umult to the dignity of a
revolution. They were further encouraged by the manly energy of the
people, who, mingled with insurgents from the surrounding towns,
traversed the city to and fro, eagerly relating to one another the
outrages they had suffered, and crying aloud, "Death rather than the
yoke of the French!" So that no sooner were the syndics of the greater
part of Val di Mazzara assembled in parliament, than they agreed to
the establishment of the republican form of government conducted in
the name of the Church. The people without responded with loud
acclamations and shouts of "The Republic and Liberty!" All encouraged
each other to venture everything, when Roger Mastrangelo, bent on
urging them on so far that all retreat should be cut off and that they
might be able to control the course of events, rose and boldly thus
addressed the assembly:

"Citizens! I hear daring words and solemn oaths, but I see no symptoms
of action, as if the blood that has been shed were the seal of victory
rather than the provocation to a long and deadly struggle. Do you know
Charles and his thousands of executioners, and can you yet amuse
yourselves with the decoration of banners? Not far distant on the
mainland are armies and navies ready for the Grecian war: there are
the French panting for vengeance, and in a few days they will burst
upon us. If they find our ports open for their disembarkation; if our
inertness or our faults favor their progress they will soon spread
throughout the whole of Sicily; they will subdue the irresolute people
by force of arms, deceive them with reports of our unhappy divisions,
seduce them with promises, and drag them back to the shameful yoke of
bondage or drive them to raise their parricidal weapons against
ourselves. You have sworn to die or to be free, and you will become
slaves and will not all die--for the butchers will at length be
weary--and will reserve the herd of survivors to exercise upon them
their despotic will. Sicilians! remember the days of Conradin. To halt
now will be destruction; to pursue our course, glory, and deliverance.
Our forces are sufficient to raise the whole country as far as
Messina, and Messina must not belong to the foe; we share the same
origin, the same language, the same past glory and present shame, the
same experience that slavery and misery are the result of division.

"All Sicily is stained with the blood of the strangers. She is strong
in the courage of her s