200 Royal Intrigue ; or, AuG. 



earth, never more to rise ; the matador, scorning to stain his sword with 

 a fallen foe, waved it over his bleeding front, and retired, leaving the 

 dying animal to end his sufferings under the stiletto of one of the atten- 

 dants of the ring. Thus concluded the Royal Fieato de Toros of Cadiz 

 in 180! 



At the drawing-room held that night Don Manoel received from the 

 hands of the King the small cross of Charles the Third, and the rank of 

 colonel, as the reward of his bravery ! His royal mistress in secret pre- 

 sented him with some valuable tokens of her increased admiration ; even 

 Godoy affected to rejoice in this sudden tide of prosperity, and his con^ 

 duct every day led the generous, unsuspicious Don Manoel to reject the 

 advice which those who really loved and respected him suggested. 



One evening, in the month of November following the above events, 

 while sitting in his apartment alone, " chewing the cud of sweet and 

 bitter fortune/' occasionally striking the chords of his guitar, the door 

 which led into his apartment (and which one person alone had ever 

 entered) silently turned on its hinges ; but instead of that being, who to 

 him at least was all gentleness and love, appeared four men, masked and 

 cloaked, with stiletto in hand, who suddenly sprung upon him and 

 thrust a handkerchief into his mouth, proceeded to bind his arms, then 

 placing a bandage over his eyes, they hurried him away, whither he was 

 quite unconscious. 



Placed in a roomy carriage with his four conductors, two of whom 

 he felt sat before, and one on each side of him, after half an hour's 

 travelling, the spokesman of the party gave orders for the removal of 

 the bandages from his mouth and eyes, and also the binding of his arms 

 to be relaxed, adding " Silence or Death !" A little before dawn the 

 coach arrived at its place of destination, which he found was an ancient 

 building situated at the foot of the Guadarama mountains. Here he 

 was ushered into an apartment with only one aperture for light or air, 

 strongly secured by iron gratings : a bedstead, a table, and one 

 chair, was all the furniture it boasted. Here he was for a time left 

 to his reflections: that they were such as almost to overwhelm his 

 reason may be inferred. What a melancholy reverse in his fortune ! 

 In a few hours a strange person entered, in whom he saw his jailer ; 

 and who placed before him a good breakfast of chocolate, and furnished 

 his bedstead with mattrass and clothes, then retired ; towards evening 

 his jailer returned, and found his prisoner locked in sleep, so deep and 

 so profound, that he did not disturb him, but removing his untasted 

 breakfast, placed a bell with a lighted lamp upon the table, and quietly 

 withdrew. Delicious dreams had cheated the imagination of the unfor- 

 tunate captive : and the dread reality seemed itself a dream, when, as 

 starting from his bed, he saw the light of his solitary lamp barely 

 breaking the gloom of his wretched prison ! 



" Reflection came, with all her busy train, 

 Swell'd at his heart, and turn'd the past to pain.'* 



Night afforded him no repose ; the strength of tired nature had been 

 restored by his refreshing day-sleep; and the long and silent hours 

 were spent in unavailing lamentations ! Two days thus passed, without 

 the infliction of personal injury or insult, but, on the contrary, the 

 most respectful, though silent attention on the part of his jailer, Don 

 Manoel ventured to cherish a hope of better fortune. On the third day 



