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

gradually his acsllegsd thoughts reformed.
aud With fAem cane gemembyancs. KesL
ns mad loohed once again upon ne gos-
gecAs sp!enapr VI nature Onse zgaln
ms eyes he'd trempIed Deneall their veil
ed iids, al the SUMS radiance, and sought
repose IN the soft ver,lure of tho oive-tree
or the gentle swell of undulating waves.
Oh that ho were mariner, exposed up
on those waves to the worst fury of storm
and ,empest; or very wretch, ioathsomc
with disease, plague-stricken, aud his
body one leprous contagion from crown
to sole, hunted forth to gasp out the
remnant of infectious life beneath those
verdant trees, SO he might shun the des-
tiny upon whose edge he tottered
Vain thoughts like these would steal
over his mind from time to time, in spite
of himself; but they scarcely moved it
from that stupor into which it had sunk,
and which kept him, during the whole
night, like one who had been drugged
with opium. He was equally insensibIe
to the calls of hunger and Of thirst,
though the third day was now commens-
ing since even drop of water had passed
his lips. He remained on the ground,
sometimes sitting, sometimes lying; at
intervals, sleeping heavily; and when
not sleeping, silently brooding over what
was TO come, or talking aloud. in disor-
dersd speech, ofhs wrongs. ofhis friends,
Of his home, and Of those he loved, with
confused mingling Of all.
In this pitiable condition, the sixth and
last morning dawned upon Yivenzio, if
dawn it might be called--the dim obscure
light which family struggled through the
ONE SOLITARY window ofhis dungeon. He
could hardly he said TO notice the melan-
choly token. And yet he did notice it,
for as he raised his eyes and saw the por-
tentous sign, there was slight convulsive
distortion of his countenamce. But what
did attract his notice end at the sight of
which his agitation was excessive, WAS ths
change his iron bed had undergone. Ii
was bed no longer 1t stood before
him, the visible semblance Of funeral
couch or bier! When he beheld this, no
started from the ground; aud, III raising
himself, suddenly struck his head against
the roof, which was now 40 low that he
could hardly stand upright. Gods will
be done J" was all he said, as he crouched
his body, and placed his hand upon the
bier for such it was. The iron bedstead
had been so contrived, by the mechanical
art of Lu.dovico Sforza, that as the ad-
vancing walls came in contact with its
head and foot, pressure was produced
upon concealed springs, which when
made to play set in motion very simple
thought ingeniously contrived machinery
that effected the transformation. The
object was, of course TO heighten, in the
closing scene of this horrible drama, all
the feelings ofdespair and anguish, which
the preceding ones had aroused. For
tho same reaso,., the Last window was SO
made as to admit only shadowy kind of
gloom rather than light, that the wrctched
captive might be surrounded, as it were,
with every seeming preparation for ap-
pronching death. vivenzio scared him
self OH his bier Then he knelt and pray.
ed fcrvenlly and sometimes tears would
gush from him. The air seemed thick,
and he breathed with difficulty; or it
might be that he fancied it was SO, from
the hot and narrow limits of his dungeon,
which were now SO diminished that he
could neither stand up or lie down at his
full length. But lis wasted spirits and
oppressed mind no longer struggled with
in him. He was past hope, and fear
shook him no nore.-Happy if thus re-
venge had struck its final blow for he
would have fallen beneath it almost un-
conscious Of n pang. But such a lethargy
of the soul, after such an excitement ofits
fercest passions, had entered into the dl-
abolical calculations of Tolfi !; and the fell
artificer OF his designs had Imagined a
counteraciing device.
The toling ofan enormous bell struck
upon the ears of Viyenzio! He started
close aud stunning, that it seemed to
sha,ter his very brain, while it echoed
through the rocky passages like reverber-
ating peals ofthunder. This was follow
ed by sudden crash Of the roof and
walls, as if they were about to fall upon
aud close around him at once. Vivenzio
screamed, and instinc,ively put forth his
arms, as though he had a giants strength
to hold them back. They had moved
nearer to him, and were now motionless.
vivenzio looked up, and saw the roofal-
most touching his head, even as he sat
covering beneath it; aud he felt that n
farther contraction of but few inches on
ly, must commence the frightful opera
ton. Reused as he had been he nov
gasped for breath. His body shook vio-
lently--he was bent nearly double. His
hands rested upon either wall, and his
feet were drawn under him to avoid tho
pressure in front. Thus lie remained for
more than an hour. when that deafening