The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-10-27

Florence, and adopted the first one that
struck nae, although afterwards thought
| that Donati was not quite the name to win
favor with the Florentines, amongst whom
the memory of Messer Corso was still green,
although SO many years had passed since he
was done with. Whether let my own name
out or not during my illness am unable to
| say; at any rate, Ceci never gave me any
such hint. The news the old man brought
was not unexpected by me, yet caught a
touch of his excitement and answered.:
"WaNwhere? Tell me-"
ut is this way, signore; Naples has risen,
and the Great Captain has driven D'Au-
bigny out of Calabria. All the Romagna has
gone from Ccsare as that" he waved his
hand as if throwing feather in the air.
"The Holy Father has cast his interdct on
Florence. and Pisa is burning the Val di Me
vole."
"'The dewitt" exclaimed, "this is more
than thought. The interdict is bad. Messer
Cecil"
: He grinned as he answered.: "fBad for the
pope. Medici or no Medici, we will not
have priest interfering in Florence"
81 see," said, "you are Forentine first,
and conspirator afterwards; but how do the
French stand"
with us, for we pay. It is said, however,
that things are uncertain with them, that
Monsignore d'Amboise, who is now Cardinal
of Rouen, has gone to Rome, and that Ire
mouille is awaiting the king"
'The king! Louis is at Macon"
eyes, Louis himself, and the Lord knows
how many barons besides, with pedigrees as
long as their swords, who will eat up our
corn, and pillage our vineyards from the
Alps to the Adriatic. But came here to
ask, signore, if you will come with me to
see. 1t is hurry and make haste, for can
not wait. The Carroccio has left St. John s"
had almost recovered my full strength,
and was accustomed to walk out daily at
dusk in order to avoid observation, whilst
at the same time could by doing so exercise
my muscles; yet at first I felt inclined to de-
cline Ceci's invitation, alleging weakness as
my excuse, for my anger was still warm
against him on account of his proposals to
ME. Rejecting, however, that if offended
him it would probably fatally injure any
prospect had of saving the person whom
the conspirators intended to kill, l thought
it best to affect friendliness I did not feel,
and changing my mind in regard to accom-
panying him slipped on my sword, and fol-
lowed the old man downstairs. We fastened
as fast as we could to the great square. The
people were swarming on. OF the houses,
and the streets were full of a hurrying
throng, all directing their steps to the ppint
whence We could hear che believing Of the
mob, echoed with answering cheers by those
making towards the place of assembly.
Around us there was nurmur like that of
millions of bees, as men, women and chill
dren jostled their way to tue Palace of the
Signory. My companion, who stopped every
now and again to open his jaws as wide as
the mouth of a saddle-bag, and give forth
yell, hustled along at great pace, and !
made after him with scarcely less speed.
By good fortune, and considerable
amount of pushing, we made our way
through the press, which appeared to mo
to be composed entirely of elbows, and at
last reached the market place. Here the
crowd behind us slowly drove us forwards,
and finally gave us the advantage of good
position. The square was lined with men at
arms and stout citizens with boar-spears in
their hands.
All at once there went up shout louder
than ever, the crowd swayed backwards and
forwards, then opened out, and admitted
the Carroccio or war-car in Florence. It
in red trappings. The great beasts had
dragged the car slowly from the chapel of
St. Johns, where it stood in times Of. peace,
and labored along under its weight. From
the car itself projected two poles on which
hung the banner of the Commonwealth, u
red CYCLIC on white field. Immediately be-
hind this came another car, bearing the
Martlnello or war-bell, which was incessant-
~ changing out It's angry notes. It was to
ring now for a full month, without ceasing.
Around the cars were. the principal mobiles
of the city, and the oxen being guided to
the bankrupt stone," were there unhar.
messed. Pietro Soderini, the brother of his
eminence of Volterra, who was then Con-
faloniere for life, raised his hand. In mo-
ment there was silence, and the vast audi
ence listened to the brief grafton that fell
from the lips of their chief magistrate. He
painted in stirring words the dangers Of the
times; he called to the people to forget
party hatreds in the face of the common
crisis; he appealed to their past, and then
concluded: Therefore" said he, "for the
safety of the state, have we to whom that
safety is intrusted put our hope in God, and
our hands to the sword. Citizens, we give
to our enemies, to Rome, and to Spain, war,
red w-ar-and God defend the right" With
that, he drew off his glove of mail and flung
it on the pavement, where it fell with sud-
den crash.
The silence of the crowd continued for
little, and then, from 40, 900 threats rang out
cheer after cheer, as the sturdy citizens
roared out their approval of the gage thrown
down.
In the midst of all this some partisan of
the Medici, Historically excited, raised
shout of Pale! Pale!
BLOOD of St. joint" exclaimed Ceci,
who is that fool! He will de-
1t was the well-known cry of the exiled