Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance)

its eyrie. But it is not more strange than one which I could tell of how I found Fenice, and snatched the joy and glory of my life fr

g of Palliano, for it seemed to me that in her vivacity and brilliancy she resembled a little dancing flame.

p little fire-balloons from the garden of the Colonna palace. It was an unusual and a dangerous pastime for a young girl, but the sudden flashing from the gloom of tho

ad wings, and it was the alchemist of the family who dwelt at Palliano who had invented them. "It is his conceit," she explained, "that ri

alone for the instant; "but will you as tranquilly soar aw

h made her winning difficult. There were also other matters of importance to the world at large,

was the more reasonable in that the Marchesa was a most loving and munificent patroness of my sister Giulia, for whose orphaned condition the great lady had shown the most tender sympathy, removing her from our lonely ances

. Let the question rest, for her heart was ever as great as her body, and I deny her supremacy to but one other. At this time I loved her

marching to meet them, but the Marchesa was of an adventurous and fearless disposition, and was moreover bent in her present expedition upon something more than pleasure. Never have I known man or woman of such marvellous finesse as well as courage, and she desired above all things to obtain the cardinal's hat

ce, Rome-The

ome at this time was a place where there were wheels within wheels. While on the surface all was gay and peaceful, and old enemies hobnobbed with one another, daggers lurked under the olive branches, old feuds were not forgotten, plots were

on in my pocket from his representative, the Marquis of Pescara, then near Pavia, authorising me to raise and command the Italian contingent to the Imperial army. The Marquis desired me to take counsel with his wife's kindred, the Colonnas, who were always inimical to the Pope, as to the best means of effecting a juncti

r clutched my arm tightly. A glimpse of the glories of heaven could not in sooth have been more transporting to the r

in the Mantuan palace as far as her own beauty outshone that of her protectress. So as her foolish little heart cried out "Oh! that I might r

he Colonna

on of Mr. Cha

e Marchesa, and together they made the rounds of the regal apartments. But ever as we paused before a portrait and he expl

ed, marble seats, and the air was heavy with the perfume of roses and jasmine. But the glory of the garden, as Colonna told us, was its outlook over Rome. This we could not now fully appreciate for dusk was falling and the city was in a pur

ella," Vespasian explained, "a fête of

Signorina Colonna. The flame signals flashed in her cheeks as her eyes met mine, for m

chemist, who still practised the black art in a tower of the family castle in the Campagna. "If you ever come to Palliano we

nly cut short, for Ippolito de' Medici, the Pope's handsome and dissipated nephew, presently joined us and bore Fenice away with the air of a proprietor. S

ttoria Colon

he most truculent of the race in spite of the fact that he was a churchman, would take command, but Ascanio Colonna who was now in Naples with his sister Vittoria, the Marchesa di Pescara, might be counted upon with his sturdy vassals from the Abruzzi

h esteem that I desire to make our alliance not merely that of comrades-in-arms but a much closer relationshi

perceived my love for Fenice and I sank

s no danger as my wife, for even should the chances of war reverse the present position of King and Emperor, I have assured myself with the Pope, since my daughter is betrothed to hi

om the thought of the brilliant future opening before my sister. I terminated my intervie

eroned by my sister, and that Ippolito, who was holding a skein which she was winding, was leaning forward in rapt attention listening to some merry story which Giulia was relating; but

lf, I glowered at a little distance until Giulia, having finished her winding and her story, came toward me, leaving Ippolito free to address himself to Fenice. To my surprise he did not avail himself of the opportu

lied. "The Signorina Gonzaga would be my goo

art. How I told her I know not; the words exploded from me with such violence that I fear I frightened her, and yet-and yet she was not displeased, for when Giulia returned to us she f

g you to tell me how I am to explain

o way of persuading the Signor Ippoli

release him from his engagement that he may be free to marry me; but upon ref

ster, apparently forgetting her new vows, manifested the utmost pleasure in Ippolito's society, and drove me

-one whose fortune and rank immeasurably surpass your own, and who, moreover, loves you beyond your desert? Are you not ashamed, I insist, to accept all this and then to treat your affianced

demonstration), I lingered on in Rome to protect her against herself, and to see her safely married. The wedding took place in midsummer, but the aged bridegroom was in no happy frame of mind, for Giulia had led him a lively dance during their short engagement, and had so practise

her for the hand of Fenice, I met with an angry refusal and was accused o

e true to me, and with her pledge to awa

, leaving the Marchesa, who still awaited her son's cardinalate, in

ty than the Pope began again to intrigue with him, and the Emperor,

uch he needed the friendship of the Gonz

ut it was now too late, for Bourbon had arrived before the city.

met Cardinal Pompeo Colonna and heard the news that his uncle Vespasian had died,

sion of Spaniards, and we made our way at once to the Colonna palace which refuge the Marchesa had packed with her friends. Their lives we saved and the palace from burning and plundering. Cardinal Pompeo himself paid the ransoms of man

e to seek Fenice and my sister, but greatly to my disgust, I was constituted the

y for one so beset. I well remember his dismay when Ippolito de' Medici came to him with the alarming news that the Orsini, who, under cover of their devotion to the Pope embrace

d him with orders to Napoleone Orsini to restrain his wild clansmen, and also to grant him a far greater favour. This was no less than absolut

se Ippolito from his vows as a churchman, salving the wound by creating him a cardinal and promising that he should one day succeed to the tiara. Then, imagining that he had thus disposed forever of so slight a th

Pope now turned to me and bade me assist Ippolito by all means in

me, and he could at first speak

ss shall rue his interference in my l

asked, "that you have ju

fault with me if I follow his example. I tell you that I love your s

there is also my power with which it

"That for your power," he s

by a messenger who gave Ippolito a letter. On reading it he told me excitedly that

I will hasten on to Nemi and fetch Napoleone wit

ps had been beaten by the monks and left their banner behind them. Both Cardinal Pompeo and I were puzzled by the false news which had brought me in such haste, but, being where we were, we accepted the hospitality of the monastery and rested and refreshed ourselves for three hours and no more. For, at the expiration of that time, came an aged man clad in Oriental garment

rst encouraged by his assurance that the fortress was well munitioned, and that he had manufactured great quantities of gunpowder which was

As fighting men the latter suffered no disparagement when matched with my soldiery save in their weapons,

de toward Palliano, in the vain hope of arriving there before Ippolito in spite of the long detour which h

olonna stronghold, I met Ippolito and his escort returning from Palliano, for he,

the mandate of his Holiness. He will draw off his men. They will lea

or Fenice's name s

me right myself in your estimation. I offered her no insult, but honourable marriage, for I have not yet been consecrated, and I would have repudiated the cardinalcy and every other bribe of the devil, if she could have loved me. But she told me plainl

journey in vain, and you are a better man than I thought. I

ll that I did so, for Orsini after the departure of Ippolito had returned to the attack of Palliano, and as we came in si

he ph?nix in its flaming nest, and I acknowledged that my darlin

h anxiously for succour, and I called the alchemist to my side and

cared not, and from the silken guidon of my troop he fashioned the balloon so t

, two, three, a half-dozen; I counted them as they rose and drifted away on the light morning breeze. There flashed forth lights also below in the camp

re sleeping men. My trumpeter sounded a parley and with a white handkerchief

ger from the Pope to bid him kee

Medici, who on the previous evening had come and gone; but that it w

I cried, "for peace I will

for me," he replied

were driven back, certain of Orsini's men following them closely and throwing firebrands upon them as they dashed through the postern gate. That was the great disaster and tragedy of the day, for the tower in which the fugitives had soug

belched a volcano of flame and the battle-field was as

lla Conti Torl

ight otherwise have been. As it was we were all so terrified that we ceased from our fighting, Orsini's men fleeing in hot haste, nor did our troops pursue, but busied themselves in giving help to

while it was deserted, for Cardinal Pompeo would no longer risk the lives of his relatives at Palliano, but leaving the wou

adama-I

not the way of real life, which goes on spinning new threads, and intertwining them so

lace, where he incontinently fell in love with Fenice. This had indeed been planned out long before by his mother, for the Marchesa had

To this request both the Emperor and the Pope agreed, but when the parties to be contracted were called into their presence, Cardinal Pompeo Colonna and I came with them and forbade the banns. Being asked why we thus defied the will of the greatest powers of Christendom, I confessed ho

one Gonzaga was as good as another. "And better," whispered h