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allegiance to the Christian powers and faith weakened by the treachery of Austria ; her people degraded into robbers; a soldier's daughter, and keenly alive to the splendours of martial gallantry and glory ; an or- phan, too, and desolate can it be wondered at if she surrendered, at once and for ever, to this generous and impassioned lover all the sym- pathies of her affectionate nature? She spoke not ; but, as she leaned half-fainting on his arm, her eloquent looks said that which made Ibrahim's pulses thrill with grateful rapture. Pressing her fondly to his bosom, he placed her on the back of his faithful steed, and vaulted into the saddle. Snorting as the vapour flew from his red nostrils, and neighing with mad delight, the impatient animal threw out his iron hoofs into the air, flew round the angle of the cliff, and join- ed erelong a dozen mounted spear- men. Then, bending their headlong course towards the far east, in a few seconds all had disappeared.
During this scene, which passed almost with the speed of thought, the Proveditore, who was seated on a ledge of the cliff, had gazed anxiously and wildly at the youthful stranger. He knew him in an instant, and would have singled him out amidst thousands ; but was so overwhelmed by a rushing tide of strong and heartrending emo- tions, that he could neither rise nor speak, and remained, long after the Turk had disappeared, with out- stretched arms and straining eye- balls.
" Gracious Heaven ! " exclaimed the bewildered Autouio, half suspect-
The Pirates of Seyna.
[April,
ing the truth, " who was that daring youth ? "
After a pause, and in tones broken and inarticulate, his father answered " Thy twin brother, Antonio ! When a child he was stolen from me by some Turks in Candia ; and those who stole have given him their own daring and heroic nature, for they are great and rising, while Venice and her sons are falling and degenerate. Oh Ercole ! my dear and long-lost son seen but a moment and then lost for ever ! " ejaculated the bereaved father, as, refusing all comfort, he folded his cloak over his face and wept bitterly.
NOTE. Shortly after these events, Venice, urged at last beyond all en- durance, took up arms against Austria on account of the protection afforded by the latter power to the Uzcoques. The pirate vessels were burned, Segna besieged and taken, the Uzcoques slain or dispersed. The quarrel be- tween Austria and the republic was put an end to by the mediation of Spain shortly before the breaking out of the Thirty Years' War.
" Ces miserables," says a dis- tinguished French writer, speaking of the Uzcoques, u furent bien plus criminels par la faute des puissances, que par 1'instinct de leur propre na- ture. Les Venetiens les aigrirent ; 1'eglise Komaine prefera de les perse- cuter au devoir de les eclaircir ; la maison d'Autriche en fit les instru- ments de sa politique, et quand le philosophe examine leur histoire il ne voit pas que les Uscoques soieut les seuls criminels."
