their silver wedding journey v3-第2章

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！


Ansbach　mercenaries　were　bought　up　by　England　and　sent　to　put　down　a
rebellion　in　her　American　colonies。

Humanly；　they　were　more　concerned　for　the　Last　Margrave；　because　of
certain　qualities　which　made　him　the　Best　Margrave；　in　spite　of　the
defects　of　his　qualities。　　He　was　the　son　of　the　Wild　Margrave；　equally
known　in　the　Ansbach　annals；　who　may　not　have　been　the　Worst　Margrave；
but　who　had　certainly　a　bad　trick　of　putting　his　subjects　to　death
without　trial；　and　in　cases　where　there　was　special　haste；　with　his　own
hand。　　He　sent　his　son　to　the　university　at　Utrecht　because　he　believed
that　the　republican　influences　in　Holland　would　be　wholesome　for　him；　and
then　he　sent　him　to　travel　in　Italy；　but　when　the　boy　came　home　looking
frail　and　sick；　the　Wild　Margrave　charged　his　official　travelling
companion　with　neglect；　and　had　the　unhappy　Hofrath　Meyer　hanged　without
process　for　this　crime。　　One　of　the　gentlemen　of　his　realm；　for　a
pasquinade　on　the　Margrave；　was　brought　to　the　scaffold；　he　had；　at
various　times；　twenty…two　of　his　soldiers　shot　with　arrows　and　bullets　or
hanged　for　desertion；　besides　many　whose　penalties　his　clemency　commuted
to　the　loss　of　an　ear　or　a　nose；　a　Hungarian　who　killed　his　hunting…dog；
he　had　broken　alive　on　the　wheel。　　A　soldier's　wife　was　hanged　for
complicity　in　a　case　of　desertion；　a　young　soldier　who　eloped　with　the
girl　he　loved　was　brought　to　Ansbach　from　a　neighboring　town；　and　hanged
with　her　on　the　same　gallows。　　A　sentry　at　the　door　of　one　of　the
Margrave's　castles　amiably　complied　with　the　Margrave's　request　to　let
him　take　his　gun　for　a　moment；　on　the　pretence　of　wishing　to　look　at　it。
For　this　breach　of　discipline　the　prince　covered　him　with　abuse　and　gave
him　over　to　his　hussars；　who　bound　him　to　a　horse's　tail　and　dragged　him
through　the　streets；　he　died　of　his　injuries。　　The　kennel…master　who　had
charge　of　the　Margrave's　dogs　was　accused　of　neglecting　them：　without
further　inquiry　the　Margrave　rode　to　the　man's　house　and　shot　him　down　on
his　own　threshold。　　A　shepherd　who　met　the　Margrave　on　a　shying　horse　did
not　get　his　flock　out　of　the　way　quickly　enough；　the　Margrave　demanded
the　pistols　of　a　gentleman　in　his　company；　but　he　answered　that　they　were
not　loaded；　and　the　shepherd's　life　was　saved。　　As　they　returned　home　the
gentleman　fired　them　off。　　〃What　does　that　mean？〃　cried　the　Margrave；
furiously。　　〃It　means；　gracious　lord；　that　you　will　sleep　sweeter
tonight；　for　not　having　heard　my　pistols　an　hour　sooner。〃

From　this　it　appears　that　the　gracious　lord　had　his　moments　of　regret；
but　perhaps　it　is　not　altogether　strange　that　when　he　died；　the　whole
population　〃stormed　through　the　streets　to　meet　his　funeral　train；　not　in
awe…stricken　silence　to　meditate　on　the　fall　of　human　grandeur；　but　to
unite　in　an　eager　tumult　of　rejoicing；　as　if　some　cruel　brigand　who　had
long　held　the　city　in　terror　were　delivered　over　to　them　bound　and　in
chains。〃　　For　nearly　thirty　years　this　blood…stained　miscreant　had
reigned　over　his　hapless　people　in　a　sovereign　plenitude　of　power；　which
by　the　theory　of　German　imperialism　in　our　day　is　still　a　divine　right。

They　called　him　the　Wild　Margrave；　in　their　instinctive　revolt　from　the
belief　that　any　man　not　untamably　savage　could　be　guilty　of　his
atrocities；　and　they　called　his　son　the　Last　Margrave；　with　a　touch　of
the　poetry　which　perhaps　records　a　regret　for　their　extinction　as　a
state。　　He　did　not　harry　them　as　his　father　had　done；　his　mild　rule　was
the　effect　partly　of　the　indifference　and　distaste　for　his　country　bred；
by　his　long　sojourns　abroad；　but　doubtless　also　it　was　the　effect　of　a
kindly　nature。　　Even　in　the　matter　of　selling　a　few　thousands　of　them　to
fight　the　battles　of　a　bad　cause　on　the　other　side　of　the　world；　he　had
the　best　of　motives；　and　faithfully　applied　the　proceeds　to　the　payment
of　the　state　debt　and　the　embellishment　of　the　capital。

His　mother　was　a　younger　sister　of　Frederick　the　Great；　and　was　so
constantly　at　war　with　her　husband　that　probably　she　had　nothing　to　do
with　the　marriage　which　the　Wild　Margrave　forced　upon　their　son。　　Love
certainly　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　and　the　Last　Margrave　early　escaped
from　it　to　the　society　of　Mlle。　Clairon；　the　great　French　tragedienne；
whom　he　met　in　Paris；　and　whom　he　persuaded　to　come　and　make　her　home
with　him　in　Ansbach。　　She　lived　there　seventeen　years；　and　though　always
an　alien；　she　bore　herself　with　kindness　to　all　classes；　and　is　still
remembered　there　by　the　roll　of　butter　which　calls　itself　a　Klarungswecke
in　its　imperfect　French。

No　roll　of　butter　records　in　faltering　accents　the　name　of　the　brilliant
and　disdainful　English　lady　who　replaced　this　poor　tragic　muse　in　the
Margrave's　heart；　though　the　lady　herself　lived　to　be　the　last　Margravine
of　Ansbach；　where　everybody　seems　to　have　hated　her　with　a　passion　which
she　doubtless　knew　how　to　return。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　the　Earl　of
Berkeley；　and　the　wife　of　Lord　Craven；　a　sufficiently　unfaithful　and
unworthy　nobleman　by　her　account；　from　whom　she　was　living　apart　when　the
Margrave　asked　her　to　his　capital。　　There　she　set　herself　to　oust　Mlle。
Clairon　with　sneers　and　jests　for　the　theatrical　style　which　the　actress
could　not　outlive。　　Lady　Craven　said　she　was　sure　Clairon's　nightcap　must
be　a　crown　of　gilt　paper；　and　when　Clairon　threatened　to　kill　herself；
and　the　Margrave　was　alarmed；　〃You　forget；〃　said　Lady　Craven；　〃that
actresses　only　stab　themselves　under　their　sleeves。〃

She　drove　Clairon　from　Ansbach；　and　the　great　tragedienne　returned　to
Paris；　where　she　remained　true　to　her　false　friend；　and　from　time　to　time
wrote　him　letters　full　of　magnanimous　counsel　and　generous　tenderness。
But　she　could　not　have　been　so　good　company　as　Lady　Craven；　who　was　a
very　gifted　person；　and　knew　how　to　compose　songs　and　sing　them；　and
write　comedies　and　play　them；　and　who　could　keep　the　Margrave　amused　in
many　ways。　　When　his　loveless　and　childless　wife　died　he　married　the
English　woman；　but　he　grew　more　and　more　weary　of　his　dull　little　court
and　his　dull　little　country；　and　after　a　while；　considering　the　uncertain
tenure　sovereigns　had　of　their　heads　since　the　French　King　had　lost　his；
and　the　fact　that　he　had　no　heirs　to　follow　him　in　his　principality；　he
resolved　to　cede　it　for　a　certain　sum　to　Prussia。　　To　this　end　his　new
wife's　urgence　was　perhaps　not　wanting。　　They　went　to　England；　where　she
outlived　him　ten　years；　and　wrote　her　memoirs。

The　custodian　of　the　Schloss　came　at　last；　and　the　Marches　saw　instantly
that　he　was　worth　waiting　for。　　He　was　as　vainglorious　of　the　palace　as
any　grand…monarching　margrave　of　them　all。　　He　could　not　have　been　more
personally　superb　in　showing　their　different　effigies　if　they　had　been
his　own　family　portraits；　and　he　would　not　spare　the　strangers　a　single
splendor　of　the　twenty　vast；　handsome；　tiresome；　Versailles…like　rooms　he
led　them　through。　　The　rooms　were　fatiguing　physically；　but　so　poignantly
interesting　that　Mrs。　March　would　not　have　missed；　though　she　perished　of
her　pleasure；　one　of　the　things　she　saw。　　She　had　for　once　a　surfeit　of
highhoting　in　the　pictures；　the　porcelains；　the　thrones　and　canopies；　the
tapestries；　the　historical　associations　with　the　margraves　and　their
marriages；　with　the　Great　Frederick　and　the　Great　Napoleon。　　The　Great
Napoleon's　man　Bernadotte　made　the　Schloss　his　headquarters　when　he
occupied　Ansbach　after　Austerlitz；　and　here　he　completed　his　arrangements
for　taking　her　bargain　from　Prussia　and　handing　it　over　to　Bavaria；　with
whom　it　still　remains。　　Twice　the　Great　Frederick　had　sojourned　in　the
palace；　visiting　his　sister　Louise；　the　wife　of　the　Wild　Margrave；　and
more　than　once　it　had　welcomed　her　next　neighbor　and　sister　Wilhelmina；
the　Margravine　of　Baireuth；　whose　autobiographic　voice；　piercingly
plaintive　and　reproachful；　seemed　to　quiver　in　the　air。　　Here；　oddly
enough；　the　spell　of　the　Wild　Margrave　weakened　in　the　presence　of　his
portrait；　which　signally　failed　to　justify　his　fame　of　furious　tyrant。
That　seems；　indeed；　to　have　been　rather　the　popular　and　historical
conception　of　him　than　the　impression　he　made　upon　his