The Mysteries of Udolpho

Sometimes they formed themselves into bands of robbers, and occupied

remote fortresses, where their desperate character, the weakness of the

governments which they offended, and the certainty, that they could

be recalled to the armies, when their presence should be again wanted,

prevented them from being much pursued by the civil power; and,

sometimes, they attached themselves to the fortunes of a popular chief,

by whom they were led into the service of any state, which could settle

with him the price of their valour. From this latter practice arose

their name--CONDOTTIERI; a term formidable all over Italy, for a period,

which concluded in the earlier part of the seventeenth century, but of

which it is not so easy to ascertain the commencement.

Contests between the smaller states were then, for the most part,

affairs of enterprize alone, and the probabilities of success were

estimated, not from the skill, but from the personal courage of the

general, and the soldiers. The ability, which was necessary to the

conduct of tedious operations, was little valued. It was enough to

know how a party might be led towards their enemies, with the greatest

secrecy, or conducted from them in the compactest order. The officer was

to precipitate himself into a situation, where, but for his example,

the soldiers might not have ventured; and, as the opposed parties knew

little of each other's strength, the event of the day was frequently

determined by the boldness of the first movements. In such services the

condottieri were eminent, and in these, where plunder always followed

success, their characters acquired a mixture of intrepidity and

profligacy, which awed even those whom they served.

When they were not thus engaged, their chief had usually his own

fortress, in which, or in its neighbourhood, they enjoyed an irksome

rest; and, though their wants were, at one time, partly supplied from

the property of the inhabitants, the lavish distribution of their

plunder at others, prevented them from being obnoxious; and the peasants

of such districts gradually shared the character of their warlike

visitors.

The neighbouring governments sometimes professed, but seldom

endeavoured, to suppress these military communities; both because it was

difficult to do so, and because a disguised protection of them ensured,

for the service of their wars, a body of men, who could not otherwise

be so cheaply maintained, or so perfectly qualified. The commanders

sometimes even relied so far upon this policy of the several powers, as

to frequent their capitals; and Montoni, having met them in the gaming

parties of Venice and Padua, conceived a desire to emulate their

characters, before his ruined fortunes tempted him to adopt their

practices. It was for the arrangement of his present plan of life, that

the midnight councils were held at his mansion in Venice, and at which

Orsino and some other members of the present community then assisted

with suggestions, which they had since executed with the wreck of their

fortunes. On the return of night, Emily resumed her station at the casement. There

was now a moon; and, as it rose over the tufted woods, its yellow light

served to shew the lonely terrace and the surrounding objects, more

distinctly, than the twilight of the stars had done, and promised Emily

to assist her observations, should the mysterious form return. On this

subject, she again wavered in conjecture, and hesitated whether to speak

to the figure, to which a strong and almost irresistible interest urged

her; but terror, at intervals, made her reluctant to do so.