第 99 节
作者:
雨帆 更新:2022-08-21 16:33 字数:9322
〃I hope you are not in pain just now?〃
〃Oh; yes; I am still in pain; but not nearly so much;the music is so beautiful!〃
Now there was no music to be heard; either in the Tower or anywhere near。
Gomin; astonished; said to him; 〃From what direction do you hear this music?〃
〃From above!〃
〃Have you heard it long?〃
〃Since you knelt down。 Do you not hear it? Listen! Listen!〃 And the child; with a nervous motion; raised his faltering hand; as he opened his large eyes illuminated by delight。 His poor keeper; unwilling to destroy this last sweet illusion; appeared to listen also。
After a few minutes of attention the child again started; and cried out; in intense rapture; 〃Amongst all the voices I have distinguished that of my mother!〃
These were almost his last words。 At a quarter past two he died; Lasne only being in the room。 at the time。 Lasne acquainted Gomin and Damont; the commissary on duty; with the event; and they repaired to the chamber of death。 The poor little royal corpse was carried from the room into that where he had suffered so long;where for two years he had never ceased to suffer。 From this apartment the father had gone to the scaffold; and thence the son must pass to the burial…ground。 The remains were laid out on the bed; and the doors of the apartment were set open; doors which had remained closed ever since the Revolution had seized on a child; then full of vigour and grace and life and health!
At eight o'clock next morning (9th June) four members of the committee of general safety came to the Tower to make sure that the Prince was really dead。 When they were admitted to the death…chamber by Lasne and Damont they affected the greatest indifference。 〃The event is not of the least importance;〃 they repeated; several times over; 〃the police commissary of the section will come and receive the declaration of the decease; he will acknowledge it; and proceed to the interment without any ceremony; and the committee will give the necessary directions。〃 As they withdrew; some officers of the Temple guard asked to see the remains of little Capet。 Damont having observed that the guard would not permit the bier to pass without its being opened; the deputies decided that the officers and non…commissioned officers of the guard going off duty; together with those coming on; should be all invited to assure themselves of the child's death。 All having assembled in the room where the body lay; he asked them if they recognised it as that of the ex…Dauphin; son of the last King of France。 Those who had seen the young Prince at the Tuileries; or at the Temple (and most of them had); bore witness to its being the body of Louis XVII。 When they were come down into the council… room; Darlot drew up the minutes of this attestation; which was signed by a score of persons。 These minutes were inserted in the journal of the Temple tower; which was afterwards deposited in the office of the Minister of the Interior。
During this visit the surgeons entrusted with the autopsy arrived at the outer gate of the Temple。 These were Dumangin; head physician of the Hospice de 1'Unite; Pelletan; head surgeon of the Grand Hospice de 1'Humanite; Jeanroy; professor in the medical schools of Paris; and Laasus; professor of legal medicine at the Ecole de Sante of Paris。 The last two were selected by Dumangin and Pelletan because of the former connection of M。 Lassus with Mesdames de France; and of M。 Jeanroy with the House of Lorraine; which gave a peculiar weight to their signatures。 Gomin received them in the council…room; and detained them until the National Guard; descending from the second floor; entered to sign the minutes prepared by Darlot。 This done; Lasne; Darlot; and Bouquet went up again with the surgeons; and introduced them into the apartment of Louis XVII。; whom they at first examined as he lay on his death…bed; but M。 Jeanroy observing that the dim light of this room was but little favourable to the accomplishment of their mission; the commissaries prepared a table in the first room; near the window; on which the corpse was laid; and the surgeons began their melancholy operation。
At seven o'clock the police commissary ordered the body to be taken up; and that they should proceed to the cemetery。 It was the season of the longest days; and therefore the interment did not take place in secrecy and at night; as some misinformed narrators have said or written; it took place in broad daylight; and attracted a great concourse of people before the gates of the Temple palace。 One of the municipals wished to have the coffin carried out secretly by the door opening into the chapel enclosure; but M。 Duaser; police commiasary; who was specially entrusted with the arrangement of the ceremony; opposed this indecorous measure; and the procession passed out through the great gate。 The crowd that was pressing round was kept back; and compelled to keep a line; by a tricoloured ribbon; held at short distances by gendarmes。 Compassion and sorrow were impressed on every countenance。
A small detachment of the troops of the line from the garrison of Paris; sent by the authorities; was waiting to serve as an escort。 The bier; still covered with the pall; was carried on a litter on the shoulders of four men; who relieved each other two at a time; it was preceded by six or eight men; headed by a sergeant。 The procession was accompanied a long way by the crowd; and a great number of persona followed it even to the cemetery。 The name of 〃Little Capet;〃 and the more popular title of Dauphin; spread from lip to lip; with exclamations of pity and compassion。 The funeral entered the cemetery of Ste。 Marguerite; not by the church; as some accounts assert; but by the old gate of the cemetery。 The interment was made in the corner; on the left; at a distance of eight or nine feet from the enclosure wall; and at an equal distance from a small house; which subsequently served as a school。 The grave was filled up;no mound marked its place; and not even a trace remained of the interment! Not till then did the commissaries of police and the municipality withdraw; and enter the house opposite the church to draw up the declaration of interment。 It was nearly nine o'clock; and still daylight。
Release of Madame Royale。Her Marriage to the Duc d'Angouleme。 Return to France。Death。
The last person to hear of the sad events in the Temple was the one for whom they had the deepest and most painful interest。 After her brother's death the captivity of Madame Royale was much lightened。 She was allowed to walk in the Temple gardens; and to receive visits from some ladies of the old Court; and from Madame de Chantereine; who at last; after several times evading her questions; ventured cautiously to tell her of the deaths of her mother; aunt; and brother。 Madame Royale wept bitterly; but had much difficulty in expressing her feelings。 〃She spoke so confusedly;〃 says Madame de la Ramiere in a letter to Madame de Verneuil; 〃that it was difficult to understand her。 It took her more than a month's reading aloud; with careful study of pronunciation; to make herself intelligible;so much had she lost the power of expression。〃 She was dressed with plainness amounting to poverty; and her hands were disfigured by exposure to cold and by the menial work she had been so long accustomed to do for herself; and which it was difficult to persuade her to leave off。 When urged to accept the services of an attendant; she replied; with a sad prevision of the vicissitudes of her future life; that she did not like to form a habit which she might have again to abandon。 She suffered herself; however; to be persuaded gradually to modify her recluse and ascetic habits。 It was well she did so; as a preparation for the great changes about to follow。
Nine days after the death of her brother; the city of Orleans interceded for the daughter of Louis XVI。; and sent deputies to the Convention to pray for her deliverance and restoration to her family。 Names followed this example; and Charette; on the part of the Vendeans; demanded; as a condition of the pacification of La Vendee; that the Princess should be allowed to join her relations。 At length the Convention decreed that Madame Royale should be exchanged with Austria for the representatives and ministers whom Dumouriez had given up to the Prince of Cobourg; Drouet; Semonville; Maret; and other prisoners of importance。 At midnight on 19th December; 1795; which was her birthday; the Princess was released from prison; the Minister of the Interior; M。 Benezech; to avoid attracting public attention and possible disturbance; conducting her on foot from the Temple to a neighbouring street; where his carriage awaited her。 She made it her particular request that Gomin; who had been so devoted to her brother; should be the commissary appointed to accompany her to the frontier; Madame de Soucy; formerly under…governess to the children of France; was also in attendance; and the Princess took with her a dog named Coco; which had belonged to Louis XVI。
'The mention of the little dog taken from the Temple by Madame Royale reminds me how fond all the family were of these creatures。 Each P