Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-18
THE MAGICIAN Earl.

$3.50 THE BA6ftfAN EAhL.
In one of the lakes is a small island, rocky
and wooded, which is believed by the peas
antry to represent the top of the highest
tower which sank, under epell, to the bot
tom. In certain states of the atmosphere
heard educated people say, when in boat
you have reached a certain distance, the
island appears to rise some feet from the
water, its rocks assume the appearance of
masonry, and the whole circuit presents
very much the effect of the battlements of
aEcastle rising above the surface of the lake.
This was Miss Anne Baily's story of the
subipersion of this lost castle:
II swell known that the great Earl of
Des: ond, though history pretends 20 dis
pose of him differently, lives to this hour
enchanted in his castle, with all his house
hold, at the bottom of the lake. There was
not, in his day, in all the world, so accom-
plished magician az he. His fairest castle
stood upon an island in the lake, and to
this he brought his young and beautiful
bride, whom he loved but too we'll for she
prevailed upon his folly to risk all to graft
fly her imperious caprice.
They had not been long in this beautiful
castle, when she one day presented herself
in the chamber in which her husband
studied his forbidden art, and there inn
plored him to exhibit before her some of
the wonders of his evil science. He resist
ed long, but her entreaties, tears and
wheedlings were at length too much for
him, and he consented.
But before beginning those astonishing
transformations with which he was about
TO amaze her, he explained to her the aw-
full conditions and dangers of the expert
ment. Alone in this vast apartment, the
walls of which were Tapped, far below, by
the lake. whose dark waters lay waiting to
swallow them, she must witness a certain
series of frightful phenomena, which, once
an r1a oh ri mr.
mitigate and if throughout their CHASTITY
succession she spoke one word, or uttered
one exclamation, the castle and all that ii
contained would in Que instant subside to
the bottom of the lake, there to remain,
under the servitude of strong spell, for
ages. The dauntless curiosity of the lady
having prevailed, and the oaken door of
the study being locked and barred, the IA
tai experiments commenced.
Muttering spell, as he stood before her,
feathers sprouted thickly over him, his
face became contracted and hooked, a ca
daverous smell filled the air, and, with
heavy winnowing wings, gigantic vul-
ture rose in his stead, and swept round and
round the ROOM as if on the point of
bouncing upon her. The lady command
ed herself through this trial, and instantly
another began.
The bird alighted near the door, and in
less than minute changed she knew not
NOW, lilIO q anu uMdIl-
ish bag who, with yellow skin hanging
about her face, and enormous eyes, swung
herself on clutches toward the lady her
mouth foaming with fury, and her grim
aces and contortions becoming more and
more hideous every moment, till she roll
ed with a yell on the floor, in horrible
CONFUSION, at the lady's feet, and then
changed into a huge serpent, which came
sweeping and arching toward her. with
crest erect and quivering tongue. Sudden
ly, as it seemed on the point of darting at
her, she saw her husband in its stead,
standing pale before her, with his finger
on his lip, enforcing the continued neces-
sity of silence. He then put himself at his
length on the floor, and began to stretch
himself out and out, longer and longer,
until his head nearly reached to one end of
the vast room and his feet to the other.
This horror oyercame her. The ill-star-
red lady uttered wild scream, whereupon
the castle and all that wac within it sank
in moment to the bottom of the lake.
But once in every seven years, by night,
the Earl of Desmond and his retinue
emerge and cross the lake, in shadowy
cavalcade. His white horse lie shod with
silver. On that one night the Earl may
ride till daybreak, and it behoves him to
make good use ofhis time, for, until the
silver shoes of his steed be worn through
the spell that holds him and his beneath
the lake will return its power.-Stories Of
| Lough CUR.