第 81 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-21 16:34      字数:9321
  the unhappy man who was now on his way to the scaffold; and who was
  once King of France。
  All at once there arose a movement in this dreadful hedge of armed
  men; through which the carriage was passing。 Two young men cried:
  〃To us; Frenchmento us; all who want to save the king!〃
  But the cry found no response。 Every one looked horrified at his
  neighbor; and believed he saw in him a spy or a murderer; fear
  benumbed all their souls; and the silence of death reigned around。
  The two young men wanted to flee; to escape into a house close by。
  But the door was closed; and before the very door they were cut down
  and hewn in pieces by the exasperated sans…culottes。
  The carriage of the king rolled on; and Louis paid no more attention
  to objects around him; in the prayer…book which he carried in his
  hands he read the petitions for the dying; and the abbe prayed with
  him。
  The coachman halted at the foot of the scaffold; and the king
  dismounted。 A forest of pikes surrounded the spot。 The drummers beat
  loudly; but the king cried with a loud voice; 〃Silence!〃 and the
  noise ceased。 On that; Santerre sprang forward and commanded them to
  commence beating their drums again; and they obeyed him。 The king
  took off his upper garments; and the executioners approached to cut
  off his hair。 He quietly let this be done; but when they wanted to
  tie his hands; his eyes flashed with anger; and with a firm voice he
  refused to allow them to do so。
  〃Sire;〃 said the priest; 〃I see in this new insult only a fresh
  point of resemblance between your majesty and our Saviour; who will
  be your recompense and your strength。〃
  Louis raised his eyes to heaven with an indescribable expression of
  grief and resignation。 〃Truly;〃 he said; 〃only my recollection of
  Him and His example can enable me to endure this new degradation。〃
  He gave his hands to the executioner; to let them be bound。 Then
  resting on the arm of the abbe; he ascended the steps of the
  scaffold。 The twenty drummers; who stood around the staging; beat
  their drums; but the king; advancing to the very verge of the
  scaffold; commanded them with a loud voice to be silent; and the
  noise ceased。
  In a tone which was audible across the whole square; and which made
  every word intelligible; the king said: 〃I die innocent of all the
  charges which are brought against me。 I forgive those who have
  caused my death; and I pray God that the blood which you spill this
  day may never come back upon the head of France。 And you; unhappy
  people〃
  〃Do not let him go on talking this way;〃 cried Santerre's commanding
  voice; interrupting the king; then turning to Louis he said; in an
  angry tone; 〃I brought you here not to make speeches; but to die!〃
  The drums beat; the executioners seized the king and bent him down。
  The priest stooped over him and murmured some words which only God
  heard; but which a tradition full of admiration and sympathy has
  transposed into the immortal and popular formula which is truer than
  truth and more historical than history: 〃Son of St。 Louis; ascend to
  Heaven!〃
  The drums beat; a glistening object passed through the air; a stroke
  was heard; and blood spirted up。 The King of France was dead; and
  Samson the executioner lifted up the head; which had once borne a
  crown; to show it to the people。
  A dreadful silence followed for an instant; then the populace broke
  in masses through the rows of soldiers; and rushed to the scaffold;
  in order to bear away some remembrances of this ever…memorable
  event。 The clothes of the king were torn to rags and distributed;
  and they even gave the executioner some gold in exchange for locks
  of hair from the bleeding head。 An Englishman gave a child fifteen
  louis d'or for dipping his handkerchief in the blood which flowed
  from the scaffold。 Another paid thirty louis d'or for the peruke of
  the king。 'Footnote: These details I take from the 〃Vossische
  Zeitung;〃 which; in its issue of the 5th of February; 1798; contains
  a full report of the execution of King Louis XVI。; and also
  announces that the court of Prussia will testify its grief at the
  unmerited fate by wearing mourning for a period of four weeks。 The
  author of this work possesses a copy of the 〃 Vossische Zeitung 〃 of
  that date; in small quarto form; printed on thick; gray paper。 In
  the same number of the journal is a fable by Hermann Pfeffel; which
  runs in the following strain:
  First moral; then political freedom。
  A fable; by Hermann Pfeffel。 Zeus and the Tigers。
  To Zeus there came one day
  A deputation of tigers。 〃Mighty potentate;〃
  Thus spoke their Cicero before the monarch's throne;
  〃The noble nation of tigers;
  Has long been wearied with the lion's choice as king。
  Does not Nature give us an equal claim with his?
  Therefore; O Zeus; declare my race
  To be a people of free citizens!〃
  〃No;〃 said the god of gods; 〃it cannot be;
  You are deceivers; thieves; and murderers;
  Only a good people merits being free。〃
  'Footnote: 〃Marie Antoinette et sa Famine;〃 par Lescure; p。 648。'
  On the evening of the same day; the executioner Samson; shocked at
  the terrible deed which he had done; went to a priest; paid for
  masses to be said for the repose of the king; then laid down his
  office; retired into solitude; and died in six months。 His son was
  his successor in his ghostly office; and; in a pious manner; he
  continued what his father began。 The masses for the king; instituted
  by the two Samsons; continued to be read till the year 1840。
  On the morrow which followed this dreadful day; the 〃Widow Capet〃
  requested the authorities to provide for herself and her family a
  suite of mourning of the simplest kind。
  The republic was magnanimous enough to comply with this request。
  CHAPTER XXI。
  TOULAN。
  The citizen Toulan is on guard again at the Temple; and this time
  with his friend Lepitre。 He is so trustworthy and blameless a
  republican; and so zealous a citizen; that the republic gives him
  unconditional confidence。 The republic had appointed him as chief of
  the bureau for the control of the effects of emigres。 Toulan is;
  besides; a member of the Convention; and it is not his fault that;
  on the day when the decision was made respecting the king's life or
  death; he was not in the Assembly。 He had been compelled at that
  time to make a journey into the provinces; to attach the property of
  an aristocrat who had emigrated。 Had Toulan been in Paris; he would
  naturally have given his voice in favor of the execution of the
  king。 He says this freely and openly to every one; and every one
  believes him; for Toulan is an entirely unsuspected republican。 He
  belongs to the sans…culottes; and takes pride in not being dressed
  better than the meanest citizen。 He belongs to the friends of Marat;
  and Simon the cobbler is always happy when Toulan has the watch in
  the Temple; for Toulan is such a jovial; merry fellow; he can make
  such capital jokes and laugh so heartily at those of others。 They
  have such fine times when Toulan is there; and the sport is the
  greatest when his friend Lepitre is with him on service in the
  Temple。 Then the two have the grandest sport of all; they even have
  little plays; which are so funny that Simon has to laugh outright;
  and even the turnkey Tison; and his wife; forget to keep guard; and
  leave the glass door through which they have been watching the royal
  family; in order to be spectators at Toulan's little farces。
  〃These are jolly days when you are both in the Temple;〃 said Simon;
  〃and you cannot blame me if I like to have you here; and put you on
  service pretty often。〃
  〃Oh; we do not blame you for that;〃 said Toulan; 〃on the other hand;
  we particularly like being with you; you are such a splendid
  fellow!〃
  〃And then;〃 adds Lepitre to this; 〃it is so pleasant to see the
  proud she…wolf and her young ones; and to set them down a little。
  These people; when they were living in the Tuileries; have turned up
  their noses at us often enough; and acted as if we were only dust
  that they must blow away from their exalted presence。 It is time
  that they should feel a little that they are only dust for us to
  blow away!〃
  〃Yes; indeed;〃 chimed in Toulan; 〃it is high time that they should
  feel it!〃
  〃And you both understood that matter capitally;〃 said Simon; with a
  laugh; 〃I always see that it particularly provokes the queen to have
  you on service; and I like that; and I am especially glad to have
  you here。〃
  〃I've thought out a joke for to…day;〃 said Toulan。 〃I will teach the
  widow to smoke。 You know; brother Simon; that she always pretends
  not to be able to bear the smell of tobacco; she shall learn to bear
  it。 I will hand her a paper cigarette to…day; and tell her that if
  she does not want us to smoke; she must smoke with us。〃
  〃Splendid joke!〃 said Simon; with a loud laugh。 〃But there's one
  thing to be thought of about that;〃 said Lepitre; reflectively。 〃the
  widow Capet might perhaps promise to smoke; if we would tell her
  that we would never smoke afterward。 But then we should not keep our
  word; of course。〃
  〃What! you say we should not keep our word!〃 said Toulan; in
  amazement。 〃We are republicans; more than that; we are sans…
  culottes! and shall we not