nas to the good establishment; that he was obliged to quit his government at the time his grand designs were opening in favour of the Romans; that at length, after many years' exile, his holiness, by singular favour, as prejudiced as he had been against him, had created him senator, that he might restore to his country peace and plenty, and suppress the efforts of tyranny: "but alas," added he, "I am prevented by the opposition of one house, always fatal to the repose Rome. Deliver me from this monster-born, and I will make you happy it is owing to him you live in indigence, while your neighbours live in affluence and tranquillity; my design is to besiege Palestrina, and shake to atoms the rest of your old tyrants: join with me, brave friends; let us destroy the common enemy; let us take vengeance of past injuries; and let us secure for the future an unalterable repose, which our success shall yield us."

This harangue had all the effect he could wish for. The people of Tivoli not only agreed to follow him, but were so diligent that they spent but one night in their preparations. Rienzi, to give this ardour no time to cool, began the next day his march with these new forces, and went to encamp at Castiglione, the general rendezvous. He was stopped two days in waiting for the auxiliary troops he had demanded from several quarters. They came from Velletri, Farsa, and all the flat countries and mountains round about. When these forces were all assembled, the army marched towards Palestrina, and encamped one league from that place, at the village of St. Mary, to forage, according to custom, before they began the siege. Beside the infantry, composed of the irregulars of Tivoli and others, he had a body of one thousand horse, as well foreigners as Romans. His army was numerous enough to destroy Palestrina, but affection fell short of number. The foreigners were unwilling to serve against the Colonnas, and, unable to dispense with the march, although they had received their pay, resolved to carry on the war as slowly as possible. On the other hand, the Romans, whom the rest made the rule of their actions, paid not the same regard to the new senator they had done to the old tribune. When the camp was fixed at St. Mary's, every one studied how he should pass the time agreeably at

play or carousing, leaving the general all the burden of a war, which he had undertaken solely for his own interest. As he ceased not to employ himself more arduously he reconnoitred himself the place, which to him seemed most difficult of access. It was a noble castle, strongly fortified and situated upon the top of a hill which commanded all the country round it. He could not bear the prospect, but searching some avenue weak enough for him to attack, he formed a thousand idle schemes of rage and revenge. He would sometimes cry out-" Behold that haughty and rebellious hill, which I must level." He was continually surveying the ramparts, whence the enemy seemed to brave his wrath and impotence. He saw cattle go in and out freely, while wagons loaded with provisions went in at another gate. He endeavoured to cut off all communication with the castle, but the Romas, little disposed to favour him, and brought over in part by the nobles, replied, the attempt seemed to them impracticable. The senator, deceived by those who approved of his design, tore like a madman to meet with such difficulties in its execution, and to behold so little good will among his troops. He vainly consumed his menaces against the Colonnas; and, calling too late to mind his error in not turning to better advantage the battle at the gates of St. Laurence, "Ah," said he, "if during the consternation my enemies then were in, I had suddenly fallen upon Palestrina, I should not have seen myself in this extremity, and Romè had been free."

The next day he began to pillage, and as that caused no risk, and turned to the advantage of the army, they readily came into it. They continued their havoc for eight days: the flat countries were already ruined and laid waste.Rienzi found himself obliged to disband the irregular forces, and send back his army to Rome. The chief cause of this retreat was the division among the irregulars of Velletri and Tivoli, as their vicinity produced jealousies and fomented disputes; several of the chiefs deserted and retired to Palestrina; those that remained in the camp were every day upon the point of coming to blows with those of Tivoli; so that Rienzi, to prevent such dangerous dissensions, was obliged to separate his army at a time he had the most press

ing seasons to keep it together at Rome. But before we unfold the reason, it may not be improper to trace back the change of the Romans, in regard to their tribune, to its origin, and the dissatisfaction that appeared in this expedition, and which afterward burst out more openly.

It might reasonably have been expected, that Rienzi would have profited by reflection in a long disgrace, and that a three years' imprisonment would have given him room to examine into his past conduct. Invested now with a lawful authority, conferred by the sovereign pontiff, and agreed to by the people, he might have been supported by a firm and mild government without giving any advantage to the nobles, keeping them within the limits of respect and duty, if a boundless ambition had not inspired him with designs too great for him to execute. The errors of his second administration exceeded those of the first: adversity, far from suppressing his vices, added to them: his ambition, his cruelty, his avarice became more violent, and at the same time less circumspect and artful. During the course of his first administration, he knew how to curb his passions, at least to palliate them under pretence of the public welfare; but no sooner was he a second time established, than he forgot his misfortunes, and intoxicated himself with his prosperity: he kept so little guard upon his words, that in his very first harangue he let drop some expressions that tended to a tyrannic sway. The people perceived it, and the nobles made the best use of it to promote their own interests. Degenerated from that austerity of life, and from that sobriety which had cast such splendour on him in the former days of his elevation, he now gave himself up to an excess of intemperance. The indecency of a vice so opposite to the customs of the Romans gave great offence; they no longer regarded the tribune, who had once been a model of temperance in a city which could scarcely at present see one virtue in him; sinee his re-establishment he grudged the small time he spent in public business, and gave himself up entirely to feasting; morning, noon and night he tippled; his converse with the Hungarians and Germans taught him this vice, upon which to put some gloss, he pretended that his insatiable thirst was the effect

of poison given to him in prison. He grew quite unwieldy; his face was bloated and his eyes changed his colour, sometimes inflamed and blood shot; his beard was long and neglected; his whole air, in one word, was so inexpressibly barbarous and fierce, that it was impossible to look at him without horror. His debaucheries affected no less his mind than his body, which became inactive and incapable of application. His temper was exceedingly altered. Restlessness, inconstancy, caprice, were foibles that were born with him, but of which he had once made admirable advantage over a people equally as restless, inconstant, and capri

cious.

Such was the course of the second administration of that celebrated tribune, who flattered himself he should obtain universal monarchy. It must be confessed that, since his return, he had partly laid aside his chimeras; that he never rose up against the pope, his sovereign, as he had formerly done, and that he was in some things praiseworthy: but whether the black part of his character surpassed the white, whether the fickle humour of the Romans was at that time incapable of fixing a stability of government, or weather the former novelty, to which they had even been idolaters, had lost its charms by the hopes of another, it is certain that this second administration was much less fortunate to them and to Rienzi than the former, as will be seen after we have shown the secret and pressing motive that obliged him to lay aside his expedition against Palestrina, and suddenly return to Rome.

BOOK XIII.

THE chevalier Montreal, understanding that the senator, far from endeavouring to reimburse the sums which he had advanced for his restoration, had borrowed some thousand florins more of his brothers, repaired to Rome during the expedition against Palestrina. He went accompanied with a small retinue, to solicit the payment with great haughtiness; and not considering that he was in a city wherein he could not express himself with the same freedom as at the head of his army, he let drop complaints and threats against the senator, intimating that the hand which raised could as easily overturn and ruin. At the same time he had the indiscretion to say, in the presence of his domestics, that Rienzi was a traitor whom he could not move either by reason, persuasion, or promises; and that he would slay him with his own hand. The arrival and discontent of Montreal came to the ears of the senator, who, justly imagining that this chief of the robbers, after having raised contributions over Italy, was plotting against his authority and person, resolved to oppose him. He surprised Rome by his sudden return, but he kept it not long in suspense, and the treachery of a servant gave him room to publish the true motive of it. This woman, irritated at some ill usage she had received from her master Montreal, determined to revenge herself by the most cruel means. She went sécretly to the senator, and approaching him all in tears, she