The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-13

From Once a Highway of the World"
story of old Venetian life, by Robert
Shackleton in the April Harper's.'
1--WE of the most interesting of the
I villas is that of the ancient family
- of the Foscarini, but as you ap-
preach it, boating up the placid stream,
you see but building of plain and almost
commonplace aspect, with some shabby
greenery peeping over the wall behind it.
1t has changed since the days of the past
when 1t was one of the most beautiful and
charming villas of the Brenta.
This is the Brenta Villa in which Byron
for so many years lived, and in connec-
ton with his life here there are tales of
his love for an imperious peasant beauty,
a Brenta girl, who was long an important
factor in his life.
A school for peasant children occupies
some of the rooms of this villa, and a
maker of soap uses the remainder-but
there is much in the history of the build
ing which soap cannot wash away. and
there is more to learn from it than will
be taught to the black-eyed children
whose knives serrate the edges of the
Qt6ho dllu lOliiio. Vi iiiciC al Z
more than Byronic associations; the villa
having been associated with one of the
grmmest of Venetian tragedies, that of
the love of Antonio Foscarini for an
Englishwoman, the Countess of Arundel,
wife of the Arundel of the Marbles,
eral marshal of. England
The countess had first met Foscarini
when he was ambassador at London, and
that he held such a post marks him as
man not only of Importance, but of
manners and presence
Some time after Foscarini's recall from
London to Venice, about 1920, 1t was no.
ticed that the Countess of Arundel Sc
cured a villa on the Brenta, close beside
his; but all prudence and conventionality
were observed, and it merely appeared as
if she were a foreigner who appreciated
the fneness and beauty of that riverside
life
The tragedy, when it came, was made
to appear the work of an Italian enemy,
but it can scarcely be douNted that the
absent Earl of Arudel had been aroused
to vengeance, and that he found means
to deal a distant blow.
One day in 1922 the great Foscarni
found himself before the most dread tri-
bunal on earth on a charge of treason,
the ground for the accusation being his
frequent visits to the English countess,
with whom he was charged to be plot
ting against the interests of the repub-
lie. 1t was pointed out that he was a
man who walked good deal by night,
.n5 that l,ic stang Ind often led him n
the home of the countess, who was
deemed an apparent enemy of Venice.
Foscarini found his position eminent
ly embarrassing, for his birth and his
manliness prevented him from offering
such a defense as would put different
face on the matter The end, for him,
came swiftly. The ten had heard him
in secret but at least they rewarded
him openly, for one morning his dead
body was found dangling by the 1901
from the public gallows.
| The English ambassador at Venice
deeply Impressed by all this, sent warn
| ing to the countess to escape; put es'
cane was the last thing in her thoughts
Hers was not the first case nor the las
in which guilt has been Tar more poio
| faced than innocence could POSSIBLY De
She went into the city, and SO Violently
protested her innocence of wrong-dolne
of any sort, of even wrong intentions
that the doge was constrained TO ISSUE
a declaration that her protests We're jus
and that there had boen a terrible
mistake. the judges having acted on evil
dence given by u man VINO, under tor
| true, had now confessed ms wicked
ness.
The doge also sent to the irate COUNTIES,
his most eontrite personal apologies. ant
with them, In recognition of the enterna
feminine. magnificent gift of waxwork
and sweetineats. Nor was she conten
with this She demanded an exonerativ'
resolution from. the Venetian senate. an,