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    was just congratulating himself on the pleasure of having such a winter room as this , when one morning the guard announced the intention of giving him another apartment . ' And where ? ' asked Pellico . 4 At a little distance—a more airy room . ' c And why not think of that when I was perishing from the heat , and the air

    was filled with gnats ? ' ' The order did not come then . ' The room in which they placed him was under the leads still , but east and west , with two windows opposite , a region of perpetual cold draughts , and of dreadful severity in the winter months ; the eastern window was large , the western small and high . Here it was that he seems first to have experienced the nervous sufferings we mentioned . Sleep deserted him , and horrible and tormenting

    images came thronging round . He fancied that in this new apartment there was some concealed aperture by which his tormentors espied all he did , and amused themselves with mocking him : he thought when standing in his room that some one pulled him by the coat , or blew the light to make it waste the sooner . Then he strove to ascertain whether it was reality or illusion . The rising sun generally brought refreshment , and for a while

    dispelled his fancies ; but with evening they returned , and every night was a renewal or increase of horrors . In the day , being ashamed that these feelings should be discovered by the guards , he assumed the appearance of the greatest cheerfulness . No one would have believed his sufferings ; but happily a violent fit of indisposition , attended by vomitings , wrought a change in his nightly miseries , and he once more slept .

    The humanity of Pellicos immediate guardians , in all his different places of confinement , is a very pleasing subject of reflection . The keepers of all these different state prisoners appear to have regarded them with absolute affection , and though in general inexorable in adhering to every rule laid down , did not make the bread of captivity more bitter by taunts and harshness . On the kindness and sympathy of these men , on every act indeed

    of friendliness which he and his comrades in adversity received from human beings , Pellico dwells with almost enthusiastic gratitude . It is impossible not to feel that to their wants and weaknesses , had they needed him , he would have ministered with all the ardour of an affectionate nature . Of the priests who at various times were sent to administer spiritual consolation to the prisoners , he also speaks in the highest terms . As Germans , they

    were at first regarded with some jealousy by the captives ; it was natural to suspect that they might be in league with their persecutors ; but in no instance did they find just ground for these suspicions . They never endeavoured to extract their political secrets ; they were uniformly pious , sympathizing , well informed , and mostly able men , and gave him a very high opinion of the character of the German Catholic clergy . In January , 1822 , Pellico was removed to the dungeons of St .

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    Sihio Pettico . 40 ?

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1833, page 407, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2616/page/47/