The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-01-04

L an such things be,
And overcome us ikea summers cloud
Without special wonder" Macbeth.
Many proverbiaI expressions are founded
on experience. "The unguarded hour" is
one OF them aid it has become so common
that few Of those who oftenest employ il are
aware of the mystery to which it alludes.
1t conveys the belief thatmankind are each
protected by Supernatural guardian. 1t
implies also that the angel at times quits his
post, and that in the interim, "the I'M
guarded hour" the defeneeless mortal is
liable to be assailed by the insidious temp
tations Of the universal adversary. Wheth-
er this impressive thesis be an hypothesis.
or an apocalypse, it battles the human I'M
derstandlng. 1t cannot be rejected as alto
gether earthly and of mortal imagination,
nor accepted as divine and of celestial de-
scent. But 1t is not my present purpose 10
examine the evidence on either side;
have only to describe a series of seeming
accidents, calculated to enforce the doc
trlne by the circumstances IN which their ad-
vent took place, and to awaken at once
so!emnlty, wonder, and dread.
Many years ago." eaid friend. " when
detained by indisposIton in a small villae e
IN Hungary, discovery was one morning
made, by which the superstition of the sim
pie inhabitants was greatly excited. 1t had
been a custom from time immemorial. when
the judge in Office travelled through the
country to dispense justice, that as often as
he came to Pagnigstein, and believe it was
only once in the course of cycle of the
moon, every nineteen years, and at the
change, that he held free assize in the open
air, nea. the Martyrs Cross, an ancient
monument which stands alone on the soli-
tude of the moor, at the distance of bow
shot or more from the church. The cause
OF this venerable ceremony being held at
that particular spot, was never satisfactory
iy explained, but it originated either in a
prediction WATCH had been delivered bv the
martyr, or on some incident connected with
MS doom. "a every occasion when the
court was held at this spot, the inhabitants
were summoned, in the name of heaven. to
hearken to the list of offenders which tho
magistrates of the district openly placed in
the hands Of the Judge, and ali such as
Gould bear witness to aught regarding them
were commanded TO come forward and do
so.
Although then but in shattered health.
this remarkable ceremony, which CHANGED
"hlle was at Pagnigstein, induced me TO he
present among the crowd ofspectators when
The Judge was expected to arrive. The day
vas gray and silent; the sun was not nvis-
ble, but his dim orb hung in tile armament
With an obscure lack lustre sickness, and
al the landscape, and every living thing.
seemed overcast and detected. The ensigns
OF judgment which marked the place of adj
mnlstratlon added to the soemnity of the
scene; and tie magistrate, to augment the
gloom, had ordered lofty new and black
galIows to be raised at little distance
from where the benches and table for the
court had been constructed.
Among other impressive customs con-
nected with the free assze, is one of I'M
known antiquity. The magistrate in pre-
pairing the list Of offenders for the Judge, is
not allowed to divulge to any person the
names Of the criminals intended to be ac-
cused and it is alleged, that this has re-
ligious influence on the morals of the people,
no one being aware how his conduct NAV
have been noted, nor of what he NAV be
found charged with in the list. The crisis
Is, IN consequence, very awful to all. On
the occasion when | was there it was not
anticipated that any particular crime would
be divul ged, and it was thought rather odd
that the magistrate should have ordered
the gallows to be erected; indeed in the
opinion of the people, the calender was
clear, so peaceful and free from all violence
had been the country from the former assize,
nineteen years previous.
The magistrate | knew very we'll; he
had sometimes invited me to his house was
a gentleman in great esteem with the i'm
mediate villagers. From small beginnings
he had raised an ample fortune, was famed
for the strictest integrity, and distinguished
for great benevolence and holy purity of
life. 1t was thought by many that there
was some degree of affectation in his singu-
lar piety, for in his youth he had been less
austere, and he had put on his sanctity
some what suddenly, in consequence of an
event which, though distressing in itself,
could not be said to affect him more than
any other in the town.
1t was murder committed exactly nine
teen years before the very morning when
the assze was held. No trace of the as
sassin had been discovered, and that cir
cumstance, together with the worth of the
victim, had produced a strong impression
on every one but on none more than this
magistrate, whose faithful servant the VIC
tim had long been. The crime was mys-
ferrous, fer the man was poor, and it excited
universal surprise that one who inhis con-
dition had been so much respected should
ever have provoked doom SO sudden and
inexplicable. Time had greatly mitigated
the recollection of the occurrence it wa:
almost forgotten by every body but by the
widow and the charitable master, who
with his family, constantly endeavored t
soften, with unavailing sympathy, her grief
She, however, became old and crazed, ant
when pointed out to me was spectacle o
extreme misery. She was standing nea
the Martyrs Cross, against which, owing
to my weakness, was then leaning, and al
though she appeared sullen, and perusin.
the ground, | observed her eyes vividll
glanclng with supernatural vigilance. Sh,
was as something wild and fierce, ready t
leap on its prey, and watching for the mo
mont. But had not much time to Dotic
her, tor the sound of trumpe!s proclaimed
the approach Of the magistrate, attende
by his officers, and soon after fnovemen
in the multitude also announced the comm,
| of the Judge,
When he had taken his seat on the iu
dicial bench, and the lawyers had place
themselves at the table, the trumpet sound
cd solemn peal three times, and the mag
! istrate with a roll IN his hand, advanced
At the same instant the widow rushed, witt
shrek like the oracuar Pythia in he
ecstaey, and placed herself al the side o
the magistrate, as he presented the roll tt
the Judge. The multitude was silent, and
al / fur IF n,uh