him of his error and forced him to fly from the
city. Within fifteen days the triumph of Rienzi seemed to be complete,
when the proudest nobles of Rome submitted and took an oath to support
the new constitution. But the suddenness of his success was enough to
turn a head which was never of the strongest.

The Tribune began to dream of restoring to the Roman Republic its old
supremacy. And for a moment even this dream seemed hardly chimerical.
Europe was really dazzled by the revival of its ancient capital. Louis
of Hungary and Joanna of Naples submitted their quarrel to Rienzi's
arbitration. Thus encouraged, he set no bounds to his ambition. He
called upon the Pope and cardinals to return at once to Rome. He
summoned Louis and Charles, the two claimants to the Imperial dignity,
to appear before his throne and submit to his tribunal.

His arrogance was shown in the pretentious titles which he assumed and
in the gorgeous pomp with which he was accompanied on public and even on
private occasions. On August 15th, after bathing in the porphyry font in
which the emperor Constantine had been baptized, he was crowned with
seven crowns representing the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. His most
loyal admirer prophesied disaster when the Tribune ventured on this
occasion to blasphemously compare himself with Christ.

Rienzi's government deteriorated with his personal character. It had at
first been liberal and just; it became arbitrary and even treacherous.
His personal timidity made him at once harsh and vacillating. The heads
of the great families, whom he had invited to a banquet, were seized and
condemned to death on a charge of conspiracy. But a sudden terror of the
possible consequences of his action caused him to relent, and he
released his victims just as they were preparing for execution. His
leniency was as ill-timed as his previous severity. The nobles could no
longer trust him, and their fear was diminished by the weakness which
they despised while they profited by it. They retired from Rome and
concerted measures for the overthrow of their enemy.

The first attack, which was led by Stefano Colonna, was repulsed almost
by accident; but Rienzi, who had shown more cowardice than generalship,
disgusted his supporters by his indecent exultation over the bodies of
the slain. And there was one fatal ambiguity in Rienzi's position. He
had begun by announcing himself as the ally and champion of the papacy,
and Clement VI had