________________
CHAPTER 24
THE SECRET SENSE
The following tale comes from the Jewish Esotericism, and it will show what the Jewish nation believed in regard to their religion. A certain king on one occasion invited the whole of his subjects to a feast in his palace, but left out two individuals, one of whom was blind and the other lame. But the lame man seeing the blind man near by addressed him on the subject. of the insult offered to them both by the king, and suggested that they should be revenged on him. The blind man pleaded inability to do harm to any one as he was blind; but the lame one offered to be eyes to him, if he would only consent to be legs to him in return. A compact was accordingly made between them to carry out the project of revenge. The lame man twisted a rope of grass and threw it to the blind one, who seizing it came to him, and the lame man mounting the shoulders of the blind, they proceeded to the king's garden, which they destroyed in various ways. After the feast was over the king brought his guests to show them his garden. and was much annoyed to find it destroyed. He thereupon set up an enquiry to find out the author of the mischief, and ascertained that no one excepting the blind and the lame men were absent from his feast at the time, and they alone could have done the mischief, as no cattle or stranger had been admitted in the city that day. The lame man on being accused pleaded his infirmity;
159