Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance)

ce in the service of Duke Alessandro de' Medici, I received orders from his excellency to execute a little cof

tation and of choleric temper, quick and able to revenge any imputation upon their honour were concerned in the adventures of the casket

Hercules, with other most exquisite figurines at the four corners, set upon feet of crouching sphinxes, half women and half panthers, and was further enric

glorious expedition against the Turkish Corsairs. This marriage had been arranged for his "nephew" by Pope Clement VII. on his pacification with the Emperor after the taking of Rome, but its consummation had been hitherto delayed on account of the t

ael had built for the Pope upon the slopes of Monte Mario, and which Clement had bestowe

been installed as housekeeper of the villa by the Pope when he was as yet only young Cardinal Giu

temper, was not without a certain savage beauty, or would have been but for the marks of tattooing between

klaces depended from beneath her gaily striped head-cloth upon her forehead and also covered her bosom. Her dark blue robe was girdled by a golden belt of curious workmanship, and she wore bangles upon her ankle

detection), but all to no avail for this letter was written in Arabic, of which language I have no knowledge. I was in twenty minds to destroy it, professing that I had lost it en route, but having calculated that honesty was the more gainful part to play, I put my trust in my patron saint and boldly presented it. By

the child of a mulattress, and in all probability the bastard of the Pope, had persistently maintained that he was the legitimatised son and rightful heir of the las

patron's honoured mother, and showed her the portr

taking the casket from me, "but first I desire you to copy

consented to oblige her, being the more content to do so that I found myself extremely well lodged and nourishe

rdinal Farnese, who waited upon Margaret as her train-bearer. This boy's name was Ottavio, and I wa

he same size. On one of these I was impelled to paint for myself the miniature of this adorable child in the court costume of white satin doublet and white silk hose which

lf was still but a slip of a girl. Often as I saw these two children pelting each other with roses and playing many childish games I wished that by some enchantment

years older, then would I devote myself to your service and it should go hard ere

oy, "then will I slay him, for I

cients since they figured the love of the boy Cupid for Psyche), I protected Ottavio from their ribaldry, declarin

re irresistible. She was conscious that she was soon to be wedded, and this knowledge gave her a sense of importance together with mysterious heart throbbings and perturbations, a wild curiosity to know what manner of man her future husband

of her future husband; and upon a certain morning this designing woman sent for me, saying that the slave w

demanded of me she would denounce me to the authorities as a murderer. Thus admonished, and believing also that the necromancer was

he whispered, seeing that I hesitated, "but manipulate this machine as I will now show you, placing from time to time these slips of painted glass in front of the lamp, and when I shall call upon the name of the arch fiend Beelzebub, be careful to introduce

companying her. Around these three the necromancer now traced upon the floor a magic circle; entering it and directing Margaret to keep her eyes fixed on the wall opposit

n that occasion returned in so lively a manner that my hands trembled so that I could scarcely perform the rites assigned to me. I had hardly introduced the first slip of glass when Ottavio cried ou

antic stature clutching at their victims. Thus the ceremony proceeded, the enchanter uttering stra

r, and flinging his arms about the Duchess cried to the

rds: "I conjure thee, Beelzebub, Prince of Darkness, to reveal to me the likeness of my lord

dro I inadvertently introduced into the throat of the infernal machine not t

el between the rifts of the smoke of hell, there was not one of u

as speechless with surprise, only Ottavio found his voice, an

iage of Margaret to Duke Alessandro took place, as had been planned, on the arrival of the Emperor at Naples. Though Charles was greeted with acclamations as the champion of the Church against the infidel, he having put to flight Hayraddin, admiral of the Sultan, and taken the city of T

auntless courage which one sees sometimes in the tamers of lions and other savage beasts; that Alessandro was a mean-spirited creature cowed by his child wife; and that one had but to note the haughty poise of her head and the hang-dog sullenness which he maintained in her presence to guess the truth. Though I abhorred the Duke, yet as he had made me master of the

, her own dark with an intensity which should have warned him, and half beneath her breath, as though she told him of some danger with which

r finger upon me an

killing you first, my li

tion, but there was no need, for she blazed f

fered, yet Alessandro well knew that he would be answerable for her life. As she left the room the Duke turned upon his heel, and catching sight of me cried out angr

of his mother. With that he flew into a rage, demanding who ha

ding such a rumour, and offered me a large sum to undertake her execution for him. When I respectfully declined this office h

itted that his wife had indeed had the casket in her possession after I left Villa Madama, and had not missed it until her chests were unpacked at Naples, a

pon me,-and with that he showed me the key of the casket which until now had never quitted Margaret's chatelaine, d

Duchess when she attempted to unlock the casket, he replied that he did not

the Duke was delighted. Taking it into his cabinet he returned present

you have just fabricated with an order to Mon

purpose do you send this key? Is it, perchance, that Monna A

xpression-"for giving vent to vain imaginings. If you cannot refrain from

at while at the villa she kept it in a hiding-place constructed by the Pope for his jewels, which opens by pressing a certain ball upon one of the Medicean shields with which the villa is so profusely ornamented. But, on reflection, I see no reason for giving you acc

an accumulation of important orders awaiting my attention, I naturally thought that the Duke's busines

elated), happening from a little hill to look in the direction of Florence, I saw an extraordinary phenomenon, namely, a heavenly body in the shape of a T

little distance from us was attentively observing this app

" With that he uttered an exclamation in Arabic, and hurried in the direction of the Tiber. We had ridden but a short distance when some pea

most speed to Rome. But our fears having somewhat abated, we made no report of the

orders and so rode out to the Villa Madama. As I approached what was my surpris

protect them from the rays of the setting sun. I told her that I had come fro

But as she was about to unlock it something awoke her suspicions, and examining the key more attenti

that it resembled a bit of antique bronze, and I comprehended that her villain of a son had dipped the sharp-pointed crown of thorns in som

not the wit to perceive that this was a signal of some sort, yet remembering the Duke's orders by all means to secure the casket, I did not immediately address myself to flight, but strove to wres

es, refugee Moorish cut-throats, who had conceived the daring design of making a descent upon the outskirts of Rome to

as I stood with my arms pinioned Monna Afra brought forward a large sack and, as I understood

isguised, I recognised the man whom I had already twice seen in t

ed her the greatest consternation, for she tore her hair, howled and s

ing up the casket she retired into the interior of the villa. T

plained to her that you are a great astrologer, for from the appearance of the heavens you announced to me yesterday the assassination of her son

od time you will doubtless be discovered. This news of the death of my nephew has effected more than all my arguments

carrying an immense bundle. This one of the pirates took from her, and

, before I was released from my miserable plight, but even