THE PIRATES OF SEGXA. 399 



mirable men of his time. Placed by the accident of 

 birth upon the frontiers of Christian Europe, and 

 cherishing from early youth a belief that the highest 

 interests of the human race were involved in the 

 struggle between the Crescent and the Cross, he had 

 embraced the glorious cause with that enthusiastic 

 and fiery zeal which raises men into heroes and mar- 

 tyrs. Too soon, however, were these lofty aspira- 

 tions checked and blighted by the anti - Christian 

 policy of trading Venice, the bad faith of Austria 

 towards the Uzcoque race, and the extortions of her 

 counsellors. Cursing, in the bitterness of his heart, 

 not only Turks, Austrians, and Venetians, but all 

 mankind, he no longer opposed the piratical tenden- 

 cies of his neglected people, and eventually headed 

 many of their marauding expeditions. 



It was nearly midnight when Dansowich was 

 awakened from a deep but troubled slumber by a 

 grating noise at the door of his dungeon. Anxiety 

 of mind, and still more, the effect of confinement in 

 an impure and stifling atmosphere, upon one accus- 

 tomed to the breezes of the Adriatic and the free 

 air of the mountains, had impaired his health, and 

 his sleep was broken by harassing and painful dreams. 

 In that from which he now awoke, with the sweat of 

 anguish on his brow, he had fancied himself before 

 the tribunal of the Inquisition. The rack was shown 

 to him, and they bade him choose between confession 

 and torture. He then thought he heard his name 



