Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-04-10
9 G[piIIntg stotg
THE IRON sIIROUD.

The castle Of the Prince OF Tolti was built
on the summit Of the towering and preclpi-
tous rock of Scylla, in all its grandeur. Here,
during the wars of the Middle Ages, when
the fertile plains OF Italy were devastated BY
hostile factions, those prisoners were confined
for whose ransom costly price was deman-
led. Here, too, in dungeon excavatcd deep
in the solid rock, the miserable victim was
immurcd whom revenge pursued-the dark,
fierce and unpitying revenge o. an Italian
heart.
Vivenzio, the noble and the generous, the
fearless in battle. and the pride of ,Napls, in
her sunny hours of peace, the young the
brave, the proud Vivepzio fell beneath this
subtle and remorseless spirit. He was the
prisoner OF Tolf, and he languis1ed in that
rock, k,encircled dungeon, which stood alone,
and whose portals never opened twice upon
living captive.
1t had the semblence of vast cage; for
the roof, end floor, and sides, were OF iron,
solidly wrought, and spacously constructed.
High above there ran range OF seven grated
windows, guarded with massive bars of the
same metal, which admitted light and air.
Save these, and the tall folding doors Leneath
them, which occupied the centre, no chnk, or
chasm, or projection, broke the smooth black
surface of the walls. An iron bedstead lit
tered With straw, stood in one corner, and be.
side it q vessel With water, and coarse dish
filled with coarser food.
Even the intrepid soul Of Fivenzio shfun!i
with dismay as be enterel this abode and
heard the ponderous doors tripple-locked by
the silent ruiIians who conducted him to it.
Their silence seemed prophetic of his fate, of
the living grave that had been prepared Tor
him. His menaccs und his entr"a,ies, his in
iignant appeals for justice, and his impatient
questioning Of their intentions, were alike
vain. They listened, but spoke not. Fit
ministers of crime tiat should have no
tongue.
How dismal was the sound Of their retiring
steps. And as their faint echoes died along
the winding passage, fearful preSage grew
within him, that never more the face, or voice.
or tread Of mau would greet his senses. He
had seen human beings for the last time; and
he had looked his last upon the bright sky
and upon the smiling earth, and upon beau.
iiful world Lie loved, and whose minion he had
been. Here he was to end his liie-a life he
had lust began to revel in. And by what
means By secret poison Or by murde-
rous assault? No; for then it had been
needless to bring him bither. Famine, per-
haps : thousand deiths in one? Itwas ter
rblc to think c. it, but it was yet more ter
rble to picture loug, lo4g years of captivity,
in solitude so appalling. loneliness SO drea
ry, that thought, for want of fellowship, would
lose ilgef in madness, or stasnate into ldlocY
He could not hope to escape unless he had
TIC power, with bis bare hands, oil rendlng
asunder the solid isoil sals OF his pr'soo. he
could not hope for liberty frolH the relentihg
merccs of lis enemy. His instant death,
under any form ofreined cruelty, was not the
object of Toif, for he night have inflicted it,
and he had not 1t was too evident, there
fore. he was reserved for some premeditated
scheme Of subtle vengeance that could trans
cend in fiendish ula:cr: either the slow death
of famine or the still slower ona oi solitary
incarceration, till the last lingering spark Of
life expired or till reason hed, and nothing
should remain to perish but the brute tunc-
lions of the body. -,
1t was evening when Vivenzio entered his
dungeon, and the approaching shades OF night
wrapped his cell in total darkness as he paced
up and down, REVOLVING in his mind these hor-
rible forebodngs. 10 tolling bell from the
castle nor from any neignIof:ng CHURCH or
convent, struck upon his car to tell how too
hours passed. Frequently>he would stop snd
listcn tor some sound that might betoken the
vicinity of msr, but the solitude of the des-
ert, the silence of tks tomb, are not so still
and deep as the oppressive de.o.a-ion by which
he was encompassed. His heart sun.c S':thln
him, snd be threw himself detected on his
couch Of stray, Here sleep gradually oblite:
rated the consciousness Of risery, and bland
dreams waited his delighted ssi-it N scenes
which were once glowing realities for him 'R
whose rssishing illusions he soon lost The re-
membrauce that hs waS Tol6's prisoner.
When he awoke, it was daylight, but how
long lie had slept he knew not, II might be
cary morning, or it might be sultry neoi. stsr
he could measure time by no other note OF its
progress than light end darkness. He had
been so happy in his sleep, suid friends who
loved him, and the sweet endearments OF tsose
who loved him as friends could not, that IN
the first moments of waking, his startled mind
seemed to admit the knowledge OF his sltua-
lion, as if it had burst upon It lor the first
time, fresh in all iss appalling horrors. Ho
pazed round with an air of doubt and smazc.
ment, and took up handful OF the atraW
upon which he lay, as though he would ask
himself wha. it meant. But memory too
faithful to her Office, soon unveiled the mel
ancbolv mast. while season shuddered at the
task. lifting ND before hiseyes the tremendous
c,,.., g'La eonsvast ovorDoIyerea him, De