The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1857-12-17
Blue Beard.
WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE DID.


This bugbear of every nursery in Chrsten.
dom was not fabulous monster yeiled in
human form:- He actually lived, moved
and had being in the fifteenth century !:
not, however, as long robed and turbaned
Oriental, as the pictures which used to make
our blood curdle would lead us to think.
On an eminence which overlooks the liz.
tie village of Champtoce, near the Loiree.
stands the imposing ruin of an old feudal cas-.
tie. Its gray walls bare and broken, rear
themselves against the glorious sky; and
amid the crumbling turrets, the bat and
the owl beat their wings, and shrek in their
midnight reves. The superstitious peasan-
try avoid the neighborhood from fear. and
when the storm whistles and the winds
moan, they imagine the sounds to be walls
from the injured dead of the old ruin. The
dread of the place is no new feeling, but has
existed among succeeding generations of
peasantry ever since the reign of Charles the
Seventh. 1t was at that time the dwelling
OF Gilles DE Retz, a fearful baron, who, as
he was then, and still is called "Barbe
Blue" was, no doubt, the original of our
time-honored, or rather feared Blue Beard.
His deeds of blood, which were but the every
day incidents Of his life, made him the ter
ror OF the surrounding region. The bare
mention OF his name was enough to subdue
the most rebellious urchin into submission :
and even the parents believed that the winds
which reached them by passing over his do
mains, were sulphur tainted.
Well does the history of this man reveal
the dark superstition of the fifteenth cen
tury: and also the impunity with which one
in high rank might commit the most re-.
voting crime against humanity. De Retz
had once been in possession of immense es-
tates and untold wealth. But by the most
debasing excesses, he not only souandered
his fortune, but also ruined his constitution.
so that while yet young man, he bore the
appearance of Gecrepitude and old age. He
could not, however, consent to pay the PEN
atty of his sins by thus becoming old before
his time. In the blindness of his supersti
tion he conceived the hopes; of reciaimino
both health and wealth by the power Of
magic. Having heard of famous Italian
alchymist who had performed some great
miracles by this art, he sent for him to the
castle. The cunning magician a: once read
his man, and encouraged his hope, he was
therefore employed at high price to under.
take the work and invited TO the lofty castle
as his home.
The filst object was the winning back of
health and vigor, without which all other
treasures are Of little avail. NumberIess
were the arts he tried, and mysterious the
preparations he made.
The dark dungeons and secret subterrsne-
an passage beneath the castle were the
scenes of his work. Here the terrified peas.
antry imagined that the Italian made com
pact with the prince Of darkness, and sold
the duped De Retz to him in compensation for
his aid in restoring his health. Among
many nonsensical and harmless experiments.
were also some Of cruel and abominable
character. He induced his Infatuated EN-.
ployer to believe that there existed in the
blood Of infants charm for restoring youth
and vigor He assured him that BY bath
ing daily in the warm blood of those inno-
cents, the young youth life which had 40 late
iy coursed through the tiny veins. would be