the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第1章

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The　Black　Tulip

by　Alexandre　Dumas；　Pere




Chapter　1

A　Grateful　People　


On　the　20th　of　August；　1672；　the　city　of　the　Hague；　always　
so　lively；　so　neat；　and　so　trim　that　one　might　believe　every　
day　to　be　Sunday；　with　its　shady　park；　with　its　tall　trees；　
spreading　over　its　Gothic　houses；　with　its　canals　like　large　
mirrors；　in　which　its　steeples　and　its　almost　Eastern　
cupolas　are　reflected；　　the　city　of　the　Hague；　the　capital　
of　the　Seven　United　Provinces；　was　swelling　in　all　its　
arteries　with　a　black　and　red　stream　of　hurried；　panting；　
and　restless　citizens；　who；　with　their　knives　in　their　
girdles；　muskets　on　their　shoulders；　or　sticks　in　their　
hands；　were　pushing　on　to　the　Buytenhof；　a　terrible　prison；　
the　grated　windows　of　which　are　still　shown；　where；　on　the　
charge　of　attempted　murder　preferred　against　him　by　the　
surgeon　Tyckelaer；　Cornelius　de　Witt；　the　brother　of　the　
Grand　Pensionary　of　Holland　was　confined。　

If　the　history　of　that　time；　and　especially　that　of　the　year　
in　the　middle　of　which　our　narrative　commences；　were　not　
indissolubly　connected　with　the　two　names　just　mentioned；　
the　few　explanatory　pages　which　we　are　about　to　add　might　
appear　quite　supererogatory；　but　we　will；　from　the　very　
first；　apprise　the　reader　　our　old　friend；　to　whom　we　are　
wont　on　the　first　page　to　promise　amusement；　and　with　whom　
we　always　try　to　keep　our　word　as　well　as　is　in　our　power　　
that　this　explanation　is　as　indispensable　to　the　right　
understanding　of　our　story　as　to　that　of　the　great　event　
itself　on　which　it　is　based。　

Cornelius　de　Witt；　Ruart　de　Pulten；　that　is　to　say；　warden　
of　the　dikes；　ex…burgomaster　of　Dort；　his　native　town；　and　
member　of　the　Assembly　of　the　States　of　Holland；　was　
forty…nine　years　of　age；　when　the　Dutch　people；　tired　of　the　
Republic　such　as　John　de　Witt；　the　Grand　Pensionary　of　
Holland；　understood　it；　at　once　conceived　a　most　violent　
affection　for　the　Stadtholderate；　which　had　been　abolished　
for　ever　in　Holland　by　the　〃Perpetual　Edict〃　forced　by　John　
de　Witt　upon　the　United　Provinces。　

As　it　rarely　happens　that　public　opinion；　in　its　whimsical　
flights；　does　not　identify　a　principle　with　a　man；　thus　the　
people　saw　the　personification　of　the　Republic　in　the　two　
stern　figures　of　the　brothers　De　Witt；　those　Romans　of　
Holland；　spurning　to　pander　to　the　fancies　of　the　mob；　and　
wedding　themselves　with　unbending　fidelity　to　liberty　
without　licentiousness；　and　prosperity　without　the　waste　of　
superfluity；　on　the　other　hand；　the　Stadtholderate　recalled　
to　the　popular　mind　the　grave　and　thoughtful　image　of　the　
young　Prince　William　of　Orange。　

The　brothers　De　Witt　humoured　Louis　XIV。；　whose　moral　
influence　was　felt　by　the　whole　of　Europe；　and　the　pressure　
of　whose　material　power　Holland　had　been　made　to　feel　in　
that　marvellous　campaign　on　the　Rhine；　which；　in　the　space　
of　three　months；　had　laid　the　power　of　the　United　Provinces　
prostrate。　

Louis　XIV。　had　long　been　the　enemy　of　the　Dutch；　who　
insulted　or　ridiculed　him　to　their　hearts'　content；　although　
it　must　be　said　that　they　generally　used　French　refugees　for　
the　mouthpiece　of　their　spite。　Their　national　pride　held　him　
up　as　the　Mithridates　of　the　Republic。　The　brothers　De　Witt；　
therefore；　had　to　strive　against　a　double　difficulty；　　
against　the　force　of　national　antipathy；　and；　besides；　
against　the　feeling　of　weariness　which　is　natural　to　all　
vanquished　people；　when　they　hope　that　a　new　chief　will　be　
able　to　save　them　from　ruin　and　shame。　

This　new　chief；　quite　ready　to　appear　on　the　political　
stage；　and　to　measure　himself　against　Louis　XIV。；　however　
gigantic　the　fortunes　of　the　Grand　Monarch　loomed　in　the　
future；　was　William；　Prince　of　Orange；　son　of　William　II。；　
and　grandson；　by　his　mother　Henrietta　Stuart；　of　Charles　I。　
of　England。　We　have　mentioned　him　before　as　the　person　by　
whom　the　people　expected　to　see　the　office　of　Stadtholder　
restored。　

This　young　man　was；　in　1672；　twenty…two　years　of　age。　John　
de　Witt；　who　was　his　tutor；　had　brought　him　up　with　the　view　
of　making　him　a　good　citizen。　Loving　his　country　better　than　
he　did　his　disciple；　the　master　had；　by　the　Perpetual　Edict；　
extinguished　the　hope　which　the　young　Prince　might　have　
entertained　of　one　day　becoming　Stadtholder。　But　God　laughs　
at　the　presumption　of　man；　who　wants　to　raise　and　prostrate　
the　powers　on　earth　without　consulting　the　King　above；　and　
the　fickleness　and　caprice　of　the　Dutch　combined　with　the　
terror　inspired　by　Louis　XIV。；　in　repealing　the　Perpetual　
Edict；　and　re…establishing　the　office　of　Stadtholder　in　
favour　of　William　of　Orange；　for　whom　the　hand　of　Providence　
had　traced　out　ulterior　destinies　on　the　hidden　map　of　the　
future。　

The　Grand　Pensionary　bowed　before　the　will　of　his　fellow　
citizens；　Cornelius　de　Witt；　however；　was　more　obstinate；　
and　notwithstanding　all　the　threats　of　death　from　the　
Orangist　rabble；　who　besieged　him　in　his　house　at　Dort；　he　
stoutly　refused　to　sign　the　act　by　which　the　office　of　
Stadtholder　was　restored。　Moved　by　the　tears　and　entreaties　
of　his　wife；　he　at　last　complied；　only　adding　to　his　
signature　the　two　letters　V。　C。　（Vi　Coactus）；　notifying　
thereby　that　he　only　yielded　to　force。　

It　was　a　real　miracle　that　on　that　day　he　escaped　from　the　
doom　intended　for　him。　

John　de　Witt　derived　no　advantage　from　his　ready　compliance　
with　the　wishes　of　his　fellow　citizens。　Only　a　few　days　
after；　an　attempt　was　made　to　stab　him；　in　which　he　was　
severely　although　not　mortally　wounded。　

This　by　no　means　suited　the　views　of　the　Orange　faction。　The　
life　of　the　two　brothers　being　a　constant　obstacle　to　their　
plans；　they　changed　their　tactics；　and　tried　to　obtain　by　
calumny　what　they　had　not　been　able　to　effect　by　the　aid　of　
the　poniard。　

How　rarely　does　it　happen　that；　in　the　right　moment；　a　great　
man　is　found　to　head　the　execution　of　vast　and　noble　
designs；　and　for　that　reason；　when　such　a　providential　
concurrence　of　circumstances　does　occur；　history　is　prompt　
to　record　the　name　of　the　chosen　one；　and　to　hold　him　up　to　
the　admiration　of　posterity。　But　when　Satan　interposes　in　
human　affairs　to　cast　a　shadow　upon　some　happy　existence；　or　
to　overthrow　a　kingdom；　it　seldom　happens　that　he　does　not　
find　at　his　side　some　miserable　tool；　in　whose　ear　he　has　
but　to　whisper　a　word　to　set　him　at　once　about　his　task。　

The　wretched　tool　who　was　at　hand　to　be　the　agent　of　this　
dastardly　plot　was　one　Tyckelaer　whom　we　have　already　
mentioned；　a　surgeon　by　profession。　

He　lodged　an　information　against　Cornelius　de　Witt；　setting　
forth　that　the　warden　　who；　as　he　had　shown　by　the　letters　
added　to　his　signature；　was　fuming　at　the　repeal　of　the　
Perpetual　Edict　　had；　from　hatred　against　William　of　
Orange；　hired　an　assassin　to　deliver　the　new　Republic　of　its　
new　Stadtholder；　and　he；　Tyckelaer　was　the　person　thus　
chosen；　but　that；　horrified　at　the　bare　idea　of　the　act　
which　he　was　asked　to　perpetrate；　he　had　preferred　rather　to　
reveal　the　crime　than　to　commit　it。　

This　disclosure　was；　indeed；　well　calculated　to　call　forth　a　
furious　outbreak　among　the　Orange　faction。　The　Attorney　
General　caused；　on　the　16th　of　August；　1672；　Cornelius　de　
Witt　to　be　arrested；　and　the　noble　brother　of　John　de　Witt　
had；　like　the　vilest　criminal；　to　undergo；　in　one　of　the　
apartments　of　the　town　prison；　the　preparatory　degrees　of　
torture；　by　means　of　which　his　judges　expected　to　force　from　
him　the　confession　of　his　alleged　plot　against　William　of　
Orange。　

But　Cornelius　was　not　only　possessed　of　a　great　mind；　but　
also　of　a　great　heart。　He　belonged　to　that　race　of　martyrs　
who；　indissolubly　wedded　to　their　political　convictions　as　
their　ancestors　were　to　their　faith；　are　able　to　smile　on　
pain：　while　being　stretched　on　the　rack；　he　recited　with　a　
firm　voice；　and　scanning　the　lines　according　to　measure；　the　
first　strophe　of　the　〃Justum　ac　tenacem〃　of　Horace；　and；　
making　no　confession；　tired　not　only　the　strength；　but　even　
the　fanaticism；　of　his　executioners。　

The　judges；　notwithstanding；　acquitted　Tyckelaer　from　every　
charge；　at　the　same　time　sentencing　Cornelius　to　be　deposed　
from　all　his　offices　and　dignities；　to　pay　all　the　costs　of　
the　trial；　and　to　be　banished　from　the　soil　of　the　Republic　
for　ever。　

This　judgment　against　not　only　an　innocent；　but　also　a　great　
man；　was　indeed　some　gratification　to　the　passions　of　the　
people；　to　whose　interests　Cornelius　de　Witt　had　always　
devoted　himself：　but；　as　we　shall　soon　see；　it　was　not　
enough。　

The　Athenians；　who　indeed　have　left　behind　them　a　pretty　
tolerable　reputation　for　ingratitude；　have　in　this　respect　
to　yield　precedence　to　the　Dutch。　They；　at　least　in　the　case　
of　Aristides；　contented　themselves　with　banishing　him。　

John　de　Witt；　at　the　first　intimation　of　the　charge　brought　
against　his　brother；　had　resigned　his　office　of　Grand　
Pensionary。　He　too　received　a　noble　recompense　for　his　
devotedness　to　the　best　interests　of　his　country；　taking　
with　him　into　the　retirement　of　private　life　the　hatred　of　a　
host　of　enemies；　and　the　fresh　scars　of　wounds　inflicted　by　
assassins；　only　too　often　the　sole　guerdon　obtained　by　
honest　people；　who　are　guilty　of　having　worked　for　their　
country；　and　of　having　forgotten　their　own　private　
interests。　

In　the　meanwhile　William　of　Orange　urged　on　the　course　of　
events　by　every　means　in　his　power；　eagerly　waiting　for　the　
time　when　the　people；　by　whom　he　was　idolised；　should　have　
made　of　the　bodies　of　the　brothers　the　two　steps　over　which　
he　might　ascend　to　the　chair　of　Stadtholder。　

Thus；　then；　on　the　20th　of　August；　1672；　as　we　have　already　
stated　in　the　beginning　of　this　chapter；　the　whole　town　was　
crowding　towards　the　Buytenhof；　to　witness　the　departure　of　
Cornelius　de　Witt　from　prison；　as　he　was　going　to　exile；　and　
to　see　what　traces　the　torture　of　the　rack　had　left　on　the　
noble　frame　of　the　man　who　knew　his　Horace　so　well。　

Yet　all　this　multitude　was　not　crowding　to　the　Buytenhof　
with　the　innocent　view　of　merely　feasting　their　eyes　with　
the　spectacle；　there　were　many　who　went　there　to　play　an　
active　part　in　it；　and　to　take　upon　themselves　an　office　
which　they　conceived　had　been　badly　filled；　　that　of　the　
executioner。　

There　were；　indeed；　others　with　less　hostile　intentions。　All　
that　they　cared　for　was　the　spectacle；　always　so　attractive　
to　the　mob；　whose　instinctive　pride　is　flattered　by　it；　　
the　sight　of　greatness　hurled　down　into　the　dust。　

〃Has　not；〃　they　would　say；　〃this　Cornelius　de　Witt　been　
locked　up　and　broken　by　the　rack？　Shall　we　not　see　him　pale；　
streaming　with　blood；　covered　with　shame？〃　And　was　not　this　
a　sweet　triumph　for　the　burghers　of　the　Hague；　whose　envy　
even　beat　that　of　the　common　rabble；　a　triumph　in　which　
every　honest　citizen　and　townsman　might　be　expected　to　
share？　

〃Moreover；〃　hinted　the　Orange　agitators　interspersed　through　
the　crowd；　whom　they　hoped　to　manage　like　a　sharp…edged　and　
at　the　same　time　crushing　instrument；　　〃moreover；　will　
there　not；　from　the　Buytenhof　to　the　gate　of　the　town；　a　
nice　little　opportun