HL I.12

English

They had, however, among them a very powerful man, to whose strength they trusted that they could obtain without doubt what they wanted. They offered him alone to fight for all. They charged the Langobards to send any one of their own they might wish, to go forth with him to single combat upon this condition, to wit; that if their warrior should win the victory, the Langobards would depart the way they had come, but if he should be overthrown by the other, then they would not forbid the Langobards a passage through their own territories. And when the Langobards were in doubt what one of their own they should send against this most warlike man, a certain person of servile rank offered himself of his own will, and promised that he would engage the challenging enemy upon this condition: that if he took the victory from the enemy, they would take away the stain of slavery from him and from his offspring. Why say more? They joyfully promised to do what he had asked. Having engaged the enemy, he fought and conquered, and won for the Langobards the means of passage, and for himself and his descendants, as he had desired, the rights of liberty.

Latin

Habebant tamen apud se virum fortissimum, de cuius fidebant viribus, posse se procul dubio obtinere quod vellent[1]. Hunc solum pro omnibus pugnaturum obiciunt. Mandant Langobardis, unum[2] quem vellent suorum mitterent, qui cum eo ad singulare certamen exiret, ea videlicet conditione, ut, si[3] suus bellator victoriam caperet, Langobardi itinere quo[4] venerant abirent; sin vero superaretur ab altero, tum[5] se Langobardis transitum per fines proprios non vetituros. Cumque Langobardi, quem e suis potius adversus virum bellicosissimum mitterent, ambigerent, quidam ex servili conditione sponte se optulit, promittit[6] se provocanti hosti congressurum, ea[7] ratione, ut, si de hoste victoriam caperet, a se suaque progenie servitutis naevum[8] auferrent. Quid plura? Gratanter quae postularat[9] sese facturos pollicentur. Adgressus hostem[10], pugnavit et vicit; Langobardis[11] transeundi facultatem[12], sibi suisque, ut optaverat[13], iura[14] libertatis indeptus[15] est.

1. vellet C 4b. D 7. I 1.

2. ut u. D 3. F 2. G 5b. c, e corr. D 5 et F 4.

3. post add F. 1.

4. quod F 1. G 1. 2. 3; per quod F 2.

5. tunc B. C. D. E. G. H. I; tum corr. tunc F1.

6. promittitque B 1. C °1. G 2; et promisit G °5. 5a; et post add. G 1.

7. folium excidit H 4.

8. nervum A °3. 3. E 1; nexum A 3c. G. H 1; iugum C 4b, e corr. F1; in evum B1; in evum superscr. iugum C° 1; iugum in evum I 1. 1R; nomen A 5.

9. postulaverat B 1; postularet A 2. F 1. I 1.

10. cum hoste G1. 2. °5 . 5a.

11. Langobardi A 1.

12. deest F. G; viam t. G 3; aditum t. exhibuit F 2; facultate concessa A 5. - sibi deest C °1.

13. optaverant F 1. G (praeter G 5a. b).

14. iure A 2. 3. G 2. Quod in archetype fuisse crediderim.

15. adeptus A 5. B 1. 2. F 2. 3. G 5a e corr.