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

secured. Elizabeth was OF cruel and Sc
we're disposition, and her hand-n,aidens LED
no Joyous life. Slight faults are said tC
have been punished by most merciless tor
lures. =.
One day, as the lady OF Csejta was ad
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 mirror 5
unwelcOme hint, and struck her unoiending
maid with such force in the face as TO draw
blood. As she washed from her hands
the stain, she fancied the part where the
blood touched grew winter, softer, and, as
it were, younger. imbued with the cruel
ty OF the age, she believed she had dicov-
cred what SO many philosophers had spent
years in seeking for. She supposed that
in virgins blood she had found the eli9'r
rita, the fountain of er-failing youth
and beauty. Remorseless by 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 10 secure Elizabeth, however,
was wary as well as cruel. At the foot of
the rock on which Csejta stood was small
cottage, inhabited by two old women; and
between the cellar of this cottage and the
castle was subterranean passage, known
only to one or two persons, and never used
but in times Of danger With the aid of
these 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
lie first ESSAY at different intervals, by the
aid Of these accomplices and the secret
passages, no les than three hundred mai
dens were sacrificed or the alter of vanity
AMI superstition.
Several years had been occupied in this
pitiIess slaughter and no suspicion Of the
truth was excited, though the greatest
aHnazement 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 Csejta
was beautiful virgin, who was beloved by,
and betr0thed to young man ofthe neigh
borhood. 10 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 muir
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
vestigate the case in person. Proceeding
Immediately to Csejta, before the murderess
or her acconplices had any idea of the &C
cusation, 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
mitigated 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, dis
tinguished traveller, who visited Csejta
about 20 years ago, says: with this tale
fresh in our minds, we ascended the long
hill, gained the castle and wandered over its,
ruins. The shades Of evening were Just
spreading over the valley, the gray walls
stood up against the red sky, the solemn
stilluess of evening reigned over the scene;
and as two ravens, which had made their
nests on the castles highest tower, came
towards it winging their heavy flight, and
wheeling once round, each cawing hoaIse
welcome to the other, alighted on their ia
vorite turret, [ could have fancied them
the spirits of the two crones, condemned
to haunt the scene Of their former crimes,
while their internal mistress vas cursed by
some more wretched doom"