Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-08-14
BY J. II. DA Ma g..

/ ceres, Gods curse be on her tor all her e'i
doiugs!' shouted tho mob.
II was early one morning, yet even at that
hour The iudpment hall Of the htile town of Bour
donnois was ttroogod with the populace. Men
women and children, old and young, tho noble
and the gnrger, priests, soldiers and common PEG
pie, owdcd the spacious hail, and glared herce-
~ On the prisoner, while ever and anon they mutt
tered jmpreca tons on her, an cried madv for
her blood
The e~ening before, female, closely yelled,
and attended by two servants, whose dark coun-
/ tenunces bespoke them sons Of Ethiopia, had ar
rived al Bourdonnols and put up al one OF the
principal hosteries OF the place. Strange ru-
mors about her. Her Earb, her fnein,
her language and her complexion were SAID 10
! DO those of a Saracen, against which accursed
race the chivary Of Europe and the church itself
warred in vain. These rumors gained additional
strength when the landlord of the inn where she
had stopped was heard to saJ that he mad seen her
practising sorcerv, charge easily credited IN
that age, and ono which few, especially in case
like this had the hardlhoo1 to dsbelieve. In
less than an hour tho whole population OF the
town was nfoa,, surrounding the hosiery, and
crying out for vengeance against tho sorccrcss.
Such commoiions were both frequent ana san
culinary in that superstitious age.
The soIdiery, however, in,ericred by nrres'ing
the unsIspecting victim of these rumors aud at
this early hour the prisoner had been brought IN
10 the Judgment hall TO await Il mockery OF tn
al.
"Answer me daughter of Behalf" said the judge,
the mnrmers of tho mob allowed hum
be hoard. '.Will you confess your crime
Speak or you die? Know you that the rack ay!
fire itself, awaits you If your obsiinacy coniin-
ues?'
The prisoner a slight giriish creature, SIT
ting with her face buried in her hands, directly
opposite To tho Judge. She apparently
young, and her figure far az ii could be seen
through tho thick veil which shrouded her form,
light and agile as that OF a sy phi 10 The
judges question she made no answer Sho only
shook her head dcspondinglv, and those nigh her
fanced they heard her sob.
ITO the stake with the heather sorcercss!-
She deals with the evil one!' shouted tho mob
s'What need NO farther than this silence! "A
way with her-nwayn'
4, ,ho"o fearful words. repeated now for tho
second time, and growed forth with an omlnous
fierccness, appalling even to the hearer tho prs
oner was observed 10 tremble whether with tonr or
otherwise we know NOT. and hitting her ven Up
with sudden effort, she to her feet, turned
hastily round to the mob, and dscloseIa counte-
nance Of such surprising Low eness to their gnzc.
that even those who cried out most unrelcntIt;-
" for her blood now shrunk abashed into siieace,
W lille others, who had been less eager for her
coud emnation, audibly murmered in her favor.
"What would you have OF me2" she said nd
dressing the Judge, and for the first tmo standing
unveiled before him. GAS there IS n God IN
y
truth. l am stranger, foreigner. detcnco-
less woman, but not the less the aflIanced bride
of one of your proudest mobiles, the Count de Ga
ronne' The tono in which she spoke was firm,
but oh, how touchinglv sweet; and her words
were uttered in broken French, with perccptl-
Die Oriental accept. Loud murmers arose IN her
avor sho ceased speaking The ':de was
turning. But the Judge now spoke:-
sOut on thee, woman of hell! Out on thee for
4 base slanderer of n noble of France, and a holy
crusader! Thou the betrothed bride of Garon-
ne! AS soon would the eagle mate with the vul-
lure. | tell thee, woman, that thy story of hay
ing been shipwrecked when coming to France,
and OF all thy train having been lost except thy 1
own two Ethiopian myrmidons, is foul lie, and
am a most minded TO wiring the truth from thee
On the rack"
81 have said it, said tho prisoner, in a firm
voice, for she felt her life depended her calm
ness, ''and if You will give but week. only
,ne little week will prove it before well
rs God l came from Syria with the same fleet
with lord. but under charge of his mother
low n sain, in heaven!-but being separated by {
storm, in which galley shipwrecked, :
vas thrown unprotected on your shores.
stranger here. NV servants even have deser- ,
ed me. do no one harm plot no 'reason.-
All ask TO pass on my way, Oh!:' she con-
inued, with n burst OF emotion, Of you have a I
laughter think VIA, woald be your feelings If she =
va. be thus upon IN a strange land,' and
he burst into tears. Again the crowd nurmered I
n her favor. 5
Woman" s,ernlv interposed the Judge, unmo- /
ed by her emotion. 'look ut the victim of Your 7
orcery, and seek no longer to deceive US by vou-
les. Stand forth, Philip the Deformed.' i
A, these words of the Judge, and official bear $
ng 4 white wand stepped INTO side room, and in
moment reappeared with cripple hdeousiy {
eformed, whom the populace recognised the
andIord of the hosiery. When confronted with I
he prisoner he giared on her with look of do I
non,ac hatred. Il
know you this wotnan2" asked the judge.
.'Ay 10 my cost" answered the cripple. Ii is
trough her lamentations thai | am the being am.
t was but yesterday she came 10 nav i'm, accom- :
'anled by two heathenish Ethiopians. whom
AVE heared paimers from the hoIy land saw are
ept by the PaynIms-God's ban be theirs, {
20 sooner beheld her than recog nized her to be {
snrcaresS w n. three Years 40 f,r1,,.ni,t