The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. V.

WHich Pharas understanding, wrote thus to Gelimer.

I also am a Barba∣rian, not used to discourses; but do write now what I cannot but learn from the course of things. Why have you cast your self, dear Gelimer! and your whole kindred into this depth of misery? Is it to avoid being a slave? is that it you stomack, as conceiving all miseries good cheap for liberty? And doe you not now serve, having your best hopes of safety upon the most wretched of all the Moors? Tis better for a man to be a slave among Romans begging, then to reign over the Moors of Pappua. And can it be so extreme a scorn to be a fellow-servant of Belisarius? Fie••l noble Gelimer. We glory (being not born of noble parentage) to be the Emperours slaves. But you (they say) the Emperour in∣tends to receive into the Senate, and to the highest honour called the Patriciate, and to bestow on you a large fertile country, and much wealth; and Belisarius will undertake these conditions upon his oath. Can you bear what fortune brings generously? and when she mingles her distastes with some good, will you peevishly reject it? Are not good things from fortune as needfull for us as bad? But these things the most sensless will not think. It seems being plunged in dis∣asters, you lose your wits; For grief uses to amaze, and turn the mind upon bad counsels. But if you can manage your thoughts, without repining against for∣tune; you have it in your power, to chuse what's good for you, and to rid your self of these miseries.

Gelimer lamented bitterly at the reading this Letter, and wrote back thus.

I thank you much for your counsel; but to serve an Enemy wronging me, I hold intolerable; Of whom I would get right, if God were propitious. He hath set Belisarius upon me, I know not why; found a reasonless pretext of a war, and brought me to this, having never offended him in word nor deed. It is not impossible, but that something he wishes not may happen to him, though an Emperour, yet but a man. I can adde no more; my misfortune hath taken a∣way my invention. Farewell gentle Pharas; and at my request send me a Harp, a Loaf of bread, and a Sponge.

Pharas doubted long how to construe the last clause of the Letter; till the beater told him, That Gelimer askt him a Loaf of bread, longing to see and taste a baked loaf, which he had not seen since his com∣ming to Pappua: That he needed a Sponge for his eye, swell'd with a rheume, for want of sweating and bathing: And being skilful upon the Harp, he desired one to sing to it a sad Ditty he had composed upon his present calamity. Pharas con∣doling

with him, and at the condition of mankind, sent him the things according to his Letter; but blocke him up faster then before. And three winter-moneths were spent in this siege; And Gelimer feared that ere long they would get up to him; He saw the children of his kin even swarm with lice; full of sorrow he was, weary of the thought of any thing but dying; yet he endured all beyond imagi∣nation, till he saw this sight. A Moorish woman had pounded some wheat, and thereof made a little Cake, which she threw in the hot ashes upon the hearth, as the Moors use to bake then bread: Two hungry boyes, (one the said womans son, and the other Gelimers sisters son) watcht at the hearth to catch the cake when it was baked: The Vandale boy caught it first, and hungerly thrust it hot into his mouth, with the ashes on; the other boy took him by the hair, and with beating forced him to put out the cake again. Gelimer, who observed all this accident, could not beare it, but relented, and presently wrote thus to Pharas.

If ever man endured misery with a success quite contrary to his counsels, such am I, Excellent Pharas! I mean not to neglect your good advice; being no longer able to strive with fortune, nor struggle under the yoke of destiny, which I will follow as it pleases the same to lead me. Let me have assurance of Belisarius un∣dertaking the performance of that by the Emperour, which you lately intimated, and I will immediately render my self to you, and all my kindred, and Vandals here with me.

Pharas acquainted Belisarius with this, and the former Letters; desiring to know his pleasure. Who much desiring to bring Gelimer alive to the Emperour, and overjoyed with the news, instantly sent to Pappua, Cyprian Commander of the Confederates, with some others, to give oath to Gelimer for the safety of him∣self and company, and that he should have an honourable rank with the Emperor, and want nothing. And they with Pharas went to the foot of the mountain, whither came Gelimer, received the assurances as he desired, and went with them to Carthage. Belisarius was in a suburb thereof, named Aclae: where Gelimer be∣ing presented, fell a laughing openly, that some imagined him to be distracted through the extremity of his misery: But his friends alleadged the man to be of sudden apprehension; He was royally born, and a King; and now from a con∣tinued power and wealth, fallen into bondage and fear; And after his enduring so much in Pappua, he must now be ranked amongst slaves; And thus having had experience of Fortunes smiles and frowns, he thought Humane condition to de∣serve only laughter. Thus they conceived of it. But Belisarius acquainted the Emperour how Gelimer was a Captive at Carthage, and prayed leave to come a∣long with him to Constantinople; keeping him in the mean time in an honorable restraint, and preparing his Fleet. Many experiments the world hath seen beyond hope, and many it will, while Fortune continues the same. Many things seeming to Reason impossible, have come to pass, and been wondred at: But I know not whether ever the like of these things hath happened. For a fourth Successor of Genserick (his Kingdom flourishing with wealth and men of war) to be ruined in so short a time, by 5000 new comers without a place to anchor in, (so many only were the Horse, who by their valour or fortune debated the whole war) is justly to be wondred at. But I return from whence I digressed; This being the con∣clusion of the Vandal wars.