Volume Iii Part 32 (2/2)
”What! the Augusta, my wife, who, since Belisarius returned to Byzantium for the second time, has always advocated peace--with a short exception--does she now, in such a time of danger, advise----”
”War!” cried Theodora, uncovering her face. And, in her intense earnestness, she looked more beautiful than she ever did when smiling in playful sport. ”Must I, your wife, remind you of your honour? Will you suffer these barbarians to fix themselves firmly in your Empire, and force you to their will? You, who dreamt of the re-establishment of the Empire of Constantine! You, Justinian, who have taken the names of Persicus, Vandalicus, Alanicus, and Gothicus--you will allow this Gothic stripling to lead you by the beard whithersoever he will? Are you not the same Justinian who has been admired by the world, by Byzantium, and by Theodora? Our admiration was an error!”
On hearing these words, the Patriarch of Byzantium--he still believed that the Emperor had irrevocably decided upon peace--took courage to oppose the Empress, who did not always. .h.i.t upon the strict definition of orthodoxy of which he was the representative.
”What!” he said, ”the august lady advises b.l.o.o.d.y war? Verily, the Holy Church has no need to plead for the heretic. Notwithstanding, the new King is wonderfully mild towards the Catholics in Italy; and we can wait for more favourable times, until----”
”No, priest!” interrupted Theodora; ”the outraged honour of this Empire can wait no longer! O Justinian!”--he still remained obstinately silent--”O Justinian, let us not be deceived in you! You dare not let that be wrung from you by defiance which you refused to humble pet.i.tions! Must I remind you that once before your wife's advice, and will, and courage, saved your honour? Have you forgotten the terrible rebellion of the Nika? Have you forgotten how the united parties of the Circus, of the frantic mob of Byzantium, attacked this house? The flames arose, and the cry of 'Down with the tyrants!' rang in our ears.
All your councillors advised flight or compliance; all these reverend bishops and wise senators, and even your generals; for Na.r.s.es was away in distant Asia, and Belisarius was shut up by the rebels in the palace on the sh.o.r.e. All were in despair. Your wife Theodora was the only hero by your side. If you had yielded or fled, your throne, your life, and most certainly your honour, would have been lost. You hesitated. You were inclined to fly. 'Remain, and die if need be,' I then said; 'but die in the purple!' And you remained, and your courage saved you. You awaited death upon your throne, with me at your side--and G.o.d sent Belisarius to our relief! I speak the same now. Do not yield. Emperor of the Romani--do not yield to the barbarians! Stand firm. Let the ruins of the Golden Gate overwhelm you if the axe of the terrible Goth can force it; but die an Emperor! This purple is stained by the immeasurable insolence of these Germans. I throw it from me, and I swear by the wisdom of G.o.d, never will I again resume it until the Empire is rid of the Goths!”
And she tore off her mantle and threw it down upon the steps of the throne. But then, greatly exhausted, she was on the point of sinking back into her seat when Justinia.n.u.s caught her in his arms and pressed her to his bosom.
”Theodora,” he cried, ”my glorious wife! You need no purple on your shoulders--your spirit is clothed in purple! You alone understand Justinian. War, and destruction to the Goths!”
At this spectacle the trembling senators were overwhelmed with terror and astonishment.
”Yes, wise fathers,” cried the Emperor, turning to the a.s.sembly, ”this time you were too clever to be men. It is indeed an honour to be called Constantine's successor, but it is no honour to be _your_ master! Our enemies, I fear, are right; Constantine only planted here the dead mummy of Rome, but the soul of Rome had already fled. Alas for the Empire! Were it free or a republic, it would now have sunk in shame for ever. It must have a master, who, when, like a lazy horse, it threatens to sink into the quagmire, pulls it up by the rein; a strong master with bridle, whip, and spurs!”
At this moment a little crooked man, leaning on a crutch, forced his way into the hall, and limped up to the steps of the throne.
”Emperor of the Romani,” he began, when he rose from his obeisance, ”a report reached me on my bed of pain of all that the barbarians had dared, and of what was going on here. I gathered all my strength and dragged myself here with difficulty, for, by one word from you, I must learn whether I have been a fool from the beginning in holding you to be a great ruler in spite of many weaknesses; whether I shall throw your marshal's staff into the deepest well, or still carry it with pride! Speak only one word: war or peace?”
”War! war!” cried Justinian, and his countenance beamed.
”Victory! Justinian!” cried the general. ”Oh, let me kiss your hand, great Emperor!” and he limped up the steps of the throne.
”But how is this, patrician, you have all at once become a man!” mocked the Empress. ”You were always against the war with the Goths. Have you suddenly become endowed with a sense of honour?”
”Honour!” cried Na.r.s.es, ”after that gay soap-bubble Belisarius, that great child, may run! Not honour but the Empire is at stake. As long as danger threatened from the east, I advised the Persian war. Nothing was to be feared from the Goths. But now your piety, O Empress, and Belisarius's hero-sword, have stirred up the hornets' nest so long, that at last the whole swarm flies dangerously into our faces. Now the danger threatens from that side, and I advise a Gothic war. The Goths are nearer to Byzantium than Chosroes to the eastern frontier. He who, like this Totila, can raise a kingdom from an abyss, can much more easily hurl another kingdom into an abyss. This young King is a worker of miracles, and must be stopped in time.”
”For this once,” said Justinian, ”I have the rare pleasure of finding my Empress and Na.r.s.es of one mind.”
He was on the point of dismissing the a.s.sembly, when the Empress caught his arm.
”Stay, my husband,” she said. ”To-day, for the second time, I have the honour to be proved your best adviser! Is it not so? Then listen to me and follow my further advice. Keep this wise a.s.sembly--all except Na.r.s.es--confined in this hall.--Do not tremble, Ill.u.s.trissimi; this time your lives are not in jeopardy. But you are unable to keep a secret; at least unless your tongues are slit. For this time, we will insure your silence by confinement.--There exists a conspiracy against your life, Justinian, or at least against your free will. A certain party had decided to force you to a war with the Goths. This object, truly, is now attained. But either to-night or to-morrow early the conspirators will again finally a.s.semble. We must allow them to do so.
We must not hinder them in their purpose by letting them know that their object is already planned. For dangerous persons--persons suspected long ago, and--O Justinian--very very _rich_ persons are concerned in it. It would be a pity if they escaped my snare.”
Justinian was not alarmed at the word conspiracy.
”I also knew of it,” he said. ”But is it already so far advanced?
To-morrow! Theodora,” he cried, ”you are more to the Empire than Belisarius or Na.r.s.es!--Captain of the Golden s.h.i.+elds, you will keep all present confined here until Na.r.s.es comes to fetch them. Meanwhile, my pious and wise fathers, reflect upon this hour and its teachings!
Na.r.s.es, follow us and the Empress.”
So saying, Justinian descended the steps of the throne. When he, with Theodora and Na.r.s.es, had left the Hall of Jerusalem, the entrance was immediately blocked with threatening spears.
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