ld not birth, renown, and thy green years, poor
boy--could not these save ye?"

"Pardon him, my friends," said the Tribune to the crowd,--"his grief is
natural, and he knows not all their guilt.--Back, I pray ye--leave him
to our ministering."

It might have fared ill for Adrian, but for the Tribune's brief speech.
And as the young Lord, dismounting, now bent over his kinsmen--the
Tribune also surrendering his charger to his squires, approached, and,
despite Adrian's reluctance and aversion, drew him aside,--

"Young friend," said he, mournfully, "my heart bleeds for you; yet
bethink thee, the wrath of the crowd is fresh upon them: be prudent."

"Prudent!"

"Hush--by my honour, these men were not worthy of your name. Twice
perjured--once assassins--twice rebels--listen to me!"

"Tribune, I ask no other construing of what I see--they might have died
justly, or been butchered foully. But there is no peace between the
executioner of my race and me."

"Will you, too, be forsworn? Thine oath!--Come, come, I hear not these
words. Be composed--retire--and if, three days hence, you impute any
other blame to me than that of unwise lenity, I absolve you from your
oath, and you are free to be my foe. The crowd gape and gaze upon us--a
minute more, and I may not avail to save you."

The feelings of the young patrician were such as utterly baffle
description. He had never been much amongst his house, nor ever received
more than common courtesy at their hands. But lineage is lineage still!
And there, in the fatal hazard of war, lay the tree and sapling, the
prime and hope of his race. He felt there was no answer to the Tribune,
the very place of their death proved they had fallen in an assault upon
their countrymen. He sympathised not with their cause, but their fate.
And rage, revenge alike forbidden--his heart was the more softened
to the shock and paralysis of grief. He did not therefore speak, but
continued to gaze upon the dead, while large and unheeded tears flowed
down his cheeks, and his attitude of dejection and sorrow was so moving,
that the crowd, at first indignant, now felt for his affliction.
At length his mind seemed made up. He turned to Rienzi, and said,
falteringly, "Tribune, I blame you not, nor accuse. If you have been
rash in this, God will have blood for blood. I wage no war with you--you
say right, my oath prevents me; and if you govern well, I can still
remember that I am Roman. But--but--look to that