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

secured. Elizabeth was OF a cruel and Sc
we're disposition, and her handmaidens led
no Joyous life. Slight faults are said to
have been punished by most merciless tor
lures.
One day, as the lady OF Csejta was ad-
miring 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
unwelcOme hint, and struck her unoiending
maid with such force in the face as TO draw
blood AS she washed from her hahds
| 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 50 many philosophers had spent
years in seeking for. She supposed that
in a virgins blood she had found the elir1r
rita, the fountain Of never failing youth
and beauty. Rernorseless 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 a subierranean passage, known
only to one or two persons, and never used
but III 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
,ie first ESSAY at different intervals, by the
aid Of these accoinplices and the secret
passages, no less than three hundred mai.
dens were sacrificed OF the alter of vanity |
ant superstition.
Several years had been occupied in this |
ptilcss slaughter and no suspicion Of the !
truth was excited, though the greatest |
aEazement 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 betrothed to young man ofthe 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 muir
der, before the palitine in open court, and
demanded Judgment against her. So grave
an accusation brought against a person of
such high rank, demanded the most serious
attention, and the palitine undertook to in
vestigate the case in person. Proceeding
TO Csejta, before the murderess
or her accomplices had any idea of the &C.
cusation, ne 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 assembled 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
once round, each cawing hoalSe
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
sotnn mora wrutcbnd doom,