A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER II.

  In the peaceful light of late afternoon shone the chapel and conventwhich Valerius had built in order to release his daughter from theservice of the Church. It was situated at the foot of the Apennines, tothe northeast of Perusia and Asisum, and to the south of Petra andEugubium, upon a rocky precipice above the little town of Taginae.

  The cloister, built of the dark red stone of the neighbourhood,enclosed in its quadrangle a quiet garden, green with shrubberies.

  A cool arched passage ran round all its four sides, decorated in thegrave Byzantine style, with statues of the apostles, mosaics, andfrescoes on a golden background.

  This ornamentation consisted in symbolic pictures from the sacredwritings, especially from the Revelations of St. John, the favouriteGospel of that time.

  Solemn stillness reigned over the place. Life seemed excluded fromwithin these high and strong walls.

  Cypresses and arbor-vitae predominated in the groups of trees in thegarden, where the song of a bird was never heard. The strict conventualorder suffered no bird, lest the sweet song of the nightingale mightdisturb the pious souls in their devotions.

  It was Cassiodorus who, already inclined to a severe monastic rule whenminister of Theodoric, and full of Biblical learning, had sketched forhis friend Valerius the plan for the outer and inner government of thisconvent--similar to the rules of the monastery which he himself hadfounded at Squillacium--and had watched over its execution. His piousbut severe mind, so alienated from the flesh and the world, wasexpressed in the smallest details.

  The twenty widows and maidens who lived here as nuns passed their daysin prayer and psalm-singing, chastisement and penitence, and also inworks of Christian charity; for they visited the sick and the poor ofthe neighbourhood, comforting and nursing body and soul.

  It made a solemn, poetical, but very sad impression upon the beholderwhen one of these pious nuns came walking through the dark avenue ofcypresses, clad in a flowing dark-grey garment, which trailed on theground, and a white close-fitting kalantika upon her head, a costumewhich Christendom had received from the Egyptian priests of Isis.

  Before every cross of the many which were cut in the box-trees the nunsstood still and folded their hands in adoration. They always walkedalone, and dumb as shadows they glided past each other when theychanced to meet; for communication was reduced to the absolutelynecessary.

  In the middle of the garden a spring flowed from beneath adark-coloured rock, surrounded by cypresses; marble seats were fixed inthe rock.

  It was a retired, lovely spot; wild roses formed a sort of arbour, andalmost entirely concealed a rough bas-relief sculptured in the rock,representing the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

  Near this spring sat, eagerly reading in a roll of papyrus, a beautifulmaiden, clad in a snow-white garment, held up on the left shoulder by agolden clasp. A spray of ivy was twined in the dark brown hair, whichflowed back from the brow in soft waves. It was Valeria.

  When the columns of her home at Neapolis had been overthrown, she hadfound an asylum within these strong walls. She had become paler andgraver in this lonely dwelling, but her eyes still beamed with alltheir former beauty.

  She read with avidity; the contents of the papyrus seemed to entranceher; her finely-cut lips moved involuntarily, and at last she began toread aloud in a low voice:

  "His child to Hector of the brazen helm Was given in marriage; she it was who now Met him, and by her side the nurse, who bore Clasped to her breast, his all-unconscious child, Hector's loved infant, fair as morning star; Silent he smiled as on his boy he gazed, But at his side, Andromache in tears, Hung on his arm, and thus the chief addressed: 'Dear lord, thy dauntless spirit will work thy doom; Nor hast thou pity on this thy helpless child, Or me, forlorn to lie thy widow soon: For thee will all the Greeks with force combined Assail and slay: for me, 'twere better far, Of thee bereft, to lie beneath the sod; Nor comfort shall be mine, if thou be lost, But endless grief: to me nor sire is left, Nor honoured mother; But, Hector, thou to me art all in one, Sire, mother, brethren! thou, my wedded love!'"

  She read no further; her large eyes grew moist; her voice died away;her head sank upon her bosom.

  "Valeria!" said a mild voice, and Cassiodorus bent forward over hershoulder; "tears upon the book of comfort! But what do I see--the'Iliad?' Child, I gave you the Evangelists!"

  "Pardon me, Cassiodorus; my heart clings to other gods than yours. Youcannot imagine how, the more the shadow of earnest self-denial pressesupon me since I entered these walls, the more tenaciously my resistingheart holds fast to the last ties that bind me to the world. And mymind vacillates between disgust and love."

  At this moment a loud and cheerful sound broke the silence; a strangetone in these quiet precincts, which usually echoed only the low choralof the nuns.

  Trumpets sounded the merry signal of the Gothic horsemen. The tonespenetrated Valerians heart with a life-giving feeling. The gatekeepercame running from the dwelling-house.

  "Master," he cried, "bold horsemen are outside the gate. They make anoise and demand meat and drink. They will not be refused, and theirleader--there he is!"

  "Totila!" cried Valeria, and flew to meet her lover, who appeared inhis glittering armour and white mantle. "Oh, you bring me air andlife!"

  "And new hope and old love!" said Totila, and held her in a fastembrace.

  "Whence come you? How long you have been away!"

  "I come straightway from Paris and Aurelianum, from the courts of theFrank kings. Oh, Cassiodorus, how well off are those on the other sideof the mountains! What an easy life have they! There heaven and earthand tradition do not fight against their German spirit. The Rhenus andDanubius are near, and uncounted Germanic races dwell there in old andunbroken strength; we, on the contrary, are like an advanced outpost, aforlorn hope, a single block of rock, worn away by the enviouselements. But all the greater fame," he continued, drawing himself up,"if we can create and uphold a kingdom for the Germans in the centre ofthe country of the Romans! And what a magic lies in your fatherland,Valeria! And we have made it ours. How my heart rejoiced when olivesand laurels and the deep deep blue of heaven again greeted my eyes! Ifelt that if my people can victoriously sustain themselves in thiswondrous land, mankind will see its noblest ideal realised."

  Valeria pressed his hand.

  "And what have you accomplished?" asked Cassiodorus.

  "Much! Everything! At the court of the Merovingian, Childebert, Imet with ambassadors from Byzantium, who had already half persuadedhim to invade Italy as their allies. The gods--forgive me, piousfather--Heaven was with me and my words. I succeeded in alteringChildebert's sentiments. In the worst case, his weapons will remainneutral. But I hope he will send an army to our assistance."

  "Where did you leave Julius?"

  "I accompanied him to his lovely home, Avenio. There I left him amongblooming almond-trees and oleanders; there he wanders, no more with'Plato.' but almost always with 'Augustinus' in his hand; and dreamsand dreams of eternal peace between the nations, of perfect goodness,and of the kingdom of God! It is indeed lovely in those green vales;but I do not envy him his leisure. My ideal is folk and fatherland. Andmy only desire is to fight for this people of the Goths. Everywhere inmy backward journey I drove the people to arms. I already met threestrong troops on the way to Ravenna. I myself lead a fourth to ourbrave King. At last we shall advance against these Greeks, and thenrevenge for Neapolis!" and with flashing eyes he raised his spear. Hewas very beautiful to look upon.

  Valeria threw herself into his arms.

  "Oh see, Cassiodorus!" she cried; "this is _my_ world! _my_ joy! myheaven! Manly courage and the glitter of arms and love of one's people,and the soul moved with love and hate--does not this satisfy the humansoul?"

  "Yes; while happy and young! It is pain which leads the mind toheaven."

  "My pious father,"
said Totila, laying his right hand upon the shoulderof Cassiodorus, and drawing Valeria close to him with his left, "it illbecomes me to argue with you, who are older, wiser, and better. But Ifeel just the contrary. If I could ever doubt the goodness of God, itis when I see pain and undeserved suffering. When I saw my nobleMiriam's eyes extinguished in death, my doubting heart asked: 'Doesthere then exist no God?' In happiness and the sunshine of life is thegrace of the Supreme Being revealed to me. He certainly wills thehappiness of mankind--pain is His sacred secret; I trust that also thisriddle will be made clear to us. But meanwhile let us joyfully do ourbest upon earth, and allow no shadow to darken our minds too long. Inthis belief, Valeria, let us part. For I must go to King Witichis withmy troop."

  "You leave me? Already? Ah, when and where shall I see you again?"

  "You shall see me again; take my word in pledge. I know the day willcome when I shall have the right to take you from these gloomy wallsand lead you to life and sunshine. Meanwhile, do not allow yourself togive way to sad thoughts. The day of victory and happiness will come;and I rejoice that I draw my sword at once for my people and my love."

  While he was speaking the gatekeeper had brought a letter forCassiodorus.

  "I too must leave you, Valeria," said the latter. "Rusticiana, thewidow of Boethius, calls me to her death-bed. She wishes to ease hermind of old guilt. I go to Tifernum."

  "My way leads thither also; we will go together, Cassiodorus. Farewell,my Valeria!"

  After a brief leave-taking, the maiden watched her lover set forth.

  She climbed a small tower on the garden wall, and looked after him.

  She saw him swing himself into the saddle; she saw his horsemen gallopafter him.

  Their helmets glittered in the evening light; the blue flag flutteredmerrily in the wind; it was a picture of life, strength, and youth.

  She looked after the troop for some time with intense longing.

  But as it disappeared more and more into the distance, the joyouscourage with which her lover's visit had imbued her, gradually forsookher. Sad forebodings arose in her heart, and she unconsciouslyexpressed her feelings in the words of her beloved Homer:

  "'Achilles, too, thou see'st; how stalwart, tall, and fair! Yet must he yield to death and stubborn fate, Whene'er at morn, or noon, or eve, the spear Or arrow from the bow may reach his life.'"

  Sighing painfully, she left the quickly darkening garden, and enteredthe damp walls of the convent.