But Guido, having heard of the danger in which his brother and the
Franks found themselves, together with the entire Norman household,
began to howl with grief, launching complaints self-righteously even
against God himself; they said, "All powerful God, whose judgement
never errs, who never permits the unjust to triumph over the just,
why have you betrayed those who, out of love for you, have given
themselves over to daily torment and death, who have left their
relatives, wives, sons, the greatest honors, their native land, and
why have you exposed them, without the aid of your protection, to be
cut down by the swords of abominable men? If it becomes known that
you have permitted profane hands to deliver them to a horrible death,
whom will you find willing to obey your commands, since everyone will
judge you unable to defend your own people? But so be it. It may be
that you want them to die for you, and that you you will crown them
with glory and honor, yet even if you bestow land one hundred fold on
these people, you will have brought about eternal shame among nations
for the people of your own faith. You have plunged the entire
Christian world into the depths of despair and incredulity, and you
have provoked the worst men to display relentless aggression against
your people. From this day forth no man will expect anything great
from you, since those who believed themselves dearer to you than all
other mortals have been subjected to such an unworthy fate.
Therefore, O most gracious one, from now on why should they call upon
you, when your own people will expect such a death?" Thus they
expressed their terrible grief and desperate anguish, so that for
several days none of the astonished bishops, abbots, clerics or
laymen in the entire army led by the tyrant dared to call upon God.
Guido, remembering his love for his noble brother, going over in his
mind the splendid qualities of the man, expressed his inmost anguish
with many a groan.