Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-08-26
P l C C L l. A
The Prisoner Of PenestrelIa.
Or, Captivity Captive.
CHAPTER /

'e"vhts Nount de Charney.
whose name is not wholly effaced from The
annals Of modern science, aud may be found
incribed in the mysterious archives of The
police under Napoleon, was endowed by ma.
ture with an uncommon capacity for sind,
Unluckily, however, his intelligence Of
mind, schooled by the forms OF a colle,s
education, had taken disputa,ious turn
He was an able logician rather than sound
reasoner and there was in Charney the
composition Of learned man, but not of a
philosopher
At twenty-five, the count was master oil
seven languages but instead Of following
the example Of certain learned Polyglols
who seem 10 acquire foreign idioms for the
express purpose Of exposing their incapacity
TO the contempt of Foreigners, as we'll as Of
their own countrymen, through confusion
oil tongues, as well as intellect, Charney re-
garded his requirements as a linquist only
as stepping-stone to others of higher val.
ne. Commanding the services of so many
menials of the intellect, he assigned to each
his business, his duty, his fields to cultivate.
The Germans served him for metaphysics
the English and Italians for politics and ia.
risprudence; all for history to the re-
hottest sources OF which he travelled in com.
apany with the Romans, Greeks, and He
Abrews.
In devo,inp himself TO these ser;ops sind.
les the count did no, neoIec, The acces ss
kciences. Till al leng,b alarmed hv ~
Extent of The vast horizon which ssswsd ~
expand as he advanced snd;no h;nso,,
stumble at every stem in the laSv,;n,h in
which he was bewiIdered-weary oG The
pursuit Of Truth,-(,he unknown Goddess. !
The began TO concentrate history as the
/ lie of ages, and attemnted 10 recons,rpc,
the edifce on sure foundation. HE com
posed new historical romance. which the
Earned derided from envy, and society from
ignorance.
II Political and legislative science furnish.
I'd him with more positive groundwork
but these, from one end Of Europe TO the
other. were CRYING aloud for Reform; and
when he tried 10 specify a few of the more
fragrant abuses, they proved SO deeply root
ed in the social system,--so many destinie,
were based on fallacious principle, thai
be was actually discouraged. Charney hac
bot the strength OF mind or insensibilty o.
heari, indispensable to overthrow in oihel
nations, all that the tornado of the Reyolu
ION had left standing in his own.
He recollected, too, that hosts of esima
BE men, as learned, and perhaps as we'll
htentioned as himself professed theories il
total opposition TO his own. If he we're 4
Set the four quarters Of the globe on FIR,
for the mere satisfaction of a chimera p
rhis consideration, more startling than ever
bis historical doubts, reduced him to the
tnost painful perplexily.
Metaphysics afforded him last resource
In the ideal world an overthrow is les
Inlarming; since ideas may clash withou
danger in infinite space. In waging sucl
a-wsr, he no longer risked the safety OF 9th
ers he endangered only his own peace o
mind.
The farther lie advanced into the mystic
fies of metaphysical science, anayzinq, ar
euing, disputing,-the more deeply he be
came enveloped in darkness and mystery
Truth, ever flying from his grasp. vanishing
iunder his gaze, seemed 10 deride him like
B the mockery of will-o'-the.wisp sbinina tc
/, delude the unwary. When he paused tc
admire its luminous brilliancy, ali suddenl,
grew dark the meteor having disappeared
10 shine again on some remote and nnex.
pected point and when, perseyerinq and
tenacious, Charney armed himself with Da
thence, followed with steady stems. and AZ,
tanned the sanctuary the fpc;tive was oon,
again | This time he had oyers,e1ned
the mark! When he fancied the meteoI
was in his band-grasned firmly in his ham
it had already sIinned ,hrongb b;s 6ngers
multiplyino into n Thousand hr;II;.n, am
delusiye particles Twen,v rival truths nor
picked the horizon of his mind HE az man,
false beacons beguiIinO him 10 shinwrect
After yacillating between Rossne, and shin
oza deism and s,be;sm -he,v;Idsrsd on,pn,
spiritunIisls ma,erisI;s,s ;daaI;.,s on,oio
ois,s and ecIec,;cs ~hs ,ooI 800. ~ ,,,;
Sers,l .scen,;c;sm comcos,;n n ,' h;s , - u
;onnrsnce h. ho,d soS na; ;s ~. ", u
Hav;no ~, ss;ds ,ha 1 dns.s;"" e 49,.