Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-02-17
EVENING STAR,
THE DEVILS OWN.

| NJ
Among the multitudes who daily pass alops
the great square at Presburg, thoughtless ol
full Of care merry, busy or sad or in TIA,
agreeable state Of listlessness, the ttrane,ate OF
the Italians, probably few among the humble,
| have remarked the animated fresco painting
| which stands over the door of the Senate
House Of the city The structure itself i.
traced as far back as the native dynasty oi
the Arpadss, and that it has since the year
1888 been the Senate and Council House OF
tho second capital Of the Hungarian Kingdom
is clearly authenticated During the reign Of
Ferdinand the First, in le47, there were many
| Improvements and alterations made on the
building; in particular, he added a few vault
ed chambers and the entrance hall, which
still remain in their original form.
To this period, also belong, the small arch
cd Gothic windows which run along the whole
front, two of which jut out over the door, and
| form projection. Close to the right Of these
twin like windows, and opposite the observer,
there leans the figure Of an old man, painted
ID the life, in long black garments and with a
| snow white beard, which reaches to his girdle,
| who appears deeply absorbed in the contents
| OF a book which lies open before him The
figure is as large as life, but the upper half
alone Is visible his back is turned toward the
little side window of the projection. Bat, il
| truth, he did not turn his back when he was
among tbs living, and when the measure of
| his iniQuity was not yet full.
lie often looked down from the window upon
the crowded city, as spider from its web
| upon the flies which it watches to ensnarr,
This figure, which has bid defance to the
power Of time, is the representation of a citi-
zen and Senator Of Presburg, which the artfui
| and dciudlng destroyer Of mankind had in an
instant painted upon the wall.
About the conclusion Of the sixteenth cen.
tury, and in the turbulent days Of King Ro-
delphi, there lived man in Presburg who
| never allowed either the public or private
transactions of the citizens to escape him
They neither loved nor respected, but on
the contrary feared and ahhorred him 1t was
| impossible to discover in his dark and austere
| coantenance what was passing within, and
| his voice was low, hollow, and almost sepul-
| chral yet there were times when lightning
| glances shot firth from under his bushy eye
| bTows, Illuminating In fearful manner the
| dark and stormy tempest Of his countenance
| As poor boy this dreaded one came to Pres
| burg, but whence no one knew. In the course
| Of few years he raised himself to the first
employment in the city, but how or by what
| means seemed an inexplicable enigma, for he
had neither friends nor relations, and at the
| commencement of his career apparently no
resources, save within himself. Whatever
was intTus,ed to him prospered whatever
| was opposed to him fell TO the ground
All yielded to him. Opposition to his will
| he never forgave. The destruction Of those
| who opposed him became a warning to others
and he ruled with undisputod sway. Ali
| sought, but all feared him. lie lived In soli-
| tude and apparent indigence. He heaped up
| riches, and no one knew for whom, for his
| whole household consisted Of but one cross Old
| woman Many curses and many tears hung
upon his accumulated mamnon, but this
| brother hardly dared to whisper to brother,
| so much was this powerful being dreaded
Tta.a-1 tIo1S, 80.
ard the secret powers Of nature were supposed
| to occupy those hours which the duties of the
city did not require lie was generally sup
posed TO be c0Djurer and q confederate Of
the Destroyer, TO whom the gray-ha aired sim
| ner, for the goods of this world, had sold his
immortal soul.
Once On a time, when the Council of the city
had assembled to administer justice to the OF
pressed, and to hold arbitrary abuses within
The iron limits Of the law, poor woman, with
loud complaints, threw herself into the hall Of
justice. Miserably had she and her husband
this was the purpOrt of her cOmplaint) strug-
gled with inIumerable misfottunes and perse-
cutio1s, to support themselves by the labor Of
their hands and the produce Of a small piece
Of ground, which bOrdered the possessions Of a
| wealthy citizen, Some days since, after loug
Illness, her Lusband had been taken from her
by death, and her rich neighhor had seized
upon the little field to add 10 his possessions
She called upon God and the fathers Of the
city for protection against this crying injus-
tice but, alas the robber sat in the midst
of their honorable circle. lie was the dreaded
Senator. CONSERVATION soon became general,
and the most opposite resolutions alternately
agitated the assembly.
The accused alone retained his usual inmo-
bility. His voice, his countenanco, his mar
ner, altered not. Without looking up, he drew
a roll Of parchment from lis bosom, which
80. G,1 . =.
ground had been lawfully acquired by him,
but that for some services rendered him by
the deceased it had been made over to him
during his life; and nov that the man was
dead, be had, according to custom and right,
which no one could prevent or object to, taken
back his property again. impossible in
conceivable :" exclaimed the complainant
She asserted that it was known to the whole
city that this piece of ground had not only be-
longed to her husband from his youth, bu; had
also belonged to hi. father and grandfather
and if the document asserted otherwise il was
q base forgery.
Contrary to custom, q difference of opinion
divided the assembly. and doubts arose upon
the authenticity of the deed but at length
the greater number took part with tbs Op-
pressJr. Then the poor woman, wringing her
hands, insisted upon his making good his claim
by oath and were he able, with an undis-
turbed conscience, to assert his right in the
face Of Heaven, then the field might remain
with him, AID with her only the mercy of
God. Slowly, but determinately, the enigma
tical being arose, and walked with firm step
to the end of the table, and stood with down
| cast eyes before crucifx-opened the book
of the law, and read, with lis sepulchral voice,
the fearful words of the oath Le ended. and
| raised his right hand TO swear. Then there
burst clap OF thunder which shook the very
earth The tower seemed to bend, and all
present grew stiff and cold, as bodies risen
| from the grave The tempest rushed bowling
| through the creVices, ard tore and lent the
| windows; and fearful screams appeared t.
| issue from the thick walls.
When recollection was restored to the as
| sembly, the Senator vanished. A large open
| ing in side window marked the place where
the deceiver had carried away the criminal TO
| everlasting perdition; and as a warning to
perjurers, his image, which makes one shud-
der to look at it, was left behind, and still
| battles the various attempts which have been
1 L. - e. H.