Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-01-06
The EnguIphed Convent.
A LEGEND.

OF the 0uaQalele, ana all Spain was over
run by the Moors, great was the deyasta-
ton of churches and converts throughout
that pious kingdom. The miraculous fate
of one of those holy piles is thus recorded
in one of the authentic legends Of those
days.
On the summit of hill, not very far
] distant from the capital city of Toledo,
stood an ancient convent and chapel, ded-
icated to the invocation of Saint Bene-
dict, and Inhabited by sisterhood of
Benedictine Nuns. This holy asylum was
confined to females of noble lineage. The
younger sisters of the highest families
were here given a religious marriage to
their Saviour, in order that the portion of
their elder sisters might be increased, and
they enabled to make suitable matches ON
earth, or that the family wealth might go
undivided to elder brothers, and the Dig
nifty of their ancient houses be protected
from decay. The convent was renowned,
therefore, for enshrining within its walls
a sisterhood of the purest blood, the most
immaculate virtue and most resplendent
beauty of all Gothic Spain.
When the Moors overran the kingdom
there was nothing that more excited their
hostility than these virgin asylums. The
very sight of convent spire was sufi-
cient to set their Moslem blood in a TO-
ment, and they sacked it with as fierce a
zeal as though the sacking of a nunnery
were sure prospect to Elysium.
| Tidings of such outrages, committed in
various parts of the kingdom, reached this
noble sanctuary and filled it with dismay.
The danger came nearer and nearer; the
infdel hosts were spreading all over the
country Toledo itself was captured; there
was no flying from the convent and no Sc
curity within its walls.
! In the midst of this agitation the alarm
was given one day that great band of
Saracenes were squirting across the plain.
In an instant the whole convent was a
scene of confusion. Some of the nuns
wrung their fair hands at the windows,
| others waved their wells and uttered
shrieks from the tops of the towers, vainly
hoping to draw relief from country
overrun by the foe. The sight Of these
innocent doves thus fiuttering about their
dove cot but increased the Jealous fury OF
the whiskered moors. They Numbered at
the portal, and at every blow the ponder
Gus gates trembled on their hinges.
The nuns crowded round the abbess.
FThey had been accustomed to look up to
her as ali powerful, and they now i'm
plored her protection. The mother abbess
looked with rueful eye upon the treas
ures of beauty and vestal virtue exposed
to such eminent peril. Alas how was she
TO protect them from the spoiler She
had, it is true, experienced many signal
interpretations of Providence IN her indi-
vidual favor. Her early days had been
purified by repeated trials, from none of
| which had she escaped but by miracle.
But were miracles never to ceaseI Could
she hope that the protection shown to her
self would be extended Co whole sister
hood There was no other resource. The
Moors were at the threshold a few mo-
ments more and the convent would be at
! their mercy. Summoning her nuns to
4 follow her. she hurried into the chapel,
and throwing herself on Der knees before
the image of the blessed Mary, "Oh, help.
! lady !" exclaimed she +; ooh, most pure and
immaculate virgin Lhou seest our ex-
tremity The ravager is at the gate and
there is none on earth to help usl Look
down with pity, aud grant that the earth
may cape and swallow us, rather than
that our cloister vows should suffer viola
ton !"
The Moors redoubled their assault upon
the portal; the gates gave way with a
tremendous crash; a savage yell of exul-
tation arose, when of a sudden the earth
/ yawned /; down sank the convent, with its
cloisters, its dormicories, and all its nuns.
The chapel tower was the last thai sank,
49, b~Al = - - s-.--. =
in the very teeth of the infdle.
Forty years has passed and gone since
the period of this miracle. The subjuga-
ton of Spain was complete. The Moors
lorded it over city and country; and
such of the Christian population as re-
manned, and were permitted to exercise
their religion, did it in humble resigna-
| ton to the Moslem sway.
At this time Christian cavalier of
Cordovia, hearing that patriotic band of
his countrymen had raised the standard
of the cross in the mountains of the Astu-
rians, resolved to join them, and unite in
breaking the yoke of bondage. Secretly
arming himself, and comparisoning his
steed, he set forth from Cordoya, and pur-
sued his course by unfrequented mule
| paths, and along the dry channels made
| by Winter torrents. His spirit burned
with Indignation whenever, on command
ing view over long sweeping plain, be
beheld the mosque swelling in the dis
lance, aud the Arab horsemen careering
about as if they were the rightful lords OF
the soil Many deep drawn sigh and
heavy groan, also, did the good cavalier
utter on passing the ruins of churches
and converts desolated by the conquerors
1t was on a sultry, midsummer evening
that this wandering cavalier, in skirting
thickly-covered forest, heard the faint
tones of vesper bell sounding melodi-
ously on the air, and seeming to come
from the summit Of the hill. The caya-
lier crossed himself with wonder at this
unwonted and Christian sound. He sup.
posed it to proceed from one of those |
humble chapels and hermitages permitted |
to exist through the indulgence of the |
Moslem conquerors. Turning his steed /
up a narrow path of the forest, he sought /
this sanctuary, in hopes of finding hos
pitable shelter for the night. AS he adj |
vanced. the trees threw deep gloom
around him, and the bat fitted across his /
path. The bell ceased to toll, and all |
was silence.
Presently choir of female voices came
stealing sweetly through the forest, chant
ing the evening service, to the solemn ac-
compartment of an organ. The heart of
the good cavalier melted at the sound, for
it recalled the happier days of his coun-
try. Urging forward his weary steed, he
at length arrived at a broad, grassy area,
on the summit of the hill, surrounded by
the forest. Here the melodious voices
rose in full chorus, like the swelling Of
the breeze but whence they came he
could not tell Sometimes they were be-
fore, sometimes behind him; sometimes in
the air. sometimes as If from within the
bosom of the earth. At length they died
away, and holy Stiffness settled on the
place.
The cavalier gazed around with bewild-
cred eye There was neither chapel, nor
convent, nor humble hermitage to be seen.
Nothing but moss-grown pinnacle, ris-
ing out of the centre of the area, sur
mounted by cross. The green sward
around appeared to have been sacred from
the tread of man or beast, and the sur