Waverley Novels — Volume 12

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SECOND.

  But now the hand of fate is on the curtain, And brings the scene to light. DON SEBASTIAN.

  The gigantic trumpet of the Varangians sounded its loudest note ofmarch, and the squadrons of the faithful guards, sheathed in completemail, and enclosing in their centre the person of their Imperialmaster, set forth upon their procession through the streets ofConstantinople. The form of Alexius, glittering in his splendid armour,seemed no unmeet central point for the force of an empire; and whilethe citizens crowded in the train of him and his escort, there might beseen a visible difference between those who came with the premeditatedintention of tumult, and the greater part, who, like the multitude ofevery great city, thrust each other and shout for rapture on account ofany cause for which a crowd may be collected together. The hope of theconspirators was lodged chiefly in the Immortal Guards, who were leviedprincipally for the defence of Constantinople, partook of the generalprejudices of the citizens, and had been particularly influenced bythose in favour of Ursel, by whom, previous to his imprisonment, theyhad themselves been commanded. The conspirators had determined thatthose of this body who were considered as most discontented, shouldearly in the morning take possession of the posts in the lists mostfavourable for their purpose of assaulting the Emperor's person. But,in spite of all efforts short of actual violence, for which the timedid not seem to be come, they found themselves disappointed in thispurpose, by parties of the Varangian guards, planted with apparentcarelessness, but in fact, with perfect skill, for the prevention oftheir enterprise. Somewhat confounded at perceiving that a design,which they could not suppose to be suspected, was, nevertheless, onevery part controlled and counter-checked, the conspirators began tolook for the principal persons of their own party, on whom theydepended for orders in this emergency; but neither the Caesar norAgelastes was to be seen, whether in the lists or on the military marchfrom Constantinople: and though Achilles Tatius rode in the latterassembly, yet it might be clearly observed that he was rather attendingupon the Protospathaire, than, assuming that independence as an officerwhich he loved to affect.

  In this manner, as the Emperor with his glittering bands approached thephalanx of Tancred and his followers, who were drawn up, it will beremembered, upon a rising cape between the city and the lists, the mainbody of the Imperial procession deflected in some degree from thestraight road, in order to march past them without interruption; whilethe Protospathaire and the Acolyte passed under the escort of a band ofVarangians, to bear the Emperor's inquiries to Prince Tancred,concerning the purpose of his being there with his band. The shortmarch was soon performed--the large trumpet which attended the twoofficers sounded a parley, and Tancred himself, remarkable for thatpersonal beauty which Tasso has preferred to any of the crusaders,except Rinaldo d'Este, the creatures of his own poetical imagination,advanced to parley with them.

  "The Emperor of Greece," said the Protospathaire to Tancred, "requiresthe Prince of Otranto to show, by the two high officers who shalldeliver him this message, with what purpose he has returned, contraryto his oath, to the right side of these straits; assuring PrinceTancred at the same time, that nothing will so much please the Emperor,as to receive an answer not at variance with his treaty with the Dukeof Bouillon, and the oath which was taken by the crusading nobles andtheir soldiers; since that would enable the Emperor, in conformity tohis own wishes, by his kind reception of Prince Tancred and his troop,to show how high is his estimation of the dignity of the one, and thebravery of both--We wait an answer."

  The tone of the message had nothing in it very alarming, and itssubstance cost Prince Tancred very little trouble to answer. "Thecause," he said, "of the Prince of Otranto appearing here with fiftylances, is this cartel, in which a combat is appointed betwixtNicephorus Briennius, called the Caesar, a high member of this empire,and a worthy knight of great fame, the partner of the Pilgrims who havetaken the Cross, in their high vow to rescue Palestine from theinfidels. The name of the said Knight is the redoubted Robert of Paris.It becomes, therefore, an obligation, indispensable upon the HolyPilgrims of the Crusade, to send one chief of their number, with a bodyof men-at-arms, sufficient to see, as is usual, fair play between thecombatants. That such is their intention, may be seen from, theirsending no more than fifty lances, with their furniture and following;whereas it would have cost them no trouble to have detached ten timesthe number, had they nourished any purpose of interfering by force, ordisturbing the fair combat which is about to take place. The Prince ofOtranto, therefore, and his followers, will place themselves at thedisposal of the Imperial Court, and witness the proceedings of thecombat, with the most perfect confidence that the rules of fair battlewill be punctually observed."

  The two Grecian officers transmitted this reply to the Emperor, whoheard it with pleasure, and immediately proceeding to act upon theprinciple which he had laid down, of maintaining peace, if possible,with the crusaders, named Prince Tancred with the Protospathaire asField Marshals of the lists, fully empowered, under the Emperor, todecide all the terms of the combat, and to have recourse to Alexiushimself where their opinions disagreed. This was made known to theassistants, who were thus prepared for the entry into the lists of theGrecian officer and the Italian Prince in full armour, while aproclamation announced to all the spectators their solemn office. Thesame annunciation commanded the assistants of every kind to clear aconvenient part of the seats which surrounded the lists on one side,that it might serve for the accommodation of Prince Tancred's followers.

  Achilles Tatius, who was a heedful observer of all these passages, sawwith alarm, that by the last collocation the armed Latins wereinterposed between the Immortal Guards and the discontented citizens,which made it most probable that the conspiracy was discovered, andthat Alexius found he had a good right to reckon upon the assistance ofTancred and his forces in the task of suppressing it. This, added tothe cold and caustic manner in which the Emperor communicated hiscommands to him, made the Acolyte of opinion, that his best chance ofescape from the danger in which he was now placed, was, that the wholeconspiracy should fall to the ground, and that the day should passwithout the least attempt to shake the throne of Alexius Comnenus. Eventhen it continued highly doubtful, whether a despot, so wily and sosuspicious as the Emperor, would think it sufficient to rest satisfiedwith the private knowledge of the undertaking, and its failure, withwhich he appeared to be possessed, without putting into exercise thebow-strings and the blinding-irons of the mutes of the interior. Therewas, however, little possibility either of flight or of resistance. Theleast attempt to withdraw himself from the neighbourhood of thosefaithful followers of the Emperor, personal foes of his own, by whom hewas gradually and more closely surrounded, became each moment moreperilous, and more certain to provoke a rupture, which it was theinterest of the weaker party to delay, with whatever difficulty. Andwhile the soldiers under Achilles's immediate authority seemed still totreat him as their superior officer, and appeal to him for the word ofcommand, it became more and more evident that the slightest degree ofsuspicion which should be excited, would be the instant signal for hisbeing placed under arrest. With a trembling heart, therefore, and eyesdimmed by the powerful idea of soon parting with the light of day, andall that it made visible, the Acolyte saw himself condemned to watchthe turn of circumstances over which he could have no influence, and tocontent himself with waiting the result of a drama, in which his ownlife was concerned, although the piece was played by others. Indeed, itseemed as if through the whole assembly some signal was waited for,which no one was in readiness to give.

  The discontented citizens and soldiers looked in vain for Agelastes andthe Caesar, and when they observed the condition of Achilles Tatius, itseemed such as rather to express doubt and consternation, than to giveencouragement to the hopes they had entertained. Many of the lowerclasses, however, felt too secure in their own insignificance to fearthe personal consequences of a tumult, and were desirous, theref
ore, toprovoke the disturbance, which seemed hushing itself to sleep.

  A hoarse murmur, which attained almost the importance of a shout,exclaimed,--"Justice, justice!--Ursel, Ursel!--The rights of theImmortal Guards!" &c. At this the trumpet of the Varangians awoke, andits tremendous tones were heard to peal loudly over the whole assembly,as the voice of its presiding deity. A dead silence prevailed in themultitude, and the voice of a herald announced, in the name of AlexiusComnenus, his sovereign will and pleasure.

  "Citizens of the Roman Empire, your complaints, stirred up by factiousmen, have reached the ear of your Emperor; you shall yourselves bewitness to his power of gratifying his people. At your request, andbefore your own sight, the visual ray which hath been quenched shall bere-illumined--the mind whose efforts were restricted to the imperfectsupply of individual wants shall be again extended, if such is theowner's will, to the charge of an ample Theme or division of theempire. Political jealousy, more hard to receive conviction than theblind to receive sight, shall yield itself conquered, by the Emperor'spaternal love of his people, and his desire to give them satisfaction.Ursel, the darling of your wishes, supposed to be long dead, or atleast believed to exist in blinded seclusion, is restored to you wellin health, clear in eyesight, and possessed of every faculty necessaryto adorn the Emperor's favour, or merit the affection of the people."

  As the herald thus spoke, a figure, which had hitherto stood shroudedbehind some officers of the interior, now stepped forth, and flingingfrom him a dusky veil, in which he was wrapt, appeared in a dazzlingscarlet garment, of which the sleeves and buskins displayed thoseornaments which expressed a rank nearly adjacent to that of the Emperorhimself. He held in his hand a silver truncheon, the badge of delegatedcommand over the Immortal Guards, and kneeling before the Emperor,presented it to his hands, intimating a virtual resignation of thecommand which it implied. The whole assembly were electrified at theappearance of a person long supposed either dead, or by cruel meansrendered incapable of public trust. Some recognised the man, whoseappearance and features were not easily forgot, and gratulated him uponhis most unexpected return to the service of his country. Others stoodsuspended in amazement, not knowing whether to trust their eyes, whilea few determined malecontents eagerly pressed upon the assembly anallegation that the person presented as Ursel was only a counterfeit,and the whole a trick of the Emperor.

  "Speak to them, noble Ursel," said the Emperor. "Tell them, that if Ihave sinned against thee, it has been because I was deceived, and thatmy disposition to make thee amends is as ample as ever was my purposeof doing thee wrong."

  "Friends and countrymen," said Ursel, turning himself to the assembly,"his Imperial Majesty permits me to offer my assurance, that if in anyformer part of my life I have suffered at his hand, it is more thanwiped out by the feelings of a moment so glorious as this; and that Iam well satisfied, from the present instant, to spend what remains ofmy life in the service of the most generous and beneficent ofsovereigns, or, with his permission, to bestow it in preparing, bydevotional exercises, for an infinite immortality to be spent in thesociety of saints and angels. Whichever choice I shall make, I reckonthat you, my beloved countrymen, who have remembered me so kindlyduring years of darkness and captivity, will not fail to afford me theadvantage of your prayers."

  This sudden apparition of the long-lost Ursel had too much of thatwhich elevates and surprises not to captivate the multitude, and theysealed their reconciliation with three tremendous shouts, which aresaid to have shaken the air, that birds, incapable of sustainingthemselves, sunk down exhausted out of their native element.