"‘Nay, my lord Annas,’ answered Lazarus, boldly; ‘were dove to seek shelter from a hawk in my bosom, I would protect it, much more a distressed maiden of the daughters of Abraham!’ and he placed himself before the fugitive. "‘Darest thou protect from me? She is my child, a wicked and disobedient daughter of Belial! Resign her to me, young scrivener, or I will have thee sent to the lowest dungeon of the castle of David.’ "‘Oh, save me! save me!’ cried the young girl, as Annas advanced to seize her. ‘I am not his child! I am the orphan of Rabbi Levi, who left me and my estate to this false priest as a sacred charge; and having done, I know not what, with my inheritance, he would sell me in unholy marriage to a Greek captaim in the Roman Legion, who offers him large bribes in gold for me. And when but now he would have delivered me up to him, I fled to the altars of my God for the protection which man denied me; and, ignorant of the way, and lost in the labyrinth of the Temple, I found myself here. Rather than be given into the hands of this fierce and terrible Grecian, whom I have seen only to dread, I will cast myself down from the height of the Temple!’ "And to the surprise and horror of Lazarus, she bounded from the lattice, and stood upon the edge of the rock, which looks sheer three hundred feet down into the valley beneath. "‘Thou seest, O Annas, to what thy cupidity for gold will drive this maiden. Has the land of Israel sunk so low, that its chief priest will sell the daughters of the land for gold to the lust of the Gentiles? Is this the way thou givest protection to orphans? Leave her; and until I find a protector for her, she shall be a sacred guest with my sisters in their humble abode!’
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:57:57 +0000