FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213  
214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   >>   >|  
extravagance of despair, said things relating to fate and destiny, which, on a less occasion, could have little merited forgiveness. Unable either to remove from the place, or view distinctly what their eyes were fixed upon, they stayed till the whole cavalcade was passed, then went down and threw themselves upon the floor, where their ears were deafen'd by the noise of guns, loud huzza's, and other testimonies of popular rejoicings, both within and without the prison walls.--What have we now to expect? cried one,--endless slavery:--chains, infamy, lasting as our lives, replied another. Then let us dye, added a third. Right, said his companion feircely;--the glory of Sweden is lost!--Let us disappoint these barbarians, these Russian monsters, of the pleasure of insulting us on our country's fall. In this romantic and distracted manner did they in vain endeavour to discharge their breasts of the load of anguish each sustained.--Their misfortune was not of a nature to be alleviated by words;--it was too mighty for expression; and the more they spoke, the more they had yet to say.--For three whole days they refused the wretched sustenance brought to them; neither did the least slumber ever close their eyelids by night: on the fourth the keeper of the prison came, and told them they must depart.---They endeavoured not to inform themselves how or where they were to be disposed of; in their present condition all places were alike to them, so followed him, without speaking, down stairs, at the bottom of which they found a strong guard of thirty soldiers, who having chained them in a link, like slaves going to be sold at the market, conducted them to a very stately palace adjoining to that belonging to the czar. They were but eight in number, out of fifty-five who had been taken prisoners at the time Horatio was, and were thrown altogether in the dungeon, the others having perished thro' cold and the noysomeness of the place, before Edella had procured them a more easy situation; but these eight that survived were all officers, and most of them men of distinguished birth as well as valour, tho' their long imprisonment, scanty food, and more than all, the grief they at present laboured under made them look rather like ghosts, than men chose out of thousands to fight always near the king of Sweden's person in every hazardous attempt. They were placed in a stately gallery, and there left, while the officer, who commanded
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213  
214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

prison

 

Sweden

 
present
 

stately

 
soldiers
 

conducted

 

chained

 

slaves

 

adjoining

 

palace


thirty

 
market
 

depart

 

endeavoured

 
keeper
 
fourth
 
slumber
 

eyelids

 

inform

 
stairs

speaking
 

bottom

 

strong

 

condition

 
disposed
 
places
 

belonging

 

dungeon

 

ghosts

 

thousands


laboured
 

imprisonment

 

scanty

 

gallery

 

commanded

 

officer

 

attempt

 

person

 

hazardous

 
valour

thrown

 
Horatio
 
altogether
 

perished

 

prisoners

 
number
 

officers

 
distinguished
 

survived

 
situation