THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 la-s. Elmer T, Merrill
 
 J U D A H'S LION: 
 
 BY 
 
 (OHAIEILiOf^E EILMABSEIo 
 
 NEW -YORK 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JOHN S. TAYLOR & CO. 
 Brick Church Chapel, 145 Nassau Street. 
 
 1843.
 
 S. W. BENKDICT & CO., PRINT., 
 
 128 Fulton street.
 
 
 JUDAH'S LION. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 * Oh, cousin Allck, how I do envy you I' said Esther 
 Cohen, with a sigh. 
 
 ' I can believe it, my poor little coz,' replied the per- 
 son addressed. ' Compared with town itself, this, to be 
 sure, is a free place, where you may breathe and glance 
 round you : but what a look-out one will have from the 
 mast-head of a tali ship, over the rich blue waters 
 of the Mediterranean, with its clusters of isles, all 
 immortalized in song. And then for the sandy desert, 
 the high mountain-top, the dark ravine, the deep defile, 
 the broad majestic waters of the seven-mouthed river, 
 and all the untold wonders of nature and art, that lie 
 outspread beneath the ken of travellers so enterprising, 
 so sagacious, so classically and scientifically accomplished 
 as your redoubtable cousin Alick !' 
 
 But it was for none of these things that Esther Cohen 
 sighed ; her fancy had indeed pictured the track that she 
 had just seen her uncle point out on a chart with the fea- 
 tures referred to by Alick, and very attractive they would 
 have been in her eyes had not all other considerations 
 2 
 
 /
 
 6 judah's lion. 
 
 been lost in the paramount one which evidently was omit- 
 ted in her kinsman's catalogue of anticipated delights. 
 Syria — Palestine — Mount Zion — these were ever promi- 
 nent to the view of that Hebrew maiden. Gladly would 
 she have trod the whole route, a fettered and blindfolded 
 captive, to have found herself at the end of it within sight 
 of Jerusalem, with permission to weep over its departed 
 glories. Her thought by day, her dream by night, was 
 of the dispersion, the degradation of her people; and 
 while the occasional outbursts of higher patriotism which 
 she could not control were good-humoredly smiled at, and 
 herself regarded as a pretty enthusiast by the members of 
 her uncle's household, she was altogether isolated in the 
 midst of them, by the consciousness that this, the deepest 
 feeling of her heart, was totally unshared. Reading, me- 
 ditation, and a strict attention to all the prescribed forms 
 of her religion were therefore the elements on which her 
 zeal was chiefly fed :. and Esther Cohen, though amiable 
 in a high degree, and universally beloved by all around 
 her, would not have shrunk from, but rather have gloried 
 in, the distinction of heing a most rigid and bigoted 
 Jewess. 
 
 Her uncle, the younger brother of her deceased father, 
 was, on the contrary, a complete liberal in religion. He 
 came of high lineage among the descendants of Abraham, 
 and certainly prided himself in the unmixed character of 
 his pedigree, which owned no Gentile intermarriage 
 throughout its long and wide ramifications ; but he was, to 
 all intents and purposes, a man of the world, prosperous 
 in a lucrative and honorable branch of traffic, devoted to 
 the pursuit of such advantages as he deemed most desira 
 ble for his family, and above all things solicitous to see 
 his people relieved from the pressure of civil disabilities, 
 and exalted lo a place in the legislature. Confident that
 
 judah's lion. ' 
 
 this would soon be the result of the efforts in progress, he 
 had brought up his son with a special view to rendering him 
 eligible for such distinctions ; and to this end he had libe- 
 ralized to an extent by no means approved among his 
 stricter brethren ; who considered that their young kins- 
 man might occupy his expected station among Gentile 
 senators and officials without being unmindful of his own 
 peculiar privileges as a Hebrew of the Hebrews. 
 
 Nathan Alexander Cohen, however, gave himself very 
 little concern with regard either to the prognostics of his 
 father or the scruples of their friends. Full of animal life, 
 buoyant in spirits, frank, sociable, and impetuous, he 
 found himself possessed of all the advantages that this 
 world can bestow upon its votaries, and sported like a 
 young colt in the wide pleasant field assigned for his pas- 
 turage and play. Proud he was to excess ; but his pride 
 was quite distinct from that of Esther or his father. Jea- 
 lousy of his personal honor and privileges formed its chief 
 point ; to which he added a nationality quite foreign to 
 the general character of his people ; for he deemed it his 
 chief glory to be an Englishman. Vain were his cousin's 
 indignant remonstrances, and the occasional reprimands of 
 elder friends ; the boy had been brought up in a large 
 school, where all religious differences were smoothed 
 down after the most approved fashion of modern indiffer- 
 entism ; and little as his father was suspected of any fa- 
 natical attachment to the Mosaic law, the son gave pro- 
 mise of holding it yet more loosely. Extensively as 
 virtual infidelity is eating into the core of professing Chris- 
 tianity among us, it pervades no less deeply the mass of 
 the Jewish people at this day. 
 
 Among other things, the name of Nathan had been 
 wholly dropped by the younger Cohen, and that of Alex- 
 ander, the surname of a Hebrew connexion, which had
 
 8 judah's lion. 
 
 been given him, was shortened into Alick, and thus assist- 
 ed to Gentillze him. But in one respect he was found 
 inveterately Isiaelitish, for the contour of his face, its olive 
 tint, brightened into richness by the glow of health and 
 animation, the jet black of his sparkling eyes and hair, all 
 proclaimed what his manners, his education, his habits 
 declined to confirm, that Alick Cohen was decidedly a Jew. 
 
 Idle, volatile, and self-willed, he had loitered in his 
 studies: and now, at eighteen, having just been emanci- 
 pated from the hands of a private tutor, engaged to finish 
 what the school had failed in, it rather puzzled his father 
 what step to take next. A German university was decid- 
 ed on ; but circumstances, wherein pleasure and profit 
 were equally concerned, led Mr. Cohen to plan a tour in 
 the East, where a wide field for commercial speculation 
 had opened to him. Alick found no diiEculty in obtain- 
 ing permission to accompany him ; and this gave rise to 
 the expression of envy from Esther, who regarded as most 
 desirable that part of her cousin's anticipated gratifications 
 which he himself scarcely even numbered among them. 
 
 The evening before their departure Alick went to pass 
 an hour with a neighboring family, where he found two 
 or three other guests assembled : his proposed route being 
 alluded to, a young lady, whose enthusiasm appeared 
 greatly roused by the subject, asked him if he expected 
 to visit Jerusalem and the surrounding spots, and on his 
 replying in the affirmative, entreated him to bring her 
 some relic from those hallowed places; on which another 
 remarked, ' You had better ask for a sprig from one of the 
 ancient cedars of Lebanon ;' and Alick, ever ready to 
 oblige, promised to bring home a choice specimen of 
 those venerable trees. When he related this to Esther 
 at home, to his surprise, she burst into tears, exclaiming, 
 'Do not, Alick, rob our glorious mountain of its few
 
 judah's lion. 
 
 surviving honors, to indulge the childish fancy of a vain 
 
 Gentile !' 
 
 ' You are an odd girl, Esther ; what can be the harm 
 
 of taking a leaf or two out of a cluster of crazy old trees %' 
 ' Well, I shall not dispute the matter with you. Ne- 
 vertheless, Alick, I shall pray to the God of Abraham that 
 before you reach that spot you may have learned to 
 shrink from the sacrilege you now speak of so lightly.' 
 
 But there was another in that house besides Esther, 
 supplicating the God of Abraham on the youth's behalf, 
 and with a better knowledge both of whom she addressed 
 and of what she asked. This was an old Christian ser- 
 vant, truly a Christian, who for her fidelity had been long 
 installed in a sort of demi-official character, an office 
 created for her in Mr. Cohen's household, as overlooker 
 of the linen department, and superintendent of all packing, 
 unpacking, and similar operations, in which she con- 
 ceived herself profoundly skilled. She was a simple 
 creature, without a particle of this world's learning or 
 wisdom, held in some disdain by the modern domestics for 
 the unsophisticated homeliness of her ways and apparel, 
 but by her harmlessness, good-humor and obliging dispo- 
 sition, overcoming all prejudice. She could not even 
 read : for having neglected to acquire the accomplish- 
 ment in her youth, nothing could persuade Sasan it was 
 attainable in declining years, though Alick had frequently 
 offered to stake his best playthings on his success in 
 teaching, if Susan would become his pupil. 'No, no, 
 master Alick,' she would reply, ' I'm too old to learn ; 
 and what need of it while you are so good as to read me 
 a scrap of news out of the paper, and Miss Esther a fine 
 tale out of a story-book 1 It ill becomes the likes of me 
 to set up for a scholar in my old age.' 
 
 Latterly, however, a great change had passed on Su- 
 2*
 
 10 judah's lion. 
 
 san's tastes and feelings. The gospel was introduced into 
 the parish pulpit by a new minister ; she heard, believed, 
 and in the midst of her simplicity and ignorance, became 
 wise unto salvation. Newspapers and story-books lost 
 their charm: she preferred to feast her mind on what she 
 could remember of the last sabbath's scripture and ser- 
 mons ; but it was only within a week or two that her 
 warm interest had been excited on behalf of the family she 
 loved so well and served so truly. 
 
 A sermon had been preached for the Jews' Society, and 
 Susan, with awe-struck wonder, heard for the first time of 
 the privileges, the sins, the chastisements, the hopes of 
 Israel. Her whole soul became wrapt up in the one anx- 
 ious desire to see her master's household converted to 
 Christ ; and Alick, as he had ever been her chief favorite, 
 now stood foremost in her hopes and prayers. The sud- 
 den tidings of his intended voyage, which to her simple 
 apprehension was a stupendous undertaking, beset with 
 perils innumerable, sent her in dismay to the minister, 
 who calmed her fears and soothed her anxiety by putting 
 up a ver}' fervent supplication for the young Jew. 
 
 When Alick came to her for the double purpose of as- 
 certaining the state of his packages, and bidding a kind 
 farewell, he was touched by the trembling earnestness of 
 her injunctions to avoid all danger, and to keep away 
 from all bad companions. ' Oh, never fear, Suke,' re- 
 plied he, ' I know better than to risk my precious neck 
 without cause ; and as for bad company, I shall not dis- 
 grace my family by mixing with people beneath me.' 
 
 Fain would she have pointed to a higher and purer 
 motive, but she had never yet ventured upon any dis- 
 course of the kind with her master's family ; and before 
 she could muster resolution he was called away. ' Good 
 bye, Susan ; take care of your old bones, that I may find
 
 judah's lion. 11 
 
 them safe and snug in their comfortable case when I re- 
 turn.' He held out his hand ; the faithful creature clasp- 
 ed it between her's, and her feelings broke forth in a scrip- 
 tural phrase, quoted in the minister's prayer for him, and 
 which she had often since repeated in her own, ' The 
 God of his father Abraham, the Angel that delivered Ja- 
 cob from all evil, bless the lad !' Alick looked at her 
 with some surprise ; but he only said, ' Thank ye, Susan ; 
 I hope he will,' and bounded away. 
 
 The person who had called him was his cousin Esther. 
 Discouraged in her exclusive feelings by those around 
 her, and particularly shy of provoking Alick's bantering 
 drollery, she had repressed many a rising exhortation 
 where she deemed it greatly needed ; but now that he was 
 on the very eve of departing on such a pilgrimage, she 
 resolved to discharge her conscience, and to set before him 
 his duty. Accordingly she began by inquiring if he 
 could really proceed on a journey to Jerusalem with no 
 greater emotion than if he were going to Paris or to 
 Berlin 1 
 
 ' Why, no; I don't say that, Esther. Without bring- 
 ing up useless distinctions in the way you do, one must 
 feel something in going for the first time to visit what is 
 certainly the land of his fathers, though it is not his own.' 
 
 ' Not his own, Alick Cohen 1 Who shall dare to say 
 of that land that it is not at this moment the property of 
 every Hebrew on the face of the earth V 
 
 ' A very unprofitable property, coz. For any good it 
 yields me, or any business I have with it, I might just as 
 well point to Sir John's park yonder, and call it mine.' 
 
 ' If Coleby Park had belonged to your ancestors from 
 time immemorial, and was entailed on you, the sole heir, 
 and had been forcibly taken possession of by a gang of
 
 12 judah's lion. 
 
 robbers, who held it by mere strength of arm, defying 
 both law and justice, would you not still call it yours V 
 
 ' Ay, and soon get it out of their rascally clutches, I'll 
 ■warrant you. But your simile does not hold good ; for 
 the property you speak of, yonder in the East, has cer- 
 tainly been made over by the Great Proprietor above to 
 other tenants.' 
 
 ' Alas, alas !' said Esther, ' it is too true. Our sins 
 have forfeited the possession, and we shall never, never 
 regain it while remaining thus careless, impenitent, har- 
 dened under the Divine rebuke.' Then suddenly fixing 
 on him her eyes, which she had before shaded with her 
 clasped hands, she sternly added, ' It is such as you who 
 stand between the tribes and their inheritance ! The very 
 temple of Mount Zion, in all the magnificence of ita 
 glory, would not outweigh with you the glitter and the 
 pride of a little wealth, display and power, in the midst 
 of an infidel nation.' 
 
 Alick was roused ; he darted back a look equally proud 
 and angry as her own, but his eye presently fell beneath 
 the lofty scorn of her's ; and with a short laugh he care- 
 lessly remarked, ' One must not be too severe with a 
 pretty girl when she gets into "Ercles' vein," by way of 
 variety.' 
 
 ' No, cousin Alick, I do not vary, and you know it. 
 My feeling, however, suppressed out of deference to those 
 above me, is always the same. A daughter of Jerusalem 
 by right, I never will forego the lofty privileges of that 
 character, though the loftiest of them now be that of 
 weeping over the ruins of Jerusalem, the desolation, the 
 degradation of her degenerate sons.' She turned away in 
 tears : then again facing him said, with greater animation, 
 ' You will have a new character to sustain ; hitherto you 
 have lived in a charmed circle, where a golden talisman
 
 judah's lion. 13 
 
 secures you from all that you must shortly expect to en- 
 counter. Unless with the honorable name of Nathan you 
 mean to drop and wholly to deny your blood and lineage, 
 you will yet find yourself reviled, taunted, thrust out, 
 trampled upon, in the character of a despised Jew.' 
 
 Coloring with anger, the youth haughtily replied, 
 * Jew or Gentile, no living man shall dare to despise 
 
 me.' 
 
 Esther shook her head compassionately, ' Ah, so you 
 
 think, but time will undeceive you. Apostasy alone can 
 save you from your share of the national curse — the 
 scorn of the Gentile ; and I don't think, Alick, I don't 
 think,' she deliberately repeated, ' that you are yet pre- 
 pared to stamp that open brow with the foul brand of a 
 cowardly apostate.' 
 
 The youth was excessively provoked ; but affecting a 
 louder laugh than before, he apologized for not having 
 time to answer her pleasantry, and left her with apparent 
 good-humor. Esther almost regretted having pursued so 
 rough a course, when a little management might have 
 led to better results ; but it was past, and no oppor- 
 tunity presented itself of repairing the mischief. A brief 
 good-bye was all she could interchange with Alick, before 
 he started with his father for the port whence they were 
 to sail, in a ship of the line, for the Mediterranean.
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 Adverse winds detained the ship for some days in the 
 Channel J after which they coasted leisurely westward, 
 the captain having to communicate with the Admiral at 
 Cove. Everything in the shape of delay was agreeable 
 to Alick, who found in the sea an element so delightful, 
 and in the sprightly young middies associates so congenial 
 to him, that an order to circumnavigate the globe in that 
 company would have been welcome. Mr. Cohen, who 
 suffered greatly from sickness, had not even made his ap- 
 pearance at the captain's table j but Alick, a general 
 favorite, had already experienced the hospitality of all 
 the messes ; among which he certainly preferred the gun- 
 room, where, at a slip of table thirty feet long, assembled 
 the gallant array of midshipmen, varying in years from 
 fourteen to more than twice that age, a schoolmaster, two 
 assistant-surgeons, and very frequently a warrant-officer 
 as guest. The early dinner-hour of noon allowed Alick 
 to accept the almost daily invitations as to a lunch, though 
 the abundance of choice viands served up usually tempted 
 him to make it a full meal; and his keen perception of 
 character ensured him endless amusement among such 
 society. 
 
 Alick Cohen had never loved study, so far as books
 
 judah's lion. 15 
 
 Were concerned ; but he was naturally of an inquiring 
 turn, and impressed not only vividly but deeply with 
 whatever was presented to him through the medium of 
 common occurrence or conversation. Far from being 
 deficient either in sense or talent, his mind had remained 
 comparatively inert, more for lack of any suitable stimu- 
 lant to force it into action than from indolence. At home 
 he had known no wish that could not be gratified by 
 touching a bell-rope j and at school a well-filled purse 
 wrought its wonted effects. The society wherein he had 
 moved was of that polish which wears away, from the 
 surface at least, all irregularities of character ; and thus he 
 had been becalmed on the smooth waters of a rich citi- 
 zen's life, long enough to render the present contrast 
 enchanting. 
 
 Some of his young friends in the gun-room were highly 
 bred ; a title, more than one Honorable, and several of 
 his own class, ranked among them ; but though some 
 affected the fine gentleman, and strove against the in- 
 fection of their comrades' blunt hilarity, they could not 
 succeed in chilling the genial atmosphere around them ; 
 more particularly as such attempts were pointedly put 
 down by the captain and first lieutenant, two disciplina- 
 rians of the old school, and still more effectually checked 
 by an individual of subordinate rank ; but who, perhaps, 
 possessed more real influence among the middies than any 
 other man on board. 
 
 This was the gunner, a fine old seaman, who had risen 
 by sterling merit to that important post, and whose 
 thorough knowledge of his profession, peculiar aptitude 
 for communicating it, and unbounded kindness in afford- 
 ing valuable information, had rendered him an oracle 
 among the inexperienced officers. He was rough and 
 unceremonious, but never harsh or rude. His broad,
 
 16 judah's lion. 
 
 honest face beamed with intelligence, benevolence, and 
 manly decision, while his quick eye seemed formed at 
 once to detect and to reprove anything reprehensible. 
 Alick took great note of him, seldom losing a remark that 
 he uttered ; for in his heart he had already resolved by 
 some means to enter the service ; and the information 
 that any attentive listener might derive from Gordon's 
 general discourse on nautical subjects was likely to prove 
 of material use. The grand feature, however, in the 
 gunner's character he did not comprehend, for Gordon 
 was spiritually-minded j a true, firm, and consistent be- 
 liever. 
 
 The senior midshipman, a disappointed and discon- 
 tented man, openly broached infidel principles, in which 
 he was covertly supported by one of the assistant-sur- 
 geons, who prudently refrained from committing himself 
 directly on that point. The schoolmaster, well read in 
 Paley's Evidences, and armed with such Christianity as 
 man may learn from man, constantly met and repelled 
 all serious assaults on revealed religion ; but allowed the 
 sneer, the laugh, the banter, to pass unheeded. Gordon, 
 whose constant care it was to uphold the relative author- 
 ity of each officer in the ship, refrained from interposing 
 when the schoolmaster came forward ; but many a rebuke 
 did he administer on occasions when, but for him, the 
 ground would have been undefended. Sharpe, the in- 
 fidel, was much disliked by his comrades, who relished 
 seeing him wincing under Gordon's lash ; and what be- 
 tween well-merited love and salutary dread of the old 
 gunner, the latter enjoyed an exemption from those petty 
 persecutions which too often are the lot of a Christian in 
 his situation. 
 
 Alick's Hebrew origin had not been surmised. In the 
 little billets occasionally handed to him he was usually
 
 judah's lion. 17 
 
 addressed as ' Coane,' and he himself bestowed no thought 
 on the matter. It happened as they were beating off 
 the Cove of Cork that he strolled into the gun-room with 
 one of his young friends, just as the debate was running 
 high between Mr. Sharpe and the schoolmaster. The 
 former, it seemed, had denounced the whole Bible as a 
 tissue of falsehood and folly ; while the latter was, with 
 more earnestness than usual, upholding its divine author- 
 ity. A group of middies surrounded the combatants, of 
 whom one was drawing a caricature sketch, while Gordon 
 was delighting a mere child, just entered as a midship- 
 man, by superintending the carving of a ship's hull with 
 his penknife. Alick took his station in the midst of the 
 listeners. 
 
 ' All that you have said is vastly fine, Mr, Cowper,' 
 said Sharpe, 'but it amounts to just this; certain predic- 
 tions appear in the Old Testament, and their fulfilment is 
 recorded in the New ; so you make the two parcels of 
 the Bible reciprocally prove each other ; whereas I take 
 leave to regard them both as parts of one great forgery, 
 framed so as to support one another's pretences.' 
 
 ' Setting the New Testament aside altogether,' replied 
 the other, 'I refer you to the fulfilment of prophecy in 
 the nations around us.' 
 
 ' Of which a great deal took place before the pro- 
 phecies were written,' said Sharpe, contemptuously, ' and 
 the rest would have come to pass in the natural course of 
 events, even had they not been so shrewdly guessed at, 
 and, as you called it, foretold.' 
 
 ' Impossible !' said Cowper, ' no human sagacity could 
 have foreseen the occurrences that have fallen out, ex- 
 actly as foreshown in the pages of inspiration. But leav- 
 ing all others, I will take up one point alone ; what think 
 3
 
 18 judah's lton. 
 
 you, sir, of that universal problem, the outcast, miserable, 
 degraded Jews V 
 
 ' Why, I think them a pack of very great vagabonds,' 
 answered Mr. Sharpe. 
 
 ' Undoubtedly they are ; the very offscourings of the 
 world, a by- word, a hissing, a scorn, and a reproach j but 
 was not this foretold V 
 
 ' Yes, and in the same way I could sit down and 
 write a prophecy that Poland should be dismembered by 
 the Russians.' 
 
 ' Well, sir, but supposing the Bible to be ever so modern 
 a book as you fancy it, only a few centuries old, still I 
 maintain that the lapse of those few centuries was suffi- 
 cient, nay certain, in the common course of events, to 
 have obliterated all natural trace of such an outcast race, 
 amalgamating them with the various people of the earth, 
 or exterminating them altogether by the many and severe 
 persecutions that they have undergone. Instead of which, 
 you find no country under heaven without a Jew, bearing 
 the brand of his crime, the curse of God, and the uni- 
 versal contempt of his fellow-creatures.' 
 
 ' Look at Sharpe, how he is posed and caught,' whis- 
 pered a middy to another who was leaning on Alick's 
 shoulder. 
 
 'Ay,' responded the other, 'fairly caught in the bag of 
 an old-clothes'-man, and Jewed out of his prime argu- 
 ment.' This excited a laugh among those who heard it, 
 and a variety of witticisms were bandied about, all deriving 
 their point from some malicious or contemptuous allusion 
 to the Jew. 
 
 Sliarpe replied, but Alick heeded not his words : a 
 sensation of wrath and shame, such as he had never before 
 experienced, thrilled through him. The latter, however, 
 predominated for the moment ; he felt abashed, crushed
 
 judah's lion. 19 
 
 beneath a weight of odium the more cruelly bitter because 
 it was wholly free from any personal allusion. All the 
 epithets of scorn bestowed on his people, and which seem- 
 ed to be generally admitted by those who heard them as 
 words of course, belonged to himself as one of that de- 
 spised nation ; and he felt that, as a Jew, he must rank in 
 the estimation of companions who now considered him 
 fully their equal, as inferior to the least — ay, probably, to 
 the sailors before the mast. The feeling that overwhelmed 
 the young Israelite was that 'sorrow of heart' peculiar 
 to those on whom it falls as a stroke from above. He 
 smothered it in his own bosom, and gladly followed one of 
 the young men who, tired of listening to a subject that 
 did not interest him, went on deck. 
 
 When Alick withdrew to his berth for the night, and 
 found himself alone, he strove to avoid all unpleasant 
 recollections ; or rather to banish their recurrence after 
 being pretty well stifled in the mirth of an evening party. 
 Despite all efforts, his thoughts fell into that train, and a 
 new sentiment sprang up in his mind, from which it had 
 hitherto been wholly free — dislike to Christians. ' It was 
 to prove the truth of his own religion that he dared to 
 speak so insultingly of us,' thought Alick, as he recalled 
 the purport of Mr. Cowper's argument ; 'and though 
 those officers care little enough about it in general things, 
 yet being Christians, they all joined in joking and jeering 
 at the Jews. Oh, how mad Esther would have been ! ' 
 and he could not forbear smiling, as the remembrance of 
 their last discussion mingled with the picture that his 
 fancy drew of her presence in the gun-room. Sleep soon 
 terminated his cogitations, and at early morning the bustle 
 of casting anchor in the fine harbor of Cork obliterated 
 every unpleasant recollection. 
 
 But Alick was not to remain long in this untroubled
 
 20 judah's lion. 
 
 state : the captain had manned his gig, and gone off to 
 the flag-ship, and the usual laxity of discipline connived 
 at in port gave admission to many strangers. One of the 
 middies, a mischievous lad of sixteen, who had been peer- 
 ing into the numerous boats that surrounded the vessel, 
 and descried in one of them an object likely to afford him 
 some sport, approached the schoolmaster, then leaning on 
 a gun-carriage, explaining some local phenomena to a 
 party of listeners, among whom was Alick, and said, 
 ' Here, sir, I have brought you a choice addition to your 
 stock of evidences : you had better keep him to produce 
 on your next discussion with Sharpe ; ' and he pushed 
 forward a most squalid little object, of unquestionably 
 Jewish aspect, with a shaggy grey beard, ragged clothing, 
 and a net of oranges in each hand. A shout of laughter 
 welcomed the visitor, who seemed perfectly at his ease ; 
 and one said, 'Weil, my little Moshesh, vat ish your 
 bishnesh here 1 ' 
 
 Sharpe, just then passing, paused, joined in the laugh, 
 and asked with a sneer, 'Which of your prophets prophe- 
 sied of him, Mr. Covvper "? ' 
 
 The Jew's brow contracted : he evidently felt the 
 insult, but instead of noticing it, held up his nets, pro- 
 claiming the cheapness of his fruits. 
 
 ' Confess you stole them, Moshesh,' said one. 
 
 'I did not, upon ray conscience, sir,' answered the 
 man. 
 
 ' Conscience ! a Jew's conscience ! what a notable 
 thing to swear by,' shouted another. Alick's blood was 
 beginning to boil : he looked round, as if to single out 
 some object for a burst of resentment, when the Gunner 
 approaching, said, 'By your leave, gentlemen, as nobody 
 seems disposed to buy, I will stow away the Jew's cargo. 
 Well, my friend, what are your terms 1 '
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 21 
 
 The nets were presently emptied, and Gordon resumed, 
 ' From what part of the world do you come ] ' 
 
 ' From Plymouth, sir : very few of our people visit 
 Ireland, and I am here but for a short time.' 
 
 ' I wonder at that : it is well known Ireland is the only 
 country that never persecuted your race.' 
 
 ' They had not the opportunity,' said the Jew with a 
 half grin, 'for we have not dwelt among them.' 
 
 'Aye, but what kept you away 1 The poverty of the 
 country you will say perhaps.' The Jew nodded. ' Then 
 poverty has been a great blessing there,' continued Gor- 
 don, pointing to the land, ' since it was the means of pre- 
 serving at least one nation from the deep curse of afflicting 
 _ God's ancient people-' 
 
 He spoke the word ' curse' with such a deliberate empha- 
 sis, and accompanied it with so keen a glance round him, 
 that no one could avoid noticing it. 
 
 ' Nay,' said the schoolmaster, ' I am no apologist for 
 persecution ; far from it ; it is the feature of a barbarous 
 age, and wholly unsuited to these enlightened times. 
 Still, as the Jews are certainly accursed by the word of 
 the Almighty, I don't see any particular sin in giving 
 them their share in the troubles of a troublous age.' 
 
 The Gunner never contradicted Mr. Cowper in public ; 
 he, therefore, only said, ' I noticed it, sir, as a matter of 
 thankfulness to the Irish people ; because, though many 
 nations were allowed, in old time, to oppress the Jews 
 for their disobedience, yet all those who afflicted them 
 were heavily judged.' 
 
 ' Aye, but that was before their last unpardonable sin 
 of crucifying our Savior.' 
 
 ' I cannot see, sir, that even that fearful sin is unpar- 
 donable ; for Paul the apostle,who was himself a persecut- 
 ing, blasphemous Jew, bears witness ; " And they also, if 
 3*
 
 22 J'UDjiH S LIOK. 
 
 they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafFed in : for God is 
 able to grafFthem in again." ' 
 
 ' Of course, individuals are sometimes converted ; or 
 at least profess to be so. Some people, indeed, doubt 
 "whether a real conversion from Judaism ever takes place.' 
 
 ' It never does,' muttered the orange-merchant in a bit- 
 ter tone. 
 
 ' No V exclaimed Gordon, fixing on him one of his most 
 reproving looks. ' Is then the race of Abraham fallen low- 
 enough to practise such base hypocrisy — to acknowledge 
 as God one whom they still believe to have been a con- 
 demned and executed malefactor V 
 
 The Jew hung his head ; and one of the middies, 
 throwing himself into an attitude, theatrically exclaimed, 
 
 ' No"W, infidel, I have thee on the hip !' 
 
 Other quotations were also applied, in a jesting rather 
 than an ill-natured spirit ; and the schoolmaster remarked, 
 ' All this only shows the fulfilment of prophecy, and tri- 
 umphantly establishes my proof of the divine inspiration 
 of the Bible.' 
 
 ' It does, Mr. Cowper,' answered the Gunner, who ap- 
 peared not a little moved at the scene before him ; ' and 
 blessed be God! it proves still more: for if the threateninss 
 are thus accomplished to the very letter, as we see they 
 are, so shall the promises be. He who has said, " This 
 people have I formed for myself, and they shall show 
 forth my praise," will yet be glorified in them before the 
 face of all nations. " For the Lord will have mercy on 
 Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and will set them in their 
 own land."' " irie shall cause them that come of Jacob to 
 take root ; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of 
 the world with fruit." ' 
 
 ' So, then, you are one of those sanguine people who
 
 judah's lion, 23 
 
 expect to see the Jews restored to Palestine V said the 
 schoolmaster, smiling. 
 
 ' I hope I am one of those believing people who dare 
 not doubt that what the Lord hath spoken he will surely 
 bring to pass. I heard your argument, sir, yesterday with 
 Mr. Sharpe, and what you said could not be overthrown ; 
 but while you rested on that point, the present degraded 
 state of Israel, lying under the curse, I looked forward to 
 the closing of their day of calamity, and thought upon 
 the promise, " All nations shall call you blessed ; for ye 
 shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts." I 
 can't despise a Jew, gentlemen,' he added, looking round 
 him ; ' I can't add the weight of my finger to the burden 
 that God has laid on him. I know he is a standing mira- 
 cle of judgment, and I know, too, that he will, at least na- 
 tionally, be a standing miracle of mercy. He is a branch 
 of the olive-tree, broken off through unbelief; but I am 
 commanded, " Boast not thyself against the branches." 
 Gentile as I am, I look upon a son of Abraham with re- 
 spect ; aye,' he added, raising his voice, as he saw some of 
 the youths glance laughingly at the ragged Jew, upon 
 whose shoulder he at the same moment laid his hand, 'Aye, 
 sirs, 1 look upon this poor man with a respect due to a 
 race whom God chose, and blessed, and distinguished 
 among all people — a race that, say what you will, are the 
 
 aristocracy of the earth ; who,' here a loud call was 
 
 heard for the Gunner ; and he hastened away. 
 
 ' Well, now,' said a good-humored lad, who had check- 
 ed a laugh on hearing the earnest tone of Gordon, 'well, 
 now, let's do something to keep up the external credit of 
 the aristocracy. Who'll add another to this V holding up 
 a half-crown, ' to purchase a better coat for this sprig of 
 nobility ?' 
 
 Several responded to the call ; and a good handful of
 
 24 JUDAH S LIONi 
 
 silver was presently collected in the hat of the young 
 man, who held it last to Alick, shaking its contents, and say- 
 ing, ' Come, Coane, give us a specimen of Gentile gene- 
 rosity.' 
 
 ' That I cannot do,' answered Alick, as with cheeks of 
 the deepest crimson, and swelling veins, he added a piece 
 of gold to the collection : ' I am no Gentile, but a Jew : 
 my name is not Coane, but Nathan Cohen ; and what 
 from you is generosity is simple justice from me.' 
 
 He turned avv'ay immediately, half glad, half regretful 
 that the confession had been made under circumstances so 
 peculiar. It was, in truth, a burst of nationality that sur- 
 prised himself when he reflected upon it. 'It is as well, 
 though,' thought he ; ' for they would have gone on snarl- 
 ing at our people till som.e accident betrayed what neither 
 my father nor I ever dreamed of concealing, and then they 
 would have remembered their impertinent speeches, and 
 nothing but quarrels could ensue. As it is, I've shown 
 them that I am neither ashamed nor afraid to speak out: 
 and I suppose good manners will keep them silent for the 
 future. But why was I born a Jew V he continued, as 
 mortifying recollections crowded upon him : ' or why 
 should such distinctions be kept up among Englishmen 1 
 I should not mind turning Christian to get rid of the stig- 
 ma ; but then they would call me " a converted Jew," 
 which is worse still. And, after all, what right has any- 
 body to despise us 1 we are a wealthy race, and our men 
 are as fine, our women as handsome as the best of them. 
 How such vulgar prejudices can exist among gentlemen, I 
 cannot conceive ; at any rate, they must now hold their 
 tongues in my presence.' 
 
 And so they did ; the schoolmaster assured the young 
 men that it was unworthy the genius of the nineteenth 
 century to keep up such antiquated illiberal prejudices, to
 
 judah's lion. 25 
 
 which they readily assented ; and while some frankly apolo- 
 gized to Alick for the unintentional offence given, others 
 strove by redoubled attention and respect to do away with 
 the remembrance. Still the witlings could not refrain 
 from indulging tlieir leading propensity at his expense ; 
 and he was often vexed and irritated by casual discoveries 
 of their jokes. In reference to the Gunner's expression, 
 his father was privately called the Duke : himself the 
 Marquess ; their little cabin, ' Duke's Palace,' with sundry 
 other ludicrous allusions, very annoying to a proud spirit, 
 which was apt to chafe at trifles. 
 
 When next Gordon met him, he touched his cap with 
 one hand, and extending the other said, ' I honor you 
 greatly, Mr. Cohen, for the avowal you made at such a 
 time and in such a way. I, for one, never had an idea 
 of your being a Hebrew.' 
 
 Alick shook heartily the offered hand, and thanked him 
 for supporting the character of his people. 
 
 'I doubt, young gentleman, whether I did that ! I only 
 repeated God's promises, and declared my own faith in 
 them. And may I ask, sir, whether you too are looking 
 forward to the glorious things promised to your race V 
 
 ' Why, indeed, Mr. Gordon, I am so thoroughly the 
 Englishman, that I know of no country preferable to that 
 in which I was born — no distinction greater than the citi- 
 zenship of her great metropolis; all the privileges of 
 which I hope one day to enjoy, when Parliament has done 
 away with the obstacles that now encumber our path. 
 We shall soon rise above the petty carpings that we can- 
 not now quite silence ; and all these invidious distinctions 
 will be forgotten.' 
 
 The old seaman looked at him with compassionate in- 
 terest : he had much to say, but knew not how to intro- 
 duce itj nor did the time or place allow of prolonged dis-
 
 26 jtjdah's lion. 
 
 course. They parted, therefore, Alick proceeding to the 
 quarter-deck, and the Gunner remarking to himself, 
 ' What a blessing that fine boy would become among his 
 people if the Lord were pleased to make him indeed a 
 Jew!' 
 
 Gordon was not one of those who imagine that a Jew 
 when Christianized must needs be Gentilized also. He 
 had very high, because very scriptural, views of the pe- 
 culiar privileges secured to the children of Abraham, and 
 which he knew were not annulled but confirmed by their 
 becoming subjects of Messiah's kingdom. He longed to 
 open the matter to Alick in such a way as to engage his 
 attention, with the purpose of leading him to the feet of 
 Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did 
 write ; and he hoped that in the course of their voyage 
 such opportunity would be given.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ' There is one thing that I can't understand,' said Alick 
 to a midshipman, with whom he was parading the deck, 
 ' and that is the rank held by your friend the Gunner. 
 He seems to me to belong to every class, and yet to form 
 a class by himself. Seeing what disciplinarians you are, 
 and how rigidly you all observe the distinctions of rank, 
 it often puzzles me to see this Gordon an exception from 
 all rules.' 
 
 ' You are right,' answered the middy. ' The Gunner 
 is individualized among a ship's company : his office 
 is very important, though more akin to a non-commis- 
 sioned officer in the army than any other, and attained in 
 the same way. He is a picked seaman of courage, con- 
 duct and experience, and so necessary to us that we could 
 not get on without him. Gordon would be a regular cha- 
 racter in any situation, but the one he holds is just made 
 for him : and he is thoroughly good-natured. When I 
 was but half recovered from a sharp fit of illness, nervous, 
 restless, and all that, he let me go to his cabin, night after 
 night, and read, talk, or hold my tongue, as the fancy 
 might be, by his cheerful lamp, when all the rest was 
 darkness.'
 
 28 judah's lion. 
 
 ' Why, is he exempt from the barbarous regulation •£ 
 "lights out" at half past eight V 
 
 ' Yes : the Gunner has always leave to burn his till 
 
 ten.' 
 
 ' Nay, then, I must make friends with him,' said Alick 
 — 'for you can't think how I hate the extinguishing sys- 
 tem.' 
 
 ' Take care, however, Cohen ; for he'll certainly make 
 a Methodist of you,' said the young man smiling ; and 
 then, as if a sudden thought had flashed across his mind, 
 he blushed, stammered, and hesitatingly added, ' I — I beg 
 your pardon.' 
 
 ' For what V asked Alick staring : ' for thinking I could 
 be made a Methodist of ?' 
 
 ' No, no : only I forgot just then — I — oh, by the way, 
 do you know to-morrow is a royal birth-day, and as there's 
 a frigate in company, we shall treat you landsmen to a 
 little gunpowder at sea.' 
 
 What could put him so out of countenance all on a 
 sudden % was Alick's mental inquiry : and then the con- 
 viction struck him that his being a Jew had recurred to 
 his companion's mind, in some connection with the word 
 Methodist : probably as being alike terms of reproach. It 
 ruffled him, and produced the usual effect of an increased 
 feeling of estrangement from all around him. Meanwhile 
 a very different conversation, of which he was the subject, 
 was going on ia another part of the ship between Gordon 
 and an old sailor, no less devout and zealous than himself, 
 but by no means so partial to the Jewish cause. 
 
 ' I can't see what difference it makes,' remarked Tom 
 Miller, ' his being Jew or Gentile, so long as he is not a 
 Christian. All you have to do is to seek his conversion, 
 and then, be his birth and lineage what they may, he be-
 
 JUDiVH's LION. 29 
 
 comes Abraham's child, and an heir according to promise. 
 That's my mind, Gunner.' 
 
 ' In one sense, I agree with you, Tom : as regards the 
 spiritual privilege, we are all equal. Sinners alike by na- 
 ture, lost and ruined j saved alike, wholly and entirely by 
 grace — in which salvation there is no difference put be- 
 tween us, God purifying our hearts by faith. Children of 
 wrath together, lying under the curse, until we receive 
 together the adoption of children, becoming equally heirs 
 of God, and joint heirs with Christ.' 
 
 ' Aye ; what a wonderful work is there !' said the old 
 sailor : ' choosing such wretches as you and I, taking us 
 out of the mire, from the dunghill of sin, and exalting us 
 among the princes. Glory be to redeeming grace !' 
 
 ' Amen, brother ! And now, having agreed in this, let 
 us look a little farther, and we shall see that even in a fa- 
 mily of children where all are to inherit property, there 
 is a distinction belonging to the elder, and this I claim for 
 the Jew. You know how Paul, having shown to the Ro- 
 mans the universal sinfulness of our race, and that the na- 
 tional privileges or superior knowledge of the Jew will not 
 save him, puts the question, as from one taking your view 
 of the matter: " What advantage then hath the Jew, or 
 what profit is there in circumcision 1" and replies to it, 
 " Much every way " — going on to show that the unbelief 
 of individuals could not make the promise of God of none 
 effect. For, Tom, they are still beloved for the fathers' 
 sakes. ' 
 
 ' You don't mean, any how, that an unbelieving Jew 
 will be saved for the fathers' sakes V 
 
 ' No, Tom, no. I speak of Israel as a nation, now a 
 saplpss trunk indeed, blighted and naked, and to all ap- 
 pearance dead ; but for the sake of the root, which was 
 holy before God, he will once more cause life to circulate, 
 4
 
 30 judah's lion. 
 
 and the old tree to put forth leaves and branches yet again 
 — aye, and such branches too as shall overshadow the whole 
 earth !' 
 
 ' Well, I shan't argue with you, seeing I have not half 
 your knowledge, Mr. Gordon 5 but my poor prayers are 
 offered for yonder dear boy, that he, at any rate, may 
 grow up as a young plant in the courts of the Lord's 
 house.' 
 
 It was the peculiar trial of the good Gunner to meet 
 with very few, even among enlightened Christians, who 
 could enter into his views respecting God's declared pur- 
 pose towards his ancient people. Those views he perfect- 
 ly well knew to be scriptural ; but he also knew that their 
 reception was by no means necessary to the spiritual well- 
 being of a believer j though again he was aware that to 
 overlook any plainly revealed truth, cannot be well-pleas- 
 ing to Him who has given us no idle or unnecessary words 
 to perplex us. He rather loved, when with his fellow- 
 Christians, to be building themselves up on their most 
 holy faith in things absolutely essential, than to be en- 
 gaged in controversy on matters that were not so ; but 
 seeing how manifestly the reception of these truths quick- 
 ened the zeal and heightened the enjoyment of such as 
 were enabled to perceive them, he could not altogether 
 keep silence. The feelings with which he regarded the 
 interesting young Israelite on board were probably 
 strengthened by being pent up within his bosom, and cer= 
 tainly were prepared for an explosion on the first oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 The day noticed as a royal birth-day was also the Chris- 
 tian Sabbath 5 and Alick, who had never witnessed the 
 sight of a ship's company assembled for divine service, 
 readily accompanied the superior officers on their round 
 of inspection at divisions. The clean, handsome, healthy
 
 judah's lion. 31 
 
 appearance of the men, their becoming deportment, and 
 all the beautifully-ordered arrangements, down to the 
 graceful disposition of the Union Jack, throwing its thick 
 folds over the grog-tub and log-board that formed the pul- 
 pit, all attracted his admiration ; and he sat, a quiet, if not 
 an interested auditor, during the hour of prayers. 
 
 The first lesson for the day was that sublime portion of. 
 Scripture, the 23d and 2'ith chapters of Numbers. It ar- 
 rested his attention more than once, by the repeated men- 
 tion of Jacob and Israel, and the abundance of the reite- 
 rated promises ; but such was his ignorance of everything 
 connected with the Bible, that he did not know it formed 
 a part of the ancient Scriptures, much less that it was the 
 writing of Moses. At one time he caught the old Gun- 
 ner's eye fixed alternately upon the reader and on him, 
 with such an eagerly-animated expression, that it made 
 him anxious to know what might be the reason ; he lis- 
 tened, and heard the words, " God brought him forth out 
 of Egypt ; he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn : 
 he shall eat up the nations, his enemies, and shall break 
 their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 
 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion : 
 who shall stir him up '? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, 
 and cursed is he that curseth thee." 
 
 The wind was whistling among the sails, which in- 
 duced the chaplain, whose feelings did not appear to be so 
 much roused by what he was reading as those of some of 
 his auditors were, to elevate his voice considerably, while 
 uttering this passage ; and a perfect lull of a few moments 
 occurring at the same time, gave strong effect to the con- 
 cluding words. Some who remembered the Gunner's 
 expression a day or two before, when the poor Jew was 
 on board, could not help stealing a look at Alick, who 
 was an object of more interest, perhaps, than anything
 
 32 judah's lion. 
 
 else among them. Service being concluded, a general 
 stir took place, for, in honor of the day, the royal stan- 
 dard was to be hoisted, and saluted with twenty-one guns. 
 A light, fresh breeze was stirring, the sun shone bril- 
 liantly ; and the sails, whitened by a morning shower, 
 looked, as Alick remarked, like the plumage of a swan, 
 as the noble ship rolled gracefully through the w^aves. 
 While gazing upwards with admiration at the beautiful 
 contrast between a very deep blue sky and the snowy 
 canvas outspread to catch the breeze, he suddenly beheld 
 what is ever dear to the heart, and glorious in the eye of 
 a Briton, the magnificent standard of England, unfolding 
 its gorgeous blazonry in glowing contrast to both, and 
 casting a ruddy gleam upon the water beneath. There 
 was something in the very act of unfurling this flag at 
 sea that, together with the splendid effect produced, trans- 
 ported Alick to a fit of enthusiasm. He took off his hat, 
 and loudly cheered the flag. The first lieutenant passing 
 at that moment, touched his shoulder, saying with a 
 smile, ' A little patience, Mr. Cohen : wait for the salute.' 
 This vvas presently given : the thunder of the guns, the 
 wreathing of the light blue smoke, as it rose and curled 
 away ; the strong vibration of the ship's side against 
 which he leaned, and the loud, long, measured cadence of 
 three hearty cheers, given at the full pitch of some seven 
 hundred manly voices, altogether kindled the fire ofAlick's 
 pirit, as it had never been kindled before : he was in the 
 height of that enjoyment which to a young and ardent 
 mind outweighs all that wealth and power can bestow. 
 He wanted but one thing — he longed to trace a fellow- 
 feeling somewhere, that he might be tempted to speak out 
 the delight which swelled his heart ; but he was alone ; no 
 one just then beside him, nor did anybody appear to be 
 at all excited by what occasioned hiin so great emotion.
 
 judah's lion. 33 
 
 Again he gazed upon the crimson flag j and presently was 
 greeted by the loud cheerful voice of Gordon, abruptly 
 exclaiming, ' Aye, Mr. Cohen, there floats the Lion of 
 Judah.' 
 
 ' The Lion of England, I suppose you mean,' said an 
 officer somewhat sharply, who had caught the remark as 
 he passed. 
 
 ' The Lions of England, Sir, and the Lion of Judah 
 also, I believe,' answered the Gunner, touching his cap : 
 'I have heard it so remarked, and by one well read in 
 heraldry.' 
 
 ' Holloa, Sharpe !' cried the other, ' come, here's this 
 fellow Gordon making Jews of us all !' 
 
 ' Pardon me, gentlemen,' said the Gunner, as several 
 gathered round at this summons, ' I believe you will find 
 on examination, that the arms of England contained only 
 two Lions, until our Richard the First added a third, after 
 his conquest in Palestine, and that third lion he probably 
 adopted as the well-known standard of the country where 
 his greatest exploits were performed, and a chief type of 
 Him, " the Lion of the tribe of Judah," whose cause he 
 professed to uphold against the infidel Saracens.' 
 
 'This is all conjecture,' said one of the gentlemen 
 laughing, 'and a very wild conjecture too.' 
 
 ' So it is,' observed another : ' and yet I have known 
 grave volumes of history founded on conjecture more 
 improbable than this.' 
 
 A great debate followed, embracing various topics of 
 history, heraldry, and other matters, to which neither the 
 Gunner nor Alick stayed to listen : the former proceeded 
 to his post ; the latter went and leaned over the stern, 
 watching for the glancing reflection of the banner on the 
 silver spray. 
 
 ' Judah's Lion !' thought he ; ' what a strange idea that 
 4*
 
 34 judah's lion. 
 
 is ; and yet I don't see but it may be perfectly correct. 
 Kichard bore the title C (Bur-de-lion^ and might, in con- 
 sideration of that distinction, clap a third lion upon his 
 shield. He might, to be sure ; but on the other hand, 
 how very natural it would be that he, who became by 
 his conquests lord of Palestine, should incorporate that 
 trophy with his own. Judah's lion !' he again repeated, 
 chuckling as the thought arose, ' if so, why England fights 
 under our banner — she may point to the standard of the 
 despised Jew, and say, "In hoc signo vinces." I'll go 
 this very night to the Gunner's cabin, and get some fur- 
 ther information from him. 'Twill be better at any rate 
 than turning into bed at such an unreasonable hour.' 
 
 And Alick, happily for him, kept his resolution. No 
 sooner were the lights extinguished, than he proceeded 
 to the snug little cell, tapping at the door, and being told 
 to walk in, found the Gunner seated at a small table? 
 with a large book before him. ' I beg your pardon, Mr. 
 Gordon : I won't interrupt you as you are reading.' 
 
 ' Reading or not, you don't interrupt me, young gentle- 
 man : I am delighted to see you here.' 
 
 ' May I sit with you a little while, Mr. Gordon \ May 
 I ask you a few questions about the Lion V 
 
 The Gunner sprang from his seat, bolted the door, and 
 said in a voice that faltered with suppressed emotion, 
 ' As long as you please you shall sit here, and nobody 
 shall interrupt us while we talk, as by God's blessing we 
 will talk' — and he clasped his hands together as he leaned 
 them on the Bible — ' on the most stirring, the most glori- 
 ous of all subjects — " the Lion of the tribe of Judah !" ' 
 'You are very fond of our people, Mr. Gordon,' said 
 Alick, smiling. 
 
 ' Sir, I owe to your people more than my life : I owe 
 to them this book, the writings of Moses and the prophets,
 
 judah's lion. 35 
 
 who were all Jews ; the writings of the Evangelists and 
 Apostles, who were all likewise Jews : and through them 
 the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, the King of the 
 Jews, God over all, blessed for ever!' 
 
 This was more than Alick Cohen could understand : 
 but he did not mean to enter into any theological discus- 
 sion ; therefore he only said, ' I am glad you love us, Mr. 
 Gordon, and I'm sure I love Christians; at least such as 
 you are. But now about the Lion on the standard, and 
 king Richard adopting it.' 
 
 ' You heard this morning all I knew of that,' replied 
 Gordon. ' My small stock of information was soon com- 
 municated. I saw you looking at the royal standard, 
 with feelings that I very well understood ; for I have 
 served under that flag, Mr. Cohen, ever since I was a lit- 
 tle boy — a little cabin-boy, blacking the officers' shoes : 
 for though, by the goodness of God, I have risen to a re- 
 sponsible and respectable station, and am treated so kindly 
 by gentlemen born and bred, yet, sir, I sprang from very 
 humble parents, the poor of this world, only rich in faith, 
 who couldn't have afforded me the means of learning to 
 read. I came first on board a ship, hoping just to pick up 
 a few crumbs of biscuit by doing any menial work — an 
 honest little vagabond, afraid to steal, and ashamed to beg 
 while my small fingers could work. But you see, sir, I have 
 had a good Master to serve, and after some hard rubs, he 
 has brought me to honor, as I ma}^ call it; And now, Mr. 
 Cohen, I advise you to serve the same Master, who will 
 be equally gracious to you. To return to the standard, as 
 I said, I saw j/^ou looking on it, with the heart of an Eng- 
 lishman ; and perhaps not knowing that it had its com- 
 mendation to the heart of an Israelite too.' 
 
 ' I was quite ignorant of it, indeed : and I should like 
 to know more about our old Lion.'
 
 36 judah's lion. 
 
 * You remember,' said Gordon, ' how your great ancestor 
 Jacob, blessed his twelve sons, the heads of the twelve 
 tribes, before he died j and the particular mention of the 
 lion in Judah's blessing V 
 
 Alick did not remember, because he did not know a 
 word about it ; however, his curiosity was excited, and 
 he said : ' To tell you the truth, Mr. Gordon, I have been 
 rather a bad student. I read what was put into my hands, 
 but never gave proper attention to it j so, though I may 
 have seen it all before, anything you see good enough to 
 tell me will be as new to me as if I had not.' 
 
 ' Well, come here, and look at this page, where the 
 whole is related by your great lawgiver, Moses.' He 
 turned to the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis, and saying 
 in a loud but distinct voice, ' May the God of Jacob bless 
 it to our souls for Jesus Christ's sake,' he pointed out the 
 eighth verse, requesting Alick to read it, who, coloring with 
 a feeling that he could not define, began, ' Judab, thou 
 art he whom thy brethren shall praise, thy hand shall be 
 in the neck of thine enemies, thy father's children shall 
 bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from 
 the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, 
 he couched as a lion, and as an old lion ; who shall rouse 
 him up V Alick here exclaimed, ' Why, we heard that 
 in the morning.' 
 
 ' Yes, but not in the same part of the book ; w^e will 
 see to that presently : goon, if you please.' Alick resumed. 
 
 '"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a 
 Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come j and 
 unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding 
 his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice 
 vine ; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in 
 the blood of grapes : his eyes shall be red with wine, and 
 his teeth white with milk." This is prose, but really I
 
 judah's lion. 37 
 
 never read poetry so beautiful, Mr. Gordon. The sceptre 
 is departed from Judah, alas !' — and that sigh was the 
 first Alick ever gave to the desolation of his people — 
 'but I don't know who Shiloh is. In fact I feel I am 
 shamefully ignorant of things I ought to know. Please 
 to tell me, Mr. Gordon, who is Shiloh V 
 
 As the boy turned his bright eyes on his companion, 
 the expression of humility, submission and earnestness, 
 upon his ingenuous countenance so touched the warm 
 heart of the old Christian sailor, that for the moment his 
 voice failed him. He pointed upwards, and then said, 
 ' Pray that you may know him.' 
 
 Alick dropped his eyes, looking disappointed, and 
 Gordon resumed, ' I will point out something remarkable 
 to you. These words spoken by Jacob could not be 
 known to that heathen idolator Balaam, when the king of 
 Moab set him to curse Israel ; yet see how similar are 
 the terms he uses; in fact, the same ;' and he turned to 
 the twenty-fourth of Numbers, pointing out the 9th verse, 
 " He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion, 
 who shall stir him up 1" ' That is singular,' said Alick, 
 ' how do you account for it V 
 
 ' By the fact, that both spake as they were moved by the 
 Spirit of the Lord ; Jacob willingly ; wicked Balaam 
 against his will : and this not only confirms the prophe- 
 cy, but makes it doubly observable. 
 
 ' That's true. Do you see, too, it is said here that he, 
 that is Jacob, " hath as it were the strength of an uni- 
 corn." The unicorn also is in the royal arms of Eng- 
 land.' 
 
 Gordon smiled, delighted at finding the youth thus in- 
 terested. ' I never thought of the unicorn before, I ac- 
 . knowledge, but your remark is true. And now see another 
 prediction of Shiloh : " There shall come a star out of
 
 38 jttdah's lion. 
 
 Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel :" this star, 
 this sceptre is Shiloh.' 
 
 * How can that be V asked Alick quickly. ' The scep- 
 tre was to depart when Shiloh came : how then can Shi- 
 loh be a sceptre.' 
 
 'I'll tell you,' said Gordon, with increased animation, 
 ' and oh, what a privilege it is to tell you things on the 
 knowledge of which depends the salvation of your immor- 
 tal soul ! This sceptre of Jacob — ' 
 
 Before he could add another word, a rap at the door 
 was followed by a summons to attend the first Lieutenant 
 immediately. Gordon's countenance had never looked so 
 clouded, as it did on hearing this ; he rose heavily, and 
 Alick said, ' Never mind : you'll let me come another 
 time, I know, and then you can tell me more of this. I 
 am very, very much obliged to you, Mr. Gordon, indeed 
 I am. I'll try to become a better scholar, and at all 
 events I'll never rest till I find out all that is to be found 
 out about Judah's Lion.' 
 
 ' Dear boy !' thought the Gunner as he hastened upon 
 deck, 'you little know how true a word you have spoken. 
 Rest, indeed, can never be yours till you come to a right 
 acquaintance with the Lamb that was slain — " the Lion of 
 the tribe of Judah !" '
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 Man's enmity against the truth is the most active prin- 
 ciple within him. He may affect to despise, but in real- 
 ity he fears while he hates it, and stoutly resists every 
 accession to the ranks of true believers. He that is born 
 after the flesh, naturally desires to persecute a brother born 
 after the Spirit ; and there was no exception to this rule 
 
 on board Her Majesty's ship , though as yet the pious 
 
 Gunner had not experienced its operation, beyond a few 
 petty annoyances, which he scarcely felt. 
 
 But who with impunity shall stretch forth the hand to 
 unwind the web in which Satan holds captive a lost sheep 
 of the house of Israel ! Judaism, the shell wherein lies, 
 concealed and useless to its possessor, the rich kernel of 
 the Gospel, and Popery, the worthless husk from which 
 that kernel has been privily eaten out, are the objects of 
 his peculiar vigilance. To reveal to the Jew the undis- 
 covered riches, and to the Papist the unsuspected hollow- 
 ness of what he grasps, is to shake the pillars of that throne 
 whereon the Prince of darkness sits ; for well he knows 
 that the restoration of Israel and the destruction of Popery 
 are the appointed signals for fettering him in the bottoms- 
 less pit.
 
 40 judah's lion. 
 
 Sharpe the infidel was a ready tool in the work of hiri' 
 dering the truth. He really dreaded no man on board in 
 an argument except Gordon, for he alone wielded the 
 sword of the Spirit against him. The only instance in 
 which he had been effectually silenced by the learned 
 but unenlightened Schoolmaster, was, when the latter 
 appealed to the state of the Jews as a living testimony to 
 the verity of God's word ; and the way in which Gordon 
 followed it up increased his annoyance. He noticed, 
 with sullen dislike, the growing cordiality between the 
 Gunner and Alick Cohen, and without caring a straw 
 whether the boy continued a Jew or became a ' Metho- 
 dist'^ — for Mr. Sharpe, like many better and wiser people, 
 fancied that in becoming a Christian a man must cease to 
 be a Jew — he resolved to make it an occasion for punishing 
 the objects of his malice. 
 
 He easily managed to convey to Mr. Cohen some hints 
 on the unsuitableness to his rank in life of the intimacy 
 his young son seemed disposed to form ; with an assurance 
 that if allowed to continue it he would be seduced, not 
 merely from the religion of his fathers, but to join a sect 
 so extremely bigoted, narrow-minded, and despised by 
 all sensible people, as to become a scoff among respectable 
 Christians. This exceedingly alarmed Mr. Cohen : he 
 sent for Alick, and bestowed on him a reprimand for 
 losing sight of his station in society, and without making 
 any allusion to religion, prohibited him from further ac- 
 quaintance with the warrant-officer, in whose cabin he 
 heard he had been sitting after the lights were out. 
 
 'That was the very reason, father,' said Alick, who had 
 no desire to put it on any other footing. ' Do you blame 
 me for availing myself of a good candlo, instead of going 
 to bed at nursery hours V
 
 judah's lion. 41 
 
 * You are not obliged to go to bed : 'tis very pleasant 
 on deck in the evening.' 
 
 ' I'm walking the deck all day,' said Alick, fretfully ; 
 * and a little quietness at night, without beings shut up 
 wholly in the dark, 1 may surely enjoy.' 
 
 'Nonsense! you have companions of your own age 
 and rank, every way suitable, and may be well content to 
 do as they do, Hold no farther intercourse with this 
 Boatswain, or whatever they call him ; and remember it 
 is but for a short time. You will soon be ashore, and 
 may burn candles all night : and all day too, if you 
 please.' 
 
 Alick smiled : his father's good-humoi-ed way of speak- 
 ing had always influenced him more than any principle 
 of obedience would have done ; and he resolved to follow 
 his own inclination without 'vexing' a parent whom he 
 loved, by open rebellion. 
 
 Meanwhile Sharpe, having satisfied himself that Mr. 
 Cohen would not sanction any farther intimacy between 
 his son and the Gunner, went to the first Lieutenant, 
 who was on deck ; and Sharpe was glad to perceive the 
 Captain so near as to be within hearing. He mentioned 
 to the Lieutenant that their worthy passenger was made 
 exceedingly unhappy by discovering that Gordon, whom 
 every one knew to be a fanatic in religion, was tamper- 
 ing with his son's creed. ' A Jew,' continued he, ' feels 
 his disadvantage among so many Christians : but he is 
 really a gentleman, and as such' — 
 
 ' Of course, of course, Mr. Sharpe,' interrupted the 
 Captain ; and Sharpe, seeing his words had produced the 
 desired effect, touched his cap and retreated. 
 
 Gordon was summoned, reprimanded, and informed 
 that any farther interference with the young gentleman 
 5
 
 42 JTJDAH S LION. 
 
 would be considered an act of insubordination, and treated 
 accordingly. 
 
 ' Alas !' thought the Christian sailor, as he slowly 
 withdrew, ' how many are the foes that rise up against 
 Israel ! Must I withhold my hand from a work brought 
 to me in a way so remarkable and unexpected '? I can't 
 think it a part of my duty to obey this order : there's 
 nothinsr in the articles of war to authorize it : and if I 
 suffer unjustly, not for a breach of duty, but for righteous- 
 ness' sake, I lose a little worldly profit and credit, but not 
 the blessing of the Lord.' Raising his eyes, he saw Alick 
 among the rigging, laughingly exultnig in having, by his 
 superior agility, outstripped a fat, titled middy in a climb- 
 ing race. ' The noble boy ! No, I won't give him up : 
 I won't,' repeated the Gunner, stoutly. 
 
 But the next day Alick, watching an opportunity, 
 eagerly accosted him. ' Mr. Gordon, hush ! I'm forbid- 
 den to speak to you ; so tell me when and where I may 
 do it without fear of discovery.' 
 
 ' Who forbade you, Mr. Cohen V 
 
 ' My father.' The Gunner's countenance instantly 
 fell, and he looked so distressed that Alick anxiously con- 
 tinued : ' It is all through the malicious spite of some 
 blackguard or another — very likely that Sharpe ; and 
 though I won't displease my father openly, it shall not 
 hinder my talking with you as much as I can.' 
 
 ' No, Mr. Cohen : the law of Moses, or rather of God, 
 the law which Christ came not to destroy but to fulfil, the 
 immutable law of the ten commandments, bids you honor 
 your father and your mother. Obedience to parents is a 
 duty that none may neglect. Your father commands, you 
 must obey.' 
 
 ' But this command was unjust and unreasonable : be-
 
 judah's lion. 43 
 
 sides, I see no cause why I should be in leading-strings to 
 anybody. I'm old enough to think for myself!' 
 
 Gordon drew a small Bible from his pocket; and turn- 
 ing to the twenty-first chapter of Deuteronomy, requested 
 Alick to read the eighteenth and three following verses, 
 saying, ' That command was given to your fathers.' 
 
 The youth read it in silence ; then turning rapidly over 
 the leaves of the volume, and glancing at the title-page, 
 he, suddenly looking up, said, with a manly bluntness 
 that had more than once struck the Gunner as character- 
 istic of growing decision — ' Mr. Gordon, I wish you 
 would lend me this book.' 
 
 ' Lend it you ! Ay, that I will ; and I'll lend it you 
 till you have read every word in it, and can say you have 
 no more use for it j which will not come to pass till the 
 Lion of the tribe of Judah takes to him his great power 
 and comes to reign. The book is yours, Mr. Cohen; 
 read it, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are 
 yours.' 
 
 ' But now,' said Alick, smiling, ' suppose Papa catches 
 me at it, and says, " I forbid you to read it," what shall I 
 
 dor 
 
 ' Obey God rather than man. You must obey your 
 parents, because God has commanded it: but if they 
 order you to do anything contrary to his command, they 
 do away with their own authority which is founded on his 
 command.' 
 
 ' And does God command me to read this bookl' 
 ' He does, sir, as you will soon find, if you examine it. 
 The five first books, the Pentateuch, or books of the law, 
 were written by Moses himself: and every king of Israel 
 was required not only to read, but with his own hand to 
 write out the law as there given. At this day it is read 
 in your synagogues, and held in the deepest veneration.'
 
 44 jtjdah's lion. 
 
 * What! is this the law, the Thorah of our people 1 I 
 had no idea of that. Will it tell me any more about the 
 Lion of Judah V 
 
 ' Everything, if you will but pray to have your eyes 
 opened, and your understanding enlightened : and now 
 farewell, Mr. Cohen ; my dear young friend, I hope I 
 may say. No farther conversation must we have ; but 
 I'll pray for you day and night, in the name of the King 
 Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.' And he turned away, 
 scarcely able to restrain his tears, but rejoicing in heart, 
 while Alick, after warmly shaking his hand, pocketed the 
 little Bible and walked off. 
 
 ' How sinful I was,' thought the Gunner, ' to doubt 
 that everything would be better ordered than 1 could have 
 devised or dreamed of. There he has got hold of the 
 great scripture principle of obedience ; and his poor blind 
 father, in depriving him of such a broken cistern as I 
 should have been, has put him in the way of drawing 
 direct from the fountain of living waters. I dared not 
 hope I should persuade him to accept a Bible, and he has 
 asked me for it !' 
 
 Sharpe, who expected a very different expression of 
 countenance, was sorely perplexed to see Gordon look 
 so contented, and even joyous. He narrowly watched to 
 detect any clandestine doings, but in vain. Nothing of 
 tlie sort took place ; the only dissatisfied countenance that 
 he saw was in his looking-glass : all against whose peace 
 he had practised were pleased and happy. 
 
 Alick first found, and re-perused the prophecy of Ba- 
 laam ; and then resolved to read the book regularly 
 through. This was not an easy task on board ship ; and 
 as his father overcame the first effects of the sea, he kept 
 him much with him. We all know how many ways Sa- 
 tan has of hindering the study of God's word j and no
 
 judah's lion. 4-5 
 
 marvel if poor Alick experienced many an interruption. 
 Reading as opportunity served and inclination prompted, 
 he had just finished the book of Genesis, when they 
 neared the straits of Gibrahar ; and thenceforward he 
 had no eyes or thought, save for the look-out. They 
 soon anchored in the noble harbor of Valetta, and disem- 
 barking, took up their temporary abode ; the ship being 
 detained for the next packet, which was expected soon, 
 with dispatches from Malta. 
 
 Here Alick was destined to encounter the grand stum- 
 bling-block of his people, against which Gordon had in- 
 tended to warn hira. Strolling about with one of the 
 middies, the day after their arrival, he descried at some 
 little distance a long line of procession, persons robed and 
 cowled, bearing banners, and what greatly surprised him, 
 lighted tapers that glared with a strange sickly aspect 
 under a brilliant sun. Before reaching them, the proces- 
 sion turned off into a cross street, and Alick asked his 
 companion what it was. ' The host, I suppose, by the 
 manner in which the people reverenced it. By the way, 
 if ever you meet it, be sure to take off your hat, and stand 
 still till it is past.' 
 
 ' With all my heart : but why V 
 
 ' Why ! because everybody does ; that is, all Chris- 
 tians do, and I suppose all other people.' 
 
 ' I have seen many processions in ^London,' observed 
 Alick: ' but, except to cheer the Queen, or the Duke, or 
 some big-wig, I never took off my hat.' 
 
 ' They don't carry the host about in London,' said the 
 middy. 
 
 ' Well, but what ifi this host 1 What is it made of 1' 
 
 ' 'Tis made of a wafer, but they think it is God.' Alick 
 stared most wildly at his companion, who, feeling his 
 deficiency in theological learning, changed the subject-
 
 46 jubah's lion. 
 
 However, the young Jew questioned his father about it in 
 the evening, who carelessly said, 'Most of the people here 
 are Catholics, and their religion is more openly professed 
 than in England, where liberality holds a very slow 
 march. We have nothing to do with it, Allck ; but as a 
 matter of good-breeding and policy, we must show the 
 same respect to it that others do.' 
 
 ' Well, but, father, explain to me what this host or 
 wafer is.' 
 
 ' A thin cake, I believe, which the priest, by speak- 
 ing some words, pretends to turn into the body of 
 Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified with others, as a 
 malefactor, nearly two thousand years ago, and whom the 
 Christians call their God. Therefore they worship the 
 wafer, or host.' 
 
 Alick made no reply : in reality he was enraged. The 
 little he had read of the Scriptures had impressed him with 
 high and reverential views of the Creator j and with a 
 feeling approaching to filial appropriation of the God of 
 his father Abraham. He had a vivid imagination, a con- 
 ception of the beautiful, and still more of the sublime ; 
 and all that Gordon had said tended to enlarge his appre- 
 hension of the great power and majesty of the Most High. 
 His father's statement seemed to imply a double profana- 
 tion, that part which concerned the wafer being equally 
 monstrous in its absurdity as blasphemous in its impiety : 
 and the whole absolutely irritated him against Christianity 
 to a degree that surprised himself He recollected having 
 been arrested by a verse addressed to Israel, when turning 
 over the leaves of the Bible, which he thought bore on 
 this point : and locking himself up, he took out the book, 
 and soon found it in Deuteronomy iv. He read the 
 chapter with wonder and delight, until, coming to the 
 twenty-seventh verse, he found, " And the Lord shall
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 47 
 
 scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in 
 number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead 
 you. And there shall ye serve Gods, the work of men's 
 hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor 
 eat, nor smell." Here he started up, and exclaimed 
 aloud, ' Never ! God of Abraham, I never will. Scattered 
 we are, and few in number among these heathen, but 
 never will I be guilty of such a vile sin ! Call a wafer 
 Jehovah, and bow down before it ! Why, the bare idea 
 is enough to bring a judgment upon me. What fools 
 these Christians are, to circulate a book that shows their 
 wickedness in such a strong light. Only for this book, I 
 might have done as they do.' He read no farther, but 
 carefully restoring the volume to its hiding-place, he lifted 
 up his hand to heaven, and solemnly repeated, ' I never 
 will !' 
 
 Next day he went out, with a young military officer, 
 and had not proceeded far when they descried a procession 
 approaching, more showy than the former, with a richly- 
 gilded canopy held aloft. ' Here comes the host,' observed 
 the officer : ' now we must be on our good behavior, and 
 salute it.' 
 
 ' I'll be hanged if I do,' said Alick. 
 
 'Pho, you must : 'tis a necessary piece of civility that 
 everybody shows.' 
 
 'I am a Jew ; and I will not disgrace my religion.' 
 
 ' And I am a staunch Protestant, and ashamed to yield, 
 I confess : but really we must. Or, stay ; shall we go 
 into this shop, and so avoid it V 
 
 ' You may,' replied Alick, quietly. 
 
 The young man misunderstood him ; and supposing he 
 would follow, immediately turned into the cigar shop; 
 and to be further out of the way, walked straight on, to 
 the very back : while Alick coolly pursued his path along
 
 48 judah's lion. 
 
 the street, and met the procession in a more open space. 
 Every head was uncovered j several poor people knelt ; 
 all showed respect to the idolatrous abomination : but like 
 Mordecai in the presence of Haman, young Cohen re» 
 mained erect and covered. 
 
 ' Take off your hat !' shouted the people who had con- 
 gregated ^ there, some in English, some in Italian, and 
 various other dialects. ' You had better take your hat off,' 
 whispered a gentleman to Alick, in a friendly, persuasive 
 tone. 
 
 ' You had better put yours on,' was the retort. Menaces 
 followed : the host w^as now just on a line with him j 
 several hands were raised, and one brawny fellow struck 
 the hat from Alick's head, who, catching and instantly re- 
 placing it with his left hand, at the same moment knocked 
 the assailant down with his right, who fell so near the 
 feet of a torch-bearing friar as to endanger the upset both 
 of himself and his flambeau. Great tumult ensued: and 
 Alick was being very roughly handled, when on one side, 
 the young military officer, and on the other two or three 
 of his late shipmates, ran up, and with the help of some 
 bystanders, who in their hearts admired the boy's spirit, 
 succeeded in extricating him without further violence. 
 He had, however, severely sprained his ancle, and was 
 scarcely able to walk back to his quarters, where Mr. 
 Cohen slightly reprimanded his illiberal conduct, and 
 secretly congratulated himself on being the father of such 
 a fine fellow, who, when a little sobered down, would 
 doubtless shine in the world. 
 
 Such scenes sometimes occur in Malta, and other places 
 where, while naval and military men are compelled 
 either to violate their pledge of obedience to earthly 
 powers and forfeit their commissions, or to transgress the 
 law of God by an act of idolatrous homage to an accursed
 
 jtroAJi's LION. 49 
 
 thing, — a private Protestant is occasionally found suffici- 
 ently bold in faith to defy the consequences of refusing it. 
 But this was the act of a Jew : and it spread through the 
 place with numberless additions. 
 
 In the evening-, while Alick reclined on a couch, for 
 the repose of his bandaged ancle, a lofty personage entered, 
 whose countenance at once proclaimed his nation, while 
 his picturesque costume, more Asiatic than European, 
 though not altogether so, and the beard that with jet black 
 curls almost concealed the lower part of his face, struck 
 the youth with mingled surprise und curiosity. He 
 looked round for a moment, while Mr. Cohen rose with 
 his accustomed politeness, and returned his courteous 
 salutation ; then advancing to the sofa, he said, in English, 
 but with a very foreign accent, ' I am a stranger in 
 Malta ; but tell me, is this stripling the son of Israel who 
 dared to brave the rage of assembled Gentiles rather than 
 humble himself before their idol ?' . 
 
 ' Yes, sir,' answered Alick. ' I know no God but the 
 God of Abraham.' 
 
 The stately Jew spread his hands over his head, pro- 
 nounced a blessing in the Hebrew tongue, and sat down 
 beside him.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 It has already been noticed that Mr. Cohen's object in 
 Alick's education, was to fit him for legislatorial and other 
 functions of public life, where national peculiarities would 
 be laid aside ; or rather his nationality as a Jew altogether 
 merged in his English citizenship. The general state of 
 those among whom they principally associated, was that 
 of a money-getting and money-loving race, who held 
 their own particular religion much as the same class among 
 nominal Christians do, that is to say, as a mere accident — 
 they happened to be bom in such a communion, just as 
 they happened to be born when periwigs were outjof 
 date : so they neither wore periwigs nor abandoned the 
 creed of their fathers. Taking it for granted that others 
 held their religious profession by the same loose tenure, 
 they were perfectly content to let them retain it, and 
 were far too well-bred to make it a matter of animadver- 
 sion 5 far less did any idea of building personal objections 
 upon it enter their minds. 
 
 The only instance in which Mr. Cohen felt as a Jew, 
 was in reference to his poor brethren, the lower class of 
 Hebrews in London 5 and many a time did he, as a Jew, 
 address them in language of warm remonstrance, and 
 speak of them to others in that of severe censure, and
 
 judah's lion. 51 
 
 almost downright repudiation. He could see no reason, 
 he said, why a people of most unquestionable antiquity, 
 once the glory and dread of the whole earth, and still the 
 most wealthy of all, should forget their proper position, 
 and submit to be classed with the least respectable of 
 those among whom they dwelt, their equals or inferiors. 
 On this point he was eloquent ; and what was far more, he 
 really labored to reclaim some with whom his business 
 brought him into contact, by appealing to what he sup- 
 posed to be their strongest feelings, but in vain. Poor 
 Cohen did not know, he would not search into the Book 
 and read, that his race was doomed to this fate ; that to be 
 a proverb, a by-word, a hissing, an astonishment among 
 the nations, was the penalty denounced on them for ag- 
 gravated transgressions, until they should turn again to 
 the Lord who smote them. Sometimes he was reminded 
 by his more consistent brethren that their people were 
 scourged for their sins, and scattered because of their 
 transgressions as of old : but this he regarded as a mere 
 excuse, unworthy of rational beings ; and persisted in be- 
 lieving that an effort on their part would at once raise 
 them to a level with their fellow-subjects : ' and above the 
 level,' he added : ' for half the ingenuity that they now 
 practise, would, if properly directed, soon overstep all 
 competitors, and give them the lead in every department 
 of honorable industry.' 
 
 Such language Alick had often heard from his father's 
 lips ; and that he did not immediately forget it was owing 
 to Esther. She would sit in profound silence, her head 
 bent over her embroidery or painting, to conceal from her 
 uncle the varying color of her cheek, and the displeasure 
 that her frequent frown betrayed ; then, when alone with 
 Alick, would give vent to expressions that amused him 
 greatly, claiming such high honors and privileges for the
 
 52 judah's lion. 
 
 most degraded subject of Mr. Cohen's complaint, that the 
 youth would sa.', 'Well, Esther, I am happy in being a 
 Jew, or you would not allow me to loll in my chair in 
 your august presence. If all trades fail, I have only to 
 mount a greasy beard, and shoulder an old-clothes bag, 
 and then instead of falling I shall positively rise in your 
 estimation.' 
 
 It had never yet been Alick's lot to meet with one 
 among his own people who took the view that Gordon did 
 of their real position ; but there was something in his secret 
 mind that responded to it. He had begun to think that 
 Christianity — such as it appeared in Gordon — was a re- 
 fined and elevated species of Judaism, and under this im- 
 pression he was prepared to read the New Testament with 
 an unprejudiced, inquiring mind : but the view that he 
 had now taken of the system that falsely usurps the name 
 of Christianity, and under pretence of honoring the Lord 
 degrades him more effectually than the utmost blasphemies 
 of an open enemy can do, made him recoil as from the 
 brink of a precipice ; while the total absence of sympathy 
 on all sides, was a burden to his ingenuous disposition. 
 
 When the strange visiter, whose aspect very much pre- 
 possessed him, made some kind inquiries into the extent of 
 Alick's hurt, he turned to Mr. Cohen, and asked after the 
 welfare of their brethren in England. 
 
 ' Nothing material has occurred among them,' replied 
 Mr. Cohen : ' but may I ask how long it is since you were 
 there V 
 
 ' Never; I have not been in England.' 
 
 'No! you speak the language well.' 
 
 'I have been much used to traffic with Europeans, and 
 learned many languages : English among them.' Then 
 turning to Alick, he said, ' Thou hast been well taught.
 
 judah's lion. 53 
 
 my son, in the law of our holy commandments, abhorring 
 the idolater. Cursed be he !' 
 
 Alick heartily assented ; but his father frowned. 
 ' Where he has been taught I know not: no such lesson 
 of illiberalily, no such bigotry and intolerance, can have 
 been learned under my roof. They are wholly subversive 
 of good citizenship, and can only tend to bar his advance- 
 ment.' 
 
 The visiter gazed at him in evident perplexity ; but 
 whether the sentunent uttered surprised him, or the lan- 
 guage that conveyed it baffled his limited comprehension, 
 was not clear. Before any further remark could be made, 
 a servant entered to place in his master's hand a card in- 
 scribed with the name of one whom he knew to be a con- 
 vert, and a zealous missionary among the Jews, and who 
 requested to see the young gentleman. 
 
 ' Show him in,' said Mr. Cohen, in any tone but that of 
 satisfaction ; and then muttered as he turned on his heel, 
 ' Upon my word, this boy's folly will bring upon us all the 
 fanatics in Malta V 
 
 The missionary entered, and with that frank unceremo- 
 nious manner that defies repulse, walked up to the couch, 
 saying, as he extended his hand, ' My young friend, you 
 have done well to-day.' 
 
 ' That, sir,' said Mr. Cohen, who began to feel that his 
 authority was likely to be set aside, ' may admit of a ques- 
 tion. I consider that he has done ill.' 
 
 ' Are you his father V 
 
 ' Yes, I am.' 
 
 ' Are you a Jew V 
 
 ' Yes.' 
 
 ' What is written in the law of Moses, concernino: the 
 maker of an image, and the worshipper thereof?' 
 
 ' A great deal, no doubt, that is necessary for the teach- 
 6
 
 54 judah's Liorf. 
 
 ers of the law to be well acquainted with ; but with which 
 a school-boy has nothing to do.' 
 
 ' True,' said the first comer, who had regarded the mis= 
 sionary from his entrance with an unfriendly eye, 'True j 
 for it is written in the Hilehoth Talmud Torah, 
 " Women, and slaves, and children are exempt from the 
 study of the law." ' 
 
 The missionary smiled, and laying his hand on the Jew's 
 shoulder, said, ' My worthy Josef Ben-Melchor, you with 
 your Talmud are as far astray from the law of Moses as 
 the poor Papist with his wafer-god is from the gospel of 
 Christ.' Then addressing Mr. Cohen, he added, ' Hear, 
 brother, what Jehovah saith: " These words which I com- 
 mand thee this day shall be in thine heart ; and thou shalt 
 teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
 them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou 
 walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when 
 thou risest up." To our fathers were these words ad- 
 dressed, and our fathers heard, and obeyed, and it was 
 well with them. But after a while they forgot : they 
 ceased to treasure in their hearts the commandment given j 
 they taught it no longer to their children, neither spake 
 they of it when sitting in the house, or when walking by 
 the way ; when lying down or rising up. The word was 
 put away from their remembrance, so that when crafty men 
 crept into Moses' seat, they found it easy to twist and 
 corrupt the divine law, adding thereto many inventions 
 and idle devices of their own, until they had actually 
 made void the law with their traditions ; and Rabbinical 
 corruptions prevailed over the inspired teaching of Moses 
 the man of God. And what followed 1 They had 
 quenched the lamp of their feet, the written word was set 
 aside, and when the living Word, even the Bread of life, 
 even the Lord from heaven, came, him they crucified and
 
 judah's lion. 55 
 
 slew. Ay, Josef Ben-Melchor, it was your Talmud, 
 your oral laws, your vain superstitions received from your 
 fathers, that brought on our people blindness of heart, till 
 they sinned that great sin which caused our city to be 
 destroyed, and the sword to be drawn out after us. And 
 His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched 
 forth still !' 
 
 The missionary spoke with the look and action of a man 
 whose heart goes along with every word he utters. To 
 interrupt would have -been nearly impossible ; it was a 
 burst of feeling not to be stayed in its course. Mr. Cohen 
 heard impatiently. Alick with eager attention, and Josef 
 with ill-suppressed rage. His dark eye assumed an ex- 
 pression of fierce displeasure, his brows were knit, and his 
 lip trembled. When the missionary concluded, he said, 
 in a deep hoarse tone, far unlike that in which he had be- 
 fore spoken, ' The curse of the wicked be upon thee, Dog ! 
 Thou hast sold thyself to the evil one ; thou hast com- 
 mitted the idolatry that this young boy's spirit could not 
 suffer, and therefore he is wounded and sick. Thou pratest 
 of Moses, blessed be he ! and of the Holy One, to whom 
 be praise ! while a crust of bread is thy god, and thy ho- 
 nor is to that which thou eatest. Away, Dog !' 
 
 ' It is untrue,' said the missionary with indignant 
 warmth, ' I abhor the idolatrous abomination, and I would 
 that the same heart were in us all, that moved this young 
 Israelite to scorn the deceitful aspect of reverence for that 
 which we alike condemn. You call me dog, brother 
 Josef—-' 
 
 Here Mr. Cohen gladly availed himself of the rising 
 color in his son's cheeks, and pointed out to the dispu- 
 tants what he termed a symptom of fever; and then he 
 civill}', but very decisively, requested that they would ad- 
 journ their debate to some place where no invalid was
 
 56 judah's lion. 
 
 likely to occasion such an interruption as he was sorry 
 now to give. Josef rose, and again spread his hands over 
 Alick, pronouncing another Hebrew blessing, to which 
 the missionary in the same language added an Amen. 
 He had not been seated : and now, standing at a little 
 distance, he gazed on the youth with affectionate interest 
 for a moment, then raising his hands and eyes prayed that 
 he might be preserved from every snare, and led into the 
 fold of the Shepherd of Israel, there to rejoice for ever- 
 more. Ben-Melchor the while was speaking in a low 
 earnest voice to Mr. Cohen, who bowed and thanked him 
 with cold politeness j and stepping to the door after 
 touching the bell, continued to bow out both his guests, 
 on whose departure he flung himself into a chair exceed- 
 ingly irritated, but unwilling to vent it on Alick ; who, 
 after a short pause, said, ' Don't be uneasy about me, 
 Papa : I assure you I am not feverish in the least : if I 
 reddened, it was from an inclination to laugh at hearing 
 how our new friend be-dogged the other gentleman.' ' It 
 was perfectly disgusting, Alick,' said his father : ' and I 
 am glad you view them all with the contempt they merit. 
 I hope, too, that a sense of the impropriety of your own 
 conduct may be awakened now that you perceive by 
 what class of men it is applauded. At your age, a lad 
 will sometimes get into mischief, and signalize himself in 
 a row ; but never let it be on the score of religion : 
 nothing lowers a gentleman so much in the eyes of the 
 world. Be as decided as you please in your private 
 opinions on such matters, but keep them to yourself : 
 when they cease to be private you lose your caste in so- 
 ciety, and are numbered with bigots and fools.' 
 
 Alick smiled : for he was then acting such a part, 
 though not exactly in the way his father meant him to 
 do. Everything that passed added to his anxiety for a
 
 judah's lion. 57 
 
 full insight into the very subject that he was advised to 
 keep clear of: and he had made up his mind to discover 
 truth for the purpose of openly declaring and maintaining' 
 it. ' Somebody must be right,' thought he, ' and all the 
 rest wrong. If ours is the true religion, — and that I am 
 sure it is, — we ought not to be the most oppressed and 
 degraded people in the world : and that I'll prove, by-and- 
 by, to Jew and Gentile. If dear old England is so far 
 identified with us as to bear our Lion in her arms, and to 
 favor us as she does, I'll stir up the English to help us in 
 
 recovering our own land. If,' , here he paused, and 
 
 became agitated, and then muttered in a more hasty way, 
 ' No, no ; he can't have come : our Messiah put to death 
 by the Gentiles — impossible ! and by the Jews, more im- 
 possible still. Some devilish sort of craft must be in Gor- 
 don and that missionary, to conceal and deny their worship 
 of the wafer, when this young fellow told me, and 1 my- 
 self saw, that every Christian took off his hat to it. I get 
 so perplexed when 1 think of the Christians ! I'll stick 
 to my own people, and read the Books of Moses only. 
 But then how could the Jew be right, who said, " Women 
 and children and slaves should not study the law 1" 
 What the other quoted was certainly from the Penta- 
 teuch, for I remember dipping into it. • However, I'm 
 neither woman, child, nor slave, and study it I will, for I 
 never feel clear on any of these points except when I'm 
 reading. To-morrow or next day I will try to find out 
 the missionary, and t-.ee how far he and Gordon agree : 
 and also what he knows about the Lion.' 
 
 The next day, however, wholly changed Alick's plans : 
 Mr. Cohen, dreading lest the notoriety that his protest had 
 led to should entangle his son farther in polemics, w'ent 
 privatel}'' and ascertained that a light vessel was to sail on 
 
 the morrow for Smyrna, in which, though it was far out 
 6*
 
 58 judah's lion. 
 
 of his projected route, he resolved to proceed. The small 
 quantity of luggage which he resolved to take from on 
 board ship, was easily obtained j an apology tendered to 
 and accepted by the Captain, Avho was on shore ; and 
 Alick, to his great surprise, learned at the breakfast-table 
 that they would embark at noon. The glee with which 
 he received the tidings pleased his father, and nothing in- 
 terfered with their respective wishes, until they were 
 fairly settled in the new berth. The vessel was small, 
 and presented, to be sure, a marked contrast to the noble 
 ship of war ; the only good cabin was occupied by a lady, 
 who, the master informed them, was European ; and their 
 sleeping accommodations were exceedingly bad. This 
 gave little concern to either of the Cohens, the elder be- 
 ing intent on his son's rescue ; and the younger bent on 
 experiencing all possible variety of adventures, of which 
 this little bark, with its motley crew, promised him a good 
 specimen. In Malta he had no wish to remain, being 
 fully determined to make no concession whatever to idol- 
 atry, and yet unwilling to vex his father as he must 
 needs do. 
 
 All was ready, sails set, the anchor weighed, and the 
 vessel beginning to work her way, when she was hailed 
 to take in another passenger, who presently arrived in a 
 boat, and after a short parley, in Italian, mounted the 
 deck. Great was Mr. Cohen's dismay at recognizing at 
 once the voice and the features of Josef Ben-Melchor : 
 but at the same time a qualmish feeling came over him, 
 occasioned by the motion of the vessel, which contrived to 
 roll unsteadily even on the smooth surface of that beautiful 
 sea ; and he was glad to retire to his narrow berth, leav- 
 ing Alick to receive and return the cordial greeting of the 
 Jew. 
 
 On the first day of their voyage, nothing material pass-
 
 jddah's lion. 59 
 
 ed : each was fully occupied in contriving to make him- 
 self tolerably comfortable : and Alick soon ascertained 
 that to bivouac on deck would be infinitely preferable to 
 any other mode of taking rest. The lady did not show 
 herself, though he directed sundry inquisitive looks to- 
 wards her little cabin, as he passed it to visit his father : 
 but early the next morning it was ajar, and a round face, 
 adorned with short close auburn curls, and two very 
 bright hazel eyes, peeped out upon him. Alick was fond 
 of children : he had a little brother at home, and with in- 
 voluntary eagerness at the sight of such a pretty play- 
 mate he said, ' Will you come on deck 1' 
 
 The rosy face disappeared : he supposed it was from 
 alarm at hearing a strange language : but before he could 
 leave the spot, he was delighted by the sound of a lusty 
 little voice shouting out, ' Mamma, may I go on deck ?' 
 
 ' With whom, my love V returned a very pleasing 
 female voice. 
 
 ■• ' With me, ma'am,' said Alick, putting his mouth close 
 to the door ; ' an English traveller : and I'll take good 
 care of him.' 
 
 There was a momentary bustle inside, and then the 
 door half opened, and a lady appeared, clad in a wrapping- 
 gown, and morning cap, her hair combed back from, a very 
 fine, open brow, and with much good-humor depicted on a 
 very fair countenance. On seeing Alick, she smiled, and re- 
 marked, ' My little boy is very giddy : will it not tax 
 your kindness too far to take such care of him as he 
 requires V 
 
 ' Oh, no, ma'am : I am quite a nursery-maid, I assure 
 you, and celebrated for taking care of such people as 
 my little friend there. I promise you to bring him back 
 perfectly safe.' 
 
 * The Lord permitting,' added the lady with a more 
 serious look. ' Well, Charley, since the young gentle-
 
 60 judah's lion. 
 
 man is so kind, you shall go : but be very heedful — don't 
 leave him for a moment.' She kissed the little fellow — 
 ejaculating, ' God preserve my dear boy !' and then hold- 
 ing out her hand to Alick, thanked him, and closed the 
 door. 
 
 His prize was soon carried on deck : and Alick began, 
 * So, Charley, you're an Englishman, after all.' 
 
 ' No, I ain't : I'm an Irishman.' 
 
 ' Oh, it's the same thing : where do you come from V 
 
 ' Out of Ireland, and Malta, and Alexandria, and Lon- 
 don, and all sorts of places. Papa is out there, where 
 
 " The cedars wave on Lebanon, 
 But Judah's statelier maids are gone." ' 
 
 He sang, or rather chanted the two lines, and Alick 
 felt such a rush of emotion through his frame as he could 
 not account for. He pressed the child to his side, and 
 asked, ' What is papa doing V 
 
 ' He is looking after the Jews — do you love the Jews V 
 
 ' Yes.' 
 
 ' I'm glad of that. Do you know any Jews V 
 
 ' Oh, lots and lots.' 
 
 ' Do you ever tell them about the Messiah, the Lord 
 Jesus Christ 1' 
 
 Alick was silent : and the little boy seizing him by the 
 button on each side of his jacket, pulled him to and fro, 
 saying, ' Do you 1 Do you 1 And if you don't why don't 
 
 you '. iCii-ir' 
 
 Alick was really confused : but at last said, ' I am a 
 Jew myself, and I have nothing to do with Jesus Christ' 
 
 The boy loosed his hold, stepped back a pace, and 
 with a look full of sorrow and rebuke said, ' Then you 
 will never go to heaven.' 
 
 A movement of the vessel made him stagger, and Alick 
 catching him, set him on his knee, and half provoked, said,
 
 judah's lion. 61 
 
 * How do you know that 1 what business have you to shut 
 me out of heaven V 
 
 ' I can't, for I haven't got the key, but Jesus Christ 
 has : and it is he will let you in, or shut you out.' 
 
 ' That is not true, Charley : God has the key.' 
 
 ' I know it : and Jesus is God.' 
 
 The young Jew shuddered as he looked at the little 
 blasphemer, as he considered him : but Charley's arm was 
 round his neck, and his bright face turned to him with so 
 much love, that he could not help stroking it as he said, 
 ' My little lad, you are too young to meddle with these 
 things yet.' 
 
 ' Am 1 too young to die, Mr. Jew 1' 
 
 ' Why, no.' 
 
 ' And if I die, mustn't I wish to go to heaven '? and 
 how can I get in without knowing who keeps the key, 
 that I may ask him to open the door V 
 
 * Well, I don't believe that he of whom you talk is in 
 heaven at all.' 
 
 ' Don't you, don't you 1 Oh dear ! I wish I had my 
 Testament here : I'd soon show you.' 
 
 ' Can you read V 
 
 'Read ! why I'm near six: I could read at four.' 
 
 ' Well, Charley, I'll try you. Here's a Bible,' cau- 
 tiously drawing it forth from his breast-pocket, 'and now 
 read me something to prove that Jesus Christ is in heaven.' 
 
 Charley tumbled the leaves over in great haste, and 
 came to the book of Revelations, when he read the sub- 
 lime words in the first chapter ; " And he laid his right 
 hand on me, saying. Fear not, I am he that liveth and 
 was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and have 
 the keys of death and of hell. Amen.' " Then turning 
 to the fifth chapter, he went on, — ' And look here, Mr. 
 Jew, what a beautiful thing is here : " And I wept much 
 because no man was found worthy to open and to read the
 
 62 judah's lion. 
 
 book, neither to look thereon. And one of the Elders 
 said unto me, weep not 5 Behold, the Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the 
 book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, 
 
 and lo, in the midst of the throne," ' At this moment 
 
 Alick, who with breathless eagerness was listening to 
 words so unexpectedly startling to him, caught a glimpse of 
 Ben-Melchor, and shutting the book, thrust it into his bo- 
 som again, saying, 'Hush, hush, dear Charley, for the 
 present. We will read all the rest by-and-by : say no- 
 thing more now : and don't call me Mr. Jew, but Alick 
 Cohen. Not that I'm ashamed of being a Jew.' 
 
 'How would anybody be ashamed of being one of 
 God's own dear Israel V said Charley with surprise. Alick 
 kissed him, and again enjoined silence. He heartily 
 wished Josef in Malta, but received his greeting very 
 courteously, and gave a good report of his ancle, af- 
 ter which the Jew kindly inquired, with some severe 
 reflections on the Christian idolators, who inflicted 
 the injury. Charley seemed disposed to speak ; but an- 
 other ship passing, Alick directed his attention to it, and 
 after a little more talk with the prejudiced Ben-Melchor, 
 he carried Charley back to his mother, and promised to 
 call for him again in the afternoon. 
 
 Nothing had ever before so touched him as this little 
 child's conversation. The youth of his teacher threw 
 him completely off his guard, and he longed to read the 
 Bible with him : to see that little, dimpled finger point- 
 inof alone; the lines as he read, and resting under words 
 that most forcibly conveyed his meaning : to hear the 
 lisping tongue confessing and glorifying Him who had 
 been referred to by the Gunner, and now seemed clearly set 
 forth as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Alick's heart was 
 deeply engaged in the work : and without being aware of 
 t himself, he was following on to know the Lord.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 When the hour arrived for again summoning Charley on 
 deck, Alick Cohen felt a little shy of approaching the 
 cabin door ; anticipating from the mother something in 
 the way of instruction, which he was better inclined to 
 seek, or rather to accept from the child. In this he was 
 mistaken : Mrs. Ryan was gifted with that rare wisdom 
 which can discriminate in the matter of spiritual teaching, 
 and rightly judge what particular mode will best suit the 
 character of the individual. She had listened with won- 
 der and delight to Charley's relation of what had passed, 
 ending with the discovery made by the shrewd little fel- 
 low from Ben-Melchor's conversation, that Alick was the 
 bold protester whose Maltese adventure was already well 
 known. From the latter circumstance she rightly gather- 
 ed that young Cohen was of a manly, determined, and very 
 independent turn ; and that he would probably not relish 
 the idea of female dictation. Accordingly she resolved to 
 leave the matter as it stood, earnestly praying that her lit- 
 tle son might be made a partaker in the blessedness of 
 conveying a blessing to one of God's peculiar people. 
 
 She could not, however, conceal from Alick the affec- 
 tionate interest thus excited in her mind j there was a
 
 64 judah's lion. 
 
 cordiality of manner so marked, a tenderness so maternal 
 in the look with which she regarded him, when he present- 
 ed himself at the door, which Charley flung wide open at 
 his first approach, that Alick, who had been much petted 
 at home, could not resist its influence. With the frank- 
 ness of a school-boy, and the politeness of a gentleman, he 
 said, ' Will you allow me the pleasure, ma'am, of escort- 
 ing you also on deck ^ you would find it refreshing, and 
 perfectly safe. Besides, we are likely to come within 
 view of Cape Matapan before night, and you will like to 
 take a look at the southernmost point of Europe, I dare 
 say.' 
 
 ' Thank you, Mr. Cohen ; but this evening I must de- 
 vote to finishing some papers that my dear husband wishes 
 me to transcribe. To-morrow, if I may then plead your 
 present kind willingness to take charge of us both, I shall 
 greatly enjoy going on deck.' 
 
 ' Could I be of any use to you, ma'am, in the writing 
 way ? I am terribly idle ; and it really is a charitable 
 act to give me something to do.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan smiled ; ' Come in, and I will tax your inge- 
 nuity to help me out of a dilemma.' 
 
 With great alacrity Alick obeyed ; and she showed him 
 her writing-desk, completely set fast by the wrenching of 
 a hinge, so that she could not open it beyond a few inches. 
 'Oh, carpentering is as great a hobby to me as nursing: 
 so, Charley, just reach me that chisel.' The desk was 
 righted in a very short time, and the amateur carpenter 
 seated himself, saying, 'Now, ma'am, by way of a remu- 
 neration, will you be pleased to tell me something I am 
 very curious to know V 
 
 ' Surely : that is, if I am better informed myself.' 
 
 ' Why, then, I happened to get a peep just now into 
 the captain's cabin ; and there, to my surprise, I saw what
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 65 
 
 my friend Charley would call an ugly over-dressed little 
 doll, with a lamp before it, though the sun shone brightly 
 on its tinselled petticoats. Now, as I know there are no 
 children on board except this young gentleman, I am 
 puzzled ; and Iialf afraid we are under the command of a 
 person not right in his mind.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan colored very deeply, and before she could 
 speak, Charley cried out, ' Oh, that ugly doll is the Vir- 
 gin Mary.' 
 
 ' Hush, hush, my love ; not so loud,' said his mother. 
 ' Unhappily, Mr. Cohen, your surmise is so far correct 
 that the captain, and probably all his crew, are possessed 
 with the spiritual madness of idol- worship. Did you not 
 see somethinof of it in Malta V 
 
 ' Yes, but not like this,' replied Alick, his countenance 
 becoming overcast as his recent perplexities about Christi- 
 anity suddenly recurred to his mind. 'I was knocked 
 down in Malta the other day for not taking off my hat to a 
 bit of biscuit ; and if they require me to show any respect to 
 the doll, I am in a fair way of being knocked overboard ; 
 fordo it I won't.' 
 
 Charley laughed, and rubbing his hands : ' That's right, 
 Mr. Alfred; we are Protestant boys, ain't we, mamma"?' 
 
 ' Say Alick, not Alfred, my lad ; or I shall suffer mar- 
 tyrdom under a wrong name-' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan looked sad : ' Martyrdom has indeed been 
 the lot of many and many a one who, like you, protested 
 against these fearful idolatries ; but who shall find grace 
 to be a martyr in the spirit of Him through whom alone 
 we can conquer not only the fear of temporal, but the 
 power of eternal death V 
 
 ' Well, ma'am, at any rate I am glad we agree in detest- 
 ing these things. Now, shall I take Charley on deck 1 re- 
 membering that you are to be of our party to-morrow.' 
 7
 
 66 judah's lion. 
 
 After many thanks, he was allowed to depart, and Char- 
 ley, who seemed in riotous spirits, amused him so much 
 that he soon forgot his vexation, for such it really was. He 
 exceedingly liked Mrs. Ryan, and wished to be sociable 5 
 but this idol-worship among Christians was a continual 
 check on his warm feelings. He hated it with a Jewish 
 hatred, grounded on his apprehension of the Divine Being, 
 as set forth in the writings of Moses ; and he could not be- 
 lieve that two parties professing the same faith, really dif- 
 fered so irreconcileably on the most vital point as he found 
 the Romanists and Protestants seemed to do. He resolved 
 to pump Charley to the utmost ; but the little boy, like 
 all children, had his frolicsome moods ; and what with his 
 droll remarks, enriched by a pretty brogue, his innocent 
 questions about all that he saw, and the romping play that 
 required no small attention to keep him from danger, he 
 put any serious discourse out of the question. Alick, too, 
 was both boyish and light-hearted ; so the whole time 
 would have been lost, had not the appearance of Josef 
 BenMelchor with his face turned towards Jerusalem, and 
 evidently praying in that direction, recalled the old train 
 of thought too forcibly to be repressed. 
 
 * Charley, Charley,' cried Alick, as the Jew moved off, 
 ' come here ; be quiet, do, for a moment, and tell me again 
 those two lines you repeated in the morning.' 
 
 * What two lines V 
 
 * About the cedars waving on Lebanon.' 
 
 The right chord was touched ; Charley sprang on his 
 knee, threw his arm, as before, round his neck, and 
 shaking his head from side to side, as he sorrowfully 
 looked in his friend's face, slowly chanted: 
 
 ' The cedars wave on Lebanon, 
 But Judah's statelier maids are gone.'
 
 judah's lion. 67 
 
 ' Where did you learn that, Charley V 
 
 'I'll tell you. There was a meeting for the Jews, you 
 know, in Cork, and so we went to it. Papa was making 
 a speech, and he said those lines, and some more to them; 
 and some ladies cried ; and I thought them so pretty, I 
 asked papa to teach them to me. 1 was but a little thing 
 then,' added Charley, with an important look, 'and didn't 
 know much ; so papa talked a deal to me about the Jews ; 
 and ever since I have been studying, that I might be a 
 missionary to the poor dear Jews.' 
 
 ' And how long ago was that, Mr. Missionary V 
 
 ' A great long time ; almost a year. Papa and mam- 
 ma were abroad before that ; and now they are abroad 
 again, and I too.' 
 
 ' Is your papa a clergyman 1' 
 
 ' Oh, no ; he is a half-pay officer.' 
 
 'How odd!' thought Alick. ' Here's an officer going 
 out to look after us, and a six-year old, by way of a mis- 
 sionary, to preach to us. Well, Charley, can you repeat 
 any more lines 1' 
 
 ' Not all. Mamma says a bad man wrote them, and she 
 would rather I learned a hymn: but I'll tell you the last 
 verse — it is so sad, and so pretty !' And then, with a wild 
 sort of pathos he recited it : — 
 
 ' But we must wander witheringly, 
 
 In other lands to die; 
 And where our fathers' ashes be 
 
 Our own must never lie ; 
 Our temple hath not left a stone ; 
 And mockery sits on Salem's throne !' 
 
 ' Pho ! pho !' said Alick, hastily turning his head away, 
 as if to deny to himself that the tear which was ready to 
 start could have been called up by a few lines of poetry 
 repeated by a child.
 
 68 judah's lion. 
 
 ' Why then, Mr. Alick, it is a shame of you to say pho ! 
 pho ! and you a Jew. Ah ! but it's all truth, for the Lord 
 Jesus said they would not leave one stone upon another 
 in the temple that shouldn't be thrown down ; and down 
 they all came ; and Jerusalem, — and — and — oh, the wick- 
 ed cruel Turks do mock the poor Jews, when they go on 
 a Friday to sit and weep under a broken bit of the old 
 wall : so that's mockery on Salem's throne, isn't it V 
 
 'What fairy-tale have you been reading V 
 
 'I never read fairy-tales : the poor Papists at home be* 
 lieve in fairies, but I know better.' 
 
 'Perhaps the Captain's doll is a fairy, Charles V 
 
 ' No, it's the Virgin Mary — they call her the mother of 
 God.' 
 
 'They lie !' exclaimed Alick, vehemently. 
 
 'So they do: she wasn't the mother of God, how could 
 she hel she was the mother of Jesus,' 
 
 ' Yet you said in the morning that Jesus was God.' 
 
 ' He is God, and he is man,' said Charles, firmly : ' and 
 Mary was his mother when he was made man : but as 
 God, he could not have a mother.' 
 
 ' Well, I do wonder to hear such a slip of a boy talk 
 like ari old bishop in a wig.' 
 
 ' I was taught it, Mr. Alick, as soon as I could think at 
 all ; for you see, there's lots of Popery at our place, near 
 Cork ; and papa and mamma always talk to the poor peo- 
 ple about their foolish religion ; so I heard it every day 
 almost, and I must be stupid indeed not to know it before 
 now.' 
 
 Here there was a pause. Charley had become as grave 
 and as intellectual-looking as ever, and seemed perfectly 
 ready for any discussion ; but Alick knew not what to 
 say to him. All on a sudden he saw his father's head 
 emerging from below, as he slowly ascended the ladder 5
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 69 
 
 30 after an exclamation of surprise, he whispered to Char- 
 ley, in a very decided tone, ' Now don't say one single 
 word about any of these things before that gentleman — 
 my father — or you will make him very angry ; and then 
 perhaps I shan't play with you any more.' 
 
 Wondering, and half-frightened, the little boy looked 
 up, expecting to see a very alarming person j but Mr. 
 Cohen, delighted to find his son in such safe company, 
 smiled on him, patted his head, and began to talk very 
 pleasantly to him, while Alick admired his discreet re- 
 plies, when questioned about his parents, his destination, 
 and so forth. ' We must show some attention to his 
 mother,' said Mr. Cohen. 
 
 Alick assented ; related the adventure of the desk, and 
 then led to other topics. 
 
 When night closed, and he was alone, on his temporary 
 couch, looking up to the cloudless sky with its myriad 
 lamps, he recalled the events of the day, and regretted the 
 unsatisfactory close of his conversation with little Charley. 
 He thought again and again of the sealed book, that none 
 could open but the Lion of the tribe of Judah 5 and heart- 
 ily did he wish for the lamp that was so idly flaming be- 
 fore the Captain's idol. Suddenly he recollected that the 
 strict rules of a man-of-war did not apply to such vessels 
 as the one he was in ; and going to the helmsman he in- 
 quired, in Italian, if he might have the use of a light. He 
 was directed where to find a lantern, and securing it to 
 the ship's side against which he lay, he opened at the 
 book of Revelations, and read the first five chapters ; than 
 which the Bible does not contain a more awakening, en- 
 couraging, and instructive portion. Its unmeasured sub- 
 limity enraptured him : he did not, he would not admit it 
 was of divine authority, and had the book been his own, 
 he would gladly have torn it from between the covers that 
 7*
 
 70 JITDAH S LION. 
 
 enclosed the writings of Moses and the Prophets ; but 
 though the word, not being mixed with faith, did not then 
 profit him savingly, it impressed him more than anything 
 he had ever before read. He was much struck by the 
 expression, ' He that is holy, he that is true ; he that hath 
 the key of David ; he that openeth, and no man shutteth ; 
 and shutteth, and no man openeth.' It was evident to 
 Alick that this passage fully sanctioned little Charley's 
 doctrine of the key of heaven, even more than the text 
 the child had referred to in the first chapter. The very 
 wrong translation into ' beasts' in the fourth chapter, of 
 what should be rendered ' living creatures,' perplexed 
 him : but the fifth almost conquered his unbelief, so 
 strongly did he feel impelled to join in the ascription of 
 praise to ' the Lion of the tribe of Judah,' the 'Lamb 
 as it had been slain.' Again and again he read that chap- 
 ter ; then, pressing the closed book to his forehead as he 
 laid himself down, he mentally said, ' If I could fancy? 
 like Gordon, that all these things are true, and that they 
 concerned me, how little should I care which way the 
 world went with me ! If, like Charley, I was sure that I 
 had a friend in him who keeps the key to all these glorious 
 sights and sounds, it would be a small matter by what sort 
 of a road I was proceeding towards such a home. Well, 
 every part of this book that I have read lulls me like soft 
 music ; and I'll read it oftencr, particularly at night.' 
 He soon slept, and his first waking thought was of the 
 promised visit of Mrs. Eyan on deck. 
 
 Mr. Cohen felt unwell ; the sea never agreed with him 
 —and Alick had his friends to himself. He found the 
 lady had been a traveller, as Charley had told him be- 
 fore ; and in that quarter too ; and from her he gained a 
 good deal of information respecting the places he was
 
 judah's lion. 71 
 
 about to visit. At length Jerusalem was named, and he 
 inquired whether she had been there. 
 
 ' I have not ; but my husband has twice, I do humbly 
 hope in the spirit of his blessed Master, " beheld the city, 
 and wept over it." Jerusalem is indeed a desolation, and 
 Zion trodden under foot.' 
 
 ' Pardon me, but may I ask to whom you alluded as 
 being Captain Ryan's master V 
 
 The lady and her child both answered in the same 
 breath, ' Jesus Christ.' 
 
 * Did he weep over Jerusalem ? why 1 surely it was 
 not desolate in his time.' 
 
 Here was a leading question from a Jew ! Mrs. Ryan 
 closed her eyes, and her lip moved in secret prayer ; but 
 before she could speak, Charley thrust his hand into the 
 little pocket of his stuff frock-coat, and with great bustle 
 drew out a small Testament, saying, ' I'll show you why 
 he wept, and what he said.' 
 ' What is that little book 1' 
 
 ' The New Testament : it's the same you have got in 
 your Bible.' 
 
 ' They ought never to be separate,' observed Mrs, 
 Ryan ; while Alick, in his heart, thought they should 
 never have been joined together. Charley soon found 
 the words his mother had referred to, " And when he was 
 come near, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying, 
 If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, 
 the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they 
 are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon 
 thee that thine enemies shall casta trench about thee, and 
 compass thee in on every side, and shall lay thae even 
 with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and they 
 shall not leave in thee one stone upon another ; because 
 thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." 
 
 Alick had spontaneously taken the little fellow on his
 
 72 judah's lion. 
 
 knee, as soon as he opened the book ; and while Charley 
 read aloud and pointed, as usual, along the lines, he closely 
 marked every letter of every word. Mrs. Ryan gazed on 
 them, as well she might ; for it was a lovely spectacle. 
 The child's soft, rosy cheek almost rested on the dark clear 
 olive of his companion's : the golden locks shone as they 
 mingled with Alick's raven clusters; and when, at the close 
 of the passage, Charley raised his eyes, of the mildest 
 hazel, yet remarkably strong and bold in their ex- 
 pression, to meet the keen, eagle-gaze of the young 
 Jew, whose jet-black eyes sparkled with eagerness to 
 gather all the information his little teacher could impart, 
 her heart yearned over them, and she inwardly pleaded 
 with the King of the Jews that immutable word, respect- 
 ing his loved, but wandering Israel, '' Even so have 
 these also now not beheved, that through your mercy 
 they also may obtain mercy." She recalled the hour 
 when the little one, resting on his father's knee, had 
 made his first request to be brought up 'a Missionary to 
 the Jews :' she remembered that to deepen the feelings of 
 his young heart towards Israel, they had decided on making 
 him the companion of their present voluntary labor in 
 that glorious cause : and she owned, in the depth of a 
 grateful heart, that her babe was at that moment exercis- 
 ing the office to which they had looked forward on his be- 
 half through a long vista of years. 
 
 ' You see, Mr. Alick,' said Charley, ' what the Lord 
 said : and that was ever so many years before the wicked 
 Romans destroyed Jerusalem, and every word came true.' 
 
 ' It certainly did,' answered Alick ; ' and if really 
 spoken before the event, it was a remarkable prophecy. 
 But now, Charley, I'll puzzle you. You told me this 
 Jesus was God : if so, he had power to prevent the ruin 
 of our city ; and if he had the will to prevent it, why did
 
 JUDAn's LION. 73 
 
 he not 1 and if he did not choose to hinder its destruc- 
 tion, why did he weep about it V 
 
 Charley looked sadly at a loss : and Alick smiled at his 
 supposed easy victory. Stroking the child's face, he was 
 going to say something playful, but Charley hastily said, 
 ' No, no, don't laugh. I know that it is all true ; but ask 
 Mamma, and she will tell you how it is all true.' 
 
 Alick looked at Mrs. Ryan, who remarked, ' I will re- 
 fer Mr. Cohen to the prophets for a solution of the diffi- 
 culty, if he has his Bible here ;' and he produced it im- 
 mediately. She showed him first Ezekiel xxxiii. 10, 11. 
 " Therefore, thou Son of Man, speak unto the house of 
 Israel, thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our 
 sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should 
 we then live 1 Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord 
 God, 1 have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but 
 that the wicked turn from his way and live : Turn ye, 
 turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die, O 
 house of Israel 1" Then turning to Luke xiii. 34, she 
 made him read, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest 
 the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; 
 how often would I have gathered thy children together, as 
 a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye 
 would not ! Behold your house is left unto you desolate : 
 and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me, until the 
 time come when ye shall say. Blessed is he that cometh 
 in the name of the Lord." When he concluded, she 
 asked, ' Do you not perceive an agreement between the 
 various passages we have looked at V 
 
 ' Why, yes, I do. Here is a declaration that God is 
 unwilling the house of Israel should die ; and to prevent 
 it, he bids them turn from their evil ways — I suppose be- 
 cause justice required their punishment if they did not. 
 Then, in the other place, we find one, who, according to 
 you, is God, lamenting that they had finally refused to
 
 74< judah's lion. 
 
 obey his call. So the punishment, I suppose, was inevi- 
 table.' 
 
 ' And would not he, who had implored them to turn 
 that they might live, be grieved that they had, by refus- 
 ing to the last, compelled him to smite them V 
 
 Alick was silent : pride, equally with unbelief,was striv- 
 ing against the humbling truth ; but Mrs. Ryan saw him 
 slily turning down the edges of the leaves at the different 
 passages, and rejoiced to think he would study them when 
 alone. At last he spoke : 
 
 ' Pray don't think me rude or ungrateful for your kind 
 wish to teach me : but I cannot see these things as you 
 do, and I won't be a hypocrite.' 
 
 ' You must pray,' said Charley, ' and say as king David 
 did, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
 things out of thy law." ' 
 
 ' How do you know that king David said so V 
 
 ' Here it is, Psalm cxix. 18 ;' and Alick marked that 
 also. 
 
 The sun was now near setting, and some little stir was 
 made on deck, which attracted their attention : the 
 captain took the helm ; the crew gathered round, one 
 man being employed in mending a sail, others picking 
 oakum, splicing a rope, and such like incidental occupa- 
 tions, or leaning on the ship's side ; while two cabin- 
 boys placed themselves at a little distance. All at once 
 they broke out into a beautiful chant, the deep mellow 
 bass of the men being answered by the sweet soprano of 
 the two boys ; and altogether the effect was equally fine 
 as unexpected. Alick, who delighted in music, would 
 have listened with unmixed pleasure, had not the expres- 
 sion of Mrs. Ryan's countenance inform.ed him that she 
 was greatly pained : he attended to catch the words, 
 which were Latin ; and quickly made out their purport. 
 It was the Litany of Loretto.
 
 judah's lion. 75 
 
 Happily, perhaps, for Alick, his father had been at- 
 tracted by those harmonious sounds, and came on deck 
 just as his passion was rising. He at once saw the danger 
 of provoking any rebuke, as Mrs. Ryan would surely take 
 part with him, and so lead to another prohibition. He, 
 therefore, turned to the sea, leaning over the bulwarks, 
 where he sat, and feasting his eyes on the glorious splen- 
 dors of a Mediterranean sunset. The lofty sky, unblem- 
 ished by a single cloud ; the bright orb sinking to rest in 
 its majestic beauty ; the sparkling sea, strewn as it were 
 with diamonds on a surface of the purest blue ; and, far 
 distant, some dark rocky outlines just varying the hori- 
 zontal line ; while vessels, like white sea-birds, gleamed 
 here and there to give life to all the loveliness around 
 them — this was the view calculated to fill his heart with 
 high imaginings of the divine power, if not with thankful 
 acknowledgments of divine love, while, despite himself, 
 his ear drank in the sounds of base, degrading, idolatrous 
 worship, ascribing to a creature, to a woman, the attri- 
 butes of Deity itself. The prefatory anthem was sung ; 
 ' We fly to thy patronage, O holy mother of God, despise 
 ■not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all 
 dangers, O ever-glorious and blessed Virgin !' &c., &c. 
 
 Then followed some supplicatory sentences, run over 
 with incredible volubility, and next the famous string of 
 blasphemous titles, chanted forth by the captain, each being 
 answered by the ' Ora pro Nobis,' of the rest. Alick 
 heard them all as follows. ' Holy Mary — Holy Mother 
 of God — Holy Virgin of virgins — Mother of Christ — 
 Mother of divine grace — Mother most pure — Mother 
 most chaste — Mother undefiled — Mother inviolate — 
 Mother most amiable — Mother most admirable — mother 
 OF oiTR CREATOR — Mother ofour Redeemer — Virgin most 
 prudent — Virgin most venerable — Virgin most renowned 
 —Virgin most powerful — Virgin most merciful — Virgin
 
 76 judah's lion. 
 
 most faithful — Mirror of Justice — Seat of wisdom — Cause 
 of our joy — Spiritual vessel — Vessel of honor — Vessel of 
 sino-ular devotion — Mystical rose — Tower of David — 
 Tower of Ivory — House of gold — ark of the covenant 
 — Gate of heaven — morning star — Health of the weak 
 — REFUGE OF SINNERS — Comfort of the afflicted — Help of 
 Christians — Queen of angels — Queen of patriarchs — 
 Queen of prophets — Queen of apostles — Queen of martyrs 
 — Queen of confessors — Queen of virgins — Queen of all 
 saints,' — and between each still came the melodious 
 chorus, ' Ora pro Nobis !' 
 
 ' Christianity !' thought Alick, ' what kind of heathen- 
 ism can be more degrading than this 1 A Christian I 
 never will be, so to dishonor and blaspheme Him whose 
 hand spread out all this watery expanse around me, and 
 stretched yonder blue arch over me, and is now guiding 
 that bright orb to enlighten another hemisphere, and then 
 to revisit us again. God of my fathers ! keep me from 
 such a sin !' He raised his eyes, and met those of Josef, 
 who was evidently watching him ; and who, turning a 
 look of supreme contempt on the group, with a special 
 glance at Mrs, Ryan, muttered in a whisper, ' Such are 
 they all ! Not content with worshipping the crucified, 
 they give divine glory to the woman his mother, the 
 fishermen his followers, and to every knave who has 
 helped to spread the lie among them.' He then walked 
 away ; but his remark had affected Alick differently from 
 what he intended. Conscience told him that Mrs. Ryan 
 certainly dissented, as cordially as he did, from these idol- 
 atries, and that they ought not to be charged upon her 
 individually. He rather inclined to think that there was 
 a small body whose natural sense enabled them to throw 
 off the grosser parts of the general system, which, from 
 the countenance given to it in Malta, he concluded to be
 
 ^ITDAH^S LION. 77 
 
 that of acknowledged Christianity. He came to the re- 
 solution of fairly and unreservedly talking the matter out 
 with Mrs. Ryan, and as they expected to be yet five days 
 at sea, he hoped for sufficient time to do it. Meanwhile, 
 his father had entered into conversation with that lady, in 
 reference to the classic Isles of Greece, among which they 
 had to steer their way, and the approach to which had 
 roused his poetical feelings. He found her so well-in- 
 formed, so agreeable, and so perfectly the lady, that on 
 parting with his son at night, he warmly commended his 
 taste in choosing such society, spoke very slightingly of 
 Ben-Melchor, and gently cautioned Alick to avoid of- 
 fensively noticing the ' harmless absurdities* of the Captain 
 and his crew.
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 " If any man among you lack wisdom, let him ask of 
 God, who giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth 
 not, and it shall be given him." We are naturally desti- 
 tute of this heaven-descended wisdom, and habitually neg- 
 ligent in asking it. Happy are they who, like A lick 
 Cohen, fall in with a teacher whose conduct presents an 
 exception to this general rule ! 
 
 Mrs. Ryan had no fixed plan of proceeding with those 
 who, in the course of events, were brought before her : she 
 knew that each one is a little world in himself, with many 
 distinctive peculiarities in his character, views, circum- 
 stances, which render it impossible for the eye of a casual 
 observer to penetrate the veil of outward conformity to 
 the habits of those about him. Accordingly she was ac* 
 customed to ask help in studying individuals as such : and 
 direction in dealing with them. She had closely watched 
 Alick, during their brief interviews, and remarked in him 
 that freshness of feeling, and energy of thought, which 
 are always delightful to deal with, when the person seek- 
 ing to do good is not cramped by rules, and fettered to 
 systems. She had marked his ill-suppressed emotion 
 when listening to the blasphemous Litany, and rejoiced
 
 judah's lion. 79 
 
 that her task was not to rouse a cold indifferent mind, but 
 to direct into the right path one evidently on the stir, and 
 perplexed by the crossings that beset his way. Thought 
 and prayer brought her to the decision that she ought to 
 take into her own hands what little Charley had begun, 
 and when they met on deck the following day, she lost 
 no time in commencing. 
 
 ' Well, Mr. Cohen, have your thoughts been travelling 
 with the ship, eastward, towards the land of your fa- 
 thers V 
 
 'Indeed, Ma'am, they have. You must know that yes- 
 terday, I marked down several of the passages that you 
 directed me to when we were talking ; indeed, all of 
 them : and I have been reading them over, with a great 
 deal besides. I got little sleep last night, what with 
 poring over, and pondering on the Bible.' 
 
 ' Then you will know the blessedness of which king 
 David speaks,' remarked Mrs. Ryan, turning to the first 
 Psalm. 'See his description of the happy man : "His 
 delight is in the law of the Lord : in his law doth he 
 meditate, day and night." What is the result of your 
 study V 
 
 * I have found out that I am very ignorant.' 
 
 ' I rejoice to hear it, my dear young friend. When 
 God is about to teach his children, he begins by showing 
 them how greatly they need such instruction. But on 
 what point is your ignorance made so manifest V 
 
 ' On every point connected with this book ; but chiefly 
 as it concerns my own people, who seem to be the main 
 subject of it ; for I cannot turn over two leaves without 
 meeting with the words Israel, Zion, and so forth. I have 
 heard it whispered to my father,' he added, smiling, ' that 
 reading the Bible would make me a Christian : it is more 
 likely to make me doubly a Jew.'
 
 80 — '"' 
 
 JUDAH S LION. 
 
 ' My dear husband would be delighted to hear you say 
 that. He is very jealous for the nationality of your race, 
 and asserts that a Jew who embraces Christianity is three 
 times a Jew. An Israelite according to the flesh, an 
 Israelite according to the faith, and an Israelite according 
 to the territorial promise.' 
 
 ' I am not going to embrace Christianity,' said Alick, 
 coloring, ' but please to tell me what you mean by the 
 territorial promise V 
 
 * The unrevoked, unrevokeable assurance given to 
 Abraham, that his seed should possess the land of Canaan 
 as an inheritance for ever. An assurance confirmed by 
 the pen of prophets and apostles, and the fulfilment of 
 which it is sinful to doubt.' 
 
 ' Then you think we shall, as a people, re-possess 
 Judea V 
 
 ' I should hesitate to say that I think we are now at 
 sea, because I positively know that we are : in like man- 
 ner, though not by sight but by faith, I know you will 
 again, as a nation, inherit the land, and that your Jerusa- 
 lem shall be a praise in the whole earth.' 
 
 * Now tell me, Mrs. Ryan,' said Alick, earnestly, ' how 
 comes it that while you evidently look upon us as a peo- 
 ple specially blessed, once the chief of the nations, though 
 now so fallen and obscured — while you hold our book of 
 the law, prize it, and frame your religion on it, you should 
 still desire us to forsake that religion 1 You, as Gentiles, 
 cannot become Jews ; why do you wish to make the Jew 
 a Gentile 1 — for, put it how you will, Christianity is a 
 Gentile religion, and therefore we cannot adopt it without 
 forfeiting our privileges as Jews. Now, pardon me if 
 what I say oifends you, — I read this book at the persuasion 
 of Gentiles, or at least by their example and through 
 their means : I read passages of your own pointing out j
 
 JUDAH*S LION. 81 
 
 and because I felt deeply, aye, personally interested in 
 them, I read many a page besides. Hours and hours I 
 read ; and when I show you what I read, you cannot 
 blame me for wondering how you, who know the book 
 so well, should expect me, after studying it even for a 
 few hours, to descend — that is, I mean — to remove from 
 my place, as a descendant of Abraham—an Israelite.' 
 
 He spoke the last words emphatically, and proceeded 
 to turn over the leaves of his Bible : his hand trembled, 
 and the flashing of his eyes was singularly bright. Mrs. 
 Ryan spoke not a word, but gazed on him with delighted 
 interest, pressing little Charley closer to her bosom, who, 
 seated on her lap, had become drowsy till the altered 
 tone of Alick's voice roused him, and he too looked and 
 listened. The passage was found, Alick smiled triumph- 
 antly, lifted the book, threw back his head, and with a 
 highly poetic effect read aloud these words, ' " Arise ! 
 shine! for thy light is come; and the glory of the Lord 
 is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover 
 the earth, and gross darkness the people : but the Lord 
 shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon 
 thee." To whom is this addressed, Mrs. Ryan "?' 
 ' To the Jewish church, unquestionably.' 
 Alick smiled again, and resumed ; ' " And the Gentiles 
 shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy 
 rising." It proceeds in the same strain ; thus, " And the 
 sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings 
 shall minister unto thee : for in my wrath I smote thee, 
 but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore 
 thy gates shall be open continually ; they shall not be 
 shut day nor night ; that men may bring unto thee the 
 forces of the Gentiles; and that their kings may be 
 brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve 
 thee shall perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly 
 8*
 
 82 judah's LioNi 
 
 wasted." Again, " The sons also of them that afBicted 
 thee shall come bending unto thee ; and they that de- 
 spised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy 
 feet ; aaifl they shall call thee the city of the Lord ; the 
 Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been 
 forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I 
 will make thee an eternal excellency, the joy of many 
 generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gen- 
 tiles ; and shalt suck the breast of kings : and thou shalt 
 know that I am thy Savior, and th}-^ Redeemer, the 
 Mighty one of Jacob." Has this ever been fulfilled, Mrs^ 
 Ryan V 
 
 ' Never.' 
 
 ' Will it be V 
 
 ' As surely as yonder sun shall rise upon us to-morrow, 
 it will be fulfilled, literally, abundantly fulfilled to Israel.' 
 
 He looked steadily at her, and she met his proud gaze 
 with one of affectionate humility: then after a moment's 
 silence said, ' Will you listen patiently to me for a few 
 minutes, while I strive to explain our seeming inconsisten'* 
 cies.' 
 
 ' I will indeed, ma'am ; and I hope that in showing you 
 how I must cherish this great privilege of being a Jew, 
 1 have not been disrespectful or rude to you.' 
 
 ' Far from it : I bless God, even the God of Abraham, 
 that he puts it in your heart to value these precious 
 words. But now to my statement : you are aware that 
 Abraham was called out of his own country and blessed, 
 and had two special promises made to him. One was, that 
 his children should possess the whole land of Canaan and 
 inherit it for ever ; the other, that in his seed should all the 
 families of the earth be blessed. These promises were 
 confirmed to Isaac, then to Jacob ; with the further inti- 
 mation that, of his twelve sons, Judah was one of whose
 
 judah's lion. 83 
 
 lineage the promised seed, the Messiah, the Deliverer and 
 King of the whole earth should come. After a long 
 while, Canaan was conquered, and divided among the 
 twelve tribes, and they, in process of time, became two 
 kingdoms, known as the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.' 
 
 ' Pardon me for interrupting you ; but in what historical 
 work can I find all these particulars V 
 
 ' In the book you hold in your hand i I will show you 
 everything distinctly set forth. Judah and Benjamin 
 united, formed the kingdom ©f Judah ; the other ten who 
 had first revolted, soon fell into idolatry, and after much 
 sinful rebellion against the Lord, they were given into the 
 hand of the Assyrian, carried away captive, and so scat- 
 tered among the nations that scarcely a vestige visibly re- 
 mains of them at this day. Judah, notwithstanding this 
 fearful example, continued to sin in like manner, and was 
 given up to the Babylonians, who destroyed the Temple 
 of Solomon, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, and car- 
 ried Judah away captive into Babylon, where they re- 
 mained seventy years. They were then restored ; that is 
 to say, Judah, with a few individuals from among Ephraim, 
 as the ten tribes are called ; the temple rebuilt, and for 
 five hundred years the Jews repossessed their land, never 
 again relapsing into idolatry, which had caused their chas- 
 tisement. At length, the most dreadful calamities over- 
 took them ; and after a long period of oppression under 
 the Roman yoke, they were slaughtered, or carried away 
 captive ; the city razed, the land laid waste, and for near- 
 ly eighteen hundred years has Judah been an outcast ; 
 not mingled and lost among other people, like the ten 
 tribes, but miraculously preserved, to be restored and re- 
 established in the sight of the whole world by the arm of 
 their Jehovah ; who will also collect and bring in together 
 the scattered tribes of Israel. This is what we may call
 
 84 jttdah's lion. 
 
 the political history of Israel — the national experience, 
 past and to come, of God's faithfulness in the promise of 
 the land. Now we arrive at another branch of the sub- 
 ject : the promise that in Abraham's seed, in the progeny 
 of Isaac, Jacob, Judah, should all families of the earth be 
 blessed. 
 
 ' The great object for which your nation was so set 
 apart, was, that they might be the depositories of God's 
 word, treasuring up his prophecies, that in their fulfilment 
 he might be openly glorified. Laws were given, and rites 
 were appointed, every one of which was calculated in a 
 lively manner to keep the attention of the people fixed on 
 the one great object, the promised seed, the Messiah, 
 whose office it was to make atonement to God for the sins 
 of men, offering a sacrifice that would be a sufficient sub- 
 stitute for the guilty sinners whose misdeeds had forfeited 
 their souls, and who stood exposed to the just wrath of 
 God. In this sense he was to be a deliverer, a blessing 
 to all the families of the earth ; and winning back the 
 world from Satan, he would be acknowledged as universal 
 king — in an especial manner king of the Jews, of whom, 
 after the flesh, he should come : the promised seed of 
 Abraham, as to immediate Hebrew descent ; and also the 
 promised seed of the woman — Eve — the mother of all 
 flesh. God, having set apart, the children of Israel, and 
 mightily delivered them out of bondage, and made them 
 an independent nation, miraculously inspired their leader 
 Moses, to write down the marvellous history of the crea- 
 tion, of man's sin, of the promised seed who should bruise 
 the serpent's head, and of all his marvellous dealings, from 
 the beginning of the world to that time ; with a distinct 
 prophecy of one who was to come, a prophet like unto 
 Moses, to whom they were to give heed at the peril of 
 their souls. Thenceforth the voice of prophecy ceased
 
 judah's lion. 85 
 
 not through many ages, always testifying of him who was 
 to come ; and showing plainly that his work was the re- 
 demption of man by the sacrifice of himself; after which 
 he should again come, no longer a sorrowful victim, but a 
 majestic rejoicing conqueror, to destroy his stubborn foes, 
 and to reign gloriously for ever. Satan, the great enemy 
 of God and of man, knowing how intimately all these 
 things were interwoven with the destiny of Israel in par- 
 ticular, never ceased to tempt them to every kind of pro- 
 vocation against the Lord, hoping thereby to frustrate his 
 gracious purposes. Knowing idolatry to be of all things 
 the most abominably and outrageously insulting to the 
 Most High God, he especially tempted Israel to that 
 crime : and when, after the return from Babylon, he 
 found them proof against it, he chose another snare — he 
 led them so to add to the oracles of God, which they 
 dared not alter, that by the traditions, the interpolations, 
 the vain superstitious ordinances of man, they made it 
 vain ; the pure tenor of prophecy was no longer under- 
 stood ; and when their Messiah, — him to whom gave all 
 the prophets witness, — came exactly at the appointed 
 time, and exactly in the appointed way, as foreshown by 
 Isaiah, David, and other prophets, they knew him not — 
 they rejected, they crucified him. For this deadly sin 
 they were driven forth from their goodly heritage, scat- 
 tered among all nations, and exposed to the wrath of God, 
 until they shall turn to him who smites them, and casting 
 from them the vain traditions of men, believe the word of 
 God, as declared by their own inspired prophets, and ac- 
 knowledge the Savior who once suffered for them, who 
 shall again come to reign over them — their own Messiah, 
 their King, their God !' 
 
 During this long address, — which was uttered from an 
 overflowing heart, with all the animation of one whose
 
 86 jtjdah's lion. 
 
 long pent-up feelings have at last found vent, — Alick 
 listened with a depth of earnest attention impossible to 
 describe. For some time he kept his eyes steadily fixed 
 on the speaker ; but as she proceeded, they sunk to the 
 book which he held still open ; and unconsciously he 
 took in the purport of a verse on which they fell, just 
 preceding what he had read, — " And he saw that there 
 was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor ; 
 therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his 
 righteousness it sustained him." Alick shut the book, 
 and continued gazing on the cover, till Mrs. Ryan con- 
 cluded. After a short silence, he said, without looking 
 . up, ' Then you think we shall not recover our own land 
 unless we become Christians ?' 
 
 ' I do not say so,' replied Mrs. Ryan : ' the word of 
 prophecy rather leads me to think your people will na- 
 tionally repossess it in their present state ; but enjoy it 
 you never can, nor will you be left in peace, or know an 
 hour of real prosperity or happiness, until you turn to the 
 Lord Jesus, acknowledge him, mourn your own sin, and 
 rejoice in his salvation.' 
 
 'But suppose we never do this!' 
 
 ' Oh you will, you will !' exclaimed little Charles, al- 
 most in a scream ; ' look in your Bible, Mr. Alick ; look 
 at the twelfth chapter of Zechariah, the tenth verse — here, 
 I'll find it for you.' He did so, and Alick read, — " And 
 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inha- 
 bitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplica- 
 tions ; and they shall look upon me whom they have 
 pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth 
 for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one 
 that is in bitterness for his firstborn." And now just look 
 at the thirty -sixth of Ezekiel, the twenty-third verse ; 
 " And I will sanctify my great name which was profaned
 
 judah's lion. 87 
 
 among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst 
 of them ; and the heathen shall know that I am the 
 Lord, said the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in 
 you before their eyes. For I will take you from among 
 the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and I 
 will bring vou into your own land. Then" oh, mind 
 that, Mr. Alick — " then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
 you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness and 
 from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also 
 will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; 
 and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, 
 and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my 
 Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, 
 and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye 
 shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers ; and 
 ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." There, 
 what do you say to that V asked the little fellow, triumph- 
 antly ; and Alick, in the attempt to answer, while stroking 
 the dimpled hand that pointed out the blessed words, 
 burst into tears. 
 
 Charley jumped on his knee, and kissing away the drops 
 as they fell, said, 'My own darling Jew, Jesus Christ 
 loves you.' 
 
 ' I think,' said Alick, as, smiling, he passed his hand 
 over his forehead, ' my night's study has been too much 
 for my nerves, idle truant as I have long proved myself. 
 You see, Charley, I am a naughty boy, having neglected 
 my books ever since I was at school ; and now I am no 
 better than an overgrown baby.' 
 
 ' No, no,' said Charles gravely, ' it is not that. You are 
 going to enter the kingdom of heaven ; and so you are 
 become as a little child.' And then he bustled over the 
 leaves, and showed him our Lord's words. 
 
 ' The things you have said to me, Ma'am,' said Alick,
 
 88 JTTDAH's LION; 
 
 * are really quite overpowering to the mind. So many 
 matters, new, and strange, and important, are contained in 
 your statement that I really don't know what to say or 
 think. I only wish I was half as wise as this little oracle,' 
 clasping Charley to him, with a look so full of affection, 
 that Mrs. Ryan thought she had never seen a more fasci- 
 nating countenance. ' Look, my dear young friend,' she 
 suddenly said, in a low voice, ' yonder is one of your na- 
 tion, a rigid Talmudist, who holds those blinding additions 
 and commandments of men, to the exclusion of the light 
 that would shine upon him from this glorious word. He 
 is now, no doubt, engaged in some work of supposed merit; 
 and while scorning the idolatry of the poor Romanists 
 whom you heard last evening at their degrading creature- 
 worship, he is wrapped in the same net that entangles 
 them — obedience to man, rather than to God.' 
 
 ' Does Ben-Melchor admit the divine authority of this 
 book, iMa'am V 
 
 ' Of the Old Testament fully. Do you understand He- 
 brew 1' 
 
 ' Yes : I learnt it very young. I can read and speak 
 it.' 
 
 ' Will you take the trouble of fetching me a basket that 
 stands on the table in my cabin V 
 
 Away went Alick ; and Mrs. Ryan, catching Charley 
 to her bosom, said, ' My love, pray, pray ! there is a bright 
 and blessed hope for this sweet young Israelite.' 
 
 'Am I your little Missionary, Mamma 1 am I V 
 
 'Yes, you are, vein of my heart ! but you must pray for 
 wisdom and boldness, you know.' 
 
 ' How pleased Papa will be, won't he 1 but hush, for 
 here comes the darling Jew.' 
 
 Smiling her thanks, Mrs. Ryan took the basket, and un^ 
 locking it, produced a beautifully-printed copy of the Bi-
 
 judah's lion. 89 
 
 ble in Hebrew — which Alick rather seized than took, ex- 
 claiming, ' What a splendid type !' and eagerly com- 
 menced reading the first verse, with a fluency of pronun- 
 ciation that delighted Mrs; Ryan ; while Charley cried 
 out with much glee, ' That's the language they spoke ia 
 Eden.' 
 
 ' Accept that book, Mr. Cohen,' said his friend ; ' and 
 trust me, Ben-Melchor will not call a word of it in ques- 
 tion. Do study it, and with prayer.' 
 
 ' Dear Madam ! how shall I thank you for such a gifti' 
 ' How shall I thank you, Mr. Cohen, for that precious 
 book 1 To your nation were committed the oracles of 
 God ; and but for their fidelity to the sacred trust, we 
 Gentiles must have perished. They lost all things, but 
 they kept this ; they have guarded it through the brightest 
 day of prosperity, and the darkest night of adversity. 
 When Popery would gladly have annihilated such a living 
 witness against her abominable perversions, she could not, 
 for the Jew preserved it: when she would have mutilated 
 and made it speak the language of her own falsehood, she 
 could not, for the Jew protected it. Trust me, Mr. Co- 
 hen, when a Gentile hands to a Jew that holy and blessed 
 volume, he does but an act of such imperative duty, that 
 the wilful omission Avould be recorded against his soul 
 We thank you for the Bible — with our inmost hearts we 
 thank you for the Bible !' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan and Charley now left the deck ,• and Alick, 
 pocketing both his treasures, walked straight up to Ben- 
 Melchor, who had been standing as usual, with his eyes 
 fixed on the water, muttering rapidly some unintelligible 
 words. 'Do I interrupt you V asked the youth. 
 
 ' No ; my hours of study are over till the sun has set.' 
 ' W^ould it not be good for your health, sir, to pass 
 more time on deck 1 I should grudge so many hours' 
 9
 
 90 judah's lion. 
 
 confinement in a close cabin with this bright sea about 
 me.' 
 
 ' What availeth the body's health, young man, com- 
 pared with the soul's welfare 1' 
 
 ' May they not be promoted together, sir 1 I can hard- 
 ly think God gave us all these delightful things to turn 
 our backs upon.' 
 
 ' Wisdom is not with youth, but with men of ripened 
 age. Very painful are the studies that fit the soul for 
 blessedness, and very sore the discipline appointed for 
 mind and body to make us worthy thereof.' 
 
 Alick thought of becoming as ' little children,' and 
 felt how dissimilar were the two ways pointed out to hira. 
 He resumed, — ' Would it be presumptuous to ask the na- 
 ture of your studies V 
 
 ' The law, youth, the holy law, which is given to make 
 us wise.' 
 
 Alick drew forth his Hebrew Bible, and found the first 
 Psalm, from which he read the first two verses. Ben- 
 Melchor looked at him in astonishment, then silently took 
 the book, and examined it with great care ; he then closed 
 it, laid it reverently to his lips, pressed it to his bosom, 
 and said in a solemn tone, ' It is a prohibited book.' 
 
 Alick thought the words and actions of his countryman 
 strangely at variance ; however, he only asked, ' By 
 whom is it prohibited V 
 
   By the Rabbins.' 
 
 ' I have the greatest respect for the Rabbins, but they 
 shall not hinder me from reading this.' 
 
 ' Youth is presumptuous,' remarked the Jew. ' What 
 authority hast thou for disobeying the Rabbins V 
 
 ' I have God's authority, aye, and his command, to study 
 this book.'
 
 judah's lion. 91 
 
 * Boy ! the Holy One (blessed be he) speaks not to the 
 unlearned. When heardest thou his voice V 
 
 ' I have it here,' said Alick, turning over with strange 
 delight the leaves of his new Bible. ' Our great prophet, 
 Moses, delivered to us the command j' — and he read the 
 passage from Deuteronomy. 
 
 ' The memory of Moses is blessed,' said the Jew. * But 
 see, the sun is setting, and I must to my cabin. Peace be 
 with thee ! but read not that prohibited book.' 
 
 ' Indeed I will,' thought Alick, as he courteously re- 
 turned the parting salutation, and then, pacing the deck, 
 devoured the word of life, in a language of which he 
 seemed never before to have felt the beauty or the power, 
 
 ' Alick,' said Mr. Cohen, as he bade him good night, 
 ' to-morrow I must be on deck all day. We shall be pass- 
 
 ing among 
 
 The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece, 
 Where burning Sappho loved and sung ; 
 
 And I must enjoy with you the many classic reminiscences 
 that cannot fail to brighten our track.' 
 
 Alick bowed ; but the words that would, a little while 
 before, have been so congenial to his taste, actually grated 
 on his ear, exciting a feeling of disgust. Whence could it 
 be 1 He did not know ; but with redoubled zest he be- 
 took himself to the contents of his Hebrew Bible, and fell 
 asleep with his finger on the page, and his mind filled with 
 the sublime imagery of Isaiah.
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 The Hebrew Bible which Mrs. Ryan had given to Alickj 
 had been for some time in her husband's possession ; and 
 he had marked, faintly but distinctly, by a pencil line 
 down the margin, sundry passages, to which he wished 
 especially to refer, when discussing with Jews the word of 
 prophecy and of promise. Alick did not at first perceive 
 these marks ; but on discovering one over against a glow- 
 ing description of Israel's future glory, he eagerly sought 
 for more — and reading with the ardent perseverance of 
 one v/ho is not fulfilling a task, or seeking out hidden 
 mysteries, but hoping to gather valuable information from 
 the pages before him, he took in the purport of a vast body 
 of evidence, while his heart now melted, now glowed, 
 now trembled, as sorrow, hope, awe, alternately bore sway 
 over his deeply-excited spirit. ' What upon earth,' 
 thought he, as with a gesture of impatience he struck his 
 hand on the volume, ' what upon earth have the Gentiles 
 to do with this book 1 — from beginning to end it concerns 
 us, and us alone : how come they to possess it, while 
 among us it is scarcely heard of 1' He turned over the 
 leaves, and his eye falling on the nineteenth Psalm, he re- 
 cognized it at once as forming part of the synagogue- wor- 
 ship — in which he had often joined, but too heedlessly to
 
 judah's lion. 93 
 
 take note of anything but a few specimens of what he 
 considered highly poetical language and imagery, among 
 which he had particularly admired this. ' So,' said he, 
 after carefully reading it over, ' this portion of the Bible 
 is actually in daily use among us. Have the Goim* 
 translated it, I wonder % He looked into Gordon's Bible, 
 and found it correctly given j then returning to the He- 
 brew, he recognized many other passages as being inter- 
 woven with his liturgy. ' How I wish I had my prayer- 
 book here ! I used to despise the men and lads around me, 
 who pored so closely over their book, and joined so de- 
 voutly in the responses, while I was peeping up through 
 the gallery-screen to see the ladies coming and going, or 
 amusing myself with Esther's angry glances as she saw me' 
 so inattentive. Poor dear Esther ! her heart is with her 
 people, mourning over their afflicted state, and longing, 
 praying, believing. Oh, how far superior is she to me, 
 who do not deserve to be called a Jew !' In this way he 
 went on, reading, remembering, and soliloquizing over 
 the inspired word 5 his prevailing wish being for some one 
 with whom to discuss, in free, full, vigorous argument, 
 what seemed to increase his perplexity with every line he 
 read. He remembered that one of the sentences he was 
 accustomed to hear in public worship was, " Blessed art 
 thou, O Lord ! our God, king of the universe, who hath 
 not made me a woman." And he secretly confessed that 
 to be such a woman as Mrs. Ryan would be no great dis- 
 advantage. Yet he longed for a man to reason with him 
 out of the Scriptures, and felt confident that he could es- 
 tablish the exclusive title of Israel to every good things 
 mentioned in them. 
 
 In this mood his father found him when he came on 
 deck early, to enjoy the scenery. Ben-Melchor had also, 
 
 * Gentiles.
 
 94" JCDAH S LION. 
 
 it seemed, a respite from his severe services, for he ap- 
 peared more carefully attired, and with a mind evidently 
 more disengaged, than on any of his precedent transient 
 visits. Alick could not account for the pugnacious feel* 
 ing of which he was inwardly conscious, and which 
 seemed almost equally ready to vent itself on any conve- 
 nient object. It was the proud spirit of stiff-necked Ju- 
 daism rising within him — the tossings of a mind breaking 
 loose from its former moorings in the stagnant waters of 
 lazy indifference, and caught in conflicting billows with- 
 out being able to reach the stedfast anchor of well-ground- 
 ed hope and assured faith. 
 
 Mr. Cohen appeared unusually cheerful and sociable 
 with Ben-Melchor, whom he wisely determined to make 
 as agreeable as he could, since there was no avoiding him ; 
 and the latter related some particulars of the recent pro- 
 ceedings of Mahomet Ali, the turbulent old Pasha, which 
 interested Mr. Cohen by their political bearing, and set 
 Alick considering whether the singular character and 
 arbitrary proceedings of the Egyptian Chief might not be 
 turned to the advantage of the Jews. He had, while 
 seeking out psalms connected with the synagogue-worship, 
 recalled to mind how incessantly their prayers turned on 
 the point of the national restoration ; and this, combined 
 with the confident predictions of Mrs. Eyan and Charles, 
 convinced him that it was the bounden duty of every Jew 
 to make it the principal object of his most strenuous efforts. 
 But on this subject nothing was said ; and Alick was just 
 meditating an escape from such uninteresting society, 
 when he was relieved by seeing his friend Charley come 
 bustling up the ladder. 
 
 * Well, my little 'man,' said Mr. Cohen, ' is not your 
 mother coming to enjoy this fine weather on deck V
 
 judah's lion. 96 
 
 ' No, sir : mamma is busy in the cabin ; and I am 
 come to play, if Mr. Alick will take care of me.' 
 
 ' That I am sure he will,' remarked Mr. Cohen ; and 
 Alick jumped up and ran off with Charley to the farthest 
 corner of the deck. 
 
 'Have you been reading 1' asked the child, eagerly. 
 
 ' Plenty, Charles : and well I may, for the whole book 
 is about us, the people of God, and nothing else.' 
 
 ' We are the people of God too, Mr. Alick.' 
 
 * Then why is there nothing about you in the Bible V 
 
 ' There is plenty about us in the New Testament. We 
 are the children of Abraham by faith, as you are by birth.' 
 
 ' But Abraham's faith was quite different from yours.' 
 
 'No, it was the same. You know, the Lord Jesus says 
 to the unbelieving Jews, " Your father Abraham rejoiced 
 to see my day ; and he saw it, and was glad." ' 
 
 ' That proves nothing-,' said Alick, fretfully. 
 
 ' Do you think Abel went to heaven, Mr. Alick V 
 
 ' What ! the son of Eve, whom his brother slew ? yes, 
 I have no sort of doubt as to that poor fellow.' 
 
 ' And Enoch did, we are sure ; and Noah, and all that 
 loved God before Abraham's time ; but none of them were 
 Jews, for Abraham was the first.' 
 
 Alick felt ashamed to be so easily corrected by a mere 
 infant : Charles continued : ' If good people were saved, 
 before there were any Jews in the world, why not now, 
 Mr. Alick r 
 
 ' Fickle boy ! Yesterday you were all for the Jews 
 and now you turn against us.' 
 
 'No; but I was saying something to mamma, very 
 much like that you said to me just now ; and so she re- 
 minded me of Abel, and the rest of God's Gentiles, you 
 know.' 
 
 Alick looked stedfastly in the smiling face of the child,
 
 96 JUDAH'S LION*. 
 
 and after a moment's pause warmly said, ' Well, Charles, 
 if it please God to fulfil his merciful promises to Israel 
 while you and I live, I'll share with you every blessing I 
 get in that good land. And I'll tell you something more^ 
 my boy : you talk of persuading the Jews to become 
 Christians ; if ever that be done, it will be by such people 
 as you and your dear mother, with hearts full of love, 
 and lips full of kindness to the Jews : — to " Zion whom 
 no man seeketh after," ' he added in a lower tone, and 
 turning in the direction of the city he was beginning so 
 deeply to yearn over. 
 
 Charley laughed with pleasure: 'How nice it is to 
 hear you talk like the Bible, Mr. Alick 1 you did not talk 
 like the Bible when I saw you at first.' 
 
 ' Because I did not think like the Bible, Charley. Oh, 
 how 1 wish you could talk to me in Hebrew !' 
 
 ' Sure, ain't I learning it as fast as I can 1 Mamma 
 gives me a lesson every day. Stop, I'll be back in less 
 than no time,' cried the merry little fellow, as he bounded 
 away, and hurried down to his cabin ; whence he present- 
 ly returned with a Hebrew grammar, and a Psalter in the 
 same language. 
 
 While Alick with delight bent over him, and corrected 
 the few inaccuracies of pronunciation with which he went 
 over an easy little lesson, Mr. Cohen and Ben-Melchor 
 approached ; the former saying, ' That's right, Alick ; you 
 could not be better employed :' then glancing over the 
 child's head, he exclaimed, ' Hey-day ! why you're 
 teaching him Hebrew. That's urging on the march of 
 intellect in double quick time. Had you not better begin 
 with English V 
 
 ' He reads English, sir, as well as I do :' said Alick, 
 proud of his young friend's acquirements ; ' and I have
 
 judah's lion. 97 
 
 only now discovered that he is making a progress in He- 
 brew, wonderful for his very tender years.' 
 
 ' I can speak Irish, too,' said Charley, the innate pride 
 of whose heart was roused by all these commendations. 
 
 ' And who taught you, my brave fellow 1' asked Mr. 
 Cohen. 
 
 'I learnt Irish among the people at home at our place 
 near Cork. Nurse talked it more than English. Papa 
 thought me too young for Hebrew ; but I coaxed mamma 
 to let me try a little bit, and sure it's easy enough !' Then 
 with no small self-complacency he opened his Psalter, and 
 read off a verse very correctly. 
 
 ' He is evidently a genius,' observed Mr. Cohen ; * but 
 his father is right, and the mother, as women usually are, 
 is wrong. French would be far more useful to him.' 
 
 Charley, whose cheeks had crimsoned on hearing his 
 mother blamed, now looked up at the reprover, and said 
 with some bitterness, ' God didn't write the Bible in 
 French.' 
 
 The sudden pressure of Alick's arm, which was round 
 him, as he sate on his knee, and which probably indicated 
 a wish to caution him, induced him to turn and clasp the 
 neck of the youth, ejaculating in the same breath, ' He 
 wrote it in Hebrew, didn't he, darling 1 ' 
 
 * Upon my word,' said Mr. Cohen, turning to Ben- 
 Melchor, ' this is a most extraordinary child.' 
 
 The Talmudist, in whose countenance strong passions 
 had been working all along, now burst out in fierce in- 
 vective against the infidel Goim, who were using the holy 
 language as a snare to destroy the souls of Israel ; and on 
 whom he invoked all the curses of the law, with such 
 loudness of voice and extravagance of gesture, that 
 Charley clung to his friend in terror, hiding his face in the 
 vest of Alick, who trembled as much, though from a dif-
 
 98 judah's lion. 
 
 ferent cause. Mr. Cohen strove to slip in a few qualify- 
 ing words, but all to no purpose. Hebrew, Arabic, Ita- 
 lian, were all put in requisition by the enraged Jew ; and 
 at last he had recourse to English, in which he was 
 obliged to speak slower, while uttering fearful blasphemies, 
 against the Name at which every knee shall bow. On 
 hearing this, the little Christian boy lifted up his head, 
 and, still keeping fast hold of Alick, looked round, ex- 
 claiming in a shrill cry, ' You are a wicked man to speak 
 against the Lord Jesus ! ' 
 
 The Jew redoubled his invectives, and Charley, with 
 all the fire of his race fully kindled, fixed a stern look on 
 the distorted countenance of the blasphemer, saying, ' He 
 is your King for all that, and he will judge you.' 
 
 * Little serpent ! ' said the Jew in a suppressed tone, 
 more frightful than his former vociferations, ' I could toss 
 thee upon the wave, and send thee to Gehenna, ere thou 
 doest more mischief.' 
 
 ' Do ! ' said Charles, jumping off Alick's knee, ' do if 
 you like ! Little Cyril was no bigger than me when he 
 was a martyr for the name of the dear Lord Jesus Christ : 
 and if you kill me I'll only go the sooner to him. He is 
 your Messiah ! ' For a moment he kept his eye on the 
 face of the threatener ; but it was too much for his infant 
 strength: he threw himself again into Alick's arms, and 
 eobbed and cried most plteously. 
 
 Mr. Cohen was a man of sense, and of generous feeling 
 so far as he allowed himself to feel : he was also a fond 
 father and a perfect gentleman, and all these things com- 
 bined to make him unusually angry on poor little Char- 
 ley's behalf. Before, however, he could express his in- 
 dignation, a new turn was given to the matter ; for some 
 of the Jew's Italian remarks had reached the ear of the 
 sailors, who called up the Captain from a devotional office
 
 jttdah's lion. 99 
 
 before his image. Their looks, to which Mr. Cohen failed 
 not to direct Ben-Melchor's attention, wrought a great 
 change in his aspect : the fate that he had contemplated 
 for little Charles was not unlikely to overtake himself, if 
 he exasperated those wild-looking devotees. He bent his 
 eyes to the ground, and stood silent, while Mr. Cohen 
 soothed the irritated mariners, by assuring them that the 
 remarks, which he said must have been imperfectly heard, 
 had no reference whatever to their religion. This excuse, 
 backed by a hint of some intended largess, as a compensa- 
 tion for the wound their pious feelings had suffered, though 
 needlessly, had the desired effect : and Mr. Cohen hauehtily 
 told Ben-Melchor he might be thankful to escape with no 
 worse than a pecuniary infliction : then left him to his 
 reflections. 
 
 But why had Alick, the fiery Alick, been silent % Had 
 he no sympathy with the courageous fidelity of his little 
 companion, no pity for his natural terrors % More, much 
 more than this was swelling in Alick's bosom : the ex- 
 pressions that roused the child's resentment had smote on 
 his heart, making it recoil as from something dreadful ; 
 while the words of the baby missionary, ' He is your 
 King, and he will judge you : He is your Messiah,' seem- 
 ed to awaken an echo there. Overpowered by the con- 
 sciousness that a belief which his people held so deeply 
 accursed was fast gaining on him, he felt paralyzed: and 
 the child's momentary boldness, his spring upon the deck, 
 his fearless bearing in the face of an opposer so formidable, 
 and the reference to a martyr of his own age, all struck 
 the young Jew as something supernatural, sent to confirm 
 his wavering thoughts. When the seamen approached 
 with looks so evidently hostile, he lifted Charley in his 
 arms, ran down to his mother's cabin, and saying, ' There; 
 thank God for what he has given you,' hastened back in
 
 iOO jitdah's lion. 
 
 time to hear his father's plausible excuse, and to "witness 
 the retreat of the crest-fallen Ben-Melchor ; after which, 
 Mr. Cohen said, ' Alick, a sad insult has been put on that 
 nice woman in the person of her little son. We really 
 must, as gentlemen, disclaim any participation in the 
 vulgar, violent prejudices of this strange fellow. Come 
 down with me to her cabin.' 
 
 Alick obeyed, half reluctantly indeed ; for nothing was 
 so insupportable to him as the idea that something might 
 lead to a prohibition of farther intercourse. Mr. Cohen 
 sent in a most polite request for five minutes' audience, by 
 Mrs. Ryan's servant ; and on being admitted they found 
 that lady, with traces of tears on her cheeks, and Charley 
 looking most sorrowfully downcast in a corner of the little 
 apartment. An ample, and indeed a very feeling apology 
 was immediately tendered by Mr. Cohen, to which she 
 warmly replied that it was wholly unnecessary, since she 
 could not for a moment believe that it was otherwise than 
 painful and distressing to them to witness what no one 
 could have prevented. She added that her chief regret 
 was on Charley's account, who, by his own confession, had 
 shown a very improper spirit in replying to what was so 
 wrathfully spoken. 
 
 ' My dear madam, you astonish me. The boy's spirit 
 was admirable ; and though of course I could not take his 
 view of the question, right proud should I be to have 
 a boy twice his age, equally bold and faithful to his con- 
 victions.' 
 
 ' Charles, come hither,' said Mrs. Ryan ; and the little 
 fellow came to her knee. ' Did you speak the truth to 
 the person who was reviling our Lord 1 ' 
 
 ' Yes, mamma, I did.' 
 
 'Did you speak it in love, Charles'? Did you bear 
 in mind that " the man of God must not strive, but be
 
 judah's lion. 101 
 
 gentle unto all men ; patient ; in meekness instructing 
 them that oppose themselves;" and did you, as far as a 
 little boy could do, exhibit the spirit of a man of Godl ' 
 
 Charles hung his head. 
 
 ' What did our Lord do when he was reviled \ ' 
 Charles looked up, and softly repeated, ' " Who, when he 
 was reviled, reviled not again : when he suffered, he 
 threatened not ; but committed himself to him that judg- 
 eth righteously." Please forgive me ! ' he added, looking 
 round with tearful eyes. 
 
 ' I profess myself wholly unable to see what there is to 
 forgive,' said Mr. Cohen with some warmth. ' My coun- 
 tryman, a great fellow, with a formidable countenance, 
 talked of pitching this child into the sea around us, which 
 he could have done in a moment (you need not look so 
 fierce, Alick,) and instead of running away, or screaming 
 out with terror, the gallant little fellow faced him most 
 manfully, declaring his readiness to lay down his life for 
 what he believes to be the truth. I repeat, were he mine, 
 I should glory in him ; and richly reward him too. I 
 will not any longer intrude on you, dear madam ; but 
 permit me to hope that you will join us on deck in the 
 evening, when we shall pass the noble spectacle of the 
 ancient Sunium, and I need not add that no annoyance 
 will be suffered to approach you.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan promised : and heartily thanked him for his 
 kindness to her and the child, as he took a friendly leave; 
 then turning to Alick, who still sat absorbed in thought, 
 she said, ' Your father is all benevolence and real courte- 
 sy, Mr. Cohen.' 
 
 But Alick's pent-up emotion could bear restraint no 
 
 longer ; he burst out into sudden vehemence, exclaiming, 
 
 ' Oh, Mrs. Kyan, I cannot bear to hear that Name reviled •' 
 
 Nobody must do it, nobody shall do it in my presence — 
 
 10
 
 102 judah's lion. 
 
 I can't bear it, and I won't bear it ! ' and he started up 
 and threw himself into another seat, while Mrs. Ryan 
 gazed in silent surprise, and Charley running to him said, 
 ' Why, do you love the Lord Jesus % Do you 1 do you % ' 
 
 'I don't know that I love him, but he was good and 
 merciful ; though he is not my Messiah.' 
 
 'Either your Messiah, or a deceiver, an impostor, and 
 a blasphemer,' said Mrs. Ryan, firmly and solemnly. ' He 
 applied to himself all the predictions of the prophets, he 
 declared himself the Son of God, the King of Israel, the 
 I AM, the Pre-existent, before Abraham was, before the 
 foundation of the world — that world of which he an- 
 nounced himself to be the final Judge. No, Mr. Cohen, 
 there is no middle way : either the strongest expressions 
 of your countryman fldl far short of the truth, or else he 
 of whom we speak, Jesus of Nazareth, is your own Mes- 
 siah, your Savior, your King, and your God.' 
 
 ' Mrs. Ryan, don't say any more ; I will not rest till 
 this point is settled in my mind ; but my head is too be- 
 wildered to think at present. Don't speak about it when 
 my father is by ; for though he is so liberal he might for- 
 bid my conversing with you : he did on a former occa- 
 sion with one who first taught me to think on these sub* 
 jects.' 
 
 ' Then you have been spoken to before 1 ' exclaimed 
 Mrs. Ryan eagerly. 
 
 ' Yes : by the person who gave me, or rather lent rae^ 
 the English Bible, on board the ship we came over in. It 
 arose from his saying that the third Lion in our British 
 arms was the Lion of the tribe of Judah.' 
 
 ' Oh, I do hope it is ! ' cried Mrs. Ryan. ' It would 
 indeed be a token of security, honor, and triumph for 
 England, if her standard bore that unconquerable badge.' 
 
 Towards sunset, the voyagers assembled on deck, where,
 
 judah's lion. 103 
 
 by Mr. Cohen's orders, a handsome awning had been put 
 up, and refreshments set out, to which Mrs. Ryan, Charley 
 and Ben-Melchor were invited. The latter appeared 
 anxious to render himself more agreeable to his compa- 
 nions, who avoided any recurrence to the past, and all was 
 cordiality and good-humor. They obtained a splendid 
 view of the remarkable spot which Mr. Cohen was so 
 anxious to survey, — Cape Colonna, from the bold high 
 clitr of which, abruptly rise the marble pillars that once 
 supported a magnificent temple of Minerva. Bathed in 
 the light of a western sun, these beautiful ruins shone like 
 burnished gold, extorting exclamations of delight from 
 more than one of the party. 
 
 ' How imposing is that desolate wreck of the glories of 
 ancient Greece ! ' said Mr. Cohen. ' It is the first object 
 that has really interested me since I left home. The fa- 
 miliarity acquired in early days with these classic scenes 
 and names, invests them with an endearing claim on the 
 affections, so that the first gaze fixed on them seems rather 
 the recognition of something long loved and lost, than the 
 discovery of a new object. I am looking on Sunium,' he 
 added, ' and how prolific is imagination in filling out what 
 now, alas ! is lacking to that bare but lovely outline, and 
 peopling the solitary cliff with forms of armed warriors, 
 and of white-stoled priests ; while the song of devotion 
 and the shout of defiance seem borne in mingled power 
 over these now silent waters.' 
 
 ' Will Greece ever rise again to any eminence among 
 the nations 1 ' asked Alick. 
 
 * Not under its present government,' replied Mr. Co- 
 hen ; 'nor while the character of her sons continues so 
 miserably deteriorated. The ancient spirit of freedom 
 must be rekindled, with all its glowing patriotism and
 
 104 judah's lion. 
 
 scorn of wrong, ere we can look to witness another 
 Marathon.' 
 
 After a few more remarks on the past and present state 
 of Greece, the conversation turned on the relative position 
 of Turkey and Egypt, the evident purpose of IVTehemet 
 Ali ultimately to cast off the Sultan's yoke, and to es- 
 tablish an independent dominion, which Mr. Cohen re- 
 marked, he would extend to the utmost of his power. 
 
 ' And what, in that case,' said Mrs. Ryan, ' is to become 
 of Syria % what of Palestine 1 ' 
 
 Ben-Melchor looked at her for a moment, then dropped 
 his eyes : but the glare of that glance was startling. She, 
 however, resumed. ' My own conviction is strong and 
 immoveable : all these disputes, these conflicts and 
 commotions in the East, are but the means which God 
 will overrule to accomplish the restoration of his chosen 
 people, his Israel, to their own land.' 
 
 Mr. Cohen looked astonished, Alick delighted, and Ben- 
 Melchor averted his face. 
 
 ' Tell me,' she resumed, ' do you not yourselves look 
 for this 1. ' 
 
 ' Why, I believe the expectation has always been cher- 
 ished among us,' said Mr. Cohen : ' but I cannot say that, 
 as yet, I see any indications of its being well-grounded. 
 The time may come, though not in our day : meanwhile 
 we have little to complain of in our present state ; and 
 under the light of the nineteenth century, I expect the 
 few remaining prejudices will wholly subside, and we 
 shall take our place, divested of all invidious distinctions, 
 among the nations where now we hold a somewhat unfa- 
 vorable and anomalous position.' 
 
 ' I cannot agree with you,' said Mrs. Kyan. ' The 
 writings of Moses and the prophets distinctly point to a 
 national restoration, not only of Judah and Benjamin, but
 
 judah's lion. 105 
 
 of the scattered, long lost Ten Tribes, again to inherit the 
 land which God gave to Abraham ; to build up the old 
 wastes, to restore the desolations of many generations ; 
 and your daily services in the synagogue so hinge upon 
 that prediction, that you can scarcely point out a prayer 
 which does not plead the promise of God to bring you 
 back.' 
 
 Alick had never seen his father look so perplexed ; yet 
 there was not much dissatisfaction in his countenance. 
 Mrs. Ryan's was glowing with eager animation ; and 
 Ben-Melchor looked the personification of pride. Mr. 
 Cohen suddenly turned to him and said, 'You are better 
 able to decide this question than I.' 
 
 ' What question, brother V 
 
 ' Whether our people are to re-possess the land of our 
 fathers.' 
 
 ' Is yonder sun to rise again V asked Ben-Melchor. 
 
 ' Not more surely,' said Mrs. Ryan, ' than Israel is to 
 re-possess the land : for the Lord has said that if the ordi- 
 nances of the sun, moon and stars depart from before him, 
 then may Israel cease from being a nation before him, for 
 ever : and again, " If ye can break my covenant of the 
 day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should 
 not be day and night in their season ; then may also 
 my covenant be broken witli David my servant, that he 
 should not have a son to reign upon his throne ; and with 
 the Levites the priests, my ministers." And once more, 
 " Thus saith the Lord ; if my covenant be not with day 
 and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of 
 heaven and earth ; then will I cast away the seed of 
 Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any 
 of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, 
 and Jacob : for I will cause their captivity to return, and 
 have mercy on them." 
 10*
 
 106 judah's lion. 
 
 'If those words are in our law,' said Mr. Cohen, ' they 
 are very encouraging.' 
 
 ' The words are truth !' ejaculated Ben-Melchor ; ' the 
 Holy One (blessed be he) hath spoken thera.' 
 
 ' Have you, sir, a copy of your liturgy with you V 
 asked Mrs, Ryan, who seemed roused to shame the cold- 
 ness of this liberal Jew. 
 
 ' Why it happens that in looking out some things for 
 this trip, I transferred a prayer-book from my larger 
 trunk, and it is now in my cabin.' Without waiting for 
 another word, Alick, whose caution seemed all to be for- 
 gotten, flew down stairs, and brought up the liturgy in 
 constant use among them, to which he had never given 
 the smallest attention. Mrs. Ryan took the book, and 
 turning to the concluding part, the office of the Hosanna 
 Rabba, read as follows : ' The voice of (Elijah) who 
 bringeth glad tidings, and said — Thy salvation will I 
 strengthen when he (Messiah) cometh ; it is the voice of 
 my beloved, coming, and I will declare the glad tidings. 
 It is the voice of him who cometh with myriads of saints, 
 standing on the mount of Olives, and I will declare the 
 glad tidings. It is the voice of him (Messiah) when he 
 cometh at the sound of the great cornet when the moun- 
 tain will divide ; and I will declare the glad tidings. It 
 is the voice of him (Elijah) proclaiming the redemption 
 from captivity, and the (Messiah) coming with all his 
 pious ones with him ; and I will declare the glad tidings. 
 It is the voice of the bathkol roaring from Zion, pro- 
 claiming freedom to the whole world ; an I I will declare 
 the glad tidings. It is the voice of compassion pressing 
 on the seed (Israel) for they will be deemed innocent as 
 infants in the womb of their mothers ; and I will declare 
 the glad tidings.^'''' She passed over a few words, and 
 continued, ' " It is the voice of the pure one who work-
 
 judah's lion. 107 
 
 eth and beholdetli all these things; and I will declare the 
 glad tidings. It is the voice of salvation, proclaiming the 
 welcome period of the earth's acknowledging the unity 
 of his name ; and I will declare the glad tidings. It is 
 the voice of the Mighty One of heaven and earth, ex- 
 claiming. Can a nation be born at once % and I will de- 
 clare the glad tidings. It is the voice proclaiming the 
 period of redemption ; and the people shall see light, 
 ' and it shall come to pass, at even-tide there shall be 
 light, and I will declare the glad tidings. It is the voice 
 of the Savior's going up to mount Zion, who will heal the 
 sick, and will redeem the children of Zion, and I will 
 declare the glad tidings. It is the voice that shall be 
 heard in all thy borders, to enlarge the places of thy 
 dwellings ; and I xvill declare the glad tidi?igs. It is the 
 voice crying to make thy residence unto Damascus for the 
 reception of thy sons and thy daughters ; and I will de- 
 clare the glad tidings. It is the voice to make glad the 
 rose of Sharon ; for they shall rise who sleep in Hebron, 
 and I will declare the glad tidings. It is the voice cry- 
 ing. Turn ye to me, for on the day ye hearken, ye shall 
 be saved ; and I will declare the glad tidings . It is the 
 voice of the man whose name is the branch, and this self- 
 same branch is David ; and I will declare the glad tidings. 
 It is the voice proclaiming, rise ye up from the dust, 
 awake and shout, ye who inhabit the dust; and I will 
 declare the glad tidi7igs. It is the voice of the multitude 
 praising the reign of the Messiah, making great the salva- 
 tion of his kingdom ; and I will declare the glad tidings. 
 It is the voice exclaiming, the name of the wicked shall 
 perish, but he will show mercy to his anointed one, even 
 David ] and I ivill declare the glad tidi?igs. It is the
 
 108 judah's lion. 
 
 voice of granting salvation to his people for ever, even to 
 David and his seed to everlasting." '* 
 
 The silence that reigned while the lady, with equal 
 solemnity and animation, recited this remarkable portion 
 of Hebrew worship, was unbroken. Her auditors listened, 
 almost breathlessly ; and the very sailors as they passed 
 and repassed, trod lightly on the planks. Closing the 
 book, she said, ' This is your hope, and this is ours. Oh 
 that He, the God of Abraham, may hasten that glorious 
 day when there shall be one king over all the earth, and 
 his name one ! Do not forego this prospect : do not let 
 the poor advantages that may be obtained among Gentile 
 nations divert your eyes from looking, your heaits from 
 longing, for the consolation of Israel. The promise is 
 given: " though it tarry, wait for it — it will surely come 
 and not tarry." There, Mr. Cohen, is your book, some 
 parts of which are indeed contrary to Scripture ; but 
 there are very few prayers in it to which I cannot re- 
 spond with a fervent amen ; far, far unlike are they to 
 the idolatrous abominations that lately, on this very spot, 
 pained our ears, insulting the Most High God. Oh, that 
 you would seek to the Fountain-head of all truth, where 
 the water of life flows freely, unmingled with man's in- 
 ventions! Then should you understand the counsel of 
 the Lord, then should you clearly see what precious 
 things are reserved for you ; and hear indeed the voice 
 saying, " Turn ye to me, for on the day ye hearken ye 
 shall be saved !" 
 
 Without giving time for any one to reply, she took 
 Charley by the hand, and with an obeisance not only 
 
 • " The form of daily prayers, according to the custom of the 
 German and Polish Jews, as read in their synagogues, and used 
 in their families." — Printed and sold by Abrahams, Houndsditch. 
 A, M. 5596.
 
 judah's lion. 109 
 
 courteous, but respectful, she quitted the deck, and de- 
 scended to her cabin, to pour out a full, and on this occa- 
 sion, a thankful heart, 
 
 Alick looked at his father : he had never seen him 
 wear so solemn an aspect. Mr. Cohen had opened the 
 book, and was attentively reading the passage over. Ben- 
 Melchor suddenly exclaimed, ' That woman hath studied 
 the law, which was not made for women to study ; yet it 
 hath given her wisdom: she will pervert many. Youth, 
 beware of her !' 
 
 ' I wish he may never meet with anything more need- 
 ful to beware of,' said Mr. Cohen, abruptly. ' Come, 
 Alick, I want you to read to me: we have been too 
 little together of late, considering in how small a space 
 we are cooped up.' Then, bowing to Ben-Melchor, he 
 took Alick's arm, led him to his cabin, and to the youth's 
 great astonishment, desired him to begin and read aloud 
 the Hebrew Liturgy, which he did with extreme readi- 
 ness, and with increasing wonder that he should have 
 been so insensible to its bearing on the point that of late 
 had almost exclusively occupied his thoughts. He longed 
 unspeakably to discuss it with Mrs. Ryan ; and in the 
 meantime, after leaving his father, occupied himself in 
 ascertaining that the Psalms and other scriptural portions 
 contained in that book, exactly corresponded with his 
 Hebrew Bible, and the latter with the English. He 
 seemed to have now something tangible, both as regarded 
 Judaism and Christianity, and resolved to make use of it 
 in deciding the momentous question, of which he felt that 
 the importance hourly increased.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 All restraint was now completely removed, as regarded 
 the main subjects of Alick's conversations with Mrs. Ryan 
 and Charle}'. It was a plain question between them, 
 whether real Judaism was or was not Christianity ; and 
 to this end she especially urged upon him what he felt to 
 be a very powerful argument, — the sinfulness of man's 
 nature, of which, through the application of God's law 
 to his secret conscience, he already began to feel more 
 than theoretically convinced, — the absolute necessity of 
 some atoning sacrifice for that guilt ; and, supposing that 
 any one could really believe that the blood of bulls and 
 of goats had power to take away sin, the compulsory 
 cessation of those ordinances prescribed in the Mosaic 
 law, and the consequent condemnation of the whole 
 world, Jew and Gentile alike, for seventeen centuries. 
 Having established this, she proceeded to show in a very 
 simple and beautiful manner, how perfectly every type 
 was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus ; and how distinctly he is 
 set forth as " the end of the law for righteousness to every 
 one that believeth," not only in the writings of the Apos- 
 tles, but of the prophets, Alick's mind was of a fine 
 order, and peculiarly fitted for deep investigation : and
 
 jUdah's lion. Ill 
 
 being now for the first time really interested, it was for 
 the first time fairly drawn out : so that the present topic 
 engrossed it with exclusive power. Ben-Melchor had 
 distinctly established the authenticity of the Hebrew ver- 
 sion of the Old Testament which Mrs. Ryan had given 
 to him ; but at the same time denounced his study of it, in 
 that pure state, as contrary to the law of the Rabbins j his 
 father, on the contrary, assured him that it was very fre- 
 quently used among the Jews of their own acquaintance 
 who were at all inclined to obtain credit, as he said, for 
 theological learning and piety : and that their little 
 devotee, Esther, was constantly poring over it in her re- 
 tirement. From all this Allele gathered that he might with 
 perfect confidence refer every question to its decision, and 
 as Mrs. Ryan was well pleased to do the same, their argu- 
 ments went mainly to establish the correspondence or the 
 discrepancy of the New Testament with the Old. One 
 great advantage was gained by the early acquaintance into 
 which Alick had been brought with the idolatrous errors 
 of Popery : he could himself disprove many of them by 
 very plain passages in the Bible j and she took occasion 
 by this to show him how similarly unfounded and un- 
 scriptural were the doctrines and traditions of the Tal- 
 mudists. 
 
 For instance, on a strict fast-day, which occurred while 
 they were at sea, after a night of very troublesome 
 navigation, when the poor sailors, greatly needing refresh- 
 ment, looked quite wan and dejected for the lack of it, and 
 the captain was particularly audible and voluble before his 
 image, Alick remarked that it was doing a great injustice 
 to the character of the Most Merciful to suppose that He 
 could take any pleasure in seeing them crawling about 
 the ship, hungry and uncomfortable. Mrs. Ryan warmly
 
 112 judah's lion. 
 
 assented, and added, ' They really believe it is an accepta- 
 ble service, and very efficacious in atoning for sin.' 
 
 'Well,' said Alick, 'they did not learn such a notion 
 out oimy Scriptures, at any rate, whatever the other 
 book may say.' 
 
 ' The other book,' replied Mrs. Ryan, ' which, by the 
 way, is not another, says, " Bodily exercise profiteth lit- 
 tle," and stigmatizes as " doctrines of devils " the " for- 
 bidding to marry and commanding to abstain from 
 meats." ' 
 
 ' Then, so far we agree ; for look here, what Isaiah says, 
 "Is it such a fast that I have chosen ? a day for a man to 
 afflict his soul 1 is it to bow down his head like a bul- 
 rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under himl wilt 
 thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day unto the 
 Lord 1" ' 
 
 ' Will you read the eleventh verse of that fifty-eighth 
 chapter V said Mrs. Ryan eagerly : 'it is to show what 
 shall be the consequence of your people's forsaking these 
 empty forms of erring devotion, and worshipping and serv- 
 ing the Lord according to his own will.' 
 
 Alick read — ' "And they that shall be of thee shall build 
 the old waste places : thou shalt raise up the foundations of 
 many generations, and thou shalt be called. The repairer 
 of the breach. The restorer of paths to dwell in." This re- 
 fers to our restoration, certainly ; but I don't see how it 
 applies ; for we are quite free from such Gentile abomi- 
 nations.' 
 
 ' No,' she replied, ' look at your prayer-book, and read 
 in the afternoon service for the fast, what you appear not 
 to have noticed. It is at page 'M. Alick presently found 
 it, and read, " Sovereign of the Universe ! it is clearly 
 known unto thee that whilst the holy temple was esta- 
 blished, if a man sinned, he brought an offering, of which
 
 judah's lion. Il3 
 
 they only offered its fat and blood, yet didst thou in thine 
 abundant mercy grant him pardon ; but now, because of 
 our iniquities, the holy temple is destroyed, and we have 
 neither sanctuary nor priest to atone for us. Oh, may it 
 therefore be acceptable in thy presence that the diminu* 
 tion of my fat and blood, whicii hath been diminished this 
 day, may be accounted as fat offered and placed on the 
 altar, and thus be accepted of me." ' I can't say that I 
 like that, Mrs. Ryan : really it does savor of Popery, I am 
 sorry to confess.' - 
 
 ' True, and it does not savor of the Bible ; for look how 
 the Lord rejects something very similar to it, Micah vi* 
 6 — .8. " Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and 
 bow myself before the most high God 1 Shall I come be- 
 fore him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old 1 
 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with 
 ten thousands of rivers of oil ? shall I give my first-born 
 for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of 
 my soul % He hath showed thee, O man, what is good ; 
 and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, 
 and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God 1" ' 
 
 ' That,' said Alick, ' does away with sacrifices of every 
 kind, and provides no atonement at all, but a man's good 
 works.' 
 
 ' O far, far from it. " He hath showed thee, O man, 
 what is good," the alarmed soul is directed to some reve- 
 lation of God, providing the remedy that he would vainly 
 purchase by the blood of beasts, or that of his own flesh j 
 and upon this text alone, Mr. Cohen, I can rest, to prove 
 the utter insufficiency of all that man can do — the cer- 
 tainty that God has done for him what he never could 
 achieve for himself. To ascertain what this was, turn to 
 the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah.' 
 
 But Charles had already found the chapter, and his 
 sweet little voice, reading it throughout, gave the utmost 
 effect to its touching words. 
 11
 
 Hi judah's lion. 
 
 In this way Mrs. Ryan proceeded, at once vindicating 
 Christianity from the abominations of Popery, and Judaism 
 from those of the Talmud. Mr. Cohen, meanwhile, en- 
 couraged Alick to talk to him on the subject of their own 
 faith, and even allowed him to read those passages from 
 the prophetic writings which positively foretell the resto- 
 ration of Israel to their own land. On one occasion, he 
 said, ' You must curb your enthusiasm, my dear boy ; 
 whatever pleasant dreams you may indulge in, as to that 
 far distant period of which our holy prophets certainly 
 speak very clearly: remember, our present business is 
 with our own times and the men of our own times ; and 
 advancement among the nations, such as we are looking 
 for in England, where places of high trust and honor will 
 not long be closed against us, is worth seeking, if only to 
 facilitate the events on which your heart is so much fixed. 
 You don't want to see a procession of old clothesmen,' he 
 added smiling, ' with greasy beards, and sacks over their 
 ahoulders, returning to Jerusalem 1' 
 
 But Alick did not smile. ' Father, they are Jews, and 
 I am a Jew, and to Jerusalem we shall all return. It may 
 be in a depressed and humble state, that in our own land 
 the favor of God may first shine on us to raise us out of 
 the dust : but I never will allow that our path lies upward 
 among the Gentiles, crawling and creeping from grade to 
 grade, till we attain sufficient importance to restore our- 
 selves. No, no, sir: we shall never restore ourselves — 
 the Lord our God, He will restore us.' 
 
 Mr. Cohen looked at the youth's erect person, his ex- 
 tended arm, and animated gesture, and secretly thought 
 what a fine parliamentary speaker he would one day be- 
 come. He then said with his accustomed good-humor, 
 ' Well, my dear boy, far be it from me to check your 
 patriotic feelings, since you do feel that Jerusalem is indeed 
 our country, the land of our fathers, the land that God
 
 judah's lion. 115 
 
 gave to Abraham, and which I heartily hope will be re- 
 stored to Abraham's posterity. We only differ as to the 
 way of its accomplishment, and probably that difference 
 arises only from my longer intercourse with this matter-of- 
 fact world. I have beenan enthusiast myself, Allele, though 
 I confess not in a cause so high as what you are engaged 
 in : had my thoughts been turned into that channel, 'tis 
 not improbable that I might, some thirty years ago, have 
 raised a Hebrew corps from among the most despised of 
 our brethren in London, and undertaken the re-conquest 
 of Syria. So you see 1 can make allowances for your 
 sanguine anticipations of what, possibly, your children 
 may, In their old age, see the beginning of. Be as na- 
 tional as you please : if you don't serve your people in 
 one way, you may in another.' 
 
 * Dear father, how kind you always are to me ! It 
 does make me so happy to find you willing to indulge me 
 in talking on this subject.' 
 
 ' It would be very unnatural in me not to do so, Alick. 
 To say truth, I am the more willing to indulge you in 
 talking to me, because you so readily and honorably gave 
 up the intercourse with a person of whom I could not ap- 
 prove, on board ship.' 
 
 Alick colored : ' Indeed, sir, I do not deserve that com- 
 mendation ; I was not ready to give up his society, but he 
 himself positively refused to allow me to carry on the 
 acquaintance against your will.' 
 
 ' He was afraid of his superior officers,' 
 
 ' No ; he proved to me out of the law of Moses that 
 to disobey my parents was a very great offence in God's 
 sight.' 
 
 ' He spoke truth : it was punishable with death.' 
 
 ' So he told me, sir, and also that the command, so far 
 from being abrogated, was confirmed by — by — ' 
 
 ^ By the Christian religion, I suppose 1 very likely ; for
 
 116 judah's lion. 
 
 I remember seeing in a church the law of the ten com- 
 mandments very conspicuously displayed in gill letters, 
 on what they consider the most sacred part of the build- 
 ing. I am glad, however, to find that the old seaman 
 was so honest.' 
 
 Here the matter dropped : but Alick had got a new 
 idea out of which to frame a question for Mrs. Ryan. 
 
 ' Do you imitate the Temple, and the synagogue 
 worship in your churches'?' said he. 'Have you the ark 
 there V 
 
 ' No ; what makes you think so V 
 
 ' Only, my father was talking of your deeming a part 
 of your churches more holy than any other part.' 
 
 ' Indeed we do not ; or if any do, they have no warrant 
 either of Scripture or of our church for their superstitious 
 notion. There is a table in all our places of worship, on 
 which the bread and wine are placed, at the celebration 
 of the Lord's Supper, and this table is ordered to be put 
 on one side when not wanted. Unhappily, most of our 
 older churches were built during the domination of 
 Popery ; and as they have a pagan altar, and a recess in 
 the east end always to fix it in, surmounted and surround- 
 ed with such things as you saw in the Captain's cabin, we, 
 for convenience' sake, had our table set there ; and to fill 
 up the space that was stripped of the idolatrous images 
 and pictures, we, very properly, exhibit the ten com- 
 mandments, of which, you know, one solemnly prohibits 
 what we by God's grace have abjured. Gradually the 
 bringing of the table out into the chancel or body of the 
 church, was discontinued, and the congregation directed 
 to go up to it instead ; and for the preservation of the 
 articles laid upon it, and to prevent inconvenient pres- 
 sure, a railing was thrown across. From this, some 
 ignorant people came to attach a sort of sanctity to what 
 was so exclusive : and the error — as error always does —
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 117 
 
 Spread a good deal. The table is even called an altar by 
 some, though we allow of no sacritice but the sacrifice of 
 thanksgiving offered up on the altar of our hearts, and 
 made acceptable by Christ's sacrifice. No person who 
 studies the Bible can be led away into the unscriptural 
 foil}' of attributing to any one part of a Christian house of 
 prayer greater holiness than to any other part ; nor can a 
 person who reads the canons and other formularies of our 
 church convict her of countenancing it.' 
 
 ' I am glad I asked you, ma'am,' said Alick 5 ' for to 
 confess the truth, the more I see of your wide separation 
 from this disgusting idolatry, the more willing I am to 
 listen to your opinions. I'm sure I owe a great deal to 
 you : I have learned to love my own people, and the 
 God of my people, far better since I listened to your in- 
 struction ; and if I don't believe all that you do, it is be- 
 cause I have not yet found it plainly declared in my own 
 Scriptures, which I know to be God's word, and by which 
 I am resolved to judge of everything I hear.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan was deeply interested by her young com- 
 panion's state of feeling; and rejoiced at the sturdy deter- 
 mination which he expressed, to believe nothing that mili- 
 tated against Moses and the prophets. She was, however, 
 about to enjoy the assistance of a very unexpected aux- 
 iliary in the good work. Two days after, they passed 
 Cape Colonna ; while slowly bending their course close 
 by a small rocky island, a boat was seen to put off from 
 its shore, and to row evidently towards their bark. Alick 
 was on deck, Charley on his knee, watching a most 
 glorious sunset, and pleasantly chatting', when this boat 
 engaged their attention, and the warning of the steers- 
 man that she was making for them, elicited a great many 
 guesses and playful remarks, as to who could be coming 
 to pay them a visit. ' Some nice little boy, Charley, 
 11*
 
 118 JUDAH^S LlONi 
 
 to romp about with you, and to put your poor Jew friend 
 
 into a corner.' 
 
 ' No, Mr. Alick, nobody can do that, sure they can't ! 
 Ah ! I love you with all the veins of my heart ; I do, I 
 do,' and he hugged him warmly. 
 
 ' Time will show, Charley ; I'm desperately afraid of 
 a rival.' 
 
 The boat neared, and soon hailed them, and a gentle- 
 man stood up, at sight of whom Charley gave a sudden 
 start, and changed color, staring at Alick in evident per- 
 plexity : but the sound of a loud, cheerful, bold voice, ask- 
 ing, in not very perfect Italian, whether there was a lady 
 on board, put an end to Charley's difficulties ; he strug-- 
 gled most violently to get free from Alick, who held him 
 fast on account of the sudden stir on board, and shrieked 
 out ' Papa ! papa !' 
 
 A very few seconds elapsed after this outcry, ere a fine^ 
 officer-like man sprang on deck; and Alick, not a little 
 astonished at the sudden verification of his playful prog- 
 nostics, allowed the boy to leap from his arms into those 
 of his delighted father, and then with a right creditable 
 feeling ran down to apprise Mrs. Ryan in the least start- 
 ling way he could, of the arrival of her husband, and hast- 
 ened to his own little berth. 
 
 His first feeling was one of vexation, at being interrupt- 
 ed and rivalled in the enjoyment of his intercourse with 
 his friends : but this gave place to satisfaction in the pros- 
 pect of such an addition as Capt. Ryan promised to be to 
 their party. He v,'as wonderfully pleased with his trum- 
 pet-toned voice, the elasticity of his step, the spirit of his 
 movements, and above all, with the fi'-e of an eye that 
 melted at once into the softest tenderness when his little 
 boy rushed towards him; and even at that moment, a 
 smile of courteous apology seemed to crave Alick's in- 
 dulgence for his young charge's rudeness, and to thank
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 119 
 
 him for his care. ' He is a fine fellow, and a nice fellow, 
 or I am much mistaken,' thought Alick ; ' and I can con- 
 tradict him flat in an argument, instead of the round-about, 
 polite way I have to contradict the lady in.' 
 
 His soliloquies were interrupted by Charley, who, 
 bouncing in, and jumping, said, 'No, not even papa shall 
 put you into a corner, you love of a Jew ! I'm come to 
 tell you so : and papa says you are the broth of a boy, for 
 taking care of me ; and he will love you too.' 
 
 ' The broth of a boy ! What's that 1 I never was 
 boiled '— 
 
 ' Oh, that's an Irish saying. They call O'Connell the 
 broth of a boy, and we call McGhee the broth of a boy.' 
 
 ' Then it's a compliment, 1 suppose : but without your 
 explanation I should have thought it a questionable one.' 
 
 Very soon afterwards. Captain Ryan appeared on deck 
 again, where Charley had led his friend, and with the 
 most polished suavity of manner, combined with great 
 frankness, bowed to Alick, then extended his hand, and 
 warmly thanked him for his care of Charley ; adding, 
 * His dear mother says you have quite taken charge of 
 him ; and saved him from many an hour's confinement to 
 the cabin below, by enabling her to feel how perfectly 
 safe he was under your guardianship.' 
 
 ' Indeed, sir,' said Alick, ' no small part of the obliga- 
 tion is on my side. I should have been very dull without 
 the society of my little friend and his mamma : and much 
 more io-norant than I am, but for their instructions,' he 
 added, while Charley's eyes danced with deliglit, as he 
 looked at his father ; who, fixing a gaze on the young 
 Jew that bespoke a feeling of most intense and affection- 
 ate interest, said, ' My dear Cohen, the hand that brought 
 you together in this small vessel, is one that does nothing 
 in vain.' 
 
 Captain Ryan was one of those sensible men who know
 
 120 JUDAh's LIONi 
 
 that by an instant avowal of their real characters and feel- 
 ings, as disciples of the Lord, they shall save themselves 
 much probable embarrassment, and avoid many snares. 
 He could not agree vi'ith some, who, in order not to 
 startle or alarm prematurely such as they hope, neverthe- 
 less, to do good to, hold back the distinguishing badge of 
 their service, and to the worldly become as worldlings 
 that they may gain the worldly, — a very dangerous and 
 mistaken parody on the apostle's proceedings with regard 
 to others. He never lost any time in committing him- 
 self, that he might the sooner be actively engaged ; and 
 no man was better fitted, as to natural gifts, for a combat 
 of the kind — no man more unreservedly threw himself on 
 divine help, and the wisdom that com-eth from above. He 
 was exceedingly energetic, full of vivacity, perpetually ia 
 motion, using much, but by no means extravagant or af- 
 fected gesticulation. In his language, plain, blunt, and 
 with a constant vein of Irish humor that sparkled in his 
 eye, and played about his smiling mouth. A noble fore- 
 head, with a profusion of sandy hair, that defied the hand 
 of art to keep its curls in any order. Added to all this, 
 the military gait, and quick, comprehensive glance that 
 seemed to take in all around him, formed a person so un- 
 like any that Alick had lately seen, or ever associated 
 with, that he was perfectly delighted, and felt a most long- 
 ing desire to plunge into all the depths of the subjects that 
 exercised his mind, with a person so evidently able and 
 willing to encounter any antagonist. ' I like these Chris- 
 tians more and more,' said he to himself, ' that is, the 
 Christians who seem to understand the things they profess 
 to believe ; and who, because they think themselves in 
 the right, try to make others agree with them instead of 
 despising them for differing, or, what comes to the same 
 thing, not caring whether the rest of the world go right 
 or wrong. What noble Jews they would make, Gordon,
 
 judah's lion. 121 
 
 and Ryan, and my little Charley also : but God alone can 
 make a Jew ; so it is of no use my wishing they were of 
 the children of Abraham.' Alick did not yet know that 
 God alone can make a Christian. 
 
 It was a beautiful moonlight night ; and as Alick re- 
 clined on the bulwarks, musing over the deep blue sea, 
 after the usual hour of rest, he was surprised to see Mrs. 
 Ryan approach, leaning on her husband's arm. She 
 greeted him with affectionate warmth, and said, ' You see, 
 I am not slow in availing myself of this unexpected privi- 
 lege, to enjoy what, as a solitary female, I could not in- 
 dulge myself in — the still air of night, and the lovely 
 moonbeams on the water.' 
 
 * I have often regretted it, ma'am,' replied Alick, 'when 
 I have sat here alone, only half pleased with the beauties 
 that surrounded me, because I had no one to join in ad- 
 miring them. I don't know, though, whether I ought to 
 regret it ; for I assure you those lonely hours have helped 
 very much to fix on my mind things that you have taught 
 me during the little time we passed together.' 
 
 ' You are a most unprejudiced fellow,' said Captain 
 Ryan. 
 
 ' Not much to my credit, sir : had I been a better 
 Jew, I should have had more prejudices ; but the fact is, 
 I was neither one thing nor another.' 
 
 'And what are you now, Cohen V 
 
 ' A Jew, Captain Ryan : by natural descent and inherit- 
 ance ; by profession ; and, I am thankful to say, by most 
 deliberate choice and conviction ; if it were a matter 
 where a man might choose whether he would be of royal 
 blood or no.' His innate politeness made him blush at 
 the consciousness that he had spoken these words in a 
 tone and with a manner too haughty for his years ; but 
 the smile that they elicited from his friends was one of 
 affectionate gratification, and he felt quite at ease.
 
 122 JUDAIl'S LION. 
 
 ' I wish,' said Captain Ryan, ' you would adopt the 
 language of a countryman of yours, who was exceedingly 
 tenacious of the high privilege in which you glory : he 
 says, " We that are Jews by nature, and not sinners of 
 the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the 
 works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ ; even 
 WE have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justi- 
 fied by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the 
 law ; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justi- 
 fied." ' 
 
 'I partly understand that,' said Alick, thoughtfully, 
 * for I cannot bring myself to believe that the works 
 which Ben-Melchor thinks so needful and beneficial — long 
 fasts, exposure to cold, prayers recited by the dozen, and 
 various positions of body to be gone through, will do any- 
 thing towards obtaining God's favor hereafter/ 
 
 ' Ben-Melchor ! have you got him on board V 
 
 ' Yes ; do you know him V 
 
 ' As an old, most subtle antagonist ; he has often acted 
 the part of Elymas, in seeking to turn away some in- 
 quirer from the faith. Beware of his sophistries.' 
 
 ' I am in no danger of him : he tries to dissuade me 
 from reading the Scriptures, which is as if a man in the 
 dark, going to look for some treasure, was to begin by 
 blowing out his candle.' 
 
 ' You are right : hold fast that doctrine, for it is the 
 root of all the rest. And now, since you admit that the 
 way of justification is not by man's doings or deservings 
 — in Paul's words, " not by the works of the law" — tell 
 me, how do you, in your own person, expect to be justi- 
 fied before God V 
 
 ' I am not sure that I exactly understand your mean- 
 ing.' 
 
 ' My meaning is this : you are mortal — you must die, 
 you must appear before God to give account of yourself ;
 
 judah's lion. 123 
 
 you are a sinner — you must be forgiven your iniquities, 
 and moreover counted worthy of reward and exaltation ; 
 for there is no medium, — if you escape hell you must en- 
 joy heaven. Now, Cohen, how will you escape hell — 
 how will you enter into heaven V 
 
 This was a plain question, plainly put. Alick had never 
 felt so startled, so perplexed. Hitherto his inquiries had 
 rather tended to the abstract question between Judaism 
 and Christianity ; and temporal consequences — what 
 should become of his people, and of him as one among 
 them, were his principal object. The matter was now 
 brought home to him : placed in a new light, and made 
 one of salvation or destruction to himself. He had no 
 answer ready ; and before he could frame one, Captain 
 Ryan resumed, as it appeared, very irrelevantly to what 
 he had last said, ' Tell me, Cohen, to what cause do you 
 attribute the prolonged dispersion, depression, destruction 
 of your people V 
 
 Alick, with some little asperity, answered, ' I know you 
 think it is because our fathers crucified Jesus of Naza- 
 reth.' 
 
 '• I think no such thing. I believe and am sure that the 
 calamities which overtook Jerusalem and her people were 
 the consequences of that fearful deed ; but far be it from 
 me to say that " the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and 
 the children's teeth are set on edge." No : the cause of 
 your continued affliction is your still stumbling, from 
 generation to generation, at that " stone of stumbling." 
 Israel is still outcast, because " they, going about to es- 
 tablish their own righteousness, would not submit to the 
 righteousness of God." "Because of unbelief they were 
 broken off;" " and they, if they abide not in unbelief, 
 shall be grafted in again," Such is the language of that 
 Jew whose words I before quoted.' 
 
 ' You surprise me, Captain Ryan. I always understood
 
 124 judah's lion, 
 
 that Christians despise and abhor us entirely on that ac- 
 count.' 
 
 ' I know it is a common error ; but an error it is, hav- 
 ing no foundation in Scripture. I repudiate it ; I hold 
 you "beloved for the fathers' sake," as a people; and if 
 not now enjoying God's favor, it is because you will not 
 look to Christ, and seek salvation through him. The pro- 
 mises are yours, but they are of no avail to you, being 
 impenetrably sealed, with seals that only the Lion of the 
 tribe of Judah has power to open. Ask of him, and he 
 will remove every impediment to your full possession of 
 all those precious promises. Not the transgressions of 
 your fathers, but your own transgressions separate between 
 you and him. When you know him as your Savior, 
 and hail in him your long-expected Messiah, you will in- 
 deed mourn in bitterness of heart the cruelties heaped on 
 him by those whom he came to seek and to save ; but for 
 the present, deal with him only as concerns the salvation of 
 your soul ; believe that God hath set him forth as a propi- 
 tiation for sin ; and suffer not the question to slumber till 
 you have satisfactorily solved it from the pages of the 
 Holy Bible — how you shall escape hell ; how you shall 
 obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.'
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 The more Allck Cohen pondered upon the conver- 
 sation that had passed on the deck, the more out of 
 humor he felt, and the more disposed to find fault with 
 his new acquaintance. The home question, so plainly, 
 so unexpectedly put, seemed to ring in his ears, with 
 all the emphasis of earnest interrogation that had 
 marked its delivery. He had no answer ; and in such 
 cases the enemy of souls ever suggests evasions, or 
 raises objections that will prevail to harden the con- 
 science, and to seal up the mind in deeper darkness 
 than before, if a stronger than he be not working in 
 the heart of the sinner. But Alick's case was not of 
 this character : two devoted servants of the Lord, 
 equally anxious for the soul of an erring brother, 
 speaking the truth to him in love, with boldness and 
 simplicity, then together pouring out prayer for a 
 blessing on the seed so cast, will shake the pillars of 
 Satan's throne, be it established where it may. The 
 very fact of being brought into contact with an un- 
 converted person, and finding both will and opportuni- 
 ty given to plead with him, and a desire to seek the 
 Lord on his behalf, will encourage any true Christian 
 confidently to believe that there is a purpose of mer- 
 cy towards that sinner, and that the set time to favor 
 him is come. 
 
 12
 
 l26 judah's lio:n. 
 
 Our dear young Jew could not account for the ex- 
 treme fretfulness of his feeling when left alone. 
 'Pho !' thought he, 'why need I trouble my head with 
 the officious talk of a stranger who knows nothing 
 ahout me 1 Of course, as a Jew, this upstart Gentile 
 thinks I must needs be on the high road to Gehenna. 
 I wonder what road his ancestors were on, when mine 
 were the acknowledged people of Jehovah, the glory 
 and terror of the world !' He took one prcmd, strid- 
 ing turn upon the little deck, while a vision of Jeru- 
 salem's ancient grandeur — her temple, her Sheckinah, 
 and all the magnificence of her kingly pomp in Solo- 
 mon's day, shone before his mental sight j then resum- 
 ed his soliloquy — " If all these glories are departed, 
 Zion become a desolation, ploughed as a field, left as a 
 besieged city, a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, her 
 children scattered, peeled, become a proverb, a bye- 
 word, and a reproach — exposed to the taunts, and still 
 worse, to the impertinent preaching of the lowest of 
 the Goim j if,' — here his feelings overpowered him : 
 he sat down, and resting his folded arms on the bul- 
 warks, laid his head upon them, murmuring, ' Oh, will 
 the God of our fathers never forgive — never restore 
 his people to his love !' 
 
 Tears, which had seldom dimmed his bright joyous 
 eyes, stole down for a few moments, and he felt re- 
 lieved. ' Well, I am wrong to blame this worthy man 
 for wishing me well after his way. He spoke of the 
 Lion too ; and now I'll go read those glorious pro- 
 phetic blessings of my father Abraham, and forget 
 this little vexation.' What the little vexation was, 
 Alick would have found it difficult to explain — it was 
 simply that he had been asked how he should be saved 
 and he could not find an answer. 
 
 To the book of Genesis he now turned, by the light
 
 judah's lion. 127 
 
 of his friendly lantern, and read with a swelling heart 
 till he came to the words, " The sceptre shall not de- 
 part from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet 
 until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering 
 of the people be." Gen. xlix. 10. He had heard the 
 Christian interpretation of this passage insisted on 
 more than once by his Gentile friends ; and now it 
 struck him with a force that quite arrested his reading. 
 ' I will know the meaning of this,' said he ; ' I'll ask 
 my father, Ben-Melchor, every Jew I meet, till I get 
 at the right inference. The sceptre is departed, the 
 lawgiver has ceased : and therefore Shiloh is come. 
 Shiloh ! that has something to do with peace and bless- 
 edness ; and no peace for poor Israel since her scep- 
 tre departed, but a sword drawn out after us ; no bless- 
 edness, but a curse. Now suppose, just for one mo- 
 ment suppose the Christians were right, and that Jesus 
 was — is our Messiah — (if the thought be blasphemy 
 may I be forgiven !) suppose it true that we rejected 
 him, and are scattered for so doing, then it would fol- 
 low that whenever we returned to him, our blessings 
 would return to us. Time will show ; meanwhile, I 
 will go with my people. When they confess him, I'll 
 confess him. I'll wait for that time patiently ; and so, 
 Captain Ryan, your question is answered.' He resum- 
 ed his readings but in a moment after a dreadful 
 crash was heard, the planks vibrated under his feet, a 
 scream followed, and he rushed to the foreship whence 
 it proceeded ; where, also, in a few seconds all the lit- 
 tle crew were assembled, together with the gentlemen 
 from below. A heavy mass of coiled chain had fallen 
 from its position, and under it lay the head of a youth 
 about his own age, a young sailor whose cheerful 
 good-humored countenance and obliging ways had 
 rendered him a general favorite. With all speed the
 
 128 judah's lion. 
 
 chain was lifted from him, but a bruised and bleeding 
 mass was all that appeared of that smiling face and 
 graceful head. Instantaneous destruction had over- 
 taken him ; no spark of life remained ; and as the 
 spectators sadly and silently drew back, leaving the 
 youth's dead body in the hands of his shipmates, Alick 
 encountered Captain Ryan, who grasped his hand with- 
 out uttering a word, and casting up a look peculiarly 
 humble and sorrowful towards heaven, passed on. It 
 was wisely done to refrain from speaking at such a 
 fflfioment j the spectacle before them was the voice of 
 him before whom man must be silent. Alick assisted 
 his father back to his cabin, surprised and alarmed at 
 the extreme tremor of a robust frame which he knew 
   enclosed a most intrepid spirit. He hastily gave him 
 a cordial, after which Mr. Cohen said, ' This sea-sick- 
 ness unnerves a man, Alick ; but indeed the stoutest 
 might tremble at being startled from sleep to behold 
 such a fearful sight. You are pale and cold too, my 
 dear boy j take a glass yourself. Really you think 
 more of any one than of one who is of more value 
 than half the rest.' 
 
 ' Perhaps, father, that poor boy was of far greater 
 value than I. Some widowed mother might depend 
 on his aid i some helpless sister may be left unpro- 
 tected.' 
 
 ' God is good, Alick ; we must hope the best.' 
 ' Aye, father ; but God is just too j and how terrible 
 are his denunciations against idolatry !' 
 
 Mr. Cohen was silent ; Alick expected a reproof for 
 his illiberal remark, but to his great surprise his fa- 
 ther, after a moment's pause, said, < In truth, that was 
 what caused my emotion. Poor, poor fellow! I heard 
 him not half an hour ago chanting in a low tone his 
 devotions to some false god or goddess, I knew his
 
 JUBAH^S LIONi 1'29 
 
 ^ne voice well, and used to listen with pleasure, and 
 really, Alick, my conscience smote me dreadfully to 
 think that I had found gratification in what had cost 
 him his soul. ' 
 
 ' Well, father, do lie down now. We are in life^ 
 blessed be the Holy One of Israel ! and may we never 
 be called unprepared.' •■ 
 
 Mr. Cohen blessed him — it was a custom that he 
 rarely observed, though among his nation generally it 
 is regarded as a regular duty : but in fact, with the ex- 
 ception of Esther, Mr. Cohen's household were Jews 
 but in name and race. Alick's heart leaped as he 
 heard the solemn benediction uttered; he kissed his 
 father's hand, and retired to his little berth — the deck 
 he did not wish to approach ; for he shrank from en^ 
 countering again that horrifying spectacle. 'Poor 
 lad !' thought he : ' oh, that the question had been put 
 to him which was put to me, and that he had consid' 
 ered it, and answered it in time ! This is a warning 
 to me : I must not trifle now — the next head that is 
 crushed may be my own.' 
 
 He stood up, and with a lowly spirit he prayed to 
 the God of his fathers to become his teacher. He 
 pleaded the mercy shown to Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- 
 cob ; and all the rich promises to their seed. He asked 
 to be kept from error, and to be made willing to re- 
 ceive truth: and though the name that is above every 
 name was not spoken by his lips in that whispered 
 prayer, his heart yearned towards the Crucified, and 
 its secret language to him was that of the doubting 
 suppliant. ' If thou can'st do anything, have com- 
 passion on us and help us.' 
 
 He sat down, with a feeling of encouragement quite 
 new to him, and without hesitation began to read the 
 Gospel of St. John. The decided language roused his 
 12*
 
 130 judah's lion, 
 
 attention more than anything in the New Testament 
 had done. " The Word was God... The Word became 
 flesh and dwelt among us... He came unto his own, 
 and his own received him not ; but to as many as re- 
 ceived him to them gave he power to become the sons 
 of God." ' Why ; here is the whole matter in a nut- 
 shell, — according to this, Jesus would be Godj his 
 own, that is, the Jews, would not receive him, and were 
 cast off; others, that is, the Gentiles, received him, 
 and so obtained our place and privileges. Can this be V 
 He read on and came to the Baptist's testimony — " Be- 
 hold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of 
 the world !" ' That alludes to the lamb slain in sa- 
 crifice, which the Christians say was a type. I re- 
 member the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who alone 
 was worthy to open the seals of the book, is describe 
 ed as a lamb that had been slain ; and Jesus said to 
 John, " I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I 
 am alive for evermore." How these passages do dove- 
 tail into one another % " Taketh away the sin of the 
 world" — how 1 not in the lump, I should think : for the 
 sacrifices were of no avail except to those who ob- 
 served them as an ordinance of God. The Israelite 
 had to lay his iiand on the animal's head and confess 
 his own sins, in order to partake of the benefit ; and 
 then they were carried away into the wilderness — car- 
 ried away : " taketh away the sin of the world," — 
 another coincidence. So then, I must, if this be 
 truth, have my sins taken away by this Lamb of God. 
 What sins can 1 have committed, to need such a re- 
 moval V 
 
 Here was the turning-point : Alick closed the book, 
 and began to examine his past life. 
 
 He had no settled standard by which to measure 
 himself j at last he thought he must take the cercrao-
 
 judah's lion. 131 
 
 nial law, and all that the Jews recognized as binding 
 on them, for the purpose 5 but it struck him that the 
 Gentiles, who had by receiving Christ beconne sons, 
 could not have that law as a rule ; therefore he sought 
 for something common to all men. He recollected 
 that his father had said, and Mrs. Ryan also, that the 
 ten commandmentswere exhibited in Christian church- 
 es, an universal code of divine law ; and on this ground 
 he selected the precise rule by which any true believ- 
 er would have directed him to try himself. Turning 
 to Exodus XX. he began, and the reading of the first 
 commandment afforded him perfect satisfaction; 'I 
 neither have had, nor will have, any other God but the 
 Lord my God, who brought my fathers out of the land 
 of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.' The second 
 delighted him still more, 'Oh, I am not only clear in 
 this matter, but I have borne an open testimony in the 
 public streets against the sin of idolatry. If all goes 
 on like this, I may be easy enough.' The third start- 
 led him. ' Well, I have used that name too lightly, in 
 a moment of anger or levity. I have taken it in vain ; 
 may the Holy One forgive me !' He would have pro- 
 ceeded, but was unable. ' This is a sin, and I as an 
 Israelite should have to confess it on the head of the 
 animal, to be forgiven. Well, there's no scape-goat 
 nor lamb for a sacrifice here, so how can I \ "Behold 
 the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
 world !" I see how a Christian would apply it. But 
 this was only a fault of the tongue : I meant no sin, 
 and surely it will be forgiven. I won't be guilty of it 
 again. He read the fourth, and was confounded, 'I 
 know how strictly our people keep this day, though 
 we did not. The Christians have a sabbath, too, and 
 finely they keep it ! Men-servants driving their car- 
 riages about: maid-servants cooking rich dinners;
 
 132 JUDAH's LlONi 
 
 cattle fagged to death ; and the stranger within theiif 
 gates coming and going by means of such poor over- 
 worked cattle, and feasted by the labor of such ser- 
 vants. Come, we can none of us plead innocence 
 here. If I were the master of a house, I'd feel un- 
 comfortable ; but being only a child in the house, I 
 could do no otherwise than my parents did, who have 
 run in the face of this commandment ever since I can 
 remember, more shame to them,' said Alick, and pass- 
 ed on to the fifth. 
 
 This proved a terrible blow to him : he had always 
 loved his parents, but never honored them, until with- 
 in a few days his feeling towards his father had be- 
 come more respectful — better suited to his deportment. 
 He was a spoilt child, and managed them both by 
 finesse, and encouraged the younger children to carry 
 any point by teasing. Of their respective infirmities 
 and peculiarities too, he had accustomed himself to 
 speak very freely and irreverently, so as to provoke 
 many rebukes from Esther, and not a few from his 
 own better feeling. In short, no excuse that self-jus* 
 tifying plausibility could frame, would avail him here. 
 He had habitually and systematically broken this law 
 — knowingly too, thanks to Esther and old Susan, who 
 had kept him perpetually aware of his fault: and how 
 to get rid of this weight he knew not. He could not 
 make light of it, as he had done of the preceding two 5 
 and his distress of mind was great. He scarcely no- 
 ticed the four following, but the tenth confounded 
 him. 'Not covet?' he exclaimed; 'I have coveted 
 everything that pleased me, no matter who it belong- 
 ed to. If attainable, I have purchased it ; if not, I have 
 gone on coveting and secretly murmuring about it. 
 These four commandments condemn me; and there 
 are many and many things not specified here, which I
 
 judah'slion. 133 
 
 know to be sinfully wrong, yet I have done them times 
 unnumbered ; and even if I were forgiven the past, 
 I fear I should be doing the same things, through 
 habit or thoughtlessness, often again. Oh for a lamb 
 to take away all these sins ; and for help to do right in 
 future !' 
 
 The more he reflected, the more uneasy he became ; 
 memory was awake, conscience aroused, and he quail- 
 ed under their rapidly-succeeding accusations. It was 
 long ere he slept, and on rising he felt ill and gloomy ; 
 'I will listen to no more of their talk; I am young 
 and have plenty of time before me ;' — here the recol- 
 lection of the mangled head suddenly startled him; 
 '_^0h no, I must not reckon on life ; but surely I need 
 not spoil all the pleasure of the voyage by brooding 
 over such distressing things.' 
 
 When he went on deck a consultation was being 
 held, as to the disposal of the corpse. The weather 
 was sultry, the ship small, and all being willing to at- 
 test the accidental nature of the poor lad's death, the 
 Captain agreed to commit him to the deep, which was 
 done with so many superstitious observances and idol- 
 atrous prayers as made it a most painful spectacle. 
 Mr. Cohen did not appear till it was over ; and then he 
 was introduced to Captain Ryan, to whom he took an 
 extraordinary liking ; — doubly extraordinary in Alick's 
 sight, contrasted as it was with the usual polite indif- 
 ference of his deportment. The sad event of the pre- 
 ceding night was soon adverted to, and Captain Ryan 
 strongly animadverted on the cruelty of that system 
 which seals up the souls of men in an idolatrous delu- 
 sion. To this Mr. Cohen warmly assented. ' There 
 are great differences between your creed and ours,' he 
 remarked : ' but I really think you Protestants abhor 
 idolatry equally with us.' 
 
 ' We do indeed ; yet you too often confound us with
 
 134 judah's lion. 
 
 those who practise it ; not knowing that the watchword 
 of our faith is, like yours, " Hear, Israel j the Lord 
 our God is one Lord !" ' 
 
 ' Did you hear of that young fellow's adventure in 
 Malta r 
 
 ' I did, and recognized in it the spirit of Gideon 
 breaking down Baal's altar. May the God of his fath- 
 ers make him ever valiant for the truth !' 
 
 ' In order to be so,' said Mr. Cohen very thoughtful- 
 ly, ' he must first know what that truth is ; I fear we 
 have been deficient in acquainting him with things most 
 needful to be learned.' 
 
 Alick's breath was well nigh gone with astonishment 
 at hearing his father speak thus ; he began to fear Ben- 
 Melchor had been infecting him with his Talmudism. 
 Captain Ryan looked doubtful and anxious. ' It is a 
 point of universal interest and importance, Mr. Cohen, 
 to know where truth may be found. Permit me to ask 
 in what quarter do you seek it V 
 
 'In that, sir, I believe we are both agreed; unques- 
 tionably, all truth is contained in the word of God.' 
 
 'And in the oral law,' added Ben-Melchor, who re- 
 marked as he approached that the speaker raised his 
 voice, and directed the words towards him. 
 
 'My old friend, how are you V asked Captain Ryan, 
 half laughing ; while Ben-Melchor looked the extreme 
 reverse of anything mirthful ; ' you say that I haunt 
 you through every land, and cross your path in every 
 city ; and I fear you will not acquit me of contriving 
 this unexpected rencontre on the bosom of the waves.' 
 
 'Meet me where you will,' answered the Jew fierce- 
 ly, ' you shall not contaminate my garment by the un- 
 clean doctrine of the Nazarenes.' 
 
 ' Indeed, Josef, I hope I shall, with the Lord's bless- 
 ing, convince you yet. But a heart of flesh must be
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 135 
 
 given before the law of the Holy One can be engraven 
 there,' pointing to the Jew's side, who shrank from 
 him. 
 
 ' You have spoken words of blasphemy against our 
 holy religion,' said Ben-Melchor, trembling with rage. 
 
 ' I have not ; your holy religion is mine, except that 
 where you grasp the unfolded bud of the blossom, I 
 feast on the ripe fruit. I have denounced, and I will 
 denounce your Rabbinical absurdities, not one half of 
 which do you believe, while you uphold them all j but 
 your religion, Josef, as delineated by Moses and the 
 prophets, is that whereon I rest my faith, my hope, my 
 present consolation, and everlasting peace. When 
 my blessed Master revealed himself as the risen Sa- 
 vior, the promised Messiah of Israel, and Redeemer 
 of the world, how did he instruct his eleven disciples 1 
 By opening their understandings that they might un- 
 derstand the Scriptures. What Scriptures '? Yours, 
 the only Scriptures then in existence. I wish you 
 were half as devoted to Moses as I am !' 
 
 ' This very day,' said Ben-Melchor, with bitter so- 
 lemnity, ' and in this very vessel, there was worship 
 paid to idols of wood and of stone, made and fashion- 
 ed by men's hands; and a box was produced wherein 
 was deposited a fragment of unleavened paste, turned 
 by the magic of a Christian priest into the body of the 
 crucified, whom you call Jesus ; and unto this did the 
 Christians address their prayers, kneeling prostrate, 
 in supplication for the soul's safety of the slain man.' 
 
 ' Then they committed an act of most detestable 
 idolatry,' answered Captain Ryan ; 'utterly to be ab- 
 horred of all Christian men. But, Ben-Melchor, why 
 do you talk thus to me 1 You perfectly know that the 
 religion of these people is not my religion, but that it 
 much more resembles yours ; being an abuse and per-
 
 136 JUDAh's LIONi 
 
 version of the truth — a counterfeit of man's devisincp. 
 Leave these pretended misapprehensions alone, Ben* 
 Melchor, and meet me on the common ground of God's 
 inspired word, as contained in the Old Testament, but 
 made void and of none effect to you, by your vain tra- 
 ditions received from your fathers.' 
 
 ' What a fine, straightforward fellow !' whispered 
 Mr. Cohen to Alick ; ' but that old fox will never break 
 cover, and come out into open day.' 
 
 Charley now came slowly along the deck; his 
 cheeks were pale, and his eyes swollen, and he stole a 
 timid glance towards the place where the fatal calam- 
 ity had occurred. His father held out his arms, and 
 the boy climbed on his knee and smiled. 
 
 ' Poor fellow,' said the Captain, kissing his brow, 
 ' you look sad ; and well may we look sad, Charley, 
 when a soul has passed into eternity unprepared for 
 the Lord's summons. They have buried him in the 
 deep, there to remain till the sea gives up her dead. 
 We must not despair, for who knows what the Al- 
 mighty may have wrought, even in a moment of time, 
 in the soul of that poor youth 1 but it is an awful 
 thought, Charles, the day when the sea shall give up 
 the dead that are in it. What will happen then V 
 
 In a low solemn tone, the boy answered, — ' They 
 shall be judged, every man according to his works j 
 and whosoever is not found written in the book of life, 
 will be cast into the lake of fire.' 
 
 ' Had you not a little bit of a battle with that gentle- 
 man, Charley V 
 
 ' Yes, papa.' 
 
 ' Have you shaken hands with him since V ; 
 
 ' No, papa.' 
 
 ' Then go and do it now.' 
 
 Charley went up to the Jew, and held out his hand ;
 
 judah's lion. 137 
 
 Ben-Melchor looked at him with a sort of shrinking 
 civility, and said, 'I bear thee no ill-will, child.' 
 
 'But won't you shake hands with me, sir V 
 
 Ben-Melchor walked away; and Mr, Cohen indignantly 
 said, ' If this were Judaism, I should blush to be a Jew.' 
 
 * Happily, however, it is not Judaism,' remarked 
 Captain Ryan, 'lior anything else but a crank of man's 
 brain, suggested by the Devil. Ben-Melchor is not 
 honest in his profession of these things ; I know him 
 well. I often meet with men sincerely in the wrong, 
 holding the traditionary law as sacred as that of Mo- 
 ses, if not more so. With them I can usually discuss 
 the points on which we differ ; but this fellow is un- 
 manageable. I took this method to drive him away 
 in a civil manner, that we might resume the conver- 
 sation he was determined to interrupt.' 
 
 They did resume it ; Mr. Cohen spoke as a candid 
 inquirer into things connected with his own religion, 
 to which he had paid too little regard. Captain Ryan 
 preached the gospel, fearlessly and judiciously ; and 
 whatever his father might feel, Alick was conscious 
 that he was learning a lesson of incalculable value. 
 
 Before they reached Smyrna, Mr. Cohen had gently 
 informed his son that he found his health was wholly 
 unequal to any stay in that climate ; it had been sen- 
 sibly declining, he said, for some time ; and he great- 
 ly wished to return home ; but that he would not de- 
 prive him of the promised gratification of passing 
 some time in the East. ' Dear father !' said Alick, un- 
 affectedly grieved, ' you must not go home alone. 
 Let me attend you, and indeed 1 shall not feel the 
 disappointment so much as I should feel, seeing you 
 depart unaccompanied by any one you could look on 
 with confidence.' 
 
 ' No, my generous boy ; I shall be better when I set 
 13
 
 138 JUDAH S LION. 
 
 my face homewards, and see yours set towards the 
 Holy City; I wish you to visit it, Alick; and to kiss for 
 me, the very stones in the walls of Jerusalem. Peace 
 be upon her ! I have spoken to this excellent man, 
 and he is perfectly willing to admit you into his party, 
 and to be a parent and a guide to you during your 
 tour. I am also sure you will be delighted to show 
 every attention to his amiable wife, and that dear lit- 
 tle boy. What say you to it, Alick V 
 
 ' Oh my dear, dear father, how shall I thank you for 
 all this ? leaving me in such hands, to visit such pla- 
 ces, and — and — ■' then with one of his sudden bursts 
 of honesty, he said, ' Father, I cannot deceive you; if 
 I go with them I shall certainly have a great deal of 
 talk about their religion : I shall hear of Jesus of Na- 
 zereth — and — I shall try to find out whether or not it 
 was of HIM that Moses in the law and the prophets did 
 write.' He stood half dreading the reply, but thank- 
 ful to have spoken so candidly. 
 
 ' Go, Alick, and inquire into whatever is presented 
 to your mind as the truth. Find it, and having found 
 itj hold it fast. You are further advanced in the 
 search than I am ; your earnestness, boy, has shamed 
 your father out of his indifference. God grant it be 
 not too late !' 
 
 Alick burst into tears, and throwing himself on his 
 knees implored forgiveness for all his waywardness 
 and undutifulness, and a blessing. This was given 
 with fervent affection ; and Mr. Cohen said, ' Your 
 parting gift to me must be a Bible ; for between Jew 
 and Gentile, Talmudist and Papist, I have plainly 
 learnt that it is only there truth can be found.' 
 
 And so, in tears and smiles, in hope and anxiety, 
 with hearts full of love, and heads busied with many 
 thoughts, they anchored in the port of Smyrna-
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 No sooner was the little vessel fairly in port, than 
 a number of fine looking men in oriental costume, 
 with long robes, turbans, black beards, and sparkling 
 eyes, boarded her. They approached with courteous 
 and respectful looks the spot where Alick and his par- 
 ty stood, and tendered their merchandize, consisting 
 of attar of roses, musk, and other costly perfumes. 
 Alick's heart beat high, as he met the smiling glance 
 of Captain Ryan, who said, ' They are all Israelites ; 
 speak to them, Cohen.' 
 
 'Oh, what language shall I speak in!' cried the 
 youth, to whose sight the apparition of the poor or- 
 ange-seller in the cove of Cork seemed to rise, in over- 
 powering contrast to the group now before him ; and 
 ere Captain Ryan could answer, he had loudly uttered 
 in Hebrew, the watchword of the church — " Hear, 
 Israel, the Lord thy God is a Unity !" 
 
 Every eye was fixed on the youth, with an expres- 
 sion of gratified surprise, as the response sounded 
 from every tongue ; and Captain Ryan thought as he 
 gazed on him, that he had never seen so beautiful a 
 specimen of a race who, even in their lowest state of 
 depression, still retain somewhat of the innate royalty 
 that will yet again shine out, more and more, as the
 
 140 judah's lion. 
 
 progress advances of the restoration to that pre-emi* 
 nence which God has assigned to them, "A people 
 terrible from their beginning." The Jews spoke prin- 
 cipally in the Spanish tongue, which was not very in- 
 telligible to Alick ; and hoping soon to enjoy free com- 
 munication with them, by means of the instruction 
 that Captain Ryan delighted to give him, he content- 
 ed himself now with making liberal purchases. Mean- 
 while Mr. Cohen, who was an accomplished linguist, 
 had singled out one of his countrymen, a fine old man, 
 and obtained information from him as to the number, 
 condition, and other particulars of the Jews in Smyr- 
 na. He also purchased largely ; and Captain Ryan, 
 who conversed freely with the whole party, did not 
 confine his dealing to w^ords. The poor Jews, who 
 had rarely found so many generous customers on 
 board a vessel of that description, were in high spir- 
 its; and one of them declared that of late years, the 
 English had shown so kind a feeling towards them, as 
 to lead them in all cases of distress to look to them 
 as their appointed helpers. 
 
 ' The Lord, be praised,' added Captain Ryan, as he 
 repeated this remark in English ; 'for if we be found 
 standing in such a position towards Israel, a blessing 
 will, and must attend us.' 
 
 As they landed, Alick -was struck by the picturesque 
 appearance of the flags of every nation flying over the 
 different consulates. That of England was nearest, 
 and directly opposite the pier where they stepped 
 ashore. ' I wish it was the royal standard,' thought 
 he, ' I should like just now to see the lion in it. Here 
 we are : no sea now separates me from the land of my 
 fathers; and the soil I shall tread was ofttimes pressed 
 beneath their victorious march, when subduing the
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 141 
 
 nations under their feet.' His form seemed to dilate, 
 and his stature to rise, as he looked round him j and 
 the more he saw of his oriental brethren, the more 
 elevated did he feel. The diflerence is, in fact, more 
 that of garb, and the bearded chin so appropriate to 
 the costume. ' I shall never again fancy the girl-faced 
 fellows at home,' continued Alick, as he looked on 
 those at hand ; ' certainly men's beards were not given 
 them for the purpose of spending half an hour every 
 day in scraping them off: but everything gets wrong 
 as one goes farther away from the holy land, and 
 comes right as we approach it.' This opinion he re- 
 peated to Captain Ryan, who laughed, and said, ' My 
 chin and razor have often parted company for months 
 together when in the East ; for which I have incurred 
 the serious displeasure of some good men, who seem 
 to consider that we become better Christians in pro^ 
 portion as we recede from everything Jewish.' 
 
 ' But that is not your doctrine 1' 
 
 ' I hope not indeed. In my view, Christianity is 
 not only not opposed to genuine Judaism, but it is not 
 even an addition to it. I believe it to be contained in 
 Judaism, as is the fruit in the blossom; and the Jew 
 who fancies that he must, on embracing the gospel, 
 lay aside the religion of Moses, knows little of Paul's 
 meaning — " Is any among you circumcized \ let him 
 not become uncircumcized." I am the more anxious 
 to impress this upon you, Cohen, because you will be 
 likely before long to hear some things very galling 
 to your Jewish feelings, from an excellent friend of 
 mine, who goes to the full length of Gentilizing wher- 
 ever he meets with a convert. He is travellinof 
 now, and is likely to take Smyrna in his way before 
 we leave it.' 
 
 ' His opinions will not aflect me, at any rate, Cap- 
 13*
 
 14-2 judah's lion, 
 
 tain Ryan,' said Alick, rather superciliously ; he then 
 added, ' I must look out for the synagogue, in order 
 to attend worship there to-morrow.' 
 
 ' I will escort you thither : you will be much pleas- 
 ed with the devout earnestness of your eastern breth- 
 ren ; what you have seen in London is very cold com- 
 pared with it.' 
 
 They went ; and while Alick joined with soul-fell 
 devotion in the services, Captain Ryan stood more 
 aloof, but evidently in prayer all the time. When 
 they had ended, a number of Jews surrounded himj 
 and began an argument, as with one whom they had 
 often encountered before. The numerous texts 
 brought forward by both parties from the Hebrew 
 scriptures proved to Alick that the Messiah was the 
 subject of their conference, and a good deal of warmth 
 was displayed by the Jews, while Captain Ryan, pre- 
 serving his usual good-humor, had an answer for every 
 one, and not a few perplexing questions to put to 
 each. When they were again alone, Alick asked him, 
 with a sly smile, if he had prevailed on any of his 
 brethren to acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as their 
 Messiah. 
 
 ' No, that was not the matter before us : in fact such 
 admission would be no gain to anybody.' 
 
 'You surprise me. I thought it was the very turn- 
 ing point of the whole matter.' 
 
 ' Far from it : I have met with Jews who would ac- 
 knowledge that their Messiah might possibly have 
 come in a poor and humble guise ; might have walked 
 as Christ did and like him have suffered, and may 
 come again as We btdieve he will do, to reign. Yet 
 were they not a whit nearer the truth. The Messiah 
 for whom you look is but a man : a great prince, a 
 mighty conqueror, appointed to accomplish a tempo-
 
 judah's lion. 143 
 
 ral deliverance, and then to reign over you as did Da- 
 vid and your ancient kings. This will not suffice : the 
 Bible bids you expect more, much more : it bids you 
 look for the appearance of Him who is the Lord from 
 heaven : even Jesus, the Savior, which delivereth us 
 from the wrath to come.' 
 
 Alick bit his lips : something in the service in which 
 he had just united was strong in his mind: he said, 
 ' It is very revoking to a Jew to hear of a strange 
 god.' 
 
 'Not a whit more revolting to a Jew than to a 
 Christian,' answered Captain Ryan. ' We are as jea- 
 lous as you can be in guarding from all perversion 
 that great doctrine, the unity of the Godhead. Your 
 own scriptures set forth most clearly what we hold, 
 that your expected Messiah, the Deliverer and Re- 
 storer of Israel and the hope of all the ends of the 
 earth, is a Divine Person. Now, here is the hundred 
 and tenth Psalm : read it, and tell me to whom it 
 refers.' 
 
 Alick glanced over it : ' I know it well, and it clear- 
 ly refers to the Messiah. Ben-Melchor told me Israel 
 was meant ; but this expression, " Thou art a priest 
 for ever, after the order of Melchizedeck," must refer 
 to an individual, not a nation.' 
 
 ' You are right. Now tell me, Cohen, who wrote 
 this Psalm 1 ' 
 
 ' David.' 
 
 ' Then I ask you a question which your fathers 
 could not answer ; If Messiah be David's son, in what 
 sense is he his Lord '] ' 
 
 ' I cannot tell you, for I am unskilled in these deep 
 things.' 
 
 ' My dear lad! the best skilled in these things is 
 he who receives like a little child the plain word of
 
 14*4' judah's lion. 
 
 God in its most plain and simple meaning. The more 
 you study it, the more you will be struck with its glo-* 
 rious simplicity and comprehensibility.' 
 
 ' I confess, Captain Ryan, I have found it so ; but on 
 these more solemn and vitally important matters it 
 may be more obscure.' 
 
 'Just the contrary: what is of most consequence 
 for ns to know is revealed the most clearly. If you 
 take this Psalm, for instance, as addressed by David 
 in spirit to one who, though of his own flesh as man, 
 was also to be a Divine Person, and believe that he 
 likewise ofiered up a sacrifice of abiding, eternal effi- 
 cacy for the sins of this world ; and that he shall come 
 again to subdue his enemies and to reign as a king, 
 not only over Israel but over the whole earth ; then 
 you will see the beautiful harmony of the prediction ; 
 and its consistence with these parts of the oracles of 
 God.' 
 
 ' Then you mean to say that the same strange doc 
 trine is elscAvhere set forth 1 ' 
 
 ' Elsewhere ! ay, everywhere : do you think we 
 build our faith and hope on an isolated passage 1 One 
 word, indeed, being God's word, would prove a suffi- 
 cient security for the whole world to depend on ; but 
 he has graciously given us line upon line, precept upon 
 precept, to the same blessed eflect.' 
 
 ' Will you point out some of those passages to 
 me \ ' 
 
 ' Gladly : but remember that only One can teach 
 you effectually ; and lift your heart for divine instruc- 
 tion.' 
 
 ' I do. Captain Ryan. I really desire to learn, but 
 what you have said has startled me much. I thought 
 if I once could bring myself to recognize in Jesus of 
 Nazareth the Prince Messiah, so longed for by us, that
 
 j0Dah's lion. 14-5 
 
 1 should be at one with you in faith ; but I now find 
 you require me wholly to alter my view of him to 
 whom I have ever looked as the hope of Israel — you 
 want me to confess that Messiah Ben David is — God.' 
 He hesitated and dropped his voice in pronouncing 
 the last words. 
 
 ' That is the point I was arguing with your people 
 yonder ; and I found them very determined in oppos- 
 ing me ; but we have one appeal — to the law and to 
 the testimony. I set before you what I believe and 
 know to be the truth, and I tell you where I found 
 that truth, that you may yourself seek it out. I have, 
 however, this disadvantage to contend with, that 
 whereas I have the inspired narrative of the fulfilment, 
 to guide me to the perfect meaning of various pro- 
 phetic scriptures, you reject that portion, and insist 
 on being convinced by the Old Testament alone with- 
 out any reference to the New. Still I will meet you 
 there. My task is to show that in the Bible, as you 
 hold it, we have evidence of a Savior being promised 
 who is a partaker in the Divine Essence ; far above 
 the highest created angel, and an object of worship to 
 those who acknowledge the Most High God.' 
 
 ' And that, I think, you cannot do.' 
 
 'We shall see ; — In your liturgy you have this pas- 
 sage, I think, in the grace after meals : " God, thou 
 art our Father, King, Strength, Creator, Redeemer, 
 and Sanctifier : the Sanctifier of Jacob, the Pastor, the 
 Shepherd of Israel : the beneficent King, who dealeth 
 beneficently with all ; for he hath been, is, and ever 
 will be, daily beneficent towards us." Now these 
 words include everything; and it is remarkable that 
 three of them, in the exact order in which they stand, 
 ""Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier," set forth in the
 
 14-6 judah's lion. 
 
 very same language that we use, the three persons 
 whom we adore in the Unity of the Godhead : the 
 Creating Father, the Redeeming Son, the Sanctifying 
 Spirit. I think, Cohen, you hold strongly that to wor- 
 ship any created object is a sin 1 ' 
 
 ' A gross sin : an idolatrous act, hateful to God.' 
 
 ' Turn to the Psalm we were looking at. " In the 
 day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will 
 offerings, and a holy worship." I don't ask you to 
 reply, only note it down, to study at your leisure. 
 Now look at Zechariah, the twelfth chapter : who is 
 the speaker 1 ' 
 
 Alick looked, and replied, ' Certainly God is the 
 speaker : of none other could it be said, *' The Lord 
 which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the 
 foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man 
 within him." ' 
 
 ' Go on,' said Captain Ryan ; and he read to the 
 ninth verse, and exclaimed, ' These are glorious pro- 
 mises indeed ! these are the days of the Messiah, the 
 Son of David our King.' He then resumed, and read, 
 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon 
 the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and 
 of supplications : and they shall look upon me whom 
 they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as 
 one mourneth for his only son ; and shall be in bitter- 
 ness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first- 
 born." 
 
 ' Well, Cohen "X ' said Captain Ryan, as Alick made 
 a full stop. 
 
 ' This is astounding ! ' exclaimed the young man, 
 ' there must be an error somewhere.' 
 
 ' Yes, there is an error in you, even want of faith. 
 I just put this before you : I have not picked out an
 
 jtjdah's lion. 147 
 
 isolated passage, but made you read the whole con- 
 text, by which you see the speaker is not changed. 
 " The Lord which stretcheth forth the heavens, and 
 layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the 
 spirit of man within him," is declaring the triumphant 
 period of Messiah's coming, to restore and to reign 
 over the Jewish people ; and he says, " They shall 
 look on me whom they have pierced." I will not now 
 even insist on the obvious reference to the nation who 
 nailed Jesus of Nazareth to the cross : I only ask you 
 to consider the bearing of the passage as it regards the 
 Messiah. And now just look at the next chapter, the 
 seventh verse, " Awake, O sword, against my Shep- 
 herd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the 
 Lord of Hosts : smite the Shepherd, and the sheep 
 shall be scattered, and I will turn mine hand upon the 
 little ones." If you go on to the end, you will find 
 the subject of Israel's punishment and subsequent par- 
 don and restoration, clearly brought forward.' 
 
 'These are wonderful things, I confess: have you 
 more to show mel ' 
 
 _ 'I wish to ask you whether you would apply the 
 title of Redeemer of Jacob to any but God '! ' 
 ' No, certainly not.' 
 
 ' What then does Jacob mean by that expression, 
 •< God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac 
 did walk, the God that fed me all my life long unto 
 this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, 
 bless the lads." Gen- xlviii. 15, 16. Who is this re- 
 deeming angel 1 ' 
 
 ' You will not say it is our Messiah, at any rate,' 
 observed Alick ; ' for according to you he is far above 
 all created angels.' 
 
 ' True, he is so ; but in his character of one ap- 
 pointed and sent on an especial work by his Father,
 
 148 JtfDAH's LION. 
 
 I do allow, in this instance, the application of the term 
 angel, which signifies a messenger, to Him.' 
 
 * Now I remember,' said Alick eagerly, ' little as 
 yet I know of the Bible, I remember a passage that 
 explains this. When Moses led my fathers up out of 
 Egypt, the Holy One said to him that he would send 
 an angel to deliver them, whom they were to obey. 
 This proves that power could be given to an angel, 
 for a special purpose, to redeem the people from tem- 
 porary evils.' 
 
 'I nm delighted, my dear boy, to hear you proving 
 Scripture by Scripture. Now let us look at that pas- 
 sage : you will find it in the twenty-third chapter of 
 Exodus, the twentieth and following verses. Read it 
 attentively.' 
 
 Alick read : " Behold, I send an Angel before thee 
 to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the 
 place which 1 have prepared. Beware of him and 
 obey his voice, provoke him not j for he will not par- 
 don your transgressions: for my Name is in him. 
 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that 
 I speak ; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, 
 and an adversary unto thine adversaries." This is 
 what I alluded to; and it is very plain.' 
 
 'It is very plain, Cohen/ said Captain Ryan, sol- 
 emnly, 'and I beseech you to ponder it deeply. The 
 glorious King who will yet come to reign over you, 
 and us, and over the whole earth, the Messiah, the 
 anointed One, He it was who first brought your fathers 
 into the good land which we hope shortly to visit : the 
 land given by covenant to Abraham and his seed ; and 
 into which the Angel — the messenger of that covenant, 
 led them. I now ask you, do you know the meaning 
 of that great and terrible name by which God revealed
 
 judah's lion. H9 
 
 himself to Moses ; which your people avoid pronoun- 
 cing, and which, therefore, I never pronounce to them. 
 Do you know the high import of this name V and he 
 pointed it out to him in Hebrew. 
 
 ' I know it imports greater things than we can utter,* 
 replied Alick. 
 
 'Is it not expressive of self-existence, of eternity, 
 of unchangeableness, — in short, is it not altogether 
 incommunicable 1 would it not be blasphemy most 
 fearful in any creature to assume to himself that 
 awful name 1 ' 
 
 * Who would, who could dare to do it! We reject 
 your Nazarene, because he ventured to claim it, and 
 we are shocked at you for supporting that claim.' 
 
 'And we support it, Cohen, as much on the strength 
 of this very passage as any other. This Angel is one 
 sent ; that is clearly expressed ; and of this Angel it 
 is declared that the great, the awful, the incommuni- 
 cable Name is in him. To him they are required to 
 yield obedience, not because God, as then speaking 
 to them, will punish disobedience offered to his ap- 
 pointed vicegerent, but because " He will not pardon 
 your transgressions." The power of forgiving sins 
 resides in him ; and who can forgive sins but God 
 alone 1 Obedience is to be rendered unto him by the 
 command of God, who elsewhere has repeatedly said, 
 that he will not give his glory to another ; and the 
 people are cautioned not to provoke him, because, 
 evidently, the power to punish resides independently 
 in him. This is indeed He to whom the Father says, 
 in the forty-fifth Psalm, " Thy throne, O God, is for 
 ever and ever : a sceptre of righteousness is the scep- 
 tre of thy kingdom." This is he of whom it is said 
 in the second Psalm, " Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, 
 and ye perish from the right way, when his wrath is 
 U
 
 150 JUDAH's LIONi 
 
 kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their 
 trust in him." Yes, and " Cursed is he that putteth 
 his trust in man, and maketh flesh his arm."' 
 
 Alick listened with deep attention : ' I do not deny 
 that you have startled me very much : but I have no 
 doubt our learned men have found another meaning 
 for these expressions.' 
 
 ' They have done their utmost to explain them away, 
 of course 5 and hence it is, that though Moses, who 
 testified of Christ, is read in the synagogues every 
 Sabbath-day, you cannot perceive his meaning — the 
 veil is on your hearts. In the day when you shall turn 
 to the Lord, rejecting all the glosses and perversions 
 of men, and desirous to be taught of Him alone, in 
 that day the veil shall be taken away, and you shall 
 clearly see what is now hid from your eyes. All that 
 I ask of you is an unprejudiced examination of your 
 own scriptures, with incessant prayer to God that he 
 would illumine and direct your mind. He alone can 
 reveal himself to you ; and if you will not ask for 
 such revelation, surely you despise the gift, and must 
 expect to be left in darkness. Secret prayer over the 
 word of God can do nothing but good. He will not 
 lead you into error, nor suffer others to lead you, if 
 you humbly commit yourself to his teaching and pro- 
 tection.' 
 
 ' That is my great comfort. You, or others, may 
 bid me look in the Bible for evidence to establish a 
 false doctrine ; but if I do it in earnest prayer to God, 
 he will make my search the very means of strength- 
 ening me against what is wrong.' 
 
 ' Exactly so ; if 1 wanted to deceive you, the last thing 
 I should do would be to send you to the fountain of truth, 
 the light that maketh manifest.' 
 
 * 1 shrank from your doctrine before,' resumed Alick,
 
 judah's lion. 151 
 
 'because I would not recognize my Messiah in a crucified 
 man : now, because I dare not regard him as the Most 
 High God. What a strange mystery is this !' 
 
 'AH creation is a mystery : the finger with which you 
 now turn over that leaf is a mystery most wonderftal, most 
 incomprehensible. How comes it, Cohen, that at the 
 very moment when your mind conceives a purpose of 
 investigating what stands on the next page of the book, 
 at that very moment your finger, the immediate loss of 
 which would not in the smallest degree lessen or affect 
 your intellectual powers, executes the purpose of your 
 mind, with accuracy, dispatch, and facility not to be 
 surpassed 1 Oh, contemplate for a moment the magnifi- 
 cent mysteries that enwrap the lowest of his visible works, 
 and then think what must be the unfathomable mysterious- 
 ness of the awful Creator himself? Remember, He has 
 revealed to us in that book what we are to believe ; and 
 be content to credit what he says, to receive what he gives, 
 and to wait for a different stage of being, before you essay 
 to comprehend what must, in our present state, be utterly 
 incomprehensible.' 
 
 'But now. Captain Ryan, if I am to believe without 
 understanding, why should I reject what the Papists 
 believe V 
 
 ' How can you ask such a question ! I bid you yield 
 undoubting credence to all that God declares in the Bible; 
 and one of the plainest, most unmistakeable things there 
 revealed, is the abhorrence in which the Lord holds idola- 
 try. The Bible, my dear friend, is the universal key ; 
 with it, we unlock thp fetters that bind the poor Romanist, 
 and set him free ; with it we unlock the casket that the 
 Jew holds closed, and exhibit to him the treasure that he 
 was unconscious of possessing.' 
 
 They had now reached their temporary abode, and found 
 Mr. Cohen so much indisposed as to require all Alick's
 
 152 JUDAH'S Lia^^. 
 
 attention. He expressed an anxious wish to find himself 
 on the homeward way, and talked of immediately pro- 
 ceeding by a vessel bound for Jaffa, whence he could 
 readily obtain a passage to Alexandria, and thence to 
 England as he might wish. Captain Ryan saw how deeply 
 Alick felt this proposed separation, and how he shrank 
 from leaving his parent in the hands of strange shipmen j 
 he therefore conferred with his wife, and came to the 
 decision that as they were under no particular necessity 
 to pursue the route they had entered on, it would be right 
 to follow out a path seemingly marked for them ; and the 
 result was the embarkation of the whole party in a very 
 small but commodious vessel, for the port of Jaffa. Aiick's 
 gratitude knew no bounds ; and Charley was wonderfully 
 delighted. 
 
 ' Do you know, Mr. Alick,' said he, ' that Jaffa is Joppa, 
 where Simon the tanner lived by the sea-side, and Simon 
 Peter lodged with him ; and there came a great sheet down 
 from heaven, and a voice bade him slay and eat all the 
 things in it % You know, that was a vision to let him see 
 he was not to despise the Gentiles, but to go to Cornelius 
 the centurion, when the messengers came to say an angel 
 had bade him send for Peter.' 
 
 ' Well, now, Charley, you must show me that story in 
 the Bible ; for I confess I can't make anything of it, in the 
 way you have told it to me.' 
 
 ' Oh, to be sure I will ;' and he bustled away for his 
 Bible, and was soon on Aiick's knee, reading to him the 
 tenth chapter of the Acts. Alick was greatly struck with 
 it. ' This was a remarkable epoch,' said he, half uncon- 
 sciously, ' for here was the first acknowledgment of the 
 Gentiles. I plainly see, everything continued Jewish up 
 to this time.' 
 
 ' Oh yes,' answered Charley, ' and if you read the next
 
 judah's lion. 153 
 
 chapter, you will find how Peter got into a scrape with 
 the apostles in Jerusalem for eating with Gentiles.' 
 
 ' Indeed ! then let us read it directly : I should like to 
 know how he got out of the scrape.' This was done ; and 
 Charley said, ' Well, what do you think of it 1' 
 
 ' Wh}^ what do you think of it, Charley 1 I should 
 like to hear your opinion of the matter.' 
 
 • I think it is very beautiful. You see, Peter would not 
 have gone to a Gentile for all the messengers that the 
 Centurion could have sent, because it was contrary to the 
 law that he had: but when God himself commanded him, 
 how very readily he did go ! The Papists make Peter 
 the first Pope, but you see he behaved quite unlike a Pope 
 — he would not let Cornelius worship him.' 
 
 ' Stop, Charley ; does God make laws and unmake 
 them 1 are his commands so uncertain 1 He forbade a 
 thing to be done by the Jews, and then commanded a Jew 
 to do it. Is it sol' 
 
 ' I suppose if God commands it to be dark to-night, that 
 is no reason he should not command it to be light in the 
 morning, Mr. Alick,' said the child, setting his broad eyes 
 upon him, in wonder at his bringing the charge of incon- 
 sistency against the Lord. ' And I suppose if the sun's 
 light came at first only on the tops of the mountains, that 
 is no reason it should not shine into the valleys by-and-bye, 
 Mr. Alick.' 
 
 The answer was conclusive ; it opened a new scene to 
 Alick's view ; and made him almost enter into the thank- 
 ful feelings with which the Jewish apostles said, " Then 
 hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto 
 life." Alick always felt, when with Charley, like one 
 who was being quietly towed into a pleasant haven : but 
 when with others he seemed painfully toiling against a 
 rough current. He now resolved to enjoy a little of his 
 favorite friend's chat, and closing the book went on. 
 U*
 
 154 jcdah's lion, 
 
 ' I like your papa very much indeed, Charley.' 
 
 ' So you ought, for he is fonder of you than of anybody/ 
 
 * What makes you think soV 
 
 ' Oh, everything : he always calls you, '^ That dear lad," 
 or " our beloved Alick," or " that noble young Jew," or 
 some such thing : and at prayers how he does pray for 
 you ! And when Ben-Melchor set the Jews upon him so, 
 
 about you' , here Charley stopped, for he had let out 
 
 a secret. 
 
 ' Go on ; when they attacked him about me, what did 
 he do V 
 
 ' I did not know you knew it,' said Charley with glee, 
 ' and he did not want you to know it. They really 
 frightened us, they were so cross. I could not tell what 
 they said, you know ; but both mamma and I were in a 
 fright. When they were gone we cried ; and papa said 
 he thought we loved you better than to mind facing such 
 a breeze for your sake.' 
 
 ' I wonder they did not go to my father,' said Alick. 
 In fact, they had been to him ; and the result was an 
 admission on their side, that if it was in the Bible his son 
 was searching, with unprejudiced mind, for the truth, he 
 was in a safe way. Ben-Melchor had represented the 
 Ryans as worshippers of images ; and Mr. Cohen as a 
 man of no religion whatever, allowing his son to be led 
 astray in the prospect of worldly advantages. On these 
 points the Jews were quickly set right ; and in resentment 
 at the impositions of their unworthy brother, they refused 
 to interfere any farther. 
 
 Alick resumed the discourse with Charles. ' Is there 
 any place besides Joppa that you are anxious to see V 
 
 'Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!' cried the child, clapping 
 his hands.' Won't we see Jerusalem itself? You can't 
 think how glad I am that we are going this road ; for you 
 see, it was very uncertain if we could get to Jerusalem at
 
 judah's lion. J 55 
 
 all the other way. Now, we shall go right up, up, till we 
 get there.' 
 
 ' Is it up-hill all the way, do you think 1' 
 
 ' No, but the Bible always talks of going up to Jerusalem, 
 you know. It's the greatest place in the whole world ; 
 and it's a great honor to go to it ; so we say up, we shall 
 go up, up to Jerusalem,' and again he clapped his hands, 
 and kicked out his little feet as he sat. 
 
 ' But I have a greater portion in Jerusalem than you, 
 Charley.' 
 
 'I know you have : it belongs to you ; but we Gentiles 
 may go up and worship there, you know. The poor Jews, 
 Mr. Alick, are badly off in their own city ; papa says it 
 will grieve our hearts to see how they are oppressed : but 
 never mind ; their King will soon come, and restore the 
 kingdom to Israel.' 
 
 ' But now, Charley, if this King should, after all, not be 
 the one you expect, what will become of you 1' Charley 
 stared at him, and then asked, ' Do you mean, what would 
 become of me if Jesus Christ was not King of the Jews 
 and King of heaven and earth 1' 
 
 ' Yes.' 
 
 ' If so, I must be lost entirely ; I should go to hell ; be- 
 cause I should have no Savior. But don't talk in that 
 way, Mr. Alick. I know very well he is the King ; he is 
 the Lord ; he will save me, a poor little sinful child, and 
 he will save you, if you believe in him.' 
 
 But Alick felt as if he was farther off" from believing 
 than ever : he longed to be ashore again, and to plunge 
 into the scenes that promised so greatly to excite him. 
 His father's state of health depressed his spirits ; and on 
 the whole he had lost so much of the buoyancy that once 
 distinguished him, as to make Captain Ryan anxious too 
 for his arrival in a more stirring place. They made the 
 passage as favorably as they could wish ; and with a very
 
 156 judah's lion. 
 
 great accession of scriptural knowledge as far as the 
 Hebrew Bible went, and not a little improvement in the 
 languages most requisite to be studied preparatory to a 
 tour in those deeply interesting countries, A lick approach- 
 ed the shores of Palestine. 
 
 This interval, so unexpectedly occurring, had been of 
 immense use to him : he was aware of it, and secretly 
 thankful. Towards the Ryans his regard daily increased ; 
 and the tender care bestowed on his sick father doubly 
 endeared them. ' I am sure,' said Mr. Cohen, ' I am doing 
 right, Alick, in leaving you with such friends, if I must 
 leave you ; but to say truth, the breezes that have reached 
 me from that glorious land seem to have infused new life 
 into me already ; and who knows but I too may go up to 
 Jerusalem 1'
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 ' Yonder they rise, the mountain heights of Judea,' said 
 Captain Ryan, shortly after their landing, while Alick 
 strained his eyes to trace the blue outline distinctly mark- 
 ed on the horizon. ' I could tell of some who, by toil- 
 some efforts, through privations that you can scarcely 
 imagine the existence of, and amid dangers now happily 
 at an end, just reached this spot, and having gazed on 
 these hills, lay down to die. The privilege of entering 
 within the holy city was denied them ; but to lay their 
 bones so near it was counted a blessing well worth the 
 expenditure of their little remaining strength, and of the 
 hoard accumulated during many years' struggle against 
 adversity, persecution, and all the storms that beat upon 
 their heads during the bitterest season of Israel's universal 
 affliction.' 
 
 Alick made no reply : his eyes were rivetted on the 
 mountain-tops ; and Captain Ryan, wishing to leave him 
 to the unrestrained indulgence of feelings which he well 
 understood, took advantage of the appearance of an Arab 
 in the contrary direction, to make, as he said, some in- 
 quiries concerning the army of Ibrahim Pasha, lately 
 assembled in that neighborhood j and proceeded to accost 
 the Ishmaelite. 
 
 Thus left alone, Alick at once threw himself on a bank,
 
 158 jttdah's lion. 
 
 with head propped on his hand, and abandoned himself to 
 the emotion that he had found it scarcely possible so long 
 to suppress. Sighs, increasing to sobs, burst from his 
 bosom, and tears flowed unrestrained, while, with a mixture 
 of pride, grief, shame, and indignation, the master-passion 
 of his soul so lately roused into existence, but already 
 absorbing everything else — the love of his country, beat 
 in every vein. After a long interval, it found vent in 
 words that he would not have breathed to mortal ear. 
 
 ' Land of my fathers, the inheritance of Abraham, Isaac, 
 and Jacob, and of their seed for ever — Our own land, our 
 pleasant land, the glory of all lands, why, why should this 
 be % Did not the Lord our God give us the land, by a 
 covenant confirmed with an oath, and a promise to cast 
 out the nations and to plant us in it, and to establish ua 
 there for ever ; and must the rightful possessors of those 
 blessed hills look upon them from a distant spot, and 
 count it a privilege to die so near Jerusalem, while the 
 soil itself is trampled down by the feet of its enemies, and 
 Zion is profaned by the presence of false gods, abominable 
 idols, and whatsoever the Lord hateth 1 Judah has couched 
 indeed, he has lain down, but is it as a lion 1 and ohj who 
 shall rouse him up ! At this very moment my people 
 have power, if but the Lord would raise a Joshua to lead 
 them on — power to march upon the hosts of unbelieving 
 usurpers, and expel them from the holy land. I am sure 
 of it : in numbers we are formidable ; in our wealth we 
 possess the means of forming mighty alliances ; in intellect, 
 in enterprise, in perseverance are we behind-hand with 
 any people under heaven 1 It is because her sons are 
 alien in heart that Jerusalem is trodden down, and Judea 
 a desolation ! Every mongrel tribe of Gentile race may 
 establish a footing there ; but they to whom the land 
 wholly belongs may plant no foot except by degrading 
 sufferance : every flaunting flag may wave in the breezes
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 159 
 
 of Judea, and bespeak a political existence connected with 
 the country, except the lion. standard of Judah. Her own 
 masters alone are scorned, her own leaders alone are pro- 
 scribed, her own sons alone are contumaciously banished 
 from that country, my country, the country which God 
 gave to me, and which man shall not much longer with- 
 hold.' He sprang to his feet ; and almost unconsciously 
 shaking his clenched fist towards the spot from which his 
 eyes had never been withdrawn, he repeated with fiery 
 determination, ' The land is ours ; and restore it you shall, 
 ye motley herd of Turks, Christians, and nondescript 
 vagabonds, who dare to defile it by your presence !' 
 
 His extended arm was suddenly grasped from behind ; 
 and looking round he beheld a stranger, habited in one of 
 the varieties of costume that he had seen in the bazaar of 
 Jaffa the preceding evening, when, after debarkation, 
 Captain Ryan had taken him for a hasty stroll round the 
 place. A robe, rather short, and gathered close to the 
 body by a silken sash, trowsers not so loose as the gener- 
 ality of those he had seen, and a high flat red cap, with a 
 single narrow roll of purple muslin passed round the lower 
 edge, formed the dress ; but in the countenance, Alick 
 could not help tracing a strong resemblance to his own ; 
 allowing for some ten or twelve years difference, and the 
 addition of a short, close-curled beard, and a more lofty 
 arch of the black eyebrow than he had been accustomed 
 to see even among his own race. The glance that met 
 his was not friendly : it bespoke a degree of menace, and 
 yet more of contempt ; and while the left hand of the in- 
 truder still grasped his arm, and the other hand was held 
 back from view, Alick's mind underwent an unpleasant 
 transition, from the warlike emotion just excited, to the 
 consciousness that he was wholly unarmed, and in the 
 power of a very questionable companion. However, he 
 spoke at once, and in a tone by no means indicative of
 
 160 judah's lion. 
 
 alarm, and inquired in Italian what the stranger wanted 
 with him. A shake of the head conveyed the rejection 
 of this language ; he then tried the same query in imper- 
 fect Arabic ; to wliich the stranger responded, by asking 
 him what he did there. 
 
 This was not so easily to be told by a smattering begin- 
 ner in the language : he, therefore, took the shortest phrase 
 he could master, and pointing again to the mountain he 
 said, ' It is my country.' 
 
 ' You are a Frank,' said the other, glancing scornfully 
 at his dress. 
 
 'I am a Jew,' replied Alick, proudly. His arm was 
 immediately liberated, but the gaze by no means relaxed, 
 while in choice Hebrew the stranger inquired, 'Wherefore 
 did you lift your hand in wrath towards the holy hill V 
 
 ' I lifted my hand,' replied Alick, while his eyes sparkled 
 with joy, 'against the unholy people who pollute by their 
 presence the mountains of the Lord.' 
 
 ' And you are not afraid to avow yourself, in such a 
 place and in such company!' remarked the stranger, in 
 excellent English. ' When such a heart is put into our 
 people a little more extensively, Cohen, we shall soon re- 
 possess our land, and rejoice together upon the mountains 
 of Israel. I see you are surprised, and no marvel : you 
 do not recollect me ; for you were a mere child when I 
 visited your father's house. I am now a resident in this 
 country, and to-day had the unexpected pleasure of meet- 
 ing my old friend in the narrow streets of Jaffa. He sent 
 me in quest of you, and I found you engaged as he led me 
 to expect. I heard your indignant exclamation, and put 
 your courage to the test which it stood so well. We are 
 co-religionists ; and co-heirs of that glorious land, which 
 is at this moment ours of right; and which by might shall 
 yet be ours in the face of the whole world, and to their 
 confusion if they dare to resist us.'
 
 JUDAll's LION. 16! 
 
 The lone, the look, the gesture that accompanied 
 these proud words bespoke an enthusiasm so akin to 
 that of young Cohen, that his very soul seemed to 
 expand in an atmosphere more congenial than any he 
 had ever yet breathed in : he caught and grasped the 
 outstretched hand of his energetic companion, and ex- 
 claimed, ' Those hills, those everlasting hills, the land- 
 twarks of our beauteous Canaan ! shall it indeed be ours 
 to fight our way within the barrier, and inch by inch to 
 win all back from the accursed enemies of our God ■? 
 Have you a band, a little band, prepared for the enter, 
 prise 1 Oh with what joy shall I enrol myself among 
 that chosen few 5 and in the strength of the Lord be 
 strong to do exploits !' 
 
 ' Gideon's three hundred Avould. suffice,' replied his 
 new friend : ' or Jonathan with his armor-bearer 
 alone : but we must wait, alas ! we must await ihe token 
 from Him who of old bade Moses " speak to the chil- 
 dren of Israel that they go forward." ' 
 
 ' You said just now that it should be yours by might,' 
 remarked Alick almost reproachfully. 
 
 ' Aye, but not by man's might, until the Lord vouch- 
 safes once more to be our Banner. That day approach- 
 es fast ; bone shall come to his bone, scattered and 
 dry as the bones now are ; and when the Breath 
 breathes into the mass, then shall Judah and Ephraim 
 together arise, an exceeding great army, prepared to 
 march, — march to yonder glorious hills, over this 
 soil (and he stamped his foot on it) and over every 
 plain that grovels at the feet of our own mountain 
 iand. The might, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall 
 perform this.' 
 
 * You seem very fond of the Bible,' said Alick. 
 
 ■'Am I not a Jevvl Are not the Holy Books at 
 15
 
 162 jtjdah's lion. 
 
 once our personal and political history, our statistics 
 and our charter V 
 
 Every word spoken by this impetuous man, whose 
 countenance expressed all the fire and buoyancy of 
 youth, combined with the decision of ripened man- 
 hood, increased Alick's delight in him. After a short 
 pause, the stranger resumed ; and while he spoke his 
 eyes softened into the deepest sadness of heart-strucl^ 
 humility — 'Come, Cohen, right well we know why it 
 is that you and I stand here gazing with wistful long- 
 ings on a land from which we are thrust out, and 
 Avhich is yet sealed against our return : and knowing 
 the evil, we know the remedy. Yonder lies Jerusa- 
 lem, our holy and beautiful city ; let us now stand and 
 spread forth our hands towards it and pray. It may be 
 that He, the Holy One of Israel, will hear from his 
 dwelling-place, and hearing, will forgive.' 
 
 They stood with outstretched arms and eyes fixed 
 on the heaven above where they supposed the belov 
 ed city to be, and the elder uttered one of the sublime 
 prayers of the Jewish liturgy, comprising a deep con- 
 fession of sin, an acknowledgment that for the iniqui- 
 ties of the people they were driven away, and kept in 
 perpetual affliction : and most passionate entreaty for 
 pardon, and restoration to their own land. Alick had 
 often unthinkingly run through that very supplication 
 in Duke's Place ; every word was familiar to him ; but 
 what new and thrilling emotion did every word excite 
 in his breast, now that the very scene was before his 
 eyes, and the inmost longings of his spirit had some- 
 thing so tangible to fix on ! They prayed standing and 
 covered, unconscious of the presence of a third person, 
 who lowly kneeling and bare-headed echoed the pray- 
 er from his very heart. It was Captain Ryan, who bad 
 come up behind a natural hedge of the prickly pear,
 
 JTTD All's I-ION. 163 
 
 expectiiior to find Alick alone, as he left him ; and who 
 had heard tlie invitation given, which he rightly suppos- 
 ed would not have been extended to a Gentile like him- 
 self: he therefore remained out of sight, but closely 
 united in spirit with the praying Jews : and as they 
 concluded, he softly stole away, too honourable to 
 overhear their private discourse. 
 
 Da Costa, as the stranger Jew instructed Alick to 
 call him, reconducted his companion to JafTa, where 
 Mr. Cohen very warmly expressed his pleasure on see- 
 ing them together, and inquired for Captain Ryan. 
 Alick slightly colored on recollecting the unceremo- 
 nious way in which he had left the place where his 
 Irish friend was likely again to seek him, and men- 
 tioned the circumstance ; but the Captain's appearance 
 soon set him at ease on that ground, though a degree 
 of shyness that he felt stealing more and m.ore over 
 him in reference to those Christian guides who had 
 laid him under obligations so deep, was really painful 
 to his spirit. Da Costa soon became extremely socia- 
 ble with a person whose manners not a little resem- 
 bled his own, in point of frankness, energy and vivaci- 
 ty ; they conversed a good deal on general and local 
 subjects ; and were mutually pleased in proportion as 
 they discovered more of each other's tastes and pur- 
 suits. ' I like your countrymen. Captain Ryan,' said 
 Da Costa : ' they are far more accessible than the Eng- 
 lish ; and besides, there seems to be among you a 
 strong tinge of Jewish blood. Have you ever heard 
 of that before V 
 
 ' Undoubtedly : the opinion is prevalent that we, 
 the native race of Ireland, owe our origin, at least in 
 part, to a tribe of Israelites who, after being repulsed 
 in many other quarters, found a welcome and a home 
 in the green Isle, where they established themselves,
 
 164> JUDAn's LION. 
 
 and imparted, in process of time, the privileges of He- 
 brew descent to a large portion of the Ishinders.' 
 
 ' So I have heard, sir; and I for one feel pleasure in 
 believing it to be so. But now, supposing it proved, 
 and that you are one of the stock so far Hebraized^ 
 what part do you expect to bear in the great event of 
 our coming restoration'?'^ This was asked smilingly, 
 and even playfully, and Captain Kyan smiled too; but 
 before he could answer, Charley, whose face had crim- 
 soned while he listened to the question, ran up to Da 
 Costa, and seizing his robe, said, ' We shall be one of 
 the ten nations that will take hold of your skirt, and 
 say. We will go with you ; for we have seen that 
 God is with you of a truth/ 
 
 ' My fine little fellow !' exclaimed Da Costa, lifting- 
 him high in his arms, ' where did you learn that V 
 
 ' Out of the book of Zechariah, sir : Mr. Alick knows 
 all about it/ 
 
 ' Zechariah prophesies great things for us,' remark- 
 ed the other, addressino- Mr. Cohen. 
 
 'Yes,' replied Charley, 'he says there shall be a 
 fountain opened in Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness ; 
 and he says you shall look on Him whom you have 
 pierced, and mourn for him.' 
 
 'And whom did we pierce, my little commentator V 
 
 ' Jesus Christ : and when you see that He is the 
 Messiah, and that He is the Lord, then you will be 
 sorry for what you did unknowingly, you know.' 
 
 ' Yes,' answered the other smiling, ' when we see it 
 we shall be very sorry, I am sure.' Then setting the 
 child down and stroking his head kindly, he added, 
 'Always speak out, my boy: honesty is a rare vir- 
 tue.' 
 
 ' Oh, then you do believe it, do you X you love the
 
 judah's lton. 165 
 
 Lord Jesus, do you V cried Charley with great de- 
 light. 
 
 ' No, that does not follow : but you may be a very 
 good Christian, and I a very good Jew, and we may 
 remain excellent friends all the while.' 
 
 ' No, we can't,' replied the boy quickly : ' for if one 
 of us were to die, there would be an end of our friend- 
 ship ; and one of us may die directly ; and then 
 what's the good of being such friends as that, Mr. 
 Jew V 
 
 Da Costa looked surprised, and a shade of displeas- 
 ure passed over his countenance, while he said to Cap- 
 tain Ryan, still, however, affectionately caressing the 
 child, 'Do you think this a good system of educa- 
 tion, Captain ? I confess I don't like the prosely- 
 tizing mania : we never seek to convert you, and 
 why you should be so bent on our apostasy I can- 
 not tell.' 
 
 ' Before I answer you, pray tell me, have you read 
 the New Testament V 
 
 ' Aye ; through and through ; and with the greatest 
 attention.' 
 
 ' And what impression did it leave upon your mind V 
 
 'Just so much impression as the shadow of yon 
 floating cloud has left on the objects over which it 
 passed. I was a Jew before I read it ; and having 
 read I was as much a Jew as ever.' 
 
 'You would havu been twice as much a Jew had 
 you received the testimony which it bears to the King 
 of the Jews. But answer me honestly to this, did you, 
 before investigating that book, or during the inves- 
 tigation, pray for divine light to guide you into all 
 truth 1' 
 
 'No ; for having all truth in my possession, while 
 I. hold the law and the prophets, I should be belying 
 15*
 
 166 JtTDAH's LION.- 
 
 my faith, and mocking tlie Most High, if I asked to 
 be guided into what I know does not exist.' 
 
 ' Well, then, did you pray to be kept from error V 
 
 ' No, I do not remember that I did : I had one touch- 
 stone, " Hear, O Israel," and whatever militates 
 against the unity of the God of Israel is by that touch- 
 stone at once exposed and shivered to atoms.' He 
 spoke this with an expression of mingled indignation 
 and contempt. 
 
 '1 grant it : but the great mystery that you reject 
 courts a contact with that touchstone. You do not 
 try it fairly, because you do not ask of the Lord to 
 show you what, if it be true, is, must be, a mystery 
 to human reason, and apprehended only by faith j 
 which faith is the gift of God given for man's justifi- 
 cation, as your own Scriptures declare j for Moses 
 says, " Abraham believed God, and He counted it 
 unto him for righteousness," and Habakkuk says, 
 " The just shall live by his faith." Isaiah asks, 
 " Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the 
 arm of the Lord revealed V I could cite many more 
 passages to the same effect ; but I will only direct 
 your attention to one, and that an awful one : — you 
 will find it in the sixth chapter of Isaiah.' 
 
 ' What is it r asked Mr. Cohen. 
 
 ' It is this,' answered Captain Ryan ; and he read 
 the passage, " Go, and tell this people, Hear ye in- 
 deed, but understand not ; and see ye indeed, but 
 perceive not : make the heart of this people fat, and 
 make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they 
 see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and 
 understand with their heart, and convert, and be 
 healed.' 
 
 ' And you apply this to us, because we reject cer-
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 167 
 
 tain additions made by man to the word of God 1' said 
 Da Costa. 
 
 ' It must apply to you, for Isaiah wrote of no other 
 people ; and according to your own declaration you 
 receive the whole of the Old Testament without a 
 cavil. It is against a farther revelation of God, con- 
 tinually referred to in those Scriptures, that you close 
 your eyes, ears, heart ; and you will not even put up 
 a secret silent prayer, to have the veil taken away 
 which we assert is upon your heart ; and if it be not 
 there, surely such prayer can do no harm. The Lord 
 will not answer a petition for more light by deepen- 
 ing your present darkness.' 
 
 ' That is the point ; we have light in abundance 5 
 and to ask for more would be to ask a vain thing.' 
 
 ' Your fathers thought the same. Do you remem- 
 ber a passage in the Gospel, where Jesus cured a 
 blind man, and so provoked the boastful rebukes of 
 the Pharisees, who scoffingly asked him, " Are we 
 blind also V Jesus answered them, " If ye were 
 blind, ye should have no sin ; but now ye say, we see, 
 therefore your sin remaineth." ' 
 
 ' I don't remember it ; but no doubt you quote cor- 
 rectly.' 
 
 * Yes : and without recollecting it you express the 
 very same thing that they did. You boast of seeing 
 — of having as much light as you require ; and in- 
 deed, the light you have in the Old Testament is a 
 true light, shining in a dark place ; but its purpose is 
 to show you a path whereby you may emerge and 
 walk in the blaze of day. It is because you neglect 
 this use of the light already vouchsafed, that you 
 offend the gracious Giver, and remain under his dis- 
 pleasure. Oh, that you would search, not only care-
 
 168 JUDAn's LION. 
 
 fully but prayerfully, the record which God hath given 
 us of his Son !' 
 
 Da Costa shook his head ; and Captain Ryan de- 
 sisted from pressing the point farther at that time. 
 They parted in perfect cordiality, arranging an excur- 
 sion for the morrow to explore the adjacent country. 
 Charley eagerly asked whether they should see the 
 house of Simon the tanner, to which Da Costa re- 
 plied that he would take care he should visit the spot 
 celebrated as the remains of that same house. He 
 left them all delighted with his evidently noble cha- 
 racter, and Captain Ryan, while he foresaw a great 
 hindrance to Alick's progress in the society of so de- 
 termined an opposer, rejoiced in the hope that 
 always animated him when he met a Hebrew zealous 
 in the law, like Saul of Tarsus j and promising equal 
 zeal in whatsoever the Lord might enable him to re- 
 ceive. He pondered on the strange anomaly of a 
 man who sincerely believed in God as the Author of 
 all truth and Preserver from all error, declining to 
 beseech help from Him when studying what he be- 
 lieves to be a false and danoferous fable. It is the 
 enemy of souls who tempts men to this proud reliance 
 on themselves ; and surely the prayer of every one 
 who loves Israel should daily ascend, that they may 
 turn to the Lord ; because when they do so, the veil 
 shall be taken away.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 No real amendment took place in the health of Mr. 
 Cohen ; his debility increased, and a feverish ten- 
 dency bespoke the danger of continued exposure to a 
 relaxing climate. A few days decided his plans ; and 
 finding- that the man-of-war still remained in the port 
 of Valetta, and that an opportunity presented itself 
 for returning thither by a shorter route than he had 
 anticipated, he resolved on availing himself of it. 
 Their approaching separation rendered every hour 
 precious to Alick that he could pass with his father ; 
 consequently, all excursions were suspended in which 
 he could not join without fatigue. 
 
 Da Costa, however, managed to render their limited 
 sphere of observation very interesting by the rich 
 store of local and historical knowledge with which 
 his mind was furnished, and his intimate acquaintance 
 with the characters both of the country and the peo- 
 ple around them. The Bazaar of Jaffa was a favor- 
 able spot for the display of such information ; and 
 Charley's inquisitiveness was sure to draw it all out. 
 Da Costa was fond of children, and this Irish boy 
 quite won his heart; to the surprise of his parents, 
 however, Charley remained true to his decided pre- 
 ference for Alick. He warmly returned Da Costa's
 
 170 judah's liox. 
 
 affectionate regard, but a smile from his first friend 
 was evidently of more value in his sight than all that 
 the really fascinating stranger could do or say to 
 please him. This was the more remarked by Captain 
 and Mrs. Ryan, because Alick had become so habit- 
 ually silent and thoughtful, that it formed quite a 
 contrast, not only to his lively countryman, but to 
 his former self. Charley often stood beside Da Costa, 
 or sate on his knee, listening with delioht to his ani- 
 mated conversation ; but he was sure to steal away 
 before long, and to settle himself in his old station, 
 his bright curls spreading on Alick's shoulder, and 
 his eye frequently turned to discover how his friend 
 enjoyed what was passing around them. 
 
 'Dear child !' whispered Mrs. Ryan to her husband, 
 on one of these occasions ; — ' They say we are a fickle 
 people, unstable in our attachments ; but that babe is 
 a living contradiction to the assertion. Do but look 
 how lovingly he watches everj'- turn of Alick's coun- 
 tenance.' 
 
 ' I do observe it, my dear ,' and it affords me more 
 satisfaction than you are aware of.' 
 
 One of the first visits made by the party was to the 
 reputed house of Simon the tanner. The consul to 
 whom it belonged had given a ready permission to 
 explore every corner of the old ruin, which was, in- 
 deed, a work of no difficulty. 
 
 'And is this Simon's house 1' asked Charles, in a 
 tone where doubt and disappointment seemed to pre- 
 dominate. 
 
 'So they say,' answered Da Costa. 
 
 'Ah, but do you your own self say it is 1' persisted 
 Charley. 
 [ 'How can I tein Or, indeed, what does it matter,
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 171 
 
 SO long as people agree to believe it is ; and so are 
 equally pleased, whether it be true or false.' 
 
 ' Oh, but people shouldn't be pleased with what is 
 false,' answered the boy in his quick way ; ' and no- 
 body ought to agree to believe a lie.' 
 
 'If you don't look sharp after this lad,' said Da 
 Costa to Captain Ryan, 'he'll fight his way out of all' 
 — he checked himself, and added, ' he will believe 
 no more than can be proved on unimpeachable evi- 
 dence.' 
 
 ' So much the better,' answered the Captain, whose 
 eye had just then caught the figure of a ]\Ialtese 
 sailor, performing a variety of crossings and genu- 
 flexions in front of the ruin, with a string of beads 
 depending from his wrist. 
 
 Da Costa turned again to Charlej''. ' Now suppose 
 it to be all true, and that this is bona fide the house 
 where the tanner lived, what is there in it to make 
 you happy in seeing it V 
 
 ' 1 don't know what bona fide is, sir ; but I like to 
 see places where things happened.' 
 
 ' Well, I have helped many to a sight of this place ; 
 but I confess I don't exactly know what happened 
 here. Can you tell me the history of this renowned 
 tanner V 
 
 Charley's eyes sparkled : ' Oh, it isn't the tanner, 
 Mr. Dockster,' (so he called the Jew) — ' we know no- 
 thing about him, only his name ; but Peter lodged 
 here : and he went up to the top, there, to pray, 
 and — stop, I'll read it ; for I shall make a jumble if I 
 try to tell you all.' He borrowed his papa's Bible, 
 and read the particulars, to v^hichthe other listened 
 very attentively, as did both the Cohens. Having 
 ended, he shut the book, and said, ' It all comes to 
 this, Mr. Dockster 5 up to that time you Jews had the
 
 172 jttdah's lion. 
 
 true religion all to yourselves ; but here, here,' and 
 he looked joyfully up again to the dark, dull pile of 
 broken building, ' we poor Gentiles were let in, you 
 see.' 
 
 ' No, no,' said Da Costa, involuntarily, as he turned 
 away, with a look of displeasure not usually seen on 
 his cheerful countenance. Captain Ryan immediately 
 asked, ' Do you mean to deny that a participation in 
 your spiritual blessings was promised to the Gen- 
 tiles'?' 
 
 Da Costa answered in Hebrew, '"You only have I 
 known of all the families of the earth." ' 
 
 ' True ; at the time those words were spoken, no 
 nation upon earth, save Israel alone, knew the true 
 God, or were acknowledged by him as his people; 
 but, versed as you are in the Scriptures, a moment's 
 reflection Avill bring innumerable passages to your 
 mind where, through you, a blessing is promised to 
 Gentile lands. Take, for example, the promises 
 given, and continually repeated to Abraham himself. 
 " In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be 
 blessed." How do you explain thisl' 
 
 ' It is not yet accomplished,' replied Da Costa, evi* 
 dently not wishing to prolong the discussion which he 
 had inadvertently provoked ; but seeing his opponent 
 by no means disposed to let it drop, he added, with 
 some warmth, ' 1 never can, I never will for a moment 
 credit the tale that any part, not to say the whole of 
 the law delivered with such terrible signs and awful 
 sanctions to my fathers, through their great leader, 
 Moses, was abrogated by the visionary appearance of 
 a bundle of beasts to an obscure fisherman on the top 
 of a house,' and he looked scornfully up. 
 
 ' In the first place,' said Captain Ryan, ' nothing was 
 abrogated in the way you mention. A remarkable
 
 jttdah's lion. 173 
 
 vision, bearing' upon a particular branch of the na- 
 tional dispensation, was so explained to Peter's under- 
 standing as to induce a ready obedience to the voice 
 that bade him go and bear tidings of salvation to a 
 Gentile inquirer. The visionary sheet with its con- 
 tents descended from heaven, into which nothing 
 defiling can enter ; and the lesson impressed on his 
 mind was that God had cleansed them. The whole 
 was typical and beautifully expressive. As to the 
 individual being only an obscure fisherman, Moses 
 was nothing greater in the world's estimation, when 
 keeping sheep on the mountain where the Lord first 
 appeared to him. Moses, himself an Israelite, was 
 divinely instructed to proclaim to the people of Israel 
 their approaching deliverance from the land of Egypt, 
 the house of bondage. Peter, also an Israelite, was 
 divinely commissioned to announce to the Gentiles, 
 that unto them too was granted repentance unto life 
 — deliverance from the far worse bondage of Satan. 
 Nor were the signs that confirmed the divine mission 
 of Peter less marvellous than those vouchsafed to 
 Moses — nay,' he added, as Da Costa, with crimsoning 
 cheek, attempted to interrupt him : ' hear me out. 
 The powers given to such as believed, in those days, 
 were as marvellous as any on record. They spake 
 with tongues of which they were before wholly igno- 
 rant ; they cast out devils, they healed the sick, they 
 recalled the dead to life. And more, aye, far more 
 than all this, Da Costa, they prevailed so to plant this 
 hated, persecuted religion, without the aid of sword 
 or spear, without the aid of regal power, or an atom 
 of worldly influence, without even the aid of human 
 vvisdom, or learning, or skill, that not all the powers of 
 earth and hell combined could resist the progress, or 
 shake the solidity of the work. Oh, believe me, what 
 16
 
 174 :rui)AH s lion. 
 
 you scorn as a bare invention of man, is but the con= 
 tinuation, the completion of God's glorious work, be- 
 gun in Mount Horeb, finished on Mount Calvary, and 
 yet to be proclaimed and established throughout the 
 world from the summit of the Mount of Olives, when 
 the feet of your glorious King and ours shall there 
 stand, and his voice be heard, and from his presence 
 the ungodly, like smoke, shall vanish away. " And 
 the Lord shall be King over all the earth : in that day 
 there shall be one Lord, and his name one." ' 
 
 He gave the text in Hebrew ; and as he stood facing 
 the fiery Israelite, with a look, tone, action, not a whit 
 less fiery than his own. Da Costa's countenance sof- 
 tened into an expression of gentle kindness, evidently 
 no less natural to it than the high determination of the 
 preceding moment. ' Well, Ryan, I, for one, shall 
 rejoice to see you, and such as you, partakers in 
 the blessedness of that glorious period, which you 
 seem to see at once so clearly and through so wrong 
 a medium, that your faith furnishes me with the most 
 puzzling enigma I ever tried to read. Many have 
 talked in my hearing of the same thing that you con- 
 tinually dwell upon ; but they speak after such a cut- 
 and-dried fashion, with unmoved muscle, lack-lustre 
 eye, and measured, meanless tone, that the manner is 
 sufficient antidote to the matter of their discourse. 
 You, on the contrary, fairly boil over from the work- 
 ings of a mind thoroughly heated by its subject. 
 You are in earnest,' he continued emphatically ; ' and 
 I can only account for your having such an evident 
 part in our high anticipations, by remembering the 
 national claim to consanguinity which I believe you 
 really possess. So, my dear fellow, on this accom- 
 modating neutral ground we may for the present take 
 ©ur stand : and time will settle the rest.'
 
 judah's lion. 175 
 
 Alick looked hard at Captain Ryan, as if to read his 
 thoughts; and the latter said, 'Not so, Da Costa: 
 there is no neutral ground for either of us to occupy. 
 The King whom we both expect will be to us a king 
 of terrors, if we regard him not in all the bearings of 
 his three-fold office. Prophet and Priest, equally as 
 King, As Prophet, he must have somewhat to teach 
 more than Moses directly taught ; for to Moses God 
 saith, " I will raise them up a Prophet from among 
 their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words 
 in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I 
 shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that 
 whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he 
 shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." 
 Again, as Priest, he must have a calling higher than 
 that of the Levitical priesthood, higher than Aaron, 
 for David distinctly says, " T^ie Lord hath sworn, and 
 will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the 
 order of Melchizedek." Now Melchizedek was, as 
 you will see here (Genesis xiv. 18), king of Salem, 
 and priest of the Most High God : he blessed Abram 
 in the name of the Most High God : he praised the 
 Most High God for delivering his enemies into his 
 hand ; and now, Da Costa, what did Abraham unto 
 Melchizedek 1 ' 
 
 Da Costa, who was deeply examining the Hebrew 
 text, which Ryan all along had quoted, supplied the 
 answer from it, * " He gave him tithes of all." But 
 I don't see the slightest connection between this and 
 what we were talking of.' 
 
 ' Wait : we are talking of Messiah the King whom 
 I assert to be also the Prophet like unto Moses, and 
 the everlasting Priest, after the order of Melchizedek. 
 I have said that the promised Prophet must have a 
 farther revelation to make after that of Moses : and 
 
 M 
 
 "^:
 
 176 judah's lion. 
 
 I am showing that the predicted Priest, being after the 
 order of Melchizedek, must have a priesthood higher 
 than that of Aaron ; for Abraham, the forefather of 
 Levi, and of every tribe of Israel, received a blessing 
 from, and paid tithes to, this Melchizedek, who was a 
 vivid type of the Messiah ; for as a king, the king of 
 Salem, king of Peace, he met and greeted Abraham j 
 as a Prophet he announced him blessed of the Most 
 High God, and as a Priest he received at his hand the 
 tithe of his spoils — the exact provision afterwards 
 divinely appointed for the Levitical Priesthood. Out 
 of your own Scriptures I draw these truths ; I lay 
 them before you ; I tell you that in him for whose 
 second coming I look, I find all the prophetical, 
 priestly, kingly character combined in glorious har- 
 mony, and shining forth with divine effulgence ; and I 
 tell you, too, that unless we thus recognize him, 
 neither Jew nor Gentile can hail his appearing other- 
 wise than as the signal for their immediate and ever- 
 lasting destruction.' 
 
 ' You are a master of your subject,' said Da Costa ; 
 * whereas I, having nothing at hand to which I may 
 refer, and being but indifferently read in the subtleties 
 of these controversial matters, stand at a manifest 
 disadvantage. Yet had I even my travelling book-case 
 within reach, I would answer you.' 
 
 ' Da Costa,' said Ryan solemnly, laying his hand on 
 his shoulder, ' the coming for which we look may be 
 instantaneous ; or, by a stroke, sudden and unexpected 
 as the midnight flash, you may be removed into the 
 world of spirits ; and in either case you must answer 
 for yourself — an answer on which hangs your eternal 
 doom. Oh, will it suffice you then to talk of a book- 
 case, when the thrilling inquiry is put, "Why didst 
 thou not believe the writings of Moses, of David, of
 
 lUDAH^S LlON. l^t 
 
 all the prophets, when taught hy my Spirit, they testr- 
 fied of me 1" Here, in this narrow compass, lie all the 
 books we require. By Jews, by Jews alone was every 
 word written : you gave us the bread of life, and why 
 will you perish with hunger, while a grateful Gentile 
 believer in your own glorious Messiah, implores you 
 to eat and be satisfied : to look and live ! ' 
 
 Tears started in the eyes of the ardent Christian, 
 soldier, as, pressing the sacred volume against the 
 bosom of the Jew, he gazed upon him with all the 
 yearnings of one who sees his dearest benefactor per- 
 ishing and refusing to be rescued. Da Costa's eyes 
 were wholly shaded by the long dark lashes that fell 
 over them, bent as they were on the ground ; and it 
 was impossible to determine by what species of emo- 
 tion his cheek was blanched, his brow knit, and his lips 
 compressed. It might be smothered wrath ; it might 
 be wounded pride ; it might be an awakened fear that 
 all was not safe with him ; be it what it might, all was 
 for some moments silent and still throughout the 
 group. Mrs. Ryan's heart echoed the prayer which 
 she knew her husband was silently breathing on behalf 
 of his Hebrew friend. Mr. Cohen, seated on a broken 
 fragment, was deeply pondering what he heard ; and 
 Alick, in whose arms little Charley had fallen asleep 
 through fatigue, had his countenance lighted up with 
 a gladness which he seemed desirous of checking, or 
 at least of disguising, but he could not. He had longed 
 to witness a direct attack on either side, where little 
 more than light skirmishing had hitherto taken place ; 
 and now his wish was gratified. 
 
 ' The Gentile,' thought he, ' takes all his arguments 
 
 out of the New Testament without owning it. I have 
 
 read all that about Melchizedek in the Epistle to the 
 
 Hebrews, or I am much mistaken ; but Da Costa thinks 
 
 16*
 
 178 judah's lion. 
 
 it is all new. Why does he not read for himself, so as 
 to remember it 1 And why does he not now give a 
 reason for disbelieving what the other says 1 Oh, that 
 I myself knew how much to believe and how much to 
 reject of these things ! ' The consciousness of unsatis- 
 fied doubt again saddened his looks; and before anyone 
 could remark the smile of pleasure, it had passed away. 
 
 'What a persevering fellow is th^t Irishman,' said 
 Da Costa, the next time he was alone with Alick. ' Of 
 just such stufl", I should imagine, were the proselytes 
 of other days made ; noble, aspiring tempers, who 
 hovered about Judaism like the moth around the flame, 
 till they were caught and blended with the all-conquer- 
 ing element.' 
 
 ' Were you in any way staggered by his arguments 1 ' 
 asked Alick. 
 
 ' No J but I was mortified at being unable to answer 
 him, through my imperfect knowledge of a book in 
 which we ought at least to be as well read as any 
 Gentile. Of course, he got his interpretations from 
 commentators of his own creed ; and he has studied 
 them to good purpose.' 
 
 ' No, he told me to the contrary ; he was on service, 
 thinking of nothing but military fame, knowing and 
 caring nothing about religion of any sort, when by 
 some means he got alarmed as to the state he was in 
 before God. It was in a wild part of India, far from 
 any minister, or any books except the Bible ; and for 
 a year that was his only teacher, his only comfort. 
 He there learned all that he knows of religion ; and on 
 returning home, instead of sitting down, as he says, to 
 find out what other men had thought of the matter, he 
 tried to rouse the minds of those around him who had 
 never thought about it at all. He declares it was the 
 Bible alone that led him to take such an interest in
 
 judah's lion. 179 
 
 our people j and from that he gets his arguments to 
 prove that we are in darkness.' 
 
 *In other words, he comes to our armory for a 
 sword to cut our throats with.' 
 
 ' Yes ; and to tell you the truth, I think it a pity we 
 don't go there ourselves for a shield to defend them.' 
 
 ' That's true : but he refers only to the written word, 
 whereas we have the oral law, equally binding, and 
 requiring a vast deal more study than you or I could 
 bestow to acquaint ourselves with it.' 
 
 ' Still,' said Alick, ' as he neither quotes nor recog- 
 nizes anything of ours, but Moses and the Prophets, I 
 don't see why we should not enable ourselves to meet 
 him there.' 
 
 ' But we cannot rightly interpret these books with- 
 out the help of our learned Rabbis, who devoted their 
 lives to the discovery of hidden meanings, not discern- 
 ible to such as we.' 
 
 ' Then they are not discernible to him,' rejoined 
 Alick, ' so we shall still be on a par. Besides, to tell 
 you the truth, T do not think that God would so write 
 his book as to make falsehood appear on the face of 
 it, and leave truth to be discovered only by those who 
 have learning, and leisure for intense study.' 
 
 Da Costa shook his head : * Have a care, Cohen j 
 you are on dangerous ground.' 
 
 ' No, I think not j take any passage in the prophe- 
 cies, touching our national preservation, restoration, 
 triumph, and perpetuity — we understand, we believe, 
 and rejoice in it. But listen to a Gentile commen- 
 tator, you will hear him setting aside the plain mean- 
 ing as figurative, typical, and all that ; and claiming 
 for himself and his uncircumcized brethren, what God 
 has promised to the seed of Abraham alone — and all 
 by virtue of a hidden meaning ! '
 
 180 judah's lion. 
 
 Da Costa was struck by this argument, 'You are 
 right, my lad : there lies enough on the surface for us 
 to glean a profitable harvest. Shall we begin to study 
 in earnest, a la Ryan 1 ' 
 
 ' I am past beginning : I have been at it pretty hard 
 for weeks.' 
 
 It was agreed that they should read the Hebrew 
 scriptures together daily ; and Alick felt happier than 
 he had done for some time 5 nor was his pleasure les-^ 
 sened when Da Costa proposed that they should occa* 
 sionally look into the New Testament to see, as he 
 said, how the Christians contrived to twist to their 
 own purposes and meanings the words of truth. ' With 
 all my heart,' said Alick: 'but just remember one 
 thing, Da Costa i I have a great dislike to calling 
 names.' 
 
 ' You are right,' replied the noble Israelite. ' Scur* 
 rility can form no part of a gentleman's religion ; from 
 me you will hear no word of railing reproach, in 
 reference to what we both most heartily disbelieve 
 and detest.' 
 
 Alick could not stand this appeal to his honesty 5 
 he boldly said, ' I am far from being persuaded that I 
 am bound to detest what, however, I cannot say that I 
 believe ; the character of Jesus is a very lovely one, 
 so far as I can see ; and surely I may regard it with 
 respect, while rejecting his claims to the Messiahship.' 
 
 'You will see there is no medium,' observed Da 
 Costa, very composedly. ' However, our plan will 
 put an end to your doubts, if any exist ; for I know 
 no better way to guard a man against these idolatrous 
 inventions, than to investigate the clumsy fabrications 
 on which they are grounded. I found it so myself 5 a 
 cursory perusal of that book which they have pre- 
 sumed to bind up with our sacred writings, left me
 
 judah's lion. 181 
 
 quite proof against the theological devices of all the 
 Nazarenes beneath the sun.' 
 
 The eve of Mr. Cohen's departure was spent chiefly 
 in private discourse between him and his son. ' I wish 
 you, my dear boy,' he said, ' to cultivate the friend- 
 ship of Da Costa ; for he is the very soul of integrity, 
 and in every way a delightful, a valuable companion 
 for you : yet in my own place, I would prefer leaving 
 the Ryans, as already settled ; not only because they 
 have sacrificed their convenience and altered all their 
 plans for our accommodation, but that, really, I find 
 my respect for, my confidence in them, daily increas- 
 ed. For myself, Alick, I am not so strong as I was, 
 nor can we penetrate the decrees of the Most High, 
 as to whether He will revive and restore me or other- 
 wise : but this I know, that my firm trust is in Hinti 
 who has not said to the house of Jacob, Seek ye me 
 in vain.' 
 
 After a short silence, which Alick had not power to 
 break, Mr. Cohen asked, ' What was the name of that 
 honest gunner on board our old ship 1 ' 
 
 ' Gordon, sir,' answered Alick ; in whose bosom the 
 question excited other emotions besides that of pleas- 
 ed surprise. Much excellent advice and expressions 
 of paternal love on the one side, responded to by pro- 
 mises of obedience, and the overflowings of grateful 
 affection on the other, closed this interview. Alick 
 scarcely slept that night ; prayers for his dear father, 
 and thoughts of home that almost tempted him to 
 insist on returning, occupied the hours. But at early 
 dawn he was roused by the voice of Da Costa, who 
 spoke of an arrangement made with the Ryans to start 
 for Jerusalem on the following day ; and this, as he 
 conjectured it would, gradually softened to Alick the 
 pang of bidding a long farewell to his fond parent.
 
 182 jtidah's lion. 
 
 As the little vessel scudded away from the land, the 
 two young Hebrews mounted a rising ground, to gaze 
 on its lessening sails ; and Da Costa exclaimed, 'Lord, 
 how long % Still must the children of thy chosen 
 come to these shores, the guests of a day, and depart 
 into renewed exile 1 Oh, when wilt thou set thine 
 hand to gather us from the four winds, and plant thy 
 people once more upon the holy mountain, Jerusalem ! 
 Lord, how long 1 ' 
 
 No time was lost in arranging for the journey for- 
 ward : and with many delightful anticipations of what 
 was in store for them, the strangers — that is to say, 
 Mrs. Ryan, Charley, and Alick, watched the progress 
 of preparation in which Da Costa took the lead. 
 Horses were provided, and a little seat for Charles 
 was, by the clever contrivance of his father, so ar- 
 ranged on the front of his own saddle as to secure the 
 boy both from danger and the fatigue he must other- 
 wise have encountered, unless, — which he would by 
 no means consent to, — he was so carried as to deprive 
 him of a look-out on all sides. 
 
 ' I will see every bit of the country, so T will,' said 
 Charley; 'for it is God's own land, and there is no 
 other like it all over the world.' 
 
 ' The earth is the Lord's,' remarked his mother: 
 * and every country throughout the whole world is 
 His.' 
 
 ' I know it, mamma ; but not like this. Everybody 
 has other places, but nobody has the Holy Land.' 
 
 ' I should like to hear you make that out,' said Da 
 Costa, who was improving the fashion of a cap to de- 
 fend the little fellow's eyes from the hot sun. 
 
 ' I can't make it out very well for you, Mr. Dock- 
 ster ; but sure I know what I know, and I know what 
 I think, though I can't put it in words.'
 
 ;^DDAH^S LION. 183 
 
 * Well, but try, Charley : let us know what you 
 think, too.' 
 
 ' Why then, didn't God give you this land all to 
 yourselves entirely, Mr. Jews 1 ' asked the boy, ad- 
 dressing his two friends. 
 
 'Aye, that he did,' answered Da Costa; and Alick 
 added, ' every inch of it, Charley, to Abraham, and to 
 his seed after him, for ever.' 
 
 ' That's it, that's it,' shouted the little boy, taking a 
 jump like a young kid. ' He didn't give it to anybody 
 else then.' 
 
 ' Never — never ! ' 
 
 Here the little fellow's countenance changed to 
 great and serious earnestness ; he glided up to Da 
 Costa, and taking hold of the end of his sash, said, 
 * Have you got the land now 1 have you 1 ' and without 
 waiting for a reply, he went on, sorrowfully shaking 
 his head, ' No, you hav'n't, you hav'n't got it — 
 
 " The cedars wave on Lebanon, 
 But Judah's statelier maids are gone;" ' 
 
 The well remembered lines made Alick's heart thrill. 
 Da Costa, who had never heard the child quote them 
 before, seemed overwhelmed with astonishment* 
 Charley then, with great rapidity, went on ; 'So it isn't 
 anybody else's, and you hav'n't got it ; and it's just 
 like my blue coat that was made too big for me, and 
 mamma keeps it locked up till I grow bigger: and it's 
 mine, and nobody else's; but it's mamma's till I get 
 it — and so, and so, — that's what I think, you darling 
 of a Jew ! ' and then, by means of Da Costa's sash and 
 arm, he climbed up, — a manoeuvre that Alick had 
 taught him — and hung round his neck. 
 
 ' Well said, my boy ! ' exclaimed Captain Ryan, who 
 with ineffable delight had listened to his explanation.
 
 184 jitdah's lion. 
 
 ' This land is the Lord's in a most peculiar sense in- 
 deed ; and in proof that howsoever it may be occupied 
 during the interval of his dear people's dispersion, it 
 actually belongs to no other race, he shuts up its fer- 
 tility, withholds the corn, the wine, the oil, the milk 
 and the honey, and everything that constituted it the 
 glory of all lands, locking it up — no expression could 
 better describe the thing — until the time comes for 
 the renewed occupancy of those to whom it so truly 
 appertains. What say you, Da Costa "? ' 
 
 ' I say. Captain Kyan,' answered the Jew, who had 
 all the while been caressing Charles most fondly, 'that 
 a man with such arrows as this in his quiver may well 
 stand in the gate, and face every enemy. The bless- 
 ing of the race you love be upon you, boy! there is 
 more in that young mind than 1 can fathom.' 
 
 They set out, and all was sunshine around them. 
 How often does the morning beam rest brightly where, 
 before evening's fall, the clouds shall gather, and the 
 storm burst, and desolation overspread a path where 
 the pilgrim looked only for peace and joy !
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The cavalcade that left the walls of Jaffa, though not 
 an extensive, was yet a respectable one. Recent 
 events had opened the route considerably more than 
 might have been anticipated fifty years before ; but it 
 still was a difficult, and frequently an unsafe road. 
 The wandering Arab's hand, restrained by powerful 
 authority, was still against every man ; and theft, if 
 nothing worse, might be apprehended, in the absence 
 of due precaution. Our travellers, therefore, were 
 well armed, and sufficiently attended. Alick, to his 
 infinite delight, found himself on the back of a most 
 frolicksome young horse ; and Da Costa, equally well 
 mounted, fully partook in the exhilaration of spirit 
 that rose beyond control. Often, when the road per- 
 mitted, the young men resigned themselves to the dis- 
 cretion of their fleet and fiery Arabian steeds, making 
 wide circuits at a wild full gallop, and returning in 
 breathless glee to their more sedate but not less cheer- 
 ful companions. It was during one of these their excur- 
 sive expeditions that Mrs. Ryan took the opportunity of 
 remarkins: to her husband, ' I did not think Alick would 
 have approached Jerusalem in such buoyant spirits.' 
 
 ' Dear boy !' answered Captain Ryan, ' he has been 
 heavily oppressed of late ; and this ebullition of 
 17
 
 186 judah's lion. 
 
 youthful joyousness is quite natural. Do you not feel 
 a gladdening influence in the soft, balmy air, the bril- 
 liant sunbeams, the gorgeous tints of those rich flow- 
 ers, relieved bj' patches of verdure almost rivalling that 
 of our own emerald isle — that waving line of majestic 
 mountains, and the combination of magnificence with 
 tender beauty that perpetually meets your eye V 
 
 ' I do, my love : but yet' — she hesitated, and hung 
 her head over the bridle that she had been knotting 
 round her fingers — • 
 
 'But what, Ellen, dearest 1 goon and tell meal!.' 
 
 'Indeed, indeed, Robert, I cannot feel joyous. 
 These things do, as you say, gladden me by their love- 
 liness, but the feeling is momentary. My heart is sad : 
 my spirit mourns and cries "Ichabod." For alas! 
 " How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion 
 with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven 
 unto the earth the beautj'^ of Israel, and remembered 
 not his footstool in the day of his anger ! The Lord 
 hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and 
 hath not pitied ; he hath thrown down in liis wrath the 
 strongholds of the daughter of Judah : he hath 
 brought them down to the ground : he hath polluted 
 the kingdom and the princes thereof." ' 
 
 She repeated these words of the prophet in a voice 
 so musically sad, that it attracted the notice of some 
 of the attendants, and one of them, a very fine young 
 Syrian, drew near to listen to her tones. Charley, 
 who had been shouting with delight at the equestrian 
 exploits of his friends, was also arrested by them ; 
 and the change that came over his countenance was 
 very marked. He glanced at the listening foreigner, 
 and said, ' Papa, tell that nasty Turk to keep away 
 from us.' 
 
 'Fie, Charles: what has the poor fellow done to of-
 
 judah's lion. 187 
 
 fend you, or to provoke such an unbecoming expres- 
 sion V 
 
 ' Why he is a Turk, and has got Jerusalem away 
 from tlie Jews, and he hates the Jews, and so I don't 
 want him to come pokeing here, listening to what we 
 say, papa.' 
 
 ' It would be a pity he should hear what you say, 
 certainly !' replied Captain Ryan, half smiling; 'but 
 in the first place he cannot understand our language ; 
 in the next place he is no Turk ; and lastly, of whatso- 
 ever nation he might be, he is a man, and my little boy 
 must not forget the Apostle's injunction, to "honor 
 all men." ' 
 
 ' Oh, papa, I am very sorry, I quite forgot that ; but 
 are you sure he is not a Turk, papa V 
 
 ' Yes, he is a Christian, in name at least ; but bye- 
 and-bye we shall see more Turks than we have yet 
 done, and I hope you will indulge no ill-will against 
 them, poor fellows!' 
 
 Charley shook his head ; his prejudices were strong, 
 and to avoid giving any promise he turned to bis mo- 
 ther ; ' Mamma, don't you hate the Turks 1' 
 
 ' Hate them, my dear 1 no; on the contrary I feel 
 greatly interested for them.' 
 
 Charley seemed quite at fault ; however, to his 
 great relief, the two Jews now trotted up, and he 
 bawled out at the top of his little voice, ' Mr. Dock- 
 ster ! Mr. Alick! don't you hate the Turks V 
 
 ' Not at all,' replied Da Costa, laughing ; and Alick 
 added, ' Such respectable-lookingpersonages, Charley, 
 with turbans, and beards, and famous long pipes, who 
 can help admiring them 1' 
 
 To the surprise of the party, the little fellow hurst 
 into a fit of angry crying, and said, 'Nobody loves the 
 poor dear Jews but me 1'
 
 188 JUDAIl's LION. 
 
 Mrs. Ryan began to expostulate ; Alick to soothe | 
 but Da Costa, after fixing a look of deep anxiety on 
 his face drew close to Captain Ryan, and whispered, 
 'He is ill.' 
 
 The father's arm trembled as he pressed the sobbing 
 babe to his bosom, and said in the softest tone : ' Yes, 
 the Lord loves the poor dear Jews far better than my 
 Charley can do.' 
 
 Smiling through his tears, the little fellow looked 
 up, stroked his father's face, and replied, 'I know it.' 
 The touch of that hot, dry hand was but too confirma- 
 tory of Da Costa's whisper. Captain Ryan held it to 
 his lips, and in a cheerful, but still very soothing voice, 
 said, " Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, 
 neither is there any divination against Israel; accord- 
 ing to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, 
 What hath God wrought ! ' ' 
 
 ' Good, good !' cried Charley ; ' tell me some more 
 Bible, papa, now we are in Bible-land.' 
 
 Meanwhile Da Costa had said something to Alick 
 that blanched his cheek ; but he made an effort to look 
 unconcerned. Mrs. Ryan, ignorant of its immediate 
 cause, seemed pleased at the seriousness of those 
 whose thoughts she had expected to find more in uni- 
 son with her own. 
 
 'I am glad you express no unkind or resentful feel- 
 ing against the poor Turks,' she said to Da Costa, 
 * They certainly had no hand in bringing calamity on 
 your people, and their prejudices are not stronger 
 against you than those of some who call themselves 
 Christians, and from whom, not from you, they wrest- 
 ed the land.' 
 
 ' True,' replied he : ' their quarrel was with the Cru- 
 saders, with whom, I believe you have little fellowship 
 of feeling, and one of the first exploits of a crusading
 
 judah's lion. 189 
 
 corps, preparatory to marching against the warlike 
 Saracens, was to murder, with every aggravation of 
 cruelty, some community of unarmed, helpless, un- 
 resisting Israelites in their own neighborhood.' He 
 spoke with cool contempt, but his cheek burned with 
 a fire that he strove to smother. 
 
 ' Who did that 1' asked Alick hastily. 
 
 ' Rome,' replied Mrs. Ryan. ' You know the origin 
 of the Crusades : the Turks had conquered the holy 
 land, this holy land (and she looked round with glis- 
 tening eyes) from the Romans, and established them"- 
 selves in it, to the expulsion of all that bore the name, 
 however falsely, of Christianity. To recover this 
 rich possession, the Roman Pontiff brought into the 
 market his treasury of spiritual merchandizes, and 
 gathered armies out of every nation subjected to his 
 yoke, making it a work of merit sufficient for the pur- 
 chase of an eternal inheritance in heaven, to drive the 
 Turk from Palestine, and to re-establish the supersti- 
 tious practices that, alas ! I fear we shall soon see 
 in full display at what they call the holy sepul- 
 chre.' 
 
 The fiery animation and exulting delight that flash> 
 ed from Da Costa's eyes, reminded her that a wrong 
 construction might be put on her words; she there- 
 fore corrected herself : ' 1 say, what they call the 
 holy sepulchre, because there is very strong ground 
 to question whether the spot over which they have 
 reared a church is indeed that where the body of our 
 blessed Lord was laid during the period that interven- 
 ed [between his death and glorious resurrection. I, 
 for one, hope it is not ; for grievous indeed must it be 
 to the eye of one who loves the Lord Jesus, to behold 
 the idolatrous abominations that are perpetrated in Hi$ 
 name, under a supposition that there he was laid, and 
 17*
 
 190 judah's lion. 
 
 there burst the tomb. To return : these crusading 
 expeditions were led by kings, and comprised the 
 flower of everj'^ European land. They were blessed 
 to the work, plentifully supplied with counter-charms 
 to meet the supposed sorcery of the Moslem ; and as 
 a trial of martial prowess, an introduction to the work 
 of blood, and a peculiaily acceptable sacrifice to the 
 God of peace and mercy, the God of Israel, they were 
 encouraged to seek out and to massacre the Hebrew 
 families who dwelt in their respective countries. This 
 they did, with every circumstance of cruelty that Sa- 
 tanic malignity could suggest, and persecuting exe- 
 cute, against the ancient people of God. The Cru* 
 saders succeeded ; and papal Rome regained what pa- 
 gan Rome had first acquired — even the Holy City of 
 Jerusalem ! 
 
 ' We are now,' said Captain Ryan, ' crossing from 
 the portion of Dan into that of Ephraim.' 
 
 ' Yes,' added Da Costa, ' and we shall recross into 
 that of Dan, for a very little space ; then into the lot 
 of ^Benjamin, thence to that of Judah, vain words! 
 Dan, Ephraim, Benjamin, Judah — where are they 1' 
 
 'Preparing to return and repossess the land which 
 God gave to them and to their seed for ever — for an 
 everlasting possession,' exclaimed Captain Ryan. 
 
 Charley, whose looks bore witness to the fervency 
 of his eagerness while listening to his mother, now 
 said, ' Mamma, how came the Turks back again 1 Did 
 theyrdrive the Papists out V 
 
 'Yes, my dear: Jerusalem, Antioch, and Edessa, 
 were the only places the Crusaders could master. 
 Syria, and Palestine, where we now are, remained in 
 the hands of the Fatimites, a clan of Mahommedans ; 
 but Jerusalem was retaken by the Sulian of Egypt in 
 1187, and after more than a hundred years' fighting
 
 JUDAH's LIONi 191 
 
 and struggling to get it back again, the armies of the 
 Pope were finally driven away by the Turks, who have 
 kept it ever since.' 
 
 ' And now, Charley,' said Captain Ryan, ' these poor 
 Turks have no Bible ; tlrey know not God's promises 
 to his dear people Israel, but consider that in holding 
 possession of this fair land they do no more than keep 
 what their fathers bravely won from men who pretend 
 to be believers in the Holy Bible, and yet would as 
 soon persecute a Jew to death for being a Jew, as they 
 would a Turk for being a Turk. Do you wonder, my 
 boy, that our feelings towards the poor Turks are dif- 
 ferent from those of the Romanists, who think it a 
 mark of piety to hate them V 
 
 ' I'll tell you what, papa,' cried Charley, almost ris- 
 ing out of his snuor seat with the animation that fired 
 him. ' It was Popery itself taught me to hate the 
 Turks. When I was little, you know I did be very 
 fond of Judy O'Keefe, down the bogside, down there 
 by' — his father interrupted him. ' I remember it well, 
 Charley, though to be sure it must be a great while 
 since you were little : she used to give you fresh eggs, 
 and let you play with her young chickens. Well, 
 what about Judy and the Turks V 
 
 ' Oh, Papa, sure I went and talked to Judy all about 
 the Jews and the Holy City Jerusalem ; and she said a 
 pilgrimage to Jerusalem would save any soul ; and she 
 said the bad wicked Turks had driven God's people 
 out of it, so as they couldn't get in to make pilgrim- 
 ages 5 and, papa, 1 thought God's people meant the 
 Jews, and so I came to hate the Turks, so I did.' 
 
 ' No, no, my boy, the Turks never drove the Jews out, 
 though I don't suppose they would be willing to let 
 them in again : but if those whom poor Judy calls 
 God's people had possession of it, they would proba-
 
 192 judah's lion. 
 
 bly put to death any son of Abraham who should dare 
 to set foot in the city of his fathers — the city of his 
 God.' 
 
 ' This is the way we are all misled,' observed Mrs. 
 Ryan. ' Our youthful sympathies are enlisted on the 
 side of the Crusaders, and we receive from fthe ele- 
 gant pages of Tasso, and from the glowing recitals of 
 history as penned by, or copied from, the disciples of 
 Rome, such impressions as steel our hearts against a 
 people who might be found more accessible to the 
 truths of the gospel than many, at far greater distance, 
 to whom we are constantly despatching Missiona- 
 ries.' 
 
 ' Aye,' rejoined her husband, ' and there are two 
 points in the Turkish character that should yield us 
 special encouragement ; first, they show far more re* 
 spect to the Jew than to the idolater who falsely bears 
 the name of Christian ; and secondly, they not only 
 honor the name and the law of Moses, hvd they do 
 actually at this time look for the coming of our Mes* 
 siah, after the lapse of a few years, and believe that 
 he shall triumphantly reign in this very land, Jerusa- 
 lem beinar the chief seat of his government. This I 
 have repeatedly heard from their own lips.' 
 
 ' And is it possible,' asked Mrs. Ryan, ' that these 
 facts should be known, and yet no attempt made to 
 improve such manifest advantages to the welfare of 
 their immortal souls'? ' 
 
 ' Popery, my dear. Popery has a terrible account to 
 give in this matter ; but we too are very guilty.' 
 
 During this conversation. Da Costa had ridden on 
 in perfect silence, after his involuntary interruption ; 
 and there was that in his countenance which betoken- 
 ed a train of thought most absorbingly interesting. 
 He seemed to be revolving in his mind something that
 
 judah's lion. 193 
 
 wholly possessed it, evidently arising out of what he 
 heard. Alick, who had passed over as a merely me- 
 chanical process, such outlines of history as his school- 
 education had required him to learn by rote, listened 
 with intense eagerness to every word spoken ; and 
 often did the proud glance, turned towards the majes- 
 tic mountain-summits of Judea, bespeak his heartfelt 
 conviction that let Turk or Christian enjoy the tran- 
 sient occupation of that land, the true, the unalienable 
 right to its possession was his. 
 
 Charley, on whose dimpled cheeks the crimson tint 
 that usually came and went with every speech he ut- 
 tered, had now established itself in two broad, well- 
 defined and deepening spots of hectic character, was 
 very talkative, and made several striking remarks : un- 
 til Da Costa, suddenly roused from his reverie, encoun- 
 tered the anxious eye of Captain Ryan, and in the 
 same adroit whisper as before, said, 'Keep him quiet.' 
 
 This was not easily done : Charley had taken a sud- 
 den interest in the Turks, as men whom he had 
 wrongfully despised and disliked ; and in language 
 rather incoherent, he was urging on Alick the duty of 
 preaching Christ to them ; a subject that seemed sad- 
 ly to embarrass his friend. They had pursued their 
 progress under a glowing sun, perpetually delighted 
 by some new burst of scenery peculiar to the land, 
 when a sudden darkness overcast the sky ; and long 
 before they could reach even a place of temporary 
 shelter, the most penetrating rain descended, setting 
 at naught their best attempts at repelling its soaking 
 power. Captain Ryan bent over his precious boy, 
 who was also covered with the folds of his light, wa- 
 ter-proof cloak ; but the consideration that it was also 
 air-proof and therefore calculated to condense and de- 
 tain, and most perniciously to return in cold damps
 
 194- jtjdah's lion. 
 
 the exhalations of a body so closely wrapped and in- 
 evitably overheated, distracted his mind. At times 
 he thought of throwing all open, and exposing the 
 child to the more genial rain of heaven ; but sleep had 
 overcome the little fellow, and he dared not venture 
 on such an experiment. Da Costa's looks of anxious 
 distress increased his uneasy feelings, and secret 
 prayer alone upheld his spirit in an hour of no com» 
 mon trial. 
 
 Alick, meanwhile, was devoting himself to the task 
 of warding ofTfrom Mrs. Ryan the heavy torrents that 
 fell. She was, like most of her countrywomen, a most 
 excellent equestrian, and her easy self-possession was 
 of great value. But the road here became rugged, the 
 rain increased, the horses gave evident token of un- 
 willingness to proceed, and their attendant owners 
 closed in, protesting against any perseverance in the 
 attempt to reach their destination, Ramleh, that night. 
 Captain Ryan was disposed to acquiesce, under ex- 
 treme solicitude for Charley, but Da Costa, knowing 
 what unspeakably wretched quarters they must put up 
 with at the proposed halt, strenuously resisted it. 
 High words ensued between him and the native guides, 
 the purport of which being known only to Captain Ry- 
 an, did not alarm him so much as the vehement orien- 
 tal gesticulation of the parties startled his companions. 
 At length the Syrian who had offended Charley, in- 
 terposed, strongly urging a halt, and giving Captain 
 Ryan in an under tone such cogent reasons for it, 
 founded on the very questionable character of his com- 
 rades, and accompanied with a promise of very early 
 resuming the journey, that he deemed it better to ac- 
 quiesce. 
 
 They dismounted, therefore, at the spot selected by 
 their guides, and a dreary place it was ! four low rug-
 
 JUDAn's LION. 196 
 
 ged walls, surmounted by a flat roof that admitted the 
 rain through a hundred fissures, without window or 
 chimney, and for a door a shapeless slab of stone, 
 formed the miserable dwelling into which the whole 
 party, including the horses and their guides, pressed 
 together ; taking up their lodging to the best advan- 
 tage they could on the slippery floor. It was then 
 that the graces of hospitality shone forth in those 
 lords of the soil who, like their father Abraham, pos- 
 sessed not so much of it as would yield support to the 
 sole of their foot. The two Hebrew gentlemen at 
 once, and in a way that defied all opposition, laid 
 hands on whatever could conduce to the comfort of 
 the lady and her child ; the young Syrian horseman 
 heartily seconded them ; and though not without some 
 grumbling, and looks by no means friendly, the others 
 yielded their slight saddles and bags, and whatever 
 was not saturated with the rain, to form a sort of 
 couch, over which they spread a large rug, which Da 
 Costa, better prepared for such sudden change of 
 weather and circumstances, had rolled up within an 
 oil-skin covering. This being arranged, the next care 
 was to provide somewhat of a table, on which they 
 placed refreshments, such as could be produced on an 
 emergency so unlooked for. Da Costa, while press- 
 ing on Mrs. Ryan a portion of the little store, said, ' I 
 have no flocks whence to select a kid, nor meal where- 
 with to form a cake ; but trust me, dear madam, when 
 it shall please the Lord our God to restore to us the 
 inheritance of our fathers, and to the land her rich 
 fertility, the choicest of all we possess will be in our 
 estimation a poor ofl"ering to the friends who have 
 sheltered us in the hour of persecution, sympathized 
 in our sorrows, and are now longing to rejoice in the 
 joy that will yet gladden the way-worn sons of Jacob.'
 
 196 judah's lion. 
 
 Before Mrs. Ryan could reply, an exclamation from 
 Alick, who had just taken Charley on his lap, ar- 
 rested her. The boy had been in a deep sleep for 
 some time before their halt, nor had any of the move- 
 ments that ensued broken his slumber. Now, how- 
 ever, he had opened his eyes, and their wild, blood- 
 shot appearance, as he rolled them on surrounding 
 objects, and finally fixed their vacant stare on Alick's 
 face, without any semblance of recognition, had sur- 
 prised the youth into an interjection of alarm. Cap- 
 tain Ryan had gone to the farthest end of the long 
 narrow apartment, to make some inquiry of his Sy- 
 rian friend, witli whom he was much pleased ; but 
 his wife's distressed accents caught his ear, which 
 Alick's voice had failed to attract, and he hastened 
 back, to find her bending over the child, exclaiming 
 in minoled terror and amazement, ' Oh, what is this ! 
 What can have happened to my boy !' 
 
 ' Fatigue, damp, excitement,' said Captain Ryan, 
 as he took the little burning hand in his, ' have over- 
 powered the poor babe. Charley, vein of my heart ! 
 speak to papa, tell him what ails you.' 
 
 But Charley spoke not ; fever v/as on him to an ex- 
 tent that overpowered all consciousness, and when 
 they laid a finger on his tiny wrist, the throb of the 
 vein was fearful. 
 
 The father's heart, and the mother's heart — who 
 shall declare their secret writhings under the dread 
 that wrung them! but they were outwardly calm ; for 
 the peace of those whose minds are stayed on the 
 Lord was there. Alick, on the contrary, was agitated 
 beyond control : he clasped the poor child to his bo- 
 som, and wept over him, exclaiming, ' Charley, 
 Charley ! is this your welcome to the land of Israel V 
 
 'Be quiet, Cohen,' said Da Costa ; and then in a 
 voice of the most marked solemnity, and with an
 
 JUDAll's LION. lf)7 
 
 emphasis so evident, that it sent dismay into the 
 hearts of his hearers, he added, ' This is not death.' 
 
 The parents looked up at him : he stood with folded 
 arms, his eyes fixed on the child, his brow bent, his 
 lips compressed, and feelings, the intensity of which 
 was the more apparent from his usually delighted as- 
 pect when gazing on that boy, worked in his counte- 
 nance. Christian zeal ever glows brighter when the 
 Refiner heightens the furnace in which he purifies his 
 ■silver ; Captain Ryan stood erect, and looking ear- 
 nestly at his Jewish friend, said, * And if it be death, 
 what is it but the gate of life to the babe — the little 
 one who believes in Christ as his only, hisall-sufScient 
 Savior 1' 
 
 No notice was taken of this : Da Costa laid his 
 hand on the broad little forehead, and said, 'I know 
 ihese symptoms well : he is delirious, and it may be- 
 come more palpable 5 but be calm, and avoid exciting 
 him in any way. In our present circumstances, sleep 
 is the only medicine within our reach. To-morrow 
 we shall, by a comparatively short and easy journej^, 
 reach Ramleh, — our ancient Ramah.' 
 
 It was now that, for the first time, Mrs. Ryan's for- 
 titude gave way 5 she had taken the boy in her arms, 
 and her tears burst over his insensible form as she 
 sobbed out, ' Oh, not to Ramah !' 
 
 * Why not to Ramah V asked Da Costa : ' there is 
 no nearer place on our route for what you require.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan shook her head ; her tears fell faster 
 than ever over the little suflerer ; and Alick, drawing 
 his friend aside, repeated to him in accents that trem- 
 bled with emotion, the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, 
 ' A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter 
 weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, refused 
 to be comforted for her children, because they were 
 not.' 
 
 18
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The first day's journey, leisurely as it had been, and ab- 
 ruptly terminated, brought our travellers over a much 
 less space of ground than they had supposed ,• and its 
 general character of tranquil beauty, fragrance, and unob- 
 structed smoothness, would have ill prepared them for 
 what was to follow ; but Da Costa forewarned them of 
 the change that would take place soon after leaving Ra- 
 mah, and urged their continuance at that station until the 
 issue of the little boy's illness should be known. Captain 
 Ryan was disposed to acquiesce ; but his wdfe, though she 
 offered no opposition to their plans, evidently shrank from 
 the arrangement; and, while he almost marvelled at the 
 unv/onted weakness of a mind, the strength of which had 
 often proved a support to his ovA^n, he could not press the 
 point. He ended the conference by saying, 'Let all 
 these thoughts for the morrow be abandoned : to Ramleh 
 we must necessarily proceed : but our farther course may 
 be left to a higher wisdom than ours. If I could see you 
 composed to sleep, Ellen, it would lighten my present 
 anxiety not a little : be persuaded to lie down, and leave 
 the boy to us.' 
 
 ' Do, dear Mrs. Ryan,' said Alick ; ' I will promise, aye 
 swear, not to take my eyes off his darling face till you
 
 judah's lion. 199 
 
 wake, if you will only get a little rest after all this trying 
 work.' 
 
 'And I,' said Da Costa, ' will hold his hand in mine; 
 and if even an unsatisfactory movement of the pulse takes 
 place, you shall be roused. Trust him to us : or rather,' 
 he added in a voice unusually sweet and solemn, ' leave 
 him to the Watchman of Israel, who never slumbers; the 
 Shepherd who carries the lambs in his bosom.' 
 
 She lifted her eyes to their faces, and exclaimed, ' 
 kind, generous sons of Abraham, would that you were 
 under the guardianship of that Watchman — gathered into 
 the fold of that Shepherd!' 
 
 ' So we are,' replied Alick. 
 
 ' Not in the sense she means,' remarked Da Costa. 
 ' Christians apply the title differently from us : but apply 
 them how you will, dear madam, so that they relieve 
 your mind from its present over-weight.' He then added, 
 'Believe me, you will need to have all your powers, bodily 
 and mental, unimpaired to meet the difficulties that lie in 
 our onward path.' 
 
 ' I know it 5 but I am not fatigued, nor drowsy, nor in 
 any need of rest. I only want a cordial to refresh my 
 spirit.' 
 
 ' Well, give me your Bible, Ryan,' said the Jew, with 
 unruffled countenance ; and opening at the book of Jere- 
 miah, he proceeded : ' You seem to have some painful 
 thoughts connected with this town of Ramleh, and I must 
 claim the exercise of your sympathy in our destinies to 
 remove those thoughts. Few passages are more pregnant 
 with delightful hope than this : he then read, beginning 
 with the verse that Alick had quoted, and proceeding 
 without a pause, " Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice 
 from weeping, and thine eyes from tears ; for thy work 
 shall be rewarded, saith the Lord ; and they shall come 
 again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in
 
 200 judah's lion. 
 
 thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come 
 again to their own border." So, you see, the weeping 
 of Rachel, however bitter, is not a hopeless weeping: the 
 tribes, her scattered children, for whom she laments as 
 though they were not, shall be gathered again : for listen, 
 a little farther on the prophet says, "Thus saith theLord 
 of Hosts, the God of Israel. As yet they shall use this 
 speech in the land of Judah, and in the cities thereof, 
 when I shall bring again the captivity. The Lord bless 
 thee, O habitation of justice and mounta'n of holiness. 
 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities 
 thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with 
 flocks : for I have satiated the weary soul, and I have re- 
 plenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaked and 
 beheld, and my sleep was sweet unto me." What possi- 
 ble interpretation can you put upon this, to deprive it of 
 its literal, obvious meaning V 
 
 ' None,' answered Captain Ryan : ' to Israel the pro- 
 mise undoubtedly belongs, and it breathes the rich strain 
 of assurance to them as a nation, to deny or explain away 
 which I should deem a sacrilegious offence ; to you be- 
 longs the word of encouragement telling you that the 
 Lord hath not finally cast off his people, nor forgotten- 
 that his covenant was made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
 and their seed for ever, and that it includes also the pos- 
 session of this land, which He gave unto them. But my 
 dear friend, we poor Gentiles, believing that the Lord is 
 nigh unto all that call upon him, without respect of 
 persons, where spiritual blessings are concerned ; believ- 
 ing the word of your prophets also, who repeatedly testify 
 of the participation promised to us in those everlasting 
 mercies which pertain to a heavenly inheritance— we, too, 
 find a word of comfort addressed to our souls in the pas- 
 sage you have been reading. The first part, the lamenta- 
 tion of Rachel for her children' ~
 
 jiTdah's lion. 201 
 
 ' t know how you apply that,' internipted Da Costa. 
 ' The slaugliter of infants in Bethlehem, by that sanguin- 
 ary, usurping despot, Herod, is related with a quotation 
 from it. Letting that pass, to what possible use can you 
 turn the rest V 
 
 ' To me,' said Mrs. Ryan, ' it speaks of the resurrection 
 of the body, it comforts the weeping mother with the as- 
 sured hope of a re-union with her lost children in the 
 day of that first, glorious resurrection, when all who are 
 the Lord's shall rise to meet him at his coming.' 
 
 Da Costa had an answer ready : but he glanced at the 
 child, at the pale, anxious face of the fond mother, and 
 feeling that he could not then combat her inferences, he 
 closed the book, saying, ' Well, my dear madam, I rejoice 
 that the cordial for which you wished has been supplied: 
 in truth, it is large enough to admit of our sharing it.' 
 He spoke smilingly, and from courtesy rather than con- 
 viction ; but Alick had been struck, as though he had 
 never before heard of sach a thing, with the beautiful ar- 
 rangement of God's word, by which both Jew and Gen- 
 tile might appropriate spiritually that which, in its pri- 
 mary literal sense, belongs to the former ; and thence he 
 was led to ponder the question whether such spiritual in- 
 terpretation was not equally needful to both. ' This goodly 
 land,' thought he, 'may be but the type of a better ; and 
 God's faithfulness in reserving it to us may be the appointed 
 pledge of his bringing us into his own kingdom at last. 
 They say Moses was a type of Christ, and our sacrifices 
 were types of his offering himself up for us. If so, how 
 extensive the blessing! I don't see but that a Jewish 
 mother would take comfort in such a passage, so explain- 
 ed ; and it does not interfere with our national rights — 
 but rather establishes them. I should like to understand 
 all this!' He remained in deep thought, and the light 
 that gradually broke on his soul was most cheering. 
 18*
 
 202 judah's lion. 
 
 Meanwhile Captain Ryan called his friend aside, and 
 demanded of him his honest opinion respecting Charley. 
 Da Costa, with some reluctance, answered that, shortly 
 before their arrival, he had witnessed some cases of a most 
 severe ftver among children, too often fatal, and which 
 appeared to be also contagious ; that he had seen Charley 
 in the Bazaar, standing close beside a little Armenian boy, 
 two of whose family had died of it, and who himself had 
 but recently risen from the same bed of sickness : that he 
 had snatched Charley away, and having every hope of his 
 escaping any danger, he had refrained from alarming them 
 by mentioning it, but had watched him most anxiously for 
 a day or two. ' My mind was then quite at ease,' he con- 
 cluded, ' until this day, when the symptoms that appeared 
 struck me at once as being: identical with those I have 
 witnessed in Jaffa.' 
 
 ' And how long does this disease usually last, prepara- 
 tory to a fatal termination.' 
 
 ' I cannot speak with any certainty to that point ; I 
 have seen it go on for a week ; I have seen it end sooner. 
 But why talk of a fatal issue 1 I cannot bear to anticipate 
 that, how then can you V 
 
 ' By firmly believing, my dear Da Costa, that the good 
 Shepherd, even Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, will carry 
 this poor Gentile lamb in his tender bosom to the green 
 pastures of his heavenly fold.' 
 
 Da Costa turned awaj'-, but not in unkindness. Ryan 
 called him back ; ' Tell me, will his reason return V 
 
 ' Oh yes; a little delirium at the outset, with occa- 
 sional wanderings under the paroxysms of fever, is all 
 that I have seen in these cases. His irritation concern- 
 ing the Turks, and his hurried loquacitj' afterwards, gave 
 me the alarm ; but remember I may be mistaken. I 
 know just enough of medicine to make me nervous about 
 those I love ; hardly enough to do them any good.'
 
 judah's lion. 203 
 
 • At RatTileh, what quarters shall we find V 
 ' None so suitable as the convent.' 
 
 * None that I would not sooner occupy !' exclaimed 
 Ryan. 
 
 The lapse of a few troubled hours saw the cavalcade 
 again ready : the weather had become more favorable, 
 and again they set out under a brightening sky, Charley 
 being placed within an ample pannier, balanced by some 
 articles belonging to the baggage, and slung across the 
 back of a stout mule, whose even, easy pace,, had been re- 
 marked on the preceding day. The boy appeared perfectly 
 conscious, but under some oppression that deterred him 
 from speaking. His father led the animal, walking beside 
 him, and the two Hebrews alternately dismounted to 
 steady the pannier, while the other rode beside Mrs. 
 Ryan. 
 
 They had proceeded thus for a little way, when Char- 
 ley spoke. ' What a nice warm sunshine, and a sweet 
 $mell ! Where am I now V 
 
 ' In the Holy Land, my boy,' answered his father, ' we 
 are crossing the plains near Ramah, and very rich is the 
 fragrance of the glowing flowers that surround us, drawn 
 forth by the sun's rays after the rains of yesterdaj'. It is 
 a goodly land, Charles, and looking about me now, 1 can 
 call it the glory of all lands ; for if such it be in desola- 
 tion and neglect, what would it be under the culture of 
 its own tribes!' 
 
 ' Papa, I should like to look about me ; but somebody 
 has fastened my head down — I can't lift it.' 
 
 Da Costa, who kept out of his sight, but intently watch- 
 ed him, shrank back at hearing these words. His gesture 
 was noticed by Captain Ryan, who felt its import. 
 
 The child remained silent and quiet ; the fever was 
 abated, and a dreamy stillness seemed to hang about him, 
 as he lay, smiling occasionally to himself in his narrow
 
 204 ' judah's liox. 
 
 basket. After a while, Alick assumed Da Costa's post, 
 and, unable to keep back as he had done, peeped into the 
 pannier. Charley was then seemingly asleep, but in a 
 few seconds he opened his eyes, though without appear- 
 ing to take notice of anything about him, and almost 
 laughed. Alick bent his head lower, and in a soft whis- 
 per asked, ' Is my little darling comfortable V 
 
 In a moment the boy's look was turned on him ; it was 
 bright but unsteady ; and he answered in the same low 
 tone, ' Mr. Alick, you don't know how beautiful, how 
 beautiful' — there he paused. 
 
 ' Is it the land, Charley 1 the fair land that God gave to 
 my father Abraham 1 but no, you can't see it, lying down. 
 Or is it the sunshine out of that deep blue sky? Oh, 
 Charley, 'tis a glorious sky that God has spread over my 
 own land. You can see that, dear"?' 
 
 'Yes, but it isn't that. The beautiful things, Mr. 
 Alick, are in my mind, somehow, but I don't know where 
 they come from V 
 
 ' From God, Charley : or perhaps' — he bent his face to 
 the child's and whispered as low as if he feared the sound 
 of his own breath, ' perhaps from Jesus Christ : He's 
 your God, you know ; but not mine, not exactly, not' — 
 
 Charley interrupted him, with the quick, abrupt speech 
 peculiar to him when roused, ' If he's anybody's God, 
 then he's everybody's God : he is your God, Mr. Alick, 
 I tell you He is.' 
 
 ' Hush, darling, hush ! "Well, at any rate, this is Pales- 
 tine, this is the Holy Land.' 
 
 ' And Jesus Christ is its King j and he is the Bling of 
 the Jews,' said Charley. 
 
 ' You are sick now, my little love, and must not be 
 contradicted.' 
 
 ' Yes, I may be contradicted, but God mustn't be 
 contradicted ; and He says, " Yet have I set my King
 
 judah's lion. 205 
 
 upoa my holy hill ofZlon." I tell you what, if you 
 don't kiss the Son, you'll be broken in bits like a potter's 
 vessel.' 
 
 This was spoken so loud, the voice caught his mother's 
 ear, and in a moment her horse was close on the heels of 
 the steady old mule, and her neck eagerly stretched out, 
 till Charley caught a glimpse of her face, and cried out, 
 ' Mamma, my mind is full of beautiful things.' 
 
 Before she could well answer, he had relapsed into his 
 slumbering state ; and Da Costa forbade any attempt to 
 rouse him. Alick walked on, silent, and more deeply 
 than ever pondering the one thing that occupied his 
 thoughts. Captain Ryan's quick ear had caught all the 
 dialogue except Allck's mysterious whisper ; and the pur- 
 port of that was easy to ascertain from what preceded 
 and followed it. His heart was wrung by the anticipation 
 of losing this precious boy, but its language was, " The 
 will of the Lord be done !" and again he thought over the 
 child's ardent desire to be a Missionary to Israel : and re- 
 joiced in its evident gratification. 
 
 Thus they passed on, and before mid-day they had en- 
 tered Ramah. The best accommodations to be found 
 were pitiable, compared with their need ; but so long as 
 little Charley could be undressed and placed in a snug 
 bed, his friends were satisfied. He remained quiet, and 
 Mrs. Ryan being also persuaded to take some repose be- 
 side him, the three gentlemen sallied into the town, in 
 quest of what there was little hope of obtaining — compe- 
 tent medical advice. To the Franciscan Convent they 
 went, being told that a Doctor was there, a Frank ; but 
 the monk who answered their call, said he had left the 
 place two days before; having only been a transient 
 guest. ' He gave advice and medicine,' added he ; ' but 
 we saw it was only done to make way for his Bibles, 
 which he scattered about, and gave us no little trouble in
 
 206 judah's lion. 
 
 collecting them to' — here he stopped, as if afraid of going 
 too far. 
 
 ' To burn, I suppose,' said Captain Ryan. 
 
 * The books contained nothing that could concern us ; 
 we live in a mixed population, each following his own 
 way, according as he was brought up.' 
 
 ' But if none of those ways should happen to be the 
 right way, and a person comes to point it out to you all, 
 it seems to me that instead of concerning nobody, it does, 
 in an especial manner, concern everybody.' 
 
 The monk's brow contracted ; 'As to the right way,'' 
 said he, ' we know very well there is but one, and that is 
 the way the Catholic Church appoints.' 
 
 ' I should rather say,' remarked Captain Ryan, * that 
 the Church instead of choosing her own way is bound to 
 walk in that which God has marked out.' 
 
 But the monk had no talent, or no taste for confro- 
 vers}'- ; with the same unmoved look, and in the same 
 inonotonous tone, he repeated his former words, which 
 were evidently spoken by rote. Alick observed, ' If 
 what your church says be true, it must agree with what is 
 in the Bible, and therefore I don't see why you should 
 object to it.' 
 
 The monk lifted his sleepy eyes to the youth's face, 
 and again dropped them, muttering something that sound- 
 ed like a repetition of his former words. 
 
 Da Costa had been glancing round the room with an 
 aspect of restless impatience and half-suppressed irritation ; 
 he now spoke, and his voice rang through the little, low- 
 roofed apartment, with electrifying power. ' We, who 
 are Jews, rejecting as we do the whole S3'stem of Chris- 
 tianity, appeal to the Scriptures as our warrant for such 
 rejection. You, who have added to God's word what- 
 ever you deem necessary to authenticate your creed, dare
 
 JUDAU'S LION. 207 
 
 not, it seem?, bring your religion to the touchstone of 
 your own New Testament. How is this V 
 
 The monk stared with a mixture of angry astonishment 
 and alarm, as Da Costa stood, proudly facing him, with 
 such a look of undisguised scorn and defiance, that Cap- 
 tain Ryan was inclined to whisper a caution, but forbore. 
 The word Jews had been so spoken as to reach the ears 
 of some dosing members of the brotherhood in an adjoin- 
 ing room ; and faces were seen peeping with no very 
 friendly expression, through the intervening doorway. 
 Meanwhile the monk commenced crossing himself, and 
 muttering prayers, after which he dipped his fingers into 
 a bowl that stood near, and sprinkled the water between 
 himself and the intruder. 
 
 * Exorcise as you may,' resumed the Jew, * you will 
 not succeed in laying thej troublesome spirit. Perse- 
 cute as you can, bely, calumniate, torture and massacre 
 to the extent of your power, it will not avail. The Jew, 
 the hated Jew, will overmaster you yet; here, on the 
 land of his fathers, he will plant his foot ; and from sea to 
 sea shall no place be found to shelter the desolating 
 abomination that now defiles it.' 
 
 * Are you not going too far V whispered Captain Ryan. 
 
 ' No ;' he replied in English,' I am protected by an au- 
 thority to which they must bow, or I should long since 
 have followed the fate of one whom they sacrificed, not 
 here, but in the mountains whence this goodly scion was 
 transplanted ; and where, after this meeting with me, he 
 will speedily return. At this moment some infernal plot 
 is ripening at Damascus, and he is cognizant of it.' 
 
 By this tijTie the superior had been summoned ; who, 
 approaching with more courtesy than might have been 
 expected, asked their business at the convent. He was 
 told; and immediately said he would send a brother who 
 was skilled in such cases, and who should be at their quar-
 
 "208 jitdah's lion. 
 
 ters nearly as soon as themselves. He then politely bade 
 them farewell, and watched until they quitted the convent 
 door. 
 
 ' Now, forgive me, Ryan,' said Da Costa, * for I cer- 
 tainly placed you in an unpleasant position ; but hear 
 my tale, briefly told. You know the hateful charge 
 brought against us by these lying monks, and entertained 
 more or less throughout the various classes who usurp our 
 land.' 
 
 'What charger asked Alick. 
 
 Da Costa looked at him with surprise ; Ihen said, speak- 
 ing with bitter emphasis, ' The charge of blood ; they say 
 that we, the seed of Abraham, knead our passover bread 
 with Christian blood ; to procure which, we inveigle 
 and murder them. That's the charo-e. Cohen-' 
 
 ' And never since Satan began his career as the father 
 of lies, did he produce a lie more diabolical than that,' 
 exclaimed Captain Ryan, whose cheek burned with in- 
 dignation and shame. 'Never did his infernal craft 
 invent a more detestable calumny, to stain alike the 
 Jewish and the Christian name. Against you, the follow- 
 ers of Moses, he lays an accusation Involving guilt so 
 complicated that its very atrocity is almost inconceivable ; 
 and against us, the followers of Christ, he commits an 
 almost equal outrage, by inciting its wretched propagators 
 to call themselves Christians, as thouoh we, who from the 
 innermost recesses of our souls fling off all participation 
 in the slanderous crime, \^^ere among its abettors.' 
 
 'I know that very well,' said Da Costa, warmly : ' but 
 to proceed with my explanation : I brought out with me 
 some few years ago, a young German friend and co-re- 
 ligionist of my own, aa noble a fellow as ever breathed. 
 We were strolling through the land, and reached, among 
 the mountains northward of the Holy City, one of those 
 aests of monkery which defile our country far more thaa
 
 judah's lion. 209 
 
 do the Mosques of the Moslem. The weather compelled 
 us to rest here for a season, and we were treated civilly 
 enough, until on declining to partake of some dainty in 
 which the blood of the animal was distinctly named as a 
 chief ingredient, they taxed us, aye, taxed us with being 
 Israelites.' 
 
 ' Had you tried to conceal it V asked Alick. 
 
 'Not we. Our aspect was wan ant enough for our 
 being of the race ; and no thought of disguise ever en- 
 tered our heads. When the rude challenge was given, 
 of being concealed Jews, we loudly and proudly avowed 
 our lineage, and repudiated the idea of concealment. 
 They then scofTed at our scruples, again pressing us to eat 
 of the prohibited viand ; and when we protested against 
 being thought capable of such hypocrisy, they hurled in 
 our teeth the infamous reproaches alluded to.' 
 
 'And I hope you hurled your plate in theirs,' said 
 Alick. 
 
 ' Not exactly ; but we were much exasperated and the 
 altercation ran so high, that my companion, who was as 
 well ver-ed in your scriptures as in our own, just drew 
 them a picture of what they ought to be, according to 
 those books ; and of what they are, as the most flagrant 
 idolators extant ; in language that the chief monk pre- 
 tended to regard as betokening a disposition to do 
 violence to some of their wooden or crockery gods ; 
 and thrust us both, by dint of overpowering numbers, 
 into a dark noisome place, for the night. It would 
 have fared ill with us ; but I gave them to know that any 
 outrage perpetrated on us would be taken up at once by 
 the English consul-general, whose word was, at that junc- 
 ture, law with the Turk, and who would visit on their 
 system the wrong done to his countryman and friend, 
 I menaced them on the score of false imprisonment also ; 
 and we were set free, but dodged from mountain to plain^ 
 19
 
 210 judah's lion. 
 
 and never believing we should regain our homes alive,. 
 Among the fraternity was that fellow whom we have just 
 seen. 
 
 ' I should have told you that, in the heat of their re- 
 vilings, they not only avowed but gloried in the persecu- 
 tions and massacres of their church ; and declared the 
 destruction of a Jew to be as acceptable in the sight of 
 God as any religious service whatever : this they would 
 afterwards have retracted, but we could not allow of it ; 
 and perhaps poor Wilhelm's pertinacity on this point 
 sealed his doom j for he vowed to publish it, on his return 
 to Europe, as the declaration of men who claimed infal- 
 libility of judgment. Not long after this, we were 
 obliged to separate for a short space, each accompanied 
 by two or three Arab guides, whose hatred of the Franks 
 seemed a fair preservative against treachery. I reached 
 at the appointed time the place of rendezvous, but of 
 Wilhelm or his conductors no trace could ever be gained, 
 nor did I, from that time forward, detect a vestige of the 
 dodging s^'stem that had been practised thitherto.' 
 
 'But surely,' said Alick, 'you did not let the matter 
 rest there V 
 
 'Did n At the head of a party of stout fellows, I 
 ransacked their den from top to bottom, and left it stand- 
 ing only because there was a possibility that in some un* 
 discoverable recess my poor friend might be secreted, 
 and buried beneath the ruins. In this exploit I did not so 
 appear as to be recognized : an Arab Shiekh supplied what 
 seemed to be a party of marauders, and I disguised myself, 
 as I think, perfectly: but, when afterwards I related, con- 
 fidentially, this part of the business to the only individual 
 through whom public justice could be obtained, he con- 
 sidered my proceeding as calculated, if discovered, to 
 compromise the English interests in Syria ; and I know 
 too well the value, to my own people, of the present high
 
 judah's lion. 211 
 
 standing of Great Britain in the East, to do that. No, I 
 am resolved never to relinquish the search till some clue 
 be obtained of Wilhelm : but having, somewhat too pre- 
 cipitately, taken justice into my own hands, I must follow 
 it out at my proper hazard.' 
 
 They had now reached the dark, dungeon-like house 
 where the sick child lay, and even the stirring interest of 
 Da Costa's story was lost in solicitude for him. They 
 found him awake, and restless ; putting frequent questions 
 to his mother, in a rambling, but very earnest way ; while 
 her looks told how deep was the trial, how submissive the 
 spirit in which it was borne. 
 
 When the gentlemen approached, Charley cried out, 
 ' Papa, this is Ramah ; Rachel lived here ; but this is not 
 Bethlehem, and the children were killed in Bethlehem.' 
 
 ' And in all the coasts thereof,' answered his father. 
 
 ' Ah, I forgot the coasts : it's all true, so it is : so it is,' 
 he murmured ; and Captain Ryan marvelled if his little 
 one had been tempted to unbelief at such a moment. 
 Charley soon resumed, ' They were all Jew babies, Papa, 
 •were they not V 
 
 ' No doubt, my dear boy ; and you know that, like 
 cruel Hercfd, cruel Pharaoh ordered all the Jew babes to 
 be slain, at least, all the males.' 
 
 'Ah, but Moses escaped, and Jesus escaped ; and he is 
 the prophet like Moses, so he is.' 
 
 A short silence ensued, which was broken by the en- 
 trance of a monk, on whom Charley fixed his eyes v/ith 
 wonder. The Hebrew friends drew back a little, to allow 
 of his approach. He examined the child, put a few ques- 
 tions to Captain Ryan, and shook his head. 
 
 ' Are you a doctor V Charles asked. 
 
 ' There is no doctor, my love, in the place,' said his 
 mother : ' this is a kind priest who comes to see you.' 
 
 ' I want a doctor, but I don't want a priest, I won't have
 
 212 judah's lion. 
 
 the priest,' he added loudly, as the recollection of some 
 scene in Ireland came over his confused mind. 
 
 The monk, who seemed a mild, compassionate man, 
 touched by the child's distressful tone, though he knew 
 not the words spoken, drew nearer, and taking from the 
 folds of his robe a small crucifix, held it before him. This 
 excited Charley to a great pitch : his face became flushed, 
 and he cried out in a more piercing tone, 'I won't have 
 it, that idol; Papa, take me away— Mr. Dockster, I say, 
 take away the idol.' 
 
 The Jew's heart bounded to the appeal, and while Cap- 
 tain Ryan was courteously but earnestly explaining and 
 justifying to the monk his little boy's entreaty. Da Costa 
 advanced, intending by stooping over the child to inter- 
 pose between him and the object of his distress ; but it 
 was needless — on his approach the monk hurried the sym- 
 bol back into his bosom, and retreated. 
 
 This was a painful moment to the protesting Christians : 
 they felt that while only partaking in the Jew's horror of 
 idolatry, they incurred the reproach of seeming to acqui- 
 esce in his unbelieving contempt of what that idol as- 
 sumed to represent — a reality far, far dearer to them than 
 their life-blood. But it is a small matter to be judged of 
 man's judgment, where we know that he who truly judg- 
 eth and shall judge is the Lord ; and condemned as they 
 felt themselves to be of both the unbelieving Israelite and 
 the Papist, both had their hearts' prayer, both their love ; 
 though it cannot but be that to them the true Christian's 
 affection must ever most fondly turn, and over them must 
 he yearn with the tenderest solicitude, who preserved for 
 him, and gave to him the precious Bible, which alone 
 enables him to detect all error, and to discern all truth. 
 
 The monk shortly departed, and had at the door a short 
 low conversation with Captain Ryan, who returned with a 
 saddened look, and folding his arms, stood gazing intently
 
 JUDAU'S LION. 213 
 
 on his child. Charley, ^vho had been quiet for sometime, 
 looked up in his face, and calmly asked him, 'Papa, did 
 that man say I am going to die 1' 
 
 At once every eye was turned on the agitated father ; 
 and scarcely less fearful!}^ anxious was that of Alick than 
 of the mother herself. Da Costa's mournful expression 
 bespoke his opinion already formed ; but he too looked, 
 as if to catch at some gleam of hope. Captain Ryan 
 strove to speak, and in a cheerful tone, but the effect was 
 fruitless : he uttered an incoherent word or two, and clasp- 
 ing his hands, walked away. 
 
 The stillness of death prevailed for some moments, 
 when he again approached the little couch, seemingly 
 about to speak, but Charles prevented him : lifting up at 
 once his meek eyes, and his little trembling hands, in a 
 voice of the most touching, imploring entreaty, he said, 
 ' Dear papa ! please, papa, oh, may I go and die at Jeru- 
 salem 1 May I, papa'? may IV 
 
 ' You must not talk of dying, Charley,' said Da Costa, 
 who alone seemed able to speak. ' At present you are not 
 well enough to be moved, and you will be more likely to 
 get well here.' 
 
 ' Oh, don't you say that, Mr. Dockster, and you a Jew. 
 Sure, if I am to get better, it's in Jerusalem I should 
 thrive ; and if Fm going to die, oh, but 1 should like to 
 die, and to be buried in Jerusalem itself !' The last 
 words were spoken with an animation approaching to 
 gaiety ; but the sudden return of stupor put an end to the 
 question, and Da Costa begged them by all means to in- 
 dulge any disposition to quietness. 
 
 At nightfall the total want of every comfort for a sick 
 room pressed more forcibly on their minds. Jerusalem 
 was not so far off as to make the journey formidable ; but 
 the road was bad, and accommodations were uncertain. 
 Da Costa could ensure them a welcome to a respectable 
 19*
 
 214< JITDAH S LION. 
 
 house, if still tenanted as when he last visited the Holy 
 City ; but this was doubtful. While the anxious discus- 
 sion proceeded, Alick stole away into the adjoining room, 
 and creeping softly to the couch, listened to the breath- 
 ings of his little friend, which were short and quick, and 
 unequal : he kneeled beside the bed, overwhelmed with 
 anxious sorrow, and tried to pray, but his views seemed 
 to have become more darkened and perplexed than ever, 
 probably because he had carried his inquiries farther and 
 in a more observant spirit, while Da Costa, with the quick- 
 ness for which he was remarkable, still explained away, 
 according to the dictates of man's wisdom, those truths 
 which are only to be apprehended by simple faith. Char- 
 ley's breath soon assumed an articulate sound ; and after 
 some low murmurings, he distinctly repeated, 
 
 * The cedars wave on Lebanon, 
 
 But Judah's statelier maids are gone.' 
 
 At the same time a moonbeam stole through the unglazed 
 crevice that served as a window, upon the pillow, and 
 showed his eyes open : he turned them, and putting his 
 hand tp the face that bent over him, and which was now 
 moist Avith tears, he said, ' Darling Alick, I was thinking, 
 or dreaming, or something, about how I saw you at sea, 
 and how we talked, and got fond of one another: I love 
 you very dearly, and so does Jesus Christ.' 
 
 * He loves you, Charley, you mean.' 
 
 'And he lovts you, Mr, Alick, and Mr. Dockster, and 
 all the Jews; and all the Christians that believe in him ; 
 only you don't know it. Now I know it, and I do be so 
 happy you can't think : I dare say I'm going to die ; and 
 if I didn't know that Jesus has the key of heaven, and if 
 I didn't know that he loves me, how would I get in ? If 
 he did not love me, he would not let me in ; and if I 
 didn't know he has the key, I couldn't ask him to let me 
 in, you know.'
 
 jtjdah's lion. 215 
 
 'Charley, every word you speak goes to my heart, but 
 I wonder why you should think Jesus Christ loves the 
 Jews, when they don't care about him ; to say the least 
 of it. And besides, if he does love us, what good will it 
 do to us, since, as you say, we don't know he has the 
 key ; that means, the power.' 
 
 'Why there's the very thing itself, Mr. Alick. The 
 trouble is that you won't ask him, when he is all ready to 
 give you as soon as you do. Sure, if you asked him you 
 would get your land back fast enough : .but you won't 
 ask him, either for that or the kingdom of heaven, so you 
 don't get them.' Alick sighed heavily : ' I'd rather have 
 the least corner in the kingdom, of heaven, Charley, than 
 even all this goodly land, my own land, the land of my 
 father Abraham.' 
 
 ' Have you asked him for it V said Charley. 
 
 'I hardly know: I cannot frame my lips to address a 
 prayer directly to him ; but if thoughts are heard, he has 
 heard many a prayer from me ; for I am always thinking 
 of him.' 
 
 ' Think of him still,' whispered Mrs. Ryan, who, con- 
 cealed by the shade of the room had stood near, and heard 
 the latter part of the conversation. ' Think of him as the 
 faithful and true God, keeping his covenant of mercy for 
 ever. See how he smoothes the bed of death, and gladdens 
 the fleeting spirit of that infant believer ; and how he 
 subdues the mother's rebellious grief, and upholds the 
 mother's fainting heart, and speaks peace to his mourners ; 
 a peace sweeter than all the joys of earth can give.' 
 
 'Mamma, is that you 1' said Charley. 
 
 ' It is, my darling.' 
 
 ' Oh, mamma, please let me go to Jerusalem !' 
 
 ' My precious child, when I think of all the superstition 
 that has led people away from God to rest in the name, 
 the mere stones of Jerusalem, and other things that are 
 accounted holy, I do fear lest my Charley's mind may be
 
 216 judah's lion. 
 
 at all drawn off from the Lord, by this very great anxiety 
 to reach the place where he taught and suffered.' 
 
 ' It isn't that, mamma ; but I love Jerusalem so I I don't 
 love it better than the heavenly Jerusalem, mamma, but 
 I don't like to stop here : I don't like to die here.' 
 
 Mrs. Ryan's inmost desire was to leave the place they 
 were in, and she, too, connected many calming thoughts 
 with the locality of Jerusalem. She therefore promised 
 not to oppose the journey : and as Charley was becoming 
 drowsy again, Alick left her beside him. 
 
 Instead of returning to his friends, he sauntered out into 
 a pleasant grove of olive-trees, interspersed with a thou- 
 sand bright flowers, that lay just outside the town. The 
 moon was clear, and nothing could exceed the beauty of 
 the scene. The air, balmy and loaded with fragrance, came 
 refreshingly to his aching brow; and when, through a,. 
 vista of trees, the hill-country of Judea broke on his sight, 
 and all the most powerful feelings of his soul were called 
 at once into play, he could have kneeled to ask, in the 
 anxious inquiry of a thoroughly awakened mind, whether 
 Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the King of Israel. 
 
 But it was not there that his doubt was to be settled ; 
 much remained for him to learn, and a sharper school must 
 prepare him for it. As yet, his path had been smooth and 
 easy, with no greater difficulty to encounter than the rising 
 perplexities of his own mind. Very different scenes were 
 before him, and dangers of which he little dreamed. 
 
 The decision was taken to proceed, if circumstances 
 admitted of their so doing ; and with many misgivings, 
 but still enabled to rest all his care on One well able to 
 sustain it, the father placed his child in the conveyance 
 provided, with every possible precaution against the con- 
 sequence to be dreaded from so exceedingly rough a 
 road : and escorted by a larger body of guards than be- 
 fore, under the direction of the friendly Armenian, they 
 set forward towards the Holy City.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Most lovely was the scenery through which our travellers 
 bent their way for a considerable time after leaving 
 Ramah, and but for one circumstance, it would have been 
 a season of rich enjoyment. Da Costa, while pointing 
 out the ever-varying beauties that surrounded them, and 
 expatiating on the unquestionable fertility of the soil, if 
 but common justice in the way of tillage was done to it, 
 seemed to lose the recollection of his outcast condition. 
 The land was his, and he spoke of it as though, not only 
 in retrospect and in prospect, but also in actual possession, 
 it was his own. Every group of olives, every scattered 
 oak was to him a subject worth descanting on j and his 
 intimate knowledge of Scripture, which he quoted fluently, 
 and so far as regarded the historical and geographical 
 sense, with most correct application, rendered his dis- 
 course alike interesting and instructive. ' You are aware,' 
 said he, ' that it is the fashion among those who profess 
 to understand our Scriptures better than we do ourselves, 
 either to explain away by some shadowy interpretation 
 what is declared of the natural fertility of this good land, 
 or else assert that God has smitten it by an irreversible 
 decree of barrenness, so that it shall never recover its 
 former fruitfulness. According to them the soil and its 
 inheritors are alike shut out from the life-giving favor of 
 the Almighty : their former distinction existing but in
 
 218 judah's lion. 
 
 name ; or rather indeed, as they would make out, render- 
 ed more conspicuous by the very marked reverse of all 
 that they once were. It may be so, as regards the race 
 of Israel : it may be,' he added, with a proud and scorn- " 
 ful smile, as he encouraged his fiery steed to prance, and 
 show fortii his own and his rider's stateliness, ' it may be 
 that we are all a race of abject, spirit-broken slaves ; that 
 among us is no intellect, no wealth, no enterprise, no 
 worldly wisdom or spiritual knowledge : it may be that 
 every man's foot is still on our neck, and that Israel is 
 yet trodden down as the mire of the streets — but look at 
 yonder patch of corn ; narrow though the field be, how 
 rich, how abundant is its produce ! See that magnificent 
 palm, rearing its tufted head on high, while the brown 
 olive boughs beneath it are bending with the weight of 
 ripening fruit ; and see to the left what a carpet of 
 gorgeous flowers is spread out, springing in pure wanton 
 defiance of human culture from the recesses of this neg- 
 lected soil — I tell you, this country shall again bloom as 
 Eden, when once its own sons have it under their foster- 
 ing hands.' 
 
 ' And 1 tell you,' answered Ryan, ' that they too, the 
 seed of Jacob, shall again blossom and bud, and fill the 
 face of the world with fruit.' 
 
 ' And you very well know,' said Mrs. Ryan, ' that your 
 description of what Israel, through grinding oppression 
 and fearful persecution, has been in Europe, no longer 
 exists. The Lord hath begun to take away the reproach 
 of his people : the wealth that formerly was wrung from 
 them by inhuman tortures, is now borrowed by states and 
 rulers, on terms most advantageous to the lenders, afford- 
 ing them an interest in, and an influence over the desti- 
 nies of empires. In art, in science, in literature, the 
 Hebrew continually stands before us, successfully com- 
 peting the highest prizes of emolument and fame. Your
 
 judah's lion. 219 
 
 position now is, in reference to Ezekiel's vision, not that 
 of separated bones, scattered bleak and bare, and very dry 
 throughout the valley, but of bones re-united, and rapidly 
 receiving their covering of flesh and sinew, preparatory 
 to the reception of perfect glowing life.' 
 
 ' And that once received,' added Captain Ryan, ' you 
 will rise up an exceeding great army, against whom no 
 people shall be able to stand ; for the Lord your God 
 will be with you, and the shout of. a king be among 
 you.' 
 
 Da Costa smiled kindly : '• I believe we are all well 
 agreed as to the end, however we may differ concernino- 
 the means of its attainment.' 
 
 During this time, Alick never once spoke, nor did his 
 attention appear for a moment diverted from the little 
 carriage in which Charley was slung, by a contrivance of 
 his, more independent of the motions of the mule than 
 before. That child had been to him in an especial man- 
 ner the bearer of glad tidings if he would receive them as 
 such ; and he felt as if to lose him would be a disjunction 
 from the good that he was secretly longing to grasp. In- 
 cessantly was he gazing into the little litter, through the 
 aperture that for ventilation was left in its curtain ; and 
 often did the dull, heavy cast of a countenance ever 
 bright with restless animation, excite a fear lest the last 
 smile had passed away. The short dialogue just recorded 
 had allowed him a more protracted contemplation of that 
 sunken face than he had before enjoyed : and when 
 Captain Ryan again addressed him, tears had gathered in 
 his eyes. 
 
 'Dear Cohen, this trial falls heavily on you. To us 
 it is, indeed, a heart-piercing stroke ; but we have a con- 
 solation, the strength and the sweetness of which how 
 gladly would we share with you !'
 
 220 judah's lion. 
 
 *■ It is my greatest comfort, sir, to see you and his dear 
 mother so supported.' 
 
 ' We need a divine support, indeed, for, even were he 
 not as he is, our only one, the sole survivor of the five 
 over whose early graves we have been taught submission 
 to the will of the Lord, still there is that in his character 
 which makes our hearts cleave to him with a fondness no 
 words can portray. But thanks be to the Giver of all 
 good gifts, what most endears him to us now, will prove 
 the best source of consolation under the bereavement 
 which I feel but too sure awaits us.' 
 
 ' I never loved any living thing half so well,' said 
 Alick, struggling with his grief: ' but no wonder, for who 
 even among mature men loves my people as that babe 
 doesV 
 
 ' It is really marvellous. You know, Cohen, I have for 
 some years been much devoted to the cause : and Charles 
 has heard a good deal on the subject at home : but there 
 seemed to be a sort of preparedness in his young heart to 
 receive the promise of God's gracious purposes towards 
 Israel with a fulness and a gladness that I never saw 
 equalled. Child as he is in temper, in manners, in lan- 
 guage, on all other points, he is there the enthusiastic 
 man ; and I cannot tell you what a gloom steals over my 
 spirit while thus conducting him, insensibly I may almost 
 say, through the land he so ardently longed to visit. It 
 is teaching me a sad, but I hope a profitable, lesson of my 
 own deficiency in single-eyed devotion.' 
 
 They continued for some miles to pass over a country 
 of smiling plains ; but at length the ascent began, the 
 road narrowed, and became extremely rugged, while be- 
 fore them, with occasional intermixture of a verdant and 
 cultivated spot, rose piles of frowning rocks, and towering 
 mountains, which gradually closed in upon them, until 
 their path became a narrow, rugged, steep defile, where
 
 judah's lioNo 221 
 
 two could not without difficulty pass abreast; and where 
 the motion was such that, with all the anxious care of his 
 tender guardians, poor little Charley was rocked in his 
 rough cradle with a rudeness that completely dissipated 
 his heavy slumber, and drew forth exclamations of sur- 
 prise, if not of suffering. He fancied himself on board 
 ship, and talked of a storm. 
 
 ' We are not at sea, darling,' said Alick, ' but travel- 
 ling through the mountain-passes of Judea, on the way to 
 Jerusalem.' 
 
 At that word the boy raised up his head, and exclaim^ 
 ed, ' Let me look at Jerusalem !' 
 
 ' You shall when we come within sight of it,' answered 
 his father ; ' but some hours must elapse before then. Lie 
 still, Charley, and I will tell you when we approach the 
 holy city.' 
 
 'I would rather talk, papa. Is this Mount Lebanon, or 
 is it the Mount of Olives, or Mount Zion, or what is it ?' 
 
 'Lebanon,' answered Da Costa, 'is at some distance 
 from this place ; the Mount of Olives is over against Jeru- 
 salem ; and on Mount Zion the city of David itself was 
 built.' 
 
 'Ah, I forget, but my head is very foolish, somehow. 
 What mountain is it, Mr. Docksterl Is there anything 
 about it in the Bible 1' 
 
 ' I do not remember that there is ; but we shall soon 
 see a place about which you have surely heard much ; 
 the plain where young David fought Goliah, and destroy- 
 ed him. The armies, you know, were drawn up oppo- 
 site to each other, Saul and the Israelites on one side, on 
 the other the Philistines; and Goliah came down into the 
 plain every day to threaten and to taunt them.' 
 
 ' And David chose some pebbles out of the brook,' said 
 Charles, ' and he put them in his shepherd's sling, and 
 20
 
 222 judah's lion. 
 
 slung them, and hit the giant in the forehead, and killed 
 him, and took his own sword and cut his head olT with it.' 
 
 ' Exactly so ; presently I will show you the brook 
 where David got the pebbles, and the place where the 
 giant fell.' 
 
 ' The Philistines were bad people,' observed Charles : 
 • they were always persecuting the Jews.' 
 
 ' Only when they sinned ; w^hen they repented, the 
 Lord always raised up some deliverer whom they follow- 
 ed, and under whose command they put all their enemies 
 to the rout — as they shall do again.' 
 
 ' Yes,' answered Charles, with great energy, ' when 
 they repent again, and when they follow Jesus Christ, so 
 they shall.' 
 
 To this, of course, no reply was given ; and, after a 
 moment's pause, Charley raised his head higher, and asked 
 in a shrill tone, ' Why don't you believe, why won't you 
 believe in Jesus Christ 1' 
 
 Da Costa was still silent ; but' Charley became more 
 urgent : ' Mr. Dockster, I say, why won't you believe "?' 
 
 ' Suppose,' said the Jew, ' 1 was to ask you why do you 
 believe ? but hush, dear babe,' he added, seeing him about 
 to reply, ' you will exhaust all your little strength, at this 
 rate.' 
 
 ' It doesn't tire me at all, at all,' said Charley, 'it does 
 me good ; and I'll tell you why I believe — because I know 
 he loves me.' 
 
 ' You mean that he loves you because you believe,' said 
 Alick. 
 
 ' No ! I don't. He loved me before I believed, and 
 because he loved me, he made me believe ; and because 
 he loves me he will take me to heav3n, now, very soon.' 
 
 ' You will be more likely to live if you think less of 
 dying, my dear boy,' said Da Costa ; 'see,' he added, as a 
 lovely animal, Ijounding along the mountainside, paused,
 
 judah's lion. 223 
 
 and peered down upon them, quite in Charley's view, 
 'see that merry little creature. 1 hope you will be like 
 It again, ere lonn-.' 
 
 ' What a pretty goat !' said the boy. 
 
 *It is not a goat, but a Gazelle, or Antelope, a far more 
 elegant creaiure.' Charley's countenance suddenly light- 
 ed up ; he exclaimed, ' The wild Gazelle ! Papa, the 
 wild Gazelle! Oh, say it for me ;' his father complied, 
 and recited the lines with such feeling that Alick, who 
 from anxiety and internal conflict was become doubly 
 sensitive, could scarcely master his emotion. They were 
 now on the point of emerging from that close, narrow^ 
 defile ; a lovely vale lay before them, while the moun- 
 tain?, forming a vast amphitheatre, swept round and rose 
 in beautiful undulations, height above height, the stern 
 rough stone, in abrupt ridges, marking the natural terraces 
 that formed the ascent, of which it was the protecting 
 wall. Trees of stately growth, shrubs of delicious fra- 
 grance, and the richest profusion of wild-flowers, adorned 
 this landscape, and still the frolicksome Gazelle would 
 leap from one ledge to another, while the flock of moun- 
 tain goals more quietly browsed on the pastures of the 
 valley below. 
 
 ' Aye,' said Da Costa, sighing, as he surveyed the 
 magnificent prospect, ' those lines, coming as they did too 
 from the head of a man who had no heart, express what 
 volumes would fail in conveying: — 
 
 " More blest each pine that shades these plains 
 
 Than Israel's scattered race ; 
 For, taking root, it here remains 
 
 In solitary grace. 
 It will not leave its place of birth, 
 It cannot live in other earth : 
 But we must wander witheringly." 
 
 That is the very word— witheringly ; the same in sub-
 
 224 judah's lion. 
 
 stance; in form, in name, in nature unchanged, but all 
 freslmess and beauty dried up, bearing no fruit, incapable 
 of farther growth, and subsisting as a monument of what 
 we were, ere rudely plucked up from our own rich soil, 
 to become the scorn of inferior plants, yet waving gay 
 and green because they were never expatriated.' 
 
 Charley, meanwhile, was murmuring to himself the 
 closing lines. 
 
 Our Temple hath not left a stone, 
 And mockery sits on Salem's throne. 
 
 ' Well, I shall see where Solomon's temple stood, and the 
 other temple that Nehemiah m ide : and I shall see the 
 Mount of Olives where the Lord Jesus stood when he 
 wept over Jerusalem ; and he stood there when he was 
 just going up into heaven ; and he will stand there when 
 he comes again to split the mountain in two : I know that/ 
 
 ' What does he mean V whispered Da Costa, who had 
 caught the last words ; and Alick, who seemed restlessly 
 anxious to hear Charley talk, repeated to him the question. 
 
 ' I mean,' replied the child, ' when the Lord comes to 
 reign, his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives. The 
 Bible says so.' 
 
 ' How wonderfully conversant he is in our scriptures !' 
 remarked Da Costa. 
 
 'Yes,' said Mrs. Ryan, 'he knows them surprisingly 
 for a chitd of his age : but you see all his knowledge re- 
 solves itself into one thing— love for the Savior.' 
 
 Again the mountains enclosed them so straitly that they 
 were obliged to proceed in single file, and each w;is left to 
 his own meditations. Alick's were inexpressibly painful y 
 he felt altogether alone in the world, anticipating the 
 speedy dissolution of his little companion. He seemed 
 to occupy a position debarring him from fellowship with 
 any class of persons. More than ever a Jew, he had re-
 
 JtTDAH^S LION. 22 & 
 
 Ceived so much of Christian doctrine as made it a matter 
 of serious distress to witness, or rather to know the settled 
 abhorrence of his Hebrew companion, and of all his race, 
 against Him of whom he was almost convinced that Moses 
 in the law, and the prophets did write ; yet the influence 
 of Da Costa over his feelings was considerable, and it 
 operated in rendering him ill at ease when listening to 
 Captain Ryan. He felt that he was watched, and almost 
 suspected ; and while his naturally open and fearless 
 character rendered it most painful to be supposed capable 
 of concealing his real sentiments, he felt that, so far as 
 he had gone in admitting disputed points, he could not 
 sustain an argument in their defence, and would not wrong 
 the truth by sanctioning an enemy's supposition that it 
 was indefensible by sound argument. He wished himself 
 in Charley's situation, if the same faith and hope were 
 given to sustain him in it : but without these, death was a 
 subject from which he shrank affrighted. His favorite 
 project of studying the Bible wiih Da Costa had not yet 
 been carried into eflect ; and among men there seemed 
 no sympathy for him. But, when he turned his eye upon 
 the hills that rose around him, there was indeed a fellow- 
 ship unspeakable in that strange, solemn, solitary landscape, 
 beautiful in its desolate grandeur, and oh, how rich in its 
 sacred associations ! ' Here,' thought he, ' my fathers 
 dwelt beneath the immediate guardianship of the Mighty 
 One: they were not left to grope among conflicting 
 opinions, all pressed on them with the confidence that 
 belongs to truth alone ; but they were taught and led by 
 men whose sacred commission was sealed and ratified by 
 daily signs from heaven. Then, all these rocky terraces 
 were covered with rich soil, mantled by the vine, and 
 perpetually trodden by the feet of the rejoicing husband- 
 man, whose teniporal and spiritual wants were alike sup- 
 plied by the great King of Itirael. Here, angels communed 
 20*
 
 S2& judah's lion. 
 
 with men, and visions from heaven illumined the mind& 
 of our seers, and the echoes that now faintly give back 
 the tramp of our Jiorses along this stony road, rang with 
 the reverberated song of gladness and praise. O land 
 most beloved ! why, why are you forsaken, trodden down, 
 and changed into a wilderness 1 why are your sons wan- 
 derers among the Gentiles, their minds so darkened, their 
 hearts so alienated that they are content to be outcasts 
 from you 1 Would that one of the heavenly messengers 
 who came to my fathers, to Gideon, to Manoah, to Daniel 
 and the prophets, would also come to me and explain 
 what now perplexes me. Do they not wander here still, 
 though concealed from our eyes 1 Is this good and pleas- 
 ant land forsaken of all its celestial friends V 
 
 He continued thus, in silent bitterness of spirit, to med- 
 itate on his own and his country's doom: Captain Ryan 
 marked it all, and was fully resolved to speak out with 
 unreserved faithfulness so soon as opportunity was afford- 
 ed ; but the way became more rough and difficult, more 
 trying to poor little Charley, and overpowering to his 
 mother. The guides had commenced wrangling, and 
 despite the earnest efforts of the Armenian, their angry 
 voices often broke with alarming effect, on the travellers' 
 ears. The day was drawing on, and fatigue began to 
 manifest itself painfully in the looks of the little sufferer, 
 who was evidently quite awake and sensible, when sud' 
 denly a loud voice from the van proclaimed that in a few 
 minutes the Holy City would be within view. 
 
 The movement occasioned by this announcement did 
 not escape Charley ; he asked the cause, and being told — 
 for his parents never deceived him in any matter, — he 
 cried out, 'Now% papa! now take me upon your horse !' 
 
 Captain Ryan looked alarmed ; and whispered to Da 
 Costa, ' impossible !' 
 
 But Charley again called out, ' Papa ! you promised/
 
 Judah's lion. 227 
 
 Again Captain Ryan looked at his friend, who said, 
 after calling for a halt, ' You cannot do it with safety, but 
 I can. My horse's pace is very easy and smooth ; he 
 knows every foot of this particular road; I feel it is ask- 
 ing a good deal to ask you to give up to me so precious 
 a charge ; but I will be most careful, indeed I v*fill : he 
 must not be agitated by a denial ; and I wish so much to 
 have the privilege, for I love that boy dearly, dearly ! — 
 And this is Jerusalem — and I am a Jew.' 
 
 Captain Ryan had never seen this accomplished man 
 of the world so agitated by unrestrained emotion : he felt 
 it, and taking Charley out of his little crib, without a 
 word spoken, he folded a shawl about him, and placed 
 him in the arms of Da Costa, whose look of gratitude and 
 delight overpaid even that sacrifice. 
 
 ' Have I done right, love V whispered the father, as he 
 turned a glistening eye on his wife, by whose side he 
 again stationed himself. 
 
 'Always, always right, my beloved!' she answered, 
 'and in this instance my heart especially goes along with 
 yours. I cannot tell you how stilled I feel just now; 
 murmuring seems hushed, self almost annihilated. Can 
 it be that we are indeed about to look upon the city of 
 our God — the very scene of HIS sufferings, who by those 
 sufferings ransomed us from the power of the grave 1 
 Who has by those sufferings opened the gate of heaven 
 and now stands ready to receive the happy spirit of that ' 
 she could not proceed. 
 
 'It is even so,' replied her husband: 'and oh, let all 
 selfish emotions be swallowed up in the glorious prospect 
 of Zion's welcome to her returning King.' 
 
 Meanwhile, Charley was placed most carefully and ten- 
 derly by Da Costa almost within the folds of his robe 
 which he loosened for the purpose, the little boy's head 
 nestled on his bosom, with the face literally set Zionward ;
 
 22^ JdDAH's LION. 
 
 and so cradled in the arms of his friend as to be almost 
 independent of the saddle's support. He was exceeding- 
 ly weak, like an infant, but just then quite free from fe- 
 ver, though breathless with eager expectation. Da Costa 
 kissed his damp forehead, and asked if he were comfort- 
 able. Charley raised his eyes : he evidently did not till 
 that moment know who held him, and fixing' on him a 
 look full of love and gladness, replied by ejaculating, 
 'youdarlint ofaJew!' 
 
 But where was Alick 1 Some paces removed from 
 the rest, absorbed in thoughts and feelings that rendered 
 all which passed around him a mere dream. Every ob- 
 ject within his view seemed gifted with a voice to address 
 him in language at once tender, upbraiding, and encour- 
 aging. He could not disconnect from them the idea of 
 Him whom he was at one moment disposed to worship 
 as the incarnate God, at another to shun as tempting him 
 into idolatrous sin. He breathed, in a low voice, the irre-" 
 versible declaration of the Most High, so dearly cherished 
 by his people, " Hear, Israel ! the Lord thy God is a 
 Unity ;" and again he seemed to hear Jesus of Nazareth 
 responding, "I and my Father are One." When the rest 
 halted, he did the same, mechanically ; and when the 
 word was again given to move on, he ulso obeyed ; but in 
 the intenseness of that internal struggle, even Charley's 
 transfer was unnoticed. 
 
 Slowly, and in deep silence, the party now began to as- 
 cend a rise in the road ; and after proceeding for some 
 time on level ground, the guides uttered in different lan- 
 guages the same name, and turning their horses aside, al- 
 lowed the travellers to advance. There, stretched in 
 long, unequal line, rose in the distance before them the 
 solid wall of the city ; with here and there a round dome 
 peering above its stern outline, or a slender minaret up- 
 raising its more light and lofty form. There was no
 
 judah's lion. 229 
 
 moving thing at that moment within view : they might 
 have been the only breathing creatures on earth's surface 
 for aught they could see or hear of animated life ; and this, 
 joined with the tomb-like aspect of the spot before them, 
 added greatly to the solemnity of the moment. Captain 
 Ryan impulsively uncovered his head ; his wife, placing 
 her hand on his arm, leaned tremblingly, and burst into 
 tears. Alick, wholly incapable of longer control, dis- 
 mounted, and pressed his lips to the ground ; while Da 
 Costa, after casting towards him one look of sympathy, 
 raised little Charley's hand in hi3, and pointed it towards 
 the holy city, at the same time almost dreading that the ex- 
 citement might extinguish the feeble remains of life in his 
 little frame. 
 
 But it was far otherwise : no sooner had the boy's eye 
 caught the precious object, than he passed as it were into 
 a new state of existence. He cried out: " Beautiful situ- 
 ation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, the city 
 of the living God !" Then clapping his hands, he shout- 
 ed, ' Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! I see Jerusalem. Papa, 
 mamma, there's Jerusalem ; don't you see Jerusalem 1 
 Oh, now say the verses, papa, do, do ! " The glorious 
 day." ' 
 
 Captain Eyan was instantly by his side, and catching 
 the flash of the child's enthusiasm, he repeated, with all 
 the ardcr of a thoroughly-excited Irishman, those beauti- 
 ful lines. 
 
 But who shall see the glorious day, 
 
 When throned on Zion's brow, 
 The Lord shall rend that veil away 
 
 Which blinds the nations now ? 
 When earth no more beneath the fear 
 
 Of his rebuke shall lie ; 
 When pain shall cease, and every tear 
 
 Be wiped from ev'ry eye ?
 
 230 JUDAH'S LIO^. 
 
 Then, Jttdah ! thou no more shalt mourn 
 
 Beneath tlie heathen's chain ; 
 Thy days of splendor shall return, 
 
 And all be new again : 
 The fount of life shall then be quaffed 
 
 In peace bv all who come, 
 And every wind that blows shall waft 
 
 Some long-lost exile home ! 
 
 Da Costa listened to these lines ; then, raising high his 
 arm, he uttered a prayer of monthly observance in the 
 synagogue, and his voice sounded far over the rocky plain 
 on which they had halted : 
 
 " Comfort, Lord our God ! the mourners of Zion, 
 and the mourners of Jerusalem, the city that mourns, 
 which also lays waste and is destroyed ; reproached and 
 desolate: who mourns for the sake of her children, that 
 IS solitary for her inhabitants, robbed of her honor, deso- 
 late without the inhabitants of her dwellers; with her 
 head ashamed, like unto a barren woman that beareth not. 
 She is overwhelmed with sorrow because her inheritors 
 are worshippers of images, who smote thy people Israel 
 with the sword, and slew wilfully the saints of the Most 
 High. Therefore Zion with bitterness weepeth, and Je- 
 rusalem lifteth up her voice. O, my heart ! my heart 
 grieveth for those that were slain ; 0, my bowels, my 
 bowels, for those that were killed ; for thou, O Lord, with 
 fire hast consumed it, and with fire thou wilt again rebuild 
 it ; as it is written. For 1, saith the Lord, will be to her a 
 wall of fire round about it, and v/ill be glory in the midst 
 of her. Blessed art thou, O Lord ! the Comforter of Zion, 
 and the Builder of Jerusalem !" Alick, who had risen 
 and stood to join in this prayer, now loudly and fervently 
 ejaculated with him the response : — 
 
 "Blessed art thou, O Lord; who rebuildest Jerusa- 
 lem I"* 
 
 • DaUy Prayers of the German and Polish Jews, p. 33^
 
 XUDAIl's LION. 231 
 
 They went on their way, and they went with songs of 
 praise and supplication, for Captain Ryan joined the two 
 Hebrews in chanting, in their own sublime language, 
 6ome of the Psalms so dear to them, constantly used in 
 the Sabbath service, from the 95th to the lOOth. And 
 then, as they approached closer to the walls. Da Costa 
 and Alick burst forth again into another of their sacred 
 chants. 
 
 " O thou sanctuary of the King ! O Royal City ! 
 Arise and come forth from thy subversion ; thou hast 
 dwelt long enough in the abode of calamity, for he will 
 now pity thee with kindness. Come, my beloved, to meet 
 the bride. 
 
 " Shake off the dust, arise, O my people ! and adorn 
 thyself with thy beautiful attire ; for by the hand of Jesse 
 the Bethlehemite redemption drawelh nigh to my soul. 
 Come, my beloved, to meet the bride. 
 
 " Rouse thyself ; rouse thyself ; Arise, shine, for thy 
 light is come. Awake, awake, utter a song ; for the glory 
 of the Lord is revealed upon thee. Come, my beloved, to 
 the bride. 
 
 " Be not ashamed, neither be thou confounded. O Je- 
 rusalem, why art thou cast down 1 why art thou disqui- 
 etedl In thee the poor of my people shall take refuge, 
 and the city shall be built on her own heap. Come, my 
 beloved, to meet the bride. 
 
 " They who spoil thee shall become a spoil j and they 
 that swallow thee up shall be removed far away ; thy God 
 will rejoice in thee as the bridegroom rejoiceth in the 
 bride. Come, ray beloved, to meet the bride. 
 
 " On the right and on the left wilt thou be extended, 
 and the Eternal wilt thou revere ; through the means of a 
 man, the descendant of Pliarez, will we rejoice and be 
 glad. Come, my beloved, to meet the bride. 
 
 " come in peace, thou crown of thy Husband ; also
 
 232 JUDAHS LlOH. 
 
 with joy and mirth, in the midst of the faithful and be- 
 loved people. Enter, O bride. Enter, O bride ! ComCj 
 my beloved, to meet thy bride."* 
 
 Deep was the heart-breathed melody of the two voices 
 that with rapid, yet most clear and emphatic utterance, 
 chanted forth these glowing aspirations, their counte*' 
 nances lighted up by the lofty theme, and the beloved 
 city full before them. In heart and soul, though not au- 
 dibly, their Gentile friends accompanied the song ; and 
 even Charley was able to do so ; for he had many and 
 many a time read it to his mamma in English and she to 
 him in Hebrew* As the last rich tone died away, they 
 were close to the walls of the city ; and at that moment 
 appeared on the platform of a lofty minaret, a Muezzim, 
 who proclaimed in the usual loud voice of his office, 
 " There is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet." 
 The words were Arabic : with what sickening effect they 
 fell on the ears of those travellers may be imagined. 
 The color mounted high in Captain Ryan's face, while 
 Da Costa's became livid ; and his countenance assumed 
 an expression of which it seemed scarcely capable before. 
 The ghastly blue of his lips as they parted upon his 
 clenched teeth, the fierce scowl that overhung his up- 
 turned eye, were absolutely terrific ; but this was mo- 
 mentary, and it gave place to an expression of the bitter- 
 est sorrow. Alick's look, on the contrary, was one of such 
 undisguised menace that it alarmed the Armenian, who 
 rode near him, and induced a whisper of caution, which 
 would have been little heeded, had not Captain Ryan en- 
 forced it for Charley's sake. The boy had never with* 
 drawn his gaze from the city walls, except to turn it 
 for a moment on his friend, who possessed in an eminent 
 degree that general gift of his people, a rich melodious 
 
 • Daily Prayers of the German and Polish Jews, p. 58.
 
 judah's lion. 233 
 
 voice. They were now close to the gate, and with won- 
 dering awe-struck eye the child looked up to the summit 
 of the square tower of which it forms a part. The im- 
 *posir)g effect of those stern-looking walls and embattled 
 turrets seemed to overcome not only him but his mother ; 
 and Alick, as he proudly measured with his eye the height 
 of the barriers, seemed to forget the preceding moment's 
 armoyance. He was not prepared to see in his desolate 
 Zion such massive fortifications, so many munitions of war. 
 His imagination had rather pictured the half-built wall on 
 which, in the derisive language of Nehemiah's opposers, 
 if a fox but went up he should break it down ; those martial 
 ramparts, as they towered high above his head, awoke 
 within his bosom a response characteristic of the naturally 
 impetuous and fiery youth. That innate sense of actual 
 rio-ht and proprietorship with which the Jew looks upon 
 every stone, not only of the city but of the whole land, 
 filled his mind 5 and the feeling was as though he were 
 about to demand from the paynim usurper a surrender of 
 that to which he himself could advance an indisputable 
 title ; and to compel the other Gentile strangers, — in prac- 
 tice farther removed from scriptural customs than the 
 Moslem himself, though professing to hold the only true 
 faith — to evacuate that hallowed spot, doubly polluted by 
 their idolatries. 
 
 21
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 Who shall describe the feelings of Alick Cohen when he 
 found himself actually entering the city of Jerusalem ! 
 Their path lay near that citadel, which rises, a cluster of 
 stately towers, a little to the right ; and in wonder he 
 raised his eyes to the mighty proportions of that tower of 
 Hippicus which dates from the days of Herod ; and as a 
 military guard emerged from its dark walls to relieve that 
 which had charge of the gate, the fire of his glance was 
 again kindled, and the thought passed through his mind, 
 ' I fancied Jerusalem a heap of ruins — how different it is ! 
 Oh for a storming party of the sons of Jacob to carry 
 these fortifications ! O for a little band of true Israelites 
 to man these walls! We need no Nehemiah to build 
 them up, for they are in noble preservation ; and what 
 matter if another Sennacherib with his godless host en- 
 camped without them, would Israel fear 1 would the lion 
 of Judah quail V He gazed around him as the words rose 
 almost to his lip, and encountered the eye of Da Costa 
 fixed on him with scrutinizing earnestness, and an expres- 
 sion sternly sad, which recalled other thoughts of national 
 sin and national chastisement, so often the theme of that 
 noble Jew's discourse ; but the longing of his heart was 
 irrepressible, the current of his fancy could not be turned. 
 To re-conquer Jerusalem seemed an enterprise so feasible,
 
 jtjdah's lion. 235 
 
 when he thought of the number, the wealth, the moral and 
 physical power of his nation scattered over the whole world, 
 that in imagination he ah-eady grasped the sword ; already 
 charged through those narrow streets, and drove before 
 him the mingled rout of whom a stray individual only 
 now and then crossed his path, with loolc so vacant, pace 
 so leisurely, that it added fuel to the fire of his excited 
 spirits. What did they there 1 was his indignant inquiry ; 
 was Zion to be trodden under foot by such as they ! 
 
 The thread of his thoughts was suddenly broken by 
 an exclamation in English, ' Is it possible !' and in a mo- 
 ment a gentleman sprang towards the Ryans, who on their 
 part returned his greeting most joyously. A few words 
 sufficed for explanation, their course was altered ; and af- 
 ter traversing a narrower street they stopped at the door 
 of a respectable house, and the stranger, lifting Mrs. Ryan 
 from her horse, said, ' This is your home ; a place desti- 
 tute indeed of all that we account conveniences j but oh, 
 it is in a spot hallowed by the footsteps of Him who had 
 not where to lay his head !' 
 
 Charley was now resigned by Da Costa to the arms of 
 his father, in a dozing state that seemed to promise re- 
 freshing sleep. Captain Ryan, as he took him, turned to 
 the stranger, and said, ' Moore, these are two Hebrew 
 friends to whom I and mine are more indebted than 1 
 have words to tell.' 
 
 The Missionary, for such he was, though only at that 
 time a temporary dweller in the Holy City, bowed low, 
 and said that in truth and sincerity he should deem it 
 an honor to receive them under his roof ; only regretting 
 that its limited space would not afford more than one 
 apartment for the accommodation of his friends. To this 
 Da Costa returned a courteous assurance that he and Alick 
 were secure of good quarters; that he rejoiced in the 
 jiiore suitable lodging thus provided for Mrs. Ryan and
 
 236 jitdah's lion. 
 
 her child ; and that they would gladly avail themselves of 
 his permission to look in on their friends after makino- 
 some necessary arrangements. They then relinquished 
 their horses to the guides, and struck off into another 
 street. 
 
 ' Now, Cohen,' said Da Costa, affectionately pressing 
 the arm that was linked in his, ' you really must restrain 
 yourself a little. This is not London.' 
 
 ' I know that right well. Da Costa ; every pulse in my 
 heart, every sinew in my body, every breath of my life 
 proclaims — This is Jerusalem !' 
 
 ' Softly !' returned the other, as he strove to moderate 
 the pace of Alick's stride, ' you will attract attention, and 
 be forced in the darkness of some prison-cell to realize 
 the galling fact, that here in our own glorious city, other 
 lords beside the God of.Israel have dominion over us.' 
 
 'Aye, Da Costa, but why should they '? Are we not 
 able to dispute possession of this place 1 Is it not our 
 own 1 and if so, could we not soon, very soon wrest it 
 from the hands of .' 
 
 Da Costa interrupted him ; ' The Lord our God hath 
 not yet arisen for the scattering of his enemies. Of our- 
 selves we can do nothing ; or if we could, if even we at 
 this hour held possession, as those scoundrels now do, of 
 the city and the land, what would it avail us, so long as 
 Israel's King acknowledged us not 1 Ah, Cohen, it was 
 not in her towers and bulwarks that Zion gloried, but be- 
 cause God was known in her palaces as a sure refuge ; it 
 was not the flashing of the scimeter that bespoke her 
 safely guarded, but the dazzling light of the Shechinah 
 shining above the mercy-seat. It was not to the shout of 
 armed men, that she owed her assurance of victory, but 
 to the still small voice of divine inspiration, speaking to 
 the soul, and again by the lip of her prophets. Would
 
 judah's lion. SS*? 
 
 you care to dwell in the city of your fathers, unowned by 
 the God of your fathers, Alick Cohen 1' 
 
 ' No 5 but why should we doubt his love to Israel, his 
 readiness to receive again, and again to bless his own 
 people V said Alick. 
 
 ' I cannot answer that question : but I am taking you 
 to a scene that will, at any rate, impress you with present 
 realities, combined with a heart-rending memorial of the 
 past. We are now,' he added, 'treading on the verge of 
 Zion. You know the ancient walls enclosed a much 
 larger space than these do; they comprehended the whole 
 of Mount Zion ; but of that only a portion is now includ- 
 ed in the city. We press it at this moment: these are 
 the stones, this the dust of Zion — the dust in which her 
 glory and honor are laid !' 
 
 Alick stooped, and picked up a small stone, which he 
 kissed, and holding it in his clasped hand said, ' I value 
 it above all the gems in the regal crowns of all earth's 
 monarchs.' 
 
 ' So do I ; but now I have a different and more deplor- 
 able ruin to point out to you ; down yonder is the Jews' 
 quarter.' 
 
 ' There ! Are those filthy hovels the dwellings of our 
 people at Mount Zion V 
 
 'Aye, and those more miserable poverty-stricken ob- 
 jects are the seed of Abraham, the children of the pro- 
 phets, the people to whom God gave this land, and whom 
 he made a terror to the whole earth. To this wretched 
 corner are they restricted by the authority of those who 
 rule the land : but I am not going to penetrate it now ; 
 come down this narrow lane ; I will show you the highest 
 privilege enjoyed by our nation, and for which they pay 
 a heavy price to the domineering heathen.' 
 
 The road along which they passed was narrow, dirty, 
 and obscure : it issued at last in an open space, where 
 21*
 
 238 JTJDAll's LION. 
 
 rose a high blank wall, of very ancient appearance. Here 
 sat three or four men, chiefly aged, their apparel poor, but 
 studiously neat and clean, their countenances worn with 
 care and toil, and their voices joining in a low, tremulous 
 chant, the sorrowful, dirge-like tones of which were the 
 most melancholy the young man had ever heard. Tears 
 were rolling down their cheeks, and moistening the long 
 beards of the old men ; and something like fear was in the 
 hasty glance with which they surveyed the approaching 
 strangers. ' Go, and speak to them,' whispered Da Costa, 
 in a voice of deep emotion, while he averted his face ; 
 'speak in our own hallowed tongue.' 
 
 Alick approached ; one old man held a worn and soiled 
 book in his hand, which he saw was the Psalms of David 
 in Hebrew. He stooped, and addressed them in the lan- 
 guage of their prophet ; " Ye that make mention of the 
 Lord keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he 
 establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the whole 
 earth." 
 
 Gazing up in astonishment at the bright countenance 
 of their young brother, the poor men seized his hands 
 and the skirts of his coat, kissed them, and with a fresh 
 burst of tears, replied in the words of their melancholy 
 hymn, one saying, in slow recitative, and the others re- 
 sponding in the same tone, 
 
 " We sit alone and weep." 
 
 Alick was presently on the ground among them, asking 
 questions w'ith an eagerness that outran his acquaintance 
 with the language, and required the frequent assistance of 
 his friend. They told him that the wall under which 
 they sat contained a fragment of the ancient masonry of 
 their city, and bounded the space occupied by Solomon's 
 temple : that they purchased from the Turkish governor 
 permission to approach it once every week, and there
 
 judah's lion. 239 
 
 they assembled, to weep over the past, and to pray for the 
 future. It was late in the day ; the greater number had 
 returned home, but they could not leave the spot while 
 the privileged time of remaining there was unexpired. In 
 answer to Alick's earnest inquiry whether they did not 
 expect to see Jerusalem delivered from all intruders, and 
 the worship of the God of Israel re-established, and the 
 tribes restored, they answered, ' Not in our day ; not in 
 our day.' 
 
 ' Why not 1 our prayers and our hymns repeat the 
 supplication, " In haste, in haste, in our day ; speedily 
 speedily ; Lord build, Lord build, build thy temple speedi- 
 ly !" When you ask, why don't you believe that you 
 shall receive what you ask for "? that is the way to get it.' 
 Alick forgot that he was quoting the New Testament. 
 
 * We have asked, and our fathers have asked, and our 
 children shall ask ; but the time is not come. We shall 
 weep and wail in this holy place, as did our fathers, and 
 as also shall our children. The time is not yet.' 
 
 'How do you know that it is not yet 1 how do you 
 know that you would fail, if, like Nehemiah, you should 
 say, " The God of heaven he will prosper us ; therefore 
 we his servants will arise and build." ' The Jews shook 
 their heads : one answered, ' Nehemiah had the king's 
 license and protection ; and the proclamation had gone 
 forth : but we, we have no king's hand stretched out to 
 our rescue, and the rescue of our city, and the rescue of 
 our people :' and again he took up the strain, 
 
 " On account of the Temple which is destroyed." 
 
 and the others answered, 
 
 " We sit alone and weep." 
 
 Da Costa now spoke, ' If a man of zeal and courage, hav- 
 ing the fear of God and the love of Israel, having also
 
 the heart of David, and the sword of Gideon, were to 
 arise, saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the 
 Temple, Thy foundation shall be laid — what if such a 
 champion came forward, and called upon the holy people 
 to aid him in the enterprise V 
 
 ' He would not succeed,' answered the old men, sor- 
 rowfully : ' our enemies are many, and mighty, and 
 strong 5 cruel lords rule over us, and deliverance is far 
 off; and the champion you speak of would die with the 
 slain.' 
 
 Alick was about to speak again, but Da Costa, seeing 
 some military guards approach, and anxious to spare his 
 young friend the farther pain and irritation of witnessing 
 some insult or injury inflicted on the poor Jews for out- 
 staying perhaps their precise moment, hastened him 
 away. As they walked on, he said, ' " Terror of heart" is 
 among the threatened punishments to be poured out upon 
 our people : and, in this instance, you perceive its effect. 
 If there be a place under heaven where the Jew must feel 
 himself a Jew, and be kindled into daring thoughts, and 
 brood, if he may do no more, over imaginary deeds of 
 rescuing prowess, surely it is here, in the midst of Jeru- 
 salem, under the very walls of our holy Temple, over 
 which gleams the impious crescent of the haughty Mos- 
 lem ! while the drivelling mummeries of those friarly 
 idolators pollute a spot by them deemed more holy than 
 the Mahommedan deems his mosque. But you see how 
 it is : not even a thought of daring is kindled here in the 
 bosom of fallen Israel.' 
 
 ' If you could read ray thoughts, you would not say 
 
 so.' 
 
 ' I did not allude to you, but to those who, dwelling in 
 the very place, are more than submissive to their own and 
 their city's degradation. They feel, perhaps without 
 knowing it, what I know without always feeling it, that
 
 judah's lion. 241 
 
 the blight which makes barren the land of Judea, the deso- 
 lation that has crumbled these fragments beneath our feet, 
 lies heavily upon the minds and spirits of her children. 
 They of whom, while the Lord was their God, one could 
 chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, now 
 experience the bitter reverse " at the rebuke of one shall 
 ye flee." As it was spoken, so has it come to pass.' 
 
 He was silent for a moment, then resumed, ' I never 
 speak thus in the presence of a Gentile, Cohen ; neither 
 would I now so damp your generous enthusiasm but to 
 show you the hopeless folly of looking to man. I was 
 once like you ; and to such a pitch were my feelings 
 roused, that I almost formed apian for commencing such 
 a movement as you dream of; but, studying our holy law 
 for the record of Israel's ancient daring, I too plainly saw 
 that of their ancient rebellion ; and tracing the history of 
 our nation, looking upon the people in the state to which 
 we find the great bulk of them reduced, and contrasting 
 our present devotion to the Holy One with what he has 
 required of us, I became convinced that a general turning 
 unto him was needful before he would return unto us : 
 and that to seek the restored possession of this our land 
 without the Divine presence, which made it the glory of 
 all lands, would be to render our fallen condition more 
 miserably conspicuous than it has ever yet been.' 
 
 ' But how are we fallen,' said Alick, ' except as regards 
 ^our exile and dispersion, a return from which would set 
 us all right again V 
 
 ' What I mean is this : our fathers came up out of 
 Egypt, and took possession of this land, driving out be- 
 fore them many nations, stronger and greater than they : 
 alike in their first settlement here, and in the rebuilding of 
 this our royal city after the Babylonish captivity, the 
 Lord wrought with our fathers in the eyes of the world, 
 so that they bore down all opposition, and became a ter-
 
 242 jtjdah's lion. 
 
 ror to the whole earth. This we have in our book, which 
 forms, as you know, the Bible of the Gentile world, and 
 every child is conversant with our history ; and the Jews, 
 proceeding once more to recover possession of the land 
 of Canaan, and to re-establish their seat of government in 
 Jerusalem, would have on them the eyes of all, from the 
 throne and senate to the nursery. Moreover, against us 
 would be leagued almost all nations; and nothing short of 
 Almighty aid could give us success. Destitute of such 
 aid we should be baffled, defeated : and mark me, Cohen ! 
 Israel's defeat would not be measured by the common 
 chances of war ; no, it would be measured by our own 
 stupendous victories of other times; and down, down to 
 the very depths of scorn should we sink, annihilated be- 
 neath the load of scoffing reproach !' 
 
 ' But are we not to be restored 1 Is not the promise 
 certain 1' 
 
 * It is as fixed a certainty as that we, even Israel, once 
 possessed this spot whereon 1 now stamp my foot ; but 
 the elements of such a restoration are not in our own 
 body as at present constituted. God must first arise, and 
 his presence must go before us. The standard must be 
 hoisted, the trumpet must be blown, but not by ourselves. 
 I cannot tell you how my inmost soul longs for him, Mes- 
 siah Ben-David ; the deliverer of my people !' 
 
 Alick almost started : the point at which Da Costa had 
 arrived was precisely that at which a Christian would 
 have met him with the gospel of salvation : and, unaccus- 
 tomed to disguise, he at once spoke his thought — ' You are 
 speaking of Israel's sin as the cause of God's prolonged 
 anger : and it seems to me that the person who comes to 
 deliver us must be able to appease that anger by atoning 
 for the sin. What atonement will Messiah Ben-David 
 make for us, unless he be, as the Christians assert, a di»
 
 judah's lion. 243 
 
 vine person, and one who has offered a sacrifice for the 
 sins of the people, by dying for them V 
 
 The look of scrutiny that his companion fixed on him 
 would have caused many an eye to quail, but Alick's chang- 
 ed not : he endured the stern gaze, and then repeated, 
 ' How do you explain this matter V 
 
 ' I am no Rabbi,' answered Da Costa, ' to solve subtle 
 questions in divinity : yet alas ! Israel is so fallen, that here, 
 here in Jerusalem ; here, where stood the Temple of the 
 Lord, filled by the glory of the unapproachable Presence, 
 Vhile from its altars ascended the flame of accepted sacri- 
 fices, and amid the breathings of sacred incense came the 
 felt voice of the Holy One, making revelation of the Eter- 
 nal will to the high priest ; — here, in this Jerusalem, 
 where came the princes and counse lors of other lands to 
 learn wisdom at the lip of Israel's king — here, in this Je- 
 rusalem, a Jew, as by sufferance he steals along the street, 
 may propound doctrines subversive of our holy religion, — 
 questions, the very uttering of which is, by the law of 
 Moses, punishable with death ; and find none to answer 
 him!' 
 
 ' You mistake me,' answered Alick, warmly ; ' my re- 
 mark implied nothing inconsistent with our divine faith.' 
 
 ' Pardon me ; it implied the assumed possibility that a 
 man who, on this very ground' — and he stamped fiercely 
 as he said it — ' suffered a felon's death, may have been 
 even one with God ; may be an object of the faith, and 
 the worship, and the service, which to render to a created 
 being is most damnable idolatry.' 
 
 ' There lies the gist of the matter. Da Costa : according 
 to your view, Christianity is necessarily idolatrous ; but 
 according to theirs — and they ought to know best what 
 they themselves believe — it is perfectly consistent with 
 our doctrine of the eternal Unity. They profess not only 
 to found their system on our Scriptures, but to reject
 
 244 judah's lion. 
 
 whatever is not in accordance with them. Now, as rea- 
 sonable men, why should we refuse to search out the mat- 
 ter, or at least to talk it quietly over V 
 
 ' I will tell you why : Moses writes thus, concerning 
 the Gentile forms of worship — " Take heed to thyself 
 that thou be not snared by following them ........ 
 
 and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How 
 did these nations serve their gods 1 Even so will I do 
 likewise." Now your plan of inquiry militates against 
 this command.' 
 
 ' No,' remarked Alick, ' for the question is not how do» 
 the Christians serve their God, but, is it indeed God whom 
 they serve, or are they idolators V 
 
 Again Da Costa bent on him a look of severe scrutiny ; 
 but his open brow, and the boyish naivete that marked his 
 manner, seemed to disarm the resentful Jew. After a mo- 
 ment's thought, he said, ' Well, this matter may rest for 
 the present. I am going to secure our quarters at the 
 hospice attached to the Latin Convent. That being 
 done,'— 
 
 ' It will be done for yourself alone,' interrupted Alick^ 
 crimsoning with indignation. ' Sooner will I rest on the 
 bare soil, or pillow my head like our father Jacob, against 
 some fragment of those grey stones which girdled in the 
 glorious and beautiful house of God, than roll in the 
 downiest bed a Gentile could smoothe for me here ! In 
 the Jews' quarter, by the Mount Zion, and nowhere else, 
 will I accept a lodging : if none of my own people will 
 spare me a sheltered corner under their roof, t en the ca- 
 nopy of heaven for me !' 
 
 ' You paradoxical fellow,' said Da Costa, whose heart 
 bounded to hear this burst of nationality — ' how could I 
 tell that you preferred mingling your drink with weeping 
 among the heart-broken children of Israel, to sharing the 
 comforts of a well-furnished room and good cheer 1
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 245 
 
 Truth to speak, I meant to see you well accommodated, 
 as an English traveller, and to steal away myself to the 
 Jewish quarter.' 
 
 ' Then you meditated a gross insult, and a very cruel 
 wrong against me,' said Alick, in a more intemperate 
 manner tlian he had ever yet spoken. 
 
 ' Perhaps so, but I meant it for the best ; besides,' he 
 added slily, ' how could I surmise that you, who appear so 
 anxious to investigate the theology of the Gentiles, would 
 object to discussing their viands, and becoming acquainted 
 with their dormitories V 
 
 ' Oh, don't speak so lightly. Da Costa. Surely this is 
 no place to jest on the advantages enjoyed by aliens in our 
 holy city !' 
 
 ' No, Cohen ; nor to apostatize to the sj'stem of dis- 
 graceful superstitions and delusions which they call reli- 
 gion. We'll lodge with our brethren, and forsake not the 
 law of our fathers, whoever wrests away their land, and 
 usurps their place.' 
 
 This was spoken with abundance of fire ; and at the 
 same moment he changed his course, adding, ' We need 
 give no previous intimation of our visit : we shall be well 
 received by my friend. Shall we return and see how 
 that dear little fellow is going on V 
 
 They did so ; but finding that Charley was in a com- 
 fortable sleep, while his parents were eagerly listening to 
 the recital of their friend's recent adventures, they made 
 but a short stay, and again sallied forth into the streets of 
 the beloved city. 
 
 ' See,' said Da Costa, as they stepped aside to avoid a 
 guard of the swarthy Egyptian garrison just passing, ' see 
 how the ancient ojipressors of our people again lord it over 
 us — not as of old in their own dominions, but within the 
 walls of Jerusalem ; neither is it Egypt the mightiest of 
 kingdoms, but Egypt in the lowest depth of degradation — 
 22
 
 246 .■'udah's Lioff. 
 
 peopled by woman-hearted poltroons, governed by a re- 
 volted slave.' 
 
 ' Yet there are promises for Egypt,' observed Alick. 
 
 'There are; and the time draws nigh for their fulfil, 
 ment. I'm glad you reminded me of it: "In that day 
 shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, 
 even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord 
 of hosts shall bless, saying. Blessed be Egypt my people, 
 and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inhe- 
 ritance." The time is near !' 
 
 It was now evening, and the sun's last beams rested 
 gloriously on the brow of that three-capped hill which 
 spreads its broad rampart along the eastern side of the 
 city. 'Look,' said Da Costa, 'at the Mount of Olives j 
 to-morrow we will cross that deep ravine, the valley of 
 Jehosaphat, of which I may almost say the very soil is 
 composed of the dust of our buried tribes, and we will 
 ascend the hill, where David v/ent up, weeping as he 
 went ; and from its height we will take a survey of our 
 own city, and talk of what yet shall be, when the Lord 
 ariseth to have mercy upon his Zion !' 
 
 Allck's heart swelled with emotions for which he could 
 find no name. Charley's innocent discourse, so wise in 
 its baby simplicity, describing the Lord Jesus weeping 
 ever his stubborn Jerusalem from that spot, was vividly 
 remembered ; and the argument that had followed seemed 
 to' derive additional distinctness from the sight of that sa- 
 cred hill. In silence he gazed upon it, during a moment- 
 ary pause on an open spot, and then again they plunged 
 into the narrow streets that led to their destination, flanked 
 on either side by those blank but stately walls which lent 
 so peculiar an aspect to the city. A heap of rubbish next 
 lay in their path, as they passed along the slope of Zion, 
 and Alick, with downcast eyes, stept as softly as though 
 he were treading on flowers which he feared to crush.
 
 judah's lion, 247 
 
 * You are unusually silent, Cohen,' said Da Costa at last. 
 
 ' I never in my life felt such a dreadful depression of 
 spirits,' answered he, with difficulty restraining his tears. 
 ' I cannot describe it to you : my heart is weighed down, 
 and a sort of dread overshadows me ; my very thoughts 
 seem spell-bound. At one moment I could almost say. 
 Take me hence ; but the prevailing desire of my soul is 
 never, never to leave this spot again. O to sit down in 
 the dust, the dust of Zion I O for liberty to weep and 
 lament, and to plead with him, the Holy One, for pity — 
 pity upon his own Jerusalem !' and leaning over a heap 
 of stones, piled breast-high in his path, he buried his face 
 in his h.ands, and suffered the tears to flow. 
 
 ' You shall have your fill of weeping and lamentation,' 
 said D;i Costa, in a voice that bespoke him unusually ao-i- 
 tated, ' but not here. We shall presently be among our 
 own people. Come — I like not to linger in this place.' 
 
 ' Why not 1 Is it not Mount Zion V 
 
 ' Yes ; through a mistake of mine in talking a wrong 
 turn, we are on the acclivity of our holy mount, and a 
 goodly site our worthy English friends have chosen for 
 their experimental building. These things are collected 
 for the erection of a Gentile church.' 
 
 ' Jerusalem is full of them,' said Alick. 
 
 ' Yes, but this is to be a Protestant one— a rare novelty 
 to be sure !' 
 
 He spoke scornfully ; but Alick exclaimed, ' Why, 
 then it will be the best of all.' 
 
 'And therefore in one sense the worst; for the more 
 attractively error arrays itself, the more dangerous. It is 
 no matter,' he added haughtily ; ' let them build ; the 
 time is near when every abomination shall be swept away, 
 and the pure worship of the God of Israel in all its ma- 
 jestic splendor be re-established here.' 
 
 He drew Alick away, and descending again, they soon 
 reached the quarter alloted to the Jews, in the farther
 
 248 judah's lion. 
 
 part of which they entered an iron door, placed like others 
 in a dead wall, and found themselves in a tolerably spa- 
 cious court belonging to a substantial house. The door 
 was opened at Da Costa's summons, and Alick almost drew 
 back in surprise at the scene which met his eye. 
 
 The apartment, though low, was of good dimensions ; 
 and there, ranged along the sides, on handsome though 
 plain divans, he beheld a number of females, habited in 
 the oriental costume, unveiled, and many of them very 
 beautiful. Their apparel was simple, but carefully ar- 
 ranged — in one or two instances only approaching to 
 richness. The rest of the party consisted of the most im- 
 posingly striking men he had ever seen assembled. Di- 
 versified in dress, the high black cap with a band of 
 white or grey muslin predominated, intermixed with tur- 
 bans of yellow, and some few plain skull caps. They 
 were remarkably handsome, of noble, erect figures, except 
 where bowed by age, and all bearded. All were evidently 
 dressed to the extent of their means, but poverty was ap- 
 parent in many instances. The courtesy, the affectionate 
 warmth of their simultaneous greeting, soon dispelled from 
 Alick's mind every feeling save that of sympathy ; and 
 the familiar tones of the sacred language, which seemed 
 exclusively to prevail, fell not only on his ear but his 
 heart. He was in the city of Jerusalem, and all a'Dout 
 him were Jews. Da Costa, who had easily acquainted 
 himself with every turn in the youth's ingenuous charac- 
 ter, had calculated on the effect of such a meeting to 
 counteract influence which he greatly dreaded ; and their 
 present host, one of the most zealous, if not the most bi- 
 goted of his race, had eagerly entered into his design. His 
 venerable and stately appearance, as he laid his hands on 
 Alick's head, and pronounced a blessing, filled the youth's 
 heart with affectionate awe ; and with attention keenly 
 awake, he prepared to enjoy that evening's important pri- 
 vileges.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The company assembled at the house of Da Costa's 
 friend, consisting principally of Jews who, on the tem- 
 porary overthrow of the Turkish power in those quarters, 
 had flocked to the Holy City, having more reliance on 
 the friendly disposition of Mahomet Ali than on that of 
 the Sultan. They were in far better circumstances than 
 their resident brethren, whose poverty was so great as to 
 render them dependent on the contributions of the more 
 wealthy for the necessaries of life, and whose position in 
 their ancient city forms one of its most afflicting features. 
 The present party seemed under the impression that some 
 signal event was about to take place, some very important 
 crisis to arrive ; and although they bitterly lamented their 
 dispersed, depressed, isolated condition, and complained 
 of a general deadness to the encouragements that passing 
 events held out to their nation, still it was apparent that 
 their energies were in a measure roused, and their hopes 
 excited. Alick heard more of the Talmud and the opi- 
 nions of learned men than he had yet done ; and far less 
 of the Scriptures of God than he wished to hear; and he 
 missed that delightful branch of the subject which Charley 
 and his mother had made so prominent, the blessing that 
 Israel should convey to Gentile nations ; but his feelings 
 22*
 
 250 judah's lion. 
 
 •were deeply interested, and gratified too, when, looking 
 round on the company of Hebrew men, of mothers in 
 Israel, and gentle Jewish maidens, he traced the high 
 descent, and higher destiny of his people ; and recollected 
 that howsoever comparatively depressed and obscure, still 
 they were met, without hindrance, and with no cause 
 for apprehension, in Jerusalem ; and contrasting such 
 privileges with the stern edicts against them for many 
 and many an age, his soul welcomed the dawning streak 
 of their coming day — a day of prosperity, triumph, and 
 peace. 
 
 After a while, a feeling remark of Da Costa's led the 
 conversation to the indulgence so graciously accorded by 
 the infidel lords of Jerusalem to her original race, of fre- 
 quenting the ruined corner; and Alick asked whether it 
 was really a fragment of the ancient city. He remembered 
 not only the prophet's declaration that Zion should be 
 ploughed as a field, but also that of One whom he would 
 not then have named, who had said, that of the great 
 buildings of the Temple not one stone should be left on 
 another; and he strove to wish that the word of Jesus 
 might not have come to pass. He was answered by an 
 old man, who told him that the wall in question had 
 formed part of the outer inclosure, beyond the court of 
 the Gentiles, and of course considerably exterior to all 
 that pertained to the Temple. ' The Holy One, (blessed 
 be He !) did not suffer any portion of that sacred building 
 to remain for the heathen to pollute,' said the aged Jew ; 
 ' Their abomination stands indeed upon the spot, marking 
 the site where we again shall rebuild the Temple, after 
 many purifications from its present defilement ; but not a 
 stone of our holy and beautiful house have the hands of 
 the accursed been permitted to grasp. Yea, the magni- 
 ficent stones were ground into* dust, by the merciful
 
 JUDAU'S LION. 251 
 
 severity of the Most High, to preserve them from the dis- 
 honor of helping to construct a house of Belial.' 
 
 ' Then he spoke truly,' thought Alick j ' and it was 
 a daring prediction for uninspired man to utter, seeing 
 how desirable to the conqueror must have been the pre- 
 servation of so noble, so unrivalled an edifice. Was he 
 not a prophet 1' and the question so entirely occupied his 
 mind, that he lost a good deal of the conversation which 
 ensued, until the name of a missionary, of whom he had 
 often heard Captain Ryan speak, caught his ear, and he 
 listened eagerly, ' I went to his room,' said one of the 
 party, ' and would have disputed with him, but we could 
 find no common ground to stand on. I brought to my 
 aid the learned commentaries of our chief Rabbins, — 
 blessed be their memories ! but he insisted on Scripture 
 alone as the arbiter in all doubtful matters, and after 
 various meetings we found it useless to proceed.' 
 
 ' Even without the commentaries of the learned, you 
 might have silenced him,' remarked Da Costa. 
 
 'No: for there are mysteries that require explaining, 
 and he would show them to be unravelled by the doctrine 
 of the crucified Nazarene. How could I meet him but 
 with the explanations given by our wise men 1 How 
 could I know the mind of Him who wrote, save by the 
 interpretation of those who were inspired with under- 
 standing to discover it V 
 
 The rest assented ; and several being present who were 
 teachers, together with many learners of the Talmud, a 
 discourse ensuetl on the various significations given by 
 ancient doctors to some passages, apparently too clear to 
 require any comment ; some of whose views were so 
 absurd, their remarks so childish, and their observances 
 thereupon so exceedingly vain and superstitious, that 
 Alick was no less mortified than amazed at hearing them 
 descanted on as master-pieces of super-human wisdom.
 
 252 judah's lion. 
 
 He became tired, and almost irritated at the endless myS' 
 ticisms he was compelled to listen to, and longed for a 
 place beside some of the unassuming females of the party ; 
 but such a move he did not venture to make, being seated 
 in the midst of the learned speakers, to whom he felt 
 bound to pay every respect. Turning his head, however, 
 he beheld, a little in the rear, one of the old men he had 
 seen at the place of wailing, who was quietly perusing 
 his book, half concealed in the folds of his robe; and 
 whose countenance, mild, sorrowful, and humble, at- 
 tracted him. An opportunity occurring to fall back a 
 little, Alick soon contrived to be on a line with this aged 
 Jew, and sutficiently apart from the rest to converse un- 
 noticed. The other, aware of his approach, and of the 
 wistful look with which he eyed him, spoke not, but 
 quietly offered a share in his book, which Alick most 
 gratefully accepted, and drawing closer to the old man, 
 read with him the remainder of the hundred and thirty- 
 sixth Psalm, after which they commenced the one follow- 
 ing. " By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down ; yea, 
 we wept, when we remembered Zion." The old Hebrew's 
 heavy sighs went to Alick's heart, and when he saw a 
 tear fall on the white beard, and heard the low murmur 
 of his tremulous voice, he felt that he had at length, so to 
 speak, found his level. He accompanied him in every 
 word ; and coming to the verse, " If I forget thee, O 
 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget," — the youth uttered 
 it with such fervent emphasis, at the same time involun- 
 tarily raising his hand, that his companion looked at him, 
 and with corresponding fervor recited the next words, " If 
 I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof 
 of my mouth: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief 
 joy." When they had completed the portion Alick whis- 
 pered, ' Who is the daughter of Babylon 1' 
 ' Rome,' was the answer.
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 253 
 
 ' Our ancient enemy,' rejoined Alick ; ' the destroyer 
 of our Temple, the overthrower of our city, the murderer 
 of our fathers.' 
 
 'Ay, youth, and of their sons; the greatest persecutor 
 of our race from the day she first polluted this soil with 
 her foot, even to the present hour.' 
 
 ' Happily she has no footing here just now,' said Alick. 
 
 ' She has her agents even here, and her crafty counsels 
 influence the springs of governmentj opposing the liberal 
 projects of other states, and carrying forward her own 
 device of universal empire, of which she longs to make 
 this, our Jerusalem, the eastern metropolis.' 
 
 ' But she never shall,' said Alick ; ' far rather would I 
 that it remained Under its present masters till Messiah 
 come, whose right it is, than that Eome held it, even 
 though it were to my personal advantage.' 
 
 ' No Jew could be advantaged by that,' remarked his 
 companion; 'not one of our nation would ever set foot 
 "within the gates, if Rome held the key. Our present 
 privileges are not great,' he added with a sorrowful smile, 
 in which resignation seemed to strive against more acute 
 feelings, ' but they are privileges. To sojourn unmolested 
 where stood the palaces of my race, to w^eep unrestrained 
 beside the last decaying fragments of our glorious bul- 
 warks, and to lay my bones where rest the bones of the 
 prophets and the mighty men of Israel — these are bless- 
 ings ; and yet a greater blessing is there in the uninter- 
 rupted study of this book of the law, and in tracing out, 
 by the light of prophecy, amid the now polluted ruins of 
 Jerusalem, the grandeur and the beauty and the magnifi- 
 cent array in which she shall arise, when the call comes 
 to shake the dust from her garments and to sit down — no 
 longer upon the ground, but upon the throne which God 
 has prepared for her, and which no other shall occupy.' 
 
 As the old man spoke, his eye kindled, his cheek glowed,
 
 254 judah's liok.- 
 
 and his voice became exceedingly impressive. A pause 
 just then occurring among the other speakers, his words 
 caught their attention, and such a response was uttered by 
 many, in the various accents of prayer, of praise, and of 
 confident assertion, as made Alick's heart leap within him* 
 Unable to control his feelings he sprung from his seat, and 
 exclaimed, ' Is this Jerusalem 1 Are such the promises of 
 our God concerning her 1 Do we believe those promises'? 
 And are we never to stretch forth a hand to grasp the 
 glorious realities on which our eyes are fixed 1 Men of 
 Israel, have ye forgotten the word that came, even by the 
 mouth of the impious Balaam, testifying what the Lion of 
 Judah should achieve 1 and must that kingly Lion for ever 
 lie prostrate in the dust, while his enemies exult, and they 
 who know his power marvel at his quietude V 
 
 The astonishment excited by this burst of enthusiasm 
 was great. Several seemed thoroughly roused by it ; and 
 some looked on the young pleader with feelings not un- 
 mixed with awe, as though a message had suddenly been 
 delivered to them from a higher source. They were upon 
 the spot where such communications were often of old 
 made to their fathers ; and they gazed on him as if ex- 
 pecting a further manifestation of something wonderful. 
 The old Jew had also arisen and stood behind him, his 
 thin hand resting on Alick's shoulder, and his mild eye 
 lighted up with an expression of paternal tenderness, and 
 holy exultation : Alick had spoken in Hebrew, which all 
 understood, and used ; and while the effect produced by 
 his abrupt address was gradually subsiding into the ex- 
 pression of different opinions among the company, another 
 aged man addressed his friend, saying in German, ' Is he 
 not the counterpart of your lost son, Wilhelm V 
 
 Alick caught the last word, and at the same time saw 
 Da Costa start ; but he could not comprehend the language, 
 and just then some one addressed to him an inquiry as to
 
 JtJDAH's LION. 255 
 
 his object in making so unexpected an appeal to their 
 strongest feelings. Alick frankly answered that he had 
 no other object than that of recommending to his brethren 
 a more practical application of what their own prophets 
 had written ,• that he was persuaded the day of Israel's 
 redemption could not be far distant, but he saw no fruit 
 of such a conviction on the minds of others; and that to 
 be content with the position which they now held in their 
 own city appeared to him like the despising of good things 
 promised by the Lord. Abashed as he really felt at 
 having been led to make himself so conspicuous in a 
 party where he was probably the youngest present, he 
 resolved not to retreat, but to follow up, so far as he 
 miglit, the advantage of having given a new turn to the 
 conversation, and one far better suited to such a company 
 than the dreams of the Talmud. He was weary, too, of 
 the names of Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, Rabbi Kimchi, 
 Maimonides, Aben-Ezra ; and longed to hear somewhat 
 of Nehemiah the rebuilder ; or of Zachariah, and the rest 
 of those holy men, who by the inspiration of God had 
 declared his purposes towards his own people. Alick 
 had, moreover, detected some very startling things as 
 forming part of the system which his brethren considered 
 to be pure Judaism ; he heard from one stern-looking 
 Rabbinical teacher a sentiment involving the doctrine 
 that all Gentile people were to be converted by the edge 
 of the sword to their faith ; from another he heard a re- 
 mark plainly indicating that Christians were not to be 
 regarded as neighbors, nor treated like fellow-men ; and, 
 what confounded him not a, little, that he was liable to 
 the most severe punishment for eating food prepared by 
 Gentile hands, and partaken of by Gentiles. His father 
 had always been extremely lax on this head ; and Alick 
 had paid so little regard to the opinions or customs of his 
 peculiar people, that he had looked on Ben-Melchor as
 
 256 judah's lion. 
 
 an extraordinary specimen of exclusiveness, not as a fair 
 sample of what a Jew would consider it right to be, in 
 point of ceremonial distinction. Among many passing 
 thoughts, he wondered that Da Costa had never spoken to 
 him on the subject of that separation which it struck him 
 he had himself always practised : for he was aware, 
 though he had not before remarked it otherwise than as 
 accidental, that he had never actually partaken with them 
 in any meal at Jaffa, or on the road. Could he regard 
 these observances as binding on a Hebrew, and yet permit 
 him daily to transgress without a warning word 1 
 
 Towards the close of the evening, Alick missed from 
 the party both Da Costa and the German : the former 
 only returned, and his excited appearance, the flashing 
 eye, the restless motion, the evident abstraction of his 
 mind, struck Alick. The party soon after separated, and 
 Da Costa, taking Alick's arm, led him forth to the highest 
 part of Mount Zion towards the East, whence they looked 
 out upon the Mount of Olives. Neither had spoken : Da 
 Costa was still laboring under strong emotion ; and his 
 young friend, who began to feel some fatigue of body 
 added to his mental excitement, resolved to let him take 
 the lead. Having reached a ruined quadrangle, the re- 
 mains of a small house, and seated himself on a low wall, 
 motioning to Alick to do the same. Da Costa commenced : 
 ' Cohen, the time is come, and come somewhat sooner 
 than I anticipated, for entering upon explanations of 
 immense moment to you. I could have wished to defer 
 this J I wished to conduct you over all the ruins of this 
 city of our God, to point out every sacred spot to which 
 the proscribed Jew may approach ; to lead you to the 
 sepulchres of our kings, the burying-places of our fathers. 
 I desired to familiarize you with every touching wreck of 
 our beloved, our dishonored Jerusalem, groaning as they 
 are under the gaudy temples of the Moslem and the
 
 judah's lion. 257 
 
 Nazarene j and then I would have shown you the interior 
 of some of those execrable dens of idolatry where the latter 
 carry on their abominable worship, addressed to images 
 which their own hands have made. I purposed placing 
 before you Zion in her deepest desolation, Gentilisra in 
 its proudest triumph, and then appealing to your heart 
 and conscience as to which parly might claim you a 
 disciple.' 
 
 ' No such preparation was needed. Da Costa, the faith 
 of my fathers is dearer to me than my life ; the hateful 
 idolatries to which you allude' . 
 
 ' Nay, hear me out. The plan so thoughtfully framed 
 has been wholly disconcerted by the unexpected recogni- 
 tion amongst this night's party, of poor Wilhelm's father ; 
 and the discovery of a clue that I must immediately fol- 
 low up, or the sole chance of tracing and of rescuing him 
 may be for ever lost. This compels me to come to an 
 abrupt and premature disclosure of matters that concern 
 you most nearly ; for dear as Wilhelm, my long and 
 loved companion is to me, I cannot sacrifice you, Cohen, 
 the acquaintance of a day, even to save him. But tim.e 
 is so precious, the space allowed me so brief, that I must 
 without farther delay proceed to execute my mission. 
 Stand up, Cohen, and here in the presence of the God of 
 Israel, who shall judge between us, answer me, are you a 
 Christian V 
 
 ' I am not 5' answered Alick, firmly. 
 
 ' What then are you V 
 
 ' A son of Abraham, by descent ; a Jew in blood, in 
 heart, in soul, and in profession. A Jew, in the thought- 
 less days of boyhood, in free, happy England : tenfold a 
 Jew here, surrounded by the crumbling stones of Jeru- 
 salem.' 
 
 * My dear lad, you are a Jew by birth and name, and a 
 Jew in sentiment, but there is, whether you be conscious 
 23
 
 258 judah's lion. 
 
 of it or not, a halting between two opinions, wholly in- 
 consistent with the profession you make. Why, you do 
 not even observe the law of Moses in the matter of meats, 
 of fasting, of purification — in short, you are a Gentile to 
 all outward appearance ; and not a little in feeling and 
 opinion.' 
 
 Alick was hurt : ' You very well know that my father 
 always looked forward to my enjoying political privileges 
 in England, and brought me up with as little distinction 
 as possible between me and my Gentile schoolmates and 
 compeers. If you thought me wrong, why did you not 
 reprove me at once 1' 
 
 ' Let that pass ; and speak only of the future. Is it 
 your purpose to continue this line of conduct, wounding 
 your people, your religion, your own soul, by such glaring 
 inconsistency 1' 
 
 ' I am quite ready to conform in every particular to the 
 law of Moses, and you cannot prescribe anything so strict 
 that I shall not esteem it an honor, a privilege, a rich 
 blessing to practise it.' 
 
 ' And a matter of salvation,' added Da Cor,ta. 
 Alick was silent. A new train of thoughts arose in hi» 
 mind, but his companion did not allow him to leflect: he 
 rapidly proceeded, ' The moments are so precious that 
 we may not pause on a word. I must remind you that 
 the sacred duties you declare yourself willing to fulfil, 
 cannot be fulfilled under your existing connection with 
 the Ryans.' 
 
 Alick's color rose ; * They both can and shall, and they 
 must ! for my father has placed mc under Captain Ryan's 
 care, and you will not persuade me that disobedience to 
 parents forms any part of the law of Moses.' 
 
 ' Suppose for a moment that no such arrangement had 
 «ver been made ; what then would you say V
 
 jtroAn's LION. 259' 
 
 * Time being so precious we had better not waste it in 
 idle hypotheses,' answered A lick, somewhat drily. 
 
 Da Cosla seemed perplexed : ' Yet, Cohen, indulge me 
 thus far: did no such obligation exist, and were you per- 
 fectly satisfied that living and travelling with Christians, 
 uninstructed too as you are in all the requirements of our 
 holy law, you must daily, hourly transgress it, would you 
 prefer the gratification of a natural liking for some agree- 
 able strangers to the stern duty of glorifying the God of 
 Israel by obedience to his commands 1' 
 
 ' No, Da Costa j in that case I should be enabled to 
 sacrifice all private feelings, and withdraw from society 
 most dear and precious to me. I would, in that case, 
 accompany you in your search for Wilhelm, share your 
 dangers, and in every particular learn strict conformity to 
 our holy law. Even as it is, I solemnly pledge my word 
 to you that I will live as strict a Jew, be the difficulty 
 what it may, as your heart can desire. Only tell me how 
 to act, and doubt not my resolve to exhibit in all its fea- 
 tures the character of our divine faith.' 
 
 Da Costa caught his hand, and exclaimed, ' Dear Cohen f 
 noble young Israelite ! how thankl^ul I am that 1 read 
 aright your character, and permitted your own honest feel- 
 ings to mark out for you the path into which I had power 
 to force you ! Don't spoak — listen. You remember 
 BenMelchor] As strict a devotee as can be imao-ined, 
 he- is moreovev extremely fond of reporting all who come 
 short of his standard ; and your case was laid before some, 
 high in authority, of v/hich the world knows little. The 
 report preceded you to Jaffa : I was employed to remon- 
 strate with your father, and I did so. It is unnecessary 
 to repeat all that passed : a long consultation was held 
 with him by some of our leading men, and the result was 
 this' — he drew a paper from his bosom — 'your father's 
 distinct permission for your removal from under Captain
 
 260 jttdah's lion. 
 
 Ryan's care, to whom I also bear a letter of thanks and 
 full explanation j and should any resistance be offered by 
 you, then an appeal to the chief Rabbi here in Jerusalem 
 would have been resorted to ; and you must have answer- 
 ed for your faith, either submitting to his authority or apos- 
 tatizing. Now, I did not particularly relish the agency in 
 such a matter : but I took a special liking to yen from our 
 first interview, and I likewise felt no slight share of good- 
 will towards that nice fellow Ryan, apart from his meddle- 
 some ways. I confess too that my heart was fairly won by 
 the child ; and the deep feeling they all evince for us na- 
 tionally ; which I never before knew any of the Jew-con- 
 verting gentry to entertain; nor even to recognize ourna- 
 tion, except so far as they could fix the taunting accusa- 
 tion of being a scorn and a curse. Well, I resolved to 
 act tenderly by all parties ; and I should have approached 
 very gradually to this point, but for the meeting with poor 
 old Wilhelm, whose grief for his son, and emotion on dis- 
 covering in me the companion of his travels, and the sworn 
 avenger of his wrongs, spurred me on to this rude disclo- 
 sure. So now, Cohen, what say you V 
 
 'I will go with you;' answered Alick, after a severe 
 struggle: 'but had you proceeded less kindly and gene- 
 rously, I would not have yielded — would not have left 
 my poor friends in their affliction — they who, to gratify 
 me, changed the course of their travels, and sacrificed their 
 darling child.' He was unable to proceed. 
 
 'Be comforted, Alick. I mean to make a frank state- 
 ment to Captain Ryan, and sure I am that his own honor- 
 able spirit will dictate a ready acquiescence in our plans. 
 We will repair to him as early as possible ; and while you 
 sit with Charley and his mother, we will talk it over. At 
 present, you must get some rest.' 
 
 They descended the Mount, and Alick soon found him- 
 self again in the Jews' quarter. Very little sleep did he
 
 JUDAU's LION. 261 
 
 enjoy, his mind was so bewildered by the new and strange 
 position in which he found himself; but the image of the 
 meek old Israelite wdo had especially interested him from 
 the first, the hope of restoring to him his lost son, and that 
 love of adventure natural to his age and character, almost 
 counterpoised his bitter regrets concerning the Ryans. 
 The thought of becoming a stricter Jew delighted him, 
 and he was resolved to hold Da Costa to his engagement 
 for the daily reading of God's word, with a minute inves- 
 tigation of the New Testament. Early in the morning 
 they repaired to the Missionary's house, and learned with 
 joy that little Charley was very materially better. They 
 were admitted to the apartment where he lay, pale, but. 
 full of animation, his face turned in the direction of a small 
 latticed window, through which was seen the graceful, 
 slope of the Mount of Olives. He returned the caresses 
 of his friends, and then, eagerly pointing to the lattice, ex- 
 claimed ' Look, Mr. Alick : there's the place where the 
 Lord Jesus used to go and pray, and to teach the people:, 
 there's where he wept over Jerusalem : there's where he 
 came down, meek and lowly, and having salvation : and' 
 riding upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. There's' 
 where he sweat blood for us ; and where he was betrayed 
 and taken with swords and staves: and there's where he 
 shall be again, for '' His feet shall stand on the Mount of 
 Olives," when He comes to destroy his enemies, and to 
 reign over the whole earth.' 
 
 '"You seem quite alive, Charley,' said Da Costa- 
 ' Yes, Mr. Dockster ; looking at the Mount of Olives 
 makes me alive. Mamma says^ if I go on so well 1 shall 
 soon be able to go with you all through the place. How 
 nice it will be ! You will show me where David lived, 
 and where he is buried; and where Solomon built the 
 Temple, and Nehemiah built the walls up. Didn't I tell 
 you I should get better at Jerusalem! But why do you 
 23*
 
 262 JTTDAH^S LIOIT. 
 
 look SO sad, Mr. Alick 1 Oh, it's that you are sorry be- 
 cause Jerusalem is taken awaj' from the Jews : but never 
 fear, when Messiah comes, he will give it you again, and 
 he will be your God, and you shall be his people.' 
 
 He looked fondly at Alick, whose dejection seemed to 
 increase, and putting his little arm about his necl:, said, 
 * I do be sorry to see you look unhappy : but the Lord 
 Jesus will comfort you. Don't you remember, at Ramah, 
 the priest said I should die 1 Well, it made me a little 
 afraid, and I was very sorry to leave papa and mamma, and 
 you darling Jews ; and I was afraid because of all my 
 sins and naughtiness to go and stand before God : he is so 
 great and terrible ! But then I thought of the verse " The 
 blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin," and 
 it did comfort me so ! and I was not afraid then. Oh, if 
 you would but love him, you would never be very sorry, 
 and you would never be at all afraid.' He looked again 
 to the window and repeated, "As the hills stand about Je- 
 rusalem, so standeth the Lord about his people." 
 
 ' Captain Ryan,' said Da Costa, 'I want to have a few 
 minutes' conversation with you ; can you spare the time 
 now V 
 
 * Willingly. I hope we shall pass the whole day toge- 
 ther ; and I am at your service.' 
 
 They went out : Alick's heart beat most painfully, and 
 Mrs. Ryan affectionately inquired if he was not well : 
 'He is sorry,' said Charley, 'I know that. Mr. Alick you 
 shall read to me, please do; I want you to read to me the 
 twelfth of the Hebrews.' 
 
 Alick did so, and he felt the power of that exquisite 
 portion more perhaps, than he had ever felt any part of 
 the New Testament. Charley's innocent but appropriate 
 remarks pointing more forcibly his attention. He then an- 
 swered various questions of the child and his mother, as 
 to what he had already seen, and tried to smile when
 
 judah's lion. 263 
 
 Charley (alked of the pleasant walks they should take, 
 adding, ' I think I shall soon get well, now I am in Jerusa- 
 lem, and you will be talking to me all the day long about 
 the beautiful places, till I can see them myself.' 
 
 At length the two gentlemen returned j Captain Ryan's 
 countenance bespoke displeasure ; Da Costa looked proud 
 and high : and Alick with some trepidation obeyed a sum- 
 mons presently given, to withdraw with them into another 
 room.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ^Now, Cohen,' said Da Costa, as soon as they were alone, 
 ' have the kindness to repeat to Captain Ryan what you 
 understand to be my share in this business.' 
 
 ' There is no need of it ;' said the Captain. ' I am sa- 
 tisfied that you have acted as fairly as the circumstances 
 would admit: but having accepted, and so far faithfully 
 discharged a sacred trust, I cannot, at a moment's notice, 
 relinquish it, without ascertaining the mind of my young 
 friend.' 
 
 ' My mind is soon spoken,' said Alick, ' The first wish 
 of my heart would be to remain as I am, enjoying this af- 
 fectionate intercourse with you both 5 but since it appears 
 that 1 have, with the rest of my family, been remiss in 
 keeping the commandments of God, as delivered to my 
 fathers, and as fulfilled here in Jerusalem, through succes- 
 sive ages, I am desirous to repair that omission, and to ob- 
 serve the law, to its extreme letter, in all the strictness of 
 uncontaminated, undiluted Judaism. This, it seems, 1 can- 
 not do, at present, through ignorance and inexperience, 
 while associating, in domestic life, exclusively with Gen- 
 tiles ; therefore I am willing to make a sacrifice, which I 
 can say from the depth of my heart is not one that costs 
 me nothing ;' his voice faltered for a moment, but he went 
 on with fresh spirit. 'I wish to be, in the sight of all 
 men, wholly and openly a Jew 3 and as such 1 shall care-
 
 JUDAIl's LION'. 265 
 
 fully compare the law and the prophets with what Christ- 
 ians assert is their fulfilment. I shall ask wisdom from 
 the God of Israel, who alone can give it: then, if I find 
 Christianity to be, as you say it is, the end of our law and 
 the fulfilling of our prophets ; if He, whom you assert to 
 be King of the Jews, is really so, and not an impostor, I 
 shall be found in the right path for the acceptation of that 
 which as yet I cannot receive ; and as I know Judaism to 
 be of God, so if Christianity be of GoJ also, they cannot 
 clash — they must combine, and form but one. To you, 
 dear sir, I owe more than I can speak ; and I do indeed 
 regret that my father's tardy acknowledgment of v/hat it 
 seems was certainly obligatory on him, should have in- 
 volved you in so much additional trouble on my account ; 
 should have deranged your plans, and embarrassed your 
 movements, and perhaps have placed the beloved babe in 
 danger. For your sake I most deeply regret it ; for my 
 own I cannot : selfishness prevails v.'hen 1 think on the 
 benefits I have derived, and may yet more derive from our 
 short intercourse.' He took Captain Ryan's hand, and press- 
 ed it to his lips ; then joining it to Da Costa's, he added, 
 ' In whatever you may differ, you are one in affection for an 
 unworthy youth, and one in honorable, generous feeling. 
 Are you satisfied. Captain Ryan V 
 
 ' More than satisfied ; I see the advantages of your fu- 
 ture position ; and so long as you abide by the resolve to 
 study the Scriptures with prayer for divine teaching, the 
 absence of man's interpretations will be a positive gain. 
 But beware of the Talmud!' 
 
 'The Talmud,' said Da Costa,' is our oral law, and as 
 binding on us as the New Testament is on you.' 
 
 ' I never understood,' said Allck, 'that the Talmud was 
 an inspired book. 
 
 ' I can tell you,' replied Captain Ryan, ' in the words of 
 an established catechism of your nation, how this is regard-
 
 266 JTTDAH S LION. 
 
 ed. It is asked, ' In what manner did Moses transmit to 
 us the laws 1 Answer, Partly by means of the written, and 
 partly by the oral law, or tradition.' Then again ; 'Have 
 the Mishna and Gemara equal importance with the writ- 
 ten law '? Answer, Just the same. hey are, and must 
 be just as important as Holy Scripture, for they contain no 
 arbitrary or human ordinances : — but 1st, Divine traditions 
 and declarations to Moses; 2ndly, Laws enforced by aug- 
 mentation — i. e., according to the thirteen traditional rules 
 of interpretation ; and 3rdly, Ordinances of the prophets 
 and subsequent wise men, which are, as it were, erected 
 round the word of God as a wall of defence. All these, 
 as having been received by the whole nation, have the 
 same importance as Holy Scripture." This is from the 
 Bavarian Catechism, word for word.' 
 
 ' But,' rejoined Alick, ' I heard some things very lately 
 stated on the authority of the Talmud, which I should not 
 like to consider myself bound to believe as of equal au- 
 thority with the Bible.^ 
 
 ' And I confess, said Da Costa, ' that there are some 
 few things in it which I hope and believe are not now 
 held by us as matters of faith.' 
 
 ' You must hold them so, on the authority of your Ca- 
 techisms,' repeated Captain Ryan j ' for even in England, 
 and within these two or three years, such have been re- 
 published as this — after mentioning the five books of Mo- 
 ses — ' We also, from the same source, receive, as sacred 
 and authentic, a large number of traditions not committed 
 to writing, but transmitted by word of mouth down to 
 later times ; without which many enactments in the Holy 
 Bible could not have been understood and acted upon ; 
 these, termed traditional or oral laws, were collected and 
 formed into a Bible called the ' Mishna,' by Rabbi Jehuda 
 Hakodesh A. m. 4150 ; in addition to this, we are guided by 
 the explications of the later schools of pious and learned
 
 JUDAH*S LION. 267 
 
 Kabbins, constituting what is now known by the name of 
 the Talmud, or Gemara.' These tradition?, hiding as a 
 dense cloud the brightness of God's Avord, made it of none 
 effect ; and under the darkness so produced, they to whom 
 the Lord of glory catne, could not discern him, but here, 
 even here, they denied, rejected, and crucified him. He 
 was asked, '' W^hy do thy disciples transgress the traditions 
 ■of the elders 1 for they wash not their hands when they 
 eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do 
 3'e also transgress the commandment of God by your tra- 
 ditions'?" And again he quoted the words of Isaiah, "In 
 \'ain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the com- 
 mandments of men." Beware of the Talmud, Cohen ! 
 beware of the admixture of man's devices with the pure 
 truth of God !' 
 
 ' You are making the most of your opportunity, Cap- 
 tain Ryan,' said Da Costa. 
 
 ' Aye, and bitterly lamenting that I have not always done 
 the same. I calculated on many a convenient season for 
 talking to you both on the things that belong to your 
 peace J and forgetful, or too little mindful of the command- 
 ment not to boast myself of the morrow, I have held back 
 much that now I may not be able to say. The very cir- 
 cumstance that should have quickened me in the work, 
 has furnished a sort of pretext for being backv/ard in it — 
 my boy's danger ; and the courtesy, the kindness, the hos- 
 pitality that you, Da Costa, have shown me in this land, 
 instead of rendering me more faithfully urgent with you 
 in matters of salvation, have even fostered a false delicacy 
 on my part ; a reluctance to wound your feelings or to 
 shock your prejudices by honest zeal for the conversion of 
 your soul.' 
 
 ' You have not only shocked my prejudices,' said Da 
 Costa, ' but sometimes you have so put them to the rout 
 that I could hardly marshal them again : you have not
 
 268 JUDAIl's LION. 
 
 only wounded, but well-nigh slain my feelings of religious 
 intolerance, by the exhibition of Christianity as so very 
 lovely a thing, in your own character and that of your 
 dear wife, and angelic little boy, on whom be the blessing 
 of the Lord. 
 
 ' FTear, hear him !' cried Alick, in an ecstacy of delight, 
 while Captain Ryan, much moved, bowed his head. Then 
 resuming his animated, energetic manner, he said, 'Da 
 Costa, you have blessed my bo}"-, who, babe as he is, would 
 this hour yield his throat to the knife in witness of the 
 truth v.'hich he holds, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Mes- 
 siah of Israel, the hope of the Gentiles, the King of glory, 
 God over all, blessed for ever. Now I challenge you on 
 the ground of that blessing (which may the Lord con- 
 firm !) to reject the doctrines of the Talmud, which bid 
 you, in lieu of blessing that Christian boy, to seek his 
 life.' 
 
 'No, no:' said Da Costa, hastily; ' there are no such 
 Doctrines in the Gemara ; and if any such thing have crept 
 in, it is now obsolete — wholly exploded. 
 
 'Obsolete! can any command of the living God be 
 obsolete? Yon aver, in the catechism which I have just 
 quoted, that the oral is of equal authority with the writ- 
 ten law; and that this forms a part of your oral law, 1 
 will instantly prove to you.' He ran to his travelling 
 valise, and drawing forth a volume, went on : ' Here is a 
 book of which you will not deny the authority, as ex- 
 plaining and enforcing the precepts of this oral law, the 
 Hilchoth M'lachim : read now this passage — '' IMoses, our 
 master, did not give the law as an inheritance to any but 
 Israel ; as it is said, ' the inheritance of the congregation 
 of Jacob ;' and to those of the nations who might wish 
 to become prosel) tes. Moses, our master, has also com- 
 manded us, by Divine appointment, to compel all that 
 come into the world to embrace the commandments given
 
 judah's lion. 269 
 
 to the children of Noah. And whosoever will not embrace 
 them is to be pnt to death.'''' Do you know what is meant 
 by the children of Noahl' 
 
 Da Costa was silent ; Alick said ' No.' 
 
 * They are one of the four classes into which your 
 Rabbins of the Gemara divide mankind. Israelites, Pro- 
 selytes, children of Noah, and Idolaters. In the last 
 class, we, who acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, are in- 
 cluded. The third head comprises those among the 
 Gentiles who are wholly free from every thing that in the 
 mind of a Jew constitutes idolatry ; and these can, more- 
 over, only be enrolled in this privileged class during the 
 celebration of a Jubilee, which renders it impossible for 
 any now to claim the benefit. Consequently I repeat it, as 
 my little Charley would not, to save his life fifty times 
 over, deny his Lord — there is no remedy: according to 
 the Talmud he is to be put to death.' 
 
 ' There's not a Jew living who w^ould think of any 
 such thing,' said Da Costa, impatiently. 
 
 * I believe it ; and therefore there is not a Jew livin<» 
 who, in his heart and conscience, and practice too, re- 
 ceives the Talmud as the law of God. The atrocious 
 calumnies propagated concerning you have only obtained 
 credence, where they did obtain it, by appealing to such 
 passages as I have now shown you, which stand side by 
 side with the reiterated declaration, in all languages, that 
 you regard the oral law as equally authoritative and bind- 
 ing with the Holy Scriptures. Tell me, then, is Cohen to 
 be a Jew according to the written law of Moses, or accord- 
 ing to the countless requirements of the Talmud X' 
 
 It was a puzzling question ; Alick fixed an earnest look 
 on Da Costa, who at length said, ' My own education has 
 been that of a man destined to mercantile pursuits, and 
 having, of course, nothing to do with theological disputa- 
 tions. I have learned to observe and to do what is gene- 
 24
 
 270 judah's lion. 
 
 rally required of those forming our congregations, and so 
 far I can guide Cohen in the same path. I may not be 
 able to trace up every ceremonial to its precise origin, 
 whether in the written or the oral law, but I can attest 
 that it is an observance binding on us as Jews.' 
 
 ' Could we not procure a copy of the Talmud and study 
 it on our road V asked Alick. 
 
 Captain Ryan looked at Da Costa, who could not re- 
 frain from laughing, as he replied, ' A dozen ponderous 
 folios would be too cumbrous an item for our saddle-bags.' 
 
 ' A dozen folios ! why it would take a man's natural 
 life to become properly acquainted with their contents,' 
 said Alick, involuntarily drawing forth his Bible, and 
 compressing it between his hands. 
 
 ' True,' replied Captain Ryan ; ' and as the Lord pro- 
 posed his blessed word to be a lamp to the feet and a 
 light to the paths of each poor pilgrim, he made it so sim- 
 ple that a child may comprehend ; so portable that a child 
 may carry it in his bosom. Yet, Da Costa, as the cove- 
 nant by which you profess to stand is one of works, and 
 the penalty of a curse is denounced against every man 
 who fails to observe all the commandments of God, it 
 must behove each one of you to be fully versed in every 
 precept of the oral, if it be, as your Rabbins assert, of 
 equal authority with the Scriptures.' 
 
 There was too much plain sense in all this to be easily 
 parried. Da Costa merely said, ' For any breach of par- 
 ticular observances with which we may not be acquainted, 
 we shall be held clear on the ground of ignorance, and 
 our absence from the teachers of the law, and the public 
 instruction of the synagogue. After a while Alick must 
 study under a competent tutor : and so become versed in 
 what concerns him as an Israelite to know.' 
 
 * My dear friend ! look at the fourth chapter of Liviti- 
 cus, and you will see what a solemn act of sacrifice, the
 
 judah's lion. 271 
 
 slaying of a bullock, the sprinkling of his blood, the 
 burning of his flesh, was directed, with much exact con- 
 fession, where a soul had sinned through ignorance 
 against any of the connmandments of the Lord. There 
 was no other way appointed — without shedding of blood 
 is no remission of sins. Against the hundred thousand 
 minute requirements of the oral law, you must necessarilj' 
 be in hourly danger of transgressing ; and if they be the 
 commandments of God, you need the daily sacrifice, the 
 perpetual pouring forth of atoning blood before the Lord. 
 When and where do you propose offering this sin-ofFering, 
 this bullock, and sprinkling his blood, and burning his 
 flesh, while your penitential confessions ascend before the 
 footstool of the Most High V 
 
 ' Here !' answered Da Costa, in a voice of thunder : 
 'Here, in Jerusalem: here, where the temple once stood, 
 and whfre yet again it shall arise in more exceeding 
 glory and beauty. We have now no temple, no altar j 
 yonder accursed fabric usurps the spot where stood our 
 holy and beautiful house; it shall again be ours! but 
 think you the God of Israel will judge his people for fail- 
 ing in that which He has rendered them incapable of 
 doing V 
 
 ' Listen, Da Costa : your fathers in the wilderness 
 offered sacrifices according to the word of God, and ac- 
 cording to the rites by him commanded. They were 
 miraculously led by bread from heaven, and the water 
 which they drank was a miraculous supply. That sandy 
 desert yielded no pasturage, no streams : therefore the 
 sustenance of their herds and flocks was no less a miracle 
 than their own. The tabernacle was borne onward, was 
 pitched, as the Lord directed : and when stationary, the 
 altars were arranged, the sacrifice was offered, the visible 
 glory of God rested upon the scene, and while as yet no 
 place was found for the permanent worship of the Most
 
 272 judah's lion. 
 
 Highest, the expiatory rite was constantly renewed, and 
 Israel served God according to his own commandments, 
 before this spot was ever pressed by the sole of a Hebrew 
 foot.' 
 
 'But afterwards,' said Da Costa, ' God did put his name 
 here, and commanded that here alone those sacred rites 
 should be performed : here was the Holy of holies ; here 
 the victim was slain, and his blood presented befire the 
 mercy-seat ; here only could Israel acceptably appear be- 
 fore the Lord ; and when this place was wrested from us, 
 we were shut out from obedience to laws so expressly 
 limiting to one place the fulfilment of what they re- 
 quired.' 
 
 'Which very limitation,' interrupted Captain Ryan, 
 * proved that so long as the blood of bulls and goats was to 
 be shed in typical expiation, you should not lose the power 
 of rendering such service j and when the act was rendered 
 wholly impracticable to you, it proved that God had pro- 
 vided for you a more excellent way.' 
 
 ' Not so fast, my good friend ; Judah was carried away 
 captive into Babylon at one time, and remained in exile 
 for seventy years, equally unable as now to carry on the 
 temple-services. They were restored ; but no change of 
 dispensation took place ; the temple was rebuilt, but not 
 for the substitution of another form of worship. The law 
 of Moses, involuntarily broken for three-score years and 
 ten, was in full force, as now it is ; and carried out again, 
 as by and by it will be, into perfect operation. Now, 
 Ryan, what say you to this 'V 
 
 ' I say, first, that your fathers were carried into capti- 
 vity- because they had made the holy temple of the Lord 
 an offence by introducing idol-worship : they had left off 
 to sacrifice according to Moses' law, and every abomina- 
 tion which the Lord hateth they did unto their foul hea- 
 then gods. The temple was destroyed, because it had
 
 jitdah's lion. 273 
 
 been profaned by idolatry ; the people punished because 
 they had so profaned it. Again, I say, the voice of the 
 Lord was never silent among you during that short dis- 
 persion ; Jeremiah had foretold the coming visitation, its 
 cause, and its issue. Ezekiel, Daniel, and others, inces- 
 santly spoke the word of the Lord, promising a speedy 
 removal of the chastisement, and distinctly signifying that 
 its duration would be short, and that the temple-worship 
 should be revived on its termination. This affliction had 
 an appointed use j it was to wean you from idolatry. It 
 succeeded ; you never relapsed into that crime, and now 
 for eighteen hundred years the heart's desire of your scat- 
 tered people has been to resume the worship of God in 
 this place, according to what Moses enjoined. How do 
 you, how can you account for this 1 Does not your 
 heart whisper that a better sacrifice has been offered — one 
 all-satisfying atonement which the former rites did but 
 prefigure, and that by expelling you and keeping you 
 expelled from the only place where you might resume 
 those shadowy sacrifices and ceremonials, the Lord would 
 have you to understand he requires them at your hands no 
 longer 1' 
 
 ' No, no,' answered Da Costa hastily, while Alick's 
 face shone with the light that continually more and more 
 broke in upon his mind ; ' We have wandered away 
 from our subject. Captain Ryan, and perhaps it is as well 
 to wander away from it as to wander up and down in it. 
 We never shall see these things in the same point of 
 view. You will never become a Jew, nor shall I cease 
 to be so.' 
 
 ' Yet one word more, my friend, and I have done. 
 Jew or Gentile, we are guilty men ; be it the oral, the 
 ceremonial, or the moral law, we stand guilty before 
 God of innumerable transgressions : some way there must 
 be of salvation, or what a doom of hopeless horror is be- 
 24.*
 
 m 
 2t4« JUDAH^S LION. 
 
 fore us ! It is not by keeping the oral law that you can 
 attain safety, for you know not the hundredth part of its 
 minute requirements, and the sin of ignorance demands 
 a sacrifice which you cannot offer. It is not by strict ad- 
 herence to the ceremonial law, for you, standing here in 
 Jerusalem itself, within sight of the appointed spot, must 
 die by infidel hands if you but plant a footstep within its 
 desecrated boundaries. It is not by the moral law, which 
 might equally avail us both, for on what night could you 
 or I say before the Lord, "This day I have broken no 
 precept — this day I have loved the Lord my God, and 
 served him with all my heart, all my eoul, all my facul- 
 ties, and all my means. I liave wronged no man — 1 have 
 not coveted aught that was withheld from me — I am 
 wholly guiltless towards God and towards man." No, 
 we cannot look into the mirror of the two tables, and not 
 hide our faces for shame.' 
 
 Da Costa appeared touched by this ; his bright eye 
 flashed and glared no longer ; but with a downcast look 
 he slightly moved his head, seemingly not in dissent, but 
 in regretful acknowledgment of the truth of what he 
 heard. Captain Ryan resumed, with deep and solemn 
 earnestness. 
 
 ' It was commanded of God that in one place alone of 
 all the earth should the mysterious expiatory offering be 
 made daily, by those whom alone he acknowledged as 
 his people, the depositories of his holy will. Here, in 
 Jerusalem, was the appointed place ; and here, in Jeru- 
 salem was the mighty work accomplished. Here the 
 Lamb of God was set apart and slain ; from hence he 
 went with the all-sufficient ofTering of his own blood into 
 the Holy of holies up yonder, to appear in the presence 
 of God for us. In him, the substance, every shadow 
 terminated; in him, the antitype, every type was real- 
 ized J and let all the thunders of Sinai peal forth, de«
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 275 
 
 nouncing God's righteous judgments on me, a polluted 
 sinner, here I take my stand — Christ, the passover of Is- 
 rael, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, is 
 sacrificed for us, for me —yes, Lord, 
 
 My faith would lay her hand. 
 
 On that dear head of thine. 
 While like a penitent I stand, 
 
 And there confess my sin. 
 
 My soyl looks back to see 
 
 The burdens thou didst bear, 
 When hanging on th' accursed tree. 
 
 And hopes her guilt was there ! 
 
 "■ And mine,' was the silent response of poor Alick's 
 throbbing heart j but no word passed his lips. Captain 
 Ryan's eyes were uplifted, and the expression of his 
 countenance was, like his voice, at once fervent, humble, 
 trusting, rejoicing. For a moment Da Costa fixed on 
 him a look of intense inquiry — for a moment it seemed 
 as though he almost wished indeed to understand his feel^ 
 ings, if not to share them : then abruptly, as if waking 
 from an idle reverie, he said, ' We have talked a good 
 deal, and must leave off just where we started. It pains 
 me truly to have been made, in my own despite, the in^ 
 strument of thus putting you completely out of your 
 way, and now of leaving you with that dear sick boy.' 
 Captain Ryan interrupted him : ' You have not in the 
 least deranged my plans, my dear fellow : Charley is so 
 happy in being within the walls of Jerusalem, that I 
 cannot be thankful enough for having reached them : and 
 we are most comfortably situated. Excepting the pain 
 of this abrupt separation, we shall feel no way disturbed 
 by the turn matters have taken ; and if we can soften it 
 to poor Charley, I am able even to bless the overruling
 
 276 jOT)AH*s Lion* 
 
 Providence that has so ordered all things, contrary indeed 
 to our plans, but for the ultimate advantage of us all.' 
 
 ' And will you write to my father V asked Alick : ' and 
 will you assure him of your forgiveness 1 I know it 
 must have pained him bitterly to act as he felt compelled 
 to do.' 
 
 ' It did indeed,' said Da Costa j ' and a few kind words 
 from you would be invaluable.' 
 
 'Never fear J I'll write him as cordially as 1 feel to- 
 wards him, and that is not a little. Now, Cohen, will 
 you pay another visit to your poor infant friend, and Da 
 Costa also?' 
 
 'Let him go first, and have a good talk w^ith him,' 
 said Da Costa ; ' I will make some arrangements, and 
 then join you.' 
 
 They parted with mutual cordiality ; Captain Ryan 
 summoned his wife, to hear what had occurred, and 
 Alick, with a swelling heart, repaired to the sick room. 
 Entering, he heard the happy tones of that little voice 
 reciting the sixtieth chapter of Isaiah : Charley was at 
 the twelfth verse, and most energetically did he repeat, 
 " The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall 
 perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The 
 glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the 
 pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of 
 my sanctuary : and I will make the place of my feet 
 glorious." The boy lifted his head, looking tov/ards the 
 Mount of Olives, and almost shouted, ' Glorious, glo- 
 rious ; he will make the place of his feet glorious. You 
 beautiful hill ! you shall be glorious then ; for you shall 
 be the place of his feet, 1 know ; and Jerusalem shall be 
 the place of his feet. Oh, mamma, when may I go ouf? 
 Am not I one of the little boys that shall play in the 
 streets of Jerusalem, when they shall be full of boys and 
 girls playing V He looked round, supposing his mother
 
 judah's lion. 277 
 
 was there, and saw Alick, vainly striving to hide hia 
 tears. ' Ah, you darling, is it you '? You are crying 
 now, because Jerusalem is taken away from you ; but 
 how glad you will be when He makes the place of His 
 feet glorious!' 
 
 Alick sat down beside him, and asked him if he felt 
 really better. 
 
   Sure and I do ! I shall get quite well in no time 
 now ; and all I want is for us to buy a house, and live 
 always here in Jerusalem.' 
 
 * What, and never see Ireland, poor Ireland, again V 
 
 ' I love poor dear Ireland, so I do, you can't think how 
 much ; but you see I'd rather be here, and wait for the 
 Lord's coming.' 
 
 ' But some say there will be great fighting and killing ; 
 you would not like that 1' 
 
 ' Papa says there will be fighting and killing every- 
 where ; but God's people won't fight.' 
 
 ' I think we shall,' said Alick. ' You know he says to 
 the Jews, "Thou art my battle-axe, and weapons of war ; 
 for with thee will I break in pieces the nations : and with 
 thee will I destroy kingdoms ; and with thee will I break 
 in pieces the horse and his rider," and so it goes on.' 
 
 ' Ay, but, Mr. Alick, the Jews won't break mem pieces, 
 because I love them so.' 
 
 ' You dear little fellow!' 
 
 ' I say, will you take me on your knee, and let me 
 get an uncommon good look at the Mount of Olives 1 
 do.' 
 
 Alick complied ; he wrapped a light dressing gown 
 round him, and lifting him in his arms, sat with him oppo- 
 site the little window ; Charley delighted to find himself 
 again nestled on the bosom of his friend, and little dream- 
 ing how much sorrow was struggling in that bosom at the 
 prospect of leaving him, prattled away ; pouring out the
 
 278 judah's lion. 
 
 fulness of his believing, loving heart, as he went over the 
 various scenes so well noted in his memory, of the Lord's 
 history connected with that mountain. He talked of 
 Gethsemane till his voice faltered, and tears fell on his 
 still pale cheek ; he spoke of the ascension till his thoughts 
 seemed to take wing and mount with the angelic squad- 
 rons who heralded the King of glory to the everlasting 
 doors. He dwelt on his return, the cleaving asunder of 
 the hill, and the fearful confusion that should overtake his 
 baffled foes; and then fondly stroking the cheek of his en- 
 tranced listener, he told him how Jesus wept over Jerusa- 
 lem, looking down on the spot where they then were, and 
 how ready he was to gather him, ' a darling Jew,' under 
 his wing, as a hen shelters a little chicken. To all this, 
 Alick returned no answer, though the occasional kiss, and 
 the occasional tear too that Charley felt on his brow, was 
 encouragement enough to the infant missionary, and led 
 him out into the utterance of many of his brightest, wild- 
 est thoughts — wild only, as they knew none of the bounds 
 within vphich man's silly wisdom would confine the glori- 
 ous revelations of God. Some time had passed thus, when 
 Da Costa entered with Captain and Mrs. Ryan, the latter 
 of whom had been weeping abundantly ;. and setting down, 
 said, as he took Charley's hand, ' Why you are quite a 
 new man !' 
 
 ' We must all be new men, Mr. Dockster, or we'll have 
 to run away when He comes and stands on the Mount of 
 Olives.' 
 
 ' What do you mean by a new man V said Da Costa, 
 evidently puzzled. 
 
 'A sinful man changed into a holy man by believing in 
 Jesus Christ.' 
 
 ' ! hope you will live to preach a great many of your 
 pithy sermons, Charley.' 
 
 ' I don't know what pithy is, Mr. Dockster; but if it
 
 JtTDAH's LION. 279 
 
 means the Gospel, I'll preach it as long as I live, and the 
 sooner I die the faster I'll preach it, so I will.' 
 
 'Why sol' said Alick, who longed to hear all he 
 could. 
 
 ' f because it makes me so happy : I'm afraid of nothing 
 when I think how the Lord Jesus loves me, a poor little 
 child : and how able he is to take care of me. Oh, and 
 he was a little child too, and Ae?v, here in this very place, 
 he tarried behind to talk with the Doctors in the temple ! 
 It is so nice to think he was a little child like me ; he 
 knows all about little children, because he was one. I 
 did not think of that since I came to Jerusalem. When 
 I am well, Mr, Dockster, will you carry me everywhere 
 on your horse V 
 
 ' Charles,' said his father, ' we are going to ask you some- 
 thing ; we want to know what you think. There is a 
 a dear young Jew, in danger, as we believe, shut up in a 
 strong place by some monks, to make him turn Romanist. 
 Mr. Da Costa is his friend ; and this young man's poor old 
 father has asked him to go and find him, and set him free. 
 What shall we do V 
 
 'Oh, to be sure you must go fast, Mr. Dockster,' said 
 Charley ; ' take plenty of soldiers and policemen, and get 
 him out of their clutches.' 
 
 ' There are no soldiers, no policemen here, Charley J 
 moreover, it is necessary to keep it a secret ; and yet how 
 hard for poor Da Costa to go alone ! I would accompa- 
 ny him, but that I cannot possibly leave mamma and 
 you.' 
 
 Charley looked wistfully round him, and last of all at 
 Alick: he hesitated; the struggle was evidently very 
 great, and so was the anxiety of those who witnessed it : 
 at last he said in a clear, firm tone, ' Christ died for us 
 and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
 
 280 judah's lion. 
 
 Yes, you must go: for he is your brother j you must 
 go, Mr. Alick,' he added, clinging closer to him, ' won't 
 you V 
 
 ' Yes, I will,' answered Alick, whose heart seemed to 
 echo the boy's sentiment. ' I'll go, Charley ; and you 
 must pray for us every day, while we are gone.' 
 
 ' Ah, won't I pray every hour 1 but will you write very 
 often to us 1 every post, or every other post V 
 
 ' We shall net soon reach a post-town,' said Da Costa, 
 ' but you shall hear of us as often as possible, and see us 
 again, I trust, before long.' 
 
 ' And mind, Mr. Dockster, when you see the foolish Pa- 
 pists praying to crosses, please don't think that that is our 
 religion.' 
 
 * 1 know it is not : and now Charles, I say good bye j 
 and I say, if there is one blessing above all others, ray no- 
 ble, generous, matchless boy, may it be yours !' 
 
 Charley held up his meek face to receive the fervent 
 blessing, and the no less fervent kiss of Da Costa ; who, 
 clasping both the little hands in his, said — ' Take care of 
 yourself, dear child ; and I do trust you will soon be quite 
 well — I feel sure of it.' 
 
 Alick spoke not ; for any attempt at utterance would 
 have overset his firmness. — He placed the child again on 
 the pillow, and gazed earnestly at him. Charley was 
 more than half crying, but bore up ; and again repeated, 
 " Lay down our lives for the brethren." Alick stroked 
 off the ringlets from his expansive little forehead, and with 
 one more long gaze, one more kiss, he abruptly turned 
 away ; but it was to meet Mrs. Ryan's look of sorrow so 
 deep, and dismay so undissembled, that he could scarcely 
 stand it. He clasped her hand, and in a whisper heard 
 but by her, ejaculated, ' God, even your own God, bless 
 you !' He was outside the door the next moment ; and
 
 judah's lion. 281 
 
 in any but a complacent mood towards Da Costa, whom 
 he heartily wished he had never seen. He, however, re- 
 pressed all unkind feelings, and gradually recovered the 
 determined tone of which he had already given evidence. 
 With Captain Ryan he parted as a son from a father ; and 
 even asked the blessing before it could be uttered, which 
 Da Costa heard in silence, and then said, 'When your 
 good wishes are abroad, Ryan, don't forget me, for I have 
 not acted in this matter from choice-' 
 
 «5
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 After bidding farewell to their Christian friends, the two 
 Hebrews returned to the foot of Zion ; and while Alick 
 prepared his travelling bag, Da Costa was closeted with 
 old Wilhelm. A sudden thought seized the youth, that 
 he would indulge himself with one solitary ramble in the 
 city of his fathers, and leaving a message for Da Costa, he 
 at once sallied forth. 
 
 His undivided attention was now fixed on the objects 
 before him : he felt desirous to carry away on his memo^ 
 ry, on his very heart, a deeply-graven picture of that dear 
 and sacred spot ; and seeing a flight of steps that led to the 
 top of the inner wall, beyond which the outer one formed 
 a breast-work, leaving a path of tolerable width, he mount' 
 ed them, and found himself enabled to take a noble view, 
 not only of the city, but of the surrounding country. How 
 delicious was the solitude of those moments ! He lament- 
 ed his partial acquaintance with the scriptures, a more per- 
 fect knowledge of which would have brought to his mind 
 many a touching, many a spirit-stirring incident connect- 
 ed with the scene before him ; but he knew enough to 
 make it so absorbingly interesting, that self was wholly 
 swallowed up in the sublime conceptions of what that roy- 
 al city had been — what she yet should be. Frequently 
 pausing, leaning over the parapet, and rejoicing to feel that 
 his heart was indeed permitted to bound against the stones 
 of Zion's wall, he slowly proceeded, without meeting any
 
 JUDAll's LION. 283 
 
 person, and almost realizing in his mind the lonely expe- 
 dition of Nehemiah, when exploring the broken ruins of 
 the city. Evenin;^ was approaching, and the long shad- 
 ows stretching on the hills bespoke the sun's rapid decline. 
 He quickened his pace ; and after a while arrived at a 
 point whence the Mount of Olives appeared visible to an 
 extent that he had not before noticed ; and here he sat 
 down, and fell into a train of thought that usually connect- 
 ed itself with that memorable spot. He was roused from 
 his reverie by a hand gently laid on his shoulder, and an 
 exclamation of delight burst from him on recognizing Cap- 
 tain Ryan. ' How glad, how very glad I am to see you 
 once more and alone !' he said, and his friend was evident- 
 ly no less pleased. 
 
 ' My dear Cohen, I was tempted to ask a private inter- 
 view with you, but repressed the wish ; for I would not 
 interfere with the delegated authority of Da Costa.' — 
 ' Pardon me. Captain Ryan,' interrupted Alick, ' I recog- 
 nize no such authority, neither does he assume it. I was 
 merely told to make my choice, either to avow myself an 
 apostate from Judaism, or to submit to the spiritual gov- 
 ernors of my people. 1 chose, of course, the latter ; and 
 having also the option of remaining, if I wish it, with Da 
 Costa, and desiring to aid him in his present enterprise, I 
 became the companion of his journey. No authority is 
 thereby understood.' 
 
 ' In spiritual matters he undertakes to be your guide, 
 and regarding Christianity in the light he does, any inter- 
 ference on my part would be out of place,' 
 
 ' Now tell me, honestly, frankly, what is your present 
 opinion of Da Costa, since this disclosure V 
 
 ' Just what it was before. I consider him an honorable 
 man, incapable of a base action, but unsubdued in charac- 
 ter, save as natural benevolence in a measure counteracts 
 a very fiery, and perhaps a somew^hat vindictive tendency.
 
 284 JUDAH^S LION. 
 
 In this business I believe him to have acted most upright- 
 ly : and with a great sacrifice of personal feeling to his 
 disinterested regard for you. It is but honest on my part 
 to say so much ; but remember, Cohen, what man may be 
 to his fellow-man is a widely different question from that 
 which regards his state before God. Da Costa is blindly 
 attached to what he believes to be the religion of Moses, 
 but which he has not fairly brought to the test either of 
 your own scriptures or of common sense ; and while he 
 receives for doctrines the commandments of men, without 
 examining them, lie cannot be a competent guide to 
 others.' 
 
 'But I will receive nothing without examining it,' said 
 Alick ; ' for I cannot think my reasoning faculties were 
 given me to be hood-winked, and led about in passive 
 helplessness by those of other men.' 
 
 ' Yet you must hold your reason in most perfect sub- 
 mission to revelation.' 
 
 ' But is the oral law, a revealed law V 
 
 'Ah, Cohen, that^s the grand question you have to 
 solve. Jesus of Nazareth, when teaching in the temple, 
 told the Jews the great hindrance to their reception of 
 him : he said, " Had ye believed Moses, ye would have 
 believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not 
 his writings, how shall ye believe my words 1" This 
 tradition was even then what it is now, opposed to the re- 
 velation of which it professes to form a part ; and men by 
 receiving it actually make void the real commandments of 
 God. I am persuaded that, convinced as you are of the 
 Divine, the all-commanding authority of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, you never can receive these human additions, un- 
 less by the surrender either of reason or revelation — and 
 the latter sacrifice would include the former — to the ipse 
 dixit of a fellow-man. Hence my extreme solicitude 
 that you should become acquainted, as much as possible.
 
 judah's lion. 285 
 
 with the minutije of Talmudical requirements, ever refer* 
 ring to the pure word of God ; and then judge for your- 
 self how far they accord with the holy law, — so simple, so 
 perspicuous, so well adapted to man, as a reasonable crea- 
 ture, — which was given by iMoses. God cannot deny or 
 contradict himself; his work is perfect — he who believes 
 Moses, and gives no heed to man's vain interpolations, ad* 
 ditions and perversions, will believe, on the evidence set 
 before him, in Him of whom Moses wrote.' 
 
 ' I heard that mentioned last night as a powerful argu- 
 ment for Talmudism ; that he who rejects it is on the 
 hio-h road to become a Christian : therefore, that the oral 
 law was given to fence in and secure the written word.' 
 
 * Tlien, it would seem, Christianity is contrary to the 
 Talmud, but not contrary to the oracles of God V 
 
 ' Rather, that the Talmud, like a candle, throws light 
 on the subject, and reveals that contrariety to God's law V 
 
 ' Or, like a false mirror, so distorts both objects, that 
 their beautiful harmony is changed into the most discord' 
 ant ugliness. 1 wish, Cohen, that you w^ould ask among 
 your learned men for some Talmudical extracts — for in- 
 stance, the laws of the Mishna, relative, o the hallowing 
 of the Sabbath-day ; take them with you, and study them 
 on the road. If you like, I can supply you with a volume ; 
 but it must be on condition that you show it to a compe- 
 tent judge, and let him tell you whether or not it is a cor- 
 rect transcript of your oral law.' 
 
 ' I saw such a book on the table last night,' said Alick, 
 eagerly, 'and I will borrow it.' 
 
 ' And let Da Costa read it with you.' 
 
 'Certainly; but, remember, on the authority of my 
 proper teachers, I receive that book as of Divine obliga- 
 tion, unless I find it plainly contrary to Scripture or com- 
 mon sense.' 
 
 ' Yes: and when you have detected the falsehood of the 
 25*
 
 28^ judah's liow, 
 
 oral law, when you find how imperative on you is the ob- 
 servance of the ceremonial law, which you cannot keep, 
 and when you have smarted a little under that universal 
 schoolmaster, the moral law, you will come weary and 
 heavy-laden to Christ, who alone can deliver you from the 
 curse ; justify, sanctify, and ultimatel}'^ glorify you by his 
 free grace.' Alick answered not : he lifted his eyes to 
 the Mount and thought of the words, "How often would 
 I have gathered you !" He then asked for Charley. 
 
 ' Dear little fellow ! he was asleep, after praying most 
 earnestly for you. I have great hope of his recovery ; but 
 be it life, or be it death, he is the Lord's.' 
 
 At that moment the Muezzim's loud monotonous voice 
 broke upon their ear, " Prayer is better than sleep : there 
 is but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet." Alick 
 exclaimed, ' Prayer m better than sleep : there is but one 
 God alone, and Mahomet is an impostor.' 
 
 'Hush!' said Captain Ryan, ' you must not beard the 
 lion in his den.' 
 
 ' The lion in his den, sir ! the yelping cur in the lion's 
 den, you mean. The lion ! 0, lion of Judah, who shall 
 stir thee up 1 — when, when wilt thou rouse thyself, and 
 rend in pieces every intruding foe V 
 
 ' Ah, Cohen, when you know that Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah in his cliavacter of the Lamb that was slain, you 
 will bless his long-suffering forbearance, and desire, not 
 the life of that wretched pagan, but his soul.' 
 
 ' I don't desire any man's life,' said Alick, in a tremor 
 of half-subdued passion: 'but I want our own city, the 
 city of our ancient solemnities, the land that God gave to 
 Abraham and his seed for ever — I want them delivered 
 from these defilers, and restored to us, at once, the sons 
 and the lords of the soil.' 
 
 'So do 1, and when you acknowledge your King, he 
 will speedily trample under foot every obstinate enemy.'
 
 JUDAH S LION, 287 
 
 ' May he hasten the day !' exclaimed Alick. His ve- 
 hemence had, however, attracted the notice of an Egyp- 
 tian officer, who was narrowly eyeing him ; and Captain 
 Ryan drew him away, at the same time telling him that 
 the prayer he had just uttered was more effectual than a 
 thousand armies in bringing about the consummation so 
 ardently longed for. He once more plainl3^ earnestly, 
 admonishingly set before him the Gospel : he spoke of 
 the dangers he was about to brave, the hourly deaths to 
 which he must be exposed, and showed him the insuffi- 
 ciency of his present faith, the vague, unsatisfying nature 
 of his hope for futurit3^ Alick listened, and assured him 
 that he would not trifle, but seek by all means to become 
 established in whatever he should find to be the truth. 
 Once more ihey parted, and at sunrise the two Hebrews 
 left the Holy City. 
 
 Their course lay towards soine lofty mountains, the in- 
 tricate passes of which were familiar to Da Costa ; who 
 told Alick they were infested with rapacious Arab hordes, 
 but that he had the promise of an escort from a powerful 
 Sheikh, who would, if necessary, accompany them in 
 person. 'I long,' said Alick, 'to get among the wild 
 Arabs : they are our half brethren, you know, — the 
 children of Abraham.' 
 
 ' Aye, and so were the Edomites ; and what they were 
 to Israel in the desert, these sons of Ishmael will prove to 
 us, their poor kinsmen, if we be not wary.' 
 
 ' What trace have you of Wilhelm V 
 
 ' A very uncertain one ; but we think he is in a Ma. 
 ronite convent among the distant mountains. Probably, 
 on Lebanon.' 
 
 ' What are the Maronites 1 how distinguished from 
 others of these multifarious intruders upon our pro- 
 perty V 
 
 '^ The Maronites are, emphatically, Papists. No race of
 
 288 JUDAH S LlON. 
 
 men upon earth so devoted to the old fellow at Romeo 
 It is nauseating to a degree to hear them talk about hira. 
 You know, in Palestine here, the monks are chiefly 
 foreigners ; I mean recent importation of live stock, dis- 
 tinguished from the foreigners whelped on the soil. North- 
 ward, however, whither we now proceed, the convents 
 are peopled by the latter class. The Maronites are native 
 Syrians; not forming a part of the Romish Church, but 
 given to the same edifying; practices. A curse upon all 
 idolatry !' he added, clenching his teeth, and scowling, 
 as Alick had once or twice before seen him do, when ad* 
 verting to poor Wilhelm's adventures. He took no notice 
 of it, but proceeded, 'Do tell me what you think of 
 Popery, as distinguished from the other sects of Christ* 
 ianity ?' 
 
 ' Why, it is all idolatry,' answered Da Costa ; ' but with 
 this difference, that in England, Popery is the only branch 
 of it that worships stocks and stones ; while here, every 
 form of Christianity does so. You know what a jumble 
 there is in London ; Churchmen, Presbyterians, Baptists, 
 and some fifty more, who agree in nothing but eschewing 
 image-worship, and deifying the Nazarene ; but here there 
 is no Protestantism — all, Greeks, Latins, Armenians, Ma- 
 ronites — all follov/ the practices of the original race — the 
 seven nations whom our fathers cast out of the land.' 
 
 ' How bitter he is!' thought Alick; then aloud he said, 
 ' After all. Da Costa, seeing we have the true faith, should 
 we not rather pity these people, and pray for theml' 
 
 ' Of course,' replied the other, carelessly : 'but Cohen, 
 I'll answer your question as to Popery more to the point. 
 I do hold it to be the most abominable prostration of hu- 
 man intellect on the part of the many to the few that ever 
 under heaven existed. As to the other sects, thev invest 
 the object of their worship with the character and the 
 attributes of the Most High ; they say he did such works
 
 judah's lion. 289 
 
 as man could not perform ; they believe that he rose from 
 the dead and ascended into heaven ; and for this they even 
 allege supposed predictions in the Bible, which, if they 
 Mrould bear the meaning assigned to them, might justify 
 such belief; but Popery, not content with all this, super- 
 adds such a mass of senseless enormities ; the adoration of 
 images, wafers, and dead people for whom they don't claim 
 any divinity at all, that the multitude who allow a knavish 
 priesthood to lead them into it for their own palpable 
 gain and honor, must be brutified far below the nature of 
 man.' 
 
 ' And it is notorious,' said Alick, ' that not only our 
 scriptures but the New Testament also denominate idol- 
 atry as hateful to God : how can such practices prevail, 
 where the authority of the Bible is admitted V 
 
 ' Through the assumed power of what they call the 
 church, to add to the word of God, and to bind the peo- 
 ple's consciences to do not only what he has not com- 
 manded, but what he has forbidden.' Then, as if suddenly 
 recollecting himself, and wishing to prevent farther re- 
 mark, he exclaimed, ' After all, the Turk is the most 
 sensible fellow among them, notwithstanding his infamous 
 treatment of us; and I'll tell you what, Cohen, I'd rather 
 hear the Muezzim from the minaret than see a crucifix 
 in Jerusalem.' 
 
 ' So would I,' answered Alick; ' for I loathe the wooden 
 idol.' 
 
 ' I might have steeled you for ever against Christianity,' 
 resumed Da Costa, ' by taking you into what they call 
 the "church of the sepulchre," but I would not pollute 
 myself by crossing its threshold.' 
 
 ' They are not Protestants who go there, though.' 
 
 ' Not to enact the profane farce ; but I have seen Pro- 
 testant gentlemen, aye, and right pious Protestant clergy- 
 men, pressing into it, for a sight, and thereby a share, in
 
 290 judah's lion. 
 
 the disgraceful buffoonery. Such was not the command 
 of God to nsj Cohen, when he forbade our even inquiring 
 how other nations served their gods, or taking their names 
 into our mouths. How gracious, how beautifully calcu- 
 lated to secure his people from all error is the law of the 
 Lord, delivered by Moses unto our fathers !' 
 
 'I'll tell you what. Da Costa,' said Alick, 'ever since 
 I learned to look into the Scriptures, I feel like a person 
 who, having always hobbled about on two lame legs, sud- 
 denly finds a strong staff put into his hands, by means of 
 which he may get cheerily along. In every word there 
 is something one may lean upon as a sure support ; and 
 as yet I have met with nothing that wants explaining by 
 man — I seem to understand it all, as a familiar discourse 
 addressed to myself Everything suits me.' 
 
 Da Costa made no reply. Presently they arrived at a 
 cluster of low buildings, in appearance mere dead walls, 
 piled together ; but here they alighted, and were soon 
 joined by a small party of Arabs whose garb and aspect 
 were much ruder than any that Alick had yet seen. A 
 large cumbrous garment of rough hair enveloped their 
 persons, from beneath which gleamed weapons of various 
 kinds. Their heads were wrapped in shawls, so disposed 
 as to cover the neck and brow ; and the faces that looked 
 out from the midst of their uncouth drapery were perfectly 
 in keeping with the costume. He who appeared as their 
 chief, or leader, was the least prepossessing among a parly 
 of five, whose general character was repulsiveness itself. 
 After some private conversation with this man, Da Costa 
 returned to Alick, and asked him whether he thought he 
 could make himself at home in a dress like those he saw 
 before him % 
 
 ' I have no objection ; but certainly our pale skins will 
 discover us, if a disguise is what you aim at, unless we 
 contrive to tint them.'
 
 judah's liox. 291 
 
 'That is easily done,' answered the other: and in a 
 very short time they were so transformed that Alick would 
 not have recognized himself any more than he could his 
 companion, under the complete metamorphosis that had 
 taken place. His naturally mirthful spirits rose to their 
 former pitch, while surveying Da Costa, whose grave, 
 anxious face heightened the contrast with his former 
 self— 'My dear fellow! what a paragraph for the Morn- 
 ing Post we should furnish ! It was worth some pains- 
 taking to become such accomplished masqueraders.' 
 
 Da Costa smiled as he looked on him, and said, ' Would 
 Esther acknowledge us now?' 
 
 ' Esther 1 what, my cousin Esther 1 why I never 
 named her to you !' 
 
 ' No, but others have done so : and now, Alick, since 
 we are embarked in an enterprise of considerable diffi- 
 culty and some danger, I may as well give poor Wil- 
 helm a sort of claim on your now gratuitous sympathy, 
 by telling you that in aiding to rescue him you will con- 
 fer a boon on Esther, such as her inmost heart will ac- 
 knowledge to the end of her days.' 
 
 ' I'll stick at nothing to do that,' exclaimed Alick, with 
 energy. ' Poor dear Esther ! many a sigh has my per- 
 verse liberalism caused her, and many an ill-natured 
 thing have I said and done to cross her devoted attach- 
 ment to the faith of her fathers. I wanted no spur in 
 this matter: but if she, dear girl, takes the interest you 
 seem to imply in Wilhelm, it will prove a sharp one to 
 my zeal in his cause.' 
 
 ' They have long been attached, and indeed betrothed, 
 secretly.' 
 
 ' But Wilhelm did not visit at our house.' 
 
 ' No : Esther passed some months in Germany among 
 his friends.' 
 
 * I remember it: and also that she brought home
 
 29S judah's Liorii 
 
 thence a copy of the law and of the prophets, which I 
 often detected her studying so profoundly that I used to 
 banter her upon it : I knew no better then.' 
 
 ' Well, we must now proceed ; my worthy friend 
 Sheikh Abdalla looks impatient.' 
 
 On hearing himself named, the leader approached, and 
 Da Costa inquired in what mode they should traveL 
 Camels were named, at which Alick petitioned for a 
 horse, or at least a mule, but was told they must be satis- 
 fied with camels until they had made some progress on 
 the route. 
 
 ' I don't like that fellow at all,' muttered Alick to his 
 friend, 'and I wish you would insist on our being so mount- 
 ed as to admit of acting in self-defence, if called on. 
 With this whimsical dress, and astride on one of those 
 long-necked hunchbacks, with his intellectual face and 
 discomposing trot, I shall be as helpless as a babe in the 
 cradle.' 
 
 ' Oh, never fear ; our companions are friendly and will 
 take good care of us.' 
 
 ' I'd rather by half take care of myself, though,' thought 
 the youth, as he suffered himself to be placed on the 
 back of the docile creature, who kneeled down to receive 
 him. 
 
 It was now that he might really be said to have entered 
 upon Oriental life ; and the momentary dissatisfaction 
 soon gave way to pleasanter feelings. 
 
 Before ihem lay a track as magnificently, wildly glori- 
 ous as imagination could picture. Mountains rising ab- 
 ruptly to an immense height, every chasm in their bold, 
 rocky crags shooting forth some species of graceful or 
 gorgeous vegetation, crested with trees of gigantic stature, 
 yet light and feathery as the plumage of a bird ; here 
 they might discern the mouth of a cavern, screened by 
 masses of arbutus, rhododendron, and the prolific nopal ;
 
 j0dah's lion. 293 
 
 there, perched on the brow of a naked precipice, some 
 semblance of a building, but whether inhabited, or merely 
 a solitary ruin, the eye could not at such a depth decide. 
 Winding- along the foot of this mountain-barrier, the tra- 
 vellers frequently found themselves among fragments 
 which bespoke the ancient site of edifices now crumbling 
 into dust : and one of these extended so far, and exhibited 
 such massive blocks of stone, bearing the marks of fine 
 proportion, and elaborate sculpture, that, being on nearly 
 a level plain, intermixed with the richest, loveliest, 
 choicest vegetation, profusely covering the few ruins not 
 actually sunk into the soil, Alick remarked, ' This must 
 have been a city, rather than a cluster of edifices.' 
 
 ' Some noble city, beyond a doubt,' answered Da 
 Costa, ' which sent up its stately sons to Jerusalem to 
 keep the appointed feasts. The whole country up to the 
 mountain tops, was inhabited : the denseness of its popu- 
 lation, compared with the extent of territory, was prodi- 
 gious. Every rood of ground must have been made avail- 
 able for tillage or pasturage : every hill mantled with 
 vineyards and olive-grounds. Of this you will perceive 
 tokens, go where we may. We tread on the ashes of our 
 fathers, (may they rest in peace !) and the lonely wilder- 
 ness around us was the mart, the palace, the garden of 
 the world.' 
 
 ' Was, and shall be !' said Alick, as he stroked the lonw 
 neck of the camel that carried him. ' How could I ob- 
 ject to mount this creature, descendant as he is of a race 
 who rejoiced in the fostering care of my fathers, and is 
 preserved to aid in the future tiiumph of their sons. 
 •'The multitude of camels shall cover thee." Perhaps 
 this, even this poor animal is one destined to the fulfil- 
 ment of prophecy, when the cities of Judah shall again 
 be inhabited !' 
 
 Again he looked around ; and as they skirted the ab- 
 26
 
 294 JUDAH S LlONd 
 
 rupt acclivity, he saw an upland path, entering the mouth 
 of a defile, that seemed to issue in a very steep ladder- 
 like track, inaccessible to any but the most daring pedes- 
 trian. Here they paused for a while, Da Costa continu- 
 ing in earnest discourse with the Sheikh, and both waxing 
 rather warm. A lick longed lo ascend the path, to obtain a 
 more extended view, but how they were to mount it was 
 a question he could not solve. At length the Sheikh 
 drew towards his men, with increased sullenness of aspect; 
 and Da Costa, rejoining Alick, remarked^ ' 1 gave myself 
 credit for having provided against all difficulties and pre- 
 cluded all dispute ; but these fellows are wholly intracta- 
 ble — wholly unfathomable — and I am fairly at a nonplus.' 
 
 ' " His hand against every man, and every man's hand 
 against him," ' repeated Alick : 'and you never can put 
 them down ; for " He shall dwell in the presence of his 
 brethren.'^' ' 
 
 ' How complacent you are at the most unreasonable, 
 vexatious, rascally conduct that ever men were exposed to!' 
 
 * Yes ; for when I see, even at my own expense, the 
 promise of Cod fulfilled to a wild Ishmaelite, it strength- 
 ens my assurance that the seed of Jacob shall be remem- 
 bered, too, in his time.' 
 
 ' Ah, Cohen, I know more Scripture than you, but your 
 little goes ten times as far as my much, because you ap- 
 ply it — you realize it — so delightfully. Weil, I won't 
 seek to put down these most obstinate half-broihers of 
 ours ; but try a little fraternal coaxing.' 
 
 He approached the group, whose dark looks were very 
 portentous ; what he said, Alick did not hear, but their 
 countenances soon relaxed, and the Shiekh's tone became 
 more amicable. ' So much for the value of a soft answer,' 
 thought Alick, assured by his friend's pleasant manner and 
 kind voice, that he had tried its efficacy. Da Costa soon 
 came back^ and told him they had agreed to a compro"
 
 judah's lion. 295 
 
 mise, by which his plans would be less deranged than he 
 had feared. Alick asked if Shiekh Abdalla was the same 
 he had once mentioned, as aiding him to search the con- 
 vent. ' No, no, not he. My noble band are genuine 
 sons of the desert, different enough from these peculating 
 Bedouins, whom I would not take a bird's-nesting in the 
 hedges of Harrow, to say nothing of a Maronite rookery 
 on Mount Lebanon. But come, I see we are to proceed : 
 I desired to halt here, and await the mules, which I very 
 well know are within call ; but we must make the next 
 pass, which is far more steep and impracticable, beyond 
 which I will stir no step on the plain.' 
 
 They proceeded ; and night overtook them before any 
 sign of access to the lofiy heights appeared. ' I am now 
 convinced,' said Da Cosla, 'that we have wholly missed 
 the route I was resolved to take, and that bur present 
 track will bring us to a point on which I nieb^er c^^ulated.' 
 
 ' In that case,' said Alick, ' I should be inclined to 
 hope that we were guided to the attainment of our wishes 
 against our wills. Perhaps the wrong path is blocked up 
 that we may stray into the right.' 
 
 ' Perhaps so : at all events your philosophy is of a most 
 seasonable and tranquillizing character.' 
 
 ' My philosophy,' thought Alick, ' is drawn from the 
 Bible. I wonder he does not see that.' 
 
 The Arabs soon constructed a rude tent, by which, and 
 a projection of a rock, they were all sheltered ; but Alick 
 preferred the unfettered fragrant breezes of Palestine to 
 every accommodation they could offer, and what little 
 sleep he got was enjoyed under a high and wide-spreading 
 cypress. His mind was full of Israel's future glory in that 
 land of all their hopes ; and, though not disinclined for 
 any adventure, the present expedition had little share in 
 his thoughts, save as connected with Esther. He dreamed 
 of her as disputing with little Charley over the Scriptures,
 
 296 ' judah's lion. 
 
 and awoke to find the tent dismantled, and the party 
 preparing to move, which, after some refreshment, thej' 
 did. 
 
 ' Well, Da Costa,' said he, as some of the visions of the 
 night recurred to his mind, ' when shall you commence 
 instructing me 1 As yet, you have only transferred me 
 from the society of Christians to that of Mussulmen.' 
 
 ' Patience, Cohen j we shali soon be in better circum- 
 stances.' 
 
 But Da Costa was mistaken : they had not proceeded 
 far» when an unusual stir among their companions, with 
 indications of no small dismay, attracted their notice, and 
 Abdalla told them he feared a bodv of hostile character 
 was not far off; and in that case they must all defend 
 themselves. ' Give me a horse, or a mule,' exclaimed 
 Alick, ' and I can play my part : but on this camel I am 
 just helpless.' I» 
 
 'An hour farther on we should find them,' said the 
 Shiekh, ' but does the earth bring forth horses that I 
 should furnish one here 1' 
 
 ' Two of your men, and yourself, are well mounted ; 
 you can manage one beast as well as the other — change 
 with me.' 
 
 ' Push on,' said Da Costa, who knew the hopelessness 
 of this request ; ' and let us try for the halting-place you 
 speak of.' 
 
 Instead of this, the Arabs commenced a consultation; 
 and then the Shiekh, with a grave face, told Da Costa that 
 as they might be separated in the combat in which they 
 were likely to be presently engaged, it would be better 
 to settle beforehand what was due between them. The 
 other, though his eyes flashed with anger, as gravely and 
 quietly declined ; and, on his attempting to proceed, the 
 Arabs in front wheeled round, declaring that they would 
 go no farther till their Shiekh was satisfied.
 
 JUDAH^S LION. 297 
 
 A sound, coming from some distance, now reached 
 them, and appeared the signal for decisive measures. The 
 Arabs, evidently under some trepidation, made a rush, 
 and snatched at the weapons of the Jews. Da Costa had 
 a very valuable brace of pistols stuck in his girdle, and 
 these appeared to be the principal attraction, for several 
 hands were stretched out at once towards them, while 
 others bore down on Alick. How, or by whom the shot 
 was fired, he did not know ; but he heard a shot, saw Da 
 Costa fall, and at the same moment, galloping at the top of 
 their speed, appeared a party of horsemen on the brow of 
 a rising eminence before them. Short space remained for 
 Sheikh Abdalla and his band: they wrested from Alick's 
 shoulders his uncouth cloak ; from his camel, the little 
 package that carried his best treasure, the Hebrew Bible, 
 and a few prized articles, and seizing the bridle of the 
 beast from which Da Costa had fallen, and on which was 
 a more extensive booty, they turned back, dashed away, 
 and dissappeared before the advancing party could come 
 up. Alick flung himself from his camel, wholly absorbed 
 by anxious alarm for Da Costa, who was bleeding from the 
 knee, but sensible. ' Escape !' he exclaimed, as Alick 
 kneeled on the ground beside him. 
 
 ' And leave you 1 No, truly. Are fyou much hurt, 
 Da Costa r 
 
 ' Yes — badly,' — he was in dreadful pain ; and Alick 
 scarcely heeded, in his efforts to staunch the wound, the 
 suffocating cloud of dust in which the advancing troop en- 
 veloped them. 
 
 They were Egyptians, scouring the country on behalf 
 of Ibrahim Pasha j and on coming up they laid hold at 
 once on Alick, uttering many words of which he was 
 wholly ignorant. They proceeded to bind his hand*, 
 when suddenly one among them uttered the word ' Giaour' 
 sn a tone of such surprise and exultation as made his cora- 
 26*
 
 298 judah's lion. 
 
 rades press to learn the cause. Poor Alick's vest liad been 
 so rent in the struggle — for neither to the Arabs nor the 
 Egyptians did he yield without a fierce conflict, — that his 
 side was exposed beyond where Da Costa had thought it 
 needful to apply the coloring wash ; and ripping it to the 
 fihoulder, they soon detected the value of the fictitious 
 complexion. A like scrutiny was held on Da Costa, who 
 had fainted ; and among the shouts and jeers of the rude 
 Egyptian soldiers, the wounded Israelite was thrown across 
 the camel that had been Alick's, and he himself, bound, 
 and fastened by a thong to the^ wrist of the mounted 
 Egyptian who led the camel, was compelled to walk. 
 
 What had occurred took place within a few minutes, 
 and bore so much the aspect of a dream to poor Alick that 
 he scarcely believed it otherwise. Severe pain, however, 
 roused him to a full sense of the reality ; for he had re- 
 ceived some contusions in the scutfle that rendered it dif- 
 ficult to walk at the pace his conductor required, and a 
 frequent blow urging him on, increased his sufferings. 
 Gladly would he have endured tenfold greater to purchase 
 a little tenderness for his wounded friend, whose groans 
 pierced his heart, as he strove to change his miserable po- 
 sition ; while every effort, baffled as it was by the straps 
 that bound him, only elicited the jests or provoked the fe- 
 rocious menaces of his barbarous guards. In this way they 
 proceeded, until near noon, when a halt was commanded, 
 and under the shelter of a clump of trees the party dis- 
 mounted, and proceeded to regale themselves. 
 
 An officer under whose direction the prisoners had been 
 bound, now sauntered by them, and without stopping ut- 
 tered a few words, on which a little dirty water, and some^ 
 thing resembling coarse barley bread was given to Alick. 
 His thiist was intense ; but merely moistening his lips and 
 palate with what he would have given worlds to quaff, he 
 lifted the cruse to Da Costa's mouth, who drank it so eager-
 
 judah's lion. 299 
 
 iy that the sight overpaid his self-denial. As yet, neither 
 had spoken ; Da Cosla seeming unable so to do, and Alick 
 was deterred by the threatening gesture of his guards, 
 whenever he seemed about to address his companion. It 
 was evident that the party was a most disorderly one, and 
 some strong beverage was now taking effect on the greater 
 number, whose shouts and riotous mirth became deafening. 
 One, under great excitement, staggered towards the prison- 
 ers, and brandished a long knife in Alick's face, until ano- 
 ther struck it aside, and a struggle ensued, in which seve- 
 ral were engaged before the madman could be disarmed. 
 Suddenly a movement took place, comparative order was 
 restored, and the officer, rapidly passing, issued an order* 
 in obedience to which Da Costa and Alick were hurried a 
 little asidcj the former being laid on the grass, the latter 
 seated near him, and three soldiers, with scymetars drawn, 
 stood in military attitude, guarding them^ The band had 
 divided into two portions, leaving a space, a few yards in 
 , width, and Alick was able to form a better judgement 
 than before of their numbers, which were not under twen- 
 ty, all formidably armed. It was evident they were in a 
 state of expectation, their eyes frequently turned in the di' 
 rection whither they had been travelling, and just as the 
 tramp of horses' feet reached Alick's ear, he remarked a 
 most grim, ferocious expression of hostility succeeding the 
 levity that had prevailed ^ He looked in the direction of 
 the sound, and leisurely trotting their horses up a gentle 
 slope, he saw four men in a garb no less dear than famil- 
 iar to him ; it was the uniform of the British Navy. 
 
 What were his feelings ! Deliverance was the first 
 thought, and his heart beat high with hope — a single word 
 of appeal, and rescue was certain ; but, alas! a moment's 
 recollection told him that English influence could have no 
 weight with such a rude, disorderly horde ; and that any 
 attempt at interference on their behalf might afford a pre»
 
 300 JUDAH*S LIONi 
 
 text for some outrage for which they were plainly dis» 
 posed, and in which their numbers and weapons would 
 give them too great an advantage for even English prow<- 
 ess to withstand. Besides, there was an evident determi- 
 nation on the part of their guards to prevent any speech 
 between him and the travellers. Meanwhile, the party 
 had arrived nearly opposite them. The Egyptian officer 
 came forward, and a paper was handed to him, the name 
 of Ibrahim Pasha being at the same time uttered. This 
 was carefully examined, and returned, and as the foremost 
 of the Englishmen rode on, Alick caught a sight of one in 
 the rear, and uttered an involuntary exclamation, that pro 
 cured him a terrible blow across the mouth from the flat 
 of a scymetan He saw Gordon, the gunner of the ship ; 
 and saw his eye fixed on him, but with no sign of recog- 
 nition. Forgetting at the moment his disguise, the Arab 
 garb, and Arab complexion that he had assumed, it wrung 
 his heart to be so disowned in the hour of his deep calami- 
 ty : but again he remembered ; and as the Englishmen 
 quietly proceeded on their way, a feeling of thankfulness 
 for their safety prevailed over all selfish regret : he wiped 
 his bleeding lips, and resigned himself to the overpowering 
 recollections which the transient glimpse of the good gun- 
 ner's well-remembered face had called up-
 
 CHAPTER XXI, 
 
 There are few situations in life so painful, as not to be 
 aggravated by the addition of uncertainty. Alick Cohen 
 was a prisoner, in the hands of pitiless barbarians ; he was 
 suffering in mind, in body, and estate. The friend for 
 whom he had relinquished all others, and who was to have 
 been his guide into what he was taught to believe was the 
 only way of acceptably serving God, was in worse plight ; 
 nearly insensible, and probably dying before him. They 
 had also been taken in the worst company, for Abdalla 
 and his band had proved themselves robbers ; and their 
 own disguise bespoke a wilful, premeditated identification 
 with those dishonest associates. The men, too, who of all 
 others would have been most likely to disregard the odds, 
 and freely venture their lives to deliver them, had looked 
 on them with evident compassion, but without ever dream- 
 ing thai they were fellow-countrymen, or aught but what 
 they appeared to be, criminals in the hands of justice ; yet 
 all these aggravations were less in Alick's sight than the 
 tormenting uncertainty as to their present destination and 
 impending fate. 
 
 That the latter would be summary judgment and death, 
 was exceeding probable ; but Alick, though naturally 
 brave to recklessness, was not able to contemplate a sud- 
 den doom without such a revulsion of feeling as made
 
 302 JtJDAH's LION. 
 
 him tremble all over. Conviction of his personal sinful- 
 ness had fixed itself too deeply in his soul to admit of 
 self-deception there ; and he felt that he had been trifling 
 with a season of rare opportunities, while deferring to 
 some future day the settlement of the solemn question, 
 How should that sin of his heart and life be atoned for 1 
 He ought not to have rested until he ascertained the true 
 character of Him whom he was invited to regard as his 
 Saviour ; for whether Jew or Gentile, he could not enter 
 into the presence of the God of heaven without some pro- 
 pitiation for his sins. ' What avails it to me,' thought he, 
 'that I am of the race to whom God gave this fair land, 
 over which I am now goaded like a beast to the shambles 
 — what avails it, that my race shall again possess this land, 
 and rejoice therein to the end of time, if my soul is lost, 
 and my portion is in Gehenna, where hope coraeth not 1 
 And not only with my own safety, but with that of my 
 poor brother here, how cruelly have I trifled ! I felt sure 
 that my inquiries would end in beholding in Jesus of Na- 
 zareth, the desire of nations — the King of Israel ; but I 
 resolved to bring to a practical test what I already know 
 to be unsatisfying, insufficient ; and I meant to take the 
 same circuitous route with respect to poor Da Costa. 
 What ensues 1 Destruction like a whirlwind has come 
 upon us, and he dies wholly rejecting One who probably 
 holds the keys of heaven, and whom I half love, half 
 dread — whom I do not acknowledge, yet dare not defy. 
 Yet may I not even now confess him, and throw my cause 
 into his hands 1 How then shall I answer it, if he be not 
 what I would wish him to be? and how shall that secret 
 wish be forgiven by Him whose name is Jealous.' 
 
 The Egyptian party had moved on, and a soldier less 
 savage than the former had charge of the captives. He 
 marked the faltering steps of Alick, whose face was more- 
 over much disfigured b}' the blow that had cut his lip, and
 
 JtTDAH's LION. 303 
 
 swollen it greatly. This man, having lifted his whip to 
 strike him when he flagged, suddenly dropped his arm, 
 and taking from his saddle a small leather case, gave him 
 to drink, but would not allow him to share it with Da 
 Costa. The beverage was refreshingly cool, and invigo- 
 rating also ; and the graceful courtesy of Alick's respect- 
 ful obeisance, as he returned the cruse, seemed to win yet 
 more upon his Egyptian guide. After a while, he threw 
 the thong to a comrade, rode up to his officer, and made 
 some representation, which was very surlily repulsed : he 
 returned, looking dark and fierce, and Alick trembled lest 
 Da Costa, whose sensitiveness to pain seemed on the in- 
 crease, should suffer under a savage ebullition. It was 
 otherwise however j the soldier, as he rode back, had 
 plucked some delicious fruit from a tree overhanging the 
 I'oad, and this he gave to Alick, pointing at the same time 
 to Da Costa, and giving sufficient freedom to Alick's hands 
 to admit of his administering the welcome juice to his fe» 
 ver-parched comrade. 
 
 How unspeakably soothing to the wounded spirit is 
 sympathy ! Alick looked up in the face of his swarthy 
 guard, and murmured a blessing from the depths of his 
 heart. He went on more cheerily, and strove to ascer- 
 tain the bearings of their road, that he might, when arriv- 
 ing at any town, form at least a guess as to the locality ; 
 but it was impossible to make anything out, so eccentric 
 appeared their zigzag course. The heat also was becom- 
 ing too intense for endurance, and he feared delirium must 
 ensue, if he was much longer exposed to it. A disposi- 
 tion to quicken their pace soon showed itself j and Alick 
 was once more mounted upon the same camel that carried 
 Da Costa, under whom some bundles were placed, so as to 
 form a sort of support. Alick would gladly have afforded 
 him some relief, but his arms were bound more tightly 
 than before, and it was as much as he could do to pre-
 
 304< judah's lion. 
 
 serve his seat. The road became at once so hilly and so 
 stony, that nothing but the conviction of their near ap- 
 proach to a town would have encouraged him sufficiently 
 to hold on. This he did for a short time, not daring to lift 
 his eyes, lest the unexpected jolt, occasioned by frequent 
 small hollows in the descending road, should upset him. 
 All his care and caution were vain : a blow, part of which 
 fell on him, made the poor animal start, and Alick was 
 thrown suddenly to the ground, and became insensible. 
 
 When he recovered, he found himself in what seemed 
 to be a dungeon : four walls rose to a height of some 
 seven or eight feet ; and a small aperture in the upper 
 part of one of them afforded light enough to scan the di- 
 mensions of the cell, which was miserably small. The 
 first sound that caught his ear was of some quick, heavy 
 gasps, as of one breathing in great pain. He uttered the 
 name of Da Costa, and was answered by him, in a faint 
 voice, * Cohen, where are we V 
 
 *■ I wish I knew ; but probably we never shall discover 
 it, — nor will our fate be made known. I remember being 
 in the act of falling, but beyond that 1 am ignorant. It 
 seems to me, that we have been thrown into some hovel 
 by the way-side to perish.' 
 
 'No: confused and almost fainting as I was, I cannot 
 be mistaken in thinking we are in some fortified place. I 
 heard martial sounds, and the hum and bustle of an arrival 
 in somewhat more than a village. It may be a camp. It 
 matters not : there is but one point on which we can fix, 
 in our present circumstances, with a violent death before 
 us ; and how cheering is that one consideration !' 
 
 ' What is it, Da Costa V said Alick anxiously. 
 
 •We die in Judea: our ashes will mingle with the sa- 
 cred soil ; and in the place where the bones of our fathers 
 have mouldered, ours also shall rest.' 
 
 * And from that soil we shall rise.'
 
 judah's lion. 805 
 
 ' Yes, to partake in Israel's triumph.' 
 
 Alick sicrhed. His wounded friend half raised his head 
 and asked, ' Do you shrink from death, Cohen 1 — remem- 
 ber, our journey was one of great peril, and you were not 
 backward in encountering it.' 
 
 ' I do not fear death ; but your last remark led to the 
 solemn question, what ground have I to expect a share in 
 Israel's triumph V 
 
 ' You are a Jew.' 
 
 ' So were they. Da Costa, on whom, at different times, 
 the fierce anger of the Lord fell. The rebels, idolators, 
 and despisers of his grace, for whom we cannot possibly 
 imagine that any share in the future glory shall belong. 
 They were all Jews.' 
 
 * But we are not as they, Cohen ; we have not rebelled 
 against the Lord.' 
 
 ' 1 have — many a day, and every day ; and it is useless 
 to blind myself to the fact. I have not fulfilled the law: 
 I have not refrained my foot from the sabbath, — neither 
 have I honored my parents, — neither have I forborne to 
 covet ; in my heart I have set up idols, — and 1 have taken 
 the name of the Most High in vain.' 
 
 ' There is no man but must plead guilty to some of 
 these things,' remarked Da Costa. 
 
 ' No : therefore all men need to bring with them some- 
 thing wherewith to propitiate the Lord j and what have I 
 to bring V 
 
 'A repentant heart, dear Alick.' 
 
 ' But if penitence alone would suffice, wherefore were 
 the sacrifices instituted I Why was such an iminense 
 burden of ceremonial usages laid on our fathers '? and why 
 did the most penitent and godly show the greatest dili- 
 gence in observing them 1' 
 
 Da Costa was about to reply, but his wound became 
 painful, and in a faint voice he asked Alick, whether he 
 27
 
 306 judah's lion. 
 
 thought any water was left beside them ; or any meahs of 
 egress, by which he might go in quest of some. His 
 hands were still bound, but so loosely as to admit of freely 
 using them, — and he pushed at the narrow aperture by 
 ■which they must have entered, and which was closed by a 
 rude but strong door. It yielded to his hand, and he 
 walked out into a narrow, vaulted passage, half hoping 
 that escape might be practicable. Here, however, he was 
 abruptly met by an Egyptian soldier, who, in very good 
 Arabic, ordered him back. A lick implored a little water 
 for his suffering companion, and the other reaching through 
 a side-door which Alick had not observed, handed him a 
 pitcher, which he took with so many thanks that his grati- 
 tude seemed a little to soften the guard. When Alick 
 ventured to ask where they were, he replied, ' In the Gov" 
 ernor's prison.' 
 
 ' What governor V But instead of a reply he got a push 
 toward the cell — the soldier following, and re-closing the 
 door with some additional fastenings. When Da Costa 
 heard what had passed, he said, ' The fellows who brought 
 us here, spoke some dialect almost wholly unknown to 
 me ; I caught a word now and then, but nothing connect- 
 ed. They were, however, doubtless of Ibrahim's army, 
 and this is some stronghold for which they were marching 
 when they fell in with us. To-morrow we may expect 
 to be brought before this governor, and to receive our 
 doom.' 
 
 It was late in the evening before the party had reached 
 this place ; and now the increasing light convinced thera 
 that day had broke, before they became aware of their 
 situation. Alick'shend was exceedingly painful, and the 
 sensation produced by so many contusions, added to ex- 
 treme fatigue and want of food, was peculiarly trying, 
 from its novelty, to one brought up in the very lap of in- 
 dulgence. Yet all was as nothing, compared to the in-
 
 JUDAll's LION. 307 
 
 ternal struggle. Gordon's image was still present to him, 
 as when he first pointed out those passages relating to the 
 Lion of Judah, and from them preached the Gospel to his 
 attentive listener. He could not but think that their re- 
 cent meeting was ordained to leave him without excuse, 
 rising up as a testimony against him for so little heeding 
 what he heard. Again Charley's declarations sounded in 
 his ear, more particularly that addressed to Ben-Melchor, 
 the immediate cause of his separation from the friends 
 who so earnestly sought his soul's welfare. He then re- 
 verted to Charley's sweet, placid, assured hope in Christ, 
 and felt how precious to him would now be even a distant 
 gleam of the ray that shone so brightly on his infant friend. 
 The day advanced, and at one time a broad stream of sun- 
 light shot athwart the miserable apartment, through the 
 narrow crevice or loophole, which showed the wall to be 
 of great thickness; and by this light, he beheld the ghast- 
 ly countenance of Da Costa, heightened by the effect of 
 the red shawl fastened uncouthly about his head, and the 
 partial disappearance of the coloring matter that tinged his 
 face — while the blood from his wound had drenched his 
 lower garments, and added to the misery of his appear- 
 ance. His own plight was very little better ; and a feel- 
 ing more forlorn could scarcely be imagined, than that of 
 Alick Cohen, whether as regarded the concerns of the 
 body or of the soul. 
 
 Towards mid-day, a scanty meal of boiled rice and bad 
 water was thrust into the cell ; but even this was a wel- 
 come luxury, and Alick saw with joy that Da Costa was 
 evidently revived by it. He had bound up his wound as 
 well as he could, and it wore every appearance of being 
 comparatively slight — profuse bleeding, rather than the 
 severity of the hurt, having enfeebled him so much ; but 
 Alick dreaded lest the want of proper attention might pro- 
 duce evil effects. Yet, convinced as he was that death
 
 308 JTTDAH^S LIONo 
 
 awaited them both, it was of small moment ; and he deep- 
 ly longed, as for his own, so for his companion's soul, that 
 any assurance of safety beyond the grave could be arrived 
 at. He was meditating on the best mode of again open- 
 ing this subject, when the clatter of several footsteps ap- 
 proaching the cell arrested his attention ; and in a few 
 moments the door was thrown open, and an officer, hand- 
 somely equipped, a silken tassel drooping from his high 
 cap, and a richly-decorated sabre in his hand, entered, 
 followed by a soldier, while several others were seen in 
 the passage. Alick felt as though the instrument of death 
 was before him, and at the same moment a prayer, which 
 he could not if he would have arrested, rose silentlv but 
 fervently from his heart: its purport was that of Barti- 
 meus, — ' Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon 
 me !' 
 
 The officer stood, stooping — as the lowness of the apart- 
 ment compelled him to do — and for a minute or two si- 
 lently surveyed the prisoners ; then asked them, ' What 
 are you V 
 
 In one breath they both replied, ' Jews,' 
 
 The officer smiled in contempt, and replied, 'Ye Be- 
 douin rascals, what do ye expect to gain by claiming kin- 
 dred with a race more despicable than your own V 
 
 ' We are not Bedouins,' answered Da Costa, ' though 
 -for a particular purpose we assumed the dress of our Arab 
 guides. We are Hebrews, natives of England, and guilt- 
 less of any offence against the present rulers of this land- 
 We crave to be released.' 
 
 ' By Mahomet, you have a brazen forehead ! Where 
 have you concealed the plunder, the arms and money, the 
 garments and provisions, carried off four days since from 
 the convent 1' 
 
 ' We have been near no convent ; and four days since
 
 judah's lion. 309 
 
 we were in Jerusalem, with other English travellers — 
 having landed at Joppa not long before.' 
 
 ' Confession will better serve you than these improbable 
 falsehoods. Abdalla may yet be overtaken, and for him 
 there is no mercy. Reveal the place of his retreat, re- 
 store the booty carried off, and I will intercede for you : 
 otherwise your doom is sealed.' 
 
 ' How can we reveal that of which we know nothing 1 
 We are far removed from those who could at once dis- 
 prove the charge against us. If men's lives be worth a 
 thought, send (for you have the means) to Jerusalem, and 
 inquire — ' 
 
 ' Send to Jerusalem !' repeated the officer, with a laugh 
 of derision : ' Arab or Jew, the bastinado will compel you, 
 once in your lives, to utter truth ; Dogs !' and with a 
 scowl of angry disappointment he suddenly left the cell. 
 His attendant lingered for one moment behind, advanced 
 to the prisoners, and growling forth the word ' Giaour !' 
 spat at them, spurned them, and hastened out. 
 
 Alick received the kick, having thrown himself before 
 Da Costa, whose cheek burned with wrath, then became as 
 pale as the lingering stain that had died it would permit. 
 'It is no new dispensation,' he said, ' for the Israelite to 
 suffer under Egyptian bondage. We are drinking the 
 cup that our fathers drank before us ; and the arm that 
 delivered them is not shortened, if it were His will to 
 deliver us also. Of that, however, I see no prospect, mira- 
 cles apart : Abdalla has evidently been engaged in some 
 serious outrage : and all that might otherwise tend to our 
 security, is likely to be turned against us. Our disguise 
 must appear a means of aiding in his evil deeds, that we 
 may also partake in the spoil ; and they will torture us to 
 divulge what we are wholly ignorant of, then put us to 
 death in revenge for our silence.' 
 
 'I don't doubt it,' answered Alick, quietly. 
 27*
 
 310 judah's lion% 
 
 'And I have brought you to this., Cohen! I, who 
 would have promoted your welfare before my own, am 
 your murderer.' 
 
 ' Not so, Da Costa : we both exposed ourselves to peril 
 for another's sake. Do you remember little Charley's 
 prophetic words, " We ought to lay down our lives for 
 the brethren 1" ' 
 
 ' Prophetic, indeed, and soon accomplished/ 
 
 ' I know,' said Alick, whose thoughts and feelings 
 were now beyond his control, ' I know exactly the prin- 
 ciple on which that beautiful precept is grounded. Look- 
 ing to one who laid down his life for his enemies, how it 
 shames our selfishness, constraining us to feel — surely, 
 surely we can at least lay down our lives for those who 
 are our brethren !' Then, before his friend could reply, 
 he added, with increased earnestness, ' Da Costa, I felt no 
 anger when that Egyptian spat on me and spurned me ; 
 such an insult would, not long since, have made me fell 
 any man to the earth, though backed by a thousand 
 troops, ere a hand could be raised to defend him ; but I 
 thought, even then I thought of Jesus, who suffered, oh, 
 how much more ! for sinners. His Spirit was with me, 
 and I forgave the trespass, even as I hope my trespasses 
 are forgiven.' 
 
 Da Costa thought that either his own or his companion's 
 mind must be wandering; he looked at him in silent 
 astonishment, and Alick resumed. ' The Lion of the 
 tribe of Judah is to those who resist him a lion indeed, 
 terrible in his strength, able to destroy, and no man shall 
 stand before him : but to others he is a lamb, a slain 
 lamb, merciful and meek, able to save. I see the two- 
 fold character in him united, and I can, yes, I can be- 
 lieve !' 
 
 ' Believe what 1' asked Da Costa.
 
 judah's Lion. 311 
 
 * I believe with all my heart, with all my soul, that 
 Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.' 
 
 ' This is sheer madness ; you had no such belief a day 
 or two since ; and not a word have you heard, or readj 
 not a single thing has come in your way, to cause this 
 sudden change. You will go near to make me a believer 
 in the pretended sorcer}' of these Eg\'ptians. Say no 
 more now, but compose your mind ; my poor boy, you 
 will have enough to try its strength by and by.' 
 
 ' I never was so composed as I now am ; and I fear no 
 trial, since I have committed my cause to one who is 
 able to maintain both it and me. Oh, Da Costa ! what I 
 now feel is a foretaste of heaven itself— such a peace, 
 such a calm, such a joy ! Methinks I do long for the 
 stroke that shall send me ' 
 
 'To Gehenna!' exclaimed Da Costa, vehemently. 
 ' Wretched boy, do you dare to apostatize 1 do you fling 
 from you the priceless privileges of the holy seed 1 
 Recreant, do you cease to be a Jew V 
 
 ' No, G od forbid ! I do but add to the law that Moses 
 gave, the faith that Moses held. Cease to be a Jew ! 
 when on my soul first beams the joy of acknowledging 
 the Messiah of Israel, who shall come to reign even as al- 
 ready he has come to suffer. No, I believe that no soul can 
 perish while trusting in Him, who has said, " Look unto 
 me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth," but Israel 
 is His first-born ; and in Israel above all others will He be 
 glorified. I would not cut myself off from Israel.' 
 
 ' Nevertheless, sir, you do, if there be any meaning in 
 what you now rave. The mere act of which you are now 
 guilty, the going after other gods, whom your fathers have 
 not known, cuts you off; and were we not dispersed, de- 
 solate, and unable to fulfil the requirements of our most 
 holy law, you would be put to death as a warning to oth- 
 ers.'
 
 312 judah's lion. 
 
 ' Why should you speak so harshly to me, Da Costa, 
 seeing that we are both about to appear before the right- 
 eous judge of men 1 A few hours, a few minutes may be 
 the limit of our mortal lives ; before the sun goes down, 
 we may be, and probably we shall be, in the eternal world. 
 Realize, if you can, the awful transition from all outward, 
 and now visible things, into the dazzling presence of the 
 Most High, to whom are known all our deeds, our words, 
 our thoughts, from the dawn of reason to this hour ; re- 
 member you are a sinner, and remember too that under 
 our holy law, no sin, however trivial in man's sight, is ab- 
 solved without the offering of some sacrificial atonement; 
 and what have you to offer 1 What have you to plead 1 
 For myself, I have this to say — I know that, from the 
 beginning, God commanded sacrifices, connecting with 
 them the belief in an atonement, which it was not in their 
 nature to afford ; that having chosen Israel to himself, he 
 gave them a more particular law, and set apart one espe- 
 cial place where alone those sacrifices should be offered 
 up ; that at a time clearly foretold, he sent One into the 
 world, who, being both God and man, was perfectly with- 
 out sin, and who was offered up, in a bloody and cruel 
 death, at the very place so set apart for acceptable sacri- 
 fice, and which almost immediately afterwards became, 
 and to this day continues, inaccessible to any of the race. 
 In him also I see every prophesy fulfilled : and I now 
 know by blessed experience, He hears and answers pray- 
 er, enlightens the dark eye, and satisfies the hungry soul. 
 He has invited me : I have come to him, and by the issue 
 of this plea I will abide.' 
 
 ' I will talk no more to you,' said Da Costa, turning lo 
 the wall, against which he lay with his forehead pressed, 
 writhing with bodily and mental anguish, while Alick, in 
 tender pity, secretly prayed for him. 
 
 A scanty supply of the same coarse sustenance was
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 313 
 
 handed Into the cell at sunset, and from this it appeared, 
 that their doom was postponed at least till the morrow. 
 Alick mentioned this to Da Costa, and pressed him to 
 take some of the food ; but with a look in which pride 
 and rebuke strove with the langor of exhaustion, he re- 
 plied. ' I cannot eat with you.' 
 
 'Neither need you,' answered Alick, mildly. ' I have 
 not touched this, only the vessel that contains it : I will 
 not partake, for indeed I do not need it : but you are faint 
 and feverish, and I, alas ! have aggravated your sufferings 
 unwillingly yet unavoidably.' The mournful tone in which 
 he spoke, induced Da Costa to turn and look at him, and 
 he could not but be touched by the spectacle. His bruis- 
 ed cheek and swollen lip, the stain that he had himself ap- 
 plied, and the garments in which he had clad him to his 
 destruction, added to the sunken appearance of his eye, 
 the total change that had come over his young life, now 
 probably about to experience a violent close, smote him 
 with agonizing self-reproach. At the same time there was 
 a holy calmness, an elevation of soul depicted on the 
 youth's patient countenance, and a tenderness of sympa- 
 thy in the anxious look he bent upon him, that to such a 
 nature as Da Costa's was irresistible. He looked up to 
 Alick, beseechingly, as he took the beverage from his 
 hand, and said, ' Dear Cohen, think again : oh, forsake not 
 the faith of your fathers, nor separate from your scorned, 
 oppressed, persecuted, brethren, still the chosen people of 
 the Most High !' 
 
 'Da Costa, I never loved them as now I do: my heart 
 cleaves to them ; and to its last throb, my prayer will arise 
 for the v/elfare of Israel, for the peace of Jerusalem, dear, 
 dear Jerusalem, on which we have so lately looked, never 
 to behold her again !' Tears filled his eyes, and Da Costa, 
 no less moved, was silent. At length he said, ' Will you 
 listen quietly to me, Alick V
 
 314 jtjdah's lion, 
 
 • I will indeed.' 
 
 Da Costa then sought by every argument he could call 
 up to shake his faith, and to induce him to recall its avowal ; 
 but Alick derived new strength from the weakness of his 
 objections, and remained unmoved. Night closed, and 
 found them still discussing the momentous point ; morning 
 returned, and Da Costa was restless, yet taciturn, and 
 seemingly revolving in his mind some things that greatly 
 discomposed him. Alick, on the contrary, was radiant 
 with hope and joy, strengthened by prayer, and marvelling 
 how he could so long himself have resisted the truths that 
 he had been enabled to set forth to his friend. It was not 
 until near noon, that the door of their prison was opened, 
 and the usual tasteless mess handed in, of which Da Costa 
 insisted that Alick should freely partake, saying, 'Prepar- 
 ed as it has been by the unclean and abominable, I see not 
 how it can contract farther defilement. If there be sin in 
 it, let it be counted as one of those unhappily unavoidable 
 things for which, by the inscrutable decree of God, no 
 means of purification are left to our race.' 
 
 ' Whatever sin I commit,' said Alick, ' and truly I sin 
 every hour, let it be washed away in the blood shed to 
 redeem my soul ! I plead the atoning sacrifice, ever pre- 
 sent, ever available to faith ; ever well pleasing to God.' 
 
 Shortly after this, the same officer who had visited them 
 the preceding day entered ; and ordered Alick to follow 
 him. 'God be with you!' exclaimed the youth, as he 
 grasped Da Costa's hand, but no more could he add, being 
 violently pulled away by two soldiers. They had scarce- 
 ly entered the long passage when a messenger met them, 
 acquainting the officer that the governor had entered on an 
 investigation likely to last for an hour; but he replied, 
 ' Lead on : this young dog of a robber shall not return to 
 concert a story with the other. They did not expect to 
 be examined separately.'
 
 JT7DAII S LION. 315 
 
 Accordingly they proceeded, and Alick found that after 
 passing through various covered passages, they were as* 
 cending to the roof of what seenned a spacious house. 
 Stiffened by bruises and cramped by the confinement he 
 had undergone, he found it difficult to mount the steep 
 stairs of rugged stone : but once on the top, he saw, be- 
 neath an awning, an elderly man, splendidly habited, 
 smoking his pipe, and hearing the particulars of a dispute 
 between two ecclesiastics, which had led to an affray, 
 Alick was surprised at the number of individuals who 
 found space to stand there in groups ; and not a little 
 dazzled and overcome by the blaze of day. He was or- 
 dered to stand aside, and roughly pushed by his guard to a 
 corner of the parapet, whence he looked down, looked 
 round, and then, clasping his hands over his eyes murmur- 
 ed, ' This is Egyptian sorcery !' 
 
 But again he gazed, and rich, full, overpowering was 
 the flood of delight that seemed to roll in upon his very 
 soul : he was in Jerusalem, the city of his fathers, the 
 city of his God. There, stretched along her broad eastern 
 wall, and beyond it rose the Mount of Olives, with its 
 gently undulating outline, three-capped, and sweeping 
 down to the deep valley of Jehoshaphat, sunk far beneath 
 his ken. Northward of where he stood, was the ancient 
 Salem, the city of the Jebusites, and towards the west the 
 well-remembered tower of Hippicus, David's Castle, while 
 David's city, crowning the lofty hill of Zion, clustered on 
 the south, and spread down the slope to the Tyropoeon val- 
 ley, where he knew the Jewish quarter lay. But at this 
 point an object saluted his eyes that made his very heart 
 thrill with the strongest emotions it was capable of. The 
 abomination of desolation stood there in the holy place ; 
 the superb mosque of Omar, glittering with its profuse 
 decorations, occupied the site of Solomon's temple, appro- 
 priating to itself the wide enclosure of Mount Moriab,
 
 316 judah's lion. 
 
 which, with the Turkish burial-ground, reached to the 
 very foot of the dwelling on the top of which Alick was 
 placed. With mingled delight, reverence, indignation and 
 horror, he looked upon the spot, never before so cora- 
 pletel}^ brought before him : the desecration of that hallow- 
 ed ground, the proud crescent gleaming on the dome of 
 that magnificent but polluting edifice, filled him with an- 
 guish, but still it was the ground so unutterably precious 
 to the soul of a Hebrew. There had his father Abraham 
 bound the unresisting son of his love, and prepared to of- 
 fer up a sacrifice vividly typical of that which was to be 
 offered up for him. There, at the threshing-floor of Arau- 
 nah the Jebusite, had David's intercessory prayer been 
 mercifully accepted, and the angel had sheathed his sword, 
 and Jerusalem was spared. There, by divine appointment, 
 Solomon erected the glorious temple of which the earth 
 has never had a rival ; and ihe thoughts of Alick wander- 
 ed over the tale of Jerusalem's triumphs, her sins and 
 woes, until all else was but as a dream to him. Finally, 
 he cast his eye on the mj'sterious gateway leading direct- 
 ly towards the mount, which has for so many generations 
 been closed, built up with stones; according to Ezekiel's 
 prophecy, " shut" — for there the God of Israel had enter- 
 ed, when descending the Mount of Olives He came into 
 the temple, " meek and lowly, and having salvation, rid- 
 ing upon an ass," but heralded by triumphant shouts, with 
 branches of the palm and garments strewn in His path, 
 and welcomed by the hosannas of his chosen ones. Alick 
 well remembered hearing Captain Ryan speak of that 
 closed gate in connection both with the past and the future; 
 and his heart swelled with transporting joy as he hailed in 
 silent songs of praise, the King of Zion as his King, his 
 Savior, his own present hope, and the future glory of 
 His people Israel. Where was the sadness that but a few 
 days since had weighed down his soul when looking on
 
 jitdah's lion. 317 
 
 Zionl It was gone; and by Aiith in the Son of God he 
 was enabled to see, as if already present, the peace, the 
 prosperity of that beloved city. Promise after promise 
 broke upon him, till, unconscious of all but the theme 
 that engrossed him, the poor prisoner's face was mantled 
 with smiles, and shone with the radiance of unclouded 
 joy. Of the lapse of time he was as little conscious as of 
 the presence of his captors, his guards, his judge, and pro- 
 bable executioners. His Jerusalem was before him, in all 
 the brightness of that latter-day glory which he knew to 
 be near at hand ; and in the contemplation of his redeem- 
 ing, returning Messiah, it seemed a small matter to him 
 whether he was immediately called into His presence by 
 sudden death, or left to declare among his friends and kin- 
 dred what great things Jesus had done for him, and to oc- 
 cupy till he should again come. But though regardless of 
 all others, he was not himself disregarded : a superior offic- 
 er, in the Egyptian uniform, but by no means of Egypt- 
 ian cast of countenance, was attentively watching him : 
 and when Alick's turn came to be led forward, and accus- 
 ed before the Aga, he too approached, an interested ob- 
 server of all that was going on. 
 
 28
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The charge brought against Alick was soon spoken : Ab- 
 dalla's guilt being a notorious thing, it was only neces- 
 sary to state that the Pasha's soldiers had unexpectedly 
 fallen in with him and his gang, all of whom escaped, 
 with the exception of two, who were captured, and 
 brought into Jerusalem. One, it was mentioned, had 
 been wounded, and him they had not brought up for exa- 
 mination ; but the other now produced, though he made a 
 desperate resistance, was captured unhurt. To this the 
 oflScer added, that to avoid being questioned, the prisoners 
 had denied all knowledge of Abdalla, pretending to be 
 travellers under his guidance. 
 
 Without raising his eyes to the prisoner, the governor 
 asked whether he was known to have been a party to 
 the robbery : to which the officer replied, there was no 
 doubt of it. 
 
 Alick had some difficulty in making out the exact mean- 
 ing of what was said ; and in a matter of life and death, 
 he thought it but fair to ask for an interpreter ; a request 
 that excited the utmost indignation on the part of his ac- 
 cusers ; the judge did not seem to hear it, but at this mo- 
 ment a stranger who had so attentively eyed him, stepped 
 forward ; and with a respectful obeisance repeated it to 
 him. ' What needs the Bedouin 1 Do we not speak with 
 the tongue of his people V
 
 JUDAH'S LION. 319 
 
 ' I am no Bedouin,' said Alick, ' I am a Jew : and I be- 
 lieve,' he added, while a deep color mounted to his brow, 
 as he glanced toward the Mount of Olives, ' I believe in 
 Jesus of Nazareth.' 
 
 To describe the effect of these words on his auditors is 
 impossible. Epithets of astonishment, scorn, detestation, 
 were uttered on all sides, as loud as their respect for the 
 chief man would permit. He, too, exclaimed, 'By Al- 
 lah he speaks lies !' and for the first time looked him in 
 the face, then muttered, ' A boy !' and seemed more ruf- 
 fled than was his wont on occasions of greater moment. 
 Alick had never in his life felt so happy as when the 
 avowal at once of his race and his faith had passed his lips : 
 he paused for a moment, and in the same clear, calm tone, 
 added, ' J am also'an Englishman.' 
 
 A laugh of exultation burst from his captors and the 
 bystanders, who supposed his conviction now inevitable : 
 and the Aga himself smiled, when two or three of his 
 attendants, pointing to the tall Egyptian officer already 
 noticed, said, ' Speak in English to him !' and with no 
 small alacrity Alick turned to him, saying, ' If, sir, you 
 speak the language of my native land, I crave your good 
 offices in repeating to me the substance of the evidence 
 brought against me. I am guiltless in this matter, as I 
 hope, with your kind assistance, now to prove.' 
 
 'You have injured your cause,' rejoined the other, hur- 
 riedly, ' by the indiscreet admission of being — what you 
 say you are : and what indeed you cannot be j for the two 
 are incompatible.' He turned abruptly from him, and com- 
 municated in a very low voice with the governor, at some 
 length. The latter seemed wavering, and his attendants evi- 
 dently excited in no small measure. One, whose office it 
 was to inflict the punishment of the bastinado, had prepared 
 a long leather strap, which he drew impatiently through his 
 fingers, while others, by catching Alick's eye, and direct-
 
 320 JUDAIl's LION. 
 
 ing his attention towards it, with looks and gestures of ex- 
 treme satisfaction, indicated that he was about to suffer 
 that torture. He flinched a little ; but the thought imme- 
 diately arose, ' He who here suffered far more grievous 
 pain and indignity for me, will surely strengthen me to 
 endure whatever He sees good I should encounter. I 
 have confessed his Name; and that confession it is that 
 has incensed these poor followers of an impostor against 
 me. Oh that they knew what I know ! Oh that my 
 own people Israel knew it ! It was there, on that blessed 
 mountain He stood, when weeping over Jerusalem ; it 
 was here his pitying eye rested, when he lamented their 
 perverse rejection of his sheltering love, and foreshowed 
 the desolations that I witness. May he take me, a poor, 
 sinful, worthless creature, under the wings that he longed 
 to spread over my fathers !' Tears filled his eyes, as with 
 that love of which the world knows nothing, he looked 
 around him, and above ; the unprovoked enemies who 
 were themselves but the tools in the hands of Satan to 
 harrass this solitary young believer, exulted in the suppo- 
 sition that fear for what they were about to inflict on him 
 was the source of those gathering tears ; and impatiently 
 they awaited the result of their chief's lengthened confer- 
 ence with the volunteer interpreter. 
 
 He was an Englishman ; an adventurer who had enter- 
 ed the service of Mahommed Ali, and for the promotion 
 of his worldly advantage had exchanged his nominal . 
 Christianity for equally nominal Islamisra. His rank in 
 the infidel army was not high, nor did he seek an eleva- 
 tion that would have surrounded him with envious rivals; 
 but the actual influence obtained by a judicious applica- 
 tion of much worldly, scientific, professional and political 
 knowledge, stood him in more stead than comparative 
 rank would have done. So far was he from seeking noto- 
 riety, that few were aware of his history. He was a fa-
 
 judah's lion. 321 
 
 vorite with those in power ; who by craving nothing for 
 himself, and being ready to do a good-naturtd thing for 
 others, escaped much jealousy, and enjoyed a fair measure 
 of popular good-will. He had taken a liking to Alick 
 Cohen, before he knew more of him than that he was a 
 prisoner, accused by one of the darkest, most malignant 
 of the officials ; and the discovery of his English birth, 
 following as it did on an avowal so exceedingly honest and 
 fearless, respecting his race and his religion, altogether 
 completely engaged Ali Mustapha's interest on his behalf. 
 
 The conversation ended by an order being given to con- 
 duct the prisoner wheresoever this renegade might direct ; 
 he making himself accountable for his safe custody till the 
 charge should be settled, established or disproved. 
 
 Alick was, therefore, again hurried away, and to his 
 dismay found that he was not returning to his former 
 prison ; earnestly he implored to be allowed, if but for a 
 moment's time, to revisit his wounded friend : it was use- 
 less : and when he found himself lodged in a compara- 
 tively comfortable room, with a stool, a table, and a rude 
 camp-bed, he looked with dissatisfaction on the contrast, 
 and earnestly desired he could transport every indulgence 
 to the narrow, dull, damp prison of Da Costa. When 
 the person, whom he coild not but regard as his deliverer, 
 visited him, he followed up his expressions of gratitude by 
 an earnest intercession for his friend. ' He too is English,' 
 he said, ' and equally innocent with myself in this matter. 
 He is wounded, suffering greatly, ignorant of where we 
 are, and will be miserable under the apprehensions that 
 my continued absence will occasion ; I beseech you, let 
 me be with him.' 
 
 ' Is he older than yourself?' 
 
 ' Yes — a dozen years I should say, at least.' 
 
 ' Then he probably misled you. How came you under 
 the guardianship of that worthy Abdalla V 
 28*
 
 322 JUDAfl's LIOK. 
 
 Alick told him, suppressing all particulars concerning 
 the precise object of their journey ; and Mustapha remark' 
 ed, 'He must certainly have known the character of the 
 Bedouin, and now he must take the consequences of 
 what he has brought upon himself and you, by this sense- 
 less disguise. But what induced you to make such a 
 singular statement of your religion 1 Did you imagine 
 that in Jerusalem the name of Jew would have helped 
 your case 1 The very last to do so.' 
 
 ' But 1 am a Jew ', no drop of Gentile blood is inter- 
 mingled with that of my race ; and would you have me 
 deny or conceal that fact I' 
 
 ' Well: grant that you felt bound to declare it, surely 
 the other and contradictory assertion of being also a Chris- 
 tian, was, at least, ill-judged.' 
 
 ' Do you then doubt the reality of my belief in the Mes- 
 siah of Israel, who here suffered for our sins, and shall 
 here return in great glory for our deliverance and ultimate 
 triumph 1 Are you not yourself, as a Christian, rejoicing 
 in that hope, and will you not receive, as a returning 
 brother, a penitent, believing son of Abraham V 
 
 He held out his hand to the renegade, who, taking it, 
 good-humoredly, though with some embarrassment, said, 
 ' Jew or Christian, Mussulman or Brahmin, each man is, 
 or calls himself, what best suits his own mind, whether 
 from habit, or from finding that he may advantageoiisly 
 depart from his accustomed path. I hold no man in 
 greater or less respect for what he calls himself. If j'ou 
 are returning (supposing we get you out of this awkward 
 position) to England, no doubt your prospects will be 
 much advanced by embracing the ascendant form ; but 
 have you any particular tie there % A fine field of enter- 
 prise lies open here in the East — -opportunities worth 
 grasping at ; fame, distinction, emolument, in prospect 
 and possession a vast deal more than the cold, dull routine
 
 judah's lion. 323 
 
 of English life holds out. I have had the luck so far to 
 be useful to you, for I verily believe they wculdhave put 
 you to death, or inflicted some horrible punishment upon 
 you, without giving you time or opportunity to apprize 
 any person of your doom ; and now 1 can guarantee your 
 safety, I think, if your inclination turns to the path I have 
 pointed out, otherwise it is doubtful.' 
 
 ' Do you mean the Egyptian service ]' asked Alick, in 
 surprise. • 
 
 ' Yes : as an officer, with every prospect of rapid 
 advancement.' 
 
 ' A Jewish officer in command of Egyptian Mussulmans ! 
 Surely that would be a strange anomaly,' said Alick, 
 smiling at the wildness of the proposal.' 
 
 ' You are no longer a Jew ; you have renounced that 
 form for the religion of England ; and by an easier transi- 
 tion, cancelling that, you might assimilate yourself to the 
 predominant faith of the East.' 
 
 AHck answered not; he was utterly confounded by 
 what wore so much the aspect of a jest or an insult, that 
 he knew not how to regard it. He fixed a look on his 
 companion, the intenseness of which made him shrink a 
 little, but he preserved his composure, and proceeded : 
 * To turn Christian, sounds very proper in European ears ; 
 to turn Turk far otherwise ; but with us the reverse pre- 
 vails ; you must divest yourself of all early prejudices — 
 as indeed you have done in one instance, and by the same 
 process you may overcome a different set of prejudices. 1 
 had some trouble in it, therefore I do not expect you to 
 enter all at once into my views for your advantage.' 
 
 'Have you, sir, renounced Christianity for Islamism ?' 
 asked Alick, still regarding him with the same fixed look. 
 
 ' I have, sir,' answered the other, eyeing him sternly, 
 
 'And do you really believe in Mahomet as the inspired 
 prophet of God 1'
 
 324 judah's lion. 
 
 ' Believe ! what I believe is no man's business : I pro* 
 fess myself his obedient servant, as I should profess mys_-lf 
 your's, sir, if I was addressing you by letter ; but what 
 measure of obedient service I might choose to render to 
 him or to you remains at my own option. The language 
 is everything you or he can require. But come, time is 
 short, and yours may be particularly so, if I don't take 
 better care of your interests than you seem disposed. I 
 shall leave you now to consider, first giving you a short 
 summary of the good things into present possession of 
 which, as a devout young Mussulman, you may forthwith 
 enter, and take a full swing, in the gay sunshine of youth. 
 First'— 
 
 ' Don't begin numbering your thirty pieces of silver,' 
 interrupted Alick, whose disgust and indignation could no 
 longer be restrained. ' There was one Jew found suiE- 
 ciently infamous to sell his Lord ; there may have been 
 others — I hope not — but if the whole world conspired to 
 sell Him, I will be no party to the sacrilegious compact. 
 What are all the joys of earth to the joy my heart has 
 known since it hailed him as its king and God ! Tempt 
 me no more ; a thousand deaths would be preferable to 
 such foul apostacy.' 
 
 ' Boy !' said the other, ' I will not chastize you for this. 
 Nay, more ; knowing as I do the horrors of the fate that 
 awaits you, I will even pass it over as the raving of a 
 mind overheated by excitement, and unnerved by tatigue. 
 Here 1 leave you, to refresh yourself by proper food and 
 rest ; which is all I could gain liberty to do for you. It 
 is well for you that I am not the fanatic you are, or feign 
 to be.' He turned abruptly and left him. 
 
 His departure was a great relief to Alick, who felt 
 something akin to fear mingling with the horror that the 
 renegade's cool avowals inspired him with : a fear, lest by 
 any means, he might be given over to entertain the sug-
 
 judah's lion. 325 
 
 gestlons of the enemy who had attacked him in such an 
 unexpected shape. ' Apcstacy is a fearful thing indeed,' 
 thought he ; and then the conviction flashed upon him, 
 that as he regarded this man, even so must Da Costa and 
 his own people regard him. The thought afflicted him 
 great!}'. ' How gently, how patiently my poor friend 
 dealt with me, under what must have been a grievous pro- 
 vokation in his sight ! but he could not suspect me of the 
 base, worldly motives in which this wretched man glories. 
 Oh that I could express to Da Costa the joy and peace 
 that my soul feels in believing ! Yet I never could do 
 so ; for M'hen others spoke to me of it, as experienced by 
 themselves, I could form no conception of its reality or 
 power. It is a gift that no man can share with his 
 brother ; I will pray to Him who bestows it, that all who 
 are most dear to me may partake in its sweetness.' He 
 did so ; and his prayer, embracing first his own nation, 
 gradually extended until he was earnestly engaged in 
 pleading for the renegade. He rose, after a long while 
 thus occupied ; and never, perhaps, did he desire anything 
 so fervently as then he desired the luxury of pen, ink, and 
 paper, wherewith to record the wonderful things wrought 
 for, and in his soul ; but this was unattainable, as also was 
 the next object of his wishes — a Bible. His thoughts 
 thus compelled to remain concentrated on one point, re- 
 traced his whole progress, from early childhood ; and very 
 many were the transgressions brought to mind, for every 
 one of which he pleaded the atoning power of the one 
 great offering for sin ; while the links that formed the 
 chain of his destiny, in arriving at the present point, each 
 drew forth a renewed ascription of praise. It was pleasant 
 thus to commune with his own heart, in his little prison- 
 chamber, and to be so still. Tranquillity, cheerfulness, 
 stole over his spirit; he seemed to have no care, no fear: 
 all was peace and love. Even when he thought on the
 
 326 judah's lion. 
 
 condition of his people, outcast from their country, and 
 still under the frown of their God, hope brightened the 
 scene; for he doubted not the speedy fulfillment to them 
 of every promise recorded, and which he now strove to 
 number up, again, most ardently wishing he possessed the 
 Word of God — he felt that to study it would be a feast 
 indeed. 
 
 Suddenly a thought struck him : there was a grating at 
 the upper part of the wall, forming a window, sufficiently 
 large to make the apartment very light and cheerful. 
 Alick moved his table, and placing on it the stool on 
 which he had sat, he cautiously mounted without noise. 
 His hope was realized: he had a very full view of the 
 Mount of Olives, rising, as it were, close before him, 
 though the Turkish burying-ground lay between him and 
 the eastern wall, and he knew the deep valley of the Ked- 
 ron sank low beyond it. To his extreme right he could 
 just, by pressing his face to the bars, catch a glimpse of 
 a corner of the Mosque of Omar. 
 
 What visions of the past crowded on the young Jew's 
 thoughtful spirit as his eye traced that hallowed boundary ! 
 He saw, in imagination, that wonder of the whole earth, 
 the temple of Solomon, occupying the ground, Israel's 
 wise kino; ensagfed in the dedication of that house of 
 prayer: how many thousands spread upon the overhang- 
 ing hill, and covering, no doubt, the spot where then he 
 rested, while the cloud at the Lord's presence descended 
 to fill the spacious building, and overpower the minister- 
 ing priests with the majesty of His revealed glory. Again, 
 he saw^ amid the shades of night the dim wrecks of that 
 gorgeous temple, seared, and broken, and desolate ; while 
 the bold, fiithful, enterprising Nehemiah rode forth alone 
 to explore the ruins, and mature his secret plan for re- 
 building the holy city. His eye fell on the closed eastern 
 gate^ the "golden gate" of scripture, and he saw a greater
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 3'27 
 
 than Solomon approachins; in meek majesty, his eye yet 
 moist with tears of divine compassion shed over the de- 
 voted city, which refused to know the things belonging 
 to her peace. ' The gate is shut,' thought Alick, accord- 
 ing to Ezekiel, because the God of Israel hath entered 
 thereby. It is shut, and what an awful landmark it 
 forms ! At once a witness to the past, and an earnest of 
 the future, a testimony against my people, and a door of 
 assured hope for them and for the whole world, — how 
 eloquent is that blank, silent wall ! The tabernacle of 
 God is fallen down, but He will rebuild it — the sanctuary 
 is polluted, but He will cleanse it — the dominion is taken 
 away, but only till He come, whose right it is. Then, as 
 surely as the army of Sennacherib lay round about this 
 city, dead and dishonored corpses, so surely shall every 
 enemy of our heavenly King be slain before him. This 
 spot to my right was the threshing-floor of Araunah the 
 Jebusite: to my left rose the ancient city of Melchisedeck, 
 the Jerusalem towards which the angel stretched forth his 
 drawn sword : — Oh, when will the angles of God again 
 throng about our city, while the Lord rejoices over us to 
 do us good for ever and ever !' 
 
 In such thoughts he passed the time, unconscious of 
 its lapse, until the noise of approaching footsteps startled 
 him; and fearing to be deprived of his present privilege, 
 he hastily descended, replaced the table, and seated him- 
 self as before. An attendant entered ; a mild-looking old 
 man, habited in a loose Turkish dress, quite refreshing 
 to Alick's sight, after the perpetual flash of weapons to 
 which he had lately been accu-tomed, and placed in his 
 hand a billet, on which was written — ' You must need 
 refreshment ; follow the bearer, who will conduct you to 
 a bath, and supply a change of clothing, after which I 
 wish to see you again.' The latter part of the communi- 
 cation was less welcome than the former; but Alick rose,
 
 328 judah's lion. 
 
 and followed the old man, who led him in silence to a 
 small, but commodious bath, and pointing to some ap- 
 parel, heaped on a couch, left him. The ablution was 
 delightful, and not the less so from the effect it produced 
 in removing the stain from his skin. He gladly threw 
 aside his vest, and soiled Bedouin habiliments, and select- 
 ing the simplest articles from those before him, which ap- 
 proached to the European costume, he soon finished his 
 toilet, and rapping smartly at the door where his attendant 
 had disappeared, was answered by the entrance of another, 
 who motioned him to proceed, following him, until they 
 reached a moderate-sized, but most luxuriously furnished 
 apartment, filled with fragrance, at the farther end of 
 which reclined Ali iMustapha, in a careless, but costly 
 dishabille, smoking a long Turkish pipe, and before him a 
 small table, covered with delicious fruits, and, evidently, 
 rich wines, together with some more substantial viands, 
 half veiled by fresh leaves thrown lightly over it. 
 
 Uncertain how he would be received, Alick advanced, 
 gravely, and with a feeling of cautious reserve. He 
 paused before reaching the table, and Mustapha said, 
 ' Come, Mr. Prisoner, sit down, and refresh yourself be- 
 fore we proceed to our other business.' 
 
 He spoke in a playful tone, and Alick, with marked 
 seriousness, answered, 'I am indeed a prisoner, sir; and 
 a prisoner's fare is more suitable to me than what is now 
 spread before me.' 
 
 ' Pho ! you are too young to philosophize in that fashion 
 — much younger, indeed, than I imagined. You have 
 suffered great privations too, and a little solacing will 
 not be amiss.' 
 
 ' My privations have been more than shared by the dear 
 comrade, who, under the additional infliction of a severe 
 wound, still lies, helpless, friendless, perhaps even now 
 dying in a dungeon. Extend to him the kindness you
 
 JUlDAH's LION. 329 
 
 have shown to me, and I shall be better solaced than by 
 all the good cheer your hospitality has provided.' 
 
 ' You talk as if I was the Governor of Jerusalem, or 
 Ibrahim I'asha himself. 1 have no power to do more 
 than treat you with a little humanity, while you remain 
 under my care. So eat, drink, and be merry. For this 
 one evening we will forget all but good fellowship.' 
 
 Alick .-aw the snare spread for him ; at least, he saw 
 reason to guard vigilantly against falling into a snare j 
 while the thought that the house in which he was, bor- 
 dered on, if it did not actually form part of the site of 
 the temple where his fathers had worshipped the Lord in 
 the beauty of holiness, and to which nothing unclean 
 might approach, roused within him a feeling that added 
 energy and dignity to his reply. ' You have shown me 
 much kindness, sir, and proved, both by words and deeds, 
 that you believe me guiltless of what I am charged with. 
 My friend is equally innocent ; and he too, is a son of 
 Abraham, an heir, though, alas ! as et excluded from his 
 inheritance, of all that God gave unto our fathers, in this 
 good land, and this holy city. As our fathers were, we, 
 too, are just now in bondage to the Egyptian; and but 
 for your English feeling, excited on my behalf, we should 
 both fare ill as they did. On whatever plea you inter- 
 posed for me, that plea is equally applicable to him : I 
 will thankfully share in any favor shown to Da Costa j 
 but beyond the welcome refreshment of your bath, your 
 change of raiment, or the liberty of thus interceding for 
 him, I can accept nothing.' 
 
 ' Well, sit down, for I am still too much the Eng- 
 lishman to loll here while my guest stands.' 
 
 Alick immediately seated himself. 
 
 'And now take a glass of wine with me.' 
 
 * Pardon me, I cannot— and I will not,' he added with 
 29
 
 830 judah's lion/ 
 
 determined resolution, as the other filled a glass, and 
 pushed it towards him. 
 
 * Take my word for it, Mr. ; I have not the plea- 
 sure of kiiowing your name — what am I to call youl' 
 
 * My name is Nathan Alexander Cohen.' 
 
 * Well, Mr. Cohen, take my word fur it, you will need 
 some bodily nerve to carry you through what may happen 
 to-morrow, and which you don't seem disposed to avert.' 
 
 ' Whatever strength is needed, that I shall obtain,' said 
 Alick. 
 
 * Whence is it to come 1' 
 
 ' From the Father of Mercies, the God of Israel, in 
 answer to prayer, which will be heard and granted for the 
 sake of His dear Son.' 
 
 'Have you been baptized V 
 
 * No !' 
 
 * That's a pity ; for, standing as you do between two 
 religions, you may chance to fall and get no help from 
 either' 
 
 This was said jeeringly, in evident ill humor, and 
 Alick made no reply, but lifted his heart in prayer. 
 
 After some moments of gloomy silence, the ofhcer said, 
 * To be short and plain with you, Mr. Cohen ; I obtained 
 the present indulgence under a wrong impression, and 
 thought you a fine, undaunted young fellow, who would 
 prefer a career of honorable enterprise to the bastinado 
 and the bowstring, and on th^t supposition I got leave to 
 parley with you. If you continue in this mood, I can do 
 no more ; we must to-morrow resume our former position 
 — you a captured Arab robber ; I an officer of the Pacha's 
 army, wholly unconnected with your affairs !' 
 
 * But you know nie to be an English subject, no Arab, 
 and no robber. You will surely aid me to appeal to the 
 British consul, or communicate with my friends.' 
 
 * I am prohibited from so doing. It was on this condi-
 
 judah's lion. 331 
 
 tion that I obtained for you a respite from the fate then 
 impending. I incurred personal hazard to serve you so 
 far : beyond it I cannot go but at a far greater risk.' 
 
 ' In that case, I can say no more : I had better return 
 to my prison.' 
 
 ' Yet consider well, or conviction may arrive too late. 
 The Aga holds your life in his hand— his word is fate.' 
 
 * The hand that holds my life,' answered Alick, ' is no 
 mortal hand. If it be His will to deliver me to death, 
 none can save ; if it be His will to preserve, none can 
 harm me. He has given me the precious assurance, that 
 none coming to Him shall be cast out ; and since I have 
 been drawn, and have come to Him, I know that to me 
 the promise is sure — He will raise me up at the last day.' 
 
 ' You preach so well, you had better live to follow your 
 vocation in the Pasha's service. If not a soldier, you 
 would make a capital muezzim.' 
 
 ' I know,' said Alick, ' the tyranny, cruelty, and ca- 
 price of those whom you serve, too well, to desire you 
 should incur the possibility of offending them to serve me, 
 or I might work successfully on your English feelings to 
 attempt it. I refrain from so doing, in the earnest hope 
 that you may be spared to repent. Not all the luxuries 
 that surround you here, not all the distinctions, in wealth, 
 title, fame, that you may acquire, can avail you in the 
 eternity that is to come. 0, consider this, ere it be too 
 late : look around you, and recall what He suffered to re- 
 deem the soul you are destroying, who passed even here 
 a life of sorrow, and died a death of shame. Repent, and 
 return ; for the Lord has no pleasure in the death of him 
 that dieth, but rather that he turn from his evil way and 
 live.' 
 
 The renegade had risen fiercely, when the youth be- 
 gan ; he now stood, frowning and muttering, but made no 
 reply. A signal brought back the attendant, who touched
 
 332 judah's lion. 
 
 Alick's shoulder, and motioned to him to retire. He pro- 
 ceeded a few steps, then turned and said, *May I go to 
 my friend V 
 
 ' No !' was the answer ; and the attendant, startled by 
 the angry tone, hurried him away. 
 
 Once more in his place of confinement, Alick breathed 
 freely ; he had not done so in the perfumed atmosphere of 
 the sumptuous apartment. Before he had been locked in 
 many minutes, a man of very different aspect from any 
 he had seen there entered, set before him some coarse 
 bread and water, and pointing to his Arab dress, which 
 had been bi'ought and deposited on the bed, left him again 
 alone. His miserable meal was eaten with new relish, 
 his dress changed again, and after a little time sptnt in 
 prostrate prayer, he was at his high window, communing 
 with the past, and realizing the future. Thoughts of 
 home, of the Ryans, and even more painfully of Da Costa 
 would interpose ; but they were as light summer-clouds 
 crossing the sunshine of his spirit. He watched till night- 
 fall, then tranquilly slept till day; and seeing how hope- 
 less was the plan of an appeal to the English consulate 
 from the sentence of those who were resolved to regard 
 and to treat him as a plundering Arab, in the dress of 
 whom he was evidently required again to appear, he re- 
 solved to leave his cause in higher hands, and to stay his 
 mind where it would be kept in perfect peace. 
 
 Towards noon, his fo iraer guard appeared, and with 
 exulting looks and scoffing words, hurried him along. 
 The scene that he so yearned to behold once more was 
 not now the place of judgment ; instead of the roof of 
 the house he found himself in a wide, but low and un- 
 comfortable apartment, only the farther end being tem- 
 porarily fitted up for the Aga's deputy, who was sur- 
 rounded by officers, and near him the executioners, with 
 their instruments of varied cruelty and death. No inter-
 
 judah's lion. 338 
 
 preter was there ; and Alick felt that his doom was sealed j 
 while the rude hurry prevailing in every quarter showed 
 that scarcely even the semblance of a trial awaited hira. 
 His old accuser approached the deputy, and speaking so 
 fast and low that not a sentence could be distinctly heard 
 at the distance where Alick stood, he told his tale, fre- 
 quently pointing to the prisoner, while others occasionally 
 assented, corroborating his lying evidence. The deputy 
 gave a divided attention, half engaged in a whispering 
 conversation with another official, who stood behind him : 
 and soon uttered some words which included Alick's 
 sentence, for the soldiers eagerly closed round, and one 
 of the executioners, seizing his arms, commenced binding 
 them. A sort of avenue was formed to the door by which 
 he had entered, and along this he was roughly dragged; 
 but a sudden stir took place near the deputy's seat ; the 
 tapestry that hung round the recess was somewhat vio- 
 lently drawn aside, and the Aga himself appeared. 
 Alick's progress was arrested by command ; the deputy 
 was speedily displaced, and his chief installed ; and when 
 the prisoner was led back, he saw not only the Governor 
 of Jerusalem, but the English consul, two naval officers 
 in the uniform of the Lion Isle, and behind them, with 
 eyes almost starting out of their sockets, the honest, wea- 
 ther-beaten face of his first friend, the Gunner. 
 
 ^9*
 
 CHAPTER XXin< 
 
 ' Now, to examine this Arab,' said the English consul ; 
 when Alick, his countenance shaded by the red shawl 
 that the rude eaoferness of the executioners had so 
 shifted as almost to cover his face, was again led to* 
 wards the divan. 
 
   ' No Arab !' exclaimed one of the English officers, 
 as Alick pushed back the covering with his fettered 
 arm, and eagerly gazed on Gordon ; who, clasping, 
 or rather clapping his hands, in unspeakable agitation 
 cried out, 'It is himself ! Mr. Cohen, my dear young 
 Mr. Cohen !' and was proceeding, when silence was 
 commanded, and the Aga, turning to the consul, bade 
 him question the prisoner. 
 
 This was soon done ; and a little cross-questioning 
 of the accusers proved that they had no shadow of 
 evidence to oppose to Alick's assertions. He was 
 unbound, and a formal demand made for Da Costa, to 
 which a communication was returned, that seemed to 
 satisfy the consul. Some forms were gone through, 
 happily expedited by the same press of business that 
 had hurried Alick's condemnation, and he was, almost 
 before he knew how the change took place, a free 
 man, in the streets of Jerusalem, with the merry 
 cheers of the young Englishmen testifying their
 
 jUDAn's LION. 33 5 
 
 triumph, in spite of the consul's adnnonitions. Gor- 
 don had no voice to cheer with ; his joy at Alick's 
 rescue had been increased to such overpowering de- 
 light by the youth's fervent ejaculatory thanlvsgiving, 
 which he offered in the name of the Redeemer, add- 
 ing, ' The very Paschal Lamb, the Lion of the tribe 
 of Judah !' then clasping the old sailor's hand, he 
 pointed to the Mount, saying, " There He will come 
 with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they 
 also which pierced him ; bat I shall not wail ; for he 
 is my Lord and my God — the Rock of my salvation, 
 and my sure Refuge." Then turning to the consul 
 he repeated his thanks for this unaccountable inter- 
 position, as he termed it j and anxiously inquired 
 whether they should not proceed at once to Da 
 Costa's prison. 
 
 'No,' replied the consul; 'some little delay must 
 take place in his liberation, but you may be satisfied 
 as to his safety-' 
 
 ' How did you discover our situation 1 I am puzzled 
 to account for it.' 
 
 * Why,' said one of the officers, 'we actually went 
 as your accusers, heartily glad of your impending 
 fate, and dreaming of anything rather than a rescue. 
 Three days since, we were on an excursion, and passed 
 through a party, who, I believe, had you under ar- 
 rest.' 
 
 'Yes, we were bound, and guarded: and my invo- 
 luntary exclamation on recognizing Gordon, pro* 
 cured me the blow that has so disfigured my mouth.' 
 
 ' The rascals ! it is well for some of them, and per- 
 haps for us, that we did not discover you then. 
 We proceeded, and soon after arrived at a place 
 where it was clear a combat of some kind had oc- 
 curred, not without bloodshed. At a little distance
 
 336 JUD All's LION, 
 
 from this, we halted to refresh ourselves ; and Gordon 
 straying along a beaten, but secluded track, suddenly 
 shouted so loud, as to bring us presently to his side. 
 He had found several small articles which seemed to 
 have been shaken, or otherwise dislodged, from a 
 camel's pack, and among them a Hebrew Bible, with 
 your name in it. I never saw a man more moved — 
 nothing would satisfy him but a hot pursuit in that 
 direction, until it happily occurred to us that the Pa- 
 sha's men and their Bedouin prisoners must neces- 
 sarily have come straight from the scene of combat, 
 having just passed by us. We carefully traced the 
 camel's footsteps— for apparently there was but one — 
 back to that spot ; here we lost it in the confused 
 tramp of horses, and other symptoms of a melee. We 
 held a council of war, and decided on an immediate 
 return to Jerusalem, where, with the consul's help, 
 who at first was absent, but on his return bestirred 
 himself most actively, we ascertained that two Be- 
 douin robbers had been brought in, under the circum- 
 stances and at the time we concluded you must have 
 arrived. To-day we, by great and persevering im- 
 portunity, saw the Aga ; and it was to extort from 
 you some tidings of yourself, whom we supposed to 
 have been murdered or spirited away, that we pre- 
 vailed on the worthy Governor to summon you back, 
 though in the way to execution, until we should nar- 
 rowly question you.' 
 
 ' And how am I to thank you, gentlemen, for all 
 this noble, generous devotion to the cause of an in- 
 significant stranger V 
 
 ' Nay, if you have any thanks to bestow, give them 
 to Gordon, I believe the fellow would have blown 
 our brains out, if we had even hesitated in the 
 matter,'
 
 judah's lion. 337 
 
 * No, no, sir,' said the Gunner, ' you were both as 
 earnest in the matter as though Mr. Cohen had been 
 your dearest friend. I crave your forgiveness for my 
 many freedoms of speech and action during the time ; 
 and from the bottom of my heart I thank you for your 
 condescension, in permitting me to follow you on 
 this excursion, through a land that for many a year I 
 had longed to see, little thinking that the very indul- 
 gence of my wish would have brought with it such a 
 blessed privilege as this, of helping to rescue one of 
 the royal race of Jacob on the very soil of his fa- 
 thers !' He shrank again into the rear, to hide the 
 emotion that overpowered him. 
 
 ' The poor fellow absolutely odilzes you,' whis- 
 pered one of the officers to Alick : 'I never saw such 
 devoted affection. He cried like a child over your 
 Bible, and would fain have read it, from the wrong 
 end backwards like English, but none of us knew 
 a letter of the character. We got leave for him from 
 Beyrout, where his ship and ours are, to accompany 
 us on this trip, for his enthusiasm is quite piquant ; 
 and indeed we have learned more of sacred history 
 in a few days from him, than ever we learned in all 
 our lives before. He spoke of you more than once, 
 before our adventure, in a way that partly accounted 
 for his agitation on finding the Bible. I believe no 
 earthly event could have delighted him like your 
 rescue.' 
 
 ' And to no earthly hand would I so gladly owe it, 
 exclaimed Alick, deeply moved : 'he has been mainly 
 instrumental in effecting for me a far greater deliver- 
 ance.' 
 
 ' Indeed ! he never told us of it. It must be singu- 
 larly remarkable to be greater than this.' 
 
 Alick felt the difficulty of making the avowal to
 
 338 jttdah's lion. 
 
 men who evidently had no feeling of spiritual things ; 
 but he would not keep silence. Raising his voice, to 
 be heard by all the party, he said, ' What is the death 
 of the body to the death of the soul 1 I, a sinful son 
 of Abraham, was living without hope and under a 
 curse, because without any faith in that Seed of Abra- 
 ham in whom only, we, and all the nations of the 
 earth are blessed. Here, my fathers crucified their 
 King, their Messiah, their Almighty Deliverer ; and I, 
 in equal unbelief, rejected Him — Him who alone can 
 save ! It was Gordon who induced me to study the 
 Scriptures that testify of him, and by the Scriptures I 
 was led — not without human help, but still mainly by 
 the Scriptures, to receive the testimony of God con- 
 cerning His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, whom I acknow- 
 ledge to be the King, the divine King of Israel.' 
 
 ' Then you have renounced Judaism ] ' said the 
 younger officer, with an aspect of surprise and some 
 pleasure. 
 
 ' Renounced Judaism 1 Never ! Jesus never dis- 
 owned it, his Apostles never renounced it ; why then 
 should 1 1 To be a Hebrew is my privilege, my glory, 
 "^y joy- ^ a™ sealed in my flesh with the seal of God's 
 precious promises to Israel concerning this land, 
 which is ours by His gift, and to which He will yet 
 restore us openly : I hope to be sealed also with the 
 seal of His spiritual promises in Christ Jesus, which 
 is baptism, but not to do away with the privileges of 
 circumcision, which are also mine by a covenant that 
 shall never be broken.' 
 
 Gordon's countenance glowed with delight j the 
 others looked rather bewildered, but much interested ; 
 and the elder officer said, ' I doubt whether the clergy 
 will allow you to hold these things together : they 
 will say you put new wine in an old bottle — a new 
 piece on an old garment.'
 
 judah's lion. 339 
 
 * Then they will say wrong,' answered Alick- ' If 
 Israel, as a nation, was to be lost among the nations 
 of the earth, if this our holy and beloved city was to 
 continue in the hands of Gentile people, infidels or be- 
 lievers, then, I admit, a Jew embracing the faith of the 
 Gospel might cease, in outward distinctions, to be a 
 Jew. But we know the contrary ; we know that the 
 land is ours by a covenant for ever ; and we are 
 bound not to despise the gift of God, nor to cast from 
 us the distinctions that he has been pleased to estab- 
 lish between us and other people.' 
 
 'But it is far from being an admitted fact, that such 
 distinction is to continue in your converted state. 
 You have been kept distinct, as a sort of living testi- 
 mony to the truth of God's threatenings, while for 
 seventeen hundred years your people have been — par- 
 don me — outcast and despised, a monument of divine 
 indignation.' 
 
 'Aye, most true,' said Alick, with great animation ; 
 'and we shall be kept distinct as a living testimony 
 to the truth of God's promises, restored, and in the 
 sight of all people made a monument of divine mercy 
 and love.' 
 
 Gordon, trembling with emotion, put into his hand 
 a small Bible, pointing out something, that Alick im- 
 mediately and exultingly read. " Moreover, the word 
 of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Considerest 
 thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The 
 two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even 
 cast them offi Thus they have despised my people, 
 that they should be no more a nation before them. 
 Thus saith the Lord, If my covenant be not with day 
 and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances 
 of heaven and earth ; then will I cast away the seed 
 of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take
 
 340 jttdah's lion. 
 
 any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, 
 Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to 
 return, and have mercy on them." 
 
 Hitherto the group had remained, alone and unnotic" 
 ed, in one of the desolate streets of Jerusalem ; stran- 
 gers, however, approached, and the Consul rccom= 
 mended their adjourning to some place where Alick 
 might lay aside his strange disguise; ofTering every- 
 thing in his'own power towards his comfortable do- 
 mestication, until Da Costa should be liberated. Alick 
 thanked him, but named the Ryans as friends to whom 
 he must repair ; and after arranging to meet his naval 
 deliverers in the evening, he left them, with oft-re^ 
 peated acknowledgments, to seek out Captain Ryan's 
 abode, to which they were very near. His heart 
 throbbed with anxiety, as he entered the door, which 
 was partly open, but no one was within. All, how* 
 ever, bespoke the continued residence of his friends. 
 He tried the door of Charley's apartment, it was fast j 
 he called, and knocked, but none answered. In a 
 corner, however, he saw a bag that contained some 
 old apparel of his own, to which he helped himself, 
 made a hasty toilet, and again sallied forth, towards 
 the Jews' quarter. 
 
 He found old Wilhelm in deep grief, weeping over 
 his prayer-book ; and on seeing him, the tears of the 
 afflicted Israelite flowed in greater abundance. Anx- 
 iously Alick inquired whether he had tidings of his 
 son. ' The worst, the worst of tidings,' answered the 
 old man, wringing his hands : ' better he had died ! bet- 
 ter I had died ere I heard it !' 
 
 ' Where is he ? ' 
 
 ' In London, reaping the wages of his base apos* 
 tasy.' 
 
 Several other Hebrews entered, and their lamenta*
 
 judah's lion. 341 
 
 tions, intermixed with many heavy curses on the se- 
 duced and his seducer, showed Alick what he miofht 
 himself expect to encounter, when his own change 
 became known. He remained silent till the storm 
 abated, and tlien spoke of Da Costa, and related the 
 wonderful tale of his own deliverance, imparting also 
 his anxiety concerning his friend. 
 
 ' We can do nothing — we can do nothinsr ! ' exclaim* 
 ed the Jews, in renewed grief-- 'Israel is smitten 
 wherever he be j and chiefly, here he is smote with 
 the stroke of a cruel one.' 
 
 'Better,' said old Wilhelm, 'to be smote with any 
 stroke than that of the evil conscience of him who 
 has forsaken the Lord his God to follow Baal.' Ao-ain 
 were the anathemas renewed ; and Alick whispered to 
 Wilhelm, ' How can you bear to hear such curses on 
 your child ? ' 
 
 ' God hath cursed him,' answered the unhappy fa- 
 ther, ' and man but assents. His crime is greatly ag- 
 gravated : he hath joined the Christians, and nearly 
 prevailed to lead a young maiden of Israel into an 
 evil path.' 
 
 'Impossible!' cried Alick, as the image of Esther 
 in all her strictness, rose before him. 
 
 'My son,' said an aged Rabbi, 'thou art happy in 
 conceiving that to be impossible which daily experi- 
 ence among the wicked proves to be not only possi- 
 ble, but frequent. The subtilty of the Nazarene doc- 
 trine is great, and the hold which it takes on the 
 youthful mind is marvellous. It is a whirlpool — come 
 but within the outermost circle, and thou art presently 
 sucked down.' 
 
 Alick replied not ; he would have freely exposed 
 himself to their wrath, and not flinched from their 
 curses in the cause of truth, but their sorrow moved 
 30
 
 84.2 JUDAh's LlON-o 
 
 him so much that he could not just then add to the 
 dismay which overwhelmed them. Never had he felt 
 so tenderly towards his people as then, when had they 
 known all that had passed, they would have spurned 
 him with indignation. He waited a space, then re« 
 newed his questions, until, with some hesitation, 
 young Wilhelm's letter was handed to him. Alick 
 eagerly ran over the contents, relating to his escape 
 from the Pvlaronite fathers, and his involuntary voyage 
 to England, in the capacity of a common seaman ; his 
 meeting with a pious messmate, whose comments on 
 the word of God, which he had long studied, opened 
 to his view truths till then unseen ; and several ad- 
 ventures that befell him, and at length came to the part 
 which he longed to read. Wilhelm, descanting on 
 the providential course of circumstances, mentioned, 
 as confirming his view, the fact that his betrothed, who 
 had been a most bitter opposer of the Gospel, had 
 come almost to the same point with himself, through 
 the happy, rejoicing death of an old Christian servant- 
 woman, long attached to the family : so that when he 
 expected to encounter the most relentless opposition^ 
 and probably to be dismissed for ever from the regard 
 of that beloved object, he found her, if possible, more 
 anxious to inquire into the doctrines of Christianity, 
 then he was to set them before her. As Alick read, 
 his joy became too great for concealment, and one of 
 the Rabbins abruptly snatched the paper from his hand? 
 sharply inquiring what made him smile. 
 
 ' Pardon me,' said Alick, ' but that lady is my own 
 cousin, and 1 had not heard of her since I left Eng- 
 land.' 
 
 He was rebuked for disregard of the glory of the 
 law ; and the lamentations being resumed, he took his 
 departure, promising to bring them on the morn some
 
 JUDAH*S LION. 343 
 
 tidings of Da Costa. Alick then bent his way to the 
 public place of wailing, where, standing a little apart, 
 with sympathy impressed on every rough line of his 
 honest face, stood the Gunner, who, when Alick plac- 
 ed himself beside him, whispered, ' The officers are 
 coming directly: they are wonderfully moved, sir, by 
 this meeting with you; and full of interest for your 
 dear people. May it be increased a hundred fold!' 
 
 Before Alick could reply, the two Englishmen ap- 
 peared, and he watched them for some time unobserv- 
 ed, for their whole attention was absorbed by the spec- 
 tacle before them, than which a more touching one 
 could scarcely be imagined. 
 
 The portion of wall, which no doubt is a fragment of 
 the ancient inclosure of Jerusalem, near the south-east- 
 ern corner of the outer court of the Temple, consists 
 of some immense stones, forming a solid piece of ma- 
 sonry, and perforated in various parts, with little chinks 
 and crevices. These the Jews believe to form the 
 gate through which all prayer must pass on its way to 
 heaven, from whatever quarter of the world ascending ; 
 a notion founded, no doubt, on the expression so fre- 
 quently repeated in Solomon's sublime prayer of dedi- 
 cation : " When they shall pray towards this place," 
 and on the custom of Israel so to do, from all distanc- 
 es, in the earliest times of their dispersion. Of course 
 no privilege is considered so great as to lay the lips 
 against one of these crevices, and to v/hisper the sup- 
 plication through it, which will yet be heard : even 
 the prayer for pardon and deliverance. There were 
 several, both of males and females, present, some 
 speaking through these openings, others seated at the 
 foot of the wall, weeping and wailJng, and reciting 
 prayers and psalms : among these sat a most venera- 
 ble man, of superior aspect, habited in a long flowing
 
 344- judah's lion. 
 
 gown of dark brown serge, with a girdle, to which 
 descended a thick beard of glittering whiteness, while 
 locks of the same silvery appearance shaded his face, 
 contrasting with eyebrows of the deepest black. A 
 small, close black cap covered the crown of his head, 
 and his bony hands were clasped upon it, as if in some 
 strong effort to repress the workings of his brain. 
 His head was bowed, and tears slowly fell trickling 
 over the snowy beard, to be gently wiped away by the 
 hand of a most lovely maiden, who bent over him, 
 whispering from time to time something that evidently 
 bore a reference to the Temple ; for her eyes contin- 
 ually wandered from her aged companion to the di- 
 rection in which it stood ; and with an upward cast, as 
 though contemplating some lofty object. Her look 
 was the very personification of uncomplaining sorrow, 
 and so absorbing as to render her unconscious of all 
 around ; it completely engrossed her. After a while, 
 the old man rose, and then it became evident that he 
 was totally blind. He lifted his venerable face to the 
 light, spread forth his hands, and with slow, solemn 
 movement, guided by the maiden, whose downcast 
 eyes watched his every step, he approached the wall, 
 where a crevice had just been left by its last proprie- 
 tor. To this the maiden was leading him, and as they 
 passed rather near, the two young English officers took 
 off their caps. It was a spontaneous movement of 
 respect, and to Alick, whom as yet they had not per- 
 ceived, how grateful ! The old man reached the pLice ; 
 his child laid his trembling hands against the wall, 
 and as he bent to the niirrow openinof, deep sobs burst 
 from his bosom, while she, one hand spread over her 
 forehead and eyes, which were raised to heaven, pour- 
 ed forth what seemed an agony of silent supplication, 
 shaking her head, and stretching out the other hand,,
 
 JUDAH*S LION. 346 
 
 clenched with the fervency of her nnental appeal. The 
 younger sailor appeared quite unnerved ; and turning 
 from them, encountered a look from Alick that he 
 seemed able to appreciate. The a2;ed Hebrew continue 
 ed to sob, and to ejaculate broken sentences, until 
 Alick, who had just recovered from Gordon his pre- 
 cious Hebrew Bible, stepped forwards, and commenc 
 ed, in a low, solemn, but most distinct voice, reading 
 in that sacred language what the Gunner immediately- 
 pointed out to the officers in his own little Bible, for 
 Alick had shown him what he was about to repeat. 
 " If they sin against thee (for there is no man which 
 sinneth not) and thou be angry with them and deliver 
 them over before their enemies, and they carry them 
 away captives, into a land far off or near 5 yet if thej' 
 bethink themselves in the land whither they are car- 
 ried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land 
 of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have 
 done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; if they return 
 to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in 
 the land of their captivity, whither they have carried 
 them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou 
 gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which 
 thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have 
 built for thy name ; then hear thou from the heavens, 
 even thy dwelling-place, their prayer and their suppli- 
 cation, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy peo- 
 ple which have sinned against thee." At that word a 
 universal response burst from all the Hebrews present: 
 they stretched forth their hands, and in one voice cri- 
 ed, "Forgive thy people which have sinned against 
 thee !" Alick resumed; and his tone became loud, and 
 his manner most energetic as he proceeded, " Now, 
 my God, let, I beseech, thine eyes be open, and thine 
 ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place^ 
 30*
 
 345 JODAH^S LION. 
 
 Now, therefore, arise, O Lord God, into thy resting'- 
 place, thou and the Ark of thy strength; let thy 
 priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let 
 thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn not 
 away the face of thine anointed; rennember the mer-' 
 cies of David thy servant !"* And the Jews repeated, 
 "Turn not away the face of thine anointed; remem- 
 ber the mercies of David thy servant !" 
 
 The two Englishmen stood uncovered, their hands 
 joined over the Gunner's well-worn little Bible, read- 
 ing with wonder, awe, and delight, words that they 
 probably had never before noticed, and looking on the 
 scene before them as something miraculous. Alick, 
 meanwhile, stepped up to the blind old Israelite, and 
 respectfully kissing one of the hands that still rested 
 against the wall, emphatically said, ' Messiah Ben- 
 David is the hope of Israel : pray that our God will 
 reveal him unto you.' ' Bless thee, my son ! ' ex- 
 claimed the old man ; and Alick, whose heart wel- 
 comed the blessing, exclaimed to all around, as he left 
 the place, ' Oh I pray, praj^ for the revelation of Him, 
 who shall turn away ungodlmess from Jacob.' ' We 
 do — we will,' was the reply; and blessings still fol- 
 lowed his retreating steps. 
 
 ' I declare,' said one of the officers, ' we have done 
 a better deed in rescuing you, Cohen, than we were 
 aware of. Gordon, we owe you much for putting us 
 up to this.' 
 
 'Will you love my dear people, and serve them as 
 you have opportunity 1 ' asked Alick. 
 
 ' Aye, that we will ! ' they replied ; and the younger 
 added, ' I have done great injustice to your people — I 
 fancied Jew only another word for something very 
 
 2 Chron. \L
 
 JtTDAH's LION. 347 
 
 disreputable ; but, as long as I live I shall remember 
 the look of that kingly old man, and his beautiful 
 daughter, and blush for my prejudices.' 
 
 ' Something more than that, I hope, sir,' said the 
 Gunner. ' You will remember having stood on the 
 very spot where God's temple was reared, and having 
 seen how, in the midst of poverty, sorrow, exile, every 
 sort of oppression, His ancient people come to plead 
 with Him the promises which they know He will 
 fulfil.' 
 
 ' True. I thought yon very bold, Cohen, to speak 
 as you did about the revealing of Him, who, of course, 
 is Jesus Christ.' 
 
 ' And I thought myself very cowardly to say no 
 more,' answered he ; ' but I trust to speak out to every 
 one of them ere I depart.' 
 
 ' Hey day ! ' cried the young man, ' what have we 
 here, to run us all down % Have a care, my lad, or 
 you'll demolish me ;' and he stepped aside, to make 
 way for Charley, who, shouting and capering like a 
 mad creature, rushed into Allele's arms, exclaiming, 
 ' My precious Mr. Alick! my darlint of a Jew ! is it 
 your own self — sure now, is itV 
 
 'My own, own Charley! and so you're alive, and 
 not only alive, but strong enough to struggle. Oh, 
 Mrs. Ryan, what joy it is to see you — my dear sir J 
 here's my first friend, Gordon, the man who led me 
 the first step towards the blessing that now I possess 
 — the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my only 
 Savior !' 
 
 Charley's cry of joy was quite startling; and the 
 tearful smiles of his parents, the commotion of delight, 
 in which Alick did not forget to introduce his other 
 English preservers, were quite an unusual scene in the 
 streets of captive Zion. They were not far from Cap-
 
 34.8 judah's lion. 
 
 tain Ryan's abode, into which the whole party entered i 
 and there Alick related his strange adventures, which 
 were listened to with great and varied emotion : but 
 when it was stated that Da Costa remained imprisoned, 
 under circumstances so distressing, Captain Ryan 
 started up, and said, 'That will not do: he must be 
 liberated at once.' ' The Consul will see to it,' said 
 one of the officers, 'The Consul has been hurried 
 away within this hour, on unexpected, unavoidable 
 business ; and I happen to know that Da Costa has 
 powerful bitter enemies, who will, if they discover his 
 situation, strain every nerve to do him some injury.' 
 
 It was Alick's turn now to jump up ; and the other 
 gentleman exclaimed, 'Let us go back to the old Aga, 
 and demand him vi ct armis.'' 
 
 ' No,' said Captain Ryan, ' caution is needful. The 
 party to whom our poor friend is so obnoxious have 
 lately been very troublesome to the governor, through 
 a multitude of petty squabbles at the Church of the 
 Sepulchre, and elsewhere. They are not very likely 
 to have got any trace of him ; and we must be careful 
 to give no public alarm.' He then pointed out the 
 best way of proceeding; and requesting an officer to 
 accompany him, left the rest of the party to talk over 
 their adventures. Alick had not mentioned the at- 
 tempt on his faith, or rather on his profession of faith. 
 He, however, named Ali Mustapha, of whom the 
 younger officer immediately said that he was a plea- 
 sant, good fellow, and had treated them well at Bey- 
 rout ; but Gordon looked severe, and evidently knew 
 more of him than his superior did. 
 
 Charley said, ' Perhaps, Mr. Alick, now that poor 
 dear Mr. Dockster is all alone in prison, with a sore 
 knee, he may begin to think what a good friend the
 
 judah's lion. 349 
 
 Lord Jesus would be to him ; and so he maj'- pray and 
 be taught all about him, you know.' 
 
 ' That is my hope and prayer, Charley ; we had a 
 great deal of talk, and though I could not convince 
 him, the Lord can.' 
 
 ' What ! did he know of your being a Christian 1 ' 
 
 ' Yes : and I am so thankful now to have told him.' 
 
 'It may be the saving of his soul,' remarked Mrs. 
 Ryan, anxiously. 
 
 Gordon sat in a retired corner, always carefully ob- 
 serving the respect due to his superiors in rank and 
 station. Charley now went to him, and was soon on 
 his knee, holding a very long whispered communica- 
 tion, of which Alick was evidently the subject ; while 
 his mother strove to render the conversation interest- 
 ing and profitable to the young officers, who told her 
 what they had witnessed at the place of wailing, and 
 listened with pleasure to her animated discourse re- 
 specting the history and the hope of Israel. After a 
 long absence. Captain Ryan returned, looking exceed- 
 ingly disturbed, and in reply to Allele's eager inquiries, 
 said he feared there had been some cruelty practised 
 on Da Costa, who was still beyond his reach. 
 
 ' Then,' said Alick, ' I'll go instantly, and never lose 
 sight of the door of that house till I gain admittance 
 to him.' 
 
 ' My dear fellow, what can you do 1 This is not 
 England : there is no such thing as personal liberty 
 recognized beyond the shadow of our flag ; and even 
 that is barely available as a refuge during the absence 
 of the Consul. We must seek higher help for our 
 imprisoned brother : he needs it.' 
 
 ' Then let us pray for him, sir, at least,' said Alick. 
 
 ' At least ! we will do the most we can for him by 
 praying. Prison-walls and gates have yielded ere
 
 350 judah's lion. 
 
 now in Jerusalem to the force of prayer. Let us but 
 believe, and all will be well.' They knelt in prayer; 
 and very sweet it was to Alick to unite in the thanks- 
 giving of those his only teachers in the faith for the 
 mercy vouchsafed to him. When they rose, the young 
 sailor said, ' I shall be made reliofious at this rate : I 
 have heard more praying and Bible-reading to-day than 
 ever I did in my life, except at the church. This Jeru- 
 salem is a singular place.' 
 
 'A singularly blessed, sacred, and privileged place, 
 even in her fallen,, fettered condition,' remarked Cap- 
 tain Ryan. ' What will she be when her light is come, 
 and the glory of the Lord has risen upon her !' 
 
 It was two days ere the scarred, emaciated, half- 
 living form of Da Costa was, at the urgent and even 
 menacing- demand of the British authorities, given up 
 to his friends ; and they pretended that no satisfactory 
 contradiction of his being a plundering Bedouin had 
 been offered. In fact, they starved him till he had no 
 power of making his own defence, and then condemned 
 him on the score of silence. They^ however, delayed 
 his execution, seeing that he could not long survive the 
 rigors of such gaolers ; and who shall say what passed 
 through his mind during those long dreary hours of 
 suffering'? He was brought to Captain Ryan's house, 
 insensible, from the sudden exposure to light and air j 
 and Alick hung over him, almost distracted with grief. 
 He had, in spite of all warnings, fulfilled his purpose 
 of watching the exterior of the building that contained 
 the prison ; but by this nothing could be gained. The 
 Englishmen had been obliged to proceed from the holy 
 city some hours before Da Costa was given up ; leaving 
 Gordon, however, to enjoy the rest of his furlough 
 there ; and now the veteran devoted himself to assist- 
 ing and comforting Alick, whose distress was pitiable-
 
 JtTDAirs LION. 351 
 
 After a while, Charley was permitted to approach, and 
 on seeing the ghastly object before him, cried out, 
 < Oh, it can't — it can't be Mr. Dockster ! ' 
 
 At his voice, the sufferer moved, half-raised his eye* 
 lids, and smiled. ' Oh, you blessed boy ! ' said Alickj 
 'you never speak but to do good:' and Da Costa smiled 
 again-. 
 
 Gradually he so far recovered as to look at those 
 around him, and to make some faint and fruitless ef- 
 fort at speaking ; but of his feelings he gave no indi* 
 cation, save those of increased affection for his tender 
 nurses ; and a marked satisfaction when Alick told 
 him how they had been traced, and made Gordon take 
 his hand. At one time he asked if he wished to see 
 any of their brethren, to which no reply was given ; 
 and then Alick ventured to add, ' I have heard of Wil» 
 helm — he is safe, and in London.' 
 
 The pleasure that beamed from Da Costa's counte- 
 nance gave him almost the aspect of former days ; and 
 then Alick whispered, in the lowest tone, ' I could say 
 iriore — I will say it, dear Da Costa — Wilhelm has been 
 led to see the Messiah of Israel in Him who was cru* 
 cified, and he is very happy — and Esther is of the same 
 mind.' The deepest crimson mantled the wan cheek 
 and damp brow of the dying man ; but beyond that, no 
 indication was given — his feelings were unfathomable, 
 and all Alick could do was to converse in an audible 
 whisper with Gordon and the Ryans on the infinite 
 mercy of God in the redemption of the world by our 
 Lord Jesus Christ; but Charley talked incessantly in 
 his own sweet, touching way ; and his little voice had 
 ialways charms for Da Costa. 
 
 It was on the second day of their watching over him, 
 that Alick caught the first articulate words he had 
 spoken ; they were ' the Mount of Olives.'
 
 852 JUDAh's LIONi, 
 
 All were puzzled to ascertain what was his mean' 
 ino" : he seemed desirous to convey it, but could only 
 murmur those words, and ' die.' At last Charley whis- 
 pered, ' He wants to die on the Mount of Olives ;' and 
 to this Da Costa distinctly said, ' Yes.' Again and 
 again was he asked if he really wished to be carried 
 there, and so evident was his desire that they resolved 
 to fulfil it. He was placed on a litter, and carefully 
 borne across the valley of Jehosaphat, and up the 
 slope a short distance, to a circle of Olive-trees, sup- 
 posed to mark the garden of Gethsemane. He ap- 
 peared very happy, when assured that the ancient 
 olives of the mountain were really shading him ; but 
 to Alick's fervent, whispered intreaty for some word 
 to indicate the state of his soul, he gave no reply. It 
 was a bitter grief of heart to the afTectionate youth, 
 and he wept like a child as he sat on the ground be- 
 side him. The expression of that wasted, but still 
 fine countenance, he could not read. Sometimes he 
 thought it indicated a stubborn resolve not to be moved 
 by anything, at others he considered the stupor of ap- 
 proaching death to have benumbed his faculties ; but 
 then the eyes would unclose, and so much life, mean- 
 ino-, and vivid intellect shone in their dark orbs, that 
 he was obliged to relinquish the supposition, and a 
 hope that even then the work was being carried on in 
 that precious soul beamed upon his agitated spirit. 
 There were moments too, when he read in that mys- 
 terious stillness of feature, the calm of one who has 
 stayed himself on the Rock of his salvation. But all 
 was surmise ; and poor Alick writhed under the in- 
 certitude of his thoughts. 
 
 It was a solemn scene ! Beneath them lay the holy 
 city, the summit of Mount IVIoriah, the inclosure where 
 stood the temple of the Lord being almost under their
 
 JUDAIl's LION. 353 
 
 feet, so close did it appear, notwithstanding the deep 
 ravine that forms the bed of the Kedron ; the valley 
 of the graves of Israel, the burial-place of the tribes 
 for thousands of years, and to this day the most covet- 
 ed spot of sepulture to the Jew, wheresoever he may 
 be scattered. Above, waved the few thin leaves of 
 those patriarchal olives, coeval, probably, with the per- 
 sonal ministry of the Lord of glory on earth. All was 
 calm and still, scarcely a sound broke the deep silence 
 of the awe-struck beholders, who gathered round the 
 dying Israelite, absorbed in secret prayer for one who 
 perhaps was offering no acceptable supplication for 
 himself. Each had, in turn, whispered some gentle 
 word of Christian hope, promise, eternity ; but though 
 no repulse was given, neither could encouragement 
 be traced. At length Gordon spoke in a low voice to 
 Charley, who had been alternately peeping in Da 
 Costa's face and hiding his own in his mother's bo- 
 som ; for the child was frightened, yet any sugges- 
 tion of removing him threw him into such an agony 
 that it was not persevered in. He was now listening 
 to Gordon, ani turning with him over the leaves of 
 the Bible until something arrested them. Charley 
 then slowly and somewhat fearfully approached, hold- 
 ing the book in both his hands ; and stealing one 
 timid look at the corpse-like face, he held the book 
 so as to screen him from a second view, lifted up his 
 broad forehead and began, in a tone so audible, enun- 
 ciation so clear, and emphasis so marked, as to as- 
 tonish those around him, " Let God arise, let his ene- 
 mies be scattered ; let them also that hate him flee 
 before him." He proceeded with the Psalm, without 
 faltering ; but so slowly as to give eflVct to every 
 word. Da Costa's eyes were immediately unclosed; 
 the well-known lofty sounds seemed to revive all the 
 31
 
 354) judah's lion. 
 
 fire of his character — his lips moved, evidently accom- 
 panying the earnest little reader. At length he ar- 
 rived at the 18th verse, " Thou hast ascended on high, 
 thou hast led captivity captive ; thou hast received 
 gifts from man ; yea, for ihe rebellious also, that God 
 might dwell among them." Here his voice trembled, 
 and he hesitated, as if about to speak, but proceeded 
 vi^ith much pathos — "Blessed be the Lord, who daily 
 loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salva- 
 tion. He that is our God is the God of salvation," — 
 here he dropped the book, fell on the neck of his dy- 
 ing friend, and with a burst of tears cried out, 'Oh, 
 he is! he is! Our God is the God of salvation. Dear, 
 darling Jew, don't die without believing in the God of 
 salvation. He loves you, oh, he does ; He loves dear 
 Israel — He stood here and wept over Jerusalem. Be- 
 lieve, believe, oh do believe in Jesus!' Sobs stopped 
 his voice, and Alick would have raised him, but Da 
 Costa had thrown his arm over him, and held him fast. 
 The child's soft face was resting on his shoulder, one 
 little hand raised in supplication ; and by an effort he 
 suppressed his sobs, and said very earnestly, ' You 
 can't think what a loviny: Savior lie is : you don't see 
 Him; but when they stoned Stephen somewhere here- 
 abouts, he looked up, and saw Jesus standing at the 
 right hand of God.' Da Costa suddenly raised his 
 eyes, with a look — a gaze towards heaven, so eager, 
 so expecting, that Alick was electrified. Charley went 
 on : ' You can't do without a sacrifice ; and see, the 
 naugiity Turks have got the temple there and shut 
 you out, and you can't sacrifice a lamb, nor a bull ; 
 but here the Lord stood after ho had sacrificed him- 
 self, and ascended upon high ; and he wiU come again, 
 He will, He will, the King of Israel- and He is the 
 God of our salvation.' Da Costa's eyes remained
 
 judah's lion. 355 
 
 fixed, but one more ffleam of brijjhtness flashed across 
 them ; he extended his ar0is, and ejaculating the Avord 
 ' Come ! ' departed. 
 
 Many months after this occurred, a large party of 
 English naval officers, with several wealthy merchants 
 and travellers, were assembled at one of the principal 
 sea-ports of the Mediterranean, while within view rode 
 the gallant ship that had conveyed the Cohens out. 
 It was a royal fete-day, and the proud standard of Eng- 
 land streamed not only from the mast-heads of her 
 various vessels, but also from a rampart, so near the 
 foot of which their hotel stood, that every fresh gust 
 from the sea caused a portion of the broad banner to 
 sweep before the open window of that spacious apart- 
 ment. It was no riotous assemblage of intemperate 
 men, but a hospitable farewell entertainment given by 
 some of the most respectable inhabitants to their de- 
 parting friends. The last glass was filled ; and as at 
 that moment the bold flaa: was driven well-ni^h over 
 the head of the president, he turned round, and play- 
 fully saluting it, gave the ' Lion of England.' Hear- 
 tily, cheerily, was the sentiment welcomed ; and one 
 among the company rose, his youthful cheek glowing 
 with emotion, and his figure expanding with the con- 
 scious importance of his theme. 'M»y the most in- 
 significant, and perhaps the youngest of this assem- 
 blage, presume to rise uncalled, and respond to such 
 a sentiment 1 Yes; for I represent a nation whose 
 symbol is identical with your own, whose children are 
 intermingled v/ith your population, one with you, yet 
 ever distinct, and to be more distinct and more dis- 
 tinguished still, as I confidently believe, through the 
 instrumentality of England. I am a Jew ; a year since 
 I first went on board yonder ship, devotedly English, 
 but towards my own people indifferent, or worse.
 
 356 judah's lion. 
 
 That standard, Gentlemen, that pictured lion now 
 floating over the wave, was the ntieans of making me 
 indeed a Jew. Possessed with the belief, that includ- 
 ed in your escutcheon was the Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah, I gave myself to searching the Scriptures for 
 information respecting Judah's Lion , and by Divine 
 mercy I found him indeed j found him in the Lamb 
 that was slain.' He paused, almost overcome 5 but a 
 burst of delighted encouragement from his, friendly 
 auditors, induced him to proceed. 'Becoming a 
 Christian, do I cease to be a Jew ? God forbid ! I 
 turn to you, the inheritors of that faith which my fa- 
 thers first proclaimed to the Gentiles, and I tell you 
 that the noblest cause your unconquered lion can es- 
 pouse, is that of my people, God's offending, outcast, 
 but >till beloved Israel. I have trod these Easicrn 
 shores ; I have wept over the desolations of Jerusa- 
 lem ; 1 have visited the fallen cities of Judah ; I have 
 trodden the lofty steeps of Lebanon, tasted the re- 
 freshing streams of Jordan, sailed across the lake Gen- 
 nesaret, and sought out in every corner of the land 
 the few scattered remnants of her ancient tribes who 
 linger among kindred ruins. I have explored the 
 country, with a view of testing its present capabilities 
 of repaying such labor and capital as might be be- 
 stowed on it, without any reference to the promise of 
 renewed fertility, a miraculous gift to be hereafter 
 conferred by the God of Israel, when He shall Eim- 
 self arise on behalf of his pardoned people. I speak 
 of what I know, when I assert, that Judea, having en- 
 joyed her sabbaths, is even now prepared to yield a 
 thousand-fold return to the patient cultivator. I speak 
 of what is certain, when I say, that the path opens be- 
 fore us, for restoring, according to the sure word of 
 prophecy, the dispersed of Judah to their inheritance j
 
 judah's lion. 357 
 
 and I appeal to you, to bear it ever in mind, that each 
 successiv'e event of these marvellous days, is tending- 
 to that issue. I ask you to watch ; to seize every oc- 
 casion of facilitating our return ; not for our sakes, 
 but for your own. God's purposes towards us cannot 
 fail, though the whole world were banded together 
 against us ; but I love England, I desire to see her 
 noble lion supreme among the nations ; and to insure 
 this, I would see him ever closely allied to the i-ion 
 of Judah. As (-'hristian men, you are bound to love 
 the beloved of the Lord's soul, whom he hath indeed 
 given for a time into the hands of her enemies, but 
 towards whom He purposes most glorious things, to 
 His own eternal praise. We gave you the Bible, 
 there is not in that sacred volume a line not written 
 by a Jew j — search, then, in its pages, for the record 
 of God's everlasting love to us, and grasp the blessing 
 sealed to those who bless his Israel. One portion of 
 that record I will repeat: — "Behold, I will gather 
 them out of all countries whither I have driven them 
 in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath ; 
 and I will bring them again into this place, and 1 will 
 cause them to dwell safely, and they shall be my peo- 
 ple, and I will be their God ; and I will give them one 
 heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, 
 for the good of them, and of their children after them ; 
 and I will make an everlastiimg covenant with them, 
 that I will not turn away from them to do them good : 
 but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall 
 not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to 
 do them good, and I will plant tham in this land as- 
 suredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole 
 soul. For thus saith the Lord, Like as I have brought 
 all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring 
 upon them all the good that I have promised them."
 
 358 judah's lion. 
 
 This is our charter j on this covenant we rely, and 
 may it be England's privilege to labor in our cause, 
 that she may rejoice in our joy, when our tribes shall 
 assemble, and our cities be built, and the land of Is- 
 rael rest in unbroken peace, under the sure shadow 
 of Judah's Almighty Lion ; — 'for unto Him shall the 
 Gentiles seek, and His rest shall be glorious ! ' 
 
 THE END.
 
 university of California 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL L BRARY FAClLIT^jjj 
 
 - toriso"^^is:cr.«ok?.uyooi°i^ir" 
 
 Returnihlsn«teriano««li^^
 
 3 1158 01168 2308 
 
 uc 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL UBRARY FACILITY 
 
 AA 000 365 577 6
 
 1