THERE

Aniello, who lived at Amalfi, a pretty seaport town, not far from Naples, and had a son called Tomaso, remarkable almost from his infancy for his noble qualities of mind and heart, He went out fishing with his father in all weathers, from his earliest age, even before he could handle the oars of a boat,

and could do little else than cut up bait or help to haul in the nets, if occasion required. This rude life upon the sea, however, made him robust, and being kept from the low vices of the shore by his perpetual occupation, his mind was was uncorrupted, and his thoughts soared upwards. Often, when far out at sea, as the child grew up to youth and manhood, when the stars were reflected in the waters beneath, and all around was grand and solemn in the stillness of the night, when the moon lit up the beautiful bay of Solerno, while the nets were drawing, would he sit and muse, on the nature of his own existence, and on the bright multitudes in the heavens above him, and of that Great Being Who had formed him and the glorious creation, of which he was a part; and, as the boy mused on, he had a longing to do some good to his fellow-men, for his father had often complained of the wicked and cruel imposts placed upon his countrymen through Spanish greed and misrule. Often did he wish that he was grown up into manhood, that he might enter upon some field of action, congenial with his aspirations; but his time was not yet come, and so he contented himself with doing his duty in the humble sphere in which he was placed, in being especially devoted to his father, and in labouring with him cheerfully, both night and day, for the merest pittance of food and the scantiest clothing, although, as he was now getting older and stronger, he might have been tar better remunerated for his services elsewhere.

When he was about seventeen, his father fell sick with a fever, and his poor mother, a cripple, was incapable of adding anything to his support; but Tomaso redoubled his labours in the boat; he went out all alone on the darkest winter nights, and laboured assiduously till the morning. In the daytime he disposed of his fish, and cooked and prepared what he did not sell for his father and mother; then, at night, and night after night for a whole winter, was he upon the deep, oftentimes in gales and storms, and always more or less in peril; but he had consolation in knowing that he was doing his duty, and that he should one day have his reward.

It was in the year 1647 that the inhabitants of Naples were very much discontented with their ruler, the Duke d'Arcos, owing to a new tax being put upon fruit, which was the principal food of at least fourfifths of the population of Naples, and they broke out into a strong spirit of resistance; but the viceroy, being supported by the soldiers, determined to put down the rebellion by the sword, and, consequently, the city was declared in a state of siege, and all the inhabitants put under martial law.

At this time 'Mas'-aniello, as he was called, by contraction of his Christian name, was scarcely out of his boyhood. He was tall, handsome, and commanding, and his countenance had God's stamp upon it, being indicative of goodness and honesty of purpose. His noble devotion to his ailing father was not unknown,

and had made a great impression upon many. His dress consisted of linen trousers and waistcoat, generally blue, with a scarlet cap of worsted. His legs and feet were bare, and his whole air was that of one possessing a virtuous character and a bold head.

'Mas'-aniello was returning home one evening, with a very small "haul" of fish on his shoulder and much out of humour with his day's labour. In such a frame of mind, he met with a young playmate-one Perrone-who, unknown to him, had become one of the most turbulent and dissatisfied of the people, and who detailed to him the causes that had led to the insurrection. 'Mas'-aniello's warm heart fired at this intelligence. He felt that the hour was now come for him to be of service to his fellows, and he declared to the bystanders that he would be their captain, and lead them to obtain a redress of their grievHis hearers laughed, but they applauded him. "Join me," said he, his enthusiasm increasing with the applause bestowed upon him: "Swear like me in good and hearty faith, and hold to me your hands, and we will go together, and we will obtain the redress of our grievances."

ances.

At this moment the officers of the octroi, who collected the dues upon commodities entering the city, laid hands on 'Mas'-aniello's basket, reminding him that he had not paid his tax on the fish, and saying that he was one who wanted to live without taxes. "I am," said the young man, "and evil be to any one who pays

this unjust tax." The populace still applauded; and the hero, crying aloud, "No taxes! no more taxes!” leaped on to the steps of a church close by, and from his elevated position addressed the people, in a speech of such coarse, hot, fiery eloquence, that they shouted out, "'Mas'-aniello and liberty!" "'Mas'-aniello for ever!""'Mas'-aniello, lead on!" and, under his command, they proceeded immediately to burst open the doors of the custom-house, and, after plundering it of all its money, they set it on fire. They then proceeded to all the booths of the toll-collectors, to which they set fire, and on and on to the palaces and houses of those who farmed the taxes, which they plundered and burnt, so that Naples was in a blaze.

Hence 'Mas'-aniello-now saluted by acclamation as "Captain-general of the Neapolitan People,”—having plundered the gunsmiths' and armourers' shops in his rapid progress, continued his triumphant march to the gates of the palace of the Viceroy, and forcing an entrance through the guard, entered with his followers into the presence of the Duke d'Arcos, and peremptorily demanded the abolition of all taxes. The Viceroy assented to this, in order to gain time and still the tumult; but this, like throwing oil upon the flames, increased the fury of the mob, so that, leaving the palace stealthily, the duke was compelled to seek refuge in the Castel Nuovo.

The palace was emptied of its furniture, which was carried, by order of 'Mas'-aniello, into the midst of the