THE VARANGIANS. 201 



by his expertness at various games and pastimes ; and as he was a 

 lively companion, sang well, and was fully provided with amusing 

 tales of various countries which he had collected in his wandering 

 life, and possessing, in addition to a perfect acquaintance with the 

 Latin, Greek, and Norman-French languages, some little knowledge 

 of their own tongue, he speedily became a great favourite with the 

 men in general, and was on terms of perfect intimacy with many, 

 over the minds of some of whom, indeed, he soon began to exercise a 

 considerable degree of influence. He was, he said, a Sicilian by birth ; 

 and confessed that he had visited his countrymen in the camp before 

 Durazzo : he spoke of Guiscard, his valour, his skill, the mutual attach- 

 ment that subsisted between that general and his army, and how 

 proud and happy he would be to number in their ranks, such troops 

 as the Varangians. On the other hand he inveighed against the 

 vices of the Greeks, their cowardice, their effeminacy ; how much 

 fitter were the Normans for companions to warriors, many of whom 

 sprung from the same stock, though circumstances had placed them 

 in hostility against each other. Most of his auditors listened in 

 silence, and never for an instant thought of acting upon such sugges- 

 tions ; for although they hated and despised the Greeks, they were 

 devoted to their chiefs, and sternly faithful to the government which 

 had fostered them, while they ardently desired to humble the pride 

 of their all-conquering enemies. Some, however, there were upon 

 whom his eloquence had more effect, and to these he began cautiously 

 and gradually to offer rewards of money, or rank as the price of de- 

 sertion, treachery, or the seduction of their comrades from their duty. 

 Others less discreet he plied with wine, and endeavoured to excite to 

 contention with their allies, and other acts of insubordination. The 

 baneful influence which the stranger was acquiring was first perceived 

 by Dunstan, a veteran, who, older than the generality of his associates, 

 and adding to the form and strength of an Ajax, the wisdom, though 

 not the eloquence of a Nestor, was not only respected by the privates, 

 but confided in by the chiefs of the Varangians. A hint from him 

 to the latter respecting the character of the merchant was immediately 

 followed by a peremptory order for his expulsion from the quarters 

 of the guards. When the stranger was made sensible of this decree 

 (which he instantly obeyed), he was engaged with several of his 

 military associates in discussing some wine in a tavern which was 

 much frequented by them. His companions at first beheld his dis- 

 missal in sullen silence, but ceased not from their pleasing task until, 

 as the liquor began to affect their brains, they became noisy and turbu- 

 lent ; they insulted the terrified inmates of the house they destroyed 

 the furniture, and with loud shouts and imprecations, sallied forth 

 into the streets, and commenced an attack upon such of the natives as 

 they met. In this they were joined by some of their comrades, whilst 

 others expostulated with, and endeavoured to control them, and some 

 ran to apprise their chiefs. The affrighted Greeks fled in every direc- 

 tion, or were laid prostrate by their antagonists, who were, fortunately, 

 unarmed, save that some of them wielded fragments of benches, and 

 others logs ; but most of them employed those natural weapons only, 

 for the use of which, the nation to which most of them belonged, 

 M. M. No. 92. 2 D 



