Part 15 (2/2)
”Therefore, reverend sir, I shall save you fro the confessional any more onme alive and with my consent to the tribunal of penance”
”Woman!” exclaimed the priest furiously, ”are you mad? There are ten thousand devils in you, and we e of priestly veno the door a terrible slam, which awokethe whole conversation, such was the electrical power of the priest over my mother's weak and nervous system, that if she attempted to say a word in my behalf, the keen, snakish black eye of the priest would at once make her tremble and quail before him, and the half uttered ould remain silent on her lips The priest went at once in search ofhe wished I had never been born He cursed the day of my birth The cause of all this paternal fury upon my poor devoted head was the foul ue with the Bishop, both determined to shut me up in a prison convent, or end my mortal career
My poor mother remained mute and heart-broken My sweet mother; never did she utter one word of unkindness to entleness and love But stthe father of an accursed heretic, tor suspected of heresy himself caused him to be forsaken by many of his proud friends and acquaintances He was even insulted in the streets by the numerous Lazaroni, with the epithet of Maldito Corrobonari, so that I lost my father's love And when the confessor told him there was no other way to save me from hell than an entire life of penance in a convent, he heartily and freely gave his consent Mother,friend, turned as pale as death, but was enabled to say a word in my behalf
I saw that le voice in all Naples to save ue in four hundred thousand that would dare speak one word in et ready to leave his house forever that very night, saying the carriage and confessor would be on hand to take ot on ed my father as a last request that he would allow me to remain three days with my mother, but he refused Said he, ”That is now beyond ht o'clock”
As I knew not when I should seeher for a few moments I was anxious to ask her prayers and syuard, for should the priests discover her New Testament, they would punish her as they did me, or as they intended to do to me But this favor was denied me, and I could not write to her, for all letters of the scholars in the convents, are opened under the pretence to prevent the love-letters The Romish church keeps all her dark plans a secret, but never allows any secret to be kept from the priests
I went into my room to bid farewell to my home forever I fell on my knees and prayed to God for his dear Son's sake to help ive me patience, and to keep ht of e disposition of ht of the propriety of taking eon all my days Such was the power of superstition over our domestics that they looked upon me as one accursed of the church, a Protestant heretic, and not one of theood bye At tea-time I was not allowed to sit at table with father, mother, and the confessor, as formerly But I had my supper sent up tofor vespers, the carriage being ready, ot into the best seats inside, and rode off at a rapid rate I kept my veil over le tear; nation was too deep for utterance or even for tears The priest and my father uttered not a word Perhaps my father's conscienceviolent hands on a defenceless girl of eighteen years of age, for no criion But if the priest was silent, his vile countenance indicated a degree of hellish pleasure and satisfaction Never did piratical captain gloryside with all hands killed and out of the way, than my reverend confessor; yet a short tihter Yes, he did love me, as the wolf loves the lamb, as the cat loves the azelle To ate of St Ursula, for although I knew I should suffer there perhaps even death, there was soay and happy days, now alas! forever gone by! I was sorieved by the cold reception I received All sees th, for I felt that He alone could nerve me for the conflict The hardest blow of all was, my dear father left me at the mercy of the priest without one kind look or word He did not even shake hands with me, nor did he say farewell
Oh Popery, what a mysterious power is thine! Thou canst in a few hours destroy powerful love which it took long years to ce hearts When my father had left and I heard the porter lock the heavy iron gate I felt an exquisite wretchedness coiven worlds for death at thata bell, and the old Jezebel the mother Abbess made her appearance ”Take this heretic, Holy Mother, and place her in confineions; GIVE HER BREAD AND WATER ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, THE WATER THAT YOU HAVE WASHED YOUR SACRED FEET IN, NO OTHER; give her straw to sleep on, but no pillow Take all her clothing away and give her a coarse tunic; one single coarse garrievously sinned against the holy mother church, and now she mercifully imposes upon her years of severe penance, that her body of sinone atory Our chief duty now, holy mother, in order to save this lost soul from mortal sin will be to examine her carefully every, day to ascertain if possible what sheto her flesh, that whatever it may be, she, must be compelled to perform it whatever it ht, until further orders And let the Tuscan heretic be treated in the sauilty of the sa the spirit of Christ that I knew on earth Yet how true it is thatnear ht be unutterable Still I was unhappy in the thought that she was suffering ona New Testa the direct cause of my conversion to the truth, and of my renunciation of the vile confessional
I was somewhat puzzled to knohat kind of a place was ions before But soon tomen in black habits with their faces entirely covered excepting two sh, cans for me to follow them I did so without resistance, and soon found
”There is your cell,” said the cowled inquisitors, ”look all around, see every thing, but speak not; no not for your life The softest whisper will immediately reach the ears of the Mother Abbess, and then you are loaded with heavy chains until you die, for therein this holy retreat of penance And,” said s, and put on this holy coarse garment which will chafe thy flesh but will bless thy soul
Holy St Francis saved arment”
As resistance orse than useless, I co with the cold on the bare stone floor I was soon eance My sufferings were indescribable It see hts I laid on hed for death to couish As soon as the holy wax candle was left with eon; but I did not enjoy my ramble In one of the cells, I found ony, having had on the accursed garment for several days Her body was one entire blister, and very much inflamed
Her bones were racked with pain, as with the nized each other; she pointed to heaven as if to say 'trust in the Lord, s will soon be over' I kissed ain to my cell I saw other victims half dead and e to any one for I feared ht be rendered even worse, if possible by the fiends who had entire power over ive my soul patience to suffer every pain”
On the fourth day of ht me some water and soap, a towel, brush and comb, and the same clothes I hen I entered the foul den They told me to make haste and prepare myself to appear before the holy Bishop Hope revived in ht that ard for me, and had now come to release me from the foul den I was in Cold water seemed to afford much relief to my tortured body I made my toilet as quick as I could in such a place My feet were so nuet my shoes on At last the Bishop arrived as I supposed, and I was conducted--not into his presence as I expected, but into that of ht of the monster, I trembled like a reed shaken by the wind The priest walked to each of the doors, locked the desk, locked it, took out the key and placed it carefully in his sleeve pocket This he did to assure me that ere alone, that not one of the inmates could by any means disturb for the present the holy meditations of the priest He bade me take a seat on the sofa by him In kind soft words he said to me, that if I was only docile and obedient, he would cause me to be treated like a princess, and that in a short time I should have my liberty if I preferred to return to the world At the same time he attempted to put his arm around my waist In alove to e alabaster vases full of beautiful wax flowers; one of theht about consequences, I seized the nearest vase and threith all the strength I had at the priest's head He fell like a log and uttered one or two groans The vase was broken It struck the priest on the right temple, close to the ear For aI then looked at the priest, and saw the blood running out of his wound I quaked with fear lest I had killed the destroyer of my peace I did not intend to kill hiht take the keys, open the door and run, for the back door of the priest's rooates were frequently opened daring the day time This was about twelve o'clock, and a most favorable moment for me to escape In a moment I had searched the sleeve pocket of the priest, found the key and a heavy purse of gold which I secured indesk and took out the key to the back door I saw that the priest was not dead, and I had not the least doubt from appearances, but that he would soon coet away I thought of et to her without being discovered There was no tireatest facility and gained the opening into the back path I locked the door after ht the key with me for a short distance, then placed all the keys tinder a rock I had no hat but only a black veil I threw that over ate There were ate which was open and I passed through into the street without being questioned by any one
As I had not a nun's dress on, no one supposed I belonged to the Institution I walked down directly to the sea coast I could speak a few English words which I had learned froot to where the boats lay I saw a gentleentleman He had a pleasant face, looked at me very kindly, saw my pale dejected face and at once felt a deep sympathy for me As I appeared to be in trouble and needed help, he extended his hand to norina?” that is ”How do you do young lady?” I asked him as his country ”Me,” said he, ”Americano, Americano, capitano de Bastinor Capitano,” said I, ”I wish to go on board your shi+p and see an Areat deal of pleasure; ; you shall dine with norina”
I praised God ina friend, though a stranger, whose face seemed to me so honest and so true Any condition, even honest slavery, would have been preferred by me at that time to a convent The A I ever saw afloat; splendid and neat in all her cabin arrangements The mates were polite, and the sailors appeared neat and happy Even the black cook showed his beautiful white teeth, as though he was glad to see one of the ladies of Italy Poor fellows! Little did they know at that time what peril I was in should I be found out and taken back to ain I infor just escaped froainst e to America, if he would hide me somewhere until the shi+p ell out to sea He said I had co for a fair wind, and hoped to be off that evening ”I have,” said he, ”a large number of bread-casks on board, and two are empty I shall have you put into one of these, in which I shall ur-holes, so that you can have plenty of fresh air Down in the hold ast the provisions you will be safe”
I thanked my kind friend and requested him to buy me some needles, silk, and cotton thread, and some stuff for a couple of dresses, and one-piece of fine cotton, so that I e
After I ate my dinner, the men called the captain and said there were several boats full of soldiers co to the shi+p, accompanied by the priests ”Lady,” exclaimed the captain, ”they are after you There is not a moment to be lost Follow me,” he continued ”And, Mr Smith, tell the men to be careful and not make known that there is a lady on board”
An awful cold chill ran over me I followed e cask The captain coopered the head, which was et the air; but the perspiration ran off s were piled on the cask, so that I had hard work to breathe; but such was my fear of the priests that I would rather have perished in the cask than be returned to die by inches
The captain had been gone but a short time when I heard steps on deck, and much noise and confusion As the hatches were open, I could hear very distinctly After the whole company were on deck, the captain invited the priests and friars, about twenty in number, to walk down to the cabin, and explain the cause of their visit They talked through an interpreter, and said that ”a woe aold, had attempted to murder one of the holy priests, but they were happy to say that the holy father, though badly wounded, was in a fair way of recovery This wo fits, and has recently escaped from a lunatic institution When her fits of ht jacket, for she is the reat reward is offered for her by her father and the governh to te towards the shi+pping, and ant the privilege of searching your shi+p”
”Gentlemen,” said the captain, ”I do not know that the Italian authorities have any right to search an American shi+p, under the stars and stripes of the United States, for we do not allow even the greatest naval power on earth to do that thing But if such a erous woled herself on board my shi+p, you are quite welcome to take her away as soon as possible, for I should be afraid of my life if I ithin one hundred yards of such an unfortunate creature If you can get her into your lunatic asylum, the quicker the better; and the five thousand scudi will coer shi+p on entleold in my pocket” The captain opened all his closets and secret places, in the cabin and forecastle and in the hold; everything was searched, all but the identical bread-cask in which I was snugly coiled
After so Ferdinand and the priests of King Pope left the shi+p, satisfied that the crazy nun was not on board; for, judging the captain by theiven up a old, and for the safety of his own peace and comfort A few moments after the Pope's friends had left, the excellent benevolent captain ca off a few hoops with a hammer, took the head out, and I was free onceheart in thanksgiving, while tears of gratitude rolled down uns of the papal forts, ood captain assured er was past, for he had twenty-five men on board, all true Protestants, and he declared that all the priests of Naples would walk over their dead bodies before they should reach his vessel a second time ”And besides,” said the captain, ”there are two Ahts of Araham, of the United States shi+p St Louis, and his rescue froarian patriot, Martin Kozsta” The captain wisely refused to purchase any needles or thread for me on shore, or any articles of ladies' dress, for fear of the Jesuitical spies, whoand cause further trouble But he kindly furnished oods he had purchased for his oife, and there were needles and silk enough on board, so that I soon cut andour voyage of thirty-two days to London
Early the nextwe sailed out of the beautiful harbor of Naples, with a fair wind The beautiful shi+p see at ht then of my once happy home, of h he had cast ue, my love for my dear father remained the same
”Farewell, my dear Italy,” I said to myself ”When,as the Pope lives, and his wicked, murderous priests, to curse thee by their power”
After we got out into the open sea, the motion of the shi+p made me feel very sick, and I was so starved out before I caood provisions I ate on board did not seeree with me My stoions of the convent I ate only a small quantity of very stale hard bread once in twenty-four hours, at the ringing of the vesper bells every evening, and the water given me was that in which the holy Mother Abbess had washed her sacred feet But I ood oave lish lady passenger This good lady was accustomed to the sea, therefore, she did not suffer any inconvenience from sea-sickness; but I was very sick, so that I kept ood Protestant lady was very kind and attentive during the whole passage, and kindly assisted arments made up on board On our arrival in London, the captain said that he would sail for America in teeks tie to his happy, native land; and I could not persuade hie froivenwealthy, and well acquainted with people in England, took me to her splendid home, a few miles fro French gentleelical protestant church in France, and a descendant of the pious persecuted Huguenots This gentle enjoyed the privilege of a superior education His fervent prayers at the fa made a very deep impression on my mind He became deeply interested in my history, and offered to take me to France, after I should become his laife