Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/275

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A N E L L O. viccrov. The 1 Neapolitans had fupported tin 1 p/wcrnmm? i-i this houfe with great loyalty and lib'i.il;ty, and iui oiit;. themfelveS to many voluntary ilYlpbfiriona and MC t;ixcs in f'jj'p rt of it. ]Jut in ib,0, th? n king nviuinni; it, :i new donative was thought or, and a. new dcli^n was formed to Ly a frcfh tax up-'!! i;:i. - ., vli,i ,1 com pre beaded a!l forts as well dry as greni, as hir ns mu berries, grapes, figs, apples p-irs, 5c , The people, b . thus deprived of their ordinary fubfiitencc, took a rclo'utu. to difburthen thtmlelvcs, not c-r.lv of this, but of all other in- fuppor table exactions formerly ifnpofcj 1 . They made . grievances known to ihe viceroy by the public ciies and la- mentations of women and children, as Ke palled through the market place; and petitioned him, by means of the cardin Filomarino, the archbifhopand others, to t^kc off the laid tax. He promifed to redrefs the grievance, and convened proper perfons to find out fome method to take off the tax ot; ,'ruics. But the farmers, becaufe it was prejudicial to thiir intercft,. found fume fecret means to hinder the happy e!lt of this bufinefs, and diffuaded him from performing his promiie to the people ; reprefentjng to him, that all the clcimpur wz* made by a wrettiied rabble only, not worth regarding. Thomas Aneilo, or AloiTaniello, in the 2.' r th year of ' age, dwelt at this time in a corner of the grejt market place at Naples. He was (tout, of a good countenance, an;i a middle thiture. He wore linen flops, a blue w.iilL'Oit, and v/ent barefoot, with a mariner's cap. His pjofeffion was to angle for little fiih with a cane, hook, and line, as alib to buy fifli, and to retail them. This man, hiving obferved the murmurings up and down the city, went one day very angry towards his houf'e, and met with the famous Bandito Perrone and his companion, as he psfTe.) by a church where they had fied for refuge. They sliced him, what ailed him. He antweitd in great wrath, I will be bound to be hangeo, but I will nght this city. Triey laughed at hi- words, (ay- ing, A proper fquire to right the city of Naples ! Maflaniello replied, Do not laugh : 1 1 vcar by Gc-d, if 1 had two or three of my humour, you ihouid fee what I coald do. Will you join with me ? They anU en.d, yes. Plig'it me tii-n your faith: vhich they having done, he departed. A little ..fter he tell into a great pafiion, upon his fiih b<-ing taken from him by fome of the court, becaufe he hod not paid the tax. He thru rdolved to make ufe of the occaiion of the n,ur,mir- ings of the people againft the tax on fruit. He went amnn^ the fruit (hops that were in ;hat quarter, advilin^ them that the