"Oh! che tranquillo mar, oh che chiare onde Solcava già la mia spalmata barca, Di ricca e nobil merce adorna e carca, Con l'aer puro, e con l'aure seconde, Il ciel, ch'ora i bei vaghi lumi asconde Porgea serena luce e d'ombra scarca; Ahi! quanto ha da temer chi lieto varca! Chè non sempre al principio il fin risponde. Ecco l'empia e volubile fortuna Scoperse poi l'irata iniqua fronte, Dal cui furor sì gran procella insorge. Venti, pioggia, saette insieme aduna, E fiere intorno a divorarmi pronte; Ma l'alma ancor la fida Stella scorge." In English, thus:— "On what smooth seas, on what clear waves did sail My fresh careenèd bark! what costly freight Of noble merchandise adorn'd its state! How pure the breeze, how favouring the gale! And Heaven, which now its beauteous rays doth veil, Shone then serene and shadowless. But fate For the too happy voyager lies in wait. Oft fair beginnings in their endings fail. And now doth impious changeful fortune bare Her angry ruthless brow, whose threat'ning power Rouses the tempest, and lets loose its war! But though rains, winds, and lightnings fill the air, And wild beasts seek to rend me and devour, Still shines o'er my true soul its faithful star." Bearing in mind what we have seen of Pescara, it would seem evident, that some monstrous illusion with respect to him must have obscured Vittoria's mind and judgment. It might have been expected that she would have been found attributing to him high and noble qualities, which existed only in her own imagination. But it is remarkable that, though in general terms she speaks of him as all that was noblest and greatest, yet in describing his merits, she confines herself to the few which he really had. This highly cultured, devout, thoughtful, intellectual woman, seems really to have believed, that a mercenary swordsman's calling was the noblest occupation earth could offer, and the successful following of it the best preparation and surest title to immortal happiness hereafter. [Sidenote: SONNET TO HER HUSBAND.] The following sonnet is one of many expressing the same sentiments. "Alle Vittorie tue, mio lume eterno, Non diede il tempo o la stagion favore; La spada, la virtù, l'invitto core Fur li ministri tuoi la state e' verno. Col prudente occhio, e col saggio governo L'altrui forze spezzasti in si brev'ore, Che 'l modo all'alte imprese accrebbe onore Non men che l'opre al tuo valore interno. Non tardaro il tuo corso animi altieri, O fiumi, o monti; e le maggior cittadi Per cortesia od ardir rimaser vinte. Salisti al mondo i più pregiati gradi; Or godi in ciel d'altri trionfi e veri, D'altre frondi le tempie ornate e cinte." Which may be Englished as follows:—