Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-07-17
AT THE STAKE.
\ STORY OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

SlOh1 Ot IHE MlDDJIE AGES,
'To the stake with herl Away with
the sorceress! Gods curse be on her
for her evil doings2" shouted the mob.
1t was early morning, yet even at that
hour the judgment hall of the little
town of Bourdonnis was thronged with
the populace. Men, women and children,
old and young, the noble and the
burgher, priests, soldiers and common
people, crowded the spacious hall and
cried madlv for her blood
The evening before q female closely
veilcd and attended by two servants,
whose dark countenances bespoke the
sons of Ethiopia, had arrived at Bour.
donnis and put up at one of the princi-
pal hostelries of the place. Strange
rumors soon arose respecting her. Her
garb, her mien, her language and her
complexion were said to be those of
Saracen, against which accused
race the chivalry of Europe and the
church itself warred in vain. These ru-
mors gained additional strength when
the landlord of the inn where she had
stopped was heard to say that he had
seen her practising sorcery, a charge
easily credited in that age, and one
which few, especially in case like this,
had the hardihood to disbelieve. In less
than an hour the whole population of
the town was about, surrounding the
hostelry, and crying out for vengeance
against the sorceress. Such connections
were both frequent and sanguinary in
that superstitious age.
The soldiery, however, interfered by
arresting the unsuspecting victim of
these rumors, eud at an early hour the
prisoner had been brought into the
judgment hall to await the mockery of
trial.
"Answer me, daughter of BeliaI p
said the judge, as soon as the murmurs
of the mob allowed him to be heard.
"Will you confess your crime? Speak,
or you diel Know you that the rack,
ayel fire itself awaits you if your OBJ
stinacy continues?"
The prisoner was a slight girlish crea-
ture, sitting with her face buried in her
hands, directly opposite to the judge.
She was apparently young and her figure,
so far as could be seen through the
thick veil which shrouded her form, was
light and agile as that of sylph. To
the judges question she made no answer.
She only shook her head despondingly,
and those nigh her fancied they heard
her sob.
At these fearful words, repeated now
for the second time, and growled forth
with an ominous tierceness. appalling
even to the hearer, the prisoner was OBJ
served to tremble, whether with fear OF
otherwise, we know not, and lifting hel
veil up with a sudden effort, she rose tc
her feet, turned hastily around to the
mob, and disclosed countenance ot
such surprising loveliness to their gaze
that even those who had cried out mos
unrelentingly for her blood now shrank
abashed into silence, while others who
had been less eager for her condemnation
audibly murmured in her favor.
"What would ye have of me2" sh,
said, addressing the judge, and for the
first time standing unveiled before him
"As there is God in whom we botl
believe, have told you only the truth.
am stranger, a foreigner, defenceless
woman, but not the less the affianceC
bride of one of your proudest noblemen
( the count de Garonne."
The tone in which she spoke was low
but OH how touchingly sweet; and he
words were uttered in broken French
with perceptible Oriental accent. Lout
murmurs rose in her favor as she ceased
speaking. The tide was turning. Blu
the judge now spoke
"Out on thee for base slanderer of {
noble of France and hoy crusader
Thou the betrothed bride of Garonne
AS soon would the eagle mate with tn,
vulture. | tell thee, woman, that thu
story of having been shipwrecked il
coming to France, and OF all thy trair
having been lost except thy two Ethio
plan myrmidons, is foul lie, and I an
almost minded to wiring the truth from
thee on the rack"
II have said it, said the prisoner, il
firm voice, for she felt that her life de
pended on her firmness "and if you will
give but one week, one little week, and
/ will prove it before man as we'll as God
I came from Syria in the same fleet will
my lord, but under charge of his mother
confessor-now saint in heaven !-bu
being separated by a storm, in which ou
galley was shipwrecked, l was thrown
unprotected ON your shores. l am ,
stranger here. My servants even hav,
deserted me. do no one harm. ] plo
no treason. All ask is to pass on m,
way. Obi" she continued in burst O
emotion, 'if you have a daughter thinl
what would be your feelings if she wa
thus to be set upon in strange land,
and she burst into tears. Again the
crowd murmured in her favor.
"WomanW sternly interposed tn,
| Judge, unmoved by her emotion, "lool
at the victim of your sorcery, and seel
no longer to deceive us by your lies
Send forth Philip the Deformedp
AT the words of the judge, an officia
bearing white wand stepped into sid
room, and in moment reappeared will
a cripple hideously deformed, whom tn,
populace recognized as the landlord o
the hostelry. When confronted will
the prisoner he glared at her with lool
of demoniacal hatred.
"Know you this woman9" asked tn,
judge.
GAY, to my cost, answered the GRIP
| ,o1o thrnunh ba, ipoo ctnA,o,, : a