historic girls-第20节

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record　the　splendors　and　display　of　the　ceremonial　with　which　the

gray…haired　old　doge；　Cristofero　Moro；　in　the　great　hall　of　the

palace；　surrounded　by　the　senators　of　the　Republic　and　all　the

rank　and　power　of　the　State　of　Venice；　formally　adopted　Catarina

as　a　〃daughter　of　the　Republic。〃　Thus　to　the　dignity　of　her

father's　house　was　added　the　majesty　of　the　great　Republic。　Her

marriage　portion　was　placed　at　one　hundred　thousand　ducats；　and

Cyprus　was　granted；　on　behalf　of　this　〃daughter　of　the　Republic；〃

the　alliance　and　protection　of　Venice。



The　ambassador　of　Cyprus　standing　before　the　altar　of　St。　Mark's

as　the　personal　representative　of　his　master；　King　Giacomo　was

married　〃by　proxy〃　to　the　young　Venetian　girl；　while　the　doge；

representing　her　new　father；　the　republic；　gave　her



away　in　marriage；　and　Catarina　Cornaro；　amid　the　blessings　of　the

priests；　the　shouts　of　the　people；　and　the　demonstrations　of

clashing　music　and　waving　banners；　was　solemnly　proclaimed　Queen

of　Cyprus；　of　Jerusalem；　and　of　Armenia。



But　the　gorgeous　display；　before　which　even　the　fabled　wonders　of

the　〃Arabian　Nights〃　were　but　poor　affairs；　did　not　conclude

here。　Following　the　splendors　of　the　marriage　ceremony　and　the

wedding…feast；　came　the　pageant　of　departure。　The　Grand　Canal　was

ablaze　with　gorgeous　colors　and　decorations。　The　broad

water…steps　of　the　Piazza　of　St。　Mark　was　soft　with　carpets　of

tapestry；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　floated　the　most

beautiful　boat　in　the　world；　the　Bucentaur　or　state　gondola；　of

Venice。　Its　high；　carved　prow　and　framework　were　one　mass　of

golden　decorations。　White　statues　of　the　saints；　carved　heads　of

the　lion　of　St。　Mark；　the　doge's　cap；　and　the　emblems　of　the

Republic　adorned　it　throughout。　Silken　streamers　of　blue　and

scarlet　floated　from　its　standards；　and　its　sides　were　draped　in

velvet　hangings　of　crimson　and　royal　purple。　The　long　oars　were

scarlet　and　gold；　and　the　rowers　were　resplendent　in　suits　of

blue　and　silver。　A　great　velvet…covered　throne　stood　on　the　upper

deck；　and　at　its　right　was　a　chair　of　state；　glistening　with

gold。



Down　the　tapestried　stairway　came　the　Doge　of　Venice；　and；

resting　upon　his　arm；　in　a　white　bridal　dress　covered　with

pearls；　walked　the　girl　queen　Catarina。　Doge　and　daughter　seated

themselves　upon　their　sumptuous　thrones；　their　glittering　retinue

filled　the　beautiful　boat；　the　scarlet　oars　dipped　into　the

water；　and　then；　with　music　playing；　banners　streaming；　and　a

grand　escort　of　boats　of　every　conceivable　shape；　flashing　in

decoration　and　gorgeous　in　mingled　colors；　the　bridal　train

floated　down　the　Grand　Canal；　on　past　the　outlying　islands；　and

between　the　great　fortresses　to　where；　upon　the　broad　Adriatic；

the　galleys　were　waiting　to　take　the　new　Queen　to　her　island

kingdom　off　the　shores　of　Greece。　And　there；　in　his　queer　old

town　of　Famagusta；　built　with　a　curious　commingling　of　Saracen；

Grecian；　and　Norman　ideas；　King　Giacomo　met　his　bride。



So　they　were　married；　and　for　five　happy　years　all　went　well　with

the　young　King　and　Queen。　Then　came　troubles。　King　Giacomo　died

suddenly　from　a　cold　caught　while　hunting；　so　it　was　said；　though

some　averred　that　he　had　been　poisoned；　either　by　his　half…sister

Carlotta；　with　whom　he　had　contended　for　his　throne；　or　by　some

mercenary　of　Venice；　who　desired　his　realm　for　that　voracious

Republic。



But　if　this　latter　was　the　case；　the　voracious　Republic　of　Venice

was　not　to　find　an　easy　prey。　The　young　Queen　Catarina　proclaimed

her　baby　boy　King　of　Cyprus；　and　defied　the　Great　Republic。

Venice；　surprised　at　this　rebellion　of　its　adopted　〃daughter；〃

dispatched　embassy　after　embassy　to　demand　submission。　But　the

young　mother　was　brave　and　stood　boldly　up　for　the　rights　of　her

son。



But　he；　too；　died。　Then　Catarina；　true　to　the　memory　of　her

husband　and　her　boy；　strove　to　retain　the　throne　intact。　For

years　she　ruled　as　Queen　of　Cyprus；　despite　the　threatenings　of

her　home　Republic　and　the　conspiracies　of　her　enemies。　Her　one

answer　to　the　demands　of　Venice　was：



〃Tell　the　Republic　I　have　determined　never　to　remarry。　When　I　am

dead；　the　throne　of　Cyprus　shall　go　to　the　State；　my　heir。　But

until　that　day　I　am　Queen　of　Cyprus！〃



Then　her　brother　Giorgio；　the　same　who　in　earlier　days　had　looked

down　with　her　from　the　Cornaro　Palace　upon　the　outcast　Prince　of

Cyprus；　came　to　her　as　ambassador　of　the　Republic。　His　entreaties

and　his　assurance　that；　unless　she　complied　with　the　senate's

demand；　the　protection　of　Venice　would　be　withdrawn；　and　the

island　kingdom　left　a　prey　to　Saracen　pirates　and　African

robbers；　at　last　carried　the　day。　Worn　out　with　long　contending；

fearful；　not　for　herself　but　for　her　subjects　of　Cyprus；she

yielded　to　the　demands　of　the　senate；　and　abdicated　in　favor　of

the　Republic。



Then　she　returned　to　Venice。　The　same　wealth　of　display　and

ceremonial　that　had　attended　her　departure　welcomed　the　return　of

this　obedient　daughter　of　the　Republic；　now　no　longer　a

light…hearted　young　girl；　but　a　dethroned　queen；　a　widowed　and

childless　woman。



She　was　allowed　to　retain　her　royal　title　of　Queen　of　Cypus；　and

a　noble　domain　was　given　her　for　a　home　in　the　town　of　Asola；　up

among　the　northern　mountains。　Here；　in　a　massive　castle；　she　held

her　court。　It　was　a　bright　and　happy　company；　the　home　of　poetry

and　music；　the　arts；　and　all　the　culture　and　refinement　of　that

age；　when　learning　belonged　to　the　few　and　the　people　were　sunk

in　densest　ignorance。



Here　Titian；　the　great　artist；　painted　the　portrait　of　the　exiled

queen　that　has　come　down　to　us。　Here　she　lived　for　years；　sad　in

her　memories　of　the　past；　but　happy　in　her　helpfulness　of　others

until；　on　her　way　to　visit　her　brother　Giorgio　in　Venice；　she　was

stricken　with　a　sudden　fever；　and　died　in　the　palace　in　which　she

had　played　as　a　child。



With　pomp　and　display；　as　was　the　wont　of　the　Great　Republic；

with　a　city　hung　with　emblems　of　mourning；　and　with　the　solemn

strains　of　dirge　and　mass　filling　the　air；　out　from　the　great

hall　of　the　Palazzo　Cornaro；　on；　across　the　heavily　draped　bridge

that　spanned　the　Grand　Canal　from　the　water…gate　of　the　palace；

along　the　broad　piazza　crowded　with　a　silent　throng；　and　into　the

Church　of　the　Holy　Apostles；　the　funeral　procession　slowly

passed。　The　service　closed；　and　in　the　great　Cornaro　tomb　in　the

family　chapel；　at　last　was　laid　to　rest　the　body　of　one　who　had

enjoyed　much　but　suffered　morethe　sorrowful　Queen　of　Cyprus；

the　once　bright　and　beautiful　Daughter　of　the　Republic。〃



Venice　to…day　is　mouldy　and　wasting。　The　palace　in　which　Catarina

Cornaro　spent　her　girlhood　is　now　a　pawnbroker's　shop。　The　last

living　representative　of　the　haughty　house　of　LusignanKings；　in

their　day；　of　Cyprus；　of　Jerusalem；　and　of　Armeniais　said　to　be

a　waiter　in　a　French　cafe。　So　royalty　withers　and　power　fades。

There　is　no　title　to　nobility　save　character；　and　no　family　pride

so　unfading　as　a　spotless　name。　But；　though　palace　and　family

have　both　decayed；　the　beautiful　girl　who　was　once　the　glory　of

Venice　and　whom　great　artists　loved　to　paint；　sends　us　across　the

ages；　in　a　flash　of　regal　splendor；　a　lesson　of　loyalty　and

helpfulness。　This；　indeed；　will　outlive　all　their　queenly　titles；

and　shows　her　to　us　as　the　bright…hearted　girl　who；　in　spite　of

sorrow；　of　trouble；　and　of　loss；　developed　into　the　strong　and

self…reliant　woman。







THERESA　OF　AVILA：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　SPANISH　SIERRAS。



＇Afterward　known　as　St。　Theresa　of　Avila。＇　A。D。　1525。



It　is　a　stern　and　gray　old　city　that　the　sun　looks　down　upon；

when　once　he　does　show　his　jolly　face　above　the　saw…like　ridges

of　the　grim　Guadarrama　Mountains　in　Central　Spain；　a　stern　and

gray　old　city　as　well　it　may　be；　for　it　is　one　of　the　very　old

towns　of　Western　EuropeAvila；　said　by　some　to　have　been　built

by　Albula；　the　mother　of　Hercules　nearly　four　thousand　years　ago。



Whether　or　not　it　was　the　place　in　which　that　baby　gymnast

strangled　the　serpents　who　sought　to　kill　him　in　his　cradle；　it

is　indeed　ancient　enough　to　suit　any　boy　or　girl　who　likes　to　dig

among　the　relics　of　the　past。　For　more　than　eight　centuries　the

same　granite　walls　that　now　surround　it　have　lifted　their　gray

ramparts　out　of　the　vast　and　granite…covered　plains　that　make　the

country　so　wild　and　lonesome；　while　its　eighty…six　towers　and

gateways；　still　unbroken　and　complete；　tell　of　its　strength　and

importance　in　those　far…off　days；　when　the　Cross　was　battling

with　the　Crescent；　and　Christian　Spain；　step　by　step；　was　forcing

Mohammedan　Spain　back　to　the　blue　Mediterranean　and　the　arid

wastes　of　Africa；　from　which；　centuries　before；　the　followers　of

the　Arabian　Prophet　had　come。



At　the　time　of　our　story；　in　the　year　1525；　this　forcing　process

was　about　over。　Under　the　relentless　measures　of　Ferdinand　and

Isabella；　with　whose　story　all　Americ