O Amor Offendido, e Vingado

The Project Gutenberg EBook of O amor offendido, e vingado, by Unknown This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: O amor offendido, e vingado Author: Unknown Release Date: April 29, 2009 [EBook #28640] Language: Portuguese Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK O AMOR OFFENDIDO, E VINGADO *** Produced by Pedro Saborano. Produced from images generously made available by Caminhos do Romance digital library.

O AMOR OFFENDIDO, E VINGADO.

A Violação da Fé conjugal tem sempre arrastado em seu sequito as mais grandes desgraças. Não se póde lançar os olhos sobre a historia, sem que se ache disto mil exemplos funestos. Os Gallos Belgicos nos offerecem hum, capaz de fazer impressão sobre os corações, que não forem inteiramente privados do sentimento da virtude.

No anno de 1539 vivia em huma terra consideravel entre Gand, e Curtrai, a Condessa de Leerven, viuva, e possuidora de bens immensos. Ella não tinha mais do que huma filha chamada Adriana, a qual a huma grande belleza ajuntava muito de engraçada. A natureza a tinha dotado de muito boas qualidades, que huma má educação tinha corrompido. Seu caracter, ainda que docil no seu fundo, era firme; ordinariamente transportado; e algumas vezes extremo. Acostumada a não ser contradita, nada a podia desviar dos projectos, que huma vez tinha concebido: a Condessa sua Mãi, que a idolatrava, a deixava absolutamente Senhora de suas vontades.

Hum tão grande partido foi logo procurado por muitas pessoas. Entre o grande número de seus adoradores, o Barão de Vierkove teve a felicidade de agradar a Adriana. Elle era de huma figura encantadora, e feita para o amor; sua alma sensivel, e terna, não pôde resistir aos attractivos de Adriana; e como elle devia bem pouco temer seus rivaes, não tardou em ser feliz. O partido era conveniente; por ser elle tambem o herdeiro de sua casa. A Condessa applaudio a escolha de sua filha, e estes felizes amantes forão unidos com magnificencia, e grande contentamento de suas respectivas familias.

Nunca união alguma deo signaes de ser mais constante. Havia pouco mais ou menos hum anno que elles vivião nesta feliz, e rara intelligencia, quando perdêrão a Condessa de Leerven.

Depois de lhe terem feito os ultimos deveres, elles forão a Gand, para distrahirem a sua dôr. Naquelle tempo o Imperador Carlos V. vem a Flandres para apaziguar as perturbações, que alli se tinhão levantado por occasião das novas taxas, que elle tinha imposto; e ficou algum tempo nesta Cidade, onde fez severamente castigar os amotinadores.

O Barão, que tinha a honra de ser particularmente conhecido deste Principe, foi fazer-lhe sua Corte: elle foi de todos os prazeres deste Soberano, e mesmo algumas vezes fazia partida com elle. Não havia algum concerto, que o Imperador não fizesse executar por Musicos Italianos, que trazia comsigo. Safira, celebre Cantarina, tinha tanto de espirito como de talento: ainda moça, divertida, e espirituosa, bem depressa se apercebeo da impressão, que sua voz, e seus encantos tinhão feito sobre o terno Nierkove; elle esquece-se de suas protestações á terna Adriana; elle se abandona á sua nova paixão, e só vivia para Safira. Elle corre a sua casa, lança-se a seus pés, pinta-lhe seu ardor em termos os mais persuasivos, enche-a de seus donativos: em fim, ouro, diamantes, festas, tudo foi prodigalizado. Duvida-se bem qual dos dous foi o mais feliz. Quando se reunem os talentos, a figura, a fortuna, e o nascimento, póde-se por ventura achar mulheres crueis, principalmente no estado de Safira?

O Barão só se occupava de sua felicidade (se della se póde gostar, quando imprudentemente se faz desgraçada huma Esposa digna da mais viva ternura): tal he a desordem do coração humano, quando elle se entrega a seus desejos, e quando a razão o abandona.

A triste Adriana não pôde conceber em seu Esposo huma mudança tão repentina: ella estava muito bem persuadida de sua infidelidade: as liberalidades do Barão já se tinhão notado, e a sua familiaridade com Safira era publica a toda a Corte. A desafortunada Baroneza deixou ao tempo o cuidado de fazer tornar a si este infiel: ella se persuadia que aquillo mesmo que lhe tinha roubado seu Esposo, poderia da mesma sorte restituir-lho. Além disto ella sabia que o unico meio de reganhar hum inconstante, era mostrar-se ignorante de sua perfidia, servindo-se sómente de paciencia, e de doçura. As reprehensões irritão; o silencio nos condemna, e nos faz entrar em nós mesmos.

Ella tomou pois este partido; e escreveo ao Barão dizendo-lhe, que se elle tinha negocios na Corte, ella partia á sua Patria a tratar de seus interesses; e que lá esperava noticias suas. Sem lembrança de resposta, ella partio logo, penetrada de dôr, e desesperação. Ella adorava o Barão: sua inconstancia a penetrou sensivelmente. O retiro em que ella vivia, longe de extinguir seu amor, lhe deo pelo contrario novas forças. Sómente corações sensiveis, que tem experimentado a mesma sorte que Adriana, podem julgar da grandeza de seus males.

O Barão, sempre encantado de sua querida Safira, parecia ter-se inteiramente esquecido de Adriana: elle sobre isto nada fallava a seus amigos; e ninguem da mesma sorte se atrevia a fallar-lhe: elle mesmo nunca mais lhe escreveo. Sempre occupado de sua amante, não a deixava hum só momento. Elle a retirou da comittiva do Imperador, que tinha partido para Hespanha. Elle lhe procurou huma casa toda abundante; e prazeres sempre novos prevenião continuadamente os desejos da galante Safira, ambos no meio das delicias julgavão perpetua a sua felicidade!

As pessoas de honra começárão a murmurar: ainda não era costume, e principalmente em Flandres, vêr-se o escandalo sem desassocego. Quanto estes tempos se tem mudado! Presentemente se faz consistir nisto mesmo a fidelidade; ninguem se envergonha de tratar como respeitaveis estas uniões criminosas quando ellas são duraveis: o crime applaudido goza hoje das vantagens da virtude. A vida publica de Nierkove, e de Safira indispunha o povo; e disto mesmo elles forão informados. O Barão para evitar tudo isto, resoluto a ir estabelecer-se em Veneza, desfez-se de seus contratos, e de suas terras, para fazer transportaveis todos os seus bens. Adriana, que não ignorava o menor passo de seu marido, não pôde resistir a este ultimo golpe. Transportada, de furor...

Ingrato, exclama ella, he este o fructo do amor que em mim tens experimentado. A perda de teus bens não he o que me afflige: liberaliza-os á tua indigna, e vil Safira, porém restitue-me o teu coração. Torna a mim querido, e cruel Esposo; meu amor te perdoa... Mas, que digo? O infiel vai partir... Póde ser que elle se aparte de mim para sempre!... Não, perjuro!... tu não me escaparás, eu saberei punir-te minha vingança fará tremer, servindo de exemplo áquelles, que como tu, desprezão a ternura de huma Esposa desafortunada... Eu tenho procurado todos os meios de te recuperar; o tempo, meu silencio, minhas lagrimas, minha desesperação, não tem podido abrandar-te... A morte só é... Que digo eu? Ai de mim!... Sim, sim, cruel, a morte só vai unir-vos.

Adriana escreveo logo a huma de suas amigas, e lhe pedio em hum escripto separado que só abrisse sua carta, passados oito dias; porque ella continha cousas de ultima importancia, que se devião ignorar até este tempo.. Ella fez logo pôr grades em todas as janellas de seu aposento, e pregar nas portas fechaduras occultas, cujo segredo só ella conhecia. No mesmo tempo dispoz tudo de sorte que pudesse prosperar o terrivel projecto, que tinha meditado. Quanto he para temer huma mulher justamente irritada! A desesperação occupa toda a sua alma; a vingança a mais terrivel lhe parece suave; as maiores extremidades meios ordinarios; e sua propria fraqueza parece dar-lhe todas as forças.

Tudo assim disposto, ella finge huma doença mortal: de huma mão tremula ella escreve a seu Esposo: Eu morro, e vos perdo-o. Eu não vos imputo a minha morte, e rogo ao Ceo que vos inspire o arrependimento. Vós recebereis todos os meus bens da mão de hum amigo commum, que delles será o depositario. Eu não choro a vida; porque nem tenho filhos, nem Esposo, ai de mim! que me pertenção. Poucas horas tenho já de vida; ao menos concedei-me a graça de vos tornar a vêr a ultima vez. Vivei feliz, eu morro, e vos adoro.

O desgraçado Barão cahio no laço, que era difficil evitar-se. Elle se persuadio que não devia honradamente deixar de vêr sua mulher morrendo: este passo lhe pareceo innocente, e a lembrança do deposito lhe facilitava o meditado projecto de fugir com Safira. O interesse teve muito mais poder sobre seu coração do que o amor. Safira, que não podia suspeitar a desgraça de seu amante, o persuadio a que desse esta ultima consolação á Baronesa espirando. Elle parte, e em poucos momentos elle chega á sua terra. A tristeza, que elle vê espalhada entre toda a familia, moveo sua piedade. Hum negro presentimento se apodera de seu coração, e sem poder dar conta de seu transporte, elle entra tremendo na Camara de sua Esposa. As gentes, que á vinda inesperada de Nierkove, tinhão ordem de se retirar, os deixão sós. A furiosa Adriana fecha logo todas as portas. De repente, com os olhos errantes, ella se levanta, e vai a seu gabinete pôr fogo, (sem que seu marido disto se aperceba) a algumas materias combustiveis, que ella tinha preparado; e logo torna, e se lança repentinamente sobre seu leito. O Barão aterrado quer chamar soccorro, persuadindo-se que era isto effeito de transporte: porém qual foi seu espanto quando elle vio de repente toda a casa em fogo. Treme, perjuro, exclama Adriana, e reconhece huma Esposa ultrajada: já que tu não tens podido viver comigo, ingrato, ao menos poderás morrer. A violencia da chamma, que vai a consumir-te, não igualará jámais os fógos, que me tem abrazado por ti... A estas palavras o fumo lhe tira a respiração: o Barão sobresaltado debalde procura salvar-se. Bem depressa a chamma sahe pelas janellas: correm a soccorrellos; arrombão-se as portas; porém já he tarde: estes Esposos se achão prostrados, e já meios consumidos.

Os progressos deste incendio forão tão rápidos, que em pouco tempo todo o edificio foi reduzido a cinzas. A noticia chegou logo a Gand: assentou-se que este fogo tinha sido effeito da casualidade; porém a carta que Adriana tinha escripto á Viscondessa Coppens, sua amiga, revelou este horrivel misterio. Ella queria sem duvida deixar á posteridade hum tremendo exemplo da vingança de huma mulher desesperada, e huma imagem terrivel do castigo de hum Esposo perjuro, e querido.

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