he who intimated that no man was so well qualified for thi
Thomas Aniello-the fisherman poor in purse but rich
ignobly born, but with a noble soul-an uncrowned kir
whose brow the diadem would be well placed. The
with rapture to the declamation of the orator.
complimented in all the praises of their companion-
of poverty-the triumph of sans culottes. So they
until they were hoarse, and swore by all the
calendar that he should be their prince.

Knowing nothing of all this, his poor
anxiously at their humble home at Amalfi,
she fared that he might again have assorted
In the drama that was being played
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and very dr dre and mand, V

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4 he was fire

The spectacle was one of the most brilliant that can well throne covered by a canopy of golden cloth, sat the ople did homage before him as before a monarcha god. He was ready of speech and impressive 'ressed the multitude there were thunders of t was theatrical-that the triumph in matic-but it was suited to the temning with the scene and the time. Peronne and Palumbo, Mario

e minister; he moved with f an accomplished statesrophet. Indeed the

inspired man; but ation,-those who were

en they had their quiet jest

ed nobility, Duke Madolini and his

the life of the fisherman king. They

e bribe, and that sworn adherent of the popu

money and played the traitor. The occasion for sination was a state visit of Masaniello to the church

of Carmel; a hired assassin-gentlemen by no means rare mes-being introduced among the three hundred peasants who privileged to occupy the court-yard of the church. As the Liberator de into the enclosure a shot was fired, no one could tell by whom, and a cry was raised that Masaniello was slain; but this was a mistake, he was uninjured, the ball had rebounded from an ornament—the cross of Carmel-and he was saved. This incident gave rise to the popular belief that Masaniello bore a charmed life, and it was confidently stated that he was proof against both lead and steel. The indignation of the guards and of the people without the enclosure at the attempted assassination of their chief was uncontrollable. They rushed upon the two hundred and ninetynine just men and the one sinner, and made an end of them all. Those who escaped into the church were murdered before the altar, there was no quarter given-no time allowed for explanation; and in the afternoon of that day three hundred human heads-a grisly trophy, which might have suited the taste of Tamerlane-was exhibited before Carmel, and there left to blacken and rot in the sun.

of the cellar was brought out and piled for the burning. Winebutts drained of their contents-scarce books, all the elegancies of a lady's boudoir, all the works of art that genius could devise or wealth purchase, were heaped together in a pyramid and fired. More like devils than men the revolutionists danced wildly round the blazing pile, and shouted in answer to the fire's roar, and, not content with this, they slew horses and cattle, and threw their carcasses into the flames. Still worse, they took the hunting dogs, bound them, and cast them into the furnace; they served cage birds after the same cruel fashion, and yelled their mad triumph as the jubilant flames leaped and danced at every fresh addition. In some places they were guilty of still more atrocious acts. They threw living beings in the fire-babes plucked from their mother's arms. There was no effort made to restrain the fury of the populace. The Company of Death knew no mercy.

But a singular species of order prevailed throughout the general disorder. The portraits of the king and queen of Spain were treated with marked respect. They were exposed to the populace on a daïs beneath a canopy of cloth of gold, and no violence was offered to them. While the most violent acts of incendiarism also were being committed, not a single sailing vessel was destroyed.

As Masaniello ascertained that some of those on whom he had counted were withdrawing from the insurrection, he issued a decree by which it was ordained, on the penalty of death, that all males above a given age should enrol themselves under the popular flag within twenty-four hours. On the following day he attacked with ten thousand men, and carried by storm, the fort of St. Lorenzo, where he found a large quantity of arms and an excellent supply of ammunition, together with eighteen pieces of artillery. He then reviewed his troops with all the ostentatious display that could be brought to bear on the spectacle,—troops amounting in number to 112,000 men; he selected seven thousand as his own personal body-guard, and made a triumphal progress through the city. Bells were rung-banners and banderols displayed-all Naples gathered to do him honour, and the air rang with the shouts "Long live Masaniello, the saviour of the people, the enemy of despots."

The market-place is the principal place in Naples. In the market— the scene of the most striking, gorgeous, and solemn events in Neapolitan history-Masaniello was enthroned as viceroy, -the fisherman kingpontiff-general-the chosen of the people-the emancipator of his

countrymen. The spectacle was one of the most brilliant that can well be imagined. On a throne covered by a canopy of golden cloth, sat the fisherman, while the people did homage before him as before a monarch— offered reverence as before a god. He was ready of speech and impressive in manner, and when he addressed the multitude there were thunders of applause. It may be the effect was theatrical-that the triumph in Auber's opera is scarcely more dramatic-but it was suited to the temperament of the people,-it was in keeping with the scene and the time. Around him were grouped his lieutenants, Peronne and Palumbo, Mario Vitale his secretary, and Genovino, his prime minister; he moved with the activity of Hercules, spoke with the address of an accomplished statesman, and with something of the sublimity of a prophet. Indeed the people were strongly disposed to regard him as an inspired man; but there were those who knew the secret of his inspiration,-those who were discreetly silent, except among themselves when they had their quiet jest at the afflatus of Genovino.

In the meantime, two of the ejected nobility, Duke Madolini and his brother Caraffa, plotted against the life of the fisherman king. They corrupted Peronne by a large bribe, and that sworn adherent of the popular cause accepted the money and played the traitor. The occasion for the proposed assassination was a state visit of Masaniello to the church of the Virgin of Carmel; a hired assassin-gentlemen by no means rare in these times-being introduced among the three hundred peasants who were privileged to occupy the court-yard of the church. As the Liberator rode into the enclosure a shot was fired, no one could tell by whom, and a cry was raised that Masaniello was slain; but this was a mistake, he was uninjured, the ball had rebounded from an ornament-the cross of Carmel-and he was saved. This incident gave rise to the popular belief that Masaniello bore a charmed life, and it was confidently stated that he was proof against both lead and steel. The indignation of the guards and of the people without the enclosure at the attempted assassination of their chief was uncontrollable. They rushed upon the two hundred and ninetynine just men and the one sinner, and made an end of them all. Those who escaped into the church were murdered before the altar, there was no quarter given-no time allowed for explanation; and in the afternoon of that day three hundred human heads—a grisly trophy, which might have suited the taste of Tamerlane-was exhibited before Carmel, and there left to blacken and rot in the sun.

The Duke of Madolini did not escape suspicion. It was thought-and it is not improbable that Peronne threw out the suggestion-that he was the instigator of the attempted murder; but as he had taken the precaution of being out of the way, apprehensive of the Neapolitan Lynch law which would certainly be dealt out to him in liberal measure could he be found, the vengeance of the people was turned against his brother Caraffa. This noble was not spotlessly innocent, but at the same time he was not the direct agent in the affair. This signified but little to the people in search of a victim; they seized him in a monastic house where he had taken refuge, and put him to a cruel death,-indulging in wanton barbarity that need not be specified, and sent his head to deck the table of their hero.

He, alas for him! was fast losing his reason under the pressure of business, the toils of state, and the scenes of butchery in which he was called to take part. He began to yearn after the quiet of his old home, to pine for the society of his old friends-changed into plotting counsellors of state and grandees of the first water. He refused to live in the viceregal palace, but insisted in taking up his abode in a house which he had formerly occupied near the market. There he sedulously cultivated the acquaintance of Basilo, the rat-catcher, the only man-Imbecile the people called him-who seemed unaffected by the revolution in Naples.

Giuseppe Basilo, the rat-catcher, in his sordid dress and ragged cap, with his beard unshaven and his face unwashed, sat for hours opposite King Masaniello in dress of state, and discussed familiarly all that was going on-from a rat-catcher point of view. What should he know of state craft! what matter to him who swayed the sceptre! But it was

well understood both between Masaniello and himself that he had been an official spy of the late government; that, to use his own expression, he had caught a few rats for the viceroy, and that he was willing on fair terms to catch rats for his highness the Fisherman. He adopted a plan not very common with spies. He told the truth-not all the truth, keeping a few "rats" still undiscovered, just enough to arouse the interest, fix the attention, and gratify the wishes of his listener. He told Masaniello that the Marquis Châtillon was a traitor; that he was plotting so as to undermine the plans of the Liberator; that the marquis was, in fact, the agent of Louis XIV. and of Cardinal Mazarin; that it was their intention to dethrone the Fisherman, and put the Duke of Guise in his place. He told him that the Marquis had his own private interest in the