ed. So my bearers
were allowed to pass everywhere. It was thought that they carried a
dead man. And they themselves, for some time, thought so too. In the
river they found an empty fishing-boat full of nets. They laid me in
it. Syphax threw my bloody mantle, with the purple hem of the 'princeps
senatus,' upon the shore, in order to mislead my enemies. They covered
me with sail-cloth and nets, and rowed down the river, through the
still burning boats. When we had passed them, I came to myself. Syphax
bathed my face with the water of the Tiber. My first glance fell on the
still burning Capitol. They told me that my first exclamation was,
'Turn back! the Capitol!' And they were obliged to keep me quiet by
force. My first clear thought was naturally: 'To return; to take
revenge; to re-conquer Rome.' In the harbour of Portus we met with an
Italian ship laden with grain. There were seven rowers in it. My
companions approached it to beg for wine and bread, for they also were
wounded and exhausted. The rowers recognised me. One of them wanted to
take me prisoner and deliver me up to the Goths, sure of a rich reward.
But the other six had served under me at the Mausoleum. I had nourished
them for years. They slew the man who wanted to betray me, and promised
Lucius that they would save me if it were possible. They hid me in
heaps of grain while we passed the Gothic guardships which watched at
the entrance of the harbour, Lucius and Syphax put on the dress of
sailors, and rowed with the others. Thus we escaped. But while on board
this vessel I was dangerously ill from my wounds. Only the ceaseless
care of Syphax and the sea-air saved me. For days, they say, I only
reiterated the words, 'Rome, Capitol, Caesar!' When we landed at
Panormus, in Sicily, under the protection of the Byzantines, I rapidly
recovered. My old friend Cyprianus, who had admitted me into
Theodoric's palace when I was made Prefect, received me at Panormus as
captain of the harbour. Scarcely recovered, I went to Asia Minor--or,
as you say, Asiana--to my estates; you know that I had splendid
possessions at Sardes, Philadelphia, and Tralles----"

"You have them no longer--the columned villas?"

"I sold them all, for I was obliged at once to find the means of
engaging fresh mercenaries, in order to liberate Rome and Italy."

"Tenax propositi!" cried Procopius, amazed. "You have not, even now,
given up hope?"

"Can I give up myself? I have sent Licinius to enl