STORY OF ALDOBELLO BANDARINI. 109 



by avarice. Then there arose again the cloud of friends 

 who trumpeted his value; and the senate being led justly 

 to believe that the petitioner was a servant whose depar- 

 ture would inflict a loss upon the state, Bandarini was re- 

 quested to remain in Sacco, and to receive payment for 

 his labours with a monthly stipend. Immunities were 

 also granted to his soldiers, and the world of the shrewd 

 soldier-host began to brighten. 



But at that stage of his progress enmities arose against 

 him. Some jealous men detested the activity with 

 which he pushed his fortunes; many were annoyed at 

 him for taking labourers from steady tillage of the soil, 

 marching them about to sound of drum in squares and 

 wedges, and infecting them with military airs. Again, 

 there was the sister of an important personage in Sacco 

 deeply enamoured of the gallant captain, and she, by her 

 misplaced tenderness, brought down upon his head the 

 wrath of her relations. A tide of accusations suddenly set 

 in towards Venice. The accusers, evidently knowing his 

 weak point, complained to the senate that Aldobello 

 Bandarini had employed the vantage-ground of his posi- 

 tion for the extortion of substantial gifts and money from 

 the people ; that he was designing also to sell the harque- 

 buses entrusted to him for the use of his troop, and to de- 

 camp with the money so obtained. Complaints of this 

 kind were urged so strenuously, that they led to the 



