It was some minutes before the feelings of the assembly allowed Rienzi to be heard.  But when, at length, the last shout closed with a simultaneous cry of “Long live Rienzi!  Deliverer and King of Rome!” he raised his hand impatiently, and the curiosity of the crowd procured a sudden silence.

“Deliverer of Rome, my countrymen!” said he.  “Yes! change not that title—­I am too ambitious to be a King!  Preserve your obedience to your Pontiff—­your allegiance to your Emperor—­but be faithful to your own liberties.  Ye have a right to your ancient constitution; but that constitution needed not a king.  Emulous of the name of Brutus, I am above the titles of a Tarquin!  Romans, awake! awake! be inspired with a nobler love of liberty than that which, if it dethrones the tyrant of today, would madly risk the danger of tyranny for tomorrow!  Rome wants still a liberator—­never an usurper!—­Take away yon bauble!”

There was a pause; the crowd were deeply affected—­but they uttered no shouts; they looked anxiously for a reply from their councillors, or popular leaders.

“Signor,” said Pandulfo di Guido, who was one of the Caporioni, “your answer is worthy of your fame.  But, in order to enforce the law, Rome must endow you with a legal title—­if not that of King, deign to accept that of Dictator or of Consul.”

“Long live the Consul Rienzi!” cried several voices.

Rienzi waved his hand for silence.

“Pandulfo di Guido! and you, honoured Councillors of Rome! such title is at once too august for my merits, and too inapplicable to my functions.  I am one of the people—­the people are my charge; the nobles can protect themselves.  Dictator and Consul are the appellations of patricians.  No,” he continued after a short pause, “if ye deem it necessary, for the preservation of order, that your fellow-citizen should be intrusted with a formal title and a recognised power, be it so:  but let it be such as may attest the nature of our new institutions, the wisdom of the people, and the moderation of their leaders.  Once, my countrymen, the people elected, for the protectors of their rights and the guardians of their freedom, certain officers responsible to the people,—­chosen from the people,—­provident for the people.  Their power was great, but it was delegated:  a dignity, but a trust.  The name of these officers with that of Tribune.  Such is the title that conceded, not by clamour alone, but in the full Parliament of the people, and accompanied by, such Parliament, ruling with such Parliament,—­such is the title I will gratefully accept.”

(Gibbon and Sismondi alike, (neither of whom appears to have consulted with much attention the original documents preserved by Hocsemius,) say nothing of the Representative Parliament, which it was almost Rienzi’s first public act to institute or model.  Six days from the memorable 19th of May, he addressed the people of Viterbo in a letter yet extant.  He summons