A few days later Mataswintha again repaired to the camp, this time
unaccompanied by Aspa, for the latter never stirred, by day or night,
from the bedside of her wounded countryman, who was rapidly recovering
under her careful nursing.
King Witichis himself came to fetch the Queen with all his court, for a
most important council of war was to be held in his tent. The arrival
of the last reinforcements had been reported, and Guntharis and
Hildebad were also expected to return with the reply of Belisarius to
the proposal of peace.
"This will be a fateful day," said Witichis to his consort. "Pray to
Heaven for peace."
"I pray for war," said Mataswintha, with a fixed stare.
"Does thy woman's heart so long for revenge?"
"For revenge alone, and it will be mine!"
They entered the tent, which was already crowded with Gothic leaders.
Mataswintha returned their reverent greetings with a haughty bend of
her neck.
"Are the ambassadors here?" the King asked old Hildebrand, as he seated
himself. "Then bring them in."
At a sign from the old man, the curtains at the side of the tent were
withdrawn, and Duke Guntharis and Hildebad entered, bowing low.
"What bring you, peace or war?" Witichis asked eagerly.
"War! war, King Witichis!" cried both men with one voice.
"What! Belisarius refuses the sacrifice I offered him? Hast thou
communicated my proposal to him in a friendly and earnest manner?"
Duke Guntharis stepped forward and answered:
"I met the commander in the Capitol, as the guest of the Prefect, and I
said to him: 'The Gothic King, Witichis, sends thee greeting. In thirty
days he will march before these walls with a hundred and fifty thousand
valiant Goths, and there will be a strife and struggle for this
venerable city, such as her bloodstained soil has not witnessed for a
thousand years. The King of the Goths loves peace even more than
victory, and he swears to yield the island of Sicilia to the Emperor
Justinian, and stand by him in every war with thirty thousand Goths, if
you will at once evacuate Rome and Italy, which belong to us by right
of conquest, as well as according to the treaty with Emperor Zeno, who
conceded them to Theodoric when he had overthrown Odoacer.' Thus I
spoke, according to thy command. But Belisarius laughed, and cried:
'Witichis is very kind to yield to me the island of Sicilia, which
belongs to me already, and is no more his. I will give him instead the
island of Thule! No. The treaty of Theodoric with Zeno was a forced
one, and as to the right of conquest--well, that speaks now for us. No
peace except upon these conditions: that the whole Gothic army lay down
their arms, and the entire nation march over the Alps, sending their
King and Queen as hostages to Byzantium.'"
A murmur of indignation ran through the tent.
"Without making any reply to such a proposition," continued Guntharis,
"we turned our backs angrily and departed. 'We shall meet again in
Ravenna!' Belisarius cried after us."
"Then I turned," added Hildebad, "and cried: 'We shall meet again
before Rome!' Up, King Witichis! to arms! Thou hast done thine utmost
for peace, and hast only reaped humiliation. Up, then! Long enough hast
thou lingered and prepared; lead us now to battle!"
Just then a flourish of trumpets was heard in the camp, followed by the
sound of the hoof-beats of approaching horses.
Presently the curtain of the tent was lifted, and Totila entered in his
shining armour, his white mantle floating round him.
"Hail, my King and my Queen!" he said, bowing, "My mission is
fulfilled, I bring you the friendly greeting of the Frank King. He had
an army ready for the service of Byzantium, and prepared to attack
thee. I succeeded in changing his intentions. His army will not enter
Italy against the Goths. Duke Markja of Mediolanum, who, until now, has
defended the Cottian Alps against the Franks, is therefore free. He
follows me in haste with all his thousands. On my way hither I gathered
together whatever men I found capable of bearing arms, and also the
garrisons of the fortresses. Further: until now we were short of
cavalry. Be comforted, my King! I bring thee six thousand horsemen,
splendidly mounted. They long to caper upon the plains of Rome. _One_
wish alone dwells in all our hearts: lead us to battle, to Rome!"
"Thanks, my friend, to thee and to thy horsemen! Speak, Hildebrand, how
is the army now divided? Tell me, generals, how many men does each one
of you command? Notaries, write the numbers down."
"I command three thousand foot-soldiers," cried Hildebad.
"And I forty thousand foot and horse with shield and spear," said Duke
Guntharis.
"I lead forty thousand foot: archers, slingers, and spear-bearers,"
said Earl Grippa of Ravenna.
"I seven thousand with knives and clubs," counted Hildebrand.
"Then come Totila's six thousand horse, and fourteen selected thousands
led by Teja, with battle-axes--where is he? I miss him here--and I have
raised the number of my troops, foot and horse, to fifty thousand,"
concluded the King.
"Altogether that makes a hundred and sixty thousand," said the
protonotary, writing down the numbers, and handing the parchment to the
King.
A ray of warlike joy and exultation spread over the face of Witichis.
"A hundred and sixty thousand Gothic warriors! Belisarius, shall they
lay down their arms before thee without a struggle?--What repose do you
need before the march?"
Just then Teja hurried into the tent. As he entered he caught the last
question. His eyes flashed; he trembled with rage.
"Repose? not an hour longer; up! revenge, King Witichis! a monstrous
crime has been committed, which cries to Heaven for vengeance. Lead us
at once to battle!"
"What has happened?"
"One of Belisarius's generals, the Hun Ambazuch, besieged, as thou
knowest, the fortress of Petra with his Huns and Armenians. There was
no relief for the garrison far and near. Only young Earl Arahad--he
surely sought death--attacked the superior force with his small troop;
he fell in brave combat. The little company of armed Goths in the
fortress resisted desperately, for all the helpless people of the
Goths, the Aged, the sick, women and children, coming from the plains
of Tuscany, Valeria, and Picenum, and amounting to some thousands, had
taken refuge in the fortress from the enemy. At last famine compelled
them to open the gates, with the stipulation that they should be
allowed to leave unhurt. The Hun swore that he would not allow a drop
of Gothic blood to be shed. He entered, and ordered the Goths to
assemble in the Great Basilica of St. Zeno. This they did, above five
thousand people and a few hundred warriors. And when they were all
assembled----"
Teja paused with a shudder.
"Well?" asked Mataswintha, turning pale.
"The Hun closed the doors, surrounded the church with his troops--and
burnt all the five thousand, together with the church."
"And his promise!" cried Witichis.
"Yes, so cried the desperate people amidst the smoke and flames! 'My
promise?' laughed the Hun, 'it will be fulfilled: not a drop of blood
will be shed. 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! Lead us to revenge!"
"Lead us to battle! lead us to revenge!" echoed the Goths with a shout.
Witichis rose with quiet majesty.
"So be it! the extremity has been reached. And our best armour is our
right. To arms!"
And he gave the parchment, which he held in his hand, to Mataswintha,
in order to take up the blue banner which hung over his chair.
"You see this old banner of Theodoric; he has carried it from victory
to victory. It is now, alas, in weaker hands than his; but do not be
discouraged. You know well that a foolish confidence is not in my
nature, but this time I tell you beforehand that a present victory
rustles in the folds of this flag--a great, proud, and avenging
victory! Follow me! The army will march at once. Generals, order your
troops. To Rome!"
"To Rome!" was echoed through the tent. "To Rome!"