第67章
加入书架 A- A+
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  Whentheroyalfamilywentdowntotaketheirwalkinthegarden,Santerreusedtocomeupwithatroopofsoldiers。ThesentrieswhomtheypassedshoulderedarmsbeforeSanterre;butassoonashehadpassedandthekingcame,theygroundedtheirarms,andpretendednottoseehim。Inthedoorthatledintothegarden,Rocher,theturnkey,usedtostand,andtakehispleasureinlettingtheroyalfamilywaitbeforeunlocking,whileheblewgreatcloudsofsmokeintotheirfacesfromhislongtobacco-pipe。TheNationalGuardswhostoodintheneighborhoodusedtolaughatthis,andhurlallsortsoflow,vilewordsattheprincesses。Then,whiletheroyalprisonersweretakingtheirwalk,thecannoneersusedtocollectinthealleesthroughwhichtheywandered,anddancetothemusicofrevolutionarysongswhichsomeofthemsang。Sometimesthegardenerswhoworkedtherehurrieduptojointheminthisdance,andtoencircletheprisonersintheirwildevolutions。Oneofthesepeopledisplayedhissickletothekingoneday,andsworethathewouldcutofftheheadofthequeenwithit。Andwhen,aftertheirsadwalk,theyhadreturnedtotheTemple,theywerereceivedbythesentinelsandtheturnkeywithrenewedinsults;and,asifitwerenotenoughtofilltheearwiththisabuse,theeyetoomusthaveitsshare。Thevilestofexpressionswerewrittenuponthewallsofthecorridorswhichtheroyalpartyhadtotraverse。Youmightreadthere:“MadameVetowillsoonbedancingagain。DownwiththeAustrianshe-wolf!Thewolf’sbroodmustbestrangled。Thekingmustbehangedwithhisownribbon!“Anothertimetheyhaddrawnagallows,onwhichafigurewashanging,withtheexpressionwrittenbeneath,“Louistakinganair-bath!“

  Andso,eventheshortwalksoftheprisonersweretransformedintosuffering。Atfirstthequeenthoughtshecouldnotbearit,andthepromenadesweregivenup。Butthepalecheeksofherdaughter,thelonginglookswhichthedauphincastfromtheclosedwindowtothegarden,warnedthemothertodowhatthequeenfoundtoosevereatask。Sheunderwentthepaininvolvedinthis,shesubmittedherself,andeverydaytheroyalpairtookthedearchildrenintothegardenagain,andborethisunworthytreatmentwithoutcomplaint,thatthechildrenmightenjoyalittleairandsunshine。

  Oneday,the21stofSeptember,theroyalfamilyhadreturnedfromtheirwalktotheirsitting-room。Thekinghadtakenabookandwasreading;thequeenwassittingnearhim,engagedinsomelightwork;

  whilethedauphin,withhissisterTheresa,andhisauntElizabeth,wereinthenextroom,andwerebusyingeachotherwithriddles。Intheopenanteroomthetwoofficialsweresitting,theireyesfixedupontheprisonerswithakindofcruelpleasure。

  Suddenlybeneaththeirwindowswereheardtheloudblastoftrumpetsandtherattleofdrums;thenfolloweddeepsilence,andamidthisstillnessthefollowingproclamationwasreadwithaloudvoice:

  “ThemonarchyisabolishedinFrance。Allofficialdocumentswillbedatedfromthefirstyearoftherepublic。Thenationalsealwillbeencircledbythewords,’RepublicofFrance。’Thenationalcoat-of-

  armswillbeawomansittinguponabundleofweapons,andholdinginherhandalancetippedwithaliberty-cap。“

  Thetwoofficialshadfixedtheireyesuponthekingandqueen,fromwhoseheadsthecrownhadjustfallen。Theywantedtoread,withtheircraftyandmaliciouseyes,theimpressionwhichtheproclamationhadmadeuponthem。Butthoseproud,calmfeaturesdisclosednothing。Notforamomentdidthekingraisehiseyesfromthebookwhichhewasreading,whilethevoicewithoututteredeachwordwithfearfuldistinctness。Thequeenquietlywentonwithherembroidery,andnotforamomentdidsheintermittheregularmotionofherneedle。

  Againtheblastoftrumpetsandtherattleofdrums。Thefuneraloftheroyaltywasended,andthekingwas,afterthistime,tobeknownsimplyasLouisCapet,andthequeenasMarieAntoinette。

  WithintheTempletherewasnolongeradauphin,nolongeraMadameRoyale,nolongeraprincess,butonlytheCapetfamily!

  TherepublichadhurledthecrownsfromtheheadsofLouisandMarieAntoinette;andwhen,somedayslater,thelinenwhichhadbeenlongbeggedfor,hadbeenbroughtfromtheTuileries,therepubliccommandedthequeentoobliteratethecrownwhichmarkedeachpiece,inadditiontothename。

  Buttheirsufferingsarebynomeansendedyet。Stilltherearesomesourcesofcomfortleft,andnowandthenapeacefulhour。Thecrownshavefallen,butheartsstillbeatsidebyside。Theyhavenolongerakingdom,buttheyaretogether,theycanspeakwithlooksonetoanother,theycanseektocomfortoneanotherwithsmiles,theycancheereachotherupwithapassinggraspofthehand,thatescapestheeyeofthesentries!Weonlysufferhalfwhatwebearincommonwithothers,andeverythingseemslighter,whenthereisasecondonetohelplifttheload。

  Perhapstheenemiesofthekingandqueenhaveaninstinctivefeelingofthis,andtheirhatemakesthemsympathetic,inordertoteachthemtoinventnewtorturesandnewsufferings。

  Yes,thereareunknownpangsstilltobefelt;theircupofsorrowswasnotyetfull!Theparentsarestilllefttoeachother,andtheireyesarestillallowedtorestupontheirchildren!Butthe“oneandindivisiblerepublic“meanstorendeventhesebondswhichbindtheroyalfamilytogether,andtopartthosewhohaveswornthatnothingshallseparatethembutdeath!Therepublic——whichhadabolishedthechurches,overthrownthealtars,driventhepriesthoodintoexile——therepubliccannotgranttotheCapetfamilythatonlydeathshallseparatethem,forithadevenmadeDeathitsservant,andmustacceptdailyvictimsfromhim,offeredonthePlacedeLiberte,inthecentreofwhichstoodtheguillotine,theonlyaltartoleratedthere。

  InthemiddleofOctobertherepublicsentitsemissariestotheTemple,totearthekingfromthearmsofhiswifeandhischildren。

  Inspiteoftheirpleadingsandcries,hewastakentoanotherpartoftheTemple——tothegreattower,whichfromthistimewastoserveashislodgings。Andinorderthatthequeenmightbesparednopang,thedauphinwascompelledtogowithhisfatherandbeseparatedfromhismother。

  Thisbrokethepride,theroyalprideofMarieAntoinette。Shewrungherhands,shewept,shecried,sheimploredwithsuchmoving,meltingtones,nottobeseparatedfromhersonandhusband,thateventheheartofSimonthecobblerwastouched。

  “Ireallybelievethatthesecursedwomenmakemeblubber!“criedhe,angrywiththetearswhichforcedthemselvesintohiseyes。Andhemadenoobjectionwhentheotherofficialssaidtothequeen,withtremblingvoices,thattheywouldallowtheroyalfamilytocometogetherattheirmeals。

  Onelastcomfort,onelastrayofsunshine!Therewerestillhoursinthesedismal,monotonousdaysofNovember,whentheycouldhavesomehappiness——hoursforwhichtheylonged,andforwhosesaketheyborethedesolatesolitudeoftheremainingtime。

  Atbreakfast,dinner,andsupper,theCapetfamilyweretogether;

  wordswereinterchanged,handscouldrestinoneanother,andtheycoulddelightinthepleasantchatterofthedauphinwhenthekingtoldaboutthelessonshehadgiventheboy,andtheprogresshewasmaking。

  Theysometimesforgot,atthosemeetings,thatDeathwasperhapscrouchingoutsidetheTemple,waitingtoreceivehisvictims;andtheyevenutteredlittlewordsofpleasantry,toawakenthebright,freshlaughofthedauphin,theonlymusicthateverwasheardinthosedismalrooms。

  ButDecembertookthislastconsolationfromthequeen。TheNationalAssembly,whichhadnowbeentransformedintotheConvention,broughtthechargeoftreasonagainsttheking。HewasaccusedofenteringintoasecretalliancewiththeenemiesofFrance,andcallingthemonarchsofEuropetocometohisassistance。InanironsafewhichhadbeensetintothewallofthecabinetintheTuileries,papershadbeendiscoveredwhichcompromisedtheking,lettersfromtherefugeeprinces,fromtheEmperorofGermany,andtheKingofPrussia。ThesemonarchswerenowontheveryconfinesofFrance,readytoenteruponabloodywar,andthatwasthefaultoftheking!Hewasinalliancewiththeenemiesofhiscountry!Hewasthemurdererofhisownsubjects!Onhisheadthebloodshouldreturn,whichhadbeenshedbyhim。

  Thiswasthechargewhichwasbroughtagainsttheking。TwentymembersoftheConventionwenttotheTemple,toreadittohim,andtohearhisreply。Hestoutlydeniedhayingentertainedsuchrelationswithforeignprinces;hedeclared,withasolemnoath,thathehaddeclinedalloverturesfromsuchquarters,becausehehadseenthat,inordertofreeanimprisonedking,Franceitselfmustbethreatened。

  Thechiefsoftherevolutionmeanttofindhimguilty。LouisCapetmustbeputoutoftheway,inorderthatRobespierreandMarat,Danton,Petion,andtheirfriends,mightreachunlimitedpower。

  TheremayhavebeenseveralintheConventionwhoshrankfromthislastconsequenceoftheirdoings,buttheydidnotventuretoraisetheirvoices;theychimedinwiththeterrorismwhichtheleadersoftherevolutionexercisedupontheConvention。Theyknewthatbehindtheseleadersstoodthesavagemassesofthestreets,armedwithhatredagainstmonarchyandthearistocracy,andreadytotearinpiecesanyoneasanenemyofthecountrywhoventuredtojointhenumberofthosewhowereunderthebanandthesentenceofthepopularhate。

  Stillthereweresomecourageous,faithfulservantsofthekingwhoventuredtotakehisparteventhere。Louishadnowbeensummonedtothebarasanaccusedperson,andtheConventionhadtransformeditselfintoatribunalwhosefunctionwastopassjudgmentontheguiltorinnocenceoftheking!

  Inordertosatisfyalltheformsofthelaw,thekingshouldhavehadanadvocateallowedhim,andthebenefitoflegalcounsel。TheConventiondemandedthatthosewhowerereadytoundertakethistaskshouldsendintheirnames。Itwasaformdeemedsafetoabideby,becauseitwasbelievedthattherewouldbenoonewhowouldventuretoenteruponsomomentousandperilousaduty。

  Butthereweresuch,nevertheless。Therewerestillcourageousandnoblemenwhopitiedtheforsakenking,andwhowantedtotrytosavehim;notwillingtoseehimatoneforthedebtsofhispredecessors,andbleedforthesinsofhisfathers。AndscarcelyhadtheconsentoftheConventionbeenannounced,thatLouisCapetshouldhavethreeadvocatesforhisdefence,whenfromParisandalltheminorcitiesletterscameinfrommenwhodeclaredthemselvesreadytoundertakethedefenceoftheking。

  Evenfromforeignlandstherecamelettersandappealsinbehalfofthedeposedmonarch。Oneofthem,writteninspiritedandglowinglanguage,conjuredFrancenottosoilitsnobleyoungfreedombythedreadfulmurderofaninnocentman,whohadcommittednootheroffencethanthathewasthesonofhisfathers,theheiroftheircrownandtheirremissness。ItwaswrittenbyaGermanpoet,FrederickSchiller。[Footnote:Schiller’sdefenceofthekingispreservedinthenationalarchives——SeeBeauchesuevol。i。,p。366。]

  Fromthemanyrequeststoserveashisadvocates,Louischoseonlytwotodefendhim。Thefirstofthesewashisformerminister,thephilosopherLamoignondesMalesherbes,thentheadvocateTrouchet,andfinally,atthepressingrequestofMalesherbes,thedistinguishedyoungadvocateDeseges。Tothosethreemenwascommittedthetrustofdefendingthekingagainstthedreadfulchargeoftreasontohiscountry,tobesubstantiatedbyhundredsandhundredsoflettersanddocuments。

  Afterthepreliminaryinvestigationswereclosed,thepublicchargewasmadeintheConvention,whichstillhelditssessionsintheManage。Tothisbuilding,situatedneartheTuileries,theking,accompaniedbyhisthreedefendersandtwomunicipaldefenders,andsurroundedbyNationalGuards,wasconductedfromtheTemple。Thepeopledancedaroundthecarriagewithwildshoutsofjoyandcursesoftheking。WithinthevehiclesatLouis,completelycalmandself-

  possessed。

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