Washington sentinel., 1854-01-04
Wastingtnn gentinel.
From the Waverly Magazine.
p.AGYAR AND THE MOS L Il M /.
AN HUNGARIAN TRADITION.
Continued from our Last.

It were idle to detail the scene of intempe-
rance and violence which ensued upon the en-
try of the magnate and his helpless captive.
The extreme loveliness of her face and figure,
the gorgeous and picturesque costume in which
she was habited, and the knowledge that she
was utterly at his mercy, inhamed the passions
of Keretsenyi, which were heightened by the
ribald jestings of his companion. For time
the wretched woman sat motionless before them.
Her lip quivered, and she was pale as marble;
but she neither spoke nor moved, until wearied
by her immobility, the magnate laid his hand
heavily on her shoulder whence the jewelled
vest had fallen away, when, like statue sud-
denly endued with life, she flung off his clasp,
and started to her feet with burning cheek
and an eye. of fire.
Forone brief moment even Keretsenyi quailed
before the dauntless look of his weak and help
less captive; but the low, mocking laughter of
the count, restored him to selfposession on the
instant; and, with whitening and bitter i'm
precation, he once more extended his hand to
seize his victim. No longer however, was the
lady Zelma the passive sufferer that she had
been. Polluted by his touch-by the touch of
Christian and stranger-she had become
suddenly reckless; when casping her forehead
with her hand she appeared for the first time
to perceive that she was unveiled, and her ring
ing shrek proclaimed her anguish at the dis
covery.
Like hunted lioness, she stood at bay; the in
dignant blood flushing over her neck and bosom,
and the silken drapery heaving and sinking
with every throb of her bursting heart. Glori-
GUS in her beauty, brave in her weakness, she
stood there before them; but beautiful and
brave onlytoher own destruction intoxicated by
her radiant and defying loyeliness Keretsenyi
cast aside all scruples, and approached her SO
yehemently and with such insult in look and
gesture, that the fair infdel at once perceived
this was her fate and, drawing from her girdle
gold-hilted yataghan, she no sooner felt the
grasp of the Christian upon her arm than she
resolutely plunged the weapon into her heart,
and fell to the floor corpse at the feet OF her
DESTROYER. The high hearted woman had paid
her ransom with her lifel
Wild with surprise, and exasperated by dis
appointment, Keretsenyi, as he looked upon
the body of his victim, breathed low VOW Of
vengeance which it was but too surely in his
power to keep. Even John, of Sasvar, was
moved as he looked at the glttering heap be-
fore him, where the sparkle of jewels and the
CLEAN of gold Knocked the pale face and the
placid limbs they were meant to heighten into
still broader beauty; while the boy stood by
aghast, little used to look on death in so fair a
form, and marveling at the bold heart that
had lacerated so frail a tenement.
Lit on the morrow OF JnlS IaLdi Qeeu tHat
Nassau, mounted on a swift horse, covered with
dust and foam, galloped rapidly across the
drawbridge Of Nikolsburg, and suddenly found
himself in the centre of dense band OF the
counts retainers. An instant suffced to show
him their occupation. Bound to the same
stake where he had already seen so many vic
tins he beheld his beloved master-him for
whom he had suffered long years of imprison-
ment and hardship and whom he came to call
back to liberty.
Before him, at the distance of few PAGES,
stood the STRIPPING count fixing an arrow to
his bow, while already several others were
auivering in the hand Of the unfortunate Ali;
and, looking coldly on, as though at q mere
trial of skill, he saw the ruthless Keretsenyi
and his friend and comrade Sasvar.
Leaping from his saddle with a shrek Of
horror Nassau sprang towards the magnate,
and cast at his feet the five hundred purses
which we're the price of his masters freedom;
and then, without uttering word, he flung
himself between the wretched captive and his
tormentor, and, with his dagger, began to sun
der the cords that bound him.
Keretsenyi gave one glance at the gold and
then spurning it aside, shouted to the men-at
arms to drag Nassau from the stake declaring
no vile slave of an infdel should dare to dis
turb the pastime of his son; no sooner was
this mandate obeyed, than he turned towards
the boy, and bade him take good aim before
his arm wearied. Vain were the prayers, and
the anguish of Hassau. Even the STRIPPING,
in his anxiety to show his skill, and to indulge
in his hatred of the Moslem, was deaf to the
phrenzied entreaties of his old favorite and
drawing his arrow to the head, he sent it right
to the heart of Ali One convulsive spasm
shook the attenuated frame of the victim his
ewes opened, and closed again in death, his
head dropped, the deed of blood was done.
"Now take your purchase" said the mag
nate, as he turned with mocking look to the
soul.struck Hussau. "Now take the value of
your gold. | pledged my knightly word that
once the ransom paid, / would deliver up my
captive. hold him such no longer. Away
w with him There was no question of life or
death in our compact, and thus have seen fit
to restore him. have another prisoner who
NAV bear him company. And when you meet
the other whose slave you are, tell him that his
son perished by the hand of mine, and died a
death too honorable for vile unbeliever; while
his wife-since it has pleased him to call her
such-was her own executioner We have
chanocd her iewelled tunic for winding-sheet;
but should he wish to reclaim her. he knows
the road that leads to Nikolsburg." And with
this bitter taunt he turned awayan left Nassau
with his dead. ttF
Five years subsequently to these events,
(l565,) at the instgation of John Edmund, the
son of John Zapolya, the Emperor Maximilian
III. was forced to a war with the great Solyman,
who at that period had overun the principal
portion of Hungary, garrisoned her towns and
castle with his own forces, taken possession of
her capital, and, flushed with the triumph of a
hundred fights, and eager to plant the standard
of the Crescent still further in the heart of Eu-
rope, was threatening, in its turn, the metro
polls of the Caesars. When intelligence Of the
projected war reached the Count Keretsenyi,
he Immediately withdrew from Nikolsburg, and
established himself ut Gynla, fort which be-
longed to him, and which was protected by a
strong castle called Hazarwar, built on the
northern side Of the walls. The position Of
GynIa, and the strength Of its outworks, In
duced Maximilian to decide on its being con-
structed into fortified place; and he accord
inply reinforced the garrison with two battalions
2, q -------~ a.,d H,ax,e<,x.