The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-04-20
THE SIIlLIAN VESPERS.
The Six Hundredth Anniversary 81 Inc
Famous Massacre.

Tie Six Hundredth Anniversary Of the
Famous Massacre.
Thursday, March 30th. was the six hum
1redth anniversary of the sangulnary up
Using of the Sicilians against the French,
he popular version of which has been
made familiar by Verdi's opera 1 Peapr7
Siciliani. The event, even taking the
most moderate accounts as true. was
notable ono, and the luminosity which has
been aroused throughout Italy against the
French by the latter's peculiar operations
in Tunis will cause the people to enter WITH
unusual zest in the celebration Of the an
niversary. which is to last four days. Gen
eml Garibaldi has embraced the oppcrtu-
~ to make one of his demonstrative ap-
pearances before the public. He arrived at
celebration, and was received with great
warmth by the populace.
The popular version of the So called ST.
Gillian Vespers is exceedingly interesting. The
Norman Prince Roger l., son of Tancred,
had in 1858 driven the Greeks and Arabs
from the island, and later had taken the IT,
tie Of Count of Sicily, his son, Roger II. in
1881, uniting Sicily with Naples as the
Kingdom Of the Two Siciies. In 1866
Charles of Anjou, brother of st. Louis Of
France, deposed the Norman Prince and
settled himself in their place, being crowned
hing by Pope Clement ". Almost incred-
ible stories are told by the old chronicle.s
Of the oppression to which the people, es-
pecially in the island, we're subjected by
their French rulers, whose greed was only
rivaled by their licentioasnesf. Baron Lu-
dolph, Governor of Menone, was said to
have laid his territory under contribution of
& maiden week for his harem, ard q
Knight Of Arteis, named Faramond, who
commanded in Motto, reserved for himself
all the handsome women Of his government
married or unmarried. According to tradi-
ton, John Procida, who had been reft Of
his lands by the French, was active in in
flaming the Sicilians to revenge. while a
further revolutionary impulse was lent by
the intrigues Of Don Pedro of Arragon,
claimant to the crown.
The 30th of March, 1882, was Easter
Monday, and as was customary with them
the Palermitans went in PFC cesslon to-
q church without the walls to hear vespers-
The French not only regarded such gather
ings with suspicion, but availed themselves
of such occasions, while feigning to search
the people for arms, t. insult the women
As a young lady Of beauty and position was
entering the church just as the vesper bells
were ringing, she was brutally seized by e.
soldier, and her cries SC provoked the.
townsmen that, headed by her father and
husband, they rescued her, and WITH such
weapons 50 they could command, butcberd
he French without regard to age OF seS.
even the monks taking part in the work of
slaughter.
The rapidity with which the rising spread
to other parts Of the island has often been
cited as curious fact in the pathology Of
popular passion; On the same day like
massacres took place in Monte Reaie,
Conigio, Carina, and Termini; on the 31ss
Marsala were put to the sword, and on tie,
Let of April those Of Girgenti ami Liceta,
Rurdac, Governor of MARSHA, was 80 COR
pletely surprised that he was issuing q pro
clamation bidding the >;leilians to bring liz;
their gold and silver wien they came tc
kill him. Louis de Montpelier, governor
Of San Giovanni, was stabbed BY an in jar
ed husband, and his body was hung ignc-
nliniousiy ont Of bis castle window. or
the fourth Of April similar outbreak De-
Cured at Catanla, where a notorious lbe7-
tine, Jean Vjgleu.atla, offered an insult to u
lady named Jnlla Vll!amel!i, and slew her
husband for 1esen ting it. Her wlath ana
,i.guish provoked the Catanians to ven
ge"nce, and, according to the chroniclers,
SGUu Frenchmen were massacred, while
we're either starved out or killed while try
ing to escape. The Palaruitens marching
against Taormina storu ed it ana butcheres4
he garrison, and finally the garrison Of
Aicssina was, Though its own inpgnasnce,
cnt Off and cut to pie ces.
The total number O. the French slain If,
placed at from "a 900 to IS, 600, and it IL
told that Charles Of Aniou, when the news
vas brought him, he vas SO overcome with
rage that be could not speak, but rolled bis
eyes in fury and gnawed at the head of his,
ted the ~ irsurgents and the king
beseiged Messins, which woull have sur
rendered but for the severity of the terms,
offered by the French troops. The people
in desperation renewed their defence and
held ont till Don Pedro, having thrown OF
the mask, took the field to asser. his claim.
with force Of arms and compelled the be-
siegers to raise the siege subsequently oc-
cnp,ing the whole of the island, while
Naples was left in the possession Of the
house Of Anjou.
Snch is the conlmonly-received story Of
SiciIian Vespers, with which, however,
modern historians have not failed to deef
after their iconoclastic fashion, denying thar
any snch number of French could have per-
ished, and demonstrating especially that
John of Frocida, the hero of Eerdis har-
monious OPERA could not possibly have ia
Ken any part IN the massacre. But thep eople
Of Palermo-and Of italy at large, for that
matter-do not care for the results OF his
torical research, and enter int the approach
ing national demonstration liz tse firm con-
viction that Verdis librettist snew more
about what happned than do tlssnost in
duatriO11s historians