登陆注册
5229100000255

第255章 CHAPTER XXIII(1)

1804.

General Ordener's mission--Arrest of the Due d'Enghien--Horrible night-scene---Harrel's account of the death of the Prince--Order for digging the grave--The foster-sister of the Duo d'Enghien--Reading the sentence--The lantern--General Savary--The faithful dog and the police--My visit to Malmaison--Josephine's grief--The Duc d'Enghien's portrait and lock of hair--Savary's emotion--M. de Chateaubriand's resignation--M. de Chatenubriand's connection with Bonaparte--Madame Bacciocchi and M. de Fontanes--Cardinal Fesch --Dedication of the second edition of the 'Genie du Christianisme' --M. de Chateaubriand's visit to the First Consul on the morning of the Due d'Enghien's death--Consequences of the Duo d'Enghien's death--Change of opinion in the provinces--The Gentry of the Chateaus--Effect of the Due d'Enghien's death on foreign Courts--Remarkable words of Mr. Pitt--Louis XVIII. sends back the insignia of the Golden Fleece to the King of Spain.

I will now narrate more fully the sanguinary scene which took place at Vincennes. General Ordener, commanding the mounted grenadiers of the Guard, received orders from the War Minister to proceed to the Rhine, to give instructions to the chiefs of the gendarmerie of New Brissac, which was placed at his disposal. General Ordener sent a detachment of gendarmerie to Ettenheim, where the Due d'Enghien was arrested on the 15th of March. He was immediately conducted to the citadel of Strasburg, where he remained till the 18th, to give time for the arrival of orders from Paris. These orders were given rapidly, and executed promptly, for the carriage which conveyed the unfortunate Prince arrived at the barrier at eleven o'clock on the morning of the 20th, where it remained for five hours, and afterwards proceeded by the exterior boulevards on the road to Vincennes, where it arrived at night. Every scene of this horrible drama was acted under the veil of night: the sun did not even shine upon its tragical close. The soldiers received orders to proceed to Vincennes at night. It was at night that the fatal gates of the fortress were closed upon the Prince. At night the Council assembled and tried him, or rather condemned him without trial. When the clock struck six in the morning the orders were given to fire, and the Prince ceased to exist.

Here a reflection occurs to me. Supposing one were inclined to admit that the Council held on the 10th of March had some connection with the Due d'Enghien's arrest, yet as no Council was held from the time of the Duke's arrival at the barrier to the moment of his execution, it could only be Bonaparte himself who issued the orders which were too punctually obeyed. When the dreadful intelligence of the Duc d'Enghien's death was spread in Paris it excited a feeling of consternation which recalled the recollection of the Reign of Terror. Could Bonaparte have seen the gloom which pervaded Paris, and compared it with the joy which prevailed on the day when he returned victorious from the field of Marengo, he would have felt that he had tarnished his glory by a stain which could never be effaced.

About half-past twelve on the 22d of March I was informed that some one wished to speak with me. It was Harrel.

--[Harrel, who had been unemployed till the plot of Arena and Ceracchi on the 18th Vendemiairean IX (10th October 1800) which he had feigned to join, and had then revealed to the police (see ante), had been made Governor of Vincennes.]--I will relate word for word what he communicated to me. Harrel probably thought that he was bound in gratitude to acquaint me with these details; but he owed me no gratitude, for it was much against my will that he had encouraged the conspiracy of Ceracchi, and received the reward of his treachery in that crime. The following is Harrel's statement:--"On the evening of the day before yesterday, when the Prince arrived, I was asked whether I had a room to lodge a prisoner in; I replied, No-- that there were only my apartments and the Council-chamber. I was told to prepare instantly a room in which a prisoner could sleep who was to arrive that evening. I was also desired to dig a pit in the courtyard.

--[This fact must be noted. Harrel is told to dig a trench before the sentence. Thus it was known that they had come to kill the Duc d'Enghien. How can this be answered? Can it possibly be supposed that anyone, whoever it was, would have dared to give each an order in anticipation if the order had not been the carrying out of a formal command of Bonaparte? That is incredible.--Bourrienne.]--I replied that that could not be easily done, as the courtyard was paved.

The moat was then fixed upon, and there the pit was dug. The Prince arrived at seven o'clock in the evening; he was perishing with cold and hunger. He did not appear dispirited. He said he wanted something to eat, and to go to bed afterwards. His apartment not being yet sufficiently aired, I took him into my own, and sent into the village for some refreshment. The Prince sat down to table, and invited me to eat with him. He then asked me a number of questions respecting Vincennes-- what was going on there, and other particulars. He told me that he had been brought up in the neighbourhood of the castle, and spoke to me with great freedom and kindness. 'What do they want with me?' he said. What do they mean to do with me?' But these questions betrayed no uneasiness or anxiety. My wife, who was ill, was lying in the same room in an alcove, closed by a railing. She heard, without being perceived, all our conversation, and she was exceedingly agitated, for she recognised the Prince, whose foster-sister she was, and whose family had given her a pension before the Revolution.

同类推荐
  • 学仕遗规

    学仕遗规

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 神农书

    神农书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • NO NAME

    NO NAME

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梦寐

    梦寐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洪恩灵济真君集福早朝仪

    洪恩灵济真君集福早朝仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 超级保镖

    超级保镖

    一代狂人萧冷傲,带着能够‘窥百病、探人心’的功法《炼心诀》闯入都市,纵横无敌,唯我独尊!
  • 杀手的路

    杀手的路

    从阴森的牢笼中走出,被训练成杀人的工具,到良知的唤回,真善美的爱情。
  • 主播撩爱:金主大人求放过

    主播撩爱:金主大人求放过

    乔亦菲职业主播,天生丽质难自弃,精致的五官,有着古典气质美女的称号,粉丝一大波一大波的向她砸钱,背后还有神秘的金主大人。她和他是网友,相见不相识,却被逼迫嫁给他,她威胁他,婚后不许碰她,否则后果自负。她打的过小三,斗的过渣男,虐的了后妈,外人对她避而远之,他却始终对她温柔如初。夫妻同心,其利断金,一起踩小人。他疼她,宠她,对她无限温柔,然而她却只想逃离。留下一纸离婚协议书,却被他霸气抓回家。左擎天笑的邪魅:“老婆,这姿势你喜欢吗?”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 行在尘世

    行在尘世

    天庭消失了,地府也消失了,灵气逐渐减少修道之人该如何继续修行,是寻找天庭消失的原因还是最后只能老死空余成仙的梦?
  • 妃要逆天:天才预言师

    妃要逆天:天才预言师

    当以杀人为乐趣的佣兵穿越为废弃的庶女,当在异世获得无上的能力,当在这天下翻手为云覆手为雨之时,她不在是冷血的杀人工具!机缘巧合下,她开了天眼!各种占卜的技能通通学入囊中!从此天地间,没有她不能预言到的事情!你护我一分,我便保你一生!长笛在手,竖剑防身!一声令下,号令群兽!百兽为伍,且看我如何笑傲天下!“我要的东西,你给不起!”她站在他的面前,火红色的衣衫缭乱了他的视线。“若是我给不起,这天下间便再没有人能给得起!”对上她的话,他同样霸道!若是有朝一日倾权在手,定要杀尽天下负我之狗!这天下,不尽是男儿的天下!
  • 幻途

    幻途

    带领美女军团,崛起当世,以无敌的姿态,横扫天地!傲世神鼎炼地溶天,旷世神兵造化乾坤,生死绝境踏破巅峰!纯情圣女,霸道女皇,诱惑妖姬,绝色姐妹花,且看他如何搅动乾坤,霸道崛起成就无双霸业,将美女一一征服!
  • 鲁迅最传世小说

    鲁迅最传世小说

    本书收录了鲁迅最有影响、最广为人知的小说,包括《祝福》《在酒楼上》《肥皂》《伤逝》等,表达了作者对生活在封建势力重压下的农民及知识分子的深刻洞察与表现,艺术手法圆熟,人物形象丰满,堪称中国现代小说经典。
  • 双面女友求独宠

    双面女友求独宠

    人人都说凌家的掌上明珠凌萝曦是个天才少女,又懂事又有礼貌,妥妥别人家的孩子。在没遇上洛奕霖之前,凌萝曦是个人见人爱,花见花开的小淑女,遇上洛奕霖以后,她却能分分钟变身暴躁少女,每天都上演一遍在线爆狗头。“洛奕霖,你再说我平胸,信不信我弄死你!”“我只是说了实话而已!”那个面若桃花的少年洛奕霖,翩翩少年模样,偏生长了一张让人又爱又恨的巧嘴。所有人都以为他只是个无名小卒可欺可辱,可他有一天却摇身一变,成了最有权势的继承人!遇上了她,他所有的情话都留给了她——“如果你是周瑜,那我一定是黄盖…”一个愿打,一个愿挨。“可周瑜和黄盖都是男的啊!”“……”所有的忠诚也留给了她——“如果我是狗,那你一定是一根美味的肉骨头…”让我不愿放手。“傻孩子,求你别侮辱了狗。”“……”鲜衣怒马的少年,曾踏过嬉笑怒骂的年少,踏过无知轻狂的自我,最终栽在了那个少女手上:“女人,你只可以独宠我!”【精分学霸×傲娇忠犬】
  • 谁是爱尔兰人?

    谁是爱尔兰人?

    小说讲述了六十八岁的华裔老奶奶四世同堂的故事。她母亲仍然用中草药治疗关节炎,她女儿不会讲汉语,早已融入美国社会、担任银行经理、嫁给爱尔兰人约翰·谢伊。老奶奶看女婿不顺眼,却对混血孙女索菲亚抱着中国式老人子孙绵延的爱,但索菲亚从不觉得那个遥远模糊的过去与她有什么关系。老奶奶试图运用“棒头出孝子”的绝技,被女婿阻止,但她终于成功地将中国式美食、服装和使用筷子的绝技传递给孩子。
  • 重生之八十年代新农民

    重生之八十年代新农民

    重生改革开放初期的八零年农村,一切都是过去一切又都是开始,新的挑战开始了,这一次主角的人生又该怎么谱写?群号:374124552.有愿意吐糟的就加群吧,老金会抽时间和你们嘴炮的。