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marie antoinette and her son-第15章

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said:

〃You wish; madame; that I should speak the whole truth! Sire; the
queen rewarded me for this little work of love in a manner worthy of
a queen。 She granted me an appointment in the park of Versailles。〃

At this new and fearful charge; the queen cried aloud; and;
springing forward like a tigress; she seized the arm of her husband
and shook it。

〃Sire;〃 said she; 〃listen to this high traitor; bringing infamy upon
a queen! Will you bear it? Can his purple protect the villain?〃

〃No; it cannot; and it shall not!〃 cried the king。 〃Breteuil; do
your duty。 And you; cardinal; who venture to accuse your queen; to
scandalize the good name of the wife of your king; go。〃

〃Sire;〃 stammered the cardinal; 〃sire; I〃

〃Not a word;〃 interrupted the king; raising his hand and pointing
toward the door; 〃out; I say; out with you!〃

The cardinal staggered to the door; and entered the hall filled with
a glittering throng; who were still whispering; laughing; and
walking to and fro。

But hardly had he advanced a few steps; when behind him; upon the
threshold of the royal cabinet; appeared the minister Breteuil。

〃Lieutenant;〃 cried Breteuil; with a loud voice; turning to the
officer in command of the guard; 〃lieutenant; in the name of the
king; arrest the Cardinal de Rohan; and take him under escort to the
Bastile。〃

A general cry of horror followed these words; which rolled like a
crashing thunder…clap through the careless; coquetting; and
unsuspecting company。 Then followed a breathless silence。

All eyes were directed to the cardinal; who; pale as death; and yet
maintaining his noble carriage; walked along at ease。

At this point a young officer; pale like the cardinal; like all in
fact; approached the great ecclesiastic; and gently took his arm。

〃Cardinal;〃 said he; with sorrowful tone; 〃in the name of the king;
I arrest your eminence。 I am ordered; monseigneur; to conduct you to
the Bastile。〃

〃Come; then; my son;〃 answered the cardinal; quickly; making his way
slowly through the throng; which respectfully opened to let him
pass〃 come; since the king commands it; let us go to the Bastile。〃

He passed on to the door。 But when the officer had opened it; he
turned round once more to the hall。 Standing erect; with all the
exalted dignity of his station and his person; he gave the amazed
company his blessing。

Then the door closed behind him; and with pale faces the lords and
ladies of the court dispersed to convey the horrible tidings to
Versailles and Paris; that the king had caused the cardinal; the
grand almoner of France; to be arrested in his official robes; and
that it was the will of the queen。

And the farther the tidings rolled the more the report enlarged;
like an avalanche of calumnies。

In the evening; Marat thundered in his club: 〃Woe; woe to the
Austrian! She borrowed money of the Cardinal de Rohan to buy jewels
for herself; jewels while the people hungered。 Now; when the
cardinal wants his money; the queen denies having received the
money; and lets the head of the Church be dragged to the Bastile。

〃Woe; woe to the Austrian!〃

〃Woe; woe to the Austrian!〃 muttered brother Simon; who sat near the
platform on which Marat was。 〃We shall not forget it that she buys
her jewels for millions of francs; while we have not a sou to buy
bread with。 Woe to the Austrian!〃

And all the men of the club raised their fists and muttered with
him; 〃Woe to the Austrian!〃




CHAPTER V。

ENEMIES AND FRIENDS。


All Paris was in an uproar and in motion in all the streets; the
people assembled in immense masses at all the squares; and listened
with abated breath to the speakers who had taken their stand amid
the groups; and who were confirming the astonished hearers
respecting the great news of the day。

〃The Lord Cardinal de Rohan; the grand almoner of the king;〃 cried a
Franciscan monk; who had taken his station upon a curbstone; at the
corner of the Tuileries and the great Place de Carrousel〃Cardinal
de Rohan has in a despotic manner been deprived of his rights and
his freedom。 As a dignitary of the Church; he is not under the
ordinary jurisdiction; and only the Pope is the rightful lord of a
cardinal; only before the Holy Father can an accusation be brought
against a servant of the Church。 For it has been the law of the
Church for centuries that it alone has the power to punish and
accuse its servants; and no one has ever attempted to challenge that
power。 But do you know what has taken place? Cardinal de Rohan has
been withdrawn from the jurisdiction of his rightful judges; he has
been denied an ecclesiastical tribunal; and he is to be tried before
Parliament as if he were an ordinary servant of the king; secular
judges are going to sit in judgment upon this great church
dignitary; and to charge him with a crime; when no crime has been
committed! For what has he done; the grand almoner of France;
cardinal; and cousin of the king? A lady; whom he believed to be in
the queen's confidence; had told him that the queen wanted to
procure a set of jewels; which she was unfortunately not able to
buy; because her coffers; as a natural result of her well…known
extravagance; were empty。 The lady indicated to the lord cardinal
that the queen would be delighted if he would advance a sum
sufficient to buy the jewels with; and in his name she would cause
the costly fabric to be purchased。 The cardinal; all the while a
devoted and true servant of the king; hastened to gratify the desire
of the queen。 He took this course with wise precaution; in order
that the queen; whose violence is well known; should not apply to
any other member of the court; and still further compromise the
royal honor。 And say yourselves; my noble friends; was it not much
better that it should be the lord cardinal who should lend money to
the queen; than Lord Lauzun; Count Coigny; or the musical Count
Vaudreuil; the special favorite of the queen? Was it not better for
him to make this sacrifice and do the queen this great favor?〃

〃Certainly it was better;〃 cried the mob。 〃The lord cardinal is a
noble man。 Long live Cardinal de Rohan!〃

〃Perish the Austrian; perish the jewelled queen!〃 cried the cobbler
Simon; who was standing amid the crowd; and a hundred voices
muttered after him; 〃Perish the Austrian!〃

〃Listen; my dear people of Paris; you good natured lambs; whose wool
is plucked off that the Austrian woman may have a softer bed;〃 cried
a shrieking voice; 〃hear what has occurred to…day。 I can tell you
accurately; for I have just come from Parliament; and a good friend
of mine has copied for me the address with which the king is going
to open the session today。〃

〃Read it to us;〃 cried the crowd。 〃Keep quiet there! keep still
there! We want to hear the address。 Read it to us。〃

〃I will do it gladly; but you will not be able to understand me;〃
shrieked the voice。 〃I am only little in comparison with you; as
every one is little who opposes himself to the highest majesty of
the earth; the people。〃

〃Hear that;〃 cried one of those who stood nearest to those a little
farther away 〃 hear that; he calls us majesties! He seems to be an
excellent gentleman; and he does not look down upon us。〃

〃Did you ever hear of a wise man looking down upon the prince royal;
who is young; fair; and strong?〃 asked the barking voice。

〃He is right; we cannot understand him;〃 cried those who stood
farthest away; pressing forward。 〃What did he say? He must repeat
his words。 Lift him up so that we all may hear him。〃

A broad shouldered; gigantic citizen; in good clothing; and with an
open; spirited countenance; and a bold; defiant bearing; pressed
through the crowd to the neighborhood of the speaker。

〃Come; little man;〃 cried he; 〃I will raise you up on my shoulder;
and; but see; it is our friend Marat; the little man; but the great
doctor!〃

〃And you truly; you are my friend Santerre; the great man and the
greatest of doctors。 For the beer which you get from his brewery is
a better medicine for the people than all my electuaries can be。 And
you; my worthy friend of the hop…pole; will you condescend to take
the ugly monkey Marat on your shoulders; that he may tell the people
the great news of the day?〃

Instead of answering; the brewer Santerre seized the little crooked
man by both arms; swung him up with giant strength; and set him on
his shoulders。

The people; delighted with the dexterity and strength of the
herculean man; broke into a loud cheer; and applauded the brewer;
whom all knew; and who was a popular personage in the city。 But
Marat; too; the horse…doctor of the Count d'Artois; as he called
himself derisively; the doctor of poverty and misfortune; as his
flatterers termed himMarat; too; was known to many in the throng;
and after Santerre had been applauded; they saluted Marat with a
loud vivat; and with boisterous clapping of hands。

He turned his distorted; ugly visage toward the Tuileries; whose
massive proportions towered up above the lofty trees of the gardens;
and with a threatening gesture shook his fist at the royal palace。

〃Have you heard it; you proud gods of the earth? Have you heard the
sacred thunder mutte
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