Jude the Obsure

"That's a fair offer," said the undergraduate, throwing down the

money for the whisky.

The barmaid concocted the mixture with the bearing of a person

compelled to live amongst animals of an inferior species, and the

glass was handed across to Jude, who, having drunk the contents,

stood up and began rhetorically, without hesitation: "_Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, Factorem coeli et terrae,

visibilium omnium et invisibilium._"

"Good! Excellent Latin!" cried one of the undergraduates, who,

however, had not the slightest conception of a single word.

A silence reigned among the rest in the bar, and the maid stood

still, Jude's voice echoing sonorously into the inner parlour, where

the landlord was dozing, and bringing him out to see what was going

on. Jude had declaimed steadily ahead, and was continuing: "_Crucifixus etiam pro nobis: sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus

est. Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas._"

"That's the Nicene," sneered the second undergraduate. "And we

wanted the Apostles'!"

"You didn't say so! And every fool knows, except you, that the

Nicene is the most historic creed!"

"Let un go on, let un go on!" said the auctioneer.

But Jude's mind seemed to grow confused soon, and he could not get

on. He put his hand to his forehead, and his face assumed an

expression of pain.

"Give him another glass--then he'll fetch up and get through it,"

said Tinker Taylor.

Somebody threw down threepence, the glass was handed, Jude stretched

out his arm for it without looking, and having swallowed the liquor,

went on in a moment in a revived voice, raising it as he neared the

end with the manner of a priest leading a congregation: "_Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre

Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et

conglorificatur. Qui locutus est per prophetas.

"Et unam Catholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum

Baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et exspecto Resurrectionem

mortuorum. Et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen._"

"Well done!" said several, enjoying the last word, as being the first

and only one they had recognized.

Then Jude seemed to shake the fumes from his brain, as he stared

round upon them.

"You pack of fools!" he cried. "Which one of you knows whether I

have said it or no? It might have been the Ratcatcher's Daughter

in double Dutch for all that your besotted heads can tell! See what

I have brought myself to--the crew I have come among!"

The landlord, who had already had his license endorsed for harbouring

queer characters, feared a riot, and came outside the counter; but

Jude, in his sudden flash of reason, had turned in disgust and left

the scene, the door slamming with a dull thud behind him.