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burlesques-第70章

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Tuam; blessed their green banner before they set forth。  Henceforth

may the lilies and the harp be ever twined together。  Together we

will make a crusade against the infidels of Albion; and raze their

heretic domes to the ground。  Let our cry be; Vive la France! down

with England!  Montjoie St。 Denis!



〃'BY THE KING。



〃'The Secretary of State and Grand Inquisitor。 。 。 LA ROUE。

  The Marshal of France。 。 。 POMADOUR DE L'AILE DE PIGEON。

  The General Commander…in…Chief of the Irish Brigade in the service

  of his Most Christian Majesty。 。 。 DANIEL; PRINCE OF BALLYBUNION。



'HENRI。〃'





〃His Majesty reviewed the admirable Police force; and held a

council of Ministers in the afternoon。  Measures were concerted for

the instant putting down of the disturbances in the departments of

the Rhine and Loire; and it is arranged that on the capture of the

pretenders; they shall be lodged in separate cells in the prison of

the Luxembourg: the apartments are already prepared; and the

officers at their posts。



〃The grand banquet that was to be given at the palace to…day to the

diplomatic body; has been put off; all the ambassadors being

attacked with illness; which compels them to stay at home。〃





〃The ambassadors despatched couriers to their various Governments。〃





〃His Majesty the King of the Belgians left the palace of the

Tuileries。〃





CHAPTER III。



THE ADVANCE OF THE PRETENDERS。HISTORICAL REVIEW。





We will now resume the narrative; and endeavor to compress; in a

few comprehensive pages; the facts which are more diffusely

described in the print from which we have quoted。



It was manifest; then; that the troubles in the departments were

of a serious nature; and that the forces gathered round the two

pretenders to the crown were considerable。  They had their

supporters too in Parisas what party indeed has not? and the

venerable occupant of the throne was in a state of considerable

anxiety; and found his declining years by no means so comfortable

as his virtues and great age might have warranted。



His paternal heart was the more grieved when he thought of the fate

reserved to his children; grandchildren; and great…grandchildren;

now sprung up around him in vast numbers。  The King's grandson; the

Prince Royal; married to a Princess of the house of Schlippen…

Schloppen; was the father of fourteen children; all handsomely

endowed with pensions by the State。  His brother; the Count D'Eu;

was similarly blessed with a multitudinous offspring。  The Duke of

Nemours had no children; but the Princes of Joinville; Aumale; and

Montpensier (married to the Princesses Januaria and Februaria; of

Brazil; and the Princess of the United States of America; erected

into a monarchy; 4th July; 1856; under the Emperor Duff Green I。)

were the happy fathers of immense familiesall liberally

apportioned by the Chambers; which had long been entirely

subservient to his Majesty Louis Philippe。



The Duke of Aumale was King of Algeria; having married (in the

first instance) the Princess Badroulboudour; a daughter of his

Highness Abd…El…Kader。  The Prince of Joinville was adored by the

nation; on account of his famous victory over the English fleet

under the command of Admiral the Prince of Wales; whose ship; the

〃Richard Cobden;〃 of 120 guns; was taken by the 〃Belle…Poule〃

frigate of 36; on which occasion forty…five other ships of war and

79 steam…frigates struck their colors to about one…fourth the

number of the heroic French navy。  The victory was mainly owing to

the gallantry of the celebrated French horse…marines; who executed

several brilliant charges under the orders of the intrepid

Joinville; and though the Irish Brigade; with their ordinary

modesty; claimed the honors of the day; yet; as only three of that

nation were present in the action; impartial history must award the

palm to the intrepid sons of Gaul。



With so numerous a family quartered on the nation; the solicitude

of the admirable King may be conceived; lest a revolution should

ensue; and fling them on the world once more。  How could he support

so numerous a family?  Considerable as his wealth was (for he was

known to have amassed about a hundred and thirteen billions; which

were lying in the caves of the Tuileries); yet such a sum was quite

insignificant; when divided among his progeny; and; besides; he

naturally preferred getting from the nation as much as his faithful

people could possibly afford。



Seeing the imminency of the danger; and that money; well applied;

is often more efficacious than the conqueror's sword; the King's

Ministers were anxious that he should devote a part of his savings

to the carrying on of the war。  But; with the cautiousness of age;

the monarch declined this offer; he preferred; he said; throwing

himself upon his faithful people; who; he was sure; would meet; as

became them; the coming exigency。  The Chambers met his appeal with

their usual devotion。  At a solemn convocation of those legislative

bodies; the King; surrounded by his family; explained the

circumstances and the danger。  His Majesty; his family; his

Ministers; and the two Chambers; then burst into tears; according

to immemorial usage; and raising their hands to the ceiling; swore

eternal fidelity to the dynasty and to France; and embraced each

other affectingly all round。



It need not be said that in the course of that evening two hundred

Deputies of the Left left Paris; and joined the Prince John Thomas

Napoleon; who was now advanced as far as Dijon: two hundred and

fifty…three (of the Right; the Centre; and Round the Corner;)

similarly quitted the capital to pay their homage to the Duke of

Bordeaux。  They were followed; according to their several political

predilections; by the various Ministers and dignitaries of the

State。  The only Minister who remained in Paris was Marshal Thiers;

Prince of Waterloo (he had defeated the English in the very field

where they had obtained formerly a success; though the victory was

as usual claimed by the Irish Brigade); but age had ruined the

health and diminished the immense strength of that gigantic leader;

and it is said his only reason for remaining in Paris was because a

fit of the gout kept him in bed。



The capital was entirely tranquil。  The theatres and cafes were

open as usual; and the masked balls attended with great enthusiasm:

confiding in their hundred and twenty…four forts; the light…minded

people had nothing to fear。



Except in the way of money; the King left nothing undone to

conciliate his people。  He even went among them with his umbrella;

but they were little touched with that mark of confidence。  He

shook hands with everybody; he distributed crosses of the Legion of

Honor in such multitudes; that red ribbon rose two hundred per cent

in the market (by which his Majesty; who speculated in the article;

cleared a tolerable sum of money)。  But these blandishments and

honors had little effect upon an apathetic people; and the enemy

of the Orleans dynasty; the fashionable young nobles of the

Henriquinquiste party; wore gloves perpetually; for fear (they

said) that they should be obliged to shake hands with the best of

kings; while the republicans adopted coats without button…holes;

lest they should be forced to hang red ribbons in them。  The funds

did not fluctuate in the least。



The proclamations of the several pretenders had had their effect。

The young men of the schools and the estaminets (celebrated places

of public education) allured by the noble words of Prince Napoleon;

〃Liberty; equality; war all over the world!〃 flocked to his

standard in considerable numbers: while the noblesse naturally

hastened to offer their allegiance to the legitimate descendant of

Saint Louis。



And truly; never was there seen a more brilliant chivalry than that

collected round the gallant Prince Henry!  There was not a man in

his army but had lacquered boots and fresh white kid…gloves at

morning and evening parade。  The fantastic and effeminate but brave

and faithful troops were numbered off into different legions: there

was the Fleur…d'Orange regiment; the Eau…de…Rose battalion; the

Violet…Pomatum volunteers; the Eau…de…Cologne cavalryaccording to

the different scents which they affected。  Most of the warriors

wore lace ruffles; all powder and pigtails; as in the real days of

chivalry。  A band of heavy dragoons under the command of Count

Alfred de Horsay made themselves conspicuous for their discipline;

cruelty; and the admirable cut of their coats; and with these

celebrated horsemen came from England the illustrious Duke of

Jenkins with his superb footmen。  They were all six feet high。

They all wore bouquets of the richest flowers: they wore bags;

their hair slightly powdered; brilliant shoulder…knots; and cocked…

hats laced with gold。  They wore the tight knee…pantaloon of

velveteen peculiar to this portion of the British infantry: and

their legs were so superb; that the Duke of Bordeaux; embracing

with tears their admirable leader on parade; said; 〃Jenkins; France

never saw such calves until now。〃  The weapon of this tremendous

militia was an immense club or cane; reaching from the sole of the

foot to the nose; and heavily mounted with gold。  Nothing could

stand before this terrific weapon; and the breast…plates and plumed

morions of the French cuirassiers would have been undoubtedly

crushed beneath them; had they ever met in mortal combat。  Between

this part of the Prince's forces and the Irish auxiliaries there

was a deadly animosity。  Alas; there always is such in camps!  The

sons of Albion had not forgotten the day when the children of Erin

had been subject to their devastating sway。



The uniform of the latter was variousthe rich stuff called corps…

du…roy (worn by Coeur de Lion at Agincourt) formed their lower

habiliments for the most part: the national frieze* yielded them

tail…coats。  The latter was generally torn in a fantastic manner at

the elbows; skirts; and collars; and fastened with every variety of

button; tape; and string。  Their weapons were the caubeen; the

alpeen; and the doodeen of the countrythe latter a short but

dreadful weapon of offence。  At the demise of the venerable

Theobald Mathew; the nation had laid aside its habit of temperance;

and universal intoxication betokened their grief; it became

afterwards their constant habit。  Thus do men ever return to the

haunts of their childhood: such a power has fond memory over us!

The leaders of this host seem to have been; however; an effeminate

race; they are represented by contemporary historians as being

passionately fond of FLYING KITES。  Others say they went into

battle armed with 〃bills;〃 no doubt rude weapons; for it is stated

that foreigners could never be got to accept them in lieu of their

own arms。  The Princes of Mayo; Donegal; and Conn

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