I am Nothing

On Saturday morning began the work on the epitaffio, thatwas to be built in the market, to record forever the accords between theviceroy and the people. The Count of Oñate, says Fuidoro,“built a great fountain there.” A marquis commissioned apicture of it, which was then printed and carried to the Roman court. Thepope, seeing the fountain depicted, is said to have exclaimed,“squirting blood,” alluding to the many executions the counthad commanded, after the end of the revolt.

Masaniello returned to issuing orders. Hearing of a theft of silver in thepalace of the prince of Colle, a knight of the Somma line, he ordered theculprit put to death, as was done. One later sentence concerned a womanwhose father had been killed. The killer’s brother desired a pardon,offering in exchange to marry the woman. As, to her, this marriage seemed“impious,” Masaniello commanded instead that withintwenty-four hours she be given two hundred scudi, to marrywhomever she pleased. That day, sources tell us, from his window hethundered against the knights. Some coins clipped of their edge-silver hadbeen found at the house of one such knight; Masaniello wanted them shown tohis people, to demonstrate what thefts knights committed. For such deeds, asfor other things he said, the people viewed him as “liberator of thefatherland and extirpator of crimes.” In some writings, we read ofhis liberality: a Spaniard handed him a petition averring that he was ill,“and in extreme need of money, without having even a bed to sleepon.”