Callista : a Tale of the Third Century

by John Henry Newman

  CHAPTER III.

  AGELLIUS IN HIS COTTAGE.

  The cottage for which Agellius was making, when last we had sight of him,was a small brick house consisting of one room, with a loft over it, and akitchen on the side, not very unlike that holy habitation which oncecontained the Eternal Word in human form with His Virgin Mother, andJoseph, their guardian. It was situated on the declivity of the hill, and,unlike the gardens of Italy, the space before it was ornamented with aplot of turf. A noble palm on one side, in spite of its distance from thewater, and a group of orange-trees on the other, formed a foreground tothe rich landscape which was described in our opening chapter. The bordersand beds were gay with the lily, the bacchar, amber-coloured and purple,the golden abrotomus, the red chelidonium, and the variegated iris.Against the wall of the house were trained pomegranates, with theircrimson blossoms, the star-like pothos or jessamine, and the symbolicalpassionflower, which well became a Christian dwelling.

  And it was an intimation of what would be found within; for on one side ofthe room was rudely painted a red cross, with doves about it, as is foundin early Christian shrines to this day. So long had been the peace of theChurch, that the tradition of persecution seemed to have been lost; andChristians allowed themselves in the profession of their faith at home,cautious as they might be in public places; as freely as now in England,where we do not scruple to raise crucifixes within our churches andhouses, though we shrink from doing so within sight of the hundred cabsand omnibuses which rattle past them. Under the cross were two or threepictures, or rather sketches. In the centre stood the Blessed Virgin withhands spread out in prayer, attended by the holy Apostles Peter and Paulon her right and left. Under this representation was rudely scratched uponthe wall the word, "Advocata," a title which the earliest antiquitybestows upon her. On a small shelf was placed a case with two or threerolls or sheets of parchment in it. The appearance of them spoke of useindeed, but of reverential treatment. These were the Psalms, the Gospelaccording to St. Luke, and St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, in the oldLatin version, The Gospel was handsomely covered, and ornamented withgold.

  The apartment was otherwise furnished with such implements and materialsas might be expected in the cottage of a countryman: one or two stools andbenches for sitting, a table, and in one corner a heap of dried leaves andrushes, with a large crimson coverlet, for rest at night. Elsewhere weretwo millstones fixed in a frame, with a handle attached to the rim of oneof them, for grinding corn. Then again, garden tools; boxes of seeds; avessel containing syrup for assuaging the sting of the scorpion; the_asir-rese_ or _anagallis_, a potent medicine of the class of poisons,which was taken in wine for the same mischance. It hung from the beams,with a large bunch of _atsirtiphua_, a sort of camomile, smaller in theflower and more fragrant than our own, which was used as a febrifuge.Thence, too, hung a plentiful gathering of dried grapes, of the kindcalled _duracinae_; and near the door a bough of the green _bargut_ or_psyllium_, to drive away the smaller insects.

  Poor Agellius felt the contrast between the ungodly turmoil from which hehad escaped, and the deep stillness into which he now had entered; butneither satisfied him quite. There was no repose out of doors, and norelief within. He was lonely at home, lonely in the crowd. He needed thesympathy of his kind; hearts which might beat with his heart; friends withwhom he might share his joys and griefs; advisers whom he might consult;minds like his own, who would understand him--minds unlike his own, whowould succour and respond to him. A very great trial certainly this, inwhich the soul is flung back upon itself; and that especially in the caseof the young, for whom memory and experience do so little, and wayward andexcited feelings do so much. Great gain had it been for Agellius, even inits natural effect, putting aside higher benefits, to have been able torecur to sacramental confession; but to confession he had never been,though once or twice he had attended the public _homologesis_ of theChurch. Shall we wonder that the poor youth began to be despondent andimpatient under his trial? Shall we not feel for him, though we may besorry for him, should it turn out that he was looking restlessly intoevery corner of the small world of acquaintance in which his lot lay, forthose with whom he could converse easily, and interchange speculation,argument, aspiration, and affection?

  "No one cares for me," he said, as he sat down on his rustic bench. "I amnothing to any one; I am a hermit, like Elias or John, without the call tobe one. Yet even Elias felt the burden of being one against many; evenJohn asked at length in expostulation, 'Art Thou He that shall come?' Am Ifor ever to have the knowledge, without the consolation, of the truth? amI for ever to belong to a great divine society, yet never see the face ofany of its members?"

  He paused in his thoughts, as if drinking in the full taste and measure ofhis unhappiness. And then his reflections took a turn, and he said,suddenly, "Why do I not leave Sicca? What binds me to my father's farm? Iam young, and my interest in it will soon expire. What keeps me fromCarthage, Hippo, Cirtha, where Christians are so many?" But here hestopped as suddenly as he had begun; and a strange feeling, half pang,half thrill, went through his heart. And he felt unwilling to pursue histhought, or to answer the question which he had asked; and he settled intoa dull, stagnant condition of mind, in which he seemed hardly to think atall.

  Be of good cheer, solitary one, though thou art not a hero yet! There isOne that cares for thee, and loves thee, more than thou canst feel, love,or care for thyself. Cast all thy care upon Him. He sees thee, and iswatching thee; He is hanging over thee, and smiles in compassion at thytroubles. His angel, who is thine, is whispering good thoughts to thee. Heknows thy weakness; He foresees thy errors; but He holds thee by thy righthand, and thou shalt not, canst not escape Him. By thy faith, which thouhast so simply, resolutely retained in the midst of idolatry; by thypurity, which, like some fair flower, thou hast cherished in the midst ofpollution, He will remember thee in thy evil hour, and thine enemy shallnot prevail against thee!

  What means that smile upon Agellius's face? It is the response of thechild to the loving parent. He knows not why, but the cloud is past. Hesigns himself with the holy cross, and sweet reviving thoughts enlivenhim. He names the sacred Name, and it is like ointment poured out upon hissoul. He rises; he kneels down under the dread symbol of his salvation;and he begins his evening prayer.