“Beatrice de las Cisternas took the veil at an early age, not by her
own choice, but at the express command of her Parents. She was then too
young to regret the pleasures of which her profession deprived her: But
no sooner did her warm and voluptuous character begin to be developed
than She abandoned herself freely to the impulse of her passions, and
seized the first opportunity to procure their gratification. This
opportunity was at length presented, after many obstacles which only
added new force to her desires. She contrived to elope from the
Convent, and fled to Germany with the Baron Lindenberg. She lived at
his Castle several months as his avowed Concubine: All Bavaria was
scandalized by her impudent and abandoned conduct. Her feasts vied in
luxury with Cleopatra’s, and Lindenberg became the Theatre of the most
unbridled debauchery. Not satisfied with displaying the incontinence of
a Prostitute, She professed herself an Atheist: She took every
opportunity to scoff at her monastic vows, and loaded with ridicule the
most sacred ceremonies of Religion.
“Possessed of a character so depraved, She did not long confine her
affections to one object. Soon after her arrival at the Castle, the
Baron’s younger Brother attracted her notice by his strong-marked
features, gigantic Stature, and Herculean limbs. She was not of an
humour to keep her inclinations long unknown; But She found in Otto von
Lindenberg her equal in depravity. He returned her passion just
sufficiently to increase it; and when He had worked it up to the
desired pitch, He fixed the price of his love at his Brother’s murder.
The Wretch consented to this horrible agreement. A night was pitched
upon for perpetrating the deed. Otto, who resided on a small Estate a
few miles distant from the Castle, promised that at One in the morning
He would be waiting for her at Lindenberg Hole; that He would bring
with him a party of chosen Friends, by whose aid He doubted not being
able to make himself Master of the Castle; and that his next step
should be the uniting her hand to his. It was this last promise, which
overruled every scruple of Beatrice, since in spite of his affection
for her, the Baron had declared positively that He never would make her
his Wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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