صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

confcious it was an ufurpation over the rights of Rome, they were therefore forbidden, in the time of the emperors, for many ages; but thefe orders did not totally prevent the worthip; on the contrary, the perfecuted became more attached to it, for the mysteries of Ifis appear to have exifted, though in fecret, until the reign of Titus, who gave a gen eral toleration, by which he affifted more to take from their fancied im portance, than if he had been lefs favourable to it.

The temple on being cleared of the rubbish and volcannic matter, was found fupplied with the utenfils neceffary for the celebration of the more general and open ceremonies, the workmen even difcovered the fkeletons of fome of the priests, who had been furprised whilft in the exercife of their functions, by the fhower of afhes and fcoria, which fwallowed them up. They found their vestments, the afhes, and even the charcoal on the altars as prepared for facrifice, the candelebra, a number of lamps, vafes for the water of luftration, pateræ for libations, bafons to receive the blood of the facrifices, a letifternium or couch, on which they placed the flatue of the goddefs during the offerings, fome ornaments of the purificatory fculptured in ftucco, and all around the attributes of the goddefs. They alfo found ibifes, the hippopotamos, the lotus, of which many utenfils took the form, and all thefe objects became more interefting as they were found in their places, in the place even where they were ufed, and as this place fo happily difcovered, in almost perfect prefervation, offers to our fight these things fo long myfteriously concealed, attefts their use and employ, and proves their reality. On the walls of the temple were painted emblems of the worthip, with reprefentations of the priests in their facred vestments of the pureft white; the heads of the pricfts were shaved,

and their feet were covered with thin fhoes, through which the anatomical form of the foot was diftinctly visible." They admitted, without doubt, other divinities into this temple of the foreign goddefs, for here were found ftatues of Bacchus, Venus, and Priapus; the most of these statues were of wood, but the heads and hande were of marble.

Conjecture has long been at work to afcertain in what confifted the myfterious part of the ceremonials of Ius; yet although it was the most extended, and the most celebrated of all the forms of antiquity, and was even called, by way of excellence, the Worship; all that is pofitively known fimply amounts to this, that the greateft purity of life and the Atricteft regularity of conduct, was required of thofe who were candidates for admiffion to its greatest myfteries. (To be continued.) ·

The Knight of the Sable Armour, or, Innocence Refcued. A Tale. (With a Beautiful Engraving.)

IN the times when bodily ftrength and perfonal bravery were the only fafeguards against violence and injuítice; when oppreffion was ftrong and the law weak, or indeed not in exiftence; when a few chiefs lorded it with uncontrouled power overtheir wretched vaffals, whom they forced to commit at their nod, every cruelty and every enormity their wickednefs; or their caprice fuggefted; in the times, in fhort, which have been denominated the times of chivalry, there occafionally arofe men whom a fenfe of honour and a love of virtue incited to oppofe tyranny and rapacity, and defend feebleness and innocence the powerful chiefs of fociety were, according to their different characters, like good and evil beings continually oppofed to and engaged in contefts with each other. It chanced that in these times there dwelt

༦ ་ ་

dwelt in a strong castle, at the extre- were ftill more violently incited by mity of an extenfive and wild foreft the refufal of Agnes to liften to his

on the frontiers of Hungary, a chief of great power and wealth, named Luborfki, He was of gigantic ftature and ftrength, of a fevere and terrifying afpect, malicious, cruel revengeful, and implacable. His vaffals he had inured to fuch ferocious deeds, and employed in commiting fo many acts of barbarity and rapacity -which he paid by fharing with them the plunder of their innocent victims, that they, as well as their haughty and favage lord, were the dread of the whole country for an extent of inany leagues. The foreft in which the caftle of Luborski stood was infested with numerous wild beafts; and as fear exaggerates danger, and engenders credulity, it was faid that many horrid and preter-natural forms were frequently feen there prowling in the dead of night, and the foreft was generally known by the name of the Black Foreft. Whoever attempt ed to pass it, it was faid, either to attack the caftle of Luborfki, or without his permiffion, was fure to be torn in pieces by fome of thefe, who were fuppofed to be no other than his infernal agents.

On the other fide of this foreft refided the lord of a small principality, named Rudolf, whofe heart was fufceptible of all the mild and gentle affections, and whofe happiness centred in an only daughter. The beauties of the lovely Agnes were the theme of rapturous admiration among all who had beheld her; and the fierce Luborski himself having accidentally caft his eyes on her, felt, to him, an unufual fenfation, which inclined him to relax from his natural fternness and feverity. He intimated to her his love, and even made her fhudder by a propofal of marriage. From this time the took every care to avoid him, for the dreaded his love little lefs, if not more, than his hatred.

The fierce paffions of Luboríki

tender propofals, which he conceived
to be an honour he had never before
done to any woman, as well as a
weaknefs he had never before been
guilty of. He refolved, however ra-
ther to have recourfe to thofe violent
means he knew beft how to employ
than to wafte much time in gentle
perfuafives. In a few months after
wards Agnes difappeared, with the
fervant who attended on her, and al
the refearches of her difconfolate pa-
rents and relatives to difcover what
had become of her proved fruitless.
At length a part of her apparel,
mangled and bloody, and the coat of
the fervant, in the fame condition,
were found among fome bushes in
the foreft; and it was then generally
faid, that they had been devoured by
wild beafts, or carried away by fome
of Luborfki's diabolical monsters.
By Luborfki's diabolical monsters'
they certainly were carried away;
but they were human monsters, ban
ditti whom he kept to perpetrate fuch
outrages, and both the and the fervant
were then his prifoners, and confined
in a dungeon in his caftle.

Precifely at this time, a knight
from a diftant part of Germany,
named fir Allan Peregrine, came to
the refidence of Rudolf. He was one
of thofe benevolent adventurers, whofe
high fenfe of honour, love of virtue,
and genuine heroifin, counteracted in
thofe ages the dark and base machina-
tions of violence and tyranny. He
had travelled through feveral coun-
tries, and had achieved many good
and noble acts. His rength of bo-
dy and bravery of foul were equal to
his magnanimity and love of juftice.
From the armour he wore being black
and unpolifhed, he had received the
title of the knight of the fable armour:
In the courfe of his journeyings in
queft of opportunities to 'refcue the
innocent and the weak from injustice
and oppreffion, he heard of the cha-

racter

[ocr errors]

tacter of Luborfki: and, when he arrived at the refidence of Rudolf, was informed of the ftrong fufpicions there were that he had been guilty of the fouleft and moft diabolical act, He immediately offered, if a few brave men could be procured to accompany him, to país the black foreft, and furprize and fearch the cafItle of Luborfki; and if Agnes were confined in it, and still alive, to rettore to the diftracted Rudolf his beloved daughter.

enfured between him and fir Allan and for fome time the victory feeme doubtful; but, at length, fir Alla dexterously parrying a blow which Luborfki had aimed with all hi ftrength, the latter fell, and fir Allan placing his fword to his throat, commanded him inftantly to furrender or die. That moment all the courage of the ferocious Luborfki forfook him, and he, in the most abject manner, fupplicated for his life. His they were, feeing their leader fallen, vaffals, like daftardly banditti, as immediately filed different ways, leaving fir Allan and his followers com plete matters of the cafle.

Several of the fervants and tenants of Rudolf having been with difficulty prevailed on to accompany fir AlJan on his perilous adventure, he fet out in the dead of night; but, when he arrived at the entrance of the er from attempting to renew the batSir Allan having fecured his prifon Black Foreft, they hung back, kept the, had time to admire and hold at a confiderable diftance, and fuffer- converfation with the beauteous prize ed him to enter it alone. He had he had refcued from his grafp, and icarcely paffed the limits of it, when found, with indefcribable pleafure, he met with a furious panther, that Luborfki had not even attempted growling over the remains of her as yet any perfonal violence, overprey, a poor herdiman's boy, whom powered, and, as it were, awethe had killed the evening preceding. ftruck, as he himfelf confeffed, by Sir Allan, a ftranger to fear, in an the blaze of beauty and celeftial exinflant drew forth his fword, and at preffion of goodness and virtue which cne blow cut off her head. His fhone in hier angelic countenance. 'companions perceiving his courage Sir Allan alfo viewed her with adıniand frength, and that the beaft was ration, which foon was changed into really mortal, now followed him the most ardent affection. with confiderable alacrity, as if they tened to restore her to her delighted He hafhad conceived that the charm was parent. His manly perfon, graceful broken. They paffed the foreft, and behaviour, and the noble and couarrived at the castle, which they rageous achievement by which he found unguarded, not the leaft fuf. had effected her deliverance, won the picion having been entertained of an heart of Agnes, and the foon conattack. Sir Allan forced his way to fented to reward his brave exertions one of the towers, and finding a in her favour with herfelf. He recentinel at the door of a dungeon, ceived from her father her hand, the feized him, and compelled him to invaluable recompenfe of his heroic 'open it by threats of infant death if act, with extatic joy. Luborfki, he refufed. Here, to his inexpreffi- overwhelmed with thame and reble joy, he difcovered and releafed morfe, and as if defirous to expiate the beautiful Agnes, and in an ad- his crimes and redeem his character, joining cell he found the fervant. Luborki hearing the noife, haf- land, and fell in Paleftine, with at entered into a crufade to the holy tened to the tower with as many of least more honour and bravery than his vaffals and attendants as he could he had lived, tighting against collect. A furious combat inftandy Saracens...

the

Romance

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Romance of the Pyrences. By a Lady (Continued from page 660.)

CHAP. LXXVIII.

OUR heroine, now fheltered with in the foftering arms of her adored chufband, furrounded by friends, protectors, affluence, and happiness, in every direction, had nothing to call for the energies of her mind, and to catch from exertion the appearance of ftrength. It was therefore too foon vilible to all her anxiously attentive obfervers, that fevere and formidable was the shock her constitution had received from the dreadful conflicts it had been her fingular fate to fuftain. The terrible effect of all the horrors toils, fick nefs, and griefs, which had fo unremittingly affailed her, feemed now to burft at once upon her in this moment of completed happiness; and, independent of other alarming fymptoms of langour and ill health, her nervous fyftem appeared fo thaken, that the once intrepid Victoria trembled at every found; and at the approach of night expected, with horrid apprehenfion, the realising of every terrific vifion the diftempered fancy of difmay and fuperftition could

create.

Orlando, almoft diftra&ted with agonifing apprehensions, fummoned father Pierre back from Provence, and fent off an exprefs to Murcia to fearch out Pedro de Valdiviefo; while all the faculty of eminence which Naples, Rome, and the furrounding provinces could boast, were collected round her; who all declared tha. medicine, and the air of his own particular refidence, alone could fave her. Victoria laughed at thefe interested prescriptions, but promifed her almost heart-broken Orlando, and his little lefs agonised father, to adhere most faithfully to the advice of Pierre and Pedro.

The holy father arrived as fpeedily as poffible, and was quickly convict December, 1808.

ed of the most eggregious ignorance by the before affembled fons of Æfculapius; for he advifed a tour to all the gayeft fcenes in Europe; confidering a conftant fucceffion of amufement likely to engage her fancy, with a quick change of feene, where her mind could have little opportunity of reverting to the paft, aided by perpetual variation of air, the exercife of travelling, and fome gentle alteratives, by far the most likely means of re-eflablili.ing that health which mental fuffering had affected.

The Italian phyficians, handfomely rewarded for their trouble by the liberal Orlando, ftalked off in great dudgeon, highly reprobating Victoria's infatuation and the abfurd monk's ignorance and as Pierre's prefcriptions were thought by Victoria to promife fome relief to the deep wounds of Lorenzo's mind, the more readily agreed to the projected tour; and with her husband, his father and fifter, the good monk Pierre, with Urfuline, Rofetia, Diego, and a fuitable retinue the fet out to vifit all the places whither fancy or curiofity chofe to lead her, both in the iflands and continent of Europe. For almost two years they were wandering; and when again they returned to Manfredonia, the fweeteft fimiles of nature, fate, and fortune; bade them welcome. Sorrow no longer was there: the peafantry, bleft again under the aufpices of hu manity, were jocund and healthy; Victoria was perfectly recovered; her husband one of the happiest of mankind; Lorenzo cheered by the felicity of his children; and the fweet fmile of hope lit up its gentle radiance in the bofom of Matilda; for the war in which Spain had been recently engaged was ended, and Alphonfo was at the castle of Manfredonia to receive the wanderers.

During this tour, in which Matilda was first introduced to the great and bufy world, the clearly faw the 4. X. homage

must approve; fo that, when the se turned to Manfredonia, her manners were fo foftened, fo polifhed, fo delicately refined; her accomplithmen's fo ftriking, that Alphonfo, no longer under the influence of prejudice, wondered how he could have been fo long blind to fuch dazzling perfections; and believing that he had hitherto been unjuft, by way of fome atonement became as anxious as Matilda herself could with him to search out all thofe amiable as well as alluring qualities which the now fo eminently poffeffed; and in a very few months Matilda had the happiness of finding that he was not loomed to figh away her life in hopeless love. Conte Ariofto's heart became all her own; and Lorenzo with transport bestowal his child upon the amiable fon of his beloved lamented friends, Altidore, and Clementina. The joy of Victo ria and her Orlando upon this occafi on was exceffive, and the fubfequent happiness of Alphonfo and Matilda gave them no caufe for regret, as they remembered day that amiable and beloved pair the aufpicious were united.

homage paid to her charms was trifling and tranfient compared to that degree of admiration the mar cheffa di Palermo excited in every court they vifited. At the moment they first appeared each feemed to be equally admired; or, if, in favour of either, lady Matilda's vanity might feel inoft flattered; but too foon the had the mortification of perceiving each word, each look, each movement of Victoria obtaining for her new votaries; and at length all flocked to pay homage at her thrine, leaving Matilda comparatively unnoticed. Even the trifling incunbrance annexed to the marcheffa, a beloved and adoring hufband, appeared no impediment to love and admiration in many of the licentious courts they visited: and though dignified the repulfes of the virtuous marchefa, and well known as were the inconteftable proofs which the had given of the tendernefs of her at tachment to Orlando, the fafcination f her manners rivited the chains her artlets beauty forged; and, though without a ray of hope to cheer them, innumerable inamoratos around her, while few in comparison fighed were the lovers Matilda had to boaft of.

The obfervation of all this, added to the recollecting of the high eftimation in which conte Ariosto held his fifter, led Matilda to study the captivating graces of Victoria's mind and manners, and by them to attempt new modelling her own; while out heroine too, aware of lady Matilda's unavoidable deficiencies, and of her attachment to Alphonfo, would of ten, as if without any particular meaning, fpeak of those feminine graces and accomplishments her brother most admired, and point out in many a court belle the defects or perfactions most likely to difguft or cap. tivate Alphonfo. Not an iota of this was loft upon Matilda. She exerted all the powers of her ftrong mind and genius to become what conte Ariefto

nia paffed the remainder of his days
To fay that the duca di Manfredo.
preciate the fenfibility of his feeling
in perfect happiness would be to de-
heart.

fuch as time could not leffen. The His misfortunes had been calamitous fate of his Viola hung heavily on his heart; and the balm of religion only could foften his for rows. Though dreadful was the real fate of the innocent beloved being his bofom bled for, the more ter-. rible belief of her having by crime deprived herself of an afylum among the bleft was happily removed from his long tortured mind: and that horror which for years had wrung every fibre of his foul with anguith was chafed by the rapturous conviction of her immaculate purity. Viola's name was again venerated by the world and with exulting pride.

(though

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]
« السابقةمتابعة »