historic girls-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　American　children；　at　least；

should　be　familiar；　the　last　Moorish　stronghold　had　fallen；　in

the　very　year　in　which　Columbus　discovered　America；　and　Spain；

from　the　Pyrenees　to　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar；　acknowledged　the

mastership　of　its　Christian　sovereigns。



But　the　centuries　of　warfare　that　had　made　the　Spaniards　a　fierce

and　warlike　race；　had　also　filled　Spain　with　frowning　castles　and

embattled　towns。　And　such　an　embattled　town　was　this　same　city　of

Avila；　in　which；　in　1525；　lived　the　stern　and　pious　old　grandee；

Don　Alphonso　Sanchez　de　Cepeda；　his　sentimental　and

romance…loving　wife；　the　Donna　Beatrix；　and　their　twelve　sturdy

and　healthy　children。



Religious　warfare；　as　it　is　the　most　bitter　and　relentless　of

strifes；　is　also　the　most　brutal。　It　turns　the　natures　of　men　and

women　into　quite　a　different　channel　from　the　one　in　which　the

truths　they　are　fighting　for　would　seek　to　lead　them；　and　of　all

relentless　and　brutal　religious　wars；　few　have　been　more　bitter

than　the　one　that　for　fully　five　hundred　years　had　wasted　the

land　of　Spain。



To　battle　for　the　Cross；　to　gain　renown　in　fights　against　the

Infidelsas　the　Moors　were　then　called；to　〃obtain　martyrdom〃

among　the　followers　of　Mohammedthese　were　reckoned　by　the

Christians　of　crusading　days　as　the　highest　honor　that　life　could

bring　or　death　bestow。　It　is　no　wonder；　therefore；　that　in　a

family；　the　father　of　which　had　been　himself　a　fighter　of

Infidels；　and　the　mother　a　reader　and　dreamer　of　all　the　romantic

stories　that　such　conflicts　create；　the　children　also　should　be

full　of　that　spirit　of　hatred　toward　a　conquered　foe　that　came

from　so　bitter　and　long…continuing　a　warfare。



Don　Alphonso's　religion　had　little　in　it　of　cheerfulness　and

love。　It　was　of　the　stern　and　pitiless　kind　that　called　for

sacrifice　and　penance；　and　all　those　uncomfortable　and

unnecessary　forms　by　which　too　many　good　people；　even　in　this

more　enlightened　day；　think　to　ease　their　troubled　consciences；

or　to　satisfy　the　fancied　demands　of　the　Good　Father；　who　really

requires　none　of　these　foolish　and　most　unpleasant

self…punishments。



But　such　a　belief　was　the　rule　in　Don　Alphonso's　day；　and　when　it

could　lay　so　strong　a　hold　upon　grown　men　and　women；　it　would；　of

course；　be　likely　to　work　in　peculiar　ways　with　thoughtful　and

conscientious　children；　who；　understanding　little　of　the　real

meaning　of　sacrifice　and　penance；　felt　it　their　duty　to　do

something　as　proof　of　their　belief。



So　it　came　about　that　little　ten…year…old　Theresa；　one　of　the

numerous　girls　of　the　Cepeda　family；　thought　as　deeply　of　these

things　as　her　small　mind　was　capable。　She　was　of　a　peculiarly

sympathetic；　romantic；　and　conscientious　nature；　and　she　felt　it

her　duty　to　do　something　to　show　her　devotion　to　the　faith　for

which　her　father　had　fought　so　valiantly；　and　which　the　nuns　and

priests；　who　were　her　teachers；　so　vigorously　impressed　upon　her。



She　had　been　taught　that　alike　the　punishment　or　the　glory　that

must　follow　her　life　on　earth　were　to　last　forever。　Forever！　this

was　a　word　that　even　a　thoughtful　little　maiden　like　Theresa

could　not　comprehend。　So　she　sought　her　mother。



〃Forever？　how　long　is　forever；　mother　mine？〃　she　asked。



But　the　Donna　Beatrix　was　just　then　too　deeply　interested　in　the

tragic　story　of　the　two　lovers；　Calixto　and　Melibea；　in　the　Senor

Fernando　de　Rojas'　tear…compelling　story；　to　be　able　to　enter

into　the　discussion　of　so　deep　a　question。



〃Forever；〃　she　said；　looking　up　from　the　thick　and　crabbed

black…letter　pages；　〃why　forever　is　forever；　childalways。　Pray

do　not　trouble　me　with　such　questions；　just　as　I　am　in　the　midst

of　this　beautiful　death…scene　too。〃



The　little　girl　found　she　could　gain　no　knowledge　from　this

source；　and　she　feared　to　question　her　stern　and　bigoted　old

father。　So　she　sought　her　favorite　brother　Pedroa　bright　little

fellow　of　seven；　who　adore