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  • April 27, 1867
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, April 27, 1867: Page 7

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    Article THE NEMESIS: A TALE OF THE DAYS OF TRAJAN. ← Page 2 of 2
Page 7

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

his heart . that would reduce him soon to ashes . But when the spirit is freed from the dominion of the body , when the soul flies up to God , then will it become a fit receptacle for a joy that only faintly gleams upon us on this earth . Sorrow is the best

friend of man . It is the stone whose touch turns brass to gold ; it clears the heart , and purifies its dross . "

"Yet must he suffer . I fear for him . " " Fear not . Had she been pure , and severed hy her friends from him , he might have mourned for her to the last hour . Had death stept in and taken her from his arms , with her he mi ght have

died ; but where a blot of loud and damning infamy divides his loathing soul , that will drive her from his heart . We mourn with tears of blood the innocent , but rage and scorn fill the heart at the debased . "

While he spoke , Caius , pale , shocked , with the marks of an awful mental blow upon his countenance , entered the apartment . Paulus and Adrian gazed at him in silence . Caius approached the latter and threw himself into his arms .

"Isit over ? ' asked he . "Aye . " " How did she receive the tidings ?" "As the noble conscious victim to an ie-noble o cause . Pale , passionless in seeming , but with an

inward grief too great to shed a tear . " Then with a burst of feeling he exclaimed : "Paulus , she is not wholly false , but some damned fraud has made her what she is . Can

God , this new Deity you have revealed to us not save the weak and innocent , and prevent the ruthless feet of crime from trampling them into the mire ? Can He , who sacrificed his Son , not stretch forth his strong hand to save the pure from

destruction ? I dimly understood her wrongs . If God be just , wherefore does He not do her justice ?" " Revile not Him , " answered Paulus sternly , " who doth all things so well , " and then he added

more gently . " Let not thine indignation , nor the woe which grapples with thy heart and better judgment , arraign our God . ' Earth worms we are , although in his image formed . Our minds are less than the least of those who stand before his face

for ever , than those to whom his decrees are given for execution . They hear , they execute , but do not understand . To man , contrary appear the decrees of God . He sees them but in part , but when the whole shall be unfolded to his view , then

shall he find how marvellous his deeds are—in judgment , wise ; in mercy , beautiful . And mark my words ! He will revenge this wrong in his own time and way . We cannot tell the secrets of life . He can , and He will display them to us in a proper

hour . Meanwhile , my son , ponder upon his decree— ' Vengeance is mine , ' so leave them to their God . "

"So be it , " replied Caius , turning to his cousin . "Adrian , do you remember last night ' s banquet ?" " Yes . " " Do you remember the dread that fell upon

Balbus at the spilling of the salt ?" "I do . " " The augury in his case has been true . " "What ! Is he dead ?" " Aye . Dead as if he had never been . Better

for him had he never been born . " " How sudden it is . How know you of it ?" "I saw him die , " said Caius gloomily . " You saw him die , Caius ? " cried Adrian warmly . "I did not love the man , but yet I

would have tried to save him . I do not recognise Caius Fabius in that act . " " Believe me , my cousin , no power of mine could have saved him . His hour had come . ""

"But how did he die ?" " By the executioner ' s hand , lashed first with rods , then beheaded and his body cast into tho Tiber . " " He must have been a great criminal , "

said Adrian , unable to control a shudder of horror . "Among the greatest , " answered Caius , narratino- the death of Cenna , and Balbus ' s connection with Bacchanals . He carefully forebore

mentioning Sempronia ' s name , the Emperor ' s command sealing his lips . Exclamations of surprise and horror escaped his auditors as they listened , and when the tale was told , they sat in silence for a long space , each wrapped in his own

thoughts . At length Paulus arose , and took the hand of Caius . " Come , my sad Caius , " he said . " Come with me to the presence of the God of all good things . Already has Adrian seen our little baud arranged

in worship at the footstool of the Most High . The hour of evening prayer approaches . Come then , and enter into our fold . " ( To he continued . ) [ Tho Author reserves tho right of reproduction and translation . " !

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1867-04-27, Page 7” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_27041867/page/7/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
FREEMASONRY CONSIDERED. Article 1
NOTES BY AN OCCASIONAL SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT. Article 4
THE NEMESIS: A TALE OF THE DAYS OF TRAJAN. Article 6
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 9
MASONIC MEMS. Article 10
GRAND LODGE. Article 10
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. Article 12
METROPOLITAN. Article 12
PROVINCIAL. Article 13
SCOTLAND. Article 16
INDIA. Article 16
ROYAL ARCH. Article 16
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 17
BOOKS RECEIVED. Article 17
Poetry. Article 18
" TAKE CARE OF NUMBER ONE." Article 18
MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR, THE WEEK ENDING MAY' Article 18
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

his heart . that would reduce him soon to ashes . But when the spirit is freed from the dominion of the body , when the soul flies up to God , then will it become a fit receptacle for a joy that only faintly gleams upon us on this earth . Sorrow is the best

friend of man . It is the stone whose touch turns brass to gold ; it clears the heart , and purifies its dross . "

"Yet must he suffer . I fear for him . " " Fear not . Had she been pure , and severed hy her friends from him , he might have mourned for her to the last hour . Had death stept in and taken her from his arms , with her he mi ght have

died ; but where a blot of loud and damning infamy divides his loathing soul , that will drive her from his heart . We mourn with tears of blood the innocent , but rage and scorn fill the heart at the debased . "

While he spoke , Caius , pale , shocked , with the marks of an awful mental blow upon his countenance , entered the apartment . Paulus and Adrian gazed at him in silence . Caius approached the latter and threw himself into his arms .

"Isit over ? ' asked he . "Aye . " " How did she receive the tidings ?" "As the noble conscious victim to an ie-noble o cause . Pale , passionless in seeming , but with an

inward grief too great to shed a tear . " Then with a burst of feeling he exclaimed : "Paulus , she is not wholly false , but some damned fraud has made her what she is . Can

God , this new Deity you have revealed to us not save the weak and innocent , and prevent the ruthless feet of crime from trampling them into the mire ? Can He , who sacrificed his Son , not stretch forth his strong hand to save the pure from

destruction ? I dimly understood her wrongs . If God be just , wherefore does He not do her justice ?" " Revile not Him , " answered Paulus sternly , " who doth all things so well , " and then he added

more gently . " Let not thine indignation , nor the woe which grapples with thy heart and better judgment , arraign our God . ' Earth worms we are , although in his image formed . Our minds are less than the least of those who stand before his face

for ever , than those to whom his decrees are given for execution . They hear , they execute , but do not understand . To man , contrary appear the decrees of God . He sees them but in part , but when the whole shall be unfolded to his view , then

shall he find how marvellous his deeds are—in judgment , wise ; in mercy , beautiful . And mark my words ! He will revenge this wrong in his own time and way . We cannot tell the secrets of life . He can , and He will display them to us in a proper

hour . Meanwhile , my son , ponder upon his decree— ' Vengeance is mine , ' so leave them to their God . "

"So be it , " replied Caius , turning to his cousin . "Adrian , do you remember last night ' s banquet ?" " Yes . " " Do you remember the dread that fell upon

Balbus at the spilling of the salt ?" "I do . " " The augury in his case has been true . " "What ! Is he dead ?" " Aye . Dead as if he had never been . Better

for him had he never been born . " " How sudden it is . How know you of it ?" "I saw him die , " said Caius gloomily . " You saw him die , Caius ? " cried Adrian warmly . "I did not love the man , but yet I

would have tried to save him . I do not recognise Caius Fabius in that act . " " Believe me , my cousin , no power of mine could have saved him . His hour had come . ""

"But how did he die ?" " By the executioner ' s hand , lashed first with rods , then beheaded and his body cast into tho Tiber . " " He must have been a great criminal , "

said Adrian , unable to control a shudder of horror . "Among the greatest , " answered Caius , narratino- the death of Cenna , and Balbus ' s connection with Bacchanals . He carefully forebore

mentioning Sempronia ' s name , the Emperor ' s command sealing his lips . Exclamations of surprise and horror escaped his auditors as they listened , and when the tale was told , they sat in silence for a long space , each wrapped in his own

thoughts . At length Paulus arose , and took the hand of Caius . " Come , my sad Caius , " he said . " Come with me to the presence of the God of all good things . Already has Adrian seen our little baud arranged

in worship at the footstool of the Most High . The hour of evening prayer approaches . Come then , and enter into our fold . " ( To he continued . ) [ Tho Author reserves tho right of reproduction and translation . " !

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