Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-07-29
TnE LoygsToRy or BEATRICE crNcr.


Ia the gallery o. the Barbarni Palace at Rome there !.
painting by Guido. representing the famed Beatrice Cenei
sf nsked and regular features replee with nervous
lite Tho large blue eye laughs from the canvass with
boins-s admirably eloquent Of a mind created IA endure
'hs appalling trisls Of humanity. white scarf pas
- over hef iu brow i'nprsonng proiuon Of light hair
which isis ON her dfsped bosom In waved and silky
The il.icd Beatrice l. best known in England by
this portrait and AZ the persecuted beauty hurried through
the gorgeous drama Of 1.-THE Cenci." by Shelley. Her love
STORY. however, viii always be left i'm the twilight Of ROM
although the broken history OF the fifteenth century in
Rome has been gathered together present the world with
one 81 e most revolving narratives OF that dark period OF
pspal rule.
Count Francesca cenci the father Of Beatrice lived du
ring the fon'iheaie Of Plus " His III. was a series of
erics, the most revolving Of which were directed against
his family. lie twice married but all his children
the offspring OF his first wife, whose mysterious fate
only one OF the which dakened his guilty soul
Alter eshausng every crime which debauchey
could conceive. he contracted ipac able hatred for
own children, caused two Of his be banshcd and
the others being found murdered, there little doubt
that the Cenci nsgated their DEATH Beatrice and her step
mother now left the victims OF n brutal husband aud
athcr For some time he practsed the seventies
ON the unhappy Beatrice when suddenly her surprise and
lac altered his conduct and her with Kindness
aud affection received by the laddencd child token
repentance. Unhappy Beatrice. She was unconscious
that time was shaping her features into womany beauty
her imprisoned soul dawned into life like Joy and
gave an exquisite expression to her fair form.
"unwcaried have spent the nights,
IN the leaden star, famed for love,
wondered nj US from above" CowLEY.
What clustering dreams Of happiness occupied the
Beatrice when she found herself from rule
oil her iaher and listening her acknowledged appu
we'd lover the young and handsome Mario Many col
den evening dnrk on,d into nih, ,s ,h., ,rld ; , -,
den, of ,hr ccnci nal.c hh as, ,'e . 49,
Of the Tber Beatric.,s listening ear Jrnnk the n,p,s
sionne words VI Mario with bushing JOY Her thoughts
lived IN universe; she imagined she could shape
cry incident of her life into blessing She was prnsiy
but 1t was only the sagnant thought of love Her soul
which had hitherto reflected nothing but darkness in its
troubled minor now silent ike bccsImed sea ,l,t ,s.s
a smile, not BREATH not hue of tina, heaven which
hangs over, and bcsSes with eternal light.
Sach were the 10Y inpused DAYS of Beatrice when the
guilty soul o Francesca Cenci planned the wreck OF his fair
and the last scene of his own infamous
In small chamber, towards the close the day.
Coun Cenc considerably advanced in years A quick
bugheye rolled beneath his thick grey brows and m face
expression Of anxiety painful TO behold m one
whose venerable appearance was considerably
by proiuson OF long white hair. Beside the Cenci sat
hg1re wrapped "a large cloak with souehng bonnei'
MS 30, ,ree ei'' IL was hpoSso'e 10 usuhsu'sh
ms Inc Count locked anNouSy at ms com,
p,do,d Ill" '"'N' ""u '''e' ue"'"'De"' Y" nc "'u
~ have Conn, C.nci ;, ,..nonld tho shr,l0d maj,
an, -. -, ar.;I..'i . Ipo - -i .
,he ,hreShold al cy,me," " nave ~" ''' pause" ~
..p.,s.d,, ccbooJ ,ho oll ~ ..,uL, H., ;,, H.
L,,,o ali - 80 - 80 ..s I, , P - ,
Wbs, hv q, Ccar1 h.t has H. a. , o NJ. fn
viii honse ms hell ,hse aa.ir 40 ,h, - nd NJ, ,t
,.d ne ,hop has don. roo. :, 49, ny WIN ~ e '
..co,n, Csncj I h,vs ,hrico sh,ol h , / ;,
thrice have -" " ~
..Enopgh, enoupb" .,id tho Conn, n,o,r,no tho ma,
..,b,n sb5I, have rho sX,rs bnndrod 80; S T,
tnmorrnv e leave homo for the Cs, Re,,,ce and her
49, Nar,io viii ,ccon,n.n,, 49,. - r. sSIIa 80 g.
Win me .oon after ,,y nry,,vaI r. al,nnoJ ,L,
-, -, 80 ~ - - W P "
n.l.,r"
(which will send mine and ,b;,o 10
EN-, A., 81, ALI, r., 81. -. .Ll,,, .,,,;.i
,h. Count "Iisen knnye Nv .,cmse has already nIII
all suspicion; neither Beatrice nor her lover have the ,.st
fear. All must, will sb,u run smoblv will nly him vii
Vii. tho vine o Frsc, s ,hn, ,Ion r,ycs, ~, me of M
ioves,rL cali os easily A. If be r,,, the son NJ COW
nd what " s,ld tho hired murderer "vl the C.unt
csnc, ,,,,n I,v this d.eI,,,
.Roi5 ,Iisn,, exclaimed tho nr,e,o1 oll man f,io,
temper "ired knife man! liar thief rascal Who If the
pa =, % ~ a. 49,, Lail - E.s. -. NJ,
..S,.r1 ,,.saIS ;, i,J ,ha - ,;rI,. 81 coz. ~, ',
and I ro. :, Lac ,T on,r,r,on, 1rh. IA ,n cIIl
Inn, 10 the door and ,yhsnereJ f, ,vols r.; = las. 80.
IAN, ne LJ ~, ,ho ',i,n,s Ia, - ,.I ;,l a., -
MI Ill, oIJ ma, d., ,bo,, -, ,J,,J ,, - -
rhine a,yn ,,,y. -
,.t,'- -, ,
net "Ah'on parry all was oNerSpTeau
With hnsel uappings, woven like wave"
FAIRY Queen.
Those who have never beheld an Italian sky, can al
picture 'he go'9en gare OF beauty wiich orozed every
J H rni ',- assei ,onah ,b ,n,a In ' EI,
III mn ,s ssIno vii Inore ,b,, ,s,aI b,ii,. -,
blsny ligbt threw warm harmonious tint that seemed
10 GLADDEN. the earth The Count travelled first In nm old
runibing carriage with his unhappy wife but Beatrice
aud her lover were mounted small horses of that
slight and stuned growth which may vet be seen in the
yapul States Lovers care little for company and in the
present case they fingered far behind the advancing car
,. of the Count The road was admirably solitary and
suitable for their purpose Sometimes they passed through
The scented orange groye anon they ayersed the omen
onnry with its long line of ruined aqueducts of the old
Roman world stretching over the dreary waste far a the
eve. could reach But they needed them no love thinks
not of the pnst when il anticipates future Their CON
yersation was unbroken for nearly three miles when the
heavy bent of npping horse arrested their attention
THE lovers inynnarlv turned round and ere long the
Cencis bravo the hired assassin was by the side of Mar
zn lie yybisnered a few words when checking their
.tcris th.v allowed Beatriee 10 remnin in psion uili
snt nv,nced In nreven b.r overhearng their CONVEX
sation.
Bestce refined in her pailv attireJ palfrey ms she
fonnd herself s.nar,ted from Mario She grew thought
mi and sad she had some presentment of evil; the love
dean which az late had banisbed all other cares from her
heart deserted her-se remembered her former evils Her
father she could not think Of him as parent; nay she
could moi contemplate him as any one human Love al
,a , Iset IN the loved nt every evil real or uapi
nary. and NOW Beatrice slaekened her pace t Mario was
~, br ;d lie was much excited and his face wore an
-. 49,. iob.t, t,, ,Lo n,,y alarmed p,