The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-03-10
miscellaneous
TOO BEAUTIFUL.
BY NAuRUS JOKAI.

man with face covered by a mask rep
| resentirg ii skull was brought bef,re
! the judge nf the tribunal CT blood. The
rest of her figure WAS covered bv An
ample cloak extending 10 the ankles,
| the hooc. drawn fHr over her brow.
| Whoever looked IT this form saw
nothing bat the horsifying mask, aud
the cloak that reseinhlpd winding
| sheet,-n s.,pctrp pref airing 20 join the
carnival oI death.
| This WOMAN was Rosaura Montal-
! boni, who stood before the Judge for
| the fourth time, charged with Il crime
| which defended ItSels, the very accusa-
| ton carrying an excuse.
IN what did the Indictment consist !?
Rosaura Montal5oni was accused of
| being too beautiful, So beautiful
that, when she went to the window in
| the IuOrnirg, the people gathered in
| the street and the filters and coaches
| could not make their way through the
crowd, tie shopkeeOcrs forgot TO sell
their wares, and The employees of the
ducal government admired her for
hours instead IF attending to their
| official duties. So beautiful that, when
she went TO the silkmercer's and the
jewelers. to make purchases, they
| wares. bur laid their wealth at her feet.
The man whose shop she entered was
| lost. Sc beautiful that. since she had
lived on the right bank of the Arno, Il
whole row of palaces had been built
there, while the left bauk was fast
going to ruin because nohlemen. mer-
chants, and seafariug folks moved to
| the other shore. So beitI tiful that,
| when she entered the churt h of Santa
Maria del Fiori, people tu' ned toward
her from the altar, and. instead of
comfort aud salvation, iooh home with
them frc:u the sacred piece only pain
and condemnation.
If the fishermen in the mo- ming drew
from The ArHo the cornse of a pale
Nouth, it was sure 10 be SOB e luckless
lover Who had killed hinself for Rosau-
ra' $ sake; if the Waterman at night
stumbled in the dark sire ct over the
lifeless form of a velvet-clad knight,
welteripg in his flood from a dagger
thrust, he was sure 10 have persisted
for the sake of Ruaaura, VITO perhaps
had smiled kindly upon him and there
by excited the furious envy of his
rivals, ii rich fathers died suddenly,
they were sure to have | cen poisoned
on account OF R1saura, Tor, to see her
beautiful ewes sparkle, men willingly
murdered fat her, mother, brother and
sister.
Once famine prevailed in the city.
The populaca, Infatuated by want of
bread, forced way into the Montal-
houi palace, whose mistress bathed in
milk, watered the flowers in her garden
with wine, and gave banquets daily
while the people were starving to
death. When the frantic mob burst
the doors open and put the richly
dressed servants to flight, Rosaura
came down the marble steps entirely
alone. her wonderful golden hair float
| ing over her shoulders, tanning herself
with a diamond counted fan-and the
| people were silent before her, the ring
leaders kissed the hem of her robe, and
the throng retired. The mob had roar
ed for bread; Rosaura gave the people
a gracious smile, and they were salts
| fed.
Thrice her beauty was denounced by
enraged fathers whose Sons had fallen
vistims to Resources charms. Three
| times they accused her of being beau
tiful.h
The reality even surprised the words
of the fiercest complaints. Rosaura
was more beautiful than they desert
bed her. And twice the judges de-
cided: The charge is just: the crime
exists; set the accused at liberty"
Her beaIty was q great offence, but
| a still greater excuse. When she look
ed into the faces of her judges, they for
got the law; when she wept, they VOW
ed she was innocent; and, when she
smiled, they were ready to declare
themselves guilty for her sake.
The third case was one in which the
steward Of the duke funds had appro-
priated the treasure entrusted 10 his
care, and killed himself after squander-
ing it all for the beautiful Rosaura.
| Now mercy could no longer be
shown. She was again brought before
the court, and by one vote a majority
of the judges passed the sentence that
she should have the beautiful body
branded and be forever eXlled from
Florence.
The pilIory, in which the punish
ment was to be executed, was erected
in front of the notorious Plazzo PiZzi.
A dense thrCrg flied the vast square
and the roofs of the nelghborlng
houses, whence few could be obtain,
ed
The marvsllously beautiful woman
| was leu INC cAcCuGlOhCI lOoh
the red-hot iron in his hand, and tore
the silk robe from Rosaura's shoulder
to press the brand upon it. But, when
he saw the smooth, snow white shout
der, he forgot that lie was the eXecu'
TONER, and, instead of the hot iron
pressed his buring lips upon it.
The lest cost the eXecutioner his
head, but saved ROsaura, for no one
was found who could infiict the sen
tence upon this round white shoulder
Every one who beheld it wished only
to kiss it, not to di:fgure it by the
searching brand. The marvel reached
the grand dukes ears. Cosmo de
Medici was then an old man, and in
cined to piety. Perhaps it was from
Christian motives that, when, by hi:
desire, the fair woman was brought
before him, he pardoned her and re
mitted the sentence. Hencefortl
Rosaura Montalboui was permitted t.
be beautiful unpublished. No one re
turned to complain against her; no on
dared to accuse her radiant eyes, he
smiling scarlet lips, the bewitchins
dimples in her rosy cheeks.
After Cosmo de Medici, Ferdinant
de Medici assembled the throne.
Ferdinand was mere boy, scarcel
twelve years old, when he began t
. reign.
When only child, he had becom
intimate with Lorenzo Frascati, VIII
2 was older than he, and to whom h
t vowed loyal friendship. Lorenzo be