from the beautiful face and head, and in the pale patrician hands a
rose lay lightly clasped, and a wealth of floral tributes heaped her
bier--which was crowned with the royal crown of Cyprus.

Now that the gentle Sovereign had put aside forever her robes of royalty
and donned for her last vestment the symbol of service and humility, how
should Venice fear the unconfessed rivalry of her rare spirit,--a mere
woman--conquered by the power of the State and stricken by death?

Now that the slight hands, folded nerveless over the quiet breast, might
never more thrill to her emotions of large motherliness, and scatter
gladness with gracious flutterings, in swift response to a too-adoring
populace--now that the sleeping eyes might never again unclose to smile
her loving soul out to her people--the Signoria could be magnanimous in
homage: and through the days that the proud city mourned for her, the
sable hatchments on church and palace bore the arms of Venice and of
Cyprus.

+----------------------------------------------------+
| Transcriber's Note: |
| |
| Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the |
| original document have been preserved. |
| |
| Typographical errors corrected in the text: |
| |
| Page 21 spozalizio changed to sposalizio |
| Page 26 tumuluously changed to tumultuously |
| Page 168 Prooveditore changed to Provveditore |
| Page 169 bailo changed to bailo |
| Page 178 unusued changed to unused |
| Page 180 Conaro changed to Cornaro |
| Page 180 Conaro's changed to Cornaro's |
| Page 199 Benardini changed to Bernardini |
| Page 205 dillettissimo changed to dilettissimo |
| Page 234 Revenendissimo changed to Reverendissimo |
| Page 306 dias changed to dais |
| Page 311 dias changed to dais |
| Page 343 Republica changed to Repubblica |
| Page 356 Bucintoro changed to Bucentoro |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------+

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROYAL