Litchfield enquirer., 1838-10-25
THRILLING SKETCH.

NN"""'"us WIN UiHHtIe Thrown over ms
face and figure. was led in surrounded by
the soldiery. The lion roarcd and ramped
against the bars Of his den at Sucl, sight.
The guard pul sword and buckler into The
hands OG the Christian, and he was left a.
lone. He drew The mantle from his face
and firmly l""ked around the amphi,lleatrr.
His line conntenance and lofty bearing rails
I'd n universal cry al admiration. He might
have stood for an APoll" encounlrrine tile
Python. His eve at las, raised to mime.-
Could believe my $cnsrs2 COnstantius
was brt"re me
All my ramcor vanished. An honr pas
sed. Icnuld have struck my be,raycr to the
heart could have called on the sevcrest
vengeance Of man aud heaven to smite the
destroyer Of my child. But, 10 see him
hopelessly doomed The man whom had
honored for his noble qualities, whom ! had
ever loved. whose crime was at the worst,
but the crime of giving way to the strong
est temptations that can bewilder the heart
Of man-to see this noble creature flung To
the savage beast, dying in tortnres, torn
piecemcal before my eyes, and his misery
wrought by me. would have en,rea,cd
heaven and earth TO save him. Blu, my
tongue cleaved to the roof of my mou,ls.--
My limbs refused tn stir; would have
thrown myself at the feet Of Nero but .
sat like man of stone-pale, I,aral ysed-
the beating of my pulses stopt.
The gate Of the den was thrown hack,
and the lion rushed in with roar, and
bound that bore him half across the atena.
| saw the sword glitter in the air; when il
waved again it was covered with blood. A
howl told that the blow had been driven
home. The linn, one Of the largest from
Numidia, and made furious by thirst and
hunger, an animal Of prodig;ous power,
crouched as if Ia make sure of his prey,
crept a few PAGES onward, and sprung at
the victims throat. He was met by a Sc
cond wouud, bu, his impulse was irresistible.
and Constantius-wa flung upon the ground.
A cry Of natural horror rang around tho
amphhheatrc. The struggle was now for
instant life or death. They rolled over
each other-,he lion reared upon his hind
feet, and with gnnshing teeth and distended
talons, plunged on the man-again they
rose together. Anxiety was now ut its
widest height. The sword swung round
the champions head in bloody circles.-
They fell again, covered with blood aud
dust. The hand Of Constantius had grasped
the lions name, and the furious bounds Of
the monster conid not lose the hold, but his
strength was evidently giving way-he still
struck terrible blows, but each blow was
weaker than the ono before-till collecting
his whole force fora last effort, he daricd
one mighty blow into the lions throat and
sank. The savage yelled, and spouting
ont blood, fled h"wling round the ARENA
But the hand still grasped the name, and
there his eonqueror was dragged whirling
through the dust at his heels. A universal
cutlery now arose to save him if he were
not already dead. But the lion, though
bleeding at every vein, was still too terri
BILE, and all sl,runk from The hazard. AT
last the grasp gave way. and the body lay
m0tiOnless Upon the ground. .s
What happened for some moments after
! know not. There was struggle ut the
portal; a female forced her way through
the guards, rushed in alone, and flung her
self upon the victim. The sight Of a new
prey reused the lion; he tore the ground
with his talons--he dashed his streaming
sides with his tail he lifted up his name.
barred his fangs. But his approach was no
longer with a bound he dreaded the
sword, and came snuf1ing,he blood on the
sand. and stealing round the body in circuits
still diminishing.
The confusion in the vast assemblage
was now extreme. Voices innumerabIe
called for aid. Women screamed and
tainted men burst into indignant clamors
ut this prolonged cruelty. Even the hard
hearts Of the popuIsce, accustomed as they
were to the sacrifice Of life, were aroused
to honest curses. Their guards grasped
their arms, and waited for sign from the
Emperor. But Nero gave no sign.
looked upon the woman's face. Il was
SaIome sprang upon my feet; | called
her by every feeling Of nature to fly from
that place Of death, to come to my arms,
10 think Of the agonies Of all that love her.
She had raised the head Of Consiantius on
her knee, and was wiping the pale visage
with her hair. At the sound Of my vOice
she looked up. and calmly casting back the
locks from, her forehead, fixed her eyes OPP
onmc. She still knelt; one hand support
ed the head, with the other she pointed to
it, as her only answer. again adjured
her. There was the silence of death a.
mong the thousands around me. A fire
flashed in her eyes-hrr cheek burned
She waved her hand with an air Of superb
sorrow.
u am come to de- she uttered in a lof-
~ tone. This bleeding body was my
husband, I have no father. The world
contains to me bit this clay in my arn's.-
Yet,' and she kissed tho ashy lips before
her. Yet nv Consiantius, il " as Ia save
that father that your generous heart defied
the peril Of this hour. II WAS I" redeem him
from the hand Of evil, that yon abandoned
,,o,,, c,,;at Lnme t-ces erneI a:her here