historic girls-第19节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Prince　Giacomo；　after　a　struggle　for　supremacy　with　his

half…sister　Carlotta；　became　King　of　Cyprus。



Now　Cyprus；　though　scarcely　as　large　as　the　State　of　Connecticut；

was　a　very　desirable　possession；　and　one　that　Venice　greatly

coveted。　Some　of　her　citizens　owned　land　there；　and　among　these

was　Marco　Cornaro；　father　of　Catarina。　And　so　it　happened　that；

soon　after　the　accession　of　King　Giacomo；　Messer　Andrea　Cornaro；

the　uncle　of　Catarina；　came　to　Cyprus　to　inspect　and　improve　the

lands　belonging　to　his　brother　Marco。



Venice；　in　those　days　was　so　great　a　power　that　the　Venetian

merchants　were　highly　esteemed　in　all　the　courts　of　Europe。　And

Uncle　Andrea；　who　had　probably　loaned　the　new　king　of　Cyprus　a

goodly　store　of　Venetian　ducats；　became　quite；　friendly　with　the

young　monarch；　and　gave　him　much　sage　advice。



One　dayit　seemed　as　if　purely　by　accident；　but　those　old

Venetians　were　both　shrewd　and　far…seeingUncle　Andrea；　talking

of　the　glories　of　Venice；　showed　to　King　Giacomo　a　picture　of　his

niece；　Catarina　Cornaro；　then　a　beautiful　girl　of　fourteen。



King　Giacomo　came　of　a　house　that　was　quick　to　form　friendships

and　antipathies；　loves　and　hates。　He　〃fell　violently　in　love　with

the　picture；〃so　the　story　goes；and　expressed　to　Andrea

Cornaro　his　desire　to　see　and　know　the　original。



〃That　face　seemeth　strangely　familiar；　Messer　Cornaro；〃　he　said。



He　held　the　portrait　in　his　hands；　and　seemed　struggling　with　an

uncertain　memory。　Suddenly　his　face　lighted　up；　and　he　exclaimed

joyfully：



〃So；　I　have　it！　Messer　Cornaro；　I　know　your　niece。〃



〃You　know　her；　sire？〃　echoed　the　surprised　Uncle　Andrea。



〃Ay；　that　indeed　I　do；〃　said　the　king。　〃This　is　the　same　fair　and

brave　young　maiden　who　delivered　me　from　a　rascal　rout　of　boys　on

the　Grand　Canal　at　Venice；　on　St。　Mark's　Day；　scarce　two　years

ago。〃　And　King　Giacomo　smiled　and　bowed　at　the　picture　as　if　it

were　the　living　Catarina　instead　of　her　simple　portrait。



Here　now　was　news　for　Uncle　Andrea。　And　you　may　be　sure　he　was

too　good　a　Venetian　and　too　loyal　a　Cornaro　not　to　turn　it　to　the

best　advantage。　So　he　stimulated　the　young　king's　evident

inclination　as　cunningly　as　he　was　able。　His　niece　Catarina；　he

assured　the　king；　was　as　good　as　she　was　beautiful；　and　as　clever

as　she　was　both。



〃But　then；〃　he　declared；　〃Venice　hath　many　fair　daughters；　sire；

whom　the　king's　choice　would　honor；　and　Catarina　is　but　a　young

maid　yet。　Would　it　not　be　wiser；　when　you　choose　a　queen；　to

select　some　older　donzella　for　your　bride？　Though　it　will；　I　can

aver；　be　hard　to　choose　fairer。〃



It　is　just　such　half…way　opposition　that　renders　nature　like　that

of　this　young　monarch　all　the　more　determined。　No！　King　Giacomo

would　have　Catarina；　and　Catarina　only；　for　his　bride　and　queen。

Messer　Cornaro　must　secure　her　for　him。



But　shrewd　Uncle　Andrea　still　feared　the　jealousy　of　his

fellow…Venetians。　Why　should　the　house　of　Cornaro；　they　would

demand；　be　so　openly　preferred？　And　so；　at　his　suggestion；　an

ambassador　was　despatched　to　Venice　soliciting　an　alliance　with

the　Great　Republic；　and　asking　from　the　senate　the　hand　of　some

high…born　maid　of　Venice　in　marriage　for　his　highness；　the　King

of　Cyprus。　But　you　may　be　very　sure　that　the　ambassador　had

special　and　secret　instructions　alike　from　King　Giacomo　and　from

Uncle　Andrea　just　how　and　whom　to　choose。



The　ambassador　came　to　Venice；　and　soon　the　senate　issued　its

commands　that　upon　a　certain　day　the　noblest　and　fairest　of　the

daughters　of　Venice　one　from　each　of　the　patrician

familiesshould　appear　in　the　great　Council　Hall　of　the　Ducal

Palace　in　order　that　the　ambassador　of　the　King　of　Cyprus　might

select　a　fitting　bride　for　his　royal　master。　It　reads　quite　like

one　of　the　old　fairy　stories；　does　it　not？　Only　in　this　case　the

dragon　who　was　to　take　away　the　fairest　maiden　as　his　tribute　was

no　monster；　but　the　brave　young　king　of　a　lovely　island　realm。



The　Palace　of　the　Dogesthe　Palazzo　Ducale　of　old　Veniceis

familiar　to　all　who　have　ever　seen　a　picture　of　the　Square　of　St。

Mark's；　the　best　known　spot　in　that　famous　City　of　the　Sea。　It　is

the　low；　rectangular；　richly　decorated　building　with　its　long　row

of　columns　and　arcades　that　stand　out　so　prominently　in

photograph　and　engraving。　It　has　seen　many　a　splendid　pageant；

but　it　never　witnessed　a　fairer　sight　than　when　on　a　certain

bright　day　of　the　year　1468　seventy…two　of　the　daughters　of

Venice；　gorgeous　in　the　rich　costumes　of　that　most　lavish　city　of

a　lavish　age；　gathered　in　the　great　Consiglio；　or　Council　Hall。



Up　the　Scala　d'Oro；　or　Golden　Staircase；　built　only　for　the　use

of　the　nobles；　they　came；　escorted　by　the　ducal　guards；　gleaming

in　their　richest　uniforms。　The　great　Council　Hall　was　one　mass　of

color；　the　splendid　dresses　of　the　ladies；　the　scarlet　robes　of

the　senators　and　high　officials　of　the　Republic；　the　imposing

vestments　of　the　old　doge；　Cristofero　Moro；　as　he　sat　in　state

upon　his　massive　throne；　and　the　bewildering　array　of　the

seventy…two　candidates　for　a　king's　choice。　Seventy…two；　I　say；

but　in　all　that　company　of　puffed　and　powdered；　coifed　and　combed

young　ladies；　standing　tall　and　uncomfortable　on　their

ridiculously　high…heeled　shoes；　one　alone　was　simply　dressed　and

apparently　unaffected　by　the　gorgeousness　of　her　companions；　the

seventy…second　and　youngest　of　them　all。



She　was　a　girl　of　fourteen。　Face　and　form　were　equally　beautiful；

and　a　mass　of　〃dark　gold　hair〃　crowned　her　〃queenly　head。〃　While

the　other　girls　appeared　nervous　or　anxious；　she　seemed

unconcerned；　and　her　face　wore　even　a　peculiar　little　smile；　as

if　she　were　contrasting　the　poor　badgered　young　prince　of　St。

Mark's　Day　with　the　present　King　of　Cyprus　hunting　for　a　bride。

〃Eh　via！〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃　't　is　almost　as　if　it　were　a

revenge　upon　us　for　our　former　churlishness；　that　he　thus　now

puts　us　to　shame。〃



The　ambassador　of　Cyprus；　swarthy　of　face　and　stately　in　bearing；

entered　the　great　hall。　With　him　came　his　attendant　retinue　of

Cypriote　nobles。　Kneeling　before　the　doge；　the　ambassador

presented　the　petition　of　his　master；　the　King　of　Cyprus；　seeking

alliance　and　friendship　with　Venice。



〃And　the　better　to　secure　this　and　the　more　firmly　to　cement　it；

Eccellenza；〃　said　the　ambassador；　〃my　lord　and　master　the　king

doth　crave　from　your　puissant　state　the　hand；　of　some　high…born

damsel　of　the　Republic　as　that　of　his　loving　and　acknowledged

queen。〃



The　old　doge　waved　his　hand　toward　the　fair　and　anxious

seventy…two。



〃Behold；　noble　sir；〃　he　said；　〃the　fairest　and　noblest　of　our

maidens　of　Venice。　Let　your　eye　seek　among　these　a　fitting　bride

for　your　lord；　the　King　of　Cyprus；　and　it　shall　be　our　pleasure

to　give　her　to　him　in　such　a　manner　as　shall　suit　the　power　and

dignity　of　the　State　of　Venice。〃



Courteous　and　stately　still；　but　with　a　shrewd　and　critical　eye；

the　ambassador　of　Cyprus　slowly　passed　from　candidate　to

candidate；　with　here　a　pleasant　word　and　there　a　look　of

admiration；　to　this　one　a　honeyed　compliment　upon　her　beauty；　to

that　one　a　bit　of　praise　for　her　elegance　of　dress。



How　oddly　this　all　sounds　to　us　with　our　modern　ideas　of

propriety　and　good　taste！　It　seems　a　sort　of　Prize　Girl　Show；

does　it　not？　Or；　it　is　like　a　competitive　examination　for　a　royal

bride。



But；　like　too　many　such　examinations；　this　one　had　already　been

settled　beforehand。　The　King　had　decided　to　whom　the　prize　of　his

crown　should　go；　and　so；　at　the　proper　time；　the　critical

ambassador　stopped　before　a　slight　girl　of　fourteen；　dressed　in　a

robe　of　simple　white。



〃Donzella　mia；〃　he　said　courteously；　but　in　a　low　tone；　〃are　not

you　the　daughter　of　Messer。　Marco　Cornaro；　the　noble　merchant　of

the　Via　Merceria？〃



〃I　am；　my　lord；〃　the　girl　replied。



〃My　royal　master　greets　you　through　me；〃　he　said。　〃He　recalls　the

day　when　you　did　give　him　shelter；　and　he　invites　you　to　share

with　him　the　throne　of　Cyprus。　Shall　this　be　as　he　wishes？〃



And　the　girl；　with　a　deep　courtesy　in　acknowledgment　of　the

stately　obeisance　of　the　ambassador；　said　simply；　〃That　shall　be；

my　lord；　as　my　father　and　his　Excellency　shall　say。〃



The　ambassador　of　Cyprus　took　the　young　girl's　hand；　and；

conducting　her　through　all　that　splendid　company；　presented　her

before　the　doge's　throne。



〃Excellency；〃　he　said；　〃Cyprus　hath　made　her　choice。　We　present

to　you；　if　so　it　shall　please　your　grace；　our　future　queen；　this

fair　young　maid；　Catarina；　the　daughter　of　the　noble　Marco

Cornaro；　merchant　and　senator　of　the　Republic。〃



What　the　seventy…one　disappointed　young　ladies　thought　of　the

King's　choice；　or　what　they　said　about　it　when　they　were　safely

at　home　once　more；　history　does　not　record。　But　history　does

record　the　splendors　and　display　of　the　ceremonial　with　which　the

gray…haired　old　doge；　Cristofero　Moro；　in　t