onal Assembly
possessed a high solemnity, although its ancient heathen significance
was forgotten.

The remains of the old liberties of the people, which even the powerful
Theodoric had not contested, revived under his weak descendants.

A majority of free Goths had still to pronounce sentence, and to award
punishment, even though the King's Earl conducted the proceedings in
his name, and fulfilled the sentence.

Often already had Germanic nations themselves accused, judged, and
executed their kings, on account of treachery, murder, or other heavy
crimes, before a Free Assembly of the people.

In the proud consciousness that he was his own master, and served none,
not even the King, beyond the limit of freedom, the German went in full
armour to the "Ting," where he felt himself safe and strong in union
with his fellows, and saw the liberties, strength, and honour of
himself and his countrymen represented in living pictures before his
eyes.

To the Assembly of which we now speak, the Goths had been attracted by
peculiarly strong reasons. When the summons to meet at Regeta was
published, the war with Byzantium was expected or already declared; the
nation rejoiced at the coming struggle with their hated enemy, and were
glad to muster their forces beforehand. This time the Assembly was to
be, more than ever, a grand review.

Besides this, most of the Goths in the adjacent places knew that
judgment was to be passed on the murderers of the daughter of
Theodoric, and the great excitement caused by this treacherous act had
also contributed to draw the people to Regeta.

While a portion of those assembled had been received by friends and
relatives in the nearest villages, great numbers had--already some days
before the formal opening of the Assembly--encamped in light tents and
huts upon the wide plain, two hundred and eighty stadii distant from
Rome.

At the earliest dawn of day these groups were already in noisy
movement, and employed the time during which they were yet masters of
the place, in various games and pastimes.

Some swam and bathed in the clear waters of the rapid river Ufen (or
"Decemnovius," thus named because it flowed into the sea at Terracina,
nineteen miles off), which crossed the plain. Others displayed their
skill in leaping over whole rows of outstretched spears, or, almost
naked, in dancing amid brandished swords, while others again--and these
the fleetest-footed--clinging to the manes of thei