Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-11-23
THE HEROINE OF THE SIERRA
N1ORENA.

over woman Oh dCCOuut VI DIS StIeDRtbl
talents and courage, is very equivocaI
Indeed. In all ages we read Of instan.
ces where female courage OF presence
Of mind, has not only appeared pre-
dominant over that Of the other sex,
bot has been the means Of saving and
securing life and liberty, when man
has shrunk from the daring task. Wo.
men were once the la~givers Of Israel;
and Zenobis, the Palmyrenian, set al
defiance all the hosts If Rome. In
latter days We have had brilliant ex-
amplcs Of female heroism.-Joan oi
Arc, whose spirit, tinctnred with super.
stition, and reused to enthusiasm, drove
the EOgiisi, from France, and crowned
q fugitive king at Rheims, can never
he forgotten; nor will all tn. lausels a
Talbot won, ever redeem his charac-
ter from the stain Of putting her to
death az a witch, who put them to de-
feat, as a woman endowed manly spir-
il.
In our immediate times we have had
the @Maid Of Saragossa," who stood at
the cannon's mouth, and led the cit,-
zens on to victory, when even hope
had f3ed from the hearts Of man; and
reposing on female bosom, changed
the tide Of battle, ano poured a celuge
on the foe, that in three months drove
him from the whole Of Spain, south Of
the Pyrenees. We know none more
striking, though less noticed, than that
Of the young, the beautiful, the unfor-
tunatc Lady Jane Grey, who, on the
morning Of her execution, putting her
hand to her neck. said, ssfhey tell me
the execut,oner is very expert, and l
have but a little neck. 80 my trouble will
soon be over" But presence Of mind
aH sbrtitude Of virtue were never
more strikingiy displayed than in the
following instance, which occurred
where the Sierra Morena rcars ITS
head above the dark rolling clouds
and where also nature, IN her rudest
form. displays to the weary traveller a
wide and dreary prospect Of barren
wilds, dispartcd rocks, falling torrents,
gloomy forests OF pines, opening chasms
and all tho dark variety that makes ma
ture terrible, without a single CLEAN Of
sunshine to scatter, as u were, the
hope ofheayen over the gulfof despair.
On this spot, Ear above the haunts Of
civilized men, where the wild winds
whistle, and the tempests roar. stands
the chateau Of Count de Rondeville,
where the narrow path leads the ira
weller round the mountains summit,
and where the long-Practised mule
carries its burthen in security, though
the deviation Of an inch would precipi.
tate beast and riGer over a precipice
three hAndred feet high. On this spot
cerched like an eagles nest, is the seal
Of hospitality to be found.
The count, who - the lord Of thu
valleys below, chooses here 10 fix hi
abode. He IS fond Of field sports, ant
mountain scenery; to bring down tn
hawk and falcon, to wind the thick
ct after the wolf and the fox, and t
eprirg from rock to rock with gian
bound after the fleet chaDois coDstitu
ted his amusements Of the day. A
evenings close, to open his door, to tn
~ay.vom traveller, to rouse the FIR
on the hearth, and spread the tabl
with clenty. were his predominant de
lshts. Thousauds have tasted Of hi
i6erai,ty. aud whenever he visited tn
smiling fields below. the hspings Q
children, and the bcncdictions Of tn
aged. proclaimed his presence.
He passed his life without ostcnta
ton. and had not male servant in hi
retinue. Ono young g,rl, native Z
Estremadura, aged nineteen, was 81
lec,ed to attend upon his own Perso'
and he treated her as has child On
evening he had been out late. and Q
his return he threw himself upon
couch, and sunk into reposc.
Dcrothea, aware that he would NJ
REQUIRE her assistance any more, u
tired to rest, andso did all the servant
About one in the morning. band,
4, at the head of whom Was Kodolp
Vascali. 50 long the TERROR Of SPai
thu-dered at the gates Of the chatea
ard soon burst them open. The
tore the men.als from their beds, ar
w.t. horrid imprecations made the
Disclose where their little treasur
were deposited, and sore they put
Instant death. The noise awakens
the count, who rushed unarmed N
.aph D-l>11A u 80; nod hi