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A. D. 1530-FLORENCE PLUNDERED.

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thousand scudi, and every one should come in peace to his place. And the overseer of the pope, and the captains of the host, entered the city on the eighth of the month of August, in the year one thousand five hundred and thirty; and the law was given, and the country had rest.

799. And it came to pass, when they came into the city, that they overstepped the statute, and violated their covenant, and did in the city according to their own desire; and they brought down six of the heads of the city into the grave in blood. And many were put into the lowest pit in the prison. And one hundred and fifty men they sent out and expelled from their country. And many fled, when they saw that evil was determined against them, and all the people they plundered; and the cry of the city went up toward heaven.

800. And it came to pass, after some days, that the deputy of the emperor made a covenant with the Medici; and they gave the government unto Alessandro, a kinsman of the pope, as duke of the city; and Florence became a servant unto tribute at that time. And it came to pass, that Alessandro did judgment and righteousness in the land, and he was skilled in knowledge; however, the great men of the city were not with him, and knew not how to speak peaceably unto him.

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ROME FLOODED.

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801. And in the eighth month, on the sixth of the month, the Lord caused it to rain upon Rome, and its environs, the portion of their cup*. And the windows of heaven were opened. And on the seventh day the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the waters of the flood were upon the earth. And the waters prevailed, and they increased much upon the earth; and the river Tiber came into the city in the middle of the night, in the night of the sabbath; and the city was in consternation. And the Tiber increased more and more, and overflowed in abundance; and houses filled with every thing good it cast to the ground. And the houses of the city were filled with mire and dirt; and the church of the Spaniards in the Piazza Navona‡ was almost cast down, and its walls were shaken, because HE was wroth. And the waters prevailed, so that all the marks were covered, whereunto the waters reached of old times, and they prevailed ten spans§ above; the like has not been from the day it was founded, until now. And they went in boats in the streets of the town. For the waters prevailed in some parts from the foundations of the houses unto the second story, so

134

INUNDATION AT ROME.

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they sold them which sat upon it provision. And there was a great cry* in Rome during that night, and on the next morning, whose like was not before when strangers seized its property; for this overthrow was much greater. And there died from the overflowing of the proud waters, about three thousand souls of men, and much cattle. And the number of the houses which the waters cast down were four hundred; and the wine, and the oil, and the wheat, and the flour, and the clothes which the waters overflowed, were countless. And on the tenth day of the month, which was the second day, about thirty houses were pulled down in the Via Giulia. And in the night of the eleventh day of the month, of the year one thousand five hundred and thirty, the palace of Eusebio was cast down, which he bought for ten thousand ducats; and there died Eusebio and about forty souls with him under its ruins in that night. Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to another generation; for what the great pestilence left, the sword of Bourbon devoured; and what the sword of Bourbon left, the famine devoured; and what was left of the famine, the proud waters devoured+:

* Exod. xii. 30.

† Joel, chap. 1.

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A. D. 1530-STORM AT LISBON.

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the Lord is just, and Rome became very poor in those days. And it was told me that there died not one of the children of Israel, the mercy of the Lord being upon them, except one old woman; may her rest be glorious! It was the finger of God."

802. And in Flanders also, the Lord fulfilled his wrath in the year five thousand two hundred and ninety-one, and he caused to rain upon them an overwhelming rain, whose like never was; the waters covered their heads, I said, "They are cut off." And much people of them fell on the second day of the month of November, one thousand five hundred and thirty; and as to the cattle which perished, there was no number.

803. In those days there was a great storm at Lisbon, in Portugal; and all the people trembled, and they feared a great fear; and they said, "We must all die."

804. Then the councillors of Genoa sent messengers to Francis, king of France, to call for peace, and to fall down before his feet, and to speak concerning the rebellion which they had rebelled against him; but he hardened his heart, and forgave them not. And they abode at Paris many days, and returned unto Genoa on the fourth month, in the year one thousand five hundred and thirty-one. And all the merchants

136

MODON SURPRISED.

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of Genoa, as they returned, the king of France drave entirely out from his country.

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805. In that year came a Turk, a man of Belial, and spake to the heart of the grand-master of Rhodes*, and to his brother, saying, Arise, let us go unto Modon, and let us make a breach for us therein, for the land is very good. And ye are quiet; be not idle to go, and I will give the tower into your hand; and as ye come, ye will come to a quiet and secure people, and these, God has given unto you; why do ye tarry." And it came to pass, one day, that they hearkened unto the voice of that man, and sent thither a ship bearing wine; and in the lowest part of the ship about eighty men. And the ship came securely into the haven of Modon, and six galleys which they had came after her, no man knew of their coming. . And there went upon the first vessel some of the Turks, of the watchers of the city, and they asked at random, for they prophesied and then ceased, "Are there here any Nazarene dogs?" And they said, "No; we are true ment; the ship bears wine, as much as she can carry; behold, and see." And they gave them to eat and to drink, as much as their soul desired, until their

* The knights of St. John retained the title of Rhodes after their expulsion.

.בטגעון +

Gen. xlii. 11.