And yet these were the arrangements rather of panic than precaution. The utmost dismay pervaded7 the council-chamber of the Vatican. Since the news had arrived of the disembarkation of the French troops at Marseilles, all hope of interference had expired. It was clear that Berwick had been ultimately foiled, and his daring spirit and teeming8 device were the last hope, as they were the ablest representation, of Roman audacity9 and stratagem10. The Revolutionary Committee, whose abiding-place or agents never could be traced or discovered, had posted every part of the city, during the night, with their manifesto11, announcing that the hour had arrived; an attempt, partially12 successful, had been made to blow up the barracks of the Zouaves; and the cardinal13 secretary was in possession of information that an insurrection was immediate14, and that the city won fired in four different quarters.
The pope had escaped from the Vatican to the Castle of St. Angelo, where he was secure, and where his courage could be sustained by the presence of the Noble Guard, with their swords always drawn15. The six-score of monsignori, who in their different offices form what is styled the court of Rome, had either accompanied his holiness, or prudently17 secreted18 themselves in the strongest palaces and convents at their command. Later in the day news arrived of the escape of Garibaldi from Caprera; he was said to be marching on the city, and only five-and-twenty miles distant. There appeared another proclamation from the Revolutionary Committee, mysteriously posted under the very noses of the guards and police, postponing19 the insurrection till the arrival of the liberator20.
The papal cause seemed hopeless. There was a general feeling throughout the city and all classes, that this time it was to be an affair of Alaric or Genseric, or the Constable21 of Bourbon; no negotiations22, no compromises, no conventions, but slaughter23, havoc24, a great judicial25 devastation26, that was to extirpate27 all signs and memories of Mediaeval and Semitic Rome, and restore and renovate28 the inheritance of the true offspring of the she-wolf. The very aspect of the place itself was sinister29. Whether it were the dulness of the dark sky, or the frown of Madre Natura herself, but the old Seven Hills seemed to look askance. The haughty30 capitol, impatient of its chapels31, sighed once more for triumphs; and the proud Palatine, remembering the Caesars, glanced with imperial contempt on the palaces of the papal princelings that, in the course of ignominious32 ages, had been constructed out of the exhaustless womb of its still sovereign ruin. The Jews in their quarter spoke33 nothing, but exchanged a curious glance, as if to say, “Has it come at last? And will they indeed serve her as they served Sion?”
This dreadful day at last passed, followed by as dreadful a night, and then another day equally gloomy, equally silent, equally panic-stricken. Even insurrection would have been a relief amid the horrible and wearing suspense34. On the third day the government made some wild arrests of the wrong persons, and then came out a fresh proclamation from the Revolutionary Committee, directing the Romans to make no move until the advanced guard of Garibaldi had appeared upon Monte Mario. About this time the routed troops of the pope arrived in confusion from Viterbo, and of course extenuated35 their discomfiture36 by exaggerating the strength of their opponents. According to them, they had encountered not less than ten thousand men, who now; having joined the still greater force of Garibaldi, were in full march on the city.
The members of the papal party who showed the greatest spirit and the highest courage at this trying conjuncture were the Roman ladies and their foreign friends. They scraped lint37 for the troops as incessantly38 as they offered prayers to the Virgin39. Some of them were trained nurses, and they were training others to tend the sick and wounded. They organized a hospital service, and when the wounded arrived from Viterbo, notwithstanding the rumors40 of incendiarism and massacre41, they came forth42 from their homes, and proceeded in companies, with no male attendants but armed men, to the discharge of their self-appointed public duties. There: were many foreigners in the papal ranks, and the sympathies and services of the female visitors to Rome were engaged for their countrymen. Princesses of France and Flanders might be seen by the tressel-beds of many a suffering soldier of Dauphin and Brabant; but there were numerous subjects of Queen Victoria in the papal ranks—some Englishmen, several Scotchmen, and many Irish. For them the English ladies had organized a special service. Lady St. Jerome, with unflagging zeal44, presided over this department; and the superior of the sisterhood of mercy, that shrank from no toil45 and feared no danger in the fulfilment of those sacred duties of pious46 patriots47, was Miss Arundel.
She was leaning over the bed of one who had been cut down in the olive-wood by a sabre of Campian’s force, when a peal48 of artillery was heard. She thought that her hour had arrived, and the assault had commenced.
“Most holy Mary!” she exclaimed, “sustain me.”
There was another peal, and it was repeated, and again and again at regular intervals49.
“That is not a battle, it is a salute,” murmured the wounded soldier.
And he was right; it was the voice of the great guns telling that the French had arrived.
The consternation50 of the Revolutionary Committee, no longer sustained by Colonna, absent in France, was complete. Had the advanced guard of Garibaldi been in sight, it might still have been the wisest course to rise; but Monte Mario was not yet peopled by them, and an insurrection against the papal troops, reanimated by the reported arrival of the French, and increased in numbers by the fugitives51 from Viterbo, would have been certainly a rash and probably a hopeless effort. And so, in the midst of confused and hesitating councils, the first division of the French force arrived at the gates of Rome, and marched into the gloomy and silent city.
Since the interference of St. Peter and St. Paul against Alaric, the papacy had never experienced a more miraculous52 interposition in its favor. Shortly after this the wind changed, and the sky became serene53; a sunbeam played on the flashing cross of St. Peter’s; the Pope left the Castle of Angelo, and returned to the Quirinal; the Noble Guard sheathed54 their puissant55 blades; the six-score of monsignori reappeared in all their busy haunts and stately offices; and the court of Rome, no longer despairing of the republic, and with a spirit worthy56 of the Senate after Cannae, ordered the whole of its forces into the field to combat its invaders57, with the prudent16 addition, in order to insure a triumph, of a brigade of French infantry58 armed with chassepots.
Garibaldi, who was really at hand, hearing of these events, fell back on Monte Rotondo, about fifteen miles from the city, and took up a strong position. He was soon attacked by his opponents, and defeated with considerable slaughter, and forced to fly. The papal troops returned to Rome in triumph, but with many wounded. The Roman ladies and their friends resumed their noble duties with enthusiasm. The ambulances were apportioned59 to the different hospitals, and the services of all were required. Our own countrymen had suffered severely60, but the skill and energy and gentle care of Clare Arundel and her companions only increased with the greater calls upon their beautiful and sublime61 virtue62.
A woman came to Miss Arundel and told her that, in one of the ambulances, was a young man whom they could not make out. He was severely wounded, and had now swooned; but they had reason to believe he was an Englishman. Would she see him and speak to him? And she went.
The person who had summoned her was a woman of much beauty, not an uncommon63 quality in Rome, and of some majesty64 of mien65, as little rare, in that city. She was said, at the time when some inquiry66 was made, to be Maria Serafina de Angelis, the wife of a tailor in the Ripetta.
The ambulance was in the court-yard of the hospital of the Santissima Trinita di Pellegrini. The woman pointed43 to it, and then went away. There was only one person in the ambulance; the rest had been taken to the hospital, but he had been left because he was in a swoon, and they were trying to restore him. Those around the ambulance made room for Miss Arundel as she approached, and she beheld67 a young man, covered with the stains of battle, and severely wounded; but his countenance68 was uninjured though insensible. His eyes were closed, and his auburn hair fell in clusters on his white forehead. The sister of mercy touched the pulse to ascertain69 whether there yet was life, but, in the very act, her own frame became agitated70, and the color left her cheek as she recognized—Lothair.’
点击收听单词发音
1 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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2 civilian | |
adj.平民的,民用的,民众的 | |
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3 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
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4 barricaded | |
设路障于,以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 ); 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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5 piazzas | |
n.广场,市场( piazza的名词复数 ) | |
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6 garrisoned | |
卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 ); 派部队驻防 | |
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7 pervaded | |
v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 teeming | |
adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 );到处都是;(指水、雨等)暴降;倾注 | |
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9 audacity | |
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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10 stratagem | |
n.诡计,计谋 | |
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11 manifesto | |
n.宣言,声明 | |
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12 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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13 cardinal | |
n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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14 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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15 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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16 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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17 prudently | |
adv. 谨慎地,慎重地 | |
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18 secreted | |
v.(尤指动物或植物器官)分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 );隐匿,隐藏 | |
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19 postponing | |
v.延期,推迟( postpone的现在分词 ) | |
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20 liberator | |
解放者 | |
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21 constable | |
n.(英国)警察,警官 | |
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22 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
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23 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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24 havoc | |
n.大破坏,浩劫,大混乱,大杂乱 | |
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25 judicial | |
adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的 | |
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26 devastation | |
n.毁坏;荒废;极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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27 extirpate | |
v.除尽,灭绝 | |
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28 renovate | |
vt.更新,革新,刷新 | |
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29 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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30 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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31 chapels | |
n.小教堂, (医院、监狱等的)附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 );(在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的)礼拜仪式 | |
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32 ignominious | |
adj.可鄙的,不光彩的,耻辱的 | |
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33 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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34 suspense | |
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑 | |
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35 extenuated | |
v.(用偏袒的辩解或借口)减轻( extenuate的过去式和过去分词 );低估,藐视 | |
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36 discomfiture | |
n.崩溃;大败;挫败;困惑 | |
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37 lint | |
n.线头;绷带用麻布,皮棉 | |
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38 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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39 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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40 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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41 massacre | |
n.残杀,大屠杀;v.残杀,集体屠杀 | |
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42 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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43 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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44 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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45 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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46 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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47 patriots | |
爱国者,爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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48 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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49 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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50 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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51 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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52 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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53 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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54 sheathed | |
adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的;覆盖的;铠装的;装鞘了的v.将(刀、剑等)插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 );包,覆盖 | |
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55 puissant | |
adj.强有力的 | |
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56 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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57 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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58 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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59 apportioned | |
vt.分摊,分配(apportion的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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60 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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61 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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62 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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63 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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64 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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65 mien | |
n.风采;态度 | |
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66 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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67 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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68 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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69 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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70 agitated | |
adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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