Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-01-27
MISCELLANY.
BYRON'S VENETIAN LOVES.


reckless career. Venice, says CASTELAR,,
was like the external form of his soul,
sublime, romantic sometimes gay, some.
times melancholy ;;'sensual, yet monastic;
neither daughter Of earth nor child of
heaven. The soul Of the man and the
spirit Of 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. -s..,u.s.s.. -
The 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.
ance. Among his passing affections was
lovely woman of dark complexion,
black eyes, and sanguins temperament.
Tall in stature, and robust rs Venus Of
Titan, she was sensual Is Bacchante;
but capable Of love and of sclf:sacrificc.
This was Mariana, tho mistress of the
house in which Byron lodged . married
woman and the mother Of family, but
ready to leave oil 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 Is IN
infirmity, 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 bow 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
. second time. Love Of this kind is but
Of shert duration, yet nothing is SO insa-
table As pure love. Sensuality is neither
satisfying or constant. Pleasure, and
pleasure only, means disgust and weari.
ness. In the purity and devotion of real
affection there is the assurance of eternal
love. The abyss Of the heart can be I'll.
ed only with the infinite; but the vorac.
ity Of low desires is quickly over. Byron
soon left the 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
have compared her to the Fornarina; but
between the only love of Raphael Tor at
least the preferred love) and this fancy Of
= few days-.between that fountain Of in.
spiration and this source OF disgust
there Was an immense difference. In
Venice there are people of the lowe. class
who 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 bis life. Marg.
hcrits Was woman of tho people, in the
bad sense Of the word: woman who
could neither read nor write; . woman
accustomed to tyrannize over her family
almost in public, who concealed neither
fold Of her soul or q throb Of her heart
and consequently did not trouble herself
to put any restraint upon her actions.
Lord Byron sought with much anxiety
. burial.place among those lovely islands
Floating along in his gendola. he went
among the Venetian Archipelago t.
choose = spot where to plant .
willow tree, of which the branches
dropping over the waters, should be :,
shadow over~his tomb, erected unde,
the azure skyof the south close, to III,
Adriatic. But Is II wishing to haster
his repose in the dreamless bed, he CAV,
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 intermission. Often turning away