Slavs and Germans on the Frontier

Wichmann

Wid III.64


III.64. Wichmann, given to his fatherland, contained himself calmly as long as he expected the arrival of the emperor. Since however his return was put off, [Wichmann] removed himself to northern parts, as if about to invent from scratch a war with Harald, king of the Danes. But that one [Harald] commanded him: if he were to have killed the dux or any other of the principes, he would know that he wished to ally with him without trickery, otherwise he would not doubt him to have done the thing deceitfully. Meanwhile his robberies were revealed by a passing merchant and some of his comrades, arrested and condemned by the dux as if acting against the res publica, lost their lives by hanging. [Wichmann] himself, however, barely escaped with his brother.