The Life and Times of Rienzi (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836 Excerpt: ... robbers." Over the whole was painted " Heaven," from whence descended the Supreme Being, with all the majesty of the sovereign judge displeased; two swords issued from his mouth, and on each side were the apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, endeavouring to appease him. This fantastical picture, which drew the attention of the people, caused them to reflect on what they every day went through, and look upon Kienzi as a man capable of taking their interests into his hands, and restoring their tottering state. His stratagem having succeeded, without danger from the principal men who despised it, in a little time after he had the rashness to make another public show of quite a different nature. He affixed to the wall of the choir of St. John the Lateran a large brass plate, on which was engraven the people of Rome yielding the sovereign authority to Vespasian, in antique characters, to render it the more ambiguous; but the matter spoke itself. Rienzi would by this have had it understood, that the supreme power was entirely lodged in the hands of the people; that their rulers were no more than trustees; and that they were to ordain what they thought fit. The seditious maxims which Rienzi took so much pains to propagate, were extremely agreeable to the citizens: the nobility also were disgusted at the Pope's residence at Avignon, and especially at the little esteem Clement VI. showed the Romans. Rienzi, perceiving the attention of the people, which his hieroglyphical plate had universally attracted, and their desire of understanding the meaning of the mystical characters, raised in the same place an alcove and amphitheatre handsomely adorned. Having set a day for the explanation, he gave a general invitation to the nobility. Stephen Colonna and John, his son, appe...