LVI. CHAP. prompted by native fpirit; their fuccefs encou raged their younger brethren; and the three first in feniority, William, Drogo, and Humphrey, deferved to be the chiefs of their nation and the founders of the new republic. Robert was the eldeft of the seven fons of the fecond marriage; and even the reluctant praife of his foes has endowed him with the heroic qualities of a foldier and a statesman. His lofty ftature furpaffed the tallest of his army: his limbs were caft in the true proportion of strength and gracefulness; and to the decline of life, he maintained the patient vigour of health and the commanding dignity of his form. His complexion was ruddy, his fhoulders were broad, his hair and beard were long and of a flaxen colour, his eyes fparkled with fire, and his voice, like that of Achilles, could imprefs obedience and terror amidst the tumult of battle. In the ruder ages of chivalry, fuch qualifications are not below the notice of the poet or hiftorian: they observe that Robert, at once, and with equal may dexterity, could wield in the right-hand his fword, his lance in the left; that in the battle 'of Civitella, he was thrice unhorfed; and that in the close of that memorable day he was adjudged to have borne away the prize of valour from the warriors of the two armies 4. His boundless 41 I fhall quote with pleasure fome of the best lines of the Apu lian (1. ii. p. 270.): Pugnas utrâque manû, nec lancea caffa, nec enfis Ut 42 LVI. 273 boundless ambition was founded on the consciouf- CHA P. ness of fuperior worth: in the pursuit of greatnefs, he was never arrested by the fcruples of justice, and feldom moved by the feelings of humanity: though not infenfible of fame, the choice of open or clandeftine means was determined only by his present advantage. The furname of Guifcard was applied to this master of political wifdom, which is too often confounded with the tice of diffimulation and deceit; and Robert is pracpraised by the Apulian poet for excelling the cunning of Ulyffes and the eloquence of Cicero. Yet these arts were disguised by an appearance of military frankness: in his highest fortune, he was acceffible and courteous to his fellow-foldiers; and while he indulged the prejudices of his new fubjects, he affected in his dress and manners to maintain the ancient fashion of his country. He grafped with a rapacious, that he might diftribute with a liberal, hand: his primitive indigence had taught the habits of frugality; the gain of a merchant was not below his attention; and his prifoners were tortured with flow and unfeeling cruelty to force a discovery of their secret treasure. According to the Greeks, he departed from Normandy with only five followers on horfeback and Ut Leo cum frendens, &c. Nullus in hoc bello ficuti poft bella probatum eft 42 The Norman writers and editors moft converfant with their own idiom, interpret Guifcard or Wifcard, by Callidus, a cunning man. The root (wife) is familiar to our ear; and in the old word Wifeacre, I can discern fomething of a fimilar sense and termination. T LuxNY TANHAYOTATO,, is no bad tranflation of the furname and character of Robert. VOL. X. T thirty LVI. CHAP. thirty on foot; yet even this allowance appears too bountiful; the fixth fon of Tancred of Hauteville paffed the Alps as a pilgrim; and his first military band was levied among the adventurers of Italy. His brothers and countrymen had divided the fertile lands of Apulia; but they guarded their fhares with the jealoufy of avarice; the aspiring youth was driven forwards to the mountains of Calabria, and in his firft exploits against the Greeks and the natives, it is not easy to difcriminate the hero from the robber. To surprise a castle or a convent, to enfnare a wealthy citizen, to plunder the adjacent villages for neceflary food, were the obfcure labours which formed and exercifed the powers of his mind and body. The volunteers of Normandy adhered to his ftandard; and, under his command, the peafants of Calabria affumed the name and character of Nor Ilis ambition and fuccefs, A. D, 1054 -1080. mans. As the genius of Robert expanded with his fortune, he awakened the jealoufy of his elder brother, by whom, in a tranfient quarrel, his life was threatened and his liberty reftrained. After the death of Humphrey, the tender age of his fons excluded them from the command; they were reduced to a private eftate by the ambition of their guardian and uncle; and Guifcard was exalted on a buckler, and faluted count of Apulia and general of the republic. With an increase of authority and of force, he refumed the conqueft of Calabria, and foon afpired to a rank that' fhould raife him for ever above the heads of his equals. By fome acts of rapine or facrilege, he had LVI. had incurred a papal excommunication: but Ni- CHAP. cholas the fecond was eafily perfuaded, that the divifions of friends could terminate only in their mutual prejudice; that the Normans were the faithful champions of the Holy See; and it was fafer to trust the alliance of a prince than the caprice of an ariftocracy. A fynod of one hundred bishops was convened at Melphi; and the count interrupted an important enterprise to guard the perfon and execute the decrees of the Roman pontiff. His gratitude and policy conferred on Robert and his pofterity, the ducal title *3, with the inveftiture of Apulia, Calabria, and all the lands, both in Italy and Sicily, which his fword could rescue from the fchifmatic Greeks and the unbelieving Saracens **. This apoftolic fanction might juftify his arms; but the obedience of a free and victorious people could not be transferred without their confent; and Guifcard diffembled his elevation till the enfuing campaign had been illuftrated by the conqueft of Confenza and Reggio. In the hour of triumph, he affembled his troops, and folicited the Normans to confirm by their fuffrage the judgment of the vicar of Chrift: the foldiers hailed with joyful acclamations their 44 ། 43 The acquifition of the ducal title by Robert Guifcard is a nice and obfcure business. With the good advice of Giannone, Muratori, and St. Marc, I have endeavoured to form a confiftent and probable narrative. 44 Baronius (Annal. Ecclef. A. D. 1059, No 69 ) has published the original act. He profeffes to have copied it from the Liber Cenfuum, a Vatican MS. Yet a Liber Censuum of the xiith century has been printed by Muratori (Antiquit. medii Ævi, tom. v. p. 851-908.); and the names of Vatican and Cardinal awaken the fufpicions of a proteftant, and even of a philofopher. T2 valiant LVI. Duke of 1060. CHAP. valiant duke; and the counts, his former equals, pronounced the oath of fidelity, with hollow fmiles and fecret indignation. After this inauguration, Robert ftyled himfelf, "by the grace of God and "St. Peter, duke of Apulia, Calabria, and here"after of Sicily;" and it was the labour of twenty years to deferve and realize these lofty appellations. Such tardy progrefs, in a narrow fpace, may feem unworthy of the abilities of the chief and the fpirit of the nation: but the Normans were few in number; their refources were fcanty; their fervice was voluntary and precarious. The braveft defigns of the duke were fometimes opposed by the free voice of his parliament of barons: the twelve counts of popular election, confpired against his authority; and against their perfidious uncle, the fons of Humphrey demanded juftice and revenge. By his policy and vigour, Guifcard difcovered their plots, fuppreffed their rebellions, and punished the guilty with death or exile: but in these domeftic feuds, his years, and the national strength, were unprofitably confumed. After the defeat of his foreign enemies, the Greeks, Lombards, and Saracens, their broken forces retreated to the strong and populous cities of the fea-coast. They excelled in the arts of fortification and defence; the Normans were accustomed to ferve on horseback in the field, and their rude attempts could only fucceed by the efforts of perfevering courage. The refiftance of Salerno was maintained above eight months: the fiege or blockade of Bari lafted near four years. In these actions the Norman duke |