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"Eternal spirit of the chainless mind!

Brightest in dungeons, Liberty! thou art,
For there thy habitation is the heart.
The heart which love of thee alone can bind ;
And when thy sons to fetters are consigned―

To fetters, and the damp vault's dayless gloom, Their country conquers with their martyrdom, And Freedom's fame finds wings on every wind. Chillon thy prison is a holy place,

And thy sad floor an altar-for 'twas trod,
Until his very steps have left a trace
Worn, as if thy cold pavements were a sod,
By Bonnivard!-may none those steps efface,
For they appeal from tyranny to God."

THE Castle of Chillon, which the writings of Byron and Rousseau have rendered so celebrated, stands at the head of Lake Leman, about fifty miles from Geneva. It is surrounded by a branch of the Alps, and is situated at the foot of one of them, on the edge of the water. The lofty hills around it, which cast their deep shadows upon its white walls, washed by the waves of the Lake, give it a gloomy appearance. It is a very large building, with several high towers, and is visible at a great distance on the Lake.

The foundation of Chillon rests on a huge rock, projecting into the water. It is separated from the shore by a deep moat, filled with water. The visitor, after crossing a small bridge and passing under a portcullis, enters a small courtyard in the interior of the Castle. Hence he is led down a few steps into a large hall under ground. This is the entrance to the dungeons, and here soldiers were stationed in

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ceiling; the floor and part of one wall are excavated from the damp rock on which the Castle stands. The seventh column is close to the wall at the further end, which is perfectly dark; there the spot is shown where the two brothers of Bonnivard where buried. At each column there still remains an iron ring, and around the pillar to which the "Prisoner" was chained, the rock seems somewhat worn. On this column are inscribed the names of Byron, Victor Hugo, and, I believe, Rousseau. From the narrow holes which admit the light can be seen the waves, dashing against the rocks below.

At the further end of the dungeon there was formerly a secret staircase, now walled up, which led to the Hall of Inquisition above. There the victims were tortured, and their fates decided; and from this Hall they were led either to the dungeons or to the gallows. Above this are seen the rooms of the Duke of Savoy, which he occupied on his visits to Chillon. These royal chambers, with their immense fireplaces and dreary appearance, would scarcely suit the royalty of the present age.

I can hardly imagine a more beautiful and striking scene than a sunset at Chillon. The sinking orb, reflected with doubled glory in the transparent lake, casts its last rays upon the surrounding mountains; while the shades of evening are slowly gathering around the gloomy walls of the old Castle. A few towns and villages appear in the distance; and thus lies the "small green isle, the only one in view," with its

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Bernese, was also used as such by them. It now belongs to the Canton of Vaud; and is a magazine for gunpowder and fire-arms.

A short account of the life of Bonnivard, the hero of Byron's "Prisoner of Chillon," may be interesting to those who have read that beautiful poem.

Francis de Bonnivard was the son of a martyr to the truth. He was by birth a Savoyard, but became a citizen of Geneva, and was one of its most zealous defenders. He was a man of an upright heart, a strong mind, and a courageous spirit; he sacrificed his riches and his liberty in the cause of freedom. He wrote an excellent history of Geneva

Bonnivard came forth openly in his youth as a defender of Geneva against the Duke of Savoy. In 1519 the Duke entered Geneva with five hundred men. Bonnivard feared his vengeance,

and tried to escape to Fribourg, but was betrayed by two men who accompanied him, and was taken to the Castle of Grolée. There he remained a prisoner for two years. After his release, he was taken on the Jura, by some robbers, who gave him up to the Duke of Savoy. He was then imprisoned in the dungeon of the Castle of Chillon, where he was confined for six years. When the Bernese took the Canton of Vaud, he was released by them.

Bonnivard had been a martyr in the cause of liberty; his love for Geneva and his ardor in defending it, had drawn upon him the hatred of his enemies. When he returned to Geneva, after his confinement in Chillon, he found that that city had embraced the Reformed faith. That Republic showed its gratitude to him by giving him a house and an annual pension. He afterwards became a member of the Council.

Bonnivard was a pious man, as well as a zealous patriot; he induced the government of Geneva to tolerate the Roman Catholics in that city. After a life of sufferings and benevolence. he died in 1570.

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