joan of naples-第22部分

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Serious　differences　arose　between　the　queen　and　one　of　her　former　subjects；　Bartolommeo　Prigiani；　who　had　become　pope　under　the　name　of　Urban　VI。　　Annoyed　by　the　queen's　opposition；　the　pope　one　day　angrily　said　he　would　shut　her　up　in　a　convent。　　Joan；　to　avenge　the　insult；　openly　favoured　Clement　VII；　the　anti…pope；　and　offered　him　a　home　in　her　own　castle；　when；　pursued　by　Pope　Urban's　army；　he　had　taken　refuge　at　Fondi。　　But　the　people　rebelled　against　Clement；　and　killed　the　Archbishop　of　Naples；　who　had　helped　to　elect　him：　they　broke　the　cross　that　was　carried　in　procession　before　the　anti…pope；　and　hardly　allowed　him　time　to　make　his　escape　on　shipboard　to　Provence。　　Urban　declared　that　Joan　was　now　dethroned；　and　released　her　subjects　from　their　oath　of　fidelity　to　her；　bestowing　the　crown　of　Sicily　and　Jerusalem　upon　Charles　de　la　Paix；　who　marched　on　Naples　with　8000　Hungarians。　　Joan；　who　could　not　believe　in　such　base　ingratitude；　sent　out　his　wife　Margaret　to　meet　her　adopted　son；　though　she　might　have　kept　her　as　a　hostage；　and　his　two　children；　Ladislaus　and　Joan；　who　became　later　the　second　queen　of　that　name。　But　the　victorious　army　soon　arrived　at　the　gates　of　Naples；　and　Charles　blockaded　the　queen　in　her　castle；　forgetting　in　his　ingratitude　that　she　had　saved　his　life　and　loved　him　like　a　mother。

Joan　during　the　siege　endured　all　the　worst　fatigues　of　war　that　any　soldier　has　to　bear。　　She　saw　her　faithful　friends　fall　around　her　wasted　by　hunger　or　decimated　by　sickness。　　When　all　food　was　exhausted；　dead　and　decomposed　bodies　were　thrown　into　the　castle　that　they　might　pollute　the　air　she　breathed。　　Otho　with　his　troops　was　kept　at　Aversa；　Louis　of　Anjou；　the　brother　of　the　King　of　France　whom　she　had　named　as　her　successor　when　she　disinherited　her　nephew；　never　appeared　to　help　her；　and　the　Provenqal　ships　from　Clement　VII　were　not　due　to　arrive　until　all　hope　must　be　over。　　Joan　asked　for　a　truce　of　five　days；　promising　that；　if　Otho　had　not　come　to　relieve　her　in　that　time；　she　would　surrender　the　fortress。

On　the　fifth　day　Otho's　army　appeared　on　the　side　of　Piedigrotta。　The　fight　was　sharp　on　both　sides；　and　Joan　from　the　top　of　a　tower　could　follow　with　her　eyes　the　cloud　of　dust　raised　by　her　husband's　horse　in　the　thickest　of　the　battle。　　The　victory　was　long　uncertain：　at　length　the　prince　made　so　bold　an　onset　upon　the　royal　standard；　in　his；　eagerness　to　meet　his　enemy　hand　to　hand；　that　he　plunged　into　the　very　middle　of　the　army；　and　found　himself　pressed　on　every　side。　　Covered　with　blood　and　sweat；　his　sword　broken　in　his　hand；　he　was　forced　to　surrender。　　An　hour　later　Charles　was　writing　to　his　uncle；　the　King　of　Hungary；　that　Joan　had　fallen　into　his　power；　and　he　only　awaited　His　Majesty's　orders　to　decide　her　fate。

It　was　a　fine　May　morning：　the　queen　was　under　guard　in　the　castle　of　Aversa：　Otho　had　obtained　his　liberty　on　condition　of　his　quitting　Naples；　and　Louis　of　Anjou　had　at　last　got　together　an　army　of　50；000　men　and　was　marching　in　hot　haste　to　the　conquest　of　the　kingdom。　None　of　this　news　had　reached　the　ears　of　Joan；　who　for　some　days　had　lived　in　complete　isolation。　　The　spring　lavished　all　her　glory　on　these　enchanted　plains；　which　have　earned　the　name　of　the　blessed　and　happy　country；　campagna　felite。　　The　orange　trees　were　covered　with　sweet　white　blossoms；　the　cherries　laden　with　ruby　fruit；　the　olives　with　young　emerald　leaves；　the　pomegranate　feathery　with　red　bells；　the　wild　mulberry；　the　evergreen　laurel；　all　the　strong　budding　vegetation；　needing　no　help　from　man　to　flourish　in　this　spot　privileged　by　Nature；　made　one　great　garden；　here　and　there　interrupted　by　little　hidden　runlets。　　It　was　a　forgotten　Eden　in　this　corner　of　the　world。　　Joan　at　her　window　was　breathing　in　the　perfumes　of　spring；　and　her　eyes　misty　with　tears　rested　on　a　bed　of　flowery　verdure　a　light　breeze；　keen　and　balmy；　blew　upon　her　burning　brow　and　offered　a　grateful　coolness　to　her　damp　and　fevered　cheeks。　Distant　melodious　voices；　refrains　of　well…known　songs；　were　all　that　disturbed　the　silence　of　the　poor　little　room；　the　solitary　nest　where　a　life　was　passing　away　in　tears　and　repentance；　a　life　the　most　brilliant　and　eventful　of　a　century　of　splendour　and　unrest。

The　queen　was　slowly　reviewing　in　her　mind　all　her　life　since　she　ceased　to　be　a　childfifty　years　of　disillusionment　and　suffering。　She　thought　first　of　her　happy；　peaceful　childhood；　her　grandfather's　blind　affection；　the　pure　joys　of　her　days　of　innocence；　the　exciting　games　with　her　little　sister　and　tall　cousins。　　Then　she　shuddered　at　the　earliest　thought　of　marriage；　the　constraint；　the　loss　of　liberty；　the　bitter　regrets；　she　remembered　with　horror　the　deceitful　words　murmured　in　her　ear；　designed　to　sow　the　seeds　of　corruption　and　vice　that　were　to　poison　her　whole　life。　　Then　came　the　burning　memories　of　her　first　love；　the　treachery　and　desertion　of　Robert　of　Cabane；　the　moments　of　madness　passed　like　a　dream　in　the　arms　of　Bertrand　of　Artoisthe　whole　drama　up　to　its　tragic　denouement　showed　as　in　letters　of　fire　on　the　dark　background　of　her　sombre　thoughts。　　Then　arose　cries　of　anguish　in　her　soul；　even　as　on　that　terrible　fatal　night　she　heard　the　voice　of　Andre　asking　mercy　from　his　murderers。　　A　long　deadly　silence　followed　his　awful　struggle；　and　the　queen　saw　before　her　eyes　the　carts　of　infamy　and　the　torture　of　her　accomplices。　　All　the　rest　of　this　vision　was　persecution；　flight；　exile；　remorse；　punishments　from　God　and　curses　from　the　world。　　Around　her　was　a　frightful　solitude：　husbands；　lovers；　kindred；　friends；　all　were　dead；　all　she　had　loved　or　hated　in　the　world　were　now　no　more；　her　joy；　pain；　desire；　and　hope　had　vanished　for　ever。　　The　poor　queen；　unable　to　free　herself　from　these　visions　of　woe；　violently　tore　herself　away　from　the　awful　reverie；　and　kneeling　at　a　prie…dieu；　prayed　with　fervour。　　She　was　still　beautiful；　in　spite　of　her　extreme　pallor；　the　noble　lines　of　her　face　kept　their　pure　oval；　the　fire　of　repentance　in　her　great　black　eyes　lit　them　up　with　superhuman　brilliance；　and　the　hope　of　pardon　played　in　a　heavenly　smile　upon　her　lips。

Suddenly　the　door　of　the　room　where　Joan　was　so　earnestly　praying　opened　with　a　dull　sound：　two　Hungarian　barons　in　armour　entered　and　signed　to　the　queen　to　follow　them。　　Joan　arose　silently　and　obeyed；　but　a　cry　of　pain　went　up　from　her　heart　when　she　recognised　the　place　where　both　Andre　and　Charles　of　Durazzo　had　died　a　violent　death。　　But　she　collected　her　forces；　and　asked　calmly　why　she　was　brought　hither。　　For　all　answer；　one　of　the　men　showed　her　a　cord　of　silk　and　gold。。。。

〃May　the　will　of　a　just　God　be　done！〃　cried　Joan；　and　fell　upon　her　knees。　　Some　minutes　later　she　had　ceased　to　suffer。

This　was　the　third　corpse　that　was　thrown　over　the　balcony　at　Aversa。





End