CHAPTER THE THIRTIETH.
Sheathed in complete armour, and supporting with his right hand thestandard of his fathers, Tancred remained with his handful of warriorslike so many statues of steel, expecting some sort of attack from theGrecian party which had occupied the lists, or from the numbers whomthe city gates began now to pour forth--soldiers some of them, andothers citizens, many of whom were arrayed as if for conflict. Thesepersons, alarmed by the various accounts which were given of thecombatants, and the progress of the fight, rushed towards the standardof Prince Tancred, with the intention of beating it to the earth, anddispersing the guards who owed it homage and defence. But if the readershall have happened to have ridden at any time through a pastoralcountry, with a clog of a noble race following him, he must haveremarked, in the deference ultimately paid to the high-bred animal bythe shepherd's cur as he crosses the lonely glen, of which the latterconceives himself the lord and guardian, something very similar to thedemeanour of the incensed Greeks, when they approached near to thelittle band of Franks. At the first symptom of the intrusion of astranger, the dog of the shepherd starts from his slumbers, and rushestowards the noble intruder with a clamorous declaration of war; butwhen the diminution of distance between them shows to the aggressor thesize and strength of his opponent, he becomes like a cruiser, who, in achase, has, to his surprise and alarm, found two tier of guns opposedto him instead of one. He halts--suspends his clamorous yelping, and,in fine, ingloriously retreats to his master, with, all thedishonourable marks of positively declining the combat.
It was in this manner that the troops of the noisy Greeks, with muchhallooing and many a boastful shout, hastened both from the town andfrom the lists, with the apparent intention of sweeping from the fieldthe few companions of Tancred. As they advanced, however, within thepower of remarking the calm and regular order of those men who hadlanded, and arranged themselves under this noble chieftain's banner,their minds were altogether changed as to the resolution of instantcombat; their advance became an uncertain and staggering gait, theirheads were more frequently turned back to the point from which theycame, than towards the enemy; and their desire to provoke an instantscuffle vanished totally, when there did not appear the least symptomthat their opponents cared about the matter.
It added to the extreme confidence with which the Latins kept theirground, that they were receiving frequent, though small reinforcementsfrom their comrades, who were landing by detachments all along thebeach; and that, in the course of a short hour, their amount had beenraised, on horseback and foot, to a number, allowing for a fewcasualties, not much less than that which set sail from Scutari.
Another reason why the Latins remained unassailed, was certainly theindisposition of the two principal armed parties on shore to enter intoa quarrel with them. The guards of every kind, who were faithful to theEmperor, more especially the Varangians, had their orders to remainfirm at their posts, some in the lists, and others at various places ofrendezvous in Constantinople, where their presence was necessary toprevent the effects of the sudden insurrection which Alexius knew to bemeditated against him. These, therefore, made no hostile demonstrationtowards the band of Latins, nor was it the purpose of the Emperor theyshould do so.
On the other hand, the greater part of the Immortal Guards, and thosecitizens who were prepared to play a part in the conspiracy, had beenimpressed by the agents of the deceased Agelastes with the opinion,that this band of Latins, commanded by Tancred, the relative ofBohemond, had been despatched by the latter to their assistance. Thesemen, therefore, stood still, and made no attempt to guide or direct thepopular efforts of such as inclined to attack these unexpectedvisitors; in which purpose, therefore, no very great party were united,while the majority were willing enough to find an apology for remainingquiet.
In the meantime, the Emperor, from his palace of Blacquernal, observedwhat passed upon the straits, and beheld his navy from Lemnos totallyfoiled in their attempt, by means of the Greek fire, to check, theintended passage of Tancred and his men. He had no sooner seen theleading ship of the squadron, begin to beacon the darkness with its ownfire, than the Emperor formed a secret resolution to disown theunfortunate Admiral, and make peace with the Latins, if that should beabsolutely necessary, by sending them his head. He had hardly,therefore, seen the flames burst forth, and the rest of the vesselsretreat from their moorings, than in his own mind, the doom of theunfortunate Phraortes, for such was the name of the Admiral, was signedand sealed.
Achilles Tatius, at the same instant, determining to keep a close eyeupon the Emperor at this important crisis, came precipitately into thepalace, with an appearance of great alarm.
"My Lord!---my Imperial Lord! I am unhappy to be the messenger of suchunlucky news; but the Latins have in great numbers succeeded incrossing the strait from Scutari. The Lemnos squadron endeavoured tostop them, as was last night determined upon in the Imperial Council ofWar. By a heavy discharge of the Greek fire, one or two of thecrusaders' vessels were consumed, but by far the greater number of thempushed on their course, burnt the leading ship of the unfortunatePhraortes, and It is strongly reported he has himself perished, withalmost all his men. The rest have cut their cables, and abandoned thedefence of the passage of the Hellespont."
"And you, Achilles Tatius," said the Emperor, "with what purpose is itthat you now bring me this melancholy news, at a period so late, when Icannot amend the consequences!"
"Under favour, most gracious Emperor," replied the conspirator, notwithout colouring and stammering, "such was not my intention--I hadhoped to submit a plan, by which I might easily have prepared the wayfor correcting this little error."
"Well, your plan, sir?" said the Emperor, dryly.
"With your sacred Majesty's leave," said the Acolyte, "I would myselfhave undertaken instantly to lead against this Tancred and his Italiansthe battle-axes of the faithful Varangian guard, who will make no moreaccount of the small number of Franks who have come ashore, than thefarmer holds of the hordes of rats and mice, and such like mischievousvermin, who have harboured in his granaries."
"And what mean you," said the Emperor, "that I am to do, while myAnglo-Saxons fight for my sake?"
"Your Majesty," replied Achilles, not exactly satisfied with the dryand caustic manner in which the Emperor addressed him, "may putyourself at the head of the Immortal cohorts of Constantinople; and Iam your security, that you may either perfect the victory over theLatins, or at least redeem the most distant chance of a defeat, byadvancing at the head of this choice body of domestic troops, shouldthe day appear doubtful."
"You, yourself, Achilles Tatius," returned the Emperor, "haverepeatedly assured us, that these Immortals retain a perverseattachment to our rebel Ursel. How is it, then, you would have usintrust our defence to these bands, when we have engaged our valiantVarangians in the proposed conflict with the flower of the westernarmy?--Did you think of this risk, Sir Follower?"
Achilles Tatius, much alarmed at an intimation indicative of hispurpose being known, answered, "That in his haste he had been moreanxious to recommend the plan which should expose his own person to thegreater danger, than that perhaps which was most attended with personalsafety to his Imperial Master."
"I thank you for so doing," said the Emperor; "you have anticipated mywishes, though it is not in my power at present to follow the adviceyou have given me. I would have been well contented, undoubtedly, hadthese Latins measured their way over the strait again, as suggested bylast night's council; but since they have arrived, and stand embattledon our shores, it is better that we pay them with money and with spoil,than with the lives of our gallant subjects. We cannot, after all,believe that they come with any serious intention of doing us injury;it is but the insane desire of witnessing feats of battle and singlecombat, which is to them the breath of their nostrils, that can haveimpelled them to this partial countermarch. I impose upon you, AchillesTatius, combining the Protospathaire in the same commission with you,the duty of riding up to yonder st
andard, and learning of their chief,called the Prince Tancred, if he is there in person, the purpose of hisreturn, and the cause of his entering into debate with Phraortes andthe Lemnos squadron. If they send us any reasonable excuse, we shallnot be averse to receive it at their hands; for we have not made somany sacrifices for the preservation of peace, to break forth into war,if, after all, so great an evil can be avoided. Thou wilt receive,therefore, with a candid and complacent mind, such apologies as theymay incline to bring forward; and, be assured, that the sight of thispuppet-show of a single combat, will be enough of itself to banishevery other consideration from the reflection of these giddy crusaders."
A knock was at this moment heard at the door of the Emperor'sapartment; and upon the word being given to enter, the Protospathairemade his appearance. He was arrayed in a splendid suit of ancient Romanfashioned armour. The want of a visor left his countenance entirelyvisible; which, pale and anxious as it was, did not well become themartial crest and dancing plume with which it was decorated. Hereceived the commission already mentioned with the less alacrity,because the Acolyte was added to him as his colleague; for, as thereader may have observed, these two officers were of separate factionsin the army, and on indifferent terms with each other. Neither did theAcolyte consider his being united in commission with theProtospathaire, as a mark either of the Emperor's confidence, or of hisown safety. He was, however, in the meantime, in the Blacquernal, wherethe slaves of the interior made not the least hesitation, when ordered,to execute any officer of the court. The two generals had, therefore,no other alternative, than that which is allowed to two greyhounds whoare reluctantly coupled together. The hope of Achilles Tatius was, thathe might get safely through his mission to Tancred, after which hethought the successful explosion of the conspiracy might take place andhave its course, either as a matter desired and countenanced by thoseLatins, or passed over as a thing in which they took no interest oneither side.
By the parting order of the Emperor, they were to mount on horseback atthe sounding of the great Varangian trumpet, put themselves at the headof those Anglo-Saxon guards in the court-yard of their barrack, andawait the Emperor's further orders.
There was something in this arrangement which pressed hard on theconscience of Achilles Tatius, yet he was at a loss to justify hisapprehensions to himself, unless from a conscious feeling of his ownguilt, he felt, however, that in being detained, under pretence of anhonourable mission, at the head of the Varangians, he was deprived ofthe liberty of disposing of himself, by which he had hoped tocommunicate with the Caesar and Hereward, whom he reckoned upon as hisactive accomplices, not knowing that the first was at this moment aprisoner in the Blacquernal, where Alexius had arrested him in theapartments of the Empress, and that the second was the most importantsupport of Comnenus during the whole of that eventful day.
When the gigantic trumpet of the Varangian guards sent forth its deepsignal through the city, the Protospathaire hurried Achilles along withhim to the rendezvous of the Varangians, and on the way said to him, inan easy and indifferent tone, "As the Emperor is in the field inperson, you, his representative, or Follower, will of course transmitno orders to the body guard, except such as shall receive their originfrom himself, so that you will consider your authority as this daysuspended."
"I regret," said Achilles, "that there should have seemed any cause forsuch precautions; I had hoped my own truth and fidelity--but--I amobsequious to his imperial pleasure in all things."
"Such are his orders," said the other officer, "and you know under whatpenalty obedience is enforced."
"If I did not," said Achilles, "the composition of this body of guardswould remind me, since it comprehends not only great part of thoseVarangians, who are the immediate defenders of the Emperor's throne,but those slaves of the interior, who are the executioners of hispleasure." To this the Protospathaire returned no answer, while themore closely the Acolyte looked upon the guard which attended, to theunusual number of nearly three thousand men, the more had he reason tobelieve that he might esteem himself fortunate, if, by the interventionof either the Caesar, Agelastes, or Hereward, he could pass to theconspirators a signal to suspend the intended explosion, which seemedto be provided against by the Emperor with unusual caution. He wouldhave given the full dream of empire, with which he had been for a shorttime lulled to sleep, to have seen but a glimpse of the azure plume ofNicephorus, the white mantle of the philosopher, or even a glimmer ofHereward's battle-axe. No such objects could be seen anywhere, and nota little was the faithless Follower displeased to see that whicheverway he turned his eyes, those of the Protospathaire, but especially ofthe trusty domestic officers of the empire, seemed to follow and watchtheir occupation.
Amidst the numerous soldiers whom he saw on all sides, his eye did notrecognise a single man with whom he could exchange a friendly orconfidential glance, and he stood in all that agony of terror, which isrendered the more discomfiting, because the traitor is conscious that,beset by various foes, his own fears are the most likely of all tobetray him. Internally, as the danger seemed to increase, and as hisalarmed imagination attempted to discern new reasons for it, he couldonly conclude that either one of the three principal conspirators, orat least some of the inferiors, had turned informers; and his doubtwas, whether he should not screen his own share of what had beenpremeditated, by flinging himself at the feet of the Emperor, andmaking a full confession. But still the fear of being premature inhaving recourse to such base means of saving himself, joined to theabsence of the Emperor, united to keep within his lips a secret, whichconcerned not only all his future fortunes, but life itself. He was inthe meantime, therefore, plunged as it were in a sea of trouble anduncertainty, while the specks of land, which seemed to promise himrefuge, were distant, dimly seen, and extremely difficult of attainment.