The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-01
TRAGICAL DISCREPANCIES FROM
LIGHT AND LIFE.

The following concentrated heap of tragical
circumstances,-m melancholy IN little
compass--s from the book mentioned in our
last, entitled "Six Weeks on the Loire" II be-
gins with frghtful private evidences Of public
tyranny, and ends with some tragedies Of diff
ferent sort, unintentional, unmalignant, and re-
lieved by the very youth and gentleness Of the
parties We never met with more complete
blossom of tragedy (if we may SO term it) than
| the account of the poor girl who persisted in the
| height of her health and spirits while leaping
over an unseen abyss to catch at an almond tree:
| Chinon is on the right bank of the Vienne,
and is sheltered between craggy hills on the
top Of the loftiest of which are the remains Of
the once formidable castle which for thousand
| years held the surrounding country in awe. 1t
| was the iavorite residence of Henry the Second
of England, and the scene of his last moments
| in 1889, when, broken-hearted by the undutiful
conduct of his children, he left the world with a
malediction on them upon his lips. And here
ten years afterwards, his son, the lon-h hearted
Richard, closed his valiant career, and his giant
| like ambition, in the narrow precincts of the
| grave. This castle was the chosen abode of
| Charles the Seventh. The apartments he in
habited are still in tolerable preservation, as is
also the room in which Joan Of Arc was introdu-
|
assumed disguise from the mobiles by whom he
was surrounded, declared TO him her divine mis-
sion. Here likewise it was that his unnatural
4 son, Louis the Eleventh, whist yet Dauphin,
dared to propose the assassination of his parent
| to the Comte de Chabannes, the tavorite minis
| ter who had virtue enough to shrink from the
horrible crime, and revealed the intention to his
royal master. The dismal "oubliettes" may
still be traced close behind the FIREPLACE in the
/ principal sitting room; so that the naughty
prince might be stretching his legs over the fire,
/ with the utmost nonchdtdnce, at the moment
that the wretch who had offended him might be
precipitated, at his very side, into this horrid
/ grave. Alas that history should have recorded
4 this TO have actually been the case, with that
mirror OF chivalrous honor, Francis the First, in
company with one of his mistresses; but having
seen such incontrovertible proof OF the monstrous
cruelty of the ages Of despotsm, ! can now be-
lieve almost any thing that is told OF them; and
amongst the rest the account Of a French writer,
which, before, thought only adapted for the
pages of romance.
| "The chamber which this monarch occupied"
says he, speaking Of Louis the Eleventh. at the
| Cheateau des Loches, twas exactly over the
| frightful dungeons in which the unfortunates,
cast in by his orders, languished. What rehec
| lions could king make, thus taking up his abode
| above the horrible vaults from which the last
signs Of his expiring victims were breathed
| What hope of pardon for these despairing
wretches, when he alone who had the power of
granting il could thus unfeelingly repose over
| the spot where they were suffering A consid-
| cradle time after the death of Louis the Eleventh
captain Of the name of Pontbriant, governor of
the chateau, discovered an iron door, which he
caused to be opened, and traced, by the light OF
the fambeaus, the subterranean passages, the
entrance of which its purport was to close AT
Ter advancing little way, he perceived second
iron door, which was opened, as the first; he
then penetrated into vast dungeon, at the ex-
tremity of which he beheld, exactly under the
apartments Of Louis the Eleventh, a man sitting
on a stone bench, leaning his head on his hand
No doubt the unhappy wretch had died in this
position OF famine and despair There was no
thing near him excepting some linen in a small
trunk. Pontbrant approached and touched him
but only hideous skeleton, of large proportion,
remained beneath his hand, at the pressure Of
which, slight as it must been, the flesh and gar
ments had instantly fallen to the earth heap of
DUST II is natural enough that tyrants should
be towards the castle Of Chinon, like most of
the same period, has several subterranean pas
sagcs, to favor escape in case OF any sudden at
| tack One, in the corner of the kings dormitory,
ran not only to the river, but under the bed OF II
to chateau on the other side, within sight Of
the castle; and thence to another, il it is said at
twelve miles distance. What picture might
| the imagination draw of blood stained, con-
science stricken monarch, thus flying by torch
light through the very bowels of the earth; fear
leading the way-hate pursuing him whilst
above, in the blessed sunshine and pure breezes
of heaven, the shepherd throws himself on the
enamelled turf
| "With all his little flock at feed before him,
| ignorant alike of the troubles and crimes of the
great. But enough of horrors II is only the
powerful impression objects so new to me, in
England happily unseen, unthought OF, made up
| r. 81, IN fnr hpU
ing dwelt upon them so long. How different,
how peaceful now the scene around From the
Tour dirgeRt0n, once communicating by a Sc
cret passage TO the Mdison R0berdedu, where
the beauteous Agnes Sorel resided when Charles
the Seventh was at the castle, from this tower
we overlook the wlndlngs OF the clear Vlenne,
the verdant banks of the Loire, the promontory
of I.andes and the distant castle of Sanmur,
with vast of country, all uniting In album
dance and security. The interior OF the quad
rangle is laid out in garden grounds, watered by
a well two hundred and forty-cight feet deep.
This well was, eight years ago, the scene OF
calamitous accident: the mouth OF 1t was by
most objectionable negligence, left open, with
only temporary covering OF straw over 1t; SO
much worse than nothing, as II hid the appear
ance of danger. Hanging over the aperture was
an almond tree, which, luxuriant in blossom,
caught the attention of young lady, the boast OF
La Tourane for beauty, and the only child
Of wealthy parents, who, with their daughter and
a few friends, had come from some distance on
an excursion of pleasure, TO explore the remains
of the castlc--her eyes fixed on the fragrant
flower above her head, she thought not OF the
cavity beneath, she sprang forward, in youthful
hilarity, to catch the branch--her foot touched
the straw, in an instant she disappeared, and
was no more Thus, without moments warn
ing of her fate, realizing in days of peace and
refinement the barbarous death of the "oubii-
eftesn in the darkest ages Of cruelty
| This sad recital reminded me of similar mis-