The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-04-17

a'hcteed III II heaNN hne, ami imprl'
soncd in the tower ol Prague.
The countess VAS allowed 10 re.
main In the castle of Gutsrhin Until
the cause in the chancellor's court
should BE- finally determined; when,
on what colourablc prctcnce appear.
not. the representative Of the eldest
sister Was nonsnited. and Slabata,
theunlnst rapacionS brother, confirm.
ed III the inheritance. Not one mo
ment Was lost by the favourrd Iiti-
giant to enforce restitution but we'll
knowing that the wife of Warten.
burg participated in her husbands
courage, he urged the Rath to per
suade her not to arm her yassals e
galnst the Kings authority. The
lady listened with Calmncss, and e.
ven nropised 10 admit Siabata qui-
city, provided he came without sol
dlers, and attended only by legal Of
heers. For this the Rath pledged
himself and Slabaa arrived. with
onl y ten legal commissioners, tn the
gates of the castle. Mistrusting.
however. the plac ability of his sister
III law. he had taken the precautI"u
tn provide soldiers, who, entering
by a postern gate, We're admitted
privately within the court of the cas-.
tie.
In the meanwhile. her vassals. in
GLIDING the inhabitants of Gntschin,
beginning, unasIted, 10 assemble be-
fore the gates of the castle. the Ratl,
read to them aloud the royal com
mission, denouncing the penal les OF
Imprisonment and Confscalon on all
who resisted the ROYAL mandate. Up
on hearing this preamble. the PEG
| pie dispersed, leaving the lady War
tenburg no alternative but submissi-
on or imprisonment. Her native
pride and courage were still unsub-
dued ; aud, preiering even death
with vengeance. to beggary aud dis
grace, she commanded her soldiers
To fall upon Slabata's party. TIL,
latter proving victorious, she with.
drew nth precipitation to an inner
apartment, where she had. boarded
few barrels Of po" der; aud here
having piled the men with wine. she
presented them with pipes for smo-
king, and encouraged them. by fair
promises, To renew the attack
though, from an effort so desperate,
she could expect only destruction.
In the meanN bile, Slabata. exulling
in success. was proudly conducting
his retainers to the ball, too happy
To be relieved fran the presence OF
his injured kinswoman. But vain
we're his speCulations According
To kevenhuller, fatal spark, acct
dentally communicating from a torch
to the small powder magazine which
the lady had boarded as her last re-
source. at once awarded Justice To
the rapacious Slabata and the vim
dictive wife of Otto. In few mo
ments was heard an eXplosion.bcyond
description terrible ;the walls OF the
castle were lifted from their lounda-
tions ; IN a single instant one Of it's
wings was leyelIcd with the earth. &
with the exception of 5 or 6 favored
individuals, who almost miraculous
ly escaped. mobiles. peasants.vassals.
children, horses, were involved in
one fate, and, above all, the lady and
the baron. who had been the prima-
ry cause of the catastrophe.
No sooner vas the news received
at Prague than the wretched Otto
was released from the tower appa-
rcnily at liberty To take possession
of the melaucnoly ruins but, tho
audacious, he was not obdurate !;
and, so overwhelming were the i'm
pressions of horror and grief which
this catastrophe produced on his
frame, that he survived not many
days his miserable C0nsort. Such
was the state Of society in Bohemia,
that this tremendous outrage was
perpetrated in castle but ten miles
distant from the gates Of Prague.
--%x-~
BONAPARTE'S GRAVE.