A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XXI.

  The King had left the breach in the wall and the Tower of AEtius to thecare of Hildebad, and hurried at once to the place of theconflagration.

  When he arrived he found the fire dying out--but merely for want ofmore combustibles.

  The whole contents of the magazines, together with the wooden walls androofs, and everything that could burn, had been destroyed; not aremnant of corn nor a splinter of wood was left. The naked smoke andsoot-blackened stone walls of the marble Circus alone still rose intothe sky. Not a sign of its having been struck by lightning could beseen. The fire must have glimmered for some time after the lightninghad kindled the woodwork, and spread slowly and unseen through theinterior of the building; and when smoke and flame had burst throughthe apertures in the roof, it was too late to save the structure. Theinhabitants had enough to do to save the neighbouring houses, of whichmany had already caught fire in various places.

  The rain, which began to fall shortly before daybreak, came to theirassistance. The wind, thunder and lightning had ceased; but when thesun broke through the clouds it only illumined, instead of thegranaries, a miserable heap of rubbish and ashes in the middle of themarble Circus.

  The King leaned against one of the pillars of the Basilica, sadly andsilently looking at the ruins.

  For a long time he stood motionless, only sometimes he drew his mantlemore closely over his heaving chest.

  A painful resolution was ripening in his soul, which seemed to havebecome as still as the grave.

  But round about him the place was full of the misery of the poor peopleof Ravenna, who prayed, scolded, wept and cursed.

  "Oh! what will now become of us?"--"Oh, how sweet and good and whitewas the bread which we received but yesterday!"--"What shall we eatnow?"--"Bah, the King must help us."--"Yes, the King must give usbread."--"The King? Ah, the poor man! where will he get it?"--"He hasno more."--"That's another thing!"--"He alone has brought us to thispass!"--"It is his fault!"--"Why did he not surrender the city to theEmperor long ago?"--"Yes, to its rightful master!"--"Curses on thebarbarians! It is all their fault!"--"No, no, it is only theKing's fault!"--"Do you not understand? It is a punishment fromGod!"--"Punishment? Why? What wrong has he done? Has he not given breadto the people?"--"Then you do not know? How can a bigamist deserve thegrace of God? The wicked man has two wives. He lusted for the beauty ofMataswintha, and did not rest until she became his. He put away hislawful wife."

  Witichis indignantly descended the steps.

  He was disgusted with the people.

  But they recognised him.

  "There is the King! How gloomy he looks!" they called to each other,avoiding him.

  "Oh, I don't fear him! I fear hunger more than his anger. Give usbread. King Witichis! Do you hear? We are starving!" cried a ragged oldman, catching at the King's mantle.

  "Bread, King!"

  "Good King, bread!"

  "We are in despair!"

  "Help us!"

  And the crowd gathered round him with wild gestures.

  Quietly but decisively the King freed himself.

  "Have patience," he said gravely; "before the sun sets you shall havebread."

  And he hurried to his room.

  There a Roman physician and some of Mataswintha's attendants awaitedhim.

  "Sire," said the physician, "the Queen, your wife, is very sick. Theterrors of last night have disturbed her mind. She speaks as if indelirium. Will you not see her?"

  "Not now. Have a care of her."

  "With an air of great distress and anxiety she gave me this key," addedthe physician. "It appeared to be the principal subject of herwandering speeches. She took it from under her pillow, and she made meswear to give it into your own hands, as it was of great importance."

  With a bitter smile the King took the key and threw it on one side.

  "It is no longer of importance. Go; leave me: and send my secretary."

  An hour later, Procopius admitted Cethegus into the tent of thecommander-in-chief.

  As he entered, Belisarius, who was pacing to and fro with hasty steps,cried out:

  "This comes of your plans, Prefect--of your arts and lies! I alwayssaid that lies are the source of ruin. I do not understand such ways!Oh, why did I follow your advice? Now I am in great straits!"

  "What mean these virtuous speeches?" Cethegus asked Procopius.

  The latter handed him a letter.

  "Bead. These barbarians are unfathomable in their grand simplicity.They conquer the devil by virtue of their childlike minds. Read."

  And Cethegus read with amazement:

  "'Yesterday thou didst acquaint me with three things: that the Frankshad betrayed me; that thou, allied with them, wilt wrest the West fromthe ungrateful Emperor; and that thou offerest the Goths a freedeparture, unarmed, over the Alps. Yesterday I answered that the Gothswould never give up their arms, nor Italy, the conquest and inheritanceof their great King, and that I would rather fall here with my wholearmy than do so. This I answered yesterday. I say so still, althoughearth, air, fire, and water are allied against me. But last night, as Iwatched the flames which were devouring my stores, I felt sure of whatI have long dimly suspected. That a curse lies upon me. For my sake theGoths perish. This shall go on no longer. The crown upon my head hashitherto prevented me from taking an honourable course; it shallprevent me no longer. Thou art right to rebel against the false andungrateful Justinian! He is our enemy and thine. Well then--instead ofplacing thy confidence in an army of faithless Franks, place it in thewhole Gothic nation, whose strength and fidelity are known to thee!With the first thou wouldst share Italy; with us thou canst keep itall. Let me be the first to greet thee as Emperor of the West and Kingof the Goths. All the rights of my people remain untouched; thou simplytakest my place. I myself will set my crown upon thy head, and verily,no Justinian shall then tear it from thee! If thou rejectest thisoffer, prepare for such a battle as thou hast never yet fought. I willbreak into thy camp with fifty thousand Goths. We shall fall, but withus thy whole army. The one and the other. I have sworn it. Choose.

  "'WITICHIS.'"

  For one moment the Prefect was terribly alarmed. He cast a swift andsearching look at Belisarius.

  But a single glance sufficed to set him at ease.

  "It is Belisarius," he said to himself, "but it is always dangerous toplay with the devil. What A temptation!"

  He returned the letter, and said with a smile: "What an idea! To whatstrange things can desperation lead!"

  "The idea would not be bad," observed Procopius, "if----"

  "If Belisarius were not Belisarius," said Cethegus, smiling.

  "Spare your smiles," said Belisarius. "I admire the man, and I cannottake it amiss that he thinks I am capable of revolt. Have I notpretended to be so?" and he stamped his foot. "Now advise and help me!You have led me to this miserable alternative. I cannot say yes; and ifI say no--I may look upon the Emperor's army as annihilated, and, intothe bargain, must confess that I pretended to revolt!"

  Cethegus reflected in silence, slowly stroking his chin with his lefthand. Suddenly a thought seemed to flash across his mind. A ray of joybeautified his face.

  "In this way I can ruin them both," he said to himself.

  At this moment he was exceedingly contented with himself.

  But first he wished to make sure of Belisarius.

  "Reasonably, you can only do one of two things," he said hesitatingly.

  "Speak: I see neither the one nor the other."

  "Either really accept----"

  "Prefect!" cried Belisarius in a rage, and put his hand on his sword.Procopius caught his arm in alarm. "Not another such word, Cethegus, ifyou value your life!"

  "Or," continued Cethegus quietly, "seem to accept. Enter Ravennawithout a stroke of the sword, and send the Gothic crown, together withthe Gothic King, to Byzantium."

  "That is splendid!" cried Procopius
.

  "It is treason!" cried Belisarius.

  "It is both," said Cethegus calmly.

  "I could never look a Goth in the face again!"

  "It will not be necessary. You will take the King a prisoner toByzantium. The disarmed nation will cease to be a nation."

  "No, no, I will not do it."

  "Good. Then let your whole army make its will. Farewell, Belisarius. Igo to Rome. I have not the least desire to see fifty thousand Gothsfighting in despair. And how Emperor Justinian will praise thedestroyer of his best army!"

  "It is a terrible alternative!" cried Belisarius.

  Cethegus slowly approached him.

  "Belisarius," he said, with a voice which seemed to come from his veryheart, "you have often held me to be your enemy. And I am, in somesort, your adversary. But who can be near Belisarius in the field ofbattle and not admire him!" His manner had a suavity and solemnityseldom seen in the sarcastic Prefect. Belisarius was touched, and evenProcopius wondered. "I am your friend whenever possible. In this case Iwill prove my friendship by giving you good advice. Do you believe me,Belisarius?"

  And he laid his left hand upon the heroes shoulder, and offered him hisright, looking frankly into his eyes.

  "Yes," said Belisarius. "Who can mistrust such a look!"

  "See, Belisarius! Never has a noble man had such a distrustful masteras yours. The Emperor's last letter is the greatest offence to yourfidelity."

  "Heaven knows it!"

  "And never has a man"--here he took both the hands of Belisarius--"hada more splendid opportunity to put ignoble mistrust to shame, torevenge himself gloriously, and to prove his fidelity. You are accusedof aspiring to the Empire of the West! By God, you have it in yourpower! Enter Ravenna--let Goths and Italians do you homage and place adouble crown upon your head. Ravenna yours, with your blindly devotedarmy, the Goths and Italians--truly you are unassailable. Justinianwill tremble before Belisarius, and his haughty Narses will be but astraw against your strength. But you--who have all this in yourhand--you will lay all the glory and the power at your master's feetand say: 'Behold, Justinian, Belisarius would rather be your servant,than ruler of the Western Empire.' So gloriously, Belisarius, hasfidelity never yet been proved upon earth."

  Cethegus had hit the mark. The general's eyes flashed.

  "You are right, Cethegus. Come to my heart. I thank you. It is noblythought. O Justinian, you shall blush with shame!"

  Cethegus withdrew from the embrace, and went to the door.

  "Poor Witichis," whispered Procopius, as he passed; "he is sacrificedto this masterpiece of truth! Now he is indeed lost."

  "Yes," said Cethegus, "he is lost most surely."

  Outside the tent he added, as he threw his mantle over his shoulder:

  "But you, Belisarius, more surely still!"

  Arrived at his quarters, he found Lucius Licinius in full armour.

  "Well, general!" asked Lucius. "The city has not yet surrendered. Whenshall we fight?"

  "The war is over, my Lucius. Doff your arms and gird yourself for ajourney. This very day you must carry some private letters for me."

  "To whom?"

  "To the Emperor and Empress."

  "In Byzantium?"

  "No. Fortunately they are quite near, at the Baths of Epidaurus.Hasten! In fifteen days you must be back again. Not half a day later.The fate of Italy awaits your return."

  As soon as Procopius brought the answer of Belisarius to the GothicKing, the latter summoned to his palace the leaders of the army, theprincipal Goths, and a number of trustworthy freemen, and communicatedto them what had happened, demanding their acquiescence.

  At first they were exceedingly surprised, and complete silence followedhis words.

  At last Duke Guntharis, looking at the King with emotion, said:

  "The last of thy royal deeds, Witichis, is as noble, yea, nobler thanall thy former acts. I shall ever regret having once opposed thee.Long since I swore in my heart to atone by blindly obeying thee. Andtruly--in this case thou alone canst decide; for thy sacrifice is thegreatest--a crown! But if another than thou shalt be King--theWoelfung's can better endure to serve a stranger, a Belisarius, thansome other Goth. So I agree to what thou sayest, and tell thee thatthou hast acted well and nobly."

  "And I say no! a thousand times no!" cried Hildebad. "Think what youdo. A stranger at the head of the Goths!"

  "Have not other Germans done the same before us--Quadians; Herulians,and Markomannians?" said Witichis calmly. "Even our most gloriousKings--even Theodoric? They served the Emperor and received land inexchange. So runs the treaty with Emperor Zeno, by which Theodoric tookpossession of Italy. I do not count Belisarius less than Zeno, andmyself, truly, not better than Theodoric!"

  "Yes, if it were Justinian," interposed Guntharis.

  "Never would I submit to the false and cowardly tyrant!" criedHildebad.

  "But Belisarius is a hero--canst thou deny it? Hast thou forgotten howhe thrust thee off thy horse?"

  "May the thunder strike me if I forget it! It is the only thing in himwhich has ever pleased me."

  "And fortune is with him, as misfortune is with me. We shall be as freeas before, and only fight his battles against Byzantium. We shall berevenged on our common enemy."

  Almost all those present now agreed with the King.

  "Well, I cannot contradict you in words," said Hildebad; "my tongue hasever been more clumsy than my sword. But I feel sure that you arewrong. Had we but the Black Earl here, he would say what I can onlyfeel. May you never regret this step! But permit me to quit thismonstrous kingdom. I will never live under Belisarius. I will go insearch of adventures. With a shield and spear and a strong hand, a mancan go a great way."

  Witichis hoped to change the intention of his trusty comrade in privateconversation. At present he continued to carry forward that which hehad at heart.

  "You must know," he said, "that first of all Belisarius has made it acondition that nothing should be published until he has occupiedRavenna. It is to be feared that some of his leaders, with theirtroops, will hear nothing of a rebellion against Belisarius. These, aswell as the suspicious quarters of Ravenna, must be surrounded by theGoths and the trustworthy adherents of Belisarius before all is madeknown."

  "Take care," said Hildebad, "that you yourselves do not fall into atrap! We Goths should not try to spin such spiders' toils. It is as ifa bear should try to dance on a rope--he would fall, sooner or later.Farewell--and may this business turn out better than I expect. I go totake leave of my brother. He, if I know him, will soon reconcilehimself to this Roman-Gothic State. But Black Teja, I think, will goaway with me."

  In the evening a report ran through the city that terms of capitulationhad been made and accepted. The conditions were unknown. But it wascertain that Belisarius, at the desire of the King, had sent largestores of bread, meat, and wine into Ravenna, which were distributedamongst the poor.

  "He has kept his word!" cried the people; and blessed the name of theKing.

  Witichis now asked after the health of the Queen, and learned that shewas gradually recovering.

  "Patience," he said, taking a deep breath; "she also will soon be atliberty, and rid of me!"

  It was already growing dark, when a strong company of mounted Gothsmade their way through the city to the breach at the Tower of AEtius.

  A tall horseman went first. Then came a group, carrying a heavy burden,hidden by cloths and mantles, upon their crossed lances. Then the restof the men in full armour.

  "Unbolt the gate!" cried the leader; "we want to go out."

  "Is it thou, Hildebad?" asked Earl Wisand, who commanded the watch, andhe gave the order to open the gate. "Dost thou know that to-morrow thecity will surrender? Whither wilt thou go?"

  "To freedom!" cried Hildebad; and spurred his horse forward.