OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

345

and, while they devoutly repeated the oath of chap.allegiance, might whisper a secret, and more __ LXX-sincere assurance of revenge. A priest, in thename of the people, pronounced their absolu-tion: they received the communion with thetribune, assisted at the banquet, followed theprocession; and, after every spiritual and tem-poral sign of reconciliation, were dismissed insafety to their respective homes, with the newhonours and titles of generals, consuls, and pa-tricians.*

During some weeks they were checked by TUe y ?p- .the memory of their danger, rather than of their in aims,deliverance, till the most powerful of the Ursini,escaping with the Col nna from the city, erect-ed at Marino the standard of rebellion. Thefortifications of the castle were instantly restor-ed; the vassals attended their lord; the outlawsarmed against the magistrate; the flocks andherds, the harvests and vineyards, from Marinoto the gates of Rome , were swept away or de-stroyed; and the people arraigned Rienzi asthe author of the calamities which his govern-ment had taught them to forget. In the camp,

Rienzi appeared to less advantage than in therostrum; and he neglected the progress of therebel barons till their numbers were strong, andtheir castles impregnable. From the pages ofLivy he had not imbibed the art, or even thecourage, of a general; an army of twenty thou-

* The original letter, in which Rienzi justifies his treatment of theColonna (Hocsemius, apud du Cer^eau, p. 222-22U) displays, in ge-nuine colours, the mixture of the knave and the madman.