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Full Title
The Weekly novelette, v. III, no. 1, Saturday, March 20, 1858, [incomplete].
Contributor
Cobb, Sylvanus, Jr.
Date Added
26 June 2019
Format
Newspaper
Language
English
Publish Date
1858-03-20
Publisher
Boston : [M. M. Ballou]
Alternate Title
The Lost heir; or, The Duke and the Lazzarone : a tale of Naples and its environs / by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. Duke and the Lazzarone
Topic
American literature > Periodicals. American literature > 19th century > Periodicals. Popular literature > United States > 19th century > Periodicals. Story papers > Specimens. Naples (Italy) > Fiction.
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Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
I
[Entered according to Act of Congress in the Clerk’s Ofnce of the
District Court of M:issachiisstts.]
sea seas unis:
.0“:
-THE DUKE AND THE LAZZARUHE.
A TALE OF NAPLFE AND ITS ENVIRONS.
nr srnvnsns cons, J3.
CHAPTER I.
run non.
AMONG travellers, “Vxnr NAPOLI E POI Mont,”
- has long been a saying. " See Naples, and then die I”
For my part, though to “ see Naples " is a privile e, I
would rather see many other places that have been
opened to my vision and pictured upon the varied
panorama of my memo . Yet Naples is wondrous
beautiful. Her hay-per aps the handsomest sheet of
water in the world-is compassed bye. diommic scene
of more than ordinary grandeur. be sweet islands
of Ischia and Procida, the lofty rocks of Pausilippo,
and the bright waving foliage of a thousand flowery
trees, open upon the left hand as we enter the bay;
then further around lays the great city, stretching
along the curving shore, and lifting its marble palaces
and churches upon the sloping hill-side, till the tower-
ing fortress of Mount Saint Elmo crowns the whole.
Then the city of Portici, too, sparkles like snow heaps
upon the shore to the right, and back of it, lifiing its
double head among the clouds of its own making,
Vtcwersthat black, solemn monument of destruction-
Yesuviusl Buried cities lie at its feet, and'living
cities tremble beneath its thundera.
A day that haul been fair and beautiful was closing
over the Neapolitan Bay, and the golden sun was fast
sinking into the waters of the Mediterranean. A gon-
tle breeze that had been blowing from the northward
all the afternoon had lulled into quiet, and the bread
was Asraotoomfs REVELATION.
bosom of the bay was gradually assuming a surface of
polished glass. The atmosphere seemed lighter now
that the wind had died away, and ere many minutes
the snlphnrous vapors from Vesuvius began to settle
upon t e water, and respiration became more the crea-
ture of necessity than of fancy.
Some time before-perhaps an hour-a small boat
had rounded Point Campanellxi, and was now heading
towards the city. It contained two ne of them
seeming to be the owner of the boat, a stout, athletic
fellow, dressed in the garb of a Neapolitan fisherman,
and the other was a young man, not more than twenty-
six years of age, of more than ordinary personal
beauty, dressed in a rich garb, and wearing upon his
bosom the star of a marquis. The latter was some-
what noted in Naples, not on! for his wealth, but for
his noble heart and cheerful disposition. He was gen-
erous to a fault, acknowledging no restraint but the
impulses of his own nature, and constantly doing a
great deal of good that the world knew nothing about.
The king loved him for his wit and understanding,
and his compecrs loved him for his social generosity,
while the people who knew him loved him for his be-
nevolence, and respected him for his virtues. Such
was Guise pe Zarani, Marquis di Sello.
The sais of the boat were flapping against the
masts, but no wind came to fill them, while the lazy,
glassy swells were rocking the boatlike a child's cradle.
“This is bad," said the marquis, as he held his
hand up to feel if a breath of air would strike it.
‘s " It is," returned the boatman. “ The sails will be
of no more use."
"But we may catch a breath," suggested the mar-
quis. " ‘Twill take you three hours to row to the
Villa Reale "
" We ma catch a breath, signor,"
boatman, “ ut we shan’t want the sails.
" And why not?"
“They wouldn't stand such a breath as we may
catch now." '
"But you don’t apprehend a storml” uttered Za-
ranl, in a tone of concern.
“ Yes, I do." returned the boatmnn, as he let go his
sheets, and left the helm. ‘'1 wish we‘d left Salero
two hours oarllor than we did.”
"answered the
“ My business won.ldu’t let me do that, and it's too
late to remedy it now. If you are spry we may
esca e. I can ull an oar if it is necessa . '
" will do t e best Ican, signer, but I have no
hopes of esca ing the storm. I ave lived upon the
bay for over orty years, and I never knew such signs
as these to fail of giving us a blow. This wind’:
dying away so, all of a sudden, is bad, and then the
smoke of the volca.uo’s settling is worse. When that
thin, white vapor settles upon the buy, it is sure to
draw a storm in.”
The marquis smiled at the man’s natural philosophy.
“Do you know what makes that vapor settle about
us 3” be asked, as he lent a hand to unstep the masts.
" Only that thero’s a storm wining. ’
As the boatman took his oars, Zarani explained to
him the nature of the rarified atmosphere, and showed
him that the settling of the vapor was but the result of
the same cause which produced the storm. The
fellow understood but little of what he heard. Ile
:::;';":“.a:i:':.“:.:i$:;::s‘ ‘"5 W‘ W“ “M
II I .
“Learningvis a good thing,” said the boatman;
" but he that gets all his learning from experience, and
knoliyisnjust what he sees, is well enough off for this
war .
Zarani allowed ‘his companion to enjoy his own
opinion, and in pursuance of his promise ho tool: ono
of the oars and commenced rowing. The distance to
the cit was lpelarly fifteen miles, and though the boat
went t HOD" t e water at a
pants had “much fear that the landing could not be
reached in safety. The boatmau proposed landing at
Tone del Greco, but the marquis overruled him, and
the boat's head was kept towards Na les.
At the end of an hour six miles ad been ‘tied,
but the vapor hadfbvlsceme more dense, and respiration
was more ungrate n .
“I can't stand this much longer," said the marquis. '
“ This atmosphere is a real "
“ We shan
the boittinan, “ for I think I can feel a fresh breath on
my cheek now." . '
"Then in heaven's name, let it come." .
" You'd better stand the smoke," uttered the boat-
a
good rate, yet its occu- ‘
St. - --
t have to stamlwit much longer," returned '
. - V-.,‘1J
