Tyrol (Austria) -- History -- Uprising of 1809 -- Fiction
Father Joachim, after hiding in various quarters, and leading a life
of great peril for nearly a year, at length succeeded in crossing
the Bavarian Alps to the Lake of Constance. By way of St. Gall, he
reached the abbey of Einsiedeln, in Switzerland. From thence he passed
into the estates of Venice; and, by way of Friuli and Carinthia, he
at length reached Vienna, where he found Speckbacher. He received a
golden cross and a sum of money from the emperor, in acknowledgment
of his loyal service; and for some years afterwards, he officiated in
different cures in Lower Austria.
In 1848, the cry went through the Tyrol, "The Rothbart is up again!"
and eager volunteers flocked round the old man, who was once more, as
field-chaplain, on his way to the battle-field in Italy. Danger seemed
to threaten the empire from that quarter; and the Tyrolese, with their
old fidelity, were again ready to fight for Austria.
In 1856, the veteran had quarters assigned him in the imperial
summer-palace at Salzberg, with a pension of a thousand florins per
annum. There, on fine days, he might be seen, scarcely more than a year
ago, sitting under the majestic trees in tranquil meditation. His hair
was silver-grey; he was slightly lame, a little deaf, and very chary
of his speech: but, if spoken to of _the Year Nine_, his cheek would
kindle, his eye would light up, and the old man would speak of his
comrades and their stirring deeds as if they were but of yesterday. His
jubilee,--the fiftieth anniversary of his priesthood,--was held last
September. Soon afterwards, the venerable Capuchin was gathered to his
fathers.
In the autumn of 1810, a wedding-train might have been seen issuing
from the little church of St. Martin, and proceeding to _am Sand_.
It was not a gay, but a sympathetic festival, for many of Hofer's
companions in arms were there; and, though several spies mingled among
them, they were on their guard, and would not be tempted by them to
pledge the dangerous toast, "Freiheit Zur Tyrol!" But they drank health
and happiness to Rudolf and Theresa, and many an old allusion was
safely made, with a sigh, under the breath, and standing apart; and
they felt they all loved one another the dearer for having suffered
together in a generous though lost cause.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account