New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-06-24
. Blue Beard

The bughear Of eYary nursery in ChTistendom was
no fabulous monster veiled in human He aetu-
ally lived, moved, and had being in the fifteenth
century; not. however. as q long-robed turbaned
Oriental, as the pictures which used to make our
blood curdie, would lead US to think.
Oman eminence which oyerlooks the little village
of Champtoce, near the Loire, stands the imposing
ruin of an old feudal castle. Its ey walls bare and
broken rear themselves against the glorious and
amid the ttnbling tnrrets the bat and theowI beat
their wings and shrek in their midnight regels The
superstitions peasantry avoid the from
fear, and when the storm whistles and the wind
moans they imagine the sounds to be walls from the
injured dead OF the old runs The dread Of the place
is not new feeling, but has existed among succeed
ing generations Of since the Of Charles
the Seventh. tt was at that time the dwelling Of
GILES de Retz, feudaI baron who as he was then,
and still is called, the Barbe Bleu was, no doubt,
the original Of our mehonored, OF rather feared,
Blue Beard. His deeds Of blood, which were but the
every day incidents Of his life made him the terror Of
I the surrounding region. The bare mention OF his
name was enough tosnbdue the most Tebeious urehin
into submission. aSzs 535 ass- 49,
Well does the history Of this man reveal the dark
superstition Of the fifteenth century, and also theln
punity with which in high rank might commit the
most revolving crimes against humanity. De Retz
had once been in possession Of immense estates and
untold wealth. Butby the most debasng excesses /, ne
not only squandered his fortune butalso ruined his
constitution so that, while yet young man. he bore
1.-THE appearance of decrepitude and oldage He could
not however, consent to pay the penalty of his sin
his superstition he conceived the hope of recaiming
4 both health and wealth by the power of magic
Having heard5of a famous Italian alchymist who had
performed some great miracles by this art he sent ol
4 him to the castle. s5
The cunning magician at once read his man, ant
encouraged his hopes; he was, therefore, employed
at high price to undertake the work and invited t
make the lofty castle his home. The first act vast
winning back of health and vgor, without which al
other treasures are of little avail Numberless wer
the arts he tried, and mysterious the preparations
a made The dark dungeons and secret snbteraneal
. passages beneath the castlewer the scene Of hi
s work. Here the terrified peasantry imagined tha
the Italian made compact with the Prince Of DARK
ness, and sold the duped De Retz to him in eompeI
sation for his aid in restoring his health. ANON
! many nonsensical and harmless experiments, wer
= also some of a cruel and abomnabe character. II
induced his infatuated employee to believe there es
listed in the blood Of infants charm for festorin
= youth and vigor. He assured him that by bathin
daily in the blood Of these innocents the pure Youn
life which had SO lately couFsed throug gh their tin
! veins would be transferred to his own. SO
!. ~ The bloody baron did not shrink for one momer
7 from the commission Of the horrd crime which tn
prescription rendered necessary Tender infants Wel
secretly or forcbly torn from their parents an
= kepti the dungeons othe castle till their blood Wa
! required. 1t is believed that not less than hui
Y dred humble mothers were thus deprived Of the
! ! youngest born. This fend in human shape hired
d magician but not murderer. That office he feser
y ed for himself nor did his savage nature shrink fro
: the horrid work itimposed. With his2oWn hand di
he pierce the hearts Of his victims q
tilthere blood sufficient to covert his emaciate
ut body. This is one instance OF the cruelty OIL Ret
We think very likely his wives shared the fate of d
poor infants iand that the story of Blue Beard in wi
trousers, loose robe and turban was not ggefate
Z " But crime cannot always go .nnpunished. Ev
then, when the rich rled over the poor, justice u
mercy tiiumphe6 at last. The cries and entreaties
? the hearthloken people around his domains reach
the ears Of his superior, Jean ". He was arrested q
= brought before tribunal of justice. His palaceS
~ ia pcraZo
and vaults were swift Witnesses against him, lev
found guilty Of murders by scores, and after conf
ing many crimes, before unknown, he was burnt
me the stake in Nantes, l440 This was the Original
e g Blue Beard and there, although more THANH
hundred years have passed away since he paid!
IF penaltysos his crimes, the broken walls and
nd tufgets sl stand as memorial that the wicked 3
2 not so nnpunished. EEattghssa leaeetog.