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marie antoinette and her son-第73部分

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the unhappy man who was now on his way to the scaffold; and who was
once King of France。

All at once there arose a movement in this dreadful hedge of armed
men; through which the carriage was passing。 Two young men cried:
〃To us; Frenchmento us; all who want to save the king!〃

But the cry found no response。 Every one looked horrified at his
neighbor; and believed he saw in him a spy or a murderer; fear
benumbed all their souls; and the silence of death reigned around。

The two young men wanted to flee; to escape into a house close by。
But the door was closed; and before the very door they were cut down
and hewn in pieces by the exasperated sans…culottes。

The carriage of the king rolled on; and Louis paid no more attention
to objects around him; in the prayer…book which he carried in his
hands he read the petitions for the dying; and the abbe prayed with
him。

The coachman halted at the foot of the scaffold; and the king
dismounted。 A forest of pikes surrounded the spot。 The drummers beat
loudly; but the king cried with a loud voice; 〃Silence!〃 and the
noise ceased。 On that; Santerre sprang forward and commanded them to
commence beating their drums again; and they obeyed him。 The king
took off his upper garments; and the executioners approached to cut
off his hair。 He quietly let this be done; but when they wanted to
tie his hands; his eyes flashed with anger; and with a firm voice he
refused to allow them to do so。

〃Sire;〃 said the priest; 〃I see in this new insult only a fresh
point of resemblance between your majesty and our Saviour; who will
be your recompense and your strength。〃

Louis raised his eyes to heaven with an indescribable expression of
grief and resignation。 〃Truly;〃 he said; 〃only my recollection of
Him and His example can enable me to endure this new degradation。〃

He gave his hands to the executioner; to let them be bound。 Then
resting on the arm of the abbe; he ascended the steps of the
scaffold。 The twenty drummers; who stood around the staging; beat
their drums; but the king; advancing to the very verge of the
scaffold; commanded them with a loud voice to be silent; and the
noise ceased。

In a tone which was audible across the whole square; and which made
every word intelligible; the king said: 〃I die innocent of all the
charges which are brought against me。 I forgive those who have
caused my death; and I pray God that the blood which you spill this
day may never come back upon the head of France。 And you; unhappy
people〃

〃Do not let him go on talking this way;〃 cried Santerre's commanding
voice; interrupting the king; then turning to Louis he said; in an
angry tone; 〃I brought you here not to make speeches; but to die!〃

The drums beat; the executioners seized the king and bent him down。
The priest stooped over him and murmured some words which only God
heard; but which a tradition full of admiration and sympathy has
transposed into the immortal and popular formula which is truer than
truth and more historical than history: 〃Son of St。 Louis; ascend to
Heaven!〃

The drums beat; a glistening object passed through the air; a stroke
was heard; and blood spirted up。 The King of France was dead; and
Samson the executioner lifted up the head; which had once borne a
crown; to show it to the people。

A dreadful silence followed for an instant; then the populace broke
in masses through the rows of soldiers; and rushed to the scaffold;
in order to bear away some remembrances of this ever…memorable
event。 The clothes of the king were torn to rags and distributed;
and they even gave the executioner some gold in exchange for locks
of hair from the bleeding head。 An Englishman gave a child fifteen
louis d'or for dipping his handkerchief in the blood which flowed
from the scaffold。 Another paid thirty louis d'or for the peruke of
the king。 'Footnote: These details I take from the 〃Vossische
Zeitung;〃 which; in its issue of the 5th of February; 1798; contains
a full report of the execution of King Louis XVI。; and also
announces that the court of Prussia will testify its grief at the
unmerited fate by wearing mourning for a period of four weeks。 The
author of this work possesses a copy of the 〃 Vossische Zeitung 〃 of
that date; in small quarto form; printed on thick; gray paper。 In
the same number of the journal is a fable by Hermann Pfeffel; which
runs in the following strain:


First moral; then political freedom。

A fable; by Hermann Pfeffel。 Zeus and the Tigers。

To Zeus there came one day
A deputation of tigers。 〃Mighty potentate;〃
Thus spoke their Cicero before the monarch's throne;
〃The noble nation of tigers;
Has long been wearied with the lion's choice as king。
Does not Nature give us an equal claim with his?
Therefore; O Zeus; declare my race
To be a people of free citizens!〃
〃No;〃 said the god of gods; 〃it cannot be;
You are deceivers; thieves; and murderers;
Only a good people merits being free。〃
'Footnote: 〃Marie Antoinette et sa Famine;〃 par Lescure; p。 648。'


On the evening of the same day; the executioner Samson; shocked at
the terrible deed which he had done; went to a priest; paid for
masses to be said for the repose of the king; then laid down his
office; retired into solitude; and died in six months。 His son was
his successor in his ghostly office; and; in a pious manner; he
continued what his father began。 The masses for the king; instituted
by the two Samsons; continued to be read till the year 1840。

On the morrow which followed this dreadful day; the 〃Widow Capet〃
requested the authorities to provide for herself and her family a
suite of mourning of the simplest kind。

The republic was magnanimous enough to comply with this request。




CHAPTER XXI。

TOULAN。


The citizen Toulan is on guard again at the Temple; and this time
with his friend Lepitre。 He is so trustworthy and blameless a
republican; and so zealous a citizen; that the republic gives him
unconditional confidence。 The republic had appointed him as chief of
the bureau for the control of the effects of emigres。 Toulan is;
besides; a member of the Convention; and it is not his fault that;
on the day when the decision was made respecting the king's life or
death; he was not in the Assembly。 He had been compelled at that
time to make a journey into the provinces; to attach the property of
an aristocrat who had emigrated。 Had Toulan been in Paris; he would
naturally have given his voice in favor of the execution of the
king。 He says this freely and openly to every one; and every one
believes him; for Toulan is an entirely unsuspected republican。 He
belongs to the sans…culottes; and takes pride in not being dressed
better than the meanest citizen。 He belongs to the friends of Marat;
and Simon the cobbler is always happy when Toulan has the watch in
the Temple; for Toulan is such a jovial; merry fellow; he can make
such capital jokes and laugh so heartily at those of others。 They
have such fine times when Toulan is there; and the sport is the
greatest when his friend Lepitre is with him on service in the
Temple。 Then the two have the grandest sport of all; they even have
little plays; which are so funny that Simon has to laugh outright;
and even the turnkey Tison; and his wife; forget to keep guard; and
leave the glass door through which they have been watching the royal
family; in order to be spectators at Toulan's little farces。

〃These are jolly days when you are both in the Temple;〃 said Simon;
〃and you cannot blame me if I like to have you here; and put you on
service pretty often。〃

〃Oh; we do not blame you for that;〃 said Toulan; 〃on the other hand;
we particularly like being with you; you are such a splendid
fellow!〃

〃And then;〃 adds Lepitre to this; 〃it is so pleasant to see the
proud she…wolf and her young ones; and to set them down a little。
These people; when they were living in the Tuileries; have turned up
their noses at us often enough; and acted as if we were only dust
that they must blow away from their exalted presence。 It is time
that they should feel a little that they are only dust for us to
blow away!〃

〃Yes; indeed;〃 chimed in Toulan; 〃it is high time that they should
feel it!〃

〃And you both understood that matter capitally;〃 said Simon; with a
laugh; 〃I always see that it particularly provokes the queen to have
you on service; and I like that; and I am especially glad to have
you here。〃

〃I've thought out a joke for to…day;〃 said Toulan。 〃I will teach the
widow to smoke。 You know; brother Simon; that she always pretends
not to be able to bear the smell of tobacco; she shall learn to bear
it。 I will hand her a paper cigarette to…day; and tell her that if
she does not want us to smoke; she must smoke with us。〃

〃Splendid joke!〃 said Simon; with a loud laugh。 〃But there's one
thing to be thought of about that;〃 said Lepitre; reflectively。 〃the
widow Capet might perhaps promise to smoke; if we would tell her
that we would never smoke afterward。 But then we should not keep our
word; of course。〃

〃What! you say we should not keep our word!〃 said Toulan; in
amazement。 〃We are republicans; more than that; we are sans…
culottes! and shall we not keep our word? ought we not to be better
than the cursed aristocrats; that never kept their word to the
people? How can you disgrace us and yourself so much? Ask our noble
friend and brother Simon; whether he is of the opinion that a free
man ought not to keep his word; even if he has only given it to a
woman in prison。〃

〃I am of that opinion;〃 said Simon; with dignity。 〃I swore to myself
that the king should lose his head; and I kept my word。 I promised
the she…wolf that she should be hanged; and I hope to keep this
promise too。 If I keep my word to her in what is bad; I must do so
also in what is good。 If a republican promises any thing; he must
hold to it。〃

〃Right; Simon; you are a noble and wise man。 It remains fixed; then;
that the queen shall smoke; but if we have our joke out; we shall
not smoke any more。〃

〃I will put up a placard on the door: 'Smoking forbidden in the
anteroom of the she…wolf。'〃

〃Good;〃 cried Toulan; 〃that is worthy of you。〃

〃Let us go up now;〃 said Simon; 
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