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Article A PAGE FROM THE HISTORY OF NAPOLEON.* ← Page 7 of 13 →
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A Page From The History Of Napoleon.*
although it is my right , include you amongst my soldiers ; I only ask , in exchange for you , the life of my xvife and txvo of my sons . ' 'Alas ! ' cried I , ' yours also ; that of all . I entreat you to surrender . ' ' No , ' replied he . ' One Kervegan is dead already ; txvo more xvill clie to-morroxv : but it must not be that my king has no Kervegan on his riht hand xvhen
g he returns to his oxx'n ; the lots xvill decide which of my sons remain . '—It Avas the youngest . " ' For pity ' s sake ! ' I murmured , ' why not save him ?' "' Because the boat that xxill take you can hold but four persons . ' "' Wellthen , I xvill remain . '
, " The count smiled , and taking the hand of one of his sons , ' Remember this gentleman / saicl he , ' ancl if fortune should change , and his life be in clanger , that you defend liim at the peril of your OAVU . ' " This AA'as , indeed , a most noble refusal . " The boat AA'hich Avas to convey us Avaited at the bottom of the
staircase , beside the postern ; an olcl servant helcl the oars . The fareAvells of tliis unhappy family , AA'ho Avere to meet no more , xvere sad , yet dignified ; their tears floxved silently , but no sobsescaped them . The mother held for some time the child she xvas leaxing to certain death in her arms ; but there was no indication of weakness when she spoke to Mm of the ancient martyrs ! I almost imagined I was gazing upon the mother of the Gracchi .
"An hom * after the boat touched the shore , ancl we landed at a farm which had been abandoned . "Then vanished the stoical courage of the sons , and the feverish calmness of the mother . At the first rays of the dawn , the sky , yet pale and undecided , became illuminated AA'ith a fearful glare , a noise as of thunder was heard , the earth appeared to be vomiting fire upwards to heaven . —It Avas the explosion of the toAver .
" The count , his son , and his vassals , perished in the sendee of then * king ; the toAver no longer existed ; the ruins that you IIOAV behold alone remained . " The emperor abruptly interrupted his aide-de-camp . " This is just what I do not understand , " mm * mured he , " that Avith such men to sustain itthe monarchy should haA'e
, fallen . " " Sire , " replied the aide-de-camp , "the latter Bourbons haA'e not , as you have , genius for battles—the halo of glory AA'hich fascinates ; tlieir strength laid only in their hearts ancl their ri ght , ancl France recognizes neither the one nor the other . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Page From The History Of Napoleon.*
although it is my right , include you amongst my soldiers ; I only ask , in exchange for you , the life of my xvife and txvo of my sons . ' 'Alas ! ' cried I , ' yours also ; that of all . I entreat you to surrender . ' ' No , ' replied he . ' One Kervegan is dead already ; txvo more xvill clie to-morroxv : but it must not be that my king has no Kervegan on his riht hand xvhen
g he returns to his oxx'n ; the lots xvill decide which of my sons remain . '—It Avas the youngest . " ' For pity ' s sake ! ' I murmured , ' why not save him ?' "' Because the boat that xxill take you can hold but four persons . ' "' Wellthen , I xvill remain . '
, " The count smiled , and taking the hand of one of his sons , ' Remember this gentleman / saicl he , ' ancl if fortune should change , and his life be in clanger , that you defend liim at the peril of your OAVU . ' " This AA'as , indeed , a most noble refusal . " The boat AA'hich Avas to convey us Avaited at the bottom of the
staircase , beside the postern ; an olcl servant helcl the oars . The fareAvells of tliis unhappy family , AA'ho Avere to meet no more , xvere sad , yet dignified ; their tears floxved silently , but no sobsescaped them . The mother held for some time the child she xvas leaxing to certain death in her arms ; but there was no indication of weakness when she spoke to Mm of the ancient martyrs ! I almost imagined I was gazing upon the mother of the Gracchi .
"An hom * after the boat touched the shore , ancl we landed at a farm which had been abandoned . "Then vanished the stoical courage of the sons , and the feverish calmness of the mother . At the first rays of the dawn , the sky , yet pale and undecided , became illuminated AA'ith a fearful glare , a noise as of thunder was heard , the earth appeared to be vomiting fire upwards to heaven . —It Avas the explosion of the toAver .
" The count , his son , and his vassals , perished in the sendee of then * king ; the toAver no longer existed ; the ruins that you IIOAV behold alone remained . " The emperor abruptly interrupted his aide-de-camp . " This is just what I do not understand , " mm * mured he , " that Avith such men to sustain itthe monarchy should haA'e
, fallen . " " Sire , " replied the aide-de-camp , "the latter Bourbons haA'e not , as you have , genius for battles—the halo of glory AA'hich fascinates ; tlieir strength laid only in their hearts ancl their ri ght , ancl France recognizes neither the one nor the other . "