gazed  at  him,  with  all  my  soul  in  my  eyes,  a  white
light  has  seemed  to  issue  from  his  lips,  in  the
purity  and  brightness  of  which  all  the  myths  both
of  the  temples  and  the  schools  seemed  to  be  exhal-
ing as  a  mist  under  a  summer  sun,  not  only  from
this  Hill  of  Mars,  but  also  from  all  the  lowlands  of
Attica.
Can  it  be  only  a  seeming?  Plainly,  Areopagus  is
profoundly  impressed.  For  the  moment  its  sciences
appear  mere  trickery  of  words,  its  speculations  mere
cobwebs,  its  traditions  black  emptiness  itself.  The
Garden  trembles ;  tremble  the  Porch  and  the  Acad-
emy. But  conviction  is  not  conversion ;  and,  after
all,  these  trembling  conscript  fathers  may  do  as  will
the  trembling  Felix  a  little  later.     God  forbid !

It  is  a  supreme  moment.  The  scales  tremble
with  fate — first  this  way  and  then  that.  Will  it  be
Tekel?  Pray  for  them,  Paul !  Pray  for  them,  Dio !
Above  all,  pray  for  them,  O  Jesus,  the  Intercessor !
And  the  Goddess  of  Wisdom  looks  down  on  them
from  my  right  and  seems  to  say.  Will  they  have
wisdom  enough?  And  Mars  looks  down  on  them
from  my  left  and  seems  to  say.  Will  they  have  cour^
age  enough  ?  And  the  snaky  Eumenides  peer  up  at
them  from  their  sanctuary,  just  at  my  feet,  and
seem  to  say.  Will  they  have  conscience  enough  ?

Speak  Dio !  You  have  suddenJy  come  to  great
influence,  even  with  these  white-haired  primates  of


Digitized  by


Google


Thunder  from  Mars'  Hill.  473

the  land ;  now  strain  it  to  the  utmost  for  your  King
and  country.
