Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-17
GAspERa wEssELING,

u a III
- sav so lovely morning; every obJect
= ,;,,ssf With aeear yellow hght-the thca.
y - c,.sea ,l battresses of the cathedral
-. .n,rkImr with peculiar lustre, andS,heel
or,hs old fortress ssesned TO lose thelr'l
I. 80 Grim outline @iNmost holy llnmlna;toS.
O-hsope hand ROSE the ponderous masSes oil
~ aae;s,t civ. w,ith heresaud there th2 tower
- monastery or church rearingits battle i
,.n,s4nidst the confusion OF uncouih chimR1
n;ss ana fantastic smoe-wreaths.ss 0n theosh3|
90 The oiant oak were casing long s'reaks Of
sbade over the yellow corn-hs IDS, s the WIND s
- ;nf riyes suas seen at intervals, WI It was fosl
IN Inc dark masses Of wood thai sklrled the
distance Oh. al was fragran, and refreshing
ii, waslike thai blessed inorn, wRen VS. VOC.
.or the ansa proc laimed 10 n MLsgdalene' thae1
= i've ord mad arisen from the srpuishre
The bells weretolling disnsiIy in their tur-
,e,. and could hear NE chaunt Of The monks
ris;np a, times ffpm the neighhoun8 munster
'rhose Sells were ,olliug 10 angounce'my exc.
cs,ion-,hat song was raised tospeed my soul
RI, was not allowed "a enjoS this fair prose-
nee, in peace They spoke, but did not hear
,vha, they .ajd-ihey pointed 10 the car which
. stood ready to.drag msround the ramparts 10
the gibbet. comprehended their meaning
MECHANICALLY obeyed them The priest took
= his Mace besiae me, and the executioner, MASK
ed and mufnr5 sat IN the back part OF the We
bicle The car rolled along slowly, while the
hollis cbimed aud tinkled in unison with the dead
. Ssound Of the drums; aud the song OF the monks
ross;n,o fuller diapason weS approached
,nssrs- and rearer.-The farher-confessor pray
cd s,rSen,ly and long-with sreaming eyes
tremnious voice, he implored me TO- give but
onssion ofrerent ance-.he todsm OF Heaven
he toh me of he-bn, IN vain his words
Gs,,,,pon my earl sat IN almost idiot hstfess
moss bowed, and crossed myself in imitation
os his .ctiop-bu, Twas gazing ON the, gilded
lows. so fsarf.lssssu;s tas.: heaSen & earth
srtersmiling in mockery Of my sin and ITS pun
ishmtnl The swallow twittered oarelessly
over our heads--the very dog snaried in deris-
ion, and laid him down 10 bask in the sunshine
in undisturbed felicity.
The priest guessed my thouehts-he foretod
the lime when the gigantic ha,tlements should
crumhle into dust, when not one stone OF the
proud temple should remain upon another
when the sun himself should be extingpished.
BujI should remain c,ernal, immortal H0p
was to exist, depended on this moment. Alas
convictions came too late.
We had nov reached the termination Of our
fatal Journey W. descended from our vehicle,
and advanced TO the affoid, which was erect
ed on the ramparts, and commanded an extern
sive view of the p.sm below. l looked down on
the most pumbcrless multitude of heads. Al
nv appearance they rose s fell like the waves
Of the troubled sea, they shrunk backwards
with loathing aud adherence as from some hi
deous reptile that was about To dart among
then, | remembered many face that l had
known in better DAYS looked stedtastlv al
them-they buzzcd like swarm of hornets-a
smo,hered yroan spread from man to man
-. Al laJ thD., Quad
Oh! as live, every lip in that vast multitude is
cured in scorn,every eye is clearing with horri.
bic Defiance now experienced that dreadful
thirs, which is said TO Indicate approaching
death Thirst, can Lcal il! nv very 'vtas were
scorched and consumed. Water, water, Oh.
wha, is the wealth of the Indies compared with
one drop Of the pure, cool element
retain perfectly distinct recollection of
the whole scene-,he execut ipner-ths platform
the ladGer-the aibbet aud noosed halter
the solitary raven that had perched on the gal. !
lows-the despairing countenance Of the con
fessor-and the pale, hvid faces Of the specta- |
tors,tha darkening wilderness of eyes, all con-
centFatiDg In me. Bat what horseman is tha,? !
He is covered with dust and sweat; he is totler-
iag on his hoSse's back with grea, fatigue He
comes from Dresden; the crowd make way for
him; he has paper in his hand, he dismounts
i
Electors broad seal 1t is, il is my pardon
Oh, Joy, joy. the sad preparation is at an end.
life is restored; am freed from the very jaws
of death, TO pass years of virtue, of happiness,
Of preparation Tor eternity.-A,as no. he hands
ii TO his secretary, for il relates to other mat
tiers he now reminded me that the appointed
time had passed, and lha, must prepare to as
cend the ladder with the minister of pubic JUS
tice. prayed, knelt, grnvelled on the earth
would love him, would worship him. for one
hour,for one minute Of delay. Iwept, pleaded,
had but one reqnest-but one. irnpiored him
10 grant me time for preparation for another
world; would he kill my soul as we'll as nv 4
BODY? No! but his orders we're peremptory.
and he must comply with them. He told me ;
in a mournful voice. and with aver,ed eyesiha, Z
ifother measures failed, force must be resor,ed {
to. II
Slowly and sullenly suffered them TO con.
duct me to the foot of the ladder. The e1ecu-