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第80部分

burlesques-第80部分

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canticles; and anathemas; and excommunications; that the horses of

Concombre's dragoons in turn took fright; and those warriors in

their turn broke and fled。  As soon as they turned; the Vendean

riflemen fired amongst them and finished them: the gallant

Concombre fell; the intrepid though diminutive Cornichon; his

major; was cut down; Cardon was wounded a la moelle; and the wife

of the fiery Navet was that day a widow。  Peace to the souls of the

brave!  In defeat or in victory; where can the soldier find a more

fitting resting…place than the glorious field of carnage?  Only a

few disorderly and dispirited riders of Concombre's regiment

reached Tours at night。  They had left it but the day before; a

thousand disciplined and high…spirited men!



Knowing how irresistible a weapon is the bayonet in British hands;

the intrepid Jenkins determined to carry on his advantage; and

charged the Saugrenue light infantry (now before him) with COLD

STEEL。  The Frenchmen delivered a volley; of which a shot took

effect in Jenkins's cockade; but did not abide the crossing of the

weapons。  〃A Frenchman dies; but never surrenders;〃 said Saugrenue;

yielding up his sword; and his whole regiment were stabbed;

trampled down; or made prisoners。  The blood of the Englishmen rose

in the hot encounter。  Their curses were horrible; their courage

tremendous。  〃On! on!〃 hoarsely screamed they; and a second

regiment met them and was crushed; pounded in the hurtling;

grinding encounter。  〃A Jenkins; a Jenkins!〃 still roared the

heroic Duke: 〃St。 George for Mayfair!〃  The Footmen of England

still yelled their terrific battle…cry; 〃Hurra; hurra!〃  On they

went; regiment after regiment was annihilated; until; scared at the

very trample of the advancing warriors; the dismayed troops of

France screaming fled。  Gathering his last warriors round about

him; Nemours determined to make a last desperate effort。  'Twas

vain: the ranks met; the next moment the truncheon of the Prince of

Orleans was dashed from his hand by the irresistible mace of the

Duke Jenkins; his horse's shins were broken by the same weapon。

Screaming with agony the animal fell。  Jenkins's hand was at the

Duke's collar in a moment; and had he not gasped out; 〃Je me

rends!〃 he would have been throttled in that dreadful grasp!



Three hundred and forty…two standards; seventy…nine regiments;

their baggage; ammunition; and treasure…chests; fell into the hands

of the victorious Duke。  He had avenged the honor of Old England;

and himself presenting the sword of the conquered Nemours to Prince

Henri; who now came up; the Prince bursting into tears; fell on his

neck and said; 〃Duke; I owe my crown to my patron saint and you。〃

It was indeed a glorious victory: but what will not British valor

attain?



The Duke of Nemours; having despatched a brief note to Paris;

saying; 〃Sire; all is lost except honor!〃 was sent off in

confinement; and in spite of the entreaties of his captor; was

hardly treated with decent politeness。  The priests and the noble

regiments who rode back when the affair was over; were for having

the Prince shot at once; and murmured loudly against 〃cet Anglais

brutal〃 who interposed in behalf of the prisoner。  Henri V。 granted

the Prince his life; but; no doubt misguided by the advice of his

noble and ecclesiastical counsellors; treated the illustrious

English Duke with marked coldness; and did not even ask him to

supper that night。



〃Well!〃 said Jenkins; 〃I and my merry men can sup alone。〃  And;

indeed; having had the pick of the plunder of about 28;000 men;

they had wherewithal to make themselves pretty comfortable。  The

prisoners (25;403) were all without difficulty induced to assume

the white cockade。  Most of them had those marks of loyalty ready

sewn in their flannel…waistcoats; where they swore they had worn

them ever since 1830。  This we may believe; and we will; but the

Prince Henri was too politic or too good…humored in the moment of

victory; to doubt the sincerity of his new subjects' protestations;

and received the Colonels and Generals affably at his table。



The next morning a proclamation was issued to the united armies。

〃Faithful soldiers of France and Navarre;〃 said the Prince; 〃the

saints have won for us a great victorythe enemies of our religion

have been overcomethe lilies are restored to their native soil。

Yesterday morning at eleven o'clock the army under my command

engaged that which was led by his SERENE Highness the Duke de

Nemours。  Our forces were but a third in number when compared with

those of the enemy。  My faithful chivalry and nobles made the

strength; however; equal。



〃The regiments of Fleur…d'Orange; Millefleur; and Eau…de…Cologne

covered themselves with glory: they sabred many thousands of the

enemy's troops。  Their valor was ably seconded by the gallantry of

my ecclesiastical friends: at a moment of danger they rallied round

my banner; and forsaking the crosier for the sword; showed that

they were of the church militant indeed。



〃My faithful Irish auxiliaries conducted themselves with becoming

heroismbut why particularize when all did their duty?  How

remember individual acts when all were heroes?〃  The Marshal of

France; Sucre d'Orgeville; Commander of the Army of H。M。 Christian

Majesty; recommended about three thousand persons for promotion;

and the indignation of Jenkins and his brave companions may be

imagined when it is stated that they were not even mentioned in the

despatch!



As for the Princes of Ballybunion; Donegal; and Connemara; they

wrote off despatches to their Government; saying; 〃The Duke of

Nemours is beaten; and a prisoner!  The Irish Brigade has done it

all!〃  On which his Majesty the King of the Irish; convoking his

Parliament at the Corn Exchange Palace; Dublin; made a speech; in

which he called Louis Philippe an 〃old miscreant;〃 and paid the

highest compliments to his son and his troops。  The King on this

occasion knighted Sir Henry Sheehan; Sir Gavan Duffy (whose

journals had published the news); and was so delighted with the

valor of his son; that he despatched him his order of the Pig and

Whistle (1st class); and a munificent present of five hundred

thousand poundsin a bill at three months。  All Dublin was

illuminated; and at a ball at the Castle the Lord Chancellor Smith

(Earl of Smithereens) getting extremely intoxicated; called out the

Lord Bishop of Galway (the Dove); and they fought in the Phoenix

Park。  Having shot the Right Reverend Bishop through the body;

Smithereens apologized。  He was the same practitioner who had

rendered himself so celebrated in the memorable trial of the King

before the Act of Independence。



Meanwhile; the army of Prince Henri advanced with rapid strides

towards Paris; whither the History likewise must hasten; for

extraordinary were the events preparing in that capital。





CHAPTER VII。



THE LEAGUER OF PARIS。





By a singular coincidence; on the very same day when the armies of

Henri V。 appeared before Paris from the Western Road; those of the

Emperor John Thomas Napoleon arrived from the North。  Skirmishes

took place between the advanced…guards of the two parties; and much

slaughter ensued。



〃Bon!〃 thought King Louis Philippe; who examined them from his

tower; 〃they will kill each other。  This is by far the most

economical way of getting rid of them。〃  The astute monarch's

calculations were admirably exposed by a clever remark of the

Prince of Ballybunion。  〃Faix; Harry;〃 says he (with a familiarity

which the punctilious son of Saint Louis resented); 〃you and him

yandtherthe Emperor; I maneare like the Kilkenny cats; dear。〃



〃Et que font…ils ces chats de Kilkigny; Monsieur le Prince de

Ballybunion?〃 asked the Most Christian King haughtily。



Prince Daniel replied by narrating the well…known apologue of the

animals 〃ating each other all up but their TEELS; and that's what

you and Imparial Pop yondther will do; blazing away as ye are;〃

added the jocose and royal boy。



〃Je prie votre Altesse Royale de vaguer a ses propres affaires;〃

answered Prince Henri sternly: for he was an enemy to anything like

a joke; but there is always wisdom in real wit; and it would have

been well for his Most Christian Majesty had he followed the

facetious counsels of his Irish ally。



The fact is; the King; Henri; had an understanding with the

garrisons of some of the forts; and expected all would declare for

him。  However; of the twenty…four forts which we have described;

eight onlyand by the means of Marshal Soult; who had grown

extremely devout of late yearsdeclared for Henri; and raised the

white flag: while eight others; seeing Prince John Thomas Napoleon

before them in the costume of his revered predecessor; at once

flung open their gates to him; and mounted the tricolor with the

eagle。  The remaining eight; into which the Princes of the blood of

Orleans had thrown themselves; remained constant to Louis Philippe。

Nothing could induce that Prince to quit the Tuileries。  His money

was there; and he swore he would remain by it。  In vain his sons

offered to bring him into one of the fortshe would not stir

without his treasure。  They said they would transport it thither;

but no; no: the patriarchal monarch; putting his finger to his aged

nose; and winking archly; said 〃he knew a trick worth two of that;〃

and resolved to abide by his bags。



The theatres and cafes remained open as usual: the funds rose three

centimes。  The Journal des Debats published three editions of

different tones of politics: one; the Journal de l'Empire; for

the Napoleonites; the Journal de la Legitimite another; very

complimentary to the Legitimate monarch; and finally; the original

edition; bound heart and soul to the dynasty of July。  The poor

editor; who had to write all three; complained not a little that

his salary was not raised: but the truth 

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