Английские легенды / English Legends

”

And so he rushed away from Roch Royal to find the cold body of the drowned lass and to fall dead by her side.

The Dream of Maxen Wledig[8 - Maxem Wledig – Магн Максим, император-узурпатор Запада Римской империи в 383—388 годах.]

The Emperor Maxen Wledig was the most powerful Caesar who had ever ruled Europe from the City of the Seven Hills[9 - City on the Seven Hills – Рим, «город на семи холмах»]. He was an incredibly handsome man, tall and strong and skilled in all manly exercises; besides, he was gracious and friendly to all his vassals and tributary kings[10 - tributary king – король подконтрольного империи королевства, обязанный платить метрополии дань], so that he was universally loved.

One day he went hunting, and was accompanied on his expedition down the Tiber valley by thirty two vassal kings, with whom he enjoyed the sport heartily. At noon the heat was intense, they were far from Rome, and all were tired. The emperor suggested they made a stop, and they dismounted to take rest. Maxen lay down to sleep with his head on a shield, and soldiers and attendants stood around making a shelter for him from the sun by a roof of shields hung on their spears.

Thus he fell into a sleep so deep that none dared to awake him. Hours passed by, and still he slept, and still the whole company waited impatiently for his awakening. At last, the soldiers grew so tired that they could not stand still any longer, and the sounds of their spears against the shields awoke Maxen Wledig.

He roused with a start[11 - with a start – вздрогнув].

“Ah, why did you wake me?” he asked sadly.

“Lord, your dinner hour is long past—did you not know?” they said.

He shook his head mournfully, but said nothing, and, mounting his horse, rode in silence back to Rome, with his head sunk on his breast. Behind him the whole company of kings and tributaries rode in fear, as they knew nothing of the cause of his sorrowful mood.

From that day the emperor changed utterly. He rode no more, he hunted no more, he paid no attention to the business of the empire, but remained in his own apartments and slept. The court banquets continued without him, he refused to listen to music and songs, and, though in his sleep he smiled and was happy, when he awoke his melancholy could not be cheered.