The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-12
a MEDIENA AL
LO\ E AFT AIR
By MARGARET L. BLISS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

palace across the bridge called the
Ponte Vecchio. spanning 'h" river Ar
no. into the main part of the "ity B~
side the duchess sat young glrl noted
especially for her fair complexion Aad
golden hair. From an upper window
overlooking the bridge a young man
looked down on the cavalcad" About
stood q crowd of persons dividing thrlr
glances between the young man ana
the young girl beside the duchess His
eyes were riveted on her, while she
glanced up at him They were known
TO be lovers. all Florence sympathized
with them. and the crowd had collect
ed to observe this lovers look that
passed between them.
The girl was Maddalena. the daugh-
ter Of Bernardo Vettori. surnamed "tbe
light haired" and It was from him
that his daughter inherited her locks
Of gold as we'll as an immense fortune.
The mother Of Maddalena when wild
owed married Pietro Salvtat1 and. in
order to keep her fortune in the fam
lily. the stepfather betrothed her when
still a child to his son by a former
marriage. But this young man was
killed In battle.
When Maddalena came to a mar
riageable age love affair came about
between her and Lodovico Capponi.
who owned a villa In the country ad-
joining one of her own. 1t was a
grand passion on both sides. and the
fame was famed by opposition. Mad.
dalena's stepfather, still bent on keep
ing his fortune in his own family, per-
suaded Duke Cosimo to forbid the mar
riage. Despite her own. her mothers
and her lovers protests and entreaties
the girl was placed in a convent
Lodovico was fiery young man, and
1t was hoped by the stepfather that he
would commit some act of violence
which would afford an excuse to ban
ish him. lock him up or otherwisR dis
pose of him. But the lover displayed
more self control than had been ex-
pected and refused to give his enemy
the coveted opportunity.
Maddalena's mother told the story of
her daughters love and misfortunes to
the duchess and succeeded in interest
ing her. The affair was known to all
Florentines. who were a poetic and
artistic people easily moved by story
of love. Moreover. they feared that
If the duke was able to prevent this
marriage he would prevent others.
Therefore. though all the power to
keep the lovers apart was on one side
all the sympathy was on the other.
The duchess finally succeeded in per,
suading her husband to permit her to
invite Maddalena to visit her for
! few days at the palace. Instead of
days she remained months. But the
struggle to compel her to resign her
lover was not given up. Indeed, her
invitation came in order to unite her
with another suitor By the dukes
order Lodovico was never mentioned
except in contempt. while Sigismondo
di Rossi. a favorite of the duke. was
always spoken of with the highest
praise.
| IIodovico. not being permitted to visit
the girl he loved. rented house over
looking the Ponte Vecchio. from which
he could look down upon her and re
ceive her return glance whenever she
crossed the bridge with the duchess.
1t was one of these occasions that
has been described at the opening OF
this story, scene that would not like
ly have happened anywhere except in
the city of the medieval Italian poets
and painters whose names and works
are part even Of the present age. The
bridge that Maddalena crossed stands
today. traversed daily by thousands of
Florentines and tourists.
Perhaps no incident in the history
of Florence can so well express the
difference between that age. that peo
pie and this. Fancy a crowd at the
entrance of q park in an American
city, Washington for instance, wait
ing to see an heiress driven out with
the presidents wife, her lover stand
ing at the window of a house he has
hired for the express purpose Of see
ing his ladylove go by. That age
has passed. but romance still exists
and is as deep set In human nature as
ever. While the people Of that day
/ were nIeTc5lcu III luu1Vluudl cases,
we now find its expression In best
sellers" Have we not in this respect
degenerated?
Whether it was that the duke, who
was only interested In Salviati's plans
through friendship for him. found that
he was playing losing game for him
self. becoming unpopular, or whether
he met an undercurrent Of opposition
from those prominent families who
feared his power to interfere In their
own affairs, is not recorded. but In
any event his opposition suddenly col.
lapsed. One morning at daylight an
old woman appeared at Lodovicos
bedside and awakened him with some
astonishing and delightful news. She
bore message from the duchess.
Lodovico was summoned to the palace
to take Maddaiena away with him and
prepare for an immediate marriage.
The lover bounded out of bed and
began the preparations at once. going
as soon as he was dressed to the pal.