed through many vicissitudes before he won his present kingdom. Of some of these he does not appear to be ashamed - for instance, he has actually hung up in the Temple Treasury at Jerusalem the iron chain with which he was once fettered by order of the Emperor Tiberius. He was put in gaol for treason, you know. I had warned him repeatedly not to have private conversations with Gaius Caligula in the hearing of his coachman, but as usual he disregarded my warning. Afterwards Gaius Caligula gave him a gold chain, a replica of the iron one, and, the other day King Herod hung this gold chain up in the Treasury and took down the iron one, which did not shine brightly enough, I suppose.' I caught Cypros's eye and we exchanged understanding looks. So I told Thaumastus to go to my bedroom where the chain was hanging on the wall facing my bed and bring it down. He did so, and I passed it round the table as a curiosity; the Sidonians examining it with ill-concealed embarrassment. Then I called Silas to me. `Silas,' I said, `I am about to do you a signal honour. In recognition of all your services to me and mine, and the fine frankness that you have never failed to show me even in the presence of distinguished guests, I hereby invest you with the Order of the Iron Chain; and may you live long to wear it. You and I are the only two companions, of this very select Order and I gladly surrender the regalia to you complete. Thaumastus, chain this man and take himaway. to
prison.'
Silas was too astonished to say a word and was led away like a lamb to the, slaughter. The joke was that if he hadn't been, so obstinate at Rome about refusing the citizenship that I had offered to get for him, I should never have been able to play that trick on him. He would have appealed to you and you would no doubt have pardoned him, you softhearted fellow. Well, I had to do it, or the Sidonians would never have respected me, again.. As it was, they seemed gratifyingly, impressed and the rest of the banquet proved a great success. That was some months ago, and I kept him there in gaol - unpleaded for by Cypros - to learn his lesson; intending, however, to release him in time to attend my birthday feast, which took place yesterday. I sent Thaumastus to Tiberias to to visit Silas in his cell. He was to say: `I was once a messenger of hope and comfort to our Lord and Master King Herod Agrippa when he was entering the, prison gates, at Misenum: I am now here, Silas, as a messenger of hope and comfort to you. This pitcher of wine is the token.
Our gracious sovereign invites you to banquet with him at Jerusalem in three days time and will allow you to present yourself, if you prefer it, without the insignia of the Order that he has conferred on you. Here, take this and drink it. And my own advice to you, my friend Silas, is never remind people of services that you have done them in times past. If they are grateful and honourable men they will not need any reminder and if they are ungrateful and dishonourable, the reminder will be wasted on them.'
Silas had been brooding over his wrongs all these months and was bursting to tell someone about them - besides his warder.' He said to Thaumastus: `So that is king Herod's message, is it? And I am supposed to be grateful, am I? What new honour does he intend to confer on me? The Order of the Whip perhaps? When was an honest man ever so badly treated at a friend's hands as I have been at King Herod's? Does he expect that the awful miseries I have suffered here in solitary confinement will have taught me to hold my. tongue when I feel impelled to speak the truth and shame his lying counsellors and flattering courtiers? Tell the King that he has not broken my spirit and that if, he releases me I shall celebrate the occasion by franker and blunter speech than ever: I shall tell the whole nation through how many dangers and misfortunes he and I passed together and how I always saved the situation in the end after he had nearly ruined us both by his refusal to listen to my warnings in time, and how generously he rewarded me for all this with a heavy chain and a dark dungeon. No, I shall never forget this treatment. My very soul when I die will remember it, and remember too all the glorious deeds I did for his sake.' Drink,' said Thaumastus. But Silas would not drink. Thaumastus tried to reason with the madman, but he insisted
