Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Ben-Hur: A Tale of the ChristIt may be doubted if the people of the West ever over come the impression made upon them by the first View Of a camel equipped and loaded for the desert. Custom, so fatal to other novelties, affects this feeling but little. At the end of long journeys with caravans, after years Of residence with the Bedawin, the Western-born, wherever they may be, will stop and wait the passing Of the stately brute. The charm is not in the figure, which not even love can make beautiful; nor in the movement, the noiseless stepping, or the broad careen. As is the kindness of the sea to a Ship, so is that of the desert to Its creature. It clothes him with all its mysteries; in such manner, too, that While we are looking at him we are thinking of them: therein is the wonder. The animal which now came out Of the wady might well have claimed the customary homage. Its color and height; its breadth Of foot; its bulk of body, not fat, but overlaid with muscle; its long, slender neck, Of swan like curvature; the head, wide between the eyes, and taper ing to a muzzle which a lady's bracelet might have almost clasped; its motion, step long and elastic, tread sure and soundless - all certified its Syrian blood, old as the days of Cyrus, and absolutely priceless. There was the usual bridle, covering the forehead with scarlet fringe, and garnishing the throat with pendent brazen chains, each ending with a tin kling Silver bell; but to the bridle there was neither rein for the rider nor strap for a driver. The furniture perched on the back was an invention which with any other people than of the East would have made the inventor renowned. It consisted of two wooden boxes, scarce four feet in length.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.