The Duchess of Berri in La Vendée: Comprising a Narrative of Her Adventures, with Her Private Papers and Secret CorrespondenceBull and Churton, 1833 - 383 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquainted Aigrefeuille Ancenis arrived assembled attack battalion Berryer Bourmont cantonments Carlists Charrette Chaslière chateau Chateaubriand chef-de-bataillon Chouans civil Clisson Colonel column command companions Count d'Erlon Curé d'Erlon Dermoncourt detachment Deutz district Ditto Domine salvum fac Duchess of Berri entered Erdre fac regem Philippum feelings fire France gave gendarmes give Guibourg honour horses hour immediately informed inhabitants instant insurrection La Vendée leagues Legé legitimatists letter Louis-Philippe Louroux Machecoul Madame de Laubépin Mademoiselle de Kersabiec Maine-et-Loire maire Maisdon MARIE CAROLINE Marquis de Coislin Maurice Duval Ménars military ministers Monsieur morning Nantes national guard night o'clock officer orders Paris party passed peasants perceived persons Prefect prisoner proceeded reached rebels received recess replied road Royal Highness royalists salvum fac regem Savenai sent sing the Domine soldiers Solignac soon take arms taken thing thither tion took troops Vallet Vendean Vendée Vertou whilst whole
Popular passages
Page 291 - The gendarmes immediately rushed to the fire-place, and kicked the blazing fuel out of the chimney. The duchess came forth the first, and as she passed was obliged to place her hands and feet upon the burning hearth; her companions followed. It was now half-past nine o'clock in the morning, and the party had been shut up in this recess for sixteen hours, without food. " The first words of the duchess were to ask for me. One of the gendarmes came to fetch me from the ground-floor, which I had chosen...
Page 17 - ... of soldiers to the earth, without their being able to perceive the enemies who slaughter them. The dead and wounded lie piled upon each other on the road ; and if the column is not thrown into disorder, and the voices of the officers are heard above the firing— if, in short, the troops attempt to grapple body to body with their assailants, who strike without showing themselves — if they climb the slope like a glacis, and scale the hedge like a wall, the peasants have already had time to retire...
Page 320 - The least contradiction exasperates her — then her naturally pale cheeks become flushed ; she screams, and jumps about, and threatens, and weeps by turns, like a spoiled child ; and then again, like a child, the moment you give way to her, and appear to do what she desires, she smiles, is instantly appeased, and offers you her hand. Contrary to the general nature of princes, she feels gratitude, and is never ashamed to own it. Moreover, hatred is foreign to her nature ; no gall ever tinged her...
Page 196 - ... the house had become more and more dangerous. The burning rafters cracked and seemed no longer able to bear the weight of the besieged, who therefore retired into a species of recess formed by the wall, resolved to defend themselves there to the last extremity ; and they had scarcely reached it when the floor fell in with a dreadful crash. The soldiers uttered shouts of joy at this event ; for the musketry ceased to annoy them at the same instant, and they thought the garrison had been crushed...
Page 194 - ... themselves for the safety of their comrades. Eight offered their services. The little band was therefore divided into two platoons. Thirty-five men and a bugleplayer were to make an attempt to reach the other extremity of the park, enclosed only with a hedge ; and the eight others, with the remaining bugle-player, were to protect the attempt. The two brothers embraced each other, for they were to separate: one commanded the garrison that remained, the other led the sortie. In consequence of these...
Page 196 - Their retreat brought upon them a discharge of musketry which killed two. A third, being mortally wounded, expired near the hedge. The bugle-player at the head of the little band received three balls in his body, and still continued to play. It is a pity that I dare not publish the names of such men. " Meanwhile, the situation of the eight men who remained in the house had become more and more dangerous.
Page 235 - At length, Nantes appeared in sight, and the duchess put on her shoes and stockings to enter the town. On reaching the Pont Pyrmile, she found herself in the midst of a detachment commanded by an officer formerly in the royal guard, and whom she recognised as having often seen him on duty at her palace.
Page 39 - Royalty is disappearing,' she said to one of them, 'like architecture. My great-grandfather built palaces, my grandfather built houses, my father built huts, and my brother will no doubt build rats'-nests. But, God willing, my son, when it comes to his turn, shall build palaces again.
Page 276 - Her reply was very characteristic; it was as follows : — ' " Monsieur le Mare"chal, — The sword of Constable of France is to be won only in the field of battle ; I await your presence there.
Page 17 - What we have just stated explains how the Convention, which had conquered fourteen armies commanded by kings and princes, could never pacify La Vendee, kept in a state of rebellion by a few peasants ; and how Napoleon, who dictated his will to the whole of Europe, could never succeed in getting his orders executed in three of the departments of France...