granaries were to be established; the poor were assured of alms; and the magistrates bound to administer justice according to law.

These laws were enthusiastically received by the people, and Rienzo was invested with the sovereign power to put them into exccution. Colonna, the senator, on hearing of this, returned in haste to Rome with his followers. Cola, the next day, sent him an order to quit the city the old man contemptuously tore it in pieces and threatened to have the Tribune thrown out of window. On this Rienzo rung the alarm-bell, assembled his followers, and attacked the quarters of the baron, who had barely time to escape to his castle at Palestrina with a single servant. The rest of the barons thought fit to quit the city when ordered to do so; and their strong places were consigned to the guardianship of companies of militia. The bands of bravoes and plunderers were made over to justice, and Rienzo was hailed as the liberator of his country.

of Italy appeared prepared to second his enterprise.

Rienzo, now at the height of his greatness, began to show the first symptoms of that vanity which ultimately caused his ruin. He assumed the title of the August Tribune and Illustrious Deliverer of the Republic. He has, however, been wrongly blamed for severities at this period of his career, which were nothing more than acts of strict justice. If he cleared the Roman territory from cut-throats, ravishers, and plunderers, the circumstances of the times clearly admitted of his doing so by the most summary process.

Having at length succeeded in reducing the nobles to a state of submission, he made a report of their humiliation to the pontifical court at Avignon, that he might appear at least to act with the concurrence of his holiness.

But the height which he had climbed turned his head; and, dizzy with the grandeur of his exaltation, he gave the reins to his vanity, and lost by the most paltry and contemptible of the human Having thus delivered the city from passions all that he had acquired by her cruel and despotic plagues, the the exercise of the noblest qualities. Tribune turned his attention to the He strove to augment his importance surrounding districts. He sent orders by gewgaw processions and public specto all of any rank to repair to the Cap-tacles, gorgeous robes, banners and itol, to swear fealty to the constitution. One of the young Colonnas, who had come to Rome from curiosity, found it prudent to take the oath. Others soon arrived, of either faction, and the constitutional oath was administered to all alike, even to merchants, private gen-served by lords, and his wife was waited tlemen and citizens.

standards. He paraded the city with a globe in his hand, as a symbol of the destined sway of the empire. He multiplied fêtes and ceremonies from the sheer love of pomp; and debased his greatness by aping royalty. He was

upon by the ladies of the court. He kept a luxurious table, and launched into the most unqualified extravagance. All this scandalized that idea of propriety of which even the vulgar have a keen sense, and substituted ridicule for reverence in the popular mind. Rienzo's relations, connected with the wine-shop and the wash-tub, when raised, as they were, to the highest dignities, reaped reproach rather than respect for the airs they assumed. When the populace saw his uncle, the barber, equipped with sword and helmet, instead of razor and bason, and attended by an escort of the magnates, whose chins he had so lately shaved, they indulged in a laugh

After the long reign of anarchy and terror, the Romans were delighted with their newly-recovered liberty. Meanwhile the Tribune sent ambassadors to the Pope to demand his approbation; and zealous partisans among the learned at the pontifical court were not wanting to his cause. The security restored to the highways was hailed as a benefit to the whole Christian world, at a time when the passion for pilgrimages universally prevailed. The couriers of Rienzo were favourably received in all the neighbouring states, and the authority of the man of the people was generally acknowledged Petrarch corresponded with him, and wrote in his ominous of the future. As a crownpraise. The Florentines sent him a ing absurdity, Rienzo must needs be hundred horsemen, and offered more; made a knight-a title utterly at vari the Perugians sent him sixty men-at-ance with that of Tribune. The cerearms; the Siennes, fifty; and the whole mony, however, took place, and was

preceded by a festival, the most sump- prayers of others, he pardoned their tuous and luxurious ever seen. Clad pretended crimes, and immediately in scarlet and the finest fur, the besotted loaded them with favours and important Cola was girded with the sword of chi- commissions. But the favour which valry by Vico Scotto, a Roman knight. comes upon the heels of an nnmerited Mass was then celebrated with all the injury demands little gratitude; and ceremonies observed at the consecration the nobles were no sooner out of prison of royalty. During their performance and beyond the walls of Rome, than Rienzo advanced towards the people, they sought for vengeance. The once and with a loud voice summoned the furious rivals, the Colonnas and OrsiPope and all his cardinals to Rome- nis, now conspired together, fortified challenged Louis of Bavaria and Charles the castle of Marino, and collected conof Bohemia to show their right to the siderable forces before Rienzo could empire; declared the whole of the Italian anticipate their measures. They raised cities to be free, and conferred the rights the standard of revolt, overthrew a numof Roman citizenship upon them all; ber of strongholds, and carried devastahe then called the world to witness that tion to the gates of Rome. Rienzo was the election of the Roman emperor be- no warrior. For a long time he tried longed to the city of Rome, to its peo- the virtue of proclamations and threats; ple, and to all Italy: with that, drawing but at length, forced to arms by the his sword and striking the air with it clamours of the people, who suffered the in the direction of the three parts of the loss of their crops and cattle, he was world, he exclaimed, "This is mine! compelled to call out the militia. At this is mine! this is mine!" Directly the head of more than 20,000 men, he afterwards he despatched his summonses marched forth, and laid waste the terto the Pope and the two emperors. ritory of Marino. After a week's camThe Pope's vicar, the bishop of Or-paign without fighting, he led back his vieto, though thunderstruck, as he forces to the city. Here he proudly might well be, at this boldness, protest- assumed the Dalmatian mantle, the ed through a notary that the Tribune costume of emperors, and received the assumed such power without his consent Pope's legate who had arrived at Rome or that of the Pope; but Cola drowned for the purpose of vindicating the authe protest with the din of the drums thority of the pontiff. and trumpets. A magnificent banquet followed this ceremony, at which the poor vicar did not refuse to attend, and to eat alone at a marble-table with the Tribune, whose wife presided at the new palace at the head of the wives and daughters of the nobility.

All this fêteing and feasting wasted the public revenues, and raised alarm in sober minds. At one of Rienzo's festivals, shortly after, the old Colonna who had threatened to throw him out of window, took an occasion gently to reprove him for his pomp and extravagance. Stung with the reproof, the Tribune sallied angrily from the hall without replying, and gave immediate orders to arrest all the nobles present, under the pretext of a conspiracy. He next day convoked an assembly in the Capitol, and announced his determination to cut off the heads of all the nobles, whom, he alleged, he had found guilty of treason. Confessors were sent to the imprisoned magnates to take their last confessions previous to execution; but whether he only intended to frighten them, or whether he was moved by the

In the mean time revolt had broken out at Palestrina, under the conduct of the Colonnas, who, relying on the aid of their partisans in Rome, advanced at the head of 10,000 men to within four miles of the city gates. Rienzo, though in command of considerable forces, had not courage to sally forth, but contented himself with haranguing the citizens within the walls. Bravado rather than courage seemed indeed the prevailing quality on either side, and threats, abuse, and denunciations were exchanged instead of blows. At length, through the rashness of John Colonna, (grandson of the old senator,) who rushed alone through one of the gates of the city, where he was speedily surrounded and put to death, both parties were drawn into a conflict, which resulted most disastrously for the barons: six of the Colonnas, and five other principal nobles perished on the spot, and Rienzo's victory was complete. His pride and vanity now dilated beyond measure; and he returned in triumph to the Capitol. He boastfully harangued the people, and forbade funeral honours to be paid

and in the accession of the succeeding pontiff, Innocent the Sixth, who, though a thorough simpleton, was still more favourable to Rienzo, the prospect of deliverance for Rome once more revived. During the imprisonment of the exTribune the state of the city had been growing from bad to worse. Robbery and assassinations were become almost too frequent to attract notice; and all regard for law and justice seemed annihilated in men's bosoms. The Senator of Rome, Bertolo of Ursini, had been murdered by a bravo, and since his death none other had been appointed. Francesco Baroncelli, secretary to the senate, an ambitious man, but devoid of eloquence, talent or principle, had succeeded in inducing the populace to elect him, as they had before done Rienzo, to the office of Tribune; but he had availed himself of his exaltation to gratify his private revenge, and had been deservedly put to death in return for his reckless cruelty.

Desirous, if possible, to put a stop to the evils which desolated the ancient capital of the empire, Innocent despatched Rienzo to Rome, absolved from all penalties and censures, and fully empowered to restore the government of order and the laws. Further, he sent Cardinal Albornoz after him into Italy, with directions to establish him as governor of the city under the title of senator. But Rienzo, desirous of being independent of the Cardinal for the exercise of power, formed a connection with two brothers of the famous Chevalier de Montreal, whom he met with at Perugia on his way to Rome, and who assisted him with both money and troops, and attached themselves to his fortune. Thus attended, he made a triumphant entry into the ancient city.

subdued the vices of his character. He acted with infamous ingratitude towards Montreal, the brother of the very man to whom he stood indebted for troops and money. This chevalier had followed the Senator to Rome to watch over the interests of his relatives, who were compromised by Rienzo's conduct. Rienzo seized him and caused him to be put to death, and then possessed himself of the treasure which he had amassed. Nor was this the only deed of blood justly laid to his charge.

Having exhausted all the wealth he had, in the vain attempt to reduce the Castle of Palestrina, he was compelled to send away his troops for want of money to discharge their arrears of pay. In this emergency he levied a new tax upon the citizens, to which they refused to submit, but rose in insurrection. The insurgents traversed the various quarters of the city, crying, "Long live the people-death to Rienzo." As they advanced to the Capitol, the senator found himself suddenly deserted by his guards and followers, and left with only three remaining friends to encounter the fury of an enraged mob. He caused the gates of the palace to be closed; but the rabble fired the building. The flames, however, barred access to the staircase, and thus separated him from the assailants. He now accoutred himself in his knightly armour, grasped the standard of the people, and appearing in the balcony, besought, by signs, an audience of the crowd. If he could have obtained it, he would in all probability, such was the magic power of his eloquence, have appeased the rage of the multitude: but they refused to hear him, and greeted him with a shower of stones which drove him back into the palace. He made a second attempt to harangue the mob Being established as senator, his first from the terrace of the Chancery, which attempt was to bring the nobles to sub- was open, but all his efforts were of no mission, and to make them swear fidelity avail. Undecided between a glorious to the constitution. He sent messengers death and the hopes of escape, three to young Stefano Colonna, now the head times he put on his armour, and put it of that family; but the young noble, off again. But the building was now secure in his castle at Palestrina, treated forced, and the mob were pillaging the them with indignity, and insulted the chambers within his hearing. Stripping Tribune by hostile excursions even to himself of everything likely to lead to the gates of Rome-insults which his recognition, he assumed the disRienzo was unable either to punish or guise of a door-keeper, and boldly trarepress, for want of money, the true versing the burning chambers, he spoke sinews of war. It would appear that to the plunderers in the vulgar jargon of the "uses of adversity" had had no be- their class, and directed them where neficial effect upon this extraordinary to find the richest spoil. In this way man, but had rather aggravated than he passed through two gates without

discovery, but he was stopped at the third by a Roman soldier who demanded where he was going. Losing his presence of mind, he no longer attempted concealment. He was led to the foot of the stairs of the Capitol, in front of the lion of porphyry, where he had himself aforetime passed so many sentences of death.

At his appearance a profound silence succeeded to the furious outcries of the rioters, not one of whom had the courage to touch him. With his arms crossed upon his breast he awaited their decision, and availing himself of their silence, he was about to address them, when Cecco del Vecchio, an artisan,

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU.