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!"