第 131 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-21 16:35      字数:9322
  posted; by which Murat; the governor of Paris; announced to the city
  that fifty assassins were within the walls; intent on taking the
  life of the First Consul。
  The condemned surgeon; Querolle; had; meantime; made his confession;
  and named the heads of the conspiracy and their accomplices; and;
  only after all the persons mentioned by him were arrested; were the
  gates of the city opened。
  A great trial then commenced of the men who had been sent by the
  Bourbons for this nefarious purpose。 Among the accused were General
  Pichegru; the abettor of Georges; and General Moreau; the most
  prominent of all。
  The history of this trial was enveloped in obscurity; and it was
  faintly whispered that Pichegru had taken his own life in prison;
  and more faintly yet was it rumored that he was secretly dispatched
  in prison。 And then; on one of these days; there were to be seen
  through all Paris only pale; sad faces; and a murmur of horror ran
  through all the streets and all the houses。
  The story was current that the Duke d'Enghien; the grandson of the
  Prince de Conde; had been arrested by French soldiers at Baden;
  beyond the frontier; and had been brought to Vincennes; that he was
  accused there that same night of being an accomplice in a plot to
  take the life of the First Consul; and to disturb the peace of the
  republic; that he was quickly condemned by a court…martial; and shot
  before morning within the fortress of Vincennes。
  The report was only too true。 Bonaparte had kept his word; he had
  sacrificed a royal victim to the threatened cause of the republic;
  he would; by one deed of horror; fill the conspirators with fear;
  and cause them to abandon their bloody plans。
  The means employed were cruel; but the end was reached which
  Bonaparte hoped to attain; and thenceforth there were no more
  conspiracies against the life of the First Consul; who; on the 18th
  of May; that same year; declared himself emperor。
  A few days after this; the public trial of the accused began; which
  Fouche attended as the reinstalled minister of police; and over
  which Regnier presided in his new capacity of chief judge。
  Seventeen of those indicted were condemned to death; others to years
  of imprisonment; and among these was General Moreau。 But the popular
  voice declared itself so loudly and energetically for the brave
  general of the republic; that it was considered expedient to heed
  it。 Moreau was released from prison; and went to the Spanish
  frontier; whence he sailed to North America。
  On the 25th of June; twelve of the conspirators; Georges at their
  head; were executed; the other five; who had been condemned to
  death; had their sentence commuted to banishment。
  The gentle; kind…hearted Josephine viewed all these things with
  sadness; for her power over the heart of her husband was waning; and
  the sun of her glory had set。 Her prayers and tears had no longer a
  prevailing influence over Bonaparte; and she had not been able to
  avert the death of the Duke d'Enghien。
  〃I have tried all means;〃 she said; with tears; to Bourrienne; the
  chief secretary of the emperor; 〃I wanted at any cost to turn him
  aside from his dreadful intention。 He had not apprised me of it; but
  you know in what way I learned it。 At my request he confessed to me
  his purpose; but he was steeled against my prayers。 I clang to him;
  I fell on my knees before him。 'Do not meddle with what is none of
  your business!' he cried; angrily; as he pushed me away from him。
  'These are not women's affairsleave me in peace。' And so I had to
  let the worst come; and could do nothing to hinder it。 But
  afterward; when all was over; Bonaparte was deeply affected; and for
  several days he remained sad and silent; and scolded me no more when
  he found me in tears。〃 'Footnote: Bourrienne; 〃Memoires du Consulat
  et de l'Empire。〃'
  The days passed by; the days of splendor; and then followed for
  Josephine the days of misery and grief。 Repelled by Napoleon; she
  mourned four years over her spurned love and her ruined fortunes;
  but then; when Napoleon's star went down; when he was robbed of his
  imperial crown and compelled to leave France; Josephine's heart
  broke; and she hid herself in her grave; in order not to witness
  Napoleon's humiliation。
  And thus the empire was abolished; and the Count de Lille called
  back by foreign potentates; and not by the French nation; in order;
  as Louis XVIII。; to reerect the throne of the Lilies。
  And where; all this time; was the son of Queen Marie Antoinette?
  Where was Louis XVII。?
  He had kept his word which he gave to Josephine。 He had gone to the
  primeval forests and to the savages; and they had given him a crown
  of feathers and made him their king。'Footnote: 〃Memoires du Due de
  Normandie;〃 pp。 89…102。' For years he lived among them; honored as
  their king; loved as their hero。 Then a longing for his country
  seized him; and going to Brazil in the service of his people; he
  made use of the opportunity to enter into a contract with Don Juan;
  and not return to his copper…colored tribe。 The precious treasure
  which he possessed; his papers; he had been able to preserve during
  all the journeys and amid all the perils of his life; and these
  papers procured him a hospitable and honorable reception with Don
  Juan。 From him the king without name or inheritance learned the
  changes that had meanwhile taken place in France; and; at the first
  opportunity which offered; he returned to Europe; arriving at Paris
  in the middle of the year 1816。
  The Prince de Conde; now the Duke de Bourbon; received the wanderer
  with tenderness; but with deep regret; for now it was too late; and
  his hope for a restoration of the returning prince could rest on no
  basis。 The Count de Provence was now King Louis XVIII。; and never
  would he descend from his throne to give back to the son of Marie
  Antoinette that crown which he wore with so much satisfaction and
  pride。
  Much more simple and easy was it to treat the pretender as a lunatic
  or as an adventurer; and to set his claims aside forever。 Useless
  were all the letters which the Baron de Richemont; the name that
  Louis still bore; addressed to his uncle the king; to his sister the
  Duchess de Angouleme; imploring them for an interview。 No answer was
  received。 No audience was granted to this adventurer; whose claims
  could not be recognized without dethroning Louis XVIII。; and
  destroying the prospects of the crown for the duchess's son; the
  Duke de Berri。 Louis XVII。 had died and he could not return to the
  living。 He saw it; he knew it; and a deep sorrow took possession of
  him。 But he rose above ithe would not die; he would live; a terror
  and an avenger to his cruel relatives。
  But it was a restless life that the son of the queen must lead; in
  order to protect himself from the daggers of his powerful enemies。
  The Prince de Conde conjured him to secure himself against the
  attacks which were made more than once upon the Baron de Richemont;
  and Louis gave heed to his requests and tears。 He travelled abroad;
  but after returning in two years from a journey in Asia and Africa;
  on landing on the Italian coast; he was arrested in 1818; at the
  instigation of the Austrian ambassador at Mantua; and confined in
  the prison of Milan。
  Seven years the unhappy prince spent in the Austrian prison; without
  once being summoned before a judgeseven years of solitude; of
  darkness; and of want。 But the son of Marie Antoinette had learned
  in his youth to bear these things; and his prison…life in Milan was
  not so cruel as that in the Temple under Simon。 Here there were at
  least sympathizing souls who pitied him; even the turnkeys of the
  prison were courteous and kind when they entered the cell of the
  〃King of France;〃 and one day; beyond the wall of his apartment; was
  heard a voice singing; in gentle; melodious tones; a romanza which
  Louis had composed; and written on the wall when he occupied the
  neighboring cell。
  This voice; which sounded like a greeting from the world; was that
  of Silvio Pellico。 The celebrated author of 〃Le Mie Prigioni;〃
  relates in touching words this salutation of his neighbor:
  〃My bed was carried;〃 he said; 〃into the new cell that was prepared
  for me; and as soon as the inspectors had left me alone; my first
  care was to examine the walls。 There were to be seen there some
  words; recollections of the past; written with chalk; with pencil;
  or with a sharp tool。 I found there also two pretty French lines;
  which I am sorry I did not copy。 I began to sing them to my melody
  of 'The Poor Mugdalen;' when a voice near me responded with another
  air。 When the singer ended; I called out; 'Bravo!' He replied with a
  polite salutation; and asked me if I was French。
  〃'No; I am Italian; and am called Silvio Pellico。'
  〃'The author of Francesca da Rimini?'
  〃'Yes; the same。'
  〃And now there followed a courtly compliment; with the usual regrets
  for my imprisonment。 He asked in what part of Italy I was born; and
  when I told him in Saluzzo; in Piedmont; he awarded the Piedmontese
  some words of high praise; and spoko particularly of Bodoni (a
  celebrated printer; director of the national printing establishment
  at Parma)。 His compliments were brief and disc