The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-01-27
MISCELLANY,
BYRON'S VENETIAN LOVES.

The life Of Byron in Venice exhibits
some of the most sombre scenes in his
reckless career. Venice, says CASTELAR,,
was like the external form of his soul,
sublime, romantic sometimes gay, some.
times melancholy; sensual, yet monastic;
neither daug liter Of earth nor child Of
heaven. The soul of the man and the
spirit CT the city comprehend each other.
Both suffered and both wept. Both
sought forgetfulness in the arms Of
pleasure. Both doubted the benignity
Of the Almighty, and both cursed the in.
justice Of men. Both plunged into the
the excuses of life, hoping to find rest in
in death.
Tho friends who visited Lord Byron at
this time did not recognize him. His
wasted form and his pallid face gave him
the appearance Of corpse, animated only
by the brillancy Of his fatally beautiful
eyes. Pleasure was consuming his exist.
ancc. Among his passing affections was
q lovely woman Of dark complexion,
black eyes, and sanguins temperament.
Tall in stature, and robust as Venus Of
Titan, she was sensual as Bacchante;
but capable of love aud of sclf-sacrificc.
This was Mariana, the mistress of the
house in which Byron lodged married
woman and the mother Of = family, but
ready to leave all for the sake Of the poet.
Light affections have but little sympathy
for profound sentiments, which, even
when aware of weakness and defects in
the beloved object, consider them as an
intirmity, worthy Of tender care and at
tention. Byren soon discovered that
Mariana was both violent and Jealous.
One day, while he was speaking to the
sister'in law Of Mariana, the latter came
in and gave q blow to the poor girl.
Another time she sold jewel which
Byron had given her, and which he pur.
chased again in order to present it to her
q second time. Love Of this kind is but
Of short duration, yet nothing is so insa-
table as pure love. Sensuality is neither
satisfying or constant. Pleasure, and
pleasure only, means disgust and wcari.
ness In the purity and devotion of real
affection there is the assurance of eternal
love. The abyss Of the heart can be fill.
ed only with the infinite; but the vorac.
ity of low desires is quickly over. Byron
soon left tho house and the lady, and
went to reside in the palace Moncenigo,
about the middle of the grand canal Of
Venice.
This was the scene Of the adventures
OF Margherita Cogni. the well.known
Venetian baker. There are some who
nave compared her to the Fornarina but
between the only love of Raphael Tor at
least the preferred love) and this fancy of
few days-.betwecn that fountain of in.
SEPARATION Z and. this source OF disgust
there was an immense difference. In
venice there are people of the lowe. class
VINO sell oysters in the market. and who,
nevertheless like to have their ears sooth.
ed by the Italian translation of the poet.
and to listen to stories Of his life. Marg-
inertia was woman Of the people, in the
DAD sense OF the word: woman who
could neither read nor write; woman
accustomed to tyrannize over her family
almost in public, who concealed neither
1919 OF her soul or throb of her heart.
and consequently did not trouble herself
to put any restraint upon her actions.
Lord Byron sought with much anx;etv
our!al'place among those lovely islands.
Floating along in his gendola, he went
among the Venetian Archipelago to
~, " ePot Wncre 10 plant
willow tree, Of which the branches.
dropping over the waters, should be a
shadow over his tomb, erected under
tho azure sky Of the south close, to tho
Adriatic. But as if wishing to hasten
his rcpose in the drcamless bed, he gave
himself up to the study of the different
races, to the plastic art, to the intoxicat.
ing sons of the carnival, to orgies with.
out lntcrmission. Often turning away
weary from festival, he wandered
among the tombs and met Margherita,
! VINO At this time exercised much influ.
:ence on his life.
The boiling Venetian blood flowed in
her veins, and excited her passions. She
was tall, her shoulders broad, and her
arms robust: her face was handsome and
her head vulgar her eyes seemed to con.