burlesques-第116部分

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panemore　than　a　plate　of　muffinsit　cost　thee　a　fair　kingdom　and

fifty　millions　of　tax…payers。



The　shot　had　been　fired　from　Fort　Potato。　　〃Gracious　heavens！〃　said

the　commander　of　the　place　to　the　Irish　Prince；　in　a　fury；　〃What

has　your　Highness　done？〃　　〃Faix；〃　replied　the　other；　〃Donegal　and　I

saw　a　sparrow　on　the　Tuileries；　and　we　thought　we'd　have　a　shot　at

it；　that's　all。〃　　〃Hurroo！　look　out　for　squalls；〃　here　cried　the

intrepid　Hibernian；　for　at　this　moment　one　of　Paixhans'　shells　fell

into　the　counterscarp　of　the　demilune　on　which　they　were　standing；

and　sent　a　ravelin　and　a　couple　of　embrasures　flying　about　their

ears。



Fort　Twenty…three；　which　held　out　for　Louis　Philippe；　seeing　Fort

Twenty…four；　or　Potato；　open　a　fire　on　the　Tuileries；　instantly

replied　by　its　guns；　with　which　it　blazed　away　at　the　Bourbonite

fort。　　On　seeing　this；　Fort　Twenty…two）　occupied　by　the　Imperialists；

began　pummelling　Twenty…three；　Twenty…one　began　at　Twenty…two；　and

in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　whole　of　this　vast　line　of　fortification

was　in　a　blaze　of　flame；　flashing；　roaring；　cannonading；　rocketing；

bombing；　in　the　most　tremendous　manner。　　The　world　has　never　perhaps；

before　or　since；　heard　such　an　uproar。　　Fancy　twenty…four　thousand

guns　thundering　at　each　other。　　Fancy　the　sky　red　with　the　fires　of

hundreds　of　thousands　of　blazing；　brazen　meteors；　the　air　thick　with

impenetrable　smokethe　universe　almost　in　a　flame！　for　the　noise　of

the　cannonading　was　heard　on　the　peaks　of　the　Andes；　and　broke　three

windows　in　the　English　factory　at　Canton。　　Boom；　boom；　boom！

for　three　days　incessantly　the　giganticI　may　say；　Cyclopean

battle　went　on：　boom；　boom；　boom；　bong！　　The　air　was　thick　with

cannon…balls：　they　hurtled；　they　jostled　each　other　in　the　heavens；

and　fell　whizzing；　whirling；　crashing；　back　into　the　very　forts

from　which　they　came。　　Boom；　boom；　boom；　bongbrrwrrwrrr！



On　the　second　day　a　band　might　have　been　seen　（had　the　smoke

permitted　it）　assembling　at　the　sally…port　of　Fort　Potato；　and　have

been　heard　（if　the　tremendous　clang　of　the　cannonading　had　allowed

it）　giving　mysterious　signs　and　countersigns。　　〃Tom；〃　was　the　word

whispered；　〃Steele〃　was　the　sibilated　response。　　（It　is　astonishing

how；　in　the　roar　of　elements；　THE　HUMAN　WHISPER　hisses　above　all！）

It　was　the　Irish　Brigade　assembling。　　〃Now　or　never；　boys！〃　said

their　leaders；　and　sticking　their　doodeens　into　their　mouths；　they

dropped　stealthily　into　the　trenches；　heedless　of　the　broken　glass

and　sword…blades；　rose　from　those　trenches；　formed　in　silent　order；

and　marched　to　Paris。　　They　knew　they　could　arrive　there　unobserved

nobody；　indeed；　remarked　their　absence。



The　frivolous　Parisians　were；　in　the　meanwhile；　amusing　themselves

at　their　theatres　and　cafes　as　usual；　and　a　new　piece；　in　which

Arnal　performed；　was　the　universal　talk　of　the　foyers：　while　a　new

feuilleton　by　Monsieur　Eugene　Sue；　kept　the　attention　of　the　reader

so　fascinated　to　the　journal；　that　they　did　not　care　in　the　least

for　the　vacarme　without　the　walls。





CHAPTER　IX。



LOUIS　XVII。





The　tremendous　cannonading；　however；　had　a　singular　effect　upon　the

inhabitants　of　the　great　public　hospital　of　Charenton；　in　which　it

may　be　remembered　Louis　XVII。　had　been；　as　in　mockery；　confined。

His　majesty　of　demeanor；　his　calm　deportment；　the　reasonableness　of

his　pretensions；　had　not　failed　to　strike　with　awe　and　respect　his

four　thousand　comrades　of　captivity。　　The　Emperor　of　China；　the

Princess　of　the　Moon；　Julius　Caesar；　Saint　Genevieve；　the　patron

saint　of　Paris；　the　Pope　of　Rome；　the　Cacique　of　Mexico；　and

several　singular　and　illustrious　personages　who　happened　to　be

confined　there；　all　held　a　council　with　Louis　XVII。；　and　all　agreed

that　now　or　never　was　the　time　to　support　his　legitimate　pretensions

to　the　Crown　of　France。　　As　the　cannons　roared　around　them；　they

howled　with　furious　delight　in　response。　　They　took　counsel

together：　Dr。　Pinel　and　the　infamous　jailers；　who；　under　the　name　of

keepers；　held　them　in　horrible　captivity；　were　pounced　upon　and

overcome　in　a　twinkling。　　The　strait…waistcoats　were　taken　off　from

the　wretched　captives　languishing　in　the　dungeons；　the　guardians

were　invested　in　these　shameful　garments；　and　with　triumphant

laughter　plunged　under　the　Douches。　　The　gates　of　the　prison　were

flung　open；　and　they　marched　forth　in　the　blackness　of　the　storm！



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On　the　third　day；　the　cannonading　was　observed　to　decrease；　only　a

gun　went　off　fitfully　now　and　then。



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On　the　fourth　day；　the　Parisians　said　to　one　another；　〃Tiens！　ils

sont　fatigues；　les　cannoniers　des　forts！〃and　why？　　Because　there

was　no　more　powder？Ay；　truly；　there　WAS　no　more　powder。



There　was　no　more　powder；　no　more　guns；　no　more　gunners；　no　more

forts；　no　more　nothing。　　THE　FORTS　HAD　BLOWN　EACH　OTHER　UP。　　The

battle…roar　ceased。　　The　battle…clouds　rolled　off。　　The　silver

moon；　the　twinkling　stars；　looked　blandly　down　from　the　serene

azure；and　all　was　peacestillnessthe　stillness　of　death。

Holy；　holy　silence！



Yes：　the　battle　of　Paris　was　over。　　And　where　were　the　combatants？

All　gonenot　one　left！And　where　was　Louis　Philippe？　　The

venerable　Prince　was　a　captive　in　the　Tuileries；　the　Irish　Brigade

was　encamped　around　it：　they　had　reached　the　palace　a　little　too

late；　it　was　already　occupied　by　the　partisans　of　his　Majesty　Louis

XVII。



That　respectable　monarch　and　his　followers　better　knew　the　way　to

the　Tuileries　than　the　ignorant　sons　of　Erin。　　They　burst　through

the　feeble　barriers　of　the　guards；　they　rushed　triumphant　into　the

kingly　halls　of　the　palace；　they　seated　the　seventeenth　Louis　on

the　throne　of　his　ancestors；　and　the　Parisians　read　in　the　Journal

des　Debats；　of　the　fifth　of　November；　an　important　article；　which

proclaimed　that　the　civil　war　was　concluded：



〃The　troubles　which　distracted　the　greatest　empire　in　the　world　are

at　an　end。　　Europe；　which　marked　with　sorrow　the　disturbances　which

agitated　the　bosom　of　the　Queen　of　Nations；　the　great　leader　of

Civilization；　may　now　rest　in　peace。　　That　monarch　whom　we　have

long　been　sighing　for；　whose　image　has　lain　hidden；　and　yet　oh！　how

passionately　worshipped；　in　every　French　heart；　is　with　us　once

more。　　Blessings　be　on　him；　blessingsa　thousand　blessings　upon

the　happy　country　which　is　at　length　restored　to　his　beneficent；

his　legitimate；　his　reasonable　sway！



〃His　Most　Christian　Majesty　Louis　XVII。　yesterday　arrived　at　his

palace　of　the　Tulleries；　accompanied　by　his　august　allies。　　His

Royal　Highness　the　Duke　of　Orleans　has　resigned　his　post　as

Lieutenant…General　of　the　kingdom；　and　will　return　speedily　to　take

up　his　abode　at　the　Palais　Royal。　　It　is　a　great　mercy　that　the

children　of　his　Royal　Highness；　who　happened　to　be　in　the　late

forts　round　Paris；　（before　the　bombardment　which　has