Hercules, by the way, came himself to a tragic2 end. He was, in the language of the history books, an “unprincipled libertine3.” He outraged4 the wives and daughters of certain of his subjects. The indignant husbands and fathers had no means of redress5. There was no authority to appeal to above the prince; so they took the matter into their own good hands. One night a grim and determined6 body of men turned out into the streets, forced their way into the palace and into the prince’s bedchamber. They dragged him from his bed, cut his throat and threw his dead body over the cliff into the sea. This prompt and primitive7 act of justice took place in the year 1604.
Honorius the First, who succeeded to the prince just named, found the protectorate an insufferable burden and resented the presence of a Spanish garrison8 within the walls of Monaco. He endured the insolence9, the exactions and the oppression of the foreigners for about forty years when it came upon him that he could tolerate the sight of them no longer. The Spaniards were lounging in his courtyard and his barrack square and strutting10 about his battlements to protect him from the supposed insidious11 enemy, France. He did not wish to be protected from France. He desired protection from the swaggering upstarts from Spain who patronised him, patted him metaphorically12 on the back and told him that he need not be afraid for they would look after him. Honorius preferred the possible hostility13 of France to the ever-present and offensive guardianship14 of the Spaniards.
He was tired of being looked after; so one day he got into touch with his enemy, the French, and had a genial15, open-hearted talk with the general. The general frankly16 confessed that this Spanish garrison on the frontier was a menace and a hateful thing that grew, year by year, more disgustful. No doubt in the course of the interview they “said things” about these poltroons, these blusterers, these sneering17 braggarts and vied with one another merrily in the invention of crushing and ingenious terms of abuse. As a result of a pleasant chat they entered into a secret compact, the conditions of which were simple. Honorius was prepared to place Monaco under the French flag if only the French would rid him of this abominable18 old man of the sea, the Spaniard.
The day was near at hand when the Spanish garrison would be removed to Nice in order to be relieved by a fresh contingent19. A very few of the obnoxious20 foreigners would then be left in Monaco. This was the day, therefore, arranged for the happy release. It was a certain day in November 1641.
Before the time arrived Honorius introduced into Monaco some hundred trusty men from Mentone. They came to the rock under all sorts of pretexts21. Some were to visit friends who did not exist; others were coming to repair fortifications that needed no amendment22, and a strangely large body were called upon to help in the palace kitchen which was already overstaffed. Anyhow they came; and, at the same time, it was arranged that two hundred armed Mentonais were to find hiding-places outside the walls, on the cliff side or in the huts about the Condamine and the harbours; while a few, no doubt, would seek shelter among the olive groves23 where Monte Carlo and its casino now stand.
The main body of the Spanish garrison marched off to Nice, singing and shouting, for they were on the way to their homes in Spain. The disposal of the few who remained was left to the ingenuity24 of a priest, a man of resource, one Pacchiero by name. He organised a special night service in the church “to pray for the defeat of the French should they attack Monaco.” The Spaniards could do no less than join in this pious25 exercise. The little church was soon filled with men, kneeling row upon row and pouring forth26 petitions for the destruction of the ill-intentioned French.
At 11 P.M. while the service was in progress, the glare of a bonfire, on the point of the rock, shot suddenly over the sea. It was a good bonfire for the light of its flames could be seen from Cap d’Ail to Cap Martin. It was a signal to the French that “The Day” had come and not only the day but the hour. The French captain, the Comte d’Alais, with a fine body of men under his command was looking out eagerly for this flash of fire and the moment he saw it he set off with his company to Monaco.
At the same time the Monégasques and the five-score absent-minded visitors from Mentone fell upon the Spaniards, threw open the gate and admitted the two hundred who had been shivering outside in the cold. After a sharp fight the scanty28 garrison was overcome and were lodged29 in a dungeon30 where they could continue their prayers for the ruin of the French at greater leisure.
Next morning the French troops marched into Monaco with banners flying and bands playing. They were welcomed by the people with songs and cheers and noisy enthusiasm. The houses were hung with garlands of flowers and all the women were decked out in their best. The cheering must have penetrated31 to the dungeons32 and have been very bitter to the Spaniards who had spent so much time in praying for the overthrow33 of these very men whose swinging tramp they could hear overhead.
The prince behaved with much graciousness and generosity34. He caused the French troops and the Spaniards to be paraded in the square and, when the crowd had been hushed to silence, he delivered an appropriate and, no doubt, impressive address. At its conclusion he took from his neck the order of the Golden Fleece and handed it to the Spanish captain with the request that he would return it to His Majesty35 of Spain with the late wearer’s compliments and thanks. He then, amid uproarious cheering, donned the white scarf which betokened36 his allegiance to the King of France. The Spaniards he treated with a fine liberality, inspired by the grateful knowledge that he would never see them again. He allowed the officers to retain their swords. He gave to all the soldiers double pay and a generous supply of food for their journey. Furthermore he presented to the captain a letter in which—with some excess of fancy—he dwelt upon the bravery which both officers and men had shown under the recent disturbing conditions.
Thus it was that the Spaniards left Monaco and that the people of the rock saw the last of them. As they marched down the cliff to the high road they were not only content but even disposed to be thankful. Some, no doubt, were a little sad because they were leaving their sweethearts behind in Monaco; while all—without question—were burning to wring37 the neck of the priest who had organised that special night service at which they had prayed for the undoing38 of their now jubilant enemies.
Louis XIII of France was much pleased with the part the Prince of Monaco had played in ridding him of a Spanish outpost so near to his own territories. “He arranged by the treaty of Péronne for the independence of Monaco and the protection of a French garrison, together with sufficient lands in France to compensate39 for the loss of any Italian revenues confiscated40 by Spain. Grimaldi was rewarded by lands in France which were called his Duchy of Valentinois.”[39]
It was in this manner that the princes of Monaco became possessed41 of the title of Dukes of Valentinois.
[39]
“Old Provence,” by T. A. Cook, Vol. ii., p. 158, 1914.
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1
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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libertine
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| n.淫荡者；adj.放荡的，自由思想的 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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redress
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| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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strutting
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| 加固，支撑物 | |
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insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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12
metaphorically
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| adv. 用比喻地 | |
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13
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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14
guardianship
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| n. 监护, 保护, 守护 | |
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15
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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16
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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17
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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18
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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20
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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22
amendment
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| n.改正，修正，改善，修正案 | |
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23
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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24
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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28
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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29
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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32
dungeons
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| n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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33
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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34
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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36
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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38
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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39
compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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40
confiscated
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| 没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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