Part 9 (2/2)
Elizabeth, queen of England, then came forward: she complained of the count of Ess.e.x, who slighted her affections at the time she was sought by all the princes of Europe. Lucifer referred her to the tribunal of Astarte, where he had sent the Amazons.
After her appeared Dido, queen of Carthage. She testified great dissatisfaction at Virgil, who had represented her as enamoured with a man she had never seen.-Referred to the same tribunal.
Sappho also was in court: she averred that there had never been any other Sappho than herself, who was born in the Island of Mitylene: had given her name to the sapphic poetry, and was the author of poems dedicated to her friend Phaon, one of which had been translated by Ovid.
The other Sappho declared that she was the true, the only Sappho who had existed; that she was born at Erise, in the time of the elder Tarquin, king of Rome; that she had married Cersyla, of Andros, one of the ancestors of the muse Clio; and that she had composed poems of different kinds. The claims of Sappho of Mitylene were then recognized, and the other forbidden to a.s.sume this name, or any work thereunto appertaining, because the property of a wife belonged to her husband: and according to the laws of all nations, her acts ought to appear in his name.
Sappho having been confirmed in her rights, accused Phaon of coldness and ingrat.i.tude. ”When,” said she, ”I had given him my heart, I was no more mistress of myself; I wished by my works to immortalize my love and his name: hard as the rocks of Parna.s.sus, inflexible as the fiercest dog of Thessaly, impenetrable as the isthmus of Corinth, he disdained my flame; my verse made no impression upon him; weary of my love, he sought but to escape from me; insensible to my anguish, when I threw myself from the precipice of Leucadia, he manifested no sorrow. O, rage! O, fury of love! avenge my wrongs.”
Lucifer ordained that Sappho should present her case before the G.o.ddess of females.
Artemisa rehea.r.s.ed all she had done to eternise the memory of her spouse: she repeated a hundred times the name of her dear Mausoleus, and demanded that he should be again restored to her, since she had died for love of him.
The matron of Ephesus, who stood near her, began to laugh loudly, at the idea of a woman's demanding her lost husband from h.e.l.l.
Both of them being adjudged fools, for contrary reasons, were remanded to their dungeons.
Lucretia, a Roman lady, succeeded them; she demanded justice against Tarquin, who, by her violation, had been the cause of her death.
Jupiter, who wished to amuse himself, asked her if she had made any resistance.
”Yes,” said she.
”What hindered you from stabbing Tarquin as he approached you?”
”He was the stronger party, and would have killed me.”
”Was he alone?”
”Yes.”
”Was there ever seen a man, who could, una.s.sisted, force a woman to the gratification of his l.u.s.t? Why did you not rather suffer death, than permit him to consummate his enterprise?”
”You are so importunate, that I must needs avow the truth: Collatinus, my husband, discovering my intrigues with the young prince, poinarded me, and then spread a false report, to advance the designs of Brutus and himself. This Jupiter,” murmured she, retiring, very angry, ”is an impertinent-he will not believe that any woman could be capable of so heroic an action as that attributed to me, and that they are all coquettes.”
”Let all the women,” said Lucifer, ”betake themselves to the tribunal established for them.” He then gave orders for the approach of four princes, who craved audience: the first was Darius, who impleaded Alexander the Great: the second, Bajazet, who accused Tamerlane of robbery: the third, Constantine Paleologus, who reproached Mahomet with his cruelty and ambition; the fourth, Montezuma, king of Mexico, who complained against Fernandez Cortes, and the usurpation of the Spaniards.
The three first replied, custom, and the laws of war: as to the last, he was listened to, more from curiosity than any intention to reinstate him in his possessions.
Montezuma spake very nearly in these words: ”I was formerly the legitimate and peaceful possessor of the Mexican states, which my fathers had enjoyed from the universal deluge, if not before; for there are people called _preadamites_, who maintain, that G.o.d created men in that part of the world called _America_, who did not descend from the first man born in Asia, and whom they called _Adam_. The avarice and temerity of certain merchants, led them across the immense sea, which separates America from Europe; they represented themselves as persons, who, having been s.h.i.+pwrecked, had need of succour: we gave them firs, wood, and silver; we aided them to the extent of our power. All these gifts, which ought to have served for the establishment of an honourable commerce and friends.h.i.+p, only inflamed their cupidity and avarice. We were their friends; they made us their va.s.sals, after having combatted us with arms, of which we were ignorant: mounted on horses of which we were horribly afraid, they put us to flight with the terrible noise of their cannon; having rallied, we a.s.sembled all our troops; they prevailed by the superiority of their arms; shutting us up in villages, they besieged, they ma.s.sacred, they took us captive, and carried all before them, with fire and sword. Regardless of royal majesty, which I held of G.o.d, they took my life. If it is right to usurp the goods and estate of another, why do not subjects war against their sovereigns? Why do not families seek the downfall of families? Why do not the wicked and strong dominate, the one over the weak, and the other take away their goods?
Natural right, which bestows every thing that hath no owner, was it upon the side of the king of Spain, or on mine, who had received the kingdom of Mexico, as an inheritance from my fathers? The civil law, which maintains possession, and which protects legitimate proprietors, was it in favour of the king of Spain, or in mine? The reason of all ages and countries accuse the Spaniards. We learn in childhood, that we must not do to others, what we would not have them to do to us; Did I carry war into Spain? Why then have they brought it to me, and that too, in a country where they had experienced the cares of hospitality, to destroy a prodigious number of men? What horrible ingrat.i.tude! what frightful injustice! what atrocious cruelty! Lucifer, be the avenger of one half the world: punish the Spaniards.”
Fernandez Cortes excused himself on the score of orders from the king, his master: he confessed that reason, humanity, and justice, spake by the mouth of Montezuma; but he observed, that the conquests of the Spaniards had instructed the Indians in the knowledge of the true G.o.d.
Upon that, Montezuma cried out, that the design of the Spaniards was not to eradicate idolatry in America, but solely to enrich Spain, at the expense of that part of the world; that this was so true, that in Mexico, the christian Spaniards and their slaves, did not compose more than one hundred thousandth part of the inhabitants.
”What do you desire,” said Lucifer, ”that I should do to the Spaniards?”
”I do not demand,” said the prince, ”to be reinstated in my dominions; some day, perhaps, one of my descendants, or some generous Indian, will deliver my country from the Spanish yoke; I wish only that the Indians who were killed in the conquest of Mexico, should have the liberty to roast upon spits, and eat their cruel enemies; and in this manner my nation shall be sufficiently revenged.”
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