Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

tion." Lawyers eat their way to the bar; an attendance on Hall" is as necessary to the regularity of college life, as punctuality at chapel; and neither divine nor physician is qualified for his profession, till he has eaten a certain number of college-dinners. The grand jury dinner is as necessary a part of the assize as the judge's black cap; and even the solemn fast of Good Friday is observed at Rome by a most sumptuous fish dinner given to the Cardinals and foreign visitors in the halls of the Vatican.

These "Reminiscences" I have thought good to string together at the present moment for the consideration of my good friends of the New Monthly Magazine, because good eating and drinking is daily becoming less and less universal in England; and if the corn laws be not seriously looked after, the practice will be banished from the country. We all know what happened to the Frenchman's horse on a similar occasion; and though the death of a few hundred thousand manufacturers may in itself be of little consequence, yet I beg of my readers to consider that without manufacturers we can have no manufactures, and without manufactures there can be no commerce: without commerce there can be no taxes, without taxes there can be no places and pensions, and without places and pensions there can be no better living than is to be had by the sweat of one's own brow: which miserable sorites I beg to submit to all new Members of the lately elected parliament, to all Bishops and Deans, and "to all His Majesty's Justices of peace in England and the good town of Berwick-uponTweed;" and in general to all to whom these presents may come greeting, &c. &c.; and so for the present I take my leave. M.

[blocks in formation]

Louis, Emperor of Germany, having put his brother, the Palsgrave Rodolphus, under the ban of the empire (in the twelfth century), that unfortunate prince fled to England, where he died in neglect and poverty. "After his decease, his mother Matilda privately invited his children to return to Germany, and by her mediation, during a season of festivity, when Louis kept wassail in the castle of Heidelberg, the family of his brother presented themselves before him in the garb of suppliants, imploring pity and forgiveness. To this appeal the victor softened." -See Miss Benger's Memoirs of the Queen of Bohemia, vol. i. 20

Dec,

VOL. XVII. NO. LXXII.

She led them even to the Kaiser's place,
And still before him stood;

Till with strange wonder, o'er his face
Flush'd the proud warrior-blood :

And "Speak, my mother! speak!" he cried,
"Wherefore this mourning vest?
And the clinging children by thy side,
In weeds of sadness drest?"

"Well may a mourning vest be mine,
And theirs, my son, my son!
Look on the features of thy line
In each fair little one!

Though grief awhile within their eyes
Hath tamed the dancing glee,
Yet there thine own quick spirit lies-
Thy brother's children see!

"And where is he, thy brother, where?
He, in thy home that grew,

And smiling with his sunny hair,

Ever to greet thee flew !

How would his arms thy neck entwine,

His fond lips press thy brow!

My son! oh! call these orphans thine-
Thou hast no brother now!

"What! from their gentle eyes doth nought

Speak of thy childhood's hours,

And smite thee with a tender thought

Of thy dead father's towers?

Kind was thy boyish heart and true,

When rear'd together there,

Through the old woods like fawns ye flew

Where is thy brother--where?

"Well didst thou love him then, and he

Still at thy side was seen!

How is it that such things can be,

As though they ne'er had been?

Evil was this world's breath, which came
Between the good and brave!

Now must the tears of grief and shame
Be offer'd to the grave!

And let them, let them there be pour'd!
Though all unfelt below,

Thine own wrung heart, to love restored,
Shall soften as they flow.

Oh! Death is mighty to make peace,

Now bid his work be done!

So many an inward strife shall cease-
Take, take these babes, my son !"

His eye was dimm'd-the strong man shook
With feelings long suppress'd;

Up in his arms the boys he took,

And strain'd them to his breast.

And a shout from all in the royal hall

Burst forth to hail the sight;

And eyes were wet, midst the brave that met
At the Kaiser's feast that night.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

ADVENTURES OF AN ITALIAN EMIGRANT FROM THE YEAR 1820 UP TO THE PRESENT DAY.NO. II.

WHILE at Villa Franca, early in March 1824, I received a letter, dated Barcelona, from Signor Vigil Pablo, ex-administrator of the customs at Vendrell. It was to intreat my cousent to accompany his wife from Villa Franca as far as Barcelona, her present residence not being at all favourable to her health. This letter I communicated to the lady, who, surmounting all the difficulties which she foresaw in regard to the dangers of such a journey at such a time, agreed to leave the place on the ensuing Monday, the 5th of March. In order, however, to avoid the least risk, we determined to join a large party which intended to set out on the same day, and for the same destination.

Collecting as strong a company as possible, we accordingly set forth on the appointed day, and reached Siges. Our party counted, soon after, one-andtwenty persons, six of whom were women; but none of us predicted the disasters that were in store for us. In order to shorten our route as much as possible, we proceeded along the coast of Calaffe, willingly encountering the difficulty of the narrow paths, for the sake of the greater distance we thus

saved.

When about fifteen miles from Siges, just as we were issuing from a narrow pathway opening on a hollow in the form of a deep foss or ditch, we perceived a small straggling band of ferocious royalists, who came suddenly It is worth while to notice the manner in which they made this movement, throwing themselves into a kind of semicircle in our rear, so as gradually to make us descend straight forward into the foss.

upon us.

It was quite useless to think of escaping from their net; and the only one of our party who attempted it, by turning back, had his ears cut off upon the spot. When thus entrapped, they commanded us to prostrate ourselves with our faces upon the ground, and empty our pockets; threatening to despatch the first person who should venture to infringe their order by retaining the least article of value that he possessed.

After having delivered up every thing we carried, they bound our hands behind us, and commenced a search, to ascertain whether their orders had been fulfilled. After having thus secured us, they began to search the females: this search they conducted in the most insolent and licentious manner, despoiling them of their garments, shawls, ear-rings, and, indeed, every thing of any value.

The wretches then returned to us, and, observing that I had not happened to divest myself of my spurs, one of them called out to his companion: Here is an officer belonging to the blacks (Negri) whom we must kill!” But the others, instead of immediately accepting the invitation, began to maltreat me in the most cruel manner, and one of them struck me with his pistol a savage blow on the back of my head, inflicting a wound which bled profusely. They next deprived us of our best garments, of our whole baggage carried by our horses; and finally, singling out a young woman from the female party, about sixteen years of age, the villains disappeared in a neighbouring wood. She was the daughter of a rich chemist and druggist at Barcelona, who resided in a street named Nueva de la Rambla.

As soon as we perceived that these monsters were gone, we began to assist each other as well as we could, more particularly the females, who had their hands at liberty. We then proceeded slowly and sadly upon our journey, and arrived in the course of an hour at Castel di Felice, where the hospitality we met with afforded some alleviation to our many wants, and wounds. Scarcely had another hour elapsed, before we were rejoined by the unhappy young lady, who had been so rudely torn from us whose dishevelled hair and dress, and the wild alarm and wretchedness depicted on her features, betrayed the nature of the wrongs she had suffered.

Eager to reach our destination before nightfall, we once more set forward

on our route. We reached Barcelona about ten, where the recital of our sufferings excited the most lively indignation in all classes of the people, against the cowardly assassins who had dared to perpetrate such crimes in the face of day.

I ought here to mention, that two Ex-Spanish officers belonging to our party, in conjunction with Signor Pablo Vigil, applied to the governor-general of Barcelona, named Campo Sacrado, for the purpose of bringing these wretches to justice. But, as we could obtain no farther tidings of them, the governor expressed his inability to afford any redress, as the parties were not known, beyond commanding constant inquiries to be made, in order, if possible, to obtain their names. I continued to reside at Barcelona for the space of nine days; and when I was in part recovered from my wound, I again set out by sea for Villa Franca. On my arrival, I found a royal regiment in garrison there, which had been introduced during my absence. Learning that a number of Constitutional officers were also residents, the soldiers began to insult them, both in public and private, in such a manner, that it became dangerous for us to venture forth. For this reason, we generally chose the evening to walk out; but from a particular occurrence I had soon cause to know, that this plan, coming to the ears of the Royalists, only exposed us to infinitely greater risks.

It was on the 17th of May 1824, about ten o'clock in the evening, just after a private conversation with some friends, that I observed I was followed by two persons both unknown to me. At first I indulged not the least suspicion, until drawing more and more near me, as I was turning the corner of a street, they both rushed upon me, one with his dagger, and the other with a sabre. I instantly sprang forward to avoid their blows, aware that my only hope of safety lay in flight. But they pursued me very close, and I must doubtless have become their victim, had not the house-door of Signor Olivero most fortunately been open, into which I fled, so as only just to escape a blow aimed at me by one of these assassins.

Similar persecutions on the part of the military, and a number of assassinations already committed, were shortly followed by an order of government, highly favourable to such a system, prohibiting liberals or any others suspected of being such, to walk in company with each other, even two and two, through the streets, or to meet in houses to the number of three or more, under pain of being convicted (as accomplices) of treason against royal orders and the person of the king. As for myself, I am still ignorant of the cause of the particular enmity borne me by the Royalists and the factious on all sides. It is certain that they formed frequent projects to despatch me in cold blood, and happening to be disappointed in these, they sought to ruin me by other means.

Accordingly my name soon appeared in the list of those concerned in the new insurrection at Tariffa; and was presented along with theirs to the Government; with the additional accusation of having received sums of money from the Liberals, with which I hired disbanded soldiers in aid of the conspiracy. The unfortunate results of this cruel and manifest calumny will appear in the sequel of this narrative.

The Government issued an order for the houses of all those named in the said list to undergo a strict search, and for the seizure of their persons; and also, that any suspicious documents were to be brought in evidence against them. This search was to extend likewise to the houses of all suspected of being Liberals. In consequence of this royal edict, on the 7th of June 1824, three companies of Royalists marched at different points in the vicinity, to put it into execution. My house was fortunately one of those which hitherto had not been broken open; and as it was now eleven o'clock at night, I fancied I might enjoy at least one night's repose. But I had scarcely retired to rest, before I heard a loud knocking at the house-door. The mistress instantly inquired what could be the meaning of disturbing quiet people in their beds at such an unseasonable hour? Justice! justice! was the reply.

The door was opened, and a person in office demanded to be shown into my apartment. He commanded me to rise instantly and follow him, as he had some interesting matters to communicate. My conscience acquitted me; but the frequent assassinations committed under the shadow of the laws, rose like spectres before my eyes. Spite of this, however, I rose and followed him.

The moment we reached the house-door, he ordered me to place myself between five soldiers. I inquired the meaning of such a proceeding; to which the only answer returned was, that I should learn it afterwards. How much fairer would it have been to have prepared me, by informing me that this was one of those numerous and vile excesses of despotic power, that holds nothing sacred as long as there is a vestige of human liberty on which to feast its wide and ravenous maw.

The cruelties which these wretches now inflicted upon me, would appear incredible to the ears of freemen. The moment they felt that I was completely in their power, they commenced a series of insults, such as are most usually practised by slaves and cowards upon every living creature within their power. Some goaded me with their bayonets, some seized me by the hair of my head, while others struck or kicked me, exclaiming : "On, Nero! (black) on! the time is at length come, when we may satiate our vengeance in his black constitutional blood!"

In this style they conducted me among the body-guard of the city, who vied with each other in heaping upon me every species of insult and mortification that man is capable of suffering. The sergeant, however, declared that it was requisite to put me in safe custody, until they should receive higher orders how to dispose of me. In the guard-house I remarked that there were several other persons, besides such as had been arrested, who were placed in an apartment above that in which I stood. But ignorant alike of the accusations against them and their destiny, I found myself sufficiently occupied with my own.

About three o'clock in the morning I had a visit from an officer, who in the most insulting tone commanded the sergeant to admit him. After lavishing upon me every abusive epithet of which he was master, he ordered the sergeant to keep me in the strictest durance, as his life would be made to answer for my escape. Hearing this, my gaoler instantly immured me in a still closer dungeon contiguous to the guard-house, where I had full leisure to reflect how hard a task it is for the poor prisoner to prove his innocence before a corrupt tribunal, where the law is administered by perfidious wretches who ought to stand at the bar themselves.

At eight on the same morning, after the military had performed duty, which consisted in calling the muster, their officers next came to visit me. Here I might have expected honour, if not compassion; but such a visit was a galling insult wantonly inflicted upon an unarmed man, while they came armed with the sharpest stings of despotic insolence and power. Will it be believed, that not content with the most injurious language, they had recourse to blows, to kicks, and every mode of a similar despicable torment which they could devise!! During about three quarters of an hour, I was the victim of their brutal violence--of every insult most revolting to the human mind.

Yet my irreproachable conduct during my residence in that city had acquired for me the general esteem of the first families, and the tidings of my arrest awakened as general a feeling of commiseration. There were no efforts wanting on their part to procure my enlargement. Several distinguished characters offered their personal guarantee, and entreated the Royalist Colonel to name some sum, either to that effect, or by way of penalty. But no! they were not even permitted to see or speak with me; and when it was attempted, they were more than once insolently repulsed by the guards.

I ought to state, that after the insulting visit I received from the officers,

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »