The Monk: A Romance
her only as a fine Statue: She obtained from him no tribute save cold
admiration, and when She had passed him, He thought of her no more.
“Who is She?” asked a By-stander in Lorenzo’s hearing.
“One whose beauty you must often have heard celebrated. Her name is
Virginia de Villa-Franca: She is a Pensioner of St. Clare’s Convent, a
Relation of the Prioress, and has been selected with justice as the
ornament of the Procession.”
The Throne moved onwards. It was followed by the Prioress herself: She
marched at the head of the remaining Nuns with a devout and sanctified
air, and closed the procession. She moved on slowly: Her eyes were
raised to heaven: Her countenance calm and tranquil seemed abstracted
from all sublunary things, and no feature betrayed her secret pride at
displaying the pomp and opulence of her Convent. She passed along,
accompanied by the prayers and benedictions of the Populace: But how
great was the general confusion and surprize, when Don Ramirez starting
forward, challenged her as his Prisoner.
For a moment amazement held the Domina silent and immoveable: But no
sooner did She recover herself, than She exclaimed against sacrilege
and impiety, and called the People to rescue a Daughter of the Church.
They were eagerly preparing to obey her; when Don Ramirez, protected by
the Archers from their rage, commanded them to forbear, and threatened
them with the severest vengeance of the Inquisition. At that dreaded
word every arm fell, every sword shrunk back into its scabbard. The
Prioress herself turned pale, and trembled. The general silence
convinced her that She had nothing to hope but from innocence, and She
besought Don Ramirez in a faultering voice, to inform her of what crime
She was accused.
“That you shall know in time,” replied He; “But first I must secure the
Mother St. Ursula.”
“The Mother St. Ursula?” repeated the Domina faintly.
At this moment casting her eyes round, She saw near her Lorenzo and the
Duke, who had followed Don Ramirez.
“Ah! great God!” She cried, clasping her hands together with a frantic
air; “I am betrayed!”
“Betrayed?” replied St. Ursula, who now arrived conducted by some of
the Archers, and followed by the Nun her Companion in the procession:
“Not betrayed, but discovered. In me recognise your Accuser: You know
not how well I am instructed in your guilt!—Segnor!” She continued,
turning to Don Ramirez; “I commit myself to your custody. I charge the
Prioress of St. Clare with murder, and stake my life for the justice of
my accusation.”
A general cry of surprize was uttered by the whole Audience, and an
explanation was demanded loudly. The trembling Nuns, terrified at the
noise and universal confusion, had dispersed, and fled different ways.
Some regained the Convent; Others sought refuge in the dwellings of
their Relations; and Many, only sensible of their present danger, and
anxious to escape from the tumult, ran through the Streets, and
wandered, they knew not whither. The lovely Virginia was one of the
first to fly: And in order that She might be better seen and heard, the
People desired that St. Ursula should harangue them from the vacant
Throne. The Nun complied; She ascended the glittering Machine, and then
addressed the surrounding multitude as follows.
“However strange and unseemly may appear my conduct, when considered to
be adopted by a Female and a Nun, necessity will justify it most fully.
A secret, an horrible secret weighs heavy upon my soul: No rest can be
mine till I have revealed it to the world, and satisfied that innocent
blood which calls from the Grave for vengeance. Much have I dared to
gain this opportunity of lightening my conscience. Had I failed in my
attempt to reveal the crime, had the Domina but suspected that the
mystery was none to me, my ruin was inevitable. Angels who watch
unceasingly over those who deserve their favour, have enabled me to
escape detection: I am now at liberty to relate a Tale, whose
circumstances will freeze every honest soul with horror. Mine is the
task to rend the veil from Hypocrisy, and show misguided Parents to
what dangers the Woman is exposed, who falls under the sway of a
monastic Tyrant.
“Among the Votaries of St. Clare, none was more lovely, none more
gentle, than Agnes de Medina. I knew her well; She entrusted to me
every secret of her heart; I was her Friend and Confident, and I loved
her with sincere affection. Nor was I singular in my attachment. Her
piety unfeigned, her willingness to oblige, and her angelic
disposition, rendered her the Darling of all that was estimable in the
Convent. The Prioress herself, proud, scrupulous and forbidding, could
not refuse Agnes that tribute of approbation which She bestowed upon no
one else. Every one has some fault: Alas! Agnes had her weakness! She
violated the laws of our order, and incurred the inveterate hate of the
unforgiving Domina. St. Clare’s rules are severe: But grown antiquated
and neglected, many of late years have either been forgotten, or
changed by universal consent into milder punishments. The penance,
adjudged to the crime of Agnes, was most cruel, most inhuman! The law
had been long exploded: Alas! It still existed, and the revengeful
Prioress now determined to revive it.
This law decreed that the Offender should be plunged into a private
dungeon, expressly constituted to hide from the world for ever the
Victim of Cruelty and tyrannic superstition. In this dreadful abode She
was to lead a perpetual solitude, deprived of all society, and believed
to be dead by those whom affection might have prompted to attempt her
rescue. Thus was She to languish out the remainder of her days, with no
other food than bread and water, and no other comfort than the free
indulgence of her tears.”
The indignation created by this account was so violent, as for some
moments to interrupt St. Ursula’s narrative. When the disturbance
ceased, and silence again prevailed through the Assembly, She continued
her discourse, while at every word the Domina’s countenance betrayed
her increasing terrors.
“A council of the twelve elder nuns was called: I was of the number.
The Prioress in exaggerated colours described the offence of Agnes, and
scrupled not to propose the revival of this almost forgotten law. To
the shame of our sex be it spoken, that either so absolute was the
Domina’s will in the Convent, or so much had disappointment, solitude,
and self-denial hardened their hearts and soured their tempers that
this barbarous proposal was assented to by nine voices out of the
twelve. I was not one of the nine. Frequent opportunities had convinced
me of the virtues of Agnes, and I loved and pitied her most sincerely.
The Mothers Bertha and Cornelia joined my party: We made the strongest
opposition possible, and the Superior found herself compelled to change
her intention. In spite of the majority in her favour, She feared to
break with us openly. She knew that supported by the Medina family, our
forces would be too strong for her to cope with: And She also knew that
after being once imprisoned and supposed dead, should Agnes be
discovered, her ruin would be inevitable. She therefore gave up her
design, though which much reluctance. She demanded some days to reflect
upon a mode of punishment which might be agreeable to the whole
Community; and She promised, that as soon as her resolution was fixed,
the same Council should be again summoned. Two days passed away: On the
Evening of the Third it was announced that on the next day Agnes should
be examined; and that according to her behaviour on that occasion, her
punishment should be either strengthened or mitigated.
“On the night preceding this examination, I stole to the Cell of Agnes
at an hour when I supposed the other Nuns to be buried in sleep. I
comforted her to the best of my power: I bad her take courage, told her
to rely upon the support of her friends, and taught her certain signs,
by which I might instruct her to answer the Domina’s questions by an
assent or negative. Conscious that her Enemy would strive to confuse,
embarrass, and daunt her, I feared her being ensnared into some
confession prejudicial to her interests. Being anxious to keep my visit
secret, I stayed with Agnes but a short time. I bad her not let her
spirits be cast down; I mingled my tears with those which streamed down
her cheek, embraced her fondly, and was on the point of retiring, when
I heard the sound of steps approaching the Cell. I started back. A
Curtain which veiled a large Crucifix offered me a retreat, and I
hastened to place myself behind it. The door opened. The Prioress
entered, followed by four other Nuns. They advanced towards the bed of
Agnes. The Superior reproached her with her errors in the bitterest
terms: She told her that She was a disgrace to the Convent, that She
was resolved to deliver the world and herself from such a Monster, and
commanded her to drink the contents of a Goblet now presented to her by
one of the Nuns. Aware of the fatal properties of the liquor, and
trembling to find herself upon the brink of Eternity, the unhappy Girl
strove to excite the Domina’s pity by the most affecting prayers.
She sued for life in terms which might have melted the heart of a
Fiend: She promised to submit patiently to any punishment, to shame,
imprisonment, and torture, might She but be permitted to live! Oh!
might She but live another month, or week, or day! Her merciless Enemy
listened to her complaints unmoved: She told her that at first She
meant to have spared her life, and that if She had altered her
intention, She had to thank the opposition of her Friends. She
continued to insist upon her swallowing the poison: She bad her
recommend herself to the Almighty’s mercy, not to hers, and assured her
that in an hour She would be numbered with the Dead. Perceiving that it
was vain to implore this unfeeling Woman, She attempted to spring from
her bed, and call for assistance: She hoped, if She could not escape
the fate announced to her, at least to have witnesses of the violence
committed. The Prioress guessed her design. She seized her forcibly by
the arm, and pushed her back upon her pillow. At the same time drawing
a dagger, and placing it at the breast of the unfortunate Agnes, She
protested that if She uttered a single cry, or hesitated a single
moment to drink the poison, She would pierce her heart that instant.
Already half-dead with fear, She could make no further resistance. The
Nun approached with the fatal Goblet. The Domina obliged her to take
it, and swallow the contents. She drank, and the horrid deed was
accomplished. The Nuns then seated themselves round the Bed. They
answered her groans with reproaches; They interrupted with sarcasms the
prayers in which She recommended her parting soul to mercy: They
threatened her with heaven’s vengeance and eternal perdition: They bad
her despair of pardon, and strowed with yet sharper thorns Death’s
painful pillow. Such were the sufferings of this young Unfortunate,
till released by fate from the malice of her Tormentors. She expired in
horror of the past, in fears for the future; and her agonies were such
as must have amply gratified the hate and vengeance of her Enemies. As
soon as her Victim ceased to breathe, the Domina retired, and was
followed by her Accomplices.
“It was now that I ventured from my concealment. I dared not to assist
my unhappy Friend, aware that without preserving her, I should only
have brought on myself the same destruction. Shocked and terrified
beyond expression at this horrid scene, scarcely had I sufficient
strength to regain my Cell. As I reached the door of that of Agnes, I
ventured to look towards the bed, on which lay her lifeless body, once