-
Articles/Ads
Article THE RING OF CHARLEMAGNE. ← Page 2 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ring Of Charlemagne.
ness of love . The Emperor was then in his thirty-eighth year . The object of his passion was a Roman beauty , named Saphira , and who , to the gifts of that dread power which beauty always confers , was endowed with those light and elegant arts that women know so well how to use to attach hearts to them ; and , still more , she was an enchantress , versed in other and less holy and legitimate sources of attraction . She was the same enchantress whom Virgil has described for all futurity , crowned with dark wreaths , and brandishing the symbolic laurel bough , with which she traced around her the magic circle wherein she sought to encompass her lover : —»
" Duette ab urbe domum , mea camrina , ducite Daphnim . " _ When Charles left Rome to proceed to Brabant , he took Saphira with him . On the evening previous to his departure , the beautiful Roman went to consult a sister enchantress , who resided at the other side of the Tiber , and whose reputation in her art was at the highest . " Shall I preserve the affections of Charles ? " she asked of the Transtiburine Zingarain a voice where love and fear held divided
, supremacy , " As long , " was the reply , " as you preserve the ring which I shall now give you . " _ And Saphira saw on the witch ' s wrinkled fingers a small plain gold ring , in the centre of which was set a magnificent brilliant . " What , and whose ring is it ? " demanded -Saphira . " lt formerly belonged to Cleopatra" gravely replied the sorceress
, ; " and it was through its spell that the Egyptian queen , who was small , dark-complexioned , and mean-looking , came to be so beloved b y Antony . What , then , shall measure the powers of this jewel when it becometh yours—you , who are the Queen of Beauty ? It is composed of the purest gold , and the holy Father , Adrian , has blessed it . Know , then , that it has received all powerful consecrations . When Hannibal caused an urn full of the rings of the Roman knights slain at Canna * to be
brought to his tent , the sparkle of this brilliant caught his eye , and he wore it for some time ; hence his success in all his enterprizes during the continuance of that period . But one day he lost it , and from that instant his generals betrayed him , and it was only in flight he thenceforward fought nobly- Take thou the ring , the talisman of glory and good fortune ; in your hands may it again prove the talisman of love ; never lose itand shall be always belovedalways powerful—Bthe
, you , . y way , is not your name Saphira ? " " Yes , " was the careless answer of her visiter ; " that is my name . " " As it should be ; this stone is a sapphire also ; your own this ring . Preserve it therefore carefully ; and when you are about to die , instead of the obolus put under the tongue of the dead to pay for the last voyage , keep this ring in your mouth , and Charles will love you even in death . Farewell !"
The latter part of the old hag s promise did not appear to give over much pleasure to Saphira , who ( naturally enough , I hear some young lady listener say ) preferred to be loved while living , to this posthumous affection . Nevertheless , she took possession of the mysterious ring , raised it to her eye , and touched it with her lip , the sweet and odorous breath from which vainly sought to tarnish its lustre . And then , after putting it carefully on her finger , she thanked the sorceress , and quitted her dwelling .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ring Of Charlemagne.
ness of love . The Emperor was then in his thirty-eighth year . The object of his passion was a Roman beauty , named Saphira , and who , to the gifts of that dread power which beauty always confers , was endowed with those light and elegant arts that women know so well how to use to attach hearts to them ; and , still more , she was an enchantress , versed in other and less holy and legitimate sources of attraction . She was the same enchantress whom Virgil has described for all futurity , crowned with dark wreaths , and brandishing the symbolic laurel bough , with which she traced around her the magic circle wherein she sought to encompass her lover : —»
" Duette ab urbe domum , mea camrina , ducite Daphnim . " _ When Charles left Rome to proceed to Brabant , he took Saphira with him . On the evening previous to his departure , the beautiful Roman went to consult a sister enchantress , who resided at the other side of the Tiber , and whose reputation in her art was at the highest . " Shall I preserve the affections of Charles ? " she asked of the Transtiburine Zingarain a voice where love and fear held divided
, supremacy , " As long , " was the reply , " as you preserve the ring which I shall now give you . " _ And Saphira saw on the witch ' s wrinkled fingers a small plain gold ring , in the centre of which was set a magnificent brilliant . " What , and whose ring is it ? " demanded -Saphira . " lt formerly belonged to Cleopatra" gravely replied the sorceress
, ; " and it was through its spell that the Egyptian queen , who was small , dark-complexioned , and mean-looking , came to be so beloved b y Antony . What , then , shall measure the powers of this jewel when it becometh yours—you , who are the Queen of Beauty ? It is composed of the purest gold , and the holy Father , Adrian , has blessed it . Know , then , that it has received all powerful consecrations . When Hannibal caused an urn full of the rings of the Roman knights slain at Canna * to be
brought to his tent , the sparkle of this brilliant caught his eye , and he wore it for some time ; hence his success in all his enterprizes during the continuance of that period . But one day he lost it , and from that instant his generals betrayed him , and it was only in flight he thenceforward fought nobly- Take thou the ring , the talisman of glory and good fortune ; in your hands may it again prove the talisman of love ; never lose itand shall be always belovedalways powerful—Bthe
, you , . y way , is not your name Saphira ? " " Yes , " was the careless answer of her visiter ; " that is my name . " " As it should be ; this stone is a sapphire also ; your own this ring . Preserve it therefore carefully ; and when you are about to die , instead of the obolus put under the tongue of the dead to pay for the last voyage , keep this ring in your mouth , and Charles will love you even in death . Farewell !"
The latter part of the old hag s promise did not appear to give over much pleasure to Saphira , who ( naturally enough , I hear some young lady listener say ) preferred to be loved while living , to this posthumous affection . Nevertheless , she took possession of the mysterious ring , raised it to her eye , and touched it with her lip , the sweet and odorous breath from which vainly sought to tarnish its lustre . And then , after putting it carefully on her finger , she thanked the sorceress , and quitted her dwelling .