The mountain Democrat., 1863-12-25
Death sr savsaarsas5

ar aa
Only one other scene remained. Oh
the a9d Of May, In the evening, thesthfel
prisoners were informed that their fat'
: ~ ,- 81. 81. : - n y = pext morning theg
were to die. Savonarola received thC
news with unmoved calm. The brave
DOmenico, for. bis part, heard 1t gladly
and hastened to write, with bis fAelst
and almost neFveless hands, ajoyful, af
fectioDate letter to his brothers. :" Say
for rs the usual masses" |" said this daunt
less and simple soul, "and where l an
going ! will do as much for you" Pres
emily dark 6gure, covered with such &
hood as the Traveller tO-day still meets ia
the streef8 Or Ffctrnee, conceaIing the
faces Of the brethren of the Misericordia,
entered the eel, of Fra Girolamo-& ben
evolent Visitor-whose oi1ce was TO com.
fort the dying. By means of this pity.
ing spectator the prior of San Marco was
permitted last interview with his com.
panions. The three met sOIemnly, With
full hearts. The Frati, both Of them had
heard that their leader had been false ia
his own pretensions, but no doubt of him
seems to have been possible in his pres
ence. They threw themselves into bis
arms, at his feet, and begged for his bless.
ing. In that hour the weak Silvcsto had
regained his faith; in presence of his mas
ter even the feeble soul found courage
That night Savonarola laid his weary
head on the knees of his vailed visitor,
whose name was Nicolini, and slept,
dreaming, and smiling in his dream like a
child. When he woke he opened his
heart to the awcd and wondering stran.
ger. He told him of woes that were yet
to come on Florence, and how Pope
whose name should be Clement, would
bring misery on the city. This was the
last prophecy; and the anxious popular
Imagination laid it up, and doubtless ad-
ded to it, after the fact, many a faithful
particular Of accomplished misery. Woe
and lamentation had been the burden Of
the friar's ministry all his life; and there
could be no surer proof than his approach
ing execution that the scourge had not
yet done its full work in the city for
which he had labcred so faithfully and
well.
Early next morning the three friars
again met in the chspel Of the Palazzo,
and Savonarola was permitted to admins.
ter to them their last communion. Then
out Of the cold twilight of their prison,
for the first time since that April night
when they were dragged from theis con-
vent, the solemn three went forth into
the dazzling sunshine of an Italian May,
into air SO sweet that it is Joy 10 breathe
that purcst lymph Of nature. They were
men in the prime and strength Of life,
untouched by time, at the age when it is
hardest to die. This great act, however,
was now all that remained to them. Not
long was the last journey. Before them,
in the brilliant piazza, flooded with car.
ly sunshine, was the scaffold with its
three gibbets, lowering black over trou-
bled sea of dark faces-a crowd awed out
of all sound. A few steps from the door
of the Palazzo they stood before the Bish-
op, once friend of San Marco, who had
the hard Office Of unfrockiug and degrad-
ing the great Dominican. Here their
robes, the dress of their order, to which
so many sacred associations attached,
were taken from the monks. The trou.
bled bishop took Savonarola by the arm,
and, too much disturbed to know what
he was saying, pronounced faltering, his
terrible sentence ~ separate thee
from the church militant-and triumph.
ant" said the agitated priest. Then the
calm voice Of Fra Girolamo startled the
breathless crowd: "Not triumphant
that is not in your power" said be who
stood upon tte threshold of the world un-
seen. Then unfrocked, in their short tu-
MICS with bare feet and pinioned arms,
they proceeded to their end, the brave
Domenico chanting in . whisper as he
went, the noble thanksgiving of the Te
Deum. In what state of mind do you
endure this martyrdom I" asked a priest,
curious, as human creatures ever will be,
to ascertain the mind of the dying
"The Lord has suffered as much for me" !"
saith Savonarola. They were his last
words. Thereafter he looked on in 81.
lence while his two brothers, faithful in
death, died like men before his eyes
Then he mounted the fatal ladder, and,
pausing there distracted, looked round
upon the breathless, silent multitude-an
unspeakable gaze of wonder and anguish
over the ingratitude and blindness of
man. Then be too died for his Lord, who
had died for him. A Studded and pang
of horror ran through the multitude when
they saw that again there was to be no
miracle, and that their wretched hands
had done what no power of man could
undo. So ended the great and lofty trag-
edy; cruel fire, kindled underneath the
scaffold, consumed the worn frame which
an hour before had cnshrined the highest
heart in Italy; no false prophet. no dem
agogue, no meddling friar now; already a
holy martyr, whose relies were precious,
whose name was sacred. They threw
his ashes into the Arno, to make an end
of Savonarola; but already worshipping
women and mournful men, had gather.
ed the scraps Of his tunic, the drops of his
blood, to keep for ever and ever; and the
name aud fame Of the Prophet of Italy
has taken the place it has held for centu-
ries, long after the miserable brawls and
brawlers to whom he owed his death had
died into native darkness, out of the men,
Ory Of man.-BlaskwoOd's Magazine.
OvERwoRK.-The majority of the fatal
diseases arising from overwork are now
discovered. Give a human being overs
4