A lovely, if cruel, little scene came to mind as we cruised down the Grand Canal in Venice on our luxury launch the other day*. A young woman, daughter of a nobleman, was in her bedchamber in her family’s palazzo, overlooking the water. As servants busied themselves in the background, a fierce argument was playing out between the girl and her mother.
You see, it was the day of the girl’s wedding, and her father had betrothed her – much against her will – to the much-older son of the ruling Doge. The marriage would bring great advantage to the family’s fortunes – but which bright young maiden wants to be paired up with some old fogey, no matter how influential and wealthy, purely for her parents’ political ambitions?
Tempers flared as the maids tried to dress the girl for the impending service. Eventually the mother’s patience gave way, and the young woman found herself flung over the maternal lap and on the receiving end of a hard hand spanking.
Far from calming her, the punishment had precisely the opposite effect, for as soon as it was over, the lass grabbed her wedding dress, opened the windows on to the balcony, and flung the expensive garment into the water below.
She was taken to her father: the soundest of whippings ensued… and the wedding proceeded that afternoon as planned.
Returning to ponder the scene some more as I wrote it up later, it struck me that she would doubtless prove to be most unwilling when her new husband came to take advantage of his marital rights that evening. But afterwards, he would hold her tight; he’d tell her that he knew he might not have been her ideal choice of spouse, but would vow to be a good husband and look after her well if she’d try to love him back…
* OK, it was one of the public vaporetto boats, but one can dream…
Oh, very Lady Jane Grey. Me likes.