Rienzi [235]
me, ye are the counsellors) - the Grand Company is accustomed to forced marches!"
"Viva Fra Moreale!" cried Bruttini and Vivaldi, simultaneously. "A health to all, my friends;" continued Bruttini; "a health to the Barons, Rome's old friends; to Pandulfo di Guido, the Senator's new colleague, and to Fra Moreale, Rome's new Podesta."
"The bell has ceased," said Vivaldi, putting down his goblet.
"Heaven have mercy on the robber!" added Bruttini.
Scarce had he spoken, ere three taps were heard at the door - the guests looked at each other in dumb amaze.
"New guests!" said Montreal. "I asked some trusty friends to join us this evening. By my faith they are welcome! Enter!"
The door opened slowly; three by three entered, in complete armour, the guards of the Senator. On they marched, regular and speechless. They surrounded the festive board - they filled the spacious hall, and the lights of the banquet were reflected upon their corselets as on a wall of steel.
Not a syllable was uttered by the feasters, they were as if turned to stone. Presently the guards gave way, and Rienzi himself appeared. He approached the table, and folding his arms, turned his gaze deliberately from guest to guest, till at last, his eyes rested on Montreal, who had also risen, and who alone of the party had recovered the amaze of the moment.
And there, as these two men, each so celebrated, so proud, able, and ambitious, stood, front to front - it was literally as if the rival Spirits of Force and Intellect, Order and Strife, of the Falchion and the Fasces - the Antagonist Principles by which empires are ruled and empires overthrown, had met together, incarnate and opposed. They stood, both silent, - as if fascinated by each other's gaze, - loftier in stature, and nobler in presence than all around.
Montreal spoke first, and with a forced smile.
"Senator of Rome! - dare I believe that my poor banquet tempts thee, and may I trust that these armed men are a graceful compliment to one to whom arms have been a pastime?"
Rienzi answered not, but waved his hand to his guards. Montreal was seized on the instant. Again he surveyed the guests - as a bird from the rattle- snake, - shrunk Pandulfo di Guido, trembling, motionless, aghast, from the glittering eye of the Senator. Slowly Rienzi raised his fatal hand towards the unhappy citizen - Pandulfo saw, - felt his doom, - shrieked, - and fell senseless in the arms of the soldiers.
One other and rapid glance cast the Senator round the board, and then, with a disdainful smile, as if anxious for no meaner prey, turned away. Not a breath had hitherto passed his lips - all had been dumb show - and his grim silence had imparted a more freezing terror to his unguessed-for apparition. Only, when he reached the door, he turned back, gazed upon the Knight of St. John's bold and undaunted face, and said, almost in a whisper, "Walter de Montreal! - you heard the death-knell!"
Chapter 10.IV. The Sentence of Walter de Montreal.
In silence the Captain of the Grand Company was borne to the prison of the Capitol. In the same building lodged the rivals for the government of Rome; the one occupied the prison, the other the palace. The guards forebore the ceremony of fetters, and leaving a lamp on the table, Montreal perceived he was not alone, - his brothers had preceded him.
"Ye are happily met," said the Knight of St. John; we have passed together pleasanter nights than this is likely to be."
"Can you jest, Walter?" said Arimbaldo, half-weeping. "Know you not that our doom is fixed? Death scowls upon us."
"Death!" repeated Montreal, and for the first time his countenance changed; perhaps for the first time in his life he felt the thrill and agony of fear.
"Death!" he repeated again. "Impossible! He dare not, Brettone; the soldiers, the Northmen! - they will mutiny, they will pluck us back from the grasp of the headsman!"
"Cast from you so vain a hope," said Brettone sullenly; "the soldiers are encamped at Palestrina."
"How! Dolt - fool! Came you
"Viva Fra Moreale!" cried Bruttini and Vivaldi, simultaneously. "A health to all, my friends;" continued Bruttini; "a health to the Barons, Rome's old friends; to Pandulfo di Guido, the Senator's new colleague, and to Fra Moreale, Rome's new Podesta."
"The bell has ceased," said Vivaldi, putting down his goblet.
"Heaven have mercy on the robber!" added Bruttini.
Scarce had he spoken, ere three taps were heard at the door - the guests looked at each other in dumb amaze.
"New guests!" said Montreal. "I asked some trusty friends to join us this evening. By my faith they are welcome! Enter!"
The door opened slowly; three by three entered, in complete armour, the guards of the Senator. On they marched, regular and speechless. They surrounded the festive board - they filled the spacious hall, and the lights of the banquet were reflected upon their corselets as on a wall of steel.
Not a syllable was uttered by the feasters, they were as if turned to stone. Presently the guards gave way, and Rienzi himself appeared. He approached the table, and folding his arms, turned his gaze deliberately from guest to guest, till at last, his eyes rested on Montreal, who had also risen, and who alone of the party had recovered the amaze of the moment.
And there, as these two men, each so celebrated, so proud, able, and ambitious, stood, front to front - it was literally as if the rival Spirits of Force and Intellect, Order and Strife, of the Falchion and the Fasces - the Antagonist Principles by which empires are ruled and empires overthrown, had met together, incarnate and opposed. They stood, both silent, - as if fascinated by each other's gaze, - loftier in stature, and nobler in presence than all around.
Montreal spoke first, and with a forced smile.
"Senator of Rome! - dare I believe that my poor banquet tempts thee, and may I trust that these armed men are a graceful compliment to one to whom arms have been a pastime?"
Rienzi answered not, but waved his hand to his guards. Montreal was seized on the instant. Again he surveyed the guests - as a bird from the rattle- snake, - shrunk Pandulfo di Guido, trembling, motionless, aghast, from the glittering eye of the Senator. Slowly Rienzi raised his fatal hand towards the unhappy citizen - Pandulfo saw, - felt his doom, - shrieked, - and fell senseless in the arms of the soldiers.
One other and rapid glance cast the Senator round the board, and then, with a disdainful smile, as if anxious for no meaner prey, turned away. Not a breath had hitherto passed his lips - all had been dumb show - and his grim silence had imparted a more freezing terror to his unguessed-for apparition. Only, when he reached the door, he turned back, gazed upon the Knight of St. John's bold and undaunted face, and said, almost in a whisper, "Walter de Montreal! - you heard the death-knell!"
Chapter 10.IV. The Sentence of Walter de Montreal.
In silence the Captain of the Grand Company was borne to the prison of the Capitol. In the same building lodged the rivals for the government of Rome; the one occupied the prison, the other the palace. The guards forebore the ceremony of fetters, and leaving a lamp on the table, Montreal perceived he was not alone, - his brothers had preceded him.
"Ye are happily met," said the Knight of St. John; we have passed together pleasanter nights than this is likely to be."
"Can you jest, Walter?" said Arimbaldo, half-weeping. "Know you not that our doom is fixed? Death scowls upon us."
"Death!" repeated Montreal, and for the first time his countenance changed; perhaps for the first time in his life he felt the thrill and agony of fear.
"Death!" he repeated again. "Impossible! He dare not, Brettone; the soldiers, the Northmen! - they will mutiny, they will pluck us back from the grasp of the headsman!"
"Cast from you so vain a hope," said Brettone sullenly; "the soldiers are encamped at Palestrina."
"How! Dolt - fool! Came you