candus, or
Foucault. According to them, Hugues Foucalt, a Frenchman by birth,
and at length abbot of St. Denys, had followed into Sicily his patron
Stephen de la Perche, uncle to the mother of William II., archbishop of
Palermo, and great chancellor of the kingdom. Yet Falcandus has all the
feelings of a Sicilian; and the title of Alumnus (which he bestows on
himself) appears to indicate that he was born, or at least educated, in
the island.]

[Footnote 128: Falcand. p. 303. Richard de St. Germano begins his
history from the death and praises of William II. After some unmeaning
epithets, he thus continues: Legis et justitiae cultus tempore suo
vigebat in regno; sua erat quilibet sorte contentus; (were they
mortals?) abique pax, ubique securitas, nec latronum metuebat viator
insidias, nec maris nauta offendicula piratarum, (Script. Rerum Ital.
tom. vii p 939.)]

[Footnote 129: Constantia, primis a cunabulis in deliciarun tuarum
affluentia diutius educata, tuisque institutis, doctrinus et moribus
informata, tandem opibus tuis Barbaros delatura discessit: et nunc
cum imgentibus copiis revertitur, ut pulcherrima nutricis ornamenta
barbarica foeditate contaminet .... Intuari mihi jam videor turbulentas
bar barorum acies.... civitates opulentas et loca diuturna pace
florentia, metu concutere, caede vastare, rapinis atterere, et foedare
luxuria hinc cives aut gladiis intercepti, aut servitute depressi,
virgines constupratae, matronae, &c.]

[Footnote 130: Certe si regem non dubiae virtutis elegerint, nec a
Saracenis Christiani dissentiant, poterit rex creatus rebus licet quasi
desperatis et perditis subvenire, et incursus hostium, si prudenter
egerit, propulsare.]

[Footnote 131: In Apulis, qui, semper novitate gaudentes, novarum rerum
studiis aguntur, nihil arbitror spei aut fiduciae reponendum.]

[Footnote 132: Si civium tuorum virtutem et audaciam attendas, ....
muriorum etiam ambitum densis turribus circumseptum.]

[Footnote 133: Cum erudelitate piratica Theutonum confligat atrocitas,
et inter aucbustos lapides, et Aethnae flagrant's incendia, &c.]

[Footnote 134: Eam partem, quam nobilissimarum civitatum fulgor
illustrat, quae et toti regno singulari meruit privilegio praeminere,
nefarium esset.... vel barbarorum ingressu pollui. I wish to transcribe
his florid, but curious, description, of the palace, city, and luxuriant
plain of Palermo.]

[Footnote 135: Vires non suppetunt, et conatus tuos tam inopia civium,