No. 27.

P. 23.

Cyprus, towards the close of the sixteenth century. Under two hundred and sixty years of Turkish dominion, the population of this once important island has dwindled, and its agriculture and commerce have declined, into comparative insignificance. In many a field, once rich with cultivation, nature now riots in untamed luxuriance; many a hill and plain, once enlivened by the cheerful voice of the husbandman, is now overrun by the wild thyme and the hyacinth-a fragrant and flowery desert. The city of Nicosia, so long the royal residence of the Lusignans, and afterwards one of the brightest jewels in the ample diadem of the once proud Venice, now presents a melancholy spectacle; the huts, inhabited by the slaves of Mahometan oppression and brutality, miserably contrasting with the superb relics of its former splendour-with its mosques, once Christian temples, and its palaces, where, as at Venice,

St. Mark yet sees his lion, where he stood, Stand, but in mockery of his withered power.

The year 1570 was fatal to the city of Nicosia, and shortly after to the whole

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kingdom. It was the period when the progress of the Turkish arms was the most formidable to the Christian powers, whose dissensions, nevertheless, the common and imminent peril of Christendom was insufficient to suspend, except very partially and desultorily. Rhodes, the great Christian bulwark of the Archipelago and the Levant, after a defence by the Knights of St. John, unparalleled for heroic vigour, had, to the shame of Europe, fallen unsuccoured a few years before. Malta, the next retreat of those noble champions, after emulating the resistance of Rhodes, had been but tardily relieved. Since the enterprising Barbarossa had extended the dominion of the Porte over the Moors of Tunis and Algiers, the Barbary coast sent forth its corsairs with increased numbers and bolder daring, to spread alarm around the western shores and islands of the Mediterranean, threatening their inhabitants and voyagers with the worst of outrage, the direst of captivity. And Selim the Second, who now ruled the Ottoman empire, projected the conquest of Cyprus. In the month of June of this year, Mustapha, the Turkish general, entered it at the head of a hundred thousand foot and ten thousand horse. The neighbourhood of Nicosia was laid waste with fire and sword; and on the 26th of July a memorable siege was commenced, which lasted forty-five days. The inhabitants performed prodigies of valour, sustaining with astonishing intrepidity fifteen different as saults. Being at length reduced to the greatest extremity, the city was taken, by a general assault, on Sunday the 9th of September. Of fifty thousand people, who had retired within the walls for shelter, twenty thousand were massacred, and the rest led into slavery.

Our story opens within two or three years after this event, when our hero, a Sicilian captive in the power of a Turkish master, was contemplating, from a rising ground in the neighbourhood of Nicosia, the shattered walls of the illfated city. With those feelings of melancholy sympathy which naturally

arise in the breast of him who is conscious that he stands "a ruin amidst ruins," he thus apostrophized them :

"Ye mournful relies of the fallen Nicosia, scarcely yet dry from the blood of your brave but unfortunate defenders, -were you sensible to calamity, we might bewail our woes together; and haply from such communion might spring some alleviation of our sorrow. One hope, at least, might be left to you,

ye fallen towers,-that one day, though it should not be for so just a defence as that in which you were overthrown, you may lift your heads again : but I-unhappy that I am-what good have I to hope for, even though restored to freedom! Hard is my destiny; for, when I had liberty, I possessed not happiness; and now that I am a captive, not even hope is left me.”

At that moment, a youth, of graceful figure, in a handsome Turkish costume, came out of a tent or pavilion, one of four which stood at a little distance, and approaching the Christian, said to him;

"I would wager, Ricardo, my friend, that your continual musings have led you hither."

"They have," answered Ricardo (for that was the captive's Christian-name), "but to little purpose; for nowhere can I find any relief from them; and as for the ruins which lie before us, they have but added to the force of my own melancholy reflections."

"The ruins of Nicosia, do you mean?" said the Turk.

"What others can I mean?" rejoined Ricardo, "since no others are here within our view."

Let us,

"You will find enough to deplore," replied the Turk, "if you enter into such contemplations; for surely no one who saw this rich and fruitful island of Cyprus two years ago, when its inhabitants were in the peaceful enjoyment of every thing which contributes to human happiness, and now beholds them either banished from their beautiful country, or captive and miserable in it, can help lamenting their calamities. however, think no more of them, since they are irremediable, and let us attend to your own; for I would fain know if there be not some remedy for them; and therefore I conjure you, by the good will which I have testified towards you, and by the sympathy which should spring from our being of the same country, and brought up in our infancy together, that you tell me the cause of this your excessive sadness;-for, although captivity is of itself sufficient to sadden the most cheerful heart upon earth, yet I imagine that your misfortunes have an earlier date. Noble spirits, like yours, do not suffer themselves to be so far overcome by ordinary adversity as to exhibit extraordinary sorrow; and I know that you are not so poor, but that you might give whatever should be asked for your ransom; neither are you lodged in the towers by the Black Sea, like a captive of great

consideration, who must long sigh for his liberty, or perhaps never obtain it. Seeing, then, that your ill fortune has not deprived you of the hope of freedom, and that you are nevertheless overwhelmed with grief, I may well suppose that your sorrow is not occasioned by your captivity alone. From what other cause, then, it proceeds, I entreat you to tell me, freely offering you whatever may be in my power towards its relief. Who knows but that the course of events, which has brought me to wear the habit in which you now see me, but which I abhor, has been ordained in order that I might serve you in this emergency. You already know, Ricardo, that my master is cadi of this city, which rank corresponds to that of bishop among the Christians. You also know the great power he possesses, and the great influence I have with him. Nor are you ignorant of the ardent desire which I feel not to die in this religion which I appear to profess, which is indeed so great, that should circumstances compel me, I would confess and proclaim the faith of Jesus Christ (which my weak age, and still weaker understanding, made me renounce), even though the confession were to cost me my life; for I should think the life of my body well exchanged for that of my immortal soul. From what I have said, I wish you to infer, that my friendship may be of advantage to you, and to consider that in order to judge what remedy or alleviation your misfortune can receive, it is necessary that you acquaint me with its nature, even as the physician must question his patient before he can prescribe; and you may rely upon my secrecy.'

While the youth thus addressed him, Ricardo remained silent; but when he had concluded, he answered as follows:

"If, Mahomet, my friend, you could as readily discover a remedy for my unhappiness, as you have judged sagaciously concerning it, I should think my liberty well lost, and would not exchange my calamity for the greatest good fortune that can be imagined: but, alas! it is such that, though all the world should know its cause, there is not one in the world who can remedy or even alleviate it. However, if only to convince you that such is the case, I will relate it to you in as few words as I can. But first I wish you to inform me why my master, Hassan Pacha, has made this encampment in the country, before his entry into Nicosia, of which he is appointed viceroy, or pacha, as the Turks call their viceroys."

"I will briefly inform you," answered Mahomet.

"You must know, then, it is the custom among the Turks, that a new-appointed viceroy, of whatever province, shall not enter the town where his predecessor has resided, until the latter has previously quitted it, in order that an account of his government may be freely taken; and while this is doing by the new pacha, the old one remains in the country, waiting the result of the investigation; which takes place without his having the power to avail himself of subornation or private partiality, unless indeed he have already done so by anticipation. When the account has been taken, it is given to the pacha who is quitting the government, inscribed upon parchment, folded and sealed; and with it he presents himself at the gate of the Grand Signior; that is to say, before the great council of the Sultan.When it has been examined by the vizier pacha, and the four lesser pachas, they reward or punish him according to the nature of its contents; his chastisement, when he has incurred any, being remitted for a sum of money. If, as most frequently happens, he is neither to be punished nor rewarded, then, by means of gifts and presents, he obtains whatever office he has most desire for, among those which are vacant: for all public employments are acquired there, not by merit, but by money; everything is bought and sold. Those who have the disposal of offices, extort as much as possible from those who are appointed to them; and these again make their employments, thus obtained, furnish them the means of purchasing, in the same manner, others yet more lucrative. Thus is everything managed throughout this empire: all is violent-an indication that it will not endure long; though I verily believe that it is upheld by our sins-by those, I mean, of such as offend God openly and recklessly, as I have done,-may God, in his goodness, have mercy on me!

"For the reason, then, which I have told you, your master, Hassan Pacha, has been for these four days here in the country; and the former pacha would already have quitted Nicosia, but that he has been very ill: he is now, however, much better; and will certainly come out either to-day or to-morrow, and make his temporary residence in some tents behind this hill, which you have not seen; upon which your master will immediately enter the city. And

B 2

now, I believe, I have fully answered your inquiry."

"Listen, then," said Ricardo; "but I know not whether it will be in my power to fulfil the promise which I made you, of relating my misfortune in a few words; for such is its extent, that all I could use would be inadequate to express it; I will, however, tell you the melancholy story, as well as I am able, and as time will permit. In the first place, I must ask you, whether you remember, in our city of Trapani,* a young lady, who was reputed to be the most beautiful in all Sicily; one of whom the poets sang that her tresses were of gold-that her eyes were dazzling suns-that her cheeks were damask roses-that her teeth were pearls-that her lips were rubiesthat her neck was alabaster; and that all her beauties combined formed such an harmonious and enchanting whole, that Envy herself could not point out a fault in her face or form? And can it be, Mahomet, that thou hast not already recollected her, and bethought thee of her name? Surely thou either dost not hear me, or when thou wert in Trapani, thy senses were torpid!"

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Truly," returned Mahomet, "if she whom you have described as possessing such transcendent loveliness, be not Leonisa, the daughter of Rodolfo Florencio-I know not who she can be, for I never heard of any other so famed for beauty."

"You are right, Mahomet," resumed Ricardo; "she, my friend, has been the cause of my greatest happiness and my greatest misery. 'Tis for her, and not for the loss of liberty, that my eyes have shed, and continue to shed, innumerable tears that my sighs fill the air-that my complaints ascend to heaven. 'Tis she who has occasioned those demonstrations of sorrow, which made you consider me as either a madman or a coward. 'Tis to this Leonisa—a lioness indeed to me; but to another, whom I could mention, gentle as a lamb-that I owe the wretchedness in which you now behold

of it; since they knew that it tended only to a virtuous and honourable union; and so I know they often told Leonisa, to dispose her to receive me for her husband. But she had fixed her eyes upon Cornelio, the son of Ascanio Rotulo, whom you well know, an effeminate fopling, with white hands and curly hair, soft voice and amorous words-richly perfumed and hung round with finery; so that she could look with no pleasure upon me, whose face was not so delicate as Cornelio's, but repaid my many and constant assiduities with the most cruel disdain: yet so excessive was my passion, that I should have thought it comparative happiness to have expired under her scorn, so that she had not openly, though modestly, favoured Cornelio. Consider, then, what I must have felt--tormented as I was at once by the anguish of unrequited love, and the still more cruel pangs of jealousy !Leonisa's parents connived at the favours which she bestowed on Cornelio, thinking, as indeed they might well do, that the youth, attracted by her incomparable beauty, would ask her in marriage, and that so they should get a richer son-inlaw than I should be-and so they might; though, without presumption, I may affirm that they would not have obtained one of a better condition, or a more elevated mind.

"While things were in this train, one day of the last spring I happened to hear that Leonisa and her parents, together with Cornelio and his, were gone to take their pleasure in Ascanio's garden, which is near the sea-shore, on the way to the salt-mines."

"Go on," said Mahomet, "I know it well, for I have spent many a pleasant hour in it."

"Well," continued Ricardo, "I was informed of their going thither; and I no sooner knew it, than the demon of jealousy agitated my soul with such violence, that my reason was overpowered, as you will judge from what I immediately did, which was to go straight to the garden, where I found the party I have enumerated; and a little apart from the rest, under a walnut-tree, were seated Cornelio and Leonisa. I know not what were their feelings on seeing me, but I know that on beholding them, I remained for a while mute and motionless as a statue: my vexation, however, shortly grew into anger, and my anger speedily found words; for though my

+ The large salt-works in the neighbourhood of Trapani, are still celebrated.

hands were restrained by the veneration which seemed to me to be due to the beauteous countenance before me, my tongue broke forth in some such terms as these: "Thou doubtless feelest happy, fair enemy of my repose, in having in quiet and security before thine eyes him who is the cause that mine perpetually mourn! Approach, O cruel maid! approach yet a little nearer, and, like the woodbine, clasp that tender sapling-comb or curl those ringlets of thy Ganymede, who so tepidly solicits thee-surrender thyself entirely to the green age of that stripling upon whom thou art gazing-that despair may at once relieve me from the life which I loathe. And dost thou think, O scornful and inconsiderate damsel! that for thee alone the custom of the world in such cases will be altered? Dost thou think that this youth, whom his wealth makes proud, his figure vain, his birth presumptuous, and who, with his few years, has so little experience, is either able or willing to be constantthat he can estimate that which is almost inestimable, or have the knowledge of maturer and more experienced years? If thou dost think so, think so no longer: for, truly, the only good quality the world can boast, is, that in certain circumstances, it always acts in a certain manner; so that none can be deceived by it except through their own ignorance. In the very young there is, great fickleness; in the rich there is pride; in the arrogant there is vanity; in the handsome there is scornfulness; and in those who unite all these qualities there is folly, which is the parent of all evil. And thou, effeminate youth, who thinkest to carry off so much at thine ease the prize so much more due to the ardour of my passion than to the indolence of thine-why dost thou not rise from thy flowery couch, and come to strike at the heart which so much detests thee ?-not that thou wrongest me in what thou art doing, but that thou art incapable of appreciating the treasure which fortune sets before thee: little indeed must thou value it, since thou wilt not move a step to defend it, for fear of disturbing the affected arrangement of thy glittering apparel! Truly, had Achilles been of thy quiet temper, Ulysses' persuasions had been fruitless, though he had shewn him all the brilliant armour and weapons in the world:-go, go, and amuse thyself among thy mother's maidens; there take care of thy dainty locks and thy delicate fingers, much fitter to wind silk than to grasp a sword."

from the place where I had found him sitting, but remained quite still, gazing at me as if in amazement: but the loud tone in which I had addressed him, brought together the persons who were scattered about the garden, to listen to the reproaches which I continued to heap upon Cornelio: and he, encouraged by their presence-for all or most of them were his relatives, servants, or friendsoffered so rise: but before he got upon his feet, I had drawn my sword, and assailed not only him, but all the bystanders. Scarcely had Leonisa seen my sword glitter, before she fell into a deep swoon, the sight of which did but increase my fury. Whether it was that the many whom I attacked, only strove to defend themselves, as men do when assailed by a furious maniac, or that it was owing to my good fortune and dexterity, or that it was the will of heaven, which reserved me for greater misfortunes, I know not; but the fact is, that I wounded seven or eight of those who were nearest me. Cornelio availed himself of the activity of his limbs; for he betook himself so nimbly to flight, that he entirely escaped me.

"In this imminent danger-surrounded by my enemies, who were already preparing to revenge my aggressionfortune brought me succour; but it was of such a kind, that I had better have been deprived of my life, than have had it saved in so unexpected a manner, only to bewail my existence for evermore. The garden was suddenly entered by a considerable number of Turks from two corsair galiots of Biserta,* who had landed in a creek, at a little distance, without being perceived by the sentinels at the towers on the shore, or discovered by the runners or scouts of the coast. As soon as my antagonists beheld them, they betook themselves to flight; so that of all that were in the garden, the Turks only succeeded in capturing three individuals, besides Leonisa, who had not yet recovered from her swoon. They took me with four ugly gashes upon me, which however were paid by the lives of four Turks, whom I laid dead upon the ground. This surprise, the Turks managed with their accustomed celerity; and, though not very well satisfied with the result, they immediately re-embarked, and, by force of sail and oar, arrived in

a little time at the Island of Favignana. †

* A sea-port town on the Barbary coast, in the kingdom of Tunis.

+ One of several small islands on the Sicilian coast, a few leagues to the south-west of Tra