With the rain falling, soon the wind was laid,
Planed was the sea, and cleansed of cloud the sky.
Bright the stars looked innumerably down
On the ship smoothly sped her prosperous way.
BOOK VIII.
SHIMEI BEFORE JULIUS.
The centurion Julius, having in charge the prisoners on board including Paul, examines Shimei, accused of his crime by the sentinel whom the crafty Hebrew had sought to bribe. Shimei makes a desperate effort to clear himself by bringing a countercharge against Paul of the same murderous attempt through bribe upon his, Shimei's, life. Almost on the point of succeeding, he is confronted first with Felix, then with Stephen, last with Paul—to his complete undoing.
SHIMEI BEFORE JULIUS.
The waking dreams of Shimei, in his chains
And darkness, were not altogether those
Foreshadowed by the soldier bitterly
To him—dreams of foreboding and despair
Only; that Roman had not learned that Jew.
The touch and prick of uttermost dismay
Stung him to one more struggle for himself.
Ere Julius, with the morning, had him forth
To inquest from his dungeon, that quick brain
Had ripe and ready, conjured up in thought,
For self-defense, with snare involved for Paul,
A desperate last compacture of deceit;
Desperate, yet deftly woven, and staggering,
Till the contriver was now quite undone,
Confronted with ascendant truth and power.