Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-01-20
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1887.

me IN the back ground while my friends
were so much the more awake TO my inter
ests, as it was The best node Of defending
their own. Aurora insisted peremptoriy,
that the marriage should be onnulled -
The abbess Of the convent in which she
had found an asylum, and who was respect
able for her birth. as well as her good quail.
tiles. moved heaven and earth 10 her cause.
Her father brought together his protectors
and friends: and every thing threatened us
| with defeat, the shame Of which would
| have fallen on the engravers, and the
weight of it on myself The wags amused
themselves in seeing the pride of Aurora
made the instrument Of punishment. but
| no smile can smooth the brow Of wrinkled
and severe justice. Already warrant to
| arrest me had been issued, from which
had only been saved by The obscuriiy in
which lived. The affair was bro't before
the courts with great rapldity.
My naughty enemy had requested guards
10 escort her to the tribunal IN which our
marriage was TO be declared null or valid.
She made her appearance arrayed in all her
charms, which were stll. frightened by the
sembIaDce OF the most Unaffected modesty.
Never had any cause assembled 50 immense
crowd OF spectators. Auroras counsel
pleaded Tor her with SO much eloquence
hat the tears of the auditory sometimes
forceG him to suspend his defamation.
The emotion of the judges indicated what
! kind of sentence they were about to pros
nounce, and which the feelings Of the au
dence were powerfully impeled to sane
ton; when the engraver who had sought
to be the husband of Aurora. seeing that
no counsel arose to plead on my side of
the question requested permission from the
judges TO enter on my defence. This re-
quest was Immediately granted that it
might not be SAID had been condemned
unheard. He gave my history in which
nothing was exaggerated, except the Gu
logium with which he honored me. He
owned, nevertheless that the singular cir
cums'aDces ofmy marriage would author
ze the judges to declare It null and void
lie hesl,atcd tor moment. The most
solemn silence reigned through the assem-
bly,: when turning to Aurors, he added, in
firm tone of voice. mo. madam, you
are not the wife Of the bellows-mender- -
but nature destines you to become the
mother of his child! Listen to the power.
iul cry ofyour infant yet unborn; and then
say, If you desire to become free. while
| your child IL condemned to the intamy OF
IIlegltimacy:' No. MOI exclaimed the
trembling Aurora, bursting into tears; anC
the whole audience. weeping ~ sympathy
w'th her, joined IN the exclamation OF No.
No"
This cry of maternal tenderness decided
The cause. The Judges declared that the
marriage was valid according to the con-
tract, IN which had signed my true name:
alIedgng. also, TINT our situations were moi
sufficient y unequal to authorize the dsso.
luton of our union. But they wisely de
creed. IN order not TO leave the adveniure'
too much cause for triumph. that my wife
should be permitted 10 reside 10 the convent
which she had chosen for her asylum; and
injnnctlon was ald on the husband, under
| certain penalties, neither TO reclaim. purs le,
or modest her 10 any manner Whatever;
that the child should DO baptized under my
name, but that should at 10 time have any
right over its education. The rest Of the
sentence turned on objects of detail, more
interesting TO gentlemen Of the long robe
than the historian. Aurora left the audi
encc in triumph. The crowd escorted her
to the convent; browning her with eulogi-
uns for the tender sacrifice winch she had
Just made.
Such was the result of this celebrated
trial; during the decision of which, | was
little at my ease. Obliged to hide myself
from every eye, took advantage ofmy moi
beng known, to hide among the crowd-no
one conjecturlug that the bellows.m member
OF whose history they heard so much, wore
decent clothes, fine linen, and was per
sonage IN no mean circumstances. The
most ridiculous stories were fabricated re-
speeding my absence and my marrlnge.-
| sometimes endcavored to laugh with the
rest, but was horribly abashcd to find, that
even those who amused themselves most at
the expense of Aurora, were vlrulent de
chalmers against what they called my nfa-
my. Agreeably to the dictates Of my owr
feelings, and ~ conformity to the advice o.
my friends, determined to quit Lyons, anC
employ my funds in some other place
where my name and history were unknown
made choice of Paris for my residence
where amidst an Immense population
could most easily escape observation ant
also where could employ my capital tt
most advantage. There, the poor bello We
mender, with a hundred thousand lvres
and the credit of his friends IN Lyons, es
tablished commercial house, which sue
ceeded beyond all his hopes. | was dnrin.
five years the favorie of fortune; and m,
conscience renders mo this estimony, tina
| had no reason to blush at one Of my spec
ulatlons,
My correspondence with Lyons was &C
tive. A happy accident gave mo tn,
means Of rendering essential service to ont
of the first banking houses of that great CT
ty. The proprlcIors testified their bound
less gratitude towards me, and pressed mi