Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-07-21


orders of the State; and they were all clad in
the deepest black. Their counsenances, too,
shone so brightly amid the sombre hues by
which they were surrounded, that the eyes !
of the king and his four attendants we're fair
ly dazzled as they looked, though none were
able to recognise one single individual IN the
whole assembly; for all appeared like that
mass of human faces that an
actor sees before him on the stage.
At the further end was the throne, from
which the king was used to address the
States; and on it they beheld bleeding
corpse attired in the insignia of royalty. To
the right stood boy with the crown on his
head, and holding a scepsre in his hand;
while on the other side was an aged man, or
rather spectre, who leaned against the
throne, and was clothed i'll the ceremonial
dress worn by the state minister of the court |
of Sweden before Vasa erected the republic |
into kingdom. Fronting the throne, again !
were several grave austere-looking persons, |
clad in long black robes, who seemed to be
the judicial officers; for they were seated at
q table, whereon there were numerous ancient
looking folios and parchment documents. In
front of the table on the floor between the
benches was an execution block covered with
Grape, and on it rested headsman's axe.
what was stranger still, no one in this ghostly
assem- blage appeared TO recognise the pres
epce of either Charles or his attendants. The
only audible sound, indeed, which reached
the ears of the latter was confused murmur,
| but not an arttculate word ever reached the
| ears of the astonished spectators. Presently,
| however, the Oldest and grovest of the black
robed Judges, who seemed to act as president
| Of the assembly, solemnly rose and struck
with his hand three times upon the folio before
! him. Instantly all was silence. Then seve-
raj handsome youths in rich attire, but with
their hands confined by ropes behind their
backs, entered from the door opposite to that
by which the king had just entered, They
| walked pl oudly, and with bold, courageous
step. But who was the strange being that
followed them? He was a stalwart, muscular
person; cac in a brown leather jerkin that
closely fitted his person, and in his hand he
held the end of the ropes by which the youths
who walked before him were secured. When
the prisoner who entered first, and seemed te
be the chief had reached the middle of the
hall. he suddenly stopped before the block, OIL
which he looked with infinite disdan. Mean
while. the corpse upon the throne appeare'
to paIpitate and trcmble with a convu!siV
movement. and fresh red blood flowed from
wound in its side. The youth then, biidcl
by the headsman, kneeled before tue block
, and placed his head thereon. The axe sud
a denly rose, glittering in its course, and te
a with noise that echoed through the building
A stream of blood flowed upon the floor, an
$ reached even the corpse upon the throne
e while the head, rolling along the centre
the hall, reached even the feet of Chari-'
S and bathed them with gore The stern kin
r had, until now, been silent with surprise, bl
IS the horror of the spectacle he had just WI
1t messed gave utterance to his tongue Adval
y cling, therefore, up the hall, he addressed IL
d principal of the spectral ministers of state
l. IF thou be spirit sent from Heaven, OF
to- speak to me; if goblin damned. depart
peace - The spectre lifting his hands, SC
i EMMY and slowly replied: Thou are Charl
g the Eleventh. Now mark; this blood shi
r not be split while thou art king-but ii
10 reigps afterwards. But woe betlde the bio
L. of Vasa -
h From that instant the shapes Of the hume
as Gus personages in the ghastly assembly beg
Sc to be less vivid and distinct-disappear
E. altogether in few brief minutes. The S
he pernatural lights, too, around the chant
er burned dim, and soon became extlnguisht
"a and when the chamber was lighted only
he the fiambeau;, borne by the kings attendan
IN thew onIy dmly showed the ancient tapcst
n, with which the hall was hung Still the
h WIS murmurinc sound, as of wind moani
ce through the leaves Of forest, or of an dc
q an harp; and the king looked round with aV
en- when he found the spectral scene had close
th There was no doubt, however, that the ;
NC pearauce was supernatural; tor, when
gh count and Baumgarten lifted on high tn
ter f1ambeaux, to examine the chamber, the
ys BILE hangings, the block, the axe. the Glss
Ike cred head and the streams OF piood Z
he seemed to have deluged the floor, had all c
= appeared with the rest; and the only PROOF
he the reality of the scene was deep stain
e " blood that stained the slipper of the XII
ere who never forgot the events OF that a"
ish night. ~
ers !On re-entering his cabinet, Charles eau
the y statement of the facts to be formally dra
nus up. and it was signed by himself and the tn
the attendants who had witnessed them. No
he. .Ie care was taken to hide the matter II
- the knowledge of the puqlic; but the ev
md had become generally known, even before
aid death of Charles the Eleventh; and the VIC
of which he dictated at the close of the &c
en-, ment are very remarkable: the ma
Gu tive Just given is not the real and unvarn
his ed truth, | give up every hope of ENJOY
9 if .hat better life which some of my deeds
have deserved. and especially my zeal for
The public good and my solicitude for the N
tied ests of that religion which has so long
aad professed by my ancestors
With 1t only remains for US to add that
we strange and supernatural prophecy reee
& its ful6lment when Gustavus the Ill, tow
nm the close of the last century, five regIns a
hies wards, received his death at masked
,rolu from tn, pistol of the assassin Ankastl ,l
but. He was tried and condemned; and the y
dish who was behcaded before the spectral ot
fu- general, in this singular vision, was no I:
th. thau the murderer Of s~eden'' apnoi