The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BRONZE STATUE. there was a door, which yiclded to the Knight's and he now entered an apartment, which at the first glimpse was evidently high and spacious—for the lamp was not powerful enough to throw its light to the farther ex- tremity. Advancing slowly and with cau tion. Sir Ernest perceived that the place was as rude in its structure as the pas- sages through which he had passed. ‘The walls were green and the pavement was slippery with the damp. there were no windows nor even loop-holes; and it ap- peared certain that this room of stone could never have been intended for a hu- man occupant. Unless, indeed, the unfortunate victims of feudal tyranny were doomed. to drag out there the remainder of their wretched lives, and to pray before the crucifix, while kneeling on the granite block, in the cir- cular chamber, for that mercy from heaven which man refused to accord! Scarcely had Sir Ernest de Colmar made this reflection, when he started abruptly, and grasping the lamp in his left hand, laid the right upon his sword. For at the further extremity of the room, a colossal form in hiiman shape seemed slowly to stand fourth out of the darkness such being the effect produced by the lustre of the lamp gradually bringing the object within its scope as the Knight ad- vanced. This circumstance was almost instantly comprehended by Sir Ernest, who now perceived that the figure which had startled him was motionless ;—and, withdrawing his hand from his sword, he approached the cause of his evanescent terror. The nearer he drew, the deeper became his astonishment at what he saw. For it was a colossal statue of a female on which the light fell with increasing power as he advanced; and a still closer view convin- ced him that it was a representation of the Virgin. Upwards of seven feet in height—ele- vated upon the pedestal—bdut sustained on the massive basis formed by ‘its own widely flowing robes, that wondrous specimen of art at first amazed the Knight: but this feeling soon yielded to the softer one of pleasure, as his eye oredually made him acquainted with the details of the statue’s features and form. The hcad was of the most dignified beauty, the countenance, slightly downwards as if in silent prayer, wore 4 look of touching melancholy, the effect of | which was enlanced by the arms being meekly folded across the bosom. The figure, although represented as being com- pletely enveloped by the robe in which the hand as the former ones had done ; | grace ; bent | 13 Madonna is usually depicted, was full of and none of the soft impressions thus conveyed tu the mind of the beholder; were marrred by the gigantic stature or ithe colossal proportions of the image. The material of which it was modelled appeared to be iron finely bronzed; and although thus buried as it were—thus hid- den from the world’s eye—in a room where the walls were green with, the damp and the pavement slimmy with the same nox- ‘ous moisture, not a speck of rust was visible about the statue: on the contrary, ‘t shone in the lamplight with the subdued lustre of burnished gold. Long and intently did the Knight gaze upon it. We have already observed that his first sentiment was one of amazement—his next of pleasure: and this latter yielded in its turn to an emotion of reverence. Ali these feelings, one after the other, prevented him from touching the image—from even approaching too near it. Deeply imbued with religious convictions, and a true be- liever in the Catholic faith, Sir Ernest de Colmar would not for worlds have laid a finger upon that statue. There was some- thing so sublime, and yet so touching—so profoundly awe-inspiring, and yet so full of a holy interest, in the entire conception of this Madonna, that even as he walked slowly around it he trod softly and re- verently, as if any haste or excitement were a desecration. (Inder the influence of feelings such as these,—pure and noble feelings, and not a debasing bigotry nor a mere blind idolatry of the statue itself,—but regarding it as the effigy of the Blessed Virgin,—Sir Ernest de Colmar bowed his head before the splen- did image, and put up a silent but not the less fervent, prayer to heaven: then, hav- ino thus proffered the incense of his soul’s adoration, he tore himself away with re- ‘luctance from a specimen of art which he would fain have lingered for hours to con- | tempiate. —— SC a ' | CHAPTER IV. THE HORRORS OF ALTENDOLF CASTLE. | Sim Ernest pe Coumar was retracing |his way across the Chamber of the Statue ‘towards the circular room, when the light lof the lamp which he carried in his hand revealed to his eyes a small door that had hitherto escaped his observation. Resolved to pursue his researches so long, as any fresh feature of the place remained to be investigated, the Knight drew back the massive bolts—opened the door—and lat the end of a short, low, and narrow pas- comicbooks.com