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rersoftheirobject,andcallingfortheiropinions.Atfirstnoonewouldspeak.TheydidnotknowwhatwasinChecco'smind,andtheyhadnowishtosayanythingthatmightbeoffensivetohim.TheForlivesiareacautiousrace!AfterawhileanoldmangotupandtimidlyexpressedthethanksofthecitizensforthefreedomwhichCheccohadbestoweduponthem,suggestingalsothatheshouldspeakfirst.Theleadthusgiven,theworthiesrose,oneafteranother,andsaidthesamethingswithanairofprofoundoriginality. ThenAntonioSassistoodup.ItwashewhohadadvisedGirolamotoimposethetaxesonthetownandhewasknowntobeadeadlyenemyofChecco.TheothershadbeensufficientlyastonishedwhentheysawhimentertheCouncilchamber,foritwasthoughtthathehadleftthetown,asErcolePiacentiniandothersoftheCount'sfavouriteshaddone.Whenhepreparedtospeak,thesurprisewasuniversal. 'Ourgoodfriend,Niccolo,'hesaid,'hascalleduponustodecidewhatshallbedonewiththetown. 'Yourthoughtsseemtobeincliningtooneforeignmasteroranother.ButmythoughtsareincliningtotheLiberty,inwhosenamethetownhasbeenwon. 'LetusmaintaintheLibertywhichthesemenhaveconqueredattheriskoftheirlives.... 'WhyshouldwedoubtourabilitytopreservetheLibertyofourancestors?Whyshouldwethinkthatwe,whoaredescendedfromsuchfathers,bornfromtheirblood,bredintheirhouses,shouldhavedegeneratedsofarastobeincapableofseizingtheopportunitywhichispresentedtous? 'LetusnotfearthattheMightyMonarch,whodefendsandprotectshimwhowalksthepathoftheJust,willfa