butifwerejecttheproffereddeliverance，itdegeneratesintoblindandstupiddespair。\"\"Iamnotinsensible\"repliedthekingoftheVandals，\"howkindandrationalisyouradvice。ButI
cannotpersuademyselftobecometheslaveofanunjustenemy，whohasdeservedmyimplacablehatred。HimIhadneverinjuredeitherbywordordeed:yethehassentagainstme，Iknownotfromwhence，acertainBelisarius，whohascastmeheadlongfromthethroneintohisabyssofmisery。Justinianisaman；heisaprince；doeshenotdreadforhimselfasimilarreverseoffortune?Icanwritenomore:mygriefoppressesme。Sendme，I
beseechyou，mydearPharas，sendme，alyre，^30asponge，andaloafofbread。\"FromtheVandalmessenger，Pharaswasinformedofthemotivesofthissingularrequest。ItwaslongsincethekingofAfricahadtastedbread；adefluxionhadfallenonhiseyes，theeffectoffatigueorincessantweeping；andhewishedtosolacethemelancholyhours，bysingingtothelyrethesadstoryofhisownmisfortunes。ThehumanityofPharaswasmoved；hesentthethreeextraordinarygifts；butevenhishumanitypromptedhimtoredoublethevigilanceofhisguard，thathemightsoonercompelhisprisonertoembracearesolutionadvantageoustotheRomans，butsalutarytohimself。TheobstinacyofGelimeratlengthyieldedtoreasonandnecessity；
thesolemnassurancesofsafetyandhonorabletreatmentwereratifiedintheemperor\'sname，bytheambassadorofBelisarius；
andthekingoftheVandalsdescendedfromthemountain。ThefirstpublicinterviewwasinoneofthesuburbsofCarthage；andwhentheroyalcaptiveaccostedhisconqueror，heburstintoafitoflaughter。Thecrowdmightnaturallybelieve，thatextremegriefhaddeprivedGelimerofhissenses:butinthismournfulstate，unseasonablemirthinsinuatedtomoreintelligentobservers，thatthevainandtransitoryscenesofhumangreatnessareunworthyofaseriousthought。^31