by Lew Wallace
CHAPTER XV
THE PRINCE OF INDIA PREACHES GOD TO THE GREEKS
We will now take the liberty of reopening the audience chamber of thepalace of Blacherne, presuming the reader holds it in recollection. Itis the day when, by special appointment, the Prince of India appearsbefore the Emperor Constantine to present his idea of a basis forUniversal Religious Union. The hour is exactly noon.
A report of the Prince's former audience with His Majesty had awakenedgeneral curiosity to see the stranger and hear his discourse. This wasparticularly the feeling in spiritual circles; by which term the mostinfluential makers of public opinion are meant. A sharp though decorousrivalry for invitations to be present on the occasion ensued.
The Emperor, in robes varied but little from those he wore the day ofthe Prince's first audience, occupied the throne on the dais. On bothsides of him the company sat in a semicircular arrangement which leftthem all facing the door of the main entrance, and permitted theplacement of a table in a central position under every eye.
The appearance of the assemblage would have disappointed the reader;for while the court was numerously represented, with every functionaryin his utmost splendor of decoration, it was outnumbered by thebrethren of the Holy Orders, whose gowns, for the most part of gray andblack material unrelieved by gayety in color, imparted a sombreness tothe scene which the ample light of the chamber could not entirelydissipate, assisted though it was by refractions in plenitude fromheads bald and heads merely tonsured.
It should be observed now that besides a very striking exterior, theEmperor fancied he discerned in the Prince of India an idea enriched byan extraordinary experience. At loss to make him out, impressed, notunpleasantly, with the mystery the stranger had managed, as usual, toleave behind him, His Majesty had looked forward to this secondappearance with interest, and turned it over with a view to squeezingout all of profit there might be in it. Why not, he asked himself, makeuse of the opportunity to bring the chiefs of the religious factionsonce more together? The explosive tendency which it seemed impossiblefor them to leave in their cells with their old dalmatics had made itpolitic to keep them apart widely and often as circumstances wouldpermit; here, however, he thought the danger might be averted, sincethey would attend as auditors from whom speech or even the asking aquestion would be out of order unless by permission. The imperialpresence, it was also judged, would restrain the boldest of them fromresolving himself into a disputant.
The arrangement of the chamber for the audience had been a knottyproblem to our venerable acquaintance, the Dean; but at last hesubmitted his plan, giving every invitee a place by ticket; theEmperor, however, blotted it out mercilessly. "Ah, my old friend," hesaid, with a smile which assuaged the pang of disapproval, "you haveloaded yourself with unnecessary trouble. There was never a massperformed with stricter observance of propriety than we will now have.Fix the chairs thus"--and with a finger-sweep he described asemicircle--"here the table for the Prince. Having notified me of hisintention to read from some ancient books, he must have a table--andlet there be no reserved seat, except one for the Patriarch. Set asedilium, high and well clothed, for him here on my right--and forgetnot a stool for his feet; for now to the bitterness of controversy longcontinued he has added a constriction of the lungs, and together theyare grievous to old age."
"And Scholarius?"
"Scholarius is an orator; some say he is a prophet; I know he is not anofficial; so of the seats vacant when he arrives, let him choose forhimself."
The company began coming early. Every Churchman of prominence in thecity was in attendance. The reception was unusually ceremonious. Whenthe bustle was over, and His Majesty at ease, the pages having arrangedthe folds of his embroidered vestments, he rested his hand lightly onthe golden cone of the right arm of the throne, and surveyed theaudience with a quiet assurance becoming his birth in the purple,looking first to the Patriarch, and bowing to him, and receiving asalute in return. To the others on the right he glanced next, with agracious bend of the head, and then to those on the left. In. thelatter quarter he recognized Scholarius, and covertly smiled; ifGregory had taken seat on the left, Scholarius would certainly havecrossed to the right. There was no such thing as compromise in hisintolerant nature.
One further look the Emperor gave to where, near the door, a group ofwomen was standing, in attendance evidently upon the Princess Irene,who was the only one of them seated. Their heads were covered by veilswhich had the appearance of finely woven silver. This jealousprecaution, of course, cut off recognition; nevertheless such of theaudience as had the temerity to cast their eyes at the fair array wereconsoled by a view of jewelled hands, bare arms inimitably round andgraceful, and figures in drapery of delicate colors, and of designs totempt the imagination without offence to modesty--a respect in whichthe Greek costume has never been excelled. The Emperor recognized thePrincess, and slightly inclined his head to her. He then spoke to theDean:
"Wait on the Prince of India, and if he is prepared, accompany himhither."
Passing out a side door, the master of ceremonies presently reappearedwith Nilo in guidance. The black giant was as usual barbarouslymagnificent in attire; and staring at him, the company did not observethe burden he brought in, and laid on the table. He retiredimmediately; then they looked, and saw a heap of books and MSS. inrolls left behind him--quaint, curious volumes, so to speak, yellowwith age and exposure, and suggestive of strange countries, and awisdom new, if not of more than golden worth. And they continued togaze and wonder at them, giving warrant to the intelligent forethoughtof the Prince of India which sent Nilo in advance of his own entry.
Again the door was thrown open, and this time the Dean ushered thePrince into the chamber, and conducted him toward the dais. Thrice theforeigner prostrated himself; the last time within easy speakingdistance of His Majesty, who silently agreed with the observantlookers-on, that he had never seen the salutations better executed.
"Rise, Prince of India," the Emperor said, blandly, and well pleased.
The Prince arose, and stood before him, his eyes downcast, his handsupon his breast--suppliancy in excellent pantomime.
"Be not surprised, Prince of India, at the assemblage you behold." ThusHis Majesty proceeded. "Its presence is due, I declare to you, not somuch to design of mine as to the report the city has had of your formeraudience, and the theme of which you then promised to discourse."Without apparently noticing the low reverence in acknowledgment of thecompliment, he addressed himself to the body of listeners. "I regard itcourtesy to our noble Indian guest to advise you, my Lords of theCourt, and you, devotees of Christ and the Father, whose prayers arenow the chief stay of my empire, that he is present by my appointment.On a previous occasion, he interested us--I speak of many of my veryhonorable assistants in Government--he interested us, I say, with anaccount of his resignation of the Kingship in his country, moved by adesire to surrender himself exclusively to study of religion. Under myurgency, he bravely declared he was neither Jew, Moslem, Hindoo,Buddhist nor Christian; that his travels and investigation had led himto a faith which he summed up by pronouncing the most holy name of God;giving us to understand he meant the God to whom our hearts have longbeen delivered. He also referred to the denominations into whichbelievers are divided, and said his one motive in life was the bringingthem together in united brotherhood; and as I cannot imagine a resultmore desirable, provided its basis obtain the sanction of ourconscience, I will now ask him to proceed, if it be his pleasure, andspeak to us freely."
Again the visitor prostrated himself in his best oriental manner; afterwhich, moving backward, he went to the table and took a few minutesarranging the books and rolls. The spectators availed themselves of theopportunity to gratify their curiosity well as they could from mereinspection of the man; and as the liberty was within his anticipations,it gave him but slight concern.
We about know how he appeared to them. We remember his figure, low,slightly stooped, and deficiently slender;--we remember the t
hin yethealthful looking face, even rosy of cheek;--we can see him in hispointed red slippers, his ample trousers of glossy white satin, hislong black gown, relieved at the collar and cuffs with fine laces, hishair fallen on his shoulders, beard overflowing his breast;--we caneven see the fingers, transparent, singularly flexible in operation,turning leaves, running down pages and smoothing them out, and placingthis roll or that book as convenience required, all so lithe, swift,certain, they in a manner exposed the mind which controlled them. Atlength, the preliminaries finished, the Prince raised his eyes, andturned them slowly about--those large, deep, searching eyes--wells fromwhich, without discoverable effort, he drew magnetism at his pleasure.
He began simply, his voice distinct, and cast to make itself heard, andnot more.
"This"--his second finger was on a page of the large volume heretoforedescribed--"this is the Bible, the most Holy of Bibles. I call it therock on which your faith and mine are castled." There was a stretchingof necks to see, and he did not allow the sensation to pass.
"And more--it is one of the fifty copies of the Bible translated byorder of the first Constantine, under supervision of his ministerEusebius, well known to you for piety and learning."
It seemed at first every Churchman was on his feet, but directly theEmperor observed Scholarius and the Patriarch seated, the latterdiligently crossing himself. The excitement can be readily comprehendedby considering the assemblage and its composition of zealots andrelic-worshippers, and that, while the tradition respecting the fiftycopies was familiar, not a man there could have truly declared he hadever seen one of them--so had they disappeared from the earth.
"These are Bibles, also," the speaker resumed, upon the restoration oforder--"Bibles sacred to those unto whom they were given as thatimperishable monument to Moses and David is to us; for they too areRevelations from God--ay, the very same God! This is the _Koran_--andthese, the _Kings_ of the Chinese--and these, the _Avesta_ of theMagians of Persia--and these, the _Sutras_ well preserved ofBuddha--and these, the _Vedas_ of the patient Hindoos, my countrymen."
He carefully designated each book and roll by placing his finger on it.
"I thank Your Majesty for the gracious words of introduction you werepleased to give me. They set before my noble and most reverend auditorsmy history and the subject of my discourse; leaving me, without wrongto their understanding, or waste of time or words, to invite them tothink of the years it took to fit myself to read these Books--for so Iwill term them--years spent among the peoples to whom they are divine.And when that thought is in mind, stored there past loss, they willunderstand what I mean by Religion, and the methods I adopted andpursued for its study. Then also the value of the assertions I make canbe intelligently weighed.... This first--Have not all men hands andeyes? We may not be able to read the future in our palms; but there isno excuse for us if we do not at least see God in them. Similarity islaw, and the law of Nature is the will of God. Keep the argument withyou, O my Lord, for it is the earliest lesson I had from my travels....Animals when called to, the caller being on a height over them, neverlook for him above the level of their eyes; even so some men areincapable of thinking of the mysteries hidden out of sight in the sky;but it is not so with all; and therein behold the partiality of God.The reason of the difference between the leaves of trees not of thesame species, is the reason of the inequality of genius among races ofmen. The Infinite prefers variety because He is more certainly to beperceived in it. At this stop now, my Lord, mark the second lesson ofmy travels. God, wishing above all things to manifest Himself and Hischaracter to all humanity, made choice amongst the races, selectingthose superior in genius, and intrusted them with special revelations;whence we have the two kinds of religion, natural and revealed. SeeingGod in a stone, and worshipping it, is natural religion; theconsciousness of God in the heart, an excitant of love and gratitudeinexpressible except by prayer and hymns of praise--that, O my Lord, isthe work and the proof of revealed religion.... I next submit the thirdof the lessons I have had; but, if I may have your attention to thedistinction, it is remarkable as derived from my reading"--here hecovered all the books on the table with a comprehensive gesture--"myreading more than my travels; and I call it the purest wisdom becauseit is not sentiment, at the same time that it is without so much as astrain of philosophy, being a fact clear as any fact deducible fromhistory--yes, my Lord, clearer, more distinct, more positive, mostundeniable--an incident of the love the Universal Maker has borne hisnoblest creatures from their first morning--a Godly incident which Ihave had from the study of these Bibles in comparison with each other.In brief, my Lord, a revelation not intended for me above thegenerality of men; nevertheless a revelation to me, since I wentseeking it--or shall I call it a recompense for the crown and throne Ivoluntarily gave away?"
The feeling the Prince threw into these words took hold of hisauditors. Not a few of them were struck with awe, somewhat as if hewere a saint or prophet, or a missionary from the dead returned withsecrets theretofore locked up fast in the grave. They waited for hisnext saying--his third lesson, as he termed it--with anxiety.
"The Holy Father of Light and Life," the speaker went on, after a pausereferable to his consummate knowledge of men, "has sent His Spirit downto the world, not once merely, or unto one people, but repeatedly, inages sometimes near together, sometimes wide apart, and to racesdiverse, yet in every instance remarkable for genius."
There was a murmur at this, but he gave it no time.
"Ask you now how I could identify the Spirit so as to be able todeclare to you solemnly, as I do in fear of God, that in the severalrepeated appearances of which I speak it was the very same Spirit? Howdo you know the man you met at set of sun yesterday was the man yousaluted and had salute from this morning? Well, I tell you the Fatherhas given the Spirit features by which it may be known--featuresdistinct as those of the neighbors nearest you there at your right andleft hands. Wherever in my reading Holy Books, like these, I hear of aman, himself a shining example of righteousness, teaching God and theway to God, by those signs I say to my soul: 'Oh, the Spirit, theSpirit! Blessed is the man appointed to carry it about!'"
Again the murmur, but again he passed on.
"The Spirit dwelt in the Holy of Holies set apart for it in theTabernacle; yet no man ever saw it there, a thing of sight. The soul isnot to be seen; still less is the Spirit of the Most High; or if onedid see it, its brightness would kill him. In great mercy, therefore,it has always come and done its good works in the world veiled; now inone form, now in another; at one time, a voice in the air; at another,a vision in sleep; at another, a burning bush; at another, an angel; atanother, a descending dove"--
"Bethabara!" shouted a cowled brother, tossing both hands up.
"Be quiet!" the Patriarch ordered.
"Thus always when its errand was of quick despatch," the Princecontinued. "But if its coming were for residence on earth, then itshabit has been to adopt a man for its outward form, and enter into him,and speak by him; such was Moses, such Elijah, such were all theProphets, and such"--he paused, then exclaimed shrilly--"such was JesusChrist!"
In his study at home, the Prince had undoubtedly thought out hispresent delivery with the care due an occasion likely to be aturning-point in his projects, if not his life; and it must at thattime have required of him a supreme effort of will to resolve upon thisclimax; as it was, he hesitated, and turned the hue of ashes; none theless his unknowing auditors renewed their plaudits. Even the Emperornodded approvingly. None of them divined the cunning of the speaker;not one thought he was pledging himself by his applause to a kindlyhearing of the next point in the speech.
"Now, my Lord, he who lives in a close vale shut in by great mountains,and goes not thence so much as to the top of one of the mountains, tohim the vastness and beauty of the world beyond his pent sky-line shallbe secret in his old age as they were when he was a child. He hasdenied himself to them. Like him is the man who, thinking to know God,spends his days reading one Holy Book.
I care not if it be thisone"--he laid his finger on the _Avesta_--"or this one"--in the samemanner he signified the _Vedas_--"or this one"--touching the_Koran_--"or this one"--laying his whole hand tenderly palm down on themost Holy Bible. "He shall know God--yes, my Lord, but not all God hasdone for men.... I have been to the mountain's top; that is to say, Iknow these books, O reverend brethren, as you know the beads of yourrosaries and what each bead stands for. They did not teach me all thereis in the Infinite--I am in too much awe for such a folly of thetongue--yet through them I know His Spirit has dwelt on earth in men ofdifferent races and times; and whether the Spirit was the same Spirit,I fear not leaving you to judge. If we find in those bearing it aboutlikenesses in ideas, aims, and methods--a Supreme God and an Evil One,a Heaven and a Hell, Sin and a Way to Salvation, a Soul immortalwhether lost or saved--what are we to think? If then, besides theselikenesses, we find the other signs of divine authority, acknowledgedsuch from the beginning of the world--Mysteries of Birth, Sinlessness,Sacrifices, Miracles done--which of you will rise in his place, andrebuke me for saying there were Sons of God in Spirit before the Spiritdescended upon Jesus Christ? Nevertheless, that is what I say."
Here the Prince bent over the table pretending to be in search of apage in the most Holy Book, while--if the expression be pardonable--hewatched the audience with his ears. He heard the rustle as the menturned to each other in mute inquiry; he almost heard their question,though they but looked it; otherwise, if it had been dark, the silencewould have been tomb-like. At length, raising his head, he beheld atall, gaunt, sallow person, clad in a monkish gown of the coarsest graywool, standing and looking at him; the eyes seemed two lights burningin darkened depths; the air was haughty and menacing; and altogether hecould not avoid noticing the man. He waited, but the stranger silentlykept his feet.
"Your Majesty," the Prince began again, perfectly composed, "these arebut secondary matters; yet there is such light in them with respect tomy main argument, that I think best to make them good by proofs, lestmy reverend brethren dismiss me as an idler in words.... Behold theBible of the Bodhisattwa"--he held up a roll of broad-leafed vellum,and turned it dextrously for better exhibition--"and hear, while I readfrom it, of a Birth, Life and Death which took place a thousand andtwenty-seven years before Jesus Christ was born." And he read:
"'Strong and calm of purpose as the earth, pure in mind as thewater-lily, her name figuratively assumed, Maya, she was in truth abovecomparison. On her in likeness as the heavenly queen the Spiritdescended. A mother, but free from grief or pain, she was withoutdeceit.'" The Prince stopped reading to ask: "Will not my Lord see inthese words a Mary also 'blessed above other women'?" Then he read on:..."'And now the queen Maya knew her time for the birth had come. Itwas the eighth day of the fourth moon, a serene and agreeable season.While she thus religiously observed the rules of a pure discipline,Bodhisattwa was born from her right side, come to deliver the world,constrained by great pity, without causing his mother pain oranguish.'" Again the Prince lifted his eyes from the roll. "What isthis, my Lord, but an Incarnation? Hear now of the Child: ... 'As oneborn from recumbent space, and not through the gates of life, menindeed regarded his exceeding great glory, yet their sight remaineduninjured; he allowed them to gaze, the brightness of his personconcealed for a time, as when we look upon the moon in heaven. His bodynevertheless was effulgent with light, and, like the sun which eclipsesthe shining of the lamp, so the true gold-like beauty of Bodhisattwashone forth and was everywhere diffused. Upright and firm, andunconfused in mind, he deliberately took seven steps, the soles of hisfeet resting evenly upon the ground as he went, his footmarks remainedbright as seven stars. Moving like the lion, king of beasts, andlooking earnestly toward the four quarters, penetrating to the centrethe principles of truth, he spoke thus with the fullest assurance: Thisbirth is in the condition of Buddha; after this I have done withrenewed birth; _now only am I born this once, for the purpose of savingall the world._'" A third time the Prince stopped, and, throwing up hishand to command attention, he asked: "My Lord, who will say this wasnot also a Redeemer? See now what next ensued"--and he read on: "'Andnow from the midst of Heaven there descended two streams of pure water,one warm, the other cold, and baptized his head.'" Pausing again, thespeaker searched the faces of his auditors on the right and left, whilehe exclaimed in magnetic repetition: "Baptism--_Baptism_--BAPTISM ANDMIRACLE!"
Constantine sat, like the rest, his attention fixed; but the gray-cladmonk still standing grimly raised a crucifix before him as if takingrefuge behind it.
"My Lord is seeing the likenesses these things bear to the conception,birth and mission of Jesus Christ, the later Blessed One, who isnevertheless his first in love. He is comparing the incidents of thetwo Incarnations of the Spirit or Holy Ghost; he is asking himself:'Can there have been several Sons of God?' and he is replying: 'Thatwere indeed merciful--Blessed be God!'"
The Emperor made no sign one way or the other.
"Suffer me to help my Lord yet a little more," the Prince continued,apparently unobservant of the lowering face behind the crucifix. "Heremembers angels came down the night of the nativity in the cave byBethlehem; he cannot forget the song they sung to the shepherds. Howlike these honors to the Bodhisattwa!"--and he read from the roll: ..."'Meanwhile the Devas'--angels, if my Lord pleases--'the Devas inspace, seizing their jewelled canopies, attending, raise in responsiveharmony their heavenly songs to encourage him.' Nor was this all, myLord," and he continued reading: "'On every hand the world was greatlyshaken.... The minutest atoms of sandal perfume, and the hiddensweetness of precious lilies, floated on the air, and rose throughspace, and then commingling came back to earth.... All cruel andmalevolent kinds of beings together conceived a loving heart; alldiseases and afflictions amongst men, without a cure applied, ofthemselves were healed; the cries of beasts were hushed; the stagnantwaters of the river courses flowed apace; no clouds gathered on theheavens, while angelic music, self-caused, was heard around.... So whenBodhisattwa was born, he came to remove the sorrows of all livingthings. Mara alone was grieved.' O my reverend brethren!" cried thePrince, fervently, "who was this Mara that he should not share in therejoicing of all nature else? In Christian phrase, Satan, and Maraalone was grieved."
"Do the likenesses stop with the births, my brethren are now asking.Let us follow the Bodhisattwa. On reaching the stage of manhood, healso retired into the wilderness. 'The valley of the Se-na was leveland full of fruit trees, with no noxious insects,' say theseScriptures: 'and there he dwelt under a sala tree. And he fasted nighto death. The Devas offered him sweet dew, but he rejected it, and tookbut a grain of millet a day.' Now what think you of this as a parallelincident of his sojourn in the wilderness?" And he read: ... "'MaraDevaraga, enemy of religion, alone was grieved, and rejoiced not. Hehad three daughters, mincingly beautiful, and of a pleasantcountenance. With them, and all his retinue, he went to the grove of"fortunate rest," vowing the world should not find peace, andthere'"--the Prince forsook the roll--"'and there he temptedBodhisattwa, and menaced him, a legion of devils assisting.' Thedaughters, it is related, were changed to old women, and of the battlethis is written: ... 'And now the demon host waxed fiercer, and addedforce to force, grasping at stones they could not lift, or lifting themthey could not let them go; their flying spears stuck fast in spacerefusing to descend; the angry thunder-drops and mighty hail, withthem, were changed into five-colored lotus flowers; while the foulpoison of the dragon snakes was turned into spicy-breathing air'--andMara fled, say the Scriptures, fled gnashing his teeth, whileBodhisattwa reposed peacefully under a fall of heavenly flowers." ThePrince, looking about him after this, said calmly: "Now judge I bymyself; not a heart here but hears in the intervals of its beating, thetext: 'Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to betempted of the devil'--and that other text: 'Then the devil leavethhim, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.' Verily, my Lord,was not the Spirit the same Spirit, and did it not in both incarnationstake care of it
s own?"
Thereupon the Prince again sought for a page on the roll, watching thewhile with his ears, and the audience drew long breaths, and restedfrom their rigor of attention. Then also the Emperor spoke to thePrince.
"I pray you, Prince of India, take a little rest. Your labor is of thekind exhaustive to mind and body: and in thought of it, I orderedrefreshments for you and these, my other guests. Is not this a goodtime to renew thyself?"
The Prince, rising from a low reverence, replied:
"Indeed Your Majesty has the kingly heart; but I pray you, in return,hear me until I have brought the parallel, my present point ofargument, to an end; then I will most gladly avail myself of your greatcourtesy; after which--your patience, and the goodwill of thesereverend fathers, holding on--I will resume and speedily finish mydiscourse."
"As you will. We are most interested. Or"--and the Emperor, glancingover toward the monk on his feet, said coldly: "Or, if my declarationdoes not fairly vouch the feeling of all present, those objecting havepermission to retire upon the adjournment. We will hear you, Prince."
The ascetic answered by lifting his crucifix higher. Then, having foundthe page he wanted, the Prince, holding his finger upon it, proceeded:
"It would not become me, my Lord, to assume an appearance of teachingyou and this audience, most learned in the Gospels, concerning them,especially the things said by the Blessed One of the later Incarnation,whom we call The Christ. We all know the Spirit for which he was bothhabitation and tongue, came down to save the world from sin and hell;we also know what he required for the salvation. So, even so, didBodhisattwa. Listen to him now--he is talking to his Disciples: ... 'Iwill teach you,' he said, to the faithful Ananda, 'a way of Truth,called the Mirror of Truth, which, if an elect disciple possess, he mayhimself predict of himself, "Hell is destroyed for me, and rebirth asan animal, or a ghost, or any place of woe. I am converted. I am nolonger liable to be reborn in a state of suffering, and am assured offinal salvation."'... Ah, Your Majesty is asking, will the parallelnever end? Not yet, not yet! For the Bodhisattwa did miracles as well.I read again: ... 'And the Blessed One came once to the river Ganges,and found it overflowing. Those with him, designing to cross, began toseek for boats, some for rafts of wood, while some made rafts ofbasket-work. Then the Blessed One, as instantaneously as a strong manwould stretch forth his arm and draw it back again when he hadstretched it forth, vanished from this side of the river, and stood onthe further bank with the company of his brethren.'"
The stir the quotation gave rise to being quieted, the Prince, quittingthe roll, said: "Like that, my Lord, was the Bodhisattwa's habit onentering assemblies of men, to become of their color--he, you remember,was from birth of the color of gold just flashed in the crucible--andin a voice like theirs instructing them. Then, say the Scriptures,they, not knowing him, would ask, Who may this be that speaks? A man ora God? Then he would vanish away. Like that again was his purifying thewater which had been stirred up by the wheels of five hundred cartspassing through it. He was thirsty, and at his bidding his companionfilled a cup, and lo! the water was clear and delightful. Still moredecided, when he was dying there was a mighty earthquake, and thethunders of heaven broke forth, and the spirits stood about to see himuntil there was no spot, say the Scriptures, in size even as thepricking of the point of the tip of a hair not pervaded with them; andhe saw them, though they were invisible to his disciples; and then whenthe last reverence of his five hundred brethren was paid at his feet,the pyre being ready, it took fire of itself, and there was left of hisbody neither soot nor ashes--only the bones for relics. Then, again, asthe pyre had kindled itself, so when the body was burned up streams ofwater descended from the skies, and other streams burst from the earth,and extinguished the fire. Finally, my Lord, the parallel ends in themodes of death. Bodhisattwa chose the time and place for himself, andthe circumstances of his going were in harmony with his heavenlycharacter. Death was never arrayed in such beauty. The twin Sala trees,one at the head of his couch, the other at the foot, though out ofseason, sprinkled him with their flowers, and the sky rained powder ofsandal-wood, and trembled softly with the incessant music and singingof the floating Gandharvis. But he whose soul was the Spirit, lastincarnate, the Christ"--the Prince stopped--the blood forsook hisface--he took hold of the table to keep from falling--and the audiencearose in alarm.
"Look to the Prince!" the Emperor commanded.
Those nearest the ailing man offered him their arms, but with a mightyeffort he spoke to them naturally: "Thank you, good friends--it isnothing." Then he said louder: "It is nothing, my Lord--it is gone now.I was about to say of the Christ, how different was his dying, and withthat ends the parallel between him and the Bodhisattwa as Sons ofGod.... Now, if it please Your Majesty, I will not longer detain yourguests from the refreshments awaiting them."
A chair was brought for him; and when he was seated, a long line ofservants in livery appeared with the collation.
In a short time the Prince was himself again. The mention of theSaviour, in connection with his death, had suddenly projected the sceneof the Crucifixion before him, and the sight of the Cross and thesufferer upon it had for the moment overcome him.
