The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1828-07-17

"What happened for some moments after
know not There was a struggle at the por'
tai q female forced her way through the
guards, rushed in alone, and flung herself up.
| on the victim The sight ofe new prey rous'
| ed the lion; he tore the ground with his talons,
! he lsshed his streaming sides with his tall he
| lifted up his name, and barred his taDgs. But
his approach was no longer with bound he
! dreaded the sword, and came snuiiing the
| blood on The sand, and stealing round the bo-
dy,in circuits still diminishing.
"The confusion in the vast assemblage
was now extreme. Voices innumerable called
| for aid. Women screamed and tainted men
burst into indignant olariors Ut this prolonged
cruelty. Even tho hard hearts of the popl.
| lace, accustomed as they were to the saeri'
| Zee of life, wore reused TO honest curses. lhs
guards grasped their arms, and waited but tor
| sign from the emperor. But Nero gave no
sign
| "aI looked upon the woman's face. II was
Saloins | sprang Upon my feet. called OH
her name | called on her by every feeling
of nature to fly from that place OF death, to
come 70 my arms, to think of the agonles oil
! all that loved her.
| "She had raised the head Of Constantius on
| her knee, and was wiping the pale Visage
with her hair. At the sound ofmy voice she
looked up, and calmly casting back the locks
from her forehead, fixed her gaze upon me.
She still knelt one hand supported tho head,
with the other she pointed TO 1t, as her only
answer. / again adured her There was
the silence Of death aToong the thousands
| round mo A fire flashed into her eye her
! check burned She waved her hand with an
air Of superb sorrow.
"' am come 10 die, she uttered, IN lofty
tone. This bleeding body was my Husband,
| / have no father. The world contains 10 me
but this clay in my arms. Yet, and she kls'
sed the ashy lips before her, yet, my Consian-
| tius II was to save that father, that your gen
erous heart delied the peril of this hour IL
| was to redoom him from, the hand ofsvil, that
| you abandoned our quiet home yes, cruel
father here lies the noble being that threw
open your dungeon, that led you sale through
the conhagratlon, that to the last nome Is OF
| his liberty, only thought how he might pre-.
serve and protect you Tears at length fell
in foods from hor eyes. But said she, in a
tone of wild power, he was betrayed and
| may the Power whose thunders ayenge the
cause Of his people, pour down just retrlbution
| upon the head that dared------"
| | heard my own condemnation about to be
pronounced by the lips of my child. Wound
up to the last degree Of suffering, | tore my
hair, leaped Oh the bars before me, and plung-
ed into the arena by her side The height
| stunned NE tCLtereu IbIWdlu u IcN phSSo
and fell. The lion gave a roar aud sprang up
on me-, lay helpless under him. ! felt his
fiery breath Il saw his iurid eye glaring-i
heard tho gnashing of his white iangs above
mo.
"An exilting shout arose. saw him reel
as if strucks gore filled his jaws. Another
| mighty blow was driven to his heart. fio
| sprang high in tho air with howl. lilo drop
ped he wac dead, The amphitheatre thun'
derod with acclamation.
4" With Salome clnging TO my bosom, Con
stantius raised mo from the ground. The
roar ofthe lion had reused him from his swoon,
and two blows saved me. The iaIchion was
broken in the heart Of tho monster The
whole multitude stood up, supplicating fOI
our lives in the name of filial plety and hero
ism. Nero, devil as he was, dared not resis,
the strength of the popular feeling. He wa
vod a signal TO ths guards the portal was OPP
ened and my children, sustaining my feebe
| steps and showered with garia nds and orna-
menis from innummerable hands, slowly led
me from the arena"