burlesques-第83节

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ever　since；　as　a　boy　at　school；　I　commenced　the　noble　study　of

novelsever　since　the　day　when；　lying　on　sunny　slopes　of　half…

holidays；　the　fair　chivalrous　figures　and　beautiful　shapes　of

knights　and　ladies　were　visible　to　meever　since　I　grew　to　love

Rebecca；　that　sweetest　creature　of　the　poet's　fancy；　and　longed　to

see　her　righted。



That　she　and　Ivanhoe　were　married；　follows　of　course；　for　Rowena's

promise　extorted　from　him　was；　that　he　would　never　wed　a　Jewess；

and　a　better　Christian　than　Rebecca　now　was　never　said　her

catechism。　　Married　I　am　sure　they　were；　and　adopted　little　Cedric；

but　I　don't　think　they　had　any　other　children；　or　were　subsequently

very　boisterously　happy。　　Of　some　sort　of　happiness　melancholy　is　a

characteristic；　and　I　think　these　were　a　solemn　pair；　and　died

rather　early。









THE　HISTORY　OF　THE　NEXT　FRENCH　REVOLUTION。



＇FROM　A　FORTHCOMING　HISTORY　OF　EUROPE。＇





CHAPTER　I。






It　is　seldom　that　the　historian　has　to　record　events　more　singular

than　those　which　occurred　during　this　year；　when　the　Crown　of

France　was　battled　for　by　no　less　than　four　pretenders；　with　equal

claims；　merits；　bravery；　and　popularity。　　First　in　the　list　we

placeHis　Royal　Highness　Louis　Anthony　Frederick　Samuel　Anna

Maria；　Duke　of　Brittany；　and　son　of　Louis　XVI。　　The　unhappy　Prince；

when　a　prisoner　with　his　unfortunate　parents　in　the　Temple；　was

enabled　to　escape　from　that　place　of　confinement；　hidden　（for　the

treatment　of　the　ruffians　who　guarded　him　had　caused　the　young

Prince　to　dwindle　down　astonishingly）　in　the　cocked…hat　of　the

Representative；　Roederer。　　It　is　well　known　that；　in　the　troublous

revolutionary　times；　cocked…hats　were　worn　of　a　considerable　size。



He　passed　a　considerable　part　of　his　life　in　Germany；　was　confined

there　for　thirty　years　in　the　dungeons　of　Spielberg；　and；　escaping

thence　to　England；　was；　under　pretence　of　debt；　but　in　reality　from

political　hatred；　imprisoned　there　also　in　the　Tower　of　London。　　He

must　not　be　confounded　with　any　other　of　the　persons　who　laid　claim

to　be　children　of　the　unfortunate　victim　of　the　first　Revolution。



The　next　claimant；　Henri　of　Bordeaux；　is　better　known。　　In　the　year

1843　he　held　his　little　fugitive　court　in　furnished　lodgings；　in　a

forgotten　district　of　London；　called　Belgrave　Square。　　Many　of　the

nobles　of　France　flocked　thither　to　him；　despising　the　persecutions

of　the　occupant　of　the　throne；　and　some　of　the　chiefs　of　the

British　nobilityamong　whom　may　be　reckoned　the　celebrated　and

chivalrous　Duke　of　Jenkinsaided　the　adventurous　young　Prince　with

their　counsels；　their　wealth；　and　their　valor。



The　third　candidate　was　his　Imperial　Highness　Prince　John　Thomas

Napoleona　fourteenth　cousin　of　the　late　Emperor；　and　said　by　some

to　be　a　Prince　of　the　House　of　Gomersal。　　He　argued　justly　that；　as

the　immediate　relatives　of　the　celebrated　Corsican　had　declined　to

compete　for　the　crown　which　was　their　right；　he；　Prince　John

Thomas；　being　next　in　succession；　was；　undoubtedly；　heir　to　the

vacant　imperial　throne。　　And　in　support　of　his　claim；　he　appealed

to　the　fidelity　of　Frenchmen　and　the　strength　of　his　good　sword。



His　Majesty　Louis　Philippe　was；　it　need　not　be　said；　the　illustrious

wielder　of　the　sceptre　which　the　three　above…named　princes　desired

to　wrest　from　him。　　It　does　not　appear　that　the　sagacious　monarch

was　esteemed　by　his　subjects；　as　such　a　prince　should　have　been

esteemed。　　The　light…minded　people；　on　the　contrary；　were　rather

weary　than　otherwise　of　his　sway。　　They　were　not　in　the　least

attached　to　his　amiable　family；　for　whom　his　Majesty　with

characteristic　thrift　had　endeavored　to　procure　satisfactory

allowances。　　And　the　leading　statesmen　of　the　country；　whom　his

Majesty　had　disgusted；　were　suspected　of　entertaining　any　but

feelings　of　loyalty　towards　his　house　and　person。



It　was　against　the　above…named　pretenders　that　Louis　Philippe

（now　nearly　a　hundred　years　old）；　a　prince　amongst　sovereigns；

was　called　upon　to　defend　his　crown。



The　city　of　Paris　was　guarded；　as　we　all　know；　by　a　hundred　and

twenty…four　forts；　of　a　thousand　guns　eachprovisioned　for　a

considerable　time；　and　all　so　constructed　as　to　fire；　if　need　were；

upon　the　palace　of　the　Tuileries。　　Thus；　should　the　mob　attack　it；

as　in　August　1792；　and　July　1830；　the　building　could　be　razed　to

the　ground　in　an　hour；　thus；　too；　the　capital　was　quite　secure　from

foreign　invasion。　　Another　defence　against　the　foreigners　was　the

state　of　the　roads。　　Since　the　English　companies　had　retired；　half

a　mile　only　of　railroad　had　been　completed　in　France；　and　thus　any

army　accustomed；　as　those　of　Europe　now　are；　to　move　at　sixty　miles

an　hour；　would　have　been　ennuye'd　to　death　before　they　could　have

marched　from　the　Rhenish；　the　Maritime；　the　Alpine；　or　the　Pyrenean

frontier　upon　the　capital　of　France。　　The　French　people；　however；

were　indignant　at　this　defect　of　communication　in　their　territory；

and　said；　without　the　least　show　of　reason；　that　they　would　have

preferred　that　the　five　hundred　and　seventy…five　thousand　billions

of　francs　which　had　been　expended　upon　the　fortifications　should

have　been　laid　out　in　a　more　peaceful　manner。　　However；　behind　his

forts；　the　King　lay　secure。



As　it　is　our　aim　to　depict　in　as　vivid　a　manner　as　possible　the

strange　events　of　the　period；　the　actions；　the　passions　of

individuals　and　parties　engaged；　we　cannot　better　describe　them

than　by　referring　to　contemporary　documents；　of　which　there　is　no

lack。　　It　is　amusing　at　the　present　day　to　read　in　the　pages　of　the

Moniteur　and　the　Journal　des　Debats　the　accounts　of　the　strange

scenes　which　took　place。



The　year　1884　had　opened　very　tranquilly。　　The　Court　of　the

Tuileries　had　been　extremely　gay。　　The　three…and…twenty　youngest

Princes　of　England；　sons　of　her　Majesty　Victoria；　had　enlivened　the

balls　by　their　presence；　the　Emperor　of　Russia　and　family　had　paid

their　accustomed　visit；　and　the　King　of　the　Belgians　had；　as　usual；

made　his　visit　to　his　royal　father…in…law；　under　pretence　of　duty

and　pleasure；　but　really　to　demand　payment　of　the　Queen　of　the

Belgians'　dowry；　which　Louis　Philippe　of　Orleans　still　resolutely

declined　to　pay。　　Who　would　have　thought　that　in　the　midst　of　such

festivity　danger　was　lurking　rife；　in　the　midst　of　such　quiet；

rebellion？



Charenton　was　the　great　lunatic　asylum　of　Paris；　and　it　was　to　this

repository　that　the　scornful　journalist　consigned　the　pretender　to

the　throne　of　Louis　XVI。



But　on　the　next　day；　viz。　Saturday；　the　29th　February；　the　same

journal　contained　a　paragraph　of　a　much　more　startling　and　serious

import；　in　which；　although　under　a　mask　of　carelessness；　it　was

easy　to　see　the　Government　alarm。



On　Friday；　the　28th　February；　the　Journal　des　Debats　contained　a

paragraph；　which　did　not　occasion　much　sensation　at　the　Bourse；　so

absurd　did　its　contents　seem。　　It　ran　as　follows：



〃ENCORE　UN　LOUIS　XVII。！　　A　letter　from　Calais　tells　us　that　a

strange　personage　lately　landed　from　England　（from　Bedlam　we

believe）　has　been　giving　himself　out　to　be　the　son　of　the

unfortunate　Louis　XVI。　　This　is　the　twenty…fourth　pretender　of　the

species　who　has　asserted　that　his　father　was　the　august　victim　of

the　Temple。　　Beyond　his　pretensions；　the　poor　creature　is　said　to

be　pretty　harmless；　he　is　accompanied　by　one　or　two　old　women；　who

declare　they　recognize　in　him　the　Dauphin；　he　does　not　make　any

attempt　to　seize　upon　his　throne　by　force　of　arms；　but　waits　until

heaven　shall　conduct　him　to　it。



〃If　his　Majesty　comes　to　Paris；　we　presume　he　will　TAKE　UP　his

quarters　in　the　palace　of　Charenton。



〃We　have　not　before　alluded　to　certain　rumors　which　have　been

afloat　（among　the　lowest　canaille　and　the　vilest　estaminets　of　the

metropolis）；　that　a　notorious　personagewhy　should　we　hesitate　to

mention　the　name　of　the　Prince　John　Thomas　Napoleon？has　entered

France　with　culpable　intentions；　and　revolutionary　views。　　The

Moniteur　of　this　morning；　however；　confirms　the　disgraceful　fact。

A　pretender　is　on　our　shores；　an　armed　assassin　is　threatening　our

peaceful　liberties；　a　wandering；　homeless　cut…throat　is　robbing　on

our　highways；　and　the　punishment　of　his　crime　awaits　him。　　Let　no

considerations　of　the　past　defer　that　just　punishment；　it　is　the

duty　of　the　legislator　to　provide　for　THE　FUTURE。　　Let　the　full

powers　of　the　law　be　brought　against　him；　aided　by　the　stern

justice　of　the　public　force。　　Let　him　be　tracked；　like　a　wild

beast；　to　his　lair；　and　meet　the　fate　of　one。　　But　the　sentence

has；　ere　this；　been　certainly　executed。　　The　brigand；　we　hear；　has

been　distributing　（without　any　effect）　pamphlets　among　the　low　ale…

houses　and　peasantry　of　the　department　of　the　Upper　Rhine　（in　which

he　lurks）；　and　the　Police　have　an　easy　means　of　tracking　his

footsteps。



〃Corporal　Crane；　of　the　Gendarmerie；　is　on　the　track　of　the


unfortu