Daily camera., 1900-12-05
lin ANCIENT PRISONS.
UNDERGROUND DUNGEONS OC.
CUPiED BY PRISONERS.
Of Al Gloomy and Terrible Dungeons
Thoss Of st. Michnci Ara Perhaps tho
Most HideOus and Awful - A Poet
lmpris0ned.

when We examine ancient prisons
beneath the keep of Norman fort
ress or the palace of Venetian doges,
we wonder what race OF beings could
possibly have endured all the sqlalor,
filth. horror and privations which
must have been the lot of the unfor-
tunate persons confined in these
places, says writer in the Gentle
mans Magazine. And yet month by
month and year by year. they lived on.
But Of all gloomy and terrible dun
geons those of Mont st. Michel are
perhaps the most hideous and awful.
Those who entered them might we'll
sigh their fond adieus to hope and b.
erty. Few visitors to Mont St Mich
on within a prison, so associated is 1t
with horror, cruel tortures and death
The cage Is hung in dark sepulch al
chamber. nigh the cave-like holes in
the rock which furnished the cells for
less distinguished prisoners than those
who were confined in the cage Most
OF the sub-structures in the south
west portion OF the fortress were built
by Robert de Toringni who ruled as
Abbot at the end of the twelfth CEN
tury. Between the kitchens and the
prison is the beautiful crypt Of the
AQuilon designed by Roger ii. about
the same period. Passing through tnis
noble chamber with Its six massive
columns, We enter the prison, and in a
recess in the walls hangs the Cage de
Fer" 1t is composed OF thick beams
Of wood, held together by strong iron
bars, which would defy the most de-
termined efforts to escape. Gagged
singing birds are allowed to enjoy he
sunlight which inspires their songs
and renders pleasant their captivity.
But the unhappy victims OF the iron
cage were In almost total darkness.
Day followed day and year succeeded
to year, but It was all the same 10
them-one continued existence OF
gloom, torture and horror. Such
life must inevitably have shattered
reason In 1749 there lived in
Paris young poet named Deforges or
Desforges After thu fatal rising OF
1745 in England. the young Pretender
ned to France. and found a welcome
and safety in the French capital. Nego-
tiations, however. were made by the
English government for his arrest and
the French king yielded to their de-
mands. In the crowded opera house
one evening the last OF the Stuarts
was arrested, and Deforges was pres
ent at the time. Indignant at this
violation Of the sacred rights OF hospl-
tality, he believed that the honor OF
his nation was compromised. and at
once proceeded to pour forth his conf
plants against the injustice of the
act In bitter and envenomed verse.
His poem began with the lines:
Peuple, jadis 81 fer, aujourd hui 81
servile,
Des princes malheureux tn mes done
plus lasile?
The line. "All Is wicked in these
places. ministers and mattresses" es-
pecially aroused the anger OF the court,
dy into violent fit Of passion. Such
plain language was too much for the
susceptibility Of the kind and his min
istsrs The enraged poet was discov-
cred and doomed to perpetual Impris-
onment In lie Cage de Fer For
three long years he was confined in
this terrible cell. the floor OF which
was only eight feet square; faint
Glimmer of light contrived to find its
way through certain crevices in the
ceiling, but only suficient to make
the darkness visible. The poor poet
endured his terrible punishment with
courage and resignation, and won the
heart of his gaoler, NJ. de Broglie, the
Able contrived that Deforges should
exchange the cage for the Abbey. and
released him from his prison. He
wisely took great precautions lest the
sudden return to the light Of day after
20 long a sojourn in darkness should
cause blindness. Nor did the good
abbs's kind Offices cease. He procured
for him his release after five years
Imprisonment, obtained for him In
the ONCE Of secretary to Marechal do
Broglie, his brother. and on the death
Of Madame de Pompadour, Desforges
became commissioner OF war; In this
ease, happily, death was not the only
release afforded to the victims Of the
iron cage.