Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 220: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

216 THE PRINCE AND But at that instant the sound of arms wag heard without, the house was surrounded by soldiers, and presently a number entered the house. A lieutenant of gend’armerie, followed by others, ascended the stairs, and, seizing Gabriel, said in a loud voice, _ “In the name of the law, I arrest you for the murder you have committed on the person of his most illustrious excel- lency, the Prince of Brancaleone.” Nisida, struck by these words, remained pale and motion- less as a marble statue kneeling upon a tomb; but Gabriel, incensed by a proceeding which he considered to be unjust, prepared to make a desperate resistance, when. he was de- terred by a gesture from his father. *‘ Signor tenente,” said the old man, addressing himself to the officer, “my son has killed the prince in lawful defence. He last night scaled our walls, armed, the proofs of which are before your eyes; there is the ladder placed against the window, and here,’ added he, picking up the two pieces of the broken weapon,.“is a dagger, bearing the arms of Branca- leone: : However, we co not refuse to follow you.” The last words of the fisherman were drowned in cries of “ Down with the sbirri! down with. the gend’armes !” which were repeated on all sides. The whole island was in arms, and the fishermen would - have suffered themselves to be hacked to pieces rather than permit a single hair of either Solomon or his son to be in- jured. But the old man appeared on the threshold of his door, and, stretching forth his arms with a calm and grave gesture, which instantly subdued the fury of the people, he said, ‘Thanks, my children ; but the law must be respected. I will myself defend my son’s innocence before the judges.” a * * * + Three months have scarcely passed from the day on which we first saw the old fisherman seated before the door of his house, himselt happy in the happiness which he created around him, throned like a king upon his bench of stone, and blessing his children, the fairest in the island. Now all is changed in the existence of this man, so recently happy. The smiling cottage, which hung over the bay like a swan on the banks of a transparent river, is sad and desolate; the little court with its hawthorn hedge, bordered with flowers, where joyous groups congregated at the close of day, is silent and deserted. No human sdund disturbs this mournful solitude; but, - towards evening, the waves of the sea, as if affected by mis- fortunes so great, flow there with plaintive murmurings. Gabriel is condemned. The news of the death of the noble Prince of Brancaleone, so young, so handsome, and so universally adored, not only agitated the Neapolitan aristocracy, but enraged all classes. He was mourned by everybody, and a general cry of ven- geance was raised against the murderer, and the justice claimed was awarded with frightful promptitude. Nevertheless, the magistrates, called by their office to try this deplorable affair, gave proofs of irreproachable integrity. No consideration foreign to their duty, no regard due toa family so noble and so powerful, could stifle the conviction of their consciences. History has preseryed the memory of this celebrated trial, and she has no reproach for those men that might not at the same time be urged against the imperfection of human laws. Appearance, that fatal lie, with which the genius of evil so often invests truth, overwhelmed the poor fisherman with the most evident proofs. It was shown by the infamous perjuries of Trespolo, Numa, and Bonaroux, that the prince had repaired to the island merely to rid himself of the importunities of a young lady, that he had frequently visited that place in disguise to enjoy his favourite diversion of fishing, that they (the said wit- nesses) had seen Gabriel fire twice at the prince before they could reach him, and that the murderer, having missed his nim, had eventually accomplished his purpose with his hatchet. The purse of Brancaleone was aleo found where he had- thrown it—in the chamber of Nisida; and the dagger, it was. THE FISHERMAN. alleged, had wisn taken from the dead body and hrolcens to give colour to the plea that had been made, while the ladder, . as it was proved to be the property of the fisherman, ‘corrobo-. rated the inference that Gabricl himself had placed it there, | It was in vain that Bastiano stated the fact that his friend had not left him until the commencement of the storm. It was shown that he was landing at Torre at the hour he named as that in which he was In the vicinity of Nisida ; and besides, he was stated to be an interesting party, as the known friend — of Gabriel, and the suitor for the hand of his sister; in addition to which, the prince’s passion for a fisherman’s — daughter, and the extreme means to which he had restored. - for the purpose of weakening her virtue, were generally pro-— nounced unworthy of the slightest credit; the ladies were unanimous in declaring the absurdity of the assertion. After hearing the eloquently impassioned defence of the old | man, however, the court way much affected, and three of the judges voted for the prisoner’s acquittal ; but the majority were against it, and Gabriel was condemned. The melancholy news spread rapidly through the little _ island, and caused the deepest grief. Solomon ‘received the dagger-like stroke without a sigh | escaping from his breast, without a tear falling from his eyes. His wound did not bleed. After his son’s arrest, he sold everything he possessed, even from the little silver cross, which was the legacy of his dyiag wife, to the pearl necklace which had so often flattered his_ paternal pride when he saw.the whiteness of the jewel lost upon the pure neck of his darling child. He placed the pieces of gold, produced by this disposal of property, in his woollen cap, and set forth for the capital, subsisting only upon such morsels of bread as were thrown to him by pitying passers-by, and sleeping upon the steps of churches or the threshold of the court where his dear son was to be tried, and for whose defence he had made these sacrifices and suffered these privations. But, when all delays were finished, when all his hopes had been successfully destroyed, it was observed that a strange smile was generally upon his countenance, as if beset by some fixed idea, and it became a matter of conversation in the city that the poor old man had lost his reason. Gabriel, who had been removed for execution 1 to the island, arose upon his last: morning with serenity and calmness. — He had slept well, and awoke full of strange happiness. A bright sunbeam falling through his grated window, trembled on the straw on which he lay, and poured golden light on the dark walls of his dungeon, and an autumn breeze played refreshingly around his brows. (Zo be concluded in our next.) NOW READY. JOLLY DOGS OF LONDON; THE TWO ROADS OR, OF LIFE. A SPLENDID NEW LARGE PICTURE CONTAINING THE JOLLY DOGS GF LON-|THE JOLLY DOG’S WIFE, DON BY NIGHT, ' THE JOLLY DOG’S GIRLS, THE JOLLY DOG AT|THE JOLLY DOG’S AS- HOME, SISTANT, and THE JOLLY DOG OUT, THE JOLLY DOG’S END. The Engraving and Nos. 1 and 2 for One Penny. NOTICE.—The Work will also contain the commencement of a series of Stories, entitled, TALES OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD. ORDER EARLY TO SECURE COPIES. THE JOLLY DOCS OF LONDON; OR, THE TWO ROADS OF LIFE *," Another Engraving is in course of preparation, and will be given away with an early Number, a S EGG 3 Ecomichoo com 7