312 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap xli the undoubted monarch of the mountain of Papua ? Do you think it a disgrace to be the subject of Justinian? Belisarius is his subject ; and we ourselves, whose birth is not inferior to your own, are not ashamed of our obedience to the Roman emperor. That generous prince will grant you a rich inheritance of lands, a place in the senate, and the dignity of Patrician : such are his gracious intentions, and you may depend with full assurance on the word of Belisarius. So long as heaven has condemned us to suffer, patience is a virtue ; but, if we reject the proffered deliverance, it degenerates into blind and stupid despair." "I am not insensible," replied the king of the Vandals, "how kind and rational is your advice. But I cannot persuade myself to become the slave of an unjust enemy, who has deserved my im- placable hatred. Him I had never injured either by word or deed ; yet he has sent against me, I know not from whence, a certain Belisarius, who has cast me headlong from the throne into this abyss of misery. Justinian is a man ; he is a prince ; does he not dread for himself a similar reverse of fortune ? I can write no more : my grief oppresses me. Send me, I beseech you, my dear Pharas, send me a lyre, 38 a spunge, and a loaf of bread." From the Vandal messenger, Pharas was informed of the motives of this singular request. It was long since the king of Africa had tasted bread ; a defluxion had fallen on his eyes, the effect of fatigue or incessant weeping ; and he wished to solace the melancholy hours by singing to the lyre the sad story of his own misfortunes. The humanity of Pharas was moved ; he sent the three extraordinary gifts ; but even his humanity prompted him to redouble the vigilance of his guard, that he might sooner compel his prisoner to embrace a resolution advantageous to the Romans, but salutary to himself. The obstinacy of Gelimer at length yielded to reason and necessity ; the solemn assurances of safety and honourable treatment were ratified in the emperor's name, by the ambassador of Belisarius ; and the king of the Vandals descended from the mountain. The first public interview was in one of the suburbs of Carthage ; and, when the royal captive accosted his conqueror, he burst into a fit of laughter. The crowd might naturally believe that 38 By Procopius it is styled a lyre ; perhaps harp would have been more national. The instruments of music are thus distinguished by Venantius Fortu- natus ; Romanusque lyrd tibi plaudat, Barbaras harpd.
