Fierce had been the rage and disappointment of Antiochus Epiphanes on hearing of the result of the night attack on his forces at Emmaus, and the subsequent retreat of Giorgias without striking a blow. In vain the troops of that too cautious leader endeavoured, by exaggerating the account of the numbers of their enemies, to cover their own shame. Antiochus was furious alike at what he termed the insolence1 of a handful of outlaws2, and the cowardice3 of his picked troops, who had flaunted4 their banners and gone forth5 as if to assured victory, and had then fled like some gay-plumed bird before the swoop6 of the eagle. Not only the oppressed inhabitants of Jerusalem and its environs had cause to tremble at the rage of the tyrant7, but his own Syrian officers and the obsequious8 courtiers who stood in his presence. And none more so than Pollux, once the chosen companion and special favourite of the Syrian king. Pollux had been so loaded with wealth and honours by his capricious master, as to have become an object of envy to his fellow-courtiers, and especially so to Lysimachus, a Syrian of high birth, who had seen himself passed in the race for royal favour by a rival whom he despised. But there was little cause for envying Pollux, the wretched parasite10 of a tyrant. Alas11, for him who has bartered12 conscience and self-respect to win a monarch13's smile! He has left the firm though narrow path of duty, to find himself on a treacherous14 quicksand, where the ground on which he places his foot soon begins to give way beneath him!
A few months before the time of which I am writing, Pollux, after a long sojourn15 in Antioch, then the capital of the Syrian dominions16, had rejoined Antiochus in Jerusalem, where the monarch was holding his court in a luxurious17 palace which he had caused to be erected18. It was here that Pollux first experienced the fickleness19 of royal favour. The courtier had been present at the trial of Solomona and her brave sons without making the slightest effort to save them, though their fate had moved him to something more than pity. But though Pollux could to a certain extent trample20 down compunction, and force his conscience to silence, he had not perfect command over his nerves. He might consent to the perpetration of horrors, but he could not endure to witness them; and, as we have seen, he had quietly, and, as he hoped, without attracting notice, quitted the chamber21 of torture.
The keen eye of jealousy22 had, however, keenly watched the movements of Pollux, and Lysimachus had not failed to make the most of the weakness betrayed by his rival.
"Pollux has sympathy with the Hebrews," observed Lysimachus to the tyrant, when Antiochus was chafing23 at being baffled by the fortitude24 of his victims. "Pollux may wear the Syrian garb25, and he loaded with favours by the mighty26 Syrian king, but he remains27 at heart a Jew."
From that day Pollux found himself an object of suspicion, and having once reached the quicksand, he gradually sank lower and lower, notwithstanding his desperate efforts to save himself from impending28 ruin. His most costly29 gifts, his most fulsome30 flattery, his assurances of deathless devotion to "the greatest, noblest of the kings who sway realms conquered by Alexander, and surpass the fame of Macedonia's godlike hero," met but the coldest response. Pollux had once been wont31 to delight the king with his brilliant wit; now his forced jests fell like sparks upon water. Antiochus was growing tired of his favourite, as a child grows tired of the toy which he hugs one day, to break and fling aside on the next.
All the more embarrassed from having to simulate ease, all the more wretched because forcing himself to seem merry, with the sword of Damocles ever hanging over his head, Pollux, in the midst of luxury and pomp, was one of the most miserable32 of mankind. The court became to him at last an almost intolerable place. In an attempt at once to free himself from its restraints, and to win back the favour of the king by military service, in an evil hour for himself, he had volunteered to join the forces of Nicanor. The courtier was incited33 by no military ardour; he had no desire to fall on the field of victory; Pollux was not a coward, but he clung to life as those well may cling who have forfeited34 all hope of anything but misery35 beyond it. Pollux, as we have seen, had accompanied Giorgias when that general led a detachment of chosen troops to make that night attack upon Judas which had proved so unsuccessful. With Giorgias, Pollux had returned to Jerusalem, covered with shame instead of glory. More than his fair share of the obloquy36 incurred37 had fallen to the unfortunate courtier.
"Be assured, O most mighty monarch"--thus had Lysimachus addressed the disappointed tyrant--"that had there been no sympathizers with the Hebrew rebels in the army of the king, Giorgias would have returned to Jerusalem with the head of Judas Maccabeus hanging at his saddle-bow."
The insinuation was understood--the instilled38 poison worked its effect. Antiochus had met his former favourite with an ominous39 frown. He did not, however, consign40 Pollux to irremediable ruin; he gave him a chance of redeeming41 his character from the imputation42 of treachery towards the Syrian cause. Pollux received a commission from Antiochus to attack and seize a party of Hebrews who, according to information brought by spies, were to celebrate the Passover Feast in Salathiel's house, in defiance43 of the edict by which the king had endeavoured to crush the religion of those who still worshipped the God of their fathers.
An office more repugnant to the feelings of Pollux could scarcely have been assigned to him, but he dared not show the slightest hesitation44 in obeying the mandate45; nay46, the courtier even feigned47 joy at the opportunity given him of serving the king by rooting out the religion which, in the secret depths of his heart, Pollux regarded as the only true one; for he could not obliterate48 from memory lessons once learned on his mother's knee. The poor wretch9 was, as it were, sunk in the quicksand up to his lips, and would have clutched at red-hot iron, had such been the only means of drawing him upwards49 out of the living grave in which he was being gradually entombed.
Wearing the mask of mirth to conceal50 his misery, Pollux, before setting out on his hateful mission, jested in regard to the number of fanatic51 Jews whom he would enclose in his toils52, and bring to make sport before the king, to fight wild beasts in the large gymnasium, which had been erected within Jerusalem for games which the Jews regarded as unlawful and sinful. The courtier, in the presence of Antiochus, affected53 the gay delight of the hunter, trying to cover with a garb of levity54 the remorse55 which was gnawing56 at his heart, and not betray even by a look, the secret torture which he felt.
We know what followed the attack upon Salathiel's house: the flight of the Hebrews, the fall of Abishai, whose last word and dying look inflicted57 upon Pollux a pang58 keen enough to have satisfied the fiercest thirst for revenge.
When tidings were brought to the palace that the result of the boasted exertions59 of Pollux was the death of a single Hebrew and the capture of one young girl, the wrath60 of the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes rose higher than before. His courtiers, catching61 the infection of the anger of the king, showed something of what would have been the indignant rage of an audience crowding the Coliseum at Rome in the expectation of gloating on the sight of many victims flung to the lions, had the spectacle been reduced to the sacrifice of one.
Antiochus, however, determined62 to have what sport he could out of the single poor gazelle that had been run down by his hounds. One who--albeit, of the weaker sex--had been venturesome enough to keep the Passover feast, might make sufficient resistance to his arbitrary will to afford him a little amusement, when none more exciting could be had. The monarch, therefore, after he had enjoyed his noonday siesta63, gave command that the Hebrew prisoner should be brought into his presence in his grand hall of audience.
There sat the tyrant of Syria on an ivory throne, his footstool a crouching64 silver lion, over his head a canopy65 of gold. In front of the king was a splendid altar, on which fire was constantly burning before a small image of Jupiter; and the luxurious fragrance66 of incense67, frequently thrown on this fire, filled the magnificent hall. Many courtiers, in splendid apparel, clustered on either side below the dais which raised the throned monarch above them all. Behind these were numerous slaves, mostly Nubians, richly and gaudily68 dressed, some of whom held aloft large fans of the peacock's many-tinted plumes69. The whole scene was one of gorgeous magnificence, the pomp and glory of the world throwing its false halo of beauty over guilty power.
Antiochus himself wore a robe crusted over with sparkling jewels, worth the tribute of a conquered province. He was, as his appearance has been handed down to us on coins, a kingly-looking man, with short curled hair, and regular, strongly-marked features, but a receding70 forehead, and an expression cold and hard. No one would expect from him "the milk of human kindness." Antiochus looked what he was--a stern, merciless tyrant. There was at this period no premonitory sign in the appearance of the king of that frightful71 disease which, within a year's time, was to render him an object of horror and loathing72 to all who approached him--a disease so exquisitely73 painful, that it seemed to combine and exceed all the tortures which the tyrant had made his victims endure. Antiochus, glittering on his ivory throne, appeared to be in the prime of health as well as the zenith of power; none guessed how brief was the term of mortal existence remaining to the despot, on the breath of whose lips now hung fortune or ruin, whose angry frown was a sentence of death.
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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flaunted
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| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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parasite
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| n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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fickleness
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| n.易变；无常；浮躁；变化无常 | |
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trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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fulsome
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| adj.可恶的，虚伪的，过分恭维的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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incited
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| 刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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obloquy
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| n.斥责，大骂 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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consign
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| vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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imputation
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| n.归罪，责难 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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toils
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| 网 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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gaudily
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| adv.俗丽地 | |
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plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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