Every ancient prejudice, every recollection whether of Augustus or Charlemagne, had led the Romans to annex the notion of sovereignty to the name of Roman emperor, nor were Otto and his two immediate descendants inclined to waive these supposed prerogatives, which they were well able to enforce. But no sooner had they returned to Germany than the old habit of revolt seized the Italians, and especially the Romans who were ill disposed to resume habits of obedience even to the sovereign whose aid they had implored and received. The flames of rebellion swept again over the seven hilled city during the rule of Otto II, whose aid the Romans had invoked against the invading hordes of Islam, and the same republican spirit broke out during the brief, but fantastic reign of his son, the third Otto, directing itself in the latter instance chiefly against the person of the youthful pontiff, Bruno of Carinthia, the friend of the King, whose purity stands out in marked contrast against the depravity of the monsters, who, to the number of ten, had during the past five decades defiled the throne of the Apostle. Gregory V is said to have been assassinated during Otto’s absence from Rome. The third rebellion of Johannes Crescentius, Senator of Rome, enacted after the death of the pontiff and the election of Sylvester II, forms but the prelude to the great drama whose final curtain was to fall upon the doom of the third Otto, of whose love for Stephania, the beautiful wife of Crescentius, innumerable legends are told in the old monkish chronicles and whose tragic death caused a lament to go throughout the world of the Millennium. [Illustration: decoration] *CONTENTS* [Illustration: decoration] *BOOK THE FIRST* Chapter I. The Grand Chamberlain II. The Pageant in the Navona III. On the Palatine IV. The Wanton Court of Theodora V. The Wager VI. John of the Catacombs VII. The Vision of San Pancrazio VIII. Castel San Angelo IX. The Sermon in the Ghetto X. The Sicilian Dancer XI. Nilus of Gaëta XII. Red Falernian XIII. Dead Leaves XIV. The Phantom at the Shrine XV. The Death Watch XVI. The Conclave *BOOK THE SECOND* I. The Meeting II. The Queen of Night III. The Elixir of Love IV. The Secret of the Tomb V. The Grottos of Egeria VI. Beyond the Grave VII. Ara Coeli VIII. The Gothic Tower IX. The Snare of the Fowler X. The Temple of Neptune XI. The Incantation XII. The Hermitage of Nilus XIII. The Lion of Basalt XIV. The Last Tryst XV. The Storm of Castel San Angelo XVI. The Forfeit XVII. Nemesis XVIII. Vale Roma *BOOK THE THIRD* I. Paterno II. Memories III. The Consummation IV. The Angel of the Agony V. Return [Illustration: decoration]