The Prime Minister
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with his hands bound, and, with hisfather's page, thrown into a cart, which had been provided for theoccasion. All the other men-servants were, likewise, carried asprisoners to Lisbon, while the officers of the crown took possession ofthe house.
The Desembargador then took his seat by the side of the young Marquis,and, as they drove towards Lisbon, he endeavoured, by a variety ofquestions, to gain as much information from him as possible respectingthe Duke's movements; but the son was on his guard, and refused firmlyto answer a word. He was then offered his liberty, if he would agree toassume the cowl of a monk.
"No," he answered, boldly, "I was born to be a noble of Portugal; andnever will I consent to become a lazy monk. Lead me to prison: I aminnocent, and fear you not."
"We shall see, young sir, if in a few days you do not change your tone,"said the Desembargador, as the carriage stopped before the gloomy wallsof the Jungueira.
"Never!" answered the young Marquis, firmly: nor could the dungeon intowhich he was thrown, and the barbarous treatment he received, compel himto change his determination.
Much of the above description we have extracted from a manuscript workwritten by the unfortunate Marquis d'Alorna, who was confined for manyyears in the Jungueira.
Volume 3, Chapter XVI.
Luis d'Almeida had already spent some time in prison, each successiveday expecting to be informed of the cause of his detention, and to bebrought to trial; but nothing of the sort occurred. He received, it istrue, several visits from the polite and complaisant Governor, whoappeared to take great pleasure in his conversation, and who was mostliberal in his promises of a more airy and commodious lodging, and ofevery luxury which he had the power to bestow; but his memory appearedto be very bad, for the prisoner found no improvement in any way in histreatment. It is true that, on the night of his incarceration, he hadbeen supplied with bedding, which the Governor, on his first visit,assured him was procured with considerable difficulty and expense,hinting that his most advisable plan would be to pay for it at once,lest it might be required for some other person, who might possesssufficient means to purchase it. Luis at once paid the exorbitantdemand, requesting, at the same time, to be furnished with writingmaterials, which, though they were at once promised him, never madetheir appearance. He begged also to be allowed to send to his lodgingsfor a change of linen and clothes; but this was at once refused, hebeing informed that his friends must not learn even the place of hisimprisonment.
On the first night after his incarceration, when the outer world washushed in silence, as he lay awake on his wretched pallet, he fanciedthat he heard suppressed groans, as if proceeding from the groundbeneath his cell. He listened attentively, and became certain that hissenses had not deceived him. "Alas!" he thought, "can a human being beconfined in a yet more wretched abode than I inhabit?" The groans werecontinued at intervals, and proceeded, apparently, from some unfortunateprisoner suffering from pain and sickness. Day after day theycontinued, but Luis was left in vain conjecture as to their origin.
One day, at about the usual hour, the Governor, with a complaisant smileon his countenance, made his appearance, and bowing politely to hisprisoner, he seated himself on the bed, begging him to occupy the chairnear the table.
"You must excuse ceremony, Senhor Conde," he began; "but though, to saythe truth, I am rather hurried, I wished to enjoy the pleasure of alittle conversation with you. I fear you must find it very solitaryhere, and must be getting heartily tired of your present life."
"Indeed I am, senhor," answered Luis; "and I shall much rejoice to findmyself at liberty."
"Very naturally. Most prisoners think the same; but do not despair; youwill, in the course of time, get perfectly accustomed to it. I haveheard of people living twenty years in prison very happily, so that, atlast, when they were allowed to quit it, they preferred remaining wherethey were."
"I trust that will not be my case," observed Luis.
"That depends on circumstances," said the Governor. "I might, indeed,point out a way by which you might instantly gain your freedom."
"Pray then inform me what it is, for I would do much to be set atliberty," said the prisoner.
"I am glad, at length, to hear you talk so reasonably," said theGovernor. "I need not tell you an execrable conspiracy has beendiscovered against the life of his Majesty, in which several knownfriends of yours are implicated; now, if you will give information onthe subject to the Minister, he will not only overlook any share youhave taken in it, but will reward you in any way you may wish."
"As I have entered into no conspiracy against his Majesty, it isimpossible that I should give information, which, in fact, I do notpossess," answered Luis; "but assure the Minister, that my very soulrevolts against the foul crime which was almost perpetrated, and that Iwould gladly assist in bringing the criminals to punishment."
"All prisoners speak much in the same strain, my dear sir; but, whenonce at liberty, they are very apt to forget their former promises,"returned the Governor. "Though you may, for many reasons, not like togive any information direct to the Minister, if you will confide it tomy ear, you may depend on my making a favourable report of your case tohim; if not--I speak as a sincere friend--I fear that you will bedeprived for ever of your liberty, if a worse fate does not await you."
Luis at once saw completely the object of the Governor's observations,and was ready to answer them. "I must prepare, then, to meet my fate tothe best of my power, for information of any sort I am unable to give,"he said.
"That is the answer many gentlemen similarly situated make at first,"observed the Governor, smiling; "we find, however, that when put to thequestion, their powers of recollection are wonderfully stimulated. Ofcourse it will not be necessary with you, Senhor Conde. Heaven forbidit, for the agony few people can support. To be sure, there areoccasions when but little respect is paid to persons; indeed, to tellyou the truth, such is the case at present; for the Minister hasdetermined to sift this mysterious affair to the bottom, and he is not,you know, very scrupulous about the means he employs. It is whisperedabout in the prison circles, that the Duke of Aveiro, the Marquis ofTavora, with his sons and sons-in-law, and a few other individuals,underwent the question yesterday. The Duke suffered the most severely,and made extensive confessions; in consequence, several other personswere apprehended during the night. Oh, there is nothing to be comparedto the question, for extracting the truth!" and the Governor fixed hiskeen grey eye upon his prisoner's countenance; but Luis retained hiscomposure, as he answered calmly,--
"I cannot doubt, senhor, your wisdom and experience; but I do theefficacy of the measure you propose for learning the truth. Some menwill endure the most excruciating tortures rather than reveal what theyhave vowed to keep secret; and others, again, who are unable to bearpain, will, in the hopes of avoiding further suffering, even invent astory, and accuse others falsely to save themselves."
"Silence! silence! Senhor Conde, this is blasphemy and treason you aretalking," interrupted the Governor. "What! dare to doubt the efficacyof the rack and the thumb-screw? Horrible sacrilege! How could a goodwholesome despotism exist without them, I should like to know? Takecare,--such expressions are strongly confirmatory of your own guilt.Beware!"
A cold shudder passed through Luis's frame as his eye met thethreatening glance of the Governor fixed on him, but he winced not underit, and, folding his arms on his breast, he prepared to listen insilence to whatever observations his unwelcome visitor might thinkproper to make.
The Governor, however, appeared satisfied that he could gain nothingfrom him by ordinary conversation, and therefore rose to take his leave,with his usual mock civility, after looking at him with the same sort ofeye with which an experienced butcher regards the calf he has justbought, and is leading home to slaughter. "He is a tough subject, andwill endure much before he utters a syllable," he muttered loud enoughto be heard, as he left the cell, though Luis fortunately did notunderstand the tenor of his words.
The nex
t day passed, much to his satisfaction, without a visit from theGovernor, though an under-gaoler brought him his food, and cleaned hiscell, as usual. This man, whose manner and words showed him not to havebeen completely-hardened by the sufferings he had witnessed, wouldgenerally stop a few minutes more than his strict duty required, tooffer a few expressions of comfort to the prisoner, for whom he hadconceived a compassionate feeling.
Luis now took the opportunity to inquire from whence and from whatunhappy prisoner the groans he had heard for several days pastproceeded.
"Ah, senhor, I, am sorry they disturb you," answered the gaoler. "Thereis a poor gentleman confined in the very next cell to yours, who iscontinually groaning with pain, and bemoaning his hard fate, at beingshut