The Romance of History: Italy, Volume 2J. & J. Harper, 1832 - 389 pages |
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Adelchi admiration Alberto Alps Aniello Arioald arms army barons beautiful Benevento Bondelmonte bride brother Carroccio castle Charlemagne Charles of Anjou church Condottieri Conradin Count Count of Caserta cried crown dark death dreadful Drogo Duke emperor enemies exclaimed eyes fair father feeling Fidelia Florence Florentine followed fortress Frederic French friends gallant galleys Gascon gate Genoa Ghibelline Giovanni Villani Guelphs hand head heard heart Heaven holy honour horrid horses Hungarians Istriots Italian Italy king kingdom kingdom of Naples l'Allegre lady liberty Lombard Lombard league Loria lover Luceria Manfred master Messer Milan Milanese monk mountains Muratori Naples Neapolitan never night noble Normans Ottaviano palace party passed passionate Pavia peace pope prince prisoner queen replied republic Roccadura Rodoaldo Roman Rome royal Sadik Saint Saracens scene shore Sicilian Sicily Sir Robert soon spirit Suabian sword thee thou tower town troops Venetians Venice voice walls warrior young
Popular passages
Page 183 - ONCE did She hold the gorgeous east in fee ; And was the safeguard of the west : the worth Of Venice did not fall below her birth, Venice, the eldest Child of Liberty. She was a maiden City, bright and free ; No guile seduced, no force could violate ; And, when she took unto herself a Mate, She must espouse the everlasting Sea.
Page 183 - ... birth, Venice, the eldest child of liberty. She was a maiden city, bright and free ; No guile seduced, no force could violate ; And, when she took unto herself a mate, She must espouse the everlasting sea. And what if she had seen those glories fade, Those titles vanish, and that strength decay ; Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid When her long life hath reached its final day : Men are we, and must grieve when even the shade Of that which once was great is passed away.
Page 183 - ONCE did she hold the gorgeous East in fee And was the safeguard of the West; the worth Of Venice did not fall below her birth, Venice, the eldest child of Liberty. She was a maiden city, bright and free, No guile seduced, no force could violate ; And, when she took unto herself a mate, She must espouse the everlasting sea. And what if she had seen those glories fade,. Those titles vanish, and that strength decay ? Yet...
Page 261 - Cassiodorius, which describes their condition about seventy years afterwards, may be considered as the primitive monument of the republic. The minister of Theodoric compares them, in his quaint declamatory style, to water-fowl, who had fixed their nests on the bosom of the waves; and, though he allows that the Venetian provinces had formerly contained many noble families, he insinuates that they were now reduced by misfortune to the same level of humble poverty.
Page 61 - I know I love in vain, strive against hope ; Yet, in this captious and intenible sieve, I still pour in the waters of my love, And lack not to lose still...
Page 125 - I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.
Page 260 - Roman empire," assumed by the conquering doge, and afterward retained by the Venetian republic.t The instruments of the musicians, of which only the more clangous, as the cymhal or the trumpet, had at first been heard, now were all mingled and audible ; with each passing moment they waxed louder and louder, until they burst on the ear with an overpowering peal — an air of war and triumph, to which the voices of the warriors and mariners formed an accompaniment. Then there rose to heaven a shout...
Page 264 - When he partially recovered from the first shock, he again raised his eyes to the ladies' balcony ; she was indeed not there — where she must have been had life and love animated her. That absence confirmed the truth of the illomened voice ; his eyes dropped despondingly to the earth, where, now in his youth and his glory, he could have wished to see a grave open for himself. His old father fell on his neck and wept aloud. For some moments the mind of Gherardo wandered, and his soul was benumbed...
Page 263 - ... summoned him ; when the Doge's exploits were achieved, he would return to Venice, and, more deserving of her, lay the laurels at the feet of his young bride. He had been, he had prospered — Constantinople had witnessed his valour — and now, returned, the piazzetta echoed with the name of Gherardo. He had received the embrace of his aged father without alarm at his tears — for overwrought joy will weep even as sorrow does...
Page 267 - ... subdued of breathings seemed to pass from her lips to his. He raised her from the sarcophagus — he placed his hand on her heart — and language has no power to paint his emotions, when he felt — plainly felt that heart palpitate beneath his hand ! Another moment, and her eyes opened, whilst a low murmur escaped her lips. Gherardo clasped her wildly in his embrace, and leaned for support against the sarcophagus, where, as they stood, mute, motionless, and pale, almost like statues, in the...