"Silence," cried another voice, whose piercing tone bore a great resemblance to that of the jester Lanzo. "Don't you know that the nobles never steal? they merely indulge their illustrious desires!"
"Whoever shall hold any communication with the Cardinal Roland, falsely styling himself Pope Alexander III., shall be put under the ban of the Emperor; it is permitted to kill him wherever found!"
"Do you hear that? to pillage is not to steal; the Emperor can permit anything."
"Alexander is the true Pope; Victor is the anti-Pope; is that not so, comrades?"
"Certainly. Long live Alexander!"
"Whoever shall obtain supplies for the Milanese, shall lose his hand; the informer shall be rewarded."
This last article, although the most barbarous, met with general approval among the Italians, who only found fault with the punishment as being too mild. They forgot the iron yoke under which Frederic kept them, to remember only their hatred for their detested rival Milan.
"Long live the Emperor! Down with Milan! Death and destruction to the Milanese!"
The trumpets again sounded, and while the soldiers gave free vent to the expression of their hatred, the herald and his escort left the ground.
Rechberg had listened to the proclamation, and would have pursued his journey, but the dense crowd forced him to remain and hear the imprecations lavished upon the Emperor, as soon as Hesso was out of sight.