Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-01-18
The Engulphed Convent.
A LEGEND.

At the dark and melancholy period
when Don Roderick the Goth and his
chivalry were overthrown on the banks
of the Guada!ete, and all Spain was
overrun by the Moors, great was the
devastation 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 a hill, not very far
distant from the capital city of Tole-
do, stood an ancient convent and cha
pei, dedicated to the invocation of st.
Benedict and inhabited by a sister
hood of Benedictine Nuns. This ho-
ly asylum was COL fined to females of
noble lineage. The unnn"f.. - c:c.--- -
en- religious marriage to their Sa-
viour, in order that the portion of their
elder sisters might be increased, and
they enabled to make suitable matches
on earth, or that tie family wealth
might go undivided to elder brothers,
and the dignity Of their ancient hou-
seS be protected from decay. The
convent was renowned, therefore. for
enshrining within its walls a sister
hood of the pureSt blood, the most i'm
maculate virtue and most resplendent
beauty Of all Gothic Spain.
When the Moors Overran the king
dom there was nothing that more ex-
cited their hostility than these virgin
asyIum8. The very sight of convent
spire was sufficient to set their Mos
lem blood in foment, and they sack
cd it with as fierce a zeal as though
the sacking of a nunnery were a sure
prospect to Elysium.
TidingS Of such outrages, commit
ted in various parts of the kingdom,
reached this noble sanctuary aud filed
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 aud no Sc
curity within its walls.
In the midst Of this agitation the
alarm was given one day that a great
baud Of Saracens were spurring 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, vain!y hoping
to draw relief from a country overrun
by the foe. The sight OF these inno-
cent doves thus huttering about their
dove cot but increased the Jealous fu-
ry Of the whiskered Moors. They
Numbered at the portal, aad at every
blow the pOnderous gates trembled on
their hinges.
The nuns crowded round the abbess.
They had been accustomed to look up
to her as all powerful, and they now
implored her protection. The mother
abbess looked with a rueful eve upon
the treasures OF beauty and vvo.aI
virtue exposed to such eminent peril.
Alas how was she to protect them
from the spoiler? She had, it is true,
experienced many signal interposi-
tions of Providence in her individual
favor. Her early days had been pu-
riied by repeated trials, from none of
which had she escaped but BY miracle.
But were miracles never to cease ?
Could she hope that the protection
shown to herself would be extended to
whole sisterhood? There was no
other resource. The MoorS were at
the threshold; a few moments more
and the convent would be at their
mercy. Summoning her nuns to fol-
low her, she hurried into the chapel,
and throwing herself on her knees be-
fore the image of the blessed Mary,
Oh, help, ladyr' exclaimed she ''oh,
most pure and immaculate virgin :
thou seest our extremity. The rava-
ger is at the gate, and there is none
on earth to help US! Look down
with pity, and grant that the earth
may cape and swallow Us, rather than
that our cIoister vows should suffer vi
olationw
The Moors redoubled their assault
upon the portal; the gates gave way
with a tremendous crash; savage
yell Of exutation arose, when OF a
sudden the earth yawned; down sank
the convent, with its cloisters, its DOR
mitories, aud all its nuns. The chap,
ell tower was the last that sank, the
bell ringing forth peal of triumph in
the very teeth Of the in6del.
Forty years had passed and gone
since the period Of this miracle
The subjugation of Spain was CON-
plete. The Moors Iorded it over city
and country; and such of the Chris
tian population as remained, and were
permitted to exercise their religion,
did it in humble resignation to the
Moslem sway.
At this time a Christian cavalier Of
COrdova, hearing that patriotic band
Of his countrymen had raised the
standard of the cross in the mountains
of the Austrians, resolved to join
them, and unite in breaking the yoke
of bondage. Secretly arminghimself,
and capariSoning his steed, he set forth
from Cordova, and pursued his course
by unfrequentcd mule paths. and along
the dry channels made by winter tor
rents. His spirit burned with indig-
nation whenever, on commanding a
view over long sweeping plain, he
beheld the mosque swelling in the dis
tance, and the Arab horsemen career
ing 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 ru-
ins of churches and converts desola-
ted by the conquerorS.
1t was on sultry, midsummer eve
5 ming that this wandering cavalier, in
: skirting a thickly covered forest, heard
: the faint tones Of vesper bell sound
: ing melodiously on the air, and seem
. ing to come from the summit of the
/ hill. The cavalier crossed himself
( with wonder at this unwonted and
: Christian sound. He supposed it to