"No very serious matter it might seem, So far, but hearken what a sequel came. A worthy member of our court abroad, Who loyally our fortune followed still, And follows--O Sire, in this degenerate age, Happy if ancient loyalty survives!-- Simon, a man of merit and device, Saw when, one morning on an open hill Withdrawn, Paul made a demonstration dire Before all these assembled to behold Whom I have named, what he could do, and would, With practice of his wicked magic arts. He smote a woman of his company Who had offended him dead at a stroke Of incantation that his lips let fall. Simon will tell thee, that thou hear first-hand. "But to crown all"--and here Drusilla's voice Faltered, and her eyes, eloquent before With fine indignant passion, now with tears Dimmed, pathos tenfold eloquent took on-- "Aye, to crown all, no doubt my Felix fell A victim to his ingrate wickedness. Our slave-boy Syrus bore his lord a drink Pretended as of virtue to bring sleep-- Which my poor Felix long had needed sore!-- It brought sleep, but the sleep it brought was death. Alas, my Felix! And, last infamy, That slave lad had been primed by Paul to lay Her consort's murder at his spouse's door! The frontless varlet had the face to tell His mistress to her very teeth that she Had herself sent that sleeping-draught by him To Felix as he took his evening bath. It was Paul's sorcery made the boy believe, Against his own right senses, what was false. I should have told thee how in lesser sort, That is, in matter of estate--light thing Indeed in contrast of such harm to life-- We had before this suffered from Paul's hands; For he beguiled away a slave of ours-- By name Onesimus, a Phrygian lad-- Through whom perverted first himself from faith This other servant Syrus was seduced. No end to that wretch Paul's devices evil! Let him go free, nay, let him only live, Though in a prison, the emperor has a foe Cannot indeed unfix him from his throne-- Where he sits firm as on Olympus Jove (If thus a faithful Jew may fit her speech)-- But will the quick seeds of sedition sow To fill the empire with their harvest wild. Paul teaches all men of another king Than Cæsar whose sole right it is to reign."