A Struggle for Rome, v. 3
Page 27
CHAPTER XI.
The power and glory of Totila were now at their height. His happinesswas completed by his union with Valeria.
The betrothal had just taken place in the church of St. Peter, and wassolemnised by Cassiodorus, assisted by Julius, now a Catholic priest,and also by an Arian minister. When Cassiodorus had betrothed thedaughter of his old friend to the King, and they had exchanged rings,the royal couple were led in solemn procession over the Janiculumtowards the right bank of the river, and across the Theodosian andValentinian Bridges, which were decorated with triumphal arches.Following the course of the river, the procession entered a villasituated on an eminence overlooking the river and the campagna, and thebetrothed couple took their places under a magnificent baldachin in thegreat hall.
There, before the assembled national army, under the golden shield ofthe King, which was hung upon his spear, the Roman bride stepped intothe right shoe of her Gothic bridegroom, while he laid his mailed righthand upon her head, which was covered with a transparent veil.
Thus the betrothal was completed according to ecclesiastical, Roman,and Germanic custom.
This ceremony over, Totila and Valeria took their seats at the centretable upon the terrace of the villa; Valeria surrounded by noble Romanand Gothic women, Totila by the dukes and earls of his army.
Grecian and Roman flute-players played and sang alternately; Romandances followed the sword-dance of the Gothic youths. Presently,dressed in a long, white festive garment, the hem embroidered in gold,and a wreath of laurel and oak-leaves upon his head, Adalgoth stoodforth in front of the royal pair, cast an inquiring look at his teacherin war and song. Earl Teja, who sat on the King's right hand, and, tothe accompaniment of his harp, sang in a clear voice:
"Hear, all ye people, far and near, Hear, Byzant', to thy dole: The Gothic King, good Totila, Thrones on the Capitol/
"No more is Belisarius' name In Rome with honour decked: Of Orcus, and no more of Rome Cethegus is Prefect.
"Of what leaves shall we weave the crown For good King Totila? Like sweetest rose upon his breast Blooms sweet Valeria.
"Peace, freedom, right, and law protect His shield, his star, his sword: _Olive_, thy peaceful spray now give, Give for the peaceful Lord!
"Who carried terror and revenge? Who bore the Grecians down? Come, _laurel_, leaf of victory, Make rich my hero's crown!
"But his victorious strength grew not From Roma's mouldering ground: With leaves of young Germanic _oak_ Let his young head be crowned.
"Hear, all ye people, far and near, Hear, Byzant', to thy dole: The Gothic King, young Totila, Thrones on the Capitol."
A burst of applause rewarded his song, during which a Roman youth and aGothic maiden, kneeling before Totila and Valeria, offered each a crownof roses, laurels, olive-leaves and oak-leaves.
"_Our_ songs are also not quite without sweetness, Valeria," saidTotila with a smile, "and not without strength and truth. I owe my lifeto this youthful minstrel." And he laid his hand upon Adalgoth's head."He struck thy countryman Piso, his colleague in the art of song, mostroughly upon his clever scanning fingers--as a punishment for havingwritten many a verse to my Valeria and raised the deadly steel againstme with one and the same hand!"
"There is one thing that I would rather have heard, my Adalgoth," Tejasaid to the boy in a low voice, "than your song of praise."
"What is that, my Earl of harp and sword?"
"The death-cry of the Prefect, whom thou hast only sent to hell in thyverse."
But Adalgoth was called away down the steps by a crowd of Gothicwarriors, who would not part with him for a long time; for his songpleased the Gothic heroes who had fought with Totila much better thanit will perhaps please you, my reader.
Duke Guntharis embraced and kissed Adalgoth and said, as he drew himaside:
"My young hero! What a resemblance! Whenever I see thee my firstthought is: Alaric!"
"Why, that is my battle-cry!" said Adalgoth, and, engaged inconversation, they disappeared amid the crowd.
At the same time the King looked back at the vestibule of the villa,for the performance of the flute-players stationed there was suddenlyinterrupted.
He quickly perceived the cause and started from his seat with a cry ofastonishment.
For between the two centre and flower-wreathed columns of the entrancestood a form which seemed scarcely human. A maiden of wondrous beauty,clad in a pure white garment, holding a staff in her hand, and with awreath of star-like flowers upon her head.
"Ah! what is that? Lives this charming figure?" the King asked.
And all the guests followed the direction of the King's eyes and themovement of his hand with equal wonder, for the small opening leftbetween the pillars by the masses of flowers was filled up by a morelovely form than their eyes had ever beheld.
The child, or girl, had fastened her shining white linen tunic upon herleft shoulder with a large sapphire clasp; her broad golden girdle wasset with a row of sapphires. The long and pointed sleeves of her dressfell from her shoulders like two white wings. Wreaths of ivy weretwined about her whole figure; in her right hand, which rested on herbosom, she held a shepherd's staff, wreathed with flowers; her lefthand carried a beautiful crown of wild-flowers and was laid upon thehead of a large shaggy dog, whose neck was likewise surrounded with awreath.
The girl looked without fear, but thoughtfully and examiningly, at thebrilliant assembly. For a while the guests stared and waited, and themaiden stood motionless. Then the King left his seat, went towards her,and said with a smile:
"Welcome to our feast, if thou art an earthly being. But if--which Ialmost believe--thou art the lovely Queen of the Elves--why then, bewelcome too! We will place a throne for thee high above the King'sseat." And with a graceful action he opened both his arms, inviting herto approach.
With a light and gentle step the maiden crossed the threshold of thevestibule and, blushing, replied:
"What sweet folly speakest thou, O King! I am no queen. I am Gotho, theshepherdess. But thou--I see it more by thy clear brow than by thydiadem--thou art Totila, the King of the Goths, whom they call the'King of joy.' I have brought flowers for thee and thy lovely bride. Iheard that this feast was to celebrate a betrothal. Gotho has nothingelse to give. I plucked and twined these flowers as I came through thelast meadow. And now, O King, protector of the orphan's right, hear andhelp me!"
The King again took his place near Valeria. The maiden stood betweenthem. Valeria took one of her hands; the King laid his hand upon herhead, and said:
"I swear to protect thee and thy rights by thine own lovely head. Whoart thou, and what is thy desire?"
"Sire, I am the grand-child and child of peasants. I have grown up insolitude amid the flowers of the Iffinger mountain. I had nothing dearto me on earth except my brother. He left me to seek thee. And when mygrandfather felt that he was dying, he sent me to thee to find mybrother and the solution of my fate. And he gave me old Hunibad fromTeriolis as a companion and protector. But Hunibad's wounds were notfully healed and soon re-opened, and he was obliged to stay sick atVerona. And I had to nurse him for a long time, until at last he diedtoo. And then I went alone, accompanied only by my faithful dog Brun,across all this wide hot country, until at last I found the city ofRome and thee. But thou keepest good order, O King, in thy land--thoudeservest all praise. Thy high-roads are watched day and night bysoldiers and horsemen. And they were friendly and good to the lonelywandering child. They sent me to the houses of good Goths at nightfall,where the housewife cherished me. And it is said that the law is sowell obeyed in thy realm, that a golden bracelet might be laid upon thehigh-road, and would be found again after many
many nights. In onetown, Mantua, I think it was called, just as I was crossing themarket-place, there was a great press, and the people ran together. Andthy soldiers led forth a Roman to die there, and cried: 'MarcusMassurius must die the death, at the King's command. The King set him,a prisoner of war, free, and the insolent Roman ravished a Jewish girl.Sang Totila has renewed the law of the great Theodoric.' And theystruck off his head in the open market-place, and all the people wereterrified at King Totila's justice. Now, my faithful Brun, thou mayestrest here; here no one will hurt thee. I have even ornamented _his_neck with flowers to-day, in honour of thee and thy bride."
She slightly struck the powerful dog on the head; he immediately wentup to the King's throne, and laid his left fore-foot confidingly uponthe King's knee. And the King gave him water to drink out of a flat,golden dish.
"For golden fidelity a golden dish," he said. "But who is thy brother?"
"Well," the girl answered thoughtfully, "from what Hunibad told meduring the journey and upon his sick-bed, I think that the name mybrother bears is not his real one. But he is easy to be known," sheadded, blushing. "His locks are golden-brown; his eyes are blue asthese shining stones; his voice is as clear as the note of the lark;and when he plays his harp, he looks up as if he saw the heavens open."
"Adalgoth!" cried the King.
"Adalgoth!" repeated all the guests.
The boy--he had heard the loud shout of his name--flew up the steps.
"My Gotho!" he exclaimed in a jubilant voice, and locked her in atender embrace.
"Those two belong to each other," said Duke Guntharis, who had followedthe youth.
"Like the dawn and the rising sun," added Teja.
"But now," said the girl, as she quietly withdrew from Adalgoth's arms,"let me fulfil my errand and the behest of my dying grandfather. Here,O King, take this roll and read it. In it is contained the fate ofAdalgoth and Gotho; the past and the present, said our grandfather."