upon the nobleness of the mission which they had undertaken, and the
others clattered their cups of mead (a jar of that unpleasant drink was
on the table) in token of their agreement.

I observed also how much interested, and how very earnest and intolerant
these Barbarians were in the matter of religion. Of Christianity they
knew nothing, so that although they were aware that the Britons were
Christians, they had not a notion of what their creed really was. Yet
without examination they started by taking it for granted that their own
worship of Woden was absolutely right, and that therefore this other
creed must be absolutely wrong. "This vile religion," "This sad
superstition," and "This grievous error" were among the phrases which
they used towards it. Instead of expressing pity for any one who had
been misinformed upon so serious a question, their feelings were those
of anger, and they declared most earnestly that they would spare no
pains to set the matter right, fingering the hilts of their long
broadswords as they did so.

Well, my dear Crassus, you will have had enough of me and of my Saxons.
I have given you a short sketch of these people and their ways. Since I
began this letter, I have visited the two other ships which have come
in, and as I find the same characteristics among the people on board
them, I cannot doubt that they lie deeply in the race. For the rest,
they are brave, hardy, and very pertinacious in all that they undertake;
whereas the Britons, though a great deal more spirited, have not the
same steadiness of purpose, their quicker imaginations suggesting always
some other course, and their more fiery passions being succeeded by
reaction. When I looked from the deck of the first Saxon ship, and saw
the swaying excited multitude of Britons on the beach, contrasting them
with the intent, silent men who stood beside me, it seemed to me more
than ever dangerous to call in such allies. So strongly did I feel it
that I turned to Kenna, who was also looking towards the beach.

"You will own this island before you have finished," said I.

His eyes sparkled as he gazed. "Perhaps," he cried; and then suddenly
correcting himself and thinking that he had said too much, he added--

"A temporary occupation--nothing more."

VII

AN ICONOCLAST

It was daybreak of a March morning in the year of Christ 92. Outside the
long Semita Alta was already thronged with people, with buyers and
sellers, calle