Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-02
CROSS AND CROWN,
Centuries of the Cabalistic
CarbOnari.
THE LAST SPANISH HAPSBURG.
Monumental Figures of AustrO- Italy
in the Seventeenth
Century.
CROSS AND CROWN,
HE LAST SPANISH HAPSBURG.


tyrant who persecutes us; the "crowl
of thorns" will pierce his head; the
Ladder" will aid him to mount; thu
"pick-axe" will penetrate his breast anC
shed the impure blood that flows in hi
veins; the "axe" will separate his heat
from his body as the wolf who disturbs
our pacific labors; the "salt" will pre-
vent the corruption of his head that il
may last as monument of the eternal
infarny of despots; the "pole" will serve
to put the skull of the tyrant upon; the
furnace" will burn his body; and the
"shovel" will scatter his ashes to the
wind.
Such was the explanation OF the san
culinary symbols of the Italian Carbonari
which slumbering for nearly four hun
dred years, gathered strength to burst
into political action at the beginning of
the nineteenth century. The Carbon
ari aimed at the independence, or at least
q constitutional government for Italy. 1t
declared for the natural and inalienable
right of adoring the Almighty according
to the dictates OF personal understanding
and conscience. All of this and more
was desired, but it was demanded that
there should be a political change which
should infallibly diminish the taxes.
In the middle of the seventeenth cen.
tury the Austrian Kings of Spain looked
upon their Italian dominions simply as
an inexhaustible treasury. Ferdinand
and Charles the Fifth had both promised
that no new taxes should be levied in the
Kingdom of Naples without the consent
of the Neapolitan Parliament, which
consisted of mobiles and people. But the
Parliament were not summoned by the
Viceroy and the necessaries of life were
taxed enormously.
The Neapolitan is a plebeian in the
broadest signification Of the word; a
plebeian by his origin; plebeian by his
nature; plebeian by his habits; and,
notwithstanding, he imposes his will, his
opinion upon the aristocracy by happy
mixture of lightness, of grace and of per-
sonal dignity born of the innate con-
sciousness that whatever may be the
natures or position of a man, whatever be
his calling, he is sufficient for him
self.
Such character had Tomasso Aniello,
young fisherman of Amalf, and q
trusted leader of the Carbonari. Upon
his massive breast was pricked in fiery
red the "raggiante," or Illuminated
triangle, Of the society, with its initial
letter in the middle announcing to the
brotherhood that he was propagandist
of the Alta Vendita. His trained hand
recognized the lightest touch of the
finger that drew upon the yielding palm
the mystic and sacred sign of the order
G -, and he was looked upon
by the people as man who would not
be found wanting in any emergency.
In 1647, tax on fruits, almost the
only sort of food yet untaxed, reused the
poor OF Naples to revolt. The more de-
termined of the populace had gathered
in an immense crowd in the Grand
Square, and with fierce imprecations de-
nounced the last outrage of the King.
A recent writer in Temple Bar thus de-
scribes the memorable scene that fol-
lowed:
At the supreme moment Masaniello
(Tomasso Aniello) sprang upon a fruit
erer's table. The crowd already recog-
nized their leader. He began to speak,
and he spoke with a certain rude and
fiery oratory which moved his hearers
more than eloquence. He bade them
rejoice, for the hour of deliverance was
at hand. st. Peter, once a fisherman,
had beaten down the pride of Satan and
released the world from bondage; 80
likewise would he, Masaniello, another
fisherman, strike off the bonds of the
people. Let them pay no more taxes;
let them win back with fire and sword
the ancient Privilege of Naples, the
right of freedom from all taxes which
the Spaniards had infringed. His own
life might fall his head might ride aloft
on pole. But to die in such cause
would be his glory.
There is no rhetoric which thrills its
hearers like that which gives the echo to
their passions. The crowd broke into a
fierce shout and turned with exultation
to the work Of ravage. The first object
was the dollhouse in the square. Faggots
drenched with pitch were hurled in at
the windows; lighted torch was added,
and the building in few minutes
was pile of raging flames. Then
there was cry for arms.
A .ponderous beam was brought and
welded by strong men, the gates of the
Carmine Tower were beaten in, and the
crowd rushed eagerly upon the pixies and
halberds. Clubs, knives and bars of iron
were pressed into the service, and the
mob, thus armed, preceded by the ban
ner boys of Masaniello, turned in their
wild justice toward the palace of the
Viceroy. Their way lay past the prison
of st. James they halted there to burst
the doors and add the prisoners to their
number.
AT length they reached the palace.
The guards that stood at arms before
the gates were swept away. The Vice
roy, Ponce de Leon, Duke of ARGOS, and
those about him, strove to secure them
selves behind the inner doors. But the
barricades were broken in. The Duke
was hunted like a thief from room to
room, and forced at last, at the peril of
his life, to drop from back window by
rope and fly in close carriage to the
Castle of st. Elmo.
Then the palace was sacked from floor
to roof. A great fire was kindled in the
street. Rare and costly furniture, hang
ings, pictures, jewels, golden dishes, ,gob.
let's stamped with the proud arms OF
Ponce de Leon, were hurled out Of the
windows and piled into the flames. Yet
in all this, and throughout the whole re.
volt, there was no private theft. These
riches were held as things accursed, as
treasures purchased by the peoples
blood and worthy only to be sacrificed
in the hour of revenge.
The rebellion of the people, with
Masaniello as its leader, continued for
the greater part of a year. The fisher
man OF Amalf was true to his plebeian
Gxr,,11ov, nth hn nr1ioH 1u