OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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“ on their breast, they stood with downcast“ looks in the presence of the tribune; and they“ trembled; good God , how they trembled!” 1As long as the yoke of Rienzi was that of jus-tice and their country, their conscience forcedthem to esteem the man, whom pride and in-terest provoked them to hate: his extravagantconduct soon fortified their hatred by contempt;and they conceived the hope of subverting apower which was no longer so deeply rooted inthe public confidence. The old animosity ofthe Colonna and Ursini was suspended, for amoment, by their common disgrace: they asso-ciated their wishes, and perhaps their designs;an assassin was seized and tortured ; lie accusedthe nobles; and as soon as Rienzi deserved thefate, he adopted the suspicions and maxims ofa tyrant. On the same day, under various pre-tences, he invited to the capitol his principalenemies, among whom were five members of theUrsini and three of the Colonna name. But in-stead of a council ora banquet, they found them-selves prisoners under the sword of despotism orjustice; and the consciousness of innocence orguilt might inspire them with equal apprehen-sions of danger. At the sound of the great bellthe people assembled; they were arraigned fora conspiracy against the tribune’s life; andthough some might sympathise in their distress,not a hand, nor a voice, Was raised to rescue the

' Puoi se faceva stare deuante a se, raentre sedeva, li liaroni tuttiin piedi ritti co le vraccia piecate, e co li capucci tratti, Ileli coniostavano paurosi 1 (Hist. Rom. 1. ii, c. 20, p. 439). He saw tUem, andwe tec them

CHAP.

LXX.