This conflict of authority increased the confusion of Herod. When
Vergilius came to his capital the king was mired on the very edge of
the great mystery.
Powers of darkness ruled the city of Jerusalem. The sword, the lance,
the dagger, and the wheel were wreaking vengeance and creating new
perils while they were removing old ones. The king had tried vainly to
repair the past. He gave freely to the poor; he erected gorgeous
places of amusement; he built the new temple and a great palace in the
upper city. The splendor of the latter structures had outdone the
imperator. No shape born of barbaric dreams, to be slowly spread upon
the earth in marble and gold, had so taxed the cunning and the patience
of human hands. Such, in brief, were the character, the troubles, the
home, and the city of Herod.
CHAPTER 13
In travel-worn garb Vergilius went early to see the king. Accustomed
to the grandeur of Rome itself, he yet saw with astonishment the
beautiful groves, the lakes, canals, and fountains sparkling in the
sunlight which surrounded the great marble palace of Herod.
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