THE VARANGIANS. 199 



men of the North in stature and weight, nor in firmness, either of 

 mind or body, were yet, even at this period, when luxury had 

 greatly enervated them, far from being generally a dwarfish or even 

 a weak people ; and though none could surpass the islanders in the 

 more straightforward and natural feats of activity, such as running 

 and leaping, the Greeks possessed a degree of flexibility which has 

 always been characteristic of the people of the East, and which may 

 be said to resemble more nearly that of some of the inferior animals, 

 than the agility of ordinary men. This sometimes served them even 

 in wrestling, in which, moreover, they had not entirely forgotten the 

 skill which their ancestors possessed, who were encouraged by the 

 lawgivers to practise those manly sports to which the Varangians 

 rushed, impelled only by natural inclination. In one of the rings, 

 a short thickset Greek had just been thrown, after a well-contested 

 struggle by one of his countrymen, a tall and exceedingly well made 

 young man, rather slender, indeed, but not deficient either in strength 

 or activity and possessing in its fullest extent that eel-like flexibility 

 which we have just noticed. He was not long without another antago- 

 nist in the person of one of the Englishmen of about the same height, 

 stronger, and possessing the other requisites for success in a greater 

 or less degree with a reference to his antagonist, in about the same 

 proportion as they were generally characteristic of their respective 

 nations. The contest was not soon decided : the soldier, a native of 

 Cornwall, a district famed from time immemorial for excellence in 

 the art, was ignorant of no manoeuvre which might ensure victory ; 

 but his grasp was still eluded by the Greek, who contrived to keep 

 at a distance, and even when brought to the ground by main force, 

 to avoid falling on his back, a consummation necessary to conclude 

 the contest. At length, however, grown confident, heated by the 

 sport, and imagining from the quickened breathing, and relaxed hold 

 of his antagonist, that his strength was reduced to his own pitch, he 

 abandoned his caution, and met the hug of the Cornishman, who 

 threw him to the earth, amidst the cheers of his surrounding com- 

 rades. As these subsided an indistinct murmur was heard, which 

 commencing amongst those in the vicinity of the emperor, and his 

 attendants, spread itself through the vast multitude, and it was evi- 

 dent that some circumstance of unusual interest had occurred. A 

 messenger, almost breathless with the speed with which he had pro- 

 secuted his journey, had been admitted to the presence of Alexius, 

 and that monarch had, with his principal counsellors, withdrawn from 

 the scene of festivity. That messenger had indeed brought tidings 

 of alarming import; Guiscard had been re-inforced, a pestilence 

 which had raged amongst his troops had passed away, and from his 

 unweared energy and perseverence, it was probable that Durazzo, if 

 not speedily relieved, must fall. 



The garrison of Durazzo was principally composed of Albanians 

 and Epirots, the most warlike of the native portion of the army of 

 Alexius. Boldly and skilfully did they maintain their important 

 trust, and but for the master-mind opposed to them, their efforts 

 might have been successful, for much of the besieging force was com- 

 posed of Italians and Sicilians, formidable neither for native courage, 



