The Project Gutenberg eBook of How Lisa Loved the King

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world 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.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: How Lisa Loved the King

Author: George Eliot

Release date: March 13, 2007 [eBook #20813]

Language: English

Credits: Transcribed from the 1884 D. Lothrop and Company edition by David Price

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW LISA LOVED THE KING ***

Transcribed from the 1884 D. Lothrop and Company edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

HOW LISA LOVED THE KING

BY

GEORGE ELIOT

AUTHOR OF “DANIEL DERONDA,” “MIDDLEMARCH,”

“ADAM BEDE,” ETC., ETC

WITH NEW ILLUSTRATIONS

FROM ORIGINAL DESIGNS

BOSTON

D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY

FRANKLIN AND HAWLEY STREETS

Copyright by

D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY

1884

Presswork by Berwick & Smith, 118 Purchase Street, Boston.

How Lisa loved the King.

Six hundred years ago, in Dante’s time,

Before his cheek was furrowed by deep rhyme;

When Europe, fed afresh from Eastern story,

Was like a garden tangled with the glory

Of flowers hand-planted and of flowers air-sown,

Climbing and trailing, budding and full-blown,

Where purple bells are tossed amid pink stars,

And springing blades, green troops in innocent wars,

Crowd every shady spot of teeming earth,

Making invisible motion visible birth,—

Six hundred years ago, Palermo town

Kept holiday.  A deed of great renown,

A high revenge, had freed it from the yoke

Of hated Frenchmen; and from Calpe’s rock

To where the Bosporus caught the earlier sun,

’Twas told that Pedro, King of Aragon,

Was welcomed master of all Sicily,—

A royal knight, supreme as kings should be

In strength and gentleness that make high chivalry.

Spain was the favorite home of knightly grace,

Where generous men rode steeds of generous race;

Both Spanish, yet half Arab; both inspired

By mutual spirit, that each motion fired

With beauteous response, like minstrelsy

Afresh fulfilling fresh expectancy.

So, when Palermo made high festival,

The joy of matrons and of maidens all

Was the mock terror of the tournament,

Where safety, with the glimpse of danger blent,

Took exaltation as from epic song,

Which greatly tells the pains that to great life belong.

And in all eyes King Pedro was the king

Of cavaliers; as in a full-gemmed ring

The largest ruby, or as that bright star

Whose shining shows us where the Hyads are.

His the best genet, and he sat it best;

His weapon, whether tilting or in rest,

Was worthiest watching; and his face, once seen,

Gave to the promise of his royal mien

Such rich fulfilment as the opened eyes

Of a loved sleeper, or the long-watched rise

Of vernal day, whose joy o’er stream and meadow flies.

But of the maiden forms that thick enwreathed

The broad piazza, and sweet witchery breathed,

With innocent faces budding all arow,

From balconies and windows high and low,

Who was it felt the deep mysterious glow,

The impregnation with supernal fire

Of young ideal love, transformed desire,

Whose passion is but worship of that Best

Taught by the many-mingled creed of each young breast?

’Twas gentle Lisa, of no noble line,

Child of Bernardo, a rich Florentine,

Who from his merchant-city hither came

To trade in drugs; yet kept an honest fame,

And had the virtue not to try and sell

Drugs that had none.  He loved his riches well,

But loved them chiefly for his Lisa’s sake,

Whom with a father’s care he sought to make

The bride of some true honorable man,—

Of Perdicone (so the rumor ran),

Whose birth was higher than his fortunes were,

For still your trader likes a mixture fair

Of blood that hurries to some higher strain

Than reckoning money’s loss and money’s gain.

And of such mixture good may surely come:

Lord’s scions so may learn to cast a sum,

A trader’s grandson bear a well-set head,

And have less conscious manners, better bred;

Nor, when he tries to be polite, be rude instead.

’Twas Perdicone’s friends made overtures

To good Bernardo; so one dame assures

Her neighbor dame, who notices the youth

Fixing his eyes on Lisa; and, in truth,

Eyes that could see her on this summer day

Might find it hard to turn another way.

She had a pensive beauty, yet not sad;

Rather like minor cadences that glad

The hearts of little birds amid spring boughs:

And oft the trumpet or the joust would rouse

Pulses that gave her cheek a finer glow,

Parting her lips that seemed a mimic bow

By chiselling Love for play in coral wrought,

Then quickened by him with the passionate thought,

The soul that trembled in the lustrous night

Of slow long eyes.  Her body was so slight,

It seemed she could have floated in the sky,

And with the angelic choir made symphony;

But in her cheek’s rich tinge, and in the dark

Of darkest hair and eyes, she bore a mark

Of kinship to her generous mother-earth,

The fervid land that gives the plumy palm-trees birth.

She saw not Perdicone; her young mind

Dreamed not that any man had ever pined

For such a little simple maid as she:

She had but dreamed how heavenly it would be

To love some hero noble, beauteous, great,

Who would live stories worthy to narrate,

Like Roland, or the warriors of Troy,

The Cid, or Amadis, or that fair boy

Who conquered every thing beneath the sun,

And somehow, some time, died at Babylon

Fighting the Moors.  For heroes all were good

And fair as that archangel who withstood

The Evil One, the author of all wrong,—

That Evil One who made the French so strong;

And now the flower of heroes must he be

Who drove those tyrants from dear Sicily,

So that her maids might walk to vespers tranquilly.

Young Lisa saw this hero in the king;

And as wood-lilies that sweet odors bring

Might dream the light that opes their modest eyne

Was lily-odored; and as rites divine,

Round turf-laid altars, or ’neath roofs of stone,

Draw sanctity from out the heart alone

That loves and worships: so the miniature

Perplexed of her soul’s world, all virgin pure,

Filled with heroic virtues that bright form,

Raona’s royalty, the finished norm

Of horsemanship, the half of chivalry;

For how could generous men avengers be,

Save as God’s messengers on coursers fleet?—

These, scouring earth, made Spain with Syria meet

In one self-world where the same right had sway,

And good must grow as grew the blessed day.

No more: great Love his essence had endued

With Pedro’s form, and, entering, subdued

The soul of Lisa, fervid and intense,

Proud in its choice of proud obedience

To hardship glorified by perfect reverence.

Sweet Lisa homeward carried that dire guest,

And in her chamber, through the hours of rest,

The darkness was alight for her with sheen

Of arms, and plumèd helm; and bright between

Their commoner gloss, like the pure living spring

’Twixt porphyry lips, or living bird’s bright wing

’Twixt golden wires, the glances of the king

Flashed on her soul, and waked vibrations there

Of known delights love-mixed to new and rare:

The impalpable dream was turned to breathing flesh,

Chill thought of summer to the warm close mesh

Of sunbeams held between the citron-leaves,

Clothing her life of life.  Oh! she believes

That she could be content if he but knew

(Her poor small self could claim no other due)

How Lisa’s lowly love had highest reach

Of wingèd passion, whereto wingèd speech

Would be scorched remnants left by mounting flame.

Though, had she such lame message, were it blame

To tell what greatness dwelt in her, what rank

She held in loving?  Modest maidens shrank

From telling love that fed on selfish hope;

But love, as hopeless as the shattering song,

Wailed for loved beings who have joined the throng

Of mighty dead ones. . . .  Nay, but she was weak,

Knew only prayers and ballads, could not speak

With eloquence, save what dumb creatures have,

That with small cries and touches small boons crave.

She watched all day that she might see him pass

With knights and ladies; but she said, “Alas!

Though he should see me, it were all as one

He saw a pigeon sitting on the stone

Of wall or balcony: some colored spot

His eye just sees, his mind regardeth not.

I have no music-touch that could bring nigh

My love to his soul’s hearing.  I shall die,

And he will never know who Lisa was,—

The trader’s child, whose soaring spirit rose

As hedge-born aloe-flowers that rarest years disclose.

“For were I now a fair deep-breasted queen

A-horseback, with blonde hair, and tunic green,

Gold-bordered, like Costanza, I should need

No change within to make me queenly there:

For they the royal-hearted women are

Who nobly love the noblest, yet have grace;

For needy suffering lives in lowliest place,

Carrying a choicer sunlight in their smile,

The heavenliest ray that pitieth the vile.

My love is such, it cannot choose but soar

Up to the highest; yet forevermore,

Though I were happy, throned beside the king,

I should be tender to each little thing

With hurt warm breast, that had no speech to tell

Its inward pang; and I would soothe it well

With tender touch, and with a low soft moan

For company: my dumb love-pang is lone,

Prisoned as topaz-beam within a rough-garbed stone.”

So, inward-wailing, Lisa passed her days.

Each night the August moon with changing phase

Looked broader, harder, on her unchanged pain;

Each noon the heat lay heavier again

On her despair, until her body frail

Shrank like the snow that watchers in the vale

See narrowed on the height each summer morn;

While her dark glance burnt larger, more forlorn,

As if the soul within her, all on fire,

Made of her being one swift funeral-pyre.

Father and mother saw with sad dismay

The meaning of their riches melt away;

For without Lisa what would sequins buy?

What wish were left if Lisa were to die?

Through her they cared for summers still to come,

Else they would be as ghosts without a home

In any flesh that could feel glad desire.

They pay the best physicians, never tire

Of seeking what will soothe her, promising

That aught she longed for, though it were a thing

Hard to be come at as the Indian snow,

Or roses that on Alpine summits blow,

It should be hers.  She answers with low voice,

She longs for death alone—death is her choice;

Death is the king who never did think scorn,

But rescues every meanest soul to sorrow born.

Yet one day, as they bent above her bed,

And watched her in brief sleep, her drooping head

Turned gently, as the thirsty flowers that feel

Some moist revival through their petals steal;

And little flutterings of her lids and lips

Told of such dreamy joy as sometimes dips

A skyey shadow in the mind’s poor pool.

She oped her eyes, and turned their dark gems full

Upon her father, as in utterance dumb

Of some new prayer that in her sleep had come.

“What is it, Lisa?”—“Father, I would see

Minuccio, the great singer; bring him me.”

For always, night and day, her unstilled thought,

Wandering all o’er its little world, had sought

How she could reach, by some soft pleading touch,

King Pedro’s soul, that she who loved so much,

Dying, might have a place within his mind,—

A little grave which he would sometimes find

And plant some flower on it,—some thought, some memory kind.

Till in her dream she saw Minuccio

Touching his viola, and chanting low

A strain, that, falling on her brokenly,

Seemed blossoms lightly blown from off a tree;

Each burthened with a word that was a scent,—

Raona, Lisa, love, death, tournament;

Then in her dream she said, “He sings of me,

Might be my messenger; ah! now I see

The king is listening”—Then she awoke,

And, missing her dear dream, that new-born longing spoke.

She longed for music: that was natural;

Physicians said it was medicinal;

The humors might be schooled by true consent

Of a fine tenor and fine instrument;

In short, good music, mixed with doctor’s stuff,

Apollo with Asklepios—enough!

Minuccio, entreated, gladly came.

(He was a singer of most gentle fame,

A noble, kindly spirit, not elate

That he was famous, but that song was great;

Would sing as finely to this suffering child

As at the court where princes on him smiled.)

Gently he entered and sat down by her,

Asking what sort of strain she would prefer,—

The voice alone, or voice with viol wed;

Then, when she chose the last, he preluded

With magic hand, that summoned from the strings

Aerial spirits, rare yet palpable wings

That fanned the pulses of his listener,

And waked each sleeping sense with blissful stir.

Her cheek already showed a slow, faint blush;

But soon the voice, in pure, full, liquid rush,

Made all the passion, that till now she felt,

Seem but as cooler waters that in warmer melt.

Finished the song, she prayed to be alone

With kind Minuccio; for her faith had grown

To trust him as if missioned like a priest

With some high grace, that, when his singing ceased,

Still made him wiser, more magnanimous,

Than common men who had no genius.

So, laying her small hand within his palm,

She told him how that secret, glorious harm

Of loftiest loving had befallen her;

That death, her only hope, most bitter were,

If, when she died, her love must perish too

As songs unsung, and thoughts unspoken do,

Which else might live within another breast.

She said, “Minuccio, the grave were rest,

If I were sure, that, lying cold and lone,

My love, my best of life, had safely flown

And nestled in the bosom of the king.

See, ’tis a small weak bird, with unfledged wing;

But you will carry it for me secretly,

And bear it to the king; then come to me

And tell me it is safe, and I shall go

Content, knowing that he I love my love doth know.”

Then she wept silently; but each large tear

Made pleading music to the inward ear

Of good Minuccio.  “Lisa, trust in me,”

He said, and kissed her fingers loyally:

“It is sweet law to me to do your will,

And, ere the sun his round shall thrice fulfil,

I hope to bring you news of such rare skill

As amulets have, that aches in trusting bosoms still.”

He needed not to pause and first devise

How he should tell the king; for in nowise

Were such love-message worthily bested

Save in fine verse by music renderèd.

He sought a poet-friend, a Siennese,

And “Mico, mine,” he said, “full oft to please

Thy whim of sadness I have sung thee strains

To make thee weep in verse: now pay my pains,

And write me a canzòn divinely sad,

Sinlessly passionate, and meekly mad

With young despair, speaking a maiden’s heart

Of fifteen summers, who would fain depart

From ripening life’s new-urgent mystery,—

Love-choice of one too high her love to be,—

But cannot yield her breath till she has poured

Her strength away in this hot-bleeding word,

Telling the secret of her soul to her soul’s lord.”

Said Mico, “Nay, that thought is poesy,

I need but listen as it sings to me.

Come thou again to-morrow.”  The third day,

When linked notes had perfected the lay,

Minuccio had his summons to the court,

To make, as he was wont, the moments short

Of ceremonious dinner to the king.

This was the time when he had meant to bring

Melodious message of young Lisa’s love;

He waited till the air had ceased to move

To ringing silver, till Falernian wine

Made quickened sense with quietude combine;

And then with passionate descant made each ear incline.

Love, thou didst see me, light as morning’s breath,

Roaming a garden in a joyous error,

Laughing at chases vain, a happy child,

Till of thy countenance the alluring terror

In majesty from out the blossoms smiled,

From out their life seeming a beauteous Death

O Love, who so didst choose me for thine own

Taking this little isle to thy great sway,

See now, it is the honor of thy throne

That what thou gavest perish not away,

Nor leave some sweet remembrance to atone

By life that will be for the brief life gone:

Hear, ere the shroud o’er these frail limbs be thrown—

Since every king is vassal unto thee,

My heart’s lord needs must listen loyally—

O tell him I am waiting for my Death!

Tell him, for that he hath such royal power

’Twere hard for him to think how small a thing,

How slight a sign, would make a wealthy dower

For one like me, the bride of that pale king

Whose bed is mine at some swift-nearing hour.

Go to my lord, and to his memory bring

That happy birthday of my sorrowing,

When his large glance made meaner gazers glad,

Entering the bannered lists: ’twas then I had

The wound that laid me in the arms of Death.

Tell him, O Love, I am a lowly maid,

No more than any little knot of thyme

That he with careless foot may often tread;

Yet lowest fragrance oft will mount sublime

And cleave to things most high and hallowèd,

As doth the fragrance of my life’s springtime,

My lowly love, that, soaring, seeks to climb

Within his thought, and make a gentle bliss,

More blissful than if mine, in being his:

So shall I live in him, and rest in Death.

The strain was new.  It seemed a pleading cry,

And yet a rounded, perfect melody,

Making grief beauteous as the tear-filled eyes

Of little child at little miseries.

Trembling at first, then swelling as it rose,

Like rising light that broad and broader grows,

It filled the hall, and so possessed the air,

That not one living, breathing soul was there,

Though dullest, slowest, but was quivering

In Music’s grasp, and forced to hear her sing.

But most such sweet compulsion took the mood

Of Pedro (tired of doing what he would).

Whether the words which that strange meaning bore

Were but the poet’s feigning, or aught more,

Was bounden question, since their aim must be

At some imagined or true royalty.

He called Minuccio, and bade him tell

What poet of the day had writ so well;

For, though they came behind all former rhymes,

The verses were not bad for these poor times.

“Monsignor, they are only three days old,”

Minuccio said; “but it must not be told

How this song grew, save to your royal ear.”

Eager, the king withdrew where none was near,

And gave close audience to Minuccio,

Who meetly told that love-tale meet to know.

The king had features pliant to confess

The presence of a manly tenderness,—

Son, father, brother, lover, blent in one,

In fine harmonic exaltatiön;

The spirit of religious chivalry.

He listened, and Minuccio could see

The tender, generous admiration spread

O’er all his face, and glorify his head

With royalty that would have kept its rank,

Though his brocaded robes to tatters shrank.

He answered without pause, “So sweet a maid,

In Nature’s own insignia arrayed,

Though she were come of unmixed trading blood

That sold and bartered ever since the flood,

Would have the self-contained and single worth

Of radiant jewels born in darksome earth.

Raona were a shame to Sicily,

Letting such love and tears unhonored be:

Hasten, Minuccio, tell her that the king

To-day will surely visit her when vespers ring.”

Joyful, Minuccio bore the joyous word,

And told at full, while none but Lisa heard,

How each thing had befallen, sang the song,

And, like a patient nurse who would prolong

All means of soothing, dwelt upon each tone,

Each look, with which the mighty Aragon

Marked the high worth his royal heart assigned

To that dear place he held in Lisa’s mind.

She listened till the draughts of pure content

Through all her limbs like some new being went—

Life, not recovered, but untried before,

From out the growing world’s unmeasured store

Of fuller, better, more divinely mixed.

’Twas glad reverse: she had so firmly fixed

To die, already seemed to fall a veil

Shrouding the inner glow from light of senses pale.

Her parents, wondering, see her half arise;

Wondering, rejoicing, see her long dark eyes

Brimful with clearness, not of ’scaping tears,

But of some light ethereal that enspheres

Their orbs with calm, some vision newly learnt

Where strangest fires erewhile had blindly burnt.

She asked to have her soft white robe and band

And coral ornaments; and with her hand

She gave her long dark locks a backward fall,

Then looked intently in a mirror small,

And feared her face might, perhaps, displease the king:

“In truth,” she said, “I am a tiny thing:

I was too bold to tell what could such visit bring.”

Meanwhile the king, revolving in his thought

That innocent passion, was more deeply wrought

To chivalrous pity; and at vesper-bell,

With careless mien which hid his purpose well,

Went forth on horseback, and, as if by chance

Passing Bernardo’s house, he paused to glance

At the fine garden of this wealthy man,

This Tuscan trader turned Palermitan;

But, presently dismounting, chose to walk

Amid the trellises, in gracious talk

With this same trader, deigning even to ask

If he had yet fulfilled the father’s task

Of marrying that daughter, whose young charms

Himself, betwixt the passages of arms,

Noted admiringly.  “Monsignor, no,

She is not married: that were little woe,

Since she has counted barely fifteen years;

But all such hopes of late have turned to fears;

She droops and fades, though, for a space quite brief,—

Scarce three hours past,—she finds some strange relief.”

The king avised: “’Twere dole to all of us,

The world should lose a maid so beauteous:

Let me now see her; since I am her liege lord,

Her spirits must wage war with death at my strong word.”

In such half-serious playfulness, he wends,

With Lisa’s father and two chosen friends,

Up to the chamber where she pillowed sits,

Watching the door that opening admits

A presence as much better than her dreams,

As happiness than any longing seems.

The king advanced, and, with a reverent kiss

Upon her hand, said, “Lady, what is this?

You, whose sweet youth should others’ solace be,

Pierce all our hearts, languishing piteously.

We pray you, for the love of us, be cheered,

Nor be too reckless of that life, endeared

To us who know your passing worthiness,

And count your blooming life as part of our life’s bliss.”

Those words, that touch upon her hand from him

Whom her soul worshipped, as far seraphim

Worship the distant glory, brought some shame

Quivering upon her cheek, yet thrilled her frame

With such deep joy she seemed in paradise,

In wondering gladness, and in dumb surprise,

That bliss could be so blissful.  Then she spoke:

“Signor, I was too weak to bear the yoke,

The golden yoke, of thoughts too great for me;

That was the ground of my infirmity.

But now I pray your grace to have belief

That I shall soon be well, nor any more cause grief.”

The king alone perceived the covert sense

Of all her words, which made one evidence,

With her pure voice and candid loveliness,

That he had lost much honor, honoring less

That message of her passionate distress.

He staid beside her for a little while,

With gentle looks and speech, until a smile

As placid as a ray of early morn

On opening flower-cups o’er her lips was borne

When he had left her, and the tidings spread

Through all the town, how he had visited

The Tuscan trader’s daughter, who was sick,

Men said it was a royal deed, and catholic.

And Lisa?  She no longer wished for death;

But as a poet, who sweet verses saith

Within his soul, and joys in music there,

Nor seeks another heaven, nor can bear

Disturbing pleasures, so was she content,

Breathing the life of grateful sentiment.

She thought no maid betrothed could be more blest;

For treasure must be valued by the test

Of highest excellence and rarity,

And her dear joy was best as best could be:

There seemed no other crown to her delight,

Now the high loved one saw her love aright.

Thus her soul thriving on that exquisite mood,

Spread like the May-time all its beauteous good

O’er the soft bloom of neck and arms and cheek,

And strengthened the sweet body, once so weak,

Until she rose and walked, and, like a bird

With sweetly rippling throat, she made her spring joys heard.

The king, when he the happy change had seen,

Trusted the ear of Constance, his fair queen,

With Lisa’s innocent secret, and conferred

How they should jointly, by their deed and word,

Honor this maiden’s love, which, like the prayer

Of loyal hermits, never thought to share

In what it gave.  The queen had that chief grace

Of womanhood, a heart that can embrace

All goodness in another woman’s form;

And that same day, ere the sun lay too warm

On southern terraces, a messenger

Informed Bernardo that the royal pair

Would straightway visit him, and celebrate

Their gladness at his daughter’s happier state,

Which they were fain to see.  Soon came the king

On horseback, with his barons, heralding

The advent of the queen in courtly state;

And all, descending at the garden gate,

Streamed with their feathers, velvet, and brocade,

Through the pleached alleys, till they, pausing, made

A lake of splendor ’mid the aloes gray;

When, meekly facing all their proud array,

The white-robed Lisa with her parents stood,

As some white dove before the gorgeous brood

Of dapple-breasted birds born by the Colchian flood.

The king and queen, by gracious looks and speech,

Encourage her, and thus their courtiers teach

How, this fair morning, they may courtliest be,

By making Lisa pass it happily.

And soon the ladies and the barons all

Draw her by turns, as at a festival

Made for her sake, to easy, gay discourse,

And compliment with looks and smiles enforce;

A joyous hum is heard the gardens round;

Soon there is Spanish dancing, and the sound

Of minstrel’s song, and autumn fruits are pluckt;

Till mindfully the king and queen conduct

Lisa apart to where a trellised shade

Made pleasant resting.  Then King Pedro said,—

“Excellent maiden, that rich gift of love

Your heart hath made us hath a worth above

All royal treasures, nor is fitly met

Save when the grateful memory of deep debt

Lies still behind the outward honors done:

And as a sign that no oblivion

Shall overflood that faithful memory,

We while we live your cavalier will be;

Nor will we ever arm ourselves for fight,

Whether for struggle dire, or brief delight

Of warlike feigning, but we first will take

The colors you ordain, and for your sake

Charge the more bravely where your emblem is:

Nor will we claim from you an added bliss

To our sweet thoughts of you save one sole kiss.

But there still rests the outward honor meet

To mark your worthiness; and we entreat

That you will turn your ear to proffered vows

Of one who loves you, and would be your spouse

We must not wrong yourself and Sicily

By letting all your blooming years pass by

Unmated: you will give the world its due

From beauteous maiden, and become a matron true.”

Then Lisa, wrapt in virgin wonderment

At her ambitious love’s complete content,

Which left no further good for her to seek

Than love’s obedience, said, with accent meek,—

“Monsignor, I know well that were it known

To all the world how high my love had flown,

There would be few who would not deem me mad,

Or say my mind the falsest image had

Of my condition and your loftiness.

But Heaven has seen that for no moment’s space

Have I forgotten you to be the king,

Or me myself to be a lowly thing—

A little lark, enamoured of the sky,

That soared to sing, to break its breast, and die.

But, as you better know than I, the heart

In choosing chooseth not its own desert,

But that great merit which attracteth it:

’Tis law, I struggled, but I must submit,

And having seen a worth all worth above,

I loved you, love you, and shall always love.

But that doth mean, my will is ever yours,

Not only when your will my good insures,

But if it wrought me what the world calls harm:

Fire, wounds, would wear from your dear will a charm.

That you will be my knight is full content,

And for that kiss,—I pray, first, for the queen’s consent.”

Her answer, given with such firm gentleness,

Pleased the queen well, and made her hold no less

Of Lisa’s merit than the king had held.

And so, all cloudy threats of grief dispelled,

There was betrothal made that very morn

’Twixt Perdicone, youthful, brave, well-born,

And Lisa whom he loved; she loving well

The lot that from obedience befell.

The queen a rare betrothal ring on each

Bestowed, and other gems, with gracious speech.

And, that no joy might lack, the king, who knew

The youth was poor, gave him rich Ceffalù

And Cataletta,—large and fruitful lands,—

Adding much promise when he joined their hands.

At last he said to Lisa, with an air

Gallant yet noble, “Now we claim our share

From your sweet love, a share which is not small;

For in the sacrament one crumb is all.”

Then, taking her small face his hands between,

He kissed her on the brow with kiss serene,—

Fit seal to that pure vision her young soul had seen.

And many witnessed that King Pedro kept

His royal promise.  Perdicone stept

To many honors honorably won,

Living with Lisa in true union.

Throughout his life, the king still took delight

To call himself fair Lisa’s faithful knight;

And never wore in field or tournament

A scarf or emblem, save by Lisa sent.

Such deeds made subjects loyal in that land;

They joyed that one so worthy to command,

So chivalrous and gentle, had become

The king of Sicily, and filled the room

Of Frenchmen, who abused the Church’s trust,

Till, in a righteous vengeance on their lust,

Messina rose, with God, and with the dagger’s thrust.

L’ENVOI.

Reader, this story pleased me long ago

In the bright pages of Boccaccio;

And where the author of a good we know,

Let us not fail to pay the grateful thanks we owe.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW LISA LOVED THE KING ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world 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.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

back

back

back

back

back

back

back

Table of Contents

HOW LISA LOVED THE KING

How Lisa loved the King.

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE