The New York herald., 1921-04-24
A Love Story the World
Has Preserved for Centuries

There is no evidence that Dantes love
was returned, rather the contrary-for on
the occasion of marriage feast, years af-
ter, when both had grown to young
manhood and wohanhood Dantes confu-
sion at the sight Nof her was, he records,
a matter of mirth for her and her friends
Otherwise, she seems 10 have been uncon-
scious or unregardfu of his love Their
meetings seem to have been few and casual,
passing glimpses of her in the street, or in
church, or at a feast And then she mar
ried, 10 die soon after. OF such slight ma
teria was this great love story made, the
creation of great poets dreaming and
adoring heart, for whom, the years went
by, Beatrice WAS more and more to grow
the hallowed symbol of the mystic. immor-
tai beauty in the universe.
Dante was himself soon to marry. But
two years after Beatrice was desired in
the high heaven" 1292) he married
Gemma, daughter of Manetto Donati n rel
ative of Corso Donati, afterward one of
Dantes bitterest enemies. There is no rea-
son for thinking the marriage otherwise
than happy. and there came Of II Two sons
and two daughterS-one of whom was
named Beatrice 1t would Seem-3s, mt all
events, IL is romantic To imagine-that this
daughter Beatrice was his companion Mt
the last, when he uied III exile at Itayenna
for ii is on record that. after his death, she
took the veil, and died, nun, in that city.
II was 10 this daughter thirty years after
her fathers death. that the Republic Of
Florence. or one of It's guilds, offered the
first sign of its repentance by sending
through the hands of his biographer, Boo
caccio, a gift of ten golden florinS. And
now let us briefly outline the series Of
events which made Dante nm exile from
Florence-'exul immertus" aS he was fond
of prefacing his letters-that Florence Of
which he scornfully describes himself in the
original title Of his Divine Comedy" as
"a Florcntne by birth. but not in morals.
ut is scarcely necessary to say that Dante
was a good hater.)
Complicated as our American politics may
seem they are simplicity itself compared
with the politics Of Italy III Dante's time
and, for that matter, ever since This pas
sage from Lowell, however gives clear
general outline for our guidance Long be
fore Dante's birth. tile rival German
families of Wells aud Weibligens had given
their names. Softened into Guelfi and
Ghibellni TO two parties in northern Italy.
representing respectively the adherents of
the Pope and of the Emperor, but serving
very well as rallylng points in all manner
Of inteIrilurA ana subsidiary quarrels. The
mobiles, especially the greater ones-per-
haps from instinct, perhaps in part from
hereditary tradition, as being more or less
Teutonic by descent-were commonly Ghl-
bellincs or Imperialsts: tie bourgeosie
were very commonly Guelphs or supporters
Of the Pope. partly from natural antpathy
TO the mobiles aud partly perhaps because
they believed themselves to be espousing
the more purely Italian side. Sometimes
however, the party relation Of mobiles and
burghers to each other were reversed but
the names Of Guelph and Ghibelline al
ways substantially represented the same
things"
For sixty years before Dante's birth q
private feud such a. that of Montague and
Capulet In Romeo and juliet" had IN.
volved Florence in the larger struggle Of
Guelph and Ghibcllluc. with much bloody
fighting and many changes Of government
At length In 12S2. the GuelphS had tenn
porariy gained the upper hand, and 4 form
of republic was organized, the officers Of
which were chosen from the various guilds
and were called 'priors" OF these there
were six, holding office for two months
One OF these guilds Of "the greater arts"
was termed "speziali"-belng composed Of
druggists ana dealers in MI manner Of
Oriental goods md IN hooks" or this
4. r.