nd as they glanced towards the castle, where had
stood formerly the statue of St. Michael, they shook their heads and
sighed.

"Saint Michael has protected us for centuries," said an old man, "but
he has disappeared now! May God have mercy on us!"

"You are alarmed at nothing, Master Bartholomew," replied his friend
Anselm; "you know that metals attract the lightning, and as the statue
was of gilded bronze, it could scarcely escape the fluid at that
exposed point."

"You are very wise, Anselm," resumed the first speaker; "but the statue
has stood there unhurt during all the storms of five hundred years! not
one had power against it until the eve of our reception of this
schismatical Emperor!"

"It is nothing but the merest chance!"

"Take care, Bartholomew," added a third, "the Emperor has hosts of
friends, and it might be dangerous to speak against him."

"I am certain that chance has had nothing to do with it!--I take care!
Anselm, do you think that an old man of eighty-seven years of age is
afraid to speak the truth? Yes, Barbarossa is a schismatic, he is the
scourge of the Church. He will bring bad luck to Rome, and I know there
are many who think as I do, but have not courage enough to express
their opinion!--Look how money has been lavished here for the last four
weeks! but see if the gold and the treason which it purchased do not
burn those who are guilty!"

And Bartholomew started off again in the direction of the Castle of
Saint Angelo.

"He is right in the main," said Gervase; "not a man in Rome has a doubt
who is the lawful Pope, but what could we do? the terrible Barbarossa
would have demolished Rome, as he did Milan, without the slightest
scruple."

"Certainly he would," replied Anselm.

"Is it true that Alexander has anathematized the city?"

"No, no!" exclaimed several voices; "he did not even curse Barbarossa."

"I can speak positively on this point," said Anselm, "Frangipani heard
the Pope's very words as he was kneeling before the image of our
Saviour; this is what he said:--'Arise, O Lord, and judge between me
and my enemies! O Almighty God, stretch out thine arm against the
enemies of the Church!'--This was precisely what happened, and nothing
more."

"It is quite enough! he called down Heaven's vengeance upon us, and we
may expect the most direful calamities!"

"Nonsense!" said Anselm; "all this is merely the effect of yesterday's
tempest."

"What a time that was, what a storm!"