The Betrothed

First published in 1827 and later revised, this novel is set in Spanish-ruled Lombardy in 1628-1631. The silk-weaver Renzo Tramaglino and the peasant Lucia Mondella are prevented from marrying by the local grandee Don Rodrigo; the cowardly priest Don Abbondio refuses the ceremony. The couple flee, aided by the Capuchin Father Cristoforo and later entangled with the Outlaw known as the Unnamed, the nun Gertrude, and the streets of Milan under bread riot and plague. Historical chapters on famine, infection, and Spanish government sit beside the private pursuit. The book is a historical novel of delayed marriage, not a biography of any single duke.

16 full-page. Full purple cloth binding with a design in black and gold by John Westwood. Black endleaves. Dark purple slipcase.