Pocahontas and John Smith.

Valentines Day is celebrated all over the world on 14th February. This day is associated with love. And when we are talking about love, how can we afford to forget about two of the greatest lovers- Pocahontas and John Smith.

Pocahontas , an Indian Princess was the daughter of Powhatan. 'Pocahontas' was a childhood nickname referring to her frolicsome nature; in the Powhatan language it meant "little wanton". Her father Powhatan was the powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia.


It was in April/May 1607 when the English colonists arrived in Virginia and began building settlements. It was then that Pocahontas for the first time in her life saw Englishmen. Among them all, she found John Smith, one of the leading colonists, most attractive and developed a liking for him. The first meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith is a legendary story. It is believed that John Smith was leading an expedition in December 1607 when a group of Powhatan hunters took him captive and brought him to Werowocomoco, one of the chief villages of the Powhatan Empire. Smith was taken to the official residence of Powhattan and he was tortured. It was Pocahontas who saved his life from the attack of the Indians. Smith was laid across a stone and was about to be executed, when Pocahontas threw herself across his body. Pocahontas then helped Smith to stand on his feet and Powhattan adopted Smith as his son. This incident helped Pocahontas and Smith to become friends with each other.

Pocahontas, after this incident, made frequent visits to the Jamestown and passed on to the Englishmen messages of her father.

In 1608, Pocahontas is said to have saved Smith a second time. Smith and some other colonists were invited to Werowocomoco by Chief Powhatan on friendly terms, but Pocahontas came to the hut where the English were staying and warned them that Powhatan was planning to kill them. Due to this warning, the English stayed on their guard, and the attack never came.

In October 1609, after getting badly injured due to gunpowder explosion, John Smith returned to England. When Pocahontas made a visit to the fort, she was informed that Smith was dead.

In March 1613, an Englishman, Captain Samuel Argall kidnapped Pocahontas and informed Powhatan that he would not release her, until Powhatan released the English prisoners along with various weapons and tools that he had confiscated earlier. Argall, arrived in Jamestown in April 1613.

In December 1613 Captain Argall sailed up the Potomac River to a far Indian village to trade Pocahontas with the Indians. He traded a copper kettle for Pocahontas. The colonists hoped that Powhatan would trade the Indian prisoners and the guns he had taken for Pocahontas. Powhatan sent back many prisoners and promised friendship and corn, but he did not send back the guns. Captain Argall felt that by not sending the guns, Powhatan had sent only a part of the ransom. He did not send Pocahontas back to her father because of this.

Even though she was held hostage, Pocahontas was free to go from house to house. Pocahontas settled down in Henricus. She was given a warm room, pretty clothes, and food to eat. It is here that Pocahontas fell in love with John Rolfe, an Englishman. In April they were married. Pocahontas converted to Christianity. She went by the name of Rebecca Rolfe, living an English life.

For the next eight years the white men and the Indians were at peace. Pocahontas and John were very happy. They had a baby and named him Thomas. Rolfe invented new ways of planting and curing tobacco. He planned to send the tobacco to the Old World. In 1616 John and Pocahontas sailed to England to talk to King James about the sale of tobacco in England.

In early 1617, Pocahontas made a visit to London, where he met his friend John Smith after eight long years and was shocked to see him alive. She is said to have been greatly grieved at not being able to marry her first love. It was their last meeting.

It is said that overcome by emotion and recollections, while on a return voyage to Virginia, she died of a broken heart shortly afterwards in March on board.

Shakuntala and Dushyant

The legend of the exquisitely beautiful Shakuntala and the mighty king Dushyant is a thrilling love story from the epic Mahabharata, which the great ancient poet Kalidasa retold in his immortal play 'Abhijnanashakuntalam'.

While on a hunting trip, King Dushyant of the Puru dynasty meets the hermit-girl Shakuntala. They fall in love with each other at first sight and, in the absence of her father, Shakuntala weds the king in a ceremony of 'Ghandharva'-a form of marriage by mutual consent with mother Nature as the witness. When the time comes for Dushyant to return to his palace, he promises to send an envoy to escort her to his castle.As a fond remembrance he gives her a signet ring.

One day when hermit Durvasa stops at her hut for hospitality, Shakuntala, lost in her love thoughts, fails to hear his calls.The temperamental sage turns back and curses her: "He whose thoughts have engrossed you would not remember you anymore." On the plea of her companions, the enraged sage relents and adds a condition to his curse-statement: "He can only recall you upon producing some significant souvenir."

Days roll by and nobody from the palace comes to fetch her. Her father sends her to the royal court for their reunion, as she was pregnant with Dushyant's child. While travelling, Shakuntala's signet-ring accidentally drops into the river and gets lost.

When Shakuntala presents herself before the king, Dushyant, under the spell of the curse, fails to acknowledge her as his wife. Heart-broken, she pleads to the gods for help. The spell is broken when a fisherman finds the signet ring in the stomach of a fish - the same ring that Shakuntala had lost on her way to the court. The king suffers from an intense feeling of guilt and injustice. Shakuntala forgives Dushyant and they are reunited happily. She gives birth to a male child. He is called Bharat, after whom India gets her name.

Salim and Anarkali

The love story of Salim and Anarkali is a story that every lover knows. The Mughal prince Salim falling for a courtesan Anarkali is the stuff that legends are made of. The relationship of Salim and Anarkali outraged the Mughal emperor Akbar so much that both father and son decided to go on war.

According to legend, Salim, the son of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, fell in love with a beautiful courtesan named Anarkali as a young prince. Anarkali, whose title means "pomegranate blossom" (a title bestowed for her beauty) was famed for her dancing skills as well as her great beauty. It is believed that her original name was Nadira or Sharf-un-Nisa.He was mesmerized by her beauty and fell in love as soon as he saw her. But Anarkali was a
mere dancing girl, and dancing girls were not of noble birth. They were considered to be low-born and keeping any relation with them were looed dow and strictly prohibited by the society. Anarkali knew that their romance was forbidden in the eyes of the prince's father, Mughal Emperor Akbar. So she tried to keep away from Salim. But how could she hold herself back from the prince's charms for long? Love knows no rules, and soon Anarkali too was deeply in love with Salim.

But such an intense love can't be concealed forever. The emperor could not digest the fact that his son was in love with an ordinary courtesan. He started pressurizing Anarkali and devised all sorts of tactics to make her fall in the eyes of the young, love smitten prince. When Salim came to know of this, he declared a war against his own father. But the mighty emperor's gigantic army proves too much for the young prince to handle. He gets defeated and is sentenced to death.

This is when Anarkali intervenes and renounces her love to save her beloved from the jaws of death. She is entombed alive in a brick wall right in front of her lover's eyes. It is, however, said that she did not die. The tomb was constructed on the opening of a secret tunnel unknown to Salim. It is said she escaped through that tunnel and fled the place, never to return again. The heartbroken Salim lives on to become emperor Jahangir.


But he could never forget his one true love Anarkali, in his lifetime. When he died, her name was on his lips.


Thus ends the tragic love story of Salim and Anarkali. Even today, these two lovers are remembered by people and held in esteem by lovers all over; such exemplary their love was.

Layla and Majnun

The young lovers become acquainted at maktab [traditional school] and fall desperately in love. Madjnun (Qays) is so besotted with love for Layli that he can not conceal his emotions. He begins to write poetry describing his love for her, and recites his poems to every passer-by. Madjnun's father tries to ask for Layli's hand on his son's behalf, but Layli's father refuses as he believes that Madjnun is a madman who is destroying his daughter's reputation by his open declarations of love on every street corner. Madjnun's father then takes him on a pilgrimage, but he can not forget Layli and his madness intensifies.	"Layli and Madjnun in school" Persian Miniature, Herat Style ( 15th - 16th Century )
In the mean time, Layli is unable to leave her house, as Madjnun's poems have made her the subject of people's gossip. Layli's father is intent on keeping them apart at all cost. A man by the name of Ebn-e Salaam asks Layli's father for her hand in marriage, but is told that she is too young and he should come again in a few years' time.
Madjnun leaves everything and heads for the wilderness living a miserable life. No one can console him, not even the generous Nawfal, who in Nezami's version is a prince in the Iranian style rather than an Arab official. Nawfal tries to give Madjnun advice, but when he does not succeed he is so saddened by his plight that he even goes to war with Layli's clan, demanding that Layli and Madjnun should be united. However, even when Layli's clan is defeated, her father refuses to allow his daughter to marry Madjnun. He says that Madjnun has destroyed his daughter's reputation, ["...not a wind passes without uttering my daughter's name..."] and he would rather kill her than give her to him. Nawfal realises that he can not pursue the matter any longer, and Madjnun leaves once again. Time passes, and with Nawfal no longer appearing as a threat, Layli has many suitors. Ebn-e Salaam uses the opportunity and returns to ask for Layli's hand, and this time he is successful. They are married and he takes Layli to his own home. Madjnun is devastated when he hears the news and sinks further within himself refusing to return home to his family. Madjnun's father dies of a broken heart. Madjnun had been his only son, and he had loved him dearly. Madjnun is torn apart with the news of his father's death and heads back to the wilderness living among the wild animals. Although Layli is married, she has not forgotten Madjnun, and her love for him is as strong as before. She sends a letter to Madjnun trying to console him after his father's death. She also explains that her husband knows she does not love him and she will always remain faithful to Madjnun.	"Madjnun watching the Battle of Nawfal with Layli's Clan" Persian Miniature, Herat Style
Shortly after, Madjnun's mother also dies and Layli sends him a message through an old man who has met him on his wanderings, to come and visit her. Madjnun returns, and the lover's see each other once more. However, Layli's husband has always loved her, and knowing that he can never win her love, falls ill and dies. Tradition demands that a widow must remain in her house for two years and not see any one in that period. Layli can not bear the thought of living without Madjnun any longer and consumed with sorrow, she dies. When Madjun hears the news of Layli's death, his world comes to an end. He visits her grave, weeps desperately and dies.

Jane Eyre and Rochester

In Charlotte Bronte's famous tale, friendless characters find a cure for loneliness in each other's company. Jane is an abused orphan employed as a governess to the charge of an abrasive, but very rich Edward Rochester. The improbable pair grow close as Rochester reveals a tender heart beneath his gruff exterior. He does not, however, reveal his penchant for polygamy - on their wedding day, a horrified Jane discovers he is already married. Heartbroken, Jane runs away, but later returns after a dreadful fire has destroyed Rochester's mansion, killed his wife, and left him blind. Love triumphs, and the two reunite and live out their days in shared bliss.

Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

Gone with the wind can be identified as one of the immortal pieces of literary works in this world. Margaret Mitchell's famous work has chronicled the love and hate relationship between two of the most famous characters in the novel, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. There is hardly any more mesmeric fictitious heroine like Scarlett and the highs and lows of her relationship with Rhett, a man of somewhat doubtful antecedents has held the interest of many successive generations.

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler had a tempestuous relationship.Their violent love life was interspersed with certain tenderness, but the period of relative calm always ended in tragedy. Scarlett and Rhett had only few common things in their nature.

And unfortunately, the common ground was based on negativity, relationships cannot survive on negativity. Both were cold blooded, opportunistic, selfish and arrogant. Scarlett had uncontrolled passion, but again regrettably, she bestowed her passion on the wrong person. Rhett was too cynical, too much a man of the world to care much about love. He equated lust with love, they were sides of the same coin for him. Scarlett's passion about Ashley Wilkes, ended in realizing that she had only infatuation for him and not love! Rhett, with his antisocial public image was the only man in Scarlett's life who gave back as good as he got from her. Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler were too alike in their approach to life, it was something they were perpetually disgusted about each other. But they also loved each other, accepting the way they were.

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler was not meant to be together for ever. Their own nature was against them, love needs to connect at the emotional plane too, only physical passion cannot prepare the ground for an everlasting rewarding relationship. Scarlett and Rhett needed more common grounds on the emotional level.

Romance Stories: Paolo & Francesca as told by Dante...

Even as doves when summoned by desire,
borne forward by their will, move through the air
with wings uplifted, still, to their sweet nest,

those spirits left the ranks where Dido suffers,
approaching us through the malignant air;
so powerful had been my loving cry.

"O living being, gracious and benign,
who through the darkened air have come to visit
our souls that stained the world with blood, if He

who rules the universe were friend to us,
then we should pray to Him to give you peace,
for you have pitied our atrocious state.

Whatever pleases you to hear and speak
will please us, too, to hear and speak with you,
now while the wind is silent, in this place.

The land where I was born lies on that shore
to which the Po together with the waters
that follow it descends to final rest.

Love, that can quickly seize the gentle heart,
took hold of him because of the fair body
taken from me— how that was done still wounds me.

Love, that releases no beloved from loving,
took hold of me so strongly that through his beauty
that, as you see, it has not left me yet.

Love led the two of us unto one death.
Caina waits for him who took our life."
These words were borne across from them to us.

When I had listened to those injured souls,
I bent my head and held it low until
the poet asked of me: "What are you thinking?"

When I replied, my words began: "Alas,
how many gentle thoughts, how deep a longing,
had led them to the agonizing pass!"

Then I addressed my speech again to them,
and I began: "Francesca, your afflictions
move me to tears of sorrow and of pity.

But tell me, in the time of gentle sighs,
with what and in what way did Love allow you
to recognize your still uncertain longings?"

And she to me: "There is no greater sorrow
than thinking back upon a happy time
in misery— and this your teacher knows.

Yet if you long so much to understand
the first root of our love, then I shall tell
my tale to you as one who weeps and speaks.

One day, to pass the time away, we read
of Lancelot— how love had overcome him.
We were alone, and we suspected nothing.

And time and time again that reading led
our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale,
and yet one point alone defeated us.

When we had read how the desired smile
was kissed by one who was so true a lover,
this one, who never shall be parted from me,

while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth.
A Gallehault indeed, that book and he
who wrote it, too; that day we read no more."

And while one spirit said these words to me,
the other wept, so that— because of pity—
I fainted, as if I had met my death.

And then I fell as a dead body falls.

— Dante, InfernoV.82-142
translated by Allen Mandelbaum

***************************************
Dante does not use Paolo's name in this Canto nor Francesca's until line 103. The encounter that follows, in which Francesca tells Dante their sad tale, is one of the most celebrated passages in the Commedia.

Paolo & Francesca were historical contemporaries of Dante. Francesca's father, Guido da Polenta, lord of Ravenna had waged a long war with Malatesta, lord of Rimini. Finally peace was made through intermediaries, and to make it more firm, they decided to cement it with a marriage. Guido would give his beautiful young daughter Francesca in marriage to Gianciotto, eldest son of Malatesta. Though Gianciotto was very capable and expected to become ruler when his father died, he was ugly and deformed. Guido's friends informed him that if Francesca sees Gianciotto before the marriage, she would never go through with it. So they sent Gianciotto's younger brother Paolo to Ravenna with a full mandate to marry Francesca in Gianciotto's name. Paolo was a handsome, pleasing, very courteous man, and Francesca fell in love the moment she saw him. The deceptive marriage contract was made, and Francesca went to Rimini. She was not aware of the deception until the morning after the wedding day, when she saw Gianciotto getting up from beside her. When she realized she had been fooled, she became furious. In any case, the feelings of Paolo and Francesca for each other were still very much alive when Gianciotto went off to a nearby town on business. With almost no fear of suspicion, they became intimate. Gianciotto's servant found them out, and told his master all he knew. Gianciotto returned secretly to Rimini and went to Francesca's room. Since it was bolted from within, he shouted to her and pushed against the door. Paolo and Francesca recognized his voice, and Paolo pointed to a trapdoor that led to a room below. He told Francesca to go open the door as he planned his escape. As he jumped through, a fold of his jacket got caught on a piece of iron attached to the wood. Francesca had already opened the door for Gianciotto, thinking she would be able to make excuses, now that Paolo was gone. When Gianciotto entered and noticed Paolo caught by his jacket. He ran, rapier in hand, to kill him. Seeing this, Francesca quickly ran between them, to try to prevent it. But Gianciotto's rapier was already on its way down. Before reaching Paolo, the blade passed through Francesca's bosom. Gianciotto, completely beside himself because of this accident— for he loved the woman more than himself— withdrew the blade, struck Paolo again, and killed him. Leaving them both dead, he left, and returned to his duties. The next morning, amidst much weeping, the two lovers were buried in the same tomb.

— Charles Singleton,
Commentary: Dante's Inferno(1977)

Odysseus and Penelope

The Odyssey is the story of a man's journey to his homeland, as well as the story of a king's struggle to return to his kingdom. Though these statements are true, they are not prevalent in the heart and mind of the man/king in question, Odysseus. Many will argue that Odysseus's reason for returning to Ithaca is to regain his status as King, to once again rule a land and its people, but it is not. Odysseus battles temptation and braves the wrath of angry gods to once again be in the arms of his wife, his love, Penelope. The Odyssey is the love story of a man and a woman. It is obvious throughout The Odyssey that not only does Odysseus love Penelope dearly, but he cares far less for societal and political status than he does for her. Penelope, not power, is Odysseus's true reason for returning home to Ithaca. While held captive on Calypso's island, Odysseus lives the life of a god. He lives on an island of utter beauty, sleeping with a goddess every night. Daily, he dines on ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods. Most mortal men would consider this life possible only in a dream world, but still Odysseus cries. When Zeus orders Calypso to allow Odysseus to leave her island, she tries to make him an offer he can't refuse: …you'd stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal. Much as you long to see your wife, the one you pine for all your days…and yet I just might claim to be nothing less than she, neither in face or figure…. (pg. 159,ln 230-234) Calypso wishes Odysseus would stay with her, and so she offers him immortality, the life of a true god. If power, ruling authority, and kingship were all that he wanted, Calypso's offer would have guaranteed this and more. (He would have accepted the offer right away and taken her back to bed). Calypso's offer would have made Odysseus stronger and more powerful than ever, and as an immortal he would have had far more power and status than any king anywhere. Why would he fight so hard to return to Ithaca simply to regain kingship over its land? If Odysseus could have settled down right away and live a comfortable, satisfied life, he would have. Strength and status would never have satisfied Odysseus. He was in search of something far more important and powerful. Odysseus is once again offered a new life when he finds himself shipwrecked on the island of Phaecia. He seeks the aid of the king as soon as he arrives. When Odysseus meets with King Alcinous, he makes it very clear that he wishes to get home to Ithaca. Even though Alcinous agrees to assemble a crew of men and a ship to carry Odysseus home, he also makes him an offer. "You could wed my daughter and be my son-in-law / and stay right here with us. I'd give you a house / and great wealth" (pg.189, ln 358-360). Odysseus would have the hand of Alcinous' beautiful daughter, Nausica. He would be wealthy, have power, and most appealing of all, he would no longer have to struggle to reach Ithaca. Odysseus would be able to stay in Phaecia and live a peaceful life as the King's son-in-law and heir to the throne. When Odysseus rejects the offer, however, and speaks of returning home, it becomes more clear to the reader why he feels he must return to Ithaca. As he parts with Alcinous Odysseus says "may I find an unswerving wife when I reach home" (pg 287, ln 48). He speaks not of his kingdom, but of his wife. He has been gone for twenty years, but the royal couples' love is so strong that Odysseus still has hope that she hasn't forgotten him. It is at this point that Odysseus states that Penelope is his reason to press on. She is his reason to keep reaching for the shores of Ithaca. When Odysseus reaches Ithaca, his journey is truly complete. Some will argue that because his kingdom is in such terrible condition, his first order of business would be to bring everything to order. This is one of his tasks, since he is the King of Ithaca. But in Odysseus' heart, all the hardships are over because he has found what he has been searching for the past eleven years. The love between him and his wife is as strong as ever. Though he must ease himself back into her life slowly, he does as soon as possible. With the exception of dealing with the suitors, he leaves all duties aside until he has reacquainted himself with his love: The more she spoke, the more a deep desire for tears welled up inside his breast - he wept as he held the wife he loved, the soul of loyalty, in his arms at last. joy, warm as the joy shipwrecked sailors feel when they catch sight of land…. (pg 463, ln 259-263) Odysseus has Telemachus take care of the maids, and puts off visiting his father. He barely even takes the time to question anyone about anything that has happened in Ithaca. His heart swells with "warm joy" simply at the sight of Penelope. While in bed the lovers speak of the life they will spend together, not of wealth, status, or what actions they must take next as king and queen. This proves that Odysseus truly does love Penelope, and that their love for each other was far more important than any other possible factor that could have driven Odysseus home. Penelope's love was worth more than a house and wealth in Phaecia. It was worth more than nectar and ambrosia or immortality. Her love was worth a twenty-year struggle against all odds. Penelope's love carried Odysseus across the seas and back into her arms.

Napoleon and Josephine

Napoleon's greatest love would come from the Caribbean island of Martinique. Napoleon never went there, but this woman's father, Joseph Gaspard Tascher de la Pagerie, owned a sugar plantation, complete with slaves, on the island. The family had significant wealth and power, and the children led a very comfortable life in an idyllic location.

Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie was born on June 23, 1763. If you noticed that there is no "Josephine" in her name, you may wonder how that name came about. Her friends and family had always called her Rose, but Napoleon, never content to just go with the flow, called her Josephine (from Josèphe), and that is how she will be forever known.

Growing up and getting wise

Josephine was given an education in a local convent. As was the custom, her family arranged a marriage for her. It was a promising union, as her husband, 19-year-old Alexander de Beauharnais, was a well-educated and quite wealthy viscount. Well-connected at court, he was also considered one of the best dancers in Paris. Alexander seems to have been a little disappointed in his Rose, but she was elated with the match. The two were married in Paris on December 13, 1779. She was 16.

They had two children, Eugène in 1781 and Hortense in 1783, but the marriage was less than happy. Josephine was a bit plump and was not the elegant lady preferred by high society, while Alexander was every bit the dashing dancer that had so attracted Josephine. Soon, his eyes began to wander, and in 1783 he deserted his wife and returned to Martinique, where he was less than faithful. He was hoping to become involved in the American War of Independence, and he took his mistress along with him to the United States. Over the years, he would father several illegitimate children.

Josephine soon understood the situation. Now, it wasn't all that unusual for a nobleman to have a mistress, but Josephine was not amused; she applied for and received a legal separation, complete with a nice income. She spent some time in a convent, which is not as severe as it may sound. The convent was home to many ladies of the highest social class, and Josephine learned a great deal from them. Later, she stayed with relatives at the chateau of Fontainebleau. She became active on the social scene, which is to say that she had a long string of affairs, some with rather important men.

In 1788, Josephine returned to Martinique, where she spent two years. Among other things, she witnessed a relatively minor slave uprising: All was not well in what she remembered as her idyllic homeland. She returned to Paris, where she had something of a reconciliation with Alexander, though the two never really reunited. Her social life continued, as did her habit of spending far beyond her means. As a result, she was always in financial difficulty.

Facing the guillotine

Alexander had become a true supporter of the Revolution and had risen to be the president of the National Assembly. Later, he was given some important assignments, including command of the Army of the Rhine. But in 1794, to be a nobleman was to be in trouble. The Terror was well under way, and the guillotine was busy separating heads from shoulders.

In March 1794, Alexander was arrested and thrown into prison. To her credit, Josephine did all she could to secure his release. Warned that she was also in danger, she continued her efforts and was put into jail in April. In those days, jail was essentially a way station on a trip to the guillotine. The husband and wife were reunited in prison, though we don't know if they actually reconciled. (Some people believe that while in prison Josephine had an affair with General Louis Lazare Hoche, and it is entirely possible that she did.)

Alexander was executed on July 23, 1794. Josephine had every reason to believe that she would meet the same fate, and sooner rather than later. Her luck turned good, though, because in July, Maximilien Robespierre and his supporters were arrested and executed. The Terror was over. Josephine was released on August 6, 1794, after almost four months in prison.

Starting over

Reunited with her children, Josephine set to starting her life over. To do so, she turned to her many friends. One of them was Thérèse Tallien, who had been her friend during Josephine's years of separation from her husband. Another was Paul Barras. One of the best ways to describe Barras would be "survivor," as he had managed to ride out the storm of the Revolution, the Terror, and the fall of Robespierre to emerge as one of the most powerful men in France.

Without question, Josephine's friendship with Barras was the best thing she had going for her. Of course, it seems likely that she was far more than his friend; most historians believe that she was his mistress. The two of them were in a position to help each other out in their various business dealings as well. Josephine had had some really good connections, and some of them were even still alive!

Josephine had beauty and charm, and she knew how to survive - in style. But as all who knew her would eventually discover, one thing that she was really good at was spending money, whether or not she had it to spend.

Meeting Napoleon

There are varying accounts of how Napoleon and Josephine met. Napoleon was a national hero with an up-and-coming career, so he was in great demand for parties all over Paris. He knew Paul Barras and other social luminaries, and it is quite likely that he met Josephine in 1795 at one of the many social functions he attended. Napoleon himself said as much.

Here is the more popular, if less likely, story of how Josephine met Napoleon, according to Josephine's daughter, Hortense, from her memoirs, Memoirs of Queen Hortense (2v), published in 1927 (Cosmopolita Book Corporation):

Following the riots on the 13th Vendémiaire a law was passed forbidding any private citizen to have weapons in his house. My brother, unable to bear the thought of surrendering the sword that had belonged to his father, hurried off to see General Bonaparte, who at that time was in command of the troops stationed in Paris. He told the General he would kill himself rather than give up the sword. The General, touched by his emotion, granted his request and at the same time asked the name of his mother, saying he would be glad to meet a woman who could inspire her son with such ideals.

As the legend continues, Josephine decided to visit Napoleon to thank him for his kindness toward her son. Napoleon, who was busy with his maps (as usual), saw Josephine and fell head over heels in love with her.

This story is unlikely, but the fact remains that Napoleon was interested in taking a wife and soon decided that Josephine was the woman for him. Josephine was not completely honest with him. She allowed him to think that she was a bit younger than she was, and of more substantial means. On the plus side, she was a woman of some significant experience, particularly sexual experience. Napoleon, who had very little experience along that line, was probably quite impressed with her charms.

Falling in love

Napoleon fell madly in love with Josephine. His passion is reflected in the many love letters that have survived. One classic example, written in Paris in December 1795, appears to follow an amusing evening, perhaps their first sexual encounter, and can be found in a 1931 edition of their letters:

I awake full of you. Your image and last evening's intoxication have left my senses no repose whatever.

Sweet and incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect do you produce upon my heart! Are you vexed? Do I see you sad? Are you troubled? . . . My soul is crushed with grief, and there is no repose for your lover; but is there any the more when, abandoning myself to the profound emotion which masters me, I draw from your lips, from your heart, a flame which consumes me? Ah! It was last night I really understood that your portrait was not you!

You are leaving at noon; I shall see you in three hours. Meanwhile, mio dolce amor, a thousand kisses; but do not give me any, for they burn my blood.

Napoleon was deeply in love, but Josephine wasn't so sure. She had a pretty good deal going - she was involved in a number of business and other affairs and was maintaining a, ahem, close relationship with Paul Barras. Barras, on the other hand, may well have been anxious to move his rather expensive plaything on to someone else. Indeed, it seems that he arranged for Napoleon to be appointed commander of the French army in Italy in exchange for Napoleon's marrying Josephine.

It's a bit hard to understand why Josephine was interested in Napoleon at all. Sure, he was a young hero, but he was also penniless and fairly lacking in social graces. Josephine, on the other hand, had pretty much made it by the time she met him. She had climbed to the very top of the social ladder and was involved in all sorts of interesting things.

And then there was the little matter of Napoleon's family. Josephine was 32 years old, 6 years older than Napoleon. She was previously married, had two half-grown children, and had little in the way of money, plus her connections were dubious in their nature. Napoleon's siblings and mother were convinced that he could do far better and that Josephine would be a disaster for him. They did everything they could to discourage the marriage. Had Napoleon's mother, Leticia, been on hand in Paris, she likely would have exerted her influence, and the marriage would not have taken place.

Questioning her future

Josephine was also not convinced that marrying this young general was the best decision she could make. Marrying a general may sound like a good deal, but generals have a tendency to be sent to far-away places where they can end up being killed. In addition, generals were still very political, and if they fell out of favor they could find themselves at the very least out of a job. Napoleon had already discovered how easy it was to suddenly be on half pay. Josephine, who was involved in military supply dealings, was well aware of the downside to military careers.

Josephine's friends counseled against the marriage. Of greater importance was the opposition of her daughter, Hortense. But Josephine may well have figured that any daughter would fear losing her mother to a man who would not be her real father. As it happened, Napoleon was an excellent stepfather to both of Josephine's children.

And then there was the little matter of General Hoche, whom Josephine had met, so to speak, while in prison (see the earlier section "Facing the guillotine"). Not only was Josephine not in love with Napoleon; she had hoped that General Hoche would leave his wife and marry her. (She finally realized that he would never do so, which may be why she eventually agreed to marry Napoleon.)

It seems that Napoleon was not the greatest lover in the world, either. Though Josephine was adept in such matters and taught Napoleon a great deal, his approach was similar to his military strategy: He offered little in the way of preliminaries, preferring a quick attack with the fastest possible victory.

Not in love and faced with the opposition of friends and his family, Josephine stalled when Napoleon asked her to marry him. His passion worried her, as she was unable to match it. Besides, any fire can cool quickly, so Josephine made Napoleon wait through the winter of 1795-1796. Finally, faced with her increasing age, diminishing prospects, and Napoleon's persistence, Josephine relented and agreed to marry him.

Marrying their future

Napoleon and Josephine agreed to a civil ceremony at 8:00 p.m. on March 9, 1796. Josephine was there early, wearing Napoleon's famous gift to her, an enameled medallion engraved "To Destiny." (They could not have possibly imagined how significant those words would be.) Barras, serving as a witness, was on time, as were other members of the wedding party. Only one person was missing: the groom!

Anyone can be a little late, even to his own wedding, but as the minutes dragged on into first one hour and then two, emotions must have been on edge. The official who was to marry them left, and an underling was on hand for the ceremony, even if the groom was not. You can only imagine what thoughts were going through the various minds there assembled.

If any of them had known Napoleon well, none of this would have been all that big a surprise. As general in chief of the Army of France in Italy, Napoleon had been planning a campaign and had become so engrossed in his maps that he had completely lost track of time. Clearly, his priorities were not those expected of a typical groom. Then again, Napoleon was not a typical groom.

Nothing about the wedding was normal. Josephine lied about her age on the marriage certificate, claiming to be 4 years younger, and Napoleon added 18 months to his age. The end result was that they appeared to be roughly the same age.

If the wedding was unusual, the wedding night was downright bizarre. Okay, lots of folks are really tired on their wedding night, and it may not really be the best possible time for an evening of wild sexual abandon. Still, Napoleon's passion and Josephine's inclinations would suggest that some kind of activity was likely. But upon coming to bed, Napoleon discovered that he was expected to share his wedding bed with another male!

That would be Fortuné, Josephine's little pug dog. Now, Napoleon wasn't a big fan of dogs (or cats, for that matter). Even if you're an animal lover, you can forgive him for being upset on this occasion. Josephine, who may have still been a bit upset from the long delay in the wedding ceremony, informed Napoleon that the dog was used to sleeping in her bed and that there was no reason for that to change. An unamused Napoleon nevertheless attempted to claim his husbandly rights (or perform his husbandly duties, take your pick), but the miserable dog, evidently unhappy with the competition, bit him on the shin.

Josephine's children had been apprehensive about their mother's marriage to this young general. True, Napoleon had treated her son with kindness in the matter of his father's sword (if that story is really true), but like any children, they worried about how their stepfather would relate to them.

The day after the wedding, the newlyweds went to visit her children. Napoleon was at his most charming and generous. He arranged to send his own younger brother Jérôme to go to school with Eugène, visited their school, and generally did whatever he could to make them feel comfortable with him. By the end of the visit, Josephine's children knew that they had a new father they could trust - and love.

Napoleon and Josephine were married. One of the greatest love stories in history had begun. But it didn't start out very promising. Within a couple days, Napoleon was off to Italy and glory, while Josephine was to stay home.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Be warned: this story is beautiful but tragic. It begins with Orpheus, the best musician that ever lived. One strum of his lyre, one note sung, and beasts would crawl to him, rocks would shift their moss to move to be closer, trees would tear their roots to be closer to him. He had more power than a mortal man ought to for he was the son of the Muse Calliope.

He lived his life simply and carelessly until the day he met Eurydice. She was a Dryad, and when they fell in love it meant everything to them. But the rustic god Aristaeus saw Eurydice's beauty and desired it, and did not care that she was unwilling and in love with another. She ran from him in terror, without thought to her step, and so it was she stepped on a poisonous snake in her flight. The venom of its bite killed her at once and her spirit went to the Underworld. Orpheus was inconsolable. His grief was bitter, but he did not let it lull him into a stupor, he decided to take action.

With his lyre, Orpheus descended into the Underworld. A normal mortal would have perished any number of times, but Orpheus had his lyre and his voice and he charmed Cerberus - the three-headed monster dog of Hades who guarded the Underworld - into letting him pass. Facing Hades and his cold Queen Persephone he played for them his sorrow at the loss of his love. The heart that was frozen by Hades' abduction melted in Persphone's breast and a tear rolled down her cheek. Even Hades could not help weeping. They let Orpheus through to Eurydice, but warned him very carefully: Eurydice would follow him into the light of the world and once she entered the sunlight she would be changed from a shade back to a woman. But if Orpheus doubted, if he looked back to see her, she would be lost to him forever.

Orpheus heard and rejoiced. He turned and left the dark hall of Hades and began his ascent back to life. As he walked he rejoiced that his wife would soon be with him again. He listened closely for her footfall behind him, but a shade makes no noise. The closer to the light he got, the more he began to believe that Hades had tricked him to get him out of the Underworld, that Eurydice was not behind him. Only feet away from the light Orpheus lost faith and turned around. He saw Eurydice, but only for a moment as her shade was whisked back down among the other dead souls. She was gone.

Orpheus tried again to enter the Underworld and demand her return, but one cannot enter twice the same way - and no other way was open to him. All that was left to him was death. Here the story changes. There are different stories of his death. Some say he played so mournfully that his songs called for death, and that the animals who surrounded him tore him apart, weeping as they did. Some say it was Maenads in a frenzy who ripped the singer to shreds. Some say he was struck down by Zeus for disclosing mysteries that were meant to be kept sacred. Either way, he was torn apart, and much of him was thrown to the winds. But the Muses mourned the death of their son and prodigy, and saved his head to sing forever.

Tristan and Isolde

The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde has been told and retold through various stories and manuscripts. It takes place during medieval times during the reign of King Arthur.
Isolde of Ireland, also known as Isolt, Isold, Iseult, or Ysolde, was the daughter of Angwish, King of Ireland. She was betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. King Mark sent his nephew, Tristan, to Ireland to escort Isolde back to Cornwall.Tristan (Tristram) whose name means "sorrow", given to him because of the loss of his mother at his birth, was a noble knight.
Before leaving Ireland, Isolde's mother gave a love potion to Isolde's handmaiden, Brangraine, with strict instructions to keep it safe until they reached Cornwall. It was then to be given to Isolde on her wedding night. Sometime during the voyage, Isolde and Tristan drank the potion by accident and fell forever in love.
Isolde did marry Mark of Cornwall, but could not help but love Tristan. The love affair continued after the marriage. When King Mark finally learned of the affair, he forgave Isolde, but Tristan was banned from Cornwall. Tristan moved to King Arthur's court and later went to Brittany. There he met Iseult of Brittany (also known as Iseult of White Hands). He was attracted to her because of the similarity of her name to his true love. He married her, but did not consummate the marriage because of his love for the "true" Isolde. After falling ill, he sent for Isolde in hopes that she would be able to cure him. If she agreed to come, the returning ship's sails would be white, or the sails would be black if she did not agree. Iseult, seeing the white sails, lied to Tristan and told him that the sails were black. He died of grief before Isolde could reach him. Isolde died soon after of a broken heart. Iseult regretted her actions after she saw the love that the two had for each other.

the story of Romeo and Juliet

In the town of Verona lived two families, the Capulets and the Montagues, engaged in a bitter feud. Among the Montagues was Romeo, a hot-blooded lad with an eye for the ladies.

One day, Romeo was recounting for his friends his love for Rosaline, a haughty beauty from a well-to-do family. Romeo's friends chided him for his "love of love" but agreed to a plan to attend the feast of the Capulets', a costume party where Rosaline was expected to make an appearance. The disguises would provide Romeo and his friends a bit of sport and the opportunity to gaze undetected upon the fair Rosaline. Once there, however, Romeo's eyes fell upon Juliet, and he thought of Rosaline no more.

Asking around to learn the identity of Juliet, Romeo's voice is recognized by Tybalt, a member of the Capulet clan. Tybalt calls for his sword, but the elder Capulet intervenes, insisting that no blood be shed in his home. So Romeo is tolerated long enough to find an opportunity to speak to Juliet alone, still unaware of her identity.

He begs for an opportunity to kiss her hand. She relents. He presses his case, desiring her lips. She has no breath to stop him. Interrupted by the girl's nurse, Romeo learns the name of his heart's desire: Juliet Capulet.

The vision of Juliet now invades his every thought. Unable to sleep, Romeo returns late that night to the bedroom window of his love, hiding in the bushes below. There, he is surprised to find Juliet on the balcony, professing her love for him and wishing that he were not a Montague.

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name. . .
What's a Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet. .

Romeo appears from the bushes, ready to deny his name and profess his love. The two agree to meet at nine o-clock the next morning to be married.

Early the next morning, Romeo appears at the cell of Friar Lawrence begging the friar to marry him to Juliet. Friar Lawrence does not take Romeo seriously at first, but he is soon impressed with Romeo's sincerity. The Friar agrees to perform the ceremony, praying that the union might someday put an end to the feud between the two households. Still, he advises Romeo keep the marriage a secret for a time. Romeo and Juliet are married.

On the way home, Romeo chances upon his friend Mercutio arguing with Tybalt in the public square. Spying Romeo, Tybalt tries to taunt him into a fight. Romeo has no desire to harm the kinsman of his new wife. Mercutio is stunned and embarrassed by Romeo's soft words and draws his sword. Romeo tries to restrain his friend, but Tybalt thrusts his sword underneath Romeo's arm, stabbing Mercutio. Tybalt then flees with his friends. The wound is worse than at first suspected. "Ask for me tomorrow," says Mercutio, "and you shall find me a grave man." He dies.

Tybalt returns still cursing the unexpectedly reluctant Romeo. But Romeo is reluctant no longer, drawing his sword and slaying Tybalt. The moment Tybalt falls, Romeo realizes he has made a terrible mistake: "O, I am fortune's fool!"

Desperate, Romeo rushes to Friar Lawrence who advises him to travel to Mantua until things cool down. He promises to inform Juliet.

Juliet receives the news of Tybalt's death and Romeo's exile. She dares not mention her marriage to her father now. Then, she receives more bad news. Her father has decided it is time for her to marry. He has selected a suitor: Paris, a kinsman of Mercutio.

Juliet, too, rushes to Friar Lawrence for counsel. The good Friar launches an elaborate plot. Juliet should agree to marry Paris. She will then take a sleeping potion, which will simulate death for three days. Her body will be placed in a tomb while she is mourned, and the Friar will send word to Romeo. Romeo will arrive in time to rescue her. The celebration over her return to life will provide an opportunity to explain about the marriage and the circumstances surrounding Tybalt's death.

The plot proceeds according to plan, and the wedding preparations for Paris and Juliet give way to solemn funeral arrangements. But the Friar's letter to Romeo fails to reach him before he hears of Juliet's death. Romeo obtains a poison from an apothecary and travels to Verona.

Under the cover of darkness, he breaks into Juliet's tomb. They are alone for only a moment. Paris, who also had come to mourn Juliet, interrupts, and believing Romeo to be a grave robber, draws his sword. The two men fight, and Paris is killed. Dying, Paris asks that his body be placed next to Juliet's. Only now recognizing Paris, the guilt stricken Romeo obliges.

Then Romeo kisses the lips of his Juliet one last time.

Eyes, look your last.
Arms, take your last embrace.
And, lips, O you the doors of breath,
Seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death

Romeo thanks the apothecary for his skill and drinks the poison.

The effects of the sleeping potion wear off, and Juliet awakens calling for Romeo. Finding him next to her, dead, with a cup in his hand, she guesses what has transpired. She tries to kiss the poison from his lips, but failing that, unsheathes his dagger and plunges it into her breast.

Friar Lawrence learns that Romeo has not received his letter and rushes to Juliet's tomb to rescue her. He discovers the tomb already open and finds the sad contents within. Soon the Friar is joined by the Night Watchman, who had been alerted to the disturbance. Then the families gather around the star-crossed lovers. The Friar's mournful account of their death shames the two families into ending their feud forever.

Pyramus and Thisbe

A very touching love story that is sure to move anyone who reads it is that of Pyramus and Thisbe. Theirs was a selfless love and they made sure that even in death, they were together. Pyramus was the most handsome man and was childhood friend of Thisbe, the fairest maiden in Babylonia. They both lived in neighboring homes and fell in love with each other as they grew up together. However, their parents were dead against them marrying each other. So one night just before the crack of dawn, while everyone was asleep, they decided to slip out of their homes and meet in the nearby fields near a mulberry tree. Thisbe reached there first. As she waited under the tree, she saw a lion coming near the spring close by to quench its thirst. Its jaws were bloody. When Thisbe saw this horrifying sight, she panicked and ran to hide in some hollow rocks nearby. As she was running, she dropped her veil. The lion came near and picked up the veil in his bloody jaws. At that moment, Pyramus reaches near the mulberry tree and sees Thisbe's veil in the jaws of the lion. He is completely devastated. Shattered, he pierces his chest with his own sword. Unknown to what just happened, Thisbe is still hiding in the rocks due to the fear of the lion. When she comes out after sometime, she sees what her lover did to himself. She is totally shattered when she sees the sword piercing right through her lover's chest. She also takes the sword and kills herself.

Lancelot and Guinevere

The tragic love story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is probably one of the best-known stories of Arthurian Legend. Lancelot fall in love with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Their love grew slowly, as Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. Eventually, however, her love and passion overpowered her and the pair became lovers. One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur's nephew, led a band of 12 knights to Guinevere's chamber where they burst in upon the lovers. Discovered, Sir Lancelot made a fighting escape, but poor Guinevere was not so lucky. She was seized and condemned to burn to death for her adultery. Fear not. Sir Lancelot returned several days later to rescue his beloved Guinevere from the fire. This whole sad affair divided the Knights of the Round Table and weakened Arthur's kingdom. Poor Lancelot ended his days as a lowly hermit and Guinevere became a nun at Amesbury where she died.

Robert and Elizabeth Browning

A secret courtship between two legendary poets

Life in Love

Escape me?
Never---
Beloved!
While I am I, and you are you,
 So long as the world contains us both,
 Me the loving and you the loth
While the one eludes, must the other pursue.
My life is a fault at last, I fear:
 It seems too much like a fate, indeed!
 Though I do my best I shall scarce succeed.
But what if I fail of my purpose here?
It is but to keep the nerves at strain,
 To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall,
And, baffled, get up and begin again,---
 So the chace takes up one's life ' that's all.
While, look but once from your farthest bound
 At me so deep in the dust and dark,
No sooner the old hope goes to ground
 Than a new one, straight to the self-same mark,
I shape me---
Ever
Removed!


As we study literature, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning appear as
one of most romantic literary couple from the Victorian period. After
reading her poems for the first time, Robert wrote to her: "I love your
verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett--I do, as I say, love these
verses with all my heart."


With that first meeting of hearts and minds, a love affair would
blossom between the two. Elizabeth told Mrs. Martin that she was
"getting deeper and deeper into correspondence with Robert Browning,
poet and mystic; and we are growing to be the truest of friends."
During the 20 months of their courtship, the couple exchanged nearly
600 letters. But what is love without obstacles and hardships? As Frederic Kenyon
writes, "Mr. Browning knew that he was asking to be allowed to take
charge of an invalid's life—believed indeed that she was even worse
than was really the case, and that she was hopelessly incapacitated
from ever standing on her feet—-but was sure enough of his love to
regard that as no obstacle."



The Bonds of Marriage


Their subsequent marriage was a secret matter, taking place on
September 12, 1846, at Marylebone Church. Most of her family members
eventually accepted the match, but her father disowned her, would not
open her letters, and refused to see her. Elizabeth stood by her
husband, and she credited him for saving her life. She wrote to Mrs.
Martin: "I admire such qualities as he has—-fortitude, integrity. I
loved him for his courage in adverse circumstances which were yet felt
by him more literally than I could feel them. Always he has had the
greatest power over my heart, because I am of those weak women who
reverence strong men."


Out of their courtship and those early days of marriage came an
outpouring of poetic expression. Elizabeth finally gave her little
packet of sonnets to her husband, who could not keep them to himself.
"I dared not," he said, "reserve to myself the finest sonnets written
in any language since Shakespeare's." The collection finally appeared
in 1850 as "Sonnets from the Portuguese." Kenyon
writes, "With the single exception of Rossetti, no modern English poet
has written of love with such genius, such beauty, and such sincerity,
as the two who gave the most beautiful example of it in their own
lives."


The Brownings lived in Italy for the next 15 years of their lives,
until Elizabeth died in Robert's arms on June 29, 1861. It was while
they were living there in Italy that they both wrote some of their most
memorable poems.

Dante and Beatrice

The story of Dante and Beatrice is one of the greatest of unrequited, distant love.

Durante degli Alighieri, better known as Dante, (c. June 1, 1265 – September 13/14, 1321) was an Italian Florentine poet. His greatest work, La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy), is considered the greatest literary statement produced in Europe in the medieval period, and the basis of the modern Italian language.

Dante was nearly nine years old when he first set eyes on Beatrice Portinari, in a gathering at her father's palazzo in Florence. She was a few months younger than Dante and dressed in a crimson dress. She captivated him completely. As he later wrote, "From that time forward love fully ruled my soul." For the next nine years he remained absolutely besotted with her but only from a distance and it was only in 1283, when he was 18, that she spoke to him as they passed each other in the street.

In 13th century Florence arranged marriages were the norm, especially amongst the uppers classes, to which both Dante and Beatrice belonged. So, at the age of 21 Dante was married off to Gemma Donati, to whom he had been betroted since the age of 12 and Beatrice married a year later too, only to die three years after that, at the tender age of 24. Dante was devastated. He remained devoted to Beatrice for the rest of his life and she was his principal inspiration for much of his well known work, such as La Vita Nuova (The New Life) and La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy).

When Dante first saw Beatrice, he tells us she was dressed in soft crimson and wore a girdle about her waist. He fell in love with her at first sight and thought of her as angelic with divine and noble qualities. He frequented places where he could catch a glimpse of her, but she never spoke to him until nine years later. Then one afternoon he saw her dressed in white, walking down a street in Florence. Accompanied by two older women, Beatrice turned and greeted him. Her greeting filled him with such joy that he retreated to his room to think about her. Falling asleep, he had a dream that became the subject of the first sonnet in his La Vita Nuova, one of the world's greatest romantic poems. Two chapters from La Vita Nuova are quoted below:

When exactly nine years had passed since this gracious being appeared to me, as I have described, it happened that on the last day of this intervening period this marvel appeared before me again, dressed in purest white, walking between two other women of distinguished bearing, both older than herself. As they walked down the street she turned her eyes toward me where I stood in fear and trembling, and with her ineffable courtesy, which is now rewarded in eternal life, she greeted me; and such was the virtue of her greeting that I seemed to experience the height of bliss. It was exactly the ninth hour of day when she gave me her sweet greeting. As this was the first time she had ever spoken to me, I was filled with such joy that, my senses reeling, I had to withdraw from the sight of others. So I returned to the loneliness of my room and began to think about this gracious person. (La Vita Nuova III)
Whenever and wherever she appeared, in the hope of receiving her miraculous salutation I felt I had not an enemy in the world. Indeed, I glowed with a flame of charity which moved me to forgive all who had ever injured me; and if at that moment someone had asked me a question, about anything, my only reply would have been: ‘Love’, with a countenance clothed with humility. When she was on the point of bestowing her greeting, a spirit of love, destroying all the other spirits of the senses, drove away the frail spirits of vision and said: ‘Go and pay homage to your lady’; and Love himself remained in their place. Anyone wanting to behold Love could have done so then by watching the quivering of my eyes. And when this most gracious being actually bestowed the saving power of her salutation, I do not say that Love as an intermediary could dim for me such unendurable bliss but, almost by excess of sweetness, his influence was such that my body, which was then utterly given over to his governance, often moved like a heavy, inanimate object. So it is plain that in her greeting resided all my joy, which often exceeded and overflowed my capacity. (La Vita Nuova XI)

Cupid and Psyche

Once upon a time there was a king with three daughters. They were all beautiful, but by far the most beautiful was the youngest, Psyche. She was so beautiful that people began to neglect the worship of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Venus was very jealous, and asked her son Cupid (the boy with the arrows) to make Psyche fall in love with a horrible monster. When he saw how beautiful she was, Cupid dropped the arrow meant for her and pricked himself, and fell in love with her.

Despite her great beauty no-one wanted to marry Psyche. Her parents consulted an oracle, and were told that she was destined to marry a monster, and they were to take her to the top of a mountain and leave her there. The west wind took her and wafted her away to a palace, where she was waited on by invisible servants. When night came her new husband visited her, and told her that he would always visit her by night and she must never try to see him.

Although her invisible husband was kind and gentle with her, and the invisible servants attended to her every desire, Psyche grew homesick. She persuaded her husband to allow her sisters to visit her. When they saw how she lived they became very jealous and talked Psyche into peeking at her husband, saying that he was a monster who was fattening her up to be eaten and that her only chance of safety was to kill him. Psyche took a lamp and a knife, but when she saw her beautiful husband, Cupid, she was so surprised she dripped some hot wax onto his shoulder, waking him. He took in the situation at a glance and immediately left Psyche and the magnificent palace she had been living in disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Psyche roamed about looking for her husband, and eventually in desperation approached his mother, Venus. Still angry, the goddess set various tasks for Psyche, all of which she passed, with a bit of help from ants and river gods. At last Cupid found out what was going on, and he persuaded Jupiter to order Venus to stop her persecution of Psyche. Then they were married and lived happily ever after - and it really was ever after since Psyche was made a goddess.

Isis and Osiris

The Love Story of Isis and Osiris


The myth of Isis and Osiris illustrates the power of love and how it can transform us irrevocably. For over three thousand years—before 3000 b.c. to the second century a.d.—Isis was worshipped in Egypt as the mother goddess of the universe. She had two brothers, Osiris and Set. Osiris was responsible for the fertile soil and Set ruled the barren desert.

When they were old enough, the sun god Ra married Isis to Osiris. Isis and Osiris were blissful in their love for each other. No moon or star could outshine their passion. Because they were happy in their union, Isis and Osiris were generous and just. Their days were spent nourishing the world: Isis’s powers combined with Osiris’s brought forth abundant food from the rich Egyptian soil and the fertile Nile. Accordingly, they were adored by many and granted honors greater than their brother Set.

Set observed this. Jealousy ate at his soul, granting him no rest. His regard for his brother soon turned to hate. To be freed of it, he trapped Osiris in a coffin and heaved him into the swirling waters of the Nile.

Griefstricken, Isis transformed herself into a dark bird and flew everywhere looking for her beloved Osiris. Finally she found the coffin embedded inside a tree, which had grown around it over time. Isis hid the coffin from Set. But Set learned all. He stole Osiris from Isis, and cut his brother’s body into fourteen pieces, which he scattered over Egypt.

Isis was undeterred. Strengthened by her devotion to Osiris, she traveled up and down the Nile in a papyrus boat, searching for the lost pieces of her husband’s body. Years passed before she found each and every one. When she did, Isis placed each piece of Osiris next to the other, and joined them with wax and gold. Then, using the power of her love, the goddess brought Osiris back to life for a final embrace.

That act of love resulted in Isis conceiving a child of Osiris. Their son, the falcon-headed god Horus, grew and thrived—a potent reminder of how love can create life even when faced with overwhelming adversity.

Marie and Pierre Curie

Partners in love and science

Born in Poland during a time of Russian domination, Marie Sklodowska (1867-1934) had no real opportunity for an education after high school. She saved her hard-earned money to help pay for her older sisterís medical studies in Paris, then followed her to France in 1891, studying at the Sorbonne. In 1894, she met the French chemist Pierre Curie (1859-1906), and they were married a year later. Although Pierre had already made a name for himself, their collaboration proved far more fruitful than his solo career.

They spent much of their careers studying radioactivity (a term coined by Marie), examining the particles and energy produced as radioactive atoms decayed, and in the process learned about the building blocks of matter. They established that the heavy element thorium was radioactive and discovered two new elements: polonium and radium. They refined techniques for extracting radium from ores.

Marie won Nobel Prizes in both physics and chemistry for their work. (Pierre failed to share in the second simply because he was dead.) Yet despite living in near povertyóthey spent most of their money on further researchóthey were idealistic enough to refuse to patent any of their potentially lucrative discoveries. Pierre was killed when he was run down by a horse-drawn carriage. Marie died of leukemia, almost certainly the result of a lifetime of exposure to high levels of radiation. Ironically, one of the enduring applications of their work has been in the treatment of cancer with radiation.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

English royalty who mourned her husband's death for 40 years

Victoria was a lively, cheerful girl, fond of drawing and painting. She ascended the throne of England in 1837 after the death of her uncle, King William IV. In 1840, she married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

While at first Prince Albert was unpopular in some circles because he was German, he came to be admired for his honesty, diligence, and his devotion to his family. The couple had nine children. Victoria loved her husband deeply. She relied on his advice in matters of state, especially in diplomacy.

When Albert died in 1861, Victoria was devastated. She did not appear in public for three years. Her extended seclusion generated considerable public criticism. Several attempts were made on Victoria's life. However, under the influence of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Victoria resumed public life, opening Parliament in 1866.

But Victoria never stopped mourning her beloved prince, wearing black until her death in 1901. During her reign, the longest in English history, Britain became a world power on which "the sun never set."