Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-07-07

oldcn times, when their limbs wet with recent
gore. the foul offerings to the unknown goddess.
pale priest venerable from his grey locks and placid
eaturcspacj even in the midst Of all this feaItu tn
mult-poInted with his aged hands to the red sign
ABOVE, and babe us remember tine fate Of Nincyah.
He Was Instantly seized by the mob and dragged
towards the scuftod, where the cxccutoncr incES-
sanity piled his office and each head fell, shIiekci,
rather than called to the popuacc, "Encore I'm, en-
core uu" He was the rabj ogre of the fairy tale,
who scarcely devoHrs victim no camourS Tor
another. Imagination cnnut picture a more loath-
some OF terrific monster. His tace though still hu-
man. bore the same revolving resemblance the wolf
that in his form, is sometimes found to
bear 10 the nionkey his teeth rather fns for they
were vi enormous SIZE prOtrudcI from tic bOatnG,
purple lips that were constantly drawn back and dis
tortcd with one eternal grin his checks had the fix
edncss OF marble, with that fghtiul ashy hue which
IS only TO De found on the face OF Inc dead, and
be compared to nothing living the colour of his eyes,
small, fierce and burning, covld not be distinguished;
but they were deeply sunk under tic huge brows,
which like his head, were utterly bald OF hair In
place of n!i other dress, ne wore a winding shcc.
without belt or buckle that at every moment spread
and AGAIN closed upon his body, us If it had been
part OF himself, and more like the wings OF bat in
Us action, than the mere waving OF shroud.
The pupulacc thrust forward the poor Old priest
with Gibbs aud slaves towards this onater niue h
as the keeper OF wild beast tLrsts into It's don
tn living victim that rs destined to gorge its appe
TITO IN the twinkling ofeye his head fell; when the
man Of blood shook his siroud till its swelling folds
clt his body naked; and hodiug mo his long
arms, reiterated his incessant cry. Encore UNI.
Before the rabbic, wlro well encugh Inclined 10
crafty his wish could me. had burst my way
through them, and leaving the noise far behind me-
had found refuge in my bo,ci.
Here hncicd .nysflf SAFE. ] could still hear the
slounsof the people but it WIS at a distance; and
The very sound OF danger, thus remote, added to
the feelings o,ccurity. 1t like the idle roaring
OF the sea, from which have Just escaped to listen
on the safe summit ofu rock to its mpotent grownus
for the prey that has been simtced from il. But
tlIaf Jung n,
dow, again the sr0ldci monsters face cose q,
tue 9iias, and hearea again his terrific CIV, Encore.
IN: with speed surh as horror cnly give,
dartcn out OF the room aud tied to the topmos,
Chamber OF the building, where, il at AL, mi ht rca-
sonab!y hope 10 be beyond the reach ui this teart al
pursuit. BIT the lork!-tc cursed lock that should
baVeshn out u;e cncmy!-the key Was tixe,l IN its
rusty wards beyond my power to remove il, a,1,
strive all / would: could not shoot the bolt
In tic midst Of my desperate efforts the kew brtrkr
-snrered INTO thousand pieces, If IL had bu.n
glass: ani there stoo,i hopeless, helpless without
the possibility of further flight mad reached my
utmost limit.
| But how could he blind 70 those pondcrous butts
and bars that made any lock unnecessary aud were
altncst too wcghty to bc lc, Nothing shert OF the
hand and hammer ofa blacksmith and those too ncd
for hours, could break down doos with such ct;.p
c''s 10 draw and fasen them no tnufe t!a tlr,
Work OF SIM lie instant; ar soUncr yIs this ef.
ccted than felt mysclfGs safe as in s,!e Of -iDIe
brass In the triumph and EXCESS of nv confidence
dung open the window to look for nv baf fled erany
and taunting!y shouted his own cry, Encore uni'
voice close to my ear returned the cry, "Eucore
I'M! 81 the hateful and hated sound reeed round
as II staggering from pistol-shot when-I:orror-
there was the monster, neither all man nor all wolf
nut an incxpiicablc compound of bot-a thing not TO
be defined by words; there he was. hanging over me-
closing me about with his shroud like serpent with
his folds. his face close to mine. T naye not a mo
inents thought look to the depth below but flnno
myself from the window, and without knowing how
OF WY, found myself prisoner in the Temple
amongst many others. destined like myself to the
! guilloiine. ~
Never were mir and misery SD Intimately blended
as amongst us who could have no other cxpectat;on
'' tat OF death; whether to-day or TO morrow, was
unsertain but still death by the edgeof the axe and
ohiofe The week was over. Some wept and some
iaughed-some prayed and some danced; and every
time the sun set, its beams fell upon its diminished
numbers, TIL myself and four Others, were all that re-
NAMED OF the hundreds that filed the prison on nv
entrance. 49,
1t Was the Seventh day. Ofour little hand il ,vas
doubtful who, Hany, would the next morninr and
TINS very circumstance, this community of near dan
ger, Lad linked our hearts more closely than veor. If
friendship could have done, though cenented BIZ rank
and fortune But this tie, closes as it rliu't be- was
destined in few hours only TO be snappetl nsunfnr
Dy tne hand that, sooner later, breaks all tigs
me as rays OF the sun were dimy I-Liun into shod
ow, wArn my companions were summoned to attend
thelr Jiges--a summons that in Itself cuuivaIen
10 sentence OF acat; for with such Judges to try
was to condemn. We al felt il to pc so2.ur fare
70 t 0''''3'y "aFii hhu caTnGat, IKE those
or men who were parting never to meet; and IN few
minutes was Iet to tire solitude Of my dunreon
Night came on. knew that had not anotb rr
day to Ivc aud could count the hours brtwe,p the
present moment and the time when should cease TO
be; knowledge which, whether il be a curse or
bessIng is granted to none the criminal doomed
to expaie on earth MS offences against the children
OF earth. My fancy aboured with a Thousand
schemes OF escape none perhaps absolutely npracti-
cable, but all lmpTobablc aud such only as isnnar
would conceive with the immediate fear Of death he
fore his eyes. 'N''-' VI
In the m3S, Of these ina ginngs, was srrucl, nv
a light shlpnS through crevice it seemed Of the
prison door Life and Liberty were in The male
glimmcr. started up to examine it, and f;,nnd tho,
the Jaor, in his hurry, in his intoxcation-a state
that always prevailed with hia rore or less towards
the eveIlng-had tnrued the key in the lock with
OUT hFst itiry closing the d0UF So that sle bolt had
beca shot beside :hc staple Here, then. was
chance OF escape when least expected il, if the o
:ason wore only holdv. Nisnlv AMI s.nsnna III. -