She Is Of All Nations, And
Of All Times, That Wonderful Church Of Rome!
Tiberias is one of the four holy cities, {27} according to the
Talmud, and it is from this place, or the immediate neighbourhood
of it, that the Messiah is to arise.
Except at Jerusalem, never think of attempting to sleep in a "holy
city." Old Jews from all parts of the world go to lay their bones
upon the sacred soil, and as these people never return to their
homes, it follows that any domestic vermin which they may bring
with them are likely to become permanently resident, so that the
population is continually increasing. No recent census had been
taken when I was at Tiberias, but I know that the congregation of
fleas which attended at my church alone must have been something
enormous. It was a carnal, self-seeking congregation, wholly
inattentive to the service which was going on, and devoted to the
one object of having my blood. The fleas of all nations were
there. The smug, steady, importunate flea from Holywell Street;
the pert, jumping puce from hungry France, the wary, watchful pulce
with his poisoned stiletto; the vengeful pulga of Castile with his
ugly knife; the German floh with his knife and fork, insatiate, not
rising from table; whole swarms from all the Russias, and Asiatic
hordes unnumbered - all these were there, and all rejoiced in one
great international feast. I could no more defend myself against
my enemies than if I had been pain a discretion in the hands of a
French patriot, or English gold in the claws of a Pennsylvanian
Quaker.
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