200 THE VARANGIANS. 



nor for discipline. But Guiscard laboured incessantly to infuse a 

 portion of his own energy into the drooping hearts of his followers. 



It was at this period of the siege, whilst success was yet doubtful, 

 that a group of experienced and war-worn veterans emerged from a 

 spacious tent, leaving behind them but two persons. One of them 

 was a female rather past the middle age, the expression of whose 

 countenance naturally somewhat stern and haughty, was at present 

 softened by the interest with which she appeared to watch that of her 

 companion. This was a man somewhat advanced in years, but whose 

 . towering stature and athletic form announced that the great strength 

 of his youth was yet not materially diminished : his complexion was 

 fair and ruddy, and his eye had the glance of an eagle. It was 

 Robert Guiscard himself; his companion was his wife Gaita. 



" After observing him for some time in silence," she said, doubt- 

 ingly, " thou wilt persevere, then, Robert, in this enterprise?" 



" And wherefore not !" he replied, at length roused from his ab- 

 straction, "shall I who have triumphed over the hardy veterans of 

 Germany in the plains of Civitella, and rendered the Norman name 

 terrible throughout Sicily and Italy, shrink from the mimic fire of 

 these Greeks, or from the undisciplined banditti who man their ram- 

 parts ? No ultimate success is certain, and could I but exchange 

 these crowds of Sicilians for half their numbers of such men as fol- 

 lowed me from Normandy, these walls would not long detain me in 

 the West of Greece." 



" But the emperor is said to have formed an immense and powerful 

 army : nay, rumour says that it is already marching to the relief of 

 this valued fortress." 



" That army has five hundred miles to pass, before its presence 

 can influence my operations : ere it arrive, Durazzo will have fallen ; 

 moreover, I know its composition a mixed crowd of Greeks 

 and barbarians, of various languages and habits, hating and distrust- 

 ing each other for their alliance is but of yesterday and generally 

 formidable only from their numbers. Thousands of them would fly 

 at the charge of but a hundred of my knights." 



" The Varangians the English guards are they, think you, not 

 made of sterner stuff?" 



" Ha ! those island dogs they are indeed the men from whom we 

 have the most to fear. I have indeed heard that the bears of the 

 Norwegian forests meet not their foes with rougher embraces than do 

 these English. Yet, I would not have it otherwise ; there is little 

 glory in vanquishing a feeble foe, and they shall be vanquished ; they 

 form but a small part of the host of Alexius ; and can their axes pro- 

 tect them from the onset of my mailed cavalry, to which their blind 

 and obstinate pugnacity will not fail to expose them ? No the 

 laurels gained by Duke William at Hastings shall be eclipsed by 

 those of Guiscard at Durazzo. Then to march upon Constantinople, 

 and soon shall the Roman sceptre be grasped by the firm hand of a 

 Norman baron !" 



About the time of the great festival, which we have already re- 

 corded, a man introduced himself to several of the Varangians as a 

 travelling merchant : on that occasion also he attracted their notice 



