The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-04-24
species of abrupt narrative struggles

VINO are cOustuntiy cuuttoIeu vi SONIC
Donna or other, i eould have spent life in
wandering from ball to ball, and between
the serenade, the supper, and the gaming
table, been satisfied to make, my way to
the end Of the day, and of all days, is
more than ever had il in my power to
tell. / fell in Iove-fell in love but once,
and with the extinction of that heavenly
flame became fiend. = Z
"There is no use now in telling the
name of my family. 1t was noble, and
of the highest order Of nobility. But is
liz not enough for the belief that it was
proud, profligate and splendid that its
head was a magnificent idler. and its
younger branches were snowy, subtle,
passionate, and with nothing to do on the
face of the earth that 1t was Italian If
went farther, and said that the head
Of that family was half maniac in good
and evil, madly prodigal benefactor. a
madly trusting friend, a madly adoring
lover, and an avenger mad to the widest
depths of vengeance, need ! write under
the picture that he was Genoese /?
ii was that magnificent idler. Iwas
that splendid fool, that son of fortune,
who cast away all the gifts Of earth and
heaven-who trampled out in blood loves
and feelings that might have made the
happiness of angels, who ran frantic
career of destruction through all that had
twined itself around my heart Of hearts
then denied, defied, and cast from me
the only hope which can console man
for the loss Of this world, and then sat
down in solitude, helpless remorse, and
despair--uDutterable
at was during my residences at Wen
na, that first saw the woman who was
afterwards to kindIe all the fury and all
the agonies Of my nature. 1t is useless
now to repeat Septimia's title. She was
a woman ofthe highest rank, the daugh-
ter Of one Of our sovereign princes, and
though Of a Spanish mother, most beau
'tIfuI. At the Austrian Court, she was
the topic Of universal admiration, and
when all admired, who shall wonder If
her countryman, young, ardent in all
that spoke to the passions, proud Of the
honors paid to Italian beauty, proud too,
perhaps, of my own person, whirling
through perpetual round of brilliant
sights and festivities, with all the aromat-
ic poison Of heightened pleasure filling
my senses and my soul, threw myself at
the fee, Of this most singular and admir-
able of women!
"We were married. Until the hour
when led her from the altar, I had never
dreamed that was not the first object
in her heart. But as she turned awny
from the altar, the single look which she
gave to the image Of the Saint above,
undeceived me at once, and forever. II
WIS NOT reproacbs nor sorrow, nor re-
ligion, but 1t was compound ofthem all.
That look never left my mind. 1t has
haunted me in my dreams, il has follow
ed me in solitude. have seen il start
ing up before me in the midst of balls and
banquets. and investing the meaningless
faces there with sudden sorrow and maj
esty. Ithas risen before me in the camp,
in the cell in the calm. in the STORM ]
see it before me pale, sorrowfuI, and
lovely as ever, at this hour-the look of
a heart broken, but holly submissive
bowed to the earth, but contented with
its grave. Septimia +! Septimia!
\
II left Vienna. had grown weary
OF il, Of myself, Of the world. Pleasure
satiates, but mine was not safety; it was
a fierce underlined feeling; heavy con-
sciousness that had been wronged in
hears--that I had thrown away my ca
pabilities Of loving without the only re-
turn that can reconcile man to the, cares
that heset even the smoothest path Of ex-
istence. Even the external shew ofhap-
piness that made every lip TEEN with en-
wy, flattery, or congratulation, but in
creased my hidden anguish. ] have
heard the compliments of princes, and
they were only like taunts to my bitter
have sat in the midst
of crowds that filled my palace. to con-
gratulate me on birth days, wedding days,
the various accessions of my rank. and
the marks of honor conferred on me by
kings, and sat like Satan in paradise,
hating the splendor and beauty by which
l was surrounded and tortured! finding,
in the brilliancy of courts and court hon-
ors, nothing but fuel for the flame that
was eating its way through my soul. i
was alive to but one sensation---the GER
tainty that was not loved by the only
being whose love could have now VAL
ued. / saw it in the hollowncss Of the
cheek, in the feebleness Of the form
saw it even more keenly IN the Iorccd
smile with which my presence, ny ten
derness, those attractions with Which,
half in hope and half in despair, from