The Evening critic., 1885-05-04
MEDIA AND BONIFAZI0.
LOVERS OF BOLOGNA.
BY JENNIE Il, JUDsoS.
copyright, 1851


In the thirteenth century Fra Giovanni
di Nincenza Of Bologna inveghed with q
tongue Of FIRE against the bloody strife
which ragged with bitter and unceaslng fury
between the Guelphs and Ghibbelines.
He declared that the earthquakes, floods,
famine and pestilence which had been Wis.
Tied upon the unhappy Bologuese were man.
ifcstations of an offended Deity and be-
sought both mobiles and people to turn to
penitence and peace.
His eloquent exhortations wrought a
marvellous change, and for time there was
a cessation Of all hostility.
Slaves were liberated, debtors forgiven,
prisoners set free, and members of opposing
factions met In apparent amity.
Peace waved her olive branch above the
ancient city, and all seemed bright for the
future, when the flame of a mutual aud
INDY ing passion lit the fires Of war once
moIe.
Imelda Lambertazzi, whose family,
proud and warlike, headed tho faction of
the Gbibbelines was girl of exceeding
beauty. Her eyes we're black aud lustrous,
luminous, yet melting. Hor hair fell in
perfumed waves of darkness to her feet,
and her face, which was beautiful in its
regularity of feature, wore often that look
of pensive sweetness which Carlo Dolce
liked SO we'll to portray.
She loved Bonifazio Gieremei, whose
family, naughty and turbulent as her own,
headed the opposing faction of the Guelphs.
And, alas, for their peace, he loved her in
return.
As children they first had met at royal
burial, and there Love, laughing defiance
at Fate, had ignited a FIRE withia their
youthful hearts, which, though stifled for
years by cruel circumstances, burst forth at
last into vivid, ardent flame.
When time had ripened these lovers to
maturity, many secret meetings of brief
but intense happiness were comprised by
them. And each season Of communion so
inspired them with courage that soon all
sense of imminent jeopardy was worn away.
"Bonifazioy carissimo!' whispered lmelda,
as the two parted one beautiful afternoon,
come TO me, / pray, on Thursday of the
coming week. My parents will be absent
at the feast of Lucia di Cerni, and my at
PENDANTS, except the faithful Caterina,
shall be dismissed The palace will be va
cant, and for the first time we may meet
beneath my fathers roof"
Bonifazio, loving and daring forgot for
the time he ancient family feud forgot
the bitter hatred of his race which still lay
smouldering in bis enemies breasts; forgot
all save that he loved and was loved in re-
turn, and gladly gave the promise.
On the appointed day he FASTENED, ar
dent and unarmed, to the loDged-for rem
| devious.
Imelda met him with words of love aud
| tenderness. Then followed an hour of such
unalloyed bliss as is seldom granted TO NOR
tails.
But alas while the lovers fed upon each
others lips, aud renewed again and again
| their VOWS of constancy, a spy of Lander
lazzi was ON the watch. He stole forth
| quietly past the patient Caterina, aud in
formed lmelda's brothers, who were carous-
ing at banquet near by, of the stolen in
| terview.
Fired by wine and furious with wrath,
they FASTENED with heavy curses where
love and fappiness were reignng supreme.
Bonifazio heard the sound of their APP
proach, and cried Some one comes; fly,
my angel, fly, lest our lives pay the pen
atty, should we be discovered together"
Imelda had but time to conceal herself
behind the hanging arras, when her brothers
dashed rudely in aud without one word
drove their poisoned poinards into the
breast of their hereditary foe. The be-
tiayed youth, defenseless and alone, died
without murmur. His murderers dragged
the body to a courtyard near concealed
it with pile of discarded matter, aud fear
ing the consequences of their deed hastily
fled from the city.
Imelda heard from her hiding-place no
cry, no blow, no struggle, and vainly trusted
that all might yet be we'll.
She ran quickly back to the scene of her
late joy, and gently called the name of him
she loved.
No response met her anxious ear but oh,
agony a stream of darkly trickling blood
told its own eloquent tale, and with deep
moan she sank down for moment motion
less.
Then all the force of her being was con-
centrated into the action of the moment.
She arose, crying:
"Bonifazo, my idol will nd thee, even
though some foul dagger has let thy fair
life ont"
She followed, pantiDgly, the course OF
the scarlet life-drops, and thus traced her
lovers form to its hiding-place.
The body was still warm, the blood still
poured In crimson tide from the gaping
wounds.
II will yet save my love-" she cried, "as
did Queen Eleanor her lord but now three
years ago." And STOPPING she applied her
soft lips 10 the fatal stab, hoping to draw
the venom therefrom. But it was too late
she brought no help to the idolized one, but
infected her own swiftly flowing veins in
stead. And while she called with burning
pleading words upon her lover to come back
TO life again, and kissed with wild and pas
sionate kisses the lips which could no Longer
respond, the pulses of her being wsvered
leaped once more, then ceased, never Il
throb again. An hour later her attendants
alarmed at her long absence, sought he
with hurryiDg footsteps, and found he
sleeping the eternal sleep on the bosom o
her lover.
Love, triumphant even In death, had len
her power to clasp his arms about her dyini
form, and thus they lay, cold and beautiful
wrapped in last embrace.
This dreadful tragedy, whose history l
recorded in the archives of Bologna, I'M
modiately broke the truce between tn
Lambertazzi and the Glereme.
Both Sides with their allies, equippe'
themselves fully for BATTLE and forty day
and forty nights, within aud without tn
fortified palaces, the contest ragged with in
tensest fury.
Bologna ran with blood, and at last til
friends of the murdered Bonifazio game
possession of the stronghold of the Lam
bertazzi.
With fire and sword they struck down o
drove from the city every member of tn
Ghibbeline party, and no medium scenes
too severe to convey their hate and fury
Thus did tender and beautiful love, whicl
might have blessed and frightened man.
. lives, serve, instead, to awaken carniva
Of war and hate, and bring misery to
hundred homes.
The New National Theatre.
Mr.. Denis 'Leary, who set the capston
Of the Washington Monument, at liz
Saturday afternoon laid the cornerstone o
| the new National Ihpatra Thara were nj