. Men and manners of old Florence . th Tullia gave up all ejffort and let herselffloat with the stream ; she felt that the river of herlife was nearing its mouth, and would presently flowout into that great Dead Sea wherein even the mostturbulent streams stagnate. The courtesan is superstitious and a fatalist bynature, like some empress-adventuress, and at the firstdefeat, the first reverse of fortune, she loses hercourage and gives up the game. In the presenceof the magistrates Tullia had suddenly forgotten allher former pride as off*spring of a royal house, and hadshown none of the haughty g
. Men and manners of old Florence . th Tullia gave up all ejffort and let herselffloat with the stream ; she felt that the river of herlife was nearing its mouth, and would presently flowout into that great Dead Sea wherein even the mostturbulent streams stagnate. The courtesan is superstitious and a fatalist bynature, like some empress-adventuress, and at the firstdefeat, the first reverse of fortune, she loses hercourage and gives up the game. In the presenceof the magistrates Tullia had suddenly forgotten allher former pride as off*spring of a royal house, and hadshown none of the haughty grandeur she had displayedat Ferrara. Fugaces labuntur anni ! Varchi found it impossible to resist such earnestpleading, and in all probability he himself wrotethe following petition which Don Pedro of Toledohanded to the Duchess :— To THE Most Illustrious and Most ExcellentLady Duchess : Tullia of Arragon, your Excellencys mosthumble servant, having taken refuge in Florence fromthe last tumult in Siena, and not comporting herself. Photo-] ELEONORA DI TOLEDO. UY liKONZIXO. [Alinari.[To face paiic 234. (- TULLIA OF ARRAGON 235 as do the other women, hardly indeed ever leaving herchamber, not to speak of her house, by reason ofsickness both of mind and body, doth pray YourExcellency, in orderthat she may not be obliged todepart, to move His Illustrious Excellency the Dukeyour Consort that he will grant her the favour that,even if she may no longer wear the few garments whichhave remained unto her use, as she doth petition in herwriting, that she may at least be exempt from wearingthe yellow veil. And adding this unto the other manyand great obligations for which she is indebted untoYour Excellency, she will pray God that He will keepyou ever in health and happiness. The petition was granted, thanks to the Duchess,who persuaded the Duke to endorse it with his ownhand in the words, Fasseli gratia •per poetessa^ whichmay be seen upon the original document, still preservedin the S
Size: 1413px × 1768px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidmenmannersofoldf00biag
