e merged in early Christian traditions, imparting
some of their own tint of fable, yet baptizing anew the groves and
hillsides to sanctity. Beautiful hillsides, rippling down to the
sea-coasts; and plains, nestling among the mountain slopes, littered
with remnants of vast temples of superb pagan workmanship and with
priceless pre-historic remains: wonderful, ancient marbles,
time-mellowed and crumbling, inwrought rather with barbaric symbols of
splendor than with the tender grace of poetic suggestion.

And this land of many races and dynasties, of conflicting ideals and
religions, as of many tongues--where domination was largely a matter of
the stronger hand--still held among the nations her ancient soubriquet
of _the happy isle_.

But less for her romance and beauty than because this _notissima famae
insulae_ was a possession to be envied by a diplomatic nation, since its
position lent it importance, the Republic had looked upon it with
longing eyes--and because of its commerce, which equalled that of
Venice, long ago the far-seeing Senate had sought to purchase it from
the Greek Emperor, but the agreement had come to naught by treachery of
the Emperor's son.

Nevertheless, Cyprus had not been forgotten; and the time for Venice to
make good this remembrance had now come uppermost on the calendar of the
years.

So they were ready to give rapt attention to the flattering proposals of
the young Cyprian Monarch, as presented by his dignified ambassador, the
Signor Filippo Mastachelli, when he appeared before the Signoria with
the retinue and splendor of an Eastern Prince, bearing gifts of jewels
meet for a royal bride, to claim the hand of a patrician maid of Venice,
to make her Queen of Cyprus.

Janus the Second was young and brave, the idol of a party of his
people--and where was the kingdom in which there were known to be no
discontents? He was upheld by the great Sultan of Egypt to whom he owed
suzerainty and, if in disfavor of the Holy Father for this allegiance,
Venice had always permitted Rome to question her own supremacy and was
not disconcerted thereby. He was beautiful as a young god, with a face
full of laughing appeal, and not less charming than the miniature set in
crystals which Mastachelli bore among the wedding gifts; and the grace
of him could not be matched, for his power of winning, when he had set
his heart to the task. In whatever deed of skill and daring his prowess
went before his knights and