The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-02-14
NJ I S G ELLA N go Us
AIRY OF MAN TUa.
A ue III ry.
BY G.. P. r. JAMES.

1.-The noble house of Gonzaga,'' says
an Italian writer, in the year 1927, chad
declined from its former sPlendor, and
forgetful of its ancient valor and wisdom,
had given itself up TO luxury and intem-
perance" Three brothers had success
fully filled the, ducal chair, Francisco,
Ferdinando, and Vincenzo, and each had
distinguished himself not by restoring any
vigor to decaying line. but by introdu-
cling new modes and forms of vice.
The first of these brothers, Francisco,
had left one child by neglected and inju
red wife; but that child was daughter,
in her mere infancy when her father died,
and while the undoubted law bestowed
the Duchy of Mantua on the brother of
the power gave him also the Duchy of
Montferrat, which the lawers of Italy held
TO belong of her own right, TO Mary of
Mantua. Under the guardianship of her
uncle Ferdinand, she rose towards wo-
manhood, acquiring new graces and new
accomplishments every hour, but rarely
suffered to appear at his court, and kept
carefully from the eyes and tongues of all
who might be captivated by her beauty or
inform her of her rights. @
At length, however, in the year 1926,
the consequences of vices and follies car
ried Ferdinand childless to the grave, and
the last male of the race, VincenZo, bound
his brow with the ducal wreath of Man
tua. Scarcely had he taken possession
of the Dukedom, when Mary received a
summons to appear in his presence, and
fastened to obey. She was at the time
In the Convent of -, few miles
from the city of Mantua. in which she
had been educated, and usually resided
No state, no display, marked out the Prin-
cess from amongst the nuns; and 1t was
Only greater degree of liberty, differ
ent dress. and the practice of the various
accomplishments which formed the relief
of her solitary life, that distinguished the
fair young Duchess of the Montferrat from
her cloistered companions. Two servants,
indeed were allowed to her; the maid who
had attended upon her from her youth,
and the good man who had been ordinary
ecatyer to her mother. She had mules,
too, 10 take the fresh air, beyond the linn
its of the convent gardens, so that her life
was easy, if not happy; and feeling no
passions, knowing no joys byond the
simple ones of her condition, she sought
not TO change fate so calm, amidst that
sea of troubles, the distant roaring of whose
waves she heard even in her tranquil soli-
tude.
1t was evening when she received the
summons to attend upon the new Duke,
and her heart beat somewhat quickly, for
many a dark tale had been told within the
convent walls, of the crimes and faults of
Vincenzo, of Gonzaga, the faithless priest,
the married cardinal. 1t was eveEing, and
III the autumn, but yet warm and bright,
with glowing skies and rich verdure, and
grapes swinging from tree. to tree, ready
for the basket of the husbandman; and as
Mary stood in the convent garden waiting
for the carriage which was to convey her
10 Mantau, as fair and beautiful a scene
was spread out before her eyes as the pen
Gil ever borrowed from the land of sun
shine. Wide extended beneath her view,
lay the fair Mantuan plains toward Verona
plains and scenes which never quilted
the memory of the great Roman poet,
though he abandoned his birth place for
moree southern lands-and there bathed
in purple light with every blue shadow,
mingled with liquid gold, appeared the
gentle sweeps and soft lines of trees and
manifold streams, with here and there the
feudal castle crowning an eminence, or
the tower of some village church rising up
out of the dell. The songs of the vine
gatherers, for they had already begun,
made the air tuneful; and the sight of
manifold living objects in the distance,
trains of his gay peasantry, the loaded
cart, the quick driven car, and the silver
gray cattle swimming in Mincio, rendered |
the landscape gay as well as beautiful
Nor was Mary herself could any eye
have seen her there) an object worthy of
but slight remark. Exqulsitely lovely,
with an air and expression not exactly
but of that calm pensiveness
which her life and situation were so well
adapted to give, she stood by the wall of
the convent garden, partly leaning upon
worn stone table which had much the
character of an ancient tomb, partly rest
ing against high gothic cross which rose
from the low wall of the garden, and
marked QUITO the eyes of those who
travelled the road that ran at the bottom
OF the deep bank below-the abode. of
fnsse who, dedicating themselves to life
Of religious solitude, found peace or dis