ONE:Dreams, like oracles, were occasionally employed for the conversion of infidels. An incident of the kind is related by Aelian, a writer who flourished early in the third century, and who is remarkable, even in that age, for his bigoted orthodoxy. A certain man named Euphronius, he tells us, whose delight was to study the blasphemous nonsense of Epicurus, fell very ill of consumption, and sought in vain for help from the skill of the physicians. He was already at death��s door, when, as a last resource, his friends placed him in the temple of Ascl��pius. There he dreamed that a priest came to him and said, ��This man��s only chance of salvation is to burn the impious books of Epicurus, knead the ashes up with wax, and use the mixture as a poultice for his chest and stomach.�� On awakening, he followed the divine prescription, was restored to health, and became a model of piety for the rest of his life. The same author gives us a striking instance of prayer answered, also redounding to the credit of Ascl��pius, the object of whose favour is, however, on this occasion not a human being but a fighting-cock. The scene is laid at Tanagra, where the bird in question, having had his foot hurt, and evidently acting under the influence of divine inspiration, joins a choir who are singing the praises of Ascl��pius, contributing his share to the sacred concert, and, to the best of his ability, keeping time with the other performers. ��This he did, standing on one leg and stretching out the other, as if to show its pitiable condition. So he sang to his saviour as far as the strength of his voice would permit, and prayed that he might recover the use of his limb.�� The petition is granted,230 whereupon our hero claps his wings and struts about ��with outstretched neck and nodding crest like a proud warrior, thus proclaiming the power of providence over irrational animals.��352

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ONE:[Pg 31]

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