e over the waters, which were fallen to a
dead calm.

At Venice next morning Eliezer, on opening his door, saw a bark in the
narrow canal of the Ghetto laden with full sacks and manned by a little
figure of black wood, flashing in the clear morning sunbeams. The
vessel stopped before the house where the seven-branched candlestick was
carved; and the Jew recognized the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus,
pledge of the Christian Merchant.

HISTORY OF DONA MARIA D'AVALOS AND DON FABRICIO, DUKE D'ANDRIA

TO HENRY GAUTHIER-VILLARS

HISTORY OF DONA MARIA D'AVALOS AND DON FABRICIO, DUKE D'ANDRIA

_Done Marie d'Avalos, l'une des belles princesses du pais, mariee avec
le prince de Venouse, laquelle s'estant enamourachee du comte
d'Andriane, l'un des beaux princes du pais aussy, et s'estans tous
deux concertez a la jouissance et le mari l'ayant descouverte ... les
fit tous deux massacrer par gens appostez; si que le lendemain on
trouva ces deux belles moictiez et creatures exposees et tendues sur
le pave devant la porte de la maison, toutes mortes et froides, a la
veue de tous les passants, qui les larmoyoient et plaignoient de leur
miserable estat._[1]

(Pierre de Bourdeilles, abbe et Seigneur de Brantome. _Recueil des
dames, seconde partie._)

[Footnote 1: "Dona Maria d'Avalos, one of the fair Princesses of the
land, and married to the Prince of Venosa, was enamoured of the Count
d'Andriane, likewise one of the noble Princes of the country. So being
both of them come together to enjoy their passion, and the husband
having discovered it ... had the twain of them slain by men appointed
thereto. In such wise that next morning the fair and noble pair, unhappy
beings, were seen lying stretched out and exposed to public view on the
pavement in front of the house door, all dead and cold, in sight of all
passers-by, who could not but weep and lament over their piteous lot."]

It was a day of high rejoicing at Naples, when the Prince of Venosa, a
rich and puissant Lord, was wed to Dona Maria, of the illustrious house
of Avalos.

Drawn by horses bedizened with scales, feathers or furs, in such wise as
to figure forth dragons, griffins, lions, lynxes, panthers and unicorns,
were twelve cars which did bear through all the city an host of naked
men and women, gilded all over, for to represent the Gods of Olympus,
come down to Earth to do honour to the Venosian nuptials. On one of
these cars was