sense
of the race (however fallen, debauched, pedantic), they worked it out,
and with terrible effect.

Their right in Constantinople was so strong that they cared nothing for
it, though it was the only exposed point. They would defend it by hiring
the Barbarians, and when they could not pay them, setting them on to kill
down each other; while they quietly drew into Constantinople the
boundless crops of Asia, Syria and Egypt.

The strength of Constantinople was infinite--commanding two seas and two
continents. It is, as the genius of Constantinople saw--as the genius of
the Czar Nicholas saw--the strongest spot, perhaps, in the world. That
fact was what enabled Justinian's Empire to arise again, and enabled
Belisarius and Narses to reconquer Africa and Italy. Remember that, and
see how strong the Romans were still.

The Teutons meanwhile had changed their front, by conquering the Western
Mediterranean, and were becoming weak, because scattered on exterior
lines, to their extreme danger.

I cannot exaggerate the danger of that position. It enabled the Romans
by rapid movements of their fleets, to reconquer Africa and Italy. It
might have enabled them to do much more.

Belisarius, with great wisdom, began by attacking the Vandals at Carthage
on the extreme right. They had put themselves into an isolated position,
and were destroyed without help. Then he moved on Italy and the
Ostrogoths. He was going to force the positions in detail, and drive
them back behind the Alps. What he did not finish, Narses did; and the
Teutons were actually driven back behind the Alps for some years.

But Narses had to stop at Italy. Even if not recalled, he could have
gone no further. The next move should have been on Spain, if he had
really had strength in Italy. But to attack Spain from Constantinople,
would have been to go too far from home. The Franks would have crost the
Pyrenees, and fallen on his flank. The Visigoths, even if beaten, would
have been only pushed across the Straits of Gibraltar, to reconquer the
Vandal coast of Africa; while to take troops from Italy for any such
purpose, would have been to let in the Lombards--who came, let in or not.
There were reserves in Germany still, of which Narses knew full well; for
he had seen 5000 Lombards, besides Herules, and Huns, and Avars, fight
for him at Nuceria, and destroy the Ostrogoths; and he knew well that
they could, if they chose, fight against him.

On the