Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-04-20
THE SPANISH WIDOW
81 De nAlzAo.

I There lived in the province OF Galcia a lady
so perfectly beautiful, that she was called by all
travellers and indeed by all who beheld her
the "Flower of Spain" With these excellent
charms, she possessed all the virtues which so
rarely are to be found united to such extreme
personal loyeliness She had therefore. many
wooers, but especially a certain old knight Of
CASTLE, as coarse in mind as he was ungainly in
person. Being very wealthy, he fully expected
this beautiful creature would gladly become his
wife, the more particularly as she was of poor.
though well-born parentage. But she preferred
to allow her affections to rest on Young gentle
man Of small estate, but amiable character. and
being married TO him, they retired to the PROV
inces, and spent three years of as perfect happi-
ness as is permitted frai mortas to enjoy. Al
i the end OF this period he was obliged to go to
1 Madrid, on the business of lawsuit and was
unfortunately murdered on the way, leaving his
unhappy widow with one little boy, in rather
straitened circumstances. Shortly after. the old
4 knight again pronered his hand, which she de-
cidedly rejected he neither respected the sa-
credness of her grief, nor her forlorn state, but
molested her SO continually with letters and
presents, that but her fatheress child, she would
have been content TO die. At length she deter
mined TO Withdraw to some remote village, 10
4 free herself from this odious persecution. A few
B
TO her country lodging, her servant, Maria, hap
pened to open the door of closet in her mis-
tress's bed room, when out fell the dead BODY Of
a man and the police being summoned BY her
shrieks, the soon recognized il to be that of the
old knight of CASTLE, though his countenance
| was blackened and distorted, as to appear
scarcely human. 1t was evident that he had
/ had persisted by poison; and as the unhappy la
dy could give no account of the matter, in spite
Of her hitherto fair and unblemished reputation.
she was thrown into prison as his murderess. -
The persecution she had suffered from the deeea-
sed knight was generally known, but was now
attributed to dishonorable cause, and the MUIR
der of her husband never having been cleared
up, she was considered by many persons as gull
ty of both crimes, and the whole province was
shocked that so beautiful creature should have
thus brought disgrace upon her sex, and upon
human nature. At her trial the court was crow
ded to excess, and the lady had nothing to offer
but assertion of her Innocence, the servant Ma
ria, having suddenly disappeared, the public adj
vocate proceeded to pass sentence of death. 1t
was the custom in those DAYS, for woman who
had committed murder, to be first strangled and
then burnt in the market-place, bat before this
sentence could be pronounced witness was
moved by remorse to come forward in her be-
half. This was the servant, Maria, who had
hithelto oeeh uisguisedlh tnc oody OF Tue court
She stood on one of the benches, and earnestly
entreated TO be heard She then confessed that
she had been prevailed upon by the brides and
promises of the old knight of CASTLE, who decla-
red he intended to marry her mistress, to secrete
him in the closet in her lady chamber, but sol
EMMY declared she knew no other cause of his
death, except, that on one of the shelves she had
placed some sweet cakes mixed with arsenic to
poison the rats, and that the knight, being rath-
er guttonous, might have eaten Of them in the.
daul I'D .4