Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-06-29
TancrcG's Heroic Daughter Uranl;
Poison from her lovers Heart.

One olthe most romantic of all Ital,
ian stories Is told anew by Marion Craw-
ford in the July number OF TIE CcWary.
Describing the great citadel of Amalii.
Mr. Crawford says
Court within court, rampant behind
rampant, tower upon tower, the ancient
pile rises from the rocks of the sky,
labyrintnine it its intricGcy and colossal
in strength. Somewhere beneath one
of those deserted courts lies the hidden
underground chamber to which CHS
monda went daily by the secret passage
from her room above while Guiscardo,
her lover, let himselfdown by q knotted
rope through the aperture. overgrown
with shrubs, and with thorns SO sharp
that he wore leather clothes to protect
himself. Ghismonda was Tancred's
daughter, and Guiscardo was one Of her
fathers gentlemcn-at-arms. 1t is a
grim and yet a tender story Of a very
true love- For some reason which
deeper students may discover, CHS
monda did not marry again when her
husband, The Duke of Capua'5 son, died
after a few months of wedlocE, and she
loved the handsome young soldier to
despair, though his station was too far
beneath her own for an open alliance.
So they met and loved, and met
again, I'LL one day, growing bolder, she
led him in an evil hour up the secret
stair to her her own apartment, where
she die not guess it, Tancrcd sat nod
ding behind curtain, half asleep in
the noonday heat after dinner, and
waiting for his daughter, with whom he
loved to spend an hour in conversation
during the long afternoons. And as
the lovers were there together, Tancred
saw them and heard them, unseen and
unheard. Being as wise as he was
brave, he choked down his anger, and
waited a whole day before he spoke.
Then Guiscardo was taken at niehtfall
by two men. aud brought secretely to
his lord, and Tancred reproached him
with tears. But the young man made
only one short answer. Love Is far
stronger than you or /, and so was led
away to his death. And Tancred, heavy
at heart, spoke bitterly TO his daughter
and most bitterly of all because she
loved one beneath her Then he was
was silent and waited for her reply with
bowed head Gbismonda turned upon
him, dry-eyed and brave, rs women
sometimes were in those desperate
days; and Mcsser Giovanni Boccacci has
recorded what she said, defending her
faith ana honor.
For it is true, she answered, that
have loved C;uiscardo, and love him
now, and shall love him while | live,
though that be not long and ii beyond
death one loves. shall not cease from
loving Kim. For you, Tancred, my
father, are of flesh and bone and blood.
and Your daughter is like you, and rot
Of stone riron and see, | have lived
so little that am still young'-and
much more to Il like intent. And so,
she said at last, ii you are grown cruel
in Your old age as you used not TO be,
he cruel now, even to me: for tell you
that if you do not do to me what you
have done to Guiscardo, my own hands
shall do that same mischief on myself" "
And Tancred was cruel indeed, for he
took Guscardo'S heart, and placed it
in precious golden vessel and seni it
to his daugher. But she brewed poison,
when she had wept many tears, ard
filled the cup, and drank her death
from her lovers heart, and lay down TO
die. pressing it to her own, and crying:
60 much loved heart, my service to
thee is fulliilled, nor is there anything
left for me to do but TO come with my
own soul and bear thine company for
ever. and Tancred came and wept
over her, and repented of what he had
done; bat she spoke bitterly once more,
and asked only that her body might be
buried with him she loved. Then she
pressed the dead heart once more to
her bosom. God be with YOU, she
said, for am going" so she died,
and was laid beside her lover some
where in Salerno.
People were in earnest in those days.
To love was to live: to be cut oil from
love was death-real, literal, cruel
death.