e old contract, if not wholly, at least in part."

In this sense he acted. He called all the active land and sea forces of
the Goths away from South Italy, where he expected the landing of
Belisarius, and sent them eastwards to Liburnia, Dalmatia, Istria, and
westwards to South Gaul, pretending--supported by the fact that
Belisarius had sent a small detachment of troops to Dalmatia against
Salona, and had exchanged ambassadors with the Frankish King--that the
principal attack of the Byzantines was to be expected by land from
Istria, aided by the allied Franks on the Rhodanus and Padus. The
feigned movements of Belisarius gave colour to this pretext, so that
what is almost incredible took place. The troops of the Goths, their
ships, weapons, and war munition, in great quantities, were led away in
all haste just before the invasion; South Italy, as far as Rome, and
even to Ravenna, was exposed; and all measures of defence were
neglected in the very parts where the first blow was to fall.

The Dravus, Rhodanus, and Padus were crowded with Gothic sails and
arms, while towards Sicily, as we have seen, even the most necessary
guard-ships were wanting.

And the turbulent urgency of the Gothic patriots did not do much good.

The King had got rid of Witichis and Hildebad, by sending them with
troops to Istria and Gaul; and old Hildebrand, who would not quite give
up his belief in the last of the Amelungs, opposed a tough resistance
to the suspicions of Teja.

But the courage of Theodahad was most strengthened by the return of his
Queen.

Shortly after the declaration of war, Witichis had marched with a
Gothic troop before the Castle of Feretri, where Gothelindis had taken
refuge with her Pannonian mercenaries, and had persuaded her to return
voluntarily to Ravenna, assuring her of safety, until her cause should
be formally examined into and decided before the approaching National
Assembly of the people and the army near Rome.

These conditions were agreeable to all; for the Gothic patriots wished,
above everything, to avoid being split into parties at the outbreak of
the war.

And while Earl Witichis, in his great sense of justice, desired that
the right of defence against all accusations should be granted, Teja
also acknowledged that, as the enemy had hurled the terrible accusation
of regicide at the Gothic nation, the national honour could only be
upheld by a strict and formal inquiry, and not by tumultuous popular
j