“Little eno’, St. Paul knows!” said Cecco.
“Should it not be a claim questioned?”
“I think so!” replied the smith.
“And if found an outrage on our ancient laws, should it not be a claim resisted?”
“Not a doubt of it.”
“Well, go to! The archives assure me that never was Emperor lawfully crowned but by the free votes of the people. We never chose Bohemian or Bavarian.”
“But, on the contrary, whenever these Northmen come hither to be crowned, we try to drive them away with stones and curses,—for we are a people, Tribune, that love our liberties.”
“Go back to your friends—see—address them, say that your Tribune will demand of these pretenders to Rome the right to her throne. Let them not be mazed or startled, but support me when the occasion comes.”
“I am glad of this,” quoth the huge smith; “for our friends have grown a little unruly of late, and say—”
“What do they say?”