But the genial studies, the love and charms of his wife, did not enervate the manly spirit of the count. At every step his mother’s voice reproached him for attempting no daring enterprises. From the towers of his palace he saw Genoa lying at his feet and seeming to call him to deliver her. He looked out upon the sea and saw it whitened with the sails of Gianettino, his rival and the expected despot of his native land. A sense of magnanimous indignation warmed his bosom. The son of Sinibaldo, the heir of such an illustrious house, could not endure the sight of his country sitting under the shadow of a foreign power, if not enslaved, certainly not free. CHAPTER V. THE PLOTS OF FIESCHI. The political ideas of the sixteenth century--The advice of Donato Gianotto to the Italians--Generous aims of Gianluigi Fieschi--His reported plots with Cesare Fregoso disproved--The conspiracy with Pietro Strozzi a fable--Fieschi has secret conferences with Barnaba Adorno, lord of Silvano--Pier Luca Fieschi and his part in the conspiracy of Gianluigi--The Count sends Cagnino Gonzaga to treat with France--The purchase of the Farnesian galleys--Francesco Burlamacchi. ACCORDING to our belief, a single idea directed the movements of the Peninsula in the first part of the sixteenth century--the thought common to all the people of emancipating the country from that foreign power which was corrupting the national character, literature, and art. Classic and courtly history has found in these stormy years only local and isolated conspiracies; few writers, we might almost say none, have heard, in these risings of peoples crushed under the ambitions of the great, the mighty groan of a dying nation not yet resigned to her terrible fate. The national Guelph tradition refused to yield place to the new imperial system which was slowly destroying the old charters of the communes. There were generous throbs which showed that the old body politic, though sore wounded, still contained the breath of life; every city of Italy on the verge of the grave rose up with the last strength of an expiring man, protested with blood, and died. Palermo protested in her hero Giovanni Squarcialupo whose death consecrated her cause; she renewed her life in the patriotism of the Abbattelli, who could not turn back her destiny. Naples was lit up with insurrection. Milan, always foremost in magnanimous enterprises, raised her head, when Morone incited the marquis of Pescara against the emperor, and that nobleman first promised to lead the revolution and then betrayed it to the tyrant. Perugia in vain set up the banner of the Republic; Florence fought, Siena renewed the memory of Saguntum, and Lucca burned audacious fires of civil and religious liberty. There was scarcely a city or village which did not recall its Latin traditions, and combat the monarchical power which was descending like a tempest on the whole nation.