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joan of naples-第22章

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al at Fermo I took my troops away again。  I hope for the love of Christ I may obtain your mercy and pardon; by reason of my former services and constant loyalty。  But as I see you are now angry with me; I say no more waiting for your fury to pass over: Once again; my lord; have pity upon us; since we are in the hands of your Majesty。〃

The king turned away his head; and retired slowly; confiding the prisoners to the care of Stephen Vayvoda and the Count of Zornic; who guarded them during the night in a room adjoining the king's chamber。 The next day Louis held another meeting of his council; and ordered that Charles should have his throat cut on the very spot where poor Andre had been hanged。  He then sent the other princes of the blood; loaded with chains; to Hungary; where they were long kept prisoners。 Charles; quite thunderstruck by such an unexpected blow; overwhelmed by the thought of his past crimes; trembled like a coward face to face with death; and seemed completely crushed。  Bowed; upon his knees; his face half hidden in his hands; from time to time convulsive sobs escaped him; as he tried to fix the thoughts that chased each other through his mind like the shapes of a monstrous dream。  Night was in his soul; but every now and then light flashed across the darkness; and over the gloomy background of his despair passed gilded figures fleeing from him with smiles of mockery。  In his ears buzzed voices from the other world; he saw a long procession of ghosts; like the conspirators whom Nicholas of Melazzo had pointed out in the vaults of Castel Nuovo。  But these phantoms each held his head in his hand; and shaking it by the hair; bespattered him with drops of blood。  Some brandished whips; some knives: each threatened Charles with his instrument of torture。  Pursued by the nocturnal train; the hapless man opened his mouth for one mighty cry; but his breath was gone; and it died upon his lips。  Then he beheld his mother stretching out her arms from afar; and he fancied that if he could but reach her he would be safe But at each step the path grew more and more narrow; pieces of his flesh were torn off by the approaching walls; at last; breathless; naked and bleeding; he reached his goal; but his mother glided farther away; and it was all to begin over again。  The; phantoms pursued him; grinning and screaming in his ears:

〃Cursed be he who slayeth his mother!〃

Charles was roused from these horrors by the cries of his brothers; who had come to embrace him for the last time before embarking。  The duke in a low voice asked their pardon; and then fell back into his state of despair。  The children were dragged away; begging to be allowed to share their brother's fate; and crying for death as an alleviation of their woes。  At length they were separated; but the sound of their lamentation sounded long in the heart of the condemned man。  After a few moments; two soldiers and two equerries came to tell the duke that his hour had come。

Charles followed them; unresisting; to the fatal balcony where Andre had been hanged。  He was there asked if he desired to confess; and when he said yes; they brought a monk from the sane convent where the terrible scene had been enacted: he listened to the confession of all his sins; and granted him absolution。  The duke at once rose and walked to the place where Andre had been thrown down for the cord to be put round his neck; and there; kneeling again; he asked his executioners

〃Friends; in pity tell me; is there any hope for my life?〃

And when they answered no; Charles exclaimed:

〃Then carry out your instructions。〃

At these words; one of the equerries plunged his sword into his breast; and the other cut his head off with a knife; and his corpse was thrown over the balcony into the garden where Andre's body had lain for three days unburied。




CHAPTER VII

The King of Hungary; his black flag ever borne before him; started for Naples; reusing all offered honours; and rejecting the canopy beneath which he was to make his entry; not even stopping to give audience to the chief citizens or to receive the acclamations of the crowd。  Armed at all points; he made for Castel Nuovo; leaving behind him dismay and fear。  His first act on entering the city was to order Dona Cancha to be burnt; her punishment having been deferred by reason of her pregnancy。  Like the others; she was drawn on a cart to the square of St。 Eligius; and there consigned to the flames。  The young creature; whose suffering had not impaired her beauty; was dressed as for a festival; and laughing like a mad thing up to the last moment; mocked at her executioners and threw kisses to the crowd。

A few days later; Godfrey of Marsana; Count of Squillace and grand admiral of the kingdom; was arrested by the king's orders。  His life was promised him on condition of his delivering up Conrad of Catanzaro; one of his relatives; accused of conspiring against Andre。 The grand admiral committed; this act of shameless treachery; and did not shrink from sending his own son to persuade Conrad to come to the town。  The poor wretch was given over to the king; and tortured alive on a wheel made with sharp knives。  The sight of these barbarities; far from calming the king's rage; seemed to inflame it the more。 Every day there were new accusations and new sentences。  The prisons were crowded: Louis's punishments were redoubled in severity。  A fear arose that the town; and indeed the whole kingdom; were to be treated as having taken part in Andre's death。  Murmurs arose against this barbarous rule; and all men's thoughts turned towards their fugitive queen。  The Neapolitan barons had taken the oath of fidelity with no willing hearts; and when it came to the turn of the Counts of San Severino; they feared a trick of some kind; and refused to appear all together before the Hungarian; but took refuge in the town of Salerno; and sent Archbishop Roger; their brother; to make sure of the king's intentions beforehand。  Louis received him magnificently; and appointed him privy councillor and grand proto notary。  Then; and not till then; did Robert of San Severino and Roger; Count of Chiaramonte; venture into the king's presence; after doing homage; they retired to their homes。  The other barons followed their example of caution; and hiding their discontent under a show of respect; awaited a favourable moment for shaking off the foreign yoke。  But the queen had encountered no obstacle in her flight; and arrived at Nice five days later。  Her passage through Provence was like a triumph。  Her beauty; youth; and misfortunes; even certain mysterious reports as to her adventures; all contributed to arouse the interest of the Provencal people。  Games and fetes were improvised to soften the hardship of exile for the proscribed princess; but amid the outbursts of joy from every town; castle; and city; Joan; always sad; lived ever in her silent grief and glowing memories。

At the gates of Aix she found the clergy; the nobility; and the chief magistrates; who received her respectfully but with no signs of enthusiasm。  As the queen advanced; her astonishment increased as she saw the coldness of the people and the solemn; constrained air of the great men who escorted her。  Many anxious thoughts alarmed her; and she even went so far as to fear some intrigue of the King of Hungary。 Scarcely had her cortege arrived at Castle Arnaud; when the nobles; dividing into two ranks; let the queen pass with her counsellor Spinelli and two women; then closing up; they cut her off from the rest of her suite。  After this; each in turn took up his station as guardian of the fortress。

There was no room for doubt: the queen was a prisoner; but the cause of the manoeuvre it was impossible to guess。  She asked the high dignitaries; and they; protesting respectful devotion; refused to explain till they had news from Avignon。  Meanwhile all honours that a queen could receive were lavished on Joan; but she was kept in sight and forbidden to go out。  This new trouble increased her depression: she did not know what had happened to Louis of Tarentum; and her imagination; always apt at creating disasters; instantly suggested that she would soon be weeping for his loss。

But 

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