The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-15
A Narrow Escape from Death.

Many doomed prisoners in France, in tn.
so-called Reign of Terror, narrowly escaped
death by the sudden uprising against Robes
pierre, which cut short his terocious despot-
ism. But it is not so generally known that
one of the first nob!emen in England was de-
livered from the executioner by the sudden
death of Henry the Eighth. An article in
Blackwood's Magazine givesa graphic sketch
of the escape Of the Duke of Norfolk from
the >caffold:
The trial of the Duke came on. Thirty
years before this he had been the great SOL
der Of England. He had always conquered
by land or by sea-tor the services were not
at that time divided and especially had serv-
ed under his father at the great battle of
Flodden, which SO weakened the power of
Scotland that she could never more cope on
equal terms with her more powerful sister
But all these services were forgotten for
gotten also was the obedience-we may al
most call it scrvili'y-displayed by this chief
of the Howards to the wishes and caprices OF
the king. We wish we could forget them,
too, for they are the only blots upon his char
acter. Out Of an overstrained feeling of the
duty OF submission, he had acquiesced in the
execution of mis- two nieceS, Anne i}oleyn and
Catherine Howard, the wives of the tyrant
who was now intent on his own destruction.
With clinging to life winch WAS, perhaps,
natural at his years, he begged for pardon
confessed guilt, where no guilt existed. in
hopes of softening the obdurate heart of his
destroyer-ani found services, submission,
confession, supplication all in vain. On the
.Sth OF January an order was sert to the
lieutenant of the Tower for his execution on
the following morning. What gloom was in
the Dukes chamber that night we need not
say what grief to find his white hairs dis
honorcd, his petition disregarded, his son
murdered almost before his eyes, and the
hour approaching that was to carry him to
the fatal block. But there was another cham
Der that night that was as full of gloom as
III" prisoners dungeon in the Tower On
stately bed lay sufferer grOaning with pain,
and tormented. as We may suppose with the
upbraldIngs OF an uneasy conscience. Fret
:ul. irritable, and unsuhdued, il was the king
who was now at wrestlinSs with death. With
trembling hands his wife administered the o.
plates recommended to soothe his pain the
page at the door counted the cries OF anguish
without a sigh of compassion and silently
the physician went through the ceremony Of
feeling the pulse and could give 40 prospect
Of recovery. Here We're two men, the tyrant
and the victim. both struggling with the ter
rible hour. Gray dawn began to light up the
tuIret tops of the Tower ; it also rested on
the roof of the palace at Westminster. The
carly morn was 10 see the Duke o. Norfolk
fall before the stroke of the execu,ioner bat
before that time >urer blow fell upon the
exhausted .yrAnt. \ hurried nose OF feet
sounded at the prisoners door-the key is
turned-a voice gives him the news-the
King is dead, and the Duke was saved. Il
shows how completely these crueties were
the work Of the individual king. that his de-
cease was The signal for the abrogation Of
.1w Tie sentence was EcScr CARED into eX-
ccution. and in peace and quiet, the remain
Ger OF the emanGpatcd prisoners days were
passed.