It was an incident of the war between Charles V and Fran?ois I, King of France. A treaty had been entered into between these two sovereigns which is commemorated4 to this day by the Croix de Marbre in the Rue5 de France. Charles V thought fit to regard this obligation as “a scrap6 of paper” and declared war upon the French king. The French at once started to attack Nice which was conveniently near to the frontier and at the same time an important stronghold of the enemy.
Now in these days business entered largely into the practical affairs of warfare7. A combatant must obviously have a fighting force. If he possessed8 an inadequate9 army he must take means to supplement it. He must hire an army on the best terms he could and in accord with the hire-system arrangement of the time. Professional warriors10 were numerous enough and were as eager for a temporary engagement as are “supers” at a pantomime. They could not be obtained through what would now be called a Registry Office; but there were contractors12 or war-employment agents who could supply the men en masse.
Fran?ois I, when the war began, found himself very ill provided with fighting men and especially with seamen13 and ships, for Nice was a port. He naturally, therefore, applied14 to the nearest provider of war material and was able to secure no less a man than Barbarossa the pirate.
It is necessary to speak more fully15 about this talented man; for in all popular accounts of the great siege of Nice two persons alone are pre-eminent; two alone occupy the stage—a pirate and a laundress, Barbarossa and Segurana. Hariadan Barbarossa was a pirate by profession, or as some would style him who prefer the term, a corsair. His sphere of activity was the Mediterranean16 and especially the shores of Africa. He had done extremely well and, as the result of diligent17 robbery with violence pursued for many years, he had acquired territory in Tunis where he reigned18 as a kind of caliph. He was not a Moor19 nor was he black. He was a native of Mitylene. The name Barbarossa, or Redbeard, had been given him apparently20 in part on account of his hair and in part from the fact that his real name was unpronounceable. His exploits attracted the attention of the Sultan of Turkey who was so impressed with his ability that he took him into his service and made him Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet. It was, therefore, with Turkish ships and with Turkish men that Barbarossa came to the aid of the King of France.
The leader of the French troops was the Comte de Grignan. He seems, however, to have been a person of small importance. Barbarossa was the commanding figure, the leader and the hero of the drama.
The governor of Nice was a grey-headed warrior11, one Andrea Odinet, Count of Montfort. Barbarossa commenced operations on August 9th but before his attack was delivered he sent a formal message to the governor demanding the surrender of the town. The governor replied enigmatically that his name was Montfort. Barbarossa probably perceived that the name was appropriate, for the hill held by the enemy was strong. He further informed the pirate that his family motto was “Bisogno tenere,” which may be rendered “I am bound to hold on.” Having furnished these biographical details he suggested that the Turkish admiral had a little more to do than he could manage.
The position of the town, with its walls, its bastions and its gates, has been already set forth21 in the preceding chapter. The main assault was made on the north side of Nice, the special object of attack being the Pa?roliera bastion which faced the spot now occupied by the Place Garibaldi. The batteries opened fire and poured no fewer than three hundred shots a day upon the unhappy city. This cannonade was supplemented by that of one hundred and twenty galleys23 which were anchored off the foot of Mont Boron.
By August 15th a breach24 was made in the Pa?roliera bastion, and the Turks and the French moved together to the assault. They were thrown back with fury. They renewed the attack, but were again repulsed25 and on the third violent onrush were once more hurled26 back. At last, wearied and disheartened, they retired27, having lost heavily in men and having suffered the capture of three standards.
The poor, battered28 town of Nice, with its small garrison29, could not however endure for long the incessant30 rain of cannon22 balls, the anxiety, the perpetual vigil and the bursts of fighting; so after eleven days of siege the lower town capitulated, leaving the haute ville, or Castle Hill, still untaken.
Barbarossa appears to have dealt with that part of the city which he had captured in quite the accepted pirate fashion and with great heartiness31. He destroyed as much of it as his limited leisure would permit, let loose his shrieking32 Turks to run riot in the streets, set fire to the houses and took away three thousand inhabitants as slaves. Barbarossa—whatever his faults—was thorough.
There yet remained the problem of the upper town on the Castle Hill. It was unshaken, untouched and as defiant33 as the precipice34 on which it stood; while over the tower of the keep the banner of Nice floated lazily in the breeze as if it heralded35 an autumn fête day. The Turkish batteries thundered not against walls and bastions but against a solid and indifferent rock. To scale the side of the cliff was not within the power of man. The garrison on the height had little to do but wait and count the cannon balls which smashed against the stone with as little effect as eggshells against a block of iron.
NICE: A STREET IN THE OLD TOWN.
The view is generally accepted that little is to be gained by knocking one’s head against a stone wall. The general in command of the French was becoming impressed with this opinion and was driven to adopt another and more effective method of destroying Nice. In his camp were certain traitors36, deserters and spies who had sold themselves, body and soul, to the attacking army. Conspicuous37 among these was Gaspard de Ca?s (of whom more will be heard in the telling of the siege of Eze), Boniface Ceva and a scoundrel of particular baseness named Benoit Grimaldo, otherwise Oliva. These mean rogues38 assured the French general that Nice could be taken by treachery. They had co-conspirators in the town who were anxious to help in destroying the place of their birth and were masters of a plan which could not fail. Three Savoyard deserters offered their services as guides; and one day, as the twilight39 was gathering40, Benoit Grimaldo, the three guides, and a party of armed men started out cheerfully for the Castle Hill. On gaining access to the town they were to make way for the body of the troops. The French to a man watched the hill for the signal that would tell that the impregnable fortress41 had been entered and, with arms in hand, were ready to spring forward to victory.
Unfortunately one of the deserters had a conscience. His conscience was so disturbed by qualms42 that the man was compelled to sneak43 to his colonel and “tell him all.” It thus came to pass that Benoit and his creeping company were met by a sudden fusillade which killed many of them. The survivors44 fled. Grimaldo jumped into the sea and saved himself by swimming. Later on—it may be mentioned—he was taken by some of his old comrades of the Castle Hill and was hanged within sight of his own home.
In this way did the siege of Nice come to an end, leaving the city untaken and the flag still floating over the gallant height; while the discomfited45 pirate sailed away for other fields of usefulness.[6]
It is necessary now to turn to the case of the laundress who shared with Barbarossa the more dramatic glories of the siege. She is said, in general terms, “to have fought valiantly46 and to have inspirited the defenders47 by her example.” As to her exact deeds of valour there is some obscurity in matters of detail and some conflict of evidence as to the scope and purpose of her military efforts. If her capacity for destroying Turks may be measured by the capacity of the modern laundress for destroying linen48 she must have been an exceedingly formidable personage. The story, as given by Baring-Gould, is as follows:[7]
“Catherine Segurane, a washerwoman, was carrying provisions on the wall to some of the defenders when she saw that the Turks had put up a scaling ladder and that a captain was leading the party and had reached the parapet. She rushed at him, beat him on the head with her washing bat and thrust him down the ladder which fell with all those on it. Then hastening to the nearest group of Nicois soldiers she told them what she had done, and they, electrified49 by her example, threw open a postern, made a sortie, and drove the Turks back to the shore.”
Apart from the fact that the picture of a washerwoman strolling about in the firing line with a laundry implement50 in her hand is hard to realise, it must be added that certain French accounts and the story of Ricotti differ materially from the narrative51 given. Ricotti speaks of Segurana as a poor lady of Nice, aged52 thirty-seven, who was so ill-looking that she went by the nickname of Donna Maufaccia or Malfatta which may be rendered as Madame Ugly Face. She is said to have been possessed of rare strength, to have been masculine in bearing and ingrate53 or unpleasing in her general aspect. She is described as having performed some feat54 of strength with a Turkish standard that she had seized with her own hands. According to one account she threw the standard into the moat and according to another she planted it upside down on the top of Castle Hill—a somewhat childish display of swagger.
From the rather ridiculous elements furnished by the various records a composite story comes together which is as full of charm as a beautiful allegory. It tells of no Joan of Arc with her youth, her handsome face, her graceful55 carriage, her shining armour56 and her powerful friends. It tells of a woman in a lowly position who was no longer young, who was ugly and, indeed, unpleasant to look upon, who was the butt57 of her neighbours and was branded with a cruel nickname by her own townfolk. When the city was attacked and in the travail58 of despair this despised woman, this creature to laugh at, came to the front, fought with noble courage by the side of the men, shared their dangers and displayed so fine and so daring a spirit that she put heart into a despairing garrison, put life into a drooping59 cause and made victorious60 what had been but a forlorn hope. It was the fire and patriotism61 and high resolve that she aroused that saved the city she loved and earned for her the name, for all time, of the Heroine of Nice. Poor Madame Ugly Face the butt of the town!
[6]
Nostredame, “History of Provence,” 1614. Durante’s “History of Nice,” 1823. Vol. ii. Ricotti, “Storia della monarchia piemontese,” 1861. Vol. i.
[7]
“Riviera,” by S. Baring-Gould, 1905.
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1
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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commemorated
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| v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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6
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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10
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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contractors
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| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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14
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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15
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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19
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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20
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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21
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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24
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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25
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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26
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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27
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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28
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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29
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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30
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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31
heartiness
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| 诚实，热心 | |
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32
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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33
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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34
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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35
heralded
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| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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36
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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38
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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39
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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40
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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41
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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42
qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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43
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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44
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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45
discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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46
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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47
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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48
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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49
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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50
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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51
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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52
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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53
ingrate
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| n.忘恩负义的人 | |
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54
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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55
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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56
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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57
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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58
travail
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| n.阵痛；努力 | |
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59
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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60
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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61
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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