On the evening of the day on which Prince Florestan personally left the letter with Lady Roehampton, he quitted London with the Duke of St. Angelo and his aides-decamp, and, embarking1 in his steam yacht, which was lying at Southampton, quitted England. They pursued a prosperous course for about a week, when they passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, and, not long afterwards, cast anchor in a small and solitary2 bay. There the prince and his companions, and half-a-dozen servants, well armed and in military attire3, left the yacht, and proceeded on foot into the country for a short distance, when they arrived at a large farmhouse4. Here, it was evident, they were expected. Men came forward with many horses, and mounted, and accompanied the party which had arrived. They advanced about ten miles, and halted as they were approaching a small but fortified5 town.
The prince sent the Duke of St. Angelo forward to announce his arrival to the governor, and to require him to surrender. The governor, however, refused, and ordered the garrison6 to fire on the invaders7. This they declined to do; the governor, with many ejaculations, and stamping with rage, broke his sword, and the prince entered the town. He was warmly received, and the troops, amounting to about twelve hundred men, placed themselves at his disposal. The prince remained at this town only a couple of hours, and at the head of his forces advanced into the country. At a range of hills he halted, sent out reconnoitring parties, and pitched his camp. In the morning, the Marquis of Vallombrosa, with a large party of gentlemen well mounted, arrived, and were warmly greeted. The prince learnt from them that the news of his invasion had reached the governor of the province, who was at one of the most considerable cities of the kingdom, with a population exceeding two hundred thousand, and with a military division for its garrison. “They will not wait for our arrival,” said Vallombrosa, “but, trusting to their numbers, will come out and attack us.”
The news of the scouts8 being that the mountain passes were quite unoccupied by the enemy, the prince determined9 instantly to continue his advance, and take up a strong position on the other side of the range, and await his fate. The passage was well effected, and on the fourth day of the invasion the advanced guard of the enemy were in sight. The prince commanded that no one should attend him, but alone and tying a white handkerchief round his sword, he galloped10 up to the hostile lines, and said in a clear, loud voice, “My men, this is the sword of my father!”
“Florestan for ever!” was the only and universal reply. The cheers of the advanced guard reached and were reechoed by the main body. The commander-inchief, bareheaded, came up to give in his allegiance and receive his majesty’s orders. They were for immediate11 progress, and at the head of the army which had been sent out to destroy him, Florestan in due course entered the enthusiastic city which recognised him as its sovereign. The city was illuminated12, and he went to the opera in the evening. The singing was not confined to the theatre. During the whole night the city itself was one song of joy and triumph, and that night no one slept.
After this there was no trouble and no delay. It was a triumphal march. Every town opened its gates, and devoted13 municipalities proffered14 golden keys. Every village sent forth15 its troop of beautiful maidens16, scattering17 roses, and singing the national anthem18 which had been composed by Queen Agrippina. On the tenth day of the invasion King Florestan, utterly19 unopposed, entered the magnificent capital of his realm, and slept in the purple bed which had witnessed his princely birth.
Among all the strange revolutions of this year, this adventure of Florestan was not the least interesting to the English people. Although society had not smiled on him, he had always been rather a favourite with the bulk of the population. His fine countenance20, his capital horsemanship, his graceful21 bow that always won a heart, his youth, and love of sport, his English education, and the belief that he was sincere in his regard for the country where he had been so long a guest, were elements of popularity that, particularly now he was successful, were unmistakable. And certainly Lady Roehampton, in her solitude22, did not disregard his career or conduct. They were naturally often in her thoughts, for there was scarcely a day in which his name did not figure in the newspapers, and always in connection with matters of general interest and concern. The government he established was liberal, but it was discreet23, and, though conciliatory, firm. “If he declares for the English alliance,” said Waldershare, “he is safe;” and he did declare for the English alliance, and the English people were very pleased by his declaration, which in their apprehension24 meant national progress, the amelioration of society, and increased exports.
The main point, however, which interested his subjects was his marriage. That was both a difficult and a delicate matter to decide. The great continental25 dynasties looked with some jealousy26 and suspicion on him, and the small reigning27 houses, who were all allied28 with the great continental dynasties, thought it prudent29 to copy their example. All these reigning families, whether large or small, were themselves in a perplexed30 and alarmed position at this period, very disturbed about their present, and very doubtful about their future. At last it was understood that a Princess of Saxe–Babel, though allied with royal and imperial houses, might share the diadem31 of a successful adventurer, and then in time, and when it had been sufficiently32 reiterated33, paragraphs appeared unequivocally contradicting the statement, followed with agreeable assurances that it was unlikely that a Princess of Saxe–Babel, allied with royal and imperial houses, should unite herself to a parvenu34 monarch35, however powerful. Then in turn these articles were stigmatised as libels, and entirely36 unauthorised, and no less a personage than a princess of the house of Saxe–Genesis was talked of as the future queen; but on referring to the “Almanach de Gotha,” it was discovered that family had been extinct since the first French Revolution. So it seemed at last that nothing was certain, except that his subjects were very anxious that King Florestan should present them with a queen.
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1
embarking
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| 乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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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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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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13
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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17
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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anthem
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| n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌 | |
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19
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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22
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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23
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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25
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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27
reigning
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| adj.统治的，起支配作用的 | |
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28
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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29
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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30
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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31
diadem
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| n.王冠，冕 | |
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32
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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33
reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
parvenu
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| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
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35
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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36
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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