g my designs
interrupted and my life in peril, I resolved to face the guard. This
fellow, when he noticed my bold front, and that I was marching on him
with weapon in hand, quickened his pace and gave me a wide berth. I
had left my lines some little way behind, so I turned with hasty steps
to regain them; and though I came within sight of another sentinel, he
seemed as though he did not choose to take notice of me. Having found
my lines and attached them to the battlement, I let myself go. On the
descent, whether it was that I thought I had really come to earth and
relaxed my grasp to jump, or whether my hands were so tired that they
could not keep their hold, at any rate I fell, struck my head in
falling, and lay stunned for more than an hour and a half, so far as I
could judge.

It was just upon daybreak, when the fresh breeze which blows an hour
before the sun revived me; yet I did not immediately recover my
senses, for I thought my head had been cut off, and fancied that I was
in purgatory. With time, little by little my faculties returned, and I
perceived that I was outside the castle, and in a flash remembered all
my adventures. I was aware of the wound in my head before I knew my
leg was broken; for I put my hands up and withdrew them covered with
blood. Then I searched the spot well, and judged and ascertained that
I had sustained no injury of consequence there; but when I wanted to
stand up, I discovered that my right leg was broken three inches above
the heel. Not even this dismayed me: I drew forth my poniard with its
scabbard; the latter had a metal point ending in a large ball, which
had caused the fracture of my leg; for the bone coming into violent
contact with the ball, and not being able to bend, had snapped at that
point. I threw the sheath away, and with the poniard cut a piece of
the linen which I had left. Then I bound my leg up as well as I
could, and crawled on all fours with the poniard in my hand toward the
city gate. When I reached it, I found it shut; but I noticed a stone
just beneath the door which did not appear to be very firmly fixed.
This I attempted to dislodge; after setting my hands to it, and
feeling it move, it easily gave way, and I drew it out. Through the
gap thus made I crept into the town.

THE CASTING OF PERSEUS

From the 'Memoirs': Symonds's Translation

Abandoned thus to my own resources, I took new courage and banished
the sad thoughts which kept recurring to my