When he had taken his seat at the table by Lucilia, like a man who has time before him, he asked, throwing his head back and clasping his hands across his knee: “Well, father ... and to-day is the last meeting?” “As you say,” replied the high-priest. “I must confess, that the matter has remained almost unknown to me.... I have been so absorbed in study, that I have hardly time to frequent the baths....” “You are three-and-twenty, Quintus! When do you propose to take a proper interest in the great concerns of the Empire?” “Indeed I generally follow them all with eager interest. It is only that just lately, at this moment....” “This is the very moment, when all who are well-affected ought to cling together and show their zeal in action.” “It is said, that the decree you propose is excessively severe,” said Quintus after a pause. “It will answer its purpose.” “And will be issued unmodified?” “Why should good sound sense be modified?” “Well ... opinions might differ.” “They might, if the whole body of the Fathers[22] were men of the same stamp as that Cornelius Cinna ... then sound sense would indeed be in danger!” “Cornelius Cinna is a man of keen judgment....” “I quite understand, that you should talk the language of the uncle of your betrothed; but, as I know him, he is devoid of all capacity for statesmanship. Now in this matter of the Nazarenes he has amply betrayed his want of judgment--I will call it so, since I should be loth to suppose that his opposition arises from mere personal aversion.” “What?” cried Quintus astonished. “Cornelius Cinna takes the part of the Nazarenes?” "No, he does not take their part, but he does not regard them as dangerous. He laughs at them as visionaries and fools, who are no more to be held as reprobate, than the worshippers of Isis, or any other oriental sect. Mockery, contempt, are the only weapons worthy of a thinking man. When I pointed out to him, that the creed of the Nazarenes was undermining the religion of the state in a way which no other superstition had done, he dared to utter these audacious words: 'If your Olympus cannot take care of itself, it may crumble into dust.'" “The words, I admit, sound audacious enough,” replied Quintus, looking his father in the face; “but they cover a truth nevertheless, which, it seems to me, cannot fail to be self-evident to the priest of Jupiter.” “You think so? I can only tell you, that I see nothing of the sort. The rabble crowd of superstitious cannot, to be sure, destroy almighty Jupiter himself, but it can upset the belief in his divine rule. We may be deprived of our discernment of the truth, if a lie becomes paramount.” “Why then do you not resist the belief in Isis?” “Because the religion of Isis has never dared to interfere in any way with that of the state. Besides, Isis is Juno; the name makes no difference. The symbol may vary--the essence remains untouched. You know, that even in my own house I have suffered Baucis....”