Chapter VIII.—Departure from Rome.

While I spoke thus concerning others, I also lectured myself, saying, Why do I blame others, being myself guilty of the very same crime of heedlessness?  But I shall hasten into Judæa, having first arranged my affairs.⁹⁰³⁹⁰³    [The narrative here varies from that of the Recognitions; comp. book i. chaps. 7–11.—R.]  And when I had thus made up my mind, there occurred a long time of delay, my worldly affairs being difficult to arrange.  Therefore, meditating further on the nature of life, that by involving⁹⁰⁴⁹⁰⁴    For ἐκπλοκῶν Wieseler proposes ἐκκλέπτων, “that deceiving by hopes it lays snares,” etc. men in hope it lays snares for those who are making haste, yea, and how much time I had been robbed of while tossed by hopes, and that we men die while thus occupied, I left all my affairs as they were, and sped to Portus;⁹⁰⁵⁹⁰⁵    Portus, the port of Rome.  One ms. reads πόντον, “the sea.” and coming to the harbour, and being taken on board a ship, I was borne by adverse winds to Alexandria instead of Judæa; and being detained there by stress of weather, I consorted with the philosophers, and told them about the rumour and the sayings of him who had appeared in Rome.  And they answered that indeed they knew nothing of him who had appeared in Rome; but concerning Him who was born in Judæa, and who was said by the report to be the Son of God, they had heard from many who had come from thence, and had learned respecting all the wonderful things that He did with a word.