MAREDATA.
A Tradition of the Fourteenth Century.
The sun, ere he sank on the bosom of the ocean, brightened the coast of Calabria with his farewell rays. A sweet twilight shed its softening influence over the earth; the ocean flamed in gold and purple, and seemed adorned like the bed of a royal bridegroom, to receive its glorious guest. The gentle breeze of the west floated warm and mild through the air; and the heat of a bright day had given way to a refreshing balm. With her mysterious veil, the approaching night covered the surrounding objects. A new world appeared to have risen on the well-known shore, and new charms were added to its original grandeur. Yet still this beautiful scene was lifeless, no human form broke its solitude. One might fancy the ocean and sky, enamoured of their own beauty, wished to disclose their charms only to each other, free from the profaning gaze of man.
At length a youth arrives, to enjoy the silent wonders of nature, a youth worthy of seeing the goddess without her girdle. Giulio, the only son of the rich and powerful Count Montefuoco, was now verging into manhood, yet there was none, even in that early age, who could vie with him in either the arts of knighthood, or the accomplishments of the mind. His father, the Chancellor of the kingdom, wished that his son should succeed him in this dignity; he gave him, therefore, an education very extraordinary for a young nobleman of those days. After Giulio had attained a high perfection in the arts of chivalry, he was sent to Rome, where he enjoyed the benefit of being instructed by the most celebrated doctors. The superiority of his intellectual powers made him victorious in his public disputations, and fame had long spread his name all over Italy, when his father recalled him to Naples; for it was the intention of the Count to add the last polish to the education of his son, by initiating him in all the arts of political intrigue and mysteries of government. But the ardent youth, in opposition to his father’s designs, desired first to acquire a share of military glory in the wars, which, at that epoch, filled the beautiful fields of Italy with horror and desolation. The Count then thought it proper to proceed to his magnificent castle on the coast of Calabria: here, surrounded by rich and delightful scenery, where land and sea offered an inexhaustible source of recreation, he hoped the charms of a peaceful life would make a stronger impression upon Giulio’s mind; and here, the Count flattered himself, he would win his son by gentle persuasion to yield to his wishes; for he was master of the arts of eloquence, and possessed surprising influence over the mind.
Since Giulio’s arrival at the Castle Montefuoco, he delighted in swimming through the gentle waves flowing along the flowery shore. The heat of the season heightened the pleasure he took in those exercises, and soon the stormy element owned his power; for the water seemed gratefully to yield to his efforts, and proud of bearing his god-like form. The more his skill increased, the stronger his attachment to the element
