After his conduct toward France he cannot
expect me to exercise toward him a ridiculous and undeserved
generosity."
[Footnote 22: When the Duke of Brunswick, at the head of the army of the
King of Prussia, took the field against the French, he said, in a
manifesto to his troops, "We will conquer and burn the rapacious city of
Paris."]
The ambassador of Brunswick withdrew, sighing, and with tearful
eyes.[23] The emperor looked gloomily at him till he had disappeared.
[Footnote 23: As soon as M. de Muenchhausen returned to Brunswick and
communicated to the unfortunate duke the utter failure of his mission
and Napoleon's threatening reply, the mortally wounded old man left his
capital and state, in order not to run the additional risk of being
taken prisoner by the French. On leaving his palace, carried on a litter
by his faithful servants, he was heard to wail in a low voice, "_Quelle
honte! quelle honte!_" and the tears burst from the sockets of his
ruined eyes. The Duke of Brunswick had gone by way of Celle, Hamburg,
and Altona, to Ottensen, a village on Danish soil. But since the day on
which he had been compelled to leave the palace of his ancestors and his
state as a fugitive, he would take no food; he would not support the
burden of life any more--death by starvation was to deliver him from his
sufferings. It was in vain that his servants and his faithful physician
implored him to desist from this fatal purpose; he remained immovable.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207