thout a call, or
in such force that it could not easily be again removed. He wished for
a good general from Byzantium, who, however, must not be a great
statesman; bringing an army sufficiently powerful to support the
Italians, but not strong enough to gain the victory without them, or to
remain in the country against their will.

We shall see later how, with regard to this, much occurred in
accordance with the Prefect's wishes, but just as much against them.

As to the Goths--who at this time were in undisturbed possession of the
booty for which Cethegus already mentally quarrelled with the Emperor--
all his endeavour was to rock them into unsuspicious security, to
split them into parties, and to uphold a weak government at their head.

The first task was not difficult; for that strong Teutonic race
despised, with barbarian pride, all open and secret foes--we have
already seen how difficult it was to convince such a youth as Totila,
who was otherwise sharp-sighted and clear-headed, of the approach of
danger--and the stubborn trust of Hildebrand fully expressed the
general disposition of the Goths.

Party spirit was also not wanting in this people.

There were the proud race of the Balthe, with their widely-spread
kindred; at their head the three Dukes, Thulun, Ibba, and Pitza. The
rich Woelfungs, under the two brothers, Duke Guntharis and Earl Arahad;
and many others, who were not much inferior to the Amelungs in the
splendour of their ancestry, and jealously guarded their position near
the throne. There were also many who endured the guardianship of a
woman and the rule of a boy with strong dislike, and who would gladly,
according to the ancient rights of the nation, have passed over the
royal line, and chosen one of the tried heroes of the nation for their
King, But the Amelungs counted many blindly-devoted adherents, who
abhorred such sentiments as treasonable.

And, lastly, the whole nation was divided into two parties, one of
which, long discontented with the clemency shown to the Italians by
Theodoric and his daughter, would gladly have retrieved the mistake
which, as they thought, had been made when the country was conquered,
and punished the Italians for their secret hate with open violence. The
number of those who held milder and nobler opinions--who, like
Theodoric himself, were more susceptible to the higher culture of the
subjected Italians, and desirous to raise themselves and their people
to the sa