The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-28
TI1E COUNCTI on TEN.

In the yaar 1918, the dreadful
ttCouncil of Ten" was at its height in
Venice, the City of Islands, ALI
men faarea .hat Council, for they
were liable atany moment to be call
ed before its august presence and be
Judged for crimes never committed.
No person dared to express a thought
in regard to- it's workings, for spies
were in the employo of the Council of
Ten, and if their masters uttered
word against it, they were sure to
be called to stand before its judges.
Dukes, counts and mobiles disappear
ed nysteriously. The Venetisns
knew where they went, but kept the
knowledge In their own breasts.
It was midnight. The bell Of old
ST. Marks had tolled the hour, when
. agondola pushed forth from under
bridge, and went smoothly along
over the placid waters. Presently it
was followed by another, and an
other, until six were in line. The
oars were mnffled; and slowly, silent
ly they glided by the houses, like
ocean spectres.
AT last the foremost gondola ran
under q stone arch; the others follow
ed, and the men In them suddenly
disappeared. The. gondolas were left
under the arch, but their late occu-
pants were not in them. Let us see
Rhere they went.
AS the foremost boat touched one
side of the arch, man rose and
opened large door in the stone wall
and entered; the rest did the same,
and found themselves in q narrow
underground passage. They moved
on to small room, dimly lighted,
where they put on masks, which con-
cealed their features. At signal
the light was extinguished, and they
again moved on until they came to
an iron door. Three raps were given;
the door few open, rs if by magic,
and they entered large room brill
iantly lighted by many lamps which
hung from the ceiling There were
twenty stone chairs, draped in black,
on raised platforms; the highest one
was likewise covered with black, but
had q sword suspended over it. In
inches in the wall were instruments
of torture concealed by black cur
tains. Woe to the man who trod
that room of judgment as prisoner.
The room that 1 have described
was the chamber of the stLeague of
Twelve, o band formed to battle the
Ten. The twelve men who composed
this league were dukes who had es-
capped the chamber of the Ten. This
apartment, then, was their place of
meeting.
When the Twelve had seated them
selves in stone chairs, voice cried
out, care the Twelve in council?'
They are!" came from eleven lips,
as their owners raised their masks to
let the chief see their faces.
It would be difficul6 to describe
their faces; suffice it to say that de-
termination was written upon them.
Their masks were replaced, and the
chief said:
Proceed to business. Who will
speak frst?"
Twill" answered one, as he rose
from his seat
League of Twelve, until to-day
thought that our order was known to
none in Venice save ourselves; but
now / think am mistaken"
s'Here the speaker paused, and the
chief cried out: ~
"Go on. Who is the traitor?"
"No one is traitor, worthy chief;
but listen and will tell you. Many
of you have seen that old astrologer.
with long white beard, and whose
form is bent with age, have you not?"
1--WE have" was the response.
IN II IL l.