d been twice shot at, a
prohibition was issued against wearing cloaks and long clothes that
could conceal such weapons. Even women were no longer allowed to wear
certain articles of clothing, which on account of their size were called
_guard infante_, and even Cardinals Filomarino and Trivulzio laid aside
their robes.

In the most important positions of the city barricades were built with
baskets full of earth and heavy planks for the double purpose of
repelling the sallies of the Spaniards from the castle, and preventing
them from receiving supplies from without. The people were masters of
the whole town, with the exception of Castelnuovo, the park, and the
adjoining artillery, and of the castles dell' Uovo, Sant' Elmo, and
Pizzofalcone, positions which placed it in the power of the Spaniards to
turn Naples into a heap of ruins if they made use of the artillery. But
the Duke of Arcos wished to spare the town as long as possible, and the
castles were weakly garrisoned, and still less stocked with provisions.

At length on Thursday, July 11th, on the fifth day of the insurrection,
an agreement was concluded.

In the church of the Carmelites it was solemnly announced that the
Viceroy had formally confirmed the old privileges of the town, and
increased them by new ones, which were immediately made known. As a
proof and seal of the reconciliation, Masaniello, who had now, besides
the power, the title also, of a captain-general of the most faithful
people, was to have a conference with the Viceroy. It was difficult to
persuade the Fisherman to take this step. He owned that he saw the
gallows before him; he would confess thoroughly before he went, and it
required all the Archbishop's power of persuasion to decide him.

At last he consented, under the condition that the conference should be
in the palace, and not in the castle. He previously issued a
proclamation through the whole town to know how many armed men could be
marched out. The answer was a hundred forty thousand, but three hundred
thousand if there were arms ready for them. A number of men indeed
poured forth from the environs, but it is easy to perceive the
exaggeration of the numbers. When everything was arranged, Masaniello
began to dress himself; he had fasted the whole day, excepting some
white bread dipped in wine after the cardinal's physician had tasted it,
for he was possessed with the idea of being poisoned, and almost starved
himself. His dress was of