There is unspeakable pleasure attending the life of a voluntary student.
The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me just as if I had
gained a new friend. When I read over a book I have perused before, it
resembles the meeting with an old one. We ought to lay hold of every
incident in life for improvement, the trifling as well as the important.
It is not one diamond alone which gives lustre to another; a common
coarse stone is also employed for that purpose. Thus I ought to draw
advantage from the insults and contempt I meet with from a worthless
fellow.
* * * * *
* * * *
THE VICTIM OF MAGICAL DELUSION;
_OR, INTERESTING MEMOIRS OF MIGUEL, DUKE DE CA*I*A._
Unfolding Many Curious Unknown Historical Facts.
_Translated from the German of Tschink._
(Continued from page 283.)
I hastened to conceal myself in a corner, and slipped out of the church
as soon as the sexton had entered it. In going home, I fancied I
observed Hiermanfor at a distance, nay he seemed even to advance towards
me; however, I fled from him with horror.
“About an hour after my return, I was joined by Alumbrado, who entered
my apartment with awful solemnity. His countenance spoke more plainly
than his lips. We went to the Marquis who seemed to have awaited our
arrival with impatience, and bowed respectfully to Alumbrado.
“You have been watching last night,’ the latter said to us, ‘and
dedicated it to devotion. Is your resolution still firm and
unalterable?’
“Yes!’ we replied at the same time.
“A long pause ensued. At length Alumbrado began: ‘I too have dedicated
the night to devotion, and join in your league.’ Taking us by the hand,
‘I have conversed with God, and received heavenly revelations, which I
will communicate to you if you will promise eternal secrecy.’
“We promised it.
“Yes, my friends,’ he resumed, ‘God has chosen you to be ministers of
his avenging justice. Your mission is honourable, but awful--awful, and
at the same time, blissful. But I must remind you, that it does not
befit the instruments of the Eternal to scan his holy degrees, nor to
resist. Will you, therefore, promise to obey implicitly?’
“We will.’
“To obey also when the decrees of God shall come in contradiction with
your opinions and feelings?’
“The decrees of the Eternal are impenetrable, but ever wise and ever
just. We will obey!’
“Then you swear to obey blindly?’
“We swore, and now we learned from Alumbrado our mission, and the whole
plan of the secret league. It would be superfluous to give you the
particulars of it, because it will be executed, and consequently known
to you when you shall read this letter.--Farewell, my friend, for whom I
always shall retain a tender affection, although you should become my
inveterate enemy. Farewell.”
This letter partly unfolded to me the mystery of the whole event;
I could, however, best form a clear idea of the particulars of the
conspiracy and the whole design when the culprits were tried. I shall
confine myself to a brief sketch of that infernal plot.
Oli*ariz the Minister of S----n, not having been able to put a stop to
the secret preparations the Duke of B----za had been making for
restoring the crown of Port--l to his family, and his three last artful
attempts to that effect having miscarried, he sent Alumbrado whom he had
already successfully employed on different occasions, to watch the
secret motions of that nobleman, and to counteract them effectually.
Alumbrado fixed his eyes on a man who was generally respected as well on
account of his rank, his birth, and extraordinary merits, as of his
great wealth; the Marquis of Villa Re*al, whose secret antipathy against
the Duke of B----a, Oli*arez had pointed out to him. With the assistance
of this man, he designed to lay the mine which was to blow up the great
work of the Duke of B--------a. He found the Marquis in a situation of
mind that seemed to promise very little success in the prosecution of
his political views.
The supposed apparition of Count San*, and the illness which had
succeeded it, had changed him from a statesman to a pietistical hermit.
However, an intriguing genius like Alumbrado was not discouraged by
these unfavourable symptoms; he only changed his measures, and founded
on religious fanaticism and superstition a plan, by which he expected to
interest the Marquis for his designs. Yet he had, perhaps, imagined this
task much easier than it really was, or the progresses the Marquis made
were slower than he had expected, in short, the revolution broke out
before he had attained his purpose. This unexpected blow did not depress
Alumbrado’s spirit. He had, indeed, not been able to dispute the
acquisition of the crown of P------l with the Duke of B----a; he formed
however, the resolution to deprive him of it.
With this view he returned to S----n to consult with Oli*arez. The
latter had really been induced by the dissimulation of the Duke of
Cam*na, to believe him serious in his devices against the family of
B--------a, and this was sufficient to prompt him to agree with
Alumbrado that one ought to endeavour to interest the Marquis and his
son for the design against the new Sovereign.
That, and how this has been effected, was proved afterwards by the
event.
Alumbrado had foreseen that the execution of so dangerous a design would
require many co-operating powers, and therefore had taken care to
procure in time the requisite assistants. One of his principal
associates was the archbishop of Br*ga, Primate of P--------l, an
acquisition which cost Alumbrado very little trouble, the Prelate
meeting him half way. The archbishop had witnessed the successful issue
of the revolution with the greatest indignation, because he was entirely
devoted to the S---sh court and the Vice Queen to whom he owed his
preferment.
On the breaking out of the Revolution, he had already drawn the sword
against one of the conspirators in order to avenge his benefactress; her
confinement was therefore an additional motive to him for joining the
conspirators, by whose assistance he hoped to avenge her wrongs and
restore her to liberty. Alumbrado gained through him even the bishop of
*arda, Grand Inquisitor of the Empire.
The insinuation that he would not enjoy long his important office under
the new government, the King being inclined to abolish the Inquisition,
was the chief motive of his having taken a part in the conspiracy.
Both prelates were very sensible how necessary it was that the Marquis
and his son should join the conspirators if Alumbrado’s design should
succeed, and therefore supported him in his endeavours to ensnare these
noblemen, although they dissembled to have not the least connection with
that vile deceiver.
Meanwhile the latter endeavoured secretly to encrease the number of the
conspirators through the interest of these two prelates, and they
succeeded in gaining over to their party Count Arm*mar a cousin to the
Primate, a great number of other Port**ese noblemen and the Jews. It has
already been mentioned in the letters of the Duke, that the new King
rejected their petition of being suffered to live and to trade in the
kingdom as external Christians, uncontrolled by the Inquisition. The
Primate made them a voluntary offer of that privilege; nay, he even
promised secretly, in the name of the King of S---n, that they should
have a public synagogue, if they would co-operate in the execution of
the plot, which they consented to without hesitation.
The design itself was, indeed, horrid enough. On the 6th of August,
1641, the Jews were to cause a conflagration in the night, not only in
the royal palace, but also in different parts of the town, in order to
divert the attention of the people. Then the conspirators were to
penetrate into the palace under the pretext of extinguishing the fire,
and to stab the King; the Queen, however, and the two young Princes,
were to be seized by the Duke of Ca*ina, in order to obtain through them
the possession of the castle. The Primate with his train was, meanwhile,
to parade through the streets, in order to frighten the refractory
multitude with the Inquisition, and when the whole plan should have been
happily executed, the Marquis of Villa R*al was to be invested with the
dignity of Vicegerent.
This was the plan of an undertaking that could be attempted only by
fool-hardy and deluded men. Alumbrado, who knew best how hazardous and
adventurous it was, was well aware, that, even if their design should be
executed in the most successful manner, the capital only would be
gained, and every thing lost again if they were not supported by an
external power. He found it therefore necessary that a S---sh fleet
should be ready to surprise the port as soon as the fire should break
out, and a small army of S- - -rds waiting on the frontiers, in order to
penetrate in the country on the first intelligence of the successful
execution of the undertaking. Oliv*rez was to afford this assistance,
and consequently, intelligence must be sent him and every thing
preconcerted, which was extremely difficult, the new Sovereign, having
issued the strictest orders not to suffer any suspicious letter to pass
the frontiers.
Ba*za, of whom I have already made mention in a former page, had, on
account of his extensive trade, received an exclusive privilege of
carrying on an unmolested correspondence with S---n.
Alumbrado found means to insinuate himself with his important man in
such a manner, that he undertook the dangerous task of forwarding the
letter which contained that intelligence. However---
The Irishman was returned from his journey. Some expressions which he
accidentally overheard and several unusual movements his eagle eye
espied, excited his suspicion, in spite of the secrecy of the
conspirators and the great precaution they observed in carrying on their
plot. He found it, nevertheless, very difficult to come upon the right
tack. Although he had succeeded in his attempt of getting admittance to
Ba*za’s house in the disguise of a foreign merchant, and gained the
confidence of that man by means of some very great money transactions,
yet he could not trace out the least thing concerning the secret plot
which he suspected to be carrying on, Ba*za being always on his guard,
notwithstanding the repeated invectives the Irishman uttered against the
new government in order to allure him to take the bait. But when Ba*za
received the aforesaid letter in order to send it to S---n, he betrayed
so much anxiety that it could not escape the keen-sighted looks of the
Irishman. The latter employed every art to dispose the merchant to
direct that letter to the Marquis of Aja*onti, a commander of a Spanish
fortress on the frontier, and acted his part with so much dexterity,
that Ba*za adopted his advice without entertaining the least suspicion,
thinking that the letter would certainly be delivered to the Minister
when it once had reached the Sp--sh territory.
The Irishman could not indeed, divine the important contents of the
letter, and the uneasiness which the merchant betrayed concerning its
safe delivery, could also have originated from the great importance of
the mercantile papers it might have contained. It was, therefore, a mere
act of prudence that he sent instantly a message to his friend Ajam*nti,
requesting him to examine that letter carefully if it should come to his
hands.
The Marquis receiving the letter opened the first cover, and seeing it
directed to the Sp--sh Minister of State, and sealed with the great seal
of the Primate of P-----l, his suspicion having been roused by the
previous notice he had received from the Irishman, he opened it without
hesitation, and thus discovered the imminent danger threatening the life
of the King of P----l.
Being a near relation to the Queen and sincerely attached to the King,
he sent the letter without delay to his royal kinsman. The King was
seized with astonishment and horror when he learned what a dreadful plot
was carrying on against himself and the kingdom.
He convoked instantly the Privy Council, and concerted with them the
necessary means which were to be taken in order to award the impending
blow.
(_To be continued._)
* * * * *