The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-02-19

lfbc4s boN aIsHs AofG SOD LOOK
down upon me, am IN mercy strike IRE
with instant death Oh, hend-oh,
devil--is this your revenge %
He dashed himself hpon the ground
in agony tears burst from him, and
the sweat stood i'll large drops upon his
iace--he sobbed alnnd--he tore his hair
he rolled about like one suffering in
tolerable Anguish Of body, aud would
have bitten the iron floor beneath him
he breashed fearful curses upon Tolfii,
and the next moment passionate play
ers TO heaven for immediate DEATH
Then the violence of his grief became
exhausted, and he lay still weeping as a
child would weep The twilight of de-
parting day shed its gloom around him
ere he arose from that posture of utter,
and hopeless sorrow. He had taken no
food. Not one drop of water had cool
ed the fever of his parched lips. Sleep
had not visited his eyes for six and thir-
ty hours. He was faint with hunger ;
weary with watching, and with .he ex-
cess Of his emotions. He tasted Of his
food he drank with avidity of the wa
ter and reeling like drunken man to
his straw, cast himself upon it to brood
again over the appalling image that had
fastened itself upon his almost frenzied
thoughts.
He slept-but his slumbers were not
tranquil. He resisted, as long as he
could, their approach /; and when, ut
last, enfeebled nature yielded 10 their
influence, lie found no oblivion from his
cares. Terrible dreams haunted him
ghastly visions narrowed up his imagi
nation-he shouted aud screamed, as if
he already felt the dungeons ponder
Gus roof descending on him-he breath
ed hard and thick, as though wrilhing
between its iron walls. Then would
he spring up--stare wildly about him
stretch forth his hands, to be sure he
yet had space enough to live-and,
muttering some incoherent words, sink
,, down again, to pass through the same
fierce vicissi;pdes Of delirious sleep.
The morning of the fourth day dawn
ed upon VIvenzio, but it was high noon
before his mind shook off its stupor, or
he awoke to u full consciousness of his
situation. And what fixed energy of
despair sat upon his pale features, MS he
cast his eyes upwards, and gazed upon
the THREE windows that now alone re-
mained The three there were no
more land they seemed to number his
own allotted days. Slowly and calm
ly he next surveyed the top and sides,
and comprehended all the meaning of
the diminished height of the former, as
well ns of tho gradual approximation
of the latter. The contracted dimen-
sions Of his mysterious prison were
now to gross and palpable to be the
jugglc of his heats imagination. Still
|last in wonder at the means. Vivenzio
could put no cheat upon his reason, rs
to the end. by what horrible ingenui-
~ it was contrived, that walls, and roof
and windows should thus silently and
imperceptibly, without noise, and with
out motion almost, fold, as it were,
within each other, he knew not. He
only knew they did so and he vainly
strove to persuade himself it was the
Intention of the contriver, to rack the
miserable wretch who might be inn
INJURED there. with anticipation merely
of fate, from which, in the very cri-
sis of his agony, he was to be re-
prieved.
Gladly would he have clung evon to
this possibility, If his heart would have
let him !; but he felt dreadful assurance
of It's fallacy. And what matchless in
humanity it was to doom the sufferer to
such lingering tormcnts--to lead him
day by day 10 SO appalling death, un-
supported by the consultations OF religion,
unvisited by any human being, abandon
ed to himself, deserted by all. and denied
even the sad privilege of knowing that
his cruel destiny would awaken pity !!
Alone he was to perish !-alone he was
to wait u slow coming torture, whose
most exquisite pangs would he inflicted
by that very solitude and that tardy
coming
at is not death fear" he exclaimed,
shut the death must prepare for! Me-
,hinks, too, could meet even that all
horrible aad revolving as it is-ifit might
oyertake me now. But where shall l find
fortitude to tarry till it come How can l
ou,live the thrco long days and nights l
have to live? There is no power within
me 10 bid the hideous spectre hence
none to make it familiar to my thoughts ;
! or myself, patient of its errand. My
thoughts, rather, will flee from me, and
grow mad in looking at il. Oh! for a
deep sleep to fall upon me That so, in
deaths likeness, i might embrace death
itself, and drink no more of the cup that
is presented to me, that my fainting
spirit had already tasted ~
In the midst of these lamentations, vi