. A child's book of warriors . thou shalt not forget anything thou hast beenshown. Give me angels to achieve this, said the em-peror; it is a labour and a glory beyond the skilland strength of men. Then thou couldst scarcely say the work wasthine. Nay, come thou but as near as thou canstto the vision which has been vouchsafed thee. There-in man touches the topmost flower of service. Stay yet a moment, cried Justinian, as theangelic form began to fade away into the starlitair. But only the low clear voice answered fromlips unseen, God prosper thee with all happiness,and the emperor was alone. E
. A child's book of warriors . thou shalt not forget anything thou hast beenshown. Give me angels to achieve this, said the em-peror; it is a labour and a glory beyond the skilland strength of men. Then thou couldst scarcely say the work wasthine. Nay, come thou but as near as thou canstto the vision which has been vouchsafed thee. There-in man touches the topmost flower of service. Stay yet a moment, cried Justinian, as theangelic form began to fade away into the starlitair. But only the low clear voice answered fromlips unseen, God prosper thee with all happiness,and the emperor was alone. Early on the morrow he summoned the famousarchitects, Anthemius the Lydian and Isidore ofMiletus; and laying before them rude drawings ofthe great basilica, he described the wondrous churchwhich he had seen in the angels hand. As theylistened, they referred from time to time to hisdrawings, and rapidly sketched plans of the edificewhich his words conjured up in the minds each stroke of their pencils and answering 98. The Soul of Justinian the questions they asked, Justinian corrected andchanged many of the lines of their draughting. Notso, he would say; but thus it was and thus. Then he told them how their labour would belightened and shortened by the store of wroughtmarble and costly stone brought from other lands. Time is fleeting, flesh fades as the flower-de-luce,life flutters to its fall as the leaf on the tree; where-fore, I pray you, make good speed. Treasure shallnot fail. Material you shall not lack, nor men. Ahundred master-builders you shall have, and eachmaster-builder a hundred workmen; and I wouldhave five thousand labouring on the right hand, andfive thousand on the left, and daily at sundown eachshall be paid in silver pieces. Think now that you see the enormous task begun;that as if by enchantment the past is again alive,and stirring and resounding with the din of trafficand labour. On the cleared ground the mastersmeasure off with white wands ten tim
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