New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-02-17
The Bath of Blood.

From the proof sheets of SO The History OF
Hungary, in De Puy's Kossuth and His Gener-
ais now in the Press, the Buffalo Commercial
extracts a most thrilling tale of romantic his
tory:
About the year 1910, Elizabeth Bathori, sister
to the King of Poland, and wife of rich and
powerful hungarian magnate, was the principal
actor in the most singular and horrible tragedy
mentioned in history. She occupied the castle
of Csejta, Pennsylvania. Like most other ladies
of that period, she was surrounded by troop
of young girls, generally the daughters of poor,
but noble parents, who lived in honorable SER
vitude; in return for which, their education
was cared for, and their dowry secured. Eliza
beth was of severe and cruel disposition, and
her hand maidens had no joyous life. Slight
faults are said to have been punished by the
most merciless tortures.
One day, as the lady of Csejta was admiring
| at the mirror those charms which that faithful
monitor told her were fast waning, she gave
way to her ungovernable temper, excited, per-
| haps, by the mirrors unwelcome hint, and
struck her unotfending maid with such force in
the face as to draw blood. As she washed from
| her hands the stain, she fancied the part which
the blood had touched grew winter, softer, and
| as it were, younger. Imbued with the credulity
of the age, she believed she had discovered what
so many philosophers had wasted years in seek
ing for. She supposed that in a virgins blood
she had found the eiirir rite, the fountain OF
never failing youth and beauty. Remorseless
by nature, and now urged on by irrepressible
vanity, the thought no sooner flashed across he1
brain than her resolution was taken; the life
her luckless handmaiden was not to be COM
pared with the precious boon her death prom
ised to secure. Elizabeth, however, was wary
as well as cruel. At the foot of the rock OF
which Csejta stood, was a small cottage, inha b.
tied by two old women ; and between the celia,
Of this cottage and the castle was subterra.
mean passage, known only to one or two per.
sons, and never used but in times of danger
With the aid of these old crones and her stew.
ard, Elizabeth led the poor girl through the Sc.
cret passage to the cottage, and after numbering
her, bathed in her blood. Not satisfied with the
first essay at different intervals, blythe aid O
these accomplces and the secret passage, nt
less than three hundred maidens were sacrificed
on the altar of vanity and superstition.
Several years had been occupied in this pitt
less slaughter, and no suspicion of the truth was
excited, though the greatest amazement per
vaded the country at the disappearance of St
many persons. At last, however, Elizabetl
called into play against her two passions eve
stronger than vanity and cunning. Love an
, revenge became interested in the discovery
the mystery. Among the victims of Csejta wa
, a beautiful virgin, who was beloved by and be
throthed to a young man of the neighborhoot
In despair at the loss Of his mistress, he followe
her traces with such perseverance, that, in spit
= of the hitherto successful caution of the mur
deress, he penetrated the bloody secrets of tn
! castle, and, burning for revenge, flew to Pres
burgh, boldly accused Elizabeth Bathori G
murder, before the Palatine, in open court, an
demanded judgment against her. So grave Al
accusation, brought against a person of suc
high rank, demanded the most serious attention
! and the Palatne undertook to investigate til
affair in person. Proceeding Immediately t
Csejta, before the murderess or her accomplice
f had any idea of the accusation, he diseovere
the still warm body of a young girl, whom the
had been destroying as the Palatine approached
and had not time to dispose of before he appre
: hended them. The rank of Elizabeth mitigate
her punishment to Imprisonment for life, but he
assistants were burned at the stake.
Legal documents still exist to attest the trut
: Of this apparently improbable circumstanc,
Paget, distinguished English traveller, VII
- visited Csejta about twenty years ago, says
: ''With this tale fresh in our minds, we ascende
n the long hill, gained the castle, and wandere
: over its deserted ruins. The shades of cveni1
q were just spreading over the valley, the bar
gray walls stood up against the red sky, til
solemn stiffness of evening reigned over I'll
# scene, and MS two ravens, which had made the
q nests on the castles highest towers, came t,
wards it, winging their heavy flight tand wheelin
once round, each cawing II hoarsc welcome
: the other, alighted on their favorite turret,
!. could have fancied them the spirits of the tv
n crones, while their internal mistress was curse
a by some more wretched DOOM