d that as
the first death had redeemed the whole world, this was to redeem the
city.

Along the road people halted from wonder at sight of that old man; but
believers, laying hands on their shoulders, said with calm voices,--

"See how a just man goes to death,--one who knew Christ and proclaimed
love to the world."

These became thoughtful, and walked away, saying to themselves, "He
cannot, indeed, be unjust!"

Along the road noise was hushed, and the cries of the street. The
retinue moved on before houses newly reared, before white columns of
temples, over whose summits hung the deep sky, calm and blue. They went
in quiet; only at times the weapons of the soldiers clattered, or the
murmur of prayer rose. Peter heard the last, and his face grew bright
with increasing joy, for his glance could hardly take in those thousands
of confessors. He felt that he had done his work, and he knew now that
that truth which he had been declaring all his life would overwhelm
everything, like a sea, and that nothing would have power to restrain
it. And thus thinking, he raised his eyes, and said: "O Lord, Thou didst
command me to conquer this world-ruling city; hence I have conquered it.
Thou hast commanded me to found here Thy capital; hence I have founded
it. This is Thy city now, O Lord, and I go to Thee, for I have toiled
greatly."

As he passed before temples, he said to them, "Ye will be temples of
Christ." Looking at throngs of people moving before his eyes, he said to
them, "Your children will be servants of Christ"; and he advanced with
the feeling that he had conquered, conscious of his service, conscious
of his strength, solaced,--great. The soldiers conducted him over the
Pons Triumphalis, as if giving involuntary testimony to his triumph, and
they led him farther toward the Naumachia and the Circus. The faithful
from beyond the Tiber joined the procession; and such a throng of people
was formed that the centurion commanding the pretonians understood at
last that he was leading a high-priest surrounded by believers, and
grew alarmed because of the small number of soldiers. But no cry of
indignation or rage was given out in the throng. Men's faces were
penetrated with the greatness of the moment, solemn and full of
expectation. Some believers, remembering that when the Lord died the
earth opened from fright and the dead rose from their graves, thought
that now some evident signs would appear, after which the death of t