Royal Pawn of Venice A Romance of Cyprus

Mrs. Turnbull Lawrence

Description

Among the day-dreams of the Rulers of Venice the island of Cyprus had long loomed large and fair - Cyprus, the happy isle of romance, l'isola fortunata, sea-girdled, clothed with dense forests of precious woods, veined with inexhaustible mines of rich metals; a very garden of luscious fruits, garlanded with ever-blooming flowers - a land flowing with milk and honey and steeped in the fragrance of wines that a god might covet. Kypros - Paphos - a theme for poets, where Aphrodite rose from the foam of the sea, and the fabled groves of the mysteries of Venus gave place to primitive shrines of Christian worship, while innumerable Grecian legends were merged in early Christian traditions, imparting some of their own tint of fable, yet baptizing anew the groves and hillsides to sanctity. Beautiful hillsides, rippling down to the sea-coasts; and plains, nestling among the mountain slopes, littered with remnants of vast temples of superb pagan workmanship and with priceless pre-historic remains: wonderful, ancient marbles, time-mellowed and crumbling, inwrought rather with barbaric symbols of splendor than with the tender grace of poetic suggestion

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819903789
• Langue: English

Extrait

I
A mong theday-dreams of the Rulers of Venice the island of Cyprus had longloomed large and fair – Cyprus, the happy isle of romance, l'isola fortunata , sea-girdled, clothed with dense forestsof precious woods, veined with inexhaustible mines of rich metals;a very garden of luscious fruits, garlanded with ever-bloomingflowers – a land flowing with milk and honey and steeped in thefragrance of wines that a god might covet. Kypros – Paphos – a theme for poets, where Aphrodite rose from thefoam of the sea, and the fabled groves of the mysteries of Venusgave place to primitive shrines of Christian worship, whileinnumerable Grecian legends were merged in early Christiantraditions, imparting some of their own tint of fable, yetbaptizing anew the groves and hillsides to sanctity. Beautifulhillsides, rippling down to the sea-coasts; and plains, nestlingamong the mountain slopes, littered with remnants of vast templesof superb pagan workmanship and with priceless pre-historicremains: wonderful, ancient marbles, time-mellowed and crumbling,inwrought rather with barbaric symbols of splendor than with thetender grace of poetic suggestion.
And this land of many races and dynasties, ofconflicting ideals and religions, as of many tongues – wheredomination was largely a matter of the stronger hand – still heldamong the nations her ancient soubriquet of the happyisle .
But less for her romance and beauty than becausethis notissima famæ insulæ was a possession to be envied bya diplomatic nation, since its position lent it importance, theRepublic had looked upon it with longing eyes – and because of itscommerce, which equalled that of Venice, long ago the far-seeingSenate had sought to purchase it from the Greek Emperor, but theagreement had come to naught by treachery of the Emperor's son.
Nevertheless, Cyprus had not been forgotten; and thetime for Venice to make good this remembrance had now comeuppermost on the calendar of the years.
So they were ready to give rapt attention to theflattering proposals of the young Cyprian Monarch, as presented byhis dignified ambassador, the Signor Filippo Mastachelli, when heappeared before the Signoria with the retinue and splendor of anEastern Prince, bearing gifts of jewels meet for a royal bride, toclaim the hand of a patrician maid of Venice, to make her Queen ofCyprus.
Janus the Second was young and brave, the idol of aparty of his people – and where was the kingdom in which there wereknown to be no discontents? He was upheld by the great Sultan ofEgypt to whom he owed suzerainty and, if in disfavor of the HolyFather for this allegiance, Venice had always permitted Rome toquestion her own supremacy and was not disconcerted thereby. He wasbeautiful as a young god, with a face full of laughing appeal, andnot less charming than the miniature set in crystals whichMastachelli bore among the wedding gifts; and the grace of himcould not be matched, for his power of winning, when he had set hisheart to the task. In whatever deed of skill and daring his prowesswent before his knights and nobles – as, from childhood up, inwhatever teaching from books or men, he had distanced all hiscomrades – with that strange facility and fascination with whichthe Genius of Cyprus might have endowed her favorite in that lavishland, beloved of the gods, where her great sea-bound plains werebillows of flowers under a long summer sky, and Nature's gifts camecrowding, each upon each, in bewildering redundancy.
Laughter-loving, born to conquer, quick to reward,Janus was tender and generous to a fault; for it was whispered thathe could take what lay nearest to give to those who offered himadoring service on his triumphal march, and that the murmur of thewronged belonged to the more serious side of life for which hisfull-flowing Greek blood had small patience. Such strange, unlikelytales one's enemy may tell!
And for his religion – be it Greek, or Latin, orwhatever else – had he not been named Archbishop of Nikosia at theresponsible age of fifteen, before he had exchanged the EpiscopalMitre for the Royal Crown?
These things were told, in all truth, of Janus II,King of Cyprus: and if some others were known, they were notdiscussed. For the monarch had lost his heart to the rare charm ofthe youthful Caterina, niece to a Venetian noble who had become hisfriend in Cyprus, and had more than once stood his helper with goodVenetian gold; and who, in innocence or wile, had one day given himsight of the girl's fair face with its tender flush like a flowerin spring, painted with rare skill by the greatest artist ofVenice. The breeze might have toyed with that mist of golden hair,and the great dark eyes – softly luminous – had the expectancy of agazelle awaiting the joy of the daydawn. She was daughter to one ofthe most ancient and noble of the patrician houses, in directdescent, so the Cornari claimed, of the Cornelii of Rome. "Thereneed be no haste," the Signor Andrea had said lightly, as hereturned the miniature to its case blazoned in pearls with the armsof the Cornari, "for the child is but fourteen, though she hath theloveliness of twenty. But it is the way with our patricians ofVenice, and Messer Marco of the Cornari, father to Caterina, isalready planning with an ancient noble house of the elder branchwith estates of unknown wealth, for the marriage of his daughter.Thus the fancy of the King must pass – there will be another – inVenice or Cyprus – the world is large." "Nay, none so beautiful,"the King made answer; "and for me none other. And for the matter ofbirth – – " "Naught hindereth that she might be Queen," MesserAndrea replied with nonchalance, having a scheme somewhat moredeeply laid than the casual dropping of the miniature would seem toimply. "For the matter of birth – it is a trifle – and doubtlessthe Republic would make her, by adoption, Daughter to Venice – ifthere were aught in a created title to enhance her princely namewith semblance of royalty. But there are already quarterings enoughto match with the arms of Cyprus, and the Lusignans are a house farless ancient than the Cornelii."
Messer Andrea could say things with a certain facilegrace that kept them from rankling, and at the moment the utteranceof this truth was of consequence.
The King threw him a quick glance, half inamusement, half in admiration of his easy insolence, while MesserAndrea placidly explained that the Casa Cornaro was one of thetwelve original families which composed the ancient ruling class ofthe Republic. "And if the matter hath an interest for yourMajesty," he continued, "our great-grandfather on our father'sside, was that Marco Cornaro who was Doge of Venice; and the mostnoble Lady Fiorenza, mother to the child Caterina and wife to mybrother Marco, was grand-daughter to Comnene, Emperor ofTrebizonde. But that counteth little," he added magnanimously;"since the Empire of Trebizonde hath ceased to be." "For the matterof birth – verily, as thou hast said, 'it is a trifle,'" the Kingadmitted with a laugh: "but I must create thee Master to thePedigree of the House of Lusignan – a right royal post – and at thydiscretion thou mayest find or make it of a color nobleenough to mate with thy fair maid of Venice." "It pleaseth yourMajesty to be of a merry mood. And for the dowry – – "
Thence followed this embassy to Venice, for Januswas of those who would bear no thwarting nor delay. The princelydowry was forthcoming, for it had been offered by Messer AndreaCornaro himself, and the condition of adoption by the Republic,"that the bride might be of a station befitting the royalalliance," well became the pleasure of the dignified Signoria.
II
T hey had justtold her a thing most strange – a secret that made her childishheart stand still with wonder, then beat with a sort of frightenedexcitement, all unbefitting the new dignity to which she wascalled; for she was still enough a child to feel the glamour of itthrough all the strangeness, and she had stolen out upon thebalcony, high over the Canal, to say over to herself the words thathad been confided to her – the little maid Caterina.
She dropped the title softly down to the waterbelow, and started at the echo of her own trembling voice. Caterina Queen of Cyprus : Caterina – Regina!
A swaying figure in a passing gondola glanced up tothe balcony of the old Palazzo Cornaro and the young girl hastilyfled, not pausing until she had reached her own little chamber,looking on an inner court – the only sanctuary that she could callher own, in all this great ancestral palace, she, the future Queenof Cyprus.
Had any one heard her murmur those words? Would theSenate know that some one in a gondola had caught the new titlefrom her own lips? And so – perchance – to punish the indiscretion– for the Senate was masterful, never-to-be-disobeyed, and thematter was not to be known until it should be declared by thatsolemn body of world-rulers. And if the gondoliero had carried herword to the Palazzo San Marco – – ? What if he had been sent thereby the Senate itself to watch and see if she were already womanenough to be trusted? Then there would be an end to the goldendream – no coronation – no splendid ceremony of adoption. For therewas more. Before she should be made queen of that distant islandshe was to be formally acknowledged "The Daughter of the Republic –– " She was to be made a real Princess of Venice!
What wonder that the heart of this young Venetianmaid quivered with the excitement of these visions of splendor, forby all the traditions of her ancestors she measured the unwontedhonor that was being decreed for her – no one had yet been adopted"Daughter to the Republic" – the title was to be created that shemight wear a crown, to the further honor of Venice! For her, whohad never worn a jewel, nor a robe of state, nor taken part in anybut the simplest fête, who had never left the walls of herancestral palace, save under closest veil and guard – this suddenvision of freedo