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 l^Q THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. the captives he had taken. On the other hand, the Romans promised to give the Russians safe-conducts for the purpose of trade in Constantinople, as thej had had before. After the "Waring chief, who had led his sea-rovers across the Black Sea into the Danube, had signed peace with the emperor, he ex- pressed his wish to see his great and brave enemy. The in- terview took place on the banks of the Danube. Few more picturesque and characteristic scenes are recorded by the By- zantine historians. Each of the leaders appeared in a manner characteristic of the nation to which he belonged. The em- peror, clothed in magnificent armor decked with gold and jewels, rode down to the river-side at the head of a body of mounted guards glittering in gold and arms, but evidently well-disciplined and capable of rendering splendid service. On the other hand, Swendoslav came to the meeting-place in a boat propelled by his soldiers, he himself rowing like one of the crew. His dress was a simple white garment, and in no way different from that of the rest except that it was cleaner. The two brave leaders and their followers represented respec- tively the spirit of the old time and the new : on the one side the stern imperial discipline, the sacrifice of the many for the glory of the few, and the machine-like order and regularity which was produced at the bidding of one man and had made Rome the mistress of the world ; on the other, the equality and the self-reliance which recognizes that all citizens have an interest in the well-being of the state, and which was espe- cially destined to characterize the great modern nations de- scended from their kinsmen. The imperial leader saw a man of middle height, with thick eyebrows, light blue eyes, thick nose, thin beard, but with long and heavy mustache. Ilis hair was cut short, except that two long locks hung down on each side of his face, declarincr him to beloui^ to the Yarano^i- an nobility. His neck was firm, his chest broad, his expres- sion stern and fierce. From each ear there huns: an earrinjr ornamented with two pearls and a carbuncle between them. A few words passed between the two leaders, the emperor sit- ting on horseback, the Yarangian seated on one of the thwarts of his boat. Swendoslav looked long and carefully at the