summoned the domestics to arms and rewarded their treachery to their
lords. Armed bands, under known leaders, had formed themselves, and went
their own ways unchecked. Five days were sufficient to put an end to all
discipline and order. During these wild doings no privacy could be had.
If the errors of the nobility had been borne hitherto, now began the
saturnalia of the populace, and they were far more bloody and horrible
than those of the nobles.

This was the condition of the town of Naples at the time when King
Philip's Viceroy and the Captain-general of the Most Faithful People met
in the cathedral on July 17th to publish solemnly the new treaty. The
venerable church had witnessed many changes in the relations and
destinies of the kingdom proclaimed in her vaulted halls, with the
history of which it had, so to speak, grown up; but never had it been
the theatre for such a degradation of the royal power.

Before the ceremony took place, the Duke of Arcos was obliged to submit
to many humiliations. No cavalier was allowed to accompany him in the
procession, because Masaniello had forbidden it. The Fisherman had
disarmed all persons of rank, but armed _popolans_ stood in double rows
along the streets, which were necessarily cleansed from dirt and
rubbish, and the balconies were hung with tapestry. The
Cardinal-archbishop, in pontifical attire, took his seat under the
_baldachin_, while at some distance from him sat the Viceroy and
Masaniello. The Knight of Alcantara, Donato Cappola, Duke of Canzano,
read the articles instead of the secretary of the kingdom. The principal
contents were the confirmation of the old privileges of Ferdinand of
Aragon till the time of Charles V; a remission of all guilt and
punishment for crimes of _lese-majeste_, and, on account of the
disturbances, an equality of the nobility and the people with reference
to the number of votes in affairs of the town; the abolition of all
gabelles and taxes which had been introduced since the time of the
emperor Charles V, with the exception of those upon which private
persons had rights; liberty of the market, and remission of punishment
for the excesses committed in the destruction of houses and property.
The ratification of the treaty from Madrid was to follow within the
three months; till that time the people were to continue in arms.

During the reading of these articles Masaniello had been very uneasy,
and had made observations first on one point