pleased, but he had not courage unless assured of support. He was afraid therefore to put his design in execution that night. He retired highly chagrined at what had passed, determined to sacrifice however those lords, as soon as he should obtain the people's consent. They were put into different apartments to prevent all communication. Stephen Colonna was kept in the great hall, without a bed to lie upon. He spent the night in the most cruel agitation, walking up and down the great stairs; sometimes knocking hard at the door, and beseeching the sentinel to enter and run him through the body, that he might avoid the infamous punishment and inhumanity of the tyrant, but all in vain ; the sentinel would give no ear to him, but barbarously left the venerable old man, who had been governor of Rome, to lament his hard fate, of being reduced to fall a victim to the frenzy of a madman.

The next day the tribune resolving more than ever to rid himself of his prisoners, ordered tapestries of two colours, red and white, to be laid over the place whereon he held his councils, and which he had made choice of to be the theatre of this bloody tragedy, as the extraordinary tapestry seemed to declare. He afterwards sent a cordelier to every one of the prisoners to administer the sacraments, and then ordered the capitol bell to be tolled. At that fatal sound and the sight of the confessors, the lords no longer doubted of sentence of death being passed upon them. They all confessed, except the old Colonna, and many received the communion. In the meanwhile the people, naturally prompt to attend, when their first impetuosity had time to calm, could not without pity behold the dismal preparations which were making. The sight of the bloody colour in the tapestry shocked them. On this first impression they joined in opinion in relation to so many illustrious heads now going to be sacrificed, and lamented more their unhappy catastrophe, as no crime had been proved upon them, to render them worthy of such barbarous treatment. Above all, the unfortunate Stephen Colonna, whose birth, age, and affable behaviour commanded respect, excited a particular compassion. An universal sorrow and silence reigned among them. Those who were nearest Rienzi, discovered an alteration. They

took the opportunity of imploring his mercy towards the prisoners in terms the most affecting and moving.

The tribune, sensible that he had acted too rashly in an affair of such importance, determined to act his part to the best advantage. Keeping the minds of the people in suspense, and concealing his design from them, he commanded the prisoners to be brought to his tribunal. About nine o'clock in the morning they appeared like criminals led to suffer. Notwithstanding the grief and despair visible in their countenances, they showed a noble indignation, generally attendant on innocence in the hour of death. As they imagined they had no farther concerns in this last fatal moment, they endeavoured to justify themselves, and convince the people of their innocence; but the first had no sooner began his speech than the tribune caused those trumpets to sound, that performed so well at the vicar's protest against the pope's citation. This dreadful signal spread an universal belief that the unfortunate lords were now past redemption, and that the executioners were upon the point of executing their office. Rienzi with his accustomed air advanced to harangue them. He began his speech in the words of the Lord's prayer:-"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." He told them afterwards that it was the duty of all men mutually to forgive each other, that they themselves might obtain divine mercy, always proportioned to the degrees of mercy which they had shown upon earth. He entreated the people with tears in his eyes, to have some compassion for the illustrious prisoners, whose birth and merits deserved a fate less rigorous. In a word, although he was grieved at heart to behold his victims snatched from him, and foresaw the consequences of his first proceeding, he endeavoured to make a merit of it in the eyes of the people, by a forced complaisance, to which he judged himself reduced, and in the eyes of the lords by the eloquence he displayed in begging forgiveness for them; it was in fact granted, in the name of the Romans. Turning to the lords, he said, "Resolve, for the future, to offer your lives and fortunes for the good of the people who have so graciously restored you to both."

The noble personages, surprised at the image of death, and a change so unexpected, answered only by a profound inclination, to assure the Romans of their acknowedgement and devotion.

The tribune made no stay; endeavouring to reinstate himself in the favour of his prisoners, he conferred a number of new titles, which were indeed of no cost, upon them; he made every one of them a present of a rich gown, furred and ermined; he invited them to dine with him, and after a magnificent repast, he made a cavalcade with them through the streets of Rome, as a token of pacification. He nevertheless tendered them the oaths, pretended to be voluntary, in favour of the good establishment and the people, which they repeated on the 17th of September, having first received absolution from the priest in the name of the people, and the communion with the tribune.

BOOK VII.

As soon as the persecuted lords found themselves at liberty, terrified rather at the dangers they had gone through, than pleased by the good offices of the tribune, or secured by the compulsive oaths they had taken, they consulted upon retiring from Rome, and seeking vengeance. Some, either through fear or policy, refused to enter into the confederacy, and continued in the city. The chief of those were three of the house of Ursini, Nicholas lord of the castle of St. Angelo, Jordan de Montagne, the son of count Berthold, and with them the chancellor Malebranch. Almost all the others followed the Colonnas, who engaged likewise one branch of the house of Ursini, of which the most considerable were Jordan and Reynold, lords of Marino, the place they chose to retire to with many noblemen and their vassals.

This retreat occasioned great speculation at Rome; the people, apprehensive of the ill consequences which it threatened, began publicly to blame the tribune, as having acted too much or too little in regard to these noblemen. As for them, they began to palisade and fortify their palaces; and as the castle of Marino was much the most convenient for them to carry on their enterprises, and retire to without hazard, they made it their-head-quarters and the asylum of the faction. They worked night and day in repairing it, and filled it with soldiers, arms, and warlike ammuevery nition in so efficacious a manner, that they found themselves

not only free from insults, but capable of sustaining a long siege.

The tribune had the imprudence and indolence to see and suffer these works to be carried on, in spite of the murmurs of the people, and his own power to prevent them. The lords no sooner found themselves in a state fit for action, but they made excursions upon the Borders of Rome, plundering the country, taking away man and beast, and making incredible havoc. Rienzi, roused at length by the public clamours, acted agreeable to his natural timidity. He relied more upon the terror of his name than of his, arms. He sent a citation to the rebels to appear before him; who, finding themselves in a condition of being feared, abused the officer whom he sent with the citation, and drove him from the palace of Marino with three wounds upon his head. To brave the tribune, they that day continued their pillages with greater fury than ever.

Rienzi, a greater bully than knight or tribune, took no more cognisance of these outrages than by sending a second citation, wherein he summoned the rebels to surrender themselves at his tribunal on foot and disarmed, upon pain of incurring his displeasure; and with a mistaken show of authority caused the two lords of Marino to be hung up in effigy, with their heads downwards and their heels upwards, as traitors to their country, whom he declared he would make answerable for all the ravages which they and those of their party had committed in the territories of Rome. This bravado, which was a proof of the malice and weakness of the tribune, irritated more highly the offended lords, who soon revenged by cruel reprisals the imaginary infamy he pretended to cast upon them. Jordan, at the head of one party, advanced to one of the gates of Rome, where he made several prisoners, and took a large booty. Reynold carried his resentment much farther. He passed the 'l'iber, and attacked the town of Nepete or Nepi, which he ransacked with unheard of inhumanity, burning the houses, massacreing the inhabitants, and putting all to fire and sword that fell in his way. He carried his barbarity to such a height as to burn down a castle wherein was a widow of quality, who was consumed in the flames.