Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth CenturyGaribaldi, Giuseppe
History
Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century
Garibaldi, Giuseppe
Italian fiction -- Translations into English; Rome (Italy) -- History -- 1798-1870 -- Fiction
The city rose in its chains as best it could, and used an armory of
despair. Carbineers, Zouaves, dragoons on their patrol, were struck by
tiles, kitchen-utensils, and many other objects thrown from the windows
by the inhabitants, stabbed by the poniards of the Liberals, and wounded
by shots from blunderbuss and firelock. Thus assailed, the troops fled
from the Lungara towards St. Angelo's bridge, and passed it, though they
were checked by the Papalini. The bridge was guarded by a battery of
artillery, supported by an entire regiment of Zouaves. When the people,
intermingled with those whom they were pursuing, crowded on the bridge,
the commander of the clericali ordered his men to fire, and the six guns
of the battery, with the fire of the entire line of infantry, poured
out over the bridge, making wholesale slaughter of the people and the
mercenaries. What did his Holiness care about the scattered blood of his
cut-throats and bought agents? The money of Italy's betrayers was at his
service to purchase more. What was of the greatest importance was the
destruction of many of his Roman children. Many indeed were the rebels
who paid with their lives for their noble gallantly in venturing on that
fatal bridge. Many, truly, for in their enthusiasm the people attempted
three consecutive times to carry it, and three consecutive times they
were repelled by the heavy storms of bullets rained upon them, and the
shots from the cannon of the defenders of the priests.
It may well be supposed that, among those who were at the head of the
people during this assault of the bridge, our five heroes would be found
fighting like lions. After having consumed their ammunition, they had
broken their arms upon the skulls of the Papal soldiery, and provided
themselves with fresh ones by taking those of the killed. It was they
who continued the assault at the head of the people, whom they excited
to positive heroism.
It was, however, too hard a task. The first of the courageous leaders
to bite the dust was the senior one, the venerable prince of the forest,
Gasparo. He fell with the same stoicism which he had displayed during
all his existence--with a smile upon his lips, happy to give his fife
for ten thousand patriots, it is said, were arrested in some in this last
movement by the paternal Government, for his country's holy cause, and
for the cause of humanity. A bursting shell had struck him above the
heart, and his glorious death was instantaneous and without pain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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