File:The spell of Italy (1909) (14597527139).jpg

Identifier: spellofitaly00maso (find matches)
Title: The spell of Italy
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Mason, Caroline Atwater, 1853-1939
Subjects: Italy -- Description and travel
Publisher: Boston : L. C. Page & company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ol. . . . Baxter, his valet, holding thecolour-box up for him to dip into, and a Uttle crowdalways looking on. Such devotion to a bit of ancient marble in itsremote, forgotten solitude may seem an affectation,but not after one sees Ilaria, lying, queenly andmaidenly, sweet and solemn, with folded hands andeyelids. I let the others go to hunt up the otherthings, which having come all the way to Lucca onemust not be so thriftless as to fail of, and I spent ahappy hour alone in the Cathedral by the ladysside. But I cannot think of describing Ilaria myself,far less of seeking to decorate the noble giavity ofher womanhood with fantastic fringes of imaginaryintrigue and adventure. Ruskin, in Chapter XVIIof the second volume of Modern Painters, hasgiven us the secret of her distinction in a descriptivepassage of inimitable beauty. Mr. Hewlett, whoexclaims that it is hard to be temperate over Ilaria,adds in his Earth Work out of Tuscany, the lastword that need ever be spoken in the attempt of
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Heart of the Apennine 391 dramatic touch. Let us read him and be satisfied.This is what he sees: Ilaria was a tall Tuscan, — the girls of Lucca areout of the common tall, and straight as larches, —of fine birth and a life of minstrels and gardens. . . .Young to die, young to die and leave the pleasantways of Lucca, the green ramparts, the grassy walksin the pastures where the hawks fly and the shadowsfleet over the gieen and gold of early May. Youngenough, Ilaria. Scorner of love, now Death is athand. . . . Let him come, says Ilaria, with raisedeyebrows and a wintry smile. Yet she fought: herthin hands held off the scythe at arms length; sheset her teeth and battled with the winged beast.Whenas she knew it must be, suddenly she relaxedher hold, and Death had his way with her. Then her women came about her and robed herin a long robe, colour of olive leaves, and soft to thetouch. And they covered her feet and placed themon a crouching dog, wliich was Lucca. But her finehands they f

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