But others said, and indeed with more justice, that the acquaintance
which he had with Domenico Perrone was the real cause of it; for this
man had been first a leader of sbirri and then of banditti, and Diomed
Carafa had had a great deal to do with both. However this might be, the
Viceroy summoned him: he was to go to the great market-place and try to
conclude a peace with the leaders of the people. There should be no
further mention of his crimes or of punishment: Don Giuseppe Carafa was
also received again into favor.
The Duke mounted his horse and rode with several noblemen to the
market-place. Arrived there, he employed all his eloquence. In the name
of the Viceroy he promised free trade in all articles of food, and a
general pardon. At first Maddaloni was well received. He was but too
well known to many of the insurgents, and his mad conduct had procured
him followers as well as enemies; but as he only repeated the same
promises which had been made by the others, the crowd were out of humor.
"No deceitful promises!" screamed a thousand voices; "the privileges,
the privileges of Charles V."
These privileges had long possessed the minds of the people. During the
disturbances under the Duke of Ossuna many fabulous tales had been told
about them. Genuino had then, as now, brought them forward. Not only
freedom from taxes was contained in them, but an equality of power
between the people and the nobility in the affairs of the town, by
increasing the votes of the first, and by conceding a right of veto on
resolutions affecting the people through the intervention of their
deputies. This privilege they would have. This the Viceroy should
confirm to them. They all screamed at the same time, but at last
Maddaloni obtained a hearing. He promised to bring them the document--he
would ask the Viceroy for it without delay. He was glad to escape the
crowd, who prevented either himself or his horse from moving.
Negotiations for peace could not check the fury of the people or its
mania for destruction. As on the day before they had demolished the
custom-houses, now the houses of all who had lately become rich were
destroyed. They had already begun on the previous evening, but this was
only a prelude. Masaniello, who had not left the market-place the whole
day, drew up a catalogue, in concert with his associates, of all the
houses and palaces the effects of which were to be destroyed. Many
noblemen who believed that they might have some influence with the mob,
had ridden and driven to the market-place, but they returned home
without accomplishing anything, or went again to Castelnuovo, where
numbers of them took refuge from the pressure of necessity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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