Rienzi, Last of the Roman Tribunes by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton
page 274 of 660 (41%)
page 274 of 660 (41%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
to your rival. You cannot bear that one, great enough to have contended
with you, should perish like a thief. I give full praise to such noble forgiveness; but I am no noble, and I do not sympathize with it. One word more;--if this were the sole act of fraud and violence that this bandit baron had committed, your prayers should plead for him; but is not his life notorious? Has he not been from boyhood the terror and disgrace of Rome? How many matrons violated, merchants pillaged, peaceful men stilettoed in the daylight, rise in dark witness against the prisoner? And for such a man do I live to hear an aged prince and a pope's vicar plead for mercy?--Fie, fie! But I will be even with ye. The next poor man whom the law sentences to death, for your sake will I pardon." Raimond again drew aside the Tribune, while Colonna struggled to suppress his rage. "My friend," said the Bishop, "the nobles will feel this as an insult to their whole order; the very pleading of Orsini's worst foe must convince thee of this. Martino's blood will seal their reconciliation with each other, and they will be as one man against thee." "Be it so: with God and the People on my side, I will dare, though a Roman, to be just. The bell ceases--you are already too late." So saying, Rienzi threw open the casement; and by the staircase of the Lion rose a gibbet from which swung with a creaking sound, arrayed in his patrician robes, the yet palpitating corpse of Martino di Porto. "Behold!" said the Tribune, sternly, "thus die all robbers. For traitors, the same law has the axe and the scaffold!" |
|