A Sicilian Romance
Radcliffe, Ann Ward, 1764-1823
English
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This is approximatly the first 1,000 words of A Sicilian Romance
A Sicilian Romance, by Ann Radcliffe
This eBook was produced by Jean Lefever
On the northern shore of Sicily are still to be seen the magnificent
remains of a castle, which formerly belonged to the noble house of
Mazzini. It stands in the centre of a small bay, and upon a gentle
acclivity, which, on one side, slopes towards the sea, and on the
other rises into an eminence crowned by dark woods. The situation is
admirably beautiful and picturesque, and the ruins have an air of
ancient grandeur, which, contrasted with the present solitude of the
scene, impresses the traveller with awe and curiosity. During my
travels abroad I visited this spot. As I walked over the loose
fragments of stone, which lay scattered through the immense area of
the fabrick, and surveyed the sublimity and grandeur of the ruins, I
recurred, by a natural association of ideas, to the times when these
walls stood proudly in their original splendour, when the halls were
the scenes of hospitality and festive magnificence, and when they
resounded with the voices of those whom death had long since swept
from the earth. 'Thus,' said I, 'shall the present generation--he who
now sinks in misery--and he who now swims in pleasure, alike pass
away and be forgotten.' My heart swelled with the reflection; and, as
I turned from the scene with a sigh, I fixed my eyes upon a friar,
whose venerable figure, gently bending towards the earth, formed no
uninteresting object in the picture. He observed my emotion; and, as
my eye met his, shook his head and pointed to the ruin. 'These walls,'
said he, 'were once the seat of luxury and vice. They exhibited a
singular instance of the retribution of Heaven, and were from that
period forsaken, and abandoned to decay.' His words excited my
curiosity, and I enquired further concerning their meaning.
'A solemn history belongs to this castle, said he, 'which is too long
and intricate for me to relate. It is, however, contained in a
manuscript in our library, of which I could, perhaps, procure you a
sight. A brother of our order, a descendant of the noble house of
Mazzini, collected and recorded the most striking incidents relating
to his family, and the history thus formed, he left as a legacy to our
convent. If you please, we will walk thither.'
I accompanied him to the convent, and the friar introduced me to his
superior, a man of an intelligent mind and benevolent heart, with whom
I passed some hours in interesting conversation. I believe my
sentiments pleased him; for, by his indulgence, I was permitted to
take abstracts of the history before me, which, with some further
particulars obtained in conversation with the abate, I have arranged
in the following pages.
CHAPTER I
Towards the close of the sixteenth century, this castle was in the
possession of Ferdinand, fifth marquis of Mazzini, and was for some
years the principal residence of his family. He was a man of a
voluptuous and imperious character. To his first wife, he married
Louisa Bernini, second daughter of the Count della Salario, a lady yet
more distinguished for the sweetness of her manners and the gentleness
of her disposition, than for her beauty. She brought the marquis one
son and two daughters, who lost their amiable mother in early
childhood. The arrogant and impetuous character of the marquis
operated powerfully upon the mild and susceptible nature of his lady:
and it was by many persons believed, that his unkindness and neglect
put a period to her life. However this might be, he soon afterwards
married Maria de Vellorno, a young lady eminently beautiful, but of a
character very opposite to that of her predecessor. She was a woman of
infinite art, devoted to pleasure, and of an unconquerable spirit. The
marquis, whose heart was dead to paternal tenderness, and whose
present lady was too volatile to attend to domestic concerns,
committed the education of his daughters to the care of a lady,
completely qualified for the undertaking, and who was distantly
related to the late marchioness.
He quitted Mazzini soon after his second marriage, for the gaieties
and splendour of Naples, whither his son accompanied him. Though
naturally of a haughty and overbearing disposition, he was governed by
his wife. His passions were vehement, and she had the address to bend
them to her own purpose; and so well to conceal her influence, that he
thought himself most independent when he was most enslaved. He paid an
annual visit to the castle of Mazzini; but the marchioness seldom
attended him, and he staid only to give such general directions
concerning the education of his daughters, as his pride, rather than
his affection, seemed to dictate.
Emilia, the elder, inherited much of her mother's disposition. She had
a mild and sweet temper, united with a clear and comprehensive mind.
Her younger sister, Julia, was of a more lively cast. An extreme
sensibility subjected her to frequent uneasiness; her temper was warm,
but generous; she was quickly irritated, and quickly appeased; and to
a reproof, however gentle, she would often weep, but was never sullen.
Her imagination was ardent, and her mind early exhibited symptoms of
genius. It was the particular care of Madame de Menon to counteract
those traits in the disposition of her young pupils, which appeared
inimical to their future happiness; and for this task she had
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