Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
The journey passed off without the occurrence of any thing remarkable;
but, about a month after this colloquy, M. Hérault received a letter,
informing him, that on the previous evening, M. de Potter,
_chanoine-doyen_ of the noble chapter of Brussels, had been robbed and
murdered by Poulailler, who, clad in the habits of his victim, and
furnished with his papers, would enter the barrier St. Martin. This
letter purported to be written by one of his accomplices, who had come
to the determination of denouncing him, in the hope of obtaining pardon.
The horror of M. Hérault at the death of this dignified ecclesiastic,
who was personally unknown to him, was, if the truth must be told,
merged in the delight which that magistrate felt in the near prospect of
avenging society and himself on this daring criminal. A cloud of police
officers hovered in ambush at each of the barriers, and especially at
that which bore the name of the saint who divided his cloak with the
poor pilgrim, with directions to seize and bring into the presence of M.
Hérault a man habited as an ecclesiastic, and with the papers of the
dean of the Brussels chapter. Toward evening the Lille coach arrived,
was surrounded, and escorted to the hôtel des Messageries; and, at the
moment when the passengers descended, the officers pounced upon the
personage whose appearance and vestments corresponded with their
instructions.
The resistance made by this personage only sharpened the zeal of the
officers who seized him, and, in spite of his remonstrances and cries,
carried him to the hôtel of the police, where M. Hérault was prepared
with the proofs of Poulailler's crimes. Two worthy citizens of Brussels
were there, anxious to see the murderer of their friend, the worthy
ecclesiastic, whose loss they so much deplored: but what was their joy,
and, it must be added, the disappointment of M. Hérault, when the
supposed criminal turned out to be no other than the good Dean de Potter
himself, safe and sound, but not a little indignant at the outrage which
he had sustained. Though a man of peace, his ire so far ruffled a
generally calm temper, that he could not help asking M. Hérault whether
Poulailler (from whom a second letter now arrived, laughing at their
beards) or he, M. Hérault, was the chief director of the police?
William of Deloraine, good at need--
By wily turns, by desperate bounds,
Had baffled Percy's best bloodhounds.
Five times outlawed had he been,
By England's king and Scotland's queen.
But he was never taken, and had no occasion for his
neck-verse at Hairibee,
even if he could have read it. Poulailler was arrested no less than five
times, and five times did he break his bonds. Like Jack Sheppard and
Claude Du Vall, he owed his escape in most instances to the frail fair
ones, who would have dared any thing in favor of their favorite, and
who, in Jack's case, joined on one occasion without jealousy in a
successful effort to save him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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