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Famous Old Tower of London: Brazilian
Garibaldi's wife was present all through this terrible battle, urging the men to their duty, and assisting in caring for the wounded. In the midst of the tumult was battling with the Brazilian forces. Anita felt herself seized around the waist, A volume would be required to recount lifted bodily from her feet by a horseman, his exploits in this new field. He and who did not check his flight in the least, exploits in this new field. He and who did not check his flight in the least, several other leaders performed prodigies but, seating her in front of him, dashed of valor, but in the end were swept from away. the field by the vastly overwhelming It was while a portion of her army was forces of the Brazilian empire, and in con- fighting near the base of a plateau, that nection with two brother officers, he has a body of the Brazilian cavalry charged tily marched to the relief of the beleag- upon them, stampeding numbers of the ured mountaineers of Cama de Serro. cattle, which thus far had not been .
On their way thither they came in col- driven to a place of safety, owing to the lision with a greatly superior force, which suddenness with which the attack was they disastrously defeated, the general of made. the Brazilian army being drowned in the Anita struck her captor in the face, then river Pelotas while retreating. turned her head and shouted to one of her At a place known as Caritbani, the soldiers near at hand. The man caught the bridle in one hand, but before he fifty years, ruled a nation which boasted could bring his sword down, the horse- of Bacon, Burleigh and Leicester for its man shot by and was beyond reach. statesmen-Raleigh, Essex and Drake as The faithful wife of Garibaldi was well warriors, with Shakespeare, Spencer, Jonknown in the imperial army, and she was son and Marlow as poets. We give a pictreated with the respect and consideration ture of the scene which accelerated her due her position. Believing her husband to death. It is perhaps one of the most terbe killed, she was given permission to rible of all personal events in history, search the field for him. Back and forth with the exception of that between Cosmo she went over the scene of carnage from de' Medici and his son, where the father one end to the other, but, inexpressible accuses him of having murdered his joy, she failed to discern him. brother.
She knew, therefore, that he had es- Essex had been one of her great favorcaped, and she resolved to follow him. ites, but she sent him to the block, As soon as it became dark she made her apparently without a pang of remorse. way to the nearest village, where she was Years after, Elizabeth received a message furnished with a powerfully fleet horse, from the Countess of Nottingham, informpow with which she immediately took to the ing her majesty that she was upon her wood.
It was sixty miles to Lages, where the main republican army lay, and to which point she knew her husband had retreated with the remnant of his army. death-bed, and could not quit this world without disburdening her soul of a weighty secret which oppressed it.
As the dying woman was the wife of her near kinsman, the Lord Admiral, the Through these luxuriant and almost queen, although little inclined to such impenetrable forests, swarming with visits, resolved to grant her request ; and venomous reptiles and savage beasts of a message was accordingly returned to prey, with the Stygian darkness all the lady that her sovereign would visit around her, where the passes abounded her the following day. with imperialists, waiting for the fleeing From what followed, it does not appear patriots, her fiery animal plunged, now that Elizabeth was in the slightest degree swimming swollen streams, and then dash- prepared for the terrible communication ing through the dense undergrowth, that awaited her. She therefore went to which nearly swept her from his back. the dying woman. At the sight of the This extraordinary woman kept her way queen, the distress of the countess was until she reached the river Canoas, which painful. After she had requested her was swollen to an impetuous torrent. But husband to withdraw, she said to the she scarcely hesitated. queen: "I cannot die without confessing to you and God a great sin." "Heaven be merciful," observed the Clinging to her horse's mane and swimming at his side, she safely reached the other shore, and at the end of four queen, who began to feel a strange interdays joined her delighted husband at est in that which was to follow. Lages. "You gave a ring," continued the "Queen Bess" in a Rage. countess, "to Essex, and with it the "Queen Bess," the Lion Queen of Eng- promise that, no matter how heinous his land, by mere strength of will, for nearly offence against your throne and dignity, at the sight of that token you would spare accursed! remorseless, pitiless, and re. him?" vengeful woman!" "Pardon!" "Never! My curse pursue you!" ex- At the name of the fallen favorite Elizabeth trembled violently. "I did," she replied, in a voice choked claimed the infuriated Elizabeth, seizing by emotion; "but he disdained my mercy, her by the shoulder and shaking her vioand perished in his pride and obstinacy." lently. "You have broken my heart. I The destroyer of the earl thrust her could have resisted its reproaches whilst hand under the pillow which supported I believed he scorned me." her aching head, and drew from it the At the sound of her voice the Lord fatal token. The eyes of the aged queen Admiral and Lady Scrope rushed into the flashed fire as she beheld it, for she sus- apartment. They found the countess in pected at once the treachery of which she the agonies of death, and the aged queen had been made the victim. Snatching it standing over her, breathing a torrent of from the trembling hand that held it, she imprecations and reproaches. raised it to the light to assure herself "She is dying," said Lady Scrope, raisthat it was the same. ing her sister in her arms. "Oh, your ma- For a few minutes neither queen nor jesty, whatever the sin my sister has countess could speak. committed, spare her at this last moment, "How did you obtain it?" demanded as you yourself shall one day hope for Elizabeth, in a voice choked by emotion mercy." and recollection of the past. "Pardon-pardon!" groaned the countess. “I have no hope," groaned Elizabeth. "That fiend has destroyed it, here and hereafter."
The queen repeated her question in So saying, she tottered rather than terms yet more vehement than before. walked from the chamber, still holding "He sent it to my sister, the Lady the ring she had given to Essex in her Scrope, with the request that she would hand, and entering her litter, returned to return it to your majesty, and intercede Whitehall. Her ghastly appearance, when for his pardon. By a fatal error on the she reached the palace, alarmed her part of his messenger it came into my attendants, and they would have sent for hands. I hated Essex, and withheld it." her physician, but she forbade them with Elizabeth started from her seat, and an air so stern and fierce that none cared stood transfixed with horror and astonish- to dispute her commands. During the ment at such unheard-of treachery. brief remainder of her existence she never "Pardon me," continued the dying parted with the gem. It was given by woman; "the punishment of my sin hath her successor, James I, to Sir Thomas fallen upon me. From the hour of his Weaver, and is still an heirloom in his death I have known no peace nor rest. family.
My heart hath been on fire-ghastly From the day of her interview with the visions haunt my nightly couch. Mercy, Countess of Nottingham the health of mercy!"