in a prison. After about an hour, his own dooropened, when he observed a guard of soldiers drawn up in front, and twoattendants entered, with a mattress and coverlids, which they threw onthe bedstead, placing some coarse bread and fish before him on thetable; and then, without uttering a syllable, they again withdrew.
In the mean time, the gaieties in the city continued unabated, thoughall people felt a more than usual degree of restraint on their spiritsin the palace. To the great displeasure of many, the King did not makehis appearance. Indeed, some suspected he had never intended to do so,though his Minister took upon himself to perform the necessary honours,and, moving among the crowd, he allowed no one of importance to passwithout a word or so of compliment. One witty nobleman, indeed,whispered to another,--"If King Joseph is dead, King Sebastian has cometo life again!" Before many days were over, he had cause to repent hiswords. Several persons who were expected by their friends did not maketheir appearance, though it was affirmed some were even seen on theirway thither.
"Where is the Conde d'Atouquia?" asked the young Count Villela. "Heowes me two hundred crowns; the dice were unfortunate to him, but I wishto give him his revenge, or I may, perhaps, double the sum."
"He followed me through the hall of the passage, but I saw no more ofhim," was the answer.
It was an admirable device of the Minister's to prevent a disturbance,had he dreaded one; for all those whom he had reason to suspect were,like Luis, requested to walk on one side, when they were quietlyapprehended, and driven off to prison, without any of their friendssuspecting what had become of them.
The residences of the various members of the Tavora family weresurrounded by troops, so that none could escape. The old Marchionesswas one of the first seized. She had retired to her chamber, where herattendants were unrobing her, when a party of men burst into the palaceand, without ceremony, entering her room, the chief of the policecommanded her to accompany them without delay. Allowing her scarcelytime to resume her gown, she was hurried to a carriage in waiting forher, and, without permitting her to communicate with any one, was drivento the Convent of Grillos, at some little distance from Lisbon. Thisconvent was one belonging to the most rigid of all the monastic ordersin Portugal; and tales were told of the deeds done within its walls,which make one shudder at their bare recital. It possessed damp andgloomy passages, and subterraneous chambers, into which the light of daynever penetrated. The only garment which the hapless recluses wore wasone of the coarsest cloth; their food, which they ate off plates ofrough earthenware, was vegetables, without salt; and the singing ofhymns, and the monotonous service of the Church, was their onlyemployment. In this lugubrious retreat every warm affection of theheart was chilled--the thoughts of all its inmates were sad andmournful; for no one would have willingly entered it, unless impelled bythe remorse of conscience, for some heavy crime, in hopes of gainingforgiveness from Heaven, by penance and fasting. The unfortunate DonnaLeonora was committed to the charge of the Lady Abbess of thisestablishment, with strict orders to allow her no possible chance ofescape, to ensure which a guard was also stationed outside the building.Here she was left, after being informed that every member of her familywas likewise imprisoned.
When the officers sent to apprehend the Marquis arrived at his palace,they found that he had quitted home, and was supposed to be at the houseof his sister, the Countess of --, whither they immediately proceeded.He was engaged in conversation with that lady, when a servant entered,with alarm on his countenance, to inform him that some persons wereinquiring for him below, who were evidently emissaries of the Minister.
"Oh! do not venture down, then," exclaimed the Countess. "Concealyourself here till you can fly elsewhere for safety; for, depend on it,the Minister contemplates some injury to you."
"I feel myself guiltless of any crime against the state, and fear nothis malice," replied the Marquis. "I will see what the persons require,and return to you directly."
"Oh, in mercy, do not go, my brother," reiterated the Countess,endeavouring to detain him. "I have lately had sad forebodings thatsome danger was impending over you, and now, alas! they are about to befulfilled."
The Marquis having with difficulty, for the moment, calmed his sister'sfears, proceeded down stairs, when, no sooner had he reached the hall,than he was surrounded by armed men, the leader of whom peremptorilydemanded his sword.
"I shall give that to no one but my sovereign, to whom I shall thisinstant go, to learn the cause of this insolent outrage," answered theMarquis, endeavouring to pass on. "Let my carriage be brought to thedoor this instant."
"My orders are peremptory," returned the officer. "I must conduct youforthwith to prison."
"To prison!" said the Marquis, starting, "of what crime am I accused?"
"Of high treason," answered the officer. "Thus much I am permitted toinform you; the other members of your family are already in custody, andI am ordered to conduct your Excellency to the same prison--this is mywarrant;" and he presented a paper, which the Marquis took, glancing hiseye over it.
"I see it possesses his Majesty's signature, and that I never disobey,"he answered. "Do your duty, senhor; I am ready to accompany you; but Ishould first wish to change my dress at my own palace."
"I have no power to permit it: your Excellency must repair forthwith tothe prison."
The Marquis, without deigning further reply, stepped at once into hiscarriage, which, surrounded by a body of cavalry, drove quickly away.It stopped at length before a building lately repaired by orders of theMinister,--no one had been able to understand for what purpose; where,before the earthquake, wild beasts had been confined, as objects ofcuriosity; but at the time of that event it had been thought necessaryto destroy them, for fear of their getting loose. He was hereunceremoniously ordered to alight, and conducted, between guards, intothe interior, where a person who acted as governor of the new prison--acreature of the Minister--led the way, without speaking, to a cell, thelast occupant of which had been an untamed lion. It contained no otherfurniture than such as had served the wild beast of the forest, a bundleof straw scattered on one side forming the only couch. Into this placethe unhappy nobleman was thrust, the door was closed upon him, and hewas left to ruminate on the cause of his apprehension, and the probablefate he might expect, judging from the barbarous treatment he nowexperienced.
Volume 3, Chapter XV.
Our history carries us once more to the country-house of the Duke ofAveiro at Azeitao, where the noble owner had arrived the morning afterthe family meeting at the Quinta of the Marquis of Tavora, of whichAntonio had so unexpectedly become a witness. The Duke, who wassupposed to be still in the country at that time, had secretly visitedLisbon for the occasion, where he had now left his confidant, SenhorPolicarpio, to watch the progress of events, and to give him timelynotice of what was taking place. So confident was he of the success oftheir plans, and of the Minister's entire want of suspicion that he wasin any way connected with the attempt on the life of the King, that hewould listen to none of the warnings which some of his more sagaciousfriends had lately sent him. One contained but the followinglines:--"Beware of the tiger and the lion!--if, perchance, you fall intotheir den, they will devour you." Another letter was rather moreexplicit:--"I fear that our meeting will be rather more numerous than itought to be. A secret is out when many people know it, and on theseoccasions a man requires three heads under his cap."
These letters arrived by the post, and had the infatuated Duke examinedthem well, he would have discovered that the seals had been previouslybroken. After reading them, he threw them aside, with an exclamation ofdisdain. "My worthy friend truly seems to have a mighty fear of thisSebastiao Joze; but we will soon show him which is the tiger to bedreaded," he observed.
The very day previous to the apprehension of the Marquis of Tavora andhis family, the Duke received notice from a friend that a vessel wasprepared, and would sail that evening, recommending him to escape intime from the storm which was then brewing; but
, with the mostextraordinary infatuation, he refused to take advantage of the offer,declaring his conviction that no injury could possibly be done him. HisDuchess, in whom he had not ventured to confide, and who had longsuffered from dreadful suspicions that he was implicated in theconspiracy, in vain also urged him to fly the country.
"What! fair lady, and quit these realms which may soon be my own?" heanswered. "No!--I put more confidence in the prophecies of the holyFather Malagrida than to do so--his promises will not fail me."
His friend set sail without him, and escaped. We shall see how farMalagrida's words were made good. Yet, reader, condemn not the madJesuit alone; there are many of his class, in the present day, who wouldequally lead their deluded followers to destruction, did they
The Prime Minister Page 109
