understood the evil that threatened him, and stretched forth his hand very quickly for his sword, and when he could not get it down, for it was full tightly bound, he caught up a footstool and defended himself with it for some time. But wellaway this man, albeit a mighty man of war and of the greatest valour, could not prevail against his foe, and was slain as if he had been a coward [in his house]: and he, who had become so famous in war for the overthrow of so many enemies, fell himself by the cunning of one weak woman. And his body was buried under the going up of the stairs which are nigh to the palace, with very great weeping and mourning by the Lombards. He was of high stature and fashioned in his whole body as was meet for a warrior. His tomb Gislbert, who was Duke of the men of Verona, opened in our days, taking away therefrom his sword and what else of his gear he found therein. Wherefore he was used with his wonted vanity to boast to unlearned men, that he had seen Elfwine face to face.
Now when Elfwine was dead, Helmgisl tried to enter upon his kingdom, but this he could by no means do, for the Lombards grieved mightily for Elfwine’s death and threatened to slay him. Rosamund therefore straightway sent to Longinus the Governor of Ravenna, praying him to send a ship as quickly as might be to take them both away. Longinus was glad when he received her message, and he sent off a ship in haste, whereon Helmgisl and Rosamund, who was now his wife, embarked by night and fled, taking with them the king’s daughter Elfswintha and the whole hoard of the Lombards, and they reached Ravenna very swiftly. Then Longinus the governor began to try and win over Rosamund to put Helmgisl to death and marry him. And she being ready for any niding’s work, and desiring to become Lady of the Ravenna-folk, consented to the doing of the deed. And when Helmgisl was washing himself in the bath she brought him a cup of poison, which she gave him as he came forth from the bath-room, saying that it was a Cup of Healing; but when he felt that he had drunk of the Cup of Death, he drew his sword upon her and forced her to drink what was left of it. And so by the doom of God Almighty these two most wicked murderers fell at the same moment.
When these things were accomplished Longinus the Governor sent Elfswintha with the hoards of the Lombards to Constantinople to the Emperor. There be some that say that Beartheow had come with Helmgisl and Rosamund to Ravenna and that he was sent thence with Elfswintha to Constantinople, and that there in the sight of the people before the emperor he slew a lion of wonderful size. And, as they tell, Beartheow’s eyes were put out by the Emperor’s command, lest he should do any harm in the royal city, for he was a mighty man. After a while he made ready two knives and hid them one in each sleeve and went to the palace and said that he had somewhat to say to Augustus which would be for his good, if he were brought before him. And Augustus sent two noblemen of his servants to him to hear his words and bring them to him. And when they came to Beartheow, he drew very nigh to them as if he had somewhat most secret to say, and gave each of them a mighty wound with the swords which he had hidden, one in each hand, so that they fell down straightway to the ground and gave up the ghost.
So, like Samson the strongest of men, in his vengeance as in his blindness, he avenged his wrongs, and for the loss of his two eyes slew two of the Emperor's most trusty gentlemen.
There are several other citations in Paul from poems, which he would no doubt have mentioned as his authorities had he lived to finish and prefix a preface to his book. There are, for instance, the phrase
