burlesques-第107部分

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（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


unfortunate　young　man。　　His　attempt　will　only　serve　to　show　the

folly　of　the　pretenders；　and　the　love；　respect；　regard；　fidelity；

admiration；　reverence；　and　passionate　personal　attachment　in　which

we　hold　our　beloved　sovereign。〃





〃SECOND　EDITION！



〃CAPTURE　OF　THE　PRINCE。



〃A　courier　has　just　arrived　at　the　Tuileries　with　a　report　that

after　a　scuffle　between　Corporal　Crane　and　the　'Imperial　Army；'　in

a　water…barrel；　whither　the　latter　had　retreated；　victory　has

remained　with　the　former。　　A　desperate　combat　ensued　in　the　first

place；　in　a　hay…loft；　whence　the　pretender　was　ejected　with　immense

loss。　　He　is　now　a　prisonerand　we　dread　to　think　what　his　fate

may　be！　　It　will　warn　future　aspirants；　and　give　Europe　a　lesson

which　it　is　not　likely　to　forget。　　Above　all；　it　will　set　beyond　a

doubt　the　regard；　respect；　admiration；　reverence；　and　adoration

which　we　all　feel　for　our　sovereign。〃





〃THIRD　EDITION。



〃A　second　courier　has　arrived。　　The　infatuated　Crane　has　made

common　cause　with　the　Prince；　and　forever　forfeited　the　respect　of

Frenchmen。　　A　detachment　of　the　520th　Leger　has　marched　in　pursuit

of　the　pretender　and　his　dupes。　　Go；　Frenchmen；　go　and　conquer！

Remember　that　it　is　our　rights　you　guard；　our　homes　which　you　march

to　defend；　our　laws　which　are　confided　to　the　points　of　your

unsullied　bayonets；above　all；　our　dear；　dear　sovereign；　around

whose　throne　you　rally！



〃Our　feelings　overpower　us。　　Men　of　the　520th；　remember　your

watchword　is　Gemappes；your　countersign；　Valmy。〃





〃The　Emperor　of　Russia　and　his　distinguished　family　quitted　the

Tuileries　this　day。　　His　Imperial　Majesty　embraced　his　Majesty　the

King　of　the　French　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　and　conferred　upon　their

RR。　HH。　the　Princes　of　Nemours　and　Joinville；　the　Grand　Cross　of

the　Order　of　the　Blue　Eagle。〃





〃His　Majesty　passed　a　review　of　the　Police　force。　　The　venerable

monarch　was　received　with　deafening　cheers　by　this　admirable　and