St. Paul weekly Minnesotian. (St. Paul) 1860-1861, 1860-11-09

secured. Elizabeth was OF a cruel and Sc
we're disposition, and her hand-maidens led
no Joyous life. Slight faults are said to
have been punished by most merciless tor
| lures.
One day, as the lady OF Cscja was nd
mirins at the mirror those charms which
| that faithful monitor told her were fast wa
ming, she gave way TO her ungovernable
| TENDER, excited perhaps, by the mirrors
| unwelcone hint, and struck her unoiending
| maid with such force in the face as TO draw
/ blood As she washed from her hahdS
the STAN, she tancied the part where the
blood touched grew winter, softer, and, as
i were, younger imbued with the cruel
ty OF the age, she believed she bad dicoy-
cred what 50 many philosophers had spent
years in seeking for. She supposed that
in Il virgins blood she had found the s}ix5r
rita, the fountain Of never falling youth
and beauty. Romorseless 10y nature. and
now urged on by irrepresSible vanity, the
thought no sooner flashed across her brain
than her resolution was taken: the life of
her luckleSS hand maiden was not to be
compared with the precious boon her death
promised 20 secure Elizabeth, however,
was wary as well as cruel. At the foot of
The rock on which Cselta stood was a small
cottage, inhabited by two old women and
between the cellar of this cottage and the
castle was Sublerrauean passage known
only to one or tHo persons, and never used
but in times of danger With the aid of
lhese old crones and her steward, Elizabeth
led the poor girl through the secret passage
TO the cottage, and after numbering her,
bathed IN her blood. Not satisfied with
he frs: ESSAY at different intervals, by the |!
aid OF these acco;nplces and the secret |
passages, no les Than three hundred mai |
dens we're sacrificed OF the alter Of vanity |
aut superstition.
Several years had been occupied in this |
pitiless slaughter aud no suspicion Of the
truth was excited, though the greatest |
aHazement pervaded the country at the dis
appearance OF so many persons. At last,
however, Elizabeth called into play against
her, two passions even stronger than vani.
ty and cunning. Love and revenge be
came interested in the discovery Of the
mystery. Among the victims Of Cseita
was a beautiful virgin, who was beloved by,
and betr0thed to a young man Of the neigh
borhood. In despair at the loss of his
mistress he followed her traces with such
perseverance that in spite Of the hitherto
successful caution of the murderess he
penetrated the secrets Of the castle, and
burning for revenge. few to Presburg,
boldly accused Elizabeth Bathori of mur-
der, before the palitine in open court, and
demanded Judgment against her. So grave
an accusation brought against person of
such high rank, demanded the most serious
attention. and the palitine undertook to in
vCstigate the case in person. Proceeding
TO Csejta, before the murderess
Or her accomplices had any idea of the &C
he discovered the still warm body
Of a young girl whom they had been de
stroying as the palatine approached, and
had not time TO dispose Of it before he ap--
pretended them. The rank of Elizabeth
her punishment to imprisonment
for life, but her assistants were burned at
the stake
Legal documents still exist to attest the
truth of this circumstance. Paget, a dis
tingushed traveller, who visited Cseita
about 20 years ago, says: "With this tale
fresh in Our minds, We assembled the long
bill, gained the castle and wandered over its
ruins. The shades Of evening were ;ast
spreading over The valley, the gray walls
stood up against the red sky, the solemn
Stluess of evening reigned over the scene;
md as two ravens, which had made their
nests on the castles highest tower, came
owards it winging their heavy flight, and
wheeling once round, each cawing hoalse
welcome to the other, alishted on their IA
'orite turrct, could have fancied them
he spirits OF the two crOnes, condemned
% haunt the scene Of their former crimes,
While their internal mistress vas cursed by
come more wretched doom ~