FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33  
34   35   36   37   38   >>  
orary pamphleteers and journalists, his reader will not be surprised at the difficulty of obtaining correct information of what happens beneath our very window, as one of the great men of history confessed upwards of two centuries since. In this respect, mankind has scarcely progressed a jot, though men be more sceptical in not taking for granted. Our extract is, we hope, to the point: "It is curious to what an extent opposite feelings and opinions will colour even material scenes and objects to the eyes of different observers. Count Tasistro was also present at the capture of the Tuileries; and gives us in his narrative a description of what he witnessed of the conduct of the people after they had established themselves within the palace. Before presenting the reader, however, with what he says upon this subject, we will transcribe part of his account of his adventures in the earlier part of this day. 'The morning of the 29th,' he says, 'was ushered in by the dismal ringing of bells, the groans of distant guns, and the savage shouts of the populace; and I arose from a long train of dreams, which defied recollection as well as interpretation. The rabble, headed by a few beardless boys just let loose from the Polytechnic School and other seminaries, had been pleased to fix their head-quarters in our street. About half-past eleven, however, those of them who were collected here having heard that the popular forces who were fighting before the Louvre were nearly disabled by the cannon of the troops occupying that palace, their Polytechnic chief called upon them to follow him to the assistance of their brethren. Having entreated them to refrain from extravagant excesses, he rushed forward, and soon arrived at the scene of action. Here I saw him turn round and address his followers thus, 'Le cannon a deja extermine plusieurs de vos comarades; dans un instant il est a vous; suivez moi, et apprenez comme il faut mourir;' (_the cannon has already destroyed numbers of your brethren; the next instant it will be directed against you: follow me, and learn how to die_.) Having uttered these words, he darted forward, just as the gun which was pointed at him was discharged, and was blown into atoms. The people, however, following where he had led, in the enthusiasm of the moment seized the gun, and turned it immediately against the Swiss and the Guards that were stationed at the balconies of the Louvre. Other guns were afterwards ta
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33  
34   35   36   37   38   >>  



Top keywords:

cannon

 

people

 

palace

 

instant

 

forward

 

Having

 
brethren
 

Polytechnic

 
follow
 
Louvre

reader

 
arrived
 
action
 

surprised

 
refrain
 

extravagant

 
excesses
 

rushed

 
plusieurs
 

extermine


entreated

 
address
 

followers

 

obtaining

 

popular

 

forces

 

fighting

 

collected

 

window

 

beneath


information

 

called

 

correct

 
assistance
 
occupying
 

disabled

 

troops

 

difficulty

 

discharged

 

pointed


darted

 

enthusiasm

 
balconies
 

stationed

 
Guards
 
moment
 

seized

 
turned
 
immediately
 

uttered