hether from fear of irritating the people, or because he
did not consider the danger so imminent. The grand master of the horse,
Don Carlo Caracciolo, with Don Luis Ponce de Leone, a cousin of the
Viceroy's, and governor of the vicarial court, were standing on one of
the balconies at the moment when the crowd reached the square before the
palace, and Masaniello, waving his banner three times before the guard,
called out, "Long life to the King of Spain! Down with the gabelles!"--a
cry which was repeated by thousands of the people.

Caracciolo went down and began to talk to the people. They remained
standing; they complained of the oppressive taxes; they complained of
the bad bread; they held him out pieces of it; he might judge himself
whether it was food for men or dogs. They urged upon all the deposition
of the _Eletto_, on whom, as usual, the blame was laid that things were
not more prosperous.

At first affairs went on tolerably well. With great dexterity Don Carlo
kept the crowd away from the entrances, while he corresponded by means
of his vassals with the Viceroy, who consented to Naclerio's
deposition--to the abolition of the duties on fruit and on wine. Now the
audacity of the crowd increased. Why not ask for more when everything
was granted to them? The flour tax also! Caracciolo objected; things
could not go on so. But in the same moment new masses of many thousand
men crowded into the square, uttering wild noises. The negotiator was
obliged to give way, and had only time to inform the Viceroy that he
might withdraw into Castelnuovo.

When the people found the outer gate of the palace unguarded, they
rushed into the court and forced their way up the great stairs. At the
end of it, at the entrance of the hall, stood the German bodyguard. They
crossed their halberds to ward off the crowd, but the pressure was too
violent. After a short struggle their arms were wrenched from them;
ill-treated and bleeding, they could no longer defend the entrance
against the assailants. Meanwhile the Duke of Arcos had made his
appearance at one of the balconies, and told the crowd in the Spanish
language to compose themselves; he would do their will. But they did not
understand him, and cried out that he must keep to what he had promised
them by the Prince of Bisignano. The Viceroy saw that he was losing
time. Already the foremost of the assailants stormed at the doors of the
first saloon, which had been locked in haste. Now e