Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-05
the poet it will be seen distinctly men
tiops the name Bonniyard,


brightest In dungeons. liberty thou art,
For there thy habitRtion IL the heart
The heart which love OF thee alone can binds
And when thy SONS TO tetters are consigned-
To fetters and the damp vaults dayess gloom,
Their country conquers with their..martyrdom,
Aud Freedoms fame finds wings ON every wind
Chilloni thy prison is u holy place
And thy sad floor an eltar-for I was trod,
Until his very steps have left q trace
Worn, as II thy cold pavement were sod,
By Downward MAY none those marks eiiacs
For they appeal ffum tyranny TO uod."
At the time Byron had probably no
more information as to Downward than
what he gained from the custodian.
In his journal he thus speaks of that
individual, "The corporal who showed
the wonders of Chillon was as drunk as
Blucher he was deaf also, and think.
ing every one else so, roared out the
legends of the castle so fearfully." A
stranger to the complete story OF the un.
fortunate man, he evidently weighed
the recital of the drunken corporal. put
a fair estimation upon it, and with n
license that was justified drew on his
vivid imagination for further facts to
give interest to the poem. For this
reason the lines are of course far from
being borne out by comparison with the
history of Downward. Yet as it was his
imprisonment that suggested them he
should be considered the subject of the
poem "The Prisoner of Chillon."
Rain was falling in torrents and a
cool wind was blowing fearfully on the
morning left Lausanne in company
with two gentlemen friends for Chillon.
An uncomfortable car that was slowly
dropped by cable down an inclined
| MA al kn Chu hn
neighboring port about a half mile dis
tant on the shore of the lake. Here the
steamers touch that follow the Northern
bank and ply between Geneva and Vii
leneuve. Having arrived an hour too
soon for the up boat, we endeavored to
make ourselves comfortable 10y standing
in sort of frame pen half full OF freight,
with very leaky roof and supposed to
be a waiting room for passengers. A
number of restless women clad in damp
summer clothing that clung to them
like closely drawn drapery on statuary,
had with q number of males secured all
the available seats in the place. As q
wilder gust of wind at times forced the
rain in showers through the we'll venti.
lated sides of the building, three fourth
of the women would start up, peer out
anxiously at the lake, move around for
few minutes, then one of them would
select the least exposed of the vacant
seats and settle in it. The rest would,
one at time, follow her example until
they were all down again. Thus they
continued exchanging places with each
heavy blast as it came along. Finally
the large Geneva boat steamed up to
the pier when the entire party, hastily
gathered up bags and bundles, and
trudged on board through the driving
wind and rain. As looked after them
! filing out on to the pier, | was reminded
of the extraordinary and never.to-be.
| forgotten representations | used to see
when a boy, of the Noah family EN-.
barking on the Ark it was but a moment
more and the boat floated them away.
| stood by the open doorway looking
out at the angry and tempestuous lake.
| White caps were curling away from the
dark rough surface and heavy waves
were rolling in high ridges towards the
shore. Occasionally one Of these would
dash itself wildly against the projecting
| little wooden pier beside mr and leap
in kissing misty spray far over and be.
yond it. At length my eye caught a
cloud OF smoke lowering far out on the
| lake. A dark line that was fast growing
more distinct was visible beneath il.
A moment more and plainly made it
out to be the little steamer pitching and
! tossing towards shore. The rain had 10y
that time slackened, but the wind con.
| tinued as fierce as ever. The high cliffs
across on the Savoy side full eight miles
away, were beginning TO loom up heavy
and brown. seemingly from the very
bosom of the tempestuous waters. The
view was grand. In the meanwhile the
struggling boat toiled perseveringly on
and in fifteen minutes more had swung
round to the pier, rolling over to her
gunwale as her head was turned. The
men at thu snub-p posts soon drew and
held her close to the framework. whilst
in her impatIence she wildly beat and
thumped against it. We started to 20
on board. As we arrived at the pier an
open umbrella shot past US on to the
boat. Struggling with the handle of it
was tall, thin, stoop shouldered French.
man. Hanging to his left arm was fat,
Hashy girl of about twenty, well blown
by her late efforts to keep on foot.
saw at a glance they were bride and
groom. An air oil relief spread over their
countenances after they got fairly on
board, then shaking the water from her
dress the bride pointed to the little
hurricane deck and painting said LET US
go up there ! we can get better view. -
The groom evidently thought the sug,
gestion good one and they climbed up,
He took her as far forward as poss ible
and planted her where she was sure 10
get her full share OF the motion, then
he came down for the tickets. purchased
two for Chillon, and hurried back to
join her. | stood in the hold and
watched the wharfmen as they cast of
the lines of the boat and let her go.
First she gave roll followed by start
and then leaped up on a wave, her bow
clear out of waser. She was small
affair and the pilot, brswny Swiss,
stood up exposed on high elevation in
the stern, wrapped in a dread naught