RIENZI, The Last of the Tribunes.




BOOK I. -- THE TIME, THE PLACE, AND THE MEN.

"_Fu da sua gioventudine nutricato di latte di eloquenza; buono
grammatico, megliore rettorico, autorista buono...Oh, come spesso
diceva, 'Dove sono questi buoni Romani? Dov'e loro somma giustizia?
Poterommi trovare in tempo che questi fioriscano?' Era bell
'omo...Accadde che uno suo frate fu ucciso, e non ne fu fatta vendetta
di sua morte: non lo poteo aiutare; pensa lungo mano vendicare 'l
sangue di suo frate; pensa lunga mano dirizzare la cittate di Roma male
guidata_."--"Vita di Cola di Rienzi" Ed. 1828. Forli.

"From his youth he was nourished with the milk of eloquence; a good
grammarian, a better rhetorician, well versed in the writings of
authors...Oh, how often would he say, 'Where are those good Romans?
Where is their supreme justice? Shall I ever behold such times as those
in which they flourished?' He was a handsome man...It happened that a
brother of his was slain, and no retribution was made for his death:
he could not help him; long did he ponder how to avenge his brother's
blood; long did he ponder how to direct the ill guided state of
Rome."--"Life of Cola di Rienzi."



Chapter 1.I. The Brothers.