A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XIII.

  The Goths turned in astonishment, and saw a troop of horsemen hurryingdown the hill in the direction of the place of justice.

  The sun flashed upon the armed figures with such dazzling brilliancythat they could not be recognised, although they approached rapidly.

  But old Hildebrand rose up in his elevated seat, shaded his eagle eyeswith his hand, and at once exclaimed:

  "Those are Gothic weapons! The waving banner bears the figure of thescales: that is the crest of Earl Witichis! and there he is himself atthe head of the troop! and the tall figure on his left is the sturdyHildebad! What brings the generals back? Their troops should be far ontheir way to Gaul and Dalmatia."

  There ensued an uproar of excited voices. Meanwhile the riders hadreached the place and sprang from their smoking horses. Received withenthusiasm, the two generals, Witichis and Hildebad, went through thecrowd up to Hildebrand's judgment-seat.

  "What?" cried Hildebad, still out of breath; "you sit here and hold atribunal as if in time of peace, and the enemy Belisarius has landed!"

  "We know it," answered Hildebrand quietly, "and would have held counselwith the King how best to check him."

  "With the King!" laughed Hildebad bitterly.

  "He is not here," said Witichis, looking round; "that confirms oursuspicion. We returned because we had cause for grave mistrust. But ofthat later. Continue where you were interrupted. Everything accordingto right and order! Peace, friend!"

  And, pushing the impatient Hildebad back, he modestly placed himself onthe left of the judgment-seat amongst the others.

  After all had become still, the old man continued:

  "Gothelindis, our Queen, is accused of the murder of Amalaswintha, thedaughter of Theodoric. I ask: are we a tribunal to judge such a cause?"

  Old Haduswinth, leaning upon his club, advanced a step and said:

  "Red are the cords which enclose this place of execution. The NationalAssembly has the right to judge red-handed crime; warm life and colddeath. If it has been ordered otherwise in late times, it has been byforce and not by right. We _are_ a tribunal to judge such a cause."

  "Through all the nation," resumed Hildebrand, "a heavy reproach is madeagainst Gothelindis; in the depths of our hearts we accuse her. But whowill accuse her here, in open assembly, in audible words, of thismurder?"

  "I," cried a loud voice, and a handsome young Goth in shining armourstepped forward, on the right of the judge, laying his hand upon hisheart.

  A murmur of approbation ran through the crowd.

  "He loves the beautiful Mataswintha!"

  "He is the brother of Duke Guntharis of Tuscany, who holds Florentia."

  "He is her wooer."

  "He comes forward as the avenger of her mother."

  "I, Earl Arahad of Asta, the son of Aramuth, of the noble race of theWoelfungs," continued the young Goth with an engaging blush. "It istrue, I am not akin to the murdered Princess; but the men of herfamily, Theodahad foremost, her cousin and her King, do not fulfiltheir duty as blood-avengers. Is not Theodahad himself abettor andhider of the murder? I, then, a free and unblemished Goth of nobleblood, a friend of the late unhappy Princess, complain on behalf of herdaughter, Mataswintha. I appeal against murder! I appeal againstblood!"

  And, amidst the loud applause of the Assembly, the stately youth drewhis sword and laid it straight before him upon the seat of justice.

  "And thy proofs? Speak!"

  "Hold, Ting-Earl," cried a grave voice, and Witichis stepped forwardopposite to the complainant. "Art thou so old, and knowest so well whatis just, Master Hildebrand, and allowest thyself to be carried away bythe pressure of the multitude? Must I remind thee, I, the younger man,of the first law of all justice? I hear the complainant, but not theaccused."

  "No woman may enter the Ting of the Goths," said Hildebrand quietly.

  "I know it; but where is Theodahad, her husband and defender?"

  "He has not appeared."

  "Is he invited?"

  "He is invited, upon my oath and that of these messengers," criedArahad. "Step forth, sajones!"

  Two of the officers came forward and touched the judgment-seat withtheir staffs.

  "Well," continued Witichis, "it shall never be said that a woman wasjudged by the people of the Goths unheard and undefended. However shemay be hated, she has a right to be heard and protected. I will be herdefender and pleader."

  And he went towards the youthful complainant, likewise drawing hissword.

  A pause of respectful admiration followed.

  "So thou deniest the deed?"

  "I say it is not proven."

  "Prove it!" said the judge, turning to Arahad.

  The latter, unprepared for a formal proceedings and not ready to copewith an opponent of Witichis's weight and steady composure, wassomewhat embarrassed.

  "Prove?" he cried impatiently. "What need of proof? Thou, I, all theGoths know that Gothelindis hated the Princess long and bitterly. ThePrincess disappears from Ravenna; at the same time her murderess also.The victim is discovered in a house belonging to Gothelindis--dead; andthe murderess escapes to a fortified castle. What need, then, ofproof?"

  And he looked with impatience at the Goths near him.

  "And on this argument thou wilt accuse the Queen of murder before theopen Ting?" asked Witichis quietly. "Truly may the day be far distantwhen a verdict is founded upon such evidence! Justice, my men, is lightand air. Woe, woe to the nation which makes its hatred its justice! Imyself hate this woman and her husband; but where I hate I am doublystrict."

  He said this in so simple and noble a manner, that the hearts of allpresent were touched.

  "Where are the proofs!" now asked Hildebrand. "Hast thou a palpable act?Hast thou a visible appearance? Hast thou an important word? Hast thoua true oath? Dost thou claim the oath of innocence from the accused?"

  "Proof!" again repeated Arahad angrily. "I have none but the convictionwithin my heart!"

  "Then," said Hildebrand----

  But at this moment a soldier made his way to him from the gate, andsaid:

  "Romans stand at the entrance. They beg for a hearing. They say theyknow all about the death of the Princess."

  "I demand that they be heard!" cried Arahad eagerly. "Not ascomplainants, but as witnesses of the complainant."

  Hildebrand made a sign, and the soldier hastened to bring up the Romansthrough the curious throng.

  Foremost came a man, bent with years, wearing a hair shirt, and a ropetied round his loins; the cowl of his mantle hid his features. Two menin the habit of slaves followed. Questioning looks were fixed upon theold man, whose bearing, in spite of simplicity and even poverty, wasfull of dignity and nobility.

  When he reached Hildebrand's seat, Arahad looked closely into his face,and started back in surprise.

  "Who is it," asked the judge, "whom thou callest as a witness to thywords? An unknown stranger?"

  "No," cried Arahad, and threw back the old man's mantle. "A man whomyou all know and honour--Marcus Aurelius Cassiodorus."

  A cry of general surprise arose from the Ting-place.

  "Such was my name," said the witness, "during the time of my worldlyexistence; now only Brother Marcus."

  An expression of holy resignation beamed from his features.

  "Well, Brother Marcus," responded Hildebrand, "what hast thou to tellus of Amalaswintha's death? Tell the whole truth, and nothing but thetruth."

  "I will. Know, first, that it is not the striving after human requitalwhich brings me here. I do not come to avenge the murder. 'Vengeance ismine; I will repay,' saith the Lord. No; I am here to fulfil the lastwish of the unhappy woman, the daughter of my great King."

  He took a roll of papyrus out of his dress.

  "Shortly before her flight from Ravenna, Amalaswintha directed theselines to me, which I have to communicate to you as her legacy to thenation of the Goths. These are her words:

  "'The thanks of a
contrite heart for thy friendship. Still more thanthe hope of safety, I am comforted by the feeling that I have not lostthy attachment. Yes, I will hasten to thy villa in the Lake of Bolsena.Does not the road lead thence to Rome, to Regeta, where I will confessbefore my Goths, and atone for my crime? I will die, if it must be; butnot by the hands of my enemies. No; by the verdict of my people, whomI, blind fool, have ruined! I have deserved death, not only for themurder of the three dukes--who, let it be known to all, died throughme--but still more for the madness with which I repulsed my people forthe sake of Byzantium. If I reach Regeta alive, I will warn my peoplewith my last breath, and cry: Fear Byzantium! Justinian is false ashell, and there can be no peace between him and us! But I will warnthem also of inner enemies. King Theodahad plots treason; he has soldItaly and the Gothic crown to the ambassador of Byzantium; he has doneI refused to do. Be cautious, strong, and united! Would that' dying, Icould expiate the crimes committed while living.'"

  The people had listened in deep silence to these words, read byCassiodorus in a trembling voice, and which seemed to come to them fromthe other side of the grave.

  When he ceased, compassion and sorrow prolonged this silence.

  At last old Hildebrand rose and said:

  "She has erred; she has made atonement. Daughter of Theodoric, thenation of the Goths forgives thy crime, and thanks thee for thyfidelity."

  "So may God forgive her; amen!" said Cassiodorus.

  He then continued:

  "I never invited her to my villa; I could not do so. Fourteen daysbefore I had sold all my property to Queen Gothelindis."

  "Therefore her enemy," interrupted Arahad, "misusing his name, decoyedAmalaswintha into that house. Canst thou deny this. Earl Witichis?"

  "No," answered he. "But," he continued, turning to Cassiodorus, "hastthou also proof that the Princess did not die an accidental deaththere? that Gothelindis caused her death!"

  "Come forth, Syrus, and speak!" said Cassiodorus. "I answer for thetruth of this man."

  The slave advanced, bent his head reverently, and said:

  "For twenty years I have had the superintendence of the sluices of thelake and the waterworks of the baths in the villa; none beside me knewthe secret. When Queen Gothelindis bought the estate, all the slavesand personal servants of Cassiodorus were sent away; I alone remained.Early one morning, the Princess Amalaswintha landed at the island, andthe Queen soon followed. The latter at once sent for me, said she wouldtake a bath, and ordered me to give her the keys of all the sluices ofthe lake and the pipes of the baths, and to explain to her the wholeplan of the works. I obeyed; gave her the keys and the plan drawn uponparchment, but warned her seriously not to open all the sluices, nor tolet all the pipes play, for it might cost her her life. But she angrilyrebuked me, and I heard that she ordered her slave to fill the kettles,not with warm, but with hot water. I went away; but, anxious for hersafety, I remained in the vicinity of the baths. After some time, Iheard, by the violent roaring and rushing, that notwithstanding, and inspite of, my advice, the Queen had let in the whole water of the lake.At the same time I heard the steaming water rise hissing through allthe pipes in the walls; and, as it seemed to me, I heard, dulled by themarble walls, fearful cries for help. I hurried to the outer gallery ofthe baths to save the Queen. But what was my surprise when, at thecentral point of the works, at the Medusa's head, I saw the Queen, whomI thought in danger of death in the bath, standing quietly outside,completely clothed. She pressed the springs, and exchanged angry wordswith some one who was calling for help within. Horrified, and partlyguessing what was going forward, I crept away, happily unobserved."

  "What, coward?" cried Witichis, "thou couldst guess what was passingand creep away!"

  "I am only a slave, sir, no hero, and if the Queen had noticed me, Ishould certainly not be standing here to bear witness against her.Shortly afterwards a report was spread that the Princess Amalaswinthawas drowned in the bath."

  Loud murmurs and angry cries rang through the assembled crowd.

  Arahad cried triumphantly: "Now, Earl Witichis, wilt thou still defendher?"

  "No," answered Witichis, and sheathed his sword, "I defend nomurderess! My office is at an end."

  With this he went over from the left to the right, amongst theaccusers.

  "You, ye free Goths, have now to find the verdict, and administerjustice," said Hildebrand. "I have only to execute what you pronounce;so I ask you, ye men of judgment, what think ye of this accusation,which Earl Arahad, son of Aramuth the Woelfung, has brought againstGothelindis, the Queen? Speak! is she guilty of murder?"

  "Guilty! guilty!" shouted many thousand voices, and not a voice said"no."

  "She is guilty," said the old man, rising. "Speak, complainant, whatpunishment dost thou demand for this crime?"

  Arahad lifted his sword towards heaven.

  "I appealed against murder, I appealed against blood! She shall die thedeath!"

  And before Hildebrand could put his question to the people, the crowdwas filled with angry emotion, every man's sword flew from its sheathand flashed in the sun, and every voice shouted, "She shall die thedeath!"

  The words rolled like a terrible thunder, bearing the people's judgmentover the wide plain till the echo died away in the distance.

  "She dies the death," said Hildebrand, "by the axe. Up, soldiers, andsearch for her."

  "Hold," cried Hildebad, coming forward, "our sentence will be hard tofulfil, so long as this woman is the wife of our King. Therefore Idemand that the Assembly at once examine into the accusation that wecarry in our hearts against Theodahad, who governs a people of heroesso unheroically. I will give words to this accusation. Mark well, Iaccuse him of treachery, not only of incapability to lead and save us.I will be silent on the fact that, without his knowledge, his Queencould scarcely have cooled her hate in Amalaswintha's blood; I will notspeak of the warning which the latter sent to us, in her last words,against Theodahad's treachery; but is it not true that he deprived thewhole southern portion of the realm of men, weapons, horses, and ships?that he sent all the forces to the Alps, so that the degenerate Greekswon Sicily, and entered Italy without a blow? My poor brother, Totila,stands alone against them, with a mere handful of soldiers. Instead ofdefending his rear, the King sent Witichis, Teja and me to the north.We obeyed with heavy hearts, for we guessed where Belisarius wouldland. We advanced slowly, expecting to be recalled at every moment. Invain. Already there ran a report through the places which we passedthat Sicily was lost, and the Italians, who saw us march to the north,pulled mocking faces. We had accomplished a few days' march along thecoast, when a letter from my brother Totila reached me: 'Has then, likethe King, the whole nation, and my brother also, forsaken and forgottenme?' it said. 'Belisarius has taken Sicily by surprise. He has landedin Italy. The population join him. He presses forward to Neapolis. Ihave written four letters to King Theodahad for help. All in vain.Received not a single sail. Neapolis is in great danger. Save, saveNeapolis and the kingdom!'"

  A cry of dismay and anger ran through the listening crowd.

  "I wanted," continued Hildebad, "to return immediately with all ourthousands, but Earl Witichis, my commander, would not suffer it. Icould only persuade him to halt the troops, and hasten here with a fewhorsemen to warn, to save, to revenge! For I cry for revenge, revengeupon King Theodahad. It was not only folly and weakness, it wasknavery, to expose the south to the enemy. This letter proves it. Mybrother warned him four times in vain. He delivered him and the realminto the enemy's hands. Woe to us if Neapolis falls, or has alreadyfallen! Ha! he who is guilty of this shall reign no longer, no longerlive! Tear the crown of the Goths, which he has dishonoured, from hishead! Down with him! Let him die!"

  "Down with him! Let him die!" thundered the people, in a mighty echo.

  The storm of their fury seemed irresistible, and capable of destroyingwhatever opposed it.

  Only one man remained quiet and composed in the midst of the turbulentcrowd. It was Earl Witichis.
He sprang upon one of the old stonesbeneath the oak, and waited till the tumult was somewhat appeased.

  Then he lifted his voice, and spoke with the clear simplicity which sowell became him.

  "Countrymen! companions! hear me! You are wrong in your sentence. Woeto us if, in the Gothic nation, by whom, since the days of ourforefathers, right has been ever honoured, hate and force should sit onthe throne of justice! Theodahad is a bad and weak King. He shall nolonger hold the reins of the kingdom alone. Give him a guardian, as ifto a minor! Depose him if you like; but you may not demand his death,his blood! Where is the proof of his treachery? or that Totila'smessage reached him? See, you are silent! Be wary of injustice! Itdestroys nations!"

  As he stood on his elevated place in the full blaze of the sun, helooked great and noble, full of power and dignity. The eyes of themultitude rested with admiration upon him who seemed so superior tothem all in nobility, temperance, and clear-sighted composure. A solemnpause followed.

  Before Hildebad and the people could find an answer to the man whoseemed to be Justice personified, the general attention was drawn awayto the thick forest which bounded the view to the south, and whichsuddenly seemed to become alive.