Part 18 (1/2)
No one, during the course of this ical apparition, measured time any more than we e But whether it filled years or months, the dream was so beautiful that humanity has lived upon it ever since, and it is still our consolation to gather its weakened perfume Never did so much joy fill the breast of orous effort she ever ht which binds her to earth and the sorrows of the life below Happy he who has been able to behold this divine unfolding, and to share, were it but for one day, this unexampled illusion! But still more happy, Jesus would say to us, is he who, freed from all illusion, shall reproduce in himself the celestial vision, and, with no ns in the heavens, but by the uprightness of his will and the poetry of his soul, shall be able to create anew in his heart the true kingdom of God!
[Footnote 1: Luke xxii 30]
[Footnote 2: Mark x 37, 40, 41]
[Footnote 3: Luke xxiii 43; 2 _Cor_ xii 4 Coah_, 14 _b_]
CHAPTER XII
EMBassY FROM JOHN IN PRISON TO JESUS--DEATH OF JOHN--RELATIONS OF HIS SCHOOL WITH THAT OF JESUS
Whilst joyous Galilee was celebrating in feasts the co of the well-beloved, the sorrowful John, in his prison of Machero, was pining aith expectation and desire The success of the young master, whom he had seen some months before as his auditor, reached his ears
It was said that the Messiah predicted by the prophets, he as to re-establish the kingdo his presence in Galilee by marvelous works John wished to inquire into the truth of this rumor, and as he como to Jesus in Galilee[1]
[Footnote 1: Matt xi 2, and following; Luke vii 18, and following]
The two disciples found Jesus at the height of his faned around hi prayer, and to a life of aspiration, they were astonished to see themselves transported suddenly into thethe welcoe: ”Art thou he that should come? Or do we look for another?” Jesus, who fro his peculiar character as Messiah, enu of the kingdoood tidings of a speedy salvation preached to the poor He did all these works ”And blessed is he,” said Jesus, ”whosoever shall not be offended in me” We know not whether this answer found John the Baptist living, or in what temper it put the austere ascetic Did he die consoled and certain that he whom he had announced already lived, or did he re to infor, however, that his school continued to exist a considerable time parallel with the Christian churches, we are led to think that, notwithstanding his regard for Jesus, John did not look upon him as the one as to realize the divine promises Death came, moreover, to end his perplexities The untamable freedom of the ascetic was to crown his restless and stormy career by the only end which orthy of it
[Footnote 1: Matt ix 14, and following]
The leniency which Antipas had at first shoard John was not of long duration In the conversations which, according to the Christian tradition, John had had with the tetrarch, he did not cease to declare to hiht to send away Herodias[1] We can easily ihter of Herod the Great must have conceived toward this importunate counsellor She only waited an opportunity to ruin hi; Mark vi 18, and following; Luke iii 19]
Her daughter, Saloe, and like her ans That year (probably the year 30) Antipas was at Machero on the anniversary of his birthday Herod the Great had constructed in the interior of the fortress a nificent palace, where the tetrarch frequently resided[1] He gave a great feast there, during which Salome executed one of those dances in character which were not considered in Syria as unbeco much pleased, asked the dancer what she ation of her er”[2]
Antipas was sorry, but he did not like to refuse A guard took the dish, went and cut off the head of the prisoner, and brought it[3]
[Footnote 1: Jos, _De Bello jud_, VII vi 2]
[Footnote 2: A portable dish on which liquors and viands are served in the East]
[Footnote 3: Matt xiv 3, and following; Mark vi 14-29; Jos, _Ant_, XVIII v 2]
The disciples of the Baptist obtained his body and placed it in a tomb, but the people wereattacked Antipas, in order to recover Machero and avenge the dishonor of his daughter, Antipas was coarded as a punishment for the murder of John[1]
[Footnote 1: Josephus, _Ant_, XVIII v 1, 2]
The news of John's death was brought to Jesus by the disciples of the Baptist[1] John's last act toward Jesus had effectually united the two schools in thean increase of ill-will on the part of Antipas, took precautions and retired to the desert,[2] where ality, the holy band was enabled to live there, and in this there was naturally seen a miracle[3] From this time Jesus always spoke of John with redoubled adly[4] that he was more than a prophet, that the Law and the ancient prophets had force only until he cadom of heaven would displace him in turn In fine, he attributed to him a special place in the economy of the Christian mystery, which constituted him the link of union between the Old Testan
[Footnote 1: Matt xiv 12]
[Footnote 2: Matt xiv 13]
[Footnote 3: Matt xiv 15, and following; Mark vi 35, and following; Luke ix 11, and following; John vi 2, and following]
[Footnote 4: Matt xi 7, and following; Luke vii 24, and following]
[Footnote 5: Matt xi 12, 13; Luke xvi 16]
The prophet Malachi, whose opinion in this ht to bear,[1] had announced with y a precursor of the Messiah, as to prepare er who should coht the paths before the elected one of God