Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-04-06
BYRON'S VENETIAN LOVES.

hibits 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, sometimes melan-
choly; sensual, yet monastic;
neither a daughter of earth nor a
child of heaven. The soul of the
man and the spirit of the city COM
pretended each other. Both suffered
and both wept. Both sought for
getfulness in the arms of pleasure.
Both doubted the benignity of the
Almighty, and both cursed the in
justice Of men. Both plunged into
the excesses Of life, hoping to find
rest in death.
The friends who visited Lord
Byron at this time did not recog-
nize him. His wasted form and his
pallid face gave him the appearance
of a corpse, animated only by the
brilliancy of his fatally beautiful
eyes. Pleasure was consuming his
existence. Among his passing af-
fections was a lovely woman of dark
complexion, black eyes, and san
guine temperament. Tall in stat
ure, and robust as a Venus OF
Titan, she was as sensual as a Bac-
chante but capable of love and Of
self-sacrifce. This was Mariana,
the mistress of the house in which
Byron lodged; married woman
and the mother Of a 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 be-
loved object, consider them as al
infrmity, worthy of tender care
and attention. Byron soon discov
cred that Mariana was both violen
and Jealous. One day, while he wal
speaking to the sister-in-law Of Ma
riana, the latter came in and CAV,
| a blow to the poor girl. Another
time she sold a jewel which Byro1
J had given her, and which he pur
chased again III order to present i
\ to her a second time. Love of thi
! kind is but of short duration, ye
nothing is SO Unsuitable as pure love
9 Sensuality is neither satisfying o
constant. Pleasure, and pleasur
only, means disgust and wearines'
In the purity and devotion Of rea
affection there is the assurance G
eternal love. The abyss of tn
! heart can be filled only with the in
finite; but the voracity of low de
sires is quickly OYER Byron 500
left the house and the lady, an
D went to reside in the palace Mon
cenigo, about the middle of th
grand canal of Venice,
This was the scene of the adven
!. lures of Margherita Cogni, tn
we'll known Venetian baker. Thel
are some who have compared he
( TO the Fornarina; but between til
only love of Raphael (or at least th
preferred love) and this fancy Of
N few days-between that foundatio
a. of inspiration and this source
p disgust-there was an immeni
difference. in Venice there al
people of the lower class who Sc
ID oysters in the market, and VIII,
nevertheless, like to have the
ears soothed by the Italian tran
lation of the poet, and to listen
= stories of his life. Margherita wa
a woman of the people, in Il
Al bad sense of the word; woma
who could neither read nor writ
a woman accustomed to tyranni
over her family almost in publ
who concealed neither a fold
4 her soul or a throb of her heart, al
\ consequently did not trouble he
4 self to put any restraint upon h
actions.
I, Lord Byron sought with mu
use use anxiety a burial place among the
at lovely islands. Floating along
to his gondola, he went among t
me me Venetian Archipelago to choose
spot where to plant a willow tr
=. Of which the branches, droopi
Ds, over the waters, should be a shad
test o,,a,. HE fnr,h araotad ,,ndar 4