CHAP. XX.
THE Goths were thus repulsed, and both parts past that night as I have sayd. The next day Belisarius commanded the Romans to send away their Wives and Children to Naples, and such servants as were not usefull for defence of the City, to save victuals; and he willed the Souldiers to send away their women servants, telling them he should not be able to feed such, but must be con∣strained to put themselves to half victuals every day, & to take the remainder of their entertainments in money. They did so, and multitudes went into Campania, some getting shipping at the Port of Rome, and the rest going by Via Appia by Land. And neither that way, nor to the Port feared they danger; the Enemie being not a∣ble to encompasse Rome with their Entrenchments, nor daring in small parties to be far from their Camp, for feare of the Romans excursions: That the besieged had meanes enough for a time to remove out of the Citie, and to bring in provisions, especially by night. For the Goths were affraid, and attending their Guards, kept in; and the Moores often sallyed, and finding them either asleep, or in small com∣panies upon the wayes to pasture their Cattell, or to get necessaries for themselves (as is usuall in great Armes) they killed and stript them; and if they saw numbers of Enemies charging them, they ran home, being naturally swift of foot, lightly apparelled, and beginning to fly in time. Thus the uselesse multititude got away out of Rome, some into Campania, some into Sicily, or whether they could with most ease.
But the Souldiers being few, and not sufficient for so great a circuit of wall, and some being to take their rest, while others guarded; and the common people being poor handi-crafts men, having nothing but from one day to another, and there be∣ing no means to releive them; Belisarius mingled them with the Souldiers upon the Guards, and appointed them them a daily pay, raising Companies of them, com∣petent to guard the Citie; and to every company allotting their nights, so that all in their turnes stood Sentinells. And by this meanes the Souldiers were releived, and they fed.
Having some suspition that Liberius Bishop of Rome practised to betray the Citie to the Goths, he sent him into Greece, and made Vigilius Bishop soone after. Upon the same ground he banished some Senators, whom he recalled after the siege was raised, and the Goths retired. One of these was Maximus, whose Grand-father. Maximus ruined the Emperour Valentinian. Fearing designs upon the Gates, and lest some might be corrupted with money, he brake the old keyes twice a moneth, and made new of the same form. And he stil changed the Sentinels to other Guards far off; and every night appointed new Commanders of those Guards, who were directed every night by turns to goe rounds, with notes in writing of the Sentinels names, and where any was missing, to place new in his roome, and the next day to produce the defaulters for due punishment to be inflicted. And he commanded Musitians to play all night on their Instruments upon the walls. He sent out Moores also with dogs to lye all night about the ditch, to discover such as came towards the walls though afar off.
Some Romans then attempted secretly to force open the gates of Janus. This was the chiefe of those ancient gods, whom the Romans called Penates. His Temple is in the Forum, before the Senate house, a little beyond the Temple of the three Fates. It is all of Brasse, four-square, high enough only to cover the Image, which is of brasse also, five cubits high, resembling a man, only it hath two faces, one stan∣ding to the East, and the other to the West, and against each face are brazen gates,