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Renzo had heard vague mention made of severe orders, forbidding

the entrance of strangers into Milan, without a certificate of

health; but these were easily evaded, for Milan had reached a

point when such prohibition was useless, even if it could have

been put into execution. Whoever ventured there, might rather

appear careless of his own life, than dangerous to that of

others.

With this conviction, Renzo's design was to attempt a passage at

the first gate, and in case of difficulty to wander on the

outside of the walls until he should find one easy of access. It

would be difficult to say how many gates he thought Milan had.

When he arrived before the ramparts, he looked around him; there

was no indication of living being, except on a point of the

platform, a thick cloud of dense smoke arising; this was

occasioned by clothing, beds, and infected furniture, which were

committed to the flames; every where along the ramparts appeared

the traces of these melancholy conflagrations.