Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine

Blackwood's Edinburgh
Magazine - Volume 55, No. 342,
April, 1844

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine,
No.
CCCXLII. Vol. LV. April, 1844, by Various This eBook is for the use
of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.net
Title: Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXLII. Vol. LV.
April, 1844
Author: Various
Release Date: October 5, 2004 [EBook #13633]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE ***

Produced by Jon Ingram, Victoria Woosley, the PG Online Distributed
Proofreading Team, and The Internet Library of Early Journals

BLACKWOOD'S
EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

No. CCCXLII. APRIL, 1844. VOL. LV.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE PIRATES OF SEGNA. --A TALE OF VENICE AND THE
ADRIATIC. IN TWO PARTS.--
PART II.
THE SLAVE-TRADE.
MOSLEM HISTORIES OF SPAIN. --THE ARABS OF CORDOVA.
TWO NIGHTS IN SOUTHERN MEXICO. --A FRAGMENT FROM
THE JOURNAL OF AN AMERICAN TRAVELLER.
THE BRITISH FLEET.
MARSTON; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A STATESMAN. --
PART X.
THE CHILD'S WARNING.
THE TWO PATRONS.
IRELAND.

THE PIRATES OF SEGNA.
A TALE OF VENICE AND THE ADRIATIC. IN TWO PARTS.

PART II.

CHAPTER I

.--THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE.
The time occupied by the events detailed in the three preceding
chapters, had been passed by Antonio in a state of self-exile from his
master's studio. Conscious of having disobeyed the earnest injunctions
of Contarini, the weakness of his character withheld him alike from
confessing his fault, and from encountering the penetrating gaze of the
old painter. Neglecting thus his usual occupation, he passed his days in
his gondola, wandering about the canals in the hope of again meeting
with the mysterious being who had made such an impression on his
excitable fancy. Hitherto all his researches had been fruitless; but
although day after day passed without his finding the smallest trace of
her he sought, his repeated disappointments seemed only to increase
the obstinacy with which he continued the search.
The incognita not only engrossed all his waking thoughts, but she still
haunted him in his dreams. Scarcely a night passed that her wrinkled
countenance did not hover round his pillow, now partially shrouded by
the ample veil, then again fully exposed and apparently exulting in its
unearthly ugliness; or else peering at him from behind the drapery that
covered the walls of his apartment. In vain did he attempt to address the
vision, or to follow it as it gradually receded and finally melted away
into distance.
It was from a dream of this description that he was one morning
awakened by his faithful gondolier Jacopo. The sun was shining
brightly through his chamber windows, and he heard an unusual degree
of noise and bustle upon the canal without.
"Up, Signor mio!" cried the gondolier joyously, and with a mixture of
respect and affectionate familiarity in his tone and manner. "Up, Signor
Antonio! You were not wont to oversleep yourself on the day of the
Bridge Fight. All Venice is hastening thither. Quick, quick! or we shall
never be able to make our way through the press of gondolas."
The words of the gondolier reminded Antonio that this was the day
appointed for the celebration of a festival, which for weeks past had
been looked forward to with the greatest impatience and interest, by
Venetians of all ranks, ages, and sexes; a festival which he himself was
in the habit of regularly attending, though on this occasion his
preoccupied thoughts and feelings had made him utterly unconscious
that it was so near at hand.

Although the ancient and bitter hatred of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
had died away, and the factions which divided northern Italy had sunk
into insignificance, nearly a century before this period, the memory of
their feuds was still kept up by their great grandchildren, and Venice
was still severed into two parties or communities, separated from each
other by the grand canal. Those who dwelt on the western or land side
of this boundary were styled the Nicolotti, after the parish of San
Nicolo; while those on the eastern or sea side took the appellation of
Castellani, from the district of Castello. Not only the inhabitants of the
city itself, but those of the suburbs and neighbouring country, were
included in these two denominations; the people from Mestre and the
continent ranging themselves under the banners of the Nicolotti, while
those from the islands were strenuous Castellani.
The frequent and sanguinary conflicts of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
were now replaced and commemorated by a popular festival, occurring
sometimes once, sometimes oftener in the year; usually in the autumn
or spring. "In