Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-29
LORD BYRON.
His Loves M yeutee


The friends who visited Lord By ron at the
time did not recognize him. His wasted form
and his pallid face gave him the appearance
Of corpse; animated only by the brilliaucy
OF his fatally beautiful eyes. Pleasure was
consuming his existence. Among his pass
ing affections was a lovely woman of dark
C mplexion, black eyes and sanguine tenn
Pc rament. Tall IN stature, and robust as q
Venus OF Titan, she was sensual as BAG
Oh ante, but incapable of love and OF self
sacrifice. This was Mariana, the mistress OF
the house in which By ron lodged; q married
woman and the mother OF family, but
II ady TO leave all for the sake OF the poet.
Byron soon discovered that Mariana was
both violent and Jealous. One day, while he
was speaking TO the sister in law of Mari
ana, 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
purchased again, in ORDER 10 present il to her
q second time. Byron soon left the house aud
the lady, and went To reside In the Palace
MonceDigo, about the middle OF the Grand
CA al of Venice.
This was the scene of the adventures of
Mar gherita Cogpi the well known Venetian
baker. There are some who have compared
her 10 the Fornarina, but between the only
love OF Raphael (or at least the preferred
love aid this fancy OF few days-betw cen
that fountain of inspiration aud this source
OF disgustthere was an immense iii Inference.
Margherita was woman of the people, in
the bad sense Of the word; a woman who
could neither read nor write; a woman ac-
customed 10 tyranniZe over her family al
most in public, who concealed neither fold
OF her soul nor a throb Of her heart, aud
consequently did not trouble herself TO put
any restraint upon her actions.
- Lord Byron sought with much anxiety a
burial place among those lovely islands.
Floating along in his goDdola, he went am IN z
the Venetian archipelago 10 choose spot
where to plant a willow tree, of which the
branches, dropping over the waters, should
be a shadow over his tomb, erected under
the azure sky of the south close to the Adri-
atlc. But, as II wishing 10 hasten his repose
In the dire amless bed, he gave himself up to
the study OF different races, 10 the plastic
art, 10 The intoXication of the carnival. to
orgies without intermiSsiOn. Often, turning
away weary from a festival, he wandered
among the tombs, and there met Margher-
liza, who at this time exercised much infiu-
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 lace was handsome and her head vulgar
her eyes seemed TO consume like a flaming
IRE. She loved almost to folly, but was
Jealous TO madness. She caressed Lord
Byron, and she maltreated him. She met
him with the smile of an angel, and she
struck her nails into him with the ferocity OF
a tlgress. The golden pin with which she
confined her hair served her for stiletto.
She was woman TO bring forth a race of
gladiatOrs. She might have wrestled with
any vigorous -EDglishman, and have won
the victory. Her peculiar elOuqence was in
terlaTded with shameful expressions. Der
ideas were no clearer than those of primi-
tive savage. Her passions were as ardent as
a giant volcano In eruption. Her character
was formed by the wind Of the lagoons, and
her soul was opened by the southern sun;
there was something grand in her whole be-
ing, although 1t was brutal grandeur. In
the Palazzo Moncenigo Byron had collected
horses. numbers of cats and dogs, parrots.
and all KINDS of birds; and this woman-like
a wild Eve in strange paradise, angry with
Adam, Intoxicated with wine and pleasure.
But, notwithstanding her V eracity. Byron
dec eivtd her. One day there was a terrible
urroar. The parrots uttered indeScri 0able
noises, the cats mewed, the dogs barked, the
furniture flew in pieces, the Venetian mir
rOIs strewed with a rain of little CRYSTALS the
pavement of the palace-every thing was in
connection as If struck by hurricane or
shaken 10y an earthquake. 1t was caused by
Marguerite, who had encountered a rival,
and had with her terrible battle, which was
sustained ON both sides with vtgor and hero
ism. Imagine the fascination exercised by
that powerful nature on the wasted frame OF
the poet. Her glance put new fire in the
cold blood OF those almost exhausted veins.
Her violence and her unexpected blows
pleased him like food tasted for the first
time. He laughed at the impassioned let
tiers, written by public scrivener for a
charge of u sons apiece, and dictated by the
taker 6 wife on her return to the market
with her basket on her head.
One night at a masked ball, Lord Byron
gave his arm TO a lady of respectable
SignOra COntarina; he was covered by Z
dc m1no and was quite concealed by his
mask. Margherita arrived, InSulted the
| lady, and with loud vociferationS snatched
away his mask. On another occasion she
Quarreled with her husband. whose flesh she
| tore wit her sharp nails. In the middle of
| the night loud knocking was heard at the
| door OF Byron's house, when every one was
| sleeping; at the same time MargheIita' s
husband appeared and demanded his wife.
| The police interfered, and the woman was
| brought back by force TO her forsaken home
But she soon left IL again, and took refuge in
| the PalaZzo MoDcenigo with her lover.
| There she assumed command OF the house.
| hold, but she exercised her power in q mos
ty rannical manner. eae tried TO CODY the
| air of great lady-wore a splendid dress, a
| Partisan hat, costly jewelry, Flemish lace
| and the train of a princess. And in this cos
| tune, and wearing gloves, which greatly I'm
| commoded her, she would catch up a stout
| stick, and flingfDg about her arms, apply 1;
| all around, from the dogs 10 the servants. Ii
was wonderful that she made an exception
| in favor of the master, though nothing pre-
vented her from reviling him.