Witichis

“ Hildebrand spoke:
"What dost thou mean, my son?"
"Hildebad and Totila do not see any danger; thou and Witichis see it and hope; but I saw it long ago, and have no hope."
"Thou seest too darkly; who dare despair before the battle?" said Witichis.
"Shall we perish with our swords in the sheath, without a struggle and without fame?" cried Totila.
"Not without a struggle, my Totila, and not without fame, I am sure," answered Teja, slightly swinging his battle-axe. "We will fight so that it shall never be forgotten in all future ages; fight with highest fame, but without victory. ”

“ It shall not be said of Cethegus that he does not understand magnanimous words. It is as you say. I shall keep my Rome Roman with all my might."
"Good!" said Witichis. "See, I have been warned against your wiles; I know much of your secret plans; I guess still more; and I know that I have no weapon against deceit. But you are no liar. I knew that a manly word would touch you; and trust disarms every enemy who is worthy of being called a man."
"You honour me. King of the Goths. That I may deserve your trust, let me warn you. Do you know who are the warmest friends of Belisarius?" ”

“ Witichis, I ask thee before Teja--thou knowest how things stand: without Ravenna we are lost: Mataswintha's hand alone can open its gates--wilt thou take this hand or not?"
Witichis sprang from his seat.
"Yes, our enemies are right! We are barbarians! Before this heartless old man stands a splendid woman, unparalleled for her griefs as for her fidelity ”

“ Without resistance, they marched through the murmuring groups; and while Earl Teja and Hildebad guarded the gates and terraces of the palace, Witichis and Hildebrand arrived in the King's rooms just in time to hear the last words of the ambassador.
Wheeling to the right, they placed their followers near the throne, to which the King had just retreated; and Witichis, leaning on his long sword, went close up to Petros, and looked keenly into his eyes.
A pause of expectation ensued.
"Who dares," asked Witichis quietly, "to play the master here in the royal palace of the Goths?" ”

“ Farewell! Guard our Rome! From you I will demand her again in honourable combat."
And he left the house.
"Well!" said Teja, who waited outside with the other Goths. "Shall I storm the house?"
"No," said Witichis; "he has given his word."
"If he will only keep it!"
Witichis started back in indignation.
"Teja! thy gloomy mind renders thee too unjust! Thou hast no right to doubt a hero's honour. Cethegus is a hero!"
"He is a Roman! Good-night!" said Teja, sheathing his sword. And he turned another way with his Goths.
But Cethegus tossed all night upon his couch. He was at variance with himself. ”

“ The Goths must be burnt out of Italy, like field-mice and vermin.' And so the Byzantines looked on, while five thousand Goths, aged men, women, sick people, and children--King Witichis, dost thou hear?--children! were miserably suffocated and burnt to death! Such things happen, and thou--thou sendest offers of peace! Up, King Witichis!" cried the enraged man, drawing his sword. "If thou be a man, set forth at once to revenge thy people! The spirits of the murdered will march before us. Lead us to battle! ”

“ Then there will be peace in East and West."
"We have no ships against Byzantium," said Witichis.
"And the Franks are seven to one against us," said Hildebrand. "But thy intentions are valiant, Hildebad. Say, what advisest thou, Witichis?"
"I advise a league--weighted with oaths, secured with hostages--of all the Northern races against the Greeks."
"Thou believest in fidelity, because thou thyself art true. My friend, only the Goths can help the Goths. But they must be reminded that they are Goths. Listen to me. You are all young, love all manner of things, and have many pleasures. ”

“ They all hate us. Woe to us, if they did not fear us. Calpurnius, our neighbour, is so insolent when he knows thou art absent, and the Roman slaves are disobedient and false; our Gothic servants alone are good."
Witichis sighed. They had now arrived at the house, and sat down at a marble table under the colonnade.
"Thou must remember," said Witichis, "that our neighbour was forced to give up to us the third part of his estate and slaves."
"And has kept two-thirds, and his life into the bargain--he ought to thank God!" answered Rauthgundis contemptuously. ”

“ Nothing more could be got out of the taciturn old man.
Some hours after, Witichis sent for the three leaders. To their astonishment, they found him in full armour, although he was obliged, while standing, to support himself on his sword. On a table near him lay his crown-shaped helmet and a sceptre of white ivory, surmounted with a golden ball. ”

“ I swear it by the God of heaven and by my faith.' Well, Witichis, son of Waltaris, King of the Goths, I now remind thee of that double oath. I ask thee whether thou wilt sacrifice, as thou hast sworn to do, thy wife and thy happiness to the people of the Goths? See, I too have lost three sons for this people, and, without shrinking, I have sacrificed and condemned my grandchild, the last scion of my race. Speak, wilt thou do the like? Wilt thou keep thine oath? or wilt thou break it and live accursed? cursed by the living and cursed amongst the dead? ”

“ Teja was about to leave the tent.
Hildebrand stopped him.
"Remain," he said; "we dare not hide it from him any longer. King! the Goths murmur. To-day they would not obey thee; the attack is impossible."
"Stand things so?" said Witichis bitterly. "The attack is impossible? Then only one thing remains: the course which I should have taken yesterday--then those three thousand would have been still living. Go, Hildebad, take that crown and sceptre! Go to the rebels' camp; lay them at the feet of young Arahad; tell him that he may woo Mataswintha; I and my army will greet him as our King." ”

“ He suddenly came forward, and called to Witichis's soldiers who were standing below, praising their King.
"Indeed?" he cried; "is it acting nobly and rightly to attack us like a madman, instead of giving an answer to our moderate demand? And he could so easily spare the blood of the Goths! We only want Mataswintha for our Queen! Well, can he not remain King? Is it so hard to share throne and couch with the most beautiful woman in the world, with the Princess Beautiful-hair,' of whose charms the singers sing in the streets? Must so many thousand brave Goths die, rather than that? ”

“ Give at once the command for a second attack!"
"How! what!" cried the three leaders like one man.
"It cannot be helped," repeated the King. "How many thousands hast thou brought us, Hildebad?"
"Three; but they are dead tired from the march. They cannot fight to-day."
"Then we will storm alone again," said Witichis, taking his spear.
"King," said Teja, "we did not win a single stone of the fortress yesterday, and to-day we have nine thousand men less----"
"And those not wounded are faint, their weapons and their courage broken."
"We must have Ravenna!" repeated Witichis. ”

“ Before he could continue, Totila, Hildebad, Hildebrand, and several other Goths rushed into the tent.
"Does he know!" asked Totila.
"Not yet," said Teja.
"Rebellion!" cried Hildebad, "rebellion! Up, King Witichis! Defend thy crown! Off with the boy's head!"
"What has happened?" asked Witichis quietly.
"Earl Arahad of Asta, the vain fool! has rebelled. Immediately after you had been chosen King, he rode off to Florentia, where his elder brother, Guntharis, the proud Duke of Tuscany, lives and rules. There the Wölfungs have found many adherents. ”

“ Calpurnius recognised the Goth.
"Witichis!" he cried in terror, and his arm fell powerless at his side.
But his horse saved him. Wounded and startled by the fall of Kuturgur, it galloped wildly away. Antallas threw himself furiously upon the King of the Goths, who was far in advance of his men.
"Down, madman!" he cried.
But the next moment he was slain by Witichis, who irresistibly, trampled down all those who stood in his path.
Through the crowd of Hunnish cavalry, who, terrified at his look, yielded to right and left, Witichis pursued Calpurnius. ”

“ Amelungs and Balthes have ousted my family from the place which belonged to it among the people of the Goths."
"At this moment," answered Witichis, "thou hast redeemed that place. The Goths shall never forget that the generosity of the Wölfungs has saved them from a civil war."
"And, as a sign of this, thou wilt give us the right to bear the standard of the Goths before the troops in every battle?"
"Be it so," said the King, giving him his right hand; "and none can be more worthy." ”

“ Well, there are Byzantines enough to take a small army prisoner! Friend Procopius is prudent. There! Witichis appears at the door. His Goths are still far behind upon the staircase. The King's horse is led forward. Bessas holds the stirrups. Witichis is close to it; he lifts his foot. Now comes a blast of trumpets. The door of the staircase is closed and the Goths shut into the palace! Procopius tears down the Gothic flag on the roof. Johannes takes the King's right arm--bravo, Johannes! The King defends himself valiantly--but his long mantle hinders him--he staggers! He falls to the ground! ”

“ Tell me one thing more, Witichis. Wherefore hast thou not rather sacrificed thy crown, even thy life, than thy wife?"
"Because it would have been the certain destruction of the kingdom. Twice I would have yielded the crown to Earl Arahad; twice the leaders of my army swore that they would never acknowledge him. Three, four Gothic kings might have been chosen, but, by my honour, Earl Arahad would never have been acknowledged. Then I tore my wife from my bleeding heart; and now, Duke Guntharis, remember thou also the people of the Goths. The House of the Wölfungs is lost if the Goths are lost. ”

“ The possession of this country will not be decided by the schemes of the priesthood."
"Well," said Cethegus, taking the roll of papyrus, "I have here, accidentally, the names of his warmest friends; there are men of importance amongst them."
He would have pressed the list upon Witichis, hoping that then the Goths would take his most dangerous enemies away with them.
But Witichis refused the list.
"'Tis no matter! I shall take no hostages at all. Of what use is it to take off their heads? You, shall answer to me for Rome."
"What do you mean by that? I cannot keep Belisarius away." ”

“ Against North-men strength is a good thing. But this Southern folk," he continued angrily, "fight from towers and battlements. They carry on war as they might make a reckoning, and at last they reckon a host of heroes into a corner, where they can neither budge nor stir. I know one such arithmetician in Byzantium, who is himself no man, but conquers men. Thou, too, knowest him, Witichis?" So asking, he turned to the man with the sword.
"I know Narses," answered Witichis reflectively. He had become very grave. "What thou hast said, son of Hilding, is, alas! too true. ”

“ And, amidst the loud applause of the Assembly, the stately youth drew his 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 forward opposite to the complainant. "Art thou so old, and knowest so well what is just, Master Hildebrand, and allowest thyself to be carried away by the 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 the accused."
"No woman may enter the Ting of the Goths," said Hildebrand quietly. ”

“ In bloody earnest the sword is the only weapon that serves a man at the last, when death so presses on him from all sides that he has no space for throwing. And for that I praise Earl Witichis, of Fæsulæ! He is my man! What a breaking of skulls was there in the war with the Gepidæ! The man cleaved through steel and leather as if it were dry straw! He is still more valiant than my own duke, Guntharis the Wölfung, in Florentia. But what do you youngsters know about it?--Look! the first arrivals are coming down the hill. ”

“ We must away at once! He approaches; he presses forward with a strong force."
"Who?" asked Arahad hastily.
"He says he comes to set her free. He has gained a victory--the Peasant-King! He has beaten our outposts at Castrum Sivium."
"Who?" now asked Mataswintha eagerly.
"Well," cried Guntharis angrily, "thou mayest as well know it; it can be no longer concealed--Earl Witichis of Fæsulæ!"
"Witichis!" cried Mataswintha with beaming eyes and a beating heart.
"Yes; the rebels at Regeta, forgetting the rights of the nobility, have chosen him King of the Goths." ”

“ Up! people of the Goths, ye are free! Freely choose a rightful king, who will lead you to victory and glory! The throne is vacant. Goths, I call upon you to choose a king!"
"Let us choose a king!" was the answer, in a solemn and mighty chorus.
Then Witichis mounted the Ting-seat, took off his helmet, and raised his right hand.
"Thou, God, who rulest the stars, knowest that we are not moved by unwise delight in disobedience, or by wantonness. We use the sacred right of necessity. We honour the right of royalty, the glory which beams from the crown ”

“ No more shall Gothic blood flow from wounds made by Gothic weapons. Wait patiently here. Thou, Hildebad, open the gate for me. None shall follow me. I alone go to the rebels. Thou, Earl Teja, control the troops until I return. But thou, Hildebrand," he cried, raising his voice, "ride to the gates of Ravenna, and loudly bid them open. Their desire is fulfilled, and, before evening, we will enter: King Witichis and Queen Mataswintha." ”