登陆注册
20057500000204

第204章 CHAPTER L. PATRIOTISM.(3)

"That is a consolation, but no hope," said Gentz. "So long as the other ministers will retain their positions, every thing will be in vain. Every thing is so diseased and rotten that, unless the whole be thrown away, there is no reasonable hope left. I hoped the Emperor of Russia would boldly denounce the incapacity of the cabinet, and by his powerful influence succeed in cleansing our Augean stable, but he is too gentle for such an undertaking, and has no man of irresistible power and energy at his side. He beheld our misery; he greatly deplored it, but refused to meddle with the domestic affairs of Austria. Thus every thing was lost, and he was himself disgracefully defeated."

"And now we have submitted altogether?" asked Marianne. "We have made peace with the usurper?"

"We have BEGGED him to make peace with us, you mean, and he will dictate the terms in which we shall have to acquiesce. Oh, Marianne, when I think of the events of the last few days, I am seized with rage and grief, and hardly know how I shall be able to live henceforward. Just listen HOW we have begged for peace! Yesterday, two days after the battle, the Emperor Francis sent Prince John of Lichtenstein to Napoleon, who had established his headquarters at Austerlitz, in a mansion belonging to the Kaunitz family, to express to the conqueror his wish to have an interview with him at the advanced posts. Napoleon granted it to him, and the Emperor of Germany went to his conqueror to beg for peace. He was accompanied by none but Lamberti to the meeting, which was to take place in the open field. Bonaparte received him, surrounded by all his generals, chamberlains, and masters of ceremonies, and with the whole pomp of his imperial dignity." [Footnote: This account of the interview of the two emperors may be found verbatim in a letter from Gentz to Johannes von Muller. Vide "Correspondence," etc., p. 154.]

"Oh, what a terrible disgrace and humiliation!" exclaimed Marianne, bursting into tears, while she tore the diadem with a wild gesture from her hair and hurled it to the floor. "Who dares to adorn himself after events so utterly ignominious have occurred?" she ejaculated--"who dares to carry his head erect after Germany has been thus trampled under foot! The Emperor of Germany has begged the invader to make peace; he has humbly solicited it like a beggar asking alms! And has the conqueror graciously granted his request?

Oh, tell me every thing, Frederick! What took place at that interview? What did they say to each other?"

"I can tell you but little about it," said Gentz, shrugging his shoulders, "for the two emperors conversed without witnesses.

Bonaparte left his suite at the bivouac fire kindled by his soldiers, and Lamberti also went thither. The two emperors then embraced each other like two friends who had not met for years."

[Footnote: Historical.]

"And the Emperor Francis had not sufficient strength to strangle the fiend with his arms?" asked Marianne, trembling with wrath and grief.

"He had neither the strength nor the inclination, I suppose," said Gentz, shrugging his shoulders. "When Napoleon released the unfortunate Emperor Francis from his arms, he pointed with a proud glance toward heaven and said: 'Such are the palaces which your majesty has obliged me to inhabit for these three months.'"

"'The abode in them,' replied the Austrian monarch, 'makes you so thriving that you have no right to be angry with me for it.'"

"'I only ask your majesty,' said Napoleon, hastily, 'not to renew the war against France.'"

"'I pledge you my word as a man and a sovereign that I shall do so no more,' replied Francis, loudly and unhesitatingly. The conversation then was continued in a lower tone, and neither Lamberti nor the French marshals were able to understand another word." [Footnote: "Memoires du Duo de Rovigo," vol. ii., p. 218.]

"The interview lasted two hours, and then the two emperors parted with reiterated demonstrations of cordiality. The Emperor Francis returned silently, and absorbed in his reflections to his headquarters at Austerlitz. Hitherto he had not uttered a word; but when he saw the Prince von Lichtenstein, he beckoned him to approach, and said to him in a low voice, and with suppressed anger, 'Now that I have seen him, he is more intolerable to me than ever.'

[Footnote: Hausser's "History of Germany," vol. ii., p. 690.] That was the only utterance he gave to his rage; as for the rest, he seemed contented with the terms he obtained."

"And were the terms honorable?" asked Marianne.

"Honorable!" said Gentz, shrugging his shoulders. "Napoleon demanded, above all, that the Russian army should retire speedily from the Austrian territories, and the emperor promised this to him.

Hence, the Emperor Alexander has departed; the Russian army is retreating; one part of it is going to Prussia, while the other is returning to Poland. The cabinet of Vienna, therefore, is free; that is to say, it is left to its own peculiar infamy without any bounds whatever, and thus peace will be made soon enough. Those contemptible men will submit to any thing, provided he gives up Vienna. Finance-minister Fichy said to me in Olmutz yesterday, 'Peace will be cheap, if we have merely to cede the Tyrol, Venice, and a portion of Upper Austria, and we should be content with such terms.' Ah, if THEY could only be got rid of, what a splendid thing the fall of the monarchy would he! But to lose the provinces, honor, Germany, Europe, and to KEEP Fichy, Ungart, Cobenzl, Collenbach, Lamberti, Dietrichstein--no satisfaction, no revenge?-not a single one of the dogs hung or quartered,--it is impossible to digest THAT!" [Footnote: Gentz's own words.--Vide his "Correspondence with Johannes von Muller," p. 155.]

同类推荐
  • 哭麻处士

    哭麻处士

    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。
  • 坛溪梓舟船禅师语录

    坛溪梓舟船禅师语录

    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。
  • 三要达道论

    三要达道论

    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。
  • Karl Ludwig Sand

    Karl Ludwig Sand

    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。
  • 钟情丽集

    钟情丽集

    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
  • 傲世轻狂

    傲世轻狂

    我,只是不甘心被人陷害毁我前途!我,需要强大的实力夺回曾经属于我的一切!我,无论这条路是怎样的坎坷,一身傲骨不曾弯曲!我,将用我的轻狂告诉这世界,是谁将灵动九天之上!嘿嘿,大大们本文绝对的狂,绝对的装,绝对的热血。自由自在,心肠不坏。像个小孩,大家随仔仔一起扬起你们的逼格,协同傲世,轻狂于天下!
  • 道中之仙

    道中之仙

    苍穹宇宙,三千大道。以逍遥入道,以阵法控道。
  • 墨决

    墨决

    秦初,始皇方士徐福提炼神药“神芒”轰动江湖,而墨子创立绝学之“墨决”称霸整个武林;数百年过去,当已然拥有“墨决”的林宇会甘心将“神芒”假手他人吗?偶然一份残缺的“神芒”图纸将他带入这场争夺之中,乌江、秦岭、玉门关、匈奴、江东。。。这看似环环相扣的地名究竟有多少曲折、危机在等待着他呢?
  • 大小诸证方论

    大小诸证方论

    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。
  • 制霸老公,请放手

    制霸老公,请放手

    她为了保住父亲生前的心血,被迫和他分手。从此他们形同陌路却又日日相见。他和别人相亲高调喊话,让众人关注。“相亲就相亲,我不在乎,我不在乎,我不在乎!”她无动于衷。正式订婚时她却意外出现,包中藏刀。“你敢和别人结婚,我就敢死在当场。”“张兮兮,是不是我把手里的股份给你,你就会和我睡。”他邪魅的问道。“你就不能把股份分几次给我,多睡几次!”捂脸~~
  • 妃,让我嫁你

    妃,让我嫁你

    初遇上官雪,她伸爪验身。初遇慕容飞,她醉酒调戏。卖身葬猫的金毛小子?可爱!本王妃收了你当专属男佣。一次次无厘头爆笑事件,只因她是二十一世纪新新不良少女,她痞?但可以痞得圆滑!她拽?同样可以拽到惹人爱!拽痞搞怪加无赖,接下所谓的命运责任后,她与他他他的偶遇,相知,一切变得不再平凡。她与他他他的相知,相识,似乎是命里安排。究竟,谁才是她携手而终的那个他?敬请关注,各色倾城美男如何赖上无良女主。情节虚构,切勿模仿。
  • 诗话花草

    诗话花草

    本书主要选取了部分名花异草加以抒写,共有三十九节组成,大致分为名花和异草两部分。用优美的笔调、丰富的想象,对所选取的花草逐一描写,其中大量引用了诗人们吟咏花草的诗章,从古至今、十分丰富。文中还穿插了不少有关的逸闻趣事,生动有趣。
  • 军婚也缠绵

    军婚也缠绵

    孤女医生,误撞特种大队营长,燃起爱情之火!钻石男横刀插入,青梅竹马缠绕身边,一场误会,他们的感情面临危机!为救好友,她忍气吞声,与他签订结婚契约,成为军嫂!却不料他竟与七年前父母离世有关?真相迷离,爱恨交织,上演一场缠绵的军婚之恋!
  • 邪魔狂女古怪皇妃

    邪魔狂女古怪皇妃

    她,是20世纪的冷血杀手代号“彼岸”因为一次意外而莫明的穿越到一个不知名的地方他遇到了一个妖孽的男子然后他们之间才出了爱的火花两人一见钟情坠入爱河却不料有人从中阻挠但独孤杰最后还是夺的了冷紫曦的芳心两人最终在一起了
  • 古墓探灵

    古墓探灵

    上世纪六十年代伊始,一伙聚集了来自天南海北、不同门派的盗墓贼,在一次盗墓行动中,无意间挖出了一枚石磬。五十年后,在一次意外的市场古玩交易中,这枚石磬重新回到了人们的视线当中,但谁也没有想到,这枚石磬上刻画的纹路,竟记载了一座神奇的古墓。在这场意外中,“我”被卷进了这次盗墓行动中,可我怎么也不会想到这次盗墓行动竟成了我整个人生噩梦的开始……