Ere the storm burst? We'll light this darkness, sir,
With the brave flash of spear and sword.

All the Citizens shout. Rienzi!

Live, brave Rienzi! honest Cola!

Rie. Friends!

Citizens. Long live Rienzi!

Alb. Listen to him.

Rie. Friends

I come not here to talk.

Ye know too well
We are slaves!

The story of our thraldrom.
The bright sun rises to his course, and lights
A race of slaves !—He sets, and his last beam
Falls on a slave: not such as, swept along
By the full tide of power, the conqueror leads
To crimson glory and undying fame.
But base ignoble slaves,―slaves to a horde
Of petty tyrants, feudal despots; lords
Rich in some dozen paltry villages,-

Strong in some hundred spearmen,-only great
In that strange spell-a name.

Each hour, dark fraud,

Or open rapine, or protected murder,

Cry out against them. But this very day,

An honest man, my neighbour [pointing to Paolo], there

he stands,

Was struck,-struck like a dog, by one who wore

The badge of Ursini; because forsooth,

He tossed not high his ready cap in air,

Nor lifted up his voice in servile shouts,

At sight of that great ruffian. Be we men,
And suffer such dishonor? Men, and wash not
The stain away in blood?

Such shames are common :

I have known deeper wrongs. I that speak to ye,
I had a brother once, a gracious boy,

Full of all gentleness, of calmest hope,

Of sweet and quiet joy—

How I loved

That gracious boy! Younger by fifteen years,
Brother at once and son!

In one short hour

The pretty harmless boy was slain! I saw

The corse, the mangled corse, and when I cried

For vengeance!-Rouse ye, Romans !-Rouse, ye slaves !
Have
ye brave sons ?-Look in the next fierce brawl
To see them die. Have ye fair daughters ?-Look
To see them live, torn from your arms, distained,
Dishonoured; and, if ye dare call for justice,
Be answered by the lash, Yet, this is Rome,
That sate on her seven hills, and from her throne
Of beauty ruled the world! Yet, we are Romans.
Why, in that elder day, to be a Roman

Was greater than a king! And once again,-
Hear me, ye walls, that echoed to the tread
Of either Brutus! once again, I swear,
The eternal city shall be free; her sons

Shall walk with princes. Ere to-morrow's dawn,

The tyrants

First Cit. Hush! Who passes there?

By his proud bearing. Seize him.

Alb. A foe,

Rie. As I deem,

'Tis Angelo Colonna.

[Citizens retire back.

Touch him not,

I would hold parley with him. Good Alberti,

The hour is nigh. Away!

Now sir!

[Exit ALBERTI.

Enter ANGELO COLONNA.

Ang. What be ye,

That thus in stern and watchful mystery

Cluster beneath the veil of night, and start
To hear a stranger's foot?

Rie. Romans.

Ang. And wherefore

Meet ye, my countrymen ?

Rie. For freedom.

Ang. Surely,

Thou art Cola di Rienzi?

I knew thee by the words.

Who, save thyself, in this bad age, when man
Lies prostrate like yon temple, dared conjoin
The sounds of Rome and freedom?

Rie. I shall teach

The world to blend those words, as in the days

Before the Cæsars.

To hail the union.

Thou shalt be the first

I have seen thee hang

On tales of the world's mistress, till thine eyes
Flooded with strong emotion, have let fall

Big tear-drops on thy cheeks, and thy young hand
Hath clenched thy maiden sword. Unsheath it now,
Now, at thy country's call! What! dost thou pause?
Is the flame quenched? Dost falter? Hence with thee,
Pass on! Pass whilst thou may'st.

Ang. Hear me, Rienzi.

Even now my spirit leaps up at the thought
Of those brave storied days-a treasury
Of matchless visions, bright and glorified,
Paling the dim lights of this darkling world

With the golden blaze of heaven; but past and gone,
As clouds of yesterday, as last night's dream.

Rie. A dream! Dost see yon Phalanx, still and stern? A hundred leaders, each with such a band,

So armed, so resolute, so fixed in will

Wait with suppressed impatience till they hear

The great bell of the Capitol, to spring

At once on their proud foes. Join them.

Ang. My father!

Rie. Already he hath quitted Rome.
Ang. My kinsmen !

Vinc. We are too strong for contest.

Thou shalt see

No other change within our peaceful streets

Than that of slaves to freemen. Such a change

As is the silent step from night to day,
From darkness into light. We talk too long.
Ang. Yet reason with them ;-warn them.
Rie. And their answer-

Will be the gaol, the gibbet, or the axe,

The keen retort of power. Why, I have reasoned;
And, but that I am held, amongst your great ones,
Half madman, and half fool, these bones of mine
Had whitened on yon wall. Warn them!

They met

At every step dark warnings. The pure air,
Where'er they passed, was heavy with the weight

Of sullen silence; friend met friend, nor smiled,
Till the last footfall of the tyrant's steed

Had died upon the ear; and low and hoarse
Hatred came murmuring like the deep voice
Of the wind before the tempest. Sir, the boys,-
The unfledged boys, march at their mother's hist,
Beside their grandsires; even the girls of Rome,—
The gentle and the delicate, array

Their lovers in this cause. I have one yonder,
Claudia Rienzi,-thou hast seen the maid—
A silly trembler, a slight fragile toy,

As ever nursed a dove, or reared a flower,—
Yet she, even she, is pledged-

Ang. To whom? to whom?,

Rie. To liberty. Was never virgin vowed
In the fair temple over right our house
To serve the goddess, Vesta, as my child
Is dedicated to Freedom. A king's son

Might kneel in vain for Claudia. None shall wed her,
Save a true champion of the cause.

Ang. I'll join ye: How shall I swear?

Rie. [to the people].

[Gives his hand to RIENZI.

Friends, comrades, countrymen !

I bring unhoped-for aid. Young Angelo,

The immediate heir of the Colonna, craves

To join your band.

All the citizens shout. He's welcome!
Ang. Hear me swear :-

By Rome-by freedom-by Rienzi! Comrades,
How have ye titled your deliverer ? Consul-
Dictator, emperor?

The people shout. Consul! Emperor! etc., etc.
Rie. No:

Those names have been so often steeped in blood,
So shamed by folly, so profaned by sin,

The sound seems ominous.-I'll none of them.
Call me the tribune of the people; there
My honouring duty lies.

The citizens shout. Hail to our Tribune!
Rie. Hark! the bell, the bell!

The knell of tyranny-the mighty voice,

That, to the city and the plain-to earth,
And listening heaven, proclaims the glorious tale
Of Rome re-born, and Freedom. See, the clouds
Are swept away, and the moon's boat of light
Sails in the clear blue sky, and million stars
Look out on us, and smile.

Hark! that great voice

Hath broke our bondage.

Look, without a stroke

The capitol is won-the gates unfold

The keys are at our feet. Alberti, friend,
How shall I pay thy service? Citizens!
First to possess the palace citadel-

The famous strength of Rome; then to sweep on,
Triumphant, through her streets.

Oh! glorious wreck

RIENZI pauses.

Of gods and Cæsars! thou shalt reign again,
Queen of the world; and I-come on, come on,
My people!

Citizens. Live Rienzi- live our Tribune!

- RIENZI.

MISS MITFORD.

Second Selection.

Enter COLONNA, URSINI, FRANGIPANI, SAVELLI, CASTELLO,

ETC.

Col. Gibbet and cord! a base plebeian death! And he the head of the great Roman name,

That rivalled the Colonna! Ursini,

Thy brother shall not die. The grief is thine,
The shame is general. How say ye, barons ?
Urs. If ye resist ye share his doom, Plead! plead!
Dissemble with the tyrant,-stifle hate,
And master scorn, as I have done. Plead for him.
Col. To Cola! Can I frame my speech to sue

To Cola-most familiar of the drones

That thronged my hall of afternoons, content
To sit below the salt, and bear all jests,-
The retinue and pest of greatness. Sue
To Cola!