Evening journal., 1899-06-20


joieing as the old legeiidfof Thevet
says. at having punished them without
soiling his hands with their blood
("Ioueux de les auior ppniz sans Sc
souiller les mains senleurssang') They
built as best they could hut of boughs
am s.rewed beds Of leaves until they
h..a .illed wild beasts enough 70 rt.
pare their skins. Their store oi AlJ
bread lasted them but little while hAt
there were fruits around them aud
there was fresh water near by. Yet IL
was terrible" says Theyet's old mar
rative. "to hear the frighiful sounds
which the evil spirits made around
them. and how they tried to break down
/ heir abode. and showed themselves In
various forms Of frighiful animnls
/ yet at last conquered by the consiancy
and perseverance Of these uurcpentant
Christians the tormentors afflicted or
disqueted them no more. save that
often in the night they heard cries so
loud that It seemed as IL more than
5000 men were assembled together"
c'plus de cent mil homes qui fussent
ensemble'D.
SO passed manymonths OF desolation.
and. alas, the husband was the first To
yield Daily Ire climbed the rocks t.
look for vessels; each night he de-
Scended sadder and sadder; he walked
! while the others slept. Feeling that !,
was he who had brought distress upon
the rest. he concealed his depression.
but Il soon was past concealing; he
81 1. a.. =
MS his wife grew the stronger Of the
two; and he faded slowly away and
died His wife had nothing to sustain
her spirits except the approach Of ma
lternity--she would live for her child
When the child was born and baptized
In the name OF the holy church. though
without the church's full ceremonies
Marguerite felt the strength Of moth
erhood; became a better htlntress. a
better provider A new sorrow came;
I'm the sixteenth OF seventeenth month
OF her stay the old nurse died also, and
not long after the baby followed. Mar
guerite now seemed to herself deserted
even By Heaven itself; she'was alone IN
that northern island without comrade-
ship; her husband. child and nurse
gone; dependent for very food on the
rapidly diminishing supply OF ammuni-
iion. Her head swan. For months she
saw visions constantly. which only
strenuous prayer hauished, and only
ihe acquired habit of the chase en-
abled her. almost mechanically TO se-
cure meat TO support llfe Fortunate
\ ly. those especial sights and sounds OF
demons which had haunted her imag.
ination during the FIRST days and night.
on the island did not recnr; bnt the
wild beasts gathered round her the
more when there was only one gun 10
alarm them; and she once shot three
bears ia a day-oue a white bear. OF
which she secured the skin.
For two years and five months IN oil
khe dwelt upon the Isle Of Demons th,
last year wholly alone. Then. as sh,
stood upon the shore, some breton
fishing smaclss, seeking Goldfish, came II
sight. Making signals with fire ans
calling for aid. she drew them nearer
but she was now dressed IN furs only
and seemed 10 them but ono OF th
fancied demons OF the island. Beating
up slowly and watehfully toward thl
shore, they came within hearing Of he
voice and she told her dreary tale. a
last they took her IN charge. and bor'
Ler back TO France with the bearslsin
she had prepared; and taking refuge il
. the village of Nautron, IN n remotl
province (Perlgordl, where she couh
escape the wrath OF Roberval she tol,
her story to Thevet, the explorer. q
Princess Marguerite Of Navnrre (siste
I of Francis I.). and TO Others Theve
tells It in his Cosmographie, and Mar
guerite Of Navarro in her Gent Nouvel
, les Nouyelles."
She told Thevet that after the frs
= two months the demons came TO he
! no more. until she was left who'll,
alone; then they renewed their visits
: rut not continuously, and she felt les
fear. Thevet also records of her thi
touching confession. that when tn
time came for her TO embark, IN tn
Breton ship for home, there came owe
her strong impulse TO refuse the EN-
: barkation, but rather 10 die In tha
{ solitary place as her husband. he
4 child, and her servant had already died
{ This profound touch Of human natur
: does more than anything else TO cor
, firm the tale as substantially true. Ger
: tain it is that the lonely island whic
appeared so long on the old maps as th
u Isle OF Demons C'l'Isola de Demoni"
{ appears differently in later ones as tn
Lady's Island clIsle de Ia Demo-
: selle"D.
% Princess Marguerite of Navarro, wh
= died in 1549, seems also to have know
i- her uamesalse at her retreat in Per
CORD, gives some variations froi
+ Theyets story, and deseribes her d
e having been put nu shore with her hu.
= band because Of frauds which he ha
= practiced on Roberval; nor does sh
= speak Of the nurse or Of the child. Blu
y she gives a similar description Of Ma
z guerite's stay on the island after hi
= death, and says that although sh
!, lived what might seem a hestinl life 9
TO her body, Il was life wholly angel
: Hs regarded her soul ('ainsi vivian
= quaint au corps. de vie bestiale. et quar-
y resprit. de vie angellcque'D She hat
the princess also says, a mind cheerfl