| Quotation |
Longobardorum vero gens invidissima, et semper quemcumque probum suspectum habens, ipsos apud eundem principem, inimico dente rodente, occulto detrahebant, suggerentes quatenus eos a se repelleret, ne faceret facile futurum scelus, ut gens tantae astutiae tantaeque strenuitatis addentes etiam ex sui cordis malitia tantae perfidiae, ut, principe exhaeredato, ipsi, sua calliditate, haereditate principis potirentur. Unde et cor principis, eisdem artibus imbutum, facile in deterius proclive pervertunt. Sed princeps, quamvis, pravis consiliis suorum assentiens, quod hortabantur facere molierentur, tamen strenuitatem eorum timens, quod animo occulte agebat, minus in propatulo aperire praesumebat. |
| Translation |
The race of the Lombards is indeed a most untrustworthy one, and always treating any honest man with suspicion. They secretly criticised those [Normans] in the prince's entourage, nibbling away at them, suggesting that he drive them from him lest some wicked person do him harm in future. With their innate malice they added to this calumny, suggesting that a people who combined such astuteness and valour [strenuitas] might by their cunning drive the prince out and seize possession of his hereditary property. As a result the prince's mind was swayed by these insinuations, and easily turned against them. But, although the prince was under the influence of the evil counsel of his men and he agreed to do what they urged, he was however afraid of their valour, and was careful not to show publically what in fact he intended. |
