burlesques-第69章
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which we all feel for our sovereign。〃
〃THIRD EDITION。
〃A second courier has arrived。 The infatuated Crane has made
common cause with the Prince; and forever forfeited the respect of
Frenchmen。 A detachment of the 520th Leger has marched in pursuit
of the pretender and his dupes。 Go; Frenchmen; go and conquer!
Remember that it is our rights you guard; our homes which you march
to defend; our laws which are confided to the points of your
unsullied bayonets;above all; our dear; dear sovereign; around
whose throne you rally!
〃Our feelings overpower us。 Men of the 520th; remember your
watchword is Gemappes;your countersign; Valmy。〃
〃The Emperor of Russia and his distinguished family quitted the
Tuileries this day。 His Imperial Majesty embraced his Majesty the
King of the French with tears in his eyes; and conferred upon their
RR。 HH。 the Princes of Nemours and Joinville; the Grand Cross of
the Order of the Blue Eagle。〃
〃His Majesty passed a review of the Police force。 The venerable
monarch was received with deafening cheers by this admirable and
disinterested body of men。 Those cheers were echoed in all French
hearts。 Long; long may our beloved Prince be among us to receive
them!〃
CHAPTER II。
HENRY V。 AND NAPOLEON III。
Sunday; February 30th。
We resume our quotations from the Debats; which thus introduces a
third pretender to the throne:
〃Is this distracted country never to have peace? While on Friday
we recorded the pretensions of a maniac to the great throne of
France; while on Saturday we were compelled to register the
culpable attempts of one whom we regard as a ruffian; murderer;
swindler; forger; burglar; and common pickpocket; to gain over
the allegiance of Frenchmenit is to…day our painful duty to
announce a THIRD invasionyes; a third invasion。 The wretched;
superstitious; fanatic Duke of Bordeaux has landed at Nantz; and
has summoned the Vendeans and the Bretons to mount the white
cockade。
〃Grand Dieu! are we not happy under the tricolor? Do we not repose
under the majestic shadow of the best of kings? Is there any name
prouder than that of Frenchman; any subject more happy than that of
our sovereign? Does not the whole French family adore their
father? Yes。 Our lives; our hearts; our blood; our fortune; are
at his disposal: it was not in vain that we raised; it is not the
first time we have rallied round; the august throne of July。 The
unhappy Duke is most likely a prisoner by this time; and the
martial court which shall be called upon to judge one infamous
traitor and pretender; may at the same moment judge another。 Away
with both! let the ditch of Vincennes (which has been already fatal
to his race) receive his body; too; and with it the corpse of the
other pretender。 Thus will a great crime be wiped out of history;
and the manes of a slaughtered martyr avenged!
〃One word more。 We hear that the Duke of Jenkins accompanies the
descendant of Caroline of Naples。 An ENGLISH DUKE; entendez…vous!
An English Duke; great heaven! and the Princes of England still
dancing in our royal halls! Where; where will the perfidy of
Albion end?〃
〃The King reviewed the third and fourth battalions of Police。 The
usual heart…rending cheers accompanied the monarch; who looked
younger than ever we saw himay; as young as when he faced the
Austrian cannon at Valmy and scattered their squadrons at Gemappes。
〃Rations of liquor; and crosses of the Legion of Honor; were
distributed to all the men。
〃The English Princes quitted the Tuileries in twenty…three coaches…
and…four。 They were not rewarded with crosses of the Legion of
Honor。 This is significant。〃
〃The Dukes of Joinville and Nemours left the palace for the
departments of the Loire and Upper Rhine; where they will take the
command of the troops。 The Joinville regimentCavalerie de la
Marineis one of the finest in the service。〃
〃Orders have been given to arrest the fanatic who calls himself
Duke of Brittany; and who has been making some disturbances in the
Pas de Calais。〃
〃ANECDOTE OF HIS MAJESTY。At the review of troops (Police)
yesterday; his Majesty; going up to one old grognard and pulling
him by the ear; said; 'Wilt thou have a cross or another ration of
wine?' The old hero; smiling archly; answered; 'Sire; a brave man
can gain a cross any day of battle; but it is hard for him
sometimes to get a drink of wine。' We need not say that he had his
drink; and the generous sovereign sent him the cross and ribbon
too。〃
On the next day; the Government journals began to write in rather a
despondent tone regarding the progress of the pretenders to the
throne。 In spite of their big talking; anxiety is clearly
manifested; as appears from the following remarks of the Debats:
〃The courier from the Rhine department;〃 says the Debats; 〃brings
us the following astounding Proclamation:
〃'Strasburg; xxii。 Nivose: Decadi。 92nd year of the Republic; one
and indivisible。 We; John Thomas Napoleon; by the constitutions of
the Empire; Emperor of the French Republic; to our marshals;
generals; officers; and soldiers; greeting:
〃'Soldiers!
〃'From the summit of the Pyramids forty centuries look down upon
you。 The sun of Austerlitz has risen once more。 The Guard dies;
but never surrenders。 My eagles; flying from steeple to steeple;
never shall droop till they perch on the towers of Notre Dame。
〃'Soldiers! the child of YOUR FATHER has remained long in exile。
I have seen the fields of Europe where your laurels are now
withering; and I have communed with the dead who repose beneath
them。 They ask where are our children? Where is France? Europe
no longer glitters with the shine of its triumphant bayonets
echoes no more with the shouts of its victorious cannon。 Who could
reply to such a question save with a blush?And does a blush
become the cheeks of Frenchmen?
〃'No。 Let us wipe from our faces that degrading mark of shame。
Come; as of old; and rally round my eagles! You have been subject
to fiddling prudence long enough。 Come; worship now at the shrine
of Glory! You have been promised liberty; but you have had none。
I will endow you with the true; the real freedom。 When your
ancestors burst over the Alps; were they not free? Yes; free to
conquer。 Let us imitate the example of those indomitable myriads;
and; flinging a defiance to Europe; once more trample over her;
march in triumph into her prostrate capitals; and bring her kings
with her treasures at our feet。 This is the liberty worthy of
Frenchmen。
〃'Frenchmen! I promise you that the Rhine shall be restored to you;
and that England shall rank no more among the nations。 I will have
a marine that shall drive her ships from the seas; a few of my
brave regiments will do the rest。 Henceforth; the traveller in
that desert island shall ask; 〃Was it this wretched corner of the
world that for a thousand years defied Frenchmen?〃
〃'Frenchmen; up and rally!I have flung my banner to the breezes;
'tis surrounded by the faithful and the brave。 Up; and let our
motto be; LIBERTY; EQUALITY; WAR ALL OVER THE WORLD!
〃'NAPOLEON III。
〃'The Marshal of the Empire; HARICOT。'
〃Such is the Proclamation! such the hopes that a brutal…minded and
bloody adventurer holds out to our country。 'War all over the
world;' is the cry of the savage demon; and the fiends who have
rallied round him echo it in concert。 We were not; it appears;
correct in stating that a corporal's guard had been sufficient to
seize upon the marauder; when the first fire would have served to
conclude his miserable life。 But; like a hideous disease; the
contagion has spread; the remedy must be dreadful。 Woe to those on
whom it will fall!
〃His Royal Highness the Prince of Joinville; Admiral of France; has
hastened; as we before stated; to the disturbed districts; and
takes with him his Cavalerie de la Marine。 It is hard to think
that the blades of those chivalrous heroes must be buried in the
bosoms of Frenchmen: but so be it: it is those monsters who have
asked for blood; not we。 It is those ruffians who have begun the
quarrel; not we。 WE remain calm and hopeful; reposing under the
protection of the dearest and best of sovereigns。
〃The wretched pretender; who called himself Duke of Brittany; has
been seized; according to our prophecy: he was brought before the
Prefect of Police yesterday; and his insanity being proved beyond a
doubt; he has been consigned to a strait…waistcoat at Charenton。
So may all incendiary enemies of our Government be overcome!
〃His Royal Highness the Duke of Nemours is gone into the department
of the Loire; where he will speedily put an end to the troubles in
the disturbed districts of the Bocage and La Vendee。 The foolish
young Prince; who has there raised his standard; is followed; we
hear; by a small number of wretched persons; of whose massacre we
expect every moment to receive the news。 He too has issued his
Proclamation; and our readers will smile at its contents:
〃'WE HENRY; Fifth of the Name; King of France and Navarre; to all
whom it may concern; greeting:
〃'After years of exile we have once more unfurled in France the
banner of the lilies。 Once more the white plume of Henri IV。
floats in the crest of his little son (petit fils)! Gallant
nobles! worthy burgesses! honest commons of my realm; I call upon
you to rally round the oriflamme of France; and summon the ban
arriereban of my kingdoms。 To my faithful Bretons I need not
appeal。 The country of Duguesclin has loyalty for an heirloom! To
the rest of my subjects; my atheist misguided subjects; their
father makes one last appeal。 Come to me; my children! your errors
shall be forgiven。 Our Holy Father; the Pope; shall intercede for
you。 He promised it when; before my departure on this expedition;
I kissed his inviolable toe!
〃'Our afflicted country cries aloud for reforms。 The infamous
universities shall be abolished。 Education shall no longer be
permitted。 A sacred and wholesome inquisition shall be established。
My faithful nobles shall pay no more taxes。 All the venerable
institutions of our country shall be restored as they existed before
1788。 Convents and monasteries again shall ornament our country;
the calm nurseries of saints and holy women! Heresy shall be
extirpated with paternal severity; and our country shall be free
once more。
〃'His Majesty the King of Ireland; my august ally; has sent; under
the command of His Royal Highness Prince Daniel; his Majesty's
youngest son; an irresistible IRISH BRIGADE; to co…operate in the
good work。 His Grace the Lion of Judah; the canonized patriarch of
Tuam; blessed their green banner before they set forth。 Henceforth
may the lili