he south-land that I had glimpsed in
the ships of Agard, and it was my fate, caught in this south drift of the
Teutons, to be captured by the Romans and be brought back to the sea
which I had not seen since I was lost away from the East Angles. I was
made a sweep-slave in the galleys, and it was as a sweep-slave that at
last I came to Rome.

All the story is too long of how I became a freeman, a citizen, and a
soldier, and of how, when I was thirty, I journeyed to Alexandria, and
from Alexandria to Jerusalem. Yet what I have told from the time when I
was baptized in the mead-pot of Tostig Lodbrog I have been compelled to
tell in order that you may understand what manner of man rode in through
the Jaffa Gate and drew all eyes upon him.

Well might they look. They were small breeds, lighter-boned and lighter-
thewed, these Romans and Jews, and a blonde like me they had never gazed
upon. All along the narrow streets they gave before me but stood to
stare wide-eyed at this yellow man from the north, or from God knew where
so far as they knew aught of the matter.

Practically all Pilate's troops were auxiliaries, save for a handful of
Romans about the palace and the twenty Romans who rode with me. Often
enough have I found the auxiliaries good soldiers, but never so steadily
dependable as the Romans. In truth they were better fighting men the
year round than were we men of the North, who fought in great moods and
sulked in great moods. The Roman was invariably steady and dependable.

There was a woman from the court of Antipas, who was a friend of Pilate's
wife and whom I met at Pilate's the night of my arrival. I shall call
her Miriam, for Miriam was the name I loved her by. If it were merely
difficult to describe the charm of women, I would describe Miriam. But
how describe emotion in words? The charm of woman is wordless. It is
different from perception that culminates in reason, for it arises in
sensation and culminates in emotion, which, be it admitted, is nothing
else than super-sensation.

In general, any woman has fundamental charm for any man. When this charm
becomes particular, then we call it love. Miriam had this particular
charm for me. Verily I was co-partner in her charm. Half of it was my
own man's life in me that leapt and met her wide-armed and made in me all
that she was desirable plus all my desire of her.

Miriam was a grand woman. I use the term advisedly. She was
fine-bodied, co