Because he said to himself, If the laborers have not straw wherewith to attemper the clay, but only stubble and chaff gathered from the fields, will not the bricks be ill-made and lack strength and symmetry of form, so that the wall made thereof will not be true and strong, or fitly joined together? For the lack of a little straw it may be that the palace of the great king will fall upon him and all his people that dwell therein. Thereupon the king was wroth with his fool, and his countenance was changed, and he spake harshly unto him, and-- It matters not what thou saidst unto the bird, said the king. What did the bird say unto thee? The bird, said Neoncapos, bowing himself low before the king, the bird, my lord, looked at me in great amaze, and cried again and again, in an exceeding loud voice: _Who! Who-o! Who-o-o!_ Then was Pharaoh exceeding wroth, and his anger burned within him, and he commanded that the fool should be taken and bound with cords, and cast into prison, while he should consider of a fit punishment for his impudent words. NOTE.-A script attached to this manuscript, evidently of later date, informs us that the fool escaped the penalty of his folly by the disaster at the Red Sea. CONTENTS I. TRI-NOMINATE II. THE FONT III. THE JUNONIAN RITE IV. MARS MEDDLES V. NUNC PRO TUNC VI. THE TOGA VIRILIS VII. DAMON AND PYTHIAS VIII. A FRIENDLY PROLOGUE IX. A BRUISED REED X. AN EXPRESS TRUST XI. RED WING XII. ON THE WAY AY TO JERICHO XIII. NEGOTIATING A TREATY XIV. BORN OF THE STORM XV. TO HIM AND HIS HEIRS FOREVER XVI. A CHILD OF THE HILLS XVII. GOOD-MORROW AND FAREWELL XVIII. "PRIME WRAPPERS," XIX. THE SHADOW OF THE FLAG, XX. PHANTASMAGORIA, XXI. A CHILD-MAN XXII. HOW THE FALLOW WAS SEEDED XXIII. AN OFFERING OF FIRST-FRUITS XXIV. A BLACK DBMOCRITUS XXV. A DOUBLE-HEADED ARGUMENT XXVI. TAKEN AT HIS WORD XXVII. MOSES IN THE SUNSHINE XXVIII. IN THE PATH OF THE STORM XXIX. LIKE AND UNLIKE XXX. AN UNBIDDEN GUEST XXXI. A LIFE FOR A LIFE XXXII. A VOICE FROM THE DARKNESS XXXIII. A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION XXXIV. THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW XXXV. A PARTICULAR TENANCY LAPSES XXXVI. THE BEACON-LIGHT OF LOVE XXXVII. THE "BEST FRIENDS" REVEAL THEMSELVES XXXVIII. "THE ROSE ABOVE THE MOULD," XXXIX. WHAT THE MIST HID XL. DAWNING XLI. Q. E. D. XLII. THROUGH A CLOUD-RIFT XLIII. A GLAD GOOD-BY XLIV. PUTTING THIS AND THAT TOGETHER XLV. ANOTHER OX GORED XLVI. BACKWARD AND FORWARD XLVII. BREASTING THE TORRENT XLVIII. THE PRICE OF HONOR XLIX. HIGHLY RESOLVED L. FACE ANSWERETH UNTO FACE LI. HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE? LII. REDEEMED OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE LIII. IN THE CYCLONE LIV. A BOLT OUT OF THE CLOUD LV. AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER LVI. SOME OLD LETTERS LVII. A SWEET AND BITTER FRUITAGE LVIII. COMING TO THE FRONT LIX. THE SHUTTLECOCK OF FATE LX.