'206 THE VARANGIANS. 



" Austin," exclaimed Redwald, " of what thirikest thou ? Is this 

 a time for melancholy reflections when an enemy is in sight ? Cheer 

 up, my friend, or if thou hast indeed any secret cause of uneasiness, 

 confide it to me ; thou well knowest thou mayest depend on my ad- 

 vice, consolation, or assistance. If either of us should now give way 

 to gloomy meditation, have not I far more cause than thee. Thou 

 hast not, so far as I know, either wife or mistress ? I leave a lovely 

 maid, who would, but for this Norman pest, have been already mine, 

 and whose fate, should I fall, I tremble but to think of. But I banish 

 such ideas, since they can avail nought, and think only as a soldier 

 should of victory and of glory." 



" Redwald," replied his companion, " thy reproof is just. I leave 

 none behind me whom my fate can injure; nor, save thyself, have I 

 a friend for whose welfare I feel any deep anxiety. Thou knowest 

 that the loss of parents, brethren, and native land, have, with subse- 

 quent sickness, and the disgust which I feel for the unworthy 

 people in whose cause I have engaged, long since made me seek 

 death rather as a thing to be desired than dreaded. Still its near ap- 

 proach (for I feel certain that to-morrow's sun is the last I shall 

 behold), is awful, and disposes the mind, spite of itself, to doubt and 

 speculation. Yet could I, like thee, look forward to infallible victory 

 over these invaders in the coming battle, joy like thine would possess 

 my soul ; but, my friend, since thou urgest me, I will confess, well 

 knowing thy ardour will not be damped by ought that my despond- 

 ing mind or distempered imagination can suggest, that I cannot 

 subdue the impression that the fortune of the day will be against us, 

 and that our hoped-for revenge must be deferred to a future period. 

 But, doubt not that I shall do my duty doubt not that whosoever 

 may be victorious, no Varangian shall fall dishonoured." 



Redwald heard this declaration with deep concern, but could not 

 think that there existed any real ground for doubting that success 

 would crown the English arms ; and well aware of the unhappy 

 temper of his friend, he could not but feel that his death (though it 

 would deprive himself of the society of one whose excellent qualities 

 he knew and loved), was perhaps not a subject for unqualified la- 

 mentation. He, however, spoke cheeringly to him, and endeavoured 

 by argument to convince him how groundless were his fears, calmly 

 pointing out the numerous advantages possessed, as it appeared to 

 him, by Alexius ; but as the persuasion of Austin was not founded on 

 reason, it remained but little shaken. The ardour of Redwald, his 

 hatred of the Normans, and his high estimation of the valour of his 

 countrymen, outweighed the usual coolness of his judgment; for 

 many of the most able generals of Alexius had dissuaded their mo- 

 narch from a general engagement, and it was against their advice 

 that he was about to give battle. 



The army of Guiscard was indeed far inferior in numbers to that 

 of his rival, and like it his also was principally composed of soldiers 

 of no extraordinary merit. But as far as his force was generally out- 

 numbered by the enemy, it was more numerous than the Varan- 

 gians, whose defeat he felt convinced would infallibly be the imme- 

 diate forerunner of that of the whole Greek army ; and though the 



