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440

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קלא

1193. And three young persons of the city delivered a man from the hand of the officers; and the viceroy commanded, and they seized them, and put them in prison. And he poured out his fury upon them*, and slaughtered them like kids, in the castle-street, on the twentythird day of the month of May; and they had none to save them. And all the city was moved about them, and they ran to the fortress, every one with his weapons of war in his hand; but they did nothing on that day. And it came to pass, on the morrow, that they went unto the prince of Bisignanot; and some men of the sons of the city made him ride through the streets, to see what was in the hearts of the men of the country; and about five hundred men were with him. And they went from gate to gate, and there was none that opened the mouth, or peepedt, for those men spake unto the hearts of the men of the city, and their wrath was appeased. And they returned every one unto his house; and the viceroy hastened unto the fortress, for there at that time was his house.

1194. And on the twenty-fifth of the same

*Comp. Lam. ii. 5.

†, anciently Bisunianum, a city of Italy, in the kingdom of Naples.

Is. x. 14.

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month they rebelled against the viceroy, from small unto great, and plotted together not to obey him; and the viceroy heard the noise of the city, being in an uproar*. And he shut himself up in the fortress from that day and afterwards, for he feared for his life. And the inhabitants of Naples sent unto the emperor messengers, saying, "Behold, we die; we perish; take away from us the viceroy, this Belial, this shedder of blood. For we are thy servants, and we will serve thee till our change comet; only take away from us this death§." And the men of the city set watchmen, and fortified themselves in the city; and they remained upon their ward many days. And the fortress was straitly shut up, none went out and none came in.

1195. And when Andrea Doria heard this evil thing, he was sore afraid; and his men were besieging Mantua with the lords of Genoa, at that time. And he armed his trained servants, and sent ships thither, and upon them were a small number of Spaniards; and he left them without the city, near the fort where the viceroy was. And it came to pass one day, that the hired men of Naples cut themselves with the Spaniards after

* 1 Kings i. 41.

↑ Job xiv. 14.

+ Num. xvii. 12 (Heb. 27).

§ Ex. x. 17.

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their manner*; and the Spaniards were smitten, and fell by the sword before them: and the inhabitants of the city took their booty, they left no gleanings; and the men of the fortress fired guns upon them and sling-stones, assisting the rest of the Spaniards who were left; and the men of the city drew back; and the land had rest. And they remained every one under his banner† upon their ward, until the men returned, who were sent unto the emperor (may his glory be exalted!) at that time.

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1196. And they battered the fortress of Montobbio many days, but did nothing, for it was very strong. And the Lord put faintness into the heart of Lord Gerolamo, the brother of Gian Luigi, and into the heart of the men who were with him there. And they said, Behold, we die, we perish§; our souls are weary in this fortress, and no man layeth it to heart||, to come to help us. And what are we? Is our strength the strength of stones, or is our flesh of brass, that we should be able to stand longer before this great host? Come on; let us go down, and we will deliver the fortress into their hand, that they may deliver our souls from death." But their hearts were

* 1 Kings xviii. 28; i. e. They fought with the Spaniards. Num. i. 52; ii. 2.

§ Num. xvii. 12 (27).

Lev. xxvi. 36.

|| Jer. xii. 11. ¶ Job. vi. 12.

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divided, and they were found faulty*; and there remained no more spirit in them. And Garabinta, that Belial upon whom Gerolamo relied, was the cause, for the officers of the host secretly turned his heart backwardt; and he was a Satan unto themt.

1197. And Gerolamo, the governor of the fortress, sent him unto the officers of the host on the ninth day of the month of June, which is the fifth month. And he spake unto them, saying, "He has given the fortress into your hand, [p] and let our lives be unto us a prey." But they did nothing on that day. And Andrea Doria was the cause, for his soul was embittered against them; and he said, "This is the time to laugh, and to avenge me of mine enemies§." And that Belial Garabinta|| returned unto his master, and spake unto him that which he had devised in his heart¶ at that time. And he added faintness unto his heart, and unto the heart of the men who were there. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind**

* Hos. x. 2.

+1 Kings xviii. 37.

1 Sam. xxix. 4; 2 Sam. xix. 22; 1 Kings xi. 25.

§ Is. i. 24.

|| MMJONINI, a name probably of a person from Grau

bündten.

1 Kings xii. 33. Neh. vi. 8.

** Is. vii. 2.

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and they said, "We be all dead men*.'

קלב

And it

came to pass, on the morrow, that the rash Gerolamo called with a loud voice unto the officers of the host from the wall. And he said unto them,

Assemble yourselves and come yet, and I will deliver the fortress into the hand of the men of Genoa, and what seemeth good in their eyes they shall do, for they are men wondered at.‡" But he knew not that they sought his life to entangle it, according as they did on that day.

1198. And when the officers of the host heard it, they went up unto the fortress, and Augustin Spinola was over the host at that time. And he came up to the fortress, with his sword drawn in his hands, and the count Gerolamo went out to meet him, and he embraced him, and fell upon his neck and wept; for the cunning devices of the time had taken away his ornaments from him. And Augustin, the chief of the host, spake unto his heart, saying, "There is no new thing under the sun, for there is a time to dance, and a time to mourn** " This matter was by the decree of the watchers††. When they came into the fortress,

*Exod. xii. 33.

+ Joel. iii. 11.

Zech. iii. 8.

Comp. Ex. xxxiii. 6. **Eccles. iii. 14.

§ Num. xxii. 23.

Eccles. i. 9.

++ Dan. iv. 17 (Heb. 14); i. e. This was ordered by superior

powers, and was above human control.

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