The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish ConquestVillari, Luigi
History
The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish Conquest
Villari, Luigi
Dubrovnik (Croatia) -- History
Satan, enraged at the victories of the Christians, summons his demons,
and flies with them to Constantinople to raise trouble. There, too,
Kronoslava has arrived in search of her husband; she is told that he is
in love with the daughter of the governor of the prison, and although
not quite convinced, she begins to feel jealous. By bribery she manages
to see Prince Koreski, is convinced of his fidelity, and falls into his
arms. The Sultan soon afterwards sets him free, and he returns home
with his wife. Cislar appears with his fair captives, but Osman, seeing
Danica’s despair and hearing her story, sends her back to her father.
Sokolica, too, comes to Constantinople, and Osman chooses her as first
Sultana, and marries two Greek maidens as well. He then prepares for an
expedition to Asia against the rebels, but the Janissaries revolt, and
demand the heads of Dilaver Pasha the Grand Vizir, of the Hodja, and of
the chief eunuch. The rebellion spreads, the Grand Vizir is murdered,
and Osman’s uncle Mustafa freed and proclaimed Sultan. While Osman is
deploring his misfortunes and recalling the glories of his ancestors,
he, too, is assassinated by Mustafa’s orders.
This poem, although not of first-rate quality, has some originality,
and is interesting from its subject. It is only at Ragusa that a
Christian writer would have made a Turkish Sultan his hero, and it
is only here and there that a few passages are introduced reflecting
unfavourably on the Turks. A great deal of it is simply an adaptation
of Tasso, and whole passages are translated from that work. It is full
of repetitions and exaggerations and useless accessories, but it also
contains many passages of real beauty and feeling, such as the address
to Ragusa: “O mayest thou ever live peaceful and free as thou art now,
O white city of Ragusa, famous throughout the world, pleasing to the
heavens.... Bondmen are thy neighbours, oppressive violence grinds
them all down, thy power alone sits on the throne of freedom” (Canto
viii.). Gondola also apostrophises Stephen Dušan, the Nemanjas, Marko
Kraljević, and other Servian heroes. Cantos xiv. and xv. were lost,
and have been rewritten by Petar Sorkočević, Marino Zlatarić, and Ivan
Mažuranić. The interest is divided between the two heroes, Osman and
Ladislas, and a great deal of the work is lyrical rather than epic in
character.[533]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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