“Vespasian--if that be thy name--whatever project thou now hast in thy mind, whether it be the enlargement of thy house, the augmentation of thy lands, or the increase of thy slaves, the Fates are preparing for thee a splendid seat, a large territory, a multitude of men.”[21] The Roman officers, aware of the thought that was then paramount in the mind of their general, looked significantly at each other. “What is thy name?” asked Vespasian. “What thine shalt be--Basilides.” Now this name is, by interpretation, a king; and therefore Vespasian was not a little startled to find this Phœnician seer hinting, and that not obscurely, at the same high destiny assured him by Josephus. Surely, since there had been no previous concert between them, that must be true which was prophesied by Hebrew priest and by Phœnician priest alike? During the course of the long ride back to camp, Crispus had ample time to review the incident that had just happened, and he saw in it not the hand of the gods, but the trickery of man, the man in this case being Titus, who by subtle devices was luring his father on to make an attempt for the imperial throne. Vespasian on the previous evening had announced his intention of visiting Carmel on the morrow, and it had therefore been a very easy matter for Titus to obtain the collusion of the priest Basilides for the purpose of playing upon the superstitious feelings of Vespasian. The sudden springing up of the flame upon the altar was a result easily obtainable by concealing a grain of fat among the incense. Titus was the real source of this “divine sign,” as well as of the ambiguous but significant oracle delivered by Basilides. Crispus hesitated whether to enlighten Vespasian as to how he was being duped into believing himself to be a recipient of divine signs, but finally resolved to hold his peace. What mattered it how Vespasian was induced to revolt, whether by necessity, reason, or superstition, so long as he _did_ revolt? The rule of Vespasian would be infinitely preferable to that of the bestial Vitellius. And when Crispus, further reflecting that should a Flavian dynasty be established, and should Titus and Domitian--both at present childless--die without issue, the next heir to the throne would be Flavius Clemens, an adherent of the faith, he began to wonder whether a Christian Cæsar might not be among the possibilities of the near future. So here was Crispus wishing, like Berenice, to see Vespasian upon the throne, though for a different reason--_she_ hoping to promote the cause of Judaism, _he_ hoping to promote the cause of Christianity. The course of the next few days furnished additional proof that subtle art was being employed to make Vespasian accept a position almost akin to that foretold of the Messiah. “Do I look like a god?” said he with a caustic smile, entering the tent of Rufus, who chanced to be alone.