Chapter 16 Suola Sklartica - 1

(Translated by Huang Jiankun) ——A Story That Moved All Naples In 1999 Preface When I was in Naples in 1999, I heard people in society talk about the story of Suola Sklartica and the priest Zipo.I was very curious at the time, so I naturally wanted to inquire about some things, but no one wanted to give me a clearer answer, because they were all afraid of being involved. In Naples, when talking about politics, people are always vague.Herein lies the reason: a Neapolitan family, consisting, say, of three sons, a daughter, and parents, belongs to three different factions, each with its own agenda.The woman is on the lover's side, the three sons each have their own interests; the father and mother sigh as they recall their court at twenty.With such a gap between people, it is natural that we cannot seriously discuss politics together.As long as you express a point of view that is slightly different from the ordinary, you will find that two or three people around you will immediately turn pale.

The story of Suola Sklartica, which I have never been able to find out in society, conceived that it might remind me of some terrible history in . There was a forty-year-old widow, not beautiful in appearance, but kind in heart, who rented half of her small house to me.The small house was built in an alley about a hundred paces from the charming Xiajia Garden.There are small hills behind.The villa of Princess Florida, the wife of the old king, is located on it.This is perhaps the only slightly quieter neighborhood in Naples. The widow has an elderly suitor.I spent a whole week getting close to him.One day we went shopping together, and he pointed out to me the place where the Lazaroni family resisted the troops of General Champignet, and the crossroads where a certain duke was burned.Pretending to be modest, I asked him coldly why the story of Suola Sklartica and the councilor Zipo had been kept so mysterious.

He replied calmly: "The characters in this story, such as princes, dukes, etc., have their titles inherited by later generations. These people see their names appearing in such a sad story, Might be angry." "So things didn't happen every year?" "What do you say? Year?" the Neapolitan laughed. "What did you say? Year?" The French were very disgusted. "If you want a little common sense," he went on, "then you should say: Year. It was the second year of the Battle of Villertri, the year in which the great Don Carlos took Naples. Don Carlos was called Charles VII. Later, in Spain, he was called Charles III. He did a great job there. It was he who brought the big nose of the Farnese family into our royal family. .

"That big-nosed archbishop is afraid of the name Villetri and is going to scare everyone in Naples. So today, no one wants to mention his real name. At that time the Germans were camped on the hills around Villetri. , they had attempted to raid the Ginati Palace and capture the great Don Carlos alive. "The story you refer to is said to have been written by a monk. The young nun called Suola Sklartica belonged to the family of the Duke of Piciano. The author expressed a strong hatred for the archbishop at that time, because it was this big trickster who made the priest Qibo involved in this incident from the beginning to the end.Don Genarino of Count Las Flores was probably the patron of the monk, and the young man is said to have had a relationship with Don Carlos, the merry king, and the old Duke Vaga dei, the richest nobleman of the time. El Pardoe for the heart of Rosalind.It is believed that the monk wrote this sad story in .Presumably, some content may offend someone who is still powerful, so the author wrote more cryptically.His nonsense is astonishing.He always expresses himself in terms of general maxims which, of course, belong to a perfect ethic, but which confuse the reader.

Readers often have to think twice about what the good monk is trying to say.For example, when he described the death of Don Genarino, people barely understood what he meant. "In a few days, I may be able to have this manuscript loaned to you. As it is very dull, I do not want to persuade you to buy it. Two years ago, at the office of Notary B, they insisted on four ducats. Only then." A week later, I got the manuscript.It is perhaps the most tedious book in the world.The author always states the same thing in different terms, and the unfortunate reader thinks he is writing something new.The more readers read, the more confused they become, and in the end they don't even know what the author is writing.

We have to know that a Milanese or a Neapolitan probably never spoke a hundred words of Florentine in a row in his life, but when they were about to publish a book in 2000, they thought it would be interesting to use a foreign language.The preeminent general and foremost historian of this century, Coleta, has a little of this proclivity, which often puts his readers at bay. This grisly manuscript is called Suora Skratica.No less than three hundred and ten pages in length.I remember also transcribing several pages to confirm the meaning I had grasped. When I learned about this story, I avoided asking people directly.I had a long chat with someone to show that I had a good understanding of what was going on, and then I pretended it didn't matter and asked a few questions that needed to be clarified.

Some time later, some great personage (who refused to answer my questions two months ago) got me a small copy, only sixty pages.Although the narration of this book is not coherent, it describes some facts vividly and nuancedly.In particular, Mad Jealousy provides real details. Infanta Dona Ferdinanda de Viciano's priestess was bought by the Archbishop.It was from him that she learned that Don Genarino loved not her but her stepdaughter Rosalind. Believing that King Don Carlos also loved her rival, she exacted her revenge by arousing intense jealousy in Don Genarino de las Flores. You know, year, month, year, Louis XIV, having lost all the great men born in his time, and being underestimated by Madame de Maintenon, sent the Duke of Anjou, who was still a child, out of mad pride, to Rule Spain, this is later crazy, brave, pious King Philip V of Spain.In doing so, it would be better to incorporate Belgium and Milan into France, as the foreigners suggested.

There was a lot of misfortune for France at that time, but hitherto the kings of France had often triumphed with ease, with comic glory, and had displayed a true magnanimity in the midst of adversity.The victory at Denant, and the famous cup of water poured on the skirt of the Duchess of Maporu, gave France a fairly respectable peace. Around this time, Philip V, still ruling Spain, lost his queen.This incident, combined with his monastic virtues, drove him almost insane.In this state of mind, he found the famous Elizabeth Farnese in a barn in Bama, brought her to Spain, and married her.The great queen showed an eminent talent in transforming the haughty and childish manners of Spain into the Spanish manners, so famous in Europe, that all the princes of the continent imitated them.

For fifteen years Elizabeth Farnese spent all day with her mad husband, never leaving her for ten minutes.The palace looks luxurious on the outside, but the inside has declined.This court has been painted by a brilliant man.He is the Duke of Saint-Simon, a man of letters who is driven by the melancholy character of the Spaniards and is good at making in-depth commentaries.The Duke of Mapolu is the commander-in-chief of the British army.It is said that his wife poured water on herself in front of the queen, which caused the queen to dissatisfy, and her husband was dismissed from the command post.

A talented French woman, she was the teacher of Louis XIV's children first, and then secretly married Louis XIV.Religion and politics had a great influence on Louis XIV. A historian bred by the French character.He gives interesting details of Queen Elizabeth Farnese's arrangements for her funeral.She made every effort to one day send an army to conquer a fief of the country for one of her two youngest sons by Philip V.In this way, after the death of Philip V, she also had a place to settle down, so that she would not have to live the bleak life of those Spanish queen mothers in the past.

The king's sons by his first wife are fools.This was the case with all legitimate princes brought up by the Inquisition.One of these two will be king.Some favourite, perhaps, would convince the king that it was necessary, and contrive to imprison Queen Phanes, whose unadorned reason and vigor repelled the insensitive Spain. Elizabeth's eldest son, Don Carlos, came to Italy in 1999.He easily won the battle of Bitonto, and thus sat on the throne of Naples.In 2010, however, he came under heavy attack from the Austrians.On the 1st, 1999, he led his weak Spanish army to Villertri, a small town hundreds of miles away from Rome.He dwells at the foot of Mount Artemisio.Twenty miles away, a small Austrian corps was stationed in an advantageous position. In the early morning hours of 12, Don Carlos was suddenly attacked in his bedroom by a company of Austrian soldiers.They pounded on the door with the butts of their guns and urged him to surrender as respectfully as possible.When she left Spain, the Queen placed the Duke of Vagga de Pardo with her son, although he was attended by a chaplain.At that moment, Vaja del Pardo rushed forward, grabbed the prince's leg, and lifted it to the window ten feet above the ground. Waja jumped out of the window with the prince, then found two horses, helped the prince to ride them, and ran with him to the infantry camp two miles away. "If you don't remember that you are Spaniards, it will be the end of your prince." He yelled at the soldiers, "Two thousand Austrian pagans are going to capture the son of your good queen alive. You will destroy them!" These few words awakened the courage of the Spaniards.They swung their swords and met the fourth company of the enemy who went to Villertri to surprise the prince and returned empty-handed.Fortunately, Varga's opponent was a confused old general who had memorized those absurd tactics (such tactics have been used for years) and did not try to break the fighting spirit of the Spaniards.In the end, after one battle, the Austrian army lost nearly 3,500 troops. From then on, Don Carlos became the real king of Naples. He likes hunting, and that's the only thing people know about him.Queen Farnese sent one of her favorites to warn him that the Austrians were greedy and miserly, and that the Neapolitans were especially disgusted with them. "Charge extra millions from big businessmen who are always suspicious and only momentary; use their money for their entertainment. Just don't be a foolish king yourself." Although Don Carlos was raised by a priest from an early age and received strict etiquette training, he was not lacking in intelligence.He selected a group of officials with extraordinary talents, and with special favors, he recruited a group of young nobles to his side.When he first came to Naples, these people had graduated from secondary school, and even when the war in Villertri was fought, they were only twenty years old.Many of them perished in the streets of Villetri, in order not to let the king of their age be captured by the Austrians. The Austrians bought some gangsters in an attempt to create various plots.The king crushed them one by one.Natural supporters of short-lived regimes, his judges called shameful traitors. Don Carlos did not pass a single death sentence, but he agreed to confiscate large tracts of fertile land.Neapolitans are born to love luxury and pomp.The nobles in the palace knew that to please the young king, one had to be generous.The minister Talusi reported to him that some nobles secretly loyal to the Austrian crown, and the king bankrupted them.Now, the only one who opposed Don Carlos was Arcaviva, Archbishop of Naples, the only really dangerous enemy the King had to face in his new kingdom. Don Carlos held a celebration in the winter of 1999, after his return from Villettery.This event was really grand and solemn, which not only added to the joy of victory, but also won him the hearts of the people in Naples.Stability and prosperity have been restored everywhere in the country. It was Charles III's birthday.He held a feast in the palace and kissed his feet to celebrate.For the great nobles who are loyal to him, he bestows good fields and fertile soil.He was also good at ruling, and he joked kindly to archbishop's mistresses and old crones who missed the ridiculous Austrian rule. He saw two or three young noblemen spending too much to make ends meet, and he gave them the title of duke.Don Carlos was naturally generous, and he disliked those who stuck to the Austrian rules and tried to save money. The young king was a man of great intellect, of noble sentiments, and of cadences of speech.The people were surprised to see that the government did not oppress them.They are happy to see the king's celebration, and consciously develop the habit of paying taxes.These taxes are not sent to Madrid or Austria every six months, but a portion is distributed to the pleasure-seeking boys and girls.Though Archbishop Akaviva had the support of all old men and all women whose youth had passed away, every sermon implied that the courtly way of life led to the sin of desecrating the holy places.But he was wasting his time.Whenever the king or queen stepped out of the palace, the people cheered thunderously, which could be heard two or three miles away.Think about it, these people are born to be noisy, and they are really happy, how enthusiastic the cheering scene must be... In the winter after the Battle of Villertri, several nobles from the French court came to Naples under the pretext of resting winter.They were warmly welcomed at the palace.The wealthiest nobles made it their duty to entertain them.The Spaniards are very rigid and follow strict etiquette. A man cannot meet a young woman in the morning, and a young woman must not meet a man without being accompanied by two or three maids chosen by her husband.However, in the face of the simple customs of the French, these customs are slightly relaxed.Eight to ten stunning beauties attended all the receptions.But the young king was a shrewd connoisseur, and he thought the most beautiful girl in the palace was young Rosalind, daughter of Prince Piciano.Prince Bisciano, a former general in the Austrian army, was a sentimental and cautious figure, close to the archbishop.Don Carlos had been in power for four years before the decisive battle of Villetri, and he had not been seen at the palace.The king saw him only twice, at the foot-kissing ceremonies, which required everyone to be present, on the king's birthday and his birth day.But the king's pomp and ceremony won him adherents, even among the most supportive of Austrian rule (as the Neapolitans called it at the time).Prince Viciano's second wife, Donna Ferdinanda, is a favorite at palace events.But after her repeated requests, the prince had no choice but to agree with her to appear in the palace, and took her daughter there.His daughter was Rosalinde, whom King Don Carlos called the most beautiful girl in the palace. Prince Viciano's ex-wife bore him three sons.He worried a lot about their entry into high society.The titles of the three sons are either Duke or Prince, but the property he can leave them is very meager, which is not commensurate with these titles.He was very worried about this.When the queen's birth day came, the king promoted many second lieutenants in the army.However, the sons of Prince Visciano are not listed.The reason is simple, they did not apply.The prince was even more worried about this.However, on the second day of the celebration, their younger sister, the young Rosalind, was walking around with her stepmother in the palace, and the queen told her that the last time she played a game in the palace, she noticed that she had lost and could not take out the pledge. "Although girls don't like diamond rings, I still want to give you this ring as a proof of the Queen's friendship to you, and I hope you will wear it with my permission." After speaking, the queen handed her a ring.The ring was set with a diamond worth several hundred ducats. This ring was a great embarrassment to Prince Viciano, for his friend the Archbishop threatened him that if his daughter dared to wear the Spanish ring, he would order all the priests of the diocese not to serve Rosalind during Easter. A pardon ceremony is held.The prince listened to the opinions of his old mentor priest and proposed a compromise to the archbishop, that is, to ask someone to make a ring with the same style as possible, and then choose a diamond from the jewels passed down from generation to generation by Princess Pisciano.But the idea annoyed Donna Ferdinanda very much. She would not have the diamond taken from her jewel-box, and offered to exchange it for a ring from the Queen.There is an old maid who is the prince's confidant. The prince listened to her and knew that once Rosalind's ring was put into the family treasure box, it would be impossible to return to her after his death; What she wears on her hand is just a substitute, so the daughter can't swear on the saint's blood that the ring is still hers, and of course she can't run back to her father's house to get it for her to have a look. Rosalind didn't take this kind of dispute to heart at all.However, inside the Prince's Mansion, it was very restless for half a month.In the end, it was the guiding priest who came up with the idea of ​​handing over the ring bestowed by the queen to Old Lida, the foreman of the maids, for safekeeping. It was the peculiarity of the Neapolitan noble families that each regarded himself as an independent sovereign, each with his own interests.Between brother and sister, there is no emotion at all, and their interests are always governed by the cruelest rules of politics. Princess Bisciano is happy by nature and very self-willed.He won the favor of Prince Bisiano.She was thirty years younger than the prince.After the great victory at the Battle of Villetri, there were many great festivities at the palace during the winter of that year.On these occasions the princess was very pleased to see the best young men in the palace gathered around her.In fact, this achievement should be attributed to her stepdaughter Rosalind, who was called the most beautiful girl in the palace by the king.The young men who surrounded the Infanta Visciano knew that in doing so they would be able to approach the king, and if they had some interesting ideas to spice up the conversation, they might even have the honor of speaking with him.Usually, the king abides by his mother's precepts, and at the same time, in order to win the respect of the Spaniards, he never speaks, but when he is with the woman he likes, he forgets his identity, talks and laughs happily, and almost judges the unsmiling king. If two people. However, Princess Viciano felt so happy in the palace, not because the king was around her, but because the young Don Gennarino of the Marquis of Las Flores was watching her frequently.The Marquis de Las Flores belonged to the Spanish Medina Celli family, a noble family that had only been in Naples for a century.It just passed down to Don Genarino's father's generation, and the family property was not much.He was considered the poorest nobleman at court.His son was only twenty-two years old, but he was already handsome and handsome, with a certain solemn and proud look on his face, showing his Spanish blood.Ever since he attended court festivities, he had not been able to please Rosalind.Although he was madly in love with her, he always avoided saying a word to her, because he was afraid that her stepmother would therefore stop bringing her to the palace. If this happened, his love would be seriously bruised, so he tried his best to please the princess to avoid this kind of thing from happening.Donna Ferdinanda was thirty-four years old, a little stout, but her vivacity and interest in everything gave her a youthful appearance.Gennarino is arrogant and aloof, and does not please Rosalind.He wants to change this character, so this character of the princess is useful to his plan. Genarino did not speak to Rosalind three times.But her feelings were well understood by him: when he tried to be jovial, cheerful, and even dissolute, he caught a gleam of pleasure in her eyes.Once, he told a story in front of the queen.The content of the story is actually quite sad, but when he explained the cause and effect of the story, like the French, he seemed indifferent and not sad. As a result, after telling the story, he was surprised to find that Rosalind smiled at him and made a meaningful gesture. The queen was about the same age as Rosalind, that is to say, only twenty years old.She could not help praising Genarino, saying that he was glad to hear that there was nothing sad about Spain in his story.Gennarino glanced at Rosalind, and seemed to say to her: "My family is naturally arrogant. I restrained my arrogance to please you." Rosalind understood what he meant and smiled slightly. Even if Genarino hadn't been madly in love with her, he would have known that she was in love with him. Princess Visciano stared intently at Gennarino's handsome face, but she did not perceive his inner feelings: she did not have this sensitivity, and could not understand that subtle thing.What the princess noticed was only Genarino's delicate silhouette and the feminine elegance exuding from his whole body.He has blond hair, imitating the fashionable hairstyle that Don Carlos brought from Spain, and it is long, and the golden waves roll all the way to the slender and clean neck of a girl. In Naples, it is not uncommon to see some beautiful eyes, reminiscent of the most beautiful statues of ancient Greece.However, what these eyes show is only the satisfaction of a healthy body, and at most it is just an aggressive demeanor.But there was none of it in the arrogance that Gennarino sometimes couldn't help showing.His eyes were melancholy as he gazed at Rosalind for a long time.A sensitive observer might have concluded that he was loyal and honest, but weak and suspicious.But there was one thing about him that was also imperceptible: his thick brows were often drawn together and hid the joy and expression of his blue eyes. Kings have no shortage of sensitivity when they're in love with someone.He can see clearly.Rosalind was terrified of her stepmother, and whenever her stepmother was not paying attention to her, her eyes rested dreamily on Genarino's beautiful hair.She didn't dare to look into his eyes, for she was afraid that he would accidentally find out when she was staring at him. The king is magnanimous and does not envy Genarino.Perhaps he believed that a young, generous, victorious king need not fear a rival in love. A shrewd observer would perhaps not be the first to admire Rosalind's face, which was admired by all as the most beautiful face in Sicily.In fact, her face belongs to the kind of face that is unforgettable at first sight.It can be said that her soul is manifested in her forehead and the most moving outline of her mouth.Her figure is slender and slender, as if it was propped up overnight.Her movements and demeanor are still a bit childish, but her face has revealed intelligence and aura.The Greek-type beauty combined with this kind of intelligence and aura is really rare in the world.They mask the dementia that sometimes shows on her face in concentration.She has black hair that is parted neatly in the middle and sticks to her cheeks.There are two long curved eyebrows above her eyes.It was this countenance that moved the king.He often praised her for her beauty. Don Genarino's character has an obvious shortcoming, that is, he tends to overestimate the advantages of his rival in love, thus giving birth to jealousy, even to the point of madness.He was jealous of King Don Carlos, though Rosalind tried to make him understand that he had absolutely nothing to worry about about this formidable opponent.Whenever he heard the king talking kindly to Rosalind, his face grew pale at once.Out of the law of jealousy, Genarino found it a pleasure to stay with the king as long as possible, because he could study the king's character and observe the characteristics of the king's love for Rosalind (which he himself may reveal).The king thought this company was a sign of affection for him, so he allowed himself to be studied. Genarino was equally jealous of Duke Vagga del Pardo.He was Don Carlos's lieutenant, confidant, and had saved his life on the eve of the battle of Villertri.At the Naples court he was considered the wealthiest nobleman.It's just that all these advantages are offset by his age: he is sixty-eight years old.However, this disadvantage did not prevent him from falling in love with the beautiful Rosalind.He is an authentic handsome man, and he rides with grace.He has some whimsical ideas about spending money, and he spends money generously.This grotesque generosity always staggers, but it also endows him with a youthful vigor and constant favor with the King.The duke wanted to include in the marriage contract he was going to show Prince Viciano all the advantages for his future wife, which made it impossible for him to refuse the marriage. Don Gennarino was known at court as "the Frenchman."He was indeed a jovial and rash man.He took pleasure in making friends with all the young French noblemen who came to visit Italy.The king was very appreciative of this.For he always thought that the actions of the French court seemed to be controlled by its carefree and frivolous disposition, and if it changed this disposition one day, and made a small demonstration on the Rhine, the mighty power that had always been eyeing to annex Naples The Austrian royal family will divert attention.It must be pointed out, however, that the king's favor sometimes contributed a little to Don Genarino's frivolity. One day Don Genarino strolled up to the Pont de la Madeleine together with the Marquis Charlotte, who had come from Versailles two months before.This bridge is on the main road leading to Mount Vesuvius.They found a hermit's hut on the hill beside the road, and they decided to go up and see it on a whim.But the weather was hot and the walking was too tiring, so it took a long time to send the servants back to lead the horses. At this moment, Don Genarino noticed a servant on horseback a hundred paces away, but he could not recognize the livery of which house he was wearing. Andalusian horses are beautiful. "Give your respects to your master for me, and please tell him that I will borrow these two horses to go up to the monk's house. I will take them back to your master's house in two hours. Russ Flor House will send an expression of my thanks. " The servant on horseback was a Spanish veteran.He stared at Don Genarino unhappily, without intending to dismount.Don Genarino grabbed the hem of his livery and pulled it down hard, then quickly grabbed his shoulders to keep him from falling sprawled on the ground.Then he mounted the servant's horse and gave the Andalusian led by the servant to the Marquis Charlotte. Just as the Marquis flew onto his horse, Don Genarino, who was reining in the horse, felt a sudden chill: a dagger grazed his left arm.It turned out that when the old Spanish servant saw the horse being intercepted halfway, he threw a throwing knife to express his objection. "Tell your master," said Don Genarino, with his usual gaiety, "that I greet him. In two hours the groom at the house of the Marquis Las Flor will return the two horses." .And we'll be careful not to go too fast. My friend will enjoy a ride on this charming Andalusian horse." The servant, furious, rushed at Don Genarino, intending to strike him again. The two young men quickly rode their horses and galloped up, laughing loudly. Two hours later, when Don Genarino returned from Mount Vesuvius, he sent one of his father's grooms to find out who the owner of the horse was, and returned the horse to thank him in his name. .An hour later the groom returned very pale and said that the two horses belonged to the Archbishop and that the Archbishop had asked him to tell Don Gennarino that he would not accept a compliment from a man who had no respect for him. Within three days, this small disturbance turned into an incident.All Naples was talking of the Archbishop's anger. There was a ball in the palace.Don Gerignano, a fan of the dance, was there as usual.He held out his arm for Princess Donna Ferdinanda de Viciano, and led her and her stepdaughter Rosalinde from salon to salon.Then the king called to him. "Tell me about your latest indiscretion. Tell me how you borrowed those two horses from the Archbishop." After briefly describing the process, Don Genarino added: "Although I did not recognize the livery, I believe that the two horses belonged to a friend of mine. Similar things have happened to me. It can be mentioned: I rode my father's horse, and it was also taken by others. Last year, also on this road to Mount Vesuvius, I also borrowed the Baron Salina's horse. The baron's age Older than me, he was not angry at the joke. But you know, Your Majesty, that he is a very sensible man, very clever. Anyway, the big deal is to fight back with the sword. I have sent someone to apologize, and the archbishop will not Accept it, but I can only be offended. According to my father's groom, these two horses are not His Excellency's mounts, and he has never ridden them." "That's the end of this matter. I don't allow you to cause any more disputes. At most, you are allowed to apologize again, if His Excellency the archbishop is willing to accept it." The king said sternly. Two days later, things became more serious.The archbishop declared that the king's meddling in the matter would make the young men of the court happy to offend him. On the other hand, Princess Bisciano firmly stood on the side of the handsome young man who invited her to dance every time.She took pains to prove that Don Genarino did not recognize the livery of the servant on horseback.For some inexplicable accidental reason, one of Don Genarino's servants also had such a dress, but it was not the livery of the Archbishop's Palace. In short, the archbishop was furious.It seemed that Don Genarino could not refuse to fight him at the sword.In fact, he was going to tell the archbishop that if he had known the horses were his, he would not have tried to borrow them. This incident made Don Carlos very embarrassed.Under the instruction of the archbishop, all the priests of Naples took advantage of the occasion of confessional conversation to spread rumors that the young people in the court were indulging in some kind of sacrilegious life, and tried to insult the archbishop's servants. The king came to the Botici Palace early in the morning and had someone secretly summon the Baron Salina whom Don Genarino had mentioned earlier.This is an outstanding person, very rich, and is considered the most talented person in the world.However, his intentions were extremely sinister, and he seemed to seize every opportunity to discredit the king's rule.He moved "Mercury the Merry Merchant" from Paris, thus gaining a reputation as a wit.He had a close relationship with the Archbishop.The archbishop even wanted to be godfather to his son (who, incidentally, took his father's ideas of liberty seriously and was hanged in 1999). During the time we are referring to, the Baron Salina met King Charles III in a most mysterious manner, and reported to him many things.The King consulted him on actions which might prove to be appreciated by Neapolitan high society.On the baron's suggestion, the next day news spread through the Neapolitan society that a young relative of the cardinal, who lived in the archbishop's palace, had heard that Don Genarino was a master of martial arts and the use of a sword. People fight three times, and it always ends with the opponent losing, and I feel very scared.The young man was of noble birth but lacked courage, and after thinking it over, he complained a lot about the borrowed horse, and carefully announced that the horse belonged to his uncle and had nothing to do with him. That night, Don Genarino went to the Archbishop's Palace to apologize. If he had known that it was the Archbishop's horse, he would not have borrowed it by force. Everyone knew the real names of the relatives of the archbishop.After a week, he became the butt of everyone's joke and had to leave Naples.Another month passed and Don Genarino became a second lieutenant in the 1st Elite Regiment of the Guards.Knowing that his wealth did not match his birth, the king selected three fine horses from the royal stable and gave them to him. This reward from the king aroused strong repercussions.Because everyone believed the rumors spread by the priests, and they all thought that the king, who was generous by nature, was a miser.The archbishop let the rumors confuse the public, so he suffered a disadvantage.In the eyes of the common people, a noble young man whose family has been in trouble is regarded as a useful talent because he had a conflict with the archbishop, and he can carry out the king's secret intentions. foal to him.From then on, the populace avoided the archbishop like the plague. The archbishop found that Don Genarino turned evil into good fortune, that some events that were not good for him would make him famous, so he decided to wait for the opportunity to take revenge.However, he was so angry that he couldn't swallow this breath if he didn't take any action.So all the confessionals in Naples were ordered to spread rumors that the king had not been brave at the battle of Villertri.It was the battle commanded by the Duke of Vagga del Pardo.The duke, as is well known, was violent and resolute, and it was he who forced the king into the heat of battle. The rumor spread widely in Naples.The king, who was not a hero, was very annoyed to hear this slander.一时间堂·热纳里诺新近获得的宠信便显得岌岌可危。要是他没在去维苏威火山的路上胡闹，向陌生人借马，谁也不会回忆起维莱特里战斗的细节。 不过国王本人也有不是，他向军队训话时把这些细节叙述过多次。 国王命令年轻的少尉堂·热纳里诺去视察他在某地的养马场，并查点黑马的数目，以便从中挑选一部分，充实到他正在组建的王后的近卫轻骑队。 因为三个儿子没有相应的身份，比西亚诺亲王已经十分烦恼，而堂娜·费迪南达脾气执拗，总是在家里惹起风波，老头子更是感到苦恼。堂娜·费迪南达因为自己首饰盒里的钻石被借走，又没有得到钻戒来替补，已经憋了一肚子气，又料想丈夫会让教会的朋友相信，他与宫廷来往并非自愿，因为年轻王后给了他妻子不同一般的恩宠，他想利用这层关系，促使妻子为儿子谋求几个职位，觉得更加有气。这时堂·热纳里诺已经获悉自己将去养马场视察，一大早便来亲王府作首次拜访。堂娜·费迪南达王妃便决定利用这个机会，来宣泄一下自己的不满。她本来就真有毛病，又想到有若干天她在宫里看不到他，便称病不出。她这样做的目的之一，就是气一气她丈夫，因为他在处理王后赏赐的戒指的事情上，作出了实际对她不利的决定。尽管王妃已有三十四岁，也就是说，她比丈夫年轻三十岁，她还有望获得年轻的堂·热纳里诺的钟情。虽说她略微嫌胖，相貌却仍然美丽。她生性活泼，无忧无虑，对什么事，哪怕是与她身份不合的小事，她都兴趣盎然，这种性格尤其有助于她保持青春年少的名声。 在年冬季宫中举行的那些盛大庆典中，她始终被那不勒斯最杰出的青年包围。她在那些人中间尤其注意到了年轻的堂·热纳里诺。他面貌俊秀，性情快乐，举止高雅，甚至带有西班牙式的高傲气质。他是梅狄纳·塞利家族一个分支的后代。这个分支迁居那不勒斯不过一百五十年，他那法国式的活泼随便的举止似乎尤其使堂娜·费迪南达王妃着迷。 热纳里诺长着金发金须，一双蓝眼极富表情。王妃特别喜欢这种颜色，她觉得这是哥特族后裔的明显证明。她常常想起，堂·热纳里诺忠实地继承了祖先的大胆与勇敢精神，因为他在别人家胡作非为，已经两次被这些人家的丈夫或兄弟打伤。出了这两次事后，他变得谨慎，与年轻的罗莎琳德也很少讲话，虽说她一直不离继母左右。即使要讲，也是在她继母能够听得一清二楚的时候才跟她说上几句。尽管如此，罗莎琳德还是确知这位青年爱她。而热纳里诺也确信罗莎琳德对自己脉脉含情。 法国人对什么都爱开玩笑。很难让他们理解，在遭受西班牙总督反复无常的暴虐统治达一百一十年之久的那不勒斯，人们变得深沉，虔信，轻易不露感情。 在出发去养马场时，热纳里诺为未能与罗莎琳德说上一句话而深感不幸。他不仅嫉妒国王，因为国王无须掩饰他对罗莎琳德的欣赏，而且还嫉妒瓦加·代尔·帕多公爵。由于近来他入宫很勤，他获悉了一件保守很严的秘密。这位在维莱特里战役中帮过堂·卡洛斯大忙的公爵，以为仗着宫中强有力的宠信和他那二十万皮亚斯特年金的巨额家产，就能使一个姑娘忘掉他的七十岁高龄和粗暴的怪脾气。他打算请求比西亚诺亲王把女儿嫁给他，他负责给亲王三个儿子各提供一笔财产。但他也像一般的西班牙老人，疑心重重，听到国王也爱上了那位姑娘，便打消了自己的念头。不过，他并不确知国王爱到什么程度：为了避免与一位分担国家重任的亲信闹翻，堂·卡洛斯会不会放弃一时的心血来潮？迄今为止，凡是敢于触犯他瓦加公爵的大臣，国王都毫不犹豫地予以惩处。抑或，他为罗莎琳德文静忧郁而又带有几分快乐的性情所征服，终于堕入了真正的爱河？ 在去养马场的路上，热纳里诺因为摸不准国王和代尔·帕多公爵的爱情，感到十分忧愁。这时他对真正的爱情也产生了怀疑。过去，罗莎琳德一看见他，眼里便闪现出激动的光芒，而一旦看见继母对热纳里诺赤裸裸地表示强烈的爱意时，她便流露出明显的不快。在那不勒斯，他对这种情感确信无疑，而现在，离开罗莎琳德不过三天，他就对之产生怀疑了。 年轻的热纳里诺相当乖巧，他让比西亚诺王妃相信，他敬慕的是她，而实际上，他爱恋的是年轻的罗莎琳德，甚至还嫉妒起别人来。那个瓦加·代尔·帕多公爵，过去在维莱特里战役前夜帮了堂·卡洛斯的大忙，而今又享有年轻君主的隆恩圣宠，却叫年轻的罗莎琳德天真无邪的风韵，尤其是那单纯善良的眼神打动了心。他就像那些西班牙老头，年龄三倍于所爱的女人，却一本正经地向这个女人大献殷勤。可是他戴假发，吸鼻烟，这是那不勒斯姑娘最反感的事情。虽然罗莎琳德可能有二万法郎的嫁妆，她在生活中的前景也只能是进圣·佩蒂托贵族修道院。这家修道院坐落在托莱德街地势最高处，当时十分闻名，实际上是大贵族家庭少女的坟墓。尽管如此，她也没有打定主意去理解代尔·帕多公爵充满爱情的眼光。相反，堂·热纳里诺在比西亚诺王妃不注意的当口向她投来的眼光，罗莎琳德倒是感受得分外清楚。有时，她说不定还要回报几瞥。 说实话，这种爱情并不合常情，拉斯·弗洛尔家族虽是阀阀世家，但老公爵，即堂·热纳里诺的父亲有三个儿子。根据当地的习俗，老大将得到一万五千杜卡托的年金（约合五万法郎），两个小的却只能每月拿到二十杜卡托食宿费，和城里、乡下府邸里的一处住所。堂·热纳里诺和罗莎琳德并没有明确地达成一致，却都巧妙地在比西亚诺王妃面前掩饰自己的感情。王妃对年轻的侯爵一直怀有错觉，要是明白过来，她那风骚劲儿决不会把他原谅。 她丈夫那位老迈苍苍的将军倒比她目光敏锐。在堂·卡洛斯冬季举办的最后一个晚会上，他就明白了，堂·热纳里诺这个闹过不止一次绯闻的年轻人，不是准备取悦他妻子就是讨好他女儿。老将军对这两者都不乐意。 次日，吃过午饭，他让女儿罗莎琳德跟他一起上车，二话没说，就把她带到圣·佩蒂托贵族修道院。当时这座修道院十分有名，离雄伟的斯图迪宫不远，在托莱德街最高处左边人们就可见到它那庄严的正面。围墙绵延不绝。当人们沿着围墙在阿雷纳拉树林北部的沃梅罗平原散步时，要走很久才走到尽头。砌这道围墙的唯一目的，就是替圣·佩蒂托的花园遮挡外部的眼光。 亲王到这时才开口。他把罗莎琳德介绍给他妹妹，严厉的××女士。他只对女儿说，她这一辈子，就要在这里待下去，只有一次机会走出修道院的大门，那就是初修期满发愿的前一日。他仿佛是出自好心告诉女儿一个情况，女儿还应该感激他似的。 罗莎琳德对这一切都并不感到意外。她很清楚，除非出现奇迹，否则她别指望出嫁。但在这时要她嫁给瓦加·代尔·帕多公爵，她会感到可怕。再说，她在这家修道院住过好几年，保留着快乐有趣的回忆，所以头一天她对自己的处境并不觉得过于沮丧。到了第二天，尽管她稚气未褪，但一想到从今以后再也见不到堂·热纳里诺，不觉也开始感到忧伤。 她活泼，不稳重，不到半个月，就被看成修道院里最忧伤最不听话的姑娘。对她再也见不到的堂·热纳里诺，她一天也许想到了二十次，而在她父亲府里时，她一天只想到一二次。 进修道院三周后，有一次作晚祷，她一字不差地背出了圣母连祷文。教师便准许她第二天上屋顶露台。这个露台在修道院的主楼上面，面对着托莱德街，实际上是修女们用金箔和图画装饰的一条长廊。 又看到一辆辆华丽的马车在这一段街上来回驶过，罗莎琳德大为兴奋。她认出了大部分马车和坐在马车里的贵妇，不觉感到又悲又喜。 当她看见一个青年男子，站在一个大门廊下，满怀深情地挥动着一束鲜花时，心里顿时激动万分。这正是堂·热纳里诺。自从罗莎琳德失踪以后，他每天都来此地，期望她能在贵族修女院的露台上出现。他知道她爱花，为了吸引她的视线，让她注意到自己，他带了一束最名贵的花。 看到罗莎琳德认出了自己，堂·热纳里诺快乐得直蹦。他立即向她打手势，可是罗莎琳德没有回答他。不过她想，根据修道院执行的圣贝诺阿教规，她可能要过好几星期才获准重上露台。她在露台上发现了许多兴高采烈的修女，她们都，或几乎都在跟朋友打手势。看到这位戴白头巾的姑娘，她们显得有些担心，这个姑娘看到她们不大虔诚的态度可能感到惊愕，并可能张扬出去。须知在那不勒斯，姑娘们还在孩提时代就习惯用手语交谈。不同的手势代表不同的字母。在客厅里，他们的父母高声说话的当口，她们就用这种办法跟二十步开外的年轻男子默默交谈。 热纳里诺害怕罗莎琳德变心。他往后稍退几步，站在大门洞里，用儿童的语言对她说：“自从你走后，我就感到不幸。你在修道院愉快吗？能经常自由地上露台吗？你仍然喜欢花吗？” 罗莎琳德目不转睛地望着他，没有回答。突然一下，她走开了。她是被教师叫走的，还是因热纳里诺这几句话冒犯了她而气走的？热纳里诺呆在那儿，心里有说不出的忧伤。 他信步来到美丽的阿雷纳拉小树林。这里俯瞰着那不勒斯。圣·佩蒂托修道院大花园的围墙就一直延伸到这里。他闷闷不乐地走着，来到了沃梅罗平原。它俯临那不勒斯城和大海。他一直走了十里地，来到瓦加·代尔·帕多公爵的宏伟城堡面前。这个城堡原是中世纪的一座要塞，墙体发黑，筑有雉堞。在那不勒斯，这座城堡以其森森的外表以及堡内的仆人闻名。公爵有个怪癖，只用来自西班牙的仆人，而且年纪要与他一般老。他说，他一来这里，就认为到了西班牙。为了加强这种幻觉，他命人伐光周围的树木。每当他在国王殿前办完差事，有点空暇，他就来这座城堡里换换空气。 看到这座阴森的建筑物，热纳里诺更觉得忧闷。他沿着修道院大花园的围墙，愁肠百结地往回走，忽然想起了一个主意：“她肯定还喜欢花。”他寻思，“修女们一定在这个花园里栽了不少花。里面肯定有一些园丁。我得想法去结识结识。” 在这个僻静的地方，有一家小酒馆。他走了进去。由于他的心思都集中在刚才那个念头上，所以没有注意他的服饰在这个地方显得过于华丽。而且他还不安地发现，周围的人都露出惊疑的神色。于是，他假装走累了，很随和地跟店主人和酒客聊天。这种坦诚的态度使人们觉得他那华贵的装束也不刺眼了。他要了几瓶好酒，便和店主以及他的朋友畅饮起来。就这样边饮边聊了一个小时，大家对他也放了心，便拿圣·佩蒂托修道院的修女开玩笑。有人谈到几个修女在花园围墙上会情人的故事。 这种传闻在那不勒斯流布甚广。热纳里诺相信确有其事。 沃梅罗的这些善良农民拿这种事开玩笑，但并不显得对这种事反感。 “这些可怜的女孩子，不是像我们的本堂神甫说的那样，是自愿去那里面的，而是被她们的父亲赶出来的，因为家里的财产都要留给长子。她们寻找一点快活也是自然的。不过眼下她们要取乐也不容易了。现任院长安琪拉·玛丽亚是卡斯特罗·皮亚诺侯爵家的人。她只想通过折磨这批可怜姑娘来讨好国王，为她侄子搞到公爵的头衔。这些姑娘本也没有想过给天主和圣母许愿。她们在花园里跑来跑去，那股快活劲儿叫人看了高兴。好像她们只是一群寄宿的学生，而不是被迫起誓，不想还愿就受天罚的修女。最近，为了尊敬她们的大贵族身分，那不勒斯大主教替她们从罗马教廷争取了特权，她们可以在十六岁上发誓，而不必等到十七岁。这份特权给可怜的姑娘们带来了非凡的荣誉。修道院为此还举办了盛大的庆祝仪式哩。” “你们提到了花园。”热纳里诺说，“可我觉得它很小嘛。” “怎么会小呢？”周围好些人叫起来，“你肯定没有去看过，有三十阿尔邦①哩。花匠领班贝波师傅手下，有时有十二个人干活。” “这个花匠领班一定是个英俊的小伙子吧？'堂·热纳里诺笑着叫起来。 “你也真了解卡斯特罗·皮亚诺院长！”大家都嚷了起来，“但愿她能容忍这种瞎安排！贝波先生当初进去，都不得不说明他有七十岁了。他是从拉斯·弗洛尔侯爵家出来的。侯爵在塞利有一座漂亮的花园。” 热纳里诺高兴得跳了起来。 ①一阿尔邦约合到公亩。 “你怎么啦？”他的新朋友问。 “没什么。我只是累了点！” 他想起了贝波师傅就是他父亲从前的花匠。当天晚上剩下的时间里，他又巧妙地打听到了贝波师傅的住处，以及与他见面的办法。 翌日，他确实找到了贝波师傅。老花匠认出了拉斯·弗洛尔侯爵家的小少爷，乐得直流眼泪。从前他常把小少爷抱在怀里，对他是百依百顺。热纳里诺抱怨父亲太悭吝，表示只要一百杜卡托就可使他摆脱极端的困境。 两天后，初学修女罗莎琳德（现在大家都叫她斯科拉蒂卡修女）独自在花园右边幽美的花坛里散步。老园丁贝波走近她，说：“我很熟悉高贵的比西亚诺亲王一家。我年轻时就在亲王的花园里干活。要是小姐允许，我要送给小姐一朵美丽的玫瑰花。我把它包在这些葡萄叶里。不过，小姐要回到屋里，独自一人时才打开它。” 罗莎琳德接过玫瑰花，几乎连谢谢也没说。她把花儿抱在怀里，若有所思地朝宿舍走去。她是亲王之女，将来是一等修女，所以享有三间房一套的宿舍。一进门，罗莎琳德就点亮灯，准备打开花来看，谁知她手里握着的花萼已经脱离了花茎，在花瓣中心被葡萄叶包住的地方有一张纸条。她的心怦怦直跳，但还是毫不迟疑地展开纸条读起来。 “美丽的罗莎琳德，我和你一样，不大富裕。你家牺牲你，好让你的兄弟们成家立业。我也一样。你可能也清楚，我在拉斯·弗洛尔侯爵家排行老三。自从你出家后，国王派我在他的近卫队里当旗手。我父亲趁这个机会宣布：我本人，我的手下和马匹可以在家里食宿，但我也得考虑每月靠十个杜卡托来生活了。在我们家，小儿子的待遇总是如此。