Callista : a Tale of the Third Century

by John Henry Newman

  CHAPTER XXX.

  TORRES VEDRAS.

  There were those, however, whom Callista could understand, and who couldunderstand her; there were those who, while Aristo, Cornelius, Jucundus,and Polemo were moving in her behalf, were interesting themselves also inher, and in a more effectual way. Agellius had joined Caecilius, and, if inno other way, by his mouth came to the latter and his companions the newsof her imprisonment. On the morning that Agellius had been so strangelylet out of confinement by his brother, and found himself seated at thestreet-door, with his tunic on his arm and his boots on the ground beforehim, his first business was to recollect where he was, and to dispose ofthose articles of dress according to their respective uses. What should hedo with himself, was of course his second thought. He could not stay therelong without encountering the early risers of Sicca, the gates beingalready open. To attempt to find out where Callista was, and then to seeher or rescue her, would have ended at once in his own capture. To go tohis own farm would have been nearly as dangerous, and would have had lessmeaning. Caecilius too had said, that they were not long to be separated,and had given him directions for finding him.

  Immediately then he made his way to one of the eastern gates, which led toThibursicumbur. There was indeed no time to be lost, as he soon hadindications; he met several men who knew him by sight, and one of theapparitors of the Duumviri, who happily did not. An apostate Christian,whose zeal for the government was notorious, passed him and looked backafter him. However, he would soon be out of pursuit, if he had the startof them until the sun got round the mountains he was seeking. He walked onthrough a series of rocky and barren hills, till he got some way past thesecond milestone. Before he had reached the third he had entered a defilein the mountains. Perpendicular rocks rose on each side of him, and thelevel road, reaching from rock to rock, was not above thirty feet across.He felt that if he was pursued here, there was no escape. The thirdmilestone passed, he came to the country road; he pursued it, counting outhis thousand steps, as Caecilius had instructed him. By this time it hadleft the stony bottom, and was rising up the side of the precipice.Brushwood and dwarf pines covered it, mingled with a few olives andcaroubas. He said out his seven pater nosters as he walked, and thenlooked around. He had just passed a goatherd, and they looked hard at eachother. Agellius wished him good morning.

  "You are wishing a kid for Bacchus, sir," said the man to him as he wasrunning his eye over the goats. On Agellius answering in the negative, hesaid in a clownish way, "He who does not sacrifice to Bacchus does notsacrifice goats."

  Agellius, bearing in mind Caecilius's directions, saw of course there wassomething in the words which did not meet the ear, and answeredcarelessly, "He who does not sacrifice, does not sacrifice to Bacchus."

  "True," said the man, "but perhaps you prefer a lamb for a sacrifice."

  Agellius replied, "If it is the right one; but the one I mean was slainlong since."

  The man, without any change of manner, went on to say that there was anacquaintance of his not far up the rock, who could perhaps satisfy him onthe point. He said, "Follow those wild olives, though the path seemsbroken, and you will come to him at the nineteenth."

  Agellius set out, and never was path so untrue to its own threats. Itseemed ending in abrupt cliffs every turn, but never fulfilled theanticipation; that is, while he kept to the olive-trees. After ascendingwhat was rather a flight of marble steps, washed and polished by thewinter torrents, than a series of crags, he fulfilled the number of trees,and looked round at the man sitting under it. O the joy and surprise! itwas his old servant Aspar.

  "You are safe, then, Aspar," he said, "and I find you here. O what atender Providence!"

  "I have taken my stand here, master," returned Aspar, "day after day,since I got here, in hopes of seeing you. I could not get back to you fromJucundus's that dreadful morning, and so I made my way here. Your unclesent for you in my presence, but at the time I did not know what it meant.I was able to escape."

  "And now for Caecilius," said Agellius.

  Behind the olive-tree a torrent's bed descended; the descent being soeasy, and yet so natural, that art had evidently interfered with nature,yet concealed its interference. After tracing it some yards, they came toa chasm on the opposite side; and, passing through it, Agellius soon foundhimself, to his surprise, on a bleak open hill, to which the huge mountainformed merely a sort of _facade_. Its surface was half rock, half moor,and it was surrounded by precipices. It was such a place as some hermit ofthe middle ages might have chosen for his solitude. The two walked brisklyacross it, and at length came to a low, broad yawning opening, branchingout into several passages which, if pursued, would have been found to endin nothing. Aspar, however, made straight for what appeared a dead wall ofrock, in which, on his making a signal, a door, skilfully hidden, wasopened from within, and was shut behind them by the porter. They now stoodin a gallery running into the mountain. It was very long, and a stream ofcold air came along it. Aspar told him that at the extremity of it theyshould find Caecilius.

  Agellius was indeed in the vestibule of a remarkable specimen of thosecaves which had been used for religious purposes, first by the aboriginesof the country, then by the Phoenician colonists, and in the centurieswhich had just passed, for the concealment of the Christians. The passagealong which they were proceeding might itself be fitly called a cave, butstill it was only one of several natural subterraneans, of differentshapes, and opening into each other. Some of them lay along the face of aravine, from which they received light and air; and here in one placethere were indications of a fortified front. They were perfectly dry,though the water had at some remote period filtered through the roof, andhad formed pendants and pillars of semi-transparent stalactite, of greatbeauty. It was another and singular advantage that a particular spot inone of the caverns, which bordered on the ravine, was the focus of animmense ear or whispering-gallery, such, that whatever took place in thepublic road in which the ravine terminated, could be distinctly heardthere, and thus they were always kept on guard against the attack of anenemy, if expected. Had either Agellius or Aspar been curious about such amatter, the latter might have pointed out the place where a Punic altaronce had been discovered, with a sort of _tumulus_ of bones of mice nearat hand, that animal coming into the list of victims in the Phoenicianworship.

  But the two Christians were engaged, as they first halted, and then walkedalong the corridor, in other thoughts, than in asking and answeringquestions about the history of the place of refuge in which they foundthemselves. We have already remarked on the central position of Sicca forthe purpose of missionary work and of retreat in persecution; such adwelling in the rocks did but increase its advantageousness, and inconsequence at this moment many Christians had availed themselves of it.It is an English proverb that three removes are as bad as a fire; and sogreat were the perils and the hardships of flight in those times, that itwas a question, in a merely earthly point of view, whether the risk ofbeing apprehended at home was not a far less evil than the evils whichwere certain upon leaving it. There was nothing, then, ungenerous in theecclesiastical rule that they alone should flee, in persecution, who weremarked out for death, if they stayed. The laity, private families, and thepriests, on whose ministrations they depended, remained; bishops, deacons,and what may be called the staff of the episcopate, notaries, messengers,seminarists, and ascetics, would disappear from the scene of persecution.

  Agellius learned from his slave that the cave had been known to him fromthe time he was a boy, and that it was one of the secrets which all whoshared it religiously observed. Holy men, it seemed, had had intimationsof the present trial for several years past; and it was the fullpersuasion of the heads of the Church, that, though it might blow over fora short time, it would recur at intervals for many years, ending in avisitation so heavy and long, that the times of Antichrist would seem tohave arrived. However, the impression upon their minds was, that the
nwould come a millennium, or, in some sort, a reign of the saints upon theearth. That, however, was a date which even Agellius himself, young as hewas, would not be likely to reach; indeed, who could expect to escape, whomight not hope to gain, a Martyr's death, in the interval, in the seriesof assaults, between which Christianity had to run the gauntlet? Asparsaid, moreover, that some martyrs lay in the chapels within, and thatvarious confessors had ended their days there. At the present time therewere representatives, there collected, of a large portion of the Churchesof the Proconsulate. A post, so to call it, went between them and Carthageevery week, and his friend and father, the bishop of that city, wasespecially busy in correspondence.

  Moreover, Agellius learned from him that they had many partisans,well-wishers, and sympathizers, about the country, whom no one suspected;the families of parents who had conformed to the established worship, nay,sometimes the apostates themselves, and that this was the case in Sicca aswell as elsewhere. For himself, old and ignorant as he was, thepersecution had proved to him an education. He had been brought near greatmen, and some who, he was confident, would be martyrs in the event. He hadlearned a great deal about his religion which he did not know before, andhad drunk in the spirit of Christianity, with a fulness which he trustedwould not turn to his ultimate condemnation. He now too had aconsciousness of the size and populousness of the Church, of herdiffusion, of the promises made to her, of the essential necessity of whatseemed to be misfortune, of the episcopal regimen, and of the power andsolidity of the see of Peter afar off in Rome, all which knowledge hadmade him quite another being. We have put all this into finer languagethan the good old man used himself, and we have grouped it more exactly,but this is what his words would come to, when explained.

  Coming down to sublunary matters, Aspar said the cave was wellprovisioned; they had bread, oil, figs, dried grapes, and wine. They hadvessels and vestments for the Holy Sacrifice. Their serious want was adearth of water at that season, but they relied on Divine Providence togive them by miracle, if in no other way, a supply. The place waspiercingly cold too in the winter.

  By this time they had gained the end of the long gallery, and passedthrough a second apartment, when suddenly the sounds of the ecclesiasticalchant burst on the ear of Agellius. How strange, how transporting to him!he was almost for the first time coming home to his father's house, thoughhe had been a Christian from a child, and never, as he trusted, to leaveit, now that it was found. He did not know how to behave himself, norindeed where to go. Aspar conducted him into the seats set apart for thefaithful; he knelt down and burst into tears.

  It was approaching the third hour, the hour at which the Paracleteoriginally descended upon the Apostles, and which, when times ofpersecution were passed, was appointed in the West for the solemn mass ofthe day. In that early age, indeed, the time of the solemnity wasgenerally midnight, in order to elude observation; but even then such anhour was considered of but temporary arrangement. Pope Telesphorus is saidto have prescribed the hour, afterwards in use, as early even as thesecond century; and in a place of such quiet and security as the cavern inwhich we just now find ourselves, there was no reason why it should not beselected. At the lower end of the chapel was a rail extending across it,and open in the middle, where its two portions turned up at right angleson each side towards the altar. The enclosure thus made was the placeproper for the faithful, into which Agellius had been introduced, andabout fifty persons were collected about him. Where the two side-railswhich ran up the chapel ceased, there was a broad step; and upon it twopulpits, one on each side. Then came a second elevation, carrying the eyeon to the extremity of the upper end.

  In the middle of the wall at that upper end is a recess, occupied by atomb. On the front of it is written the name of some glorious champion ofthe faith who lies there. It is one of the first bishops of Sicca, and theinscription attests that he slept in the Lord under the Emperor Antoninus.Over the sacred relics is a slab, and on the slab the Divine Mysteries arenow to be celebrated. At the back is a painting on the wall, very similarto that in Agellius's cottage. The ever-blessed immaculate Mother of Godis exercising her office as the Advocate of sinners, standing by thesacrifice as she stood at the cross itself, and offering up and applyingits infinite merits and incommunicable virtue in union with priest andpeople. So instinctive in the Christian mind is the principle ofdecoration, as it may be called, that even in times of suffering, andplaces of banishment, we see it brought into exercise. Not only is thearch which overspans the altar ornamented with an arabesque pattern, butthe roof or vault is coloured with paintings. Our Lord is in the centre,with two figures of Moses on each side, on the right unloosing hissandals, on the left striking the rock. Between the centre figure and thealtar may be seen the raising of Lazarus; in the opposite partition thehealing of the paralytic; at the four angles are men and women alternatelyin the attitude of prayer.

  At this time the altar-stone was covered with a rich crimson silk, withfigures of St. Peter and St. Paul worked in gold upon it, the gift of apious lady of Carthage. Beyond the altar, but not touching it, was across; and on one side of the altar a sort of basin or _piscina_ cut inthe rock, with a linen cloth hanging up against it. There were no candlesupon the altar itself, but wax lights fixed into silver stands were placedat intervals along the edge of the presbytery or elevation.

  The mass was in behalf of the confessors for the faith then in prison inCarthage; and the sacred ministers, some half-hour after Agellius'sentrance, made their appearance. Their vestments already varied somewhatfrom the ordinary garments of the day, and bespoke antiquity; and, thoughnot so simply _sui generis_ as they are now, they were so far special,that they were never used on any other occasion, but were reserved for thesacred service. The neck was bare, the amice being as yet unknown; insteadof the stole was what was called the _orarium_, a sort of handkerchiefresting on the shoulders, and falling down on each side. The alb had beenthe inner garment, or _camisium_, which in civil use was retained at nightwhen the other garments were thrown off; and, as at the present day, itwas confined round the waist by a zone or girdle. The maniple was anapkin, supplying the place of a handkerchief; and the chasuble was anample _paenula_, such as was worn by the judges, a cloak enveloping thewhole person round, when spread out, with an opening in the centre,through which the head might pass. The deacon's dalmatic was much longerthan it is now, and the subdeacon's tunicle resembled the alb. All thevestments were of the purest white.

  The mass began by the bishop giving his blessing; and then the Lector, aman of venerable age, taking the roll called _Lectionarium_, andproceeding to a pulpit, read the Prophets to the people, much in the wayobserved among ourselves still on holy Saturday and the vigil ofPentecost. These being finished, the people chanted the first verse of the_Gloria Patri_, after which the clergy alternated with the people the_Kyrie_, pretty much as the custom is now.

  Here a fresh roll was brought to the Lector, then or afterwards called_Apostolus_, from which he read one of the canonical epistles. A psalmfollowed, which was sung by the people; and, after this, the Lectorreceived the _Evangeliarium_, and read a portion of the Gospel, at whichlights were lighted, and the people stood. When he had finished, theLector opened the roll wide, and, turning round, presented it to bishop,clergy, and people to kiss.

  The deacon then cried out, "Ite in pace, catechumeni," "Depart in peace,catechumens;" and then the kiss of peace was passed round, and the peoplebegan to sing some psalms or hymns. While they were so engaged, the deaconreceived from the acolyte the _sindon_, or corporal, which was of thelength of the altar, and perhaps of greater breadth, and spread it uponthe sacred table. Next was placed on the _sindon_ the _oblata_, that is,the small loaves, according to the number of communicants, with the paten,which was large, and a gold chalice, duly prepared. And then the _sindon_,or corporal, was turned back over them, to cover them as a pall.

  The celebrant then advanced: he stood at the further side of the altar,where the candles are now, with his face
to the people, and then began theholy sacrifice. First he incensed the _oblata_, that is, the loaves andchalice, as an acknowledgment of God's sovereign dominion, and as a tokenof uplifted prayer to Him. Then the roll of prayers was brought him, whilethe deacon began what is sometimes called the bidding prayer, being acatalogue of the various subjects for which intercession is to be made,after the manner of the _Oremus dilectissimi_, now used on Good Friday.This catalogue included all conditions of men, the conversion of theworld, the exaltation of Holy Church, the maintenance of the Roman empire,the due ripening and gathering of the fruits of the earth, and otherspiritual and temporal blessings,--subjects very much the same as thosewhich are now called the Pope's intentions. The prayers ended with aspecial reference to those present, that they might persevere in the Lordeven to the end. And then the priest began the _Sursum corda_, and saidthe _Sanctus_.

  The Canon or _Actio_ seems to have run, in all but a few words, as it doesnow, and the solemn words of consecration were said secretly. Great stresswas laid on the Lord's prayer, which in one sense terminated the function.It was said aloud by the people, and when they said, "Forgive us ourtrespasses," they beat their breasts.

  It is not wonderful that Agellius, assisting for almost the first time atthis wonderful solemnity, should have noted everything as it occurred; andwe must be considered as giving our account of it from his mouth.

  It needs not to enlarge on the joy of the meeting which followed betweenCaecilius and his young penitent. "O my father," he said, "I come to thee,never to leave thee, to be thy dutiful servant, and to be trained by theeafter the pattern of Him who made thee what thou art. Wonderful thingshave happened; Callista is in prison on the charge of Christianity; I wasin a sort of prison myself, or what was worse for my soul; and Juba, mybrother, in the strangest of ways, has this morning let me out. Shall shenot be saved, my father, in God's own way, as well as I? At least we canall pray for her; but surely we can do more--so precious a soul must not beleft to herself and the world. If she has the trials, she may claim theblessings of a Christian. Is she to go back to heathenism? Is she, alas!to suffer without baptism? Shall we not hazard death to bestow on her thatgrace?"