Truth to tell there was little in the homely, and even vulgar, aspect of Vespasian to suggest kinship with the Olympian divinities, but naturally Rufus did not say so, contenting himself with asking the general to explain his meaning. Then Vespasian, sitting down, proceeded to tell a strange story. “There hath been wont to sit at the fountain beside the gate of Cæsarea a blind man. This morning as I was passing by the gate I saw a little crowd gathered there, and among them this blind man. Guided by two friends, he drew near, and, kneeling at my feet, implored me to cure his blindness, declaring--and the two that were with him said the same--that if I would but anoint clay with my spittle, and put the clay upon his eyes, he would there and then recover his sight. “I held my laughter and tried to reason him out of this belief, but the more I argued the more earnest he became, and so I left him still kneeling. But as I walked away, the poor fellow’s lamentations became so pitiful that I could not help turning back, determined by making the actual experiment to convince the man of his folly. But, lo! as soon as the clay was washed from his eyes and I had pronounced the Hebrew word ‘_Ephphatha!_’--for it seems these spells are more efficacious when spoken in a barbarous language--the man cried out in an ecstasy of delight that he could see![22] “‘A miracle! a miracle!’ cried the crowd. “‘So shalt thou give light to a dark world, O Vespasian,’[23] cried a voice which I recognized as that of the priest Theomantes. “As for me, I doubted whether the man _had_ recovered his sight, but he gave proof of it by telling what number of coins lay on my palm, and though I changed the number several times he did not once err. “There must be some divine efficacy in my touch became the opinion of the crowd. The news flew from mouth to mouth, and as I stood amazed at my own deed, there came to me a man whose right arm, as if paralyzed, hung stiff and motionless at his side. “‘I was a mason,’ said he, ‘earning my livelihood by my hands. I pray thee that thou wouldest make this arm whole like the other, that I may not basely beg my bread.’ “Compliant with his will I clasped his right hand firmly in my own, and after a few moments he cried out that he had recovered the use of the withered limb, and gave evidence of his words by freely gesticulating with it. Now, Rufus, how explainest thou these marvels?” These feats of healing, so analogous to those recorded in the gospel, as to suggest to the mind of more than one historian the suspicion that they were purposely counterfeited with a view of investing Vespasian with a sort of Messianic character, offered no difficulty whatever to the pagan mind of Rufus. “It is clear to me, sire,” said he, fully believing in the truth of his own words, “that the gods wish to point you out to mankind as one distinguished by their special favor and destined to attain a dignity and splendor beyond that of ordinary mortals.”