八喜电子书 > 经管其他电子书 > burlesques >

第78部分

burlesques-第78部分

小说: burlesques 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




own arms。  The Princes of Mayo; Donegal; and Connemara; marched by

the side of their young and royal chieftain; the Prince of

Ballybunion; fourth son of Daniel the First; King of the Emerald

Isle。





* Were these in any way related to the chevaux…de…frise on which

the French cavalry were mounted?





Two hosts then; one under the Eagles; and surrounded by the

republican imperialists; the other under the antique French Lilies;

were marching on the French capital。  The Duke of Brittany; too;

confined in the lunatic asylum of Charenton; found means to issue a

protest against his captivity; which caused only derision in the

capital。  Such was the state of the empire; and such the clouds

that were gathering round the Sun of Orleans!





CHAPTER IV。



THE BATTLE OF RHEIMS。





It was not the first time that the King had had to undergo

misfortunes; and now; as then; he met them like a man。  The Prince

of Joinville was not successful in his campaign against the

Imperial Pretender: and that bravery which had put the British

fleet to flight; was found; as might be expected; insufficient

against the irresistible courage of native Frenchmen。  The Horse

Marines; not being on their own element; could not act with their

usual effect。  Accustomed to the tumult of the swelling seas; they

were easily unsaddled on terra firma and in the Champagne country。



It was literally in the Champagne country that the meeting between

the troops under Joinville and Prince Napoleon took place! for

both armies had reached Rheims; and a terrific battle was fought

underneath the walls。  For some time nothing could dislodge the

army of Joinville; entrenched in the champagne cellars of Messrs。

Ruinart; Moet; and others; but making too free with the fascinating

liquor; the army at length became entirely drunk: on which the

Imperialists; rushing into the cellars; had an easy victory over

them; and; this done; proceeded to intoxicate themselves likewise。



The Prince of Joinville; seeing the deroute of his troops; was

compelled with a few faithful followers to fly towards Paris; and

Prince Napoleon remained master of the field of battle。  It is

needless to recapitulate the bulletin which he published the day

after the occasion; so soon as he and his secretaries were in a

condition to write: eagles; pyramids; rainbows; the sun of

Austerlitz; &c。; figured in the proclamation; in close imitation of

his illustrious uncle。  But the great benefit of the action was

this: on arousing from their intoxication; the late soldiers of

Joinville kissed and embraced their comrades of the Imperial army;

and made common cause with them。



〃Soldiers!〃 said the Prince; on reviewing them the second day after

the action; 〃the Cock is a gallant bird; but he makes way for the

Eagle!  Your colors are not changed。  Ours floated on the walls of

Moscowyours on the ramparts of Constantine; both are glorious。

Soldiers of Joinville! we give you welcome; as we would welcome

your illustrious leader; who destroyed the fleets of Albion。  Let

him join us!  We will march together against that perfidious enemy。



〃But; Soldiers! intoxication dimmed the laurels of yesterday's

glorious day!  Let us drink no more of the fascinating liquors of

our native Champagne。  Let us remember Hannibal and Capua; and;

before we plunge into dissipation; that we have Rome still to

conquer!



〃Soldiers!  Seltzer…water is good after too much drink。  Wait

awhile; and your Emperor will lead you into a Seltzer…water

country。  Frenchmen! it lies BEYOND THE RHINE!〃



Deafening shouts of 〃Vive l'Empereur!〃 saluted this allusion of the

Prince; and the army knew that their natural boundary should be

restored to them。  The compliments to the gallantry of the Prince

of Joinville likewise won all hearts; and immensely advanced the

Prince's cause。  The Journal des Debats did not know which way to

turn。  In one paragraph it called the Emperor 〃a sanguinary tyrant;

murderer; and pickpocket;〃 in a second it owned he was 〃a

magnanimous rebel; and worthy of forgiveness;〃 and; after

proclaiming 〃the brilliant victory of the Prince of Joinville;〃

presently denominated it a 〃funeste journee。〃



The next day the Emperor; as we may now call him; was about to

march on Paris; when Messrs。 Ruinart and Moet were presented; and

requested to be paid for 300;000 bottles of wine。  〃Send three

hundred thousand more to the Tuileries;〃 said the Prince; sternly:

〃our soldiers will be thirsty when they reach Paris。〃  And taking

Moet with him as a hostage; and promising Ruinart that he would

have him shot unless he obeyed; with trumpets playing and eagles

glancing in the sun; the gallant Imperial army marched on their

triumphant way。





CHAPTER V。



THE BATTLE OF TOURS。





We have now to record the expedition of the Prince of Nemours

against his advancing cousin; Henry V。  His Royal Highness could

not march against the enemy with such a force as he would have

desired to bring against them; for his royal father; wisely

remembering the vast amount of property he had stowed away under

the Tuileries; refused to allow a single soldier to quit the forts

round the capital; which thus was defended by one hundred and

forty…four thousand guns (eighty…four…pounders); and four hundred

and thirty…two thousand men:little enough; when one considers

that there were but three men to a gun。  To provision this immense

army; and a population of double the amount within the walls; his

Majesty caused the country to be scoured for fifty miles round; and

left neither ox; nor ass; nor blade of grass。  When appealed to by

the inhabitants of the plundered district; the royal Philip

replied; with tears in his eyes; that his heart bled for themthat

they were his childrenthat every cow taken from the meanest

peasant was like a limb torn from his own body; but that duty must

be done; that the interests of the country demanded the sacrifice;

and that in fact; they might go to the deuce。  This the unfortunate

creatures certainly did。



The theatres went on as usual within the walls。  The Journal des

Debats stated every day that the pretenders were taken; the

Chambers satsuch as remainedand talked immensely about honor;

dignity; and the glorious revolution of July; and the King; as his

power was now pretty nigh absolute over them; thought this a good

opportunity to bring in a bill for doubling his children's

allowances all round。



Meanwhile the Duke of Nemours proceeded on his march; and as there

was nothing left within fifty miles of Paris wherewith to support

his famished troops; it may be imagined that he was forced to

ransack the next fifty miles in order to maintain them。  He did so。

But the troops were not such as they should have been; considering

the enemy with whom they had to engage。



The fact is; that most of the Duke's army consisted of the National

Guard; who; in a fit of enthusiasm; and at the cry of 〃LA PATRIE EN

DANGER〃 having been induced to volunteer; had been eagerly accepted

by his Majesty; anxious to lessen as much as possible the number of

food…consumers in his beleaguered capital。  It is said even that he

selected the most gormandizing battalions of the civic force to

send forth against the enemy: viz; the grocers; the rich bankers;

the lawyers; &c。  Their parting with their families was very

affecting。  They would have been very willing to recall their offer

of marching; but companies of stern veterans closing round them;

marched them to the city gates; which were closed upon them; and

thus perforce they were compelled to move on。  As long as he had a

bottle of brandy and a couple of sausages in his holsters; the

General of the National Guard; Odillon Barrot; talked with

tremendous courage。  Such was the power of his eloquence over the

troops; that; could he have come up with the enemy while his

victuals lasted; the issue of the combat might have been very

different。  But in the course of the first day's march he finished

both the sausages and the brandy; and became quite uneasy; silent;

and crest…fallen。



It was on the fair plains of Touraine; by the banks of silver

Loire; that the armies sat down before each other; and the battle

was to take place which had such an effect upon the fortunes of

France。  'Twas a brisk day of March: the practised valor of Nemours

showed him at once what use to make of the army under his orders;

and having enfiladed his National Guard battalions; and placed his

artillery in echelons; he formed his cavalry into hollow squares on

the right and left of his line; flinging out a cloud of howitzers

to fall back upon the main column。  His veteran infantry he formed

behind his National Guardpolitely hinting to Odillon Barrot; who

wished to retire under pretence of being exceedingly unwell; that

the regular troops would bayonet the National Guard if they gave

way an inch: on which their General; turning very pale; demurely

went back to his post。  His men were dreadfully discouraged; they

had slept on the ground all night; they regretted their homes and

their comfortable nightcaps in the Rue St。 Honore: they had luckily

fallen in with a flock of sheep and a drove of oxen at Tours the

day before; but what were these; compared to the delicacies of

Chevet's or three courses at Vefour's?  They mournfully cooked

their steaks and cutlets on their ramrods; and passed a most

wretched night。



The army of Henry was encamped opposite to them for the most part

in better order。  The noble cavalry regiments found a village in

which they made themselves pretty comfortable; Jenkins's Foot

taking possession of the kitchens and garrets of the buildings。

The Irish Brigade; accustomed to lie abroad; were quartered in some

potato fields; where they sang Moore's melodies all night。  There

were; besides the troops regular and irregular; about three

tho

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的