The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-22
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.
Blue Beard.

Toward the middle OF the fifteenth
century, the bloody wars which had de-
vastated France for so many years be-
gan TO show their effects upon the char
acter Of those who so long had partici.
pated in them. The sight of suffering
OF all kinds, of agony and violent death,
had become so common that, strange as
1t may seem, men began TO have taste
for bloody deeds. The softer voices of
love and compassion had all been
drowned in the din of battle, and sel.
ashness and brutal passion were the
only leaders followed by many of the
mobiles of the land. The ties of blood
were no safeguard against dark deeds.
Micbelet, in his " Historic de France"
says: " AT that time, there seemed to
be no brothers, no fathers. We find
Count Hsrcourt, who keeps his father
prisoner for life, and another count who
dragged bis aged father from bed,
obliged him to walk five leagues bare
foot in the snow, and then threw him
into ditch. Sisters poisoned sisters,
and a duke of Bretagne caused his
brother to die of slow starvation
Everyone in the vicinity knew what
was taking place, for the cries of the
famished man, begging for a crust of
bread, could be heard by all who passed
The chateau. But the duke was pow
erful nObleman and great warrior, and
40 one dared lisp a remOnstranCe.
Another nobleman caused his wife TO
drink poison, then made her mount his
horse behind him and ride TO a distant
point while the drug did its deadly
work. AT the end of the ride the soul
had taken its flight"
1t was one of these cruel French no.
blemen whose monstrous crimes gave
rise TO our story of Blue Beard. Mare.
chal dc Retz was powerful and rich,
and, for one Of his time, was highly
educated, being able to converse and
write in Latin. He was present at the
coronation of Charles VII, and was
chosen to bear the phial Of holy oil
With which the king was consecrated,
and in recognition Of this, he was that
day made marechal. AT the royal cere-
mony he stood near Jeanne dare, the
great heroine of the scene, and fought
under her banner at the siege of Or
leans. His social position, together
with his proud and commanding bear
ing, made him dread parsonage to
the humble peasants, whom he looked
upon as dogs, for his service only, and
who almost regarded themselves as
such. Strikes were not in fashion, and
no one would have dared arraign a
lord for misdeeds. He might never
have been brought to justice had he
not done something to offend both the
king and the bishop. These two, find
ing they had common enemy, were at
last glad to lend an ear to the timid
whispers floating in the air.
DE Retz passed for very pious man.
He had built beautiful chapel, and as
1t was the fashion to have large chOirs
OF boys to chant the masses, he spared
no pains nor money to have the music
in his chapel as fine as the architecture.
To this end he gathered large num-
Der of boys, whom he took to his cha
teau to live, and who often followed
him about the streets in their pictur-
esque white robes. But soon the peas
ants, who had at first gladly sent their
sons to be members of the great mare
chals household, found that their chill
dren did not come back, aud owing to
the great gulf existing between noble
and peasant there was no way OF find
ing out the reason why. ANY timorous
inquiry was always answered by fair
words from the servant through whom
it was made, Soon boys began to mys-
teriously disappear from the peasants
homes, leaving the parents in blank
darkness as to their whereabouts. Many
mothers heart was wrung with grief
for the little son who went out to play
and came not back.
But at last woman of good family,
the wife OF painter of the city of
Nantz, thinking it an honor to have her
lad live in the castle, sent him to join
the choir, but with the same result as
with the others. This event taking
place in better class of society, caused
stir and brought to light many suspi.
cious facts. The king and the bishop,
only too glad to find cause against the
man they both hated, brought him to
trial. A long file of bereaved parents
were called in to give their testimony.
At first de Retz denied his guilt, but
the proofs became too overwhelming,
and he broke down in sobs and con.
fessed all.
1t seems that he believed in the devil
az tremendous power in the world,
and thought if he could get on the right
side of him he could obtain certain
things he much desired. His prayer tC
his satanic majesty, and to other de.
mons was, "give me money, power and
science" which latter probably meant
the knowledge of the mysteries with
which the superstition of the time en-
veloped human life. He sent to Italy
for priest who promised to appeas'
and win the demons. This spiritua
adviser first insisted that the service TO
all saints should be chanted for " al
demons" But that was not enough
The devil demanded life-the blood an
members of children as sacrifice. Ret
began these horrors as part of his re
ligion, which was really devil.worshiI
Let us hope that he little relished 1t
first; but he soon began to take pleasur
in witnessing agony, and to laugh alou
at Its expression. An old French hi
torian gives details, but they are to
fearful to repeat. One servant cor
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