establish a government, have now no governor but the fear of the sword.
Such, fair madam, is the state of Rome. Sigh not, it occupies now our
care. It shall be remedied; and I, madam, may be the happy instrument of
restoring peace to your native city."

"There is but one way of restoring peace to Rome," answered the Signora,
abruptly, "and that is--The restoration of Rienzi!"

The Cardinal started. "Madam," said he, "do I hear aright?--are you not
nobly born?--can you desire the rise of a plebeian? Did you not speak of
revenge, and now you ask for mercy?"

"Lord Cardinal," said the beautiful Signora, earnestly, "I do not ask
for mercy: such a word is not for the lips of one who demands justice.
Nobly born I am--ay, and from a stock to whose long descent from the
patricians of ancient Rome the high line of Aragon itself would be of
yesterday. Nay, I would not offend you, Monsignore; your greatness is
not borrowed from pedigrees and tombstones--your greatness is your own
achieving: would you speak honestly, my Lord, you would own that you are
proud only of your own laurels, and that, in your heart, you laugh at
the stately fools who trick themselves out in the mouldering finery of
the dead!"

"Muse! prophetess! you speak aright," said the high-spirited Cardinal,
with unwonted energy; "and your voice is like that of the Fame I dreamed
of in my youth. Speak on, speak ever!"

"Such," continued the Signora, "such as your pride, is the just pride of
Rienzi. Proud that he is the workman of his own great renown. In such
as the Tribune of Rome we acknowledge the founders of noble lineage.
Ancestry makes not them--they make ancestry. Enough of this. I am of
noble race, it is true; but my house, and those of many, have been
crushed and broken beneath the yoke of the Orsini and Colonna--it is
against them I desire revenge. But I am better than an Italian lady--I
am a Roman woman--I weep tears of blood for the disorders of my unhappy
country. I mourn that even you, my Lord,--yes, that a barbarian, however
eminent and however great, should mourn for Rome. I desire to restore
her fortunes."

"But Rienzi would only restore his own."

"Not so, my Lord Cardinal; not so. Ambitious and proud he may be--great
souls are so--but he has never had one wish divorced from the welfare of
Rome. But put aside all thought of his interests--it is not of these I
speak. You desire to re-establish the papal power in Rome. Your senators
have fail