never hear of a murder but I think of a friend of
mine who — but I won't detain you, for the sea is
getting up — we'll have a blowy night, I'm afraid."
"So you don't want any fish to-day?" cried the
stranger, " then I'll be off — Good morning, good
morning. I suppose you'll have the Government
boat alongside by-and-by." I now heard the sound
of oars, and supposed, from the conversation having
ceased, that the fishermen had departed. Anger-
stoff came down to the cabin soon after, and re-
leased me without speaking a word.
Marietta then approached him, and, taking hold
of his arm, said, " Do you believe what that man
has told you?" — "Yes, by the eternal hell!" cried
he, vehemently; "I suspect I will find the truth
of it soon enough." "My God!" exclaimed she,
" what is to become of us ? — How dreadful ! Wo
90 TALES FROM "BLACKWOOD."
are chained here, and cannot escape." — " Escape
what?" interrupted Angerstoff ; — "girl, you have
lost your senses. Why should we fear the officers
of justice? Keep a guard over your tongue."
" Oh," returned Marietta, "I talk without thinking,
or understanding my own words ; hut come upon
deck, and let me speak with you there." They now
went up the gangway stairs together, and continued
in deep conversation for some time.
Angerstoff gradually became more agitated as
the day advanced. He watched upon deck almost
without intermission, and seemed irresolute what to
do, sometimes sitting down composedly, and at
other times hurrying backwards and forwards, with
clenched hands and bloodless cheeks. The wind
blew pretty fresh from the shore, and there was a
heavy swell ; and I supposed, from the anxious
looks with which he contemplated the sky, that he
hoped the threatening aspect of the weather would
prevent the government boat from putting out to
sea. He kept his glass constantly in his hand, and
surveyed the ocean through it in all directions.
At length he suddenly dashed the instrument
away, and exclaimed, " God help us ! they are com-
ing now ! " Marietta, on hearing this, ran wildly
towards him, and put her hands in his, but he
pushed her to one side, and began to pace the deck,
apparently in deep thought. After a little time, he
started, and cried, " I have it now ! — It's the only
THE FLOATING BEACON. 91
plan — I'll manage the business — yes, yes — I'll cut
the cables, and off we'll go — that's settled ! " He
then seized an axe, and first divided the hawser at
the bows, and afterwards the one attached to the
stern.
The vessel immediately began to drift away, and
having no sails or helm to steady her, rolled with
such violence that I was dashed from side to side
several times. She often swung over so much that I
thought she would not regain the upright position,
and Angerstoff all the while unconsciously strength-
ened this belief, by exclaiming, " She will capsize!
shift the ballast, or we must go to the bottom!"
In the midst of this, I kept my station upon deck,
intently watching the boat, which was still several
miles distant. I waited in fearful expectation, think-
ing that every new wave against which we were
impelled would burst upon our vessel and over-
whelm us, while our pursuers were too far off to afford
any assistance. The idea of perishing when on the
point of being saved was inexpressibly agonising.
As the day advanced, the hopes I had entertained
of the boat making up with us gradually diminished.
The wind blew violently, and we drifted along at a
rapid rate, and the weather grew so hazy that our
pursuers soon became quite undistinguishable. Ma-
rietta and Angerstoff appeared to be stupified with
teiTor. They stood motionless, holding firmly by
the bulwarks of the vessel ; and though the waves
92 TALftS FROM " BLACKWOOD.
frequently broke over the deck, and rushed down
the gangway, they did not offer to shut the com-
panion door, which would have remained open had
I not closed it. The tempest, gloom, and danger
that thickened around us, neither elicited from them
any expressions of mutual regard, nor seemed to
produce the slightest sympathetic emotion in their
bosoms. They gazed sternly at each other and at
me, and every time the vessel rolled, clung with
convulsive eagerness to whatever lay within their
reach.
About sunset our attention was attracted by a
dreadful roaring, which evidently did not proceed
from the waves around us ; but the atmosphere
being very hazy, we were unable to ascertain the
cause of it for a long time. At length we distin-
guished a range of high cliffs, against which the
sea beat with terrible fury. Whenever the surge
broke upon them, large jets of foam started up to a
great height, and flashed angrily over their black
and rugged surfaces, while the wind moaned and
whistled with fearful caprice among the projecting
points of rock. A dense mist covered the upper
part of the cliffs, and prevented us from seeing if
there were any houses upon their summits, though
this point appeared of little importance, for we
drifted towards the shore so fast that immediate
death seemed inevitable.
We soon felt our vessel bound twice against the
THE FLOATING BEACON. 93
sand, and in a little time after a heavy sea carried
Ler up the beach, where she remained imbedded
and hard aground. During the ebb of the waves
there was not more than two feet of water round
her bows. I immediately perceived this, and watch-
ing a favourable opportunity, swung nyself down
to the beach by means of part of the cable that
projected through the hawse-hole. I began to run
towards the cliffs the moment my feet touched the
ground, and Angerstoff attempted to follow me, that
he might prevent my escape ; but, while in the act
of descending from the vessel, the sea flowed in
with such violence that he was obliged to spring-
on board again to save himself from being over-
whelmed by its waters.
I hurried on and began to climb up the rocks,
which were very steep and slippery ; but I soon
grew breathless from fatigue, and found it neces-
sary to stop. It was now almost dark, and when I
looked around, I neither saw anything distinctly,
nor could form the least idea how far I had still to
ascend before I reached the top of the cliffs. I
knew not which way to turn my steps, and remained
irresolute, till the barking of a dog faintly struck
my ear. I joyfully followed the sound, and, after
an hour of perilous exertion, discovered a light at
some distance, which I soon found to proceed from
the window of a small hut.
After I had knocked repeatedly, the door was
94 TALES FROM " BLACKWOOD."
opened by an old man, with a lamp in his hand.
He started back on seeing me, for my dress was
wet and disordered, my face and hands had been
wounded while scrambling among the rocks, and
fatigue and terror had given me a wan and agitated
look. I entered the house, the inmates of which
were a woman and a boy, and having seated myself
near the fire, related to my host all that had occurred
on board the floating beacon, and then requested
him to accompany me down to the beach, that we
might search for Angerstoff and Marietta. " No,
no," cried he ; " that is impossible. Hear how the
storm rages ! Worlds would not induce me to have
any communication with murderers. It would be
impious to attempt it on such a night as this. The
Almighty is surely punishing them now ! Come
here and look out."
I followed him to the door, but the moment he
opened it the wind extinguished the lamp. Total
darkness prevailed without, and a chaos of rushing,
bursting, and moaning sounds swelled upon the
ear with irregular loudness. The blast swept round
the hut in violent eddyings, and we felt the chilly
spray of the sea driving upon our faces at intervals.
I shuddered, and the old man closed the door, and
then resumed his seat near the fire.
My entertainer made a bed for me upon the floor,
but the noise of the tempest, and the anxiety I felt
about the fate of Angerstoff and Marietta, kept me
THE FLOATING BEACON. 95
awake the greater part of the night. Soon after
dawn my host accompanied me down to the heach.
We found the wreck of the floating beacon, but
were unable to discover any traces of the guilty pair
whom I had left on board of it.
COLONNA THE PAINTER
A TALE OF ITALY AND THE ARTS.
[MAGA. September 1829.J
[The following '' Tale of Italy and the Arts " was submitted in MS.
to the late Mr Coleridge, who signified his approval by giving to the
writer, as an appropriate heading, two then unpublished stanzas from
his admirable translation of Goethe's Song of Mignon in " Wilhelm
Meister," beginning " Kennst du das Land ?"]
Know'st thou the Land where the pale Citrons blow.
And Golden Fruits through dark green foliage glow 1
O soft the breeze that breathes from that blue sky !
Still stand the Myrtles and the Laurels high.
Know'st thou it well? O thither, Friend !
Thither with thee, Beloved ! would I wend.
Know'st thou the House ? On Columns rests its Height j
Shines the Saloon ; the Chambers glisten bright ;
A7id Marble Figures stand and look at me —
Ah, thou poor Child ! what have they done to thee !
Know'st thou it well? O thither, Friend !
Thither with thee, Protector ! would I wend.
S. T. Coleridge, from Goethe.
INTRODUCTION.
AFTER the fall of Napoleon had given peace to
Europe, and insipidity to a soldier's life, I re-
turned with my regiment to B , and too soon dis •
covered that the lounging habits and quiet security
of parade and garrison service were miserable sub-
stitutes for the high and stirring excitement of the
bivouac, the skirmish, and the battle. I found myself
o
2 TALES FROM "BLACKWOOD.
gradually sinking into a state of mental atrophy, peril-
ous alike to physical and moral health ; and, after a
fruitless struggle of some months with these morbid
longings for old habits and associations, I determined
to quit the army, and to realise the favourite day-
dream of my early youth — a walk through Italy ;
hoping, by two years of travel and incessant inter-
course with men and books, to gain a fresh hold upon
life and happiness, and to repair, in some measure,
those deficiencies in my education, which the pre-
mature adoption of a military life had necessarily
involved.
Pausing a few days at Vienna, I formed a friendly
intimacy with a young and intelligent Venetian, of
the ancient senatorial house of F i ; and, on my
return through Venice, after a rewarding and de-
lightful residence of two years in various parts of
Italy, I met my Vienna friend in one of the taverns
of St Mark's. After a cordial greeting, he told me
that he was obliged to leave Venice on the ensuing
day, to take possession of an estate and villa in
Lombardy, bequeathed to him by a deceased rela-
tive. The gardens, he added, covered the slope of
a woody hill, which commanded a wide view over
the classic shores and environs of the Lake of Garda;
and the mansion, although time-worn and ruinous,
contained some fine old paintings, and a store of old
books and manuscripts which had not seen the light
for ages. I had already experienced the keen delight
COLONNA THE PAINTER. 3
of exploring the mines of literary wealth contained
in the old libraries of Italy, and I did not hesitate to
accept the cordial invitation to accompany him which
closed this alluring description of his Lombard villa.
We left Venice the following morning, and,
proceeding by easy journeys through Padua and
Verona, we reached the villa on the evening of the
third day, and installed ourselves in the least de-
cayed apartments of the ruinous but still imposing
and spacious mansion. On the ensuing day I rose
early, and hastened to examine some large fresco
paintings in the saloon, which had powerfully ex-
cited my curiosity during a cursory view by lamp-
light. They were admirably designed, and, from
the recurrence in all of the remarkable form and
features of a young man of great personal beauty,
they were evidently a connected series ; but, with
the exception of two, the colouring and details were
nearly obliterated by time and the humid air from
the contiguous lake. Upon scrolls beneath the two
least injured paintings were the inscriptions of La
Scoperta and La Vendetta ; and the incidents deli-
neated in them were so powerfully drawn, and so
full of dramatic expression, that a novelist of mode-
rate ingenuity would readily have constructed from
them an effective romance. The picture subscribed
La Scoperta represented the interior of an elegant
saloon decorated in Italian taste with pictures, busts,
and candelabra. In the foreground was seated a
4 TALES FROM "BLACKWOOD."
young artist in the plain garb rendered familiar to
modern eyes by the portraits of Kaphael and other
painters of the sixteenth century ; a short cloak and
doublet of black cloth, and tight black pantaloons of
woven silk. The form and features of this youth
were eminently noble. His countenance beamed
with dignity and power, and his tall figure displayed
a classic symmetry and grandeur which forcibly re-
minded me of that magnificent statue, the reposing
Discobolus. Before him were an easel and canvass,
on which was distinguishable the roughly sketched
likeness of a robust and middle-aged man sitting
opposite to him in the middle-ground of the picture,
and richly attired in a Spanish mantle of velvet.
His sleeves were slashed and embroidered in the
fashion of the period, and his belt and dagger glit-
tered with adornments of gold and jewels ; while
his golden spurs, and the steel corselet which covered
his ample chest, indicated a soldier of distinguished
rank. In the background stood a tall and handsome
youth leaning with folded arms against the window-
niche. He was attired in the splendid costume of
the Venetian nobles, as represented in the portraits
of Titian and Paul Veronese, and his dark eyes were
fixed upon the painter and his model with an ex-
pression of intense and wondering solicitude. And
truly the impassioned looks and attitudes of the
individuals before him were well adapted to excite
sympathy and astonishment. The young artist sat
COLONNA THE PAINTER. 5
erect, his tall figure somewhat thrown back, and
his right hand, holding the pencil, was resting on
the elbow of his chair ; while from his glowing and
dilated features, intense hatred and mortal defiance
blazed out upon the man whose portrait he had
begun to paint. In the delineation of the broad and
knitted brow, the eagle-fierceness of the full and
brilliant eye, and the stern compression of the lips,
the unknown artist had been wonderfully success-
ful, and not less so in the display of very opposite
emotions in the harsh and repulsive lineaments of
the personage sitting for his portrait. The wild
expression of every feature indicated that he had
suddenly made some strange and startling discovery.
His face was of a livid and deadly yellow ; his small
and deep-set eyes were fixed in the wide stare of
terror upon the artist; and his person was half raised
from his seat, while his hands convulsively clutched
the elbows of the chair. In short, his look and ges-
ture were those of a man who, while unconscious
of danger, had suddenly roused a sleeping lion.
The companion picture, called La Vendetta,
portrayed a widely different scene and circum-
stance. The locality was a deep ravine, the shel-
ving sides of which were thickly covered with
trees ; and the background of this woody hollow
was blocked up to a considerable height by the
leafy branches of recently hewn timber. In the
right foreground were two horses, saddled and
6 TALES FROM "BLACKWOOD.
bridled, and at their feet the bleeding corpses of two
men, clothed in splendid Greek costume. On the
left of the painting appeared the young Venetian
nobleman before described: he was on horseback,
and watching, with looks of deep interest and ex-
citement, the issue of a mortal combat between the
two prominent figures in La Scoperta. But here the
younger man was no longer in the plain and unas-
suming garb of an artist. He was attired in a
richly embroidered vest of scarlet and gold ; white
pantaloons of woven silk displayed advantageously
the full and perfect contour of his limbs ; while a
short mantello of dark-blue velvet fell gracefully
from his shoulders, and a glossy feather in his
Spanish hat waved over his fine features, which told
an eloquent tale of triumph and of gratified revenge.
His antagonist, a man of large and muscular pro-
portions, was apparelled as in the other picture, ex-
cepting that he had no mantle, and was cased in
back and. breast armour of scaled steel. He had
been just disarmed ; his sword, of formidable length,
had flown above his head; while a naked dagger lay
on the ground under his left hand, which hung life-
less by his side, and from a gaping wound in the
wrist issued a stream of blood.
The sword-point of the young painter was buried
in the throat of his mailed opponent, whose livid
hue and rayless eyeballs already indicated that his
wound was mortal.
COLONNA THE PAINTER. 7
I was intently gazing upon these mysterious
pictures when my friend entered the saloon, and in
reply to my eager inquiries, informed me that the
series of paintings around us portrayed some
romantic family incidents which had occurred in
the sixteenth century ; and that these frescos had
been designed by an able amateur artist, who was
indeed the hero of this romance of Italian life, and
after whom this apartment was still called the
Saloon of Colonna. The late proprietor of the villa,
he continued, had mentioned some years since the
discovery of a manuscript in the library, which
gave a detailed account of the incidents on these
pictured walls, and which, if we could find it, would
well reward the trouble of perusal.
My curiosity received a fresh impulse from this
intelligence. Telling my friend that I would in-
vestigate his books while he visited his tenants, I
proceeded after breakfast to tho library ; and, after
some hours of fruitless search, I discovered, in a
mass of wormeaten manuscripts, an untitled, but
apparently connected narrative, which forcibly
arrested my attention by the romantic charm of the
incidents, the energy of the language, and the
spirited criticisms on fine art with which it was
interwoven. The hero of the tale was an ardent
and imaginative Italian ; at once a painter and an
improvisatore ; a man of powerful and expansive
intellect ; and glowing with intense enthusiasm for
8 TALES FROM "BLACKWOOD.
classic and ancient lore, and for the beautiful in art
and nature. The diction of this manuscript was,
like the man it portrayed, lofty and impassioned ;
and, when describing the rich landscapes of Italy,
or the wonders of human art which adorn that
favoured region, it occasionally rose into a sus-
tained harmony, a rhythmical beauty and balance,
of which no modern language but that of Italy is
susceptible. Dipping at random through its pages,
I saw with delight the name of Colonna ; and, ere
long, discovered an animated description of the
singular scene portrayed ii: La Scoperta.
On my friend's return in the evening, I held up
the manuscript in triumph as ho approached ; and,
after a repast in the Colonna saloon, F i, who,
although a Venetian, could read his native tongue
with Roman purity of accent, opened at my request
the time-stained volume, and read as follows.
CHAPTER I.
On a bright May morning, in the year 1575, my
gondola was gliding under the guns of a Turkish
frigate in the harbour of Venice, when she fired a
broadside in compliment to the Doge's marriage
with the Adriatic. The rolling of the stately vessel
gave a sudden impulse to the light vehicle in which
I was then standing to obtain a better view of the
COLONNA THE PAINTER. 9
festivities around me ; the unexpected and stun-
ning report deprived me for a moment of self-
possession and balance, and I was precipitated into
the water. The encumbrance of a cloak rendered
swimming impracticable, and, after some vain
attempts to remain on the surface, I went down.
When restored to consciousness, I found myself in
the gondola, supported by a young man, whose drip-
ping garments told me that I had been saved from
untimely death by his courage and promptitude.
" Our bath has been a cold one," said he, address-
ing me with a friendly and cheering smile. Too
much exhausted to reply, I could only grasp his
hand with silent and expressive fervour. This
incident deprived the festival of all attraction ; and,
soon as I had regained sufficient strength, the
young stranger proposed that we should return to
the city for a change of dress. Still weak and ex-
hausted, I gladly assented to his proposal, and we
left the Bucentoro escorted by a thousand vessels,
and saluted by the thunders of innumerable cannon,
proceeding to the open sea to celebrate the high
espousals.
My companion left me at the portal of my fa-
ther's palace. He refused to enter it, nor would he
reveal his name and residence ; but he embraced
me cordially, and promised an early visit. During
the remainder of the day, I could not for a moment
banish the image of my unknown benefactor from
10 TALES FROM " BLACKWOOD."
my memory. It was obvious, from bis accent, tbat
he was no Venetian. His language was tbe purest
Tuscan, and conveyed in a voice rich, deep, and
impassioned, beyond any in my experience. He
was attired in tbe dark and homely garb of a
student in painting ; but be was in tbe full bloom
of youth, and bis tall figure was cast in the finest
mould of manlike beauty. His raven locks clustered
round a lofty and capacious brow ; bis full dark
eyes sparkled with intelligence and fire ; while his
fresh and finely-compressed lips indicated habits
of decision and refinement, and gave a nameless
charm to all ho uttered. His deportment was
noble and commanding; bis step bounding and
elastic ; and there was an impressive and startling
vehemence, a fervour and impetuosity in every
look and gesture, which made me regard him as
one of a new and almost supernatural order of
beings. My heart swelled with an aching and
uncontrollable impatience to see him again, which
cpiickened every pulse to feverish rapidity ; my
senses, however, were still confused and giddy with
long immersion in the water, and I endeavoured to
recruit my exhausted powers by repose. Tbe
evening found me more tranquil, and I wandered
forth to view the regatta on the grand canal. These
boat-races greatly contribute to form the skill and
energy which distinguish the Venetian mariners.
Strength, dexterity, and ardour, are indispensable
COLONNA THE PAINTER. 11
to success in contending for the prizes ; and the
eager competition of the candidates imparts an
intense interest to these festivities, which require
only a Pindar to elevate them into classical im-
portance. The entire surface of the spacious canal
was foaming with the dash of oars, and resounding
with the exuberant gaiety of the Venetians ; while
the tapestried balconies of the surrounding palaces
were crowded with all the beauty and chivalry of
Venice ; and the glittering windows reflected the
rays of the setting sun upon happy faces innu-
merable.
Proceeding to the place of St Mark, I paced in a
contemplative mood over its surface until the day
closed, and the night-breeze diffused a delicious
coolness. I looked into several of the taverns
under the arcades to observe the company assem-
bled, and fancied that I discerned in one of them
the generous youth who had rescued me from such
imminent danger. Availing myself of Venetian
privilege, I entered without unmasking, and found
my conjecture verified. This tavern was the
habitual resort of the artists resident in Venice, and
the assembled individuals appeared to be engaged
in vehement controversy.
Paul Veronese was addressing them as I entered.
" Who," said he, " is most competent to pass judg-
ment upon a work of art ? Certainly the man who
has accurately observed the appearances of nature,
12 TALES FROM " BLACKWOOD.'
and who can determine the limits of art. I despise
the dotards who contend that a man of taste and
intellect must have been a dauber of canvass,
before he can decide upon the merits of a picture.
The ludicrous certificate of approval which the
German horse-dealers chalked upon the bronze
horses of St Mark's, outweighed, in my estimation,
a volume of professional cant. Trained to a sound
knowledge of their trade in the studs of Germany,
they felt and understood all the excellence of these