napoleon bonaparte, v11-第8章

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had　passed　since　the　reception　of　the　French　officer；　and　having　received
no　news　from　his　brethren；　he　thought　that　the　duties　of　the　Carbonari
must　be　very　inconsiderable；　when　one　day　he　received　a　mysterious　letter
enjoining　him　to　be　the　following　night　in　a　neighboring　wood；　at　a
certain　spot　exactly　at　midnight；　and　to　wait　there　until　some；　one　came
to　him。　　The　officer　was　promptly　at　the　rendezvous　at　the　appointed
hour；　and　remained　until　daylight；　though　no　one　appeared。　　He　then
returned　to　his　home；　thinking　that　this　had　been　simply　a　proof　of　his
patience。　　His　convictions；　in　this　respect；　were　somewhat　changed；
however；　when　a　few　days　afterwards　he　received　another　letter　ordering
him　to　present　himself　in　the　same　manner　at　the　same　spot；　and　he　again
passed　the　night　there　in　vain　expectation。

Nothing　further　had　occurred；　when　a　third　and　similar　rendezvous　was
appointed；　at　which　the　French　officer　presented　himself　with　the　same
punctuality　and　inexhaustible　patience。　　He　had　waited　several　hours；
when　suddenly；　instead　of　witnessing　the　arrival　of　his　brethren；　he
heard　the　clash　of　swords；　and　moved　by　irresistible　impulse；　he　rushed
towards　the　spot　from　which　the　noise　issued　and　seemed　to　recede　as　he
advanced。　　He　soon　arrived　at　a　spot　where　a　frightful　crime　had　just
been　committed；　and　saw　a　man　weltering　in　his　blood；　attacked　by　two
assassins。　　Quick　as　lightning　he　threw　himself；　sword　in　hand；　on　the
two　murderers；　but；　as　they　immediately　disappeared　in　the　thick　woods；
he　was　devoting　his　attention　to　their　victim；　when　four　gendarmes
arrived　on　the　scene；　and　the　officer　then　found　himself　alone　with
unsheathed　sword　near　the　murdered　man。　　The　latter；　who　still　breathed；
made　a　last　effort　to　speak；　and　expired　while　indicating　his　defender　as
his　murderer；　wherepon　the　gendarmes　arrested　him；　and　two　of　them　took
up　the　corpse；　while　the　others　fastened　the　arms　of　the　officer　with
ropes；　and　escorted　him　to　a　neighboring　village；　one　league　distant；
where　they　arrived　at　break　of　day。　　He　was　there　conducted　before　a
magistrate；　questioned；　and　incarcerated　in　the　prison　of　the　place。

Imagine　the　situation　of　this　officer；　with　no　friends　in　that　country；
not　daring　to　recommend　himself　to　his　own　government；　by　whom　his　well…
known　opinions　had　rendered　him　suspected；　accused　of　a　horrible　crime；
well　aware　of　all　the　proofs　against　him；　and；　above　all；　completely
crushed　by　the　last　words　of　the　dying　man！　　Like　all　men　of　firm　and
resolute　character；　he　accepted　the　situation　without　complaint；　saw　that
it　was　without　remedy；　and　resigned　himself　to　his　fate。　　Meanwhile；　a
special　commission　had　been　appointed；　in　order　to　make　at　least　a
pretense　of　justice；　but　when　he　was　led　before　this　commission；　he　could
only　repeat　what　he　had　already　said；　that　is　to　say；　give　an　exact
account　of　the　occurrence；　protest　his　innocence；　and　admit　at　the　same
time　that　appearances　were　entirely　against　him。　　What　could　he　reply
when　asked　wherefore；　and　with　what　motive；　he　had　been　found　alone　in
the　night；　armed　with　a　sword；　in　the　thickest　of　the　wood？　　Here　his
oath　as　Carbonari　sealed　his　lips；　and　his　hesitation　was　taken　as
additional　proof。　　What　could　he　reply　to　the　deposition　of　the　gendarmes
who　had　arrested　him　in　the　very　act？　　He　was　consequently　unanimously
condemned　to　death；　and　reconducted　to　his　prison　until　the　time　fixed
for　the　execution　of　his　sentence。

A　priest　was　first　sent　to　him。　　The　officer　received　him　with　the　utmost
respect；　but　refused　to　make　confession；　and　was　next　importuned　by　the
visit　of　a　brotherhood　of　penitents。　　At　last　the　executioner　came　to
conduct　him　to　the　place　of　punishment；　and　while　he　was　on　the　way；
accompanied　by　several　gendarmes　and　a　long　line　of　penitents；　the
funeral　procession　was　interrupted　by　the　unexpected　arrival　of　the
colonel　of　the　gendarmerie；　whom　chance　brought　to　the　scene。　　This
officer　bore　the　name　of　Colonel　Boizard；　a　man　well　known　in　all　upper
Italy；　and　the　terror　of　all　malefactors。　　The　colonel　ordered　a　halt；
for　the　purpose　of　himself　questioning　the　condemned；　and　made　him　give
an　account　of　the　circumstances　of　the　crime　and　the　sentence。　　When　he
was　alone　with　the　officer；　he　said；　〃You　see　that　all　is　against　you；
and　nothing　can　save　you　from　the　death　which　awaits　you。　　I　can；
nevertheless；　save　you；　but　only　on　one　condition。　　I　know　that　you
belong　to　the　society　of　the　Carbonari。　　Give　me　the　names　of　your
accomplices　in　these　terrible　conspiracies　and　your　life　shall　be　the
reward。〃〃Never！〃〃Consider；　nevertheless。〃〃Never；　I　tell　you；　lead
me　to　execution。〃

It　was　then　necessary　to　set　out　anew　for　the　place　of　execution。　　The
executioner　was　at　his　post；　and　as　the　officer　with　a　firm　step　mounted
the　fatal　scaffold；　Colonel　Boizard　rushed　up　to　him　and　begged　him　still
to　save　his　life　on　the　conditions　he　had　offered。　　〃No！　　no！　　never！〃
Instantly　the　scene　changed；　the　colonel；　the　executioner；　the　gendarmes；
the　priest；　penitents；　and　spectators；　all　gathered　round　the　officer；
each　one　eager　to　press　him　to　their　hearts；　and　he　was　conducted　in
triumph　to　his　dwelling。　　All　that　had　passed　was　simply　an　initiation。
The　assassins　in　the　forest　and　their　victim；　as　well　as　the　judges　and
the　pretended　Colonel　Boizard；　had　been　playing　a　role；　and　the　most
suspicious　Carbonari　now　knew　how　far　their　new　brother　would　carry　the
constancy　of　his　heroism　and　the　observance　of　his　oath。

This　is　almost　exactly　the　recital　which　I　heard；　as　I　have　said；　with
the　deepest　interest；　and　which　I　take　the　liberty　of　repeating；　though　I
well　understand　how　much　it　will　lose　by　being　written。　　Can　it　be
implicitly　believed？　　This　is　what　I　would　not　undertake　to　decide；　but　I
can　affirm　that　my　informant　gave　it　as　the　truth；　and　was　perfectly
certain　that　the　particulars　would　be　found　in　the　archives　of　Milan；
since　this　extraordinary　initiation　was　at　the　time　the　subject　of　a
circumstantial　report　addressed　to　the　vice…king；　whom　fate　had
determined　should　nevermore　see　the　Emperor。




CHAPTER　XVIII。

I　digressed　considerably；　in　the　preceding　chapter；　from　my　recollections
of　Paris　subsequent　to　our　return　from　Germany　after　the　battle　of
Leipzig；　and　the　Emperor's　short　sojourn　at　Mayence。　　I　cannot　even　now
write　the　name　of　the　latter　town　without　recalling　the　spectacle　of
tumult　and　confusion　which　it　presented　after　the　glorious　battle　of
Hanau；　where　the　Bavarians　fought　so　bravely　on　this　the　first　occasion
when　they　presented　themselves　as　enemies　before　those　in　whose　ranks
they　had　so　recently　stood。　　It　was；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　in　this　last
engagement　that　the　Bavarian　general；　Wrede；　was；　with　his　family；　the
immediate　victims　of　their　treachery。　　The　general；　whom　the　Emperor　had
overwhelmed　with　kindness；　was　mortally　wounded；　all　his　relatives　in　the
Bavarian　army　were　slain；　and　his　son…in…law；　Prince　of　Oettingen；　met
the　same　fate。　　It　was　one　of　those　events　which　never　failed　to　make　a
deep　impression　on　the　mind　of　his　Majesty；　since　it　strengthened　his
ideas　of　fatality。　　It　was　also　at　Mayence　that　the　Emperor　gave　orders
for　the　assembling　of　the　Corps　Legislatif　on　the　2d　of　December。　　The
opening　was　delayed；　as　we　shall　see；　and　far　better　would　it　have　been
had　it　been　indefinitely　postponed；　since　in　that　case　his　Majesty　would
not　have　experienced　the　misfortunes　he　afterwards　endured　from　their
opposition；　symptoms　of　which　now　manifested　themselves　for　the　first
time　in　a　manner　which　was；　to　say　the　least；　intemperate。

One　of　the　things　which　astonished　me　most　at　the　time；　and　which　still
astonishes　me　when　I　recall　it　now；　was　the　incredible　activity　of　the
Emperor；　which；　far　from　diminishing；　seemed　to　increase　each　day；　as　if
the　very　exercise　of　his　strength　redoubled　it。　　At　the　period　of　which　I
now　speak；　it　is　impossible　to　describe　how　completely　every　moment　of
his　Majesty's　time　was　filled。　　Since　he　had　again　met　the　Empress　and
his　son；　the　Emperor　had　resumed　his　accustomed　serenity；　and　I　rarely
surprised　him　in　that　open