troop drawn close up behind him: "has my confidence in you deserved this treatment?"

"You yourself know best," said his kinsman, coldly; then turning to his second officer, he continued in the same tone; "Andrea, you

will bear him directly to the castle of Trezzo, there to await my further orders."

"The castle of Trezzo!" echoed the prisoner, with a shudder; "you cannot have the audacity, nephew, to treat me, a sovereign prince, as a prisoner in my own dominions.".

"You see, my lord, that you are in my power, and it will be as well for you to obey peaceably. Jacopo," he continued, addressing his favourite officer, "let a sufficient guard accompany the Lord of Milan; should he escape, the officer commanding shall answer for it with his head. You yourself, remain with me.”

"Cold, treacherous hypocrite!" muttered the elder Visconti, as he was led from the spot, under a strong escort; while his terrified attendants, who had remained quietly in the background, without attempting any remonstrance, turned their horses' heads, and galloped back to Milan,

.6

Jacopo!" said the younger Visconti, the moment his uncle was beyond reach of hearing, "are you sure you can depend upon your

men ?"

"I can, my lord," replied the soldier of fortune, with a look of surprise; "they will remain true to me, to the last drop of their blood." "Where is the English adventurer, who commands my uncle's troops ?"

"Hawkwood, my lord?"

"Aye, that is the name.”

"He is at present in the Parmesan." "You are sure of that?"

66

Certain, my lord; he occupies Cremona, in expectation of an attack from Tuscany."

"And what do you think may be the amount of the garrison left in the city?—I am informed that it does not exceed three hundred men at arms."

"That may well be, my lord, for the whole of your uncle's disposable troops have been ordered to the frontier."

Visconti remained silent for some seconds, as if doubtful what course to take; at length his

countenance cleared, and giving his mule the rein, he said, in a resolute tone, as if all his scruples had been removed in that brief interval of thought :-" The die is thrown, Jacopo: now is. the time to act-follow me."

"Whither, please your highness?"

"To Milan."

The soldier fell back to put his troops in motion, astonished, but by no means displeased at the daring resolution of his master, whose measures were usually cautious, even to timidity; and accompanied by his secretary, who never quitted his side, Visconti proceeded briskly towards the city.

"These false knaves of my uncle's must by this time have reached Milan," he observed at length to the friar.

"True, my lord; I was surprized you did not take means to prevent their escape."

"I allowed them to go on purpose, to bear the grateful intelligence to the Milanese, of their lord's captivity."

"Your Excellency expects no resistance,

then ?"

"Resistance, no! I expect the inhabitants of Milan will lay the keys of their city at my feet."

A quarter of an hour brought them close to the walls of the city, under which a vast number of the populace had assembled. The guard at the gate made no attempt to arrest the progress of the usurper; but the entrance to the street was so densely crowded, that he found it necessary to stop; "Milanese!" he exclaimed, "I have come amongst you to redress your grievances, and deliver you from the tyranny of my kinsman. Your groans have reached even my seclusion, and I have risked all to rescue my fellow-citizens from oppression. My zeal for the welfare of Lombardy has induced me to abandon my favourite pursuits, my life of retirement, in which I had hoped to end my days. But I will not enter your city by force. It is true, that your Sovereign is a prisoner, but he shall remain so only as long as is your pleasure; or, until all your grievances are redressed."

"No new imposts! no war contributions !— Long live John Galeazzo Visconti !" shouted fifty voices from the crowd.

VOL. II.

C

"Alas! my friends, I grieve to think of all you have suffered under the tyrannical rule of my uncle. Many an anxious day, and sleepless night, have I spent on your account, before I could persuade myself to raise the standard of rebellion against my father's brother; but I could no longer remain deaf to the cries of the oppressed; for justice, my friends, should be dearer to every prince than the ties of blood. Yet, if what I have done appears to you unnatural, speak the word, and your Sovereign shall be instantly released."

"Never, never!" exclaimed the multitude; "death to the tyrant Bernabo!-long live his illustrious nephew !"

Boldness either real or assumed must form part of the character of every successful usurper, and Visconti eagerly seized this favourable moment, which decided his fate.

"I come, my countrymen, amongst you," he continued, "in the garb of peace, in the robes of our holy religion. Alone, unguarded I throw myself upon your hospitality: not a soldier of mine shall enter your walls."