traitress！ What ailed thee to leave the faith of thy fathers and forefathers and the safeguard of the Messiah，on whom is our reliance，and follow after the faith of the Vagrants，[543] to wit，the faith of Al-Islam，the which arose with the sword against the Cross and the Images？'Replied Miriam，'I am not at fault，I went out by night to the church，to visit the Lady Mary and seek a blessing of her，when there fell upon me unawares a band of Moslem robbers，who gagged me and bound me fast and carrying me on board the barque，set sail with me for their own country.However，I beguiled them and talked with them of their religion，till they loosed my bonds；and ere I knew it thy men overtook me and delivered me.And by the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar and the Cross and the Crucified thereon，I rejoiced with joy exceeding in my release from them and my bosom broadened and I was glad for my deliverance from the bondage of the Moslems！'Rejoined the King，'Thou liest，O whore！
O adultress！ By the virtue of that which is revealed of prohibition and permission in the manifest Evangel，[544] I will assuredly do thee die by the foulest of deaths and make thee the vilest of examples！ Did it not suffice thee to do as thou didst the first time and put off thy lies upon us，but thou must return upon us with thy deceitful inventions？'Thereupon the King bade kill her and crucify her over the palace gate；but，at that moment the one-eyed Wazir，who had long been enamoured of the Princess，came in to him and said，'Ho King！ saly her not，but give her to me to wife，and I will watch over her with the utmost warding，nor will I go in unto her，till I have built her a palace of solid stone，exceeding high of foundation，so no thieves may avail to climb up to its terrace-roof；and when I have made an end of building it，I will sacrifice thirty Moslems before the gate thereof，as an expiatory offering to the Messiah for myself and for her.'The King granted his request and bade the priests and monks and patriarchs marry the Princess to him；