The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-10-15

was prepared. whereupon the marchion-
css faintcd--dcad as stone. The mar
quis waited till she had recovered and
then snatched himself away. and depart
cd while the marchioness, with flowing
tears and streaming hair stood in the
bighcst'towcr. watching till the last spear
was hid behind the mountain. and then
she came down. aud said to the servant,
AT home to nobody but the baron
In the meantime the marquis joined
the crusaders, arrived safely in the Holy
Land, and for some time performed pro.
diges Of valor till at length one of those
prodigies conducted him into a Saracen
prison in which ha fingered ike good
King Lusguan, living principally upon
roasted chcstnu,s aud mares milk for
there were no cows in Jerusalem His
fortitudc would have melted heart of
stone but as it did not melt the stone
Of the prison, il served him but little,
although being of an ingenious turn. he
used occasionally to carve figures on lit.
tie sticks, and make whistles out of mar
row bone, when he could get one.
Ia these digniiicd cmploymcnts had
the marquis expended many years, and
memory, who impudently keeps throwing
in our ,coih all that is disagreeable, could
not forbear telling him that the sun had
seven times run his course since last he
left his mountain castle in the Pyrences;
aud on this was bis mcditating, when
suddenly up started a gentleman, whom
he instantly perceived to be the devil
There is no one more i'll used 10 my
opinion. than the above named person.
age However broad his back may be-
surely all the sins that are laid to his
charge, and of which he is as innocent as
the child unborn, are well sufficient to
bow it. The poor devil Oh luxury,
pride, vain glory, avarice, anger, hatched
revenge and all uncharitablcness what,
what would ye do If ye had not his shoul-
der to cast his burden upon2 OH ran
uaS ranitdtiS! But as | was saying,
the devil walked into the dungeon,
whereupon the crusader crossed himself
My dear sir, said his black majesty.
'don't disturb yoursclf2 such old friends
ought not to stand upon ceremonies
The crusader made him a low bow ,
saying, that the devil really had the ad
vantage Of him. and that lie was not a.
ware of having the pleasure of his ac.
quaintauce.
Not personally, indeed, said tho dew
H. but you have done me- so much ser.
vice one way or another, that owe you
some return. You stare my dear sir
but you have sent TO my dominions, with
your own hand, three and thirty Saracens
two rencgade,, and an atheist. Between
you and me, it is all the same to me,
said the devil, of what religion they are
SO that | have them safe and now L
have got to give you piece of news and
make a proposal Aud then tho devil
whether it Was that ho docs not pa.
trouize love of any kind, or whether lie
thought that tie marchioness had e.
nough Of it to answer his purpose, or
what, | don't know, but he told the mar.
quis, that as he had neither returned nor
sent during seven years, his wife was
that very night going to give her hand
TO the obnoxiou. baron and he offered to
carry him back instantly to his own
chateau in the Pyrcnees il they could
gree upon the terms.
/ This tickled the marquis's fancy but
the devil was rather exorbtaut demand
ine the knights heart aud soul. The
crusader rcrlied. that his heart was his
kings, aud his soul was his Gods and so
that woulG not do. The devil then ask
cd for his wealth at his death and To be
instantly installed his chaplain if he
could prove that he had taken orders
The marquis answered LhabH nc fait
pas ie maine The devil then made
several other proposals. but the knight
was a s,ickler, and did not think bad
wife worth much. 50 at last the devil
took off his hat, saying, What your
honor pleasos, leaving it TO his own gen
erosity aud the crusader, who had learn
ed to he screw said he would give him
the remains Of his supper.
You ara a hard man. said tho devil :;
never mind jump up T and down he
bent his back for tho marquis to mount.
! Tho knight sprane into seat, struck his
! knees intO 'he ucNll hlue, ana away
they went like a fash of lighting till
they arrived at the chateau, whore they
put the good people in no small confn,
sion. The knight walked first and tho
devil came after. and all tho servants
ran into the banquet hall crying The
marquis the marquis = Up jumped the
baron, up jumped the marchiones, up
jumped the guests.
The marquis's movements were rather
rapid lie walked in the ball, claimed
his wife, kicked the baron, wished the
company goodnight, over turned the
supper table and spoiled the supper, so
that when order was restored and he
called for something to cat, there was
nothing to be had but dozen of nuts
ana bottle of wine. The knight crack
ed the nuts. but, according to his bar,
gain, took care to throw the shells over
his shoulder for the devil, and when be
had drank his wine, threw the bottle be.
hind him. too but the devil was too old
a bird to be caught with chaff. and had
been gone half an hour before, So the
crusader pulled off his boots aud won't
to bed.