of Ostia and fortify himself in Rome. The Goths are furious at his
rashness: but it is too late, and the war begins again, up and down
the wretched land, till Belisarius is recalled by some fresh court
intrigue of his wicked wife, and another and even more terrible enemy
appears on the field, Narses the eunuch, avenging his wrong upon his
fellow-men by cunning and courage almost preternatural. He comes
upon them with a mighty host: but not of Romans alone. He has
gathered the Teuton tribes;--Herules, the descendants probably of
Odoacer's confederates; Gepids, who have a long blood-feud against
the Goths; and most terrible of all, Alboin with his five thousand
more Burgundians, of whom you will hear enough hereafter. We read
even of multitudes of Huns, and even of Persian deserters from the
Chosroo. But Narses' policy is the old Roman one--Teuton must
destroy Teuton. And it succeeds.

In spite of some trouble with the Franks, who are holding Venetia, he
marches down victorious through the wasted land, and Totila marches
to meet him in the Apennines. The hero makes his last speech. He
says, 'There will be no need to talk henceforth. This day will end
the war. They are not to fear these hired Huns, Herules, Lombards,
fighting for money. Let them hold together like desperate men.' So
they fight it out. The Goths depending entirely on the lance, the
Romans on a due use of every kind of weapon. The tremendous charge
of the Gothic knights is stopped by showers of Hun and Herule arrows,
and they roll back again and again in disorder on the foot: but in
spite of the far superior numbers of the Romans, it is not till
nightfall that Narses orders a general advance of his line. The
Goths try one last charge; but appalled by the numbers of the enemy,
break up, and, falling back on the foot, throw them into confusion,
and all is lost.