THE DECLINE AND FALL
342
CHAP.
LXX.
and coro-nation.
the Caesars had given, was prepared for the Ro-mans. The apartments, porticoes, and courts,of the Lateran were spread with innumerabletables for either sex, and every condition: astream of wine flowed from the nostrils of Con-stantine’s brazen horse; no complaint except ofthe scarcity of water, could be heard; and thelicentiousness of the multitude was curbed bydiscipline and fear. A subsequent day was ap-pointed for the coronation of Rienzi; r sevencrowns of different leaves or metals were suc-cessively placed on his head by the most emi-nent of the Roman clergy; they represented theseven gifts of the Holy Ghost; and he still pro-fessed to imitate the example of the ancient tri-bunes. These extraordinary spectacles mightdeceive or flatter the people; and their ownvanity was gratified in the vanity of their leader.But in his private life he soon deviated fromthe strict rule of frugality and abstinence; andthe plebeians, who were awed by the splendourof the nobles, were provoked by the luxury oftheir equal. His wife, his son, his uncle (abarber in name and profession), exposed thecontrast of vulgar manners and princely ex-pence; and without acquiring the majesty, Ri-enzi degenerated into the vices of a king.
A simple citizen describes with pity, or per-haps with pleasure, the humiliation of the baronsof Rome . “ Bareheaded, their hands crossed
r It is singular that the Roman historian should have overlooked hissevenfold coronation, which is sufficiently proved by internal evidence,and the testimony of Hocsimius. and even of Rienzi (Cerfeaii, p, 167-170, 229>