The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-10-26

tive know mankind, and above all, wo-
mankind. She cannot hold out for such
length of time; it is not in womauhood--it
is not in widowhood - we know il, aud
that's enough. Beep n sharp look-out up
on the widow. therefore, and within the
twslvemonih You will catch her tripping
and then The dukedom is your own
The nephew was pleased with this coun-
sci, and immediately placed spies round the
duchess, and bribed several of her servants
TO keep watch upon her, so that she could
not take single step, even from one apart
ment of her palace TO another, without be-
ing observed. Never was young aid beau
tifnl widow exposed to so terrible an ordeal.
The DUCHESS was aware of the watch thus
kept upon her. Though confident of her
own rectilode, she knew lhai it is not enough
for woman to he vir,uous--she must be
above the reach of slander. For the whole
term of her probation, therefore, she pro-
clamed strict nonintercoursc with the
other SEX She had females for cabinet
ministers oud chamberlains, through whom
she transacted all her public and private
concerns; and 1t is said, that never were
the aiiairs of the dukedom SO adroity ad-
mnis,ered.
All males were vigorously excluded irom
the palace; she nefer went out of its pre-
cincts, aud whenever she moved about its
courts aud gardens, she surrounded herself
with body-guard of young maids of hon
or, commanded by danes renowned for dis
cretion. She slept in a bed without curtains,
4
by innumerable wax tapcrs. -Four ancient
spins,ers, virluous as Virgins, perfect drag
ons of watchiuncss, who only slept during
the daytime, kept vigils throughout the
night, seated in the four corners of the room
on stools without backs or arms, and with
seats cut in chequers of The hardest wood,
to keep them from DOING. ,
Thus wisely and wurily did the young
duches conduct herself for twelve long
months, and Slandcr almost bit her tongue
off in despair at finding no room even for n
surmise. Never was ordeal more burlen-
some, or more enduringIy sustained.
The year passed away. The last, odd
day arrived, and a long, long day it was,
|, was the twenty first day Of June, the
longest day in the year. II seemed as if il
would never come TO AN end. A thousand
times did the duchess and her ladies watch
= the sun'from the windows of the palace, a.
he slowly climbed the vault of heaven, ano
seemed still more slowly to roll down
They conld not help expressing their won
der, now and then, why the duke should
have tagged this supernumerary day TO the
end of the year, as ifthree hundred and six
ty-fiye days were not sufficient 10 try and
task the fidelity Of any woman. Ii is the
last grain that turns the scae--ihc last drop
that ogerflows the gobet--and the last mo-
ment of delay that exhausts the patience.
by the time the sun sank below the horizon
the duchess was IN n iidgcl that passed all
bounds, and, though several hours were yet
to pass before the day regularly expired,
she could not have remained those hours IN
dnrance to gain royal crown, much loss
a ducol coronet. So she gave her orders,
and her palfrey, magnificently caprsoned,
was brought into the courtyard OF the cas-
tie, with palfreys for all her ladies in atten-
dance. la this way she sailed forth just as
the sun had gone down. 1t was mission
of piety---a pilgrim cagal;ade to u convent
at the foot of a neighboring mountain--to
return thanks to The blessed Virgin for hay
ingsasiained her through this fearful ordeal.
Thc prisons performed, the duchess and
her ladies' returned, ainbling gently along
the border of forest. 1t was about that
mellow hour Of twilight when night and day
are mingled, aud all objects indis,inct. Sud-
denly some monstrous nnmal sprang from
ont thicket, with fearful howlings. The
IL G.. L.. L.. inf
confusion, and fled different ways. IL was
some time before they recovered from their
panic, and gathered once more together;
but the duches was not to be found. The
greatest anxiety was felt for her safety. The
hazy mist Of twilight had prevented their
distinguishing perfectly the animal which
had aiirightcd them. Some thought II "a
wolf, others a bear, others wild man of
the woods. For upward Of an hour did
they bcleaguer the forest, wi hout daring to
venture in, and were on the point of giving
up the duchess as torn to pieces aud dcyour-
ed, when, to their great joy, they beheld her
advancing in the gloom, supported by a
stately cavalier.
He was a stranger knight, whom nobody
knew. II was impossible to distinguish his
countenonce in the dark but all the ladies'
agreed that he was Of noble presence and
captivating address. lie bad rescued the
duchess from the very fangso Of the monster,
which, he assured the ladies, was neither n
wolf, nor a bear, nor yet wild man OF The
woods, but yertnbIc fiery dragon, a spe-
cies Of monster peculiarly hostile tp beautiful
females in the days Of cbivalry, and which
all the efforts of knight crraniry had not
been able TO cxtirpate.
The ladies crossed themselves when they
heard ofthe danger from which they had