"^smwsow
.^WEUNIVERS//^
i g
^^OFCAllFOff^
^
AUirUQII a>
ANDREAS HOFER.
ANDREAS HOFER
'^n l^islorical ^'otiel
BY
L. MUHLBACH
AUTHOR OP JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT, FREDERICK THE r.REAT AND HIS COURTf
BERLIN AND SANS-SOUCI, THE MERCHANT OF BERLIN, ETC.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY
F. JORDAN
NEW YORK
A. L. FOVVLH, Publisher
1905
Copyright, 1868, 1893,
Bt d. appleton and company.
^438
m
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGB
I.— 1809 1
II. — The Emperor Francis 13
III. — The Courier and the Ambassador . . . , 2G
IV. — The Emperor and his Brothers 39
V. — The Performance of "The Creation". ... 51
n.— Andreas Hofer (J2
VII.— Andreas Hofei- at the Theatre 70
VIII. — Consecration of the Fhigs. and Farewell . . .So
IX.— 'Tis Time ! 'JO
X.— Anthony Wallner of Windisch-Matrey . . .106
XI. — The Declaration of Love 11"
XII.— Farewell ! 129
XIII.— The Bridegroom 135
XIV.— The Bridge of St. Lawrence 147
XV.— The Bridge of Laditch 155
XVI.— On the Sterzinger Moos U>G
XVII.— The Hay- Wagons 177
^III.— Capture of Innspruck 1^5
XIX.— The Capitulation of Wiltau 1!»G
XX.— Eliza Wallncr's Return 215
XXL— The Catastrophe 222
XXII.— Eliza and Ulrich 232
XXIIL— The Triumph of Death 252
XXIV.— The Archduke John at Comoru 269
4CG613
IV
CONTENTS.
CHAPTKR
PIGB
XXV.-
-The Emperor Francis at Wolkersdorf . . .278
XXVI.-
-The Reply of the King of Prussia.
. 393
XXVII.-
-The Battle of Wagram .
. 304
XXVIII.-
-The Armistice of Znaym .
. 311
XXIX.-
-Hofer and Speckbacher .
. 322
XXX.-
-The Capuchin's Oath
. 331
XXXI.-
-The First Battle ....
. 344
XXXII.-
-The Fifteenth of August at Innspruck
. 353
XXXIII.-
-Andreas Hofer, the Emperor's Lieutenai
it
. 367
XXXIV.-
-The Fifteenth of August at Comorn
. 375
XXXV.-
—A Day of the Emperor's Lieutenant
. 390
XXXVI.-
—The Lovers
. 401
XXXVII.-
— Elza's Return ....
. . 413
XXXVIII.-
-The WeddiBg o . . .
. 431
XXXIX.-
-The Treaty of Peace.
. 432
XL.-
-Dreadful Tidings
. 447
XLI.
—Betrayal and Seizure of Hofer
. 458
XLII.
—The Warning ....
. 472
XLIIL-
-The Flight
. 479
XLIV.
—Andreas Hofer's Death .
•
. 4S2
ILLUSTRATIONS.
TAcmo
FAes
Portrait of Andreas Hofer ...... Frontispiece
Hofer's Farewell to his Wife 103
Eliza Wallner bringing the Wine .,...,. 162
Uprising of the Tyrolese •••• S44
ANDREAS HOFER.
CHAPTER I.
1809.
The year 1809 had come ; but the war against France, so
intensely longed for })y all Austria, had not yet broken out,
and the people and tho army were vainly waiting for the war-
cry of their sovereign, the Emperor Francis. It is true, not a
few great things had been accomplished in the course of the
past year: Austria had armed, organized the militia, strength-
ened her fortresses, and filled her magazines; but the emperor
still hesitated to take the last and most decisive step by crown-
ing his military preparations, with a formal declaration of
war.
No one looked for this declaration of war more intensely
than the emperors second bi'other, the Archduke John, a
young man of scarcely twenty-seven. He had been the .soul
of all the preparations which, since the summer of 1808, had
been made throughout Austria; he had conceived the plan of
organizing the militia and the reserves; and had drawn up
the proclamation of the 12th of May, 1808, by which all able-
bodied Austrians were called upon to take up arms. But this
exhausted his powers; he could organize the army, but could
not say to it, "Take the field against the enemy!" The em-
peror alone could utter this word, :ind he was silent.
"And he will be silent until the favorable moment has
passed," sighed the Archduke John, when, on returning from
a very long interview with the emperor, he was alone with
his friend. General Nugent, in his cabinet.
He had communicated to this confidant the full details of
his interview with the emperor, and concluded bis report by
(1)
2 ANDREAS HOFER.
saying, witli a deep sigh, "The emperor will be silent until
the favorable moment has passed ! "
Count Nugent gazed with a look of heart- felt sympathy
into the archduke's mournful face; he saw the tears filling
John's large blue eyes ; he saw that he firmly compressed his
lips as if to stifle a cry of pain or rage, and that he clinched
his hands in the agony of his despair. Animated by tender
compassicm, the general approached the archduke, who had
sunk into a chair, and laid his hand gently on his shoulder.
" Courage, courage !" he whispered; "nothing is lost as yet,
and your imperial highness — ^"
" Ah, why do you address me with 'imperial highness'? "
cried the archduke, almost indignantly. "Do you not see,
then, that this is a miserable title by which Fate seems to
mock me, and which it thunders constantly, and, as it were,
sneeringly into my ears, in order to remind me again and
again of my deplorable powerlessness ? There is nothing ' im-
perial ' about me but the yoke under which I am groaning ;
and my ' highness' is to be compared only with the crumbs of
Lazarus which fell from the rich man's table. And yet there
are persons, Nugent, who envy me these crumbs — men who
think it a brilliant and glorious lot to be an ' imperial high-
ness,' the brother of a sovereign emperor I Ah, they do not
know that this title means only that I am doomed to everlast-
ing dependence and silence, and that the emperor's valet de
chambre and his pi-ivate secretary are more influential men
than the Archduke John, who cannot do anything but submit,
be silent, and look on in idleness."
"Now your imperial highness slanders yourself,'' exclaimed
Count Nugent. " You have not been silent, you have not
looked on in idleness, but have worked incessantly and cour-
ageously for the salvation of your people and your country.
Who drew up the original plan for the organization of the
militia and the reserves ? Who elaborated its most minute
details with admirable sagacity ? It was the Archduke John
— the archduke in whom all Austria hopes, and who is the last
refuge and comfort of all patriots I "
" Ah, how much all of you are to be pitied, my friend, if
you hope in me ! " sighed John. " What am I, then ? A poor
THE YEAR 1809. 3
atom wliich is allowed to move in the glare of the imperial
sun, but which would be annihilated so soon as it should pre-
sume to be an independent luminary. Pray, Nugent, do not
speak of such hopes ; for, if the emperor should hear of it, not
only would my liberty be endangered, but also yours and that
of all who are of your opinion. The emperoi- does not like
to see the eyes of his subjects fixed upon me ; every kind word
uttered about me sours him and inci-eases the ill-will with
which he i-egards me."
"That is impossible, your highness," exclaimed the count.
" How can our excellent enji)eror help loving his brother, who
is so gifted, so high-minded and learned, and withal so modest
and kind-hearted ? How can lie help being happy to see that
others love and appreciate him too ? "
" Does llie emperor love my brother Charles, who is much
more gifted and high-minded than I am ? " asked John, .shrug-
ging his shoulders. " Did he not arrest his victorious career,
and recall him from the army, although, or rather because, he
knew that the armj'^ idolized him, and that all Austria loved
him and hoped in him ? Ah, believe me, the emjieror is dis-
tru.stful of all his brothers, and all our protestations of love
attd devotedness do not touch him, but rebound powerlessly
from the ainior of jealousy with which he has steeled his
heart against us. You see, I tell you all this with perfect
composure, but I confess it cost me once many tears and in-
ward struggles, and it was long before my heart became calm
and resigned. ^ly heart long yearned for love, confidence, and
friendship. I have got over these yearnings now, and resigned
myself to be lonely, and remain so all my life long. That is
to say," added the archduke, with a gentle smile, holding out
his hand to the count, "lonely, without a sister, without a
brother— lonely in my family. However, I have found a
mostdeliglitful compensation fortius loneliness, for I call you
and Hormayr friends ; I have my books, which always com-
f*)rt, divert, and amuse me ; and last, I have my great and
glorious hopes regarding the future of the fatherland. AIi,
how could I say that I was poor and lonely when I am so lich
in hopes, and have two noble and faithful fi-iends :" I am sure,
Nugent, you will never desert me, but stand by nif to the end
4 ANDREAS HOFER.
— to the great day of victory, or to the end of our humiliation
and disgrace ? "
" Your imperial highness knows full well that my heart
will never turn from you ; that I love and revere you ; that
you are to me the embodiment of all that is noble, great, and
beautiful ; that I would be joyfully ready at any hour to suf-
fer death for you ; and that neither prosperity nor adversity
could induce me to forsake you. You are the hope of my
heart, you are the hope of my country — nay, the hope of all
Germany. We all need your assistance, your heart, your
arm ; for we expect that you will place yourself at the head of
Germany, and lead us to glorious victories ! "
" God grant that the hour when we shall take the field
may soon come I Then, my friend, I shall prove that I am
ready, like all of you, to shed my heart's blood for the father-
land, and conquer or die for the liberty of Austria, the liberty
of Germany. For in the present state of affairs the fate of
Germany, too, depends on the success of our arms. If we suc-
cumb and }}ave to submit to the same humiliations as Prussia,
the whole of Gei'many will be but a French province, and the
freedom and independence of our fathei'land will be destroyed
for long years to come. I am too weak to survive such a
disgrace. If Austria falls, I shall fall too ; if German liberty
dies, I shall die too."'*
" German libei-ty will not die ! " exclaimed Count Nugent,
enthusiastically ; " it will take the field one day against all
the powerful and petty tyrants of the fatherland. Then it will
choose the Archduke John its general-in-chief, and he will
lead it to victory ! "
"No, no, my friend," said John, mournfully; "Fate re-
fuses to let me play a decisive part in the history of the world.
My role will always be but a secondary one ; m}^ will will al-
ways be impeded, my arm will be paralyzed forever. You
know it. You know that I am constantly surrounded by
secret spies and eavesdroppers, who watch me with lynx-eyed
vigilance, and misrepresent every step I take. It was always
so, and will remain so until I die or become a decrepit old
* The Archduke John's own words. — See " Forty-eight Letters from
Archduke John of Austria to Johannes von Miiller," p. 90.
THF YEAR 1800. 5
man, whoso arm is no lonfjor able to wield llie sword or even
the pen. That I am youn<i;'. tliat I have a heart for the suffer-
ings of my country, a heart not only for the honor of Austria,
but for that of Germany — that is what gives umbrage to them,
what renders me suspicious in their eyes, and causes them to
regard me as a revolutionist. I had to suffer a good deal for
my convictions ; a great many obstacles were raised again.st
all my plans ; and yet I desired only to contribute to the wel-
fare of the whole ; I demanded nothing for myself, but every
thing for the fatherland. To the fatherland I wished to de-
vote my blood and my life ; for the fatherland T wished to
conquer in the disastrous campaign of 1805. However, such
were not the plans of my advei'saries ; they did not wish to
carry on the war with sufficient energy and perseverance ;
they would not give my brother Charles and me an oppor-
tunity to distinguish ourselves and gain a popular name.
Whenever I planned a vigorous attack, I was not permitted to
carry it into effect. Whenever, with my corps, I might have
exerted a decisive influence upon the fortunes of the war, I
was ordered to retreat with my troops to some distant position
of no importance whatever ; and when I remonstrated, they
charged me with rebelling against the emperor's authority.
Ah, I suffered a groat deal in those days, and the wounds
which my heart received at that jiincture are bleediiig yet. I
had to succumb, when the men who had commenced the war
at a highly unfavorable time, conducted it at an equally un-
favorable moment, and made peace. And by that peace Aus-
tria lost her most loyal province, the beautiful Tyrol, one of
the oldest states of the Hapsburgs : and her most fertile prov-
ince, the territory of Venotia and Dalmatia, for which I did
not grieve so much, because it always was a source of political
dissensions and quarrels for the hereditary provinces of Aus-
tria. What afflicted me most sorely was the loss of the Tyrol,
and even now I cannot think of it without the most profound
emotion. It seemed as though Fate Avere bent on blotting out
from our memory all tiiat might remind us of our ancestors,
their virtues, their patriotism, and their perseverance in the
days of universal adversity ; and as though, in consequence of
this, the spirit of the Hapsburgs had almost become extinct,
Q ANDREAS HOFER.
and Ave were to lose all that they had gained in the days of
their greatness.* But now Fate is willing to give us another
opportunity to repair our faults and show that we are worthy
of our ancestors. If we allow this to pass too, all is lost, not
only the throne of the Hapsbargs, but also their honor ! "
" This opportunity will not pass ! " exclaimed the count.
'' The throne of the Hapsburgs will be preserved, for it is pro-
tected by the Archdukes John and Charles, a brave army that
is eager for a war with France, and a faithful, intrepid people,
which is sincerely devoted to its imperial dynasty, which
never will acknowledge another ruler, and which never will
desert its Hapsburgs."
" Yes, the people will not desert us," said John, " but worse
things may happen ; we may desert ourselves. Just look
around, Nugent, and see how lame we have suddenly become
again ; how we have all at once stopped half way, unable to
decide whether it might not be better for us to lay down our
arms again and surrender at discretion to the Emperor of the
French."
"Fortunately, it is too late now to take such a resolution ;
for Austria has already gone so far that a hesitating policy at
this juncture will no longer succeed in pacifying the Emperor
of the French. And it is owing to the efforts of your imperial
highness that it is so ; we are indebted for it to your zeal, your
energy, and your enthusiasm for the good cause, which is now
no longer the cause of Austria, but that of Germany. And
this cause will not succumb ; God will not allow a great and
noble people to be trampled under foot by a foreign tyrant,
who bids defiance to the most sacred treaties and the law of
nations, and who would like to overthrow all thrones to con-
vert the foreign kingdoms and empires into provinces of his
empire, blot out the history of the nations and dynasties, and
have all engulfed by his universal monarchy."
"God may not decree this, but He may perhaps allow it if
the will of the nations and the princes shoiild not be strong
enough to set bounds to such mischief. When the feeling of
liberty and independence does not incite the nations to rise
* John's own words. — See " Forty-eight Letters from Archduke John to
Johannes von Muller," p. 103.
THE YKAR 1S09. Y
entliusiastically and defeud their riglits, God sends them a
tyrant as a scour<^e to chastise them. And such, I am afi-aid,
is our case. Germany has lost faith in hei'self, in her honor ;
slie lies exhausted at the feet of the tyrant, and is ready to be
trampled in the dust hy him. Just look around in our Ger-
man fatherland. What do you see there ? All the sovereign
princes have renounced their independence, and become Na-
poleon's va.ssals ; they obey his will, they submit to his orders,
and send their armies not against the enemy of Germany, but
against the enemies of France, no matter whether those ene-
mies are their German brethi-en or not. The German princes
have foi-med the Confederation of the Rhine, and the object of
this confederation is not to preserve the frontier of the Rhine
to Germany, but to secure the Rhine to France. The German
princes are begging for honors and territories at the court of
Napoleon ; they do not shrink from manifesting their fealty
to their master, tlie Emperor of the French, by betraying the
interests of Germany ; they are playing here at Vienna the
part of the meanest spies ; they are watching all our steps, and
are shameless enough to have the Emperor Napoleon reward
their infamy by conferring royal titles on them, and to accept
at his hands German territories which he took from German
I)rinces. Bavaria did not disdain to aggrandize lier territories
at our expense ; Wuilemberg accepts without blushing the
territories of other German princes at the hands of Napoleon,
who thus rewards her for the incessant warnings by which the
King of Wurtemberg urges the Emperor of the French to be
on his guard against Austria, and alwaj's distrust the inten-
tions of the Emperor Francis * In the middle of the German
empire we see a now French kingdom, Westphalia, established
by Napoleon's orders ; it is formed of the spoils taken from
i'russia and Hanover ; and the German princes suffer it, and
the German people boAv their heads, silently to the disgraceful
foreign yoke ! Ah, Nugent, my heart is full of grief and
anger, full of the bitterness of despair ; for I have lost faith
in Germany, and see shudderingly that she will decay and die,
as Poland died, of her own weakness. Ah, il would be
dreadful, dreadful, if we too, had to fall, as the unfortunate
* Schlosser, " History of the Eiglitt'ciuli Ceutury," vol. vii., p. 4b8.
8 ANDREAS UOFER.
Kosciusko did, with the despairing cry of ^ Finis Germcu
)i i(e .' ' "
" No, that will never happen I " cried Nugent. " No, Ger-
many will never endui-e the disgrace and debasement of Po-
land ; she will never sink to ruin and perish like Poland. It
is ti'ue, a majority of the German princes bow to Napoleon's
power, and we may charge them with infidelity and treason
against Germany ; but we can not prefer the same charge
against the German people and the subjects of the traitorous
German princes. They have remained faithful, and have not
yet lost faith in their fatherland. They are indignantly
champing the bit with which their despots have shut their
mouth ; and. in silence, harmony, and confidence in God, they
are preparing for the great hour when they will rise, for the
sacred day when they will break their shackles witli the divine
strength of a united and high-minded people. Everywhere
the embers are smouldering under the ashes ; everywhere secret
societies and leagues have been formed ; everywhere there are
conspu'ators, depots of arms, and passwords ; everywhere the
people of Germany are waiting only for the moment when
they are to strike the first blow, and for the signal to rise. And
they are in hopes now that Austria will give the signal. Our
preparations for war have been hailed with exultation through-
out Germany : everywhere the people are ready to take up arms
so soon as Austria draws the sword. The example of Spain and
Portugal has taught the Germans how the arrogant conqueror
must be met ; the example of Austria will fill them with bound-
less entliusiasm, and lead them to the most glorious victories ! "
*' And we are still temporizing and hesitating," exclaimed
John, mournfully ; '' we are not courageous enough to strike
the first blow ! All is ready ; the emperor has only to utter
the decisive word, but he refuses to do so I "
"The enthusiasm of his people will soon compel him and
his advisers to utter that woi'd," said Nugent. "Austria can
no longer retrace her steps ; she must advance. Austria must
lead Germany in the sacred struggle for liberty ; she can no
longer retrace her steps."
" God grant that your words may be verified ! " cried John,
lifting his tearful eyes to heaven ; " God grant that — "
THE YEAR 1809. 9
A low rapping at tlie door leading to the small secret corri-
dor caused the archduke to pause and turn his eyes with a
searching expression to this door.
The rapping was repeated, more rapidly than before.
" It is Hormayr," exclaimed the archduke, joyfully ; and
lie hastened to the secret door and opened it quickly.
A tall young man, in the uniform of an Austrian superior
ofhcer, appeai-ed in the open door. The archduke grasj)ed
both his hands and drew him hastily into the cabinet.
" Hormayr, my friend," he said, breathlessly, '' you have
returned from the Tyrol ? You have succeeded in fulfilling
the mission with which I intrusted you ? You have carried
my greetings to the Tyrolese ? Oh, speak, speak, my friend !
What do my poor, desei'ted Tyrolese say ? "
Baron von Hormayr tixed his flashing dark eyes with an
expression of joyful tenderness on the excited face of the
archduke.
"The Tyrolese send greeting to the Archduke John," he
said ; '' the Tyrolese hope that the Archduke John will de-
liver them from the hateful yoke of the Bavarians ; the Tyro-
lese believe that the hour has arrived, when they may recover
their liberty ; and to prove this — "
" To prove this ? " asked the archduke, breathlessly, when
Hormayr paused a moment.
" To prove this," said Hormayr, in a lower voice, stepping
up closer to the prince, "some of the most inllueutial and
respectable citizens of the Tyrol have accompanied me to
Vienna ; they desire to assure your imperial highness of their
loyal devotedness, and receive instractions from you."
"Is Andreas Hofer, the landwij'th, among them?" asked
the archduke, eagerly.
"He is, and so are Wallner and Speckbacher. I bring to
your imperial highness the leading men of the Tyrolese peas-
ants, and would like to know when I may introduce them to
you, and at what hour you will grant a private audience to
my Tyrolese fi-iends ? "
"Oh, I will sec them at once!" exclaimed John, impa-
tiently. " My heort longs to gaze into the faithful, beautiful
eyes of the Tyrolese, and read in their honest faces if they
2
10 ANDREAS HOFER.
really are still devoted and attached to me. Bring them to
me, Hormayr ; make haste — but no, I forgot that it is broad
daj'light, and that the spies watching me have eyes to see,
ears to liear, and tongues to report to the emperor as dreadful
crimes all that they have seen and heard here. We must
wait, therefore, until the spies have closed their eyes, until
dark and reticent night has descended on earth, and — . Well,
Conrad, what is it ? " the archduke interrupted himself, look-
ing at his valet de chambre, who had just entered hastily by
the door of the anteroom.
"Pardon me, your imperial highness," said Conrad; "a
messenger of her majesty the empress is in the anteroom.
Her majesty has ordered him to deliver his message only to
the archduke himself."
"Let him come in," said the archduke.
Conrad opened the door, and the imperial messenger ap-
peared on tbe threshold.
" Her majesty the Empress Ludovica sends her respects to
the archduke," said the messenger, ai)proacbing the archduke
respectfully. "Her majesty thanks your imperial highness
for the book which you lent her ; and she returns it with sin-
cere thanks."
An expression of astonishment overspread John's face, but
it soon disappeared, and the archduke received with a calm
smile the small sealed package which the messenger handed
to him.
" All right," he said ; " tell her majesty to accept my
thanks."
The messenger returned to the anteroom, and Conrad
closed the door behind him.
" Place yourself before the door, Nugent, that nobody may
be able to look through the key-hole," whispered John, " for
you know that I do not trust Conrad. And you, Hormayr,
watch the seci'et door."
The two gentlemen hastened noiselessly to obey. The
archduke cast a searching glance around the walls, as if afraid
that even the silken hangings might contain somewhere an
opening for the eyes of a spy, or serve as a cover to an ear of
Diouysius.
THE YEAR 1809. H
"Somethinpfof importance must liave occiirrod," w liispored
John ; " otherwiso the empress would not have ventured to
send me a direct messaji^e. I did not lend her a book, and you
know we agreed with the ladies of our party to communicate
direct news to each other only in cases of pressing necessity.
Let us see now wliat it is."
He hastily tore open the sealed package and drew from it
a .small prayer-book bound iu bhick velvet. While he was
turning over the leaves with a smile, a small piece of paper
fluttered from between the gilt-edged leaves and dropped to
the floor.
" That is it." said John, smiling, picking up the paper, and
fixing his eyes on it. "There is nothing on it," he then ex-
claimed, contemplating both sides of the paper. "There is
not a word on it. It is only a book-mark, that is all. But,
perhaps,' something is written in the book, or there may be
another paper."
" No, your imperial highness," whispered Nugent, stepping
back a few paces from the door. "The Princess Lichtenstein
whispered to me yesterday, at the coui't concert, that she had
obtained an excellent way of sending a written message to
her friends and allies, and that, if we received a piece of white
paper from the ladies of our party, we had better preserve it
and read it afterward near the firejjlace."
" Ah, sympathetic ink," exclaimed John ; " well, we will
see."
He hastilj' approached the fireplace, where a bright fire
was burning, and held the piece of paper close to the flames.
Immediately a number of black dots and lines appeared on
the paper ; these dots and lines assumed gradually the shape
of finely-written words.
The archduke followed with rapt attention every line,
every letter that appeared on the white ])aper, and now he
read as follows :
"The French aml)assador has requested the emperor to
grant him an audience at eleven o'clock this morning. A
courier from Metternich in Paris has arrived, and, I believe,
brought important news. The decisive hour is at hand.
Hasten to the emperor ; leave nothing undone to prevail on
12 ANDREAS IIOFER.
him to take a bold stand. Send somebody to the Archduke
Charles ; request him to repair likewise to the emperor and
influence him in the same direction. I have paved the way
for you. I hope the French ambassador will, in spite of him-
self, be our ally, and by his deliant and arrogant bearing, at-
tain for us the object which we have hitherto been unable to
accomplish by our persuasion and our arguments. Make
haste! Burn this paper."
The archduke signed to his two confidants to come to him,
and pointed to the jDaper. When they had hastily read the
lines, he threw the paper into the flames, and turned to the
two gentlemen who stood behind him.
" Well, what do you think of it ? " he inquired. " Shall I
do what these mysterious lines ask of me ? Shall I go to the
emperor without being summoned to him ? "
" The empress requests you to do so, and she is as prudent
as she is energetic," said Count Nugent.
" I say, like the empress, the decisive hour is at hand," ex-
claimed Baron von Hormayr. " Hasten to the emperor ; try
once more to force the sword into his hand, and to wrest at
length the much-wished-for words, ' War against France ! '
from his lips. The Tyrolese are only waiting for these words,
to rise for their emperor and become again his loving and de
voted subjects. All Austria, nay. all Germany, is longing for
these words, which will be the signal of the deliverance of the
fatherland fi^om the Fi'ench yoke. Oh, my lord and prince,
hasten to the emperor ; speak to him with the impassioned
eloquence of the cherubim, break the fatal charm that holds
Austria and the Tyrol enthralled ! "
At this moment the large clock standing on the mantel-
piece commenced striking.
"Eleven o'clock," said the archduke— "the hour when the
emperor is to give an audience to the French ambassador. It
is high time, therefore. Nugent, hasten to my brother ; im-
plore him to repair forthwith to the emperor, and to act this
time at least in unison with me. Tell him that everything
is at stake, and that we must risk all to win all. But you,
Hormayr, go to my dear Tyrolese ; tell them that I will re-
ceive them here at twelve o'clock to-night, and conduct them
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 13
to me at that liour, my friend. We will hold a couucil of war
ut midnight."
"And your imperial highness does not forget that you
l)romised to go to the concert to-night?" asked Nugent.
'• Your liighiiess is aware that our friends not only intend to-
night to give an ovation to the veteran master of German art,
Joseph Haydn, hut wish al.so to profit h}^ the German music to
njake a political demonstration ; and they long for the pres-
ence of the imperial court, that the emperor and his brothers
may witness the patriotic enthusiasm of Vienna."
"I shall certainly be present," said the archduke, earnestly,
"and I hope the empress will succeed in prevailing on the
em})eror to go to the concert. — Well, then, my friends, let us
go to work, and may God gi*ant success to our efforts ! "
CHAPTER II.
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS.
The Emperor Francis had to-day entered his study at an
earlier hour than usual, and was industriously engaged there
ill linishing a miniature cup which he had c(Jinmenced cutting
from a peach-stone yesterday, On the table before him lay
the drawing of the model after which he was shaping the cup ;
and Francis lifted his eyes only from time to time to fix them
on the drawing, and compare it with his own work. These
comjjarisons, however, apparently did not lead to a cheering
result, for the emperor frowned and jnit the cup rather im-
l)fc' tuously close to the drawing on the table.
'' I believe, forsooth, the cup is not straight," murmured the
emperor to himself, contemplating from all sides the diminu-
tive object which had cost him so much labor. "Sure
enough, it is not straight, it has a hump on one side. Yes,
yes, nothing is straight, nowadays ; and even God in heaven
creates His things no longer straight, and does not shrink
fi'om letting the peach-stones grow crooked. But no matter —
what God does is well done," added the emperor, crossing
14 ANDREAS HOFER.
himself devoutly ; "even an emperor must not censure it, and
must not grumble when his cup is not straight because God
gave the peach-stone a hump. Well, perhaps, I may change
it yet, and make the cup straight."
He again took up the little cup, and commenced industri-
ously woi'king at it with his sharp files, jjointed knives, and
gimlets. It was hard work : large drops of sweat stood on the
emperor's forehead ; his arms ached, and his fingers became
sore under the pressure of the knives and flies ; but the em-
peror did not mind it, only from time to time wiping the sweat
from his brow, and then continuing his labor with renewed zeal.
Close to the small table containing the tools stood the em-
peror's large writing-table. Large piles of documents and
papers lay on this table, and among them were scattered also
many letters and dispatches with broad oflftcial seals. But the
emperor had not yet thought of opening these dispatches or
unsealing these letters. The peach-stone had engrossed his
attention this morning, and he had unsealed only one of the
papers ; the emperor had read only the report of the secret
police on the events of the previous day. These reports of the
secret police and the Chiffre-Cabinet were the favorite reading
matter of the Emperor Francis, and he would have flown into
a towering passion if he had not found them on his writing-
table early every morning.
Thanks to these reports, the emperor knew every morning
all that had occurred in Vienna during the previous day ;
what the foreign ambassadors had done, and, above ail things,
what his brothers, the Archdukes Charles, Ferdinand, Joseph,
and John, had said, done, and perhaps only thought. To-day's
report had not communicated ma ly important things to the
emperor ; it had only informed him that, at daybreak, a courier
from Paris had arrived at the house of the French ambassa-
dor. Count Andreossi, and that there were good reasons to
believe that he had brought highly impoi'tant news.
It was exactly for the purpose of dispelling the anxiety
with whicli this unpleasant intelligence had fiUed him, that
Francis had laid aside the report and recommenced his work
on the cup ; and by this occupation he had succeeded in for-
getting the burdensome duties of his imperial office.
TIIK EMPEROR FRANCIS. 15
He was just trying very liard to plane one side of his cup,
when a low rap at the small door leading to the narrow corri-
dor, and thence to the apartments of the empress, interrupted
him. The emperor gave a start and looked toward the door,
listening and iioping, perhaps, that his ear might have de-
ceived him. But no, the rapping was heard once more : there
could no longer he a douht of it— somebody sought admittance,
and intended to disturb the peaceful solitude of the emperor.
"What does the empress want?'' nuirmured Francis.
'' What does she come here for ? I am afraid something un-
pleasant has happened again."
He rose with a shrug from his chair, put his miniature cup
hastily into the drawer of his table, and hurried to open the
door.
Francis had not been mistaken. It really was the Empress
Ludovica, the third consort of tlie emperor, Avho had man-ied
her only a few mouths ago. She wore a handsome dishabille
of embroidered white muslin, closely surrounding her delicate
and slender form, and trimmed with beautiful laces. The
white dress reached up to the neck, where a rose-colored tie
fastened it. Her beautiful black hair, which fell down in
heavy ringlets on both sides of her face, was adorned with a
costly lace cap, from which wide ribbons of rose-colored satin
flowed down on her shoiilders. But the countenance of the
empress did not correspond to this coquettish and youthful
dress. She was young and beautiful, but an expression of pro-
found melancholy overspread her features. Her cheeks Avere
transparently white, and a sad, touching smile quivered round
her finelj'chiselled, narrow lips ; her high, expansive fore-
head was shaded, as it were, by a cloud of sadness ; and her
large black eyes shot, fi'om time to time, gloomy flashes which
seemed to issue from a gulf of fiery torture. But whatever
passions might animate her delicate, ethereal form, the em-
press had learned to cover her heart with a veil, and her lips
never gave utterance to the sufferings of her soul. Only her
coTifidantes were allowed to divine them ; they alone knew
that twofold tortures were racking I.,udovica's fiery soul, tho.se
of hatred and wounded pride. Napoleon ! it was he whom
the empress hated with indescribable bitterness ; and the neo'
16 ANDREAS HOFER.
lect with which her consort, the Emperor Francis, treated her
cut her proud heart to the quick. Thanks to the intrigues and
immense riches of her mother, Beatrix of Este, Duchess of Mo-
dena, she had become the wife of an emperor, and herself an
empress ; but she L?d thereby obtained only an august posi-
tion, not a husband and partner. She was an empress in name
only, but not in reality. Francis had given her his hand, but
not his heart and his love. He disdained his beautiful, lovely
wife ; he avoided any familiar intercourse with her with
anxious timidity ; only in the presence of the court and the
public did he treat the empress as his consort, and tolerate her
near his person. At first Ludovica had submitted to this
strange conduct on the part of her husband with proud indif-
ference, and not the slightest murmur, not the mildest re-
proach, had escaped her lips. For it was not from love that
she had chosen this liusband, but from ambition and pride.
She had told herself that it would be better for her to be Em-
press of Austria than Princess of Modeua and Este ; and even
the prospect of being the third wife of Francis of Austria, and
the stepmother of the ten children whom his second wife had
borne to hitn, had not deterred her. She meant to marry the
emperor, and not the man ; she wished to play a prominent
part, and exei't a powerful influence on the destinies of the
world. But these hopes were soon to prove utterly futile.
The emperor granted her publicly all the privileges of her ex-
alted position by his side ; but in the privacy of her apartments
he never made her his confidante ; he refused to let her have
any influence over his decisions ; he never consulted her as to
the measures of his administration ; nay, he avoided alluding
to svich topics in her presence.
Such was the grief that was gnawing at the heart of the
young empress — the wound from which her proud and lofty
soul was bleeding. But for a few weeks past she had over-
come her silent grief, and the presence of her mother, the
shrewd and intriguing Duchess of Modena, seemed to have im-
parted fresh strength to the empress, and confirmed her in her
determination to conquer the heart and confidence of her hus-
band. Whereas she had hitherto met his indilTerence by
proud reticence, and feigned not to notice it, she was now
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 17
kind and even atTcctionatc toward him; and it often happenrd
that, availing herself of tlio privilege of her position, she trav-
ersed the private corridor separating her rooms from those of
her husband, and, without lieing summoned to him, entered
his cabinet to talk politics with him in spite of his undisguised
aversion to doing so.
The emperor hated these interviews from the bottom of his
heart; a shudder pervaded his soul, and a cloud covered his
brow, whenever he heard the low rap of the empress at his
])i-ivatc door. To-day, too, the dark cloud covered his fore-
head even after the empress had entered his cal)inet. Ludo-
vica noticed it, and a mournful smile overspread her pale face
for a moment.
"As your majesty did not come to me to bid me good-
morning, I have come to you," she said, in a gentle, kind
voice, holding out her beautiful white hand to the emperor.
Francis took it and pressed it to his lips. " It is true," he
said, evidently embarrassed, " I did not come this morning to
pay my respects to you, but time was wanting to me. I had
to go at once to my cabinet and work; I am very busy."
"I see," said Ludovica; "your majesty's dress still bears
the traces of your occupation."
The emperor hastened to brush away with his hands the
small particles of the peach-stone that had remained on his
shirt-bosom and his sleeve; but while he was doing this his
brow darkened still more, and he cast a gloomy and defiant
glance on the empress.
" Look, empress," he said ; " perhaps you belong to the secret
])olice, and have been employed to watch me in oi-der to find
out what I am doing when I am alone in my cabinet. Wh}',
if I found out that that was so, I should be obliged to be on
my guard and have this door walled up, so that my esteemed
consort might no longer l)e able to surprise and watch me."
"Your majesty will assuredly not do that," said Ludovica,
whose voice was tremulous, and whose cheeks had turned
even paler than before. " No, your majesty will not make me
undergo the humiliation of making known to the world the
deplora])le secret with which we alone have hitherto been
ac(juainted. Your majesty will not deprive me of the only
18 ANDREAS HOFER.
privilege which I enjoj'^ in common with your former con-
sorts, and thereby proclaim to the world that I am in this
palace a stranger who has not even access to the rooms of her
husband."
" I do not say that I intend to do it," said Francis, shrug-
ging his shoulders; "I say only that it is highly repugnant to
me to have my steps dogged and watched in an}^ manner. It
is true, my former consort had also the keys of this private
corridor, but— pardon me for this remark, j^our majesty — the
empress never used these keys, but always waited for me to
open the door."
"And she did not wait in vain," said the empress, quickly;
'' your majesty never failed to come, for you loved your con-
sort, and I have been told you never suffered even a few hours
to pass by without leaving your cabinet and crossing the secret
corridor to repair to the rooms of the empress."
" But the good Empress Theresa," exclaimed the emperor,
" when I was with her, never endeavored to talk to me about
politics and state affairs."
" I understand that," said Ludovica ; " you had both so many
mutual interests to converse about. You had your mutual love,
your children, to talk about. I, who am so unhappy as not to
be able to talk with you about such matters, how intensely so-
ever my heart longs for it, must content myself v>'ith coversing
with my husband on different su])jects; and I desire to share
at least his cares when I cannot share his love. My husband,
I beseech j'ou, do not disdain my friendship; accept a friend's
hand, which I offer to you honestly and devotedly."
"My God. that is precisely what I long for !" exclaimed
the emperor fervently, again pressing to his lips the hand
which the empress held out to him. " My fondest wish is ful-
filled when your majesty will give me your friendship, and
confide in me as your best, most devoted, and faithful friend ! "
"But this confidence must be reciprocated, my dearest
friend," said Ludovica, putting her hand on the emperor's
shoulder, and gazing long and ardently into his eyes. "Your
majesty must confide in me too, and count implicitly on my
fidelity."
"That is what I do,'' said Francis, liastily; "never should
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 19
I dare to doubt the fidelity of tlie purest, cliastest, and most
virtuous empress and lady — the fidelity of my wife."
'• I did not refer to the wife's fidelity,'' said Ludovica, sigh-
ing, "but to the fidelity of my friendship, which is joyously
ready to share all your cares and alUictions."
" Well, then," said the emperor, nodding to her smilingly,,
" I will give you a proof of my faith in your friendship. Yes,
you shall share my cares and afflictions."
"Oh, my husband, how hujjpy you make me by these
words !" exclaimed Ludovica, and a faint blush beautified her
noble face.
"I wUl let you participate in my work to-day, and you
shall give me your advice," said the emperor, nodding to the
empress, and stepping to the writing-table, from whose drawer
he took the little cup. "Look, my dear friend," added the
emperor, handing the cup to his consort, " I wished to make a
little cup from this peach-stone and give it to Maria Louisa,
who delights in such things; but when I had nearly fin-
ished it, I discovered suddenly that the peach-stone was
crooked and not equally round on both sides. Now give
me your advice, my fair friend ; tell me what I am to do
in oi-der to straighten the cup. Look at it, and tell me
liow to fix it. It would be an everlasting disgrace for an
emperor to be unable to straighten a thing which he himself
made crooked."
The empress had turned pale again ; her dark eyes shot
fire for a moment, and she compressed her lips as if to stifle
a cry of indignation. But she overcame her agitation quickly,
and hastily took the little cup which the emperor still held
t)ut to her.
"Your majesty is right," she said; the "cup is really
crooked, and will not stand erect when you put it on the table.
As your majesty has asked me what ought to be done about it,
1 advise you to get rid of the thing, declare war against the
little cup, and remove it foi-ever Ijy touching it in this manner
with your little tinger."
She upset the miniature cup with her slender little finger,
so that it rolled to the other end of the table.
"That is very energetic advice, indeed," said Francis, smil
20 ANDREAS HOFER.
ing, " but I do not like it. To upset a thing that is not well
done is no way of improving it."
" Yes, your majesty, to destroy what is not well done is
paving the way for something better," exclaimed Ludovica.
"You yourself said just now it would be an everlasting dis-
grace for an emperor to be unable to straighten anything
which he himself made crooked. It seems to me, now, an
emperor should extricate himself fi'om any position imposing
on him the necessity of doing anything crooked and unworthy
of his imperial dignity. If such is his duty in regard to a
thing so insignificant as a peach-stone, how much more ur-
gent is this duty, when there is at stake something so great
and sacred as the independence and honor of your empire and
policy ! "
" See, see ! " said the emperor, scratching his head with
an expression of ludicrous surprise ; " then we have really
got back from the peach-stone to political affairs and the
war-question. Now, this war-question is a hard peach-
stone to crack, and the mere thought of it sets my teeth on
edge."
" Ah," said Ludovica, " your teeth are firm and strong, for
they are composed of three hundred tliousand swords, and
thousands of cannon and muskets. If the lion is determined
to use his teeth, he will easily succeed in destroying the were-
wolf ; for this rapacious] and bloodthirsty were-wolf is brave
and invincible only when he has to deal with lambs ; only the
feeble and disarmed have reason to fear him."
"In speaking of a were-wolf, I suppose you refer to the
Emperor Napoleon ? " asked the emperor, smiling. " I must
tell you, however, that, in your warlike enthusiasm, you do
him injustice. It seems to me he is brave not alone when he
has to deal with lambs, and not alone the feeble and disarmed
have reason to fear him. I think I did not march lambs
against him at Austerlitz, but brave men, who were not feeble
and disarmed, but strong and well-armed. Nevertheless,
Bonaparte overpowered them ; he gained tiie battle of Auster-
litz over us, and we had to submit to him, and accept the terms
yf peace wnich he imposed on us."
"Yes, your majesty had to submit to him," cried the em-
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 21
press, ardently; "you were obliged to repair to the proud
usurper's camp and beseech him to grant you peace !"
'' I was not obliged to go to him, but I did so in order to
restore peace to my people, and prevent all Austria from
sinking into ruin. It is true, it was a dreadful walk for me,
and when I saw the Emperor of the French at his camp-fire,
he became utterly distasteful to me.* Nevertheless, the truth
cannot be gainsaid, and the truth is that the Emperor Na-
poleon is more than a were- wolf killing only lambs ; he is a lion
whose furious roar causes all thrones to tremble, and who, when
he shakes his mane, shakes all Europe to its foundations."
" The more is it incumbent on us then to put an end to
this unnatural state of affairs," exclaimed the empress, ve-
hemently ; " to strengthen the thrones, and restore at length
tranquillity to Europe. And there is only one way of doing
this, my loi'd and emperor, and that is war ! We must de-
stroy the lion in order to restore tranquillity to the peaceable
nations."
" But what if, instead of destroying the lion, we should be
destroyed by him ? " asked the emperor, with a shrug. '' Wliat
if the lion should a second time place his foot on our neck,
trample us in the dust, and dictate to us again a disgraceful
and luimiliating peace ? Do you think that the present posi-
tion of tlie King of Prussia is a pleasant and honorable one,
and that I am anxious to incur a similar fate ? No, madame ! I
am by no ineans eager to wear a martyr's crown instead of my
imperial crown, and I will rather strive to keej) my crown on
my head, regai-dless of the clamor of the German war-party.
These German shriekers are nice fellows. They refuse to
do any thing, but think it is enough for them to cry, 'War !
war I ' and that that will be sufficient to conquer Bonaparte.
But, empress, a great deal more is required for that purpose
than the fanatical war-clamor of the aristocratic saloons, and
the scribblings of the journalists and patriotic poets ; in order
to attain so grand an object, it is indispensable that all Ger-
many should rise, take up arms, and attack the enemy with
united forces."
* The emperor's own word?. — See " Lebensbilder aus dem Befreiungs-
kriege," vol. i.
22 ANDREAS IIOFEU.
'' It is as your majesty says," exclaimed Lvulovica, enthusi-
astically ; " all Germany is ready for the struggle against the
enemy, The nation is only waiting for Austria to give the
signal, draw the sword, and advance upon France, when all
Germany will follow her."
" I know these fine phrases," said Francis, shrugging his
shoulders ; " I hear them every day from my brothers, who
are eager for war, and who manage to gain a great deal of
popularity in so comfortable a manner. But after all, they
are phrases with very little sense in them. For just tell me,
empress, where is the Germany which, you say, is only wait-
ing for Austria to give the signal ? Where are the German
armies which, you say, are only waiting for Austria to ad-
vance, when they will follow her ? I have good sound eyes,
but I cannot see such armies anywhere. I am quite familiar
with the geography of Germany, T know all the states that
belong to it, but among them I vainly look for those which
are waiting for us to give such a signal. Prussia is utterly
powerless, and cannot do any thing. The princes of the
Rhenish Confederacy, it is true, are waiting for the signal, but
Bonaparte will give it to them, and when they march, they
will march against Austria and strive to fight us bravely in
order to obtain from the French Emperor praise, honors, titles,
and grants of additional territories. No, no, I cannot be blind-
ed bj' brave words and bombastic phrases ; I know that Austria,
in case a war should break out, would stand all alone, and
that she must either conquer or be ruined. In 1805, when, in
consequence of the disastrous battle of Austerlitz, I lost half
my states, I was not alone, Russia was my ally. But Russia
has recently declared that, in case a war should break out, she
would not assist us against Napoleon, but observe a strict neu-
trality as long as possible ; if she should, however, be obliged
to take a decided stand, she would be on the side of France
and against us. Consequently, I am entirely isolated, and
Napoleon has numerous allies."
" But your majesty has a powerful ally in the imiversal
enthusiasm of tlie Austrians and Germans, in the universal
indignation of the nations against Napoleon. You have pub-
lic opinion on your side, and that is the most powerful ally."
THE KMI'EKOR KIIAN'CIS. 23
" Ah, let me aloue with that ahoniinable ally," cried the
emperor, vehemently ; '" I do not want to hear of it nor to
have anything to do with it. Public opinion is the hobby
which my brother, the popular Archduke John, is riding all
the time ; but it will throw hiin one day into the mire, and
tlien he will lind out what it really amounts to. Pray, never
si)eak to me again of public opinion, for I detest it. It smells
of revolution and insurrection, and, like a patient donkey,
suffers itself to be led by whosoever offei'S it a thistle as a
bait. I renounce once for all the alliance of public opinion,
and I do not care whether it blesses or crucifies me, whether it
calls me emperor or blockhead. You see now, empress, that I
am entirely isolated, for the ally which you offer to me will
do me no good ; I do not want it, and I have no other allies.
I thought it necessary to arm, in view of the formidable arma-
ments of France, and show our adversary that I am not afraid
of him, but am prepared for every thing. I therefore put my
army on the war footing, and showed Bonaparte that Austria
is able to cope with him, and that money and well-disciplined
armies are not wanting to her. But just now I shall not pro-
ceed any further, and, unless something ijuportant should
occur, all this war-clamor and all importunities will make no
im]H'ession on me. The im])ortaiit event to which I alluded
would be Napoleon's defeat in Spain, whereby he would be
compelled to keep his armies there. In that event, I should
no longer be isolated, but Spain would be my ally, and I
should probably declare war. But if matters should turn out
otherwise, if fortune should favor Napoleon there as every
where else, necessity alone will determine my course. I shall
not attack, and thereby challenge fate of my own accord ; but
I shall wait, sword in hand, for Napoleon to attack me. If he
does, God and my good right will be on my side, and what-
evei' may be the result of the struggle, people will be unable to
say that I I'ashly plunged into war and broke the peace. If we
succumb, it is the will of God and the Holy Virgin, and not,
our ftuxlt. And now, empress," said the emperor, drawing a
deep breath, " I have complied with your wishes and talked poli-
tics with 5'ou. I think it will be enough once for all, and you
and you political friends will perceive that you cannot do any
24 ANDREAS HOFER.
thing with me, and that it will be best for you to let me en
tirely alone ; for I am so stubborn as not to allow others to
lead me, but pursue my own course. You have promised me,
empress, to be a faithful friend to me. I ask you now to give
me a proof of your friendship. Let us speak of something
else than politics ; that is all that I ask of your friendship."
" Well, then, let us drop the subject," said the empress,
with a deep sigh. " Your majesty will be kind enough to
permit me now to ask a favor of you ? "
" Ah, you speak as if there were anything that I could
refuse you," exclaimed the emperor, smiling.
Ludovica bowed slightly. " I pray you, therefore," she
said, " to be kind enough to accompany me to the concert
which is to be given at the university hall. Haydn's ' Cre-
ation' will be performed there, and I believe the old maestro
himself will be present to receive the homage of his ad-
mirers."
'' H'm, h'm ! I am afraid there is something else behind
it," said the emperor, thoughtfully, " and the audience will
not content itself with merely offering homage to old Haydn.
But no matter, your majesty wishes to go to the concert, and
it will afford me pleasure to accompany my empress."
At this moment they heard a low rap at the door leading
from the emperor's cabinet into the conference-room, where
the officers of the private imperial chancery were working.
" Well, what is it ? " exclaimed the empei'or. " Come
in!"
The emperor's private chamberlain slipped softly through
the half-opened door, and, on beholding the empress, he stood
still without uttering a word.
" Never mind, the empress will excuse you," said Francis.
"Just tell me what you have come in for."
" Your majesty," said the chamberlain, " the French am-
bassador. Count Andreossi, has just arrived, and requests your
majesty to grant him an audience. He says he wishes to
communicate information of great importance to you."
" Why did he not apply to my minister of foreign affairs ? "
asked the emperor, indignantly.
" Your majesty, the ambassador begs your pardon, but he
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS. 25
says the Emperor Napoleon fyavc liini express orders to en-
deavor if possible to speak with your majesty."
" And he is already in the anteroom, and waits for an im-
mediate audience ? "
"Yes, your majesty."
''Well, then, I will receive him," said the emperor, rising'.
'■ Conduct the ambas.sador to the small audienee-j'oom. —
Well ? " asked the en>peror, wonderin<i;ly. when the chamber-
lain did not withdraw. " You do not go ? Do you wish to
tell me any thing else ? "
" I do, your majesty. A courier has just arrived from
Paris with pressing dispatches from Count Metternich to your
majesty."
" Ah, that changes the matter ! " exclaimed the emperor.
" Tell the ambassador that I can not receive him now, but
that he is to come back in an hour, at eleven precisely, when
I shall be ready to receive him. Tell the courier to come to
me at once."
The chamberlain slipped noiselessly out of the door, and
tlie emperor turned again to the empress
" Empress," he said, "do me the honor of permitting me to
offer you my arm, and conduct you back to your rooms.
You see I am a poor, tormented man, who is so overwhelmed
with business that he cannot even chat an hour with his
wife without being disturbed. Pity me a little, and prove it
to me by permitting me henceforth to rest in your presence
from the cares of business, and not talk politics."
" Tlie wish of my lord and emperor shall be fulfilled," said
the empress, mournfully, taking the arm which the emperor
offered to her to conduct her back to her rooms.
Just as she crossed the threshold of the imperial cabinet,
and stepped into the corridor, she heard the voice of the
chamberlain, who announced : " The coui'ier from Paris,
Counsellor von Hudelist."
" All right, I shall be back directly ! " exclaimed the em-
poror, and he conducted the empress with a somewhat accel-
erated step througli the corridor. In front of the door at
its end he stood still and bowed to the empress with a pleas-
ant smile.
3
26 ANDREAS HOFER.
" I have conducted you now to the frontier of your realm,"
said Francis ; " permit me, therefore, to return to mine.
Farewell ! We shall go to the concert to-night. Fare-
well ! "
Without waiting for the reply of the empress, he turned
and hastily re-entered his cabinet.
Ludovica entered her room and locked the door behind
her. " Closed forever ! " she said, with a sigh. " At least I
shall not try again to avail myself of this door, and shall not
expose myself again to the sneers of the emperor. I must,
then, bear this disgrace ; I must submit to being disdained and
repudiated by my husband ; I But hush ! " the empress
interrupted herself, " this is no time for bewailing my per-
sonal fate, for the fate of all Austria is at stake at this junc-
ture Highly important events must have occurred at Paris,
else Metternich would not have sent his confidant and assist-
ant Hudelist, nor would Andreossi demand an audience in so
impetuous a manner. Perhaps this intelligence may at length
lead to a decision to-day, or we may at least contribute to such
a result. I will write to the Archduke John, and asTs: him to
see the emperor. Perhaps he will succeed better than I did
in persuading my husband to take a determined stand."
She hastened to her writing-desk, and penned that mys-
terious little note which she sent to the Archduke John in the
book which she pretended he had lent to her.
CHAPTER HI.
THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR.
The emperor, in returning to his cabinet, like the empress,
cai'efully locked the door behind him. He then turned
hastily to the courier, who was standing near the opposite
door, and was just bowing most ceremoniously to his maj-
esty,
" Hudelist, it is really you, then ? " asked the emperor.
" You left your post by the side of Metternich without obtain-
THE COURIER AXD TFIE AMBASSADOR. 27
i'lff "'.V permission to come to Vienna ? Could you not fuid
any otiier man to l)ring' your dispatelies ? I liad commis-
sioned you to remain always In' the side of Metternich, watch
liim carefully, and inform me of wliat he was doing and
thinking."
" Your majesty, I have brought my report with me," said
Hudelist ; "and as for your majesty's order that I should
always remain by the side of Count Metternich, I have hard-
ly violated it by coming to Vienna, for I believe the Count
will follow me in the course of a few days. Unless your maj-
esty recalls him to Vienna, the Emperor Napoleon, I think,
will expel him from Paris."
" You do not say so ! " exclaimed Francis, shrugging his
shoulders. '' You think he will issue a manifesto against
Metternich, as he did against the Prussian minister Von
Stein ? Well, let me hear the news. What have you to tell
me?"
" So many important things, your majesty, that the count
and myself deemed it expedient to report to your majesty
verbally, rather than send a dispatch which might give
you only an unsatisfactory idea of what has occurred.
Hence T came post-haste to Vienna, and arrived here only a
•luarter of an hour since ; I pray your majesty therefore to
])ardon me for appearing before you in my travelling-
dress."
"Sit down, you must be tired," said the emperor, good-na-
turedly, seating himself in an arm-chair, and pointing to the
op])osite chair. " Now tell me all ! "
"Your majesty," said Hudelist, mysteriously, while a
strange expression of mischievous joy overspread his ugly,
pale face, " the Emperor Napoleon has returned from Spain to
France."
The Emperor Francis gave a start and fi-owned. " Why ? "
he asked.
"Because he intends to declare war against Austria," said
Hudelist, whose face brightened more and more. " Because
Napideon is distrustful of us, and convinced that Austria is
intent on attacking him. Besides, he felt no longer at ease in
Spain, and all sorts of conspiracies had been entered into in
28 ANDREAS HOFER.
Paris, whereby his return might have been rendered impossi
hie if he had hesitated any longer."
" Who were the conspirators ? "
" Talleyrand and Fouche, the dear friends and obedient
servants of the Emperor Napoleon. He knows full well what
their friendship and devotedness amount to. Hence he had
the two gentlemen well watched, and it seems his spies sent
him correct reports, for, after returning from Spain, he re-
buked them unmercifully ; he told them, with the rage of
a true Corsican, and regardless of etiquette, what miserable
fellows they were, and how high he stood above them."
" And yet he would like so much to be an emperor in strict
accordance with court etiquette," said the emperor, laughing.
" He is anxious to have such a court about him as Louis XIV.
had. But the lawyer's son always reappears in the emperor,
and, if it please God, He will one day deprive him of all his
power and splendor."
"And, if it please God, your majesty will be His in-
strument in putting an end to Napoleon's power and splen-
dor," cried Hudelist, with a smile which distorted his face
strangely, and caused two rows of large yellow teeth to appear
between the pale lips of his enormous mouth. "It is true
he stands firm as yet, and rebukes his ministers as Nero did
his freedmen. Talleyrand was still thunderstruck at what the
emperor had told iiim, when he had an interview with Count
Metternich and myself in Fouche's green-house. To be sure,
the phrases which he repeated to us were well calculated to
make even the blood of a patient minister boil. Napoleon
sent for the two ministers immediately after his arrival ; when
they came to him, he let them stand at the door of his cabinet
like humble suppliants, and, running up and down before
them, and casting fiery glances of anger upon them, he up-
braided them with their conduct, and told them he was aware
of all their intrigues, and knew that they were conspiring
with Austria, Spain, and, through Spain, with England. Then
he suddenly stood still in front of them, his hands folded on
his back, and his glances would have crushed the two minis-
ters if they had not had such a thick skin ' You are impudent
enough to conspire against me ! ' he shouted, in a thundering
THE COURIER AND TIIK AMBASSADOR. 29
voice. ' To whom are you iudebted for evei-y tiling— for your
honors, rank, and wealth ? To nie alone ! How can you pre-
serve them ? By me alone ! Look backward, examine your
past. If the Bourbons had reascended the throne, both of you
would have been luuiLfed as regicides and Iraitoi-s. And you
plot against me ? You must be as stupid as you are ungrate-
ful, if you believe that anybody else could promote your in-
terest as well as I have done. Had another revolution
broken out, on whatever side you might have placed your-
selves, you would certainly have been the first to be crushed
by it.*"*
"That is very plain talk, indeed,"' said FrancLs, laughing.
"But Talleyrand and Fouche have sound stomachs ; they will
digest it, and not get congestions in consequence of it pro-
vided the emperor does not punish them in a different man-
ner."
'' For the time being, he only punished Talleyrand, whom
he deprived of the position and salary of lord chamberlain.
Fouche remained police minister, but both are closely watched
by Napoleon's secret police. Nevertheless, they succeeded in
holding a few unobsei'ved interviews with us. Count Metter-
nich learned also from another very well-informed quarter,
many accurate details i*egarding the plans and intentions of
the Emperor Napoleon."
'' What do you mean ? What well-informed quarter do
you refer to ? " asked the emperor.
"Your majesty," said Hudelist, with a significant grin,
" Count Metternieh is a very fine-looking man ; now, Queen
Caroline of Naples, Murat's wife, and Napoleon's favorite sis-
ter, is by no means insensible to manly beauty, and she ac-
cepted with evident satisfaction the homage which the count
offered to her. For the rest, Nai)ole()n winked ;it and encour-
aged this flirtation ; for, previous to his dei)arture for Spain,
he said to his sister loud enough to be ovei-heai'd by some of
our friends, ^ Amusez-nous ce niais. Monsieur de Metternieh.
Nous en avons besoin d, present ." " t Madame Caroline
* Napoleon's own words.— See Sclilosser, " History of tin- Kijrhteeiith Cen-
tury," vol. viii., p. 488.
t Honnuyr, "The Emperor Francis and Metternieh, a Fragment, p. 55.
30 ANDREAS nOFER.
Murat told Count Metternich, for instance, that it is the Kings
of Bavaria and Wiirtemburg that keep their spies for Napo-
leon here in Vienna, and that they ui*ged Napoleon vehemently
to return from Spain in order to declare war against Austria.
And Napoleon is determined to comply with their wishes.
He travelled with extraordinary expedition from Madrid to
Paris, stopping only at Valladolid, where he shut himself up
for two days with Maret, his minister of foreign affairs, and
dispatched eighty-four messages in different directions, with
orders to concentrate his forces in Germany, and call out the
full contingents of the Rhenish Confederacy. His own troops
and these German Contingents are to form an army to which
he intends to give the name of ' the German Army of the Em-
peror Napoleon.' Although Count Metternich was aware of
all this, he hastened to attend the great reception which took
place at the Tuileries after Napoleon's return, in order to as-
sure him again of the friendly dispositions of the imperial
court of Austria. But Napoleon gave him no time for that.
He came to meet him with a furious gesture, and shouted to
him in a thundering voice : 'Well, M. de Metternich ! here is
fine news from Vienna. What does all this mean ? Have
they heen stung hy scorpions ? Who threatens you ? What
would 3'ou be at ? Do you intend again to disturb the peace of
the world and plunge Europe into numberless calamities ? As
long as I had my army in Germany, you conceived no disquie-
tude for your existence ; hut the moment it is transferred to
Spain, you consider yourselves endangered ! What can be the
end of these thmgs ? What, but that I must arm as you arm,
for at length I am seriously menaced ; I am rightly punished
for my former caution." *
" What an impudent fellow ! " murmured the Emperor
Francis to himself. "And Metternich? What did he re-
ply?"
"Nothing at all, youi" majesty. He withdrew, returned
immediately to the legation, and I set out that very night to
convey this intelligence to your majesty. Your majesty, we
can no longer doubt that Napoleon has made up his mind to
wage war against Austria. His exasperation lias risen to the
* Niipoluon's owu words. — See Schlosser, vol. vii., p. 490.
THE COUIUER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 31
liighest pitch, and the events in Spain have still more in-
llamed his rage and vindictiveness."
"Then he is nnsuecessful in Spain ?" asked the emperor,
whose eyes brightened.
"Spain is still bidding him defiance, and fighting with the
entliiisiasm of an heroic people who will suffer death rather
than be sul)jugated by a tyrant. She will never accept King
Joseph, whom Napoleon forced upon her ; and as they see
themselves deserted and given up by their royal family, the
Spanish pati-iots turn their eyes toward Austria, and are ready
to proclaim one of your majesty's brothers king of Spain, if
your majesty would send him to them with an auxiliary
army."
"That would be a nice thing! " cried the emperor, angrily.
" Not another word about it I If my brothers .should hear it,
their heads would be immediately on fire, for they are veryam-
bitious; hence, it is much better that they should not learn
anything of these chdfeanx en Espagnc. Tell me rather how
it looks in France. Are the French still satisfied with their
emperor by the grace of the people ! "
'' They are not, your majesty. Let me tell you that not only
Napoleon's own officers, his marshals and ministers, are dissat-
isfied with him; but the whole people, those who possess
money as well as those who own no other property than their
lives, are murmuring against the emperor. He robs the mon-
eyed men of their property by heavy taxes and duties, and
those who have nothing but their lives he threatens with death
by forcing muskets into their hands, and compelling them to do
military service. Another conscription has been ordered, and
a.s the population of France is decreasing, youths from sixteen
to eighteen years old have to be enrolled. France is tired of
these everlasting wars, and she curses Napoleon's insatiable
bloodthirstiness no longer in secret only, but loud enough to
be heard by the emperor from time to time."
" And the army ? "
" The army is a part or France, and feels like flie restof the
French people. The marshals are quarrelling among them-
selves, and some of them hate Napoleon, wiio never gives them
time to repose on their laurels and enjoy the nches which they
32 ANDREAS IIOFER.
have obtained during their campaigns. The array is a perfect
hotbed of conspiracies and secret societies, some of which are in
favor of the restoration of the republic, while others advocate
the restoration of the Bov;rbons. Napoleon, who is served
well enovigh at least by his spies, is aware of all these things.
He is afraid of the discontent and disobedience of his marshals
and generals, conspiracies in the army, the treachery of his
ministers, and the murmurs of his people; and he fears, be-
sides, that the fanaticism of the Spaniards may dim his mili-
tary glory; hence, he feels the necessity of arousing the
enthusiasm of his people by fresh battles, of silencing the
malcontents by new victories, and of reviving the heroic spirit
of his army. He hopes to gain these victories in a war be-
tween his German army and the Austrian forces. He is, there-
fore, firmly resolved to wage war, and the only question now
is, whether your majesty will anticipate him, or await a decla-
ration of war on his part. This is about all I have to com-
municate to your majesty; the vouchers and other papers I
shall have the honor to deposit at the imperial chancery."
The emperor made no reply, but gazed into vacancy, deeply
absorbed in his reflections. Hudelist fixed his small sparkling
eyes on the bent form of the emperor; and as he contemplated
his care-worn, gloomy face, his flabby features, his protruding
under-lip, his narrow forehead, and his whole emaciated and
fragile form, an expression of scorn overspread the face of
the counsellor; and his large mouth and flashing eyes seemed
to say, " You are the emperor, but I do not envy jou, for I am
more than you are; I am a man who knows what he wants."
At this moment the clock commenced striking slowly, and
its shrill notes aroused the emperor from his contemplation.
" Eleven o'clock," he said, rising from his chair, " the hour
when I am to give an audience to the French ambassador.
Hudelist, go to the chancery and wait there until I call you.
You will not return to Paris anyhow, but resume your former
position in the chancery of state. I am glad that you have
returned, for I consider you a faithful, able, and reliable man,
with whom I have good reason to be content, and who, I hope,
will not betray my confidence. I know, Hudelist, you are
ambitious, and would like to obtain a distinguished position.
THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 33
Well, serve nie — do you hear ? — serve none but me honestly
and faithfully ; watch everj'thing and watch closely ; never
think of obtaining the friendship and good graces of others,
nor seeking for any other protectors, save me; and I shall
always be favorably disposed toward you, and see to it that
the cravings of your ambition are satisiied. Go then, as I
said before, to the chancery of state ; and on hearing me re-
enter the room, step in again. There are many other things
which I wish to tell you."
" I see through him," said Hudelist, looking with a sn)ile
after the emperoi\ who closed the door of the cabinet behind
him, to repair to the small reception-room ; " yes, I see through
the emperor. He is glad of my return, for I am a good spy
for him in regard to the doings of his brothers, of whom he is
jealous, and whom he hates with all his heart. If I succeed
one day in connnuuicating to him things capable of rendering
the archdukes suspicious to him, or even convicting them of a
wrong committed against him, Ihe emperor will reward and
promote me, and, as he saj^s, satisfy the cravings of my ambi-
tion. Well, well, we shall see. If you watch a man very
closely and are really intent on spying out something sus-
picious in his ccmduct, you will in the end surel_y find some
little hook or other by which you may hold him, and which you
may gradually hammer out and extend until it becomes large
enough to hang the whole man on it. In the first place, I
shall pay particular attention to the Archduke John, for his
brother is particularly jealous of and angry with him. Ah, if I
could discovery such a little hook by which to hold him, the
emperor would reward my zeal with money, honors, and
oi'dei-s, and he would henceforward repose the most implicit
confidence in my fidelity. Well, I shall think of it; the idea
is a good one, and worthy of being matured. I shall form a
scheme to make the good and munificent Archduke John the
ladder by which I shall rise. I must conquer, and if I can do
it only by pulling down others, it is the dut}' of self-preserva-
tion for me not to shrink from the task. I will now go to the
chancer^' and wait there for the emperor's return. Ah, how
his old limbs trembled when he heard of Napoleon's retiu'n.
How hard and unpleasant it was for him to swallow the bad
34 ANDREAS HOFER.
news which I communicated to him ! There is no more inte
esting spectacle than that presented by a human face passii.^^
through all the various stages of excitement, and involuntarily
performing in its features the five acts of a tragedy. And all
the better when this human face is that of an emperor. Dur-
ing my whole journey from Paris to Vienna I was enjoying,
by anticipation, the moment when I should deliver this Pan-
dora's box to the emperor. He is opposed to war, and must
nevertheless wage it ; that is the best part of the joke. Aha !
it is a fine sight to behold the gods of this earth a prey to such
human embarrassments! I felt like bursting into loud laugh-
ter at the woe-begone appearance of the emperor. But hush,
hush! I will go to the chancery until he returns."
In the meantime the emperor had repaired to the small
reception-room, where Count Andreossi, the French ambassa-
dor, was already waiting for him.
Francis responded to the respectful greeting of the am-
bassador by a scarcely perceptible nod, and strode, with head
erect, into the middle of the room. There he stood still, and
casting a stern and almost defiant glance on the ambassador,
he said in a cold, dignified tone : " You requested an audience
of me in a very unusual manner. I granted it to prove to
you my desire to remain at peace with France. Now speak;
What has the ambas.sador of the Emperor of the French to
say to the Emperor of Austria ? "
" Your majesty, I have to present to you, in the first place,
the respects of my master, who has returned from Spain to
Paris."
Francis nodded his head slowly. " What next ? " he asked.
" Next, my sovereign has charged me with a very difficult
commission, for the execution of which I must first, and above
all things, beg your majesty's pardon."
" You are your master's servant, and it is your duty to obey
him," said the emperor, dryly. "Say, therefore, what he
ordered you to tell me."
"Well, then, as your majesty has granted me permission,
I will say that my master, the Empei'or of the French, has
taken deep umbrage at the hostile course which Austria has of
late pursued toward him."
THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 35
''And what is it that your emperor complains of ?" asked
tlie emperor, with perfect composure.
" 111 tlie first pkiee, the Emi)oror Napoleon has taken deep
umbrage at Au.stria's still hesitating to recognize King Joseph
as King of Spain, and to send a minister plenipotentiary to his
court."
•' I did not know where to send my ambassador, and where
he would find M. Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, for the
time being — whether at Madrid or at Saragossa; in the camp,
on the field of battle, or in flight. Hence I did not send an
ambassador to his court. So soon as the Si)auish nation is
able to inform me where I may look for the king it has elected
and recognized, I shall immediately dispatch a minister pleni-
])otentiary to this court. State that to your monarch."
" Next, his majesty the Emperor Napoleon complains bit-
tei-ly that Austria, instead of being intent on maintaining
friendly relations with France, has left nothing undone to
i-econcile the enemies of France who were at war with each
other, and to restore peace between them; and that Austria,
l)y her incessant efforts, has really succeeded now in bringing
about a treaty of peace between Turkey and England. Now,
my master the emperor must look upon this as a hostile act
on the part of Austi'ia against France; for to reconcile Eng-
land with Turkey is equivalent to setting France at variance
with Turkey, or at least neutralizing entirely her influence
over the Sublime Porte."
"Turkey is my immediate neighbor, and it is highly impor-
tant to Austria that there should be no war-troubles and dis-
turbances on all her frontiers. Every independent state should
be at liberty to pursue its own policy : and while this policy
does not assume a hostile attitude toward other independent
states, no one can take umljrage at it. Are you through with
your grievances ? "
"No, your majesty," said Andreossi, almost mournfully.
" The worst and most unpleasant part remains to be told ; but,
as your majesty was gracious enough to say, I must obey the
ordei-s of my master, and it is his will that I shall now com-
municate to your mtijcsfy the emperor's \-i('Ws in his own
words. It has given great olFence to the Empeior Napoleon
36 ANDREAS HOFER.
that Austria should place herself in a posture of open hostility
against France, when France has given her so many proofs of
her forbearance, and has hitherto always spared Austria, not-
withstanding the numerous acts of duplicity and evident hos-
tility of the Austrian court. The Emperor Napoleon informs
your majesty that he is w^ell aware of the ambitious schemes
of Austria, but that he thinks your majesty is not strong
enough to carry them into effect. He requests your majesty
never to forget the magnanimity which the Emperor Napo-
leon manifested toward you after the battle of Austerlitz.
The Emperor Napoleon has instructed me to remind you of
the fact, well known to you, that you can confide in his gen-
erosity, and that he is firmly resolved to observe the treaties.
Naples, Prussia, and Spain, would stand erect, yet, if their
rulers had relied on their own sagacity, and not listened to
the fatal advice of their ministers, or even of courtiers, women,
and ambitious young princes. His majesty beseeches the Em-
peror of Austria not to listen to such insidious advice, nor to
yield to the wishes of the w^ar-party, which is intent only on
gratifying its passionate ambition, and whose eyes refuse to
see that it is di'iving Austria toward the brink of an abyss
where she nmst perish, as did Prussia, Naples, and Spain."*
" It is very kind in his majesty tlie Emperor Napoleon to
give me such friendly advice," said the Emperor Francis,
smiling. " But I beg his majesty to believe that, in accord-
ance with his wishes, I rely only on my own individual saga-
city; that I am influenced by no party, no person, but am
accustomed to direct myself the affairs of my country and the
administration of my empire, and not to li.sten to any insinua-
tions, from whatever quarter they may come. I request you
to repeat these words to his majesty the Emperor Napoleon,
with the same accuracy with which you commimicated his
message to me. And now, Count Andreossi, I believe you
have communicated to me all that your master instructed you
to say to me."
''Pardon me, your majasty, I am instructed last to demand
in the emperor's name an explanation as to the meaning of
the formidable armaments of Austria, the organization of the
* Hormayr, " Allgemeine Geschiclite," vol. ill., p. 205.
THE COURIER AND THE AMBASSADOR. 37
militia, and the arming of the fortresses on the frontiers, and
to inquire against wliom these measures are directed. Tlie
emperor implores your majesty to put a stop to these useless
and hurtful demonstrations, and orders me expressly to state
that, if Austria does not stop her armaments and adopt meas-
ures of an o])posite chuiacter, war will l)e inevitable."*
" In tliat case, Mr. Ambassador of the Emperor Napoleon,
war is inevitable," cried Francis, wlio now dropped the mask
of cold indifference, and allowed his face to betray the agita-
tion and rage tilling his bosom, by his quivering features,
flashing eyes, and clouded brow. '' I have calmly listened to
you," he added, raising his voice; ''I have received with silent
composure all the arrogant phrases which you have ventured
to utter here in the name of your emperor. I look on them as
one of the famous proud bulletins for which your emperor is
noted, and to whose overbearing and grandiloquent language
all Europe is accustomed. But it is well known too that these
bulletins are not exactly models of veracity, but sometimes the
very revei'se of it. An instance of the latter is your emperor's
assertion that he observes the treaties, and that he gave me
proofs of his magnanimity after the battle of Austerlitz. No,
the emperor did no such thing; he made me, on the contrary,
feel the full weight of his momentary superiority. He was
my enemy, and treated me as an enemy, without magnanimity,
which, for the rest, I did not claim at the time. But he has
proved to me, too, that he does not observe the most sacred
treaties. He violated every section of the peace of Presburg;
he did not respect the frontiers as stipulated in that treaty; he
forced me, in direct violation of the ti-eaties, to allow him the
permanent use of certain military roads within the boundaries
of my empire; he hurled from their thrones dj'uasties which
were related to me, and whose existence I had guaranteed : he
deprived, in violation of the law of nations, the beloved and
univereally respected head of Christendom of his throne, and
subjected him to a most disgraceful imprisonment; he exerted
on all seas the most arbitrary ))ressure on the Austrian flag.
And now, after all this has happened, after Austria has endured
* Niipoleoirs own words. — See " Lebeiisbilder," vol. ii., iiad Horiiiayr, " All-
genicine Uescliiohti'," vol. iii.
4CGG13
38 ANDREAS nOFER.
all these wrongs so long and silently, the Emperor Napoleon
undertakes even to meddle with the internal administration of
my empire, and forbids me what he, ever since his accession,
has incessantly done, to wit : to mobilize my army, levy con-
scripts for the troops of the line and the reserves, and arm the
f orti'esses. He asks me to put a stop to my armaments ; else,
he says, war will be inevitable. Well, Mr. Ambassador, I do
not care if the Emperor Napoleon looks at the matter in that
light, and I shall not endeavor to prevent hiui from so doing,
for I shall not stop, but continue my preparations. I called
out the militia, just as the Emperor of the French constantly
calls new levies of conscripts into immediate activity; and if
war should be inevitable in consequence thereof, I shall bear
what is inevitable with firmness and composure."
"Your majesty, is this your irrevocable resolution ?'' asked
Andreossi. " Is this the answer that I am to send to my mas-
ter, the Emperor Napoleon ? ''
"I think it will be better for you to convey this answer in
person to your omperor," said Francis, calmly. " As no one
has witnessed our interview^ only you yourself can repeat my
words with perfect accuracy ; and it is therefore best for you
to set out this very day for Paris."
" That is to say, j^our majesty gives me my passports, and
war will immediately break out between France and Aus-
tria!" sighed Andreossi. "Your majesty should graciously
consider — "
" I have considered every thing," interrupted Francis, vehe-
mently, " and I request you not to speak to me again in the
style of your French bulletins. I will hear the bulletins of
the Emperor Napoleon on the field of battle rather than in my
cabinet. Set oht, therefore, for Paris, Mr. Ambassador, and
repeat to the emperor what I have said to you."
"I will comply with your majesty's orders," said An-
dreossi, with a sigh ; " I will set out, but 1 shall leave the
members of my legation here as yet, for I do not yet give up
the hope that it may be possible for the two courts to avoid a
declaration of war, and to spare such a calamity to two coun-
tries that have such good reasons to love each other."
"Let us quietly await the course of events," replied the
THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. -jl)
empei'or. " Farewell, Count Andreossi. If you will accept
my advice, you will set out this very day; for so soon as my
dear Viennese leai-n that war is to break out in earnest, they
will probably give vent to their enthusiasm in the most tu-
multuous and raptui'ous demunstrations, and I suppose it
would be disagreeable to you to witness them. Farewell,
sir!"
He waved his hand toward the ambassador, bent his head
slowly and haughtily, and left the reception-room without
vouchsafing anothei' glance to Count Andreo.ssi.
"Now my brothei's will be in ecstasies," said tlie emperor
to himself, slowly walking up and down, his hands folded on
his back, in the sitting-room adjoining the reception-room.
" They will be angry, though, because I did not consult them,
and decided the whole affair without listening to their wis-
dom.''
"Your majesty," said a footman, who entered the room
at this moment, " their imperial highnesses, the Archdukes
Charles and John, request an audience of your majesty."
"They are welcome," said the emperor, whose features
were lit up by a faint smile. " Show my brothers in,"
CHAPTER IV.
THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS.
A FEW minutes afterward the two archdukes entered the
room of the emperor, who slowly went some steps to meet
them, and greeted them with a grave, cold glance.
"Why, this is a rare spectacle," said Francis, sneeringly,
" to see my brothers side by side in such beautiful harmony.
In truth, it was only wanting to me that even you two should
be of the same opinion, and come to me for the purpose of
inviting me, as Schiller says, to be the third in your league."
" Your majesty would always be the first in this league,"
said the Archduke John, in his clear, ringing voice ; " my
brother would be the second, and I onlv the third,"
40 ANDREAS IIOFER.
" See, see, my brother is very modest and humble to-day,"
said Francis, smiling. " This means doubtless that you have
come to ask a favor of me, and that, by your kindness and
devotedness, you wish to induce me to comply with your re-
quest, as a dog is decoyed with cakes and sweets by the thief
who intends to steal something from the dog's master."
'• Oh, your majesty, we do not intend to steal any thing
from our master! " exclaimed John, laughing. " But there is
i-eally an attack to be made on our master's property", only he
who intends to make it does not decoy us with cakes and
sweets, but assails us with the sword and coarse invectives."
" It was very shrewd in you to mention at once the subject
on which you wished to speak with me," said the emperor,
with a slight sneer. " But permit me first to say a woi-d to my
brother Charles there, and bid welcome to his imperial high-
ness, the illustrious captain, the generalissimo of our army,
the hope and consolation of Austria."
"Your majesty wishes to mock me," said the Archduke
Charles, in a mournful voice.
" I repeat only what I read every day in the newspapers,
and what the dear Viennese are singing and shouting in every
street!" exclaimed the emperor. "Yes, yes, my dear brother,
you must consent to be the hope and consolation of Austria,
and to be praised as the august and invincible hero of our im-
mediate future."
So saying, the emperor gazed with a long and searching
look at his brother's form, and a scornful expression over-
spread his features.
Indeed, the epithets which the emperor had applied to his
brother corresponded but little to the appearance of the Arch-
duke Charles. His small, bent form, with its weak, shrivelled
limbs, was not the form of a hero ; his pale, wan face, with
the hollow cheeks ; the dim eyes deeply imbedded in their
sockets, and the clouded brow, on which thin tufts of hair
Iiung down, was not the face of a bold captain, confident of
achieving brilliant triumphs by his heroic deeds, and deserv-
ing of the name of the hope and consolation of Austria. But
the Austrians did call him by that name, and the glory of his
military achievements, which filled not only Austria but the
THE EMPEROR AND UlS BROTHERS. 41
whole of Germany, caused them really to build their liopes on
the Archduke Charles, despite his very feeble health. The
Emperor Francis was aware of this ; he knew that the Arch-
dukes Charles and John were by far more popular than he
was ; hence he was jealous of and angry with them— nay, he
almost hated them.
" You look very pale and sick to-day, my dear Archduke
Charles," said the emperor, after a pause, during which he
had contemplated the archduke with a searching expression.
"I am very feeble and unwell, your majesty,'' sighed
Charles ; " and but for the special request of my brother, the
Archduke John, I .should not have dared to come here this
morning. However, I am afraid that I can do but little to
comply with his wishes, and that my brother John will soon
think it would have been better for him not to ask me to ac-
company him to your majesty."
"Ah, then, you are after all not so harmonious as I
thought when I saw you entering here together!" exclaimed
llie emperor, laughing. "There are still differences of opin-
ion, then, between the two pillars of my throne, and were I
to lean on one, the other would totter and give way. Well,
w hat do you w^ ant ? What brought you here ? "
" Your majesty, only the intense desire to dedicate our
services to Austria and our emperor!" exclaimed John, en-
thusiastically. "We wished to implore your majesty to utter
at length the word that will deliver Austria and all Germany.
Your majesty, this hesitation and silence rests like a night-
mare on every heart and every bosom ; all eyes ai'e fixed
hopefully on your majestj'. Oh, my lord and emperor, one
word from your lips, and this nightmare will disappear ; all
hearts will rejoice in blissful ecstasy, and every bosom will
expand and breathe more freely when your majesty shall
utter this word: 'War! war!' We hold the sword in our
hands ; let the will of my august emperor give us the right
now to draw the sword against him who, for years past, has
swept like a destructive hurricane through all Germany, all
Europe, and who tramples alike on princes and peoples, on
liberty and law. Your majesty, in the name of your people,
in the name of all German patriots, I bend my knees here be-
4
42 ANDREAS UOPER.
fore my lord and emperor, and thus, kneeling and full of rev-
erence, I implore your majesty to let the hour of deliverance
strike at length ; let us, with joyful courage, expel the enemy
who has already so long been threatening our frontiers with
defiant arrogance : let us take the field against the impudent
usurper, and wrest from him the laiu-els which he gained at
Austerlitz, and of which he is so proud. Your majesty, your
people ai'e filled wuth warlike ardor ; your faithful Tyrolese
are waiting only for a signal to break their chains and rise
for their beloved empei'or. Your Italian provinces are long-
ing for the day when war shall break out, in order to avenge
themselves on the tyrant who promised them liberty and
brought them only slavery. The hour of retribution has
come for Napoleon ; may your majesty consult our best inter-
ests by saying that we ai-e to profit by this hour, and that war,
a mortal struggle, is to begin now against the Emperor of the
French ! "
And, still bending his knees befoi'e the emperor, John
looked up to him with longing, beseeching eyes.
Francis looked down on him with a gloomy air, and the
noble and enthusiastic face of his brother, who was ten years
younger, and much stronger and better-looking, made a dis-
agreeable impression on him.
"Eise, brother," he said, coldly ; "your knees must ache,
and I, for my part, do not like such theatrical scenes at all,
and such fine phrases make but little impression on my cold
and prosy heart. I am accustomed to follow always my con-
victions, and when I advance a step, I must be sure not to fall
into an abyss which some poetical hero may perhaps have
merely covered for me with his flowery phrases. That I am
aware of the dangers threatening us on the part of France I
have proved by putting the army on the war footing, by in-
trusting you, Archduke John, with organizing the militia and
the reserves in accordance with the i)lan you drew up for that
purpose ; and by placing you, Archduke Charles, at the head
of my army and appointing you generalissimo."
"An honor, your majesty, which I accepted with reverent
gratitude, although it almost crushes me at the present time,"
said the Archduke Charhis, with a sigh. " Permit me now,
Tin; HMPKlKill AN"[> HIS IlItoTIIKRS. 4^
your majesty, to open my lieai-t to you, ami lay my innermost
tliou<rlits at your feet. To do so. I accompanied my brother
Jolm to you. He said he would implore your majesty once
more to i)ostpone the declaration of war no longer, but utter
at length the decisive word. I implored liim not to do so,
and not to force us to engage prematurely in a war that could
not but bring the greatest calamities on Austria. But my dear
brother would not listen to my remonstrances and prayers ;
he called me a secret friend and admirer of Napoleon ; he de-
manded that I should at least speak out freely and openly in
your majesty's presence, and refute him if I could, or yield to
him if my arguments should prove untenable. Your majesty,
I have therefore complied with the wishes of my brother, the
Aichduke John ; I have come to you, but only to say to my
lord and emperor : Your majesty, I implore you, in the name
of your people and your throne, do not yet unsheath the
sword ! Wait until our army is ready for the contest, and
until our armaments are completed. Do not plunge ra.sh-
ly into war, lest victory escape us. A great deal remains
to be done yet before we can say that our armaments are
completed ; and only after being fully prepared can we dare
to take the field against the Emperor Napoleon and his hither-
to victorious legions."
*' Ah, do you hear our Fabius Cunctator, brother John,
the Lion-hearted 1 '" exclaimed the emperor, sarcastically.
" Which of you is right, and whose wise advice shall I follow
now— I, the poor emperor, who is not sti-oug and sagacious
enough to be his own adviser and advance a step without his
brothers ? John, the learned soldier, beseeches me to declare
war, and Charles, the intrepid hero, imploies me not to do so.
What am I, the i)00r emperor, who cannot advise himself, and
who receives too nuich advice from others, to do under such
circumstances ? Whose will nuist I submit to ?"
" Your majesty," cried John, in dismay, " it is we that must
submit ; it is your will on which depends the decision. I im-
plore your majesty to declare war, because I deem it necessary ;
but, if your majesty should take a dilTerent resolution, I shall
submit silently and obediently."
" And I," said Charles, " requested you to postpone the
44 ANDREAS HOFER.
declaration of war, because I do not believe that we are suffi-
ciently prepared for the contest : but, like my brother, I shall
submit silently if your majesty should take a different resolu-
tion."
'• Indeed, will you do so, archdukes ? " asked the emperor,
in a scornful tone. " Will you be mindful of your duties as
subjects, and, instead of giving me unnecessary advice, obey
me silently ? "
The two archdukes bowed to indicate their submissiveness.
The emperor advanced a few steps, and proudly raising bis
head, he looked at his two brothers with a stern and imperious
expression.
" Let me tell you, then, archdukes, what I. your lord and
emperor, have resolved."" said Francis, sternly. '" I have re-
solved to declare war I '"
Two loud cries resounded with one accord ; a cry of joy
burst from John's lips, a cry of dismay from those of Charles.
Pale, reeling like a drunken man, the generalissimo ap-
proached the emperor and held out his hands to him with a
beseeching expression.
■' Your majesty," he said, *' you have resolved to declare
war, but you do not mean to say that it is to commence im-
mediately '."
" That i;s what I mean to say," replied the emperor, sarcas-
tically.
The Archduke Charles turned still paler than before ; a
strange tremor passed through his frame, his head dropped on
his bosom, and a deep groan issued from his breast.
The Archduke John, forgetful of his quarrel with his
brother Charles, at the sight of the latter's profound grief,
hastened to him, and tenderly gi-asped both his hands.
"Brother," he asked, anxiously, " what is the matter ? Are
you unwell ? "
" I am,"' said Charles, wiping from his forehead the large
drops of sweat standing on it. " I am unwell, but I must say
a few additional words to the emperor. I must disclose to
him a melancholy secret of which I heard only an hour ago.
— Your majesty, I implore you once more, postpone the war
as long as possible ; for — hear my terrible secret — we have
THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 45
been infamously defrauded by Commissary-General von Fass-
l)onder.'"
"Your intimate friend?" interposed the emperor, with a
scornful laugh.
"Yes, my intimate friend," exclaimed the archduke, in a
loud, shrill voice; "he deceived me most shamefully. All
the army contracts had been intrusted to him, and he assured
me he had filled them in the most conscientious manner.
I believed him, and it is only now that I find out that he has
shamefully deceived me and his emperor. All his bills for
the supplies which he pretended to have furnished are in my
hands, but the trooi)s did not get the sup])lies. The scoundrel
sent only sour Hour, bad linen, and moth-eaten uniform cloth
to the regiments, and yet he drew enormous sums of money
for the full amount of his contracts. "
"We shall compel the thief to disgorge his ill-gotten
gains," cried the emperor.
" No, your majesty," said Charles, with a groan ; and lean-
ing more firmly on his brother's arm, in order not to sink to
the floor, he added : " no, your majest)'. the criminal is be-
yond the reach of your power. He escaped from human
justice by committing suicide an hour ago. The criminal
has fled from his judges, but his crimes remain, and our army
sufl'ers in consequence of them. Now your majesty knows
all. you will take back your word, and say no longer that you
will declare war. You will be gracious enough to give me
time to repair the injury resulting from the crimes of the
commissary-general, and to provide the army with all that
is unfortunately wanting to it as yet."
"No," cried the emperor vehemently, " I will not ! I will
not take back my word, and I had already made up my miiul
before you, my brothej'S, entered here to assist me so generous-
ly by your wisdom. War will be declared innnediately ; my
i-esolution is irrevocable. I have already informed the Frencli
ambassador of it, and ordered him to leave Vienna this very
day. Your warnings come ju.st as much too late as did John's
entreaties. I ditl what I myself deemed best ; and I deemed
it best to declare war against Bonaparte, in reply to his in-
tolerable arrogance. Every thing is tixed and settled ; war
46 ANDREAS HOFER.
will commence without delay : and you, Archduke Charles,
are the generalissimo of my army."
The Archduke Charles made no reply ; he uttered a pain-
ful groan and sank to the floor by John's side. All his limbs
trembled and quivered ; his pale face became distorted, he
clinched his fists, and his eyes were glassy as though he were
dying.
" He has one of his fits," said the emperor calmly, looking
down on his brother. " Call his servants and his doctor,
Archduke John, that they may remove the generalissimo to
another room and administer medicine to him."
John rushed to the door, and soon the servants and the
physician, who always accompanied the Archduke Charles,
hastened into the room. They lifted with practised hands the
archduke, who was still writhing in convulsions, and carried
him tenderly out of the room.
John, who, with touching solicitude, had remained near
the sufferer, would have accompanied him ; but a word from
the emperor called him back.
" Stay a moment, archduke," said Francis ; " the Archduke
Charles only has his fits, and his servants will take care of
him. I have yet to speak a few words with you. This will
be a formidable war, brother, and we must see to it that it
breaks out at the same time in all quarters of our empire, aiid
that the people rise with one accord and take up arms. We
have made our i>reparations everywhere, and our emissaries
have done their duty ; they have everywhere enlisted friends
of our cause, and established committees which have made
all necessary dispositions for the defence of the country. You
yourself sent your emissary, Baron von Hormayr, to your
beloved Tyrol ; if I am correctly informed, he has already
returned to Vienna."
" Your majesty, he arrived here this morning," said John,
looking at his brother with an air of surprise and even ter-
ror.
This did not escape the emperor, and a smile of satisfaction
lit up his face.
" You see, my agents serve me very well, and I am aware
of all that is going on," said Francis, gravely. " I know, too,
THE EMPEROR AND HIS RHOTHERS. 47
that Baron von Ilormayr has returned to Vienna not alone,
biit accompanied by some good friends. I believe you did aot
come here to give me your advice, but to beg permission to re-
ceive your Tyrolese friends at your palace to-nighf."
" What ! " asked John, surprised ; '' your majesty is aware
of this, too ? "
" I have told you already that my agents serve me very
well. Let this be a warning to you not to do or undertake
any thing that you would like to conceal from me. I know
that Andreas Hofer is here, to concert with you some sort of
plan for the insurrection of the Tyrol. Under the present
circumstances I permit you to do so. for it is reallj' important
that the German and Italian Tyi"ol should rise ; and as we are
going to have war, we will strive to recover our Tyrol. But
we must proceed cautiously, and the world must not find out
that we instigated the Tyrole.se to rise in arms. That would
be setting a bad example to the other nations of our empire.
We may at times profit bj' popular insurrections, but must be-
ware of letting the world know that we ourselves brought
them about. Hence, I do not want to know any thing of
your Tyrolese, and shall not grant them an audience. But I
permit you to do so, and you may tell these brave Tyrolese,
too, that I should be glad if they would become again my dear
subjects."
"Your majesty,'' exclaimed John, joyously, "these words
of their emperor w^ill be the signal for them to rise as one
man, take their rifles, and expel the Evil One. that is to say,
the Bavarians."
''I shall be glad to see the Tyrolese do so, and, moreover, do
it in time," said the emperor, nodding his head. " Repeat my
words to Andreas Hofer, brother John, and pledge him my
word that, if we recover the Tyrol this time, we shall never
give it up again. But Andreas Hofer must behave with great
prudence, and not show himself to the public here, but keep
in the background, that the police may wink at his presence
in Vienna, and act as though they did not see him and his
friends. And now, brother, farewell, and inquire if the gen-
eralissimo has recovered from his fit. It would be bad. in-
deed, if these fits should befall him once in the midst of a bat-
48 ANDREAS HOFER.
tie. Well, let us hope for the best for us all, and especially
for the Tyrol. You have now a great task before you, John,
for you will receive a command ; you shall assist the Tyrolese
in shaking off the foreign yoke."
" Oh, my lord and emperor," exclaimed John, with a radi-
ant face and fiery glance, " how kind and gracious you are
to-day ! It is the heart of a brother that speaks out of your
mouth— of a brother who wishes to make me happy, and
knows how to do so. Yes, send me with a corps to the assist-
ance of the Tyrolese ; let me bring freedom and salvation to
my beloved mountaineers. That is a task which fills me with
boundless ecstasy, and for which I shall always be grateful
and devoted to you, brother."
"Be devoted to your emperor, archduke," said Francis,
smiling ; " the brothers w-ill get along well enough ; they
have nothing to do with politics and public affairs. Fare-
well, John. But, remember, we shall meet again to-day, for
I shall summon the ministers and generals to a consultation,
and you will, of course, be present. Once more, then, fare-
well !"
He nodded repeatedly to the archduke and left the room
with unusual quickness. The emperor walked hastily and
with a gloomy face through the adjoining room, and entered
his cabinet, the door of which he closed rather noisily.
" I am to let him bring freedom and salvation to his be-
loved mountaineers," murmured Francis to himself—" to his
mountaineers ! I believe he would be glad if they really were
his, and if he could become King of the Tyrol. Well, we
shall see. I have lulled his suspicion by permitting him to
hold intercourse with the Tyrolese, and concert plans with
them. We shall see how far my brother will go, and what his
gratitude and devotion will amount to. It is a troublesome
burden for me to have such dangerously ambitious and re-
nowned brothers, against whom I miist be constantly on my
guard. I would I could pick them off as quickly as I remove
the flies from this wall."
So saying, he took from the table the fly -flap w-hich had al-
ways to lie on it in readiness, and entered upon his favorite
amusement, the pursuit of the flies on the wall and furniture.
THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHERS. 49
which his servants took good care uot to drive from the em-
peror's cabinet, because Francis would never have pardoned
them for spoiling liis spoi-t.
Walking along the walls with a rapid step, the emperor
commenced killing the flies.
" Ha ! " he exclaimed, striking a fl}-, " ha ! brother Charles,
this stroke is intended for you. Really, there lies the fly
writhing, as the generalissimo did, on the floor. But he has
a tougher life than the fly ; for the fly will writhe until it is
dead, but the generalissimo always revives ; and when he has
no fits, he is a vei'y brave and illustrious man, before whom
his emperor must humbly stand aside. I cannot take the fly-
flap and strike his writhing limbs as I do this miserable fly,
the little Archduke Charles, that is wi*ithing on the floor
there. So, now you are dead, confounded little brother
Charles, and we will hunt for your biother John. See, see,
there he sits on the wall, cleaning his wings and making him-
self tidy and pretty. There ! There is an affectionate blov/
from your imperial brother, and you are done for. Now you
will never fly to your mountaineers and briug them freedom
and salvation. You will, on the contrary, stick to the wall of
your emperor's room, and learn that your brother is your
master. Why, this is most amusing sport to day I I shall
not stop before killing a dozen Archdukes Charles and
John!"
And Francis hunted eagerly on the walls and the furniture
for other flies, which he pursued and killed with his fly-flap,
always applying the name of Charles to one, and that of Jolm
to the next.
In the excitement of this strange sport he had not noticed
that, soon after he entered the cabinet, the door had opened,
and Counsellor von Hudelist bad come in. Francis did not
remember at that moment that he had given express orders to
Hudelist to re-enter the cabinet as soon as he heard the em-
peror return to it ; he had fixed his thoughts exclusively on
the cruel pleasure of killing the flies Charles and John, and
Hudelist took good care not to disturb him in this pleasant
pastime. He stood leaning against the wall close to the door ;
his small, flashing eyes followed every motion of the emperor
50 ANDREAS nOFER.
with rapt attention, and whenever Francis, on killing a fly,
pronounced the name of either of liis brothel's in a triumphant
tone, a malicious smile overspread the pale and ugly face of
the counsellor.
Now, however, Francis, in hunting for flies, had arrived
at the extreme end of the room. Until then, his hack had
been turned to Hudelist. If he should turn now and continue
his sport on the other side of the room, he would discover
him, and be disagreeably surprised at his presence. There-
fore, before the emperor turned, Hudelist opened once more
the door near which he was standing, and closed it rather
noisily.
The emperor turned and asked gayly : " Well, what is it,
Mr. Counsellor ? "
" Your majesty ordered me to return to the cabinet as soon
as you should be back."
" But I returned some time ago," said Francis, casting a
distrustful, searching glance on Hudelist.
" Pardon me, your majesty, I believed I heard you only
just now close the door, and had until then vainly waited for
.some sound in the cabinet,"' replied Hudelist, with a perfectly
innocent expression of countenance. "' The second door sepa-
rating the conference-room from your majesty's cabinet is so
heavily lined with cushions as to render it almost impervious
to sound, and I beg your pardon again for not having heard
despite the mo.st eager attention."
The emperor's face had again entirely cleared up. "Never
mind," he said; "I am glad that those in the adjoining room
cannot hear what is going on here. I like to have ears for all,
but do not like anybody to have ears for me. Now let me
hear what you have brought for me from Paris."
" Above all things, your majest}' , I succeeded in obtaining,
for a considerable sum of money, the receipt for making Span-
ish sealing-wax, from a Spanish refugee, who was formerly
employed at the royal sealing-wax factory of Madrid, and was
perfectly familiar with the formula for making it. Your
majesty knows that this receipt is a secret, and that the officers
and workmen employed at the factory must even, wear an
oath not to divulge it."
THE PERFORMANCE OF "THE CREATION." 51
"And you ()l)taiiied the receipt nevertheless, and brought
it with you ^ " inquired the emperor.
''Here it is, your majesty."
Francis hastily seized the paper which Hudelist handed to
him with a respectful bow.
" See, see, this is a very kind service which you have ren-
dered me, and I shall be grateful for it !" he exclaimed.
'"You shall test the receipt with me alone; we will try it
right away. But hold on ; I must first tell you some grave
news. We shall declare war. I have already told the French
ambassador to leave Vienna to-day, and Metternich can come
home too. I will hold a council of the ministers and generals
to-day. Tell the functionaries at the chancer}^ to inform the
ministers, archdukes, and generals that I wisli to see them in
the conference-room at four. Make haste, and then come to
my laboratory. We will try the Spanish receipt."
CHAPTER V.
THE PERFORIHANCE OF "THE CREATION."
A BRILLIANT festival was to take place to-night in the large
aula of the Vienna Univei*sity. All the composers, musicians,
dilettanti, and amateurs of Vienna, had joyously consented to
participate in it. The most distinguished names of the aris-
tocracy and the artistic circles of Vienna were at the head of
tiu' ccmimittee of arrangements. Among those names were
tlioso of the Princes Lichnowsky and Lichlonstein, the Count-
rss(>s Kauuitz and Spiolmann, of Beethoven and Salieri,
Kroutzer and Clemeuti, and finally, tliose of the poets Collin
and Carpani.
Everj' one wished to participate in this festival, which was
to render homage to the veteran German compose!*, the great
Joseph Haydn, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth perform-
ance of the maestro's great work, " The Creation."' Ten years
had elapsed since the first performance of " The Creation " at
Vienna, and already tlie sublime composition had made the
52 ANDREAS HOFER.
tour of Europe, and had been performed amid the most en-
thusiastic applause in London and Paris, in Amsterdam and
St. Petersburg, in Berlin, and all the large and small cities of
Germany. Everywhere it had excited transports of admira-
tion ; everywhere delighted audiences had greeted with raptur-
ous enthusiasm this beautiful music, so full of holy ardor and
childlike piety, this great work of the German composer,
Joseph Haydn.
To-day the twenty-fifth performance of "The Creation"
was to take place at Vienna, and Joseph Haydn himself was
to be present at the concert. The committee of arrangements
had invited him, and he had accepted the invitation. Al-
though his seventy-seven years were resting heavily on his
head, and had paralyzed his strength, he could not withstand
the honorable request of his friends and admirers, and he had
replied with a touching smile to the committee of arrange-
ments, whose delegates had conveyed the invitation to him :
" I shall come to take leave of the world with my 'Creation,'
and bid a last farewell to my dear Viennese. You will often
yet sing my ' Creation,' but I shall hear it for the last time ! "
" For the last time ! " These were the words which had
thrilled all the friends and admirers of the maestro, and filled
them with the ardent desire to greet him once more, and ren-
der him homage for the last time. For all felt and knew that
Haydn had spoken the truth, and that his end was drawing
near. All, therefore, longed to take part in this last tri-
umph of the composer of " The Creation," whom death had
already touched with its inexorable finger.
Hence, there was a perfect jam in front of the university
building; the equipages of the high nobility formed tw^o im-
mense lines down the long street; like a black, surging stream,
rising from moment to moment, the part of the audience
arriving on foot moved along the houses and between the
double line of carriages toward the entrance of the building.
Thousands had vainly ap])lied for admission at the ticket-
office ; there was room only for fifteen hundred persons in the
aula and the adjoining rooms, and perhaps as many thousands
had come to hear the concert. As they could not be admitted
into the hall, they remained in the street in front of the build-
THE rKRFORMANCE OF "TIJE CREATION." 53
ing; as they could not hear Haydn's music, the3' wished at
least to see his face and cheer him on liis arrival at the door.
But there was a surgiuj^' crowd also in the festively-deco-
rated university hall. All had come in their holiday attire,
and joy and profound emotion beamed from all faces.
Friends shook hands and greeted eachother with radiant eyes;
and even those who did not know eachother exchanged kindly
greetings and pleasant smiles on .seating them.selves side by
side, and looked at each other as though they were friends and
acquaintances, and not entire strangers.
For all felt the great importance of this hour; all felt them-
selves Germans, owing to the homage which they were to
render to the German maestro and to German music ; and all
knew that this festival would be looked upon beyond the Rhine
as a hostile demonstration of the Germans agaiu.st French pride
and arrogance. They wished to show to France that, although
Germany was dismembered, the heart of the Germans
throbbed for Germany and German art, and that they did not
feel at all alarmed at the grandiloquent threats of the Em-
peror of the French, but yielded with undisturbed equanim-
ity to the en.ioymeut of German art. While the threatening
words of the Emperor Napoleon were resounding, like ringing
war-fanfares, from Paris, the Viennese desired to respond to
him by the beautiful notes of sublime music; and, regardless
of the growls of the lion beyond tlie Rhine, they wished to de-
light in the soul-stirring harmonies of "The Creation.''
All preparations were now completed. The hall was all
ablaze with the wax-lights which were beaming down from
those gigantic lustres, and whose rays were reflected in the
large mirrors covering the walls. The imperial box was s])len-
didly festooned with rare flowers, and decorated with carpets
and gilt candelabra, whose enormous wax-lights filled the
interior of the spacious box with broad daylight.
Opposite the imperial box, on the other side of the hall,
rose the large tribune destined for an orchestra of eighty per-
formers and a choir of one hundred singers. All the latter,
too, were in joyous spirits; all were animated to-day, not by
the envy and jealousy so often to be found among ai'tistcs. but
by the one great desire to contribute their share to the homage
54- ANDREAS HOFER.
to be rendered to German art. They did not wish to-day to
exhibit themselves and their artistic skill, but desired only to
render homage to the music of tlie great maestro, and to Ger-
man art.
And now the hour was at hand when the concert was to
commence. The audience had taken their seats, the orchestra
ceased tuning their instruments, the singers were in readiness,
and the committee of arrangements had gone down to the
street-door to await Haydn's arrival.
The door of the imperial box opened at this moment, and
the emperor and empress entered, followed by the archdukes
and their suites. To-day for the first time" the audience took
no notice of these august persoiis ; they did not rise to greet
the imperial couple and the archdukes. No one had perceived
their arrival, for all eyes were steadfastly fixed on the large
folding-doors by which Joseph Haydn was to enter the
hall.
He had been expected already for some time, and the au-
dience began to whisper anxiously : " Will he, perhaps, not
come, after all ? Will his physician not permit hitii to go to
the concert because the excitement might be injurious to
him ? "
But all at once the silence was broken by a noise in the
street, which sounded like the roar of the stormy ocean ; it
rent the air, and caused the windows of the hall to rattle.
And the audience was joyfully moved ; all faces became ra-
diant, all turned their eyes toward the door.
Now this door opened, and a beautiful though strange
group appeared in it. In its midst, on the shoulders of eight
strong young men, arose an easy chair, festooned with flowers,
and in this chair sat the .small, bent form of an old man. His
face was pale and wan, and in his forehead the seventy-seven
years of his life had drawn deep furrows ; but from his large
blue eyes beamed the eternal fire of youth, and there was
something childlike and touching in the smile of his mouth.
On the right side of his easy-chair was seen the imposing form
of a gentleman, plainly dressed, biit with a head full of ma-
jestic dignity, his face gloomy and wild, his high forehead,
surrounded by dense dishevelled hair, his eyes now gleaming
THE rKKFOKMANCE OF "THE ('REATION." 55
with soiiilji'e (ires, now glauciiig mildly and amiably. It was
Louis von Beethoven, whom llaydu liked to call his pupil, and
whose fame had at that time already penetrated far beyond
the frontiers of Austria. On the left side of the easy-ehair
was seen the tine, expressive face of Salieri. who liked to call
himself Gluck's pupil ; and side by side with these two walked
Kreutzer and Clementi, and the other members of the com-
niittee of ai'raiifjements.
Thunderinj.^ cheers g'reeted their appearance ; the whoh
audience rose ; even the Empress Ludovica started uj) from
her gilded chair and bowed smilingly ; and the Archduke
John advanced close to the railing of the box to greet again
and again with pleasant nods of his head and waves of his
hand Joseph Haydn, thus borne along above the heads of the
audience. But the Emperor Francis, who was standing by
the side of his consort, looked with a somewhat sneering ex-
pression on the crowd below, and, turning to the empress, he
said : '' Perhaps my dear Viennese maj' consider Haydn on
his easy-chair yonder their emperor, and I myself may abdi-
cate and go home. They did not ev^en look at us lo-night, and
are raising such a fuss now as though God Almighty had en-
tered the hall ! "
In eft'ect, the exultation of the audience increased at every
step which the procession advanced, and endless cheers accom-
panied the com})Osei- k) the seat which had been prepared for
him on an estrade in front of the orchestra.
Here two beautiful ladies of high rank came to meet him,
and presented to him, on cushions of gold-embroidered velvet,
poems written by Collin and Carpani, and printed on silken
ribbons. At the same time many hundred copies of these
poems flittered through the hall, and all .shouted joyously',
"Long live Joseph Haydn, the Gei-man maestro !" And the
orchestra played a ringing flourish, and the cheers of the au-
dience rent the air again and again.
Joseph Haydn, quite overcome, his eyes filled with tears,
leaned his head against the back of his chair. A mortal pal
lor overspread his cheeks, and his hands trembled as though
he had the fever.
" Maestro, dear, dear maestro I " said the Piincess Esterhazy,
56 ANDREAS HOFER.
bending over him tenderly, " are you unwell ? You tremble,
and are so pale ! Are you unwell ? "
" Oh, no, no," said Haydn, with a gentle smile, " my soul is
in ecstasies at this hour, which is a precious reward for a long
life of arduous toils. My soul is in ecstasies, but it lives in
such a Aveak and wretched shell ; and because the soul is all
ablaze with the fires of rapturous delight, the whole warmth has
entered it, and the poor mortal shell is cold and trembling."
The Princess Esterhazy took impetuously from her shoul-
ders the costly Turkish shawl in which her form was en-
veloped ; she spread it out before Haydn and wrapped it care-
fully round his feet. Her example was followed immediately
by the Princesses Lichtenstein and Kinsky, and the Count-
esses Kaunitz and Spielmann. They doffed their beautiful er-
mine furs and their Turkish and Persian shawls, and wrapped
them around the old composer, and transformed them into
cushions which they placed uiider his head and his arms, and
blankets with which they covered him.*
Haydn allowed them smilingly to do so, and thanked, with
glances of joyful emotion, the beautiful ladies who manifested
so much tender solicitude for him.
" Why can I not die now ? " he said to himself in a low
voice. " Why does not Death kiss my lips at this glorious
hour of my trium.ph ? Oh, come. Death ! waft me blissfully
into the other world, for in this world I am useless hence-
forth ; my strength is gone, and my head has no more ideas.
I live only in and on the past ! "
" And yet you live for all time to come," said the Princess
Esterhazy, enthusiastically, "and while German art and Ger-
man music are loved and honored, Joseph Haydn will never
die and never be forgotten."
Hushed now was every sound. Salieri had taken his seat
as conductor of the concert, and signed now to the orchestra.
The audience listened in breathless silence to the tumultu-
ous notes depicting in so masterly a manner the struggle of
light and darkness, the chaos of the elements. The struggle
of the elements becomes more and more furious, and the
music depicts it in sombre, violent notes, when suddenly the
* See " Zeitgenossen," third series, vol. vi., p. 32.
THE PERFORMANCK OF "THE CREATION." 57
horizon brightens, the clouds ure rent, tlie dissonant sounds
pass into a subHme havniony, and in glorious notes of the
most blissful exultation resound through the struggling uni-
vei-se the grand, redeeming words, " Let there be light ! " And
all join in the rapturous chorus, and repeat in blissful concord,
" Let there be light ! "
The audience, carried away by the grandeur and irresistible
power of these notes, burst into long-continued applause.
Haydn took no notice of it ; he heard only his music ; his soul
was entirely absorbed in it, and lifting both his arms to heaven,
he said devoutly and humbly, " It comes from above ! "*
The audience had heard these loud and enthusiastic words ;
it applauded no longer, but looked in reverent silence towai'd
the aged composer, who, in the midst of his most glorious
triumph, rendered honor to God alone, and bowed piously and
modestly to the work of his own genius.
Tlie performance proceeded. But Joseph Haydn hardly
heard much of the nmsic. His head leaned against the back of
the chair; his face, lit up by a blissful smile, was deathly pale;
his eyes cast fervent glances of gratitude toward heaven, and
seemed, in their ecstatic gaze, to see the whole heavens opened.
" Maestro," said the Princess Esterhazy, when the first part
of the performance was ended, '' you must no longer remain
liere, but return to your quiet home.''
" Yes, I shall return to the quiet home which awaits us all,"
said Haydn, mildly, "and I feel sensibly that I shall remain
no longer among men. A sweet dream seems to steal over
me. Let the performers commence the second part, and my
soul will be wafted to heaven on the wings of my music."
But the Princess Esterhazy beckoned to his friends. " Take
him away," she said, " the excitement will kill him, if he stays
any longer."
They approached his chair and begged permission to escort
him home. Haydn nt>dded his assent silently and smilingly,
and his eyes glanced dreamily round the hall.
Suddenly he gave a start as if in gi-eat terror, and rose so
impetuously that the furs and Turkish shawls, which had been
wrapped round him, fell to the floor. His faoe crimsoned
* " Zeitgeuosseu," ibid.
58 ANDREAS HOFER.
as if iu the light of the setting sun ; his eyes looked up with a
radiant expression to the box yonder — to his emperor, whom
he had loved so long and ardently, for whom he had wept in
the days of adversity, for whom he had prayed and sung at all
times. Now he saw him who, in his eyes, represented father-
land, home, and human justice ; he felt that it was the last time
his eyes would behold him, and he wished to bid farewell at
this hour to the world, his fatherland, and his emperor.
With a vigorous hand he pushed back the friends who
would have held him and replaced him in his chair. Now he
was no longer a weak and decrepit old man ; he felt strong
and active, and he hastened forward with a rapid step through
the orchestra toward the conductor's seat and the piano in
front of it. He laid his hands, which trembled no longer, on
the keys, and struck a full concord. He turned his face to-
ward the imperial box ; his eyes beamed with love and exulta-
tion, and he began to play his favorite hymn with impressive
enthusiasm — the hymn which he had composed ten years ago
in -the days of Austria's adversity, and which he had sung
every day since then, — the hymn, '* Gott erhalte Franz den
Kaiser, unsern ijiiten Kaiser Franz ! " And the audience
rose and gazed with pi-ofound emotion upon Joseph Haydn's
gleaming face, and then up to the emjieror, who was standing
smilingly in his box, and the empress, from whose eyes two
large tears rolled down her pale cheeks ; and with one accord
the va.st crowd commenced singing :
" Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz !
Lange lebe Franz der Kaiser
In des Gliickes hellem Kranz !
linn erljliihen Jjorbeerreiser,
Wo cr geht, ziun Fihrenkranz.
Gott erhalte — " *
* " God preserve the emperor,
Francis, our good emperor !
Long live Francis, brightest gem
In fair Fortune's diadem !
O'er liim see the laurel wave,
lliiiiorlng the true, the brave ! , '
tJod preserve — "
TOE PERFOFIMAXCK OF "TIIF; CREATION." 59
Haydn's hands dioppcd cxliaiisU'd from the keys ; liis form
rocked to and fro, and, half fainting, he sank back into the
arms of Salieri and Kreutzer.
Tlie aixdience pansed ; all forgot the impei-ial hymn, and
looked only at the venorahle old maestro, whom Salieri and
Krentzer lowered now softly into the easy-chair, which had
been brought to them.
"Take me home, dear ones," he said, faintly. " sing on, my
' Ci-eation ' ; my soul will remain with you, but my body can
no longer sUiy. Old age has broken its strength. Farewell,
farewell, all of you ! My soul will always be among you when
you sing my nuisic ; my body will go, but the soul will re-
main. Farewell ! "
And the votaries of art who had conveyed him to the hall
now placed the maf-stro's chair again on their shoulders, and
carried it slowly through the hall toward the entrance.
The audience stood in silent reverence and looked up to
Haydn's passing form, and durst not break this profound still-
ness by uttering a sound. They bade farewell to the univer-
sally beloved and revered maestro only by bowing their heads
to him and .shedding teai"S of emotion — farewell for evermore I
The solemn procession had now ari'ived at the door. Jo-
seph Haydn lifted his weary head once more ; his sjiirit
gleamed once more in his eyes ; an expression of unutterable
love beamed from his mild face ; lie stretched out his arms
toward the orchestra as if to bless it, and greeted it with his
smile, with the nodding of his head, and the tears which filled
his eyes.*
A low rustling and sobbing ])assed through the hall ; no
one was courageous enough to clap his hands ; all hearts were
profoundly moved, all eyes filled with teai-s.
But now he disappeared, and the door closed behind Joseph
Haydn. The German maestro had to-day celebrated his ajjo-
theosis amidst the enthusiastic people of Vienna. Life had
dedicated to him the laurel-wreath which usually only death
grants to poets and artists.
The audience was still silent, when all at once a powerful
voice exclaimed : " Let us sing the .second verse of Havd>»'s
* " Zeitgenossen," third series, vol. iv., p. 33.
60 ANDREAS HOFER.
favorite hymn— the second verse of ' Gott erhalte Franz den
Kaiser ! ' "
"Yes, ves," shouted all, enthusiastically, " the second verse !
the second verse I "
And hundreds of voices shouted to the orchesti-a beseech-
ingly, imperiously, thunderingly, that it should play the ac-
companiment ; and the musicians complied with this tumultu-
ous request.
The audience expressed their gratitude by an outburst of
applause, and sang thereupon the second verse :
" Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen
Strahlen Sieg uiid Furchtbarkeit !
Lass ill seinem Rathe sitzen
Weislieit, Klugheit, Redlichkeit,
XJnd mit seiner liolieit Blitzen
Schalten iiur Gerechtigkeit.
Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz ! " *
The empei'or bowed his thanks to the audience, the orches-
tra commenced again playing the air, and the audience sang
anew :
" Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen
Strahlen Sieg und Furchtbarkeit I "
And arms and hands were lifted here and there beseech-
ingly toward the emperor ; in vain the orchestra tried to play
on ; the audience, with rare unanimity, as if seized with one
sentiment and one wish, sang again and again :
'' Lass von seiner Fahne Spitzen
Strahlen Sieg und ^''iirchtbarkeit !"
And then all sliouted loudly, beseechingly, and withal an-
* " Before his banner floating high
Let victory shout and foemen fly !
In his counsels let preside
Wisdom, prudence, noble pride !
And in loftiness enshrined
Homely justice dwelling find !
God preserve the emperor,
Francis, our good emperor ! "
THE PERFORMANCE OF 'TIIE CREATION." (\1
grily and courageously, " War 1 war 1 Lass von seiner Fahne
Sjjltzen strahlen Sieg unci Fnrchtbnrkeit ! "
The excitement of the audience f,n'e\v constantly bolder and
luoi-e impetuous. The men left their scats and crowded
around the imperial box, i-epeating again and again the words :
" Lass von seiner Fahno Spitzen
Strahlen Sieg und Furehtl)iirkeit !"
The emperor withdrew in confusion into the background
of his box, and whispered quickly a few words to the Arch-
chike John. The archduke advanced to the railing of the box,
and commanded silence by waving his hand to the audience.
The singers paused immediately, and amidst the breathless
silence which ensued, the Archduke John shouted in a loud
and powerful voice : " The emperor annt)unces to his dear
V iennese that he is determined to submit no longer to the ar-
rogance of France, and that war is irrevocably resolved
on."
A cry of rapture burst from all lips ; all sliouted exulting^
ly, " War ! war ! We shall at length bid dellance to the arro-
gance of the French emperor ! We shall have war with
France ; we shall avenge the wrongs which we have suffered
so long, and set bounds to the encroachments of France ! "
And friends aiul acquaintances greeted each other with radi-
ant eyes and glowing cheeks ; neighbors, entirely unknown to
each other, shook hands and said, smilingly : " Now at length
we shall have war ! At length we shall remove from our
German honor the stains with which France has sullied it.
At length we sliall have war, and God will grant us — "
The ringing notes of the orchestra interrupted the animated
conversati(m of the excited audience. Salieri had taken his
seat again, he raised his baton, and the second part of " The
Creation " commenced.
62 ANDREAS nOFER.
CHAPTER VI.
ANDREAS HOFER.
The streets of Vienna were silent and deserted ; all houses
were dark ; everywhere the note of life had died away, and
only here and there a hackney-coach was heard to drive slow-
ly through the lonely streets, or a helated wanderer was seen
to return home with a weary step.
Vienna slept and dreamed of the welcome news which, de-
spite the late hour, had spread like wild-fire from the concert-
hall through the city — of the joyful intelligence that war
against France was resolved on, and that the time was at
length at hand when the wrongs perpetrated by Napoleon
were to be avenged.
Vienna slept and dreamed ; only in the wing of the im-
l^erial palace where lay the rooms occupied by the Archduke
John, the lights had not yet been extinguished, and at times
dark figures were seen moving to and fro behind the windows.
The Archduke John did not sleep yet, but he had already
dismissed Conrad, his valet de chambre; he had iiermitted the
other footmen to retire from the anteroom to their bedcham-
Ijers, and had then himself locked the door of the outer ante-
room.
" I do not trust Conrad, my valet de cham]>re," he said to
Count Nugent, who was with him in his cabinet; "it is he,
doubtless, who has been placed as a ' guardian angel ' by my
side, and is to report regularly all I am doing."
" Your highness ought to discharge the fellow forthwith,"
exclaimed Count Nugent, indignantly.
"I shall take good care not to do so," said John, .smiling;
" on the contrary, I shall try to keep Conrad as long as pos-
sible in my service, for I know him, and shall be able to niy.s-
tify him. I shall always have to suffer a spy by my side, for
tlie love and solicitude of my imperial brother will never
leave me for a single moment without close surveillance; and
Conrad is less distasteful to me than another spy probably
would be. Still, I did not want him to report any thing about
AXDREAS IIOFER. ^3
the visitors wlio will be here to-night, and therefore I dis-
missed him for the night.''
" But he will probably stand in the street to watch his
master's windows,'' said Nugent, with a shrug; "and the
shadows which he will see he may distort into all sorts of
spectres which will be mentioned in the emperor's police
report to-morrow morning."
" Oh, I am not afraid of (hat at this hour,'' exclaimed John.
"The emperor know^s that I am to receive the delegates of the
Ty rolese ; I myself told him so to-day, and he approves of it.
But harm might befall my Tyrolese at their homes, if their
plans were discovered previous to their deliverance from tli"
Bavarian yoke. But hush, did you not hear a rustling sound
in the corridor ? "
" Yes, I did ; it is drawing near — it is at the door now, and
— somebody raps already."
'■ Our friends are there," exclaimed John, hastening to the
door, and drawing back the bolt.
The archduke was not mistaken; bis friends were there,
and eiib-rod his cabinet now by the secret door. They woro,
headed by Baron von Hormayr in his brilliant gold-embroid-
ered uniform, which I'endered doubly conspicuous the beauty
of his slender yet firmly-knit form, and the noble expression
of his prepossessing, youthful face. He was followed by three
Tyrolese, clad in their national costume, and holding their
rifles in their arms.
The first of them was a man about forty years old. His
frame was Herculean, his shoulders broad, his strength im-
mense ; his head was covered with dense black hair, his
bronzed face was radiant with kind henrtedness and good-
humor. His dress was the common liabit of the country,
with some trifling variations: a large black hat, with a broad
brim, black ribbons, and a dark curling feather ; a green
jacket, red waistcoat, broad green braces crossed on the breast ;
a black leathern girdle, adorned, according to the Tyrole.sc
custom, with all sorts of ivory and other ornaments; black
breeches, red stockings, and black shoes with buckles. About
his neck was always to be seen a silver crucilix fastened to a
heavy gold chain, and over it, down to the girdle, flowed his
g4 ANDREAS HOFER.
large black beard, which imparted a strange, fantastic air to
his whole appearance. This man was Andreas Hofer, the
innkeeper of Passeyr, to whom the Italian Tyrolese, on
account of his long beard, had given the name of "Bar-
bone."
The second of the Tyrolese who entered the archduke's
cabinet was a man of no less imposing appearance, dressed
entirely like Andi-eas Hofer ; only the long beard was want-
ing to him, and, instead of a black hat, he w^ore the pointed
green Tyrolese hat, adorned with hunting ornaments. His
face, less good-natured and serene than that of his friend, was
expressive of energy and resolution; courage and shrewdness
beamed from his black eyes, and a peculiar expression of de-
fiance and scorn played around his full lips. This was Joseph
Speckbacher, known by every inhabitant of the northern
Tyrol as "the bold chamois-hunter."
He was followed by a third Tyi'olese, as proud and strong,
as robust and fine-looking, as his two companions. It was
Anthony Wallnei-, the innkeeper of Windisch-Matrey, and,
like Speckbacher, Hofer s intimate friend.
The archduke advanced to meet the Tyrolese, and shook
hands with each of them.
" Welcome, my Tyrolese, Avelcome ! '' he said, in a deepl}'^-
moved voice ; " may God and the Holy Virgin grant that no
harm result from your visit to me ! You know that I have
never ceased to love you, and that when, in the year 1805, I
had to bid farewell to Andreas Hofer and the dear Tyrol, my
heart almost broke with grief and despair. "
" Look, look ! '" exclaimed Andreas Hofer, turning with a
radiant smile to his two friends; "he is indeed the same man
who bade us farewell at that time in Brunecken, and was not
ashamed of embracing Andreas Hofer and shedding tears on
his shoulder for the poor sacrificed Tyrol."
"And who is glad to-day to be able to embrace Andreas
Hofer again," said the archduke, encircling the Herculean
form of the Tyrolese innkeeper with his arms. " But I will
shed no tears to-day, Andreas, for I hope the time of tears is
over, and you have come to tell me so, to bring me love-greet-
ings from the Tyrolese, and the hope of better times. Say,
ANDREA8 HOFER. 65
you three brave men from the Tyrol, Andreas Ilofer, Joseph
Sncckbaoher, Antlioiiy Walhier, is it not so? Have you not
come to tell mo that the Tyrol is longing for her emperor and
desirous of getting J'id of the Bavarians ?"
" Yes, we have come to say this to oiw dear John," ex-
claimed Andreas Hofer.
"We have come to ask if Austria does not intend to call
uj)on her Tyrol to rise and fight under her l)aiiners," said
.loscph Spockl)acher.
•'We have come to ask our Archduke John if he will help
us with his troops and cannon in case we Tyrolese should rise
now to expel the Bavarians from the country," said Anthony
Wallner, with flashing eyes.
•' We have come to ask our John, Is it time?" exclaimed
Andreas Hofer.
The archduke held out his hand to him with a firm and
resolute glance. "Yes," he said, "yes, Andreas Hofer, it is
lime ! Yes, Anthony Wallner, Austria will assist the Tyrolese
with her troops and cannon in expelling the Bavarians and
French from their country. Yes, Joseph Speckbacher. Austria
intends to call upon her faithful Tyrol to rise and fight under
her banners; she will engage in a mortal contest for j-ou and
with you ! "
"God grant success to our united efforts I" said Andreas
Hofer, folding his hands over the crucifix on his breast.
" During all these years I have prayed every day to the Holy
Virgin to let me live and see the day when the Austrian eagle
shall once more adorn our boundary-posts, and when we may
again fondly and faithfully love our Emperor Francis as our
legitimate soven ign. The good God in heaven, I hope, will
forgive me for having been a very bad and obstinate subject
of the King of Bavaria. I would never submit to the new
laws, and could not discover in my old Austrian heart a bit of
loyalty or love for the ruler who Avas forced upon us,"
" No, you were a stubborn disloyalist, Andy." said Hor-
mayr, "and, as spokesman of your whole district, you raised
your voice against every new law which the Bavarian goveini-
inent promulf>ated in your country. But, it is true, the Tyro-
lese love their Andv for this, and .sav that he is the most
66 ANDREAS HOFER.
honest, faithfvil, and reliable man in the whole valley of the
Adige."
"To be courageous is not so diilicult if the cause which you
fight for is a good one," said Andreas Hofer, calmly. "God
Himself engraved on my heart the commandment to be loyal
to my emperor, my country, and its laws ; and if you call me
reliable, dear friend, you merely say that I do my duty as a
Christian, for the Bible says, 'Let your communication be
Yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of sin.' Therefore, do not praise me for that which is only my
duty, and which Speckbacher and Wallner, and all our dear
friends in the valley of the Adige, do just as well as I. For
the I'est, I must tell you, gentlemen, it is not so strange that
we should be attached to the emperor; for the Bavarians are
governing our country in such a manner as if they were intent
only on making us love our emperor every daj^ more and more,
and long for him more intensely. "
"It is true, Andy is right," exclaimed Anthony Wallner ;
" the Bavarians oppress us fearfully, and we will not stand it
any longer ; we will become Austrians again, as our fathers
were, and will fight for our liberty and our old privileges
which Bavaria solqmnly guaranteed, and which her authori-
ties basely intend to overthrow."
"Which they have already overthrown," cried Joseph
Speckbacher, his eyes flashing with anger. "The court of
Munich seems intent only on making the utmost of their new
acquisition. Our old constitution has been overthrown by a
royal edict ; the representative estates have been suppressed,
and the provincial funds seized. No less than eight new and
oppressive taxes have been imposed and are being levied with
the utmost rigor ; the very name of our country has been
abolished ; the royal property has all been brought into the
market ; new imports are daily exacted without any consulta-
tion with the estates of the people ; specie has become scarce,
from the quantity of it which is being drawn off to the Bava-
rian treasury ; the Austrian notes have been reduced to half
their value ; and, to ci'own all these wrongs, compulsory levies
are held among our young men, who are to serve in the ranks
of our oppressors! No, we must break the yoke weighing us
ANDREAS nOFER. C7
ilowu — we will become freemen again — as freemen we will
live ami die — as fi-eemen we will belong again to our beloved
Emperor Francis, whose ancestors liave ruled over us for so
many centuries past."
'' If all the Tyrolese think and feel as you three do," said
the Archduke John, with sparkling eyes, "you will recover
your liberty and your emperor, despite the Bavarians and
French."
"All feel and think as we do," said Hofer, thoughtfully ;
" we have ail vowed to God and the Holj- Virgin that we will
deliver the Tyrol from the eneni}' ; and every man, every lad
in our mountains and valleys, is ready to take up his rifle and
tight for his dear Emperor Francis."
" We are here as delegates of the whole Tyrol," said An-
thony V/alluer, " to ascertain the wishes and intentions of the
emperor and his government, prefer our bitter complaints,
and declare the firm resolution of the Tyrolese to shrink from
no sacrifice in order to be reunited with Austria and to recon-
quer our ancient rights and liberties."
''But we need assistance for this purpose," added Joseph
Speckbachei', "speedy and vigoi'ous assistance ; above all, we
need troops, money, ammunition, and supplies. Will Austria
give them to us ? "
" She will," said the archduke. "She will send you a corjjs
cVarmee, money, ammunition, and supplies. Only you must
be ready and prepai'ed to rise as one man when we give you
the signal of insurrection." '«'
"We are ready!" exclaimed Andreas Hofer, nodding joy-
ously. " But you must not delay the signal very long, for
delays are highly dangerous mider the present circumstances.
We and our friends have prepared the insurrection, and it is
as if a large torrent of fire were flowijig secretly under the
surface of the Tyrol ; if some shrewd Bavarian should scratch
away some of the earth, he would discover the fire, fetch
water, and extinguish the flames, before the Austrians reach
the country and prevent him from so doing. A seci-et known
to a great many is seldom well kept ; it is, as it were, a v\\y.'
fruit which must fall from the tree, even tliough it shoukl hit
and crush the head of the owner of the tree,"
68 ANDREAS HOFER.
'' Yes, what is to be done must be done soon," said Anthony
Wallner. " The men of Passeyr, Meran, Mays, and Algund,
are ready, and have entered into a secret league with the
whole valley of the Inn. The district of the Adige, too, has
joined us, and the German and Italian Tyrolese, who formerly
never liked each other, have now agreed to stand shoulder to
shoulder and rise on one day and as one man, in order to drive
the Bavarians and French from their mountains."
" We are waiting only for Austria to give the signal ; pray
do not keep us waiting too long, for we men of the Lower Inn-
thai, too, are all ready and armed. An enormous worm of
insurrection, as it were, is creeping through the Lower Inn
valley, and the worm has four heads, which look toward all
quarters of the world. One head is Rupert Wintersteller, of
Kirchdorf ; the second is Jacob Siebei*er, of Thiersen ; the third
is Antony Aschbacher, of Achenthal ; and the fourth is I,
Joseph Speckbacher, of Kufstein."
'• In the Puster valley, too, a storm is brewing, and all ai-e
ready and impatient to rise in insurrection," said Hofer.
" Therefore, dear brother of our emperor, give us good news,
that we may take it home to the men of the Tyrol, for their
hearts are longing and crying for their sovereign the empei'or."
" And the emperor, on his part, is longing for his Tyro-
lese," said the archduke. "The time has come when that
which belongs together is to be reunited. Let us consult
and deliberate, then, my friends, what we should do in order
to attain our great object, and reunite the Tyrolese with their
emperor."
" Yes, let us consult," said Hofer, solemnly ; " and let us
pray God and the Holy Virgin to enlighten our minds."
He raised the crucifix from his breast to his face and bent
over it, muttering a prayer.
" Now I am ready," he said, slowly dropping the crucifix ;
" Jet us deliberate. But I tell you beforehand, I am no mili-
tary hero, nor a wise man in council. I am resolved to do all
that is necessary to deliver my dear Tyrol from the enemy,
and to strike and fire at the Bavarians and French until they
run away terroi'-stricken, and restore us to our dear Emperor
Francis. But I am unversed in negotiations and devising
ANDREAS nOFER. ^9
shrewd tricks and stratap^onis. I am only a plain peasant,
who has a p^r»\at deal of lovo and fidelity in his heart, but only
few thoughts in his head. Baron von ITorniayr and the arch-
duke may do the thinking for me. They shall be the head,
and I the arm and heart. Speckbacher and Wallner yonder
liave good heads too. though T do not wish to say that their
hearts are not also in the right place ; on the cojitrary, I know
that they are. Let us consult, then, and bear in mind that
God hears us, and that the Tyrolese are waiting for us."
"You are an excellent man. Andy," exclaimed John, hold-
ing out his hand to Hofer with a tender glance — "a childlike
soul, full of love, fidelity, and tenderness ; and. in gazing at
you, it seems as if the whole dear Tyrol, with its mountains
and valleys, its Alpine huts and chapels, its merry singers and
pious prayers, were present before me. Come, then, Andy,
and you other dear friends, come, let us be seated and hold a
council of war."
They seated themselves around the table standing in the
middle of the roo)n.
Day was ah'eady dawning, the candles had burned down
very low, the streets began to become lively, and still the
Tyrolese remained in the archduke's cabinet, their faces glow-
ing with defiance and resolution, and their ejes flashing with
boldness and enthusiasm. For every thing was settled and
decided now ; each of them had received his instructions and
been informed of the pai't which he was to play in the sti'ug-
gle. War with the Bavarians and French, and liberty for the
Tyrol, was the battle-cry and goal.
"The plan is settled, then." said the Archduke John, nod-
ding kindly to the Tyrolese. " Eleven poijits. especially, have
been agreed upon, after mature deliberation ; and it would be
good for us to repeat them briefly."
"Let us do so," said Andreas Hofer. "Fii-st, then: The
Tyrolese will rise against the Bavarians, in order to be re-
united with Austria. We shall enlist as many soldiers for
the insurgent army as possible, and try to make all Tyrolese
our fellow-cons])irators. They will meet on Sundays at the
taverns, and the innkeepers in the valleys and mountains are
the leaders of the conspiracy ; they will call the meetings and
/
70 ANDREAS IIOFER.
facilitate the intercourse of the conspirators with each other.
If it please God, the insurrection will hreak out on the 9th of
April, when the Austrian troops will cross the frontier of the
Tyrol and hasten to our assistance. This is the best point,
and God grant that it may be well executed !"
"The second point," said Joseph Speckbacher, "is as fol-
lows : No written communication whatever shall be per-
mitted among the conspirators, and those who violate this
order shall be severely punished. The secret messages will be
carried by reliable and well-tried messengers from court-house
to court-house and village to village. To this the third point
adds the following : The oldest men in the villages will
establish secret tribunals to try and punish those whom fear,
self-interest, or bribes may induce to turn traitors. The fami-
lies of suspicious persons, and those who betray our secrets
from weakness or in a state of intoxication, must be closely
watched, and they themselves will be sent to distant Alpine
huts and into the mountain fastnesses, where they will be
kept in close confinement." ^
"Fourth," said Anthony Wallner : "Every innkeeper
must strive to amass provisions, forage, wine, and ammuni-
tion ; for the inns in the mountains are, as it were, small
fortresses for the Tyrolese, and the enemy can reach them
only slowly and after surmounting a great many difficulties.
Besides, the innkeepers must arrange target-shootings every
Sunday, that the men from the neighborhood may assemble
at their houses and join the great league of the defenders of
the country. The innkeepers at very important places will
receive for these purposes bills of exchange on Salzburg, Kla-
genfurth, and Trieste; and each of us three, Hofer, Speck-
bacher, and I, will take home with us" one hundred and twenty
ducats to be distributed among the innkeepers. Fifth : The
intercourse between the mountain districts, on one side, and
the plains and towns, on the other, must henceforth become
rarer and rarer till the hour of the outbi'eak. But the moun-
taineers must send out, at intervals of four days, spies to ascer-
tain the state of afPairs in other parts of the country."
" Sixth," exclaimed the Archduke John, with beaming eyes :
"On the day when the insurrection is to break out, Field-
\
ANDREAS IIOFER. 71
Marshal Jellachich will arrive in front of Innspruck. and the
vang-uai-d of Field-Marshal Chasteler will march through the
Puster valley to the heights of Schwabs and Ell^ach toward
Brixen, and advance the head of his column be^^ond the Bren-
ner as far as Botzen. Seventh : All the forces of the enemy
moving toward Germany must be chased between these two
columns of the Austrians and i)ursued and fired at incessantly
by the mountaineers; they "must be prevented night and day
from obtaining rest and food ; the best marksmen must pick
off their olficers and blow up their ammunition-wagons. The
Tyrolese should chase the Bavarians and the French in this
manner froTu Botzen to Brixen, up the Brenner, and thence
down to Trent. Now, friend Hormayr, repeat the remaining
four points."
" The eighth point is : The removal of the Bavarian treas-
ure must be prevented ]>y all means. Ninth : The Tyrolese
living on the rivers nmst prevent the enemy by all means
from destroying the bridges and roads, so that the Austrians
may be able to succor them more rapidly ; but they must also
hold men and tools in readiness, that, after the Austrians have
arrived, they may destroy the bridges in the rear of the enemy,
and render the roads impassable, by obstructing them with
piles of wood and rocks. Tenth : The Tyrolese will try cau-
tiously to bring about an understanding with Switzerland, and
establish connections with the Lower and Upper Engadine,
Chur. Appenzell, and St. Gall ; for thence will come the Eng-
lish agents who will convey anns and money to the Tyrolese.
Eleventh-"
"Ah, let me state the eleventh point," exclaimed Joseph
Speckbacher, with fla.'^hiug eyes. "I intend to take part in
carrying out this point of the programme. It is. to take the
fortress of Kufstein on the frontier by a nocturnal coujy de
■nuiin. Field-Marshal Jellachich will move several companies
of riflemen as close up to the foi-tress as jiossible, and Jacob
Sieberer and Joseph Speckbacher, who will beforeb.and enlist
assistants in the town and spy out every thing, will join them.
The capture of Kufstein is to commence the glorious struggle ;
it is to be the first hymn of liberty which the Tyrolese will
send up to heaven like a lark in spring, and by which they
72 ANDREAS HOFER.
will bless ami pruise llie good God. The eleventh and last
point is Kufstein. God protect us in carrying out these eleven
points ! " *
'' Amen ! '' exclaimed Andreas Hofer, raising his crucifix
and pressing it to his lijjs. "We have, then, resolved here in
council with our Archduke John, and I hope also in council
with the good God above, that the Tyrol is to be restored to
its beloved imperial house. The'work is to begin on the 9th
of Apinl, and we must be ready to rise od that day. On the
9th of April the Austrians are to cross the f]'ontiei-, and on the
previous evening they will infc^rni us by firing olf three rock-
ets that they are at hand. At the same time bale-fires will be
lighted on a hundred hills, and on the following morning we
shall throw large quantities of blood, flour, or charcoal, into
our mountain-torrents, that their blood-red, flour-white, or
coal-black waters, flowing into and out of the country, may
proclaim to the people that the time has come when all must
rise, rifle in hand, to conquer or die for the dear Tyrol and the
good Emperor Francis."
" And I, too, am ready to conquer or die for the Tyrol and
the emperor, and so is the corps whose commander I am," ex-
claimed the archduke enthusiastically. '' The emperor, my
gracious master, intends to intrust me with the command of
the army which is to flght with and for the Tyrol, which will
check the advance of the enemy approaching the Tyrol from
the Italian frontier, and will second and strengthen the insur-
rection of the Tyrolese. Now, then, my friends and comrades
let us prepare the great work bravely, prudently, and carefully.
Collect your forces, as I shall collect mine ; make all youi*
dispositions, and exhort all to behave as true sons of the Tyrol.
Above all things, be cautious. Keep in check not only your
tongues but your faces, especially here in Vienna. For if the
Bavarian s))ies here ferret out that Andreas Hofer, Speck-
bachei*, and Wallner are in Vienna, and that I have had an
interview with them, their keen noses will scent at once what
* These eleven points were settled in this manner at Vienna by the dele-
(L^ates of the Tyrolese, the Archduke John, and Baron von Hormayr, and
noted down by the latter. — See Hormayr, "Geschielite Andreas Hofer's," vol.
i., p. 193 et seq.
ANDRKAS IIOFKli. 73
is goin^ on, and they will send, even before we reach the
Tyrol, so many Bavarian and French soldiers into your coun-
try, that you will be tied hand and f<jot, and cannot raise your
arms on the 9th of April to seize your rifles. Thei-efore, I
repeat it, keep your faces in check, and do not allow your-
selves to be seen in the streets of Vienna in the daytime.
Your beard, Andy, especially is a treacherous thing, and it
would really be best for the Barbone to shave off his long
mourning-flag."
Andreas Hofer seized his beard with both liis hands, almost
in terror, and drew it caressingly through his fingers.
" No," he said, " niy friends and countrymen know me by
my beard, and the Barbone is a welcome guest in the Italian
Tyrol. They would not i-ecognize me if I should api)ear
among them with a smooth chin ; and they would doubt if it
was Andreas Hofer who talked with them about the great
conspiracy and insurrection in case they did not see his black
beard."
"No, archduke," said Si)eckbacher, smiling and winking,
"you must not object to our Andy's beard, for it is the flag
round which the Tyrolese will rally, and with which the Tyrol
will adorn itself on the day of insurrection, as they put on
their best clothes on the day of Assumption. Moreover, An-
di'eas Hofer nuist not be inigrateful ; and he would be un-
grateful if he should cut off his beard and throw it away, for
his beard gained him one day a couple of fat oxen."
" Is that true, Andy ? " asked John, laughing.
" It is," said Andreas Hofer. gravely. " My beard did gain
me two oxen. It happened as follows, archduke : I was quite
a young man yet, and had married my wife, Anna Gertrude
Ladurner, only a year before. I was very fond of my little
wife, and did not like to sit for hours in the tavern, as I had
done heretofore. I stayed at home often enough instead of
attending to my business, and going down to Italy or Germany
to carry on my trafTic in corn, wine, hoi'ses, and oxen, by which
I had made a great deal of money. My friends sneered at my
staying so nmch at home, and said : ' Andy Hofer, the Sand-
wii'th, is a henpecked husband, and his wife is master of the
house.' This was very disagreeable to me, foi-, although I love
6
74 ANDREAS HOFER.
my Anna Gertrude from the bottom of my heart, I have always
been the master ; and she has been obedient to me, as the Bible
says it should be between husband and wife. Well, one day I
sat at home with a few friends; we were drinking wine in the
bar-room. Suddenly there entered the room an old beggar
with a tremendous beard reaching down to his girdle. I
laugh at the beard and I'ejoice over its enormous length. One
of my friends, Anthony Waidlinger, the rich Amselwirth, asks
me : 'Well, Andy, would you like to wear as long a beard as
that ? ' ' Why not ? ' I reply merrily. ' Ah,' exclaims An-
thony, laughing, 'you must not talk so saucily. You must not
wear so long a beard. Your wife will not permit it, Andy !'
This makes me very angry ; I start upland hardly know what
I am doing. 'What !' I cry, ' my wife ? She must obey me
whether she likes it or not. What will you bet I will not
shave my beard for a whole year ? ' 'I will bet you two oxen,'
says Anthony ; ' but let me warn you, Andy, you will lose the
oxen ; for I stick to it, your wife will never permit you to be-
come the laughing-stock of the children by appearing in the
streets with such a lion's mane. Therefore consider the mat-
ter well, Andy, for there is time yet. Admit that you will not
win the bet, for two oxen are at stake I ' 'I have already con-
sidered everything,' I say ; ' and as for the two oxen, they will
be just what I want. A year hence you will bring them to
me, Anthony Waidlinger.' And this prediction was fulfilled.
I did not shave my beard, and Anna Gerti-ude, my wife, re-
joiced at her Andy's beard instead of being angry at it, and
thought it made her husband look a great deal better. When
the year was up, Anthony Waidlinger drove his two oxen
with a sullen air into my stable, and said : 'Now you may cut
off your fur and have a pillow made from it for your wife.'
' I need not cut off my beard for that purpose,' I replied ; ' it
may be my wife's pillow even while it hangs down on my
breast. For she is a good and dutiful wife, and I am fondly
attached to her.' Tliat, archduke, is the story of my beard,
which I have worn ever since, and which has often been a pil-
low when my little boy and my three girls fell asleep on my
lap, and under which they have often concealed their little
heads when tlioir mother was looking for them. You will
ANDllEAS HOFKIJ. 75
ask nir no inoro to cut (AY my hoard — flio pillow and plaything'
of my children."
"No, Andreas," said flic archduke, kindly, "I will not.
Wear your fine heard as you have done hitherto; may it he,
notwithstanding its hlack color, the victorious flag round
which the royal Tyrolese shall rally on rising for their lord
and emperor! And now, farewell, my friends; it is dawning,
and it is time for us to repose a little. Go home, therefore,
and what remains to he settled you may talk over to-morrow
with Baron you Hormayr, who will give you money for trav-
elling expenses, and for distribution among the innkeepers.
Day after to-morrow you will set out for home, and bring to
all loyal Tyrolese the joyful news that war will break out."
''Yes, yes, war will break out!" exclaimed the three Tyro-
lese, exultingly.
" Hush, for God's sake, hush ! " said John, laughing. '* You
must keep quiet, and, instead of doing so, you sliout as jubi-
lantly as though you were standing on a crest of the Brenner,
and had just discovered the hiding-place of a chamois. Let
me therefore tell you once more it is necessary that the ])eople
of Vienna should not find out that you are in the city. Pledge
me your word, then, that you will not go into the street to-
morrow in the daytime, nor allow any one to see you."
" We pledge you our word ! " exclaimed the Tyrolese, with
one accord; " we will not appear in the street to-morrow in
the daytime, and day after to-morrow we shall set out."
"Yes, we shall set out then," repeated Andreas Hofer, "and
return to our mountains and friends, and wait patiently and
faithfully until the day when we shall see rising to the sky
the signal which is to tell us that oxn- dear Archduke John sends
us his soldiers to assist us in delivering our country from the
enemy, and restoring it, w^ith our mountains, our love, and
our loyalty, to our dear Emperor Francis. God grant that we
may succeed in so doing, and may the Holy Virgin pray for us
all, and restore the Tyrol to the emperor ! "
76 ANDREAS HOFER.
CHAPTER VII.
ANDREAS HOFER AT THE THEATRE.
Count Stadion, the minister of foreign affairs, was pacing-
his cabinet with a quick step and an anxious expression of
countenance. At times he stood still, and, bending his head
toward the door, seemed to listen intently for some sound; all
remaining silent outside, he commenced again striding up and
down, and whenever he approached the clock on the mantel-
piece he cast an anxious glance on it.
" I am afraid Hormayr was not at home," he murmui'ed
moodily to himself ; " his servants did not know where he
was, and therefore the mischief cannot be stopped."
He drew a golden snuff-box from his pocket and took a
large pincli from it. "I said at the very outset," he niur-
mured, '' that we ought to keep aloof from these stupid peas-
ants, who will only involve us in trouble and mischief. But
those gentlemen would not listen to me, and — Really, I be-
lieve I hear footsteps in the anteroom. Yes, yes, somebody
is coming I "
Count Stadion was not mistaken. The door opened, and a
footman announced, in a loud voice, " Baron von Hormayr ! "
"Let him come in, let him come in, quick I" said Count
Stadion, waving his hand impatiently ; and when Hormayr
appeared on the threshold of the door, he hastily went to meet
him.
" In truth, it took my servants a good while to find you ! "
exclaimed the minister, angrily, "I have been waiting for
you half an hour."
" I was at the Archduke John's rooms, with whom I had
business of im])ortance, your excellency," said Hormayr,
emphasizing his last words. " Moreover, I could not guess
that your excellency would wish to grant me an audience at
so tinusual an hour, and without my asking for it."
"At so unusual an hour!" cried Count Stadion, putting
one pinch of snufF after another into his nose. " Yes, yes, at
so unusual an hour I It would have been more agreeable to
ANDREAS IIOKER AT THE T!IEATRE. 77
me, too, if it liaJ been unnecessary for nie to trouble you and
myself. But it is your own fault. You do not keep your
word.''
"Your excellency !" cried Hormayr, indignantly.
"Bab! it is true. You do not keep your word. You
promised me tbat your Tyrolese sbould not sbow tbemselves,
lest we migbt be charged with fomenting an insurrection;
:ind it was necessary, also, to prevent the Bavarians from
learning prematurely our plans. Can you deny that you
promised this to me ? "
" No, your excellency, I do not deny it at all."
"Well, your Tyroleso are running around everywhere."
" Pardon me, your excellency, that cannot be true. You
must hav^e been misinformed."
" What ! misinformed ? How dare you .say so to my face,
sir? Your beard man, or bushmau, or Sandwirth Hofer is at
the Karuthnerthor Theatre, and is the observed of all ob-
servei-s. I saw him with my own eyes; and that was the
reason why I left the theatre and sent for you." *
"Your excellency saw him with your own eyes! Tlien, of
course, it must be true, and I would beg leave of your excel-
lency to go immediately to the theatre and take him to his
hotel."
"That w^^.s just what I wished to ask you to do. Baron von
Hormayr. Make haste and induce this bushman to leave
Vienna immediately."
"He will leave the capital early in the morning. Your
excellency will permit me now to withdraw."
Baron von Hormayr hastened down stairs, left the
chancery of state, and crossed the Joseph's Place. On reach-
ing the Kiirnthnerthor Theatre, lie bought a ticket at the office
and entered the pit.
"The Marriage of Figaro," by Mozart, was performed at the
Karnthnerthor Theatre to-night, and this favorite opera of the
Vienne.se had attracted so lai'gc an audience that not a seat
was vacant, and the baron had to ell)o\v his way with no little
•lithculty through the crowd tilling the pit, in order to reach a
>* I'ouut Studiou's own words.— Sue Ilonnuyr's ".\iulrous Hot'ur," vol i.,
p. lioy.
78 ANDREAS HOFER.
point where he might be able to see every part of tjjj&teuse,
and discover him for whose sake lie had come.
At length he had succeeded in advancing so far that, lean-
ing against one of the pillars supporting Jjie upper tiers of
boxes, he was able to survey the lower part of the house. But
all faces were averted from it, all eyes were fixed on the stage.
The opera had just reached the scene where Count Almaviva
lifts the carpet from the chair and finds Cherubino under it.
A loud outburst (jf laughter resounded from the pit to the upper
gallery. But in the midst of the din, a loud and angry voice
exclaimed : '' Ah, you young good-for-nothing, if I had you
here I would show you how to behav^e I " And a threatening
fist and vigorous arm was raised in the midst of the orchestra-
stalls.
" Good heavens I that is really Andreas Hofer," murmured
Baron von Hormayr, concealing himself anxiously behind
the pillar. A renewed shout of laughter greeted Hofer s
words, and all eyes turned toward the side where they had
been uttered. And there sat the good Andreas Hofer, in his
handsome national costume, with his long black beard, and his
florid, kind-hearted face. There he sat, quite regardless of the
gaze which the audience fixed upon him, utterly unaware of
the fact that he was the observed of all observers, and quite
engrossed in looking at the stage, where proceeded the well-
known scene between Cherubino, the count, and Figaro. He
followed the progress of the action with rapt attention, and
when Cherubino tried to prove his innocence by all sorts of
plausible and improbable falsehoods, Hofer's brow became
clouded. He averted his eyes from the stage, and turned to
his neighbor. " Why," he said, loudly and indignantly,
" that boy is as great a liar as though he were Bonaparte
himself ! ''
Now the merriment of the audience knew no longer any
bounds. They applauded, they shouted, "Bravo! bravo!"
They forgot the scene on the stage entirely, and dev^oted their
exclusive attention to the queer, bearded stranger in the or-
chestra-stall, on whom all eyes and opera -glasses were fixed.
Baron von Hormayr behind his pillar wiped the perspira-
tion from his forehead, and cast furious glances on Andreas
ANDREAS HOl'ER AT THE THEATRE. 70
Hofer, who, however, was utterly unaware of hLs presence,
and from whose breast, protected as it was by his beard
and crucifix, rebounded all such g'lances like blunted ar-
rows.
The actors, who, iutcrrui)te(l by the unexpected cheers and
the incident in the audience, had paused a few minutes, and
had themselves hardly been able to refrain from burstin^r
into laugl.ter, now continued their scene, and the charms of
the music and the interestint? character of the action soon
succeeded aprain in riveting' the attention of the audience.
Andreas Hofer, who had in the mean time relapsed into
his silent astonishment, gazed fixedly upon the stage. Baron
von Hormayr left his place quietly and walked to the en-
trance. He slipped a florin into the hand of the doorkeeper,
who was leaning against the wall. " Say,"' he whispered fo
him hastily, "as soon as the curtain drops, go to the giant
with the long beard, who sits in the orchestra-stall yonder,
and whose words amused the audience just now. He is a
cattle-dealer from Hungary, and I must see him at once.
Just whisper in his ear that his countryman with the wine
and horses has arrived, and it is necessary he should come
and .see him right away. —Thank God, the curtain falls!
Now make haste. If you bring the cattle-dealer with you
into the corridor, I will give you another florin."
The doorkeeper's face beamed with satisfaction ; he el-
l)Owed himself courageously through the crowd, and succeeded
in reaching the "cattle-dealer from Hungary," who sat ab-
sorbed in his rellrctions, with his head bent on his breast. He
touched his shoulder softly and whispered his message into
his ear.
Andreas Hofer gave a start and stared at the doorkeeper.
"What countrymen ?" he asked ; "and how can he bring to
me wine and horses here as — "
" I do not know anything about it." whispered the door-
keeper ; " I know only that j'our countryman Avith the wine
and the horses is waiting for you, and that he says he must
see you right away. "
"Well, then, come, conduct me lo him," said Andreas, ris-
ing from his chair, and drawing up his colossal form to its
80 ANDREAS HOFER.
full height. " I should like to know who this countryman
is. Lead the way, sir ; I will follow you."
The doorkeeper retraced his steps through the crowd ;
Andreas Hofer followed him, greeting kindly and pleasantly
in all directions, and pushing aside the men like flies when-
ever they stood in his way.
At length they reached the door, and stepped into the cor-
ridor. Baron von Hormayr, like a tiger pouncing upon his
prey, rushed upon Andreas Hofer, seized his arm, and drew
him down the corridor into the outer hall, which was so de-
serted and silent that there was no danger of their conver-
sation being overheard by an eavesdropper.
Here at length Hormayr stood still and dropped the arm
of Andreas Hofer, who had followed him, dumfounded with
astonishment, and glancing around as if looking for somebody
else.
" Andy," exclaimed Hormayr, vehemently, " what am I to
think of you ? The Tyrolese always keep their promises, and
to think that our honest Sandwirth alone should not do so !
You pledged me your word that you would conceal your
presence here in Vienna as much as possible, and now you
are running about the city in your national costume and with
your bearded face to hear the opera-trills and see how the
ballet-dancers stretch their legs ! " *
" Andreas Hofer never breaks his word," said Hofer,
gravely. " I promised not to appear in the sti'eets in the day-
time, and I have faithfully kept my word. I stayed at home
all day. and it was only after nightfall tliat we three went to-
gether into the street. Speckbacher and Wallner went to the
Archduke John's gunsmith, Anthony Steger, to take leave of
him, and I intended to go to St. Stephen's Cathedral to attend
vespers. But I am a stranger in the city, and happened to
lose my way. All at once I got into a dense crowd, and
thought I had arrived at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and that the
crowd consisted of pious Christians going to vespers ; hence,
I allowed myself to be drawn along into the door, because I
thought it was the church."
* Ilormayr's own words.— Sec Honnajr's "Andreas Hofer," vol. i., p.
209.
ANDREAS nOFEK AT TIIF, TIIKATRR. 81
"And on buyinj? a ticket. Andy, you supposed you pur-
chased indnlp^ence, did you not ? "
"No, I did not,'' said Andreas in a tone of embarrassment.
" But, on seeing all those persons step to the odice and gel
tickets, I thought there were Christian passion-plays per-
formed there, as at lunspruck in Lent ; and on hearing the
man standing before me shouting, ' Ticket for an orchestra-
stall,' I shouted, also, ' Ticket for an orchestra-stall,' and threw
a florin on the table. Thereupon they handed me a tickel.
and I followed the others into the hall. The performance^
commenced almost at the same moment, the curtain rose, and
the actors began to sing. It is true, it is not a passion-play,
and there is nothing from the Bible in it ; but then it is a nice
play. I believe the curtain will rise again immediately, and
it is time for me to return to my seat. But I should like to
know where jny counti-yman with tlie horses and wine is. He
insisted on seeing me, sent for me, and does not come now."
" But, And}', do you not yet know that it was I who sent
for you ? '' asked Hormayr. " Why, it was only a stratagem of
mine to get the Barbone out of the theatre and take him away
from here."
" But why do you want to take me away from hei'e ? I
tell yoii I like the play very well, and have never seen any
thing like it. It is true, Cherubino, the boy, is an arrant liar,
but he is a jolly fellow% and I do not want him to come to
grief. And Figaro is a sly fox, and withal a brave man. I
should like to make his acquaintance and ask him if he really
promised old Marielle to marry her ; for it would be wrong if
he did not keep his word now, and refused to make her his
wife because he likes the young woman better than her. If I
knew where he lives, I would go to him this very night and
tell him what he ought to do."
"Oh, you foolish old child of Nature ! what you saw on
the stage was nothing but a play. Figaro never existed ; and
even though he did, you would not go to him, but accompany
me and take supper with me."
"I am sorry," said Andreas, gravely, " I cannot do so ; for,
in the first place, I must stay here and wait for the country-
man who has arrived here with the horses and wine,"
82 ANDREAS nOFER.
" Jesus Maria ! what do you say ? The countryman ? Did
I not tell you that it is I, Andy ? " *
" Oh, yes, I had already forgotten it. But, second, I can-
not go because I must see the remainder of the play. Let
me, therefore, return to my seat, for I paid for the whole per-
formance ; I believe 1 have already missed a great deal ; but
they will assuredly not return to me at the office a penny for
what I did not bear." *
" They will not, and shall not either," cried Hormayr, an-
grily. "You will not return to your seat, Andy, but go and
take supper with me. For you know, my dear fellow, that
you have come to Vienna, not to go to the theatre, but to ask
the dear Archduke John's assistance and succor for the beloved
Tyrol, and inquire of the emperor if he will not aid his loyal
Tyrolese in their attempt to become his subjects once more.
And the emperor and the archduke will help you ; they prom-
ise to send soldiers and guns in time to the Tyrol. But, in
return, you must do what the archduke asked you to do ; you
rausl. carefully conceal yourself, Andy, in order to prevent
the Bavarians from learning of your trip to Vienna ; other-
wise they would arrest you and your friends after your return
to the Tyrol. Hence you must not return to your scat, where
so manj' persons would see you, and unfortunately have seen
you already."
" Well, if it must be so, let us go, sir," sighed Andreas.
" But just listen how they are singing, shouting, and cheering
inside ! Jesus Maria ! Figaro. I believe, will have to marry
r)ld Marielle after all, and give up pretty little Susanne. Ah,
my God ! she will die heart-broken, foB she loves him so
dearly. Pray, sir, let me go in once more, that I may see
whether or not he must marry old Majrielle. "
'"No, Andy," said Hormayr, smiling, "you need not be un-
easy ; Figaro will not marry old Marielle, for she is his own
mother."
" What ! " cried Andreas, in dismay ; " she his mother, and
lie has promised to marry her ? That is most sinful and in-
famous ! No good Christian should listen to such things.
Come along, sir. I do not want to hear another word of it.
* Hofer's own words. — See Ilonnayr, " Andreas Ilofer," vol. i., p. 310.
CONSECHATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. S3
Good heavens ! what will Auiui Gertrude say wlien I tell her
vvliat I have seen hei*e, and that there are here in Vienna men
infamous euouf^h to promise to marry their motliei'S i ''
" But they never do so in reality, Audy, but only on the
stage. Otherwise the police would be after tliem at once.
For the emijei-or is a very pious aud virtuous gentleman, and
lie does not permit any infractions of the sacred laws of God
and the Church in his dominions."
" Yes, the emperor is a very pious and virtuous gentleman,"
exclaimed Andreas Hofer, enthusiastically, " and that is the
reason why the Tj-role.se love him and wish to be again his
subjects and children. Come, I will go home with you. I do
not want to hear any more of the theatrical nonsense. Let
us speak of our emperor and our dear Archduke John. God
grant that we may soon be able to say he is our emperor
again, and the archduke is our John, and his Tyrolese are
again his subjects, because they fought well for their liberty,
and because God blessed their efforts and crowned them with
victor}". Come, we will go home, and to-morrow I shall re-
turn to the Tyrol, to my wife and children, and mountain and
valley shall know that the time has come, and that we shall
become Austrians again. May the Holy Virgin protect us
and grant us a safe return ; may she prevent the Bavai'ians
from waylaying us and frustrating our great aud noble pur-
pose ! " *
CHAPTER VHI.
CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL.
The die was cast, then. The war with France was to break
out again. There was to be no more procrastination aud hesi-
tation. The time for action was at hand.
* The delegates of the Tyrokse left Vienna on the following morning;
tlifir presence there, however, had been reported to the Bavarian officers, who,
during their lioincward journey, almost succeeded in arresting them. John
von Gratf, a banker of IJotzen, was apprised of their arrival in Vienna by his
correspondent in that city and informed the commissary-general at Bri.veu
84 ANDKEAS HOFER.
Already the French ambassador, Andreossi, had left Vien
na, and all the members of the legation had followed him.
Already Clement Count Metternich had arrived at Vienna ;
but he had not left Paris as Count Andreossi had left Vienna,
quietly and unmolested, but Napoleon had caused him to be
escorted to the French frontier by a detachment of gens
d'arnies.
And to-day, on the 9th of March, Austria was to proclaim
to all Germany, by means of a public festival, that she was re-
solved to renew the struggle with France and risk once more
the blood of her people and the existence of her imperial dy-
nasty in order to deliver Germany from the usurper who was
intent on crushing in his iron hands the liberty and independ-
ence of the German nation.
A solemn ceremony was to take place to-day on the Glacis
of Vienna. The flags of the militia were to be consecrated by
the Archbishop of Vienna, and the whole imperial family was
to be present at the solemnity. Hence, all Vienna presented
a festive appearance ; all stores were closed, and no one was
seen following his every-day avocations. The Viennese had
made a holida}' ; no one would toil for his daily bread ; all
wished to refresh themselves only with mental food, and greet
with their glances and acclamations the noble men who were
to take the field for the salvation of the fatherland.
The people were surging in dense masses toward the glacis,
rushing with irresistible impetuosity into the empty ditches,
and climbing the trees on their edges, or gaining some other
standpoint whence they could survey the solemnity which
was to take place on the broad promenade of the glacis. On
the large rondel of the glacis had»been erected a tribune whose
golden-broidered velvet canopy was surmounted by a very
large imperial crown ; four golden double-headed eagles
adorned the four corners of the canopj', and held in their
beaks the colors of Austria and Hungary. Under the canopy
stood gilt arm-chairs, with cushions of purple velvet. This
was the tribune destined for the emperor aiid his family ;
of what he had learned. A warrant for the arrest of the three delegates
was issued, but they escaped in time into the mountains. — Hormayr, vol. i.,
p. 191.
CONSECRATION OF THE FF.AiJS, AND FARKWELL. 85
all eyes were riveted upon it, and all Jiearls lono^ed to jjreet
the sovereign, and thank him for the proud happiness of this
hour.
Furtlier on rose other and no less splendidly decorated
tribunes, the seats of which had been sold at enormous rates
to the aristocracy and wealthy citizens of Vienna for the bene-
fit of the militia ; and thousands had found seats on the trees
surrounding the broad promenade and the rondel, and paid
for their airy perches only with some pains and bruises.
Since early dawn this pilgriTiiage to the glacis had been
going on ; b^" ten o'clock all seats, roads, tribunes, trees,
ditches, and bridges, were occupied by a dense crowd ; and, in
order to prevent accidents, the authorities had already ordered
all approaches to the glacis to be closed.
On the broad promenade, too, matters assumed a very
lively aspect. The militia marched up with banners unfurled
and drums beating. They drew up in line on both sides of
tlie road, and their officers and standard-bearers repaired to
tlie large rondel where another had been constructed in face
of the imperial tribune. They ranged themselves around tlie
altar, on whose steps priests in full vestments were kneel-
ing, and which was surmounted by a gigantic crucifix, visible
to all spectators far and near, and waving to all its blessings
and love-greetings.
And now all the church-steeples commenced ringing their
peals ; the iron tongues of their bells proclaimed to the in-
habitants of Vienna, and to the many tliousands of strangers
who had come to witness the solemnity, that the emperor with
his consort and his children had left the Hofburg, and was
approaching the glacis, followed by his suite. The militia as-
sumed a stiff military attitude, the drimis rolled, the cannon
boomed, the bugles sounded merry notes, and the emperor,
leading his consort by the hand, entei-ed the tribune. He
looked x)ale ; his form was bent, and trembling as if shaken by
an inward fever ; and even more singular appeared his down-
hanging under-lip and the gloomy, morose expression of his
lustreless blue eyes. But the people did not see this ; they saw
only that their emperor had arrived— their emperor, who had
resolved to deliver Austria from the ignominious foreign yoke ;
86 ANDREAS nOFER.
who TV'oukl die with his suhjects rather than longer bear the
arrogance of France ; and wlio_ boldly and courageously
staked all in order to win all, to restore at length a lasting
peace to Austria and Germany, and vindicate their bonor and
independence. For this i*eason all heai'ts greeted the Emperor
Francis with love and exultation, and he was received with
deafening and constantly-renewed cheers.
Tlie emperor received with a forced smile the flattering
homage wbicb was rendered to him, but more radiant was the
smile of his consort ; in her dark and glowing eyes glistened
tears of joyful emotion, when she glanced at this jubilant
mass of spectators and the enthusiastic regiments of the militia.
She was also full of exultation ; she did not, however, give
vent to her feelings, but pent them up in her heart, owing to
the moroseness of her imperial husband.
In the midst of a fresh outburst of popular enthusiasm,
Francis bent over the empress. " I suppose you are well sat-
isfied now, empress ? " he asked. -'You have attained your
object ; all of you have fanned the flame until war is ready to
break out, and every thing will go again topsy-turvy. But I
tell you, empress, we shall fail again ; I do not believe that
we shall conquer."
" Well, your majesty, then we shall succumb and die, but
it will be an honorable defeat. It is better to perish in a just
and honorable struggle than submit patiently to foreign usur-
pation."
" A very nice phrase, but the practical execution of such
ideas is sometimes by far more unpleasant than the theory
which they express. I am afraid you will have good reason
to regret this day, and— but what fearful noise is this again ?
The people are cheering as though they were welcoming
God Almighty Himself. What is it ? "
" Your majesty," said Ludovica, gazing timidly into her
husband's face, " I believe the people are cheering the Arch-
dukes Charles and John, for they are just walking along the
ranks of the militia."
" Ah, my brothers ! " murmured the emperor, with an
angry expression, which, however, disappeared again imme-
diately ; "the people are cheering my brothers as though they
CONSECIIATIDX OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. g"
were two divinities from whom alone they expect salvation
and prosperity."
" Your uiujesty, the people cheer the archdukes hecause
they are the brothers of the emperor, and hecause the confi-
dence of your majesty has placed them at the head of the Aus-
trian armies to lead them to battle, and, if it please God, to
victory. It is your majesty alone that ai)pointed the Arch-
duke Charles generalissimo of all your forces, and the Arch-
duke John commander of the army of Lower Austria."
''Yes, I did so, for, blessed as I am v.ith brothers so heroic
and spirited, I must of course distinguish and employ them in
accordance with their merits ; otherwise thej'^ might believe I
was jealous of their glory and splendor. This would be entirely
false, for, so far from being jealous of tliem. I love them dearly,
and give them now again another opi)ortunity to gain laurels,
as they did in 1805. It is true, my brother the generalissimo,
was not victorious at Austerlitz, and my brother John has
likewise sustained many a defeivt ; but that does not prevent
lliem from being heroes and great men. Just listen to the
roars with \vhich the people gi'cet them ! Jesus ]\Iaria ! I
hope the generalissimo will not have- his lits from excessive
joy."
Ludovica cast a quick, mournful glance on the maliciously
smiling face of her husband. "Your majesty need not be
alarmed,'' she said ; " your tender apprehensions ^vill fortu-
nately not be fulfilled. Y^)u see that the archduke is quite
well ; he is just addressing his troops."
" y*s, yes, I know his speech. M. von Gentz wrote it for
him, and I permitted him to deliver it. Ah, it abounds with
line phrases, and my dear Austrians will be astonished on
liearing what liberal men we have become all of a sudden, and
what grand ideas of liberty, equality, and i)oi)ular sovereignty
v,'» have adopted. Just listen to him ! the conclusion is very
line, and sounds just as though the Marseillaise had been
translated into the language of the Austrians."
" Soldiers," shouted the archduke, at this moment, in a loud,
ringing voice, " the liberty of Europe has taken refuge under
the flag of Austria : the rights, freedom, and lumor of all Ger-
many expect their salvation only of our armies. Never shall
88 ANDREAS HOFER.
they, instruments of oppression, carry on in foreign countries
tlie endless wars of a destructive ambition, annihilate innocent
nations, and with their own corpses pave for foreign conquer-
ors the road leading to usurped thrones. Soldiers, we take up
arms only for the liberty, honor, and rights of all Germany ;
it is these sacred boons that we have to defend ! '' *
A long-continued, deafening outburst of applause both of
the soldiers and the people was the reply to the stirring ad-
dress of the generalissimo ; but suddenly every sound was
hushed, for at the altar, yonder by the side of the tall crucifix,
appeared now the ai-chbishop, accompanied by the whole body
of the high clergy.
The emperor rose from his seat ftnd bowed humbly and de-
voutly to the prelate who had been the teacher of his youth,
and had afterward married him three times, the last time only
a few months ago.
And now the archdukes mai'ched the troops into the mid-
dle of the place, and the consecration of the flags commenced
amid the peals of all the church-bells and the booming of ar-
tillery.
The emperor looked on, standing, bareheaded, and with
hands clasped in prayer. Ludovica turned her eyes heaven-
ward, and her lips moved in a low, fervent prayer. Behind
them stood the young archdukes and archduchesses, muttering
prayers, and yet glancing around curiously ; and the cavaliers
of the imperial couple, looking glooni3\ and plainly showing
in their sombre faces the rage that filled their hearts.
The ceremony being finished, the archbishop lifted up his
hands and stretched them out toward the soldiers. " Adieu,
until we meet again," he exclaimed with a radiant air, and in
a voice of joyful enthusiasm ; "adieu, until we meet again at
the hour of daugei* ! "
" Adieu, until we meet again at the hour of danger ! "
echoed the soldiers with enthusiasm. Seeing then that the
archbishop bent his knees, they knelt likewise and bowed their
i leads in prayer. Hushed was every sound on the vast place.
()nly the church-bells were pealing and the artillery was boom-
ing in the distance, and the murmur of the devout prayers
* Ilonna^r, " Allgeineiiie Geschichte," vol. iii., d. 219.
CONSECRATION OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. ftft
whidi I'ose to God from so many pious hearts broke the
silence.
In the fervent enthusiasm of tliis hour no one felt the least
timidity, no one looked anxiously into the future. Even the
mothers did not shed tears for their sons who wei-e about to
take the field ; the allianced brides allowed their lovei-s to de-
part without uttering con)plaints or weeping at the thought of
their impending departure ; wives took leave of their husbands
with joyous courage, jn-essing their infants to their breasts and
commending them trustingly to God's protection. The pa-
triotic enthusiasm had seized all, and carried away even the
coldest and most selfish hearts. The rich contributed their
money with unwonted liberality ; those who were in less fa-
vorable circumstances laid down their plate and valuables on
the altar of the country ; the mechanics oflFered to work gra-
tuitously for the army ; the women scraped lint and organized
associations ff>r the relief of the wounded ; the young men
offered their life-blood to the fatherland, and considered it as
a favor that their services were not rejected.
The long-concealed hatred against France burst forth in
bright flames throughout Austria and Germany ; the war was
hailed with rai)turous enthusiasm, and every heart longed to
take part in this struggle, which seemed to all a war of holy
vengeance and retribution. For the first time in long years
Austria felt again thoroughly identified with Germany,
while the other Germans were looking upon Austria as a Ger-
man state and holding out their hands to their Austrian
brethren, telling them that they sympathized most vividly
with the ends which they were trying to attain.
But while the utmost exultation was reigning among the
people and the soldiers on this joyful day, a gloomy silence
prevailed in the imperial palace. The joyaus mask with which
the general issiuH), the Arcluluke Charles, had covered his face
while on the glacis, had disappeared from it so soon as he had
returned to his rooms. Pale and faint, he rested in an easy-
chair, and, fixing his sombre eyes on his quartermaster-gener-
al, Count Griinne, he said : " My friend, listen to that which T
am going to say to yoti now, and wliich you will reujcmber
one day. I have objected three times in the most emphatic
7
90 ANDREAS HOFER.
inanuer to this declaration of war, for I know that our prep-
arations are not sufficiently matured, and I know also that I
have here in Austria powerful enemies who are intent on im-
peding all my efforts, and who will shrink from nothing in
order to ruin me, and with me you too, my poor friend. The
whole aristocracy is hostile to me, and will never allow the
emperor's brothers to set bounds to its oligarchy by their mer-
its and iafluence ; it will always oppose us, even though it
should endanger thereby the power and honor of the father-
land. I know all the perils and intrigues surrounding me,
and because I know them I tried to avoid them, opposed the
war, and strove to get rid at least of the command-in-chief.
But the emperor would not allow me to do so ; he ordered me
to accept the arduous position of generalissimo of his forces,
and, as his subject, I had to obey him. But I repeat it, this
will be a disastrous war for Austria, and I look with gloomy
forebodings into the future."
And as gloomy as the generalissimo's face was that of his
brother, tlie Emperor Francis. He had retired into his cabi-
net, and strode growlingly up and down, holding the fly-flap
in his hand, and striking savagely at the flies which his search-
ing eyes discovered here and there on the wall.
Suddenly the door opened, and the footman announced the
Archduke John. The emperor's face became even more mo-
rose. He cast the fly-flap aside, and murmured to himself,
" My brothers never leave me any rest." He then said in a
loud voice, " Let him come in."
A minute afterward the archduke entered the cabinet. His
face was still joyously lit up by the soul-stirring solemnity in
which he had participated in the morning ; his eye was yet
radiant with noble enthusiasm and exultation, and a serene
smile played around his lips. Thus he appeared before his
brother, whose face seemed doubly gloomy in the presence of
his own.
" I come to take leave of your majesty and bid farewell to
my brother Francis," he said, in a mild, tender voice. " I in-
tend to set out to-night for Gratz, and organize my staff
there."
" God bless you, commander of the Southern army ! " said
C0NS£CKAT1()\ OF THE KI.ACS, AND FAREWELL. 01
the cniiH'ror, dryly ; " God bless you, brotlior. You were all
eager for war ; now you have it ! "
'* Aud your niajestj' lias witiu^ssed the enthusiasm with
which the Austrian people hailed the declaration of war. And
not only the people of Austria, but all Germany, looks now
with joy, hope, and pride toward Austria, and participates
most cordially in our warlike enthusiasm."
" I do not care for that," said the emperor, di-yly. " Thank
God, I cast off the crown of Germany three years ago, and am
no longer Emperor of Germany."
" But one day, when j-our armies have conquered France
and delivei-ed the world from the insatiable usurper, Germany
will gratefully lie down at your majesty's feet and beseech
you to accept the imperial crown again at her hands."
" Much obliged, sir, but I would not take it," exclaimed the
emperor, with a shrug. " But say, brother, are you really con-
vinced that we can and shall conquer Bonaparte ? "
" I am. We shall conquer, if—"
"Well, if — "'asked the emperor, when the archduke hesi-
tated.
"If we are really determined to do so," said John, looking
the emperor full in the face ; "if we act harmoniously, if we
do not impede each other, if no petty jealousies favor the ef-
forts of one and frustrate those of the other. Oh, brother,
permit me at this farewell hour to utter a few frank and truth-
ful words, and I beg your majesty to forgive me if my heart
opens to you in unreserved confidence. Brother, I confess
f i-ankly all is not as it should be here. Where concord should
reign, there is discord ; where all sliould have thc^r eyes fixed
only on the great goal, and avail themselves of all means and
forces, they are split up into factions bitterly hostile to each
other. Oh, my gracious emperor, 1 beseech you, do not listen
to these factions, do not confide in those who would like to
arouse your suspicion against your brothers. Believe me, you
have no more loyal, devoted, and obedient subject than I am ;
therefore, coniide in me, who wish only to contribute to the
greatness, honor, and glory of my country and my emperor,
to the best of my power, however insignilicant it maj' be. My
brother, there has long been a gulf between us ; God knows
92 ANDREAS HOFBR.
that I did not dig it. But let us fill it up forever at this fare-
well hour. I implore you, believe in my love, my devoted
loyalty ; take me by the hand and say, ' John, I trust 3^ou ! I
believe in you 1 ' See, I am waiting for these words as for the
blessing which is to accompany me into battle, and rest on my
heart like a talisman. Brother, speak these words of love and
confidenee ! Give me your hand — open your arms to your
brother ! "
" Why should we enact here a sentimental scene ? " asked
the emperor, harshly. " I do not like such things, and want
to see family dramas only performed on the stage. Thank
God, I am not a theatrical emperor, but a real one, and will
have nothing to do with scenes from plays. Nor do I know of
any gulfs existing between you and me. I never perceived
them, and was never disturbed thereby. But why do you pro-
test your love and loyalty in so passionate a manner to me ?
Who tells you, then, that I suspect them ? That would be
equivalent to considering my brother a traitor, and it would
be very unfortunate for him ; for toward traitors I shall al-
waj-s be inexorable, whosover they may be, and whether they
be persons of high or low rank. Let us speak no longer of it.
But, besides, you have again advised me, without being re-
quested to do so, and demand that I should not listen to any
factions. I never do, brother. I never listen to any factions,
neither to yours, nor to that of the others. I listen only to
myself, and require submissiveness and obedience of my serv-
ants. You are one of the latter ; go, then, and obey me. I
have resolved on war ; go, then, to your corps and fight, as
you are in duty bound, for your emperor and for Austria.
Defeat Napoleon if you can. You are playing a game which
may easily become dangerous to ourselves. You have stirred
up an insurrection in the Tyrol ; you will have to bear the re-
sponsibility if this insurrection shall be unsuccessful."
" I will bear it, and God will forgive what I have done ! "
said John, solemnly. '' Your majesty, you would not listen
to the brother who offered you his love frankly and honestly.
I have nothing to add to what I have said, nor shall I ever
make another attempt to gain your confidence."
" Is that intended as a threat ? " asked the emperor, angrily.
CONSECRATION' OF THE FLAGS, AND FAREWELL. 93
"No," said John, nioui'ii fully, " I do nut ihivuteu you. I
shall always bear in mind that I loved you, and that you
are not only my lord and emperor, but also the son of my
mother."
" And I," cried the emperor, veheinently, '' shall always
hear in mind that you were the head of the faction which, by
its insensate clamoi* for war, first aroused Napoleon's anger,
brought about demonstrations and armaments on our part, and
finally oblii^-ed me to resolve on v/ar, allhoiigli I know full
well that this resolution will inevitably involve Austria in
great disaster. Let me likewise speak a farewell word to you,
brother. We shall succumb again, although my wise and
learned brothers are at the Jiead of the army. I consulted the
most experienced and sagaciims men. I myself paid a \'isit to
Count Cobenzl, who is lying at the point of death, and asked
hisoi)inion. He hates Napoleon as aidently as any one, and
yet he is in favor of peace. I consulted the Prince de Ligne
and Minister Thugut ; one is an an)bitious captain, the other a
vindictive diplomatist, who would like to overthrow Napo-
leon ; and yet both were for peace with France, and I will tell
you the reason why : because they know that among all my
captains and generals there is not one determined and able
enough to cope with Napoleon and his marshals : because
they knew that even my brother Charles, the generalissimo, is
vacillating and irresolute ; and because they do not know what
an eminent captain the Archduke John would be, if he only
had a chance to show his military talents. If, despite all this,
I resolved on war, it was because circumstances, and not my
convictions, obliged me to do it— circumstances which were
mostly brought about by you and your friends."
" Your majesty," said John, in a grave and dignified man-
ner, '' permit me to say a few woi-ds in reply to what you
have just said. You allude to my military talents, which you
say I have not had a chance to show. Well, give me such a
chance ; deliver me from the surveillance tying my hands ;
let me pursue my path as your general freely and without
restrictions, and I pledge you my word that T will recoiuiuer
the Tyrol and yt)ur Italian provinces."
''See, see, what a nice plan!" exclaimed the empei'or.
94 ANDREAS HOFER.
laughing. " You wish to be another generalissimo, and inde-
pendent of any other commander's will ? "
'' No, your majesty ; I wish to obtain only equal rights and
authority to deliberate and decide jointly with my brother
Charles."
'' It is very bold in you, sir, thus to oppose your generalis-
simo," said the emperor, sternly. " To-day you v/ill no longer
obey the generalissimo — to-morrow you will perhaps refuse to
obey the emperor. Not another word about it ! Go and do
your duty. The Archduke Charles is generalissimo, and you
will submit to his orders and instructions. Fai^ewell, brother ;
may God and the Holy Virgin bless you and your army ! "
"Farewell, your majesty," said the archduke, bowing cere-
moniously to the emperor. He then turned hastily and left
the room.
The emperor looked after him with an angry air. " I be-
lieve the two archdukes will thwart each other on ail occa-
sions," he said, in a low voice. " There will not only be war
with France, but also war bet^veen the factions in Austria, and
the consequence will be, that my brothers will gain but very
few laurels."
The Archduke John returned slowly to his rooms. After
entering his cabinet, he sank on the divan, as if crushed and
heart-broken. He sat a long time in silence, his head bent
on his breast, and uttering from time to time heart-rending
groans. After a long pause, he slowly lifted his tearful eyes
to heaven.
"Thou knowest, my God," he said, in a low voice, "that
my intentions are good and pure, and that I desire nothing
but to serve my country and deliver it from the disgrace
which it has had to submit to for so many years past. Thou
knowest that I wish nothing for myself, but all for the father-
land. Help me, my God, help our poor, unfortunate Austria!
Let us not succumb and perish! Grant victory to our arms!
O Austria, O Germany, why can I not purchase liberty and
independence for you with my blood ? But I can at least
fight and die for you ! I shall welcome death, if my dying
<jyes can behold liberty dawning upon Germany ! "
'TIS TIME! 95
CHAPTER IX.
'tis time !
It was late in the afternoon of the 8th of April. Tlie set-
ting sun was shedding his last red rays on the distant moun-
tain-ci'ests of the Janfen and the Tinihler Toch, whose hlood-
red summits (-(mtrasted wonderfully with the deep azure of
the clear sky. On the lower slopes of the mountains twilight
had set in ; the pines, the daring chamois of the vegetable
kingdom, which had climbed up to the highest parts of the
mountaiu.s, cast the gray veil of dusk over these lower slopes.
Below, in the Passeyr valley, however, night already pre-
vailed, for the nunintains looming up on both sides of the
valley lilled it with darkness even before sundown ; and only
the wild, roaring Passeyr, which rushes from the mountain
through the valley, glistened like a silver belt in the gloom.
The church-bells of the villages of St. Leonard and St. Martin,
lying on both' sides of the valW, tolled a solemn curfew,
awakening here and there a low, sleepy echo ; and from time
to time was heard from a mountain-peak a loud, joyous Jodler,
by which a Tyrolese hunter, perhaps, announced his speedy-
return to his family in the valley. The gloom in the narrow
Passeyrthal became deeper and deeper, and, like bright glow-
worms, the lights in the houses of St. Leonard and St. Martin
glistened now in the darkness.
Lights appeared not only in the valley below, but also here
and there on the mountain-slopes ; and especially in the soli-
tary house on the knoll situated half-way between the two
villages, was seen the bright glare of many candles, and tlie
per-sons passing on the road in the valley looked up and wliis-
pered to each other : " Andreas Hofer is at home, and, it seems,
has a great many guests at his house, for all the windows of
his handsome inn are illuminated."
The solitary hou.se on the knoll, then, belonged to Andreas
Hofer. It was the Gasthaus zitm Sand, far famed through-
out the Tyrol. And the pa,ssers-by were not mistaken. An-
dreas Hofer was at home, and had a great many guests at his
96 ANDREAS HOFER.
house. On the henches of the large bar-room sat his guests,
handsome Tyrolese, with flashing eyes and animated faces,
which were all turned toward the Sandwirth,* who was sit-
ting on the small table yonder, and conversing in a low tone
with his friends Eisenstecken and Siebercr. All the guests
seemed excited and anxious ; no one opened his mouth to
utter merry jests ; none of the gay songs so popular among
the Tyrolese resounded : and the guests did not even venture
to address playful remarks to Hofer's pretty daughters, who
were gliding noiselessly through the room to fill the empty
beer-glasses.
" It seems," murmured Anthony Sieberer, " that the Aus-
trian government has again postponed the matter, and we
shall vainly look for the arrival of the message. This new
delay puts an end to the whole movement."
" I do not think so," said Hofer, gravely, and loud enough
to be heard by all. " Do not despond, my dear friends ! Tlie
Austrian government will assuredly keep its word, for the
dear brave Archduke John promised me in the emperor's
name that Austria would succor the Tyrolese, and send troops
into our country, if we would be in readiness on the 9th of
April to I'ise against the Bavarians. My dear friends, do you
put no confidence, then, in the word of our excellent emperor
and the good archduke, who has always loved us so dearly ?"
" No, no, we put implicit confidence in their word ! "
shouted the Tyrolese, with one accord.
'• The messenger will surely come, just have a little pa-
tience," added Hofer, with a pleasant nod ; " tlie day is not
yet at an end, and until midnight we may smoke yet many a
pipe and drink many a glass of beer. — Anna Gertrude, see to
it that the glasses of the guests are always well filled."
Anna Gertrude, a fine-looking matron of thirty-six, with
florid cheeks and flashing hazel eyes, had just placed before
her husband another jug, filled with foaming beer, and she
nodded now to her Andy with a smile, showing two ro\vs of
faultless white teeth.
"I and the girls will attend to the guests," she said, "but
* The name usually given to Ilofcr— Sandwirth, landlord of the inn
" Zum Sand."
'TIS TIME! 07
the men ilo not diiiik any tliinp:. Tlie glasses and jugs are all
filled, but thoy do not empty them, and — Look! who comes
there ? "
Andreas Ilofer turned his head toward the door ; then
suddenly he uttered a cry of surprise and jumped up.
"Halloo!" he exclaimed, "I believe this is the messenger
whom we are looking for." And he jwinted his outstretched
arm at the small, dark form entering tlie room at this moment.
"It is Major Teinier," he continued, joyfully ; "I suppose
you know yet our dear major of 1805 'i "
"Hurrah! Martin Teimer is there," shouted the Tyrolese,
rising from their seats, and hastening to the new-comer to
shake hands with him and bid him heartily welcome.
Martin Teimer thanked them warmly for this kind recej)-
tion, and a flash of sincere gratification burst from his shrewd
blue eyes.
"I thought I should meet all the brave men of the Passeyr
valley at Andy's house to-night," he said, " and I therefore
greet you all at once, my dear comrades of 180;"). That jear
was disastrous to us. but I think the year 1809 will be a
better one. and we shall regain to-day what we lost at that
time."
" Yes, we shall, as sure as there is a God," shouted the
Tyrolese ; and Andreas Hofer laid his arm on Teimer's
shoulder and gazed deeply into his eyes.
"Say, Martin Teimer, are all things in readiness, and do
you bring us word to rise ? "
" I do, all things are in readiness," said Teimer, solemnly.
" Our countryman. Baron von Hormayr, whom the Austrian
government appointed governor and intendant of tlie Austi-ian
forces which are to co-operate with us, sends me to Andreas
Hofor. whom I am to ijiform that the Austrian troops, com-
manded by Marquis von Chasteler and General Hiller, will
cross the Tyrolese frontier to-night."
"Hurrah, hurrah ! the Austrians arc coming!" .shouted
the Tyrolese, jubilantly, swinging their pointed hats in the
air. "The war has broken out, the Austrians are coming,
and we will expel the Bavarians from the couutrj' ! "
Andreas Hofer's face, too, was radiant with joy ; but, in
98 ANDREAS nOFER.
stead of siuging and shouting, he was silent, lifted his eyes
slowly to heaven, and seized with both his hands the crucifix
resting on his breast.
" Let us pray, my fx'iends," he said in a loud and solemn
voice ; " let us thank our Lord God and our patron saint in
the stillness of our hearts."
The men paused ; like Andreas Hofer, they clasped their
hands, bent their heads, and muttered fervent prayers.
After a long pause Hofer raised his head again. "And
now, men, listen to what I have to say to you," he exclaimed,
cheerfully. " T have invited you all because you are the most
infl.uential and respectable men in this part of the country,
and because the fatherland has need of you and counts upon
3'ou and me. The sharpshooters of the Passeyrthal told me,
if war should bi-eak out, I must be their captain ; and I ac-
cepted the position because I think that every one is in duty
bound to risk his limbs and life for the sake of the fatherland,
and place himself just where' he can serve it best. But if I
am to be your captain, you nnist all assist me to the best of
your power. We must act harmoniously, and strain every
nerve to deliver the fatherland and restore the Tyrol to our
beloved emperor."
" We are resolved to do so," shouted the men, with one
accord.
'' I know it full well," said Andreas Hofer, joyously. "Let
us go to work, then, and circulate throughout the Tyrol the
message that the Austrians are coming, and that it is time.
Say, Teimer, did you not bring a written message with
you ? "
"Here is a letter from Hormayr," said Martin Teimer,
drawing a large sealed paper from his bosom.
Andreas took it and opened it quickly. But while he was
reading it, a slight cloud overspread his countenance, and for
a moment he cast a rapid, searching glance on Martin Teini-
er's bright, keen face ; however, no sooner had he met Teim-
er's stealthy, inquiring glance, than he quickly turned his
eyes again to the paper.
" Well," he said then, striking the paper with his right hand,
" the statements contained in this letter are entirely in accord-
'TIS TIMK! 99
ance with our wishes. We are to rise at once, for already to-
inorrow the Austrians will have crossed our frontiers. Marquis
von Chasteler will march from Cariiithia into the Puster val-
ley ; General Hiller is moving from Salzburg toward the
fjower Inn valley ; the former thinks he will reach Brixen in
the course of four days; the latter says he will be at Innspruck
within the same time. I and Martin Teimer here, who no
longer keeps a tobacco-shop at Klagenfurth, but is again Major
Teimer as he was four years ago — we ax'e to direct and man-
age every thing in the Tyrol, and are intrusted with the duty
of seeing to it that the flames of the insurrection burst
forth now as speedily as possible from one end of the Tyrol to
the other, and that it shall become a conflagration that will
burn up all Frenchmen and Bavarians, or compel them to
escape from the country. Assist us, then, my men, in spread-
ing the news over the mountains and thi'ough the valleys,
that all may rise and partici])ate in the great work of deliver-
;ince. Every able-bodied man is to shoulder his rifle, and the
women and children are to carry, from house to house, little
balls of paper on which are written the words : ' 'Tis time ! '
as we have agreed at our meetings. And now. in compliance
with the promise I gave Hormayr in Vicuna, I will issue a
circular to all our friends that they may know what to do
under these circmnstances. Is there among j'ou any one who
can write well and correctly, and to -whom I may dictate?
for my own handwriting is none of the best, and although
what I write may be tlunight coi-rectly, it is not s])el]ed as
learned men tell us it should be. If there is among you one
who can write nicely and correctly what I wish to dictate, let
him come forward."
"I can do it," said a young man, stepping forward.
''It is Joseph Ennenioser, sun of John Ennenioser, the
Seewirth," said xVndreas Hofer, smiling. " Yes, I believe you
are a good scribe ; you have become quite a scholar and an
aristocratic gentleman, and are studying medicine at the Uni-
versity of Innspi'uck."
''For all that, I have remained an lionest mountaineer;
and as for my studies, I will not think of them until we have
delivered the Tyrol from the Bavarian yoke. I -shall keep
lOU ANDREAS UOFER.
only my pen, and act as Andreas Hofer's obedient secre-
tary."*
"Sit down, then, my boy, and write. You will find pen
and ink in the drawer of yonder table. Take them, and I
will dictate to you."
And amidst the respectful silence of the men, walking up
and down slowly, and stroking his long beard with his right
hand, Andreas Hofer commenced dictating his " open order,"
which was as follows :
" Early in the morning of the 9th of April General Hiller
will march from Salzburg to the Lower Inn valley, and
General von Chasteler from Carinthia to the Puster valley.
On the 11th or 12th of April the former will arrive at Inns-
pruck, and the latter at Brixeu. The Archduke John orders
that the Miihlbach pass be occupied by peasants from the
Puster valley, and the Kiiutersweg by mounted men. They
are to allow all forces of the enemy marching from Botzen
to Brixen to pass, and will cut off all communications only so
soon as they discover that the Bavarian civilians and soldiers
are trying to escape from Brixen to Botzen. Not a man must
be allowed to pass then."
While Andreas Hofer was dictating his "open order"
with a firm and thoughtful air, the peasants stood dum-
fouuded with admiration, staring at him with a feeling of
awe, and delighted with his sagacity and understanding.
That Hofer cast from time to time a searching glance at Hor-
mayr's letter did not disturb the admiration they felt for their
chosen leader, and they were silent and stared at hijii long
after he was through.
"So," said Andreas when the writing was finished, "now
Martin Teimer and I will affix our names to this open order ;
Ennemoser will then copy it half a dozen times, and six of
you will carry the copies to the other leaders who are already
waiting for them, and who will give the signal to their friends
* Joseph Ennemoser, son of John Ennemoser, the tailor and Seewirth
of the Passeyrthal. was a shepherd in his boyhood. Ilis father sent him to
the gymnasium of Innspruck, and afterward to tlie university of the same
city, wliere he studied medicine. In 1809 he was Ilofer's secretary. After-
ward he became a celebrated professor of medicine at the University of Bonn.
'TIS TIME! 101
in the lower valley. You, George Lanthaler. will earrj- the
onler to Josci)li Sprckliadicr at Kufstcin ; you, Joseph Gufler.
will take it to the fanner at the Sohililhof ; you, George Stein-
haufcrle, will goto Anthony Wallner, the Aichhergerat Win-
disch-Matrey. Quick, quick, my friends, we have no time to
lose ; you must walk night and day ; you cannot rest on the
road, for we must strike the blow with lightning speed, and
it must be done at the same time all over the country."
•' And I will likewise set out again to spread the news
throughout the country," said Martin Teimer. " For two
weeks past I have been in all parts of the Tyrol, and have
worked everywhere for our cause, and know now that we may
count upon all our countrymen. They are waiting for the
signal, and we must give it to them. Here, take this package ;
it contains a large number of those little paper balls upon
which are written the words ' 'Tis time ! ' Each of you can
take a handful of them and give them to your wives and chil-
dren, that they may carry them to the neighbors and distrib-
ute them everywhere. Speckbacher and Wallner, too, have
packages of such paper balls, and so soon as our faithful mes-
sengers bring them our ' open order,' they will likewise send
around their wives and children through the neighborhood ;
and everywhere the cry will be, ' 'Tis time 1 ' We must expel
the Bavarians I I will go now, for I must concentrate my
men in order to prevent the Bavarians from crossing the
bridge of Laditch. Farewell, then, and God grant that we
may all meet again before long as free and happy men at our
good city of Innspruck ! "
" We must go too," exclaimed the Tyrolese when Martin
Teimer had left the house as quickly as he had entered it.
" We must go into the mountains and inform our friends that
it is time."
" But go through the kitchen, my dear messengers,"
said Andreas Hofer ; " there is a bag of flour for each of you ;
take it on your back, and on passing during your march
a rivulet or a mountain torrent, throw some of the flour into
it ; and wherever you find dry brushwood on the road, pile
it up and kindle it, that the bale-fires may proclaim to the
country, ' 'Tis time ! ' "
102 ANDREAS IIOFER.
Half an hoar afterward the large bar-rooin was deserted,
and profound silence reigned in the inn Ztim Sand. The serv-
ants and children of the Saudwirth had gone to bed ; only
he himself and his faithful wife, Anna Gertrude, were yet up.
Both had retired into the small sitting-room adjoining the har-
rooni. Andreas Hofer was walking up and down there
silently and thoughtfully, his hands folded on his back ; Ger-
trude sat in the leather-covered arm-chair at the stove, and
looked at her husband. Every thing was still around them ;
only the slow, regular ticking of the clock broke the profound
silence, and outside was to be heard the wild roaring of the
Passeyr, which hurled its furious foaming waters not far from
the inn over pebbles and fragments of rocks.
Finally, after a long pause, Andreas stood still in front of
his wife, and gazed at her with a long, searching, and tender
look. Gertrude, as if lifted up by this glance, rose, encircled
his neck quickly with her arms, and looked with an expression
of terror and anxiety into his face.
" Andy," she exclaimed, mournfully, " my own, dearest
Andy, I am afraid harm will befall you ! "
'' That is what I expect," he said, sighing, •' and I am sorry
for you, my dearest wife. I was just speaking with God and
my conscience, and asking them so fervently if it was not wrong
in me not to think above all things of my dear wife and my be-
loved children, and if I ought not to live and die only for
them. For I tell you, and I know, what I am going to do is
dangerous, and may easily cost my life. I do not blind my
eyes to it ; I may lose my life in either of two ways. A bullet
may strike me in battle ; or, if my life should be spared in the
struggle, and if we should be defeated, the Bavarians would
treat me as a traitor ; and then a bullet would sti'ike me also,
for they would shoot me."
" Oh, Jesus Maria ! my Andy," cried Gertrude, taking
Hofer's head in her hands, as if to protect it from the murder-
ous bullets.
" I do not sa}' that this ivill occur ; I say only that it may
occur," said Andreas, with a gentle smile. " I wish to tell you
only that I am fully alive to the dangers threatening me when
I stej) to-morrow morning' out of my street-door, and enter
HOFER'S FAUEWELL TO HIS WIFE.
'TIS TIME! 103
upon the duties of tlio position which thoy liavo conferred on
nie ; for I am to command tlie peasants of tlic Passeyr valley
and direct the insurrection in all this part of the country.
Therefore, I asked God and my conscience whether or not
I did rifjht in talcino: upon myself so responsible a task,
and pluiif^ing my family, perhaps, into g-rief and distress.
But do you know what both of them replied to me? They
said : ' It is your duty to love your wife and your children ;
but you must also love your emperor and your countiy ; and
when the latter call you and say, " Come, we need your arm
and assistance," you must, as an honest man, obey the call, g:o
to them, and leave your fan)ily ; for to love the fatherland is
every man's highest honor, and to be loyal and devoted to
the emperor is the hrst duty of every Tyrolese.' God and my
conscience spoke to me thus in my breast, and uow I ask you
too, dear wife— I ask you before God and your conscience-
would you like your husband not to obey the empei'ors call, but
stay at lionie, while his brave brethren and friends ai-e talcing
the field to defend the country and exi)el the Bavarians ? '*
" No, indeed, Andy, I would not,"' cried Gertrude, in dis-
may ; "I should never dai*e again to lift my eyes before any-
body ; I should not even venture to pray to the Holy Virgin
and to God, for, as both gave up their divine Son, so an honest
wofuan must give up her husband for Iho sake of the father-
land."
Andreas laid his hand on liis wife's head as if to bless her.
" It is as you say, Gertrude," he said, soletnnly . " For the sake
of the fatherland and the emperor you nnist give up your hus-
band, and your children their father ; and we are not allowed
to shut our ears in order not to hear that the; dear Tyi'ol and
the good Emperor Fi'ancis have called me. I have heard the
call, and must obey it. I shall do so joyously and readily, and
yet my heart grieves, and there is in my breast here something
telling me that our happiness is at an end, that our sun has
set, and —Gertrude, I am uo\ asliaeied of it — I weep ! "
He leaned bis head against his wife's shoulder, and, folding
her to his heart, sobbed aloud. But this lastinl only a short
time ; then he raised himself again, and drew his hand quickly
across his eyes.
104 ANDREAS HOFER.
''There," he said, " it is all over now. I wept as a good
Christian is surely allowed to do when he takes leave of his
wife and his children, and gives them up for the sake of his
country. Did not Abraham weep too, and beg God for mercy,
when he was to sacrifice his son to the Almighty ? But he
nevertheless was ready to make the sacrifice. And, like Abra-
ham, I have wept and lamented now, but I shall make the
sacrifice. ^Here I am, my God," he added, lifting his eyes and
hands to Heaven ; " here I am, for Thou hast called me. Do
with me as thou deemest best. I am nothing but Thy faith-
ful servant •, but if Thou wishest to use me for Thy great pur-
poses, do so ! I offer Thee my arms, my body, and my life !
Take them ! "
'' But thou. Holy Virgin," murmured Gertrude, " and thou
Saint George, our patron saint, stretch out your arms over
him graciously and protect my Andy. Bear in mind that he
is my most precious treasure on earth ! Preserve my dear
husband to me, and to my children the father whom they love
so ardently I "
" Amen ! " exclaimed Andreas. " And now, deai'est wife,
come and give me a kiss, a parting kiss ! "
"You do not intend to set out this very night?" asked
Gertrude, anxiously.
" No, Gertrude, but still it is a parting kiss. For hence-
forth I must become another man— a hard man, who will no
longer think of his family, but only of the fatherland and the
emperor. I wept a few minutes ago as a good father and
husband, but now I must become as hard as a good soldier
ought to be. Until the Bavarians have been expelled from
the country, I shall no longer think of you and the children,
but shall be only a brave and intrepid soldier of my lord and
emperor, and the commander of the Passeyr militia. Kiss
me, therefore, a last time, Anna Gertrude ! There ! Give me
anf)ther kiss ! Who knows but it m:iy be the last time you
will ever kiss me, dear Gerfrude ? And here is still another
kiss for our girls. Now it is enough. Go to bed now, Ger-
trude, and pray for me."
" You will not go to bed, Andy ? " asked Gertrude, anx-
iously.
'TIS TIME! |(j5
""No, I will not, Anna Gertrude. I liave business to attend
to in the yard with Joe, our laborer. We will kill the brin-
dled cow."
" What ? This very night ? "
''Tills very night. We need the blood and meat. We
shall pour the blood into the Passeyr, and you will see to-mor-
row that we need the meat. f<>i' T believe we shall have a great
many guestrs in the morning."
Andreas Hofer's prophecy was fulfilled. Already early in
the morning a great many men assembled in front of the inn
Znm Sand. They were the sharpshooters of the Passeyr val-
ley, who were Hocking from all parts of the district to Hofer's
house to report to the beloved connnander of Passeyr. They
came down from the mountains and up from the valleys.
They wore their holiday dresses, and their yellow Sunday hats
wei'e decorated with bouquets of rosemary and handsome rib-
bons. They were merry and in the best of spirits, as if they
were going to the dance ; only instead of their rosy-cheeTced
girls, they held their trusty rifles in their arms. Nevertheless,
they smacked their lips, uttered loud exclamations of joy, and
shouted as merrily as larks — " 'Tis time ! The Bavarians
must leave the country ! Long live the emperor I Long live
the Archduke John !"
And echo seemed to answer, "The Bavarians must leave
the country ! " But it was not echo that had repeated these
words. They proceeded from the throats of merry men, and
a gay procession descended now from the mountain-path. It
consisted of the sharpshooters and peasants of Meran and
Algund, who were marching up in the beautiful costumes of
the Adige valley. Oh, how their eyes flashed, and the rifles in
their arms also. And with what jubilant Jodlers the men of
Passeyr received their dear friends from Algund and, Meran.
All at once every sound was hushed, for in the door of the
inn appeared Andreas Hofer, looking like a king in his hand-
some holiday attire ; his good-natured, honest face gleamed
with joy, and his glance was mild and clear, and yet so firm
and connnauding. His whole bearing breathed calm dignity,
and it seemed to the men of Passeyr as though the moi-ning
sun which illuminated his face surrounded his head with a
106 ANDREAS HOFER.
golden halo. Tliey stood aside with timid reverence and awe.
Hofer advanced into the middle of the circle wliicli the men
of Passeyr, Meran, and Algund formed around him. He then
looked around and greeted the men on all sides with a smile,
a pleasant nod, and a wave of his hand.
"My friends," he exclaimed in a loud voice, " the day has
come when we must expel the Bavarians from the country
and restore the Tyrol to the Austriaus. 'Tis time ! The Bava-
rians have amply deserved such treatment at our hands, for
they have sorely oppressed us. When you had finished a
wooden image, could you carry it to Vienna and sell it ? No.
you could not ! Is that freedom ? You are Ty rolese ; at least
your fathers called themselves so; now you are to call your-
selves Bavarians. And, moreover, our ancient castle of Tyrol
in the Passeyr valley was not spared ! Are you satisfied with
this ? If you harvest three blades of corn, the government
claims two of them; is that happiness and prosperity? But
there is a Providence and there are angels ; and it was re-
vealed to me that if we resolved to avenge our wrongs, God
and St. George, our patron saint, would help us. Up, then,
against the Bavarians ! Tear the villains with your teeth
while they stand; but when they kneel down ajid pray, give
them quarter. Up against the Bavarians ! 'Tis time!"
" Up against the Bavarians ! 'tis time ! "' shouted all the
brave men, enthusiastically; and tlie mountain echoes an-
swered : " Up against the Bavarians ! 'tis time I "'
And the blood-red waters of the Passeyr carried down into
ihe valley the message : " Up against the Bavarians ! 'tis
time ! "
CHAPTER X.
ANTHONY WALLNER OP WINDISCH-MATREY.
An unusual commotion reigned in the market-place of
Windisch-Matrey on the afternoon of the 9lh of April. The
men and youths of Windisch-Matrey and its environs were
assembled there in deiise groups, and thronged in constantly-
ANTHONY WALI.NKR OF WINF)IS(I[ MATIIHV. I(f7
inoroasiiif,'' masses njuiul the liouso of the iiuikecper Anfliony
Aiclil)orgor, called Wallner. The women, too, liad left their
houses and huts, and hastened to the market-place. Their
faces were as threatening as those of the men; their eyes shot
fire, and their whole bearing betokened unusual excitement.
Everywhere loud and vehement woi*ds were uttered, clinched
fists were raised menacingly, and glances of secret understand-
ing were exchanged.
The liveliest .scene, however, took place in the large bar-
room of the inn. The foremost men of the whole district,
sti'ong, well-l)uilt forms, with defiant faces and courageous
bearing, had assembled there around Anthony Wallner-Aich-
berger. They spoke but little, but sat on the benches against
the walls of the room, and stared into their glasses, which
Eliza, Wallnei''s eldest daughter, filled again and again with
beer. Even the young girl, who was usually so gay and
spirited, seemed to-day sad and dejected. Formerly her merry
laughter and clear, ringing voice were heard cverj-where; to-
day she was moody and taciturn. Formerly her cheeks glowed
like purple ro.ses, a charming arch expression played around
her beautiful small mouth, and the fire and spirit of youth
beamed from her large black eyes ; to-day, only a faint crim-
son tinged Eliza s checks, her lips were fii-mly compressed, and
her eyes were dim and lustreless. From time to time, while
waiting on tlie guests, she cast an anxious, searching glance
through the windows over the market-place, and seemed to
listen to the hum of voices, which often became as deafening
as the wild roar of the storm, and shook the window-panes.
Anthony Wallner, her father, was likewise gi-ave and
anxious, and in walking to the groups of guests seated on the
benches here and there, he glanced uneasily toward the win
dows.
"It may be that they will not come, after all, Tony, and
that the Viennese have fooled you," whispered old Thurn-
walden from Me)'an to him.
" I cannot conijireheiid it," sighed Anthony "Wallner. " The
insurrection was to break out on the 9th of April, and the Aus-
trian troops were to cross the frontier on that day ; and this
was the reason why we have hitherto resisted the conscription
108 ANDREAS HOFER.
and refused to pay the new taxes. But the 9th of April has
come now, and we have received no messa<>e from Hofer or
the Austrians. ''
" And to-day (he time which tlie Bavarians have given us
is up," growled George Hinnthal; "if our young lads do not
report voluntarily to the enrolling officers by this evening,
they will be arrested to-morrow."
" They shall not be arrested," exclaimed one of the Tyrolese,
striking the table with his powerful fist.
" No, they shall not be arrested," echoed all, in loud, defiant
tones.
" But you will not be able to prevent them," said old Thurn-
walden, when all were silent again and bad drunk a long
draught from their glasses as if to confirm their words. " You
know there is a whole companj^ of soldiers at Castle Weissen-
stein, and Ulrich von Hohenberg, the castellan's nephew, is
their captain. He is a Bavarian, body and soul, and, if we
resist the authorities, he will lead his men with muskets and
field-pieces against us."
" Why, you have become greatly discouraged, Caspar Thurn-
walden," said Anthony Wallner, sneeringly, " and one would
almost think you had turned a friend of the Bavarians. We
have got as good muskets as the Bavarians, and if they shoot
we shall shoot back. And as for the field-pieces, why, we have
got wheels and may roll down cannon from Castle Weissen-
stein to Windisch-Matrey. But come, my dear friends, I see
the Bavarian tax-collectors walking aci>oss the market-place
yonder. They look very grim and stern, as if they meant to
devour us all. Let us go out and see what is going on."
The men rose as if obeying a military order, and followed
Anthony Wallner fi-om the room to tlie market-place. Eliza
Wallner was for a moment alone in the room ; and now that
she had no longer to fear the eyes of the guests, she sank quite
exhausted on a chair and buried her face in her trembling
hands.
"What am I to do ?" she murmured in a low voice. "Oh,
God in heaven, would I could die this very hour !"
" Why do you weep, Lizzie ? " asked a gentle voice by her
side, and, on looking up, Eliza beheld the grave, sympathetic
ANTHONY VVALLNKU OF WINDISCH-MATREY. H)()
face of lier mother, who liad just entered the room without he-
ing heard by her. Eliza sprang up and embraced her mother
witli passionate tenderness. "Dearest mamma," she whis-
pered, " I am afraid."
" Afraid of what ?" asked her mother, in a low voice. " Are
you afraid the Austriaus may not come, and the Bavarians
may then imprison your dear father, because they have found
out that he has instigated the people to disobey their behests?"
"No," said Eliza, biusliing with shame, " no, that is not
what 1 am afraid of. They will not dare to arrest my dear
father, for they know full well that the people of the whole
district are greatly attached to him, and that the men of the
whole Puster valley would rise to deliver Anthony Wallner.
It is something else, dearest mother ; come with me into the
• hamber ; there I will tell you all."
She drew her mother hastily into the chamber adjoining
the bar-room and closed the door after her.
" Mother." she said, tremblingly and breathlessly, " listen
to me now. I am sure the Austrians are coming, and if the
men outside hear of it, they will kill all the Bavarians."
"Let them do it," said her mother composedly; "the
mean, sneaking Bavarians have certainly deserved to be
killed after the infamous treatment we have endured at their
1 lands."
" But, mother, there are also good men among them," ex-
claimed Eliza. "You know very. well I am a loyal Tyrolese
girl, and love my emperor dearl}^ for you have taught me
from my earliest youth that it was incumbent on me to do so.
But, mother, there are also good men among the Bavarians.
There is, for instance, Ulrich von Holienberg up at Castle
Weissenstein. You know his cousin has alwaj^s treated me as
a sister ; we have grown up together, and I was allowed to
participate in her lessons and learn what she learned. We
were always together, and even now I have not ceased going
to Castle Weissenstein, although it is garrisoned by a detach-
ment of Bavarian soldiers. Father himself wished me to go
to the young lady as heretofore, for he said it would look sus-
])ici()us if I should stay away all of a sudden. Therefore I
went to see niv der.r friend Eliza von Holienberg every day,
110 ANDREAS UOFKK.
and I always met there her cousin, the ca])tain of the Bavarian
soldiers. He is a very kind-hearted and merry gentleman,
mother, and it is no fault of his that he is a Bavarian. His
father, our castellan's brother, has lived for thirty years past
down at Munich, and his son entered the Bavariaii service
long before he knew that we people of Windisch-Matrey de-
sire to become Austrian subjects again. Now his general sent
him hither with his soldiers foi" the purpose of helping the
officers to collect the taxes and enroll the names of our young
men. Is he to blame for the necessity he is under of obeying
the orders of his general ? "
" No, he is not.'' said her mother, gravely.
'' But when the Austrians come now, and my father and
the other men rise, and expel and kill the Bavarians, they will
kill Ulrich von Hohenberg too, although it is not his fault
that he is a Bavarian. Oh, dearest mamma, he is such a good,
kind-hearted young man ! he is my dear Eliza's cousin and
our castellan's nephew, and you know how well Eliza and her
father have treated me, and that they take care of me, when-
ever I am at the castle, as though I were the castellan's own
child. Dearest mamma, shall we permit our men to kill the
nephew of our excellent castellan ? "
" No, we will not, Lizzie," said her mother, resolutely.
" Quick, run up the footpath loading to the castle. Tell the
young officer that the Tyrolese are going to deliver themselves
from the Bavarian yoke, a^jd that he had better effect his es-
cape while there is time."
" Mother, he will not do it, for he is a brave young man !"
sighed Eliza; ''and then — I cannot betray father's secret to
him. If the Austrians did not come after all, and I had told
Ulrich von Hohenberg what father and the other Tyrolese
intend to do, would 1 not be a traitress, and would not father
curse me ? "
"True, true, that will not do," said her mother musingly ;
" your fallicr would never forgive you. But I know what you
must do. Just run up to the castle and act as though you
wished only to pay a visit to your friend Eliza ; no one knows
as yet what is going to occur. None of your friends have dis-
closed the secret ; and the castellan too, though I think he is
ANTHONY WAMiNKK OK WINDISCIl-MATKEY. HI
a good Austrian at heart, docs not yet know any tiling about
it. Your father tokl me so this very morning. You will
remain at the castle, and so soon as you hear the report of a
rille on the market-place here, you will know that the insur-
rection is breaking out. There is father's rifle ; when it is
time. I will stej) out of the back gate with it and shoot. You
will hear the report, and tell the young ollicer that the Tyro-
lese are going to rise, and that he had better conceal himself
until the first rage of the insurgents has blown over."
"Yes, I will do so," exclaimed Eliza; "I will run up to
the castle now. Good-by, dearest mamma."
She imprinted a kiss on the hand of her mother, and then
sped away as gracefully as a young roe.
"She is a very good girl," said her mothei", looking after
her smilingly, " and has a soft and compassionate heart. She
'vishes to save the castellan's nephew merely because she
pities the young man who is exposed to such imminent dan
ger. It is very kind of her ! It — But, H0I3' Virgin ! what
is the matter outside ? Is the outbreak to commence already ?
T believe it is my Tony who is talking outside in so loud a voice.
I must go and hear what is the matter."
She hastened thi-ough the bar-room to the street-door open
ing upon the market place.
Yes, it was Anthony Wallner-Aichberger who was gesticu-
lating so violently yonder. Round him stood the men of
Windisch-Matre\^, looking with gloomy faces at the three
Bavarian revenue officers who were standing in front of Wall-
ner.
"I repeat it, sir," exclaimed Anthony Wallner at this mo-
ment with an air of mock gravity, "that we aie all very loyal
and obedient subjects, and that it is wrong in you. Mr. Tax-
collector, to call us stubborn, seditious fellows. If we were
such, would we not, being so numerous here, punish you and
your two officers for speaking of us so contemptuously and
disrespectfully ? "
" You know full well that, at a wave of my hand, the com-
pany of soldiei-s will rush down from Castle Weissenstein and
shoot you all as traitors and rebels," said the tax-collector
haughtily.
112 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Well, Mr. Tax-collector;' oxclaimed Walliier, smilingly,
" as for the shooting, we are likewise well versed in that. We
are first-rate marksmen, we Tyrolese ! "
" What ! " cried the tax-collector, furiously, " do you speak
again of Tyrolese ? Did I not forbid you to call yourselves
so ? You are no Tyrolese, but inhabitants of South-Bavaria,
do you hear ? His majesty the King of Bavaria does not want
any T\-rolese as subjects, but only Southern Bavarians, as I
have told you twice already." *
" Very well ; if his majesty does not want any Tyrolese as
subjects, you need not tell us so more than once," exclaimed
Anthony Wallner. "He prefers Southern Bavarians, does
he ? Bear that in mind, Tyrolese ; the King of Bavaria wants
only Southern Bavarians."
" We will bear that in mind," shouted the Tyrolese ; and
loud, scornful laughter rolled like threatening thunder across
the market place.
" You laugh," exclaimed the tax-collector, endeavoring to
stifle his I'age ; " I am glad you are so merry. To-morrow,
perhaps, you will laugh no longer ; for I tell you, if you do
not pay to day the fine imposed on you, I shall have it forci-
bly collected by the soldiers at daybreak to-morrow morning."
'' We must really pay the fine, then ? " asked Anthony
Wallner, with feigned timidity. " You Avill not relent, then,
Mr. Tax-collector ? We really must pay the heavy fine, be-
cause we had a little fun the other day ? For you must say
yourself, sir, we really did no wrong."
" You did no wrong ? You were in open insujTection. On
the birthday of your gracious master the king, instead of hang-
ing out Bavarian flags, as yoii had been ordered, you hung out
Austrian flags everywhere."
" No, Mr. Tax-collector, you did not see right ; we hung
out none but Bavarian flags."
"That is false ! I myself walked through the whole place,
and saw every thing with my own eyes. Your flags did not
contain the Bavarian colors, blue and white, but black and
yellow, the Austrian colors."
"Pos.sibly they may have looked so," exclaimed Anthony
* See " Gallery of Heroes : Life of Andreas Hofer," p. 15.
ANTHONY WALLNHK OF WINDISCU-MATREY. 113
WalliKM-, " l)ut (hut was not our fault. The flaji's wei-o our old
Bavarian Hags : hut they were already somewhat old, the hlu<!
was faded and looked like yellow, and tlie white liad become
quite dii'tj' and looked like black."
"Thunder and lightning! Wallner is right," exclaimed
the Tyrolese, bursting into loud laughter. "The flags were
our old Bavarian flags, but they were faded and dirt^'."
The young lads, who had hitherto stood in groups around
the outer edge of the market-place, now mingled with the
crowd to listen to the speakers ; and a j'oung Tyrolese, with
his rifle on his arm, and his pointed hat over his dark curly
hair, approached with such impetuous curiosity that he sud-
denly stood close to the tax-collector. However, he took no
notice of the olhcer, but looked with eager attention at Wall-
ner, and listened to his words.
But the grim eyes of one of the two bailiffs noticed with
dismay that this impudent fellow dared to place hinjself close
by the side of the tax-collector without taking off his hat.
Striking with his fist on the young fellow's hat, he drove it
deep over his forehead.
''Villain ! " he shouted, in a threatening voice, "do you
not see the tax-collector ? "
The young fellow drew the hat with an air of embarrass-
ment from his forehead, and crimsoning with rage, but in
silence, stepped back into the circle of the murmuring men.
" That is just what you deserve, Joe," said Anthony Wall-
ner. "Why did a smart Tyrolese boy like you come near
us Southern Bavarians when we were talking about public
affairs ? "
At this moment a lad elbowed himself hastily through tht,
crowd. His dress was dusty, his face was flushed and heated,
and it seemed as though he had travelled many iniles on foot.
To those who stood in his way he said in a breathless, panting
voice : "Please stand aside. I have to deliver something to
Anthony Wallner-Aichberger ; I must speak with him."
The men willingly stood aside. Now he was close behind
Wallner, and, interrupting him in his speech, he whispered to
him : "I come from Andreas Hofer ; he sends ycni his greet-
ings and this paper. I have I'un all night to bring it to you."
114 ANDREAS HOFEll.
He handed a folded paper to Wallner, who opened it with
hands ti'embling with impatience.
It was Andreas Hofer's " open order."
Wallner's face brightened up, he cast a fiery glance around
the place filled with his friends, and fixed his flashing eyes
then on the hat of the bailiff uho had rebuked the young
Tyrolese in so overbearing a manner. At a bound he was by
his side, drove the bailiff's round official hat with one blow of
his fist over his head, so that his whole face disappeared in the
crown, and exclaimed in a loud, ringing voice :
'• Villain ! do you not see the Tyrolese ? "
A loud outburst- of exultation greeted Wallner's bold deed,
and all the men crowded around him, ready to protect An-
thony Wallner, and looking at tlie tax-collector with flashing,
threatening eyes.
The latter seemed as if stunned by the sudden change in
Wallner's demeanor, and he looked in dismay at the audacious
innkeeper who was standing close in front of him and staring
at him with a laughing face,
" What does this mean ? " he asked at length, in a tremu-
lous voice.
" It means that we want to be Tyrolese again," shouted
Anthony Wallner, exultingly. ''It means that we will no
longe)' submit to brutal treatment at the hands of j,Quv Bava-
rian bailiffs, and that ive will treat you now as you Boafoks *
have treated us for five years past."
" For God's sake, how have we treated you, then ? " asked
the tax-collector, di'awing back from the threatening face of
Anthony Wallner toward his bailiffs.
" Listen to me, Tyrolese," shouted Anthony Wallner, scorn-
fully, " he asks me how the Bavarians have treated us ! Shall
I tell it to him once more ? "
" Yes, yes, Tony, do so," replied the Tyrolese on all sidcf>.
''Tell it to him, and if he refuses to listen, we will tie him
hand and foot, and compel him to hear what you say."
"Well, Mr. Tax-collector." said Wallner, with mock polite-
ness, " I will tell you, then, how you Bavarians have treated
* JSoafols, tlie nickname whidi the Tyrolese gave to the Bavarians at tliat
time. It signifies " Bavarian pigs."
ANTJIOKY WALLNKR <)V WJ.NDISCM-MATREY. 1 1 .-J
us for four years past, ami only when you know all our griev-
ances will we settle our accounts. Listen, then, to what you
have clone to us, and what we complain of. You have be-
haved toward us as perjured liars and scoundrels, and I will
prove it to you. In the first place, then, in 1805, when, to our
intense grief and regret, our emperor was obliged to cede the
Tyrol to Bavaria, the King- of Bavaria, in a letter which he
wi'ote to us, solemnly guaranteed our constitution and our
ancient i)rivileges and liberties. That is what j^our king prom-
ised in 1805. To be sure, we did not put much coulidence in
what he said, for we well knew that when the big cat wants
to devour the little mouse, it treats the victim at first with
great kindness and throws a small bit of bacon to it ; but
no sooner does the mouse take it than the cat pounces upon its
unsuspecting victim and devours it. And such was our fate
too ; the cat Bavaria wanted to swallow the little mouse Tyrol ;
not even our name Avas to be left to us, and we were to be
called Southern Bavarians instead of Tyroiese. Besides, our
ancient Castle of Tyrol, the sacred symbol of our country, was
dismantled and destroyed. You thought probably we would
forget the past and the history of the Tyrol, and all that we
are, if we no longer saw the Castle of Tyrol, where the dear
Margaret Maultasch solemnly guaranteed to her Tyroiese their
liberties, great jirivileges, and independence, for all time to
come. But all was written m our hearts, and your infamous
conduct engraved it only the more lastingly thereon. You
took from us not only our name, but also our constitution,
which all Tyroiese love as their most precious treasure. The
representative estates were suppressed, and the provincial
funds seized. No less than eight new and oppressive taxes
were imposed, and levied with the utmost rigor ; the very
name of the country, as I said before, was al)o]islied ; and,
after the model of revolutionary France, the Tyi'ol was divided
into the departments of the Inn, the Adige, and the Eisach ;
the passion plays, which formed so large a part of the amuse-
ments of our people, were prohibited ; all pilgrimages to chap-
els or places of extraordinary sanctity wei-e forbidden. The
convents and monasteries were confiscated, and their estates
sold ; the church plate and holy vessels were melted down and
116 ANDREAS HOFER.
disposed of ; the royal property was all brought into the mar-
ket. New imposts were daily exacted without any consulta-
tion with the estates of our people ; specie became scarce frona
the quantity of it which was drawn off to the royal treasury ;
the Austrian notes were reduced to half their value, and the
feelings of our people irritated almost to madness by the com-
pulsory levy of our young men to serve in the ranks of your
army. In this manner you tried to crush us to earth. But I
tell you, we shall rise again, the whole Tyrol will rise and no
longer allow itself to be trampled under foot. You say the
king does not want any Tyrolese as subjects. He shall not
have any, for the Tyrolese want to become again subjects of
their dear Emperor Francis of Austria. Men of the Tyrol,
from Pusterthal, Teffereck, and Virgenthal, you wish to be-
come again subjects of the Emperor Francis, do you not ? "
*' We do, we do ! " shouted the men, uttei'ing deafening
cheers. " Our dear Francis is to become again our lord and
emperor ! Long live the Emperor Francis I "
" Silence ! " cried the tax-collector, pale with rage and dis-
may ; "silence, or I shall send for the soldiers and have every
one of you arrested, and — "
"Be silent yourself !" said Anthony Wallner, seizing him
violently by the arm. " Sir, you are our prisoner, and so are the
two bailiffs yonder. Seize them, my friends, and if they shout
or resist, shoot them down. And if you utter a cry or a word,
Mr. Tax-collector, so help me God if I do not kill you for a
Boafok, as you are ! Keep quiet, therefore, be a sensible man,
and deliver you^ funds to us. Come, men, we will accompany
this gentleman to the tax-collector's office ; and now let us
sing a good Tyrolese song :
" D'Schorgen iind d'Schreiber und d'Richter allsanimt,
Siiid'n Teufel auskomma, druck'n iiberall auf s Land,
Uiid sehlnden Bauern, es is kam zum sog'n,
Es wiir ja koaii Wunder, wir tliiiten's allsamint erschlog n." •
* Song of" the Tyrolese in 1809.— See Mayr, " Joseph Speckbacher," p. 29,
" Tlie pusliing — the writers, and magistrates all,
Possessed by the de\nl, our country enthrall,
And grind the poor peasants ; ala.s, 'tis a shame I
Ko wonder if we too i<hare ruin tlie same."
THE DECLARATION OF LOVE. 117
He concluded with a long and joyous Jodler, and shouted
triumphantly : " Dear brotliren, Andreas Hofer sends you his
greetings, and informs you tliat the Austrians have invaded
the Tyrol. Hurrah, 'tis lime I "
"Yes, 'tis time," murmured Anna Maria, Anthony Wall-
ner s wife, to herself ; " 'tis time for me to give Lizzie the sig-
nal, for the insurrection has broken out."
She liastened into the house, took her husband's old rifle
from the chamber, ran with it out of the back-door of the
house, and fired the signal for her daughter.
" There," she said, returning quietly into the house, " she
will have heard the report, and there is time yet to save him.
I will do noAv what Tony asked me to do. When he sings the
song, I shall take the paper-balls from the table-drawer in the
back-room, give a package to each of the two boys and two
servant-girls, and tell them to go witl) it into the mountains
and circulate the paper-balls everywhere, that the inhabitants
of the whole Pusterthal, from one end to the other, from the
Gross-Glockner to the Venediger and Krimler Tauern, may
learn this very day that it is time, and that the Boafoks are to
be ex])elled from the country. Halloo, boys, come here ! Hal
loo, girls, your mistress wants to speak to you ! "
CHAPTER XI.
THE DECLARATION OF LOVE.
Eliza Wallner, after leaving her mother, had sped with
the utmost rapidity thvougli tlie back-door, across the yard,
through the garden, out of the small gate leading to the
meadow, down the foot-path, up the mountain-road, jumping
from stone to stone, courageous and intrepid as a true daughter
of the Tyrol. Now she stood at the portal of the castle, in
front of which some of the Bavarian soldiers were lying in
idle repose on a bench, while others in the side-wing of the
castle allotted to them were looking out of the windows, and
dreamily hunmiing a Bavarian song, frequently interrupted
by loud yawns.
118 ANDREAS HOFER.
Eliza walked past them witli a slight greeting and entered
the house. The old footman sitting in the hall received her
kindly, and told her, in reply to her inquiry, that the castellan,
old Baron von Hohenberg, had set ovit early in the morning-
for Salzburg to attend court, but that his daughter and her
cousin, Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, were lunching in the
small dining-room up-staii's.
This was all the information Eliza needed ; she nodded to
the footman, and ascended the staircase quickly. The old
footman did not follow her ; he knew that it was unnecessary
for him to announce beautiful Lizzie to his mistress, but that
she always was welcome to her. He therefore sat down again
quietly, and took up the wood-woi*k with which he had been
occupied before.
Eliza reached the dining-room and thi-ew open the door
with a hasty hand ; a blissful smile then overspread her
flushed face, for on the balcony yonder, behind the open glass
door, she beheld the tall slender form of Captain Ulrich von
Hohenberg. She heard him chatting and laughing gayly ;
and through the door she also saw her friend Elza von Ho-
henberg, who was listening to her cousin's words in smiling
repose. Scarcely touching the floor with her feet, she hast-
ened through the room.
" I assure you, cousin," said Elza at this moment, in her
clear, distinct voice, " I believe at times that she is the re-
suscitated Maid of Orleans, and that she will perform heroic
deeds one day. Oh, I know my dear beautiful Eliza Wallner,
and—"
" Do not sx^eak of me, for I am listening to you," exclaimed
Eliza, entering the balcony.
" Ah, my Lizzie," exclaimed Elza, rising and tenderly em-
bracing her friend. '' Have you come at length, my merry,
beautiful lark ? "
" Yes, I have, and I am glad that I am here," said Eliza ;
and her large hazel cj^es turned for a moment smilingly to the
young officer, who, like his cousin, had risen on beholding
Eliza Wallner. He did not utter a word of salutation ; never-
theless, Eliza blushed on meeting his glance, and averted her
eyes timidly from him. turning them toward the distant sum-
THK DECLAUATION OF LOVE. 119
Tiiits of the fjlaciei's wliich were <;litteiiiijj;' around Uie liori/.on
yonder in wondei-ful niajesly.
" You are ^lad that you are here, luy sweet child? Why
did you not come at an eai'lier hour i " asked Elza. '' You are
always expected. My dear silent cousin, she is always ex-
pected, is she not ! "
"Most assuredly she is," said the young captain, witli a
smile ; '' and she is as welcome as the lirst rose of May."
" How impudent you are ! " exclaimed Miss Elza, laufifh-
ing ; " you hid my Lizzie welcome as the hrst rose of May, and
yet I was here before her ! "
"He means only tlie wild hedge-rose, Elza," said Eliza,
smiling archly, " for you know very well that the beautiful
and aristoci-atic roses do not yet bloom in May,"
" Well, tell me, cousin, did you really intend tocompai-e my
darling here with a wild hedge-rose '( " asked Elza.
" Do not answer, sir," exclaimed Eliza, eagerly. " You have
})lundered in trying to flattei' me, aiid that is good. You will
see at length that fine i)hrases amount to nothing, and that
they are colors that fade in tlie sunshine. You had better
spe-ak frankly and honestly to me, for I have often told you
I am a stupid daughter of the Tyrol, and do not know what to
rejdy to such fine city phrases."
" But for all that you are not stupid, my beautiful Eliza,"
said Ulrich von Hohenlierg. " Tn truth, I who comi)are you
witli a rose am not a liar, but he would he who should charge
you with stupidity."
"But if I should, nevertheless, assert that I am stupid,
whom would it cojicern ? " asked Eliza, defiantly.
" Ah, there they are quarrelling again," exclaimed Elza,
laughing. " Come to me, sweet Lizzie ; sit down by my side
on this bench and give me your hand. I am so glad that you
are here, for it always seems to me as though I were a lonely
orphan when my dearest Lizzie, with her pretty face and her
meri-y laughter, is absent from me. Butliere. Lizzie, you
nuist look u]ion me with due awe to-day. for to-day I am not
only your friend and sistei', hut I am — the castellan ! My
father will be absent four days, and I re]^re'*ent him here. He
delegated his whole power to me, and intrusted me with
1<2Q ANDREAS nOFER.
all the keys. Treat me, therefore, with great respect, Liz-
zie."
" That is what I always do, Elza," said Lizzie, tenderly,
pressing the slender white hand of her friend to her lips.
" You are always my better self, and I obey you because I love
you, and I love you because I obey you so gladly ! "
" Well, then, I command you. Lizzie, to be our guest all
day and stay with us until nightfall. Oh, no objections, Liz-
zie ; if you love me, you must obey ! "
" And I obey you willingly, Elza ; only when my father
sends for me, I must go, for you know we must not violate
the fourth commandment ; our worthy priest would never
forgive us."
" When your father sends for you, Eliza, I shall myself go
down to him and beg him to leave you here. Well, then, you
belong to us for the whole day, and we will consider now how
we shall spend this day. Cousin, do not stand there in silence
all the time, staring at the glaciers, but look at us and propose
quickly some excursion for us to make to-day."
" What could I propose ? " asked the young officer, slinig-
ging his shoulders.
•' I submit rather silently and obediently to your proposals,
for Miss Eliza would certainly reject all my proposals merely
because I make them."
Eliza burst into merry laughter. " Elza, dearest Elza," she
exclaimed, '' he calls me ' Miss Eliza ! ' No, sir, let me tell you,
a poor Tyrolese girl like me is no ' miss,' no aristocratic lady ;
people call me Lizzie, only Lizzie ; do not forget that ! "
"People here call her ' beautiful Lizzie,"" said the officer,
in a low voice, casting an admiring glance on the young girl.
" That does not concern you, sir," she replied, blushing like
a crimson rose ; " you do not belong to the people here, and
you must not call me anything but Lizzie, do you hear ? I
think the notions which city folks entertain about beauty are
different from those of peasants like us. We consider the
daisy and the Alpine rose beautiful ; though they are but
small flowers, yet they suit us. However, the city folks laugh
at our taste, and step recklessly on our flowers. They con-
sider only the proud white lilies and the large gorgeous roses
THE DFA'LAKATION OF LOVE. ( t> 1
beautiful flowers. I do not beloug- t(j them, I am only a
daisy ; but my P]lza likes this daisy and fasteus me to her
bosom, and I rest there so soft and sweetly."
She encircled Elza's neck with her arms, leaned her head
against her breast, and looked tenderly up to lier with her
hazel gazelle eyes.
Elza bent over her and kissed her eyes and white foreliead.
Ulrieli v^on Ilohenberg looked at them both with a (oiider,
ardent glance ; thou he averted his head to conceal the crim-
son glow suffusing his cheeks.
At this moment the door opened, and the castellan's over-
seer entered with an air of hui'ry a>id self-importance.
" Miss Elza," he said, " the wood-cutters have brought wood
and are waiting for a i-eceipt. Besides, the head dairy-woman
wishes to see you about the butter which she is to send to
town ; and the cattle-dealer has arrived, and — "
" I am coming, I am coming,'' exclaimed the young lady,
laughing. " Do j'ou see, Lizzie, what an important person I
aui i But for me the whole machine would stand still and
sink in ruins. Fortunately, I am equal to the occasion ; and
set the wheels in motion, and the machine can go on. You
may stay here and consider how we are to amuse ourselves to-
day, lu the mean time I shall regulate our domestic affairs a
little, and when I come back, you will inform me what pleas-
ure you have devised foi' us to-day."
" No, Elza, let nie go with you," begged Eliza, almost anx-
iously, " I shall assist you — "
" You cannot help me outside, Lizzie," said Elza, laughing ;
"but hei'e you can take my place and be my cousin Ulrich's
companion. Be merry, my dear children, until I come
back ! "
She nodded pleasantly to them, took the large bunch of
keys from the table, and swinging it noisily in her hand,
skipped through the room and out of the door.
Lizzie had followed her a few steps ; then, as if arrested by
a sudden thought, she paused and returned slowly to the bal-
cony. She cast a quick glance on the officer, who was leaning
against the wall on one side of the balcony, and, with his
arms folded on his breast, did not avert his eves from her.
9
122 ANDREAS HOFER.
Eliza gave a start and withdrew to the other side of the
balcony. There she sat down on the bench like a timid little
bird, and allowed her eyes to wander dreamily and thought-
fully over the landscape. And, indeed, the view which they
enjoyed from the balcony was wondrously beautiful. On one
side extended the splendid valley, with its meadows clad in
the freshest verdure of spring, its foaming white mountain-
torrents, its houses and huts, which disappeared gradually in
the violet mists bordering the horizon. On both sides of the
valley rose the green w'ooded heigbts, interspersed here and
there with small verdant pastures and clearings, on which
handsome red cows were grazing or lying in majestic repose.
Behind the clearings black pines and firs dotted the slopes,
which, however, in their more elevated portions became more
and more bare ; where the trees ceased, appeared here and
there again green pastures, and on them, gray and small, like
birds' nests, the huts of the mountain cow-keepers, who, the
most advanced sentinels, as it were, were guarding the fron-
tiers where the war between nature and man commences, the
frontiers of the snowy region and the world of glaciers. Be-
hind the cow-keepers' huts flashed already masses of snow
from several mountain-gorges ; farther above, the snow had
spread its white silver veils far and wide over all the moun-
tain-peaks, so that they glittered and sparkled with indesci'ib-
able beaiity in the bright morning sun, and loomed like
swans' necks up to the azure sky.
Below, in the foreground of the valley, at the foot of Castle
Weissenstein, lay the village of Windisch-Matrey, with its
scattering groups of handsome houses, from whose midst
arose the church, with its tall, pointed steeple. From the
standpoint which she occupied, Eliza was able to distinctly
survey the market-place and its crowds of men, which, in the
distance, resembled busy black ant-hills. She gazed upon
them fixedly, and the small specks seemed to her practised eye
like human forms ; she thought she could distinguish several
of them, and, among others, the tall and powerful form of her
father ; she thoiight —
" Eliza," said all at once a low voice by lier side — " Eliza, you
do not want to see me, then ? You are still angry with me ? "
THE DECLARATION' OK LOVE. \2o
She gave a start, and crimsoned, when, on looking- up, she
saw young Uh'ich von Ilohenljorg standing close iu front of
her, and gazing at her with ardent and beseecliiug eyes.
*' No, sir," she said, '' 1 really did not see you."
"That is to say, Eliza, you are still angry with me?" he
asked, eagerly. "Yon are silent, you avert your head. My
God ! Eliza, wliat did I do, then, to incur your anger ? "
"Not nuich, perhaps, for city folks, but by far too much
for a poor peasant-girl," she said, with eyes flashing proudly.
"You told me you loved me, you tried forcibly to embrace
and kiss me, and begged me to go up early in the morning to
the yellow grotto, where you would wait for me. You told
me further not to say a word about it to anybody ; it should
remain a secret between you and me, and I should not even
mention it to the priest at the confessional. That was not
honest of you, sir ; nay, it was bad of you to try and pei-suade
me to such mean things. It showed me that you cannot be a
good man, and that j-our friendship for me is prompted by evil
intentions."
" I do not feel any friendship for you, none whatever," said
the young man ardently, seating liimself by her side, seizing
her hand in spite of her resistance, and pressing it to his heart.
"I do not want to be your friend, my sweet, beautiful, wild
Alpine rose ; no, not your friend, but your lover. And I com-
mence by loving you with intense ardor, by desiring and long-
ing for nothing, and thinking of nothing l)ut you alone. Oh,
Eliza, believe me, I love you intensely — by far more than
Elza, more than your parents, more than all your friends to-
gether."
" More, perhaps, but not better," she said, shaking her head,
and gently withdrawing her hand from him.
"No, let me keep your hand 1" he exclaimed hastily, seiz-
ing it again ; " let me keep it, Eliza, for I tell you I love you
better too than all the others ; I love you with my soul, with
my heart, with my blood, with my life ! Oh, believe me,
sweet, lovely child ; believe me and give me your heart ; fol-
low me, and l»e mine — mine foreverniore ! I will give you a
happy, brilliant, and beautiful existence ; I will lay at your
feet all the pleasures, enjoyments, and charms of this world — "
124 ANDREAS IIOFER.
" Sir," interrupted Eliza, hastily, jumping up, and fixing
her eyes upon him with a strange, ardent expression, " I hoi)e
I understand you right, and my ears do not deceive me ? You
offer me your hand ? You want to marry me and make me
your wife ? "
The young man gave a slight start and dropped his eyes.
Eliza saw it, and a sarcastic smile played round her lips.
" Why do you not speak ? " she said. " Reply to me. Did I
understand you ? Did you make serious proposals of marriage
to me ? Will you go down to my father this very day and
say to him : " Listen, sir. I, the aristocratic gentleman, I, Cap-
tain Ulrich von Hohenberg, want to marry your daughter
Lizzie. I think this country girl, with her manners, her lan-
guage, and bearing, is well fitted to associate with my aris-
tocratic and distinguished family, and my parents in Munich
would be overjoyed if I should bring to them this Tyrolese
girl as their daughter-in-law, and a brow^n cow and a white
goat as her dower.' Tell me, sii', will you go down to my dear
father, the innkeeper of Windisch-Matrey, and say that to
him?"
" But, Eliza," sighed the young man, mournfully, " if you
loved me only a little, you would not immediately think of
marriage, but would forget every thing else, allow your whole
past to sink into oblivion behind you, and think of nothing
but the fact that I love you intensely, and that you return my
love."
"But I do not admit at all that I love you," said Eliza,
proudly ; " on the contrary, you alone say and swear that you
love me, and I reply that I do notbeliev^e you."
" And why do you not believe me, cruel, beautiful girl ? "
" Because you utter so many fine phrases which amount
to nothing at all. You tell me that you are very fond of me,
but I think if you love any body with all your heart, you
must be anxious to preserve him from misfortune, and do all
you can to make him happy, even though it were at the ex-
pense of yoiir own happiness. But you, sir, do not intend to
make me happy •, on the contrary, you are bent on plimging
me into misery and disgrace, and that is the reason why I
contend that you do not love me."
THE DECLARATION' OF LOVE. 125
"Theu you have a heart of stone," cried Uh'icli von Ho-
lienbei'g, despairingly ; '" you will not see what I am suffer-
ing, nor how intensely I love you."
" Sir," said she, smiling, " if I cannot comprehend it, pray
explain to me how you love me."
" I love you as the most beautiful, lovely, arid charming
creature I have ever known and adtnii'ed. I love you as a
girl whose innocence, naturalness, and goodness, fill my heart
with ecst^i-sy and profound emotion ; by whose side I should
like to spend my whole life, and united with whom I should
wish to seek for a lonely island of happiness to dream there-*
remote from the world, it« prejudices and follies— a sweet,
blissful love-life, from which only^ death would arouse us."
'' Sir, if you really love me in this manner, you need not run
away with me to seek elsewhere in foreign lands the ' lonely
island of happiness,' as you call it, for in that case you would
liave it round you wherever we might be, and, above all
things, here in our mountains. But, look, it is just as I said ;
you are desirous to find a ' lonely^ island of happiness ' — that
is to say, nobody is to find out that the aristocratic gentleman
loves the poor Tyrolese girl, and that is the reason why you
want us to hide in the mountains or elsewhere, and see if we
can bo happy without the blessing of the priest, our dear
parents, and all other good men."
" Oh, Eliza, have mercy on me. I swear to you that I love
you intensely ; that I would be the happiest of men if I could
marry you publicly and make you my wife in the face of the
whole world, that — "
Eliza interrupted him by singing with a smiling air, and
in a merry, ringing voice :
" Und a Bisserle Lieb' und a Bisserle Treu'
Und a Bisserle Palschheit ist all'zeit dabei ! " *
"No, no falsehood," cried Ulrich, "only the irksome, ter-
rible necessity, the — "
The loud crash of a rifle, finding an oft-repeated echo in
* " And 11 hit nf lovi', and a bit of truth,
And a bit of falsolidod, make life, forsooth I "
126 ANDREAS HOFER.
the mountains, interrupted him. Eliza uttered a cry of dis-
may and jumped up.
" Jesus Maria I " she murmured in a low voice, " it is the
signal. It has commenced ! "
" What ! What has commenced ? " asked the young man,
in surprise.
Eliza looked at him with confused and anxious eyes.
" Nothing, oh, nothing at all," she said, in a trenmlous voice.
" Only — I mean " — she paused and looked with fixed attention
down on the large place. She distinctly saw the groups mov-
ing rapidly to and fro^and then pouring with furious haste
through the streets.
"They are coming up here." she murmured ; and her eyes
turned toward the wing of the castle on the side of the bal-
cony, where the Bavarian soldiers had their quarters. The
latter, however, apparently did not suspect the imminent
danger. They were sitting at the windows and smoking or
cleaning their muskets and uniforms. Eliza could hear them
chatting and laxaghing in perfect tranquillitj-.
"Well, Eliza, beautiful, cruel girl,' asked Ulrich von Ho-
henberg, " will you tell me what has suddenly excited you so
strangely ? "
" Nothing, sir, oh, nothing," she said ; but then she leaned
far ovei- the railing of the balcony and stared down ; she be-
held four young Tyrolese sharpshooters running up the castle-
hill at a furious rate, and the host of their comrades following
them. The four who led the way now entered the court-yard,
and reached with wild bounds the large door forming the en-
trance of the wing of the building occupied by the soldiers.
With thundering noise they .shut it, turned the large key
which was in the lock, and drew it immediately out.
Two sharp-shooters now ran up from the opposite side.
" We have locked the back-gate," they shouted exultingly.
" That door is locked too," replied the others, jubilantly.
" They are all prisoners in the castle ! "
"Sir," cried Eliza, drawing Ulrich von Hohenberg back
from the balcony, " you may come with me into the dining-
room ; I must tell you something."
" No," he said, " I shall stay here and see what is the mat-
THE DECLARATION OF LoVE. 127
tcr. What does lliis mean ? More than fifty Tyroloso are
entering the courtyard ; and why did those mad young fel-
lows lock the door upon my soldiers ? ''
" I suppose it is some mad freak of theirs, that is all, " said
Eliza, trembling. "' Come, dear sir, leave the balcony and
follow mc into the room. I wish to tell you something —
quite secretly, sir,— oh, come ! I do not want heaven and
God and the snow-clad mountains yonder to hear a word of
it."
" Eliza," he exclaimed, transported, " how you smile, how
you blush ! Oh, my God, what do you wish to say to me ? "
She encircled his arm with her hands and drew him into
the room. " Listen,'' she said, looking at him with imi)loring
eyes, "if it is true tliat you love me give me, a proof of it and
swear (hat you will do what i sluill request of you ! "
' I love you, Eliza, and will prove it to you. I swear,
therefore, to do what you shall request of me."
"Thank you, thank you," she exclaimed, joyfully. "• Now
come Avith me ; I will conduct you under the roof ; I know of
a hiding-i)lace there where no one will find j'ou, and you v»-il1
swear to me to stay there until I come to you with a suit of
clothes which you will put on. Thereupon I shall conduct
you in the dead of night into the mountains, and thus you
wull escape."
" Escape ? Never ! And why, then ? ''
"Sir, because the peasants will assassinate you if you re-
main."
The young oflicer burst into loud laughter. "They will
assassinate me ? Ah, I have my soldiers and my own arms,
and am not afraid of the peasants. My soldiers would soon
put down the insurgents if they should really rebel to-mor-
row."
"Sir, they will not wait until to-morrow; they have al-
ready risen ; the insurrection has commenced this veiy hour.
Oh, thank God, you did not find out what was going on ;
you felt so secure in your pride and despised the Tyrolese so
much that you did not fear them.* But I tell you now, the
* Tlie Tyrolese kept the secret of their iiiteiulcd in.^urreetion .so well, and
the Bu viiriaii.s were, .^o overbearing and careles.s, tliat they did not know any
128 ANDREAS HOFER.
insurrection has broken out ; the whole Tyrol is rising ; all
our people are in commotion from Innspruck down to Salz-
burg. You can no longer prevent or stifle it. You must
submit. Save yourself, then, sir ; you have sworn to gi'ant
my request, and you must keep your word."
"' No, I cannot and will not ! I must do my duty. Let mo
go, Eliza ! I must go ! I must go to my soldiers ! "
" You can no longer reach them, for they have locked them
up. Come, you must save yourself ! "
She seized his arm with superhuman strength, and- tried to
draw him away, but he disengaged himself and rushed toward
the door. But Eliza was quicker than he ; she bounded for-
ward like an angry lioness, and just as Ulrich was about to
seize the knob, she stood before the door and pushed him
back.
*' T shall not permit you to leave the room," she cried.
"You must kill me first; then you may go."
" Eliza, I cannot stay. I imploi'e you, let me go out. My
honor, my good name, are at stake. You say the peasants
have risen in insurrection, my soldiers are locked up. and you
think I could be cowardly and miserable enough to conceal
myself and surrender mj'^ name to well-deserved disgrace ?
Let me go out, Eliza; have mercy upon me ! Do not compel
me to remove you forcibly from the door ! "
"Ah," cried Eliza, with scornful laughter, "you think I
will step back from the door and let you go to kill my father
and my brothers ? Listen, sir ; you said you loved me. G ive
me a proof of it. Let me go out first, let me speak with my
father — only three words ! Perhaps I may persuade him to
release your soldiers and go home with his friends."
"Very Avell, I will prove to you that I love you. Go down,
Eliza, speak with your father. I give you ten minutes' time;
that is to say, I sacrifice to you ten minutes of my honor."
Eliza uttered a cry of joy; she encircled Ulrich's neck im-
petuously with her arms and imprinted a glowing kiss on his
forehead.
thing about the plans of the insurf^ents until the day of the rising, and on
that day they tried to levy contributions by force of arms. — See " Gallery of
Heroes : Andreas Ilofer," p. 50.
FAREWELL! 120
" Farewell, sir," she whispered, " farewell, and God bless
you !
Then she pushed him back, hastened to the door, threw it
open, and sprang out. She closed the door carefully beliind
her, locked it with a firm and quick hand, drew the key from
the lock, and concealed it in her bosom.
" Holy Virgin, I thank Thee ! " she exclaimed, joyfully.
"He is saved, for the room has no other outlet, and the bal-
cony is too high for him to jump down."
CHAPTER Xn.
FAREWELL !
She sped as gracefully and quickly as a gazelle down the
corridor. In the large hall into which it led stood Elza, sur^
rounded by more than twenty Tyrolese sharpshooters, with
whom she was talking in a loud, animated voice. Her cheeks
were verj^ pale, her lips wei'c quivering, but her eyes flashed
courageously, and, notwithstanding the paleness of her face,
it did not betray the least anxiety or terror.
" Have you considered well what you are going to do, men
of the Puster valley ?" she asked, in a clear, full voice. " Do
you know that you are about to rebel against your govern-
nuMit and your king, and that the rebels will be judged and
piuiislied with the full rigor of the law ?"
" But the Bavai'ians will not judge us, for we shall drive
tiiem from the country," shouted the Tyrolese. " We do not
want a king nor a Bavarian government; we want to get back
our Emperor Francis and our old constitution."
"But you will not succeed," said Elza; "you are too
weak against them. There are too many of them and
too few of you ; they have cannon, and you have nothing but
your rifles, and there are many of you w^ho have not even a
"rifle."
"But we have our God and our emperor, and those two
^ill hel)> us. The Auslrians. as Andreas Hofer has written to
130 ANDREAS IIOFER.
us, are ali-eady in the couutry, and all the people are rising to
drive the French and Bavarians from the coimtry."
"It is so. Elza," said Eliza, encircling her friend's neck with
her arm. " I know you — I know tliat you are a loyal daughter
of the Tyrol, and you will be glad to see our dear country de-
livered from the foreign yoke and restored to the good Em-
peror Francis."
'* But. Lizzie, think of my poor cousin Ulrich," whispered
Elza to her. '' He will defend himself to the last drop of his
blood."
" He is unable to do so," whispered Lizzie, with a cheerful
smile. " I have locked him up in the dining-room, and the
key is here in my bosom. Ulrich cannot get out, therefore,
and though he is furious and grim, he must remain in the
room like a mouse in a trap."
" That reassures me," said Elza, smiling, " and I understand
now, too, why my father acted in the mannei' he did. He
doubtless suspected what would occur here, and got rid of
all responsibility, leaving me entirely free to choose between
my Bavarian relative and my Tyrolese countrymen. Here
is my hand, Anthony Wallner ; I am a loj^al daughter of
the Tyrol, and shout with you, ' Long live our Emperor Fran-
cis!'"
"Hurrah, long live our Emperor Francis I" shouted the
Tyrolese. " Long live Miss Elza, the loyal daughter of the
Tyrol ! "
"Thank you," said Elza, smiling. "I think I shall prove
my loyalty when dangers and war beset us. I shall establish
here in the castle a hospital for our wounded, and the women
of Windisch-Matrey will assist me, scrape lint, and help me
to nuT'se the wounded. For without wounds and bloodshed
we shall not recover our independence, and the Bavarians will
not suffer them.selves to be driven from the couutry without
offering the most obstinate resistance. Have you considered
that well, my fi'iends ? "
" We have ; we are prepared for every thing," said An-
thony, joyously. " We will suffer death rather than give up
our emperor and our dear Tyrol. We do not want to become
Southern Bavarians, but v/e will remain Tyrolese, and defend
FAREWELL! 131
our constitution and our liboi'ty to the last drop of our blood.
Will we not, my friends ?"
" Yes, sve will," shouted the Tyrolese.
"And as for the Bavarians, we are not afraid of them,"
said Wallner, firmly. "All tlie functionaries have alreadj'
liuinbly submitted to the freemen of the Tyrol. They have
surrendered with their wives and children, delivered their
funds at our demand, and are now guarded in their official
dwellings by our men. And as for the Bavarian soldiers at
tlie castle here, we need not be afraid of them either, for we
have locked them up, like badgers in their holes, and they
cannot get out of the door."
" But if they cannot get out of the door, they will jump out
of the windows," said Elza, "and offer the most determined
resistance."
" We shall see if they can," exclaimed Wallner, energet-
ically. " We must get through with them right away. Come,
men, we uuist see to the Boafoks.'''
And Anthony Wallner, followed by his shai-j^shooters,
hastened out into the coui't-yard. Large numbers of armed
men had assembled there in the mean time ; even married
women and young girls, carried away by the universal enthu-
siaom, had armed themselves and came to take an active part
in the struggle for the fatherland and the emperoi-. All
shouted and cheered in wild confusion, all swore to remain
true to the fatherland and the emperor to their last bi-eath.
The .soldiers looked on Avonderingly, and watched in breath-
less iri-esolution for their captain from the windows.
At this moment, Anthony Wallner and a number of cour-
ageous sharpshooters took position in front of the windows.
"Soldiers," he shouted, in a thundering voice, "surrender !
you are our prisoners ! Surrender, throw your muskets and
fire-arms out of the windows, and we will open the door of
your prison and allow you to return to Bavaria."
The soldioi-s made no reply, but leaned far out of the win-
dows and shouted : " Captain ! Where is our captain ? "
" Here I am 1 " shouted a powerful voice above the heads of
the Tyrolese ; and, looking up in great surprise, they beheld
on tlie balcony young Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg. with a
132 ANDREAS IIOFER.
pale face, his features distorted with rage and grief, and
stretching out his right arm, with his flashing sword menac-
ingly toward the Tyrolese.
" Great God ! " murmured Eliza, clinging anxiously to El-
za's arm, " if he resists, he is lost."
"Here I am, my brave soldiers !" shouted Ulrich von Ho-
henberg a second time. " Come to me, my brave lads ! I
have been locked up here ; hence, I cannot come to you.
Come up to me, then. Knock the doors in, and deliver your
captain. "
" First, let them deliver themselves, sir," shouted Wallner
up to him. He then turned once more to the soldiers. "Lis-
ten to what I am going to say to you in the name of my coun-
trymen, in the name of the whole Tyrol," he shouted. " For
four long years you have oppressed and maltreated us : you
have insulted, humiliated, and mortified us every day. But
we are Christians, and will not revenge ourselves ; we want
only our rights, our liberty, and our emperor. Therefore, if
you submit willingly and with good grace to Avhat cannot be
helped, we will let you depart without ijunishing or injuring
you in any way, and allow you to return to your accursed
Bavaria. But first you will have to do two things, to wit :
throw all your muskets out of the windows, and swear a sol-
emn oath that you will no longer bear arms against the Tyr-
olese."
" You will never swear that oath, soldiers," shouted Ulrich
von Hohenberg from his balcony. " You will keep the oath
which you swore to your king and commander-in-chief. You
will not incur the disgrace of surrendering to a crowd of rebel-
lious i)easants ! "
" No, no, we will not," shouted the soldiers to him ; and
tliereupon they disappeared from the upper floor, and soon re-
appeared in dense groups at the windows of the lower story.
Tliese windows were only five feet above the ground, and they
were therefore able to jump out of them.
" Shoot down the first soldier who jumps out of the win-
dow ! " cried Anthony Wallner to his sharpshooters.
The soldiers took no notice of his threats ; a soldier ap-
peared in each of the windows ready to risk the leap. One of
FAREWELL! 133
tlioni, more affile and intro])i(l than the others, was the fii-st to
jump down. Scarcely liad his feet touehed the ground, when
a riHe crashed and a cloud of white smoke enveloped every
thing for a moment. When it disappeared, tii(> Bavarian sol-
dier was seen to writhe on the ground in the agony of death,
while one of the Tyrolese sharpshooters was quietly reloading
liis rifle.
But now crashed another shot, and the Tyrolese rifleman,
pierced through the heart, reeled hack into the arms of his
fi-iends with the last groan of death.
" Soldiers," cried Ulrich von Hohenberg, raising his dis-
charged gun triumphantly, " I have avenged the death of
your comrade. Now forward, jump down ! Forward for
yoiu* honor and j'our king 1 ''
"Yes, forward for our honor and our king ! '' shoiited the
soldiers, and one of them jumped out of each of the windows.
Another shot was fired from the balcony, and wounded
one of the Tyrolese sharpshooters.
Wild cries of rage filled the court-yai'd, all eyes turned
menacingly to the balcony. But Ulrich von Hohenberg had
stepped back into the room, and nobody saw that' he was re-
loading his fowling-piece, which, with his hunting-pouch and
powder-horn, had hung in the dining-room.
• I shall defend myself until my soldiers come to deliver
me," he said courageously to himself. Thereupon he moved
the large tahle from the room to the l)alcony, ])laced it on its
side, and leaned it against the railing ; on the other side of
the balcony he placed the bench in the same manner, and,
protected behind this three-cornered barricade from the bullets
of the Tyrolese, he pushed his gun into the aperture betw^een
the bench and the table, and lired again.
Furious cries again Tilled the court-yard, for the captain's
shot had disaljled another Tyrolese. The women wailed and
lamented loudly, the men uttered fiei'ce imprecations, and
lifted their clinched fists menacingly toward the balcony.
The soldiers had withdrawn from the windows, and were de-
liberating with their officers as to the course which they were
to adopt. A defence was almost impossible, for, although they
had their side-arms and carbines, they could not do any thing
134 ANDREAS HOFER.
with the former before reaching tlie ground and engaging in
a liand-to-hand fight with the peasants ; and thecarl)ines were
utterly useless, as noaniniunition had been distributed among
them, the cartridges being in the captain's room in the main
part of the castle.
" Ten of you will enter the castle," commanded Anthony
Wallner now. '' You will take the captain ijrisoner, and if he
refuses to surrender, shoot him down as he has shot three of
our brethren."
Ten of the most courageous sharpshooters stepped from the
ranks and rushed into the castle.
'* He is lost ! " murmured Eliza Wallner, with pale lips,
and she sank on her knees by the side of her friend Elza.
Now were heard resounding in the castle the thundering
blows which the Tyrolese struck with the butt-ends of their
rifles against the door of the room where Ulrich von Hohen-
berg was locked up.
" The door is old and worni-eatefl, it will give way," sighed
Elza, and she hastened resolutely towai^d Anthony Wallner,
who was just calling again on the soldiers with cool intrepid-
ity to surrender to him.
" Anthony Wallner," she said, in a soft, suppliant voice,
" you will not stain your great and sacred cause by cowardly
murder. You will never think of killing in my father's own
house his relative and g-uest ? "
" Let him surrender ; no harm will befall him then," cried
Anthony Wallner, in a harsh, stern voice. " He has shed the
blood of our men, and if he is killed, it will be done in a fair
fight. Leave us now, miss ; the struggle between the Tyrolese
and the Boafoks has commenced ; look at the corpses yonder,
and say for yourself whether we can retrace our steps, and — "
A loud, thundering crash, followed by triumphant cheers,
resounded in the castle.
" They have opened the door," murmured Eliza, still on her
knees. " Holy Virgin, protect him, or he is lost I "
A shot cra.shed in the dining-room, a cloud of white smoke
issued from the open balcony doors, and a loud cry, accom-
panied by wild imprecations, was heard.
" He has shot another Tyrolese, you will see that he has ! "
TIIK imiDKGUOOM. 135
shouted Wallner, raising his clinched fists raenacLngh' toward
the balcony.
The cries drew nt^arer aiul nearer, and now Captain Ulrich
von Hohenberg', his features j)ale and distorted with rage,
rushed out on the balcony.
"Surrender ! " shouted the Tyi;plese, pursuing him.
'" Never ! " he cried. '' I will die sooner than surrender to
a rabble of peasants like you."
And forgetful of the dangers besetting hini, and in the de-
spair of his rage and grief, the captain jusuped from the bal-
cony into the midst of the ci-owd in the court-yard.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BRIDEGROOM.
WllJ) shouts were heard now, and a great commotion arose
among the Tyi<)lese. The bold deed of the Bavarian had sur-
])rised and confused them ; they had forgot the soldiers for a
moment, and i-iveted their whole attention on the captain.
He was uninjured, for, in jumping down, he had fallen on
the backs of two Tyrolese, dragged them down with him. and
thus broken the violence of the fall.
Before the two men, stunned by their sudden fall, had re-
covered from their surprise, Ulrich was again on his feet, and,
drawing his sword, cleared himself a passage througli the
quickly-receding crowd.
" Come to me, my soldiers, come to me ! " he shouted, in a
panting voice.
" Here we are, captain," cried twenty soldiers, driving the
crowd back with powerful strokes. They had pi-ofited by the
favorable moment when the windows had not been watched,
and had jumped to the ground.
Now followed a hand-to-hand struggle of indescribable fury.
Nothing was heard but the wild imprecations and shouts of
the fighting, the shrieks and groans of the wounded and the
screams of the women and ehildien.
13G ANDREAS HOFER.
But amidst the struggle and the general confusion An-
thony Wallner did not lose his presence of mind. He had
posted twenty sharpshooters in front of the windows, behind
which the soldiers were standing, and, with rifles raised, they
threatened death to all who should dare to approach the win-
dows. Hence, the soldiers had retired into the back part of
the rooms, and were deliberating on the course which they
were to pui'sue. But their faces wei-e anxious and irresolute,
and they whispered to each other : " If our captain should fall,
nothing remains for us but to sui'render."
But their captain had not yet fallen ; he still lived and
defended himself courageously, surrounded by his soldiers,
against th(; Tyi-olese, who attacked him furiously and parried
the sabre-strokes with the butt-ends of their I'ifles, but had
no room, and did Jiot dare to shoot at him, for fear of hitting
in the wild melee one oi their own men instead of their enemy.
But the odds were too great ; six of the soldiers had al-
ready been knocked down by the butt-ends of the Tyrolese
rifles. The Tyrolese had \%'rested the sabres from the hands of
the fallen soldiers, and had rushed with them upon their com-
rades. Then followed a furious hand-to-hand struggle. The
fumes of the blood flowing on the ground, the shouts of the
combatants, the hatred and fury with which the enemies
stood face to face, had filled their hearts with boundless fe-
rocity. Nobody gave, nobody asked quarter. Under the butt-
end blows of the Tyrolese, the Bavarians sank to the ground
with a glance of hatred ; pierced by the swords of the Bava-
rians, the Tyrolese fell, with an imprecation on their lips.
Ulrich von Hohenberg was still holding his ground ; his
sword had spread destruction and death around him ; he
was still encouraging his soldiers with loud shouts, but his
voice was beginning to grow faint, and his blood was running
from a terrible wound in his shoulder.
"To the rescue, soldiers ! " he shouted now with a last
effort; "do not suft'er your captain to be slain by miserable
peasants. To the rescue ! help me or shoot me, that I may
die an honorable death, and not be assassinated by the trai-
tors."
" I will comply with your wishes,'* cried Anthony Wall-
TIIK URIDEGROOM. 137
ner, rusliing into the midst of the hh)otly ineUe close up to
the eaptuin ; " yes, you shall die ; I will put au end to youi-
life ! "
And liis anil, hrandishing the sword of a fallen Bavarian,
rose thrcateiiiui^ly ahove Ulrich's head, while two other Tyr-
olese rushed upon him from behind with furious shout.s.
At this moment two hands clutched Wallner's arm con-
vulsively, and a loud, anxious voice exclaimed :
" Father, do not kill him ! He is my bridegroom ! "
"Her bridegroom !" echoed the Tyrolese, starting back in
surprise.
"Your bridegroom?" asked Anthony Wallner, casting a
look of dismay on his daughter Eliza, who was standing in
front of her father, i)ale, with flashing eyes, encircling Ul-
rich's neck with one arm, lifting up the other menacingly,
and staring at her fathei- with a resolute and defiant expres-
sion.
"Away from him, Lizzie ! " cried Wallner, furiously ; " I
cannot believe that my child will inflict on me the disgrace
of loving a Bavarian."
" Yes, I love liim," exclaimed Eliza, with glowing cheeks.
" If you wish to kill him, you must kill me first, for we have
sworn to live and die together. He is ray bridegroom, father,
and shall become my husband, so help me God ! ''
" No, never I " o-ied Ulrich von Hohenberg, trying to dis-
engage himself from Eliza. " Never can the peasant-girl be-
come my wife ! Begone, Eliza, I have nothing further to do
with you.''
"And still you swore a few minutes ago that you loved
nothing on earth more dearly than me alone," said Eliza, in
a loud voice, "and you implored me to go with you and re-
main always by your side ?"
" But never did I say that I would marry you," exclaimed
Ulrich, pale with rage, and still trying to disengage himself
from Eliza's arm.
"You would not marry her !" cried Anthony Wallner;
"you intended only to dishonor her, my proud Bavarian gen-
tleman ? You thought a Tyrolese peasant-girl's honor au ex-
cellent pastime, but you would not marry her ?"
10
13S ANDREAS ITOFER.
" Father, father," cried Eliza, beseechingly, clinging firmly
to Ulrich's side, '' father, I love him and cannot live without
liim. He is my bridegroom !"
■' No, no 1 " shouted XJlrich, and a wild imprecation against
Eliza burst from his lips.
The Tyrolese in the mean time had long since overpowered
the few soldiers, and, attracted by the strange scene, crowded
around the curious group ; only the twenty sharpshooters
were still standing with rifles raised in front of the windows
of the imprisoned soldiers, and watching them with threaten-
ing eyes.
Anthony Wallner had dropped his arm and looked down
musingly ; on hearing the captain's insulting words, he gave
a shout and lifted up his face flushed with pride and indig-
nation.
" Just listen to the traitor, brethren ! " he said in the cold,
quiet tone which only the most profound exasperation im-
parts to the human voice. " First he turned the girl's head
and heai"t by the protestations of his love, causing her even to
foi'get her father and her Tyrol ; and now he insults her and
refuses to man-y her ! "
"He said it only in his rage, father, but he loves nie after
all." exclaimed Eliza, clinging to the captain notwithstanding
his resistance, and trying to wrest his sword from him.
" Begone, Eliza ! " cried Ulrich, " or " He pushed her
violently from him, and quickly raised his sword against her.
But two Tyrolese prevented him from carrying out his fell
design by rushing upon him, seizing his arm with Herculean
strength, wresting the sword from his hand, throwing the
weapon far away, and exclaiming triumphantly : '' Now sur-
render, Bavarian ! You are our prisoner."
'' Then shoot me at least," shouted Ulrich, beside himself
with rage ; " shoot me, I say ; death is preferable to the dis-
grace of being a prisoner of such miserable rabble."
" Hush, beloved, for God's sake, hush ! " said Eliza, cling-
ing to him tenderlj-
He pushed her violently from his side. " Begone, hypo-
critical wench ! " he shouted in a paroxysm of fury ; " I do
not want to have any thing to do with you ! "
TIIK BKIDEGROOM. 139
" But you shall have something to do with her," said An-
thony Walluer, with proud calinness. " The girl says that she
loves you, and that you pi-omised to inai-ry her. It was had
in you to persuade her behind the backs of her parents and
infatuate her poor heart, and you shall be punished now for
your infamy. You shall marry Lizzie. The proud and
wealthy baron who despises the Tyrolese peasants so much
shall now marry the Tyrolese peasant-girl.''
" Yes, yes, that is right," exclaimed the Tyrolese exulting-
ly ; "the proud baron shall marry the Tyrolese peasant-girl."
" Let us go down to the village, then," said Anthony Wall-
ner ; " our curate shall marry them immediately at the
church ; and then let the two leave the place as quickly as
possible, and beware of ever returning to Windisch-Matrey ;
for never shall the wife of the Bavarian Captain Ulrich von
Plohenberg dare to say that slxe is Eliza Wallnei-. daughter of
the Tyrolese Anthony Wallner-Aichberger, the innkeeper of
Windisch-Matrey. I have no longer a daughter— I tear her
from my heart, as she tore honor, righteousness, and faith
from hers."
Eliza called two Tyrolese with an impetuous wave of her
hand to her side. " Hold him," she said, pointing to Ulricb,
who. pale and tottering, exhausted from his superhuman
(efforts and loss of blood, was scarcely able to stand on his
feet ; ''hold him. I must speak to my father."
She hastened to him, seized l)oth his hands despite his re-
sistance, and drew his face so close to hers that his hot, pant-
ing breath touched her cheek ; but he averted his eyes with
a gloomy expression and avoided meeting her fiery glances,
'' You do not want to know me. father I " she asked mourn-
fulh'. " You avert your eyes from your Lizzie, whom you
called only yestertlay your dear, brave Tyrolese girl ?"
" You are no child of mine, you are no Tyrolese girl," ex-
claimed her father, angrily and mournfully. " You want to
marry the Bavarian, and become an aristoci-atic lady."
" It is all the same to me whether Ulrich yonder is an
aristocratic gentleman or not," said Eliza, shaking her head
px'oudly ; " I love him only becau.^e he pleases me so well, and
because he loves me so fondly and ai*dently. But, father, you
140 ANDREAS HOFER.
must not say that I am no true daughter of the Tyrol, and do
not love the fatherland. I will prove to all of you that I do
love it; and to Ulrich yonder, who wished to persuade me to
run away with him secretly, and who must marry me now to
atone for it, I will prove likewise that T am no baroness although
I love him, and that I do not love his king and his brilliant
uniform, but that I will remain loyal to my emperor alone.
Listen to me, therefore, father, and all of you : Ulrich von
Hohenberg is my bridegroom, and therefore you shall not
kill him, nor do him any harm, but convey him as a prisoner
to my father's house, not for the purpose of being married to
me, but to be kept and nursed as a wounded prisoner. I
sw^ear by the Lord God and the Holy Virgin, T will not marry
him till we have conquered, till all Bavarians have been
driven from the country, and the Emperor Francis is once
more sovereign of the Tyrol. Nor shall I stay at home to
nurse my bridegroom and speak with him of love and mar-
riage, but I will go and fight with you for our Tyrol and our
emperor. I will fight with my father and my countrymen,
and prove that I am a true daughter of the Tyrol. When
you have nothing to eat, I will cook for j^ou ; and when you
go to fight the Bavarians, I will fight with you. My father's
lame porter, our faithful Schropfel, shall have my bride-
groom in his custody, and protect him until we return to
our homes. But we shall not return before our dear Tyrol is
free and restored to the Emperor Francis, and then, father,
when your Lizzie has bravely fought for our dear Tyrol, you
will permit her to marry the man whom she loves, and you
will no longer say that she is not your daughter, will you ? "
" No, Lizzie, then I shall no longer say or think so," cried
Wallner, folding his daughter to his heart, overcome by his
emotion. " Yes, you are a brave child of the Tyrol ; you shall
march to the field with us, and when we return to our homes,
you shall marry your Bavarian. Say, my dear friends, shall
it be so ? "
" Yes, it shall," shouted the Tyrolese. " Her wedding shall
take place when we return to our homes, and when the Tyrol
is free."
" No, no," cried Ulrich, raising himself up with a last effort;
THE BRIDEGROOM. 141
*' never will my father's son dishonor himself so deeply as to
marry a peasant-g'ii'l — "
He said no more ; a stream of blood rushed from his
mouth, a mortal pallor overspread his cheeks, his eyes closed,
and he sank to the ground with a groan of pain.
"He is dying! he is dying!" cried Eliza, despairingly.
She rushed to hiin, knelt down by his side, and encircled him
firmly with both her arms, so that his head reposed on her
breast.
A cry, a loud, painful cry, resounded above her in the air ;
all eyes turned toward the balcony, but no one was there ; only
for- a moment it seemed to them as though a female form
glided through the dining-room.
'•Elza. it was Elza !" murmured Eliza. "Why does she
not come to me ? why — " At this moment Ulrich opened his
eyes again, and fixed a look of proud hatred full upon Eliza's
face, which was tenderly bent over him.
" I do not love you, I detest you ! " he hissed, between his
firm ly -compressed teeth.
" He lives, thank God, he lives ! " cried Eliza ; " now all is
well, and I am no longer afraid of anything. Schropfel, come
here ; take him on your shoulders, dear Schropfel , or let John
help you to carry him to my chamber, where you will lay him
on my bed. You swear to me by the Holy Virgin that you
will watch over him faithfully ? "
"I swear by the Holy Virgin," said Schropfel, lifting his
heavy fists to heaven, and then fixing his small, fiashing eyes
on Ulrich, as a watch-dog eyes the bone he fears may be taken
from him.
" And now let us .settle that affair with the soldiers yon-
der," said Anthony Wallner, going to the windows, in front
of which the sharpshooters were still drawn up in line.
" Soldiers in the rooms," he shouted in a powerful voice,
' siu'render ! The fight is at an end ; yom* captain is our
prisoner. Surrender, or you are lost ; we will set fire to the
house, and shoot down whosoever jumps out of the windows.
If you wish to save yo\n' lives, surrender."
One of the sergeants appeared at the window.
"We are locked up and surrounded," he said ; " we have
^4:2 ANDREAS HOFER.
no ammunition, and our captain is a prisoner. Therefore,
we will surrender if you will allow us to evacuate the castle."
" Yes, but without arms," said Anthony Wallner, impera-
tively. " You will all come in squads of four to the windows
and hand out your carbines and side-arms. There are yet a
hundred of you in the rooms. As soon as we have got a hun-
dred carbines and a hundred sabi'es we shall open the portal
and let you out. You may return then to Bavaria, and tell
your government that no Southern Bavarians, but true Tyro-
lese, live in the Pusterthal, the Vintschgau, and the Passeyr-
thal."
" We accept your terms," replied the sergeant ; " come,
therefore, and receive our arms."
The Tyrolese stepped up to the windows, at each of which
squads of four soldiers made their appearance, and silently and
sullenly handed out their arms, which the Tyrolese took and
stacked in the middle of the court-yard.
" Now I will go and see where my Elza has concealed her-
self," murmured Eliza to herself ; and she glided hastily
through the ranks of the Tyrolese into the castle.
No one was to be seen in the large hall, and, unnoticed by
anybody, Eliza ascended the staircase, hastened down the cor-
ridor, and entered the dining-room.
The instinct of her heai't had guided her rightly ; yonder,
in the most remote coimer of the room, sat Elza, groaning
aloud in bitter woe, her hands clasped on her knees, her head
bent on her breast, and not perceiving in her agony that Eliza
came in, that she hastened rapidly, yet noiselessly and on
tiptoe through the room, and stood still now close in front of
her.
"Why do you weep, dearest Elza ?" asked Eliza, kneeling
down before her friend.
Elza gave a start, and quickly raised her face, over which
were rolling rivers of scalding tears. " I do not weep at all,
Eliza," she said, in a low voice.
"Eliza?" she asked, wonderingly. "You call me Eliza ?
Then I am no longer your darling, your Lizzie ? You did not
assist me when I had to save your cousin Ulrich below in the
court-yard ^ You uttered a loud cry when he lay more dead
TUK liRllJKCJUOO.M. 143
than alive in my lap, and you did nol come to help hiin and
me ? And now you call me Eliza ?"
" What should I have done there T' asked Elza, in a bitter,
mournful tone. "He reposed well on your breast; he did
not need me. I am only his cou.sin, but you, 30U are his affi-
anced bride."
" But formerly, I sujjpose, Elza, he was to be your affianced
bridegroom?'' asked Eliza, in a low, tremulous voice. "Oh,
I always thought so ; I knew it all the tnne. although you
never told me so. I always thought Elza and Ulrich would
be a good match ; they are suited to each other, and will love
each other and be happy. Elza, Ulrich was to be your bride-
groom, was he not ? "
" What is the use of talking about it now ? " asked Elza,
vehemently. "He is your bridegroom, he has sworn eternal
fidelity to you, and I shall not dispute him with you. Marry
him and be happy."
" And would your Lizzie be happy if her Elza were not
content with her?" asked Eliza, tenderly-. "Tell me only
this : your father and his parents thought you were a good
match — did they not ? "
'• Yes, they did," whispered Elza, bursting again into tears.
" My father told me yesterday that it was his wish, as well as
that of Ulrich's parents."
"And Ulrich told you, too, that beloved you and would
marry you ? Tell me the truth, Elza. Never mind what I
said in the court- yard about Ulrich being my bridegroom.
Remember only that I am your Lizzie, who loves you better
than she can tell you, but who will prove it to you if the good
God will ])ermit her to do so. Tell me therefore, my darling,
Ulrich said to you he loved you and wished to marry you ? "
" No, he did not say so, Lizzie, but — but I thought so, I be-
lieve, and he thought so, too ; and, O God ! I believe I love
him. It seemed to me as though a dagger pierced my heart
when you said that he was your bi'idegroom. I could not
beiir it, and hastened into the house in order not to see and
hear any thing further. I meant to seat myself quietly in the
dining-room here and submit to all that might happen ; and
yet I was drawn irresistibly towaid the balcony, and on rush-
144 ANDREAS nOFER.
ingout I saw you holding him in your lap and pi'essing his dear
pale head to your bosom. I felt as though the heavens were
falling down on me ; I had to cry out aloud in my anguish
and despair. I hurried hack into the room, fell on my knees,
and prayed that death might deliver me from my pains. O
God, God I it did not ; I must carry on life's dreary hurden
and cannot die ! "
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed aloud.
While Elza was speaking, Eliza had turned paler and
paler ; a slight tremor passed through her whole frame, and
she compressed her lips firmly, as if to restrain the cry oppress-
ing her bosom.
Now she laid her hand gently on Elza's head. "You love
him, Elza," she said mildly. " I understand your heart, dear-
est Elza, you love him. And now dry your tears and listen to
what I have to say to you. But first you must look at me,
Elza, and you must show me your dear face ; otherwise I
won't tell you the good news I have got for you."
Elza dropped her hands from her face, and looked, smiling
amid her tears, into Eliza's countenance, which seemed now
again entirely calm and serene.
''Now listen, Elza," she whispered, hurriedly ; " Ulrich is
not my bridegroom, and he never told me that he loved me."
Elza uttered a cry of joy, and a sunbeam seemed to illumi-
nate her face.
"I merely said so in order to save him," added Lizzie;
" that was the reason why I uttered that impudent lie, which
God Almighty. I hope, will forgive me. I saw that my father
was just about to kill him, and my heart told me I ought to
save him at all hazards. I hastened to my father, and the
words escaped my lips, I myself do not know how. I said I
loved him. he would marry me, and was my affianced bride-
groom ; and this saved him, for he was intent on dying rather
than fall alive, as he said, into the hands of the peasant-rabble.
That was the reason why he was so bold, abused the Tyrolese
so violently, and would not cease resisting them. Therefore,
I had to save him. not only from my father, but from his own
rage ; and I did it."
" But do you not love him ? " asked Elza, smiling.
THE BRIDEGROOM. 145
"Do 3'ou not know tliat .Tosopli Thui-nuvaldcT lias boon
courting nie for a year past ? My father will, bo glad to have
me marry him ; for lie is the son of rieh iiaronts and the most
skillful and handsome hunter in the whole Puster valley."
" But you have often told me that you did not love him ? "'
" Have you not often told me likewise that you did not love
TTlrieh, Elza ? We girls are queer beings, and never say whom
we love ! "
'• But Ulrich ! He loves you ! Yes, j'cs, I know he loves
you. I have suspected it a long time, and always teased him
with his attachment to you."
" And he always denied it, did he not ? "
" Yes, he did, and yet — "
" And he denied it to-day too, when the lie would have
saved him at once. He would die rather than be a peasant-
girl's bridegroom ! You see, therefore, that he does not love
me, Elza. But my lie saved his life, and no one must find out
tiiat Ulrich is not my bridegroom. For if my father and his
friends should discover it, they would kill him, because he in-
sulted them too deeply to be forgiven. He must remain my
l)ridegroom until tranquillity is re-established in the country."
" Yes, my Lizzie, my darling I " exclaimed Elza, encircling
Eliza's neck with her arms ; " yes, let him remain your bride-
groom, my sagacious, brave Tyrolese girl. I always said and
know that you would 1)0 a heroine if you should have to meet
a great danger, and to-day you were a heroine."
'* Not yet. Elza, but I shall be one. I am going to prove to
my father and all his friends that I am a true daughter of the
Tyrol, even though the Bavarian captain is my bridegroom.
And now, farewell, dearest Elza ; I nuist go down again to my
father. But listen, I have to tell you something else yet. I
shall leave oi;r village with my father to-day. We shall
march with our friends to Andreas Hofer, for the Tyrolese
umst concentrate their whole forces in order to be strong
enough when they have to meet the enemy. Hence, it was
resolved at the very outset, that, so soon as it was time for the
people to rise against the Bavarians, Speokbaohor and his
friends, and my father with the peasants of the Puster valley,
should join the men of the Passeyr valley under Hofer's com-
146 ANDREAS HOFER.
mand. I kuow that father will set out to-day, and I shall ac-
company him, Elza. I am not afraid of death aud the en-
emy ; I know that our cause is just, and that the good God
will be ou our side."
'• But, nevertheless, many noble hearts will be pierced for
this just cause, and yours, dearest Lizzie, may be among
tbem," exclaimed Elza. tenderly folding her friend to her
heart. " Oh, stay here, my darliag, let the men fight it out
alone ; stay here ! "
'' No, Elza, I must go with them. My honor requires it,
and forbids me to stay at our house with Ulrich von Hohen-
berg, for whose sake mj^ father called me publicly to-day a rec-
reant daughter of the Tyrol, and threatened to disown me
forever. I must prove to all the world that I am a loyal
daughter of the Tyrol ; aud I feel, Elza, that it will do me
good to contribute my mite to the deliverance of the father-
land. I am not gentle and patient enough to sit quietly at
home and wait until dear Libei'ty looks into my door and says
to me, ' God bless you, Lizzie ! I am here now. and you also
may pi'oflt by the happiness which will be caused by my arri-
val.' No, Elza, I must go with my father, I must help him to
find this dear Liberty on the mountains and in the valleys,
and must say to her, ' God bless thee, Libertj^ ! I am here now,
and thou mayst ^profit by my strength, and I will help thee
that thou mayst rule again over the mountains and valleys of
our dear Tyrol.' "
" Oh, Lizzie, you are a genuine heroine ! " exclaimed Elza ;
" I blush to think that I shall not accompany you and fight by
your side for Liberty."
"You cannot," said Lizzie, gravely. "You have an aged
father who will stay at home, and whom you must take care
of ; and the poor and sick count upon you, for they know
that Elza will always be their good angel. Stay at home and
pray for me. But never go down to my father's house, do not
inquire for Ulrich, and do not tr}"- to have him bi^ought to the
castle here. He is under Schropfel's surveillance, and Sehrop-
fel would shoot him if he should suspect that all is not as it
should be. But if God should decree my death, Elza, Ulrich
would be free at once, and my father would not injure him.
TFIE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 147
inasmuch as lie was liis Lizzie's affianced bridegroom. He
would set him free. Ulrich would tlien conic to you, and, Elza,
yoH will tell him not to think that Lizzie Wallner was a bad
</}}'], and that she was intent only on getting an aristocratic
liusband. You will tell him that my sole object was to save
his life, and that I never thought of marrying him. You will
tell him also that I forgave him the injury which he did me to-
day, and that I shall pray to God Almighty for him. And when
you stand before God's altar, and the priest joins your hands,
Ibink of me, and do not forget that I loved you, dearest Elza.
Ix'tter than any once else on earth. And now. fai-ewell. Elza ;
I shall not kiss you again, for it makes my heart heavy."
" Lizzie, Lizzie ! '' shouted a powerful voice outside at this
moment ; " Lizzie, where are you ? 'Tis time to set out I "
" Here I am, dear father ! " exclaimed Lizzie, stepping
quickly out on the balcony. '" I shall come down to j'ou now.
I was only taking leave of Elza. Now I am ready to set out and
tight for the dear Tyrol and the dear Emperor Francis ! "
" Hurrah, we will do so 1 " cried the Tyrolese. "We will
light for the dear Tyrol and the dear Emperor Francis ! Hur-
I'ah I We will expel the Bavarians ! Hurrah ! the Austrians
are coming ! Hurrah ! the Tyrol will be free again ! "
CHAPTER XIV.
THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE.
Anthony Wallner and his men marched all day and all
night through the Puster valley, along the road to the Miihl-
bach pass. His daughter Eliza, and young John Panzl, his
friend and sympathizer, walked by his side ; and behind him
marched the biave Tyrolese. whose force gained sti-cngth at
every step as it advanced, and who, amidst the most enthusi-
astic acclamations, appointed Anthony Wallner commander-
in-chief of the men- of the Puster valley, and John Panzl his
lieutenant and assistant.
" I accept the position, my friends," said Wallnrr. taking
148 ANDREAS HOFER.
off his hat and kindly greeting the men ; " yes, I accept the
position, and will be your commander, and will always
lead you faithfully and honestly against the enemy. But
will you always follow me? Will you not be afraid
of the enemy's fire, and take to your heels before his
artillery ? "
"No, we will not,'' shouted the brave men; "we will
stand by you faithfully, and fight with you for the father-
land and the emperor ! "
" That is right, men," cried John Panzl, making a leap
which drew loud exclamations of admiration from the Tyro-
lese. " I tell you it is right in you to think so, and therefore I
will likewise joyfully accept the honor which you have offered
to me ; I will be your second commander, will always obey the
orders of our brave commander-in-chief, and assist him and
you in driving the enemy from our country, for the glory of
God and our emperor. Ah, my dear Tyrolese, I would we could
catch the French and the Boafoks at length, take them by
the neck, and hurl them out of the country. I tell you, after
we have done it. I shall dance so merrily with Eliza Wallner,
my dear cousin, that the snowy heads of the Gross-Glockner
and Veuediger will become warm and melt with delight.
Lizzie, we two, the most celebrated dancers of the whole
Puster valley, will perform a dance in honor of our victory,
will we not ? "
" We will, Cousin Panzl,'' said Eliza, smiling. " But before
dancing, we must march on and never j'un back."
" No, never run back," shouted the merry and courageous
Tyrolese.
" Forward, then, forward ! " commanded Anthony Wall-
ner, and the whole force set out again and marched rapidly
across the mountains and through the valleys ; it was re-
ceived everywhere with deafening clieers, and gained at every
step fresh accessions of men, who rushed enthusiastically out
of their huts, armed with their rifles, or other weapons, even
though they had only wooden clubs, and bravely joined the
defenders of the country.
Already they approached their destination ; in the ex-
pansive valley below, yonder, lay the town of Brunecken,
THE BRID(;R ok ST. LAWRE>f('E. 140
surmounted l)y Castle limmeck ami other ancient and deeay-
inp: feudal eastles; and behind it, on the way down toward
Brixen, in tiie narrower g'f)r}Te, !)ordered on both sides by pre-
eipitous mountains, throuj2:h which the Rienz Imrls its foam-
ing waters, they beheld already the small town of St. Law-
rence. After reaching St. Lawrence they had only an hour's
march to the Miihlbach i)ass, which, in accordance with An-
dreas Hofer's ordei-s, the brave men of the Puster valley were
to occupy and defend against the enemy moving up from
Botzen.
But all at once, right in the midst of the march, Anthony
Wallner stood still, and. turning to Panzl, who was walking
by the side of the column, gave him a sign to halt. The
whole column stopped and listened.
Yes, there was no doubt about it, that was the rattle of
musketry at a distance ! And now they heard also the loud
booming of artillery, and the ringing of the tocsin at Bruneck-
en and St. Lawrence.
"Now forward, Tyrolese, forward!" shouted Anthony
Wallner. "At the double-quick down to Brunecken !"
" Forward ! " shouted the men ; and their exclamations were
echoed joj-ously by the women who had courageously accom-
panied their husbands, and who were ready, like them, to
fight for their country and their emperor.
They marched with great speed down the Brunecken. The
whole town was in the utmost commotion. Young and old
men, women, childi-en— all were hurrying toward the gate
leading to St. Lawrence.
" What is the matter ? " shouted Anthony Wallner, grasp-
ing the arm of an old man, who, armed with a i)itchfork, was
speeding along at a furious rate.
"What is the matter?" echoed the old man, endeavoring
to disengage his arm from Wallner's powerful grasp. " The
matter is, that the insurrection has broken out at length. The
Bavarians are bent on destroying the bridge of St. Lawrence,
in order to prevent the Austrians from crossing it. The
whole military detachment left our place some time ago for
the bridge, and sappers and mind's, who are to blow it up,
have arrived this morning from Brixen. But we will not
150 ANDREAS IIOFER.
allow them to do it. They must shoot us all before we permit
them to destroy the bridge."
"No, we will not ! " cried Anthony Wallner. ''Forward,
men of the Puster valley, forward to the bridge of St. Law-
rence ! "
They continued their march through the valley at the
double-qiiick. They heard the rattle of musketry and the
booming of artillery more and more distinctly, and now, at
a bend in the valley, the most wonderful and striking spec-
tacle presented itself to their eyes.
Yonder at a distance lay the well-known bridge, composed
of a single arch, between tremendous rocks ; by its side stood
two battalions of Bavarian infantry in serried ranks, and on a
knoll, close to the bank of the river Eienz, had been planted
three cannon pointed menacingly both against the bridge
and the people who were moving up to it in denser and
denser masses. Captains and other officers were galloping
up and down in front of the Bavarians, and encouraging their
men to attack these insurgents who were coming up behind,
in front, and on both sides of them. The courageous sons of
the Tyi'ol rushed down from all the heights ; the tocsin of
Brunecken and St. Lawrence had not called them in vain.
They came down the mountains and up the valley ; they
came, men and women, old men and children ; and all were
armed : he who did not possess a gun had a flail, a pitchfork,
or a club. Like a broad, motley liver, the crowd was surging
up from all sides, and at the head and in the midst of the war-
like groups were to be seen priests in holy vestments, holding
aloft the crucifix, blessing the defenders of the country with
fervent, pious words, and uttering scathing imprecations
against the enemy.
And amidst this commotion thundered the field-pieces,
whose balls crashed again and again against the bridge ; the
bells were tolled in the chui'ch-steeples, and the musketry of
the Bavarians rattled incessantly. But few of their bullets
hit their aim. The Tyrolese were too remote from them,
and only occasionally a loud scream indicated that a half-
spent bullet had found its way into the breast of a Tyrolese.
More fatal and unerring were the bullets of the Tyrolese
THE BlilDGE OF ST LAWFIENTE. 151
sharpshootei's. who liad coiicoalod tlienisolvos on tlio heights
on botli sides of the valley, and fired from their liidiiifj^places
at the Bavarians, never missing tlieir aim and picking off a
soldier by eveiy shot they discharged.
Anthony Wallner comprehended the whole situation at a
glance. " Boys ! " he shouted, in a ringing voice, " we must
take the cannon. We must not perni it the enemy to destroy
the bridge which the Austriaus are to cross. Let us attack
the Bavarians ! We must take the cannon I '"
"Yes!" shouted the men, ''we must take the can-
non ! "
And the shouts reached another troop of armed peasants,
who repeated it with tumultuous enthusiasm, and soon the
men on the heights and in the valley cried, "We must take
the cannon ! "
Anthony Wallner gave the signal to his sharpshooters, and
moved with them into a small forest extending up the moun-
tain near the cannon. The courageous men disappeared soon
in the thicket, and, as if in accordance with a general agree-
ment, the other Tyrolese likewise entered the forest. Below,
in the valley, knelt the women and children, and before them
stood the priests with their crucifixes, pi'otecting them there-
with, as it were, from the enemy who was posted on the other
side of the valley, and wliose ranks were thinned more and
moi-e by the bullets of the Tj-rolese.
All at once, on the height a,bove the cannon, where there
was a clearing, and w^here the rocks were moss-grown and
bare, the Tyrolese were seen rushing in dense masses from
the forest. They were headed by Anthony Wallner and John
Panzl. Each of them jumped on a projection of the rocks
and raised his rifle. They fired, and two gunners fell mor-
tally wounded near the cannon.
The Tyrolese greeted this exploit of their leaders with loud
cheers ; but up fi-om the Bavarians resounded the commands
of the olTicers ; a whole voll(\v crashed, the bullets whistled
round the cai'S of Wallner and Panzl, but none hit them ; and
when the smoke cleared away, John Panzl was seen to make
a triumphant leap in the air, which he accomjianied with a
shout of victor}', while Anthony Wallner calmly raised his
152 ANDREAS HOFER.
rifle again. He fired, and the gunner at the third field-piece
fell dead.
" Now, boys, at them ; we must take the cannon ! " shouted
Wallner, jumping forward, and the Tyrolese followed him
down the slope with furious shouts.
" Forward, forward ! " shouted the lieutenant-colonel in the
valley to his Bavarians ; "forward ! the cannon must not fall
into the hands of the peasants ; we must defend them to the
last man. Therefore, forward at the double-quick ! "
And the Bavarians rushed forward up the slope.
But the Tyrolese had already succeeded in shooting or
knocking down all the gunners, and taken possession of the
cannon. While Anthony Wallner, at the head of a furious
detachment of his men, hastened to meet the approaching Ba-
varians, and hurled death and destruction into their ranks,
John Panzl remained with the others to defend the guns.
A furious hand-to-hand fight now arose ; the Bavarians
were repulsed again and again by the Tyrolese, and the sharp-
shooters, jjosted behind the ti^ees and rocks, assisted their fight-
ing brethren with their rifles, which, aimed steadily, never
missed their man. But the Bavarians, who were drawn up
farther down in the valley, likewise endeavored to assist their
struggling comrades : but the bullets which they fired up the
hill frequently struck into the ranks of their countrymen, and
not into those of the Tyrolese. Often, on the other hand,
these bullets did not miss their aim, but carried wounds and
death into the midst of the insurgents. Whenever this oc-
curred a young woman was seen to rush amidst the deadliest
.shower of bullets into the ranks of the fighting men, lift up
the fallen brave, and carry him in her strong arms out of the
thickest of the fight to the quiet spot on the edge of the forest,
which a protruding rock protected from the bullets of the
enemy.
This young woman was Eliza Wallner. Behind the rock
she had established a sort of field hospital ; a few women and
girls had assembled around her there, and taken upon them-
selves the sacred care for the wounded, while two priests had
joined them to administer extreme unction to the dying. But
Eliza Wallner had reserved the most difficult and dangerous
THE BRIDGE OF ST. LAWRENCE. 153
part of this work of love for hei-self. She aloiio wus cour-
ageous enouo-h to pluii^'e into the thickest of the fight to re-
move tiie fallen brethren ; she aloue was strong enough to
carry them to the quiet asylum, and it was only the joyous
enthusiasm inspired by the consciousness of doing good that
imparted this strength to her. Her eyes were radiant, her
cheeks were flushed, and the face of the young girl, formerly
so rosy and serene, exhibited now the transparent paleness,
and grave, proud calmness which only great resolves and sub-
lime moments impart to the human countenance.
And the women followed her example with joyous zeal ;
they washed the wounds of the brave Tyrolese with water
fetched from the neighboring spring, tore their handkerchiefs
and dresses to make the necessary bandages of them, and
closed, with tears of devout compassion, the eyes of those who
gave up the ghost amid the blessings of the priests.
From these ]nous works of charity the women were sud-
denly aroused by the loud cheei-s of the Tyrolese. Eliza
sprang forth from behind the rock to see what was the matter.
Renewed and still louder cheers resounded, for the victory was
gained. Anthony Wallner and his men had attained their
object. They had succeeded in hurling the three field-pieces
from the height into the Rieuz, which was rolling along far
l)el(>\v in its rocky bed. The earth was shaking yet from the
terrific crash, and echo w^as resounding still with the thun-
dering noise with which the field-pieces had fallen into the
Rienz, whose waters had hurled their foaming spray into the
air, and were rolling now with an angry roar over the sunken
cannon.
This exploit, which excited the transports of the Tyrolese,
exerted a contrary efrect upon the Bavarians. They had lost
their artillerj^ and with it the means of blowing up the
bridge ; and now they stood before the enemy uncovered and
almost defenceless. In obedience to a loud command uttered
by Anthony Wallner, the Tyrolese returned quickly into the
forest, and, hidden behind trees and rocks, hit a Bavarian
with every bullet, while the Bavarians vainly fired at the well-
concealed enemy.
The commander of the Bavarians, Lieutenant-Colonel
11
154 ANDREAS HOFER.
Wredeii. perceiving the danger and uselessness of a continu-
ance of the struggle, ordered his troops to retreat ; and no
sooner had the Bavarians received this longed-for order, than
they fell back at the double-quick from the bridge and took
the road to Sterzing.
This retreat of the enemy was greeted by the renewed
cheers which Eliza Wallner had heard ; and, both laughing
and weeping for joy, she hastened to fold her father to hej
heart, and thank God that no bullet had hit liim.
Wallner embraced her tenderly, and im})rinted a kiss on
her forehead.
" You have behave^ very bravely, Lizzie," he said ; " I saw
how you cari'ied our poor brethren out of the thickest of the
fight. My heart was proud of you, and I should not have
wept to-day even though you had fallen in the sacred service
of the fatherland. But I thank God that nothing has hap-
pened to you, and I beseech you, dearest Lizzie, do not accom-
pany us any farther. I now believe again in you, and I know
that you are a true daughter of the Tyrol, although you un-
fortunately love a Bavarian. Therefore go home ; for it is no
woman's work that is in store for us ; we have a hard struggle
before us, and a great deal of blood will be shed before we
have driven the mean Bavarians and the accursed French
from ')ur beloved country."
'■ No, father, I shall stay with you," exclaimed Eliza, with
eager determination. "I am not able to sit at home and spin
and pray when my father is fighting for the country. Mother
can attend alone to our household affairs, and Shropfel
will assist her : but you cannot attend alone to the hard work
here, and I will help you, dearest father. I will be the doctor
and surgeon of your men until you have found a better and
more skilful physician. You must not reject me, dearest
father, for you would commit wrong against the poor wounded
who have no other assistance than what they receive at my
hands and at those of the women wliom I beg and persuade to
help me."
" You are right, Lizzie ; it would be wrong in me to send
you home and not permit you to assist and nurse the wound-
ed," said her father, gravely. " May God and the Holy Vir-
THE BRIDGE OF LA DITCH. 155
gin liclp and protect you I I devote you to the fatherland to
which I devote myself."
He kissed her once more, and then turned to the Tyrolese,
wlio, encamped in groups on the edge of the fore.st, and repos-
ing from the struggle, were partaking of the bread and meat
which they had brought along in their haversacks.
" Brethren," exclaimed Anthony Wallner, in a powerful
voice, " now let us be up and doing I We must cut off the
enemy's retreat to Sterzing. We must also occupy the Miihl-
bach pass, as Andreas Ilofer ordered us to do in the Archduke
John's name. The enemy has set out thither, and if he gets
before us through the gap of Brixen and reaches the bridge of
Laclitch, "we shall be unable to prevent him from passing
through the Miihlbach pass and marching to Sterzing. Hence,
we are not at liberty to repose now, but must advance rapidly.
One detachment of our men, commanded by my Lieutenant
Panzl, will push on quickly on the mountain-road to the
Miihlbach pass. The rest of us will follow you, but we must
previously detain the enemy at the gap of Brixen ; and while
we are doing duty, another detachment of our men will go
farther down to the bridge of Laditch and destroy it in oi'der
to prevent the enemy from crossing the Eisach. Forward,
my friends ! Forward to the gap of Brixen ! We must I'oll
down trees, detach large fragments from the rocks, and hurl
them down on the enemy ; we must fire at them from the
heights with deadly certaintj', aiid every bullet must hit its
man. Forward ! forward ! To the bridge of Laditch I "
" Yes, yes ! " exclaimed the Tyrolese, with enthusiastic
courage. " Forward to the bridge of Laditch ! "
CHAPTER XV.
THE BRIDGE OF LADITCH.
Night had at length brought some repose to the exhausted
Bavarians. At no gi-eat distance from the gap of Brixen they
had halted late in the evening, and encamped on the bare
156 ANDREAS HOFER.
ground in the valley below. The green turf was their bed, a
stone their pillow ; nevertheless, they had been able to enjoy
a few hours of peaceful slumber, for they were familiar with
the habits of the Tyrolese ; they knew that thej^ never under-
took any thing, not even a hunting-excursion, in the dead of
night, and that they had nothing to fear from them until sun-
rise.
But now the first streaks of dawn illuminated the sky ; it
was time, therefore, to continue the march. Lieutenant-Colo-
nel von Wreden rose from the couch which the soldiers had
prepared for him of moss and branches, and i*eviewed, accom-
panied by his officers, his small force, which began sullenly
and silently to form in line. A cloud darkened Wreden's
face when, marching through the ranks, he coiinted the num-
ber of his soldiers. He had arrived yesterday at the bridge of
St. Lawrence with nearly four hundred men ; scarcely one-
half of them were left now ; the other half lay slain at the
bridge of St. Lawrence, or, exhausted by the loss of blood and
by the pains of gaping wounds, had sunk down on the road
and been unable to continue the march.
" And these poor men will likewise be killed to-day unless
speedy succor comes,'" murmured the lieutenant-colonel to
himself ; " we are all lost if the miserable rabble of peasants
reach the gap of Brixen before us. We are all lost, for we
shall be entirely cut off from our friends and surrounded by
our enemies, who are able to avail themselves of their moun-
tain fastnesses and hiding-places, while we must march through
the valley and across the open plain. But all these com-
plaints are useless. We must do our duty ! The soldier's life
belongs to his oath and his king ; and if he falls in the service,
he has done his duty."
And with strong determination and bold courage the lieu-
tenant-colonel threw back his head, and fixed his eye stead-
fastly on his soldiers.
" Forward," he shouted, " forward, boj^s ! Forward against
these miserable peasants, who have violated the faith they
plighted to our king. Forward ! forwai'd ! "
The column, headed by Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden,
commenced moving. His eyes glanced anxiously over the
TIIK HRIDCK ()K LADITCII. 157
l)l:un now opciiinj^ before them. Suddenly tliey are riveted
uii a point yonder on the mountain-road leading southward to
Italy. What is that ? Does it not Hash there like a mass of
bayonets ? Does it not look as though a brilliant serpent, glit-
tering in blue, red, and gold, were moving along the road ? It
draws nearer and nearer, and tlu^ lieuteiumt colonel is able to
distinguish its parts. Yes. these parts are soldiers ; this ser-
pent consists of regiments marching along in serried ranks.
Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden uttered a cry of joy and
galloped forward. Already he discerned distinctly the uni-
forms of the start'-oflicers riding at the head of the column.
They wei-o friends ; they were French soldiers headed by
General Bisson.
Wreden galloped forward to salute the genei'al and com-
nnniicate to him in brief, winged words his own disaster and
his ajjprehensions regarding the inmiediate future.
'■ Well, you have nothing to fear now," said General Bis-
son, with a jdeasant aiul proud smile. " It was no accident,
Itut a decree of Fate, that caused us to meet here. I was or-
dered by my emperor to march with a column of four thou-
sand men from Mantua to Ratisbon, and I am now on the road
to the latter place. Hence, our route leads us through the gap
of Brixen. and as a matter of course you will join us with your
troo])s. I hope our united forces will succeed in routing these
miserable peasants ! "
" Yes, if we could meet them in the open plain," sighed
Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden. " But in their mountains
and gorges our thousands will vainly struggle against their
liuiidreds. The bulwarks of their mountains protect them."
" We shall drive them from these bulwarks," said General
Bisson, haughtily. " But I believe the i-abble will not even
wait for this, but take to their heels as soon as they see the head
of my column. Therefore, join my regiments, lieutenant-
colonel, and let us march fearlessly through the ga]) of
Brixen."
Half an hour afterward Hk'.v' had reached tlie dark and
awe-inspiring gap of Brixen, and the united Bavarian and
French troops marched with a measured step along the nar-
I'ow I'oad, on both sides of which rose steej) gray rocks, covered
158 ANDREAS HOFER.
here and there with small pine forests, and then again exhibit-
ing their naked, moss-grown walls, crowned above with their
snowy summits glistening like burnished silver in the morn-
ing sun.
The column under General Bisson penetrated deeper and
deeper into the gorge. Enormous rocks now- closed the road
in their front and rear. A profound, awful stillness surround-
ed them ; only here and there they heard the rustling of a
cascade falling down from the mountains with silvery spray,
and flowing finally as a murmuring rivulet through the val-
ley ; now and then they heard also the hoarse croaking of
some bh'd of prey soaring in the air ; otherwise, all was still.
General Bisson, who was riding in the middle of his
column, turned smilingly to Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden :
" Did I not tell you, my dear lieutenant-colonel," he said, " that
these miserable peasants would take to their heels so soon as
ou)' column came in sight ? They were, perhaps, able to cope
with your few hundred men, but my four thousand men — "
The loud crash of a rifle intei'rupted his sentence ; a second,
third, and fourth report followed in rapid succession. The
heights seemed all at once to bristle with enemies. Like an
enormous man-of-war, lying at first calm and peaceful, and
then opening her ])oi't-holes, these gray rocks seemed sud-
denly to open all their port-holes and pour out death and de-
struction.
From the rock in front yonder, from the steep mountains
on both sides, from the precipitous hill jutting out in their
rear and closing the gloomy gorge, rifle shots rattled down
with unerring aim ; every bullet hit its man, every bullet
struck down a soldier in the ranks of the Bavarians and
French ; then were heard the triumphant cheers of the Tyro-
lese, who, for a moment, stepped forth from their safe hiding-
places, danced on the rocks, jeered at the enemy with loud, scorn-
ful words, and disappeared again so quickly, that the bullets
which the soldiers fired at them glanced harmlessly from the
flanks of the rocks.
But the Tyrolese fought not with their rifles alone against
the enemy marching through the deep and awful gorge.
Nature had prepared other means of defence for them ; it had
THE HIUDf!!': OF F.AItlTCII. J 50
given tlieni Iroesand ivx-ks. They hurled llio (rocs, which tlio
storms liacl felled ycais ago, and wliich fra^'iiients of rock had
held on the brink of the precipice, into the depth of the gorge ;
t hey detached large fragments from the rocks, and rolled them
down on the soldiers, many of whom were crushed by these
tf^rrible missiles. And when these trees and rocks fell into the
depth, ;;nd spread death and confusion in the ranks of
the soldiers, the Tyrolese profited by this moment to aim
and strike down additional victims by their rifle bullets.
And there was no escape for these poor soldiei-s, who, ex-
l^osed to the fury of their enemies, did not even enjoy the con-
solation of wreaking vengeance upon them. In silent de-
spair, and shedding tears of rage, the French and Bavarians
continued their march ; the corpses of their brethren, which
the rear-guai'd met on the hoj-rible I'oad, conld not detain
them ; they had to pass over them, and abstain even from
coming to the assistance of their dying friends ; crushed under
their feet, the latter had to give up the ghost.
At length the gorge widens before them ; the rocks in
front recede on both sides, and a bright, expansive plain opens
to their view. The soldiers greet this prospect with loud
cheers of delight, which their officers dare not repress in the
name of discipline ; for, on emerging from an open grave, a
soldier feels like a human being, and thanks God for the ])res-
ervation of his life. Hundreds had fallen, but .several thou-
sands were left, and their ardent rage, their fiery revengeful-
ness longed for the struggle in which they might avenge their
fallen con n-ades. And Fate seemed intent on fulfilling their
wishes. Yonder, at the extremity of the plain through which
the .soldiers were now marching ; yonder, on the bank of the
Kisach, was seen a motley crowd ascending the slopes of the
mountains on both sides of the river.
"Yes, there are the Tyrolese, there are our enemies," cried
the Bavarians and Fi'cnch, with grim .satisfaction ; and they
mai'ched at the doul)le-quick toward the bank of the I'iver.
"The peasants, I believe, intend to prevent us from crossing
the river,'' said General Bisson, with a contemptuous shinig.
" They have taken position in front of the bridge of La-
ditch, and so closely that I can see nothing of it," replied
IQQ ANDREAS HOFER.
Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden. Suddenly he uttered a cry
of surprise, and looked steadfastly toward the extremity of
the valley, where the rocks jutted out again into it, and where
the furious Eisach makes a sudden bend from one side of the
valley to the other. Formerly there had risen here, between
tremendous rocks, the majestic arch of the bridge of Laditch.
For many centuries past this wonderful arch had spanned the
abyss ; it was a monument dating from the era of the ancient
Romans, and C»sar himself, perhaps, had crossed this bridge
on his march against the free nations of tlie North. But now
this arch had disappeared, or rather its central part had been
removed, and between its two extremities yaw^ned a terrible
abyss, through which the Eisach rushed with thundering
noise.
" The Tyrolese have destroyed the bridge ! " exclaimed
Von Wreden, in dismay.
'• Ah, the brigands ! " said Bisson, contemptuously. " It
will, therefore, be necessary for us to construct a temporary
bridge in order to get over to the other side."
Yes, the Tyrolese had destroyed the bridge of Laditch ; and
while a small division of their men had quickly moved on to
occupy the Miihlbach pass, the others, under the command of
Anthony Wallner, had taken position on the opposite bank of
the Eisach, in order to prevent the enemy from crossing the
river. All the men from the neighboring village of Laditch
had joined the forces of Anthony Wallner, and on the moun-
tains stood the sharpshooters from the villages far and near,
called out by the tocsin, and ready to dispute every inch of the
beloved soil Avith the enemy.
The columns of the Bavarians and French approached, and
shots were exchanged on both sides. "Forward !" shouted
Anthony Wallner, and he advanced with his brave men to the
Puster valley, close to the bridge upon which the enemy was
moving up.
The bullets whistled around him, but he paid no attention
to them ; he saw only the enemy, and not the dangers mena-
cing him. But the other Tyrolese saw them only too well.
Up in the mountains they were brave and resolute ; but in
the plain, where they were on equal ground with the enemy.
THE BKlDiiE OF LADITCII. IGl
they fell ill at ease ami anxious. Mon over, tlie odds of the
enemy were truly formidable, not only in numbers but also in
arms. Onlj' a part of the Tyrolese were provided with riJies
and muskets ; more than half of them were armed only with
flails, pitchforks, and clubs. The soldiers had not onlj' their
muskets, but also field-pieces, whose balls thundered now
across the plain and carried death into the ranks of the Tyro-
lese.
Terror and dismay seized the sharpshooters ; they turned
and began to flee into the mountains. But an unexpected ob-
stacle obstructed their path. A number of intrepid women,
who had flocked to the scene from the neighboring' villages,
met them at this moment. They received the fugitives with
threatening iiivcctives ; they drove them back with uplifted
arms, with flaming eyes, with imprecations, and scornful
laughter, down the slope, regardless of the bullets whistling
around them, and of the enemy moving up closer and closer
to them. The fugitives are obliged to turn and plunge once
more into the struggle, which becomes more and more furi-
ous. Yonder, close to the fragments of the bridge, stand tlic
Tyrolese ; here, near the fragments on this side of the river,
are the soldiers and the French engineers advancing to con-
struct a temporary bridge across the chasm, and thereby unite
again the disrupted ends of the ancient Roman structvn-e.
The fire of the Tyrolese becomes weaker ; loud lamenta-
tions burst from their ranks. They are exhausted and weary,
owing to the heavy exertions of the day ; hunger and thirst
torment them, and their strength is gone.
"Give us something to eat ! Give us something to drink I ''
they shout to the women occupying the mountain-path in their
rear up to the solitary house, the inn Zia- Eiaach, which has
already been hit by many a ball from the enemy's guns.
" Courage, brethren, courage ! " shouted Eliza Wallner.
"I will bring you refreshments."
And, like a gazelle, she haslens uj) the hillside, skipping
from rock to rock until she reaches the battered house. The
bullets whistle around her, but she laughs at them, and does
not even turn to vouchsafe a glance at the danger. She leaps
on courageously ; now she reaches the house, she disappears
l(\2 ANDREAS IIOFER.
thiDiigli the door, and no sooner lias she entered than a can-
non-ball strikes the wall right above the door. After a very
brief space of time, Eliza Wallner reappears in the door. On
her head she carries a keg, which .she supports with both her
uplifted arnis. With a serene glance, with rosy cheeks and
.smiling lips, a charming picture of grace, loveliness, and coiir
ageous innocence, she descends the mountain-path again, and
even the bullets of the enemy respect her ; they whistle pari
her on both sides, but do not hit her. Eliza hastens down tlii
slope, and now she reaches the bridge, and arrives where are
posted the Tyrolese, who receive the courageous girl with
deafening cheers.
All at once she feels a jerk in the keg on her head, and
immediately after its contents pour in a clear cold stream
down on her face and neck. A bullet had struck the keg and
passed clear through it. Eliza bursts into merry laughter,
lifts the keg with her plump, beautiful arms from her head,
and stoj)s the two holes with both her hands, so that the wine
can no longer run out.
" Now come, boys," she shouts, in a loud, merry voice ;
"come and drink, else the wine will run out. The enemy has
tapped the keg ; he wished to save us the trouble. Come and
drink."
"Stand back, Lizzie," shouts Panzl to her; "step behind
the rock yonder, that the bullets may not hit you."
" I .shall not do it," said Eliza, with a flushed face ; "I shall
not conceal myself. I am a true daughter of the Tyrol, and
God will protect me here as well as there.— Come, boys, and
drink. Bring your glasses, or rather apply your mouth to
the keg and drink."
Two young Tyrolese sharpshooters hastened to her. Eliza
held up the keg ; the two young men knelt before her and
applied their mouths to the holes made by the bullet, and
sucked out the wine, looking with enamoured glances up to
the heroic girl who looked down on them smilingly.
" Now you have drunk enough, go and fight again for the
fatherland," she said, and signed to two other sharpshooters
to refresh themselves from the keg. The two young men
hastened back to their comrades, not knowing whether it Avas
iwmsiM^
KLIZA UAI.LNKli HHIXCIiNli Till-; WINK.
THE iminCH (»F LADITCH. 10;i
the wine or tlie siglit of the h.vcly Tyiolesc f^irl tliat filled
ihem with renewed courage and enthusiasm.
The two other Tyrolese had drunk likewise. Suddenly
another bullet whistles along and darts past close to Eliza's
chocks, causing her to reel for a moment. A cry of dismay
hurst from the lips of those who saw it; but Eliza already
smiled again, and she exclaimed, in a merry voice : " Make
haste, boys ! else another bullet will come and pierce the keg
again, when the wine will run into the grass. Therefore,
make haste ! "
Two other Tyrolese hastened up to drink ; then two more,
and so on, until the keg was empty.
"Now you have refreshed youi-selves,'' cried Eliza, "and
you mu.st bravely return to the struggle."
And the Tyrolese took ])osition (m the river-bank, with re-
tloubled courage and enthusiasm, to prevent the French from
linishing the tenipoi'ary bridge.
But the (iie of the enemy thinned the ranks of the Tyrolese
fearfully ; their shots became few and far between, and gradu-
ally a i-egular panic seized them. They began to give way ;
even the scornful cries of the women, wlio tried to obstruct
their path, were powerless to keep them back. Tbey pushed
the women aside, and rushed resistlessly up the mountain-
path.
At this monient loud cheei*s burst from the lips of the ene-
my. The Tyrolese started. They looked back, and saw to
their dismay that the engineers had succeeded in finishing the
temporary bridge across the Eisach, and that nothing pre-
vented the enemj- now from passing over to their side of the
river.
" Surrender ! Lay down youi- arms I " sliouted Lieutenant-
Colonel von Wreden, on the othei' bank.
The Tyrolese were silent, and gazed with mute dismay
upon the bridge. All at once they heard a voice resounding
on the hills above them as it were from the cloiuls. This voice
shouted : " The imperialists are coming ! The Austi-ians, our
saviours, are coming I "
And at the same time a detachment of light-horse appeared
on the heights of Schaps. They galloped down the slope, and
164 ANDREAS HOFER.
were followed by several companies of chasseurs and infantry,
who rushed down at the double-quick.
Loud, exulting cheers burst from the lips of the Tyro-
lese, and found thundering echoes in the mountains and
goi-ges.
The French and Bavarians started, for this sudden ap-
parition took them completely by surprise ; they had not
even suspected that the Austrians had already invaded
the Tyrol. They hesitated, and did not venture to cross the
river.
This hesitation of the enemy and the arrival of the Austrians
filled the Tyrolese with transports. Some threw down their
rifles to embrace each other and swing their hats iQ^rrily,
while others were dancing with their rifles as though they
were their sweethearts ; and others again sang and warbled
ringing Tyrolese Jodlers. Finally, some of them, filled with
profound emotion and fervent gratitude, sank down on their
knees to thank God for this wonderful rescue and the long-
wished-for sight of the dear Austrian uniforms.
The French and Bavarians, in the mean time, thunder-
struck at the sudden arrival of the Austrians, whose numbers
they were as yet unable to ascertain, had made a retrograde
movement in their first terror. But this did not last long.
'• If we do not want to perish here to the last man, we must try
to force a passage," said General Bisson. " Forward, there-
fore, forward !"
The troops moved, and began to march across the bridge.
But now tlie Austrians had come close up to them. The
Tyrolese received them with deafening shouts of "Long live
the Emperor Francis ! Long live Austria ! "
Then they turned once more with fervent enthusiasm to-
ward the enemy. " Down with the base Bavarians ! For-
ward ! forward ! Down with them ! " they shouted on all
sides ; and the Tyrolese rushed with furious impetuosity upon
the enemy. Their scythes and flails mowed down whole
ranks, and many soldiers were soon laid prostrate by the un-
erring aim of the mountain sharpshooters. Mountains of
corpses were piled up, rivers of blood flowed down into the
waters of the Eisach, and the crimson-colored waves carried
THE RRIDCE OF LADITCH. 1^,5
down through tlie Tyrol the intelligence that the struggle for
the fatherland had ronniienced.
Nevertheless, the forces of the enemy were too numerous
for tlie Tyrolese and the small advanced guard of the Austrians
to annihilate them entirely. The Bavarians and French
forced a passage through the ranks of their enthusiastic ene-
mies with the courage and wrath of despair ; hundreds of them
remained dead on the hloody field, but nearly two thousand
ascended the Eisach toward Sterzing.
Anthony Wallner beckoned to his daughter, and stepped
with her behind a jutting rock. " First, Lizzie, my heroic girl,
give me a kiss," he said, encircling her with one of his arms,
and pressing her fondly to his broad breast. " You have been
your father's joy and pride to-day, and I saw that the dear
little angels were protecting you, and that the bullets for this
reason whistled harmlessly around you. Hence, you are now
to render an important service to the fatherland. 1 must
send a messenger to Andreas Hofer, but I need, the men for
fighting here ; and, moreover, the enemy might easily catch
my messenger. But he will allow a Tyrolese girl like you
to pass through his lines, and will not suspect any thing
wrong about her. Now will you take my message to Andreas
Hofer ? "
•'I will, father."
" Run, then, my daughter, run along the mountain-paths ;
you can climl^ and leap like a chamois, and will easily get
the start of the enemy, who is marching on the long roads in
the valley. Hasten toward Sterzing. If all has passed oif as
agreed upon, you will find Andreas Hofer there. Tell him
now in my name that the Austrians are coming up from Salz-
burg and that I have done my duty and redeemed my pledge.
Tell him further that the whole Puster valley is in insurrec-
tion, and that we are bravely at work, and driving the Bava-
rians and French from the country. But tell him also to be
on his guard, for we have not been able to annihilate the ene-
my entirely, and they will soon make their appearance at
Sterzing. Let him be ready to receive the enemy there as
they deserve it."
" Is that all, dearest father ? "
1(3(3 ANDREAS FIOFER.
"Yes, Lizzie, it is. Tell Audy what has happened here,
and do not forget to tell him how you brought down the keg
of wine that the boys might drink courage from it."
" No, father, I shall not tell him that. It would look as
though I thought I had done something great, and wished to
be praised for it. But now, farewell, dearest father. I will
hasten to Andreas Hofer."
•' Farewell, dearest Lizzie. The angels and the Holy Vir-
gin will protect you. I have no fears for your safety."
"Nor I either, dearest father. The good spirits of the
mountain will accompany me. Farewell I "
She kissed her hands to him, and bounded up the moun-
tain-path with the speed and gracefulness of a gazelle.
CHAPTER XVI.
ON THE STERZINGER MOOS.
While these events were going on below Brixen, Andreas
Hofer had marched with the men of the Passeyr valley across
the Janfen. The inhabitants everywhere had received him
with loud exultation : they had risen everywhere, ready to
follow him, to fight under him for the deliverance of the
fatherland, and to stake tlieir fortunes and their lives for the
emperor and the beloved Tyrol. Hofer's column accordingly
gained strength at every step as it advanced. He had set out
with a few hundred men on the 9th of April ; and now, on
the morning of the 11th of April, already several thousand
men liad rallied around him, and with them he had reached
the heights of Sterzing. Andreas Hofer halted his men here,
where he had a splendid view of the whole plain, and ordered
his Tyrolese to encamp and repose after their long and ex-
hausting march. He himself did not care for repose, for his
heart was heavy and full of anxiety ; and his glance, usually
so serene, was clouded and sombre.
While the others were resting and partaking gayly of the
wine and food which the women and girls of the neighboring
ON THE STERZINT.ER MOOS. 107
villages liad l)rf)uglit to them with joyous readiness, Andreas
Hofer ascended a peak from which he had a full view of the
mountain-chains all around and the extensive plain at his
feet. His friend and adjutant, Anthony Siebercr, had fol-
lowed him noiselessly ; and on perceiving him, Andreas Ho-
fer smiled and nodded pleasantly to him.
" See, brother," he said, pointing with a sigh down to the
valley, " how calm and peaceful every thing looks ! There
lies Sterzing, so cozy and sweet, in the sunshine ; the fruit-
trees are blossoming in its gardens ; the daisies, primroses, and
hawthorns have opened their little eyes, and are looking up to
heaven in silent joy. And now I am to disturb this glorious
peace and tranquillity, tear it like a worthle.ss piece of paper,
and hurl it like Uriah's letter, into the faces of the people.
Ah. Sieberer, war is a cruel thing ; and when I take every
tiling into consideration. I cannot help thinking that men
commit a heavy sin by taking the field in order to .slay, shoot,
and stab, as though they were wild beasts bent on devouring
one another, and not men whom God created after His own
likeness ; and I ask myself, in the humility of my heart,
whether or not I have a right to instigate my dear friends and
countrymen to follow me and attack men who are our brethren
after all."
"If yoii really ask yourself such questions, and have lost
your courage, then we are all lost," said Sieberer, gloomily.
" Tt is Andreas Hofer in whom the men of the Passeyr valley
believe, and whom thej'' are following into the bloody strug-
gle. If Hofer hesitates, all will soon despond ; and it would
be better for us to retrace our steps at once, and allow Bona-
parte and the French to trample us again in the dust, in-
stead of lifting our heads like freemen, and fighting for our
rights.'"
"We have gone too far, we can no longer retrace our
steps," said Andi-eas Hofer, shaking his head gently, and
lifting his eyes to heaven. After a pause he added in a loud,
strong voice : " And even though it were otherwise, even
though we could still retrace our steps, I should not consent
to it. T shall never repent of having raised my voice in be-
half of the Tyrol and the emperor : nor have I lost my cour-
108 ANDREAS HOFER.
age, as you seem to think, brother Sieberer. I know full well
that we owe it to our good emperor and the fatherland to de-
fend it to the last breath, and I do not tremble for myself. I
have dedicated my life to the dear fatherland ; I have taken
leave of my wife and my children, and belong now only to
the Tyrol and the emperor. If my blood were sufficient to
deliver our country, I should joyously and with a grateful
prayer throw myself down from this peak and shatter my
bones ; and dying, I should thank God for vouchsafing such
an honor to me, and allowing me to purchase the liberty of
the country with my blood. But I am but a poor and humble
servant and soldier of the Lord, and ra.y blood will not be suffi-
cient ; but many will have to spill theirs and die, that the rest
may be free and belong again to our dear emperor. And this is
the reason why, on contemplating the brave men and coura-
geous lads who have followed my call, I feel pity, and ask myself
again and again. Had I a right to call them away from their
homes, their wives and children, and lead them, perhaps, into
the jaws of death ? Will not the Lord curse me for preach-
ing insurrection and war instead of submissiveness and hu-
mility ? "
" Well, you are a pious man, Andy."' said Sieberer, with a
reproachful glance, " and yet you have forgotten what our Re-
deemer said to the Pharisees."
'" What do you mean, Anthony ? Tell me, if it will com-
fort me."
" He said, ' Eender unto Caesar the things which are Csesar's,
and unto God the things that are God's.' Now, I think that
our Tyrol is the emperor's, and that the Bavarians and French
have nothing to do with it, but have merely stolen it from the
emperor. Thei*efore. we act only in accordance with the pre-
cepts of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we stake our lives and for-
tunes to restore to the emperor that which is the emperor's.
And I think, too, that the churches and convents are the
houses of the Lord and belong to Him alone. Now, the Bava-
rians have stolen the houses of the Lord in the Tyrol, and
have ignominiously driven out His servants. Hence we act
again in accordance v.'ith the precepts of our Lord Jesus Christ,
if we stake (jur lives and fortunes to restore to God that which
ON TIIK STEUZINGER MOOS. 169
is God's ; and if, in doing' so, we should all lose our lives, we
should die in the holy service of God and the emperor ! "
" You are right, brother Sieberer," exclaimed Hofer, joy-
fully, *' and I thank you for comforting and sti'engtheningf
my heart. Yes, we are in the service of God, oui- emperor,
and the beloved Tyrol."
'"And God and the emperor have imposed on Andreas
Hofer the duty of acting at the same time as prophet of the
Lord and as captain of the emperor. Go, then, Andreas, and
do your duty ! " said Sieberer, solemnly.
" I shall do my duty bravely and faithfully to the last ! "
exclaimed Hofer, enthusiastically. Then he raised the small
crucifix from his breast, kissed it devoutly, and prayed in a
low voice.
A sarcastic smile overspread Anthony Siebei*er's face, but
it disappeared quickl,y when he happened to turn his eyes to
the neighboring mountains. Pie looked keenly and search-
ingly toward the mountain-path leading to Mittewald. He
saw there a small black speck which was advancing with great
rapidity. Was it a bird ? No, the speck had already become
larger ; he saw it was a human beiug — a woman speeding
along the mountain-path. Now she was so close to them that
he could distinguish her face ; it was that of a young girl ;
her cheeks flushed, her eyes radiant ; bold and intrepid as a
chamois, she hastened forward ; her long, black tresses were
waving round her head, and her bosom heaved violently un-
der tlie folds of her white corset.
Now, she stood still for a moment, and seemed to listen ;
then she bent far ov^er the precipice, on the brink of which
she was standing, and below which the Tyrolese were en-
camped. No sooner had she perceived them than she uttered
a loud cry of exultation, and bounding forward, she exclaimed
jovously : " There are the men of the Passeyr valley ! Now 1
shall find their leader, Andreas Hofer, too ! — Andreas Hofer !
where are you, Andreas Hofer?"
'' Here I am I " shouted Andreas Hofer, starting up from
his fervent prayer, and advancing a few steps.
The young girl gave a start on discovering the two men,
who had hitherto been concealed fi'om her by a large rock :
12
;L70 ANDREAS HOFER.
but she looked at them searchingly, and did not seem to be
frightened or anxious.
" Are you really Andreas Hofer ? " she asked, breathlessly.
"Ask him if I am," said Hofer, smiling and pointing to
Sieberer.
" That is unnecessary," she replied calmly ; " I see that you
are Andreas Hofer. You look precisely as my father described
you to me. There is the long beard, the crucifix, the saint's
image on your breast ; and there are the kind eyes, and the
whole dear face. God bless you, Andreas Hofer ! I bring
you many cordial greetings from my father, Anthony Wall-
ner- Aichberger. "
" God bless you, maiden," exclaimed x\ndreas Hofer, hold-
ing out both his hands to her. Eliza took them, bent over
Hofer's right hand, and imprinted a glowing kiss on it.
" Girl, what are you doing ?" asked Hofer, blushing with
confusion.
" I kiss the dear hand which the Lord has chosen to de-
liver the Tyrol," she said ; " the dear hand which holds the
rosary so piously and the sword so bravely ; the hand into
which my father laid his hand, as if on an altar, when he
swore to God that he would assist in delivering the Tyrol from
the enemy and restoring it to the emperor."
" Look at this girl, Sieberer ; how well she knows how to
Hatter me," exclaimed Andreas, smilingly patting her flushed
cheek. " And you say your father sent you to me ? "
" Yes, he did, Andreas Hofer. I ran all day yesterday ;
and this morning I rose with the sun and continued my trip
in oi-der ^o reach you as soon as possible, and deliver my
father's message to you."
" You must be tired, poor little girl ! " said Hofer, com-
passionately. " Sit down on the rock yonder. There ! And
now speak I "
" In tlie first place, Anthony Wallner sends greeting, and
informs you that he has kept his word faitlif iilly. The whole
Puster valley has already risen in insurrection ; all the men
followed him, and were ready and eager to fight for the Tyrol
and the dear Emperor Francis. We have fought already a
bloodv battle at the bridge of St. Lawrence, and another at
ON Tin: STFRZIXGKR MOOS. 171
the brid<?o of Laditcli. Many soldiers of the enemy were
killed in the gap of Bi-ixen, and many French and Bavarians
fell at the bridf,''e of Laditoh ; but we also lost a great many
men there. Our men fought l)ravely, but there were too many
of the Bavarians and French, and so they finally succeeded in
breaking through our ranks and continued their march to-
ward Sterzing. Hence, my father sent me to you in the great-
est haste to inform you of what has occurred, and tell you
to be on your guard. There are several thousand Bavarians
and French on the march to Sterzing. It is true, our men
have occupied the Miihlbach pass; but the enemy is too strong,
our men will not be able to annihilate him entirely."
"Then he will come hither," exclaimed Andreas Hofer.
" Yes, and we shall have a fight at length," said Anthony
Sieberer, joyously. " I am glad that our men will at length
be face to face with the enemy and see bloodshed."
" And the Austrians are not coming yet," sighed Andreas
Hofer.
"Yes! they are !" exclaimed Eliza. "Anthony Wallner
instructed me to tell you that too. Several hundred Austi-ians
joined us already at the bi'idge of Laditcli. It was their ad-
vanced guard, and they said that all the others would follow
them soon."
"It is General Hiller with the troops moving up from Salz-
burg," said Hofer. "But where are Chasteler a7id Hormayr,
who were to join us from Carinthia ? I think they are tarry-
ing too long."
" But the Bavarians do not tarry," said Eliza, " and tliey
are savage and cruel men. I did not enter the town of
Stei-zing, but the people on th.e road told me liow the Bava-
rians killed, burned, and plundered there yesterday ; and
those who told me cried with rage and grief. The whole
town is in insurrection ; all have armed for the Emperor
Francis, and will die rather than longer obey the Bavarians
and French. Major von Barenklau, the commander of the
Bavarians in Sterzing, finalh* got frightened ; and on being
informed that Andreas Hofer was moving against him on one
side with tlio men of the Passeyr valley, and that Anthony
Wallner with the men of the Puster vallev, on the other side.
172 ANDREAS HOFER.
had occupied the bridge of Laditch, he deemed it prudent to
evacuate Sterzing and await our men in the open plain. I
saw his troops marching througli the valley while I was
walking on the heights ; and I think it will not be long' until
we can see them below in the plain.''
" See, there they are already I " exclaimed Anthony Sie-
berer, who, while Eliza was speaking, had spied with his keen
eyes far into the plain called the Sterzinger Moos.
In fact, a large, motley mass was to be seen moving up in
the distance yonder ; yes, they were Bavarian soldiers, and
they were drawing i^eai'er and nearer.
" Hurrah ! the Bavarians are coming, the struggle begins,"
exclaimed Anthony Sieberer, joyously ; and the Tyrolese en-
camped below echoed his shout with loud exultation : " The
Bavarians are coming ! The struggle begins ! "
"The struggle begins," said Hofer, "and God grant, in His
mercy, that not too nmch blood may be shed, and that we
may be victorious ! Come, dear girl, I will take you under
my protection, for you cannot immediately set out for home,
but must stay here with me. I shall see to it that no harm
befalls you, and, while we are fighting, we will try to find a
cave or nook in the rocks where we may conceal you."
"• I do not want to conceal myself, Andreas Hofer," said
Eliza, proudly. " The priests and women have likewise to per-
form their parts in war-times : they must carry the wounded
out of the range of the enemy's bullets and dress their
wounds ; they must pray with the dying, and nurse those
whose lives are spared."
" You are a brave daughter of the Tyrol ; I like to listen
to your soul-stirring words," exclaimed Andreas Hofer. " Now
come, we will speak with our men."
He grasped Eliza's hand, beckoned to his adjutant Sieberer,
and descended with them the path toward tlie Tyrolese.
They were no longer reposing, but all had risen and were
looking with rapt attention in the direction of the enemy. On
beholding Hofer, they burst into loud cheers, and asked him
enthusiastically to lead them against the enemy.
" Let us ascertain first where he is going, and what his in-
tentions are," said Hofer, thoughtfully. "Perhaps he does
ON TUE STEliZIXGER MOOS. 173
not know that wo are here, and intends to eontinue his march.
In tliat case we will let him pass us, follow him, and attack
him only after he has entered the Mvihlbach pass."
" No, he does not intend to continue his march," exclaimed
Sieberer. " Look, he takes position in the plain and forms in
squares as he has learned to do from Bonaparte. Oh, breth-
ren, let us attack him now. Nevei- fear. I know such
squares, for, in 1805, I often attacked them with our men, and
we broke them. Forward, then, my friends, forward ! Now
let us fight for God and our emperor ! "
'' For God and our emperor ! " shouted the Tyrolese ; and
all seized their arms and prejiared for the struggle.
''Hold on !" cried Hofer, in a powerful voice. " As you
have elected me commander, you must be obedient to me and
comply with my orders."
•'We will, vre will !" shouted the Tyrolese. "Just tell us,
commander, what we are to do, and Ave shall obey."
"You shall not descend into the plain, nor attack the enemy
on all sides. For you see, the squares are ready to shoot in all
directions, and if you attack them on all sides in the open
plain, you will be exposed to their most destructive fire ; more-
over, as they are by far better armed than we, and have can-
non, many of our men would be uselessly sacrificed in such an
attack."
'• What the commander says is true," gi'owled the Tyrolese.
" It is by far better for us to attack the enemy from a covered
position, and have our rear protected by the mountains."
" And I will show you now such a covered position from
which you are to attack the enemy." said Andi-eas Hofer, with
inipressiv-e calmness. "Look there, to the left. Do you see
the ravine leading into the mountains yonder ? Well, we will
now ascend the mountain-path rapidly,descend into the ravine,
and thence rush upon the enemy."
" Yes, yes, that is right! We will do so. Andreas Hofer
is a good cajjtain I " .said the Tyrolese to each other.
Hofer waved his hand imperatively toward them. "Now
keep very quiet," he said, "that we may not atti-act the atten-
tit)n of the enemy prematurely, and thereby cause him to oc-
cupy the i-avine before we have reached it. Forward, then.
114: ANDREAS HOFER.
quickly through the forest, and then descend noiselessly into
the valley. But before setting out, we will pray two rosaries.
If we long for success in battle, we must invoke God's assist-
ance.""
He took his rosary and prayed ; and the Tyrolese bent their
heads devoutly, and prayed like their commander. Then they
glided quickly and noiselessly through the thick forest, headed
by Andreas Hofer, who led Eliza Wallner with tender solici-
tude by the hand. At length they reached the gorge, and
Andreas Hofer was just about entering it with the others,
wdien Anthony Sieberer. Jacob Eisenstocken, and a few other
prominent Tyrolese, stepped to him and kept him back with
tender violence.
" A general does not accompany his soldiers into the thick-
est of the tight,"' said Eisenstocken. " That is not his province.
He has to direct tbe battle with his head, but not to tight it
out with his arm.''
"But bear in mind tliat Bonaparte does not leave his sol-
diers even in battle," said Andreas Hofer, trying to push them
aside and advance.
"No, dearest commander," exclaimed Anthony Sieberer,
"you must not go down with the men. Think of it, what
w-ould become of us and our cause if an accident befell our
commander and a bullet shattered his beloved head ! Our
friends and sharpshooters would feel as though that bullet
had shattered all their heads ; they would be discouraged and
give up our cause as lost. No, no, Andreas Hofer, you owe it
to your fatherland, your emperor, and your Tyrolese, not to
expose yourself to too great dangers ; for your life is necessary
to us, and you are the standard which the Tyrolese are follow-
ing. If our standard sinks to the ground, our Tyrolese will be
panic-sti'icken and run away. Consequently you must not go
into battle, either to-day or at any tim<? hereafter."
" You are right, I see it,'' said Hofer, mournfully. "They
would be thunderstruck if a bullet should hit their com-
mander ; hence I submit, and shall stay here. You will stay
with me, Lizzie Wallner, and Ennemoser, my secretary, shall
do so too. Now go, all of you, and God grant that we may
all meet again. I shall stay at this very spot, and he who
ON TUK STERZINGKR ^fOOS. 1 V5
wants to sec mo ninsl r()in<> hither. T ciin survey from here
the whole plaiji of the Ster/.iiinfer Moos. Now, my dear
friends and hrethren," he shouted in a loud, rin<;'-ing' voice,
'• for God, the fatherland, and your empei-or !"
" For God, the fatherland, and our emperor ! " shouted the
Tyrolese, rushinjr down the mountain-path into the ravine
whence they were to attack the enemy.
But the Bavarians had been on their guard, and their com-
mander, Colonel Barenklau, divining the tactics of the Tyr-
olese, had ordered his two guns to be pointed against the
ravine.
Now the first shots thundered from their mouths, and vol-
leys of musketi'y were discharged from all the squares at the
same time, at the advancing column of the Tyrolese. The
Tj'rolese, not prepared for so sudden and violent an attack,
dismayed at the havoc produced in their ranks by the balls
and bullets of the Bavarians, gave way and ran over the
corpses of their brethren back to the ravine. But there stood
the crowd of wf)men who had accompanied the column, who
had hastened up from Sterzing, and the whole neighborhood,
and had advanced with the Tyrolese out of the ravine almost
close to the squares of the enemy. They received the fugi-
tives with invectives and angry glances ; they sti'ove to kindle
tlieir courage ; they went and begged them with clasped hands
and tearful eyes not to desert the cause of the fatherland, be-
come discouraged in so disgi-aceful a manner in the very first
battle, and thereby make themselves the laughing-stock of the
hateful Bavarians and French.
And the men listened to these voices ; they drank courage
from the wine which the women handed to thcni. and rushed
forward a second time Their rifles crashed and mowed down
the front ranks of the Bavarians, but behind the corpses stood
the rear ranks, and their volleys responded to the Tyrolese,
and the cannon thundered aci'oss the plain reeking with gore
and powder.
The Tyrolese gave way a second time, for the mui-derous
fire of the Bavarians filled them with stupor and dismay
" In this manner we shall never gain a victory, and our
nien will be uselesslv slaughtered," said Andreas Hofer, who
176 ANDREAS riOFER.
was watching the struggle with breathless suspense. "But we
mast not incur the disgrace of losing the first battle, for that
would discourage our men for all time to come. Come, Enne-
moser, run down to them and tell them to try a third time.
If they do not, Andreas Hofer will rush all alone upon the
enemy and wait for a bullet to shatter his head."
Young Ennemoser, the secretary, sped down the ravine ;
Hofer pressed his crucifix to his lips and prayed ; Eliza Wall-
ner advanced close to the edge of the precipice, and peered
down into the plain. Her eyes filled with tears when she per-
ceived the many corpses piled up on both sides of the ravine,
but the squares of the enemy likewise had been considerably
thinned, and death had made fearful havoc in their ranks.
"Andreas Hofer," she cried, exultingly, "your message
was successful. Our men are rushing forward. Do you not
hear their cheers ? "
" I do, and may the good God grant them success ! " sighed
Andreas Hofer, stepping close up to Eliza.
They saw the Tyrolese emerging again at the double-quick
from the ravine, and rushing upon the enemy, who received
them with volleys of musketry and artillery-fire. But, alas !
they saw the Tyrolese give way again and retreat, though
more slowly than before, to the ravine.
" This will never do," cried Hofer, despairingly. " Our men
are slaughtered in this way, and cannot reach the enemy,
whose cannon are mowing them down like scythes. God,
show me a way to help our men ! "
His eyes glanced despairingly over the plain, as if searcli-
ing for relief. All at once a bright flash of joy lit up his
features.
" I have found a way ! I thank Thee, my God 1 " he ex-
claimed, aloud. " See. Lizzie, look tliere ! What do you see
in the plain yonder behind the ravine ? "
" I see there four large wagons filled with hay," said Lizzie ;
"yes, four wagons filled with hay, nothing else."
" And these wagons filled with hay will save us. They
must be driven toward the ravine directly toward the enemy ;
our sliarpshooters will conceal themselves behind them, and
will safely advance ; and when close enough to the enemy,
THE HAY-WAGONS. ]
i i
they will discharge their rifles, and first pick off the gunnei's,
ill order to silence the guns which have made such havoc
iiniong our men. Come, Lizzie, we will go down to Sieherer
and the other captains, and give them my orders. I hope
liiere will be four lads intrepid enough to drive the hay-
wagons toward the enemy."
" There will be ! " exclaimed Eliza, enthusiastically.
" It is only necessary for one to risk his life, and drive the
fii*st wagon. The other wagons will be covered by the first.
But the driver of the first wagon will doubtless be killed,
and I shall be re#{)onsible for his death."
"He will die for the fatherland," exclaimed Eliza. "Go,
Andreas Hofer, descend and tell our men what is to be done,
for it is high time for the hay- wagons to come up and cover
our men."
'' Come, let us go, Lizzie ; give me your hand."
" No, lead the way ; I will follow you immediately."
CHAPTER XVII.
THE HAY-WAGONS,
Andreas Hofer had already descended half the mountain-
path with a rapid step, and he did not once look behind him,
for he was sure that Wallncr'.s daughter v.as following him,
and he kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on his friends and
brethren.
But Eliza did not follow him. She looked after him until
the dense shrubbery below concealed her from his eyes ; then
she knelt down, and, lifting both her hands to heaven, ex-
claimed, in a loud, beseeching voice : "Holy Virgin, protect
me I Grant success to my enterprise for the beloved father-
land ! "
She then jumped up, and, quick as a chamois, scarcely
touching the ground with her feet, she hastened toward the
point where the hay-wagons were standing.
Meanwhile, Andreas Hofer had descended into the ravine
J 78 ANDREAS IIOFER.
■■Ahence constantly new crowds of Tyrolese were rushing for-
Avard, although they were driven hack again and again by the
murderous fire of the enemy. On beholding Hofer's erect and
imposing form, and his fine head, wnth the splendid long
licard, the Tyrolese burst into loud cheers, and his presence
seemed to inspire them with fi'esh courage. They advanced
with the most intrepid impetuosity. Andreas Hofer called the
brave captains of his sharpshooters to his side, and communi-
cated to them briefly the stratagem he had devised,
" That is a splendid and very shrewd idea," said Anthony
Sieberer.
" The hay-wagon is your Trojan horse with which, like
Ulysses, you will conquer your Troy," exclaimed the learned
Ennemoser, Hofer's young secretary.
"I do not know where Troy is situated," said Andi-eas
Hofer, quietly, " but I know where the Sterzinger Moos lies,
and what should be done there. For the rest, there are ho
horses before the hay- wagons, but oxen, and it is all-impor-
tant that the gunners should not immediately hit the driver of
the fii'st wagon."
" But his last hour has surely corae, and he may rely on
going to paradise to-day ! " exclaimed Ennemoser. " But
look, what throng is yonder in the ravine, and wliat causes
the women to shout so vociferously ? Their shouts sound like
iriumphant cheers. And the lads now join in the acclama-
tions too, and all are rushing forward so impetuously."
Indeed, the whole mass of men and w-omen assembled in
the rear of the ravine rushed forward wnth loud shouts, like a
single immense wave, surging with extraordinary impetuosity
up to Andreas Hofer and the captains standing by his side.
All at once this wave parted, and in the midst of all this
eager, shouting throng, which took position on both sides of
the ravine, appeared two of those broad-horned, brown red
oxen, of a beauty, n)aje.sty, and strength such as can be found
only in the Tyrol and in Switzerland. Behind these two oxen
came the wagon filled up with hay.
But who drove the hay-wagon ? Was it really the lovely
young girl hanging on the back of the ox— the beautiful
creature whose face was radiant with enthusiasm, whose
THE HAY-WAGONS. 179
cheeKS were f^lowiiio- HUe the morning' sun, and whose eyes
flaslied like stars ?
Yes, it was she — it was Eliza Wallner, who, with sublime
courage, had mounted t!io back of the ox, and who now was
driving forward with loud shouts and lashes of the whip the
two animals, frightened by the crowd and the shots crashing
incessantly.
"Eliza Wallner!" cried Andreas Hofer, with an air of
dismay, as the heavily-laden wagon rolled more rapidly for-
ward.
She turned her head toward him, and a wondrous smile
illuminated her face. " Send greetings to my dear father!"
she exclaimed. " Send greetings to him in my name, if I
should die."
" I cannot allow her to do it— it is certain death ! " cried
Andreas Hofer, anxiously. " Let me go and lift her from the
ox."
" No, no, Andreas," said Anthony Sieberer. '' Let her pro-
ceed. The intrepidity of this young girl will fire the courage
of the lads; and, for the rest, if lives have to be sacrificed, the
life of a girl is not worth any more than that of a lad. We
ai-e all in God's hand."
" May God and His heavenly host protect her ! " said An-
ilreas Hofer, laying his hand on the image of St. George,
which adorned his breast.
" Now. boys," shouted Anthony Sieberer, " do not allow the
girl to make you blush. Quick, march behind the hay-wagon,
and when you are close enough to the enemy, step forward
and shoot down the gunners."
Ten young lads hastened foi-ward, amid loud cheers, and
took position in pairs behind the wagon, which advanced
heavil}' and slowlj', like an enormous avalanche.
There was a breathless silence. All eyes followed the
wagon, all hearts throbbed and addressed to heaven praj'crs
in behalf of the courageous girl who was driving it.
Suddenly a cry of hori-or burst from all lips. A cannon-
ball had struck the hay-wagon, which was shaking violently
from the li-emcndous shock.
But now a ringing cheer was heard in front of (lie wagon.
130 ANDREAS HOFER.
By this cheer Eliza Wallner announced to the Tyrolese that
the ball had not hit her, and that she was uninjured.
The cannon boomed again, and Eliza's ringing voice an-
nounced once more that the balls had penetrated harmlessly
into the closely compressed hay.
Meanwhile the wagon rolled out farther and farther into
the plain of the Sterzinger Moos. Even the oxen seemed to
be infected with the heroism of their fair driver, and trotted
more rapidly toward the enemy, whose balls whistled round
them without hitting them.
Suddenly Eliza stopped their courageous trot, and, turning
back her head, she shouted : " Forward now, boys ! Do not
be afraid of the Bavarian dumplings. They do not hit us,
and we do not swallow them as hot as the Bavarians send
them to us ! "
The young sharpshooters concealed behind the wagon re-
plied to Eliza, amid merry laughter : "No, we are not afraid
of the Bavarian dumplings, but we are going to pick off the
cooks that send them to us."
And -with their rifles lifted to their cheeks, five sharp-
shooters rushed forward on either side of their green bul-
wai'k. Before the Bavarians had time to aim at the ten dar-
ing sharpshooters, the latter raised their rifles and fired, and
the gunners fell dead by the sides of their guns.
The Bavarians uttered loud shouts of fury, and aimed at
the sharpshooters ; but the Tyrolese had already disappeared
again, whistling and cheering, behind the wagon, which was
still advancing toward the enemy.
The other hay-wagons now rolled likewise from the ra-
vine. The first of them was driven by another young girl.
Imitating the heroic example set by Eliza Wallner, Anna Gam-
per, daughter of a tailor of Sterzing, had courageously mounted
the back of an ox, and drove forward the wagon, filled with
an enormous quantity of hay. Twenty young sharpshooters,
encouraged by the success of their comrades, followed this
second wagon. Behind them came the third and fourth wag-
ons, followed by twenty or thirty more sharpshooters, who
were well protected by the broad bulwark which the wagons
formed in front of them.
THK IIAY-WAGOXS. 181
The "gunners had fallen ; hence the cannon no longer
thundered or carried destruction and death into the ranKs of
the Tyrolese ; only the musketry of the Bavarians was still
rattling, but they only hit the hay, and not the brave girls
driving the oxen, nor the sharpshooters, who. concealed be-
liind the hay, rushed from their covert whenever the enemy
had tired a volley, raised their rifles triumphantly, and struck
down a Bavarian at every shot.
All four hay-vvagous had now driven up close enough, and
the Tyrolese, who were nearly one hundred strong, burst with
cheers from behind them, and rushing forward in loose array,
but with desperate resolution, using the butt-ends of their
rifles, fell with savage impetuosity upon the Bavarians, who
were thundei-struck at this unexpected and sudden attack.
Loud cheers also resounded from the ravine. The whole
force of the Tyrolese advanced at the double-quick to assist
their brethren in anuiiiilating the enemy.
A violent struggle, a fierce hand-to-hand fight now ensued.
The Bavarians, overwhelmed hj the terrible onset of ^e peas-
ants, gave way ; the squares dissolved ; and the soldiers, as if
paralyzed with terror, had neither courage nor strength left
to avoid the furious butt-end blows of the peasants.
Vainly did Colonel von Barenklau strive to reform his
lines ; vainly did those who had rallied round him at his
command, make a desperate effort to force tlieir way through
the ranks of the infuriated Tyrolese. The fierce bravery of
the latter overcame all resistance, and rendered their escape
impossible.
"Surrender I" thundered Andreas Hofer to the Bavarians.
" Lay down your arms, and sun*ender at discretion ! "
A cry of rage burst from the pale lips of Colonel von Bar-
enklau, and he would have rushed upon the impudent peas-
ants who dared to fa.sten such a disgrace upon him. But his
own men kept him back.
"We do not want to bo slaughtered," they cried, perfectly
beside themselves with terror ; " we will surrender, we will
lay down our arms I "
A deathly pallor overspread the cheeks of the unfortunate
officer.
152 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Do so, then," he cried. " Surrender yourselves and me
to utter dishonor ! I am no longer able to restrain you from
it.''
And with a sigh resembling the groan of a dying man,
Colonel von Barenklau fainted away, exhausted by the ter-
rible exertion and the loss of blood which was rushing from
a gunshot wound on his neck.
" We surrender 1 " We are ready to lay down our arms ! "
shouted the Bavarians to the Tyrolese, who were still thin-
ning their ranks by the deadly fire of their rifles and their
terrible butt-end blows.
'' Very well, lay down your arms," cried Andreas Hofer, in
a powerful voice. " Stop, Tyrolese ! If they surrender, no-
body shall hurt a hair of their heads, for then they are no
longer our enemies, but our brethren.— Lay down your arms,
Bavarians ! "
The Tyrolese, obedient to the orders of their commander,
stopped the furious slaughter, and gazed with gloomy eyes at
their haled enemies.
There was a moment of breathless silence, and then the
Bavarian officers were heard to command in tremulous
voices, " Lay down your arms ! "
And their men obeyed readily. Three hundred and eighty
soldiers, and nine officers, laid down their arms here on the
plain of the Sterzinger Moos, and surrendered at discretion to
the Tyrolese.*
On seeing this, the Tyrolese burst into loud cheers, and
Andreas Hofer lifted his beaming eyes to heaven. " I thank
Thee. Lord God," he said ; " with Thy assistance we have
achieved a victory. It is the first love-oifering which we pre-
sent to fatherland and our Emperor Francis."
'• Lojig live the Tyrol and our Emperor Francis ! " shouted
the Tyrolese, enthusiastically.
The Bavarians stood silent, with downcast eyes and pale
faces, while the active Tyrolese lads hastily collected the arms
they had laid down and placed them on one of the wagons,
from which they had quickly removed the hay.
" What is to be done with our prisoners, the Bavarians ? "
* "Gallery of Heroes: Andreas Hofer," p. 31.
THE HAY-WAGONS. 183
said Aiitliouy Sieberer to Andreas Hofer. "We cannot take
iheni witli us."
" No, we eanuot, uor will the enemy give us time for doing
so," replied Hofer. " Anthony Wallner has informed me that
a strong- corps of Bavarians and French is approaching in the
direction of the Miihlbacher Klause. They must not meet ixs
here on the plain, for a light under such circumstances would
manifestly be to our disadvantage. They would be a great
deal stronger here than we. But in the mountains we are
able to overcome them. They are the fortresses which the
good God built for our country ; and when the enemy passes,
we shall attack and defeat him."
" And shall we take the prisoners "with us into the moun-
tains, commander ? "
"No, we will not, for we cannot guard them well up tliere,
and they would escape. We will not take the prisoners with
us, but convey them to the Baroness von Sternberg at Castle
Steinach. She is ardently devoted to our cause, and loves
the Tyrol and the emperor. She will take care of the pris-
oners, and they will be unable to escape from the large tower,
the Wolfsthurm, on the crest yonder, which you can see from
here."
" But who is to convey the prisoners to Castle Steinach ?
Arc we all to march thither and deliver them before advanc-
ing farther ?"
"No, no, Anthony Sieberer; we have not time for that.
We must bury the corpses here quickly, and remove every
trace of the contest, in order that the French, on arriving
here, may not discover what has occurred, and that we are
close by. Only thirty of our men shall escort the prisoners to
Castle Steinach."
" Only thirty, commander ? Will that be sufficient for
three hundred and eighty prisoners ? If they should attack
our men on the road, they would beat them, for they would
be twelve to one."
"That is true," said Andreas Hofer in confusion ; "what
are we to do to get a stronger escort for the prison ci'S ? "
He stroked his beard nervously, as was his Avont in
moments of great excitement, and he glanced uneasily,
134 ANDREAS HOFER.
now here, now there. All at once a smile illuminated his
face.
" I have got it," he said merrily. " Look there, Sieberer,
look there. What do you see there ? "
"The women who have accompanied us, and who are
kissing Eliza Wallner and Anna Gamper for their heroic con-
duct."
" The women shall help our thirty sharpshooters to escort
the prisoners to Castle Steinach. Our women have brave
hearts and strong arms, and they know how to use the rifle
for the fatherland and the emperor. Let them, then, take
some of the arms which we have conquered, and, jointly
with thirty of our men, escort the prisoners to the good
Baroness von Sternberg. Oh, Lizzie Wallner, Lizzie Wall-
ner ! "
" Here I am, commander," cried Eliza, hastening to An-
dreas Hofer with flushed cheeks and beaming eyes.
He patted her cheeks smilingly. " You are a brave, noble
girl," he said, "and none of us will ever forget what you
have done to day ; and the whole Tyrol shall learn what a
splendid and intrepid girl you are. But I wish to confer a
special reward on you, Lizzie ; I wish to appoint you captain
of a company, and your company is to consist of all those
women."
" And what does the commander-in-chief order me to do
with my company of wom.en ? " asked Eliza Wallner.
" Captain Lizzie, you are to escort with your company and
thu'ty Tyrolese sharpshooters the three hundred and eighty
Bavarians to Castle Steinach. Your arms you will take from
the wagon yonder, which Captain Lizzie drove so heroically
toward the enemy. Will you undertake to escort the prison-
ers safely to Steinach ? "
" I will, commander. But after that I should like to return
to my father. He must be uneasy about me by this time, and
he would like also to know how the Tyrolese have succeeded
on this side. Oh ! he will be exceedingly glad when I bring
him greetings from his beloved Andreas Hofer."
" Go, then, my dear child," said Andreas Hofer, nodding to
her tenderly, and laying his hand on her beautiful head.
CAPTURE OF INNSPIUJCK. 185
"Go. witli God's blessinp:, and greet your father in my name.
Tell him that God and the Holy Virgin are with us and hav^e
hlessed our cause ; therefore we will never despond, but al-
ways fight bravely and cheerfully for our liberty and our dear
enipei'or. Go, Lizzie ; escort the prisoners to Steinach, and
then return to your father."
Eliza kissed his hand ; then left him and communicated
Andreas Hofer's order to the women. They received it joy-
ously, and hastened to the wagon to get the arms.
Half an hour afterw-ard a strange procession was seen
moving along the road leading to Castle Steinach. A long
column of soldiers, without arms, with heads bent down and
gloomy faces, marched on the road. On both sides of them
walked the women, Avith heads erect, and proud, triumphant
faces, each shouldering a musket or a sword. Here and there
marched two Tyrolese sharpshooters, who were watching
with the keen and distrustful eyes of shepherds' dogs the sol-
diers marching in their midst.
CHAPTER XVIH.
CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK.
General Kinkel, governor of Innspruck, had just finished
his dinner, and repaired to his cabinet, whither he had sum-
moned some of the superior ot^cers to give them fresh instruc-
tions. To-day, the 11th of April, all sorts of news had ar-
rived from the Tyrol ; and although this news did not alarm
the Bavarian general, he thought it nevertheless somewhat
sti'ange and unusual. He had learned that Lieutenant-Colonel
von Wreden, despite General Kinkel's exi)ress orders, had
r.i.shly evacuated his ]iosition at Brunecken and destroyed the
))ridge of Laditcli. Besides, vague rumors had reached him
about an insurrection among the peasants in the neighborhood
of Innspruck ; and even on the surrounding mountains, it
was said, bands of armed insurgents had been seen.
"We have treated these miserable peasants by far too leni-
ently and kindly," said General Kinkel, with a shrug, when
U ^
186 ANDREAS HOFER.
his officer communicated this intelligence to him. " We
shall adopt a more rigorous course, make examples of a few,
and all will be quiet and submissive again. What do these
peasants want ? Are they already so arrogant as to think
themselves capable of coping with our brave regular troops ? "
" They count upon the assistance of Austria," replied Colo-
nel Dittfurt ; '' and General von Chasteler is said to have
promised ttie peasants that he will invade the Tyrol one of
these days."
" It is a miserable lie ! " cried the general, with a disdainful
smile. "The Austrians will not be so bold as to take the
ofiPensive, for they know full well that the great Emperor Na-
poleon will consider every invasion of Bavarian territory an
attack upon France herself, and that we ourselves should
drive the impudent invaders fi'om our mountains."
" That is to say, so long as the mountains are still ours, and
not yet occupied by the peasants, your excellency," said Major
Beim, who entered the room at this moment.
" What do you mean ? " asked the general,
"I mean that larger and larger bands of peasants are ad-
vancing upon Innspruck, that they have already attacked and
driven in our pickets, and that the latter have just escaped
from them into the city."
" Then it is time for us to resort to energetic and severe
steps," cried General Kinkel, angrily. " Colonel Dittfurt, send
immediately a dispatch to Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden,
who is stationed at Brixen. Write to him in my name that I am
highly indignant at his evacuating his position at Brunecken
and destroying the bridge of Laditch. Tell him I order him
to act with the utmost energy ; every peasant arrested with
arms in his hands is to be shot ; every village participating in
the insurrection is to be burned down ; and he is to advance
his patrols again to and beyond Brunecken. These patrols
are to ascertain if Austrian troops are i-eally follo\viug the in-
surgent peasants. Bring this dispatch to me that I may sign
it, and then immediately send off a courier with it to Lieuten-
ant-Colonel von Wreden." *
* General Kinkel sent otf this dispatch a day after Wreden had been de-
feated by the Tyrolese, and after the Austrians had invaded the Tyrol. The
CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 187
Colonel Dittfurt \v(Mit to the deslc and commenced writing
the dispatch. " Miserahle peasants ! " he mnrmured, on liand-
ing the dispatch to the general ; "it is already a humiliation
that we must devote attention to them and occupy ourselves
with them."
"Yes, you are right/' sighed the general, signing the dis-
patch ; " these people, who know only how to handle the flail,
become every day more impudent and intolerable ; and I am
n ally glad that I shall now at length have an opportunity to
humiliate them and reduce them to obedience. Henceforth
we will no longer spare them. No quarter ! He who is
taken sword in hand, wnll be executed on the spot. We must
nip this insurrection in the bud, and chastise the traitors with
inexorable rigor. Well, what is it ? " he asked vehemently,
turning to the orderly who entered the room at this moment.
" Your excellency, I have to inform you that all our pickets
have been driven into the city. The peasants have assembled
in large masses on the neighboring mountains and opened
thence a most murderous fire upon our pickets. Only a few
men of each picket have returned ; the others lie dead outside
the city."
"Matters seem to become serious," murmured General
Kinkel. "All our pickets driven in ! That is to say, then,
the peasants are in the immediate neighborhood of the city ? "'
" All the environs of Innspruck are in full insurrection,
your excellency, and the citizens of Innspruck seem likewise
strongly inclined to join the insurrection. Thei-e are riotous
groups in the sti-eets, and on my way hither I heard all sorts
of menacing phrases, and met everywhere with sullen, defiant
faces." -
" Ah, I will silence this seditious rabble and make their
faces mild and modest !" cried the general, in a threatening
voice. " Let all the public places in the city be occupied by
troops, and field-pieces be placed on the bridges of the Inn.
Let patrols march through the streets all night, and every
citizen who is found in the street after nine o'clock, or keeps
his house lighted up after that hour, shall be shot. Make
Hiiviirian autliorltios ut Iiinspruok wuru iu complete ignorance of all theee
events.
188 ANDREAS HOFER.
haste, gentlemen, and carry my orders literally into execution.
Have the patrols call upon all citizens to keep quiet and not
appear in the streets after nine o'clock. Sentence of death
will be passed upon those who violate this order."
Owing to these orders issued by the general, a profound
stillness reigned at night in the streets of Innspruck ; no one
was to be seen in the streets, and on marching through them
the patrols did not find a single offender whom they might
have subjected to the inexorable rigor of martial law. But
no sooner had the patrols turned round a corner than dark
forms emerged here and there from behind the pillars of the
houses, the wells, and the crucifixes, glided with the noiseless
agility of cats along the houses, and knocked here and there
at the window-panes. The windows opened softly, whispers
were heard and the rustling of paper, and the forms glided on
to commence the same working and whispering at the next
house.
The Bavarian patrols had no inkling of these dark ravens
flitting everywhere behind them, as if scenting in them al-
ready the prey of death ; but the citizens of Innspruck con-
sidered these birds of the night, who knocked at their windows,
auspicious doves, even though, instead of the olive-branch,
they brought only a sheet of paper with them. But this sheet
of paper contained words that thrilled all hearts with joy and
happiness ; it announced that the Austrians had already in-
vaded the Tyrol ; that General von Chasteler was already ad-
vancing upon Innspruck ; that the Emperor Francis sent the
Tyrolese the greetings of his love ; and that the Archduke
John was preventing the French troops in Italy from succor-
ing the Bavarians in the Tyrol ; nay, that he and tis army
would deliver and protect the Tyrol. Some of the brave
sharpshooters of the Passeyr valley had been bold enough to
steal into the city of Innspruck despite the presence of the
Bavarian troops, and the patrols could not prevent the citizens
from receiving the joyful tidings of the approach of the Aus-
trians, nor the Tyrolese shai'pshooters from whispering to
them : " Be ready early to-morrow morning. To-morrow we
shall attack the city ; assist us then, hurl down from the roofs
of your houses on the Bavarians stones, jars, and whatever
CAPTri{K OF INXSPRUCK 189
you may have at liatid ; keep your doors open, tliat we may
get in, and liold food and refreslmients in readiness. We
shall come to-morrow. Iiinspruck must be deliveied from
the Bavarians to-morrow ! "
The morrow came at last. The i2th of April dawned upon
the city of Innspruck.
The Bavarians had carried out the orders of General Kin-
kel ; they had occupied all the public places, and planted bat-
teries on the bridges of the Inn.
But so ardent was the enthusiasm of the Tyrolese, that
these batteries did not deter them. They rushed forward with
loud shouts ; using their spears, halberds, and the butt-ends of
their nmskets, they fell with resistless impetuosity upon the
Bavarians, drove them back, shot the gunners at the guns, and
cari'ied the important bridge of Miihlau.
Tremendous cheers announced this first victory to the in-
habitants of Innspruck. The Tyrolese then rushed forward
over the bridge and penetrated into the streets of the Hot-
tinger suburb. The str(H>t-(looi's of the houses opened to them ;
they entered them, oi- took ])osilion behind the ])il]ar.s, and
tired from the windows and their hiding-])laces. at the Bavari-
ans who were stationed on the upper bridge of the Inn, and
were firing thence at the Tyrolese. The Bavarian bullets,
however, whistled harmlessly thi-ough the streets, the alert
Tyrolese concealing themselves, before every volley, in the
houses or behind the walls. But no sooner had the bullets
dropped than they stei)i>ed forward, sang, and laughed, and
discharged their rifles, until the exasperated Bavarians fired
at them again, when the singing Tyi'olese disappeared once
more in their hiding-places.
All at once hnxd clieers and hurrahs resounded on the con-
quered bridge of Miihlau, and a tall, hennc form, surrounded
by a detachment of armed Tyrolese, appeared on the bridge.
It was Joseph Speckbacher, who. after capturing Hall by a
daring coup de main, had now arrived with his brave men
to assist the Tyrolese in delivering Innspruck from the Ba-
varians.
The Tvi'olese thronged exultingly around him, informing
him of the struggle Ihi'.t had already taken place, and telling
190 ANDREAS HOFER.
him that the Bavarians had been driven from the bridge and
hurled back into the city.
'■ And now you stand still here, instead of advancing ? "
asked Speckbacher, casting fiery glances toward the enemy.
" What are 3'ou waiting for, my friends ? Why do you not
attack the enemy ? "
Withovit waiting for a reply, Speckbacher took off his hat,
swung it in the air, and shouted in a loud, enthusiastic voice :
" Long live the Emperor Francis ! Down with the Bavari-
ans ! "
All repeated this shout amid the most tximultuous cheers.
All cried, " Long live the Emperor Francis ! Down with the
Bavarians ! ''
" Now forward ! forward ! We must take the bridge ! "
shouted Speckbacher. " Those who love the Tyrol will follow
me ! "
And he rushed forward, like an angry bear, toward the
bridge of the Inn.
The Tyrolese, carried away by their enthusiasm, followed
him at the double-quick toward the bridge, where the mouths
of the cannon were staring at them menacingly. But the
Tyrolese were not afraid of the cannon ; death had no longer
any terrors for them ! their courage imparted to them resist-
less power and impetuosity. They rushed up to the cannon,
slew the gunners with the butt-ends of their rifles, or lifted
them up by the hair and hurled them over the railing of the
bridge into the foaming waters of the Inn. Then they turned
the cannon, and some students from Innspruck, who had
joined the Tyrolese, undertook to man them.
A dense column of -Bavarians advanced upon them ; the
})easants uttered loud cheers, the cannon thundered and
mowed down whole ranks of them. They gave way, and the
Tyrolese, who saw it, advanced with triumphant shouts into
the city and took street after street. And wherever they
came, they met with willing assistance at the hands of the
citizens ; in every street which they entered, the window^s
opened, and shots were fired from them at the Bavarian
troops ; every hou.se became a fortress, every tower a citadel.
A frightful scene ensued : the Bavarians in some places sur-
rAPTIlIK OF INNSrRUCK. 191
rcntlerod and bcgjrod for quarter ; in others tliey continued
the combat with undaunted resolution ; and in the meUe sev-
eral bloody deeds were conmntted, which, in their cooler mo-
ments, the Tyrolesc would have been the first to condemn.
All at once loud cheers burst forth in the streets, and the
Tyrolesc repeated again and again the joyful news : "Major
Teimer has arrived ; he has several companies of the militia
under his command, and with these brave meii ho has already
penetrated into the heart of the city, up to the principal guard-
house ! He has already surrounded the Engelhcms, General
Kinkel's headquartei-s, and is negotiating a capitulation with
the general." This almost incredible intelligence raised the
enthusiasm of the Tyrolesc to the highest pitch. They rushed
forward with irresistible impetuosity toward the barracks and
disarmed all the soldiers who had remained there in order to
relieve their exhausted comrades. Then they rushed again
into the street, toward the principal guard-house, where an
obstmate struggle was going on. There, at the head of his
regiment, stood Colonel Dittfurt, firmly determined to die
rather than surrender to the peasants.
But the peasants came up in overwhelming numbers, and
a detachment of sharpshooters, headed by Major Teimer, had
already penetrated into the general's house, and entered his
sitting-room. From the houses all around, the Tyrolese were
firing at the soldiers, who, gnashing their teeth with rage and
grief, did not even enjoy the satisfaction of wreaking venge-
ance on them ; foi- tlieir enemies were concealed behind the
walls and pillars, while the soldiers were defenceless, and had
to allow themselves to be laid prostrate by tlie unerring aim
of the sharpshooters.
Angry, scolding, imperious voices were now heard at Gen-
eral Kinkel's window, and a strange sight was presented to the
eyes of the dismayed soldiers. Teimer's face, flushed with
anger and excitement, appeared at the window. He was seen
approaching it hastily and thrusting General Kinkel's head
and sliouldei*s forcibly out of it.
"Surrender !" threatened Teimer v "surrender, or I shall
hurl 3'ou out of the window !''
* Horniayr's " History of An^lreius Hofcr," vol. i., p. 24'.*.
;|92 ANDRKAS HOFER.
"Colonel Diltfurt," cried General Kinkel, in a doleful
voice, "yon sec that further resistance is useless. We must
surrender ! "
"No ! " shouted the colonel, pale with rage ; " no, we shall
not surrender ; no. we shall not incur the disgrace of laying
down our arms before this ragged mob. We can die, but
shall not surrender ! Forward, my brave soldiers, forward ! "
And Dittfurt rushed furiously, followed by his soldiers,
upon the Tyrolese who were approaching at this moment.
Suddenly he reeled back. Two bullets had hit him at the
same time, and the blood streamed from two wounds. But
these wounds, instead' of paralyzing his coui-age, inflamed it
still more. He overcame his pain and weakness, and, bran-
dishing his sword, rushed forward.
A third bullet whistled up and j)euetrated his breast. He
sank down ; blood streamed from his mouth and his nose.
The Tyrolese burst into deafening cheei's, and approached the
fallen officer to take his sword from him. But he sprang
once more to his feet ; he would not fall alive into the hands
of the peasants ; he felt that he had to die, but he would die
like a soldier on the field of honor, and not as a prisoner of
the peasants. Livid as a corpse, his face covered with gore,
his uniform saturated with blood, Dittfurt reeled forward, and
drove his soldiers, with wild imprecations, entreaties, and
threats toward the hospital, whence the Tyrolese poured their
murderous fire into the ranks of the Bavarians. But scarcely
had he advanced a few steps when a fourth bullet struck him
and laid him prostrate.
His regiment, seized with dismay, shouted out that it would
surrender, and, in proof of this intention, the soldiers laid
down their arms.
The Bavarian cavalry, to avoid the disgrace of such a ca-
pitulation, galloped in wild disorder toward the gate and the
Hofgarten. But there Speckbacher had taken position with
the peasants, who, mostly armed only witli pitchforks, had
hurried to the scene of the combat from the immediate en-
virons of Inspruck. But these pitchforks seemed to the pan-
ic-stricken cavalrj' to be terrible, murderous weapons ; can-
non would have appeared to them less di'eadful than the
CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. ll»3
glittering pitcliforks, with wliirli the sliouting poasmits nislicd
upon them, and whicli startled not onVy the soldiers l)nt their
horses also. The soldiers tliought the wounds made by i)itch-
forks more horrible, and ignominious than utter defeat, and
even deith. Thundcrstruek at their desperate position, hardly
knowing what befell them, unable to offer further resistance,
they allowed themselves to be torn from their horses by the
peasants, to whom they handed their arms in silence. The
Tyrolese then mounted tlie hor.ses, and in a triumphant pro-
cession, headed by Joseph Speckbaclier, they conducted their
prisoners back to Innspruck.*
There the enemy had likewise surrendered in the mean
time, and the barracks which, until yesterday, had been the
<iuarters of tlie oppressors of the Tyrole.se, the Bavarian .sol-
diers, became now the prisons of the defeated. Escorted by
the peasants, the disarmed and defenceless Bavarians were
hurried into the barracks, whose doors closed noisil}' behind
them.
Innspruck was now free ; not an armed Bavarian soldier
remained in the city, but the Tyrolese, to the nvimber of up-
Avard of fifteen thousand, poured into the streets, and the citi-
zens joined them exultingly, and thanked the courageous
peasants for delivering them from the foreign yoke. The
city, which foi- three hours had been a wild scene of terror,
havoc, bloodshed, and death, resounded now at the hour of
mid-day with cheers and exultation ; nothing was heard but
hurrah.s, songs, and cheers for the Emperor Francis and the
beloved Tyrol.
Every minute added to the universal joy. The victorious
Tyi'olese, mounted on the horses of the Bavarian cavah-y, and
headed by the proud and triumphant Sj^eckbacher a!id a rural
band of music, appeared witli their jn-isoners. Two badly-
tuned violins, two shrill fifes, two iron pot-lids, and several
jews'-liarp.s, were the instruments of this band. But the
musicians tried to make as much noise with them as possible,
and the citizens considered their nnisic sweeter and finer than
the splendid tunes vrhich the bands of the Bavarian regiments
had played to them up to this time.
* Honiiiiyr's " History of .Viulnas Ilofer," vol. i., p. 250.
194 ANDREAS HOFER.
New cheers rent the air at this moment. A squad of peas-
ants brought the greflt imperial eagle, wliich they had taken
down from the tomb of Maximilian in the High Church of
Innspruck. They had decorated it with red ribbons, and
carried it amid deafening acclamations through the streets.
On beholding the eagle of Austria, the excited masses set no
bounds to their rejoicings ; they flocked in crowds to gaze at
it ; citizens and peasants vied in manifesting their devotion to
the precious emblem ; they blessed it and kissed it. No one
was permitted to stay a long while near it, for the impatience
of his successor compelled him to j)ass on. But an aged man,
with silvery hair, but with a form still Angorous and unbent,
would not allow himself to be pushed on in this manner. An
hour ago he had fought like a lion in the ranks of the Tyro-
lese, and anger and rage had flashed from his face ; but now,
at the sight of the Austrian eagle, he was as mild and gentle
as a lamb, and only love and blissful emotion beamed from
his face. He encircled the eagle with both his arms, kissed
the two heads and gilded crowns, and, stroking the carved
plumes tenderly, exclaimed : "Well, old eagle, have your
plumes really grown again ? Have you returned to the loyal
Tyrol to stay here for all time to come ? Will — "
Loud cheers interrupted him at this moment. x\nother
crowd of Tyrolese came up the street, preceded by four peas-
ants, who were carrying two portraits in fine golden frames.
Deafening acclamations rent the air as soon as the people be-
held these two portraits. Everybody recognized them as those
of the Emperor Francis and the Archduke John. The peas-
ants had found them in the old imperial palace.
" Long live the Emperor Francis ! Long live our Archduke
John ! " shouted the people in the streets, and in the houses
which the procession passed on its march through the city.
Even the Austrian eagle, which had been greeted so tenderly,
was forgotten at the sight of the two portraits, and all accom-
panied this solemn procession of love and loyalty.
This pi'ocession moved through the whole city until it
finally reached the triumphal arch which Maria Theresa liad
ordered to be erected in honor of the wedding of her son Leo-
pold. The Tyrolese placed the portraits of Leopold's two sons
CAPTURE OF INNSPRUCK. 195
on this triumphal arch, and surrounded them by candles kept
constantly burning ; every one then bent his knee, and ex-
claimed : "Long live the Emperor Francis! Long live our
dear Archduke John !" Woe unto him wlio should have
dared to pass these poi'traits witliout taking off his hat I the
Tyrolese would have compelled liim to do it, and to bend his
knee.
"Well," they exclaimed, " there is our Francis, and there is
our John. Look, does it not seem as though he were smiling
at us, and were glad of being here again and able to gaze at
us ? Long live our dear Archduke Jolui ! "
And they again burst into cheers which, if the Archduke
John had been able to hear them, would have filled his heart
with delight and his ej'cs with tears.
These icjoicings around the eagle and tlie portraits lasted
all day. The whole city presented a festive spectacle, and the
overjoyed Tyrolese scarcely thought to-day of eating and
drinking, miich less of the dangers which might menace them.
They sang, and shouted, and laughed ; and when night came
they sank down exhausted by the efforts of the fight, and still
more by their l)oundless rejoicings, to the ground where
they were standing, in the streets, in the gardens, in the fields,
and fell asleep.
Profound silence reigned now in the streets of Innspruck.
It was dark everywhere ; bright lights beamed only from the
portraits of the emperor and the Archduke John ; and the
stars of heaven looked down upon the careless and happy
sleepei-s, the victors of Innspruck.
They slept, dreaming of victory and happiness. Woe to
them if they sleep too long and awake too late, for the ene-
my does not sleep I He is awake and approaching, while
the victors are sleeping.
X96 ANDREAS HOFER.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU.
The Tyrolese were were still asleep, and profound stillness
reigned yet in the streets of Innspruck, although it was already
after daybreak, and the fii'st rays of the rising sun shed a crim-
son lustre on the summits of the mountains. All at once this
silence was broken by a strange, loud, and plaintive note which
seemed to resound in the air ; it was followed by a second and
third note ; and, as if responding to these distant calls, the
large bell of the High Church of Innspruck aroused with its
ringing voice the weary sleepers to renewed efforts.
Thej'^ raised themselves from the ground ; they listened,
still drowsy, to these strange notes in the air. Suddenly two
horsemen galloped through the streets, and their clarion voices
struck the ears of the Tyrolese.
" Up, sleepers 1 " cried Joseph Speckbacher ; "(Jo you not
hear the tocsin ? Rise, rise, take your rifles ! the French and
Bavarians are at the gates of the city, and we must meet them
again.''
" Rise, Tyrolese ! " shouted Major Teimer ; " the French
and Bavarians are coming. We must prevent them from
penetrating into Innspruck. We must barricade the gates,
and erect barricades in the streets."
The Tyrolese juni])ed up, fresh, lively, and ready for the
fray. Their sleep had strengthened them, and yesterday's vic-
tory had steeled their courage. The enemy was there, and
they were ready to defeat him a second time.
The bells of all the churches of Innspruck were now rung,
and those of the neighboi^ng village steeples responded to
them. They called upon the able-bodied men to take up arms
again.st the enemy, wh6se advanced guard could be seen al-
ready on the crests yonder. Yes, there was no mistake aboul
it : those men were the French and Bavarians, who were de-
scending the slope and approaching in strong columns.
A Tyrolese rushed into the city. " The Fi'ench are com-
ing ! " he exclaimed, panting and breathless. " I have hurried
THE (WPITrLATIOX OF WILTAU. 197
across the mountains to ln'ing you tlie news. It is General
Bisson with several thousand French troops, and Lieutenant-
Cok)nel Wreden with a few liundrcd Bavarians. We liad a
hard fif»'ht witli tlieni yesterday at the hridge of Laditch and
in tlie Mlihlbacher Khiuse ; but they were too strong, and
wei'e joined yesterday by another French column ; therefore,
we were unable to capture them, and had to let them march
on. We killed hundreds of their soldiers ; but several thou-
.sands of them esca])cd, and are coming now to Innspruck.'"
"They will not come to Innspruck, for we are much
stronger than they are, and we will not let them enter the
city," exclaimed Speckbacher, courageously.
" No. we will not, except in the same manner in which you
Vjrought the cavalry into the city yesterday, that is, to imprison
them in the barracks,'' said Major Teimer.
" Yes, yes, we will do so," shouted the Tyrolese ; '' we will
let the French come to Innspruck, but only as our prisonei-s."
" Well, let us be up and doing now, my friends," exclaimed
Speckbaclier. " We nnist fortify the city against the enemy.
Having gone thus far yesterday, we cannot retrace our steps
to-day. But we do not want to retrace them, do we ? "
" No, we do not ! " cried the Tyrolese.
" We have raised the Austrian eagle again," said Major
T(Mraer. " and the portraits of the emperor and our dear Arch-
duke John are looking down upon us from the triumphal
arch. They shall see that we are good soldiers and loyal sons
of our country. Forward, men, let us be up and doing !
Barricade the city, the streets, and the houses ; make bullets,
and pvit your arms in readiness. The French are coming !
Hurrah I Long live the emperor Francis and the Archduke
John ! "
Deafeiaing cheers responded to him. and then the Tyrolese
rushed through the streets to bari-icade tlie city in accordance
with Teimer's orders.
The gates were immediately barricaded with casks, wagons,
carts, and evei\v thing that could be found for that purpose ;
and the approaches to the city were filled with armed men,
ready to give the enemy a warm reception. The dooi's of the
houses were locked and bolted, and frantic women within
198 ANDREAS HOFER.
them boiled oil and water which they intended to pour on the
heads of the soldiers in case they should succeed in forcing
their Avay into the city ; bullets were made and stones were
carried to the roofs, whence they were to be hurled on the
enenij^. Meanwhile the tocsin resounded incessantly, as if to
invite the Tyrolese to redoubled efforts and increased vigi-
lance.
The tocsin, however, had aroused not only the Tyrolese,
but also the Bav'arians who were locked up in the barracks ;
the prisoners understood fidl well what the bells w^ere pro-
claiming. To the Tyrolese they said : " The enemy, your
enemy, is approaching. He will attack you. Be on your
guard ! " To the prisoners they proclaimed : " Your friends
are approaching. They will deliver you. Be ready for
them ! " And now the Bavarians began to become excited,
theu" eyes flashed again, the clouds disappeared from their
humiliated browns; and with loud, scornful cheers and fists
clinched menacingly, they stepped before their Tyrolese guards
and cried : " Our friends are coming. They will deliver us and
punish you, and we shall wreak bloody vengeance on you for
the disgrace you have heaped upon us. Hurrah, our friends
are coming ! We shall soon be free again ! "
" No, you will not," shouted a loud, thundering voice ; and
in the middle of the large dormitory occuiDied by the Bava-
rians appeared suddenly the tall, herculean form of Joseph
Speckbacher. On passing the barracks, he happened to hear
the cheers of the prisoners and had entered in order to learn
what was the matter. " No," he said once more, " you will
not ; you must not suppose that we shall be so stujjid as to
allow you to escape. Do not rejoice therefore at the approach
of the French and your countrymen ; for I tell you, and I
swear by the Holy Mother of God, if the French should enter
the city victoriously, our last step before evacuating it would
be to kill every one of you. Do you hear, Tyrolese guards ?
If the prisoners do not keep quiet, if they make any noise, or
even threaten you, shoot dow^n the ringleaders ! But if the
enemy penetrates into the city, then shoot them all, and do
not spare a single one of them.* We will not incur the dis-
* Hormayr's " History of Andreas Ilofer," vol. i., p. 253.
THE CAPITULATIOX OF WHTAII. 190
ffrace of re-euforcing the enemy by several thousand men.
The guards at all doors here must be quadrupled, and at the
first symptom of mischief among' the prisoners, you will fire at
them. Now you know, Bavarians, what is going to be done.
Beware, therefore ! "
And Joseph Speckbacher left the hall with a proud nod of
the head. The listening Bavarians heard him repeating his
rigoi'ous instructions to the sentinels outside ; they heard also
the acclamations with which the Tyi-olese responded to him.
The prisoners, therefoi-e, became silent ; they forced back
their hopes and wishes into the depths of their hearts, and
only prayed inwardly for their approaching friends, and
cursed in the same manner their enemies, the ragged mob of
the peasants.
The tocsin was still i-inging, and its sinister notes pene-
trated likewise into the large guard-house, and spoke to the
prisoners confined there. One of these prisoners was a
gloomy, broken-down old man. General Kinkel; the other
was a youth, mortally wounded and violently delirious. It
was Colonel Dittfurt. The bullet of the Tyrolese had not
killed him ; he still lived, a prisoner of the peasants, and,
amidst his delirium and his agony, he was fully conscious of
his disgrace. This consciousness rendex-ed him raving mad ;
it brought words of wild imprecation to his cold, bloodless
jips ; he howled with rage and pain ; he called down the
vengeance of Heaven upon " the ragged mob,'' the peasants,
who had dared to lay hands upon him, the pj-oud, aristocratic
colonel, and rob him not only of his life, but also of his
honor. All the night long he had raved in this manner ;
and it was truly horrible to hear these words, full of con-
tempt, hatred, and fury, in the mouth of a dying man ; it
was dreadful to see this scarred form on the bloody couch,
writhing in the convulsions of death, and yet unable to die,
because anger and rage revived it again and again. At day-
break Major Teimer had entered the guard-house with a
detachment of Tyrolese; and while he repaired with some
oi them to General Kinkel, the other Tyrolese had en-
tered Colonel Dittfurt's room, to see the mii-acle of a
man whose head had been pierced by a bullet having vi-
200 ANDREAS IIOFER.
talitj^ enough left to rave, swear, and curse, for tweuty-fout
hours.
Gradually the whole room became crowded with Tyrolese,
who yesterday had bcei^ the mortal foes of the colonel, but
who gazed to-day with profound compassion and conciliated
hearts at the poor, mutilated being that disdained even on the
brink of the grave to consider a peasant as entitled to equal
rights and as a brother of the nobleman.
Colonel Dittfiu-t lay on his couch with his eyes distended
to their utmost, and stared at the Tyrolese assembled round
him. For some minutes the curses and invectives had
died away on his lips, and he seemed to listen attentively to
the sinister notes of tbe alarm-bells which were calling inces-
santly upon the Tyrolese to prepai'c for the struggle.
"Is that my death-knell?'' he asked wearily. "Have I,
then, died already, and is it death that is lying so heavily on
my breast ? "
'' No, sir, you still live," said one of the Tyrolese, in a low,
gentle voice. " You still live ; the bells you hear are ringing
the tocsin ; they aroused us because the French and Bava-
rians are advancing upon the city."
"The Bavarians are coming! Our men are coming!"
cried Dittfurt exultingly, and he lifted his head as if to rise
from his couch. But the iron hand of death had ah'eady
touched him and kept him enthralled. His head sank heavily
back upon the pillow, and his eyes became more lustreless
and fixed.
" They vanquislied me," he said, after a pause ; " I know I
- am a prisoner of the peasants, and it is they who keep me
chained to this couch and prevent me from going out to par-
ticipate in the contest. Oh, oh, how it grieves me ! A pi-ison-
er of the peasants ! But they fought like men, and their lead-
er must be an able and brave officer. Who was the leader of
the peasants ? "
"No one, sir," said the Tyrolese, on whom the dying officer
fixed his eyes. " We had no leader ; we fought equally for
God, the emperor, and our native country."
" No, no," said Ditffurt, " that is false; I know better, for I
saw the leader of the peasants pass me often. He was mounted
THE CAriT[:LATIO.V OF WILTAU. 2(»1
on a wliifo horse ; his face was as i-adiaut as lieaven, his eyes
twinkl.'d like stars, and in his hand lie hekl a sword fkishing
like a sunbeam. I saw the leader of the peasants, he always
rode at their head, he led them into battle, I — "
He paused, the expression of his eyes hecame more fixed,
tlie shades of death descended deeper and deeper on his fore-
liead, which was covered with cold perspiration.
Tlie Tyrolese minded him no h)nger. They looked at each
other with exultant and enthusiastic glances. "He saw a
leader at our head ? " they asked each other. " A leader
mounted on a white horse, and holding in his hand a sword
Hashing like a sunbeam? It must have been St. James, the
patron of the city of Innspruck. He was our leader yester-
day. Yes, yes, that is it ! St. James combated at our head,
unknown to us ; but he showed himself to the enemy and de-
feated him. Did you not hear, brethren, what the pious
priests told us of the Spaniards who have likewise risen
to fight against Bonaparte, the enemy of the Pope and all
good Christians? St. James placed himself in Spain like-
wise at the head of the pious peasants ; he led them against
Bonaparte and the French, and made them victorious over
the enemy, who was bent upon stealing their country and
their liberties. And since St. Jailies got through with the
Spaniards in Spain, he has come to the Tyrol to lend us his
assistance. St. James, our patron saint, is our leader I He
assists us and combats at our head ! "
And the Tyrolese, regardless of the colonel, who at this
moment was writhing in the last convulsions of death, rushed
out of the room to communicate the miracle to their brethren
outside. The news spread like wildfire from house to house,
from street to street ; all shouted joyously : " St. James, our
l)atron saint, is oui- leader. He assists us and combats at our
head ! " *
And this bflief eiihanced the enthusiasm of the Tyrolese,
and with the most inti-epid courage they looked upon tlie
enemy, who had by this time come clo.se up to tlie city, and
was forming in line of battle on the plain adjoining the vil-
lage of Wiltau. Fi'om the houses in the neighborhood of
* " Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer," p. 41.
U
202 ANDREAS nOFER.
the triumphal arch the Tyrolese were able to survey the
whole position of the enemy ; they could discern even the
various unifoi-ms of the French and Bavarian soldiers. Up
yonder, on the roof of a house, stood Speckbacher and Teimer,
and with their eyes, which were as keen and flashing as those
of the eagle, they gazed searchingly upon the position of the
enemy and that of their own forces. The line from the vil-
lage of Wiltau down to the river Sill was occupied by the
French troops under General Bisson ; on the right side of
Wiltau to the Inn stood Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden with the
Bavarians, his front turned toward the city.
" Now we must surround them as in a mouse-trap, and
leave them no outlet for escape," said Major Teimer, with a
shrewd wink. " Is not that your opinion too, Speckbacher ?"
'• Certainly it is." replied Speckbacher. '' Mount Isel yon-
der, in the I'ear of the Bavarians, must be occupied by several
thousands of our best sharpshooters, and a cloud of our peas-
ants must constantly harass their rear and drive them toward
Innspruck. Here we will receive them in fine style, and
chase them until they are all dead or lay down their arms.
The only important thing for us is to cut off their retreat and
keep them between two fires."
"You are right, Speckbacher; you are a skilful soldier,
and are better able to be a general than many an officer — for
instance. General Kinkel. Kinkel is an old woman ; he wept
and swore in one breath when I was with him just now ; he
says all the time that he will commit suicide, and yet he is not
courageous enough to do it, but preferred to comply with my
demands."
" And what were your demands, Teimer ? "
" I demanded that he should give me an open letter to Gen-
ei"al Bisson, urging him to send some confidential person into
the town who might report the state of affairs, and convince
him of the immense superiority and enthusiasm of the Tyro-
lese, and of the impossibility of defeating us or forcing his way
through our ranks."
" And did old General Kinkel give you such a letter ? "
" He did, and I will send it out now to the French camp.
We must make all necessary dispositions, that when the gen-
THE CAPrTULATION OF WILTAU. 203
era! sends a confidential envoy into the town he may become
fully alive to the fact that it is impossible for him to defeat
us. Above all things, we must send several thousand sharp-
shooters to Mount Isel and the adjoining heights, in order to
cut otf the enemy's retreat."
The letter which Major Teinier liad extorted from General
Kinkel had really the etlect which he had expected from it.
General Bisson sent to lunspruck one of his staflt-oflicers,
accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel von Wreden, the com-
mander of the Bavarians. A few other officers followed these
two, and repaired with them to Major Teimer, who received
them at the principal guard-house in the presence of the most
prominent Tj-rolese.
Meanwhile General Bisson awaited with painful impatience
the return of the two ambassadors whom he had sent into the
town ; and, his eyes constantly fixed on Innspruck, he walked
uneasily up an 1 down. But already upward of an hour had
elapsed, and the ambassadors had not yet made their appear-
ance. He had good reason to be uneasy and anxious, for the
situation of the French and Bavarians was now almost des-
l)ei'ate. He had found out at the bridge of the Eisach, on the
plain of the Sterzinger Moos, and at the Miihlbacher Klause,
that the French had to deal with an enemy who was terribly
in earnest ; that the whole Tyrol was in insurrection ;.that
Chasteler, with a body of armed peasants, as well as a few-
regular troops, was descending the Brenner, and already
menacing his rear ; while the rocks and thickets in his front
and flanks were ])ristling with the peasants of the lunthal,
who, in great strength, obstructed his advance.
"We shall die here, for we are hemmed in on all sides."
said General Bisson, gloomily, to himself. " There is no hope
left, and in the end we may be obliged to submit to the dis-
grace of surrendering to the mob of peasants. But what on
earth prevents llie oHiceis from returning to me ?"
And Bisson turned his searching eyes again toward Inn-
spruck. Now he perceived two men approaching at a run.
He recognized them ; they were the companions of his statf-
officer and lieutenant-colonel. Von Wreden, and their pale,
dismayed faces told him that they were bearers of bad tidings.
204 ANDREAS HOFER.
"Where are the two gentlemen whom I sent to Inn-
spruck ? " he asked, advancing rapidly toward them.
" They were taken into custody at Innspruck," faltered out
one of them.
" Major Teimer said he had taken upon himself no obliga-
tion in regard to these officers, and would retain them as
hostages," panted the other. " He then caused us to be con-
ducted through the whole city, that we might satisfy ourselves
of the tremendous strength of the Tyrolese and their for-
midable preparations. Oh, your excellency, the peasants are
much superior to us in strength, for there are at least twentj^
thousand able-bodied men in their ranks ; they are well
armed, and the most celebrated marksmen and the most dar-
ing leaders of the Tyrol are among them.'''
"Bah ! it would make no difference, even though they
were ten to one ! " cried General Bissou ; " for ten peasants
cannot have as much courage as one soldier of the grand arm3'
of my glorious emperor. We will prove to them that we are
not afraid of them. W^e will attack them. A detachment of
Tyrolese yonder has ventured to leave the city. Fire at them !
Shoot them down until not one of them is left ! "
The shots crashed, the ai'tillery boomed, but not a Tj-rolese
had fallen ; they had thi-own themselves on the ground, so
that the bullets and balls had whistled harmlessly over their
heads. But now they jumped up and responded to the shots
of the enemy ; and not one of their bullets missed its aim, but
all carried death into the ranks of the French. At the same
time the sharpshooters posted on Mount Isel, in the rear of the
French and Bavarians, commenced tiring, and mowed down
whole ranks of the soldiers.
General BLsson turned in dismay toward this new enemy,
covered by the thicket, which, rising almost to the summit of
Mount Isel, made the Tyrolese invisible, and protected them
from the missiles of the soldiers.
"W^e are between two fires," he murmured to himself, in
dismay. "We are caught, as it were, in a net, and will be
annihilated to the last man."
And this conviction seized all the soldiers, as was plainly
to be seen from their pale faces and terror-stricken looks.
THK CAl'ITULATION OF WII.TAU. 205
There was a siuUUmi lull iu the fire of the Tyrolese, which
had already struck down several hundred French soldiers,
and from tlie triinniilial arch of Innspruck issued several
men, waviui? white liandkerchiefs, and advancinj,^ directly
toward the Fi-ench. It was Major Teimer, accompanied by
some officers and citizens of Innspruck. He sent one of them
to General Bisson to invite him to an interview to be held on
the public square of the village of Wiltau.
General Bisson accepted the invitation, and repaired with
his staff and some Bavarian officers to the designated place.
Major Teimer and his companions were already there.
Teimer received the general and his distinguished compan-
ions with a proud, condescending nod.
" General," he said, without waiting for the eminent officer
to address him. "I have come here to ask you to surrender,
and order your soldiers to lay down their arms."
General Bisson looked with a smile of amazement at the
peasant who dared to address to him so unheard-of a demand
with so much calmness and composure.
" My dear sir," he said, " I am convinced that you are not
in earnest, but know full well that we never can or will com-
ply with such a demand. Moreover, our situation does not by
any means compel us to allow conditions to be dictated to us.
Nevertheless, T am i-eady to make some concessions to you.
Hence, I will pledge you my word of honor that I will neither
attack you, nor injure the city of Innspruck in the least. But
in return I demand that you allow us to pass without molesta-
tation through Innsjjruck. that we may march to Augsburg in
obedience to the ordei-s of my emperor."
" And you believe we can be so stupid as to grant this de-
mand, general ?" asked Teimer, shrugging his shoulders. "I
do not want to be beaten down. l)ut stick to my first demand.
Either you order your troojis to lay down tlieir ai'tiis. or you
will all be put to the sword."
" No, so help me God ! never will I accept so arrogant a
demand," cried the general, indignantly : "never will I incur
the disgrace of signing so ignominious a capitulation."
"Then, genei-al, you will appear this very day before the
throne of God to account for the lives of the thousands whom
206 ANDREAS HOFER.
you devote to an unnecessary death. For all of you will and
must die ; there is no escape for you. You know it full well,
general, for otherwise you, the proud general of Monsieur
Bonaparte, and commander of several thousand splendid
French soldiers, would not have come to negotiate liere with
the leader of the peasants, who knows nothing of tactics and
strategy. You know that there are enemies both in your front
and rear. Our men occupy Mount Isel, and the whole country
back of Mount Isel is in insurrection. You cannot retrace
your steps, nor can you advance, for you will never get to
Innspmck, and there is no other road to Augsburg. We have
bai'ricaded the city, and have nearly twenty thousand men in
and around Innspruck."
'' But I pledged you my v/ord that I would not attack you,
nor take any hostile steps whatever. All I want is to march
peaceably througli the city ; and, in order to convince you of
my pacific intentions, I promise to continue my march with
flints unscrewed from our muskets, and without ammunition."
" I do not accept your promises, they are not sufficient," said
Teimer, coldly.
" Well, then," cried General Bisson, in a tremulous voice,
" hear my last words. I will march on with my ti'oops with-
out arms ; our arms and ammunition may be sent after us on
wagons."
'' If that is your last word, general, our negotiations are at
an end," replied Teimer, with perfect sang-froid. " You have
rejected my well-meaning solicitude for your safety ; nothing
remains for me now but to sui'render you and your troops to
the tender mercies of our infuriated people. Farewell,
general."
He turned his back on him and advanced several steps to-
ward Innspruck. At the same time he waved his arm three
times. Inmiediately, as liad been agreed upon, the Tyrolese
on Mount Isel, and in front of Innspruck, commenced firing,
and their close discharges, admirably directed, thinned the
ranks of the French grenadiers, while the shouts with which
the mountains resounded on all sides were so tremendous that
they were completely panic-struck.
General Bisson saw it, and a deadly pallor overspread his
THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. ^07
face. Teiraer stood still and gazed sneeringly at the disheart'
ened and terrified soldiers, and then glanced at their general.
Bisson caught this glance. " Sir," he cried, and his cry re-
sembled almost an outburst of despair, " pray return to me.
Let us negotiate I ''
Teimer did not approach him, he only stood still. " Come
to me, if you have any thing to say to me," he shouted ;
" come, and — "
The rattle of musketry, and the furious shouts of the Tyro-
lese, now ])ouring down from all the mountains, and advanc-
ing upon the French, drowned his voice.
To render his words intelligible to Teimer, and to hear his
replies. General Bis.son was obliged to approach him, and he
stepped up to him with his staff -officers in greater haste per-
haps than was compatihle with his dignity.
"What else do you demand?" he asked, in a tremulous
voice.
" What I demanded at the outset," said Teimer, firmly. " I
want your troops to lay down their arms and surrender to the
Tyrolese. I have already drawn up a capitulation ; it is only
necessary for you and your officers to sign it. The capitula-
tion is brief and to the point, general. It consists only of
four paragraphs. But just listen to the shouts and cheers
of my dear Tyrolese, and see what excellent marksmen they
are ! "
Indeed, the bullets of the Tyrolese whistled again at this
moment through the ranks of the enemy, and every bullet hit
its man. Loud shouts of despair hurst from the ranks of the
French and Bavarians, who were in the wildest confusion, and
did not even dare to flee, because they knew full well that
they were hemmed in on all sides. "
General Bisson perceived the despair of his troops, and a
groan escai)ed from his breast. " Read the capitulation to me,
sir," he said, drying the cold perspiration on his forehead.
Teimer drew a paper from his bosom and unfolded it. He
then commenced reading, in a loud, ringing voice, which
drowned even the rattle of musketry :
" In the name of his majesty the Emperor Francis I. of Aus-
tria, a capitiilation is entered into at this moment with the
208 ANDREAS IIOFER.
French and Bavarian troops which advanced to day from
Steinach to Wiltau ; the following terms were accepted :
" First. The French and Bavarian soldiers lay down their
arms on the spot now occupied by them.
'' Secondly. The members of the whole eighth corps are
prisoners of war ; and will be delivered as snch to the Aus-
trian troops at Schwatz, whither they will be conveyed imme-
diately.
Thirdly. The Tyrolese patriots in the custody of these
troops will be released on the spot.
Fourthly. The field and staff-officers of the French and
Bavarian troops will retain their baggage, horses, and side-
arms, and their property will be respected."
" You see, sir, it is impossible for me to sign this," cried
General Bisson. " You cannot expect me to subscribe my own
disgrace."
" If you refuse to subscribe the capitulation, you sign there-
by not only your own death-warrant, but that of all your sol-
diers," said Teimer calmly. " See, general, here is fortunately
a table, for this is the place where the people of Wiltau assem-
ble on Sundays, and dance and di'ink. Fate placed this table
here for us that we might use it for signing the capitulation.
There is the capitulation ; I have already affixed to it my
name and title as commissioner of the Emperor Francis. I
have also brought pen and ink with me, that you might have
no trouble in signing the document. Subscribe it. therefore,
general, and let your staff-officers do so too. Spare the lives
of your poor soldiers, for you see every minute's delay costs
you additional losses."
" I cannot sign it, I cannot ! " cried Bisson, despairing-
ly. He burst into tears, and in his boundless grief he .struck
his forehead with his fist and tore out his thin gray hair
with his trembling hands. * "I cannot sign it," he wailed
loudly.
'' Sign it," cried his officers, thronging round the table.
" You must refuse no longer, for the lives of all our soldiers
are at stake."
" But my honor and good name are likewise at stake,"
* Ilornun r'rt " Androiis Ilofor," vol. i., p. 257.
THE CAIMTULATION OF WII.TAII. 0(19
proaned Bissoii, •■ and if I si^^n tlie capitulation, I shall lose
both forever."
" But you will tlierehy preserve to the emperor the lives of
upward of three thousand of his soldiers," exclaimed the of-
licers, urgently.
" Never will the emperor helieve that this disaster inigh*
not have been averted," wailed General BLsson. "Even w-eic
I merely unfortunate, he would impute it to nie as a crime.
He will forgive me no more than Villcneuve and Dupont.
His anger is inexorable, and it will crush me."
" Then let it crush you, general,'' said Teinier, calmly. •' It
is better that you should be crushed than that several thou-
sand men should now be crushed by the Tyrolese."
" Sign, sign I " ci-ied the French officers, stepping close up
to the table, taking up the pen, and px-esenting it to the gen-
eral.
" Then you are all determined to sign the capitulation after
I liave done so?" asked General Bisson, still hesitating.
" We are," cried the officers.
"We are ready to do so," said Major Armance, "and in
proof hereof I affix my name to the capitulation before you
have signed it, general."
He subscribed the paper with a quick but steady hand.
Another staff-officer stepped up, took the pen, and also wrote
his name, '' Varin."
" Now, general," he said, presenting the pen to Bisson.
The general took the pen, cast a last despairing glance to-
ward heaven and then toward his soldiers, bent over the pa-
per, and signed it.
The pen dropped from his hand, and he liad to lean against
the table in order not to .sink to the ground. Major Teimer
drew a white haiulkcrchief h'om his pocket and waved it in
the air. Tlie Tyrolese ceased firing immediately, and deafen-
ing clieers burst forth on all sides.
"You see. general, you have saved the lives of your sol-
diers," said Teimer.
Bisson only sighed, and turned to his officers. "Now, gen-
tlemen,'' he faltered out, "give orders to the troops to lay
down their arms on the spot now occupied by them."
210 ANDREAS HOFER.
The officers hastened away, aud General Bisson started to
leave likewise', when Teimer quickly laid his hand on his arm
and detained him.
'" General." he said, " pray issue still another order."
" What order, sir ? "
" You have of course brought your carriage with you ; order
your coachman to drive up with it, and permit me and these
gentlemen here to enter it with you, and ride to Innspruck."
" That is to say, I am your prisoner, and you wish to make
your triumphal entrance into the city with me ? "
" That is about my intention. I should like to return to
the city seated by your side ; and as the good inhabitants of
Innspruck are very anxious to see a French general, one of
Bonaparte's generals, who does not come with his troops to
devastate the city, to rob and plunder, I i^equest you to let us
make our entrance in an open, uncovered carriage."
" We will do so," said Sisson, casting a sombre glance on
Teimer s shrewd face. " You are merciless to-day, sir. What
is your name ? "
"My name is Martin Teimer ; I hold the i-ank of major in
the Austrian army, and Archduke John has appointed me
commissioner for the Tyi'ol."
" Ah, one of the two commissioners who signed the ' open
order,' with which the country was instigated to rise in insur-
rection ? "
"Yes, general."
"And Andreas Hofer, the Barbone, is the other commis-
sioner, is he not ? I will remember it in case we should meet
again."
"You will then take your revenge ; that is quite^ natural.
But to-day ive take our revenge for the long oppressions and
insults which we have endured at the hands of the French.
Come, general, let us ride to Innspruck."
An hour aftei'ward a long and brilliant procession moved
through the triumphal arch. It was headed by the band of
the captured Bavarian regiment, which had to play to glorify
its own disgrace to-day ; next came an open carriage in which
Martin Teimer sat with a radiant face, and by his side Gen-
eral Bisson, pale, and hanging his head. In another carriage
THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU. 211
followed the staff-officers, esoorted by the municipal authori-
ties and clergy of Innspruck, and afterward appeared the
whole enormous force of the Tyrolese conducting the dis-
armed prisoners in their midst.*
All Innspruck had put on its holiday attire ; at all the
windows were to be' seen gayly-dressed ladies and rej(jicing
girls, holding in their hands wreaths, which they threw down
on the victors. The bells of all the churches were ringing,
not the tocsin, but peals of joy and thanksgiving.
For the task was accomplished, the Tyrol was free ! In
three days after the insurrection broke out, the Tyrolese, by
means solely of their own valor and patriotism, aided by the
natural strength of the country, had entii-ely delivered the
province from the enemy. The capitulation of Wiltau
crowned the work of deliverance, to the everlasting glory of
the brave Martin Teimer, and to the disgrace of General Bis-
son and the French and Bavarians, t
There were great rejoicings in Innspruck all the day long;
glad faces were to be met with everywhere, and all shouted
enthusiastically : '" We have become Austrians again ! We
are subjects of the Emperor of Austria again ! Long live the
free Tyrol ! Long live ihe Emperor Francis ! "
The streets i)resented a very lively appearance; all the
jniinters of the city were occuined in removing the hateful Ba-
varian colors, blue and white, from the signs and houses, and
putting on them the Austrian, black and gold; and the Tyro-
lese marksmen held a regular target-shooting at the Bavarian
lion, which, to the great disgust of the Tyrolese, had been
raised four years ago over the entrance of the imperial pal-
ace. Prizes were awarded for every piece which was shot
fi'oai it, and the principal reward was granted to him who
]»ierced the crown of the lion.
Yes, the northern Tyrol was free; but the South, the Ital-
jau Tyrol, was groaning yet under the yoke of French oppres-
sion, and Andreas Hofer intended to march thither with his
* Hormayr's "Life of Andreas Hofer," vol. i., p. 259.
+ Major Teimer was rewarded for tiiis capitulation of Wiltau with tho
title of Barou von Wiltau, and with the order of ^[aria Theresa. The Em-
peror of Austria, besides, presented liim with valuable estates in Styria.
0[2 ANDREAS HOFER.
forces, as he had concerted at Vienna with the Archduke
John and Horniayr, in order to bring to the Italian Tyrolese
the liberty which the German Tyrolese had already con-
quered.
Hence Andreas Hofer, though his heart yearned for it. had
refrained from making his solemn entrance into Innspruck,
and had gone on the 17th of April to Meran, where he was to
review the Landstiirm of that town and its environs, the
brave men who were to accompany him on his expedition to
the Italian Tyrol.
The Tyrolese were drawn up in four lines; at their head
was to be seen Hormayr, surrounded l)y the priests and civil
officers w'ho had been exiled by the Bavarians, and who were
returning now with him and the Austrian army.
A cloud of dust arose from the neighboring gorges of the
Passeyr valley, and a joyous murmui' ran through the ranks
of the Tyrolese. Deafening cheers rent the air then, for An-
di'eas Hofer galloped up on a fine chargei-, followed by the
men of the Passeyr valley. His face glowed, his eyes beamed
with delight, and his whole bearing breathed unbounded sat-
isfaction and happiness.
He shook hands wdth Hormayr, laughing mei^rily. " We
have kept," he exclaimed. " the pi*omises we made at Vienna,
have we not ? And our dear Archduke John, I suppose, will
be content with us ? "
"He sends the best greetings of his love to his dear An-
dreas Hofer," said Hormayr, "and thanks him for all he has
done here."
"He thanks me?" asked Hofer, in surprise. "We have
done only what our hearts longed for, and fulfilled our own
wishes. We wished to become Austrians again, for Austrians
means Germans ; we \vanted no longer to be Bavarians, for
Bavarians meant French ; hence, we were anxious to rid our
mountains of the disgrace and make our country again free
and a province of Germany. V7e have succeeded in doing so,
for the good God blessed our efforts and helped us in our sore
distress. Now we are once more the faithful children of our
dear emperor, and the dear Archduke John will come to us
and stay with us as governoi" of the Tyrol."
THE CAPITULATION' OF WILTAU. 213
"He certainly will, and I know that he longs to live again
in the midst of his faithful Tyrolese. But for this reason,
And\', we must help him that he may soon come to us, and
aid him in delivering the Southern Tyrol. I have great news
for you, Andy, from the Archduke John. I wished to com-
nmnicate it to you fii'st of all. No one was to hear of it previ-
ous to you.''
" I hope it is good news, Baron von Horraayr, said Andreas
Hofer, anxiously. "The dear archduke, I trust, has not met
with a disaster ? Tell me quick, for my heart throbs as though
one of my dear children were in imminent peril."
" You yourself are a child, Andy. Do you suppose I should
look so cheerful if our dear archduke had met with a disaster ?
And even though such were the case, w^ould I then be so stu-
pid as to inf(n'm you of it now. at this .joyful hour, when it is
all-important that we should be in high spirits ? No, Andy, I
bring splendid news. The Archduke John achieved yester-
day a glorious victory at Sacile over the Viceroy of Italy. Eu-
gene Beauharnais ; it was a great triumph, for he took eight
thousand prisoners, and captured a great many guns. But
amidst this ti'ium])h he thought of his dear T^-rolese, and di.s-
])atched from the battle-field a courier who wa.s to bring to me
the news and his order to tell his dear Tyrolese that he de-
feated the French yesterday."
Andrea.'S Hofer, overjoN'ed and with his countenance full of
sunshine and happine.ss, galloped down the long line of his
sharpshooters.
" Hurrah I my dear friends and brethren," he shouted.
" the Archduke John sends his greetings to you, and informs
you that he defeated the French yesterday at Sacile and took
eight thousand pi-isoners and a great many gun.s. Hurrali I
long live the Archduke John, the future governor of the
Tyrol ! "
And the Tyrolese repeated, with deafening cheers : " Hur-
rah ! long live the Archduke John, the future governor of the
Tyrol ! "
" And I have to bring you still another greeting from the
Archduke John," shouted Baron von Hormayr. " But you
shall not hear it here in the plain, but up at the ancient castle
2U A^^DREAS HOFER.
of Tyrol. It is true, the Bavarians and the miserable Fi^nch
have destroyed the fine castle, but the ruins of the ancient
seat of our princes remain to us. We will now ascend to
those ruins, and up there you shall hear the message which
the Archduke John sends to you."
The whole force of the Tyrolese thereupon moved up the
mountain-path leading to the castle of Tyrol, headed by An-
dreas Hofer and Baron von Hormayr.
On reaching the crest of the hill, Hofer stopped and
alighted from his horse. He knelt down amidst the ruins of
the castle with a solemn, deeply-moved face, and holding the
crucifix on his breast between his hands, and lifting his eyes
to heaven, he exclaimed with fervent devotion : '" Thanks,
Lord God, thanks for the aid that thou hast hitherto vouch-
safed to us 1 Thanks for delivering the country and permit-
ting us to be Austrians again ! O God, grant now stability to
our work — and pi'eserve it from falling to ruin I If Thou art
content with me, let me further serve and be useful to my na-
tive country I I am but a weak instrument in Thy hand, my
God, but Thou hast used it, and I pray Thee not to cast it aside
now, but impai't to it strength and durability, that it may
last until the enemy has been driven from the country, and
the whole Tyrol is free again for evermore ! I kiss the dear
soil where our princes walked in former times, and where they
swore to their Tyrolese tbat they should be fi'eemen, and
that their free constitution should be sacred for all time to
come ! "
He bent down, kissed the moss-grown stones, and encircled
them tenderly with his arms as though they were an altar
before wbich he was uttering devout vows and prayers. The
Tyrolese, who had gradually reached the summit, had si-
lently knelt down behind Andreas Hofer, and were praying
like him.
One sentiment animated them all and illuminated their
faces with the radiant lustre of joy : the Tyrol was delivered
from the foreign yoke, and they, the sons of the country, had
alone liberated their beloved fatherland.
"Now, men of the Tyrol," shouted Hormayr, "listen to the
message which the Archduke John sends to you."
ELIZA WALLNtirs RETURN. 215
And amid the solemn silence of the Tyrolese, and the peals
of the MtTun church-bells penetrating up to them, Hormayr
read to them a document drawn up by tlie Archduke John, by
virtue of which he resumed possession of the Tyrol in the
name of the emperor, declared it to be incorporated with the
imperial states, and solemnly vowed that, as a reward of its
loyalty, it should remain united with Austria for all future
time. At the same time, the ancient constitution and the
former privileges were restored to the Tyrolese, and Baron von
Hormayr was appointed governor of the Tyrol.
CHAPTER XX.
ELIZA WALLNER'S RETURN.
All Windisch Matrey was again in joyful commotion to-
day, for a twofold festival was to be celebrated : the i-eturn of
the men of Windisch-Matrey, who had so bravely fought for
the country and so aided in delivering it ; and then, as had
been resolved previous to their departure, Eliza Walluer's
wedding was to come oil: to-day.
She had redeemed her pledge, she had proved that she was
a true and brave daughter of the Tyrol, and Anthony Wall-
nei', her fathei-, was no longer angry with her ; he wished to
reward her for her courage and intrepidity, and make her
liappy. Therefore, he liad sent a messenger secretly and with-
out her knowledge to Windisch-Matrey, and had ordered his
w ife to decorate the house festively, and request the curate to
repair to the church and perform the marriage rites. The re-
turning Tyrolese were to march to the church, and, after
thanking God for the dclivei-ance of the Tyrol, the curate was
to marry Eliza Wallner and her lover in presence of the whole
congregation.
Since early dawn, therefore, all the married women and
girls of Windisch-Matrey, dressed in their handsome holiday
attire, had been in the street, and had decorated the route
which the returning men were to take, and adorned the church
with wreaths and garlands of flowers.
216 ANDREAS HOFEK.
Wallner's wife alone had remained at home, for she had to
attend to tlie preparations for the wedding-banquet, with
which slie and her servant-girls had been occupied during the
whole of the pi'evious day. There were a great many things
to be done yet ; the table had to be set in the large bar-
room for the wedding-guests ; the roasts had to be looked
after in the kitchen ; and the whole house had to be deco-
rated, and festoons of flowers to be suspended round its en-
trance.
"Schropfel might render me good service now," said
Wallner's wife, eagerly. '' I have so many things to attend
to, and he does not move his hands, but sits like a log at
the door of dear Ulrich von Hohenberg, and cares for noth-
ing else. Oh, Schropfel. Schropfel, come here ! I want to
.see you ! "'
At the staircase leading down into the hall appeared the
sunburnt, furrowed face of old Schropfel.
'' If you want to see me, you must come up here," he
.shouted. '■ I have been told to stand guard here, and I will
not desert my post, even for the sake of Mrs. Wallner, until I
am relieved."
'' He is a queer fellow," said Mrs. Wallner, laughing, " but
I must do what he says."
She hastened up-staij'S. At the door of the room where
the prisoner was confined stood the servant, pressing his face
to the brown panels of the door.
"Now, Schropfel," asked Mrs. Wallner, laughing, "can
you see through the boards ? For you put your eyes to the
door as though it were a window."
"It is a window," said Schrdpfel, in a low voice, limping
up a few steps to his mistress. *' I have bored four small
holes in the door, and through them I am able to see the
whole room and all that the prisoner is doing. Look, Mrs.
Wallner ! the hole below there is my window when he Ls in
bed and asleep ; I can see his face through it. The hole a
little above it enables me to watch him while he is seated at
the table, and writing or reading ; and through the hole up
here I can see his face when he is pacing the room."
" You are a strange fellow," said Mrs. Wallner, shaking
ELIZA WALLNEK'S KETUUN. 217
her liead. " You watch the poor sick prisoner as though he
were an eagle, always ready to ily fr(jin the nest."
"He is ahout what you say," said Schropfel, thoughtfully.
" He is no longer sick, and his wings have grown a great
ileal during the week since he was here. I believe he would
like to fly from here."
" Oh, no," said Mrs. Wallner, with a shrug. " He loves my
Lizzie, and I do not believe that he who loves that girl will
wish to fly away before she flies with him."
" I do not know about that ; I have my own notions about
it," said Schropfel. " He is a Bavarian for all that, and the
Bavarians are all faithless and dishonest. 1 swore to watch
him and not lose sight of him, and I nmst keep my oath ;
hence, I shall not leave the door until I am relieved."
" Then you will not come down-stairs and help me fix the
wreaths and garlands, set the table, and clean the knives ? "
" No, dear Mrs. Wallner, I am not allowed to do so, much
as I would like to assist you. A sentinel must never leave his
post, or he will be called a desertei", and Mr. Wallner always
told me that that was a great disgrace for an honest fellow.
Now, as I am an honest fellow, and, owing to my lame leg,
cannot serve the country in any other way than watching
this prisoner. I shall stay here as a sentinel and take good care
not to desert."
"Well, do so, then," exclaimed Mrs. Wallner, half angrily,
half laughingly. " Biat you may go in to the gentleman and
tell him to be of good cheer, for Eliza will come back to-day,
and the wedding will take place immediately after her return,
when he will be free. Tell him to prepare for the ceremony ;
for, when the bells connnence ringing, the returning defend-
ers of the country will have reached the village, and we are
to go with him to the church, where the curate will await
us."
" Of course, I shall tell him all this," growled Schropfel,
and Mrs. Wallner hastened down-stairs again.
"Yes, I shall tell him," nmimured Schropfel to himself,
"but I wonder if it will gladden his heart ? During the first
few daj's, when he had tlio wound-fever, he talked strange
things in his delirium, and doi-ided and scorned oui- beautiful
15
218 ANDREAS HOFER.
Lizzie, who, lie said, was bent upon becoming an aristocratic
lady. Since he is well again, he abuses her no longer, but he
looks very sombre, and during the whole week he has not
once inquired after his betrothed. God blast the accursed
Boafok if he should love the girl no longer, and if he did not
honestly intend to make her his wife ! I will go in to him
and see how he receives the news."
Ulrich von Hohenberg was seated in his armchair, and
gazing musingly out of the window. He did not turn when
the old servant entered his room ; he seemed not to have
noticed his arrival, but continued staring at the sky even
when Schropfel stood close to him. The face of the young
man was still pale and wan, and under his eyes, formerly so
clear and cheerful, were to be seen those bluish circles indica-
tive of internal sufferings of the body or the soul. However,
since the wound-fever liad left him, he had never uttered a
complaint, and the wound, which was not very severe, had
already closed and was healing rapidly. Hence, it was doubt-
' less grief that imparted so gloomy and sickly an appearance
to Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg, and it was this very sus-
picion that rendered Schropfel distrustful, and caused him to
watch his prisoner night and day with sombre vigilance.
He stood a few minutes patiently, and waited for the cap-
tain to address him; but Hohenberg continuing to take no
notice of him, he resolutely laid his hand on his shoulder.
''Sir, awake !" he exclaimed sullenly.
The captain gave a slight start, and pushed the servant's
hand with an angrj' gesture from his shoulder.
" I am awake,'' he said ; " it is therefore quite unnecessary
for you to lay hands on me. What is it ? What do you want
of me ? "
"I want to tell you only that our men will return this
morning, and that this will be a great holiday in Windisch-
Matrey, For our men are victorious, and the country is de-
livered from the enemy. Mr. Wallnor has written to us that
the brave Tyrolese delivered the whole country in three days,
that they have taken prisoners eight thousand infantry and
one thousand cavalry, and captured eight guns, two stands of
colors, and two French eagles. Besides, several thousand
ELIZA WALLNER'S RETtlRX. 219
French and Bavarians have jjerished in the gorg'es and on th(
battle fields. Very few of our own men have been killed, and
not one of them made prisoner. Now the whole country is
free, and our victorious men are coming home.''
Not a muscle in the cajjtain's face had betrayed tha. he
had heard Schropfol's report. He still stared quietly at the
sky, and his features expressed neither grief nor surprise at
the astounding news.
"You do not ask at all, sir, if Eliza Wallner will return
with the men?" asked Schropfel, angrily. "I should think
you ought to take .some interest in that, for Lizzie is your be-
trothed."
" She is not ! " cried the captain, starting up indignantly,
with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes.
" Yes, she is," said Schropfel, composedly. " I myself
heard the girl say to her father and the men of Windisch-
Matrey : ' He is my bridegi'oom ; I love him, and you must
not kill him.' And because she said so, the men spared your
life, although Anthony "Walluer-Aichberger was very angry,
and would not forgive his daughter for having given her
heart to an enemy of her country, a Bavarian, and, moreover,
a nobleman, and not to an honest peasant. But Lizzie begged
and wailed so nuich that her father could not but yield, and
promised her to forgive all if she proved that she was no trait-
ore.ss to her country, but a true and brave daughter of the Tyr-
ol ; after doing so, he would permit her to marry her Bava-
rian betrothed. And now she has proved that she is a true
and brave daughter of the Tyrol, and the whole country' is
full of the heroic deods performed by Lizzie Wallner, and of
the intrepidity which she displayed under the most trying cir-
cumstances. And to-day, captain, you will meet again your
betrothed, who saved your life, and who went with the men
only to perform heroic deeds that \vould induce her father to
consent to her union with you. I tell you, sir, beautiful
Lizzie Wallner. your betrothed, will return in an hour or
two."
The young man's face crimsoned for a moment, and when
the color disappeared from his cheeks, their pallor was even
more striking and ghastly than before.
220 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Eliza Walluer fought, then, very bravely against— against
my countrymen ? " he asked, pantingly.
"No, she did not fight, sir, but she went into the thickest
shower of bullets to carry away the wounded Tyrolese, and
attend to their injuries; and she drove a hay- wagon directly
toward the enemy, and our men were concealed behind the
hay, and she brought a keg of wine to our men while the
bullets were whistling round her ; and, finally, she and the
other "women escorted the Bavarian prisoners to Castle Stein-
ach."
The young man uttered a cry, and buried his face in his
hands.
" What a disgrace, oh, what a disgrace ! " he groaned, de-
spairingly; and in his grief beseemed to have entirely for-
gotten the presence of the servant, for he wept, wept so bit-
terly that large scalding tears trickled down between his
fingers. "Our brave soldiers were defeated by miserable
peasants," he wailed. "' The Bavarian prisoners were marched
ofi^ under an escort of women ! "
Schropfel stood as if petrified, and this outburst of the
grief of the usually haughty and laconic young man filled
him with the utmost surprise and confusion.
However, the captain suddenly dried his tears and dropped
his hands from his face.
" And Eliza Wallner, you say, led the women who escorted
the Bavarian prisoners ?" he asked, in a firm, almost menac-
ing voice.
" Yes, sir, she did," said Schropfel. " And now her father
is reconciled with her, and, to prove it, he will marry his
daughter to you to-day."
The captain said nothing ; only a proud, scornful smile
played around his lips for a moment.
" Yes," added Schropfel, " the wedding will come ofi' to-da3^
Immediately after their return the procession will move to
the church, where a thanksgiving service will be held ; it
will be followed by the marriage ceremony. Mr. Wallner
wrote to his wife to send you to the church as soon as the
bells commenced ringing, and to keep you in the vestry until
you were sent for. Remember, therefore, as soon as the bells
ELIZA WALLNER'S RETURN. 221
commence ringing, I sliall call for you and take you to the
vestry."
Tlie young man was silent, and gazed thoughtfully before
him; he then threw back his head with an air of bold reso-
lution.
" All right," he said, " I shall accompany you. Did you not
say that my baggage had been sent hitlier from the castle ? "
" Yes, yes, Miss Elza sent every thing hither by her serv-
ants, and she herself canio with them. And during the first
days, when you had the wound-fever, she came here at least
three times a day and asked how you were, and cried and
lamented, aud entreated me for God's sake to admit her to
your room only for a brief moment. But I had sworn not to
admit any one to my prisoner, nor to permit him to speak
with any one; hence, I could not make an exception even in
favor of the kind-hearted young lady. She comes neverthe-
less every day and inquii'es about you ; and she begged hard
and long until Mrs. Wallner permitted her to send your din-
ner always from the castle. As you will be free to-day, I may
tell you all this, for it will no longer do any harm."
"No, it will no longer do any harm," said the captain, with
a peculiar smile. " Listen, I wish to dress up for to-day's cere-
mony, and don my gala uniform. Therefore be so kind as to
fetch it."
"I will, captain, I will fetch the uniform and be back di-
rectly," said Schropfel, cheerfully, limping hastily toward the
door. But outside he stood still and pressed his finger
thoughtfully to his nose. " I do not know exactly what to
think of it," he murmured to himself. " At first he uttered a
loud cry and said Lizzie Wallner was not his betrothed ; after-
ward he lamented piteously because Lizzie Wallner escorted
the Bavarian prisoners ; and finally he asked for his gala
uniform in order to dress up for the ceremony. Well, we
shall see very soon if he has honest intentions toward Lizzie
and really loves her. If he thinks he can play her a trick, he
had better beware, for I shall never lose sight of him : T shall
always be behind him, and if he does not treat the girl as lie
ought to, I will strike him down with my lists like a mad
bull ! I will do it, so help me God ! "
222 ANDREAS HOFER.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE CATASTROPHE.
The bells were ringing, the men were rejoicing, and the
girls of Windisch-Matrey and its environs took position with
baskets of flowers on both sides of the street. For the victori-
ous defenders of the country were approaching ; their cheers
were already heard at a distance ; and they already saw the
merr\' boys who had gone out to meet them, and who now
headed the procession amid manifestations of the liveliest de-
light. Yes, they were coming, they were coming ! Yonder,
down the mountain-slope, moved the motley procession of the
Tyrolese, resembling a glittering serpent of gigantic propor-
tions. How their rifles flashed in the sun ! How beautifully
the bouquets adorned their pointed green hats ! And now
they v/ere already able to distinguish the faces and the indi-
vidual forms. Immediately behiod the boys, at the head of
the procession, walked Anthony Wallner-Aichberger. How
splendid the commander-in-chief looked ; and how beautiful
was Lizzie, walking by his side, handsomely dressed, and wear-
ing a beautiful bouquet in her Bosom ! Her attentive father
had despatched a special messenger to his wife for Lizzie's
holiday dress and her trinkets, so that Lizzie, the pride and
joy of his heart, might make her entrance in a becoming man-
ner into AVindisch-Matrey.
Lizzie looked really splendid in her holiday attire. Her
raven hair, flowing down in heavj' tresses on her neck, was
interwoven with dark-red ribbons, and large rosettes of the
same color were fastened with silver pins to her head.. Her
low-necked corset, adorned with silver trimmings, was fast-
ened on the breast with silver chains ; and above it rose a
white chemisette trimmed with laces, and veiling chastely her
faultless bust and beautifully-shaped shoulders. Large white
sleeves covered her arms and were fastened to her wrists with
dark-red rosettes. An ample skirt of fine dark-red wool,
trimmed with black velvet, fell from her slender waist down
to her ankles, and her small feet were enca.sed in handsome
THE CATASTROPHE. 223
stockings and shoos adorned with large silver buckles. The
hoys had brought to Ik r the si)iendid bouquet which she wore
in her bosom, and had told her, amid laughter and cheers,
that her betrothed sent her the bouquet as a wedding-present.
B\it these words had rendered Lizzie silent and sad. Th(
smile had disappeared from her lips, and the color had faded
from her cheeks ; she looked anxiously at her father, but he
nodded to her and said laughingly: "Do not a.sk me any
questions to-day, Lizzie, for I will not tell you any thing.
Await quietly the events that will take place, and bear in
mind that your father loves you dearly, and is anxious to
make his little daughter happy and contented."
Eliza tried to divine what these words of her father meant,
and a gloomy foreboding, a terror which she was unable toex-
plain to herself, tilled her heart.
She listened no longer to the joyous .shouts of the boys,
and ceased singing with Panzl the fine songs of the Tyrolese
mountains, but walked along, pale, silent, and hanging her
head.
Now they reached Windisch-Matrey, and stood still at the
enti-ance of the street, where the clergy, municipal authorities,
and the beautifully-dressed girls, bade them welcome. Oh. it
was a soul-stirring moment, a sacred festival of welcome !
The brave men had goiie out to fight for their native country,
their emperor, and the liberties of the Tyrol ; and God had
granted them victory. He had assisted them in all contests,
tlie country was free, the emperor was again master of the
Tyrol, and the men of "Windisch-Matrey returned victoriously
to their homes. All seemed to greet them with glowing looks
of love ; the whole earth .^^eemed to shout *' Welcome ! " to
them. Even the glistening snow-clad summits of the Gross-
Glockuer seemed to look at them over the other mountains
with an air of curiosity and solemn kindness ; and on the
green mountain-pastures stood the red cows so proud and
handsome, as if they had placed themselves there for the pur-
pose of adorning the landscape for the returning heroes.
And the wild Iselbach mui-mured merrily at the roadside and
sent its silvery spray into the air, and the boys laughed and
sang ; the bells pealed so loudly and solemnly, and received
224 ANDREAS HOFER.
ringing responses from the villages farther down in the val-
ley ; the priests stood with solemn, devout faces at the en-
trance of the place, blessing the heroes with uplifted hands,
and eyes turned to heaven ; and the girls and matrons, strew-
ing flowers to the returning men, stood on both sides of the
street, and greeted them with beaming smiles.
Oh, this sweet, sublime moment silenced all cares and
doubts. The smile returned to Eliza's lips, her cheeks crim-
soned, and her eyes beamed with the purest joy. With a loud
cry of delight she threw herself into the arms of her mother,
and kissed her a thousand times, and scarcely listened to the
address of the curate, who returned thanks to her in the name
of the whole parish for her courage and the assistance she had
rendered to her countrymen wounded in battle.
But now Eliza heard a dear familiar voice, which caused
her to raise herself from her mother's arms and look up.
Yes, it was the old, kind-hearted Baron von Hohenberg
who was standing before her, and held out his hand to her
with his sunniest and kindest smile. " My brave daughter,"
he said, feelingly, " give me your hand. You know that I
love you as though you were my own child ; and now I am
provid of you, for you have become a heroine, and have done
honor to our Tyrol. Elza was right after all in always call-
ing you another Maid of Orleans, and saying you were a born
heroine."
•'But where is Elza?" said Lizzie, anxiously, to the old
castellan.
" Here I am, dearest Eliza," said the young lady, who had
hitherto kept herself behind her father and the clergyman.
" Oh, my Elza, my dear, dear Elza !" exclaimed Eliza, rap-
turously ; and she encircled her fi'iend's neck with her arms,
and imprinted a glowing kiss on her lips.
But she felt that Elza's lips quivered, that she did not re-
turn the kiss, nor press the friend to her heart ; and it seemed
to Eliza as though a cold hand suddenly touched her heart and
pressed it rudely and cruelly. She raised her head from Elza's
shoulder, and looked her full in the face. It was not until
now that she saw how pale Elza was, how red her eyes with
weeping, and how forced her smile.
THE CATASTROPHE. 225
"You are sick, Elza," she said, anxiously.
"No," whispered Elza, "'I am not."
"Then you love your Lizzie no longer ?" asked Eliza, press-
ingly.
" Yes, I do," said Elza, in a hollow voice, and with a won-
drously luouniful smile. "I do love you, and, to prove it, I
pi'escnt you with this wreath. God bless you, dear Lizzie ;
may He grant you happiness ! "
"Elza," cried Eliza, anxiously, " Elza, pi-ay come to me and
tell me what it means, what — "
" Husli, Lizzie, husli," said her father, seizing her hand and
drawing her forward. " Do you not sec tliat the procession is
moving on, and that we nmst go with it ? See, the curate and
the castellan are already far ahead, and we must go too."
" But where, father, where ? "
" To the church, you dear little goose ! "
" To the church ? What are we to do there ? Why do we
not go home ? "
'* Have you become so impious during your campaign, Liz-
zie, as not to know that we must always render homage to
God first and above all things ? We are going to church to
return thanks ; come with me, and ask no more questions."
" But I will take off the myrtle-wreath ! " exclaimed Lizzie,
lifting her hand anxiously to the wreath. But her father drew
back her hand.
" No, Lizzie," he said, " do not remove the wreath. It fits
well on your head."
" But I am no bride going to church on her wedding-day."
"Really, Lizzie, are you not ?" asked her father, laughing.
"But hush now, mj' child, we are already at the church-door,
and do you not hear the glorious swelling notes of the organ ?
Let us enter the church, dear Lizzie."
He drew her forward, and Eliza followed him : but inde-
scribable anguish oppressed her soul ; she did not know why,
and she fc^lt as though something dreadful wei-e about to hap-
pen here, and as though she ouglit to flee, llee far into the
mountain.s, into solitude.
But her father held her by the liand. and walked witli lier
up the main aisle to the large altar. Rows of chairs, decorated
226 AXJJKEAS HOFER.
with tiowers, had been placed here, aud Eliza had to seat her-
self on one of these chaii-s ; by her side sat her father ; op-
posite her, the castellan and her friend Elza ; then came the
municipality, and John Panzl, lieutenant-commander of the
men of Windisch-Mati'ey, and behind them stood the dense
crowd of the sharpshooters of the Pusterthal.
Eliza cast a searching glance on the dense crowd ; she
looked at all the i^ews, and yet she did not know what she was
looking for, nor what alarmed her heart so much.
All at once she started in sudden terror, and her cheek
turned deadly pale. Yonder, behind the windows of the
vestry, she beheld a young man in a handsome uniform ; it
was he, he whom she had looked for without knowing it her-
self ; he from whose sight her heart had shrunk with anxiety
and dismay. And yet Eliza had longed to see him, for she had
been uneasy on his account ; she had feared lest he should still
suffer gi-avely from the consequences of his wound. But she
had not dared to ask any one about him ; hence, she was glad
to see that he was well, and showed her gladness in her gaze
at him. Their eyes met, but he looked upon her with an ex-
pression of hatred and contempt ; a haughty, disdainful smile
played round his lips, and he threw back his head supercil-
iously, instead of nodding pleasantly to her.
Eliza felt a terrible pain in her heart ; she wished to jump
up, she — All at once she heard her name drop from the lips
of the curate, who was standing before the altar, and who had
just concluded the thanksgiving prayer. What did he say —
why did he mention her ? She held her breath to listen to
him. Great heavens ! another name fell from the curate's
lips. He uttered the name of Ulrich von Hohenberg ; he pro-
claimed him the bridegroom of Eliza Wallner, who was
present ; he called vipon Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg to
appear before the altar, and receive the consecration of his
union with his betrothed in the presence of all these witnesses.
With a hollow groan, crushed, aud as if bi'oken-hearted,
Eliza sank back into her cliair, and her pale lips murmured :
'■ Now I am lost, and so is he ! "
'* Ulrich von Hohenberg," shouted the priest at the altar,
" come hither and take your bride by the hand,"
THE CATASTROPHE. 227
The door of the vesti-y opened, and Uh-ich von Hohenberg
stepped in. His tall, slender form presented a very fine ap-
pearance in the brilliant gala uniform ; a flashing cross
adorned his breast ; in his hand he held his gold-laced hat,
with the waving white plume ; only the sword was wanting
to his side, and this alone betokened his humiliating position,
and showed that he was a prisoner amidst all these armed
men. But the consciousness of this fact seemed not to
hnrailiate him, for he walked up, his head proudly raised,
and his stern, cold eyes gazing scornfully upon the assembly.
He stepped clo.se up to the altar. '' Reverend father," ha
said, in a clear, loud voice to the priest, " you have called me.
Here 1 am. What do you want of me ;■ ''
" I have called you, Ulrich von Hohenberg, to marry you
to your betrothed. Eliza Wallner, step to the side of your
bi'idegroom."
But Eliza Wallner did not rise from her chair ; she leaned
her head, almost in a swoon, against the back of her chair,
and stared, as if unconscious of what was going on around
her, at the priest and the young man, who fixed his eyes on
her at this moment with an air of cold contemj)t.
" Eliza Wallner," he cried aloud, "do not come hither, for
I am not your betrothed, and never shall you become my
wife ! "
A deafening cry of rage burst from all lips : the eyes of all
the brave men in the church flashed with anger, and they laid
their hands menacingly on tlicir rifles.
But Anthony Wallner sprang to his feet, pale with rage,
his eyes shooting fire, like those of an angry tiger, rushed to-
ward the captiiin, and seized his arm.
" What ! " he cried, furiously, " you infamous, perjured
scoundrel, refuse to marry my daughter ? First you stole her
love, you promised to marry her, and now that I would givd
her to you, you refuse to take her I "
"Yes, I do," cried Ulrich von Hohenberg, almost joyously.
"Never will Eliza Wallner, the peasant-girl, become my wife ;
never will I stoop so low as to allow a wife to be forced upon
me, merely to .save my life, and least of all her who has fought
agaiiist my countrynien and brethren ; who participated in
228 ANDREAS HOFER.
the studied insult inflicted upon the brave soldiers of my king,
and in the infamous treason you have all committed against
your king and lord. Yes, I tell you, you are infamous rebels
and traitors, and you think I, Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg,
a soldier who took the oath of allegiance to his king, could act
so dishonorably and meanly as to join the rebels ! No, never !
Never will the daughter of the rebel Anthony Wallner become
my wife ! Kill me now if you want to do so. You may take
my life, but you cannot dishonor me ! "
Eliza sat still motionless, and as if petrified. She had
•heard, as if in a dream, the captain's words ; and, as if in a
dream, she saw that Schropfel rushed forward and raised his
powerful arm against him, and that all the men crowded up
to him with menacing gestures ; as if in a dream, she heard
wild shouts and imprecations.
All at once two ice-cold, trembling hands seized Eliza's
ai'ms, and a beloved voice penetrated her ear with the vehe-
mence of mortal anguish and terror.
" Eliza 1 " cried this voice — " Eliza, will you allow them to
kill him ? "
" Elza ! " murmured Eliza, as if starting up from a trance,
" Elza, what is the matter ? ''
" They will assassinate him, Eliza I " wailed Elza. " They
have tied and gagged him, and say that they will take him
out and shoot him. Eliza, you alone can save him ! Have
mercy, forget what he said in his rage and grief. Have mercy
upon him, upon me ! For I tell you, they will assassinate
him. Oh, see, they are forming a circle round him, and drag-
ging him down the aisle ! They are taking him out to the
public place ! They intend to shoot him ! Save him, Eliza,
save him ! "
Eliza made no reply ; she sprang up from her seat and
hastened down the aisle after tiie men, who were just issuing
from the church-door, and in whose midst was walking Cap-
tain Ulrich von Hohenberg, conducted by Anthony Wallner,
and his servant, lame old Schropfel, his hands tied on his back,
and a gag in his mouth.
But the sharpshooters surrounded the prisoner like a thick,
impenetrable wall. Vainly did Eliza beg and implore the
THE CATASTROriTE. 220
nicu to let her pass ; vainly did she try with the strength of
despair to elbow her way throug-h the ranks. The men pushed
her back impetuously.
"You shall not intercede in behjilf of the infamous vil-
lain," they said ; " you shall not save the life of the mean
Bavarian who calls us rebels and traitors, and yet did not
keep his own word. He shall and must die, he has forfeited
his life." And tlieir strong arms pushed her from the circle
which they now formed on the large place in front of the
church. In its middle stood the captain, by his side Anthony
Wallner, and behind him Schropfel, like a watch-dog ready
at any moment to tear his enemy.
Anthony lifted his arm with slow, solemn tranquillity,
and dropped it heavily on the captain's shoulder.
" Ulrich von Hohenberg," he said, " you are an infamous
villain, for you pledged j'our word to my daughter that you
would marry her, and now you repudiate her. You are a
liar and a slanderer, for you call us infamous rebels and
traitors merely because we fought for our country and oui*
emperor. Therefore, you have sinned against God, man, and
honor. Uli'ich von Hobenberg, you nmst die ! "
''Yes, you must die!" shouted the men; and they took
the rifles from their shoulders and loaded them.
Anthony "VVallner and Schropfel stepped back from the
prisoner, and the men who had stood behind him moved out
of the way. Hence the circle, Avhich had hitherto been im-
penetrable, now opened. Eliza saw it, and sprang forward,
regardless of the sharpshooters, who were just raising their
muskets, regardless of the danger menacing herself. Pale,
with panting breath, her hands lifted to heaven, she sped
across the open space toward the captain, and, jilacing herself
before him, exclaimed, with flashing eyes, and in an exulting
voice : "' Now shoot, men, shoot ! For I tell you he shall
not die alone, and if you shoot him, you shall kill me too."
" Eliza ! " cried her father, beseechingly, and withal
angrily, " Eliza, stand back ! He is a traitor, and must
die."
''He is no traitor, nor must he die ; and if you assassinate
him you shall assassinate me too," cried Eliza.
230 ANDREAS IIOFER.
'' But, Lizzie, did jou not hear, then, how he repudiated
and a1)uscd you, the faithless Bavarian ? "' asked her father.
"I did, and I forgive him,"' slic said gently, "for I know
full well that he does not mean what he says. Are you
so stupid, men, as Tiot to comprehend that he cannot act
otherwise, and that he must speak thus and not other-
wise ? Father, you said I was a true daughter of the Tyrol,
and that you loved me and were content with me. I pray
you, then, dearest father, spare the life of my betrothed until
to-morroAv morning, and have him taken hack as a prisoner
to our house until then. Schropfel may watch him, and not
take his eyes from him. Oh, dear, kind friends, brave men,
have mercy upon me ! Bear in mind that we fought together
for our beloved country, and that you told me you would
never forget me, and would comply with my wishes when-
ever you could. I wish now that you spare the life of my be-
trothed only until to-morrow morning."
" He says he is not your beti'othed, Lizzie, and will never
marry you ! " exclaimed the men, with irresolute faces, and
already half softened by the beseeching, touching expression
of Eliza's countenance.
"He says so," she said, casting a fiery glance on the cap-
tain, who stood pale and motionles.s, heard every word, and
was unable to make a reply ; " he says so, but I know that he
loves me, and will be joyously ready to-morrow morning to
do what I ask of him. Father," she added, in a low voice,
seizing Anthony Wallner's arm, and drawing him aside
quickly, " do you not comprehend, then, that Ulrich cannot
speak differently ? Would not his king, after his return to
Bavaria, pronounce him a traitor, and charge him with hav-
ing joined us and the Austrians, and with having convicted
himself by marrying a Tyrolese girl ? Be wise, dearest father,
and see how shrewdly Ulrich manages every thing, and that
he acts precisely as I told him. It must look as though he
did not marry me of his own accord, but compelled by you ;
otherwise his king and his father, who is a very proud man,
would never forgive him. But when they hear what has oc-
curred here, and that you threatened to shoot Ulrich because
he would not marry me, the gentlemen at Munich will under-
THE Cx\.TASTROriIE. 231
stand that Ulrich had to take me in order to save his
life."
"And are you satisfied to have it look as though he
married you only under compulsion?" asked her father,
ffloomily.
" I am, father," she said, " for I love my betrothed ; and
he shall not become unhappy for m^' sake and forfeit the
good graces of his king and his father. State all this to your
friends, dear father, and tell them to let Ulrich and me alone
for to-day; but ask them all to come to our house to-morrow
moriiiiig and accompany the bride and bridegroom to the
church, for Ulrich will marry me at nine to-morrow morn-
ing."
" But, Lizzie, why not to-day ? " asked her father. " Why
not at this hour ? "
" It will not do, father. If j-ou had told me beforehand
what was to be done here, I should have told you at once
what I am telling you now : it will not do for a young girl
to appear before God's altar without due preparation, and as
though she were going to a dance. What I am going to do is
something very serious, and I will do it seriously. I will
pray to God to-day, go to confession, and have a great many
things to talk over with Ulrich, for I know he wants me to
set out with him immediately after we have been married, and
that it may not look as though he had stayed voluntai'ily with
you in our valley. I must, therefore, pack up my things and
prepare for departing as soon as we have been mari-ied. Let
us alone, then, dear fathei', to day, and invite the men to come
to-morrow morning and attend my marriage with Captain
Ulrich von Hohenberg."
"Well, then, Lizzie, I will comply with your wishes," said
Wallner, after a short reflection. "I will give you and him
time until to-morrow morning ; but I tell you, my daughter,
if he continues the same game to-morrow, and talks then in
the same strain as to-day, I shall take the jest in dead earnest,
and will not believe a word of all you say to excuse him: and
then his life is forfeited, and he must die. — No, Schropfel,
come here ; take the prisoner back to my house, and confine
him where you have kept him for a week past. But I tell
232 ANDREAS HOFER.
you, watch bim well, aud admit no one to liim except Lizzie,
and prevent him from talking with anybody but his be-
trothed. "
" I will do so, and watch him as I have done up to this
time," said Schropfel, gloomily. "He shall not talk with
anybody, and I should like it best if he were not permitted
either to speak with Lizzie, for I do not believe at all that she
is his betrothed."
" We shall see to-morrow morning, when the mari'iage is
to take place," said Anthony Wallner.—" Take the prisoner
away."
" You let him go ? " exclaimed the men. " You spare his
life?"
" Only until to-morrow morning, because Lizzie begged
me to do so," said Anthony Wallner. " The wedding will
take place at nine to-morrow morning ; I invite you all to
attend it, men, and we shall see then. To-morrow morning
there will be a wedding or an execution. Now let us speak
no more of it to-day ; let us forget what has happened to
Anthony Wallner and his daughter ; and let us bear in mind
only that we have returned after delivering our dear Tyrol
from the French and Bavarians. Let us go now to my house,
where my wife awaits us with a keg of excellent wine. Come,
we will drink to the welfare of our fatherland, and to the
health of our dear Emperor Francis ! "
CHAPTER XXII.
ELIZA AND ULRICH.
Schropfel, the faithful servant, had taken Ulrich von
Hohenberg, in obedience to Anthony Wallner's order, back
to the small room where he had passed the last eight days as
a prisoner. Since he had him again in his custody, no ad-
ditional precautions were necessary, for Schropfel knew that
ho could rely on his own vigilance, and that the prisoner
surelv would never escane from him. Hence, he loosened
ELIZA AND ULUICII. 233
the cords witli wliicli he Imtl heou lied, and removed the
handkerchief with whicli la; luul heen j^af^ged.
'' If it all'ords you pleasure,'' said Scliropfel, "you uiay use
your mouth aud inveigh against Lizzie \Vallner, who has
saved your life to-day a second time, and whom j'^ou rewarded,
like a genuine Bavarian, that is to say, with black ingratitude
and treachery. But I advise you not to abuse her loud enough
for me to hear you outside, for I am not as patient as Lizzie,
and I shall never permit you to abuse and treat so contemptu-
ously the noblest and best girl in the whole country. She
acted toward you to day as a good Christian and a brave girl,
for you insulted her, and she not only forgave you, but pro-
tected you, and saved your life. And now, sir, abuse her if
you cannot help it ; but I tell you once more, do not speak too
loud, lest I should hear you."
And Schropfel turned with a last threatening glance and
left the room. Outside he sat down on the cane-settee which,
for the past eight days, had heen his seat by day and his couch
by night ; and he pressed his eye to the middle hole which he
had bored in the door. He could distinctly see and watch the
captain througli it. Ulrich had sunk down on a chair and
leaned his head on his hand ; he lifted his sombre eyes to
lieaven, and there was a strange expression of emotion and
grief upon his face. But he seemed not to intend availing
himself of the permission which Schropfel had given him to
abuse Lizzie Wallner, for his lips were firmly compressed, and
not a sound fell from them. Or could Schropfel. perhaps, not
hear him, because the men down in the bar-room were laugh-
ing and shouting so meriily, and speaking so loudly and en-
thusiastically of the Tyrol, and drinking the health of the em-
peror and the Archduke John, wlio had again taken posses-
sion of their country and solemnly proclaimed that he would
restore the ancient and liberal constitution of the Tyrolese ?
"How merry they are down-stairs!" growled Schropfel.
" I might be there too ; I have amply deserved to have a little
exercise and pleasure. Instead of that I must sit here with a
drj^ mouth ; and if this goes on much longer, I shall surely
grow fast to my settee. And all that for the sake of the
mean, perfidious Bavarian, who is so utterly dishonest, aud
10
234 ANDREAS HOFER.
who ti'eated our beautiful, uoble Lizzie in so infamous a man-
ner ! Well, if I were in the girl's place, I would not take the
perfidious wretch who has denied her twice already. Oh.
how merry they are down-stairs ! No one thinks of me and
gives me a drop of wine that I may likewise drink to the wel-
fare of the fatherland."
But Schropfel was mistaken for once, for quick footsteps
ascended the staii'case at this moment, and now appeared the
lovely head of Eliza Wallner above the railing, then her whole
form, and a second afterward she stood in the passage close
before Schropfel. In her hands she held a plate with a large
piece of the fine cake which her mother herself had baked, and
a large glass of excellent red wine.
" There, good, faithful Schropfel," she said in her gentle
voice, nodding to him pleasantly, and handing the plate to
him, " eat and drink, and let nie in the mean time go and see
your prisoner."
" What do you want of him ? " asked Schropfel, moodily.
" I want to see him about our wedding to-morrow," said
Eliza calmly ; " and you know father has given me permission
to go to him and speak with him."
" Yes, he did, and I cannot prevent you from entering,
which I would do otherwise," growled Schropfel. " Go in,
then, but do not stay too long ; and if lie should abuse you
again, pray call me, and I will assist you."
"Thank you, dear Schropfel," said Eliza, "but pray admit
me now."
Schropfel withdrew his settee from the door and allowed
Eliza to open it, and, entering to the prisoner, closed it again
behind her.
Ulrich von Hohenberg still sat, as Schropfel had seen
him, at the table, leaning his head on his hand ; only he
had now covered his eyes with his hands, and long sighs
issued from his breast. He seemed not to know that the
door had opened and some one had entered, or rather perhaps
he thought it was only Schropfel, and he did not wish to take
any notice of him.
Eliza Wallner stood leaning against the wall, and gazed at
him a long time with a wondrous expression of love and grief ;
ELIZA AND ULRICH. 235
for a moment she luid her hand on her hosom. as if to stifle
the cry which hei- lips were ah-eady ahout to utter ; tlien she
cast a beseeching ghmce toward heaven, and, as if strength-
ened by tliis mute invocation, slie stepped forward.
'• Captain Ulrich von Holienberg I " she said, in her sweet,
melodious voice.
He gave a start, dropped his hand from his face, and
jumped up.
" Eliza Wallner 1 " he said, breathlessly and in great con-
fusion.
She only nodded her head, and fixed her clear, piercing
eyes with a proud, reproachful expression on his face ; he
dropped his eyes befoi-e her gaze. On seeing this, Eliza
smiled, and, crossing the room with a rapid step, went to the
window.
" Come here, sir, and look at that. What do you see yon-
der ? "
Ulrich stepped to her and looked out. "I .see the nioun-
tahis and the summits of the glacier.s," he said ; "and in the
direction in which you are pointing your finger, I see also my
uncle's castle."
"Do you see also the balcony, Ulrich von Hohenberg?"
she asked, somewhat sarcastically.
"I do," he replied, almost timidly.
She looked at him with the })roiKl and lofty air of a queen.
" When we met last and spoke with each other, we stood
on yonder balcony," added Eliza. " Do you remember what
we said at the time, sir ? "
"Eliza," he murmured —
" You remember it no longer," she interrupted him, " but
I do. On yonder balcony you swore to me that you loved
me boundlessly ; and when I laughed at you, you invoked
heaven and earth to bear witness of your love. Now. sir,
heaven and earth gave you an opportunity to prove your ar-
dent love for Eliza Wallner. Did you profit by that opportu-
nity ? "
"No," he said, in a low voice ; "it is true, I acted harshly
and cruellj' toward you. I occasioned you bitter grief, I — "
"I do not complain," she exclaimed, proudly. " I do not
23fi ANDREAS nOFER.
speak of myself, but only of you. You swore eternal love to
me at that time, but you did so as a mendacious Bavarian ; I
did not believe you, and knew full well that you had no
honest intentions toward me. For this reason I laughed at
you, and said the peasant-girl was no suitable match for you,
and rejected all your oaths and protestations of passionate
love."
"But afterwards, to punish me for venturing to speak of
love to you,'' he exclaimed, impetuoiisly, "you feigned to
have believed my protestations and oaths ; and although you
had previously laughed at me, you wished now to become my
wife."
" No," she said, with a fiery glance of disdain ; " no, after-
wards I only wished to save your life. You have utterly mis-
taken Eliza Wallner's character, Ulrich von Hohenberg.
You thought Lizzie Wallner would deem herself exceedingly
fortunate to become the wife of an aristocratic gentleman,
even though he took her only by compulsion : you thought
she would be content to leave the Tyrol by the side of the
nobleman who disdained her, and go to the large foreign city
of Munich, where the aristocracy would scorn and mock the
poor Tyrolese girl. No, sir, I tell you, you have utterly mis-
taken njy character. I attach no value whatever to your
aristocratic name, nor to the distinguished position of your
family ; when I marry, I shall choose a husband who loves
me with all his heart, and who does not wish to live without
me, and takes me of his own accord, and with the full en-
thusiasm of a noble heart. But he would have to remain in
the mountains and be a son of the Tyrol ; for my heart is at-
tached to the mountains, and never would I or could I leave
them to remove to a large city. You see. therefore, Uli-ich,
that a marriage with you would by no means appear to me a
very fortunate thing ; and, moreover, if you had allowed your-
self to be compelled to mai*ry me, had you not refused to do
so, I should have despised you all my life long as a miserable
coward. 1 thank you, therefore, for resistmg the men so
bravely, for I should have been sorry to be obliged to despise
you ; you are my dear Elza's cousin, and I myself have always
liked you so well."
KLIZA AND ILRICH. 237
"Eliza,'' lie exclaimed, im])rtuously, "you are an augel of
•Toodness and lenity, and I stand before you filled with sliame
and grief. You say you always liked mc so well, and I treated
you with so much ingratitude and disdain ! Oh, let me press
this dear hand to my lips, let me thank you for all that you
have done for me I "
He tried to seize her hand, but she withdi'ew it from him
quickly.
" Captain von Hohenbei'g," she said, " we are no longer on
the balcony yonder ; nor is it necessary that you should kiss
my hand. That may be suitable when you have fair ladies
from the city before you, but not when you are speaking with
a Tyrolese girl. Besides, I did not tell you all this to obtain
praise and admiration from you, but to prevent you from tak-
ing me for a mean-spirited girl, respecting herself so little as
to try to get a husband in so dishonorable a manner. No, by
the Holy Virgin, I would rather die and be Iniricd under an
avalanche than act so meanly and disgracefully. But v.hen
the peasants were going to kill you, there was no other way
for me to save your life than that of saying that you were n)y
betrothed, and that was the only reason why I said so. How-
ever, I had no idea that the wedding was to take place to-day,
for my dear fathci" had concealed it from me, and wished to
surprise me, because he really believed that I loved 3-ou. If 1
had known beforehand what father had in view, I sliould have
devised some way of preventing him from carrying his plan
into effect. But I swear to you, I had no inkling of it. There-
fore, I beg your pardon, sir, for the harsh treatment you re-
ceived at their hands for my sake."
"Eliza," he said, mournfully, "your words rend my heart.
Oh, do not be so gentle and generous ! Be angry with me,
call me an infamous villain, who, in his blindness, did not
penetrate your magnanimity and heroic self-sacrifice ; do not
treat me with tliis charming nuldness which crushes me !
You acted like an angel toward me, and T treated you like a
heartless barbarian."
"I forgive you with all my heart, and therefore you may
forgive your.self," she said, with a gentle smile. "But let us
speak no lonijei- of the past ; let us think only of the future.
238 ANDREAS HOFER.
You heard what father said : ' To-morrow morning there will
be a wedding or an execution.' "
" Well, then, there will be a wedding to-morrow morning,"
exclaimed Ulrich, casting an ardent glance on the young
girl ; " yes, there will be a wedding to-morrow morning.
Pray, Eliza, save my life a third time to-morrow ; become my
wife ! "
" I will save your life," she said, throwing back her head,
proudly ; " but fortunately it is unnecessary for me to become
your wife for that purpose. I have come here only to save
you. Sir, you must escape to-night."
" Escape," he .said, shrugging his shoulders ; "escape, when
Schropfel is guarding my door ? "
" Hush ! do not speak so loud, sir ; he might hear you, and
he must know nothing about it. Bend your head closer to
me and listen : Go to bed early this evening, but extinguish
your liglit beforehand, lest Schropfel should see any thing.
My mother told me Schropfel had bored holes in the door,
and was watching you all the time. Therefoi-e, go to bed
early, and leave your window open. When the church-clock
strikes two, listen for any noise, and hold yourself in readi- ,
ness. That is all I have to say to you, and now good-by."
She nodded to him, and turned to the door.
" But I, Eliza— I have to tell you many things yet," said
Ulrich, detaining her. " Pray, stay yet awhile and listen to
me ! "
" No, sir, it is time for me to go ; my mother is waiting for
me," replied Eliza, withdrawing her hand from his. " Good-
by, and if you can pray, pray to God to protect you to-
night ! "
She opened the door hastily and stepped out, and smiled
at Schropfel, but the old servant looked at her gloomily.
" You stayed a long while with the Bavarian," he growled.
" And yet you did not eat your cake nor empty your glass
in the mean time," said Eliza, with a smile. " You looked
again through the hole in thedoor, did you not ? You saw,
then, Schropfel, that we stood together like a pair of sensible
lovers."
"I did not see any thing," exclaimed Schropfel, angrily,
EF.IZA AND ULRICII. 239
" for you placed yourself close to the window, and my hole
does not enable nie to look around the corner ; nor did I hear
any thing, for you whispered as softly as though you were a
couple of sparrows which undei-sland each other when hilling
and cooing."
•' Fie, Schropfel 1 do not talk such lujnsense," cried Eliza,
blushing deeply. " Behave yourself, Schropfel, and I will
bring you another bottle of wine to-day, and beg father to let
you come down to supjier to-night, and pei-mit you to sleep in
your bedchauiber."
"I shall take good care to do no such thing," growled
Schropfel. " I am a sentinel here, and must not desert my
post."
" But you may take your sentry-box with you," said Eliza,
pointing to his settee. "When a soldier remains close to his
sentry-box, he does not desert his post. Well, good-by,
Schropfel ; the sentinel will be i-clieved to-night."
Eliza's words were fulfilled. Toward nightfall she in-
formed Schropfel that her father permitted him to take his
supper at the talkie down-stairs, and afterward go to bed in
his own chamber.
"Well, and who is to watch the prisoner in the mean
time ? " asked Schropfel.
" You yourself ! Look, you will lock the door and put the
key in your pocket. In addition, you may put that heavy box
yonder against the door ; then you will be sure that your pris-
oner cannot get out, for I think his chamber has no other out-
let."
"Yes, it has— the window ! "
"Do you think the Bavarian has wings and will fly out of
the window to-night ?"
"It is true ho cannot fly out, nor can he jump out, for he
would simply break his nock. But, nevertheless, I do not like
this arrangement at all. Something tells me that it will turn
out wrong. I shall, at least, unchain the watch-dog, who will
prevent the Bavarian from escaping through the window.
For the rest, I feel that all my limbs are stiff, and that I have
at length deserved some repose. As it is your father's will, I
will go down-stairs, take supper, and afterward go to bed in
240 ANDREAS HOFER.
my chamber. If any thing happens, I shall wash my hands
of" it."
" Wash them as much as you please, Schropfel, but come
down to supper," cried Eliza, hastening down-stairs with the
agility of a bird.
Schropfel looked after her, shakiug his heud ; he then
locked the door, put the key in his pocket, and placed the
heavy iron-bound box against the door.
" And before going to bed 1 shall unchain Phylax," he
said, as if to console himself, while he was going slowly and
stiffly down-stairs.
Schropfel kept his word. Weary and exhausted as he was,
he waited until all the inmates of the house had gone to bed,
and until all noise had died away. He then went into the
yard and unchained the formidable and ill-humored watch-
dog. Phylax howled and trembled with joy and delight at
being released ; but Schropfel seized his ear and pointed his
other hand at the prisoner s window, which was brightly il-
luminated by the moon.
" Watch that window w^ell, Phylax," he said, " watch it
well ; and if you see anything suspicious, call me at once. I
shall not sleep so fast as not to hear your barking. Watch it
well, Phylax."
The dog looked up to the window as if he had understood
the order ; he then fixed his clear, lustrous eyes on Schropfel,
and uttered a threatening growl.
" Very well," said Schropfel, " you have understood me.
You will watch him, and I may go to bed."
He dropped the ear of the dog, who thereupon bounded
wildly through the yard, while Schropfel limped back into
the house. He was heard slowly ascending the staircase and
opening the creaking door of his bed-chamber, and then all
became silent.
Night spread its pall over the weary, the sleepers, and the
weeping ; the moon -stood with silvery lustre high in the
heavens, and illuminated the snow-clad summits of the moun-
tains rising in the rear of the outlmildings in Wallner's yard.
Hour after hour passed by, and all remained silent ; not a
sound broke the holy stillness of night.
ELIZA AND ULRICH. 241
Hour after hour passed by ; nothing stirred in the yard ;
tlie dog sat, as if he had really understood Schropfol's words,
in the middle of the yard, and stared steadfastly at the pris-
oner's window. Phylax watched, as Sclu-opfel had gone to
bed ; Phylax watched, and did not avert his eyes from the
window on which his whole attention seemed to be con-
centrated, for he did not stir, he did not even disturb the
flies buzzing round his ears ; he v/as all attention and vigi-
lance. All at once something occurred that had never hap-
pened to him during his nocturnal service ; a wondrous, apjje-
tizing scent was wafted to him on the wings of the night-
breeze. Phylax averted his eyes for a moment from the win-
dow and glanced searchingly round the yard. Nothing stirred
in it, but this wonderful scent of a roast sausage still impreg-
nated the air, and seemed to grow even stronger and more
tempting ; for Phylax pricked up his ears, raised his nose,
snuffing eagerly to inhale the scent, and rose from the ground.
He glanced again round the yard, and then advanced a few
steps toward the window yonder on the side of the house.
This window was open, and the keen nose of the dog told liira
that the appetizing scent had come from it. All at once, how-
ever, Phylax stood still, as if remembering his master's orders,
and looked again toward the prisoner's window.
At this moment a low voice called him : " Phylax ! come
here, Phylax ! "
The dog hesitated no longer ; he had recognized the voice
of his friend and playmate, Eliza Wallner. "With two tre-
mendous bounds he was at the window, and. raising himself
up, laid his forepaws on the window-sill, and stretched out his
head, waiting longingly for the appetizing sausage.
"Come, Phylax, come," whispered Eliza ; and she stepi^ed
back with the sausage into the interior of the room. "Come
to me, Phylax, come to me."
The temptation was too strong. Phylax hesitated no
longer ; he moved back a step, and leaped through the win-
dow into the room.
The window was closed behind hini inimediatcly. and (he
four-footed custodian of the prisoner was now a pi-isoner him-
self.
242 ANDREAS HOFER.
The yard was empty now. Scliropfel slept soundly in his
hed-chamber up-stairs, and Phylax was revelling in epicurean
joys in the larder.
The yard was empty now, but not long, for the door of the
house opened noiselessly, and a human form stepped out.
For a moment it stood still near the door, and two voices were
heard whispering in a low tone.
" Good-by, dearest mother," said one voice. " It is time
now, I must go."
" God and the Holy Virgin will protect you, dear Lizzie,"
said the other voice : " for that wliich you are going to do is
right and noble ; and father himself will see before long that
you did right. Go, Lizzie, and return safely."
" I shall be back at eight in the morning," whispered Lizzie.
"Until then, you must say nothing about it, dear mother,
but tell father I wished to be alone in my chamber till the
wedding-hour. Good-by until then."
She imprinted a kiss on her mother's lips, and hastened
into the yard. The door was closed softly. At this moment
the church-clock struck two.
Eliza glided noiselessly across the yard toward the large
ladder leaning against the stable. She lifted it up with vig-
orous hands, carried it across the yard, and placed it against
the dwelling-house, so that its top reached the open window
of the prisoner. She examined if the ladder stood firm, laid a
few stones at its foot, to prevent it from sliding, and then as-
cended it with cat like agility, carrying a small bundle on her
arm, v.hilc she had put down another in the yard.
Now she had reached the captain's window.
" Are you awake, sir ? " she asked, in a low voice.
"I am, Eliza," whispered a voice inside. "I have been
awake and waiting for you an horn*."
"Take this, sir," she said, handing the bundle into the
window. " It is a suit of clothes which you nmst put on. It
is my father's holiday dress, for you must not wear tlie Bava-
rian uniform now. You must put up for a few days with
being disguised as a Tyrolese. Put it on quickly, and then
wrap up your uniform in the blanket in which I brought the
suit of clothes. But make haste, and when you are i^eady,
ELIZA AND ULRICH. 243
descend the ladder, and come down into the yard, where I
shall await you. Bring the package witli the uniform with
you, and, above all things, make haste."
She gave the captain no time for reply, but glided rapidly
and noiselessly down the ladder. On arriving in the yard,
she took the haversack which she had left there, hung it over
her shoulder, and took up the rifle. Then she seated hei-self
quietly on a large log close to the ladder, and looked up to
the moon, which illuminated her face and her whole form.
Her face wore a wondei-fuUy calm expression ; only round
her crimson lips quivered at times something like hidden
grief, and a tear glistened in her large, dark eyes. But when
this tear roiled down her cheek slowly, Eliza shook her head
indignantly, and brushed it away with her hand.
"Foolish gii'l ! ■' she murmured, ''how can you weep now ?
You must bravely take your heart in your hands now, and
hold it so firmly that it can neither cry nor tremble. You
must be proud and stilf, and never forget what is due to your
lionor, and what you owe to your friend Elza. Therefore, do
not weep, but be a brave Tyrolese girl. To-morrow night you
may weep in your chamber, for nobody will see you there ;
but not to-night — no, no, not to-night ! "
She shook her head violently, forced herself to smile, and
gazed ploa.santly up to the moon. ''God bless thee, golden,
rapid wanderer!" she said. ''Thou shalt accompany us to-
night, and pray, dear moon, send all clouds home, and remain
as bright and clear as now ; for our route is a dangerous one,
and if thou dost not help us, we may easily fall into an abyss,
and — Hush, hush, he is coming."
She rose and looked up to the window, whence the captain
emerged at this moment, and appeat'ed on the ladder.
"Throw down your package, sir— I will catch it," whis-
pered Eliza.
"Thank you. I can carry it myself," said Uli'ich, in a low-
voice ; and he was soon at the foot of the ladder, and standing
in the yard close to Eliza.
"Now come," she said; "tread lightly, and do not speak,
but go softly behind me."
She left him no time for ro])ly. but walked across, opciicd
24:4 ANDREAS HOFER.
the door of the small shed, which was ajar, went quickly
through it, and passed through the opposite door into the
orchard lying behind it. She stood still in front of the door
of the shed, and when Ulrich had emerged from it, she locked
it, and put the key into her pocket.
'' Now let us walk as fast as possible, sir," she whispered.
"We must walk for three hours. Keep your eyes on me, and
follow me wherever I go.''
" I will follow you, Eliza," said the captain, earnestly,
" wherever you go. You see I have implicit confidence in
you, for I do not even ask whither you intend to conduct me,
or what you wish to do with me. I place my life and my
future in your hands, and shall do whatever you want me to."
" It will be the best for you," she said, nodding her head
slightly. ''Now come."
And with the quick, firm step peculiar to the Tyrolese, she
advanced through the garden, out of the gate, and into the
narrow path leading through the valley and up to the moun-
tains rising on the opposite side. The moon still shone
brightly upon the valley, and illuminated the two forms rap-
idly walking behind each other, casting their long, dark
shadows on the side of the road.
Ulrich von Hohenberg saw in the moonlight that Eliza
was carrying the haversack and rifl^e ; he therefore advanced
quickly until he stood by her side, and laid his hand on her
arm.
" Eliza," he said, vehemently, " pray let me carry the rifle
and the haversack ; let me take your burden upon myself."
She looked at him with a singular expression. " Every one
has to carry his own burden," she said ; "you have yours, and
I have mine."
" Bvit what are the arms for, Eliza ? You have armed your-
self against me?"
She shrugged her shoulders carelessly. " Were I afraid of
you, I would not allow you to walk behind me. But grant
me one request, will you ? "
" Speak, Eliza, and whatever it may be, I will comply with
it."
" Well, then, sir, be so kind as not to speak with me.
ELIZA AND ULRK'n. 245
Speaking: exhausts us and makes us absent-minded. We
have a lonj? march before us, and must save our breath, and
devote our whole attention to the route ; for it will lead us
over the narrow i)aths of the chamois-hunters, and a single
false step may hurl us into an abyss. Therefore, sir, pray do
not address me until I speak to you."
" I will obey," said Ulrich, humbly. " Lead the way ; I
will follow."
She nodded to him, and advanced through the narrow
valley. The road soon became steeper, and led tliem past
precipices, from one rock to another, all of which were spanned
by narrow planks, under which unfathomable chasms yawned.
Then it led thx-ough thickets of shrubbery and pine-forests, or
down precipitous slopes, and over small fragments of rock,
which gave way at every step, and rolled into the depth.
Eliza suddenly stood still and broke the silence for the first
time.
" You must not go behind me here, sir," she said, " for
the loose stones would not permit you to advance. Come
to me, and give me your hand. We must walk side by
side."
He was immediately by her side, and took her hand.
" May I speak now, Eliza ? " he asked.
" No," she said, imperatively, " we have no time for chat-
ting. Forward ! "
And they continued ascending the mountain. The valley,
and even the mountain-forost, lay already deep under them.
Only scattered and stunted trees stood here and there, and
finally even these disappeared entirely. The moon commenced
paling in the heavens, and yet it did not become darker, for
the gray twilight was lit uj) at times with a purple lustre ; the
small, scudding clouds began to turn red ; the pale, foggy
mountaiii-iieaks colored, and a strange whispering passed
through the air.
Now they had reached the summit, and the peak on which
they were standing aifordcd them a strikingly beautiful view.
" This is the place where we may rest," said Eliza, drawing
a deep breath.
" And may 1 speak now, Eliza ? " asked Ulrich.
246 ANDREAS HOFER.
" No," she said ; " do you not see that God is speaking
now ? "
And she pointed to the part of the horizon which, radiant
in its crimson histre, lay at the end of the lovely valley open-
ing before them. Gazing at it, Eliza sank noiselessly down
on the fragment of a rock, and clasping her hands on her
knees, she contemplated the glorious spectacle by which God
speaks to man every morning.
The valley was still wrapped in the gloom of tvnlight, but
behind the flat and gently-rounded mountains yonder rose
the flaming glow of radiant crimson, and sent a few purple
clouds as heralds of the approaching majesty into the azui'e
sky. A rosy hue covered the glaciers of the Venediger and
Gross-Glockner, which looked down in proud majesty on the
mountains bordering the valley, and which had hitherto
wrapped their summits in veils of glistening silver. On be-
holding the divine majesty of the sun, they dropped their
veils, their summits crimsoned and loomed up to the sky in
dazzling splendor. The rays gilding them shed a lustre on
the lower wooded mountains, greeted the spires of the churches
rising amidst the villages, dissipated the mist which had hither-
to filled the valley, and converted the waters of the foaming
Isel, meandering through the valley, into liquid gold. The
gloom entirely disappeared, and the whole landscape was radi-
ant in its morning beauty. God had willed that there should
be light, and the earth lay smiling and surpassingly beautiful
under the first glowing rays of the sun.
Eliza gazed with a rapt smile upon the sublime scene ; the
clouds had disappeared from her brow also, and the gloom
had vanished from her eyes.
" Oh, how beautiful is the world ! how beautiful is my
dear Tyrol I " she exclaimed, fervently. " I greet you, beloved
mountains guarding our frontiers ! I greet you, Gross-Glock-
ner and Venediger ! Yes, gaze upon the Tyrol, for now you
may rejoice over it ! The enemy is no longer in the country,
and I am bringing you the last Bavarian who is still here,
that you may send him across the border. Sir," she added,
turning her face, illuminated by the sun, slowly to the young
man, who had not contemplated the sun, but only her face.
ELIZA AND ULRICH. 247
"we must part here. I ouly intended to conduct you hitlier,
to the Kaiser Tliorl. You will now descend to the village of
Kals, which you see in the valley yonder. Look, hack there,
its red i-oofs are rising out of the green shriihbery. You will
go to the inn there, and give this letter to Lebrecht Panzl, the
innkeeper. He is my mother's brother, and she writes him
in this letter to give you a reliable guide, who is to conduct
you over the Pruschler Thorl and the Katzeustein to Heili-
genblut. You will reach Heiligenblut in seven hours. Its
inhabitants speak Bavarian German ; your Bavarian dialect
will not be suspicious to them, and you will easily find there
a guide to conduct you wherever you wish to go. You will
find some food for to-day in the haversack here, and also
some money, and powder and lead. Take it, sir ; here is the
rifle, and here the haversack. Unless you have them with
you, no one will take you for a genuine Tyrolese. There.
Put your clothes into the sack, you can carry them better
that way ; hang the rifle round your shoulder, and then
adieu ! "
"And you think, Eliza, I can accept all this kindness and
magnanimity '< " cried Ulricli, vehemently; "' you think I can
accept at your hands food, money — nay, more, my life, my
honor, and leave you with a cold ' thank you,' after denying
and insulting you in the despair of my wounded military
honor? No, Eliza, you have mistaken my character. I will
not go, I will not leave you. I followed yovi here to see how
far your magnanimity and noble self-abnegation would go ;
but now I shall return with you to Windisch-Matrey. Your
father invited to the wedding the men who wished to kill me
yesterday ; they will await us at the church at nine this morn-
ing, and they shall not wait in vain. Cotne, Eliza, let us re-
turn to Wi7idisch-Matrey; for all your kindness and magna-
nimity I shall give you the only thing I have to give, my
name. You will, you shall become my wife I Come, your
father and your friends await us at the church ; I will con-
duct you thither and to the altar."
" I will not do it," she exclaimed proudly : " for, as sure as
there is a God in heaven, I should say ' no ' before the altar,
and reject 3' our hand. "
248 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Well, then, do that," he said, gently ; " I have deserved
this humiliation ; I owe yon an opportunity to wreak your
vengeance on me." /
" I do not want to avenge myself. I have sworn to myself
and to my dear Elza to save you, and I will. Go, sir ;
time is fleeting, and you have a march of sev^en hours before
you."
" No, I will not go," cried Ulrich, vehemently; "I cannot
go, for I love you, Eliza. Oh, I have loved you a long while,
but my haughty heart revolted at this love, and would not
yield to it ; and yet I was deeply, passionately enamoured of
you. But my heart did not know itself, it believed at last
that it might hate you, when all at once your generosity, len-
ity, and magnanimity dissipated all mists concealing my heart
from my eyes, and I perceived how passionately I loved you.
Oh, Eliza, beloved girl, do not turn from me ! Give me your
hand ; let us go home ; accept my hand, become my wife !
Love beseeches of you now what pride refused to you befoi*e :
accept my hand, my name ! Let us descend into the valley,
go to the church, and be married."
She shook her head slowly. " I have already told you,"
she said, " that 1 should say ' no ' before the altar. We do
not belong together. You are a nobleman, and I, as you
have often called me in your anger, am a peasant girl ; you
are a Bavarian, and I, thank God, am again an Austrian. We
do not belong together, and I believe it would not behoove you
to appear with me now before the altar and marry me. For
every one would think you took me only to save your life,
and your honor would be lost, not only in Bavaria, but also
here among us. The brave men would despise you, and con-
tempt — I felt it when you looked at me so disdainfully yester-
day — is worse than death. Go, therefore, my dear sir ; your
honor requires it."
'' Well, then, you are right ; I will go. I see that I must
not apply for your hand at this juncture. But I shall return
so .soon as peace is restored to the country, and when all these
troubles are over. Promise me, Eliza, that you will wait for
me and not forget me. For I swear to you, I shall return and
marry you, in spite of the whole world."
ELIZA AND ULKICll. 249
" You will not," she said, shaking lier liead, " for I shall
not take you. I tlo not love you."
" Eliza," he cried, seizint^- her hand impetuously, and gazing
deep into her eyes, "you are just as much mistaken as I was
myself. I loved you a long time without knowing it, and
thus, sweet one, you love me too ! "
" No," she exclaimed, vehemently, and turning very pale,
" no, T do not love you ! "
" Yes, you do," lie said, tenderly. " I felt it, and knew^ it
by the tone in which, stepping before me, and shielding me
with your body, you exclaimed yesterday, ' If you shoot him,
you sliall kill me too.' Pity and compassion do not speak
thus ; only love has such tones of anguish, desi)air. and hero-
ism. I felt it at that moment, and the blissful delight which
tilled my heart on recognizing it, made meat length conscious
of my own love. I confessed to myself that I never should
be able to love any other woman on earth, and never would
marry any other woman than you. Oh, Eliza, let us no
longer resist the happiness that is in store for us. Let the
whole past be buried behind us. Let the future be ours, and
with it love and happiness ! "
She shook her head slowly. " You have read badly in my
heart," she said ; " you do not understand the letters written
in it, and what you spell fnmi it is false. I do not love j-ou,
and would never consent to become your wife. Let us drop
the subject. We two can never be husband and wife, but we
may remember each other as good friends. And so. sir, I will
always remember you, and shall be glad to hear that you are
well and happy. But let us say no more about it, and go.
You have a march of seven hours before you ; I must be at
home again by eight o'clock, in order not to keep the men
waiting. Let us part, therefore."
'' Well, then." sighed Ulrich, " it is your will, and we must
part, but not forever. I swear, by God Almighty and my
love, I shall return when the war is over, and when the quar-
rels of the nations are settled. I shall return to ask j'ou if
you will be mine, my beloved wife, and if you will at last
crown my love with happiness. Hush, do not contradict me,
and do not tell me again that you do not love me. I hope in
17
250 ANDREAS nOFER.
the futiire, and we shall see whether it will hring me happi-
ness or doom me to despair. Farewell, then, Eliza ; and if
you will yet give to the poor wanderer, to whom you have
given life, food, money, and clothes, a priceless treasure, a tal-
isman that will shield him from all temptations of the world,
then give me a kiss ! "
" No, sir ; an honest Tyrolese girl never kisses any man
but the one whose wife she is to he. You see, therefore, that
I cannot give you a kiss. Go, sir. But have you no commis-
sions to give me for your uncle and my dear Elza ? "
" Greet them both ; tell them that I love you, Eliza, and
that you rejected my proposals."
" That does not concern anybody, and only we two and the
good God shall know it, but no one else. But, sir, give me a
souvenir for Elza ; it will gladden her heart."
"I have nothing to give her," he said, shrugging his
shoulders.
She pointed to the crimson Alpine roses blooming at their
feet amidst the grass and moss.
" Gather some of these flowers, and give them to me," she
said ; " 1 will take them to Elza, and tell her that you gathered
the flowers for her."
He knelt down, gathered a handful of Alpine roses, and
tied them together with a few blades of grass. " I would," he
said, still kneeling in the grass, " they were myrtles that I
was gathering for you, Eliza, for yovi. my affianced bride, and
that you would accept them at my hands as the sacred gift of
love. There, take the bouquet for Elza, and give it to her
with my greetings."
She stretched out her hand to take it ; but Uirich, instead
of giving it to her. i)ressed the bouquet to his lips, and im-
printed an ardent kiss on the flowers ; then only did he hand
it to Eliza. — " Now, Eliza," he said, " take it. You refused me
a kiss, but you will carry my glowing kiss home with you,
and with it also my heart. I shall come back one day to de-
mand of you your heart and my kiss. Farewell ! It is your
will, and so I must go. I do not say, forget me not ; but I
shall return, and a^k you then : ' Have you forgotten me ?
Will vou l)ecomc mv wife ?' Until then, farewell I "
ELIZA AM) rr-RiCH. 251
He g^zed at her with a, lono^ look of love and tenderness ;
she avoided mcctinj;: liis look, and when he saw this, a smile,
radiant as sunshine and bliss, illuminated his features.
" Go, sir," she said, in a low voice, averting her face.
" T am going, Eliza," he exclaimed. " Farewell ! "
He seized her luind impolaousl3^ imprinted on it a burning
kiss befoi-e she was able to prevent him, dropped it, and turned
to descend the slope with a slow stei?.
Eliza stood motionless, and as if fascinated ; she gazed after
him, and followed with an absorbed look his tall, noble form,
descending the mountain, surrounded by a halo of sunshine.
All at once Ulrich stood still and turned to her. *' Eliza,"
he shouted, '" did you call me ? Shall I return to you ? "
She shook her head and made a violent gesture indicating
that he should not return, but said nothing ; the words choked
in lier breast.
He waved his hand to her, turned again, and continued de-
scending the slope.
Eliza looked after him ; her face turned paler and paler,
and her lips quivered more painfully. Once they opened as
if to call him back with a cry of anguish and love ; but Eliza,
pressing her hand violently upon her movith, forced the cry
back into her heart, and gazed down on Ulrich's receding
form.
Already he had descended half the slope ; now he reached
the edge of the forest, and alas ! dlsappeai-ed in the thicket,
Eliza, uttering a loud cry, knelt down, and tears, her long-
restrained, scalding tears, streamed like rivei's down her
cheeks. She lifted her arms, her clasped hands, to heaven,
and murnuired with quivering lips : " Protect him, my God,
for Thou knowest how intensely I love him ! "
She remained a long time on her knees, weeping, praying,
struggling with her grief and her love. But then all at once
she sprang to lier feet, brushed the teai"S from her eyes, and
drew a deep breath.
'' I must and will no longer weep," she said to herself in a
loud, imperative voice. " Otherwise they would see that I
had been weeping, and no one must know that. I must de-
scend in order to be at home in time, and then I will tell
252 ANDREAH HOFER.
father and the other men *phat Ulrich never was my betrothed,
and that I said so only to save his life. They will forgive me
for helping him to escape when I tell them that I never loved
him nor would have taken him, because he is a Bavarian, but
that I saved him because he is a near relative of my dear Elza.
And after telling and explaining all this to the men, I shall
go to Elza, give her the flowers, and tell her that Ulrich sent
them to her, and that his last word was a love-greeting for
her. God, forgive me this falsehood I But Elza loves him,
and it will gladden her heart. She will preserve this bouquet
to her wedding-day, and she will not notice that I kept one
flower from it for myself. It is the flower which he kissed ;
it shall be mine. I suppose, good God, that I may take it, and
that it is no theft for me to do so ? "
She looked up to heaven v.ith a beseeching glance ; then
she softly drew one of the flowers from the bouquet, pressed it
to her lips, and concealed it in her bosom.
" I will preserve this flower while I live," she exclaimed.
" God strengthened my heart so that I was able to reject him ;
but I shall love him forever, find this flower is my wedding-
bouquet. I shall never wear another I "
She extended her arms in the direction where Ulrich had
disappeared. "Farewell!" she cried. "I greet you a thou-
sand times, and my heart goes with you ! "
Then she turned and hastily descended the path which she
had ascended with Ulrich von Hohenberg.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH.
It was a wondrously beautiful morning in May ; the sun
shone clear and bright ; the birds sang in all the shrubs and
trees, and the gay spring flowers exhaled their fragrant odors
in all the gardens. Nature had donned its holiday attire, and
yet humanity was in mourning ; the sun shone clear and
bright, and yet the eyes of men were sombre and lustreless,
THE Tiai'Mril OV DKATII. 253
and instead of rejoicing over tlic fresh verdure and the blos-
soms of spring, they grieved, and their hearts were frozen
with care and pain.
For the Emperor Napoleon liad raised his ])r()ud hand again
against Germany ; he had defeated the xVustrians at Ratisl)on
and Landshut, and made liis triumphant entrance into Vienna
on the 12th of May, 1809.
For the second time the imperial family, fleeing from the
victorious Napoleon, had been compelled to leave the capital ;
for the second time the foreign emperor occupied the ]mlace
of Schonbrunn, and Vienna had to bow again to the will of
the all-powerful conqueror. The Emperor Francis had es-
caped with his wife and children to Hungary, and Vienna,
whose inhabitants had at first sworn enthusiastically to defend
their city to the last man, and lay it in ashes rather than sur-
render it to the French, had nevertheless opened its gates al-
ready on the 12th of May to the Emperor Napoleon and his
army. It had to bow to stern necessity, for during the pre-
vious night the Archduke Maximilian, with the weak forces
with which he had been ordered to defend Vienna, had evacu-
ated the city, had Inirned the great bridge of Thabor to pre-
vent Napoleon from pursuing him, and had succeeded in es-
caping, leaving it to the Viennese to make terms with the
conqueror and invoke his clemency and generosity. They
had thus been obliged to conceal their rage and exasperation
in their hearts, and surrendei- to the tender mercies of the
French emperor ; they had o])ened their gates to the enemy,
but not their hearts. Their hearts were filled with boundless
rage and shame, which brought wild imprecations to the lips
of the men, and tears to the eyes of the women.
Joseph Haydn, the silver-haired octogenarian, had still the
heart of a fiorv man in his bosom, and his trembling lips
cursed the conqueror, the relentless foe of Austria, and called^
down the wrath of Heaven on the Fi'ench emi)eror, who al-
ways spoke of peace and conciliation, and always stirred up
quarrels and enmities. The latest reverses of Austria had pro-
duced a most painful impression upon the aged )Ui.i(.stro, and
the ravishing joy whicli liad ilhiminated Tosoph Haydn's face
at the pevfornianco of "The Creation," had long since disap-
254 y ANDREAS IIOFER.
peared from his careworn and mournful countenance. His
eyes were gloomy and dim, and often veiled with tears ; and
when he played his imperial hymn, as he did every moj-uing,
he could not sing to it, for tears choked his voice, and the
words, so full of confidence and triumphant hope, seemed to
him a bitter mockery.
He led nov.' a very quiet and lonely life at his small house
in the Mariahilf suburb, and he did not even leave it, as he
had formerly always done, on Sundays in order to go to mass.
The sight of the French uniforms wounded his heart, and
he grieved on seeing his beloved Viennese oppressed and hu-
miliated.
" God is every where," said Haydn to his faithful sei'vant
Coni-ad, " and He will hear my prayer even though I should
utter it in my quiet closet, and not at church. But to-day,
my friend, I will pray to God in the open air. See how glori-
ously the sun shines, and how blue the sky is I To-day is
Sunday. Let us, therefore, put on our Sunday clothes. Con-
rad, give me the fine ring which the great King of Prussia
presented to me, and then come to hear mass in my little
garden. "
Conrad fetched quickly the Suiiday clothes of his master ;
he helped him to put on the silken and silver-embroidered
coat, and put the large diamond ring, which Frederick the
Great had one day sent to the great master of harmony, on
his finger. Then he handed him his hat and his strong cane,
which was adorned with a golden cross-piece, that the totter-
ing octogenarian might lean on it. Joseph Haydn now left
the room slowly, his right hand leaning on his cane, his left
arm resting on the shoulder of his servant. Behind him
walked with a grave step the old cat, an heirloom from
Haydn's lamented wife, and hence highly prized and hon-
ored by the aged maestro. Purring softly, now raising
its beautiful long tail, now rolling it up, the cat followed close
in the footsteps of its master, through the hall and across the
yard to the small garden.
" How beautiful it is here ! " said Haydn, standing still in
the door of the garden, and slowly looking around at the
flowers and shrubbeiy, the humming bees and flitting butter-
TIIK TKIlMril OF DKATH. 255
flies. ''Oh, liow gloriously beautiful is God's creation, and
how radiant — "
"How radiant is nature," interrupted Conrad; "how
brilliantly the sun shines, and how splendid the lawn looks ! "
" You are a fool, old Conrad, to repeat these words from
mij • Creation,' " said Haydn, with a gentle smile. " I was not
thinking of my ' Creation ' at this moment, but of God's crea-
tion. And He certainly knew more about the music of the
creation than I did, and — just listen how the nightingale
sings in the elder-bush yonder ! It is an air such as is to be
found only in God's Creation, and, as Joseph Haydn, with all
his talents and enthusiasm, never was able to compose. Oh,
how sweetly this prima donna assoluta of the good God sings,
and what divine melodies, modulations, and harmonies she
warbles forth, and^But what is that ? ''
'' That is the parrot singing an air from Joseph Haydn's
' Creation,' '' exclaimed Conrad, bursting into triumphant
laughter. '' And just li.sten, doctor, the ^)r?'wa donna assohita
of the good God has become entirely silent, and li.stens with
delight to the divine melodies, modulations, and harmonies of
my dear master Joseph Haydn."
" You are a fool, Conrad, despite your seventy years," said
Haydn, "to call old Paperl my prima donna assoluta, and
compare him ^^ ith the nightingale. But tell me, for God's
sake, where did the bird hear that melody ? Why. Paperl
whistles the great base-air from ' The Creation ' as though he
were the first singer. Where did he learn it ? "
"I taught him the melody, doctor," said Conrad, proudly ;
" I gave him lessons for three months, and he took pains to
learn the melody, for he knew full well that we two were pre-
paring a little surprise and joy for our dear master, the great
Joseph Haj'dn.''
" And that is the reason why I have not seen Paperl for so
long," said Haydn, nodding his head gently. " I did not wish
to inquire after him, for I was afraid the answer would be
that the bird was dead and had gone home to my dear old
wife."'
" Well. I am sure Paperl would never go to her,'' said Con-
rad, laughing; "the two could never get along with each
256 ANDREAS HOFER.
other, and were always quarrelling. Whenever Paperl could
catch one of your wife's fingers, he hit it with his thick beak,
and she hated the bird cordially for it, and would have pre-
ferred sending him to the grave than descending into it her-
self. But Paperl did not die, and you need not be anxious on
his account, doctor. Such parrots live a thousand years.
Therefore, I locked him up in my chamber for three months,
and taught him the beautiful air, that the bird might whistle
it to mankind a thousand years hence, and I'emind all of the
great composer, Joseph Haydn."
" Ah, my dear old Conrad," sighed Haydn, sinking into tbe
easy -chair which Conrad had placed for him under the fra-
grant elder-bush, " a thousand years hence no one will know
any thing about us, and we shall be nothing but dust returned
t ) dust. But God will remain, and His sun will shine a thou-
sand years hence as gloriously as it does to-day ; and His
nightingales will sing the same wonderful melodies from His
creation long after my ' Creation ' has been forgotten."
He paused, and clasping liis hands devoutly, lifted his eyes
to heaven. By his side, on the high pole, its right leg fastened
to it with a small silver chain, the parrot sat, and fixed its
piercing, sagacious eyes upon him ; the cat lay at Haydn's
feet, and gazed with philosophical equanimity at the flies
which were buzzing from flower to flower, and pricked up its
ears attentively whenever a small bird rustled in the shrub-
bery, or skipped merrily from branch to branch in the fra-
grant walnut tree. Beside the easy-chair stood Conrad, the old
servant, his faithful, honest face turned toward his master
with an expression of ijifinite tenderness, and quite absorbed
in contemplating this mild, smiling, and calm octogenarian,
whose eyes were looking around sloAvly, and seemingly greet-
ing God and Nature. In the distance bells were ringing and
calling devout worshipers to divine service ; their notes re-
sounded tremulously through the air like a solemn accompani-
ment to the voices of Nature.
"Oh, how beautiful, how beautiful !" murmured Haydn.
" Why can I not exhale with this sigh of joy my old life,
which is no longer good for an\" thing ? Why can I not die
with this prayer of gratitude toward God on my lips, and waft
THE TRIUMPH OF DflATH. 257
my soul up (o heaven, as that ))ir(l yonder is at this moment
soaring' toward the sun I "
"Oh, sir, wliy do you talk ah-oady of dying?" cried
Conrad, anxiously; ''you must live yet a long while, a
joy to mankind, and honored and esteemed by the whole
world."
"And a burden to myself,'' sighed Haydn. "I am ex-
hausted, Conrad ; T have no longer strength enough to live.
This unfortunate war cruslied to the ground and broke my
poor heart.* Wlien Napoleon made his .second entrance into
Vienna, and our good Emperor Francis had to escape again
from the capital, I felt as though my heart were rent asunder,
and this rent will never heal again. The misfortunes of my
fatherland will cause me to bleed to death I Ah, how dread-
ful it is that Austria and my emperor were humiliated so pro-
foundly, and that they had to bow to the Emperor of the
French ! I cannot comprehend why the Lord permits it, and
why He does not hurl down His thunderbolts upon the head
of this liypocritical French emperor, who throws the firebrand
of war into all parts of Europe, who always has pharisaical
words of peace in his mouth, and gives himself the appearance
of wishing to reconcile all, when he is intent only on setting
all at variance. Oh, Conrad, when I think of this Emperor
NapoleQii, of the innocent blood which he has already shed,
and of the many thousand victims which have already fallen
to his ambition, my heart swells up in boundless exasperation,
and I begin to doubt even the goodness and justice of God ! —
But hush, hush, my wild heart," he interrupted himself, lifting
his eyes with a beseeching glance to heaven. "God will man-
age everything for the best. He will one day, with a beck of
His hand, hurl the French usurper from his throne, and cause
Austria to rise great and powerful from her lumiiliating posi-
tion. He will protect Germany from the wrongs inflicted
upon her bj' France, and avenge the disgrace which evei-y
German has to suffer at the hands of the French. That is the
hope which I shall take with me into my grave ; that is the
confidence I have in Thee, O nu' God ! "
He lifted both his hands toward heaven, and prayed in a
* Haydifs own words. — " Zeitgenossen," vol. iv., p. 36.
258 ANDREAS HOFER.
low voice. Then he rose slowly from his chair, and turned
his head with smiling greetings on all sides.
" Conrad," he said, gently, " I take leave of Nature to-day,
for it seems to me as if I never should see again my dear little
garden, the flowers and birds, the sun and the sky. Oh, fare-
well, then, great and holy Nature ! I have loved thee pas-
sionately all my life, and glorified thee in my works to the
best of the power which God imparted to me. Farewell,
Nature ! farewell, svmshine and fragrant flowers I Joseph
Haydn takes leave of you, for his task is fulfilled, and his
soul is weary. Come, my old Conrad, conduct me back to the
house. I will return to mj^ room. I am tired, ah, so exceed-
ingly tired !"
He passed his arm around Conrad's neck, and, leaning his
other hand on his cane, walked slowly and pantingly up the
narrow path.
At this moment the nightingale in the elder-bush recom-
menced its jubilant song, and at the same time the parrot
raised its shrill voice, and began to whistle the sweet notes of
the air from Haydn's " Creation."
Haydn stood still and listened. " Conrad," he said, in a
low voice, " we will now consult an oracle as to my life and
death. If the parrot pauses first, I shall die soon ; if the
nightingale pauses, God will permit me to live % while
longer."
He lifted his eyes devoutly to the sky, over whose azure
plain white cloudlets were scudding like silver swans, and his
lips muttered a low prayer.
The nightingale still sang its wonderful love-songs, and
the parrot tried to drown its notes with Haydn's beautiful
melody.
Conrad smiled blissfully. " My Paperl has a long breath,"
he said, "and the nightingale will be unable to cope with
him ; Rupert will outsing it."
But the nightingale, as if irritated by this rivalry, now
seemed to put forth its whole art and strength. The ringing
trills were followed by long, sweet, flute-notes, which filled
the air like a joyous hymn of tenderness, drowning the
voices of all other birds, and the sighing breeze, and seemed
THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH. 259
to arouse the flowers fi-om their sweet slumber, till thej' trem-
bled with blissful transju^rts, atid softly raised their flowery
ci'owns toward the blooiuiug elder, in whose dark foliage was
concealed the nightingale, Nature's great and yet modest
artiste.
Yes, all Nature seemed to listen with l)lissful attention to
ihis wonderful song of the nightingale, and even the parrot
could no longer resist the charm. Paperl hesitated, then com-
menced again, hesitated a second time, and was silent.
Haydn dropped his clasped hands slowly, and turned his
eyes from heaven to earth. " I knew it full well," he mur-
mured ; " the oracle has decided my fate, and Joseph Haydn's
'Creation' is silenced by God's creation. Come into the
house, Conrad ; I am cold and tired. But first give me a few
of my fragrant friends, my dear flowers. They shall speak to
me in my room of the splendor and beauty of the world."
Conrad gathered hastily a full bouquet of roses, pinks, and
elder-flowers, dried the tears filling his eyes, and conducted
his master carefully back into the house.
He had just seated him in his easy-chair, and placed the
embroidered cushion under his feet, when the shrill street-bell
resounded in the hall.
" Go and see who is there," said Haydn, holding the bou-
quet in both his hands, and contemplating it with loving e^^es.
Conrad slipped out of the room and returned in a few min-
utes.
" There is a stranger from Berlin," he said, '' who begged
me urgently to admit him to Dr. Haydn. Mr. Schmid, the
manager of the theati'e, is with him, and requests you to see
the stranger, who, he says, is a celebi-ated poet."
"If Schmid is with him, let them come in," said Haydn,
mildly ; " it will doubtless be the last time I shall see my dear
old friend on earth."
Conrad threw open the door, and beckoned the gentlemen,
who were standing outside, to come in. The two cro.^sed the
threshold softly on tiptoe, and with faces expressive of pro-
found reverence ; as if seized with compassion or pious awe,
they stood still at the door, and gazed with eyes full of tender-
ness upon Haydn, who, at this moment, overcome perhaps
260 ANDREAS HOPER.
by the spring air, had closed his eyes, and not heard the en-
trance of the visitors.
*' That is he," whispered one of the two, a man of a tall, erect
form, with a face radiant with understanding and sagacity.
" That is he I " he repeated, fixing his ardent eyes on the com-
poser.
"Yes, that is Joseph Haydn." said the otlier, in a low voice,
and an expression of profound grief overspread his broad,
good-natured face. " But hush ! he opens his eyes."
And he approached Haydn, who held out both his hands
to him, and greeted him with a gentle smile.
" Do you come to bid farewell to your old friend once more
previous to his death ? " he asked, mildly. " Do you wish to
take leave of me, my dear friend Schmid ? "
" No, I do not come to bid you farewell, but wi.sh you good-
day," said Schmid, warmly, "and pray you to receive this
gentleman here kindly. It is Iffiand, the celebrated actor and
poet from Berlin. He had come to Vienna before the French
took the city, and after its capture he could no longer get out :
they detained him, and it was not until now that, by dint of
the most pi-essing solicitations, he received permission to re-
turn to Berlin."
'• But I could not leave Vienna without seeing the great
Haydn," exclaimed Iffland, in his fine, sonorous voice.
" What would the people of Berlin think of me if I had
not seen the most illustrious genius of our time ? "
" Sir." said Haydn, vv ith a sigh, " look at me, and learn
from my weakness how fragile man is with all his glory."
" Man alone is fragile, but genius is immortal," exclaimed
Iffland, "and Joseph Haydn is a genius whose glory will
never die."
" Let my footman tell you the glory of the nightingale
and the pari'ot," said Haydn, with a faint smile. "The
works of man are perishable, but the works of God last
forever."
" But the woi-ks of man come likewise from God, for it was
He who gave him the strength to create them," replied Iffland,
warmly. " Did not the great and glorious creations of your
genius come just as much from God as the flowers which you
THE TKIUMrn OF DEATH. 261
hold in your hand, and tlic perfumes of whieli delight you
so visibly ?"
"Yes, these flowers are beautiful," said Haydn, musingly.
"The bouquet is doubtless a gift from one of the many
fair admirers of our maestro 1 " asked Schmid. laughing.
Haydn looked up to him smilingly and shook his head
peiitly. '* No,'' he .said, "it is the last souvenir of Nature, to
whieh I have bidden farewell. I worshipped to-day in the
open air, and this is the rosary with which I will pray. Ah,
I love Nature so passionately ! "
" And you have taught those whose eyes and ear.s were
elosed against the holy charms of Nature, how to see and
hear,'" .said Iffland. "Your "Seasons' is the most glorious
hymn on God's splendid world."
"Yes, the 'Seasons,'" cried Haydn, almost vehemently,
" gave me the death-blow. It was so difficult for me to de-
rive enthusiasm from the words of the text. The words said
ii^^ little, really so very little ! Frequently a single passage
cuised nie a great deal of trouble for several days, and I did
not succeed after all in expressing the idea I wished to convey
to the hearers. Tlie words were a dead weight on my music.
Well, it is all over now. Yes, you see, it is all over now.
The 'Seasons' is to blame for it, for it exhausted my last
strength. I have had to work hard all my lifetime; I had to
suflfer hunger, thirst, and cold in my wretched attic, whence
I had to descend a hundred and thirty steps before reaching
the street. Privations, hard work, hunger, in short, all that
I suffered in my youth, are now exerting their effects on me
and prostrating ine. But it is an hcmorable defeat — it is hard
work to which I am succumbing. However, God a.ssLsted
me. I never felt it more .strikingly than this very daj', and
therefore I am so happy, oh I so happy, that I must shed tears of
blissful emotion. Do not laugh at me on this account. I am
a weak old man, and when any thing affects me profoundly,
I must weep. It was otherwise in former years. Ah, m
former yeai-s ! " He turned his tearful eyes toward the win-
dow, and gazed into vacancy. " In former years my mind
was strong and vigorous," he sighed, " and when I wrote my
'Creation,' a manly fire filled mv heart."
262 ANDREAS IIOFER.
" Your enthusiasm is imprinted on your great work, and it
will never disappear from it," said Iffland. " Joseph Haydn's
'Creation' is immortal and full of eternal youth. The
Viennese proved it to you on hearing your sublime music the
other day."
" But I proved to them that I had become so feeble that I
could no longer bear listening to my own music. I had
to leave the room long before the performance was at an
end. "
" You ought not to have gone to the concert at all," said
Schmid. The excitement might have been injurious to your
health."
" It w^as injurious to me," said Haydn, " but considerations
of health had no right to prevent me from being present. It
Avas not the first time that homage had been rendered to
Haydn, and 1 wished to show that I was able to bear it this
time too. Ah, it was a glorious evening, and never did I hear
a better performance of my ' Creation.' "
" It was the great composer's apotheosis which the musi-
cians and singers were celebrating," said Ififland, deeply
moved.
" It is true the Viennese have done a great deal for me.
They are so good, and they love me dearly."
'' Oh, the Viennese are not ahead of the people of Berlin in
this respect," exclaimed Iffland. " In Berlin, too, every one
knows and loves the great Joseph Haydn, and his ' Creation'
is likewise recognized there as a masterpiece. It was per-
formed in Berlin quite recently at a charity concert, the re-
ceipts of which amounted to over two thousand dollars."
" Over two thousand dollars for the poor," said Joseph
Haydn, with beaming eyes; "oh, my work, then, gave the
poor a good day. That is splendid, that is the most beautiful
rew^ard for a life of toils and privations. But," he added, after
a brief pause, " it is all over now. I can no longer do any
thing. I am a leafless tree, which will break down to-day or
to-morrow."
'' The fall of this tree will move the whole of Germany as
a great calamity befalling every lover of his country."
" Yes, it is trufi, much love has been jfianifested for me,
TIIK TKir.MI'll OF DEATH. 263
much homage has been rendered to me," said Haydn, mus-
ingly.
" All natioii.s and all princes have rendered homage to you,"
exclaimed Iffland. "The laurel- wreath, for which we other
poets and artists are struggling all our lifetime, and which is
generally bestowed upon us only after we are in the grave,
was long since granted to you in the most flatterhig and grati-
fying manner. Europe has presented j^ou, not with one, but
with many laurel wreaths, and you may look back on your
life like a victorious hero, for each of your exploits was a
triumph for which you received laurel-wreaths and trophies."
" Yes. I have many souvenirs of my past," said Haydn,
smilingly. " T will show them to you.— Conrad, give me mj'
treasures."'
Conrad opened the di-awer of the large writing-table which
was standing close to Haydn, and which contained a great
many large and small etuis, caskets and boxes.
"You shall see my treasures now," exclaimed Haydn,
cheerfully. In the first place, he showed them a beautiful
casket made of ebony and gold. It was a gift with which the
young Princess Esterhazy had presented the beloved and
adored fiiend of her house only a few weeks ago, and on
Avhose lid was painted a splendid miniature representing the
scene at the last jierformance of " The Creation," when Haydn
received the enthusiastic homage of tiie audience. He then
showed them the large gold medal sent him, in 1800, from
Paris, by the two hundred and fifty musicians who, on Christ-
mas evening in that year, had performed '' The Creation," and
thereby delighted all Paris. Then followed many other med-
als from musical societies and conservatories, and valuable
diamond rings, snufp- boxes, and breastpins from kings and
emjierors. Last, Haydn showed them, with peculiar emotion,
the diploma of citizenship which the city of Vienna had con-
ferred on him. It was contained in a silver case, and its
sight caused his eyes even now to flash with the most intense
satisfaction.
He had placed on the lable bef(n'e him every piece, after
showing it to them and e\])laini7ig its meaning ; and now
that all the treasures were spread out before him, he con-
0(54 ANDREAS HOFER.
templated tliem with a blissful smile, and nodded to them as
if to dear old friends.
" Do not laugh at me," he said, lifting his eyes to Iffland,
almost beseechingly. "I am fondly attached to these things,
and hence it delighted me to look at them from time to time
with my friends. You will say they are the playthings of an
old man. But they are more than that to me ; on beholding
them, I think of my past life, and my recollections I'ender me
young again for a few moments. After, my death all these
things will pass into dear hands, and I hope that, when I am
slumbering in my grave, my souvenirs will be carefully pre-
served and honored if only for my sake."*
"I hope the day is distant when Germany will have to
lament the death of her favorite, Joseph Haydn," exclaimed
Iffland.
"That day is close at hand," said Haydn, calmly ; "I feel
to-day more distinctly than ever before that my end is dz-aw-
ing nigh. My strength is exhausted."
"Let us go," whispered Schmid, pointing to Haydn, who
had feebly sunk back into his easy -chair, and was leaning his
pale head against the cushions.
Iffland fixed his eyes for a long time with an expression of
heart-felt grief on the groaning, broken form reposing in the
easy -chair.
" And that is all that is left of a great composer, of a genius
who delighted the whole world ! " he sighed. " Ah, what a
fragile shell our body is, a miserable dwelling for the soul
living in it ! Come, my friend, let us softly leave the i-oom.
Only I would like to take a souvenir with me, a flower from
the bouquet which Haydn held in his hands. May I venture
to take one ? "
At this moment Haydn opened his eyes again, and fixed
them with a gentle expression on Iffland. "I heard all you
said," he remarked ; " but I was too feeble to si)eak. You
wish to get one of my flowers ? No, you shall have them
all."
He took the bouquet, looked at it tenderly, and buried his
* Ilaydn bequeutlied all his trinkets and manuscripts to tlie Esterhazy
family, who had hoaorud him so highly during \m whole lifu.
THE TUllMl'll OK DKATII. 205
whole face for a moment in the flowers, and then lianded it to
Itfland with a {gentle smile.
''Farewell," he said ; "remember me on If^oking at tlies(>
flowers. I would I had known you in happier days, when I
should have been able to enjoy your genius and admire your
art. You must be a great actor, for you have a wonderfully
sonorous and pliable voice. I should like to hear you de-
claim, even though you should recite but a few verses."
" Permit me. then, to recite the lines in which Wieland
celebrated your ' Creation,' " said Iffland ; and, advancing a
few steps, holding the bouquet in his hand, and fLxiug his
gleaming eyes on Haydn, who gazed at him with a gentle
smile, Iffland recited in his full sonorous voice Wieland's
beautiful lines :
" Wie strum't dciii wogomlor Gosung
In uiis'ro lliTzeii eiu ! Wir sehen
Der ychi)j)fuiig luiu'ht'gen Gang,
Den Hauch des Henn auf dem Gewiisser wehen ;
Jetzt durch I'in blitzend Wort tlas erste Licht entstehen,
Und die Gestinie sich durch ihre liahueii dreheii ;
Wie Hauui und Pflanze wird, wie sich der Berg erhebt,
Und froh drs Lebens sieii die jungen Thiere regen.
Der Dounor rollet uiis entgegen ;
Der Regen siiuselt, jedes Wesen strobt
In's Dasein ; und bcstiinmt, des Scln^pfors Werk zn krOnen
Sehn wir das erste Paar, gcfiilu'l von Dcinen T()nen.
Oh, jedes Ilochgefuhl, das in dein Ilerzon scliliof,
1st wach ! Wer rufet nicht: wie schun ist diese Erdef
Und schiiner, nun ihr Herr auch dich in's Dasein rief,
Auf dass sein Werk vollendet werde ! " *
* " Thy wondrous song in melting strains
To our unite hearts swift entrance gains;
By magical yet unfult force.
We see creation's miLchty course:
The firmament appeal's in space —
God breatlies upon the water's face.
One fla.'ihing word bids primal light appear,
Revolving stars begin their vast career;
Upheaving mountains now are seen.
Tall trees and tender lierbage green ;
18
266 ANDREAS HOFER.
After concluding his recitation, Iffland approached the
old man quickly, knelt down before him and imprinted a
kiss on his clasped hands. Then, without adding- another
word, he rose, and, walking backward as if before a king, ap
proached the door, opened it softly, and went out, followed by
Schm^id.*
" Farewell ! "' exclaimed Haydn, in a deeply-moved voice,
and sank back in the easy-chair. Profound silence now
reigned around him ; but all at once this silence was broken
by a thundering crash, which caused the windows to rattle
and shook the walls. The deafening noise was repeated again
and again, and rolled through the air like the angry voice of
God.
And now the door opened, and Conrad and Kate, the aged
servant-woman, rushed into the room. " Ah, master, master,
it is all up now, and we are all lost ! The Austrians and the
French are in force close to Vienna, and the battle has al-
ready commenced."
" The battle has commenced ! " exclaimed Joseph Haydn,
rising from his easy-chair, and lifting his hand to heaven.
" The battle has commenced ! Good and great God in heaven,
protect our fatherland, and grant Austria a glorioiis victory
over her arrogant foe ! Do not allow Austria and Ger-
many to succumb ; help us to defeat the proud enemy who
has humiliated and oppressed us so long ! O Lord ray God,
Youni^f animals to being rise,
And animate by living cries;
We hear the mighty thunder roar,
And rains in gusliing torrents pour.
All creatures struggle into life ; and stand
Before our eyes, fresh from their Maker's hand,
The first pair, led by thy sweet tones.
Now waked by inspiration's art.
Enthusiasm stirs our heart.
Who cries not, ' Earth is passing fair ! '
Yet far more fair her Maker is,
How perfect every work of his ! "
* The wliole account of this interview between Joseph Haydn and Iffland
is in strict accordance with Iffland's own report of it in bis " Theutre-Alma-
uac," pp. 181-207.
THE THir.MPH f)F DEATH. 267
shield the honor of Germany and Austria ! Protect the em-
peror ! "
And Joseph Haydn walked through the room with the
vigor and alacrity of a yoiuli, dropped his hands on the keys
of the piano, and ])egan to play in full concords the melody of
his imperial hymn, '' Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser I""
Conrad and Kate stood behind him, singing in a low,
tremulous tone ; but outside, the booming of artillery con-
tinued incessantly, and they heard also the cries of the people
who were hurrying in dismay through the streets, and the
tolling of all the church-bells, which called upon the Viennese
to pray to God. •
All at once Haydn paused in the middle of the tune ; his
hands dropped from the keys, a long sigh burst from his lips,
and he sank fainting into the arms of his faithful Conrad.
His servants carried hiin to his couch, and soon succeeded in
restoring him to con.sciousness. He opened his eyes slowly,
and his fii*st glance fell upon Conrad, who stood weeping at
his bedside.
*' The nightingale was right ; my end is drawing nigh," he
said, with a faint smile. ''But I will not die before learning
that the Austrians have defeated the enemy, and that my em-
peror has gained a battle."
And in truth Joseph Haydn's strong will once more over-
powered death, which had already touched him with its fin-
ger. He raised himself upon his couch ; he would not die
while Austria was struggling on the reeking, gory field of
battle for the regeneration or her end.
Two daj's followed, two dreadful days of uncertainty and
terror ; they heard incessantly the booming of artillery ; but
although the Viennese gazed down from their church-steeples
all day, they were unable to discern any thing. Tremendous
clouds of smoke covered the country all aromul, and wrapped
the villages of Aspern and Essling and the island of Lobau in
an impenetrable veil of mist.
Joseph Haydn passed these days, the 21st and 22d of May,
in silent grief and gentle resignation ; he prayed often, and
played his imperial hymn three times a day.
Thus the morning of the 22d of Kay had come, Conrad
208 ANDREAS HOFER.
had gone iuto the street to ask for news, for the hooming of
artillci-y had ceased, and the battle was over. " Whicli side
was victorious ? " That was the question which caused all to
tremhle, and which filled all hearts with intense anxiety.
Haydn's heart, too, was full of grave anxiety, and, to over-
come his impatience till Conrad's return, he had caused Kate
to conduct him to his jiiano.
"I will play my imperial hymn," he said, hastily ; " I have
often derived comfort and relief from it in the days of un-
easiness and anxiety ; and when I play it my heart is always
so much at ease. Its strength will not fail me to-day either." *
He commenced playing ; a blissful smile illuminated his
features ; he lifted his radiant eyes to heaven, and his music
gx'ew louder and fierier, and his fingers glided more power-
fully over the keys of the piano. Suddenly the door was
thrown open, and Conrad rushed in, panting from the rapid
run, flushed with excitement, but with a joyful face.
"Victory !" he shouted. "Victory !" And he sank down
at Haydn's feet.
"Which side was victorious?" asked Haydn, anxiously.
"The Austrians were victorious," said Conrad, pantingly.
" Our Archduke Charles has defeated the Emperor Napoleon
at Aspern ; the whole French army retreated to the island of
Lobau, whence it can no longer escape. Thousands of French
corpses are floating down the Danube, and proclaiming to the
world that Austria has conquered the French ! Hurrah !
hui'rah ! Our hero, the Archduke Charles, has defeated the
villainous Bonaparte ! Hurrah ! "
" Hurrah ! hurrah ! " repeated the parrot on its pole ; and
ilie cat raised its head from the cushion on whicli it had lain,
ftnd gazed wath keen, searching eyes at the parrot, as if it had
understood Paperl's jubilant notes.
Jo.seph Haydn said nothing, but clasped his hands and
looked rapturously upward. After a pause he exclaimed, in a
loud and joyous voice : '' Lord God, I thank Thee for not dis-
appointing my firm trust, but protecting Austria and helping
her to vanquish her foe. I knew full well that the just cause
would triumpli, and the just cause is that of Austria ; for
* Haydn's own words. — See " Zeitgenosson," vol. iv., third series, p. 36.
THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 269
France, hyjxjcritical France alone provoked this war, and
Austria drew the sword only to defend her honor and her
frontiers. The just cause could not but triumph, and hence
Austria had to conque^', and France, had to succumb in this
struggle. God protct^t the Emperor Francis ! I may lay
down now and die. Austria is victorious ! That is the last
joyful greeting which the woi-ld sends to me. With this greet-
ing I will die — ay, die ! Death is already drawing nigh. But
Death wears a laurel-wreath on its head, and its eye is radiant
with triumphant joy. Glory to Austria ! Glory to the Ger-
man fatherland ! ''
These were Joseph Haydn's last words. He fainted away.
It is true the physicians succeeded in restoring him to life, and
he breathed yet for six days ; but his life resembled only the
last feeble flicker of the d^'ing flame, and in the night of the
30th of May death came to extinguish this flickering flame.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN.
The unheard-of event, then, had taken place. Napoleon
bad been defeated by the Austrians. The Archduke Charles
hatl gained a brilliant victory ; Napoleon had transferred his
whole army to the island of Lobau ; he himself passed his time
in moody broodiugs at the castle of Ebersberg, and the unex-
pected disaster which had befallen him, ond which at the same
time had brought about the death of one of his favorites, Mar-
shal Lannes, seemed to have suddenly deprived the emperor
of all his energ;\'. He did not speak, he did not eat ; he sat for
whole days in his cabinet, staring at the maps spi-ead out be-
fore liim on his table, and yet forgetting to cover them, as he
used to do on conceiving the plans of his campaigns, Avith the
colored pins which represented the different armies. Victory
had no longer been able to soften this marble Cesarean face,
but defeat caused his features now to wear an expression of
profound anger and grief. Nevertheless, he did not complain.
270 ANDREAS HOFER.
aud never did he confess even to his confidants that he was
sutl'ering. Only once, for a brief moment, he lifted the veil
concealing his feelings, and permitted his marshals to see into
the innermost recesses of his soul. Marmont had dared to
pray the emj)eror, in the name of all the marshals, to yield no
longer to his grief at what had occurred, but bear in mind that
it was incumbent on him to preserve himself for the welfare
of his subjects and the glory of his future. Napoleon had an-
swered with a faint smile : " You think I am sitting here to
brood over my misfortune ? It is true, I am burying my dead,
and, as there are unfortunately a great many of them, it takes
me a long time to do it. But over the tomb of the dead of
EsslingT am going to erect a monument which will be radiant
with the splendor of victory, and on its frontispiece shall be
read the word ' Vengeance ! ' The Emperor of Austria is lost.
Had I defeated him in this battle, I should, perhaps, have for-
given his arrogance and perfidy ; but as he defeated me,
I must and shall annihilate him and his army."
While Napoleon was thus burying his dead, and reflecting
on his " monument of vengeance," the utmost rejoicings
reigned at the headquarters of the Archduke Charles, the vic-
tor of Aspern ; and all Austria, all Germany joined in these
i-ejoicings, and blessed the glorious day of Bonaparte's first
humiliation.
And this victory was soon followed by the news of a tri^
umph hardly less glorious than the battle of Aspern. The Tyr
olese, those despised peasants, had gained a brilliant victory
over the French veterans, and their Bavarian auxiliaries, on
the 21st of May. on Mount Isel, near the city of Innspruck.
Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the united forces of
the Tyrolese, jointly with Speckbacher, Wallner, and the Cap-
uchin Haspinger, had again defeated the Bavarians and
French, wlio had re-entered the Tyrol, and delivered the pro-
vince a second time from the enemy.
Count Nugent, quartermaster-general of the Archduke
John, had entered the latter's room with this joyful news, and
told him with sparkling eyes of the heroic deeds of the T^^ro-
lese ; of Hofer's pious zeal ; of the bold exploits of Wallner
and Speckbacher, whose deeds recalled the ancient heroes of
THE ARCHDUKE JOHN AT COMORN. 271
Homer ; of the intrepid Capuchin friar, Haspinger, who, with
a huge wooden cross in his hand, led on tlie attack, and ani-
mated his followers not less by his example than the assurances
of Divine protection which he held fortli. Count Nugent had
related all these heroic deeds with fervid eloquence to the
archduke, and yet, to his utter astonishment, the latter's
face had remained gloomy, and not a ray of joy had illumi-
nated it.
" Your imperial highness, then, does not share my exulta-
tion ? " he lusked, mournfully. '' You receive the news quite
coldly and indifferently, and yet I am speaking of your be-
loved Tyrolese, of your heroes, Andreas Hofer, Joseph Speck-
bacher, and Anthony Wallner ! They and their heroic men
have delivered the Tyrol a second time from the enemy, and
your imperial highness does not rejoice at it ? "
" No, my dear Count," said the archduke, sighing, '' for
they will lose it again. All this blood will have been shed in
vain, and my poor Tyrol will be lost in spite of it."
" You believe so ? — you who called upon the Tyrolese to
take up arms, who invited its heroes and champions to such
daring efforts, who are ready yourself to fight for the cour-
ageous mountaineers to the last extremity ? ''
"Yes, I am always ready to do so," cried John, laughing
bitterly, "but what good will it do? They will wind cun-
ning shackles enough round my feet to make me fall to the
ground ; they will manacle my hands again, and put my will
into the strait-jacket of loyalty and obedience. I cannot
do what I want to ; I am only a tool in the hands of others,
and this will cause both my ruin and that of the TjtoI. I am
willing to sacrifice my life for the Tyrol, and yet I shall be
unable to save it. For the rest, my friend, I knew already
all these particulars of the battle on Mount Isel. A courier
from IIoT'mayr had just reached me and bi'ought me full
details. I was able to send back by the courier a fine reward
for the brave Tyrolese, a letter from the emperor, my august
brother, which I received this morning with the order to
forward it to them. I kept a copy of the imperial letter, for
there may be a day when it will be necessary for me to re-
mind the emperor of this letter. Here is the copy. Read it
272 . ANDREAS IIOFER.
aloud, that I may hear, too, how fine the imperial words
sound."
The archduke handed a paper to Count Nugent, who read
as follows :
" After our arms had suffered heavy reverses, and after the
enemy had captured even the capital of the empire, my army
succeeded in defeating the French army under Napoleon on
the 21st and 22d of May, on the Marshfield, and driving it in
disorder across the Danube. The army and people of Austria
are animated with gi-eater enthusiasm than ever ; every thing
justifies the most sanguine hopes. Trusting in God and my
just cause, I declare to my loyal provinces of the Tyrol and
Yorarlberg, that they shall never again be seimrated from the
Austrian empire, and that I will sign no peace but one which
will indissolubly incorporate these provinces with my other
states. Your noble conduct has sunk deep into my heart ; I
will never abandon you. My beloved brother, the Archduke
John, will speedily be among you, and put himself at your
head. Francis."*
" And your imperial highness doubts, even after this sol-
emn promise given to the Tyrolese by his majesty the em-
peror ? "
"My friend," said the archduke, casting a long, searching
look round the room, " we are alone ; no one watches, and, I
trust, no one hears us. Let me, therefore, for once, speak
frankly with you ; let me unbosom to you, my friend, what I
have hitherto said to God alone ; let me forget for a quarter of
an houi^ that I am a subject of the emperor, and that his
majesty is my brother ; permit me to examine the situation
with the eyes of an impartial observer, and to judge of men as
a man. Well, then, I must confess to you that I cannot share
the universal joy at the recent events, and — may God forgive
me ! — T do not believe even in the promises which the emperor
makes to the Tyrolese. He himself may at the present hour
be firmly resolved to fulfil them ; he may have made up his
mind never to sign any peace but one which will indissolubly
incorporate the Tyrol with his empire ; but the events, and
* Homiayr, "Daa Heer von Inner- Oesterreich untcr den Befehlen des
Krzherzogs Johann," p. 189,
THE ARCIIDrKF, JOHN AT COMORN. 273
especially men, will assuredly compel IiItu to consent to
another treaty of peace. You know full well that there are
two parties about the emperor, and that there is a constant feud
between these two parties. One wants war, the other wants
])eace ; and the peace-party is unfortunately headed by the
Archduke Charles, the generalissimo of our army. You
know the fawning and submissive letter which the generali.s-
simo addressed to Napoleon after the defeat of Ratisbon, and
which Napoleon disdained to answer.* The war-party is
headed by the empress and Count Stadion. But the empress
has unfortunately little influence over her husband, and Count
Stadion is no more influential than her majesty. His gener-
ous enthusiasm and fiery impetuosity are repugnant to the
emperoi', who will remove him so soon as he has discovered a
more submissive and obsequious successor who has as much
work in him as Stadion. But thei-e is one point as to which
these incessantly quarrelling parties are agreed and join
hands, and that is their common hostility against the arch-
dukes, the emperor's brothers ; so virulent is this hatretl, that
the peace- pai'ty deserts its leader in order to operate with the
war-party against him and his intere.sts. The Austrian no-
bility has always claimed the privilege of filling all superior
offices, and it is furious at seeing the archdukes animated with
the desire of dedicating their abilities to their fatherland and
their emperor. Hence, the nobility is decidedly opposed to
the success of the archdukes, which might set bounds to its
* T]ic Arcluluke Charles wrote to Napoleon ou the 30th of April, 1809 :
" Your Majesty announced your arrival by a salvo of artillery ; I had no time
to reply to it. But, though liardly informed of your presence, I speedily dis-
covered it by the losses which I experienced. You have taken many prison-
ers from mo, sire, and I have taken some thousands from you in quarters
where you were not personally present. I propose to your majesty to ex-
change them, man for man, rank for rank ; and, if that proposal proves agree-
able to you, point out the place where it may be possible to carry it into
effect. I feel flattered, sire, in combating the greatest captain of tlie age; but
I should esteem myself much happier if Heaven had cliosen me to be the in-
strument of procuring for my country a durable peace, "^'liatever may be the
events of war, or the chances of an accommodation, I pray your majesty to
believe that my desires will always outstrip your wishes, and that lamequally
honored by meeting your majesty either with the sword or the olive-branch
in your hand."
274 ANDREAS nOFER.
oligarch}'. It opposes me as well as the other archdukes,
whether this ojiposition may endanger the interests of the
fatherland, and even the emperor, or not. Things would be
even more prosperous in this campaign, if the generals serv-
ing under the archdukes had carried out the orders of their
superiors with greater zeal, promptness, and willingness. But
they have been intentionally slow ; they have often hesitated,
misunderstood, or purposely forgotten their orders. They are
intent on proving the incapacity of the archdukes in order to
overthrow them ; and they well know that they are rendering
a service to the emperor by doing so, for they are aware that
the empei'or does not love his brothers."
" No, your imperial highness," exclaimed Nugent, when the
archduke paused with a sigh. " I hope that this is going too
far, and that you are likewise mistaken about it. It is impos-
sible that the emperor should not love his brothers, who are
doing so much honor to the imperial house by their surpassing
accomplishments, virtues, and talents."
"My friend, you speak like a courtier," said John, shaking
his head, "and you exaggerate as a friend. But even though
you were right, those qualities would not be calculated to ren-
der the emperor's heart more attached to us. He wants the
emperor alone to shed lustre on, and do honor to the imperial
house, and not the archdukes, his father's younger sons, whom
he hates. ''
" No, no, your imperial highness, it is impossible that the
emperor should hate his brothers ! "
" And why impossible ? " asked John, shnigging his shoul-
ders. " Do not his brothers, the ai'chdukes, hate each other ?
Or do you believe, perhaps, that the Archduke Charles, our
generalissimo, loves me, or even wishes me well ? I was so
unfortunate as to be twice victorious during the xirescnt cam-
paign, while he was twice defeated ; I beat the French at
Sacile and St. Boniface, while he lost tiie battles of Landshut
and Ratisbon. This is a crime which the archduke will never
forgive me, and for which he will revenge himself."
" Perhaps he thinks that he took a noble and glorious re-
venge at the battle of Aspern ? "
" Oh, my friend, you forgot that our mother was a daughter
THE ARCHDUKE JOllN AT COMORN. 275
of Italy, and that we, therefore, do not care for a noble and
fjflorious revenf^e, but long for an Italian vendi'tta. The gen-
eralissimo will not content himself with having obtained
glory, but I must suffer a defeat, a disgrace, which will neu-
tralize what few laurels I gathered at Sacile and St. Boniface.
Oh, I know my brother the generalissimo ; I see all the little
threads which he is spinning around me, and which, as soon as
they are strong enough, he will convert into a net, iu which
he will catch me, in order to exhibit me to the world as an
ignoramus and dreamer, destitute both of ability and luck as
a general. Do not tell me that I am mistaken, my friend ; I
have hitherto observed every thing with close attention, and
my observations unfortunately do not deceive me. The gen-
eralissimo is desirous of pvniishing me for my victories at
Sacile and St. Boniface, and for advocating a declaration of
war when he pronounced three times against it. He has al-
ready several times told the emperor that I am self-willed, dis-
obedient, and always inclined to oppose his ordei*s by vvordsor
oven deeds ; and the emperor always takes pleasure in inform-
ing me of the generalissimo's complaints."
"It is true," sighed Count Nugent ; "this aversion of the
generalissimo to your imperial highness unfortunately cannot
be denied, and you yourself have to suffer by it."
" Oh," cried John, impetuously, " if tliat were all, I should
not complain ; I should add it to the many other pin-pricks of
my fate, and strive to bear it without murmuring. But my
soldiei-s and the glory of the Austrian arms suffer by it, and it
will destroy the liberty of the Tyi'ol. It is well known that
this is my most vulnerable point ; that I love the Tyrol, and
am determined to leave nothing undone in order to redeem
the emperor's pledges to preserve the Tyrol to the imperial
house, and restore its ancient privileges and liberties. It is
known, too, that I long intensely to live iu the future days
of peace as the emperor's lieutenant in the Tyrol ; to live, far
from the noisy bustle of the capital, in the peaceful seclusion
of the mountain country, for myself, my studies, and the men
whom I love, and who love me. Oh, my poor, mi fortunate
Tyrol will grievously suffer for the love which I bear it ;
Austria will lose it a second time, and now, perhaps, forever."
276 ANDREAS IIOFER.
'* Does your imperial highness believe so ? '' cried Nugent,
in dismay. " You believe so, even after communicating to me
the letter in which the emperor promises to the Tyrolese never
to sign a peace that will not indissolubly incorporate the Tyrol
and Vorarlberg with his monarchy, and in which he an-
nounces the speedy arrival of his beloved brother John, who
is to put himself at the head of the Tyrolese ? "
"My friend, these numerous and liberal promises are the
very things that make me distrustfvil, and convince me that
they are not meant seriously. If the emperor had the pres-
ervation of the Tyrol really at heart, and intended earnestly
that my army should succor and save the Tyrolese, would he
not have left me at liberty to operate according to the dictates
of my own judgment and in full harmony with the Tyrolese,
instead of tying my hands, and regarding and employing my
force only as a secondary and entirely dependent corps of the
generalissimo's army ? Look into the past, Nugent, bear in
mind all tliat has happened since we took the field, and tell
me then whether I am i-ight or not ? "
'^ Unfortunately you are," sighed Nugent; "I can no
longer contradict your imperial highness, I cannot deny that
many a wrong has been inflicted on you and us ; that you
have have always been prevented from taking the initiative
in a vigorous. maimer ; that you and your army have con-
stantly been kept in a secondary and dependent position ; that
your plans have incessantly been frustrated ; and that your
superiors have often done the reverse of what you wished and
deemed prudent and advisable."
" And yet they will hereafter say that I was alone to
blame for the failure of my plans," cried the archduke,
with a mo\irnful smile; "they will charge me with having
been unable to carry out the grandiloquent promises which
I made to the emperor and the Tyi*olese, and the emperor
will exult at the discomfiture of the boastful archduke who
took it upon himself to call out the whole people of the
Tyrol, put himself at their head, and successfully defend
against all enemies this fortress which God and Nature
erected for Austria. The faithful Tyrolese have taken up
arms ; I am ready to put myself at their head, but already I
TIIH ARrilDL-RE JOHN AT COMOKN. 277
have been reaioved from the Tyrol, and my arm is pai-alyzod
so that I can no longer stretch it out to take the liatid which
the Tyrol is holding out to me beseechingly. If I had been
permitted to advance after the victories which my army
gained over the Viceroy of Italy and Marmont, I should prob-
ably now already have expelled the enemy from Upper Italy
and the Southern Tyrol. But I was not allowed to follow up
my successes ; I was stopped in the midst of my victorious
career. Because the generalissimo's army had been defeated
at Eatisbon, I was compelled, instead of pursuing the enemy
energetically and obliging him to keep on the defensive, to re-
treat myself, and, instead of being the pursuer, be pursued by
the forces of the viceroy. Instead of going to the Tyrol, I was
ordered by the generalissimo to turn toward Hungary and
unite with the volunteers in that country. No sooner had I
done so, than I was ordered to advance again toward the
Southern Tyrol, march upon Villach and Salzburg, unite with
Jellachich, form a connection with Field-Marshal Giulay.
and operate with them in the rear of the enemy, who was
already in the immediate neighborhood of Vienna. And he
who gave me these ordei'S did not know that Jellachich had
in the meantime been beaten at Wiirzl ; that Villach had
been occupied by the French ; that I was not in the rear of
the enemy, but that the enemy was in my rear ; he did not or
would not know that the Viceroy of Italy was in my rear
with thirty-six thousand men, and that the Duke of Dantzic
was in front of my position at Salzburg. Since then we
have been moving about amidst incessant skirmishes and in-
cessant losses ; and scarcely had we reached Comorn to re-
organize and re-enforce my little army, Avhen we received
orders to march to the island of Schiitt and toward Presburg.
I vainly tried to remonstrate and point to the weakness and
exhaustion of my troops ; I vainly asked for time to reorgan-
ize my forces, when I would attack Macdonald and prevent
him from uniting with Napoleon. I vainly proved that this
was his intention, and that no one could hinder him from
carrying it into effect, so soon as I had to turn toward Pres-
burg and open to Macdonald the road to Vienna. My remon-
strances were disregarded ; pains were taken to prove to me
278 AiTdreas iiofer.
tliat I was but a tool, a wheel in the great machine of state,
and the orders were renewed for me to march into Hungary.
Well, I will submit again — I will obey again ; but I will not do
so in silence ; I will, at least, tell the emperor that I do it in
spite of myself, and will march to Presburg and Raab only if
he approves of the generalissimo's orders."
" That is to say, your imperial highness is going to declare
openly against the generalissimo ? "
" No ; it is to say that I am going to inform my sovereign
of my doubts and fears, and unbosom to him my wishes and
convictions. You smile, my friend. It is true, I am yet a
poor dreamer, speculating on the heart, and believing that
the truth must triumph in the end. I shall, however, at least
be able to say that I have done my duty, and had the courage
to inform the emperor of the true state of afFairs. I shall re-
pair this very day to his majesty's headquarters at Wolkers-
dorf. I wnll dare once more to speak frankly and fearlessly
to him. I will oppose my enemies at least with open visor,
and show to them that I am not afraid of them. God knows,
if only my own personal honor and safety were at stake, I
should withdraw in silence, and shut up my grief and my ap-
prehensions in my bosom ; but my fatherland is at stake, and
so is the ])oor Tyrol, so enthusiastic in its love, so unwavering
in its fidelity; and so are the honor and glory of our arms.
Hence, I will dare once more to speak the truth, and may God
impart strength to my words ! "
CHAPTER XXV.
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF.
The Emperor of Austria was still -at his headquarters at
Wolkersdorf. The news of the victory at Aspern had illumi-
nated the Emperor's face with the first rays of hope, and
greatly lessened the influence of the peace-party over him.
The war-party became more confident ; the beautiful, pale
face of the Empress Ludovica became radiant as it had never
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WoLKERSDORF. 270
been seen before; and Count Stadion told the emperor he
would soon be able to return to Vienna.
But the Emperor Francis shook his head with an incredu-
lous smile. " You do not know Bonaparte," he said, " if you
think he will, IjecaiLse he luis suffered a defeat, be immediately
ready to make peace and return to Fi-ance. Now he will not
rest before lie trains a victory and i-ei)aii's the blundeis he has
committed. There is wild and insidious blood circulating in
Bonaparte's veins, and the battle of Aspern has envenomed it
more than ever. Did you not hear, Stadion, of what Bona-
parte is reported to have said ? He declared that there was
no longer a dynasty of the Hajisburgs, but only the petty
princes of Lorraine. And do you not know that he has ad-
dressed to the Hungarians a pi-oclamation advising them to
depose me without further ceremony, and elect another king,
of course one of the new-fangled French princes ? Do you not
know that he has sent to Hungary emissaries who are calling
upon the people to rise against me and conquer their liberty,
which he, Bonaparte, would protect ? In truth, it is laughable
to hear Bonaparte still prating about liberty as though it
were a piece of sugar which he has only to put into the mouth
of the nations, when they are crying like babies, in order to
silence them, and thereupon pull the wool quietly over their
eyes. But it is true, the nations i-eally are like babies ; they
do not become reasonable and wise, and the accursed word
'liberty,' wliich Bonaparte puts as a flea into their ears, mad-
dens them still as though a tarantula had bitten them. They
have seen in Italy and France what sort of liberty Napoleon
brings to them, and what a yoke he intends to lay on their
necks while telling them that he wishes to make freemen of
them. But they do not become wi.se, and who knows if the
Magyars will not likewise allow themselves to be fooled and
believe in the liberty which Bonaparte promises to them ? "
" No, your majesty.'' said Count Stadion, " the Magyars are
no children ; they are men who know full well what to think
of Bonaparte's insidious flatteries, and will not permit him to
mislead them by his deceptive promises. They received the
Archduke John with genuine enthusiasm, and every day vol-
unteers are flocking to his standards to light against the des-
280 ANDREAS HOFER.
pot "who. like a demon of terror, tramples the peace and pros
perity of all Europe under his bloody feet. No, Bonaparte
can no longer count upon the sympathies of the nations ; they
are all ready to rise against him, and in the end hatred will
accomplish that which love and reason wei'e unable to bring
about. The hatred of the nations will crush Bonaparte aud
hurl him from his throne."
''Provided the princes of the Rhenish Confederation do
not support him, or provided the Emperor Alexander of Rus-
sia does not catch him in his arms," said Francis, shrugging
his shoulders. "I have no great confidence in what you call
the nations ; they are really reckless and childish people. If
Bonaparte is lucky again, even the Germans will idohze him
before long ; but if he is unlucky, they will stone him. Just
look at my illustrious brother, the generalissimo. After the
defeats of Landshut and Ratisbon, and the humble letter which
lie wrote to Bonajiarte, you. Count Stadion, thought it would
be good for the Archduke Charles if we gave him a successor,
and if we removed him, tormented as he is by a painful dis-
ease, from the command-in-chief of the army. We, there-
fore, suggested to the archduke quietly to present his resigna-
tion, which would be promptly acceiited. But the generalis-
simo would not hear of it, and thought he would have fb'st to
make amends for the defeats which he had sustained at Lands-
hut and Ratisbon. Now he has done so ; he has avenged his
l"<jrmer defeats and achieved a victory at Aspern ; and after
this brilliant victory he comes and offers his resignation, stat-
ing that his feeble health compels him to lay down the com-
mand and surrender it to some one else. But all at once my
minister of foreign affaii's has changed his mind : the victory
of Aspern has converted him, and he thinks now that the gen-
eralissimo must remain at the head of the army. If so saga-
cious and eminent a man as Count Stadion allows success to
mould his opinion, am I not right in not believing that the
frivolous fellows whom you call 'the nations' have no well-
settled opinions at all ? "
" Pardon me, sire," said Count Stadion, smiling ; " your
majesty commits a slight error. Your majesty confounds
principles with opinions. An honorable man and an honor-
THE EMPKROR Fl'.ANc IS AT WOLKERSDORF. <2>>\
able natiou may change their oiiinions, but never will they
change their principles. Now the firmer and more immov-
able their princijjles are, the more easily thej' may come to
change their opinions ; for they seek for instruments to carry
out tlu'ir principles ; they profit to-day by the services of a
tool wliich seems to them sufficiently sharp to perform its
task, and they cast it aside to-morrow because it has become
l)lunt, and nmst l>e replaced by another. This is what hap-
pens to the nations and to myself at this juncture. The na-
tions are bitterly opposed to France ; the whole German peo-
ple, both nortli and south, is unanimous in its intense hatred
•ugainst Napolecm. The nations do not allow him to deceive
them; they see through the Ca'sarean mask, and perceive the
face of the tyrant, despot, and intriguer, lurking behind it.
They do not believe a w'ord of his pacific protestations and
l)romises of freedom and liberal reforms ; for they see that he
always means war when ho prates about peace, that he means
tyranny when he promises liberty, and that he gives Draconic
laws instead of establishing liberal institutions. The nations
hate Napoleon and abhor his despotic system. They seek for
means to annihilate him and deliver at length the bloody and
trembiiug world from him. If the princes were as iniani-
mous in their hatred as the nations are, Germany would stand
as one man, sword in hand; and this sublime and imposing
spectacle would cause Napoleon to retreat with his host be-
yond the Rhine, the German Rhine, v^hose banks would be
guarded by the united people of Germany."
"You speak like a Utopian, my dear count," said the em-
peror, with a shrug. " If the united people of Germany are
alone able to defeat and expel Bonaparte, he w ill never be de-
feated and expelled, for Germany will never be united ; she
will never stand up as one inan, but always resemble a num-
ber of rats grow'n together by their tails, and striving to move
in opposite directions. Let us speak no more of a united Ger-
many ; it was the phantom that ruined my uncle, the Em-
peror Joseph, whom enthusiasts call the Great Joseph. But I
do not want to be ruined, and therefore I do not want to hear
any thing of a united Germany. Thank God, since 180G, I am
no longer Emperor of Germany, but only Emperor of Austria,
19
282 ANDREAS IIOFER.
aud tliat is enoiigli for me. I do not care what the princes of
the Confederation of the Rhine are doing, nor what intrigues
Prussia is entering into in order to rise from its humiliating
prostration ; I fix my eyes only on Austria, and think only
whether Austria will be able to cope with Bonaparte, or
whether she may not ultimately fare as badl}' as Prussia
did. We have unfortunately experienced already one Aus-
terlitz ; if we should suffer another defeat like it, we would
be lost ; hence we must be cautious, and I ask you, there-
fore, why you do not want me now to accept the resigna-
tion of the generalissimo, when, only a fortnight ago, you
advocated his removal from the command-in-chief of the
army ? "
'' Your majesty, because a fortnight ago he had been re-
peatedly defeated, and because he has now gained a brilliant
victory. This shows your majesty again the difference be-
tween opinions and principles. Opinions change and are in-
fluenced by success. After the battle of Ratisbon, the gener-
alissimo was looked upon with distrust and anxiety by his
army, nay, by the whole people of Austria, who* turned their
eyes to the Archduke John, the victor of Sacile and St. Boni-
face, aud wanted to see at the head of the army a victorious
general, instead of the defeated Archduke Charles ; but the
latter has acted the hero, and been victorious at Aspern, and
the love and confidence of the army and people are restored
to him ; all look upon him as the liberator of the fatherland,
and will stand by him until — "
"Until he loses another battle,'' interrupted the emperor,
sneeringly. " My dear count, one swallow does not make a
summer, and — Well, what is it, Leonard?'' said the em-
peror, turning quickly to his footman, who entered the room
at this moment.
" Your majesty, his imperial highness the Archduke John
has just arrived, and requests an audience."
''Let the archduke come in," said the emperor ; and when
the footman had withdrawn, Francis tui-ned again to the
minister. " He is the second swallow in which the childish
people here are hoping," he said. " But two swallows do not
make a summer either ; there may still be a frost under which
THE EMPEKOR FRANCIS AT WOLKRRi^DORF. 283
John's y<nmg laurels of Sacile and St. Boniface will wither. —
All. liere is my brothor."'
The eniperor advaiu'cd a few stops to meet the Archduke
John, who had just crossed tlie threshold, and stood still at
tlip door to bow deeply and reverentially to his imperial
1)i'other.
"No ceremonies, brother, no ceremonies,"' said the em-
])cror. smilinpf ; "we are here not in the imperial palace, but
ill the camp ; my crown is in Vienna, and my head is there-
fore bare, while yours is wreathed with laurels."
The emperor said this in so sarcastic a tone that the arch-
duke gave a start, and his cheeks crimsoned with indignation.
Bui he restrained his anger, and fixed his eyes calmly on the
sneering face of the eniperor.
'* Your majesty condescends to jest," he said, composedly,
" and I am glad to see from this that my brother, the victor of
Aspern, has gladdened your majesty's heart."
'•Your majesty," said Count Stadion, in a low, pressing
tone, " will you not graciously permit me to withdraw V
"Ah, you think your presence would be inconvenient dur-
ing our interview, and might hindei* the free exchange of our
confidential comnnmications ? But I do not believe that I
and my bi'other have any special .secrets to communicate to
each other, so that the presence of my minister would be in-
convenient to us. However, let the archduke decide this
])()int. Tell me therefore, brother, is it necessary that you
should sec me alone and without witnesses ?"
"On the contrary, your majesty," said John, calmly, "it
will be agreeable to me if the minister of foreign affairs is
pi'csent at our interview ; for, as \'our majesty deigned to ob-
serve, we never have confidential coininiinications to make to
each other, and as we shall speak only of business affairs, the
minister may take part in the conversation."
"Stay, then, count. And now, my esteemed brother, may
T take the liberty of asking what induced the connnanding-
gcneral of my army of Upper Austria, now stationed at Co-
morn, to leave his post and pay me a friendly visit here at
Wolkersdorf ? "
" Your majesty, I come to implore my sovereign to gra-
284 ANDREAS HOFER.
ciously fulfil the promise which your majesty vouchsafed to
me at Vienna. Your majesty promised me that I should suc-
cor with the forces intrusted to me the Tyrolese in their heroic
strug-gle for deliverance from the foreign yoke, and that I
might devote all my efforts to aiding this noble and heroic
people, which has risen as one man in order to be incorporated
again with Austria. It was I who organized the insurrection
of the Tyrol, who appointed the leaders of the peasants, and
fixed the day and hour when the insurrection was to break
out."
" Yes, yes, it is true," interrupted the emperor ; " you
proved that you were a skilful and shrewd revolutionist, and
it was really fortunate for me that you availed yourself of
your revolutionary talents, not against me, but for me. If I
shall ever recover full possession of the Tyrol, I shall be in-
debted for it only to the revolutionary skill of my brother
John ; and I shall always look upon it as an act of great dis-
interestedness on your part to leave me the Tyrol, and not
keep it for yourself ; for it is in your hands, and it is you
whom the Tyrolese in their hearts call their real emperor."
" Your majesty is distrustful of the love of the faithful Tyr-
olese," said John, mournfully, " and yet they have sealed it
with their blood since the insurrection broke out ; it was al-
ways the name of their Emperor Francis with which they
went into battle, the name of the Emperor Francis with which
they exulted triu iphantly when God and their intrepidity
made them victorious."
" No, archduke, I know better ! " exclaimed the Emperor,
vehemently. " They did not confine themselves to rendering
homage to me, but when the peasants had taken Innspruck,
they placed the Archduke John's picture on the triumphal
arch by the side of my own portrait, surrounded it with
candles, and rendered the same homage to it as to that of the
emperor."
" It is true, the honest peasants know nothing of etiquette,"
said John, sadly. " They believed in their simplicity that
they might love a little their emperor's brother, who had been
sent to their assistance by his majesty, and that they might
place his picture without further ceremony by the side of that
THE KMl'KliuU FRAN'CI.^ AT WuI.KLlRSDOiiF. 2S5
of tlie emperor. ]5ut that tliey /leveiilielf'ss knew very well
liow to distinguish the enii)cror from the archduke, and that
they granted to tlie emperor the first place in their hearts, and
deemed him the sole ohject of their loyalty, is prov^ed hy the
song which the Tyrolese sang with enthusiastic unanimity on
fastening the Austrian eagle to the imperial palace at Inns-
pruck. As such full particulars of the events in the Tyrol
were sent to your majesty-, I am sure this beautiful song was
likewise connnunicated to you,"
" No, it was not," said the emperor, carelessly. " What
song is it ? "
" Your majesty, it is a hymn of joy aiul triumph which, ever
since that day, is sung by all Tyrolese, not only by the men,
Init also by the women and children, and which resounds
now as the spring-hymn of the new era both in the valleys
and on the summits of the mountains. T am sorry that I do
not know the words by hearts, but I shall have the honor of
sending them to your majest,y. I remember only the refrain
of every verse, which is as follows :
"'Ueberall lebt'st sch tnMi uud bicder,
Wo der Adler uns angei^chaut,
Und liu' habeii wir uiisern Fraiizel wioder,
Weil wir halt auf Gotl uiid ihii verlraut.' " *
" That is quite pretty,'' said the emperor, smiling. '' And
is th .t th song they are singing now in the Tyrol ? "
" Your majesty, they not only sing it, but they believe in it
too. Yes, th Tyrolese confide in your majesty ; they believe
implicitly in the promises which your majesty has made to
them, and they would punish as a traitor any one who should
dai'e to loll them that these promises would not be fulfilled.''
•' And who asserts that they will not 1«,' fulfilled ? " asked
the emperor.
" Your majesty, the facts will unfortunately soon convince
the Tyi'olese that they must not look for the fulfilment of the.se
*"Far reaching iis tlie eajrle's view.
Are beating loyal hearts and true;
Once more our FrancLs can we claim,
Booau.se we tru.^t in GodV great name ! "
986 ANDREAS IIOFER,
promises," said the archduke, sighing. " At the very moment
when the Tyrol is heing threatened by two hostile armies,
those of the Viceroy of Italy and the Duke of Dantzic, and
when the Tyrol, therefore, if it is not to succumb again to
such enormous odds, urgently needs assistance and succor, I
receive orders to leave the Tyrol and march to Hungary.
That is to say, I am to give up Salzburg, which is occupied
by the French ; I am not to succor Inuspruck, which is men-
aced by Bai'aguay d'ililliers. Not only am I not to lend any
assistance to the Tyrolese, but I am to break their moral
courage and pai-alyze their energy, by showing to them by my
retreat that the emperor's promises will not be fulfilled, and
that the army of Upper Austria abandons the Tyrol to succor
Himgary."
" Well, the Tyrol is not yet abandoned, even though the
Archduke Jolin is no longer there," said the emperor, shrug-
ging his shouldei'S. " We have two generals with corps there,
have we not ? Are not the Marquis of Chasteler and Count
Buol there ? "
" They are, your majesty ; but the Marquis of Chasteler is
morally paralyzed by the sentence of outlawry which Napo-
leon has issued against him, and Count Buol has too few troops
to oppose the enemy's opei'ations, which are not checked by
any corps outside the Tyrol."
" Ah, yoii wish to give rae another proof of the fraternal
love reigning between you and the Archduke Charles ? "
asked tlie emperor sarcastically. " You wish to oppose the
orders of your generalissimo ? "
" I wish to ask the emperor, my sovei*eign, whether I am to
give up the Tyrol or not ; I wish to ask him if he orders me
to march my army to Presburg, unite with the insurgent
forces, and ojjerate there against the enemy."
" Are these the generalissimo's orders ? "
"They are, your majesty."
" And what else does he command ? "
" He commands me, further, to make myself master of the
two islands of Schiitt in front of Presburg, take Altenburg by
a coup de main, and gari-ison, supply, and provision the two
fortresses of Raab and Comorn for six months. "
THE EMPEItOR FRANCIS AT WoLKERSDORF. 2S7
A sarcastic expression overspread the emperor's face.
"Well, these are excellent and most energetic orders," he said.
"Carry them out, therefore.''
"But, your majesty, it is not in my power to do so.
These orders look very fine on paper, but they cannot be car-
ried into effect. I have neither troops nor supplies enough to
gari'isou, supply, and provision Raab and Comorn, and hold
Presburg, even after effecting a jiniction with the troops of
the Archduke Palatine and the Hungarian volunteers. And
the generalissimo is well aware of it, for I have always ac-
quainted him with what occurred in my army ; he knows
that my forces and those of the Archduke Palatine together
are scarcely twenty-five thousand strong, and that one-half of
these troops consists of undisciplined recruits. He knows that
the enemy is threatening us on all sides with forty thousand
veteran troops. The generalissimo is so well aware of this,
that he spoke of the weakness of the remnants of my army in
tlie dispatches which he addressed to me only a few days ago.
But the victory of Aspern seems suddenly to have made the
generali.ssimo believe that, inasmuch as he himself has per-
formed extraordinary things, he may demand of me what
is impossible."
" What is impossible ! " said the emperor, with mischie-
vous joy. " So brave and heroic a soldier as you, archduke,
will iiot deem impossible what his chief ordei*s him to do.
The Archduke Charles is your chief, and you have to obey
him. He orders you to hold Raab and Presburg. Go, then,
and carry out the orders of your commander-in-chief."
" As your majesty commands me to do so, T shall obey,"
said John, calmly ; "only I call your majesty's attention to the
fact that, if the enemy accelerates his operations and compels
me soon to give battle, I shall be unable to hold Raab, for
which so little has heen done hitherto, and that I shall lo.se
the battle unless the generalissimo sends a strong corps to my
assistance."
" It is your business to come to an undei*standing with the
generalissimo as to that point. He po.ssesses my full confi-
dence, for he showed excellent generalship at Aspern. There
is no reason whv I should distrust him."
288 ANDREAS IIOFER.
" And God forbid tliat I should wish to render you distrust-
ful of liini !" exclaimed John, vehemently. "I hope my
brother Charles will remain yet a long while at the head of
the army, and give many successors to the victory of As-
pern."
" But you doubt if he will, do you not ? " asked the em-
peror, fixing his small light-blue eyes with a searching ex-
pression on John's face. " You do not rejoice much at the
brilliant victory of Aspern ? You do not think that Bona-
parte is entirely crushed and will hasten to offer us peace ? "
"Your majesty, you yourself do not believe it," said John,
with a smile. '' Napoleon is not the man to be deterred by a
defeat from following up his plans ; he will pursue them only
the more energetically, and he will attain his ends, though,
perhaps, somewhat less rapidly, unless we adopt more decisive
measui'es."
" Look, Stadion." exclaimed the emperor, smiling, " I am
glad that the Archduke John agrees with me. He repeats
only what I said to you about Bonajjarte."
"But, your majesty, the archduke added something to it,"
said Count Stadion, quickly ; " he said Austria ought to adopt
more decisive measures."
" Ah, and now you hope that the archduke will say to me
what you have already said so often, and that he will make
the same proposals in regard to more decisive measures as you
did, minister ? "
"Yes, I do hope it, your majestj'."
"Well, let us see," exclaimed the emperor, with great vi-
vacity, " Tell me, therefore, archduke, what more decisive
measures you referred to,"
" Your majesty," replied John, quickly, " I meant that we
should strive to get rid of our isolated position, and look
around for allies who will aid us not only with money, as
England does, but also with troops."
" And what allies would be most desirable for Austria, ac-
cording to your opinion, archduke ? "
The archduke cast a rapid, searching glance on the face of
the minister, who responded to it by a scarcely perceptible
nod of his head.
TlIK KMPEKOR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. 0^9
"Your majesty," said Arcluluko Joliii, ([uickly, "Prussia
would be the most desirnble ally for Austria."
The emperor stiirted back, and then turned almost angrily
to Stadion. " In truth," he said, "it is just as I thought ; the
archduke repeats your own proposals. It seems, then, that
the formerly so ooura<.,''eous war-party at my coui-t suddenly
droops its wings, and thinks no longer that we are able to cope
single-handed with Bonaparte. Hence, its members have
agreed to urge nie to conclude an alliance with Prussia, and
now come the besieging forces which are to overcome my re-
pugnance. The minister liimself was the first to break the
subject to me ; now he calls the Airhduke John to his assist-
ance, and takes pains to be present at the very hour when the
archduke arrives here to second his efforts in attacking me.
Half an hour later, and the empre,ss will make her appearance
to assist you, and convince me that we ought to secure, above
all things, the alliance of Prussia."
" Pardon me, your majesty," said Count Stadion, earnestly ;
"I have, unfortunately, not the honor of being one of the
archduke's confidants, and I pledge you my word of honor
tliat I did not know at all that his royal highness was coming
hither."
" And I pledge your majesty mj' word of honor that neither
the ein])ress nor Count Stadion ever intimated to me, directly
or indirectly, that they share my views, and have advocated
them already before your majesty."
" Then you "bave come quite independently, and of your
own accord, to the conclusion that we ought to form an alli-
ance with Prussia ? "
" Yes. your majesty ; I believe that this has now become a
necessity for us."
"But Prussia is a humiliated and exhausted state, which
exists only by Bonaparte's grace and the intercession of the
Emperor of Russia."
" Your majesty speaks of Prussia as it was in 1807," said
Count Stadion, "after the defeats of Jena, Eylau, and Fried-
land. But since then two years have elapsed, and Prussia has
risen again from her prostration ; she has armed secretly, ren-
dered her resomces available, and found sagacious and ener-
290 ANDREAS ITOFER.
getic men, who are at work silently, but with unflagging zeal,
upon the reorganization of the army, and preparing every
thing for the day of vengeance."
" Let us ally ourselves with regenerated Prussia, which is
longing for vengeance ! " cried John, ai-dently ; "let us unite
witli hei" in the struggle against our common foe. Prussia
and Austria should be harmonious, and jointly protect Ger-
many."
" No," said the emperor, almost angrily, " Prussia and
Austria are natural enemies ; they have been enemies ever
since Prussia existed, for Prussia, instead of contenting herself
with her inferior position, dared to be Austria's rival ; and,
moreover, Austria can never forgive her the rapacious con-
quest of Silesia."
" Oh, your majesty," exclaimed John, impetuously, " let us
forget the past, and fix our eyes on the present and future !
France is the common enemy of all Europe ; all Europe ought
to unite in subduing her, and we will not even solicit the co-
operation of our neighbor ! But an alliance between Austria
and Prussia will render all Germany united, and Germany
will then be, as it were, a threatening rock, and France will
shrink from her impregnable bvilwarks, and retire within her
natural borders."
" Words, words ! " said the emperor, shrugging his shoul-
ders. " You enthusiasts always talk of a united Germany, but
in reality it has never existed yet."
" But it will exist when Prussia and Austria are allied ; only
this alliance must be concluded soon, for we have no time to
lose, and every delay is fraught with great danger. France is
intent on establishing a universal monarchy ; Napoleon does
not conceal it any longer. If France really succeeds in keep-
ing the German powers at variance and enmity, and uniting
with Russia against them, our last hour will strike ; for these
two powers, if united, will easily come to an imderetanding as
to the division of Europe ; and even though Eussia did not
entertain such an intention. France would communicate it to
her.* Hence, Russia should likewise be gained, and its alli-
* The archduke's own words. — See " Letters from tlie Archduke John to
Johannes von Miiller," p. 81.
THE EMPEROR FRANCIS AT WOLKERSDORF. v>91
auce, by Russia's intercession, bo secured, so tbat Germany, in
days of adversity, niigbt count upon her."
" You believe then, arcl)duke, that days of adversity are
yet in store for us ? " asked the emperor.
"Your majesty, I am afraid they are, if we stand alone.
All is at stake now, and all must be risked. We are no longer
fighting for provinces, but for our future existence. We shall
fight well ; but even the best strength is exhausted in tlie
long run, and he who holds out longest remains victorious.
Which side has better chances ? Austria, so long as she op-
poses P' ranee single-handed, has not ; l^it Austria and Prus-
sia, if united, a.ssuredly have. If Austria falls now, the bei5t
adversary of Fi-ance falls, and with her falls Prussia, and
Germany is lost."
" And what would you do, archduke, if Austria, as you say,
were lost ? "
"Your majesty, if Austria should sink into ruin, I should
know how to die ! "
" You would, like Brutus of old, throw yourself upon your
sword, would you not ? Well, I hope we shall not fare so
badly as that, for you have pointed out to me a way of saving
the country. You have proved to me that Austria can be
saved by an alliance with Prussia. Fortunately, I have some-
times ideas of my own, and even a head of my own. I had
this morning a long interview with the Prince of Orange,
who has just arrived from Konigsberg-, where he saw the
King of Prussia. He laid before me a detailed report of
what he had seen there, and I made up my mind before I
had heard your advice. — Count Stadion, be so kind as to
take the paper lying on the desk. Do you laiow the hand-
writing '{ "
"I believe it is your majesty'.-; handwriling," said Count
Stadion, who, in accordance with the emperor's order, hacT*
taken the paper fi-om the desk.
"Yes, it is my handwriting ; for, though not as learned us
my brotlier John, I am at least able, if need be, to write a let-
ter. Be so kind, minister, as to read my letter aloud."
Count Stadion bowed, and i-ead as follows :
292 ANDREAS HOFER.
" To his majesty, King Frederick William of Prussia :
" Headqiarteks, Wulkersdorf, June <?, 1809.
" Sir, my Brother : The Prince of Orange, who has arrived
at my headquaz'ters here, has told me unreservedly, and y^\\\\
full confidence, of the repeated conversations he had with
your majesty during his recent sojourn at Konigsberg. You
left no doubt in his mind as to your firm conviction that the
existence of our two monarchies can be protected from the
rapacious system of the Emperor Napoleon only by an active
and cordial alliance. For a long time past, aware of the
opinions and wisdom of your majesty, I covild foresee that
your majesty would not refuse to take a step, justified not less
by the logic of events than the loyalty of the nations which
Providence has confided to our care.
'' The bearer. Colonel Baron Steigentesch, a distinguished
staff -officer of my army, will confer with your majesty's gov-
ernment as to the questions which may arise in regard to an
alliance between the two countries : he is authorized to regu-
late the proportions of the forces to be employed on both
sides, and the other arrangements not less salutary than indis-
pensable for the security of the two states. For the same
reasons I shall speedily send instructions to my ambassador at
Berlin in conformity with the overtures made by Count von
der Goltz.
" Your majesty will permit me to assure you that I remain
as ever. Your most obedient,
" Francis, Emperor of Austria." *
While Count Stadion was reading the letter, the emperor
closely watched the effect it produced upon the archduke. He
saw that John was at first surprised, that his eyes gradually
brightened, that his face crimsoned with joy, and that a smile
played round his lips.
When Count Stadion was through, the archduke stepped
up to the emperor with an expression of profound emotion
and intense gratitude.
"Your Majesty," he cried, "you have filled me both with
shame and ecstasy. Oh, give me your hand, let me press it to
* "Lebeiishilder," vol. iii., \\. 2G6.
THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA. 293
my lips ; let me tluiiik you for this gracious i)unis]im('nt ! I
am grateful, too, for the gracious coniid.eace with whii-li you
initiate mc into yonv plans/'
" That is unnecessary," said the emperor, without giving
him his hand ; "you need not tliank me. Nor was it my in-
tention to give you a special pi'oof of my confidence. I did
not cause the letter to he read to you in ordei" to have you par-
ticipate in my plans, but only to prove to you that I can make
up my mind without your advice, and to request you not to
molest me henceforth Avith any such suggestions. Now,
brother, we have nothing further to say to each other. Re-
turn to Coniorn, and carry out the generalissimo's order, as
behooves a good officer, promptly, carefully, and without
grumbling. Fortify and hold Raab, defend Presburg, take
Altenburg by a coujy de main ; in short, do all that the gen-
eralissimo wants you to do. If I should need your advice
and wisdom, I shall send for you ; and when Baron Steigen-
tescli returns from his mission to Prussia, you shall be in-
formed of the results Farewell, brother, and let me soon
hear of new victories ! "
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE REPLY OF THE KING OF PRUSSU..
Two weeks after this interview between the Archduke
John and the emperor, the archduke, at the request of the
emperor, repaired again to tlie imperial headquarters at Wol-
kersdorf, and sent in his name to his brother.
''You come just in time, brother," said the emperor, when
John entered his cabinet. '' I knew that Baron Steigentesch
would arrive here to-day, hence T sent for you, for I promised
to let you hear the reply of the King of Prussia to my pro-
posal. The colonel did arrive a few minutes ago, and waits
in the anteroom for an audience.''
" Before admitting him, your majesty, pray listen to me,"
said John, in a grave, tremulous voice.
294 ANDREAS IIOFER.
" I hope you do not intend to reveal a secret to me ? " asked
the emperor.
" No, your majesty ; unfortunately that which I have to say
to you will soon be known to everybody, and our enemies will
take care to let their triumphant bulletins circulate the news
throughout Europe."
"It is a defeat, then, that you have to announce to me ?"
asked the emperor, gloomily.
" Yes, your majesty, a defeat. I met the enemy yesterday
at Raab [June 14, 1809]. Our men fought bravely ; some per-
formed the most heroic exploits ; but the odds of the enemy
were too overwhelming. The Viceroy of Italy attacked us
with his well-disciplined veteran troops, thirty-nine thousand
strong. In the outset, we, that is, the Archduke Palatine and
I, were about as strong, including the Hungarian volunteers.
But the very~Brst attack of the enemy, the fli'st volleys of
musketry, caused the volunteers to fall back ; they fled panic-
struck, abandoned the hill where I had posted them, and
rushed in wild dii-order from the field of battle. The enemy
then occTipied the hill, and this decided the fate of the day
against us, shortly after the commencement of the battle.
However, we might have held out and gained a victory, if all
had carried out my orders promptly and carefully, and if, as
usually during this campaign, no obstacles had been placed
in my way."
" Ah, archduke, to avoid charges being preferred against
yourself, you intend to prefer charges against others ! " ex-
claimed the emperor, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yes, your majesty; I charge Ignatius Giulay, Ban of
Croatia, with violation of my orders, disobedience, and inten-
tional delays in making the movements I had prescribed. I
had ordered the Ban in time to join me at Comorn on the 13th
of June, and he had positively assured me, by letter and ver-
bally, that he would promptly be on hand on the stated day.
I counted upon his arrival, and made my dispositions accord-
ingly. The generalissimo had instructed me to keep open my
communications with the main army on the right bank of the
Danube by way of Raab ; and I, therefore, started on the
morning of the 13th from Comorn, firmly convinced that
THE REPLY UF THE KliHi OF PRUSSIA. 2i^5
Giulay's troops would join me in tiiiic and lollow me. But I
waited for him in vain ; ho failed me at the critical moment,
despite my ordei-s and liis promises, and this was the principal
reason why we lost the battle." *
" You prefer a grave charge against a man whom I have
always found to be faithful, brave, and h()noral)le," said the
emperor, with cutting coldness.
" Your majesty, I beg you to be so gracious as to call the
Ban of Croatia to a strict account," exclaimed John, vehement-
ly, " I beg you to be so gracious as to send for the orders
which I gave him, and ask him why he did not obey them."
'• I shall do so," replied the emperor, "and it is my convic-
tion that he will be able to justify himself completely."
The Archduke John gave a stai-t, a deathly pallor over-
spread )iis cheeks, his eyes shot fire, his lips opened to utter an
impetuous word, but he restrained it forcibly ; compressing his
lips, pale and panting, he hastily moved back a few steps and
approached the door.
•'Stay !" ordered the emperor, in a hai-sh voice. '' I have
yet some questions to put to you. Y''ou are responsible for this
battle of Raab, and you owe me some explanations concerning
it. How was the retreat effected '( Where are your forces
now ? "
"Tlie retreat was effected in good oi-der," said John, in a
low, trenmlous voice. " I marched with four battalions of
grenadiers and two battalions of Gratz militia slowly along
the heights to Als, where we arrived at midnight ; and to-day
we went back to Comorn. Thoi'O our forces are now."
"And Eaab ? Have the enemy taken it already ?"
" No, your majesty, it still holds out : but it will fall, as I
told your majesty two weeks ago, for the generalissimo has
sent me neither amunition nor re-enforcements, despite my
most pressing requests."
" Is that to be another charge ? " asked the emperor,
sternly.
"No," said John, mournfully ; "it is- only to be my de-
fence, for unfortunately it is always necessary for me to de-
fend myself."
* See Sclilosser's "History of Uk- Eii/liteenth Century," vol. vii., p. 540.
296 aKDreas hofer.
" Ah, archduke, you always consider yourself the victim of
cabals," exclaimed the emperor : " you believe yourself al-
ways persecuted and calumniated ; you suspect invariably
that you are slighted and placed in false positions by those
who are jealous of your exalted qualities, and envious of your
talents. You think that your greatness excites apprehen-
sions, and your genius and learning create misgivings, and
that you are therefore persecuted ; that intrigues are entered
upon against you, and that not sufficent elbow-room is given
lo your abilities. But you are mistaken, archduke. I am not
afraid of you, and although I admire you, and think, like
you, that you are the greatest captain of the age — "
"Your majesty," interrupted John, in a loud, vehement
voice, " your majesty, I — "
" Well, what is it ? " cried the emperor, hastily advancing
a few steps toward his brother, and staring at him with de-
fiant eyes. " What have you got to say to me ? "
" Nothing, your majesty," said John, in a hollow voice ;
" you are the emperor ! I am silent, and submit."
" And you are very prudent in doing so, for, as you say, I
am the emperor, and I will remain the emperor, despite all
my great and august brothers. If your imperial highness
does not like this, if you think you are treated unjustly, if
you consider yourself a martyr, why do you not imitate what
the generalissimo has done already three times during the
present campaign — why do you not oflPer yoxxr resignation ?
Why do you not request your emperor to dismiss yon from
his service ? "
" Will youi' majesty permit me to make a frank and hon
est reply to this question ? " asked John, looking at the em-
peror firmly and gravely.
'•I will."
"Well, then, your majesty, I do not offer my resignation
because I am not an invalid ; l)ecau^e I am young, strong,
and able to work. I request the emperor not to dismiss me
from the service, because I serve not only him, but the father-
land, and because I owe to it my services and strength. I
know well that many would like me to retire into privacy
and withdraw entirely from public affairs ; but I cannot fulfil
TIIR RKPLV OF TlIK KlN(i ("F rUISSIA. 207
their wishes, and never sliall I withdraw vohmtarily from the
service. No matter what wrongs and slights may be inflicted
upon me, tliey will be fruitless, for they will never shake my
purpose. All the disagfreeable things that happen to me in
my career. I think proceed from individuals, and not from
the fatherland ; why should I, then, avenge myself on the
fatherland !)y resigning and depriving it of my services when
it has done me no wrong r* I serve the fatherland in serv-
ing your majesty; should I resign, I should be unfaithful to
both my masters, and only then would your majesty have a
right to despise me."
" Listen," said the emperor ; " the word fatherland is a
dangerous and two-edged one, and I do not think much of it.
The insurgents and revolutionists have it always in their
mouths ; and when rising against their prince and refusing
him obedience, they likewise say that they do so in the serv-
ice of the fatherland, and devote their strength and fidelity
to it. The soldier, above all, has nothing to do with the
fatherland, but only with his sovereign ; it is to him alone
that he has sworn allegiance, and to him alone he must re-
main faithful. Now, as you are a soldier and wish to remain
in the service, pray bear in mind that you have sworn alle-
giance to your empei'or, and let me hear no longer any of your
subtle distinctions between your emperor and your father-
land. And now that you have reported to me the result of
the disastrous battle of Rjiab, Baron Steigentesch may come iu
and report the results of his mission to Konigsberg. Stay,
therefore, and listen to him."
The emperor rang the bell, and ordered the footman who
entered the room to admit innnediately ]\Iinister Count Sta-
dion and Colonel Baron Steigentesch. A few minutes later
the two gentlemen entered the cabinet.
" Now, colonel," said the emperor to him, " you are to re-
port the results of your mission to Konigsberg. and I confess
I am quite an.xious to hear them. But before 3-ou commence,
I wish to say a few words to your mini.ster of foreign aft'aii-s.
On the same day that I dispatched Colonel Steigentesch to
* The archduku'd own words. — See his "Letters to Johannes von MuUer,"
* 20
298 ANDREAS HOFER.
Konigsberg, I handed you a sealed paper and ordered you to
preserve it till my ambassador's return. Have you done so ? "
" I have, your majesty. "
" And have you brought it with you now ? "
" Here it is, your majesty," said Count Stadion, drawing a
sealed envelope from his bosom, and presenting it to the em-
peror, with a low bow. Francis took it, and examined the
seal with close attention, then held it to his nose and
stnelled it.
" Indeed," he exclaimed joyfully, " it has retained its per-
fume, and is as fresh and brilliant as though it had been put
on only at the present moment. And what a beautiful crim-
son it is ! I have, then, at length, found the right receipt for
good sealing-wax, and this, which I made myself, may vie with
that made at the best Spanish factories. Oh, I see, this seal-
ing-wax will drive my black cabinet to despair, for it will l>e
impossible to open a letter sealed with it ; even the finest
knife will be unable to do it. Do you not think so too, minis-
ter ? "
" I am no judge of sealing-wax," said Count Stadion, coldly,
" and I confess that I did not even look at the seal of this en-
velope ; your majesty ordered me to keep it and return it to
you after Baron Steigentesch's return. I complied with your
majesty's orders, that is all."
The emperor smiled, and laid the sealed paper with a
slight nod on the table by his side ; then he sank into an easy-
chair, and beckoned to the gentlemen to take seats on the-
chairs on the other side of the table.
" Now, Colonel Steigentesch, let me hear the results of
your mission. In the first place, tell me, has King Frederick
William sent no letter to me in reply to mine ? "
" No, your majesty," replied Colonel Steigentesch, with a
significant smile ; '' I am only the bearer of a verbal reply. I
believe the king thought a written answer too dangerou.s, or
he was afraid lest he should thereby compromise himself.
But after every interview I had wdth the king or the queen,
I noted down every word their majesties spoke to me ; and if
your majesty permits, I shall avail myself of my diary in re-
plying to you."
THE HRPLY OF TIIK KINC (»F TltUSSIA. 299
" Do so," said Francis, " let us hear what you noted down
iiv your diary."
Colonel Stcigentescli drew a meinoranduin-book from his
bosom and opened it.
"Well, then, how did the king receive you?'' inquired
Francis, after a pause.
" The king received me rather coldly and stitfly," read
Colonel Steigentesch from his diary ; " he asked me what was
the object of my mission. I replied that my emperor's letter
stated this in a sutBciently lucid manner. The king was
silent for a while ; then he said rather morosely : ' The em-
jieror a-sks for succor now ; but hereafter he will, perhaps,
conclude a separate peace and sacrifice me.' I replied, 'The
Emperor Francis, my august master, does not ask for succor.
The battle of Aspern has proved that means of defence are
not wanting to Austria. But as it is the avowed object of
this war that the powers should recover their former posses-
sions, it is but just and equita])lc that they should take an
active part in the contest, whose only object can be attained
by seizing the favorable moment. I have not been sent to
you to ai'gue a question which should l>e settled already,
btd to make the arrangements necessary for carrying it into
effect.' "
"An expedient reply," exclaimed the emperor, nodding his
head eagerly. " And what did the King of Pru.ssia answer to
you?"
"The king was silent a while, and paced his i*oom repeat-
edly, his hands clasjjed on his back. Then he .stood still in
front of me, and said in a loud, firm voice : ' Despite the
fear which I might have of being deserted by Austria, I am
determined to ally myself one day with your court ; but it is
not yet time. Continue the war ; in the mean time I will
gradually strengthen my forces ; only then shall I be able to
take a useful part in the contest. I lack powder, muskets,
and money ; my artillerists are all young and inexperioiced
soldiei-s. It is painful to me to avow the whole wretchedness
of my position to an Austrian officer : but I must do so to
prove to youi- master what it is that keeps me back at this
juncture. You will easily convince yourself that I am striv-
300 ANDREAS HOFER.
iug to be useful to you l)y all iiieaus. Your sick soldiers
are nursed at my hospitals and sent to their homes ; I give
leave of absence to all my officers who wish to serve in your
army. But to ask me to declare now in your favor, is to call
upon me to sign my own ruin. Deal the eueniy another
blow, and I will send an officer out of uniform to your em-
peror's headquarters to make all necessary arrangements.' *
After these words the king bowed to me and dismissed me."
'■ Ah, indeed, the King of Prussia gives very wise advice,"
exclaimed the emperor ; " we ai'e to deal Bonaparte another
blow, and then Prussia will negotiate with us. After we have
gained another victory, the cautious King of Prussia will enter
into secret negotiations with me. and send to my headquarters
an officer, but, do you hear, out of uniform, in order not to
compromise himself. Did you not wear your uniform, then,
colonel ? "
"Pardon me, your majesty, I did. But this seemed to be
disagreeable to the king, and he asked me to doff my uni-
form at Konigsberg ; but I replied, that I was, since the
battle of Aspern, so proud of my uniform that I could not
doff it. t The king thereupon requested me to state publicly
that I had come to Prussia only for the purpose of asking of
the king permission to buy corn in Silesia and horses in Prus-
sia.''
" And you complied with this request, colonel ! "
" I did not, your majesty. I replied that I could not even
state this, for it was repugnant to my sense of honor ; how-
ever, I would not contradict such a rumor if it v/ere circu-
lated."
"Very well, colonel," said the emperor, smiling; "you
have acted in a manner worthy of a true Austrian. And
now tell me, did you see the queen also ? "
" I did, your majesty. Her majesty sent for me on the
day of my arrival. Tlie queen looked pale and feeble, but she
seemed to take pains to conceal her sufferings under a smile
which illuminated her face like a sunbeam."
"See, see," exclaimed the emperor, sai'castically ; "ourcolo-
* The king's own words. — See " Lebensbilder," vol. iii., p. 262.
t Ibid.
THE KEl'LY OF TIJE KINO OF PRUSSIA. 3fn
nel talks in the enthusiastic stiain of a poet now that he re-
fers to the queen. Is she so very beautiful, then ? "
"Your majesty, slie is more than beautiful ; she is at the
same time a noble, high-spirited woman, and an august
queen. Her misfortunes aiul humiliations have not bent her
neck, but this noble lady seems even more august and ma-
jestic in the days of adversity than in those of splendoi' and
prosperity."
" And v.l'.at did the queen say to you ? Was she of her
husband's oi)inion that Austi-ia should not be succored at
this juncture, and that Prussia, before declaring in our favor,
ought to wait and see if Austria can defeat Fi-ance single-
handed ? "
" Your majesty, the queen was more unreserved and frank
in her utterances than the king. She openly avowed her
hatred against Napoleoii, and it is her opinion that Prussia
should take a decided stand against Fi-ance. ' For,' she said,
'I am convinced that the hatred of the French emperor
against Austria, and his intention to overthrow all dynasties,
leave no hope of peace. I am the mother of nine children, to
whom I am anxious to preserve their inheritance ; you may,
therefore, judge of the wishes which I entertain.' " *
'' If such were the queen's sentiments, I suppo.se she pi-olited
l)y tiie great influence which she is said to have over her hus-
l)and, to prevail upon him to take a bold stand, and you bring
me the news of it as the (inal result of your mission, do you
not 't ■'
'■ Pardon me, your majesty, I do not. It seems the influ-
ence of the queen does not go far enough to induce the king
to change his mind after he has once made it up. Now, the
king has resolved not to ally himself with Austria at this
juncture, but to wait until Austria, as he says, 'has dealt the
Kmperor of the French another blow.' All my interviews
with the king were, as it were, only variations of this theme.
In the last interview which I had with the king, he did not
express any thing but what he liad already told me in the
first. He re])eated that he would, as soon as Austria had
dealt France another decisive blow, send an (jllicer out of uni-
*■ Tlic iiiHiu's own words — See " J.ebensbildiT," vol. iii., p. 200.
302 ANDREAS HOFER.
form to the lieadquarters of your majesty ; but then, he
added, ' I hope to come myself, and not alone. ' When I took
leave of the queen, she was even sadder than usual, and her
voice was tremulous, and her eyes filled with tears, when she
said to me she hoped to meet me^oon again under more favor-
able circumstances."
" And what did the other persons at the Prussian court
say ? How did the princes, the generals, and ministers ex-
press themselves ? "
" Prince William, the king's brother, said to me with a
shrug : ' You will not liud the spirit reigning here much to
your taste. The king's irresolution will ruin him again.'
The princess, his wife, apologized for not inviting me to din-
ner, the king having positively forbidden her to do so. The
king's generals and ministers unreservedly gave vent to their
impatience and indignation. Grand-chancellor von Beyme
said to me : ' The king would like to unite with you, but he
cannot make up his mind to do so. However, as everybody
about him is earnestly in favor of an alliance with Austria, I
hope that the king will be carried away.' * General Blxicher
wrote to the king in his impetuous, frank manner, that ' he
would not witness the downfall of the throne, and would pre-
fer serving in a foreign army, pro^nded it were at war with
the French.' Scharnhorst, the minister of war, spoke as vi-
olently, and with as undisguised hostility against France.
He presented to the king a memoir, in which he said : 'I will
not go dishonored into my grave ; I should be dishonored did
I not advise the king to profit by the present moment, and de-
clare war against France. Can your majesty wish that Austria
should return your states to you as alms, if she were still gener-
ous enough to do so ; or that Napoleon, if victorious, should
disarm your soldiers like the militia of a free city ?' But all
these remonstrances, these supplications, nay, even the tears
of the queen, were in vain. The king repeated that he Avould
unite with Austria one day, but it was not yet time. Austria
ought first to deal France another blow, and gain a decisive
victory ; then would have come for Prussia the moment to
declare openly against France. This, your majesty, is the
* "Lebeiiribilder," vol. iii., p. 262.
TIIR RHI'I.Y OF TIIK KINC OF I'RUSSTA. 303
only reply whicli 1 hi-iiir; witli me from iny mission to
Prussia."
"Well, I must confess that this reply is decidedly cautious
and wise!" exclaimed the emperor, huiyhing. "After we
have drawn the chestnuts ovit of the lire, Prussia will be kind
enough to sit down with Austria and help her to eat tliem.
Well, what do you think of it, brother John 'i "
"I think that this hesitating policy of Prussia is a misfor-
tune not only for Austria and Prussia, but for Germany. For
if France and Russia join hands now against our disunited
country. Germany will be lost. The welfare of Europe is now
inseparably bound up with an alliance between Austria and
Prussia, which can alone prevent the outbreak of a European
war. But this alliance must be concluded openly, unre-
servedly, and with mutual confidence. No private interests,
no secondary interests calculated to fri'strate the enterprise,
but the great ends of saving the states, and restoi-ing peace
and prosperity to humanity, .should be kept constantly in
view ; then, and then only, success will crown the great un-
dertaking.''*
"And Prussia seems little inclined to keep such ends in
view," said the emperor. "Well, minister, you do not say a
word. You were so eloquent in trying to gain me over to this
alliance with Prussia ; joxi assured me so often that Prussia
Avas waiting only for me to call upon her, when she would ally
herself with me : and now — "
" Now, your majesty," .said Count Stadion, mournfully, " I
see, to my profound sorrow, that Prussia pi-efers her separate
interests, to the intei-ests of Germany ; and I confess that I
was mistaken in Prussia."
" And you tried to convince me that I was wrong in enter-
taining a different opinion ; and my esteemed brother yonder
spoke so wisely and loftily of our Prussian brethren, and the
united Germany which we would form together ! Well, you
shall see at least that, although I yielded, and, to get rid of all
you wise men, applied to Prussia, I did not believe in the suc-
cess of the mission. Minister, be kind enough now to take
* The archdukcV own words. — See his" Letters to Joliannes von Miiller,"
p. 91.
304 ANDREAS HOFER.
the letter which 3011 have kept for me so long. There ! Now
break the nice seal, open the letter, and read to us what I
wrote on the day when I dispatched Colonel Steigentesch to
the King of Prussia. Read ! '"
Stadion unfolded the letter and read :
" Colonel Steigentesch will return from his mission with-
out accomplishing any thiug. Prussia and Austria are rivals
in Germany, and will never join hands iu a common under-
taking. Austria can never forgive Prussia for taking Silesia
from her, and Prussia will always secretly suspect that Austria
is intent iipon weakening her rising power and humbling her
ambition. Hence, Prussia will hesitate and temporize even at
this junctui-e, although it is all-important now for Germany
to take a bold stand against her common enemy, rapacious
and insatiable France ; she will hesitate because she secretly
wishes that Austria should be humiliated ; and she will not
bear in mind that the weakening of Austria is fraught with
danger for Prussia, nay, the whole of Germany."
'■ Now, gentlemen," said the empei'or, when Count Stadion
was through, " you see that my o])inion was right, and that I
well knew what I had to exi^ect from Prussia. We must now
carry on the struggle against France single-handed ; but. after
d(>alingher another blow, for which the King of Prussia longs,
we shall take good care not to invite Prussia to our victorious
repast. It would be just in us even to compel her to give us
the sweet morsel of Silesia for our dessert. Well, we shall see
what time will bring about. Our first blow against France
was successful. — Archduke, go and help us to succeed in dealing
her another ; and, after defeating France single-handed, we
shall also be masters of Germany."
CHAPTEPv XXVII.
THE BATTLE OF AVAGRAM.
" At length ! " exclaimed the Archduke John, joyously,
holding up the letter which a courier of the generalissimo had
just brougiit him from tlie headquarters of Wagram. "At
TIIM HATII.E OK WACiUAM. 305
lonjxlli a decisive blow is to be struck.— C«)nnt Nugent, Gen-
eral Frinionl, come in liere I A courier from the generalis-
sinio ! "
So sayijig, the archduke had opened the dooj of his cabinet,
juid called the otntlcnien who were in the anteroom.
" A courier fi-oni the generalissimo,'' he rei)eated once more,
when the two generals came in.
" Your highness's wish is fulfilled now. is it not?" asked
Nugent. "The generalissimo acceuts the assistance which
you offered to him. He permits you to leave this position
with your troops and tliose of the Archduke Palatine and re-
enforce his own army ?"
"No, he does not reply to my offer. It seems the general-
issimo thinks that he docs not need us to heat the French.
But he wi-ites to me that he is about to advance with his whole
ai'uiy, and that a decisive battle may be looked for. He says
the enemy is still on the island of Lobau, busily engaged in
erecting a tetede-pont, and building a bridge across the
Danube."
" And our troops do not try to prevent this by all means ! "
cried General Frimont, vehemently. " They allow the enemy
to bviild bridges ? They look on quietly while the enemy is
preparing to leave the island, and do not prevent him from so
doing ? "
" My friend," said the archduke, gently, "let us never for-
get that it does not behcove ns to criticise the actions of the
generalissimo, and that our sole duty is to obey. Do as I do ;
let us bo silent and submit. But let us rejoice that something
will bo done at length. Just bear in mind how long this
inactivity and suspense have lasted already. The battle of
Aspern was fought on the 22d of May, to-day is the 3d of
July ; and in the mean time nothing has been done. The en-
emy remained quietly on the island of Lobau, nursing his
woundod. reorganizing his troops, erecting tctefi-de-pont. and
building bridges ; and the generalissimo stood with his whole
army on the bank of the Danube, and took great pains to
watch in idleness the busy enemy. Let us thank God, there-
fore, that at last the enemy is tired of this situation, that he at
length takes the initiative again, and brings about a decision.
306 ANDREAS nOFER.
The generalissimo informs me that the enemy's artillery dis-
lodged our outposts yesterday, and that some French infantry
crossed over to the Miihlau. The generalissimo, as I told you
hefore, advanced with his troops, and hopes for a decisive hat-
tie within a few days."
" And yet the generalissimo does not accept the assistance
which your imperial highness offered to him ? " asked Count
Nugent, shaking his head.
" No, he does not. The generalissimo orders me, on the
contrary, to stay here at Presburg and operate in such a man-
ner against the corps stationed here, that it may not be able to
join Napoleon's main army. Well, then, gentlemen, let us
comply with this order, and perform at least our humble part
of the generalissimo's grand plan. Let us help him to gain a
victory, for the victory wall be useful to the fatherland. We
will, therefore, form a pontoon-bridge to-day, and make a sortie
from the tete-de-pont. You, General Frimont, will order up
the batteries from Comorn. You, General Nugent, will inform
the Archduke Palatine of the generalissimo's orders. Write
liim also that it is positive that the enemy is moving all his
troops to Vienna, and that all his columns are already on the
march thither. Tell him that it is all-important for us to de-
tain him, and that I, therefore, have resolved to make a sortie
from the tete-de-pont, and request the Archduke Palatine to
co-operate with me on the right bank of the Danube. Let us
go to work, gentlemen, to work ! We liave no time to lose.
The order is to keep the enemy here by all means ; let us strive
to do it ! "
And they went to work with joyous zeal and untiring en-
ergy ; all necessary dispositions were made for forming a pon-
toon-bridge, and preventing the enemy from joining Napo-
leon's main army. The Archduke John superintended every
thing in person ; he was present wherever dilficulties were to
be surmounted, or obstacles to be removed. In his ardent zeal,
he did not hesitate to take part in the toils of his men, and the
soldiers cheered enthusiastically on seeing him work so hard
in the midst of their ranks.
Early in the morning of the 5th of July the bridge was
completed, the tMe-de-pont was fully armed, and every thing
THE BATTLE OF WAGRAM. 307
was in readiness for the sortie. The Archduke, who had not
slept all the night long, was just returning from an inspection
of the preparations, when a courier galloped up to him in the
middle of the bridge. On beholding the archduke, he jumped
from his hoi-se, and handed him, panting and in trembling
haste, a letter from the ginieralissimo.
" You have ridden very rapidly ? You were instructed
then to make great haste ? " asked John.
"I rode hither from Wagram in ten hours, your imperial
highness,'' said the courier, breathlessly ; " I was instructed to
ride as rapidly as possible."
" You have done your duty faithfully. Go and rest."
He nodded kindly to the courier, and repaii-ed to his head-
quarters to read the letter he liad just received from his
brother.
This letter revoked all orders which had been sent to him
up to this time. The archduke had vainly offered his co-
operation and that of tlie Archduke Palatine four days ago.
At that time not even a reply had been made to his offer ;
now, at the last moment, the generalissimo called impetuouslv
upon his brother to hasten to his assistance. He demanded
that the Archduke John should set out at once, leave only
troops enough to hold the iefe-de-pont. and hasten up with the
remainder of his forces to the scene of action.
When the archduke read this order, a bitter smile played
round his lips. ''See," he said, mournfully, to General Fri-
mont, " now I am needed all at once, and it seems as if the
battle cannot lie gained without us. It is all-important for us
to arrive in time at the potnt to which we are called so late,
perhaps too late. Ah, what is that ? What do you bring to
me, Nugent?" '
"Another courier from the generalissimo has arrived ; he
brought this letter."
"You see, much dofei-euce is paid to us all of a sudden ; we
are treated as highly important assistants," sighed the arch-
duke. He then unfolded the paper quickly and read it.
"The generalissimo," he said, "informs me now that he
has changed his plan, and will not give battle on the bank of
the Danube, but take position in the rear of Wagram. He
308 ANDREAS HOFER.
instructs me to make a forced march to Marchegg, advance,
after resting there for three hours, to Siebenbrunn, and take
position there. Very well, gentlemen, let us carry the gen-
eralissimo's orders into effect. At one o'clock to-night, all
must be in readiness for setting out. We need the time be-
tween now and then to concentrate the extended lines of
our troops. If we are ready at an earlier hour, we shall set
out at once. Make haste ! Let that be the password to-
niglit ! "
Thanks to this passw((ird, all the troops had been concen-
trated by midnight, and' the march was just about to begin
when another courier arrived from the generalissimo, and
informed the archduke that the enemy was advancing, and
that it was now the generalissimo's intention to attack him
and force him to give battle. The Archduke John was ordered
to march as rapidly as possible to Siebenbrunn, whither a
strong corps of the enemy had set out.
The Archduke John now advanced with his ten thousaiid
men with the utmost rapidity toward Marchegg. The troops
were exhausted by the toils and fatigues of the last days ; they
had not eaten any thing for twenty-four hours ; but the arch-
duke and his generals and staff-oflTicers always knew how to
stir them vip and induce them to continue their march with
unflagging energy. Thus they at length reached Marchegg,
where they were to rest for three hours.
But no sooner had they arrived there than Count Eeuss,
the generalissimo's aide-de-camp, galloped up on a charger
covered all over with foam. The count had ridden in seven
hours from Wagram to Marchegg, for it was all-important
that the ai'chduke should accelerate his march. The battle
was raging already with great fury. The generalissimo was
in urgent need of the archduke's assistance. Hence, the latter
was not to rest with his troops at Marchegg, but continue his
march and advance with the utmost speed by Siebenbrunn to
Loibersdorf. At Siebenbrunn he would find Field-Marshal
Rosenberg ; he should then, jointly with him, attack the
enemy.
"Lot us set out, then, for Loibersdorf," said John, sighing ;
•'we will do all we can, and thus avoid being charged with
THE I?.\TTLE OF WAGRAM. 309
tardiness. Up, n]\ my braves ! Tlie fathei'laiid calls u.s ; we
must obey it ! "
But the soldiers obeyed this order only with low murmurs,
and many remained at Marcheg-":, exliausted to deatli.
The troo])s continued their march with restless speed, and
nnite resij^'nation. The archduke's face was pale, his flashing
eyes were constantly prying into the distance, his breast was
panting, his heart was filled with indescribable anxiety, and
he exhorted his troops incessantly to accelerate their steps.
Now they heard the dull roar of artillerj^ at a distance ; and
the farther they advanced, the louder and more terrific re-
sounded the cannon. The battle, therefore, was going on, and
the utmost rapidity was necessary on their pai-t. Forward,
therefore, forward ! At five o'clock in the afternoon they at
last reached Siebenbrunn. But where was Field-Marshal
Rosenberg ? What did it mean that the roar of artillery had
almost entirely died away ? And what dreadful signs sur-
rounded the horizon on all sides 'i Tremendous clouds of
smoke, burning villages everywhere, and added to them now
the stillness of death, which was even more horrible after the
booming of artillery which had shaken the earth up to this
time. Where was Field-Marslial Rosenberg ?
An officer galloped up at full speed. It was a messenger
from Field-Marshal Rosenberg, who informed the archduke
that he had been repulsed, that all was over, and that the day
was irretrievably lost.
"I have been ordered to march to Loibersdorf,'' said the
archduke, re.solutely ; '" I must comply with my instructions."
And he continued his march toward Loibersdoi-f. Patrols
were sent out and approached Wagram. The fields were cov-
ered with the dead and wounded, and the latter stated amid
moans and lamentations that a dreadful battle had been
fought, and that the Austrians had been defeated.
The archduke listened to these iept)rts with a pale face and
quivering lijjs. But he was still in hopes that he would re-
ceive a message from the generalissimo ; hence, he remained
at Loibersdorf and waited for news from his brother. Night
came ; profound stillness reigned all around, broken only now
and then by dull reports of cannon and musketry fired at a
310 ANDREAS IIOFER.
distance ; and there was no news yet from the generalissi-
mo !
One of tlie patrols now brought in a French officer who
had got separated from his men, and whom the Anstrians had
taken prisoner. The archduke sent for him, and asked him
for information regarding the important events of the day.
The officer gave him the required information with spark-
ling eyes and in a jubilant voice. A great battle had been
fought during the previous two days. The French army had
left the Island of Lobau on four bridges, whicli Napoleon had
caused to be built in a single night by two hundred carpenters,
and had given battle to the Archduke Charles at Wagram.
A furious combat had raged on the 5th and 6th of July.
Both armies had fought with equal boldness, bravery, and ex-
asperation ; but finally the Archduke Charles had been com-
pelled to evacuate the field of battle and retreat. The Em-
peror Napoleon had remained in possession of the field ; he
had gained the battle of Wagram.
Large drops of sweat stood on the archduke's forehead
while he was listening to this report ; his eyes filled with tears
of indignation and anger ; his lips quivered, and lie lifted his
eyes reproachfully to heaven. Then lie turned slowly to Gen-
eral Frimont, who was halting by his side, and behind vrhom
were to be seen the gloomy, mournful faces of the other
officers.
"The generalissimo has lost a battle," he said, with a sigh.
" This is a twofold calamity for us. You know that we could
not come sooner. We arrived even at an eai'lier hour than I
had promised. You will see that the whole blame for the loss
of the battle will be laid at our door, and we shall be charged
with undue tardiness. This pretendcfi tardiness will be wel-
come to Tuany a one. A scapegoat is needed, and I shall have
to be this sca])egoat ! " *
The Archduke John was not mistaken ; he had predicted
his fate. Pie was really to be the scapegoat for the loss of the
battle. In the proclamation which the Archduke Charles
issued to his army a few days afterward at Znaym, and in
* The archduke's own words. — Sec lionnayr's work on " Tlie (.'aiupaigu
of 1 sort," p. 236.
THE ARMISTICE (>F ZN'AVM. :>,\\
wliicli Im' inror-incd it tli;it he liad coiicliulcd uii ai'Miistice with
the Emperor Napoleon, he deplored that, owing to the too late
arrival of the Ai-chdiike John, the battle had not been won.
despite the admirable bravery which the troops had displayed
at Wagram, and that the generalissimo had been compelled
thereby to retreat.
The Archduke John did not defend himself. He lifted his
tearful eyes to heaven and sighed : '• Another battle lost, and
this battle decides the fate of Austria ! Now Prussia will not
ally herself with us, for we did not strike the second blow
which the king demanded, and she will look on quietly while
Austi'ia is being humiliated I () G(jd, God, piotect Austria !
Pi'otect Germanv I save us from utter ruin !"
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM.
The guests of Anthony Steeger. the innkeeper of Lienz, had
been greatly excited to-day ; they had talked, debated, lamented,
and swoi-n a great deal. In accordance with the request
of Andreas Hofer. the most inliuential leaders of the Tyrolese
had met there and drawn up, as Hofer proposed, a petition to
the Emjieror Francis, who was now in Hungary at one of the
palaces l)elonging to the Prince of Lichtensteiu. The disas-
trous tidings of the battle of Wagram had been followed a few
days afterward by news fully as disheartening. The Arch-
duke Charles had concluded an armistice with the Emperor
Napoleon at Znaym, on the 12th of July, 1809. By this armis-
tice hostilities were to be suspended till the 20th of August ;
but in the mean time the Axistrians were to evacuate the Tyrol.
Styria. and Carinthia entirely, and restore to the Bavaiians
and Fj-ench the foi-tified cities which they had occupied.
These calamitous terms of the armistice had induced An-
dreas Hofer to summon some of his friends to Lienz, and draw
up with them a petition to the em])eror. in which they im-
l)lored him with touching humility to have mercy uj)()ii them
in their distress, and not to forsake his faitlifiil Tvrul. Thev
312 ANDREAS HOFER.
stated that they had been tokl that the Austrian troops, in
accordance with the stipalations of the armistice, were to
evacute the Tyrol, but this did not confer upon the Frencli
and Bavarians the right of occupying the Tyrol. They he-
sought tlie emperor to prevent this, and not to permit the
enemy to occupy the country.
Such were the contents of the petition which Andreas
Hofer aud the other leaders of the Tyrolese had signed to-day
at the inn of Anthony Steeger, at Lienz, and which Jacob
Sieberer was to convey as the last cry of the despairing Tyrol
to the headquarters of the emperor at Totis, while Eisen-
stecken was to deliver a copy of the petition to General Buol,
commander-in-chief of the Austrian troops.
Night had now come ; the friends and comrades had long
since left Anthony Steeger's house, and Andreas Hofer alone
remained with him to talk with his faithful friend about the
disasti'ous change in their affairs, and the gloomy prospects of
the future.
"I cannot believe that all is as they say," said Andreas
Hofer, with a sigh. " The emperor promised us solemnly
never to give up or forsake again his faithful Tyrol, and it
would be high-treason to suppose that the emperor will not
honestly redeem his pledges. No, no ; I tell you, Anthony,
the emperor and our dear Archduke John certainly do not
intend to abandon us ; only the Austrian generals are op-
posed to the continuance of the war, and long to get away
from our mountains, because they are afraid of Bonaparte,
and think he would punish them if they should stay here any
longer and refuse to deliver the province to his tender mer-
cies."
"I am likewise loth to believe that the Emperor Francis
would forsake us," said Anthony Steeger, nodding his head
approvingly. " For the emperor loves us, and will not allow
us to fall into the hands of the infidel Bonaparte, who has
just committed another outi-age by arresting the Holy Fathei-
in Rome and dragging him away from his capital."
"Well, the Holy Father excommunicated him for this
outrage," cried Andreas Hofer, with flashing eyes; "he called
down the wrath of God and man on the head of the Anti-
THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAYM. 313
christ, and rendered it incumbent on every pious Christian to
wage war ag-ainst tlie criminal who laid his ruthless hands even
upon t\\v holy Church, and tramplcdunder foot him whom the
Ahiiighty has anointed. Anthony Steeger, let me tell you, I
will not allow the French to return to our country, and never
will I permit the Austrians to evacuate the Tyrol."
" And how will you prevent tliem from so doing ? " asked
Anthony Steeger, shrugging his shoulders.
" I said to-day how I and all of us are going to prevent it.
We shall not suffer the Austrians to depart ; we shall keep
them here by prayers, stratagems, or force. I have given in-
structions to all the conmianders to do so ; I have given
them written orders which they are to communicate to our
other friends, and in which I command them not to permit
the departure of the Austrians. I believe I am commander-
in-chief as yet, and they will obey my bidding."
" If they can do it, Andy, they certainly will ; but what if
they cannot ? What if the Austrians cannot be kept here by
prayers or stratagem ? "
'' In that case we must resort to force," cried Hofer, im-
petuouslj'. " We must compel them to stay here ; the whole
Tyi'ol must rise as one man and with its sti'ong arms keep the
Austrians in the country. Yes, yes, Anthony, we must do it ;
it will be best for us all. It must look as though we de-
tain the Austrians by force, and this will be most agreeable
to the Emperor Francis ; for what fault of his is it that tlie
Tyrolese prevent hijn from carrying out what he promised to
Bonaparte in the armistice ? It is not his fault, then, if the
Austrians stay here, and if we prevent them from leaving our
mountains. We must detain them, we must. And I will
vri'ite immediately to old Red-beard, Father Haspinger, Jo-
seph Speckbacher, and Anthony Wallner. I will summon
them to a conference with mo, and we will concert measures
for a i-enewed rising of the Tyrol. Give me pen and ink,
Tony; I will write in the first place to old Red-beard, and
your Joe shall take the letter this very night to his con-
vent."
Anthonj' Steeger hastened to bring him what he wanted,
and while Hofer scrawled the letter, his friend stood behind
21
314 ANDREAS HOFER.
him, and followed with attentive eyes every word which An-
dreas finished with considerable difficulty.
Both were so much absorbed in the letter that they did not
perceive that the door opened behind them, and that Baron
von Hormayr, in a dusty travelling-dress, entered the room.
For a moment he stood still at the door and cast a searching
glance on the two men ; he then advanced quickly toward
Andreas Hofei', and, laying his hand on his shoulder, he said :
'* Well, Andy, what are you wi'iting there ? "
Andreas looked up, but the unexpected arrival of the
baron did not seem to excite his surpi'ise. '' I am writing to
old Red-beard," he said ; " I am writing to him that he is to
come to me immediately. And after finishing the letter to
old Red-beard, I will write the same thing to Speckbacher
and Anthony Wallner, Mr. Intendant of the Tyrol."
" Do not apply that title to me any longer, Andy," said
Hormayr, with a slight frown. '' I am no longer intendant
of the Tyrol, for you know that we must leave the Tyrol and
restore it to the French and Bavarians."
" I for one do not know it, Mr. Intendant of the Tyrol,"
cried Andreas, with an angry glance. " I know only that the
Archduke John appointed you military intendant of the Tyr-
ol, and that you took a solemn oath to aid us in becoming
once more, and remaining, Austrians."
"I think. xVndy, I have honestly redeemed my pledges,"
said Hormayr. " I assisted you everywhere to the best of my
power, was always in your midst, encouraging, organizing,
fighting, and mediating ; and I think you will admit that I
had likewise my little share in the deliverance of the Tyrol,
and proved myself one of its good and faithful sons."
" Well, yes, it is true," murmured Hofer ; " you did a great
deal of good, and, above all things, you gained over to our
side the Austrian generals, who would not have anything to
do with us peasants, and refused to make common cause with
us ; for you possess a very eloquent tongue, and what can be
accomplished by means of the tongue you do accomplish.
But now, sir, the tongue will no longer suffice, and we must
fight also with the sword."
" God forbid. Andy ! " exclaimed Hormayr ; " you know
THE ARMISTICE OF ZNAVM. 315
that the emperor has concluded an armistice with Bona-
parte, and while it lasts we are not allowed to fight with the
sword."
"The emperor has concluded an armistice? Well, then,
let there he an arnustice. But you will not confine yourself
to an armistice — you intend to evacuate the Tyrol. That
seems to me no fair armistice, and therefore I shall summon
old Red-heard, and my other faithful friends, and concert
with them measures to prevent you from concluding such an
unfair armistice, and forsaking us."
" And Andy is right in doing so ! " exclaimed Anthony
Steeger. '• We must not permit the Austrians to leave the
province, and we are firmly resolved that we will not."
"You are fools, hoth of you," said Hormayr, shrugging his
shoulders. " The Emperor Francis agreed positively that the
Austrian troops should evacuate the Tyrol during the armis-
tice ; hence, the troops must leave, lest the emperor should
break his word."
" But if they do, the emperor breaks the word he pledged
to us," cried Anthony Steeger, vehemently.
" Anthony Steeger," said Hormayr, sternly, " I have come
hither to have an interview with Andreas Hofer, to whom I
wish to communicate something of great importance. There-
fore, be so kind as to withdraw, and leave me alone with
him."
" I believe Andy does not want to keep any thing secret
from me, and I might, therefoi'e, just as well stay here. Say,
Andy, is it not so ? "
"It is. Speak, Mr. Intendant ; Tony may hear it all."
" No, Andy, I shall not speak unless I am alone with you ;
>and what I have to say to you is highlj' important to the
Tyrol. But no one but yourself must hear it."
'' If that is the case, go out and leave me alone with the in-
tendant," said Hofer, shaking hands with his friend.
Anthony Steeger cast an angry glance on Hormayr, and
left the room. "I know very well why he wanted to get rid
of me," he growled, as soon as he was out in the hall. " He
intends to persuade x\ndreas Hofer to leave with the Austrians
and abandon the Tyrol. He thinks when he is alone with
316 ANDREAS HOFER.
Hofer, he will yield sooner because he is a weak and good-
hearted man, who would like to comply with every one's
wishes. He thinks if I were present I should tell Andy the
truth, and not permit him to desert our cause, and set a bad
example to the others. Well, I wall keep a sharp lookout, and
if the intendant really tries to take him away with him, I will
endeavor to detain him forcibly."
When the door had closed after Anthony Steeger, Hor-
mayr nodded kindly to Andreas Hofer and shook hands witb
him.
'• Now we are alone, Andy," he said, " and will speak con-
fidentially a word which no one is to hear save us two."
" But you should always bear in mind that God Almighty
is present, and listens to us," said Hofer, lifting his eyes de-
voutly to heaven.
" We shall si)eak nothing that can offend the good God ! "
exclaimed Hormayr, laughing. " We shall speak of you,
Andy, and the Tyrol. I wish to pray you, Andy, in the name
of the Archduke John, who sent me to you, and who sent his
kindest greetings with me, not to close your ears against good
and well-meant advice. "
" What did the archduke say ? What does he want of
me ? " asked Andreas, quickly.
" He wishes Andreas Hofer, like himself, to submit to the
emperor s orders quietly and patiently ; he wishes Andreas
Hofer to yield to stern necessity, and no longer sow the seeds
of hatred and discord, but obey the will of his master with
Christian humility and resignation. He wishes Andreas Hofer
to set a good example to all the Tyrolese, and undertake noth-
ing in opposition to the stipulations of the armistice ; and the
Archduke John finally wishes his beloved Andreas Hofer to
secure his life and li])erty by leaving the Tyrol with the Aus-
trian troops, and remaining for some time under the protec-
tion of the imperial army."
" Never, never will I do that ! " cried Andreas, vehe-
mently ; " never will I leave my beloved country ! I swore to
the priest, and in my own heart, that, while I lived, I would
be faithful to my God, my emperor, and my country, and that
I would spill the last drop of blood for our liberty, our consti-
THE ARMIPTRE (>K ZN-VVM. 317
tution, and our emperor ; and never will 1 break my oath,
never will I desert my flag like a faithless soldier I "
•'But, Andy, you are not to desei-t it, but only convey it to
a place of safety for a short time. Listen to me, Andy, and
let me tell you all about it. You tliink all may be changed
yet, and you may prevent the Austrians from leaving your
mountains. But unfortunately it is already too late. Already
the Austrian general-iu-chief, Baron von Buol. has concen-
trated his scattered forces, and marched them to-night from
Brixen to Schabs. There you can do nothing against him ;
his artillery and annnunition are safe there, and you cannot
liindiM- him from marching with his troops this very day into
Carinthia."
" But we can prevent General Schmidt from surrendering
the fortress of Sachsenburg to General Rusca," cried Andreas,
triumphantly.
" Do you think Commander Joseph Turk, in Upper Carin-
thia, surprised and occupied the fortress of Sachsenburg im-
mediately, because you wrote to him to do so previous to Eus-
ca's arrival ? You look at me so wondei'ingly, you big child ?
See, here is your letter to Joseph Tiirk ! Our men intercepted
it ; hence, Joseph Tiirk did not occupy the fortress, and Gen-
eral Rusca has arrived there ah'oady."
" It is m}' l(4ter, indeed," sighed Andreas Hofer, staring at
the paper which Hormayr had handed to him. " They did
not allow it to reach Joseph Tiirk ; they no longer respect
what I say and do."
"They cannot, Andy for your and their superior, the em-
peror, has ordered the soldiers to evacuate the Tyrol. It was
surely most rei)ngnant to tiie emperor to do so, and I know-
that the Archduke John shed tears of grief and rage on being
obliged to instruct General Buol to evacuate the Tyrol. But
he submitted to stern necessity, and you will do so too,
Andy."
"What am I to do, then ? What do you want of me ?"
asked Andreas, with teal's in his eyes.
•'The Archduke John wants you to preserve yom\self for
better times, Andy. He implores you to repair to a place of
Siifety, not only for the sake of your wife and children, but
318 ANDREAS HOFER.
also for that of your fatherland. Believe me, Audreas, a
gloomy time is dawning upon the Tyrol. The enemy is ap-
proaching on all sides, and the French and Bavarians have
already crossed the frontiers of the Tyrol in order to occupy it
again."
" And all our hlood has been shed in vain 1 " cried Hofer,
bursting into tears. " All the faithful Tyrolese who have fall-
en in battle gave up their lives for nothing. We fought
bravely ; the good God helped us in battle ; but men deserted
us, and even the empei'or, for whom we fought, will not redeem
the pledges he gave us, nor help us in our sore distress."
" The emperor will never abandon his faithful Tyrolese,"
said Hormayr ; "only you must be patient. He cannot do
any thing now : he can not endanger his whole empire to
serve the small province of the Tyrol. For the time being,
further resistance is out of the question, but the emperor profits
by the armistice to concentrate a new army ; and when hos-
tilities are resumed, he will first think of the Tyrol, and de-
liver it from the enemy."
" But until then the Tyrol itself ought to maintain its lib-
erty ! " exclaimed Andreas Hofer, with flashing eyes. " Lis-
ten to what I wish to say to you, Mr. Intendaut, and what God
Himself prom.pts me to tell you. I sec full well that the em-
peror himself is unable to speak for the Tyrol, and cannot or-
der his troops to remain in the country ; I see full well that
the emperor, sorely pressed as he is by Bonaparte, cannot do
any thing for us. But until he is ready again, some one ought
to be courageous enough to take his place, and, as the em-
peror's lieutenant, defend the Tyrol against the enemy. You,
Mr. Intendant, are the man to do it. You have often assured
us that you were a brave and ])atriotic son of the Tyrol ; prove
now that you told us the truth. Instead of leaving the Tyrol
at this hour of its greatest peril, and surrendering it to the en-
emy, place yourself at its head, protect it against the enemy,
and preserve it to the emperor. * Become Duke of Tyrol, take
charge of the government and defence of the country. As pro-
visional duke, call upon the faithful people to take up arms,
and they will rise as one man and defend its frontiers against
" Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer," p. 103.
TIIK ARMISTK'K oF ZXAYM. 3)9
every enemy. Rule over the Tyrol in the emperor's place,
nnlil he himself is able again to do so and fold us again to his
heart."
''What you say is nonsense, Andy," exclaimed Hormayr,
shrugging his slioulders. "You want me to become provi-
sional Duke of Tyro] ? Why, the whole world would laugh at
me, and the emperor would punish me as a rebel ! "
" Well, then," cried Andreas Hofer, in a powerful voice.
" if you will not do it, I will ! I shall take charge of the gov-
ernment and call myself 'Andreas Hofer, Sandwirth of Pas-
seyr and Duke of Tyrol,' as long as it pleases God ! " *
" No, you will not, Andy," said Hormayr, gravely ; " you
will be sensible, on the contrary, and not, from worldlj* pride,
endanger your country, your friends, and yourself. Bear in
mind, Andy, that you would be responsible for the blood that
would be shed, if you should incite the people to rebellion,
ajid that you would be the murderer of all those who should
fall in th(^ struggle provoked by you so recklessly and in open
opposition to the ordei's of your emperor. Bow your head,
Andy, and submit as we ail do. Intrust your and our cause to
God ; as it is good and just. He will not forsake it. but ren-
der it victoriovis when it is time."
" I believe you," sighed Andreas ; " but how caji I keep quiet
when, as you have often told me, I am God's instrument and
destined by Him to deliver the dear Tyrol from the enemy ?
And what would my brave lieuten mts say if their com-
mander-in-chief, Andreas Hofer, were to leave the country in
its soie distress, after he had taken an oath to defend it while
he lived ? Would they not point their fingers at me, and call
me a traitor, a Judas Iscariot who sold his country for the
sake of his own safety ? "
'' You are mistaken, Andy. You think your friends, the
captains and other conimandei's, with whom you fought for
the deliverance of the Tyrol, would despise you if you fol-
lowed the Austrians now and saved your life ? Now listen to
me, my friend. Your best friends, the brave Tyi'olese cap-
tains, in whom you repose the greatest confidence, will leave
* Andreas Ilofer's own word*. — Sec Honnayr's " Andreas Hofer," vol. ii..
p. 361.
320 ANDREAS nOFER.
the Tyrol this very day of their own accord and accompany
oui' Austrian troops to Carinthia."
" That is false, that is impossible ! " cried Andreas, ve-
hemently. '' Speckbachcr will never do so."
"Yes, he will, Andy. I saw him this morning. He re
sisted and fought as long as he could ; but since the armistice
compels him to lay down the sword, and since, moreover, the
French and Bavarians are entering the country once more, ho
feels that it is better for him to save his life than be caught
and hung here by the vindictive enemy. Hence, Speck-
bacher accepted the offer of the Austrian officers, and will ac-
company them."
" Joseph Speckbacher will leave the Tyrol ? " murmured
Andreas Hofer, mournfully.
" And he is not the only one, Andreas : Aschbacher, Piich-
ler, Sieberer, and many other brave cajitains of the Tyrolese,
will likewise leave with the Austrians. All have asked me to
implore you to follow their example, and flee from the perils
menacing you all. Oh, believe them, believe me, Andreas !
If you stay here, the Bavarians will not rest until they have
taken you j)risoner — until their hated enemy, the formidable
Barbone, has fallen into their hands. Dear Andy, think of
your wife at home, the faithful Anna Gertrude, who prays for
you morning and evening, and beseeches the Almighty to
spare the life of her dear husband ; think of your dear chil-
dren, whose only protector and supporter you are ; do not
make your dear wife a widow, nor your sweet children or-
phans ! Andreas Hofer, you cannot now be useful to the
fatherland ; save yourself, then, for your wife and children ! "
" My good wife, my dear children ! " sighed Andreas, pi-o-
foundly moved ; "' it is true, they love me dearly, and would
be very lonely on earth if their father should be taken from
them ! "
" Preserve their father to them, then, and preserve yourself
also to the fatherland ! Follow the example of your brave
friends Speckbacher, Aschbacher, Sieberer, and all the others;
accompany us, leave the Tyrol for a while, and when the time
has come, return with them and fight once more for the de-
liverance of the country."
TIIH ARMISTICK OF ZNAYM. 321
"Speokbaclior will leave, aud so will all the others,"" imir-
raiired Andreas to himself. "The Tyrol will fall again into
the enemy's hands, and all has been in vain ! "
He huny his head and heaved a deep sigh.
*'Conio, Andreas, be sensible ; think of yourself and your
family,'' said Hcrmayr, T)eseechingly. '" I have come hithoi
for the sole purpose of taking you with me ; let me not have
travelled in vain from Brixen to Lienz. Come, Andreas,
come ! My carriage is in readiness at the door ; let us ride to-
gether to Matrey. Speckbacher, the other friends, and the
Austrians are waiting for us there ; we shall cross the Tj-ro-
lese frontier with them this very day, and you and all your
friends will be safe. Therefore, do not hesitate any longer,
but cmie ! "
"I cannot make up my mind so suddenly," said Hofer, dis-
engaging himself gejitly fi'oni the hand of Hormayr, who was
trying to draw him up from his chair. "It is a grave, mo-
mentous step which you ask nw to take, and before I can do
so I must consult God and pray to him fervently. Therefore,
pray leave me alone a little while, that I may speak to the
good God and ccmsult him and my con.science."
"Very well. Andy, I give you a quarter of an hour to
make u\) your mind," exclaimed Hormayr, approaching the
door.
" A quarter of an hour is not enough,'' said Andreas, shak-
ing his head. " It is late at night, and night is the time for
i-epose and piayer. Therefore, stay here. Mr. Intendant ; sleep
a few^ hours, and to-morrow morning, at sunrise, come to my
chamber and awaken me. I will tell you then what God in
heaven has told me to do."
"You pledge me your word, Andreas, that you will not
leave during the present night ?"
"I do. I shall stay here. And iiow good-night. My
heart is profoundly moved, and I long for repose. This is my
chamber ; I begged Anthony Steeger to let me have it ; he
has fine rooms for aristocratic guests up-stairs, and he will
give you one of them. "Now good-night, sir I "
He bowed kindly to the baron, shook hands with him. and
conducted him to the door.
322 ANDREAS HOFER.
CHAPTER XXIX.
HOFER AND SPECKBACHER.
Scarcely had the sun risen next morning when Baron
von Horniayr arose and quickly prepared every thing for
their departure. After seeing chat his carriage was at the
street door, lie descended the staircase in order to go to An-
dreas Hofer.
Anthony Steeger followed him with a gloomy face, and
watched his every movement attentively. " If he tries to take
Andy with him." he said to himself, '' I will strangle him. It
is true, he has told me already that Hofer will accompany
him, but I do not believe it, and he shall not coax him away.
This time I shall be present, and see what he is after."
They stood now in front of Hofer's door, and Hormayr put
his hand on the knob to open it, but it was locked on the
inside.
" Andreas Hofer, Andreas Hofer ! " he shouted out almost
imperatively. " The time is up ; come to me, Andreas Ho-
fer ! "
The door opened, and the tall, powerful form of the Sand-
wirth appeared in it.
" Here I am," he said, smiling calmly, " and you see I am
ready to set out."
" You will accompany me then, Andy ? " asked Hormayr,
joyfully.
" You will leave us ? " cried Anthonj'^ Steeger, indignantly.
" I was waiting for you, sir," said Andreas, quietly ; •' and
if you had not come of your own accord, Tony, I should have
called you, for you shall hear what I have got to say to the
intendant. Come in, then, both of you, and let us speak a
la.st word with each other. Anthony Steeger, Baron von
Hormayr, our countryman, came hither to persuade me to ac-
company him and leave the Tyrol. Our friends will do the
same thing, for the Bavarians and French are already enter-
ing the country. Speckbacher, Sieberer, and others, will save
their lives for this reason, and go with the Austrians ; and
HOFER AND SPECKBACUER. 323
tlie intendaiit thinks I ought to do the saiije, for the sake of
my wife and children. However, I wished fii'st to consult the
good God. 1 did .so all night long. I prayed and reflected a
great deal, and it seemed to me as though the Lord spoke to
me and enlightened my soul to find the true path. Listen
then, Mr. lutendant of the Tyrol, and you, too, friend Anthony
Steeger, to what I have resolved to do with God's assistance,
I took an oath to serve the fatherland as long as I lived ; as
an honest man, I must keep my word, and stay in the Tyrol."
Anthony Steeger uttered a loud cry of joy, but Hormayr's
face grew very sombre. " You do not see, then, that you are
rushing upon your own destruction .' " he asked. '" You are
intent on rendering your wife and children unhappy ? You
are bent on incurring the most imminent peril ?"
" I will incur it courageously,'' said Hofer, kindly. " I know
very well that what I am about to do is not prudent, but it is
right. When the tempter took Jesus up into an exceeding
high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their glory, and said, ' All these things will I give Thee,
if thou wilt fall down and worship me,' the Saviour did not
accept the offer, but remained true to Himself, and sealed His
teachings with his death I will follow the Saviour's ex-
ample, and never, while I live, prove recreant to the love
which I vowed to the dear Tyrol ; never will I leave it, but I
will stand by it and serve it to the last. Depart, then. Baron
von Hormayr ; I cannot accompany you, for the country
keeps me here, and never will I abandon it whatever may
happen ! " *
" Is that your last vrord, Andreas ? " asked Hormayr,
gloomily.
"It is," said Hofer, gently. ''But pray, sir, do not be
angry with me for it. Were I more prudent and sagacious,
I should c(M"tainly follow your advice ; but I am only a plain
peasant, and cannot but obey the promptings of my heart.
Let the Austrians leave the Tyrol. Andreas Hofer cannot
accompany them, nor can he look on quietly while the enemy
is i-e-entering the country. Many brave men, many excellent
sharpshooters will remain in the Tyrol, and I shall call upon
* "Giillury of Heroes: Aiulrcas Hofer," vol. iii., p. loi.
324 ANDREAS HOFER.
them to rally round me. We have twice delivered the country
from the enemy without any outside assistance, and we shall,
perhaps, succeed a third time."
'* But if you should fail," cried Hormayr, '' if the seduced
Tyrolese should curse you, if the tears and lamentations of
your family should accuse you, if you ruin yourself and your
country, then remember this hour, and the warning I gave
you in order to save you ! "
" I will, Mr. Intendant," said Andreas, calmly. " Every
one must do his duty after his own fashion. You think you
are doing yours by leaving the Tyrol ; I think I do mine by
staying in the country. God will decide which did right.
And now, God bless you, sir ! Greet Speckbacher and all the
others ; and when you see the Archduke John, tell him that
my heart has not lost faith in him, and that I know full well
he would never have given up the poor Tyrol if he could have
helped it. And now, sir, do not look at me so indignantly ;
shake hands with me, and let us part in peace."
He held out his hand, but Hormayr. overcome by his emo-
tion, spread out his ai-ms and threw them around Hofer's neck
with an air of impassioned tenderness.
" Farewell, Andy, farewell," he said, in a low voice. " I
cannot approve of what you are doing, but I must love and
admire you for all that. Farewell, farewell ! "
He disengaged himself quickly, hastened out of the room,
and walked hurriedly through the hall. A few minutes after-
ward his carriage rolled away with thundering noise.
'' He is gone ! " cried Anthony Steeger, joyously ; " the tempt-
er has left us, and you have remained firm, Andy ; you did
not allow yourself to be seduced by his blandishments. The
Tyrol will reward you and love you for it for evermore ! "
" If you speak the truth, it is well ; if you do not, it is well
too," said Andreas, calmly. " I remain because it is my duty,
and because I feel that the Tyrol needs me. Anthony, the
enemy is re-entering the country ; we must drive him out a
third time ; that is my opinion."
•'It is mine, too," replied Anthony Steeger, exultingly.
" After succeeding twice in so doing, we shall expel him a
third time also."
HDFER AND SPECKBACHER. 325
"It is true, it is a bad uiid luoui-uful thing that Speck-
bacher is going to desert us," said Andreas, musingly; but
Antliony Wallner and th(! Capuchin will surely standby us,
and Peter Mayer will not leave us either. Besides, you are
hei-e, and so am I, and we five men will raise our voices and
call upon tlie people to rise and expel the enemy once
more. I believe the brave men will listen to our voices, and
not one of them will stay at home ; all will come to us,
bring their rifles with them, and fight the French and Bava-
rians."
" I think so too, Andy. When the brave Tyrolese bear
your voice, they will come to a man, and we will achieve
another Iimspiuck triumph, and gain another victory on
Mount Isel."
" God grant it in His mercy ! " exclaimed Andreas, toucli-
iiig the crucifix on his breast. '' But I nmst set out now, my
friend. So long as we are unable to cope with the enemy, we
nmst avoid meeting him, conceal our forces, and i^repare
actively for the struggle. Hence, I shall not tell you where
I am going, and no one shall learn of my whereabouts until
the time has come for me to appear once more at the head of
a strong and brave army. Do your duty here, Tony, and en-
list courageous sharpshooters for the fatherland. Inform all
the patriots secretly of n»y plan, and tell them that we must
not heed the armistice concluded by Austria, but must fight
on for our liberty and our emperor. Have my horse brought
to the door, my friend ; the sun is already over the moun-
tains, and it is time for me to start."
Anthony Steeger hastened away ; he saddled his friend's
horse with his own hands and brought him to the door.
Andreas vaulted with the agility of a youth into the saddle,
and shook hands with his friend.
''Farewell, Anthony Steeger," he said ; "you shall hear
fi'om me soon."
He then spurred his horse and galloped along the high-
way leading through the Puster valley. His horse knew the
way very well ; it was unnecessary for Andreas Hofer to
guide him ; he could let him trot along quietly, and absorb
himself in his plans and thoughts. He was animated only
32B ANDREAS IIOFER.
by one idea, that his beloved country was in danger, and that
it needed him.
" I do not know if I shall be able to save it," he murmured
to himself, " but I do know that I must not run away. I shall
hide as long as it is necessary, and prepare myself by prayer
and devotion. Forward, my horse, forward ! "
And he rode on through the valley and across the heights.
Profound silence reigned everywhere. It was yet early in the
morning, the road was quite deserted, and Andreas could
brood unmterruptedly over his thoughts and conceive his
plans. All at once his musings v^ere interrupted by the roll of
a wagon af»proachiug on the road. It was a large wagon
with racks, di-awu by four horses, and many men sat in it.
Andreas liofer was as yet unable to see who they were, but
the red and white colours of their gold-and-silver-embroidered
coats showed him that they were soldiers. When the wagon
came closer up to him, he recognized them ; they were Aus-
trian officers and soldiers. But who was he that occupied
one of the front seats among them ? Who was that tall,
slender man in the dress of the Tyrolese, his head covered
with a pointed green hat ? The wagon came nearer and
nearer. Andreas Hofer halted his horse and looked stead-
fastly at the Tyrolese seated in the midst of the Austrian
officers. " Good heavens," he murmured, giving a start, " I
believe it is Joseph Speckbacher ! Yes, yes, it is."
Now the wagon was close by his side, and it was really
he, it was Joseph Speckbacher ; and it was plainly to be seen
that he had likewise recognized Andreas Hofer, for he uttered
a cry, and a deep blush suffused his cheeks. But the Aus-
trian officers had also recognized the brave Sandwirth, the uni-
versally beloved Barbone, and tbey shouted to the coachman
to drive quicker and whij) his horses into a full gallop. The
coachman did so, and the carriage sped away at a furious rate.
Andreas Hofer halted at the roadside ; his tearful eyes gazed
upon his friend, and when Speckbacher was whirled past him,
Andreas exclaimed in a loud, mournful voice, '' Speckbacher,
are you too going to desei-t the country ? They are driving
you to your own disgrace, Joe ! " *
* Andreas Hofer's own words. — Sec Mayr's '' Joseph Speck Ijacher," p. 143.
HOFEFl ANT) SPKCKBArilKR. 327
The wag-on passed him noisily, and Joseph Speckbacher's
horse, which was tied behind, j^aHoped vapidly after it. An-
dreas Hofer looked after his fi-iend until a cloud of dust en-
veloi^ed the disappearing'' wagon, and he heard only the sound
of the wheels at a distance. He then heaved a deep sigh,
wiped a tear from his eye, and rode on. But his heart was
heavy and melancholy, and his thoughts returned again and
again during his ride on the lonely road to Joseph Speck-
bacher, who had tui-ned his back on the Tyrol and was about
to leave it in the hour of its sorest distress. Suddenly he
thougtit he heard his own name uttered behind ; the call was
repeated louder and more urgentl}'.
Andreas llofer halted his horse and turned. A cloud of
dust came uj) the road like a whirlwind ; now it opened, and
the head and neck of a hoi-se and the slender rider mounted
on him came in view. The cloud veils his face as yet, but he
comes nearer and nearer ; his hor.se is now by Andreas Hofer's
side, the rider sti-etches out his arms toward him and exclaims
exultingly : *' Andy, here I am ! I heard what you said, and
jumped from the wagon, untied my horse, vaulted into the
saddle, and sped after you, my Andy. I had to overtake you
and tell you that I do not want to be disgraced ; that I will
not leave the Tyrol unless you do too."
"I never will, Joe, luiless I should die," said Andreas
Hofei'. solennily. " But God be praised that I have got you
back, for a piece of my heart would have left the country with
you. But you are back, and I am so glad of it ! And I must
give you a kiss in the name of God, the country, and the Em-
])(>ror Francis. Welcome home, good and faithful son of the
fatherland ! "
He encii'cled Speckbacher's neck with his arms and im-
printed a kiss on his forehead. They rejuained locked in a
long embi'ace, keeping their horses side by side, and gazing
at each other with proud, smiling joy.
"And now tell me, Andy, what are you going to do?"
asked Speckbacher, after a long ]iause. "I hope you will not
look on quietly and peaceably wlnle the Bavarians and French
ai'e re-entering the country ? I could not bear it, and this was
the very reason why I did not want to stiiy in the country ;
328 ANDREAS HOFER.
for the Austrian officers told me, if I wished to remain in the
Tyrol, I should have to keep very quiet and allow the enemy
to take possession of the province, in accordance with the
stipulations of the armistice. And you see, Andy, my heart
revolted at that ; therefore I wished to get away and remain
abroad until the armistice had expired, when we would be
once more allowed to fight bravely for our country and our
emperor."
"No one shall prevent us from doing so now," said An-
dreas, calmly. " What do we care for the armistice ? The
emperor concluded it ; we did not, and I believe the emperor
will not blame us for disregarding it and continuing the war
as we commenced it."
"You are right, we will do so," exclaimed Speckbacher,
joyfully. " And now I will communicate to you some impor-
tant news which the Austrian officers received only this morn-
ing. Anthony Wallner, of Windisch-Mati'ey is also of your
opinion ; he refuses likewise to acknowledge the armistica
and make peace with the enemy. When the Bavarians, four
days ago, intended to cross the frontier near Windisch-Ma-
trey, Anthony Wallner and John Panzl went to meet them
with four hundred sharpshooters whom they had gathered in
great haste. They took position at the bridge of Taxenbach
and tried to prevent the Bavarians from crossing it. The Ba-
varians were seven thousand strong, and Wallner had only
four hundred men ; but our friends, nevertheless, defended
the bridge for seven hours, killed and wounded over three
hundred Bavarians, and i-etreated into the mountains only be-
cause the odds were too great." *
"1 know Anthony Wallner, and was convinced that he
would not submit quietly," said Andreas, joyfully. "And we
will follow his example, Joseph. The good God has imposed
on us the task of defending the Tyrol, and we will fulfil it
faithfully."
"Yes, we will, and we will begin this very hour. We
must find out, ahove all things, if all of our countrymen
are of our opinion, and if they are courageous enough
* Peternader, "Die Tyroler Landesvertbeidigung iiii Jalire 1809," vol. ii.,
p. 84.
HOFER AND SPECKBAOHEft. 320
to continue tlie struggle, even after tlie Austrians have
left us."
"What ixoiid did the Austrians do us while they wore
here ?" asked Andreas, iiidisnautly. "Let nie tell you, Joe,
on the whole I am ghid that the Austrians are evacuating
the province. It is better for us to fight alone, and trust
only our own strength. Regular troops and insurgents
never fight well together in the end, for there are always
jealousies between them ; they mutually charge each other
with the blunders committed dui-ing the campaign, and
grudge each other the glory obtained in the battles. Hence,
it is better for us to be alone and have no other allies
than the good God, the Holy Virgin, and her blessed
Son."*
"You are right, always right, Andy," said Speckbacher.
"We will go courageously to work, then ; and you shall see,
my Andy, that Speckbacher is still what he always was, and
that he will henceforth never think of leaving the country,
but will stand faithfully by it and fight until the enemy has
been expelled once more, and we are free again. T will ride
now thiough tlic whole Pnster valley, and then from Brun-
eckcn tliiough tlie Dux valley to my home, the Rinn ; and I
will stir up the people everywhere, and call upon the men to
follow me and tight once more for liberty and tlie fatlier-
land."
" Do so, Joe, and I will follow your example. I will re-
turn to the Passeyr valley ; you sliall all hoar from me be-
fore long, and then my voice shall resound throughout the
Tyrol. God will make it strong enough to iienetrate to every
ear, and fill every heart with enthusiastic devotion to the
country and the emperor. Farewell, then, Joseph ! The
Tyrol and I have recovered you, and my heart thanks God
fervently for it. Farewell, you shall hear from me before
long 1 "
He nodded once more kindly to Joseph Spockbacher and
galloped down the valley, while Speckbacher trotted up the
mountain-path.
Andreas Hofer i"ode all day long through the country. He
* Aiiilroa.s llofer's own wordsi. — See Mayr's " Joscpli Spu^'kbaclKT," p. 145.
22
330 ANDREAS HOFER.
saw the people everywhere in commotion and uproar ; they
greeted him with jubilant cheers, and the men swore every-
where that they would not allow the enemy to re-enter the
country- without resistance ; that they did not believe in the
pacific assurances of tbe proclamations wuth which the Bava-
rians had flooded the country ; that they were satisfied, on the
contrary, that the enemy would revenge himself as cruelly as
he had done after his return in May ; and that they were,
therefore, firmly resolved to fight and expel the enemy once
more.
"Get your rifles and ammunition, then, and prepare for
the struggle," said Andreas Hofer everywhere to the men who
were so full of ardor. " You shall heai- from me soon, and
learn what God wants us to do."
Andi-eas Hofer did not rest even at night. The great task
which was imposed upon him urged him on incessantly. He
therefore profited by the clear moonlight to ride across the
Janfen, and at daybreak his horse neighed joyously and
stopped at the bank of the foaming Passeyr, at no great dis-
tance from the white house of the Sandwirth, the home which
contained his greatest treasures on earth, his wife and chil-
dren.
But Andreas Hofer did not intend to return to them now ;
he did not want to have his heart softened by the sight of his
wife, who would certainly weep and lament on learning of his
resolve to renew the war against the Bavarians and French.
And for the same reason he wished to avoid meeting his chil-
dren, whose dear faces might remind him that he was about
to endanger the life of their father, and that their bright eyes
might soon fill with tears of hitter grief. He would speak only
to God, and solitude was to be his sole adviser. Andreas
Hofer greeted his house and its beloved inmates with a long,
tearful look ; he then di-iod his eyes and alighted. The horse
neighed joyously and sped merrily down the hill toward his
stable. But Andreas Hofer took a by-path and ascended the
mountain through the forest and shrubbery to the Kellerlahn,
a cave known only to him and some of his intimate friends,
where his faithful servant had prepared him a couch, and
kept always in reatliness for hiin, in a secret cupboard fixed in
TIIK CArrciTIN'S OATIT. 331
the rock, wine and food, some prajer-books, and writing-ma-
terials.
Iti this cave Andreas Hofer intended to pass a few days in
prayer and solitude.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE capuchin's OATH.
A GREAT festival was to be celebrated at Brixen to-day. It
was the 2d of August, the day of St. Cassian, and not only
were the bones of this saint, which reposed in the cathedral
adorned with two splendid towers, to be exhibited, as they
were every year, to the devout pilgrims, but tbe pious bishop
had resolved that these sacred relics should be carried in sol-
emn procession through tlie whole city, that all might have
an opportunity to see the saint's remains anil implore the as-
sistance of God in the sore distress which had befallen the
Tyrol again. Since early morning, therefore, the peasantry
had been flocking from all sides toward the gates of Brixen ;
women and children, joung and old men, came from all parts
of the country to take part in the solenni procession and the
devout prayere for the Avelfare of the country.
Among those who were wandering along the road to Brixen,
was a monk of strikingly bold and martial appearance. His
tall, broad-shouldered form was remarkable for its military
bearing ; his long, well-kept red whiskers and mustache did
not correspond to the tonsure on his head, which was covered
with thin i-eddish ringlets ; and in striking contrast with it
were likewise the broad red scar on his healthy sunburnt
countenance, and the bright, defiant glance of his eyes, which
indicated boldness and intrepidity I'ather than piety and hu-
mility. He had tucked up his brown robe, and thus exhibited
his stout legs, which seemed to mock the soft sandals encasing
his broad, powerful feet. In iiis hand he held a long brown
staflF, terminatiiig at its upper end in a carved image of St.
Francis ; and the Capuchin did not carry this staff in order
to lean upon it, but he brandished it in the air like a sword.
332 ANDREAS HOFER.
or held it up triumpliantly as though it were a victorious
banner.
But however strange and unusual the Capuchin's appear-
ance might be, no one laughed at him, but he was greeted
everywhere with demonstrations of love and reverence ; and
when he passed some slow wanderers with his rapid step, they
looked after him with joyful surprise, and said to each other,
" Look at old Red-beard, look at brave Father Haspinger ! He
has fought often enough for the fatherland. Now he is going
to pray for the Tyrol."
'' Pray, and fight again, if need be," said the friar, turning
to the speakers.
'' You think, then, reverend father, that there will be war
again ? " asked many voices ; and dense groups surrounded
the friar, and asked him anxiously if he advised them to allow
the enemy to re-enter the country ; if it would not be better to
drive him back forcibly, or if he thought it would be preferable
for them to keep quiet and submit to stem necessity ?
" I think there is a time for every thing— for keeping quiet
as well as for fighting, for praying as well as for politics."
said Father .Haspinger, shmgging his shoulders. "If you
wish to pray and confess your sins, come to me. I am ready
to teach you how to pray, and exhort you with true earnest-
ness. But if you want to fight and expel the enemy from the
country, why do you not apply to your commandei's, and con-
sult, above all, the brave and pious Andreas Hofer ? "
" We cannot find him anywhere," shouted several voices.
'' He is not at home, and even his wife does not know w^here
he has concealed himself."
" Do you, impious wretches, think that the most pious man
in the whole Tyrol, Andreas Hofer, has concealed himself be-
cause he is afraid of the Bavarians who are re-entering the
country ?" asked the friar, in a thundering voice.
" No, your reverence, w-e do not. We know well that An-
dreas Hofer will not act like Ashbacher. Sieberer, Teimer.
Eisenstecken, and Speckbacher, and abandon us in our sore
distress."
" He who does not extricate himself from his sore distress
will not be saved by others," cried the friar, indignantly.
THE CAPUCHINS OATH. 333
" Do you not know tlio eleventh commandment you white-
livered cowards, who think you are lost when there is no
leader to ])ut himself at your head ? Do you not know^ the
eleventh conunandment, saying that he who trusts in God
and fights well will overpower his enemies ? But you Avill
never overpower your enemies ; you do not trust in God, and
hence you can not fight well."
" But we will fight well, your reverence," replied the men,
with hold, defiant glances ; '' only our leadei-s do not stand hy
us. Every one cannot fight alone and at random, but there
must be some one at the lead to lead the whole movement.
Since Andreas Hofer cannot be found, pray put yourself at
our head, your reverence, and become our leader ! "
" That request is not so stupid," said the Capuchin, smiling,
and slrokinrr his red beard. "You know very well that old
Red-beai-d does not .stay at home when an effort is to be made
to save the fatherland, and perhaps I may soon be able to ac-
cept your olfer and call upon you to defend tlie Tyrol."
" Do so, do call upon us," shouted the men enthusiastically.
" We will not permit the French and Bavarians to murder
our ))i'0))le and burn our houses as they did last May ; we will
fight rather until we have driven them from the country or
]jei-ished to a man ! "
" These are brave and pious sentiments," said Father Has-
pinger. his eyes flashing for joy : " and we will speak further
about them. Come up to the church of Latzfons to-morrow,
and hear me preach ; and after the sermon we will confer as
to the state of the country. But now keep quiet, for you see
we are at the gate of Brixen ; turn your souls, therefore, to
God, and pray St. Cassian to have mercy upon you, and inter-
rodo for you with God and the Redeemer."
And Father Haspinger's face became suddenly very grave
mid devoiit ; he lifted the rosaiy hanging at his belt, and,
while entering the city by the gate, he commenced praying a
Pafcr-noster in an undertone.
The city meanwhile was alreadv in great commotion. The
bells had begun to ring their solemn peals, and all devout
worshi]ipers, consisting on this occasion of the whole popula-
tion of tlae citv, were flocking to the cathedral. All at once
334 ANDREAS HOFER.
the doors of the cathedral were thrown open, and under a
gold embroidered baldachin borne bj^ four priests appeared
the pious bishoj^, carrying in his uplifted right hand the casket
containing the bones of Saint Cassian. Behind the bishop
came the priests bearing wax-lights, and singing soul-stirring
hymns. Next followed the long line of acolytes with smok-
ing censers ; and pious worshippers, carrying torches, and re-
peating the hymns intoned by the priests, closed the pro-
cession. This procession gained strength at every step as it
advanced, and soon it had been joined by the whole popula-
tion of the city and the hundreds of pious pilgrims who had
flocked to Brixen to take part in the holy festival.
Haspinger, the Capuchin friar, was likewise in the proces-
sion ; he walked in the midst of the brave peasants with whom
he had conversed, singing v/ith head erect and in a tone of sol-
emn earnestness the hymns with which the holy relics were
being invoked. Only it seemed to the peasants who heard his
powerful voice as though he somewhat changed the passage
imploring Saint Cassian to grant the Tyrolese peace, protec-
tion, and tranquillity, and prayed for the very reverse. The
passage was as follows : '' Have mercy upon our weakness, and
grant us peace and tranquillity." But Father Haspinger,
brandishing his staff with the image of Saint Francis, sang in
a tone of fervent piety : " Have mercy upon our valor, and
grant us war ! '' To those who looked at him wonderingly on
account of this change of the text, he nodded with a shrewd
twinkle of his eyes, and murmured : " Come to-morrow to the
churcli of Latzfons. We will hold a council of war there ! "
The procession had not yet finished one-half of its route,
and had just reached the market-place when a liorseman gal-
loped up the street leading from the gate to the market-place.
It was probably a belated worshipper, who intended to take
part in the procession. He alighted hurriedly from his horse,
and tied it to the brass Icnob of a street-door, and then walked
close up to tlie procession. However, he did not join it, but
stood still and contemplated every passer-by with prying
eyes. Now he seemed to have found him whom he sought,
for a smile illuminated his sunburnt face, and he advanced
directly toward Father Haspinger, who was singing again :
THE CAPUCHIN'S OATH. 335
" Have mercy upon our valor, aiul grant us war ! " But on
perceiving the young lad who was approaching him, he
paused, and a bright gleam of joy ovei-spread his features.
"It is Andreas Hofer's servant, Anthony Wild,'' mur-
mured Father Haspiuger, joyfully, holding out his hand to
the lad. " Say, Tony, do you come to bring me a message
from brother Andreas ? "
" I do, reverend sir. The Sandwirth sends me to you, and
as I did not meet you at your convent of Seeben near Klausen,
I followed you to Brixen ; for my master instructed me to
deliver my message as quickly as possible into your hands and
return with your answer."
" What message do you bring me, Tony ? "
"This letter, reverend sir."
The friar took it and put it quickly into his belt. " Where
is brother Andi*eas ? " he asked.
"In the cave which is known only to him, to you, and to
myself," whispered Anthony Wild, into the friar's ear. " He
awaits your reply there, reverend sir."
" And you shall have it this very day, Tony. Now, how-
ever, we will not forget our divine service, but worship God
with sincere piety. Take the place behind me in the pi-oces-
sion ; and when we return to the cathedral, follow me where-
ever I may go."
And the friar commenced singing again; his hand, how-
ever, no longer held the rosary, but he put it firmly on the
letter which was concealed in his belt, and whose contents
engrossed his thoughts.
At length the jirocession had returned to the portals of the
cathedral. Father Ilaspinger signed to the Sandwirth's serv-
ant, who was walking behind him, and instead of accompany-
ing the other worshippers into the church, he walked along
the procession until he reached a tall, slender young man,
with whom he had already exchanged many a glance.
"Martin Schenk," said the friar to him, "will you go
home now ?"
"I will, and I request you, reverend sir, to acconij)any me,"
said the young man, hastily. " I believe you will find a num-
ber of friends at mv house. Peter Kemnater, the innkeeper of
336 ANDREAS HOFER.
Schabs, and Peter Mayer, the innkeeper of Mahr, will be there.
I invited them, and had I known that you would be here, I
should have invited you too."
" You see that I come without being invited, for I think the
fatherland has invited us all ; and I believe we will not par-
take of an ei^icurean breakfast at your tavern to day, but con-
fer as to the terrible calamities of our country. "We are the
cooks that will prepare a very spicy and unhealthy breakfast
for the French and Bavarians, and I believe I am the bearer
of some salt and pepper from Andreas Hofer for this purpose.
See, Martin Schenck, in my belt here, by the side of the rosary,
is a letter from our dear brother Andreas Hofer."
" And what does he write to you ? I hope he does not
w^ant us to keep quiet and permit the enemy to re-enter the
country, as all prudent and cautious people advise us to do ? "
'' Hush, hush, Martin ! do not insult our commander-in-
chief V)y such a supposition. I have not read the letter yet,
but I believe I know its contents, and could tell you before-
hand every word that the good and faithful Andreas has
written to us. Ah, here is your tavern, and let me ask a favor
of you now. The lad who is following us is Andreas Hofer's
faithful servant, Anthony Wild, Avho brought me the letter
from his master, and who must wait for my answer. Give
him a place where he may rest, and a good breakfast, for he
must set out for home this very day."
"Come in, Anthony Wild ; you are welcome," said the
young innkeeper, shaking hands with Hofer's servant.
"Thank you, but I nu^st first fetch my horse, which I tied
to a pole somewhere down the street. I rode very fast, and
must first attend to the horse ; afterward I will request you to
let me have some breakfast."
And Hofer's servant hastened down the street. The inn
keeper and the friar entered the house and stepped into the
large bar-room. Two men came to meet them there.
One of them, a man about forty-five years old, dressed in
the simple costume of the Tyrolese, and of a tall, powerful
form, was Peter Mayer, known throughout the Tyrol as one
of the most ardent and faithful patriots, and a man of extraor-
dinary inti-epidity, firmness, and energy.
THE CAPUCHIN'S OATH. 337
The oUior, a young nian of scarcely twenty-two, slender yet
well built, and far-famed for his fine appearance, boldness, and
wealth, was Peter Kemnater, the most faithful and devoted
friend of the fine-looking and patriotic young innkeeper, Mar-
tin Schenk.
The two men shook hands with the new-comers and bowed
to them, but their faces were gloomy, and not the faintest
gleam of a smile illuminated tliem.
"Have you come hither, Father Joachim Haspinger, only
to join in the peace-prayers?'' asked Peter Mayer in his
laconic style, fixing his dark, pieix-ing eyes on the friar's face.
''No, Peter Mayer,'' said the Capuchin, gravely ; "I have
come hither because I wanted to see you three, and because I
have to say many things to you. But previously let me read
what our pious and patrit)tic brother Andreas Hofer has writ-
ten to nie."
'"You have a h'tt(>r from Andreas Hofer ! " exclaimed Mayer
and Kemnater, joyfully.
"Here it is," said the friar, drawing it from his belt.
"Now give me a moment's time to read the letter, and then
we will confer upon the matter that brought us here."
He stepi)ed to the window and unfolded the letter. While
he was reading it, the three men k)oked at him with rapt sus-
pense, seeking to read in his features the impression produced
by Andi'eas Hofer's words on the heart of the brave Capuchin.
Indeed, the friar's features brightened more and more, liis
forehead and face colored, and a smile illuminated his hard
f eatu i-es.
" Listen, men," he exckiimed triumphantly, waving the
ixxper as though it were a flag ; " listen to w^hat Andreas writes
to me ! " And the friar read in a clarion voice :
" Dear brother Red-beard ! Beloved Father Joachim Has
j)inger : You know, brother, that all has been in vain; the
Austrians are evacuating the country, and th-P emperor, or
rather not the emperor, but his ministers and secretaries, stipu-
lated in the armistice concluded with Bonaparte, that the
French and Bavarians should i-e-enter the Tyrol and recom-
mence the infamous old system. But I think, even though
the emperor has abandoned us, God Almighty will not do so ;
338 ANDREAS IIOFER.
and even though the Austrian soldiers are crossing our fron-
tiers, our mountains and glaciers remain to us ; God placed
them there to i^rotect our frontiers, and He gave us strong
arms and good rifles and keen eyes to discern the enemy and
hit him. We are the inhabitants of the Tyrol, and the Aus-
trian soldiers are not, hence it is incumbent on \\h to protect
our frontiers, and pi'event the enemy from invading our terri-
tory. If you are of my opinion, gather about you as many
brave sharpshooters as you can, call out the Landsturm where
it is possible, tell the other commanders to do the same, and
advance, if possible, at once toward the Brenner, where I hope
you will meet me or hear further news from me. Joseph
Speckbacher did not leave the country either ; he is enlisting
sharp-shooters and calling out the Landsturm in his district.
It is the Lord's will that the Tyrol be henceforth protected
only by the Tyrolese. Bear this in mind, and go to work. —
Your faithful Andreas Hofer, at present not knowing where
he is."*
''Well," asked the friar, exultingly, "do you think that
Andreas Hofer is right, and that we ought not to allow the
enemy to re-enter the country ? "
"I think he is," said Peter Kemnater, joyously. "I think
it will be glorious for us to expel the French and Bavarians
once more from our frontiers."
"Or, if they have already crossed them, drive them igno-
miniously from the country," added Peter Mayer.
"I have passed, during the last few days, through tlie
whole of Puster valley," said Martin Schenk. "Everywhere
I found the men determined to die, rifle in hand, on the field
of battle, rather than stay peaceablj' at home and bend their
necks before the enemy. 'It is a misfortune,' said the men,
' that the Au.strians are abandoning us at this critical juncture ;
but it would be a greater misfortune still for us to abandon
ourselves and consent to surrender at disci-etion.'"
"And I say it is no misfortune at all that the Austrians
have left us," cried the Capuchin, vehemently. "The cause
of the fatherland has not suffered much by the retreat of the
* Andreas Ilofer siprned all his letters aud orders iu this strange manner
while he was concealed in his cave.
THE CAPUCHIN'S OATH. 339
Austrians. Wlio assisted us at the battle of Mount Isel ?
Who helped us to drive the enemy twice from the country ?
Not an Austrian did ! We accomplished all that was great
and glorious in the short and decisive struggle. Let us not
complain, then, that no one stands by us now, and that we
know that no one will help us but God and we ourselves.
But we must not plunge blindly and furiously into the strug-
gle ; on the contrary, we nmst consider whether we ax'e able
to defeat the enemy. The French and Bavarians are sending
large forces on all sides to the poor Tyrol. I cannot conceal
from you that the enterprise which we are going to undertake,
and to which Andreas Hofer invites u.s, is a dangerous one.
Let me tell you that that miserable assassin and ruffian Lefebre,
whom they call the Duke of Dantsic, is approaching from the
north with twenty -five thousand men, and is already close to
Innspruck. General Deroi, too, is coming ; he intends to
mai'ch through the whole Vintschgau, and force his way over
the Gerlos Mountains to the district of Innspruck. Rusca's
wild legions are already near Lienz ; General Pery is moving
up from the south with his Italian troops; and the exasperated
Bavarians, under Generals Wreden and Arco, are alreadj- at
Salzbui-g. In short, more than fifty thousand men are com-
ing up from all sides to trauiple the poor Tyrol under foot.
They are veteran soldiers ; they have got artilleiy and better
arms than we, and are superior to us in numbei's, equipments,
and strength. Consider, therefore, whether you are willing
to undertake the heavy task nevertheless ; consider that you
risk your property, your blood, and your lives, and that, if you
should be so unfortunate as to fall into tlie enemy's hands, he
would perhaps punish you as criminals and rebels. It is true,
you are ready to risk your property, your blood, and your
lives, for the fatherland and the libei-ty of the Tyrol ; but then
you have also duties to your families, your parents, your
brides; you have a duty to yourselves— that of not endanger-
ing your lives recklessly. It is true, even though the enemy
should punish you as rebels, you would die the beautiful death
of martyrs for your fatherland, and the halo of your virtue
and love of country will inmiortalize your names; but you
must consider, also, whether your death will be useful to the
340 ANDREAS HOFER.
counti'y, and whether you will not shed 3-our blood in vain.
Ask your hearts, ujy friends, whether they will be courageous
and strong enough to brave cheerfully whatever reverses and
calamities may befall us, and whether they really will risk
death, imprisonment, and the scafFold, without flinching
and trembling ? That is what I wished to say to you
before concerting measures with j^ou and sending an an-
swer to Andreas Hofer. Consider it all, my friends, and then
speak."
" We are to ask our hearts if they will not flinch and trem-
ble ? " said Peter Mayer, almost contemptuously. " When the
enemy returned to the Tyrol last May, he burned down eight
houses which belonged to me, and for some time I did not
know but that my wife and children had perished in the
conflagration. Did you see me tremble — did you hear me
complain at that time ? Did I not stand up cheerfully in the
battle on Mount Tsel, without weeping or murmuring, and
bearing in mind only that I was fighting for liberty, the
fatherland, and the emperor ? It was not until we liad gained
the victory, and obtained our freedom, that I went home to
mourn and weep on the smoking ruins of my houses. But I
found my wife and my children alive and well ; a friend had
concealed them and taken care of them ; and after thanking
God for our victory, I thanked Him for preserving my wife
and children ; and only now, when we were happy and free,
did I shed tears. But since the enemy is re-entering the
country, and fresh misfortunes are to befall us, my tears are
dried again ; my heart is full of courage and constancy ; and
I believe we must risk all, because otherwise every thing that
we have done hitherto will be in vain. I love my wife dearly;
but, if she came now to dissuade me from taking part in the
struggle, and if I felt that my heart was giving way to her
persuasion, I would strangle her with my own hands, lest .she
should prevent me from serving the great cause of the father-
land. It is true, our task is dilRcult, but it is not impossible;
and that which is not impossible should be tried for the father-
land ! I have given you my opinion ; it is your turn now, my
young friends. Peter Kemnater, speak ! Tell Father Red-
beard whether your heart is trembling and flinching, and
THE rAPTJCHIN'S OATH 341
whether you think we had better keep quiet, because the ene-
my is so powerful and superior to us."
"I have an atlianced bridi- of whom I am very fond," said
Peter Kemnator, with fhislied cheeks and flashing eyes; "a
girl whom I love better than my parents, than anything in
the world, and whom I intended to marrj' a fortnight hence;
but I swear to God and the Holy Virgin that my wedding
shall not take place until the Tyrol is free again, and we have
expelled the enemy once more from the country. And if my
bride should be angry at this, and demand that I should think
more of her than of the fatherland, and prefei- living for her
alone to dying perhaps for the fatherland, I should break with
her, and never look at her again, never speak another word
with her. I have many houses and lands; but even though
I knew that my fields and meadows were to be devastated,
and my houses burned down, like those of Peter Mayer, T
should say, nevertheless, we will fight for the fatherland!
We will defeat the enemy, even though we should all become
beggars, and even though I knew that I should die before see-
ing my affianced bride again, and that she would curse me in
my grave. That is what 1 have got to say. Now you may
speak, Martin Schenk: tell the father whether your heart is
flinching and tremblinfr."
"Yes, it is," cried Martin Schenk, "but only when I think
the men of the Tyrol could be so cowardly and mean-spirited
as to keep quiet and submit to their oppressors, because the
latter are powerful and superior to us in numbers. I have
a young wife whom 1 married only a year ago, and who gave
birth to a little boy a week since, and I assure you that I love
her and her child with all my heart. But if I knew that their
death would be useful to the fatherland, and would contribute
to its salvation, I would shoot them with my own rifle, and
should not weep on seeing tlieir corpses at my feet; but I
should rejoice and exclaim, ' I did it for the sake of the father-
land; I sacrificed my most precious treasures for the beloved
Tyrol.' Even though the enemy is very strong and numer-
ous, even though the emperor has abandoned us, God stands
by us. The mountains stand firm yet : they are our fortresses,
and we will fight in them until we ai-e all dead, or until w«
3-i2 ANDREAS HOFER.
have defeated the enemy, and delivered the Tyrol a third time.
Now yon know my opinion, Father Joachim Haspinger."
The Capuchin made no reply. He stood with hands
clasped iu prayer and eyes lifted to heaven, and two large
tears rolled down his bronzed cheeks into his red beard.
" Great God in heaven," he murmured in a voice tremu-
lous with emotion, "I thank Thee for letting me see this hour,
and hear the soul-stiri-ing words of these patriotic men. What
can I say now, what have I to sacrifice to the fatherland ? I
have no wife, no children, no property ; I am but a poor Capu-
chin! I have nothing but my blood and my life. But I will
give it to the country, even though the bishop and the abbot
should excommunicate me for it and condemn my soul to
burn in everlasting fire. It is better that a jjoor Capucliin's
soul should burn in hell than that the fatherland should
groan with jiain and wear the brand of disgrace and slavery
on its forehead. It is better to be a faithless son of the bishop
and abbot, than a faithless son of the fathei-land. It is better
to be a bad Christian than a bad patriot. Therefore, what-
ever may happen, I shall share every thing with you, danger
or victory, triumph or death. Henceforth I am no longer a
Capuchin, but old Red-beard Joachim Haspinger, the de-
fender of his country ; and I swear that I will no more lay
down my head and repose before we have delivered the coun-
try from the enemy aud concluded an honorable peace. If
that is your sentiment also, swear here before God that you
will fight henceforth for the country, devote your whole
strength to it, and perish rather than give up the struggle,
make peace w^th the enemy, and submit to the Bavarian
yoke."
And the three men lifted their hands and eyes to heaven,
and exclaimed with one accord, in a loud and solemn tone :
" We swear by God Almighty, and by all that is sacred and
dear to us on earth, that we will fight henceforth for the
country, devote our whole strength to it, and perish rather
than give up the struggle, make peace with the enemy, and
submit to the Bavarian yoke ! "
" Benedictus I bcnedictus I " cried Father Haspinger, laying
his hands on those which the three men hud joined on taking
THE CAPUCHIN'S OATH. 343
the oiith. ''The Lord has heard and accepted your oath ; the
Lord will bless you, the Holy Virgin will protect you !
Amen ! "
" And now let us concert measures for the struggle, and
consider what we ought to do,'" said the friar, after a pause.
" In the first place, we will inform Andreas Hofer that his
wishes shall be complied with, and that we will call out the
Landstnrm and all our forces. Let me write to him, therefore,
and then we will hold a council of war."'
The council of war lasted until midnight ; and while all
Europe was truckling to the " invincible Emperor Napoleon,"
while all Germany was lying humbly prostrate at his feet, and
while all the princes were basking in the sunshine of his favor,
four poor men, neither learned nor even Avell educated, three
peasants and a monk, were concerting measures to bid de-
fiance to " Bonaparte, the robber of crowns," and expel his
powerful armies from their mountains ! All Germany was
subjugated, and had given up all further resistance to the all-
powerful conqueror ; only the small Tyrol would not suffer
herself to be subjugated ; only the brave sons of the German
mountains were still intent on braving the tyrant, and uphold-
ing their libert}'' and independence, despite the formidable
efforts he was making to crush them.
Already on the following morning the tocsin sounded in
all the valleys and on all the heights, and called upon the men
to fight for the fatherland. After midnight the three brave
men had left Brixeu ; each had set out in a different direction
to incite the men to insurrection, inform them of Andreas
Hofer's order, and im)>l<)re them in Ihe name of the fatherland
to lake up their rifles again and risk once more their lives for
the deliverance of the Tyrol.
Father Haspinger had walked all night to Latzfous, and
on the following morning he preached to the people at the
church of that place an entluisiastic sermon, in which he
called upon them to make one more elfort in behalf of their
beloved countiw, and i)romised entire absolution for one year
to every one who should kill a dozen Fi-encb soldiei-s, and ab-
solution for five years to any who should kill twice as many.*
*MayerV " Sj.i'fkliacliur," p. 151.
344 ANDREAS HOFER.
Carried away by the soul-stirring words and promises of
the Capuchin, full of ardor to serve the fatherland, and de-
sirous of obtaining absolution, the men took up arms, and even
a company of women was formed for the holy service of the
fatherland.
At night on the same day three hundred sharpshooters had
rallied around the martial friar, and with them he marched
toward Unterau, constantly receiving re-enforcements on the
road ; for the inhabitants everywhere rose again as one man,
and with their redoubted rifles on their shoulders descended
every lateral glen and ravine, and joined his command to con-
quer or die under him.
And joyful news arrived from all sides, announcing that
the inhabitants were rising throughout the Tyrol. Already
Peter Mayer and Peter Kemnater had gathered ai^ound them
all the sharpshooters of the neighboring towns and villages,
and their four companies now united with the friar's troops.
News also came from Andreas Hofer : he had emerged again
from the cave, and at his call all the sharpshooters of the Pas-
seyr valley had rallied around him, and companies had flocked
to him from all parts of the country to fight again under their
beloved cornraander-in-chief. Andreas Hofer had marched
with them across the crest of the precipitous Janfen, and his
army gathering strength like a mountain-torrent from every
tributary stream which crossed its course, soon embraced all
the able-bodied men of Passeyr, Meran, and Algund.
The Tyrolese had risen a third time to defend the inde-
pendence of their country.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE FIRST BATTLE.
What the four men had sworn at the inn of Brixen, and
what Andreas Hofer had agreed upon with his friend Speck-
bacher, had succeeded. The whole Tyrol had risen and was
eager for the fray. A small army, commanded by Father
THE FIRST BATTLE. 345
Haspinger, was encamped near Brixen, and received liourly
fresli accessions. Peter Keinuator and Peter Mayer were still
trav'ersing the country, and calling upon the peasants to repair
t<i Fathei- Red-heard's camp near Brixen, and their appeals
were readily complied with. The brave peasants of Rodeneck,
Weitenthal, and Schoneck, led by their courageous pastor,
George Schoneck, came into camp ; and so did Anthony Wall-
ner with the four hundred men who had followed him from
the Puster valley.
Father Haspinger received these brave men exultingly,
and folded their leader, Anthony Wallner, tenderly to his
heart.
" You have fought again like a hero," he exclaimed, pat-
ting his cheeks atfectionately ; "the whole Tyrol is extolling
your ex])loits at the murderous battle of Taxenbach, and they
are telling wonderful stories about the surpassing heroism and
bravery you displayed on that occasion."
"It is true, we fought bravely," said Anthony Wallner,
sighing ; " but it did not do much good, for t he enemy was
ten to one, and we wei-e finally unable to check his advance.
But we followed him, and will now unite with you, reverend
father, in order to expel him once more from the coiintry. I
believe there will be another battle on Mount Isel, for the en-
emy is always intent on forcing his way to Innspruck, believ-
ing that the whole Tyrol is subjugated so soon as the capital
has fallen into his hands. We must strive, therefore, to meet
him there once more ; for you know the old prophecy, saying
that Mount Isel will be a lucky place for the Tyrolese."
" I do know it," said the friar ; " and if it please God we
will verify it. The freedom of the Tyrol is buried on Mount
Isel near Innspruck, and we will disinter the golden treasure
there and cause it to shed its lustre once more on our moun-
tains and valleys. Yon shall help me to do it, Anthony Wall-
ner, you and your famous shai'pshooters of Windisch-Matrey.
But previously I think, my friend, we shall have something
to do here ; for our scouts have returned with the news that
the enemy is approaching. His colunni is headed by Saxon
and Bavarian troops under the French general, Royer ; his
forces are followed by the main army under the commander-
23
346 ANDREAS HOFER.
in-chief, Marshal Lefebvre, or as he proudly call himself, the
Duke of Dantsic. General Royer has got already as far as
Sterzing, and if we do not interfere the Saxons will soon reach
Brixen."
" But we will interfere,'' cried Anthony Walluer ; '' we
will not allow them to advance to Brixen, and I will occupy
imraediately with my sharpshooters the mountain-passes on
the route of the enemy. We will receive the Duke of Dantsic
with fireworks which will sadden his heart."
"Do so, dear x\nthony," exclaimed Haspinger, joyfully.
" I myself will first go to Brixen and teach the members of
the municipality better manners. Their terror and anguish
have rendered them quite eloquent, and they have dissuaded
many hundred peasants, who were passing through Brixen to
join my command, from so doing, and induced tliem to return
to their homes. I shall speak a serious word with those gen-
tlemen, and teach them a little patriotism."
Haspinger nodded kindly to Anthony Walluer, and calling
ten of his best sharpshooters to him repaired to the city hall
of Brixen, where the members of the nuniicipality were as-
sembled. He made them a furious speech, which, however,
did not impress the gentlemen as forcibly as the threats which
he added to it. He swore that, if the members of the munici-
pality would not have the tocsin sounded immediately and
send out mounted messengers to call out the peasants and
send them to him, he would cause every one of them to be
hanged or shot in the morning ! And this oath was effectual
enough, for the terrified gentlemen knew full well that Father
Haspinger had the power and the will to fulfil his oaths.
Hence, the tocsin was sounded, mounted messengers were sent
out in all directions, and on the following morning upward
of two thousand able-bodied men arrived at Haspinger's
camp.*
" All right," said the friar ; " if Andi'cas Hofer and Speck-
bacher join us with their forces, I believe we shall succeed,
and St. Cassian will have understood our ])rayers."
While Anthony Wallner and his sharpshooters occupied
the mountain-gorges this side of Brixen on the road to Mitte-
* " Gallery of Heroes : Andreas Hofer,'' p. 110.
TUE FIRST BATTLE. 347
wald, Joseph Speckbacher and liis iiwii liad penetrated far be-
yond Mitlowald toward Sterziiig, and had learned tliat the
Saxons, under (leiural Hoyor, were restinji- al Hterzing witli
the intention of advancing in flic nioiniiig tiiiougli the wild
valley of the Eisacli toward Brixen.
"Well, if the Saxons are resting we must work in order t<!
prepai'e eternal i-epose for them," said Joseph Speckbacher,
gayly. "Now come, my brave lads, we must take the Saxons
between two fires. They are miserable scoundrels and trai-
tors. Ah, the}' do not shrink from serving the rapacious con-
queror Bonaparte, and turning their arms against their Ger-
man countrymen, merely because the French emperor orders
them to do so, and because we refuse to submit to the foreign
yoke and are determined to preserve our German tongue and
our German rights ! How disgraceful it is that Gei'mans
should attack Germans at the bidding of the foreign oppress-
or ! Therefore, we will punish the Saxons and Bavarians in
the name of God and the Holy Virgin. We will let them ad-
vance down the defile, and attack them only after they are in
it. They cannot retrace their steps, for we are behind them ;
nor can they advance very far, for Father Red-beard will meet
them in front. Now come and let us make festive prepara-
tions, as it behooves those who are expecting distinguished
guests. We will erect a few triumphal arches to them, and
show them how avalanches roll down our mountains. Ah.
we will build u^) for them artificial ruins which will excite
their sincere admiration '. ''
"Yes, yes, we will!" shouted llio peasants, who went to
work, singing and laughing. In the first place, they erected
" triumjihal arches " to the enemy ; that is to say, they ob-
structed the road by raising a number of abatis, besmeared
with pitch the wooden railing of the bridge built across the
Eisach near the village of Pleis, loosened the j^lauks of the
bridge, and began to build "avalanches.'' They felled a con-
siderable number of tall larches, tied ropes to both ends of
them, lowered them half-way down the precipitous side of the
mountain, and fastened the ropes above to the strong branches
of trees firmly rooted in the soil of the crest. Then they
threw huge masses of rock and heaps of rubbish on these
348 ANDREAS HOFER.
hanging scaffolds ; and after the " avalanches " had thus been
completed, they withdrew cautiously and rapidly into the
mountain-gorges. Only Zoppcl, Joseph Speckbacher's servant,
and an old peasant remained near the ''avalanches." They
stood on both sides of the ropes, hatchet in hand, casting fiery
glances into the defile on the bank of the Eisach, and between
ovei'hanging wood-clad precipices.
Profound silence reigned all around ; only from time to
time a rustling noise v.as heard in the shrubbery ; the flash-
ing barrel of a rifle was then seen, and it seemed as though
the fleet-footed chamois appeared on the heights above. But
they were T^'rolese sharpshootei's who had climbed up to the
wa tch-towers of their natural fortresses to espy the enemy
and on his appearance to welcome him with the bullets of
their rifles.
Profound silence reigned all around, and the two men were
still standing, hatchet in hand, by the side of the ropes hold-
ing the artificial avalanches.
All at once a loud, shrill whistle resounded in front of the
entrance to the defile ; it was repeated all around the gloomy
gorge.
" That is the signal that the enemy has passed the inn am
Sack and is entering the defile of the Eisach," murmured Zop-
pel, examining once more the edge of his hatchet with his
hand. Then he looked down attentively into the depth, where
only a footpath meandered close along the bank of the foam-
ing Eisach.
A few soldiers were now seen entering the defile yonder,
where the road projected between two jutting rocks forming
the background of the gorge.
The form of a Tyrolese sharpshooter appeared at the same
moment on the top of the precipitous rock. He stepped close
to the edge of the rock, allowed the soldiers, who looked
around slowly and distrustfully, to advance a few steps, and
then raised his rifle. He fired ; one of the soldiers fell im-
mediately to the ground, and the Tyrolese sharpshooter re-
loaded his rifle. He fired again, and laid another soldier pros-
trate.
The two reports had accelerated the march of the enemy.
THE FIRST BATTLE. 349
The soldiers entered the defile with a liasty step ; iti oider to
advance, they had to remove the two soldiers who were writh-
ing in the agony of death and obstructing the narrow path,
and throw tlioni into the waters of the Eisaeh. which received
with a wild roar the two corpses, the lirst victims of the reopen
ing struggle.
Meanwhile the Tyrolese sharpshooter on the height above
had reloaded his ritie and shot another soldiei-. On seeing
this, he uttered a loud Jodler, made a leap of joy, and nodded
laughingly to the enemy, who cast threatening glances on
him. i5ut he did not see that one of the ofhcei-s below called
four soldiers to him, pointed his hand at the top of the rock,
and gave them a quick order. The four soldiers sprang at
once from the ranks and disapi)eared in the slirubbery cover-
ing the base of the rock.
The sharpshooter was reloading his rifle, when the shrub-
bery behind him rustled, aiid. on turning hastily, he saw one
of the soldiei*s rushing tow^ard him. A cry of rage bui-st from
the lips of the sharpshooter. He then raised his rifle and
fii'ed. The soldier fell, but at the same moment one of his
comrades hastened from the thicket toward the top of the
rock. Another cry burst from the sharpshooter's lips, but
this time it sounded like a death-cry. He saw that he was
lost, for alreatly the uniforms of the other two soldiers were
glittering among the trees, and the second soldier was only a
few steps from the edge of the rock where the sharpshooter
was standing. The Tyrolese cast a last despairing glance
around him, as if to take leave of heaven and earth, and of
tlie mountains and valleys of his beloved Tyrol. Then he
threw down his rifle and seized the soldier furiously. His
arms encircled the body of his enemy like iron clasps, and he
forced him with irresistible impetuosity towai'd the edge of
the rock.
" In God's name, then," he shouted in a loud voice echoed
by the rocks all around. '' In Cod's name, then ! "
With a last effort he threw himself with the soldier
into the depth, and both disappeared in the watei*s of the
Eisaeh.
Speckbacher's sei'vant the faithful Zojipel, had seen and
350 ANDREAS HOPER.
understood everything ; and when the two sank into the
foaming torrent, he wiped a tear from his eyes.
" He died like a brave son of the Tyrol,'' he murmured, " and
the Holy Virgin will assuredly bid him kindly welcome.
But we, Hisel, will avenge his death on the accursed enemy
below."
'' Yes, we will," cried the peasant grimly ; and he raised
his hatchet with a furious gesture.
'• It is not yet time," said Zoppel thoughtfully. " Just wait
until a larger body of troops has entered the defile. See, Hisel,
how splendid they look in their gorgeous uniform, and how
proudly they are marching on ! "
The Saxons did march on proudly, but not with drums
beating. They advanced in silence, filled with misgivings by
the profound stillness which surrounded them all at once.
listening attentively to every sound, and examining anxiously
the top of every projecting rock.
The head of the serried column had arrived now dij-ectly
under the hanging '" avalanche " in tlie middle of the gloomy
defile. The silence was suddenly broken by a loud angry
voice, which seemed to resound in the air like the croaking of
the death-angel.
This voice asked, '' Zoppel, shall I cut the rope now ? "
" Not yet ! not yet ! " replied another voice ; and the pre-
cipitous roclcs all around echoed " Not yet ! not yet ! "
The Saxons gave a start and looked up. Whence came
these voices ? What meant that huge black mass suspended
on the precipitous side of the mountain right over their
heads ?
Thus they asked each other shudderingly and stood still,
fixing their eyes on the black mass of rock and rubbish, which
filled tlieir hearts with v/onder and dismay.
" Let us retrace our steps ! Let us not penetrate farther
into the defile," murmured the soldiers with trembling lips,
but in so low a tone that the officers marching by their sides
could not hear them.
But the officers, too, were filled with strange misgivings ;
tlicy ordered the soldiers to Jialt, and hastened back to General
Royer to report to him the mysterious words which they had
THE FIRST BATTLE. 35 1
heard, aiul to ask him wliether thoy were to liah or retrace
their steps.
'' Advance at the double-quick ! " commanded the general,
sternly.
"Advance at the double-quick !" tliey repeated to their .sol-
diers along the whole line ; the latter, in obedience to this or-
der, hurried on under the black mass which .still hung threat-
eningly over their beads.
All at once a powerful voice above shouted out : " Nov/,
Hisel, in the name of the Holy Trinity, cut the ropes ! "
Thereupon they heard the strokes of two hatchets.
The soldiers, who were rushing forward in serried ranks,
looked up again, and indescribable horror seized them. The
black mass of rock and rubliish which had hitherto hung over
them, connnenced moving and rolling down with a terrible
crash. A cloud of dust rose and filled the gloomy defile as
with the smoke of powder. At the same tmie a heavy fire
burst forth on all sides, and from amid the leafy screen the
deadly bullets of the sharpshooters brouglit death with every
discbarge into the allied ranks. A death-like silence then en-
sued for a moment, for out of the depths rose the wails and
lamentations of the hvmdreds(»f soldiers who had been crushed
and mutilated by the "avalanche." The Tyrolese, fd led with
curiosity and compassion, looked dow?i into the defile. The
smoke and dust had disappeared, and they could distinctly
survey the scene of horror, deva.station, and death, in the
gorge.
Happy tliose whom the falling "avahiiiche " had hurled
from the narrow footpath into the foaming ton-ent I It is
true, death had been in store for them there, but it had quickly
put aji end to their sufferings. But what was the "gony of
tliose who lay buried under the fragments of the rocks, their
limbs fearfully mutilated ! What were tlio sufferings of the
hundreds of .soldiers lying on the i-oad, oji this nari'ow, gory
path, upon which the "avalanche'' had thundered down !
Tt was a hoiTi])Io si^jht : even the Tyrolese ti'endiled on be-
holding this rubbish, these fragments, whence la'ge numbers
of bloody corp.ses protruded, and amidst which toi-n, mutilated
limbs were moving, while here and there soldiei-s, covered all
352 ANDREAS HOFER.
over with dust, and bleeding- from fearful wounds, tried pain-
fully to raise themselves from the grovmd.
Those of the Saxons who had not been struck by the ter-
rible avalanche, fell back shuddering. When the Tyrolese
saw this, their compassion at the cruel fate of the dead gave
way, and with deafening shouts they burst forth from their
concealment, and, mingling with the enemy, a frightful
slaughter took place.
The Saxons rallied, however ; courageous discii>line pre-
sided over unskilled valor, and the column advanced slowly
and painfully in the direction of the bridge, through a mur-
derous fire, and surmounting the ruins which obstructed the
road and covered the bodies of their comrades.
All at once exultant shouts and cheers resounded at the
entrance of the defile, and the clarion-notes of martial music
joined in these stirring acclamations. Fresh troops, re-enforce-
ments of the Saxons, were coming up from the rear. The Ba-
varians had arrived with their artillery, which they had placed
in a very favorable position ; they had already taken the two
farm-houses at the entrance of the gorge ^vhere the Tyrolese
had taken position, and were now rushing into the defile.
The Tyrolese, dismayed at this impetuous advance, retreated
into the mountains.
For two days the struggle was continued in these gorges
near Mittewald. For two days Saxons and Tyrolese opposed
each other in this fratricidal contest, in which Germans fought
against Germans in obedience to the behests of the tyrant
who had subjugated all Germany, and to whom only the un-
daunted Tyrol still offered a stubborn resistance.
The victory was long undecided. Once the forces of the
Duke of Dantsic succeeded at one extremity of the defile in
driving back the shar^jshooters under Joachim Haspinger, the
Capuchin, and clearing a passage for the Saxons struggling in
the goi'ge. But the Capuchin had retreated only to bring uj)
fresh forces, dispatch messengers to Speckbacher, Peter Mayer,
Andreas Hofer, and Anthony Wallner, sound the tocsin, and
concentrate more armed jieasants. And Speckbacher came
up With his brave sharpshooters in the rear of the Saxons :
Anthony Wallner and his men made their appearance like
THE FIFrEMNTll OF AICJIST AT INXSPRUCK. 353
wise ; Peter Mayer brought up fresli forces ; and Andreas
Hofer sent word that he would be on hand speedily. But the
Saxons were likewise re-enforced, both by the French, who
moved up from Brixen, and the Bavarians, who approached
from Sterzing.
The contest was continued witli unabated violence, and
both sides struggled obstinately for the victory. But the
Tyrolese fought for their rights, their liberty, their German
country ; the Saxons and Bavarians fought for tyranny, for
the foreign oppressor, and the subjugation of their country-
men. God granted victory to the Tyiolese, and in the defile
of Mittewald ui)\vard of a thousand Saxons had to atone by
their death for having fought at the bidding of the French
conqueror on German soil against their German countrymen.
The Tyrolese fought for their rights, their liberty, their
German country ; and the Duke of Dantsic, the proud mar-
shal of France, was defeated l)y the despised peasants ; he had
to flee from their wrath, and arrived without his cloak and
hat, trenil)ling and deathly pale, on his foaming horse at Ster-
zing, which he had left a few hours previously with the firm
conviction that he would inflict a crushing defeat upon the
"haughty peasant-rabble." Now this "haughty peasant-rab-
ble" had defeated him.
God is with those who fight for the rights and liberty of
Germany. God is with those who rise boldly against French
tyranny and French arrogance !
CHAPTf:R XXXII.
THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRDCK.
God is witli those wlio fight for the rights and liberty of
Germany. He had granted another victoi-y to the Tyrolese.
Animated by their brilliant successes, the patriots no longer
stood on the defensive, but, flocking from all quartei-s to the
standard of Hofer, assembled in great nniltiludes on Mount
Isel, the scene of their former triumphs, ai:d destined to be
354 ANDREAS HOFER.
iniiuovtalized by a still more extraordinary victory. Lefebvre
had collected his whole force, consisting of twenty-six thou-
sand men, of whom two thousand were horse, with forty
pieces of cannon, on the little plain which lies between Inn-
spruck and the foot of the mountains on the southern side of
the Inn. They were far from being animated, however, by
their wonted spirit ; the repeated defeats they had experienced
had inspired them with that mysterious dread of the moun-
taineers with which regular troops are so often seized, when,
contrary to expectation, they have been worsted by undisci-
plined bodies of men ; and a secret feeling of the in.justice of
their cause, and the heroism with which they had been re-
sisted, paral^^'zed many an arm which had never trembled
before a regular army.
The Tyrolese consisted of eighteen thousand men, three
hundred of whom w^ere Austrian soldiers who had refused to
follow their officers, and remained to share the fate of the in-
habitants. They were tolerably supplied with ammunition,
but had little provisions, in consequence of which several
hundred peasants had already gone back to their homes.
Joseph Speckbacher commanded the right wing, whose
line extended from the heights of Passberg to (he bridges of
Hall and Volders ; Hofer was with the centre, and had his
headquarters at the inn of Spade, on the Schonberg ; Haspin-
ger directed the left, and advanced by Mutters.
At four in the morning, the brave Capuchin roused Hofer
from sleep, and, having first united with him in fervent
prayer, hurried out to communicate his orders to the outposts.
The battle commenced at six, and continued without inter-
mission till midnight, the Bavarians constantly endeaA^oring
to drive the Tyrolese from their position on Mount Isel, and
they, in their turn, to force the enemy back into the town of
Innspruck.
For a long time the contest was undecided, the superior
discipline and admirable artillery of the enemy j)rc vailing
over the impetuous but disorderly assaults aiid deadly aim of
the mountaineers ; but toward nightfall the bridge of the Sill
was carried after a desperate struggle, and their left flank be-
ing thus turned, the French and Bavarians gave way on all
THE FIl-TKEXTIl OF AUGUST AT INNSPliUCK. 355
sides, and were pursued witli j^reat slaughter into the city.
They lost six thousand men, of whom seventeen hmidred
wounded fell into the hands of the Tyrolese, while on the side
of the latter not more than nine hundred had fallen. Le-
febvre had to retx-eat hastily tinvard Sal/burj,^ where his whole
army was collected on the 2Uth.
This great victory was immediately followed by the libera-
tion of the whole Tyrol ; and when, on the morning of the
15th of August, the sun rose over Innspi-uck, Andreas Hofer
and his victorious host stood on Mount Isel, gazing with pro-
found emotion on the reeking, gory battle-field, on which,
two days ago, war had raged with all its hoirors, and on the
city of Innspruck, whose smoking and burning houses beto-
kened the last outburst of the rage of the fugitive French mar-
shal.*
" See how much blood it has cost, and how many wrongs
had to be committed, that we might obtain our rights ! "
sighed Andreas Hofer, pointing to the battle-field. " My heart
overflows with pity on seeing these horrors, and I implore
you all to be merciful with the wounded and to treat the pris-
oners leniently. Among these j)risoners are about one thou-
sand Bavarians and Saxons. See, they are standing down
yonder in dense groups, and our men surround them, mock-
ing and abusing them. Go down to them, dear Secretary
Doninger ; tell them to be merciful and compassionate, and
to bear always in mind that the prisonei-s are no longer their
enemies, but their German brethren ; that they are Saxons
and Bavarians, speak one and the same language with us, and
are our countrymen. Repeat this to our men, Doninger, and
say to them in my name, ' Do not injure the prisoners ; they
are Saxons and Bavarians, and good and brave men ! '" f
"They are not exactly good men," said Speckbaclier, who
was standing on the right side of Andreas Hofer ; " no, they
are not exactly good men, Andy ; otherwise thoy would not
have fought against us, who are assuredly good men and have
done nothing but defend our dear country-."
Instead of replying to him, Andreas Hofer turned smil-
' "Giillory of ller.>e.s : Andreas Ilof.-r," p. l^'l-
t AnJivas IIoI'it's own words. - Ibid., p. I'.i5.
356 ANDREAS HOFER.
ingly to the Capuchin, who was standing on his left side.
" Brother Joachim," he said gently, " you ought to exhort our
Joseph here a little, that he may comply with the Redeemer's
precept and forgive his enemies. He is a very good, but very
stubborn fellow ; a brave and excellent soldier, but it Avould
do him no harm if he were a better Christian."
■' If we had been good Christians latterly we should never
have defeated the enemy," growled the Capuchin, shaking his
head. " If we were good Christians, we should have to love our
enemies, do good to them that hate us, and pray for those who
despitefully use us and persecute us. So long as we are sol-
diers, Andy, we cannot be good Christians ; and I tliauk God
for it that we fought like downright brave heathens. But
after the enemy has been expelled from the country, and peace
prevails again everywhere, and I have returned to my tedious
convent at Seeben, I will become again a pious Capuchin, and
exhort our dear brave Joseph Speckbacher to become as good
a Christian as our Andreas Hofer."
" No, no, brother Joachim, we will not wait until then to
show to the world that we are good Christians," exclaimed
Andi'eas. '• God stood by us in the battle of Mount Isel and
made us victorious over our enemies. Let us thank Him,
therefore, for His surpassing goodness and mercy ; let us pray
Him to bless our victory and grant a glorious resurrection to
those who had to sacrifice their lives for it."
He drew his large rosary from his bosom, and. lifting his
eyes devoutly to heaven, sank down on his knees.
'■ Yes, let us pray God to bless our victor^'," said Father
Haspinger, bending his knees like Andreas Hofer ; and Joseph
Speckbacher followed his example.
And the pious Tyrolese, seeing their leaders kneeling on the
height above, were filled with devout emotion ; they Icnelt
likewise ; their cheers and Jodlers, their shouts and laughter
died away ; only prayers wei'e heard from their lips, and, as
an accompaniment to them, the melodious peals of the bells,
■with which the people of Innspruck were celebrating the de-
parture of the French marshals, and the approach of the de-
fenders of the country.
At this moment the sun burst forth from the clouds, and
THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT INNSPRCCK. 357
shed a radiant lustre on this whole sublime scene— the three
kneeling heroes on the height above, and all around the Tvro-
lese, clad in their picturesque national costume, kneeling and
thanking God, with tears in their eyes, for the victory He had
vouchsafed to them.
The Bavarian and Saxon prisoners, carried away by this
spectacle, knelt down like the Tyrolese, and prayed to God,
like their enemies- not thanking Him, as the latter did, for
the victory, but for having made them prisoners, of good and
pious victors.*
All at once this pious scene was interrupted by loud cheers,
shouts, and Jodlers, and a long, imposing procession of sing-
ing, jubilant men ascended the mountain. The new-comers
were the students of Innspruck, who came to congratulate
Andreas Hofer on his brilliant victory, and accompany him
on his triumphal entry into the city. Many persons followed
them, and all shouted exultingly, " Where is Andreas Hofer,
the savior of the country ? Where is Andreas Hofer, the lib-
erator ? "
The band heading the procession of the students, struck up
a ringing flourish on beholding Andi*eas, who had risen from
his knees at their approach. But he raised his arm impera-
tively ; the band ceased playing immediately, and the cheers
died away on the lips of the students, who bowed respectfully
to the tall, imposijig foi-m of the Barbone.
" Hush, hush," said Andreas, gravely ; " pray ! No cheers,
no music ! Neither I nor any of us did it ; all the glory is
due to Him above 1 " t
"But you helpetl the good God a little," said the speaker of
the students, " and therefore you must submit to accept the
thanks of the whole Tyrol, and to being called the savior and
liberator of the country. We come to you as messengers of
the capital of the Tyrol, and are instructed to request you to
tarry no longer, but make your triumphal entry into the
city."
" Yes, I will come," exclaimed Andreas, joyfully ; " what I
implored of the Lord as the highest boon has been realized
* Mayer's '' Josepli Speckbacher," p. 196.
t Andreas Hofer's own words. — Ibid., p. 197.
358 ANDREAS HOFER.
now : we shall make our triumphal entry into the city, where
the mean enemy behaved so shamefully. Return to Inn-
spruck, my friends, and say to the inhabitants that we shall be
in the city in the course of an hour— old Rpd-beard, Speck-
bacher, and I— and that we shall be glad to meet all our ex-
cellent friends there again.''
And an hour afterward Andreas Hofer and his friends
made their entry into Innspruck. He sat in a gorgeous car-
riage, drawn by four splendid white horses, which he himself
had taken from a French colonel during his flight across the
Brenner. By the side of the Sandwirth sat Joachim Haspin-
ger, the Capuchin, and beside the carriage rode Joseph Speciv-
bacher, with a radiant face, and his dark, fiery eyes beaming
with triumphant joy ; he was mounted on the proud magnifi-
cently-caparisoned charger that had borne the haughty Duke
of Dantsic two days ago.
The carriage was preceded by a crowd of rejoicing peasants,
and a band of fifers and fiddlers ; carpets and banners hung
from all the windows and balconies ; ladies in beautiful attire
greeted the conquering hero with waving handkerchiefs ; and
the people in the streets, the ladies on the balconies, and the
boys on the roofs and in the trees, shouted enthusiastically,
" Long live Andreas Hofer ! Long live the commander-in-
chief of the Tyrol ! " And the bells pealed, the cannon jiosted
on the market-place thundered, and the fifers and fiddlers
made as much noise as possible.
" Listen, brother Haspiuger," said Andreas Hofer, turning
to the Capuchin, while the carriage was moving on slowly, "I
should really dislike to enter the city always amid such fuss
and noise ; and I believe it is heavy work for princes always
to look well pleased and cheerful when they are so much
molested by the enthusiasm of the people. I looked forward
with a gi'eat deal of joy to the day when we should make our
entry into the city, and I thought it would be much more
beautiful ; but now I am greatly tired of the whole thing : I
should be glad if they would cease fiddling, and clear a pas-
sage for the carriage to move on more rapidly. I am hungry,
and I would I were already at the tavern of my dear friend
Niederkircher."
THE FIFTRKNTII OF AU(;rST AT IXXSPRUCK. 359
" Well, you must learn to put on a pleasant face when the
people cheer you," said Haspinj^er, lau'^liing'. '' You have
now become a prince too, and I think your people will love
you dearly."
" What nonsense is that, brother ? " asked Hofer, angrily.
" It is no nonsense at all, Andy ; on the contrary, it is quite
true. Just listen to their acclamations."
"Long- live Andreas Hofer!" shouted the crowd, which
was dancing and singing around the carriage. "Long live
the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol I"
"They call me commander-in-chief of the Tyrol," said An-
dreas, musingly. " Tell me, Joachim, is it necessary for me to
assume that title ? "
" Yes, it is. There must be a head of the state, a man to
whom the people may look up as its star, and to whom it may
apply as its comfort, support, and judge. And as the people
have confidence in you and love you, you must be the man to
hold the whole together, lest it should fall asunder. You
shall be the head, and we otliers will be your hands and
thoughts, and will work and fight, and think for you and the
Tyrol. We must have a leader, a com7iiander-in chief of the
T3'rol, and you are the man, Andy."
" If you say so, it must be so,'' said Andreas, nodding his
head gently. '' Well, then, I shall be commander-in-chief of
the Tyrol until order and peace are restored, and until the
enemy has been expelled from the country foi- evermore. But
see, we have arrived in front of Niederkircher's tiivern, and
there is Niederkircher himself with his dear round face. God
bless you, Niederkircher, why do you look at me so solemnly,
and why have you di'essed up so nicely ? Why, j'ou wear
your holiday clothes, and yet I think this is neither Sunday
nor a holiday."
" It is a great holiday," exclaimed Niederkircher, '' the com-
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the great Andreas Hofer, is
making his triumphal entry into the cit3'. That is why I have
put on my Sunday clothes and look so solemn ; for it would
not be becoming for me to embrace the distinguished com-
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol, as I should like to do under
other circumstances."
360 ANDREAS HOFER.
" You are a fool, old fellow ! " said Andreas, eucircling his
f rieud's aeck with his arm ; '' if I am commander-in-chief he-
fore the world, I am, before my friends, always Andreas Hofer,
the Saudwirth and humble peasant. Let us go into the house,
my dear friend ; and you Joachim, come vvdth us. There !
Take me to the small hack room which I always occupy dur-
ing my stay in the city."
" God forbid ! " exclaimed the innkeeper ; " you nev^er
must occupy the hack room again ; that would not he be-
coming for the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol. You must
take my best room with the balcony opening on the street ;
besides, all is there in readiness for your reception."
'• Must I take it, Joachim ? " said Andreas to the Capuchin,
almost anxiously.
" Yes, Andy, you must," replied the friar. " You must do
honor to your new dignity, and to lis all."
" It is a pity that I must do so," sighed Andreas. " I was
so glad that I should soon be in the old back room, where it is
so cozy and quiet, and where you do not hear any thing of the
noise and shouting outside. But, if it cannot be helped, let us
go to the best room ; but pray, if it is possible, give us some-
thing to eat there. Some sound duuiplings and a glass of na-
tive wine, friend Niederkircher. "
" No, no, Andreas Hofer, that will not do to-day," replied
the innkeeper ; " I have had all my servants at work in the
kitchen ever since sunrise, and you will have a dinner suitable
for tlie conimander-in-chief of the Tyrol."
" I should have preferred dumplings and native wine in the
small back room," said Andreas Hofer, dolefully, while he as-
cended with the innkeeper and the Capuchin to the best room
on the fir.st floor.
This was a very fine room indeed, and even though it was
not as cozy as the back room for which Hofer had longed, it
was at all events very agreeable to him to be once more under
a hospitable roof, and enjoy a little rest and tranquillity. In
the middle of the room stood a fable handsomely festooned
with flowers, and covered with bottles of wine, cake, and all
sorts of fruit.
''Now, my diotinguished friends, make yourselves as com-
THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT IXNSPRUCK. 3G1
rortablc as possible," said Niederkircher, cheerfully ; "lie
down awhile on the silken divan and repose. Meanwhile I
will go to the kitchen and order dinner to be served to the
coninmnder-in-chief and his two generals, Haspinger and
Speckbacher."
" I shall comply with your request," growled the Capuchin,
''and make myself as comfortable as possible."
He hurled his heavy, dusty leathern shoes quickly from
his feet into a corner of the room ; he then lay down on tlie
carpet in front of the divan, and stretching his limbs, ex-
claimed, " Forsooth, I have not been able for a long while to
make myself as comfortable as to-day ! "
■'But you, commander-in-chief," said Niederkircher, be-
seechingly, " I hope, will not disdain my cUvan ? Rest there
a little, Andy, iintil the waitei-s bring you your dinner."
" God forl)id ! I must lirst attend to my horses," exclaimed
Andreas. " I suppose, Niederkircher, you saw my four splen-
did white horses ? They are honest war-spoils ; I will keep
them forever and never sell them, although I could get a
round sum for them, for they arc fine animals ; only the first
horse on the right-liand side, I believe, is a little weak in the
chest, and ought not to be overworked. Before going to din-
ner and making myself comfortable, I must go and feed the
horses and see if they are comfortable. You know, Nieder-
kircher, I have always fed my horses myself, and will do so
to-day also."
And he hastened toward the door ; but Niederkircher i-au
after him and kept him back.
'' For God's sake, Hofer," he cried in dismay, " w'hat are
you going to do ? Why, j^ou are not a horse-trader nor the
Sandwirth to-day, but eon\mander-in-chief of the Tyrol."
" It is true, I forgot it," sighed Andi-eas. "' Go, then, dear
friend, get us our dinner, and have a large bundle of hay pixt
into the manger of the hor.ses. — But, great God i what di-ead-
ful noise is that in the street? Why, those men are shouting
so loudly tliat the walls are shaking and the windows rattling !
What do they want ? Why do thoy always repeat my name ?
Look out, Niederkircher, and see what is the niatler."
Niederkircher hastened to the window and drew the cur-
24
3G2 ANDREAS HOFER.
tain aside in order to look out into the street. A dense crowd
was assembled in front of the tavern ; it was incessantly
cheering and shouting : " Andi'eas Hofer ! Come out ! Long
live the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the libei'ator ! We
want to see him, we must thank him for delivering us from
the enemy. Andreas Hofer ! Andreas Hofer ! "
" You cannot get around it, Andy ; you nuist step out on
the balcony," said Niederkircher, stepping back from the win-
dow. "The people are perfectly beside themselves with love
and enthusiasm, and will not keep quiet until you come out
and make a speech to them. Do, my friend, step out on the
balcony I "
" Must I do it ? '' asked Andreas, dolefully, turning to the
Capuchin, who was stretching himself comfortably on the
carpet.
" You must, brother," said Haspinger, gravely. " The peo-
ple wish to see their beloved leader, and it would be ungrate-
ful not to accept their love."
Andreas Hofer sighed, but he yielded and approached the
balcony, the doors of which w^ere thrown open by the inn-
keeper.
No sooner had the thousands assembled in front of the
house beheld the tall form of their favorite leader, than thun-
dering cheers rent the air ; all waved their hats and shouted,
" Long live Andreas Hofer ! Long live the commander-in-
chief of the Tyrol ! "
And now a feeling of profound emotion overcame the ten-
der, grateful heart of Andreas Hofer ; joy and ecstasy filled
his soul in the face of so much love and enthusiasm, and tears
of the most unalloyed b]i.ss glistened in his eyes, which greeted
the jubilant people with tender, loving glances. He was
anxious to thank these kind people and give utterance to his
love ; and he lifted up his arm, asking them to be quiet that
he might address them.
The cheers and acclamations ceased immediately, and
Hofer spoke amidst the breathless silence of the crowd in a
loud, ringing voice :
" God bless you, dear people of Innspruck ! As you
wanted me to become your commander-in-chief, I am now in
TUE FIFTEENTH OF AUCiU^T AT IN'NSPRUCK. 303
your midst. But there are many othei- Tvroleso wlio are not
iiihal)ilants of lunspi'uck. All who wish to be my comrades
must light as brave and honest Tyrolese for God, the emperor,
and our fatherland. Those who are unwilling to do so must
go back to ihoir homes. Those who wish to become my com-
i-ades nuist never desert me. I shall not desert you either,
as sure as my name is Andreas Hofer ! You have seen me
now, and heard what I had to say to you ; therefore good-
by ! " *
When Hofer had concluded his speech, thundering cheere
rent again the air ; they continued even after he had left the
balc(jny, closed the door after him, and stepped back into the
room.
" That was a very fine speech, Andy," said Niederkircher,
shaking hands with him, and gazing tenderly into his flushed
face. •' It was evident that your words were not learned by
rote, but came from your heart, and hence they could not but
make a profound impression. But now, commander-in-chief
of the Tyrol, dinner is ready. The soup is already on the
table, and I myself shall have the honor of waiting on you."
" But Speckbacher is not yet here," said Andreas Hofer,
'• and we cannot dine without him. We fought and worked
together ; now we will also rest and attend to our comforts
together. Do you not think so too, brother Red-beard ? "
But the CaiJuchin made no reply, or rather he responded
only by a loud and long snore.
"By the Holy Virgin ! Haspinger has fallen asleep on the
floor yonder," exclaimed Andreas, smiling.
" Let us waken him, then," said Niederkircher, turning to
the sleeper.
•' No, my friend, no, we Avill not do so," whispered Andreas,
drawing him back. " Our faithful and brave brother Red-
beard has been so long awake and at work that we nmst let
him rest, and it woixld be very wrong in us to arouse him
from his sleep. Let us defer dinner, therefore, until Speck-
bacher is here, and until Haspinger has slept enough."
" But you said you were huugi-y, Andreas. Why do you
want to wait, then ? Why do you not dine now and let the
* lIof«i-'s own words.— See " Giilkry of IKroci;: Audiuu-s Hofer," p. 126.
364 ' ANDREAS llOFER.
oilier two diue afterward ? You are commander-in-chief, the
highest olBcer of all, and they must do as it suits you, and you
must not do as it suits them."
" Do not repeat such nonsense," cried Andreas, vehemently,
"lam commander-in-chief only because it is necessary that
there should be one to hold the whole together lest it should
fall asunder. That is what Father Haspinger said, and it is
true. But even though I am commander-in-chief of the Tyrol,
I am not commander-in-chief of my friends in my intimate in-
tercourse with them. All three of us have worked to the best
of our power for the fatherland, and I have not done more
than Speckbacher or the Capuchin. It is true, I am hungry,
but I shall not go to dinner without my friends ; moreover, it
is good that they are not here yet, and that I have a little time
left. The cravings of my stomach made me almost forget
my duty to God, and by the absence of my friends He reminds
me that I owe Him something and must come to Him. Keep
your fine soup, therefore, a little while, Niederkircher ; I will,
in the mean time, go to the church of the Franciscans to re-
port there to the Lord as His faithful servant and soldier."
He took his black Tyrolese hat, descended hastily the stair-
case, and went into the street. He had not noticed the dissat-
isfied air of Niederkircher, and the fact that the innkeeper had
not even thanked him for his greeting ; for all his thoughts
were now fi:xed upon God, and he reproached himself con-
tritely with almost forgetting God, owing to the cravings of
his stomach.
"Forgive me, my Lord and God," he murmured, on en-
tering the gloomy nave of the church, " for not coming to
Thee at once ! "
He walked up the aisle with a noiseless, hurried step, in
oi'der not to disturb the worsliippers, to one of the small altai*s,
before which he knelt down devoutly.
" Here I am, my Lord and God," he murmured, clasping
his hands, "to render homage to Thee and thank Thee for de-
livering us from the enemy and granting victory to us. I
thank Thee for it from the bottom of my heart, for Thy mei'cy
was with us, and Thou didst lead us as a true general. Guide
us henceforth likewise, my Lord and God, and stand by Thy
THE KIKTEENTH OK AUGUST AT INNSPRUCK. 3G5
faithful servant, that he may not fail in the difficult task which
he has now taken upon himself. Lord, Thou knowest that
vanity and pride do not prom])t me to become more than I
ought to be ; Thou knowest that I would rather be quietly at
home witli my wife and children, than play the distinguished
gentlen)aii here and assume an aristocratic title. But the
Capuchin, who is wiser than I, says it must be so, and I must
be commander-in-chief. Hence, I submit patiently, and con-
sent to play the ruler here until Thou, my Lord and God, al-
lowest me aj.'^ain to be Thy humble and simple servant, and to
return to my beloved Anna Gertrude, my three little daugh-
ters, and my dear little boy. O Holy Virgin, watch with ma-
ternal care over my dear ones at home ; pi'otect them, and
grant peace to their hearts, that they may not tremble for my
safety. G)'ant peace to us all, Holy Mother of God, and — "
" Look, look, there he is I " shouted a loud voice behind
him, interrupting him in his prayer. " See, there is the great
hero ! How humbly he is kneeling before the altar 1 Look
at Andreas Hofer."
Andreas Hofer turned, indignant at the interruption and
the words so loudly uttered in that saci-ed place. He saw sev-
eral hundred persons thronging the aisle and fixing their eyes
upon him. All crowded forward and raised their heads to see
Andreas Hofer, admire his fine beard, and examine his wliole
appearance. They had followed him quietly, and as the news
that Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, had
goiu^ to the church of the Franciscans, spread rapidly, all had
hastened thither to see him and render him homage.
But Andreas Hofer thought this homage decidedly ii-k-
some, and he was angry that the spectators had disturbed
his prayer. He, therefore, made a bitter-sweet face in re-
sponse to the enthusiastic demonstrations and affectionate
greetings of the people, and elbowed his way hastily toward
the door.
"I thank you for your attachment," he said to those who
were close to him, " but I should have been better pleased if
you had allowed me quietly to pursue my waj', and had not
interrupted my prayer. But now pray let me go home alone,
and do not follow me. It niav be becoming for aristocratic
366 ANDREAS HOFER.
geutlemeu to have a large suite behind them, but I am only a
simple Tyrolese like you all, and do not want to be any thing
else. Moreover, I am a very ordinary-looking man, and
there is no reason whatever why you should stare at me in
this manner. Pray, therefore, do not go with me, but let
me return quietly to Niederkircher's tav^ern, where I am going
to dine."
They obeyed, of course, and opened a passage for him to
step out of tlie chui^ch door. But thereupon they rushed out
to look after him and shout, " Long live Andreas Hofer, the
pious commander-in-chief of the Tyrol I '' But no one ven-
tured to follow him ; all gazed affectionately and reverentially
after his tall form, as he walked with a slow and dignified step
down the street.
"There are strange people in these cities," murnmred Hofer
to himself, while walking along ; '' they do not even let me
pray quietly, and are as curious as swallows. They follow
me everywhere, and stare at me as though I were a wild beast.
If that is being a famous man, I do not care for fame ; and
for the whole world I would not be an aristocratic or famous
man all my lifetime. When peace has been restored to the
country, and there is no longer an enemy to fight, they will
forget my humble services, and I shall live again quietly at
my inn in the Passeyr valley. No one will then run after
the Sandwirth Avhen he comes to Innspruck to sell horses ;
and I shall sit again in Niederkircher's back room, eat dump-
lings, and drink native wine. Ah, Holy A^irgin, let it soon be
so again, that the commander-in-chief may be again Sand-
wirth Andreas Hofer."
" Hurrah, long live the commander-in-chief of the Tyrol I "
shouted at this moment some men who had recognized him,
and stood still to do homage to him as though he were a sov-
ereign piince.
Andreas Hofer accelerated his step, and was very glad on
reaching the tavern soon afterward.
ANDREAS HUKEK, TUE EiMPERUR'S LJEUTENANT. ;307
CHAPTER XXXIII.
ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR's LIEUTENANT.
Andreas ascended the !>tairca.se hastily, and entered the
balcony -room.
The Capuchin had now risen from the carpet ; Joseph
Speckbachei' was with him. and both hastened to meet Andreas
Hofer.
"You have kept us waiting a long while, brother," said the
Capuchin, indignantly ; " you ought to have borne in mind that
we have not eaten any thing, and are. therefore, very hungry."
"Yes, Father Andy," exclaimed Speckbacher, smiling,
"you hung our bread-basket very high ; we are quite weak
from waiting and hunger."
"Now they blame me for keeping them waiting," said An-
dreas mildly. "And yet I think they kept me waiting, and
hungei- drove me to the church. Well, never mind, my deiir
friends and comrades ; we are together now. and I am very
fflad of it. Look at Nicderkircher and his large dish ! How
splendidly it smokes and smells, and how good it will be to
eat I Well, Niederkircher. put the dish on the table here, and
sit down and dine with us."
" No, no, commander-in-chief, it is my duty to-day to wait
on you, for you are now a highly distinguished gentleman,
and so are the other two ; hence, it would luA behoove me to
dine with you."
"If you refuse to do so, I shall not eat at all," cried An-
dreas Hofer.
"And I shall run away," said Speckbachei", jumping u])
from his chair.
"I shall sit still," growled the Capuchin, "but I shall
henceforth turn my back upon Neiderkircher if he allows our
soup to become cold instead of sitting down at once and din-
ing with us."
"I will do so," cried Niederkircher, moving a chair to the
table, and seating himself on it. " But now my friends, per-
mit me at least to fill your plates."
368 ANDREAS HOFER.
"We will uot object to that ! "' exclaimed the three friends,
laughing ; "and pray fill them well, Niederkircher."
There was a long pause now ; nothing was heard but the
rattling of the spoojis on the plates. All at once this com-
fortable silence was broken by deafening cheere and shouts
uttered on the street.
Hofer dropped his spoon, fi'owned, and listened. " I believe
they are calling me again," he sighed, dolefully.
He. was not mistaken. Hundreds of youthful voices were
heard shouting Andreas Hofer's name, and their cheers were
followed by a loud, ringing flourish of violins, fifes, bugles,
and trumpets.
"They have musicians with them," exclaimed Hofer, anx-
iously. " Holy Virgin, just listen how they are roaring ! It
seems as if they were intent on upsetting the house."
" They are calling you, they vrant to see you," said Nieder-
kircher, who had stepped to the window. " Tliey are the
students of the university ; they have come in their holiday
attire to serenade you.-"
" And why do they want to serenade me ? " asked An-
dreas Hofer, almost indignantly. "Wby not Speckbach-
er, or the Capuchin, or Peter Mayer, or Anthony Wall-
ner ? They all did just as much as I did, and perhaps even
more."
''But you are the people's favorite, brother," said the Cap-
uchin, smiling ; " the people believe in you, and it would be
cruel and short-sighted in us to shake their faith in you.
Every thing must come from you ; you must have done and
accomplisbed every thing."
" And what we others did, we did only in your name, Fa-
ther Andy ! " exclaimed Speckbacher ; '' the people and the
sharp-shooters would not have obeyed us so well, had they not
believed that you had issued all tlie oi'ders and instructions
which we gave them. On hearing your name they obeyed,
fouglr well, and were confident that we should succeed. And
fur this reasoii they are justified in coupling your name with
the celebration of the victory. Just listen how they are
shoutiug your name ! It is true, the dear boys have tremen-
dous lungs, and if you do not comply with their wishes, and
ANDREAS HOFER, THE EMPEROR'S LIEUTENANT. 3C9
show yourself on tlie balcony, I am afraid they will make us
(leaf and themselves quite lioarse."
''Well, I do not care/' sighed Andi-eas ; "open the door
again, Niederkireher, I must step out on the balcony."
"And make another fine speech as before,'' said the inn-
keeper, throwing open the folding-doors.
Andreas made no reply, but went to the balcony with a
grave and almost angry face. Deafening cheers greeted him,
and the dense crowd assembled in the street sliouted : " Long
live Andreas Hofer, the conunander-in-chief 1 Long live An-
dreas Hofer, the liberator ! "
" My brave son, Joseph Speckbacher," said the Capuchin,
lilling his glass, " you see every one gets his due in the end.
Day before yestei-day, while we were fighting in the sweat of
our brows on Mount Isel, my dear brother Andreas Hofer sat
up at his friend Etschmann's tavern. A bottle of wine stood
before him, and his rosary lay on the table ; and while we
were fighting, he prayed and drank, and sent us from time to
time his orders, which sounded like oracles, which no one
understood, and which every one interpi'eted as he deemed
l)rudent. Now he must toil in his turn and fight with
his tongue, while we are sitting here snugly and drink-
ing our wine. There is another flourish outside ! Trara !
trai-a ! "
And the Capuchin waved his glass and emptied it at one
draught.
Suddenly the crowd in the street became silent ; a student
came forward and advanced several steps toward the bal-
cony.
"Andreas Hofer, beloved commander-in-chief of the Tyr-
ol," he said, in a loud, solemii voice, "our hearts are full of
love for you and praise of your heroic deed.s, and our lips, too,
would like to overflow. Permit us, therefore, noble hero, be-
loved liberator, to sing before you a song glorifying your ex-
ploits ; a song ]iraising yovir struggles and victories ; a song
which will henceforth be sung by every man, woman, and
child, throughout the Tyrol. We students Avrote the song,
for your heroic deeds filled our hearts with enthusiasm, and
our attachment to vou taught us the finest music for it. Per-
370 AxXDREAS [lOFER.
mit us, therefore, to sing before you the song of the victorious
hero Andreas Hofer."
'' No, no, my dear friends, do not sing,'' exclaimed Hofer,
gravely and almost angrily. " Do not sing, and do not play
any longer on your fifes and violins. We did not take the
field to sing and dance, and I did not leave my wife and chil-
dren at home with a light heart, but with tears and anxiety.
But I did it because it was the Lord's will ; and as He accom-
panied me into battle we succeeded in defeating the enemy.
But it was a hard and mournful task ; many brave and excel-
lent men lost their limbs or even their lives, and many wounded
pati-iots are yet imploring God to relieve them of their terrible
agony. And while they are groaning and wailing, can you
wish to sing ? While so many fathers and mothers are la-
menting their fallen sons, can you wish to exult here and
make music ? No, my dear friends, that would not be becom-
ing for a Christian and charitable people. You had better lay
your violins aside and take up your rosaries. Do not sing,
but pray. Pray aloud and fervently for our beloved emperor,
and. if you like, you may add a low prayer for poor Andreas
Hofer. But you shall not sing any songs in his honor, for
God alone accomplished it all, and homage should be rendered
to none but Him. Therefore, do not sing, but pray. Pray in
my name, too, for I have not much time now, and cannot pray
as much as I should like to do. Say to the good God that
we toiled honestly and bravely ; say to Him that we suffered
privations, watched, fought, and conquered, for the father-
land ; and pray to Him for the brave men who accompanied
us to the holy struggle, and who will never return, but have
succumbed to their mortal wounds. Do not sing, but pray
for their poor souls. Play your merry melodies no longer,
but go home (puctly and pray God to protect ;is henceforth as
He has herelofoi-e. That is what I wish to tell you, my dear
friends. And now God bless you, and accei)t my heart-felt
thanks for your love and attachment." *
The students, seized with profound emotion, and deeply
impressed by the simple yet soul-stirring words of Andreas
Hofer, complied qiiietly and willingly with his request. Their
* " Gallery of Heroes ; Andreas Ilofer,"' p. 1.30.
ANDREAS IIOFER, THE EMPEROR'S LIEUTENANT. ;i7l
fifes, violins, and bugles became silent, and tbe crowd dis-
persed noiselessly, witbout uttering any more cheers and ac-
clamations.
"They are fine, dear lads," said Andreas Hofer, looking
after them with beaming eyes ; " strong and hearty lads, full
of spirits and impetuosity, but on the other hand so gentle and
submissive I — Well, now," he exclaimed joyfully, stepping
back into the room, " I hope we shall have some rest, and
shall be able to finish our dinner in peace."
This hope, however, was not to be fulfilled. The dinner
was not yet over by any means, when cheers and loud noise
resounded once more in the street, and another solemn pro-
cession approached the tavern. This time, however, the
members of the procession did not remain in the street, but
entered the house, and the landlord, who had Just gone down-
stairs to fetch some more bottles of wine from the cellar, has-
tened back to the balcony-room and announced that all the
commanders of the Landsiurm and the municipal officei's
had arrived to pay their respects to the conmiander-in-chief of
the Tyrol and communicate a request to him.
'•Well, then," sighed Hofer. rising, "let them come in
here. I see that our dinner is spoiled anyhow. Let them
come in here, Niederkircher."
'■ God forbid ! there are so many of them that they would
not have room here ; besides, it would not be becoming for
you to receive all these gentlemen here where there is a din-
ner-table. I have conducted them all to the large ballroom ;
they await yon there, Andreas Hofer."
'* I would I knew what they want of me," sighed Hofer,
stroking his long beai-d.
" I know what they want. Father Andy," said 8])eckbacher,
smiling. "I myself suggested to the commanders of the
Landsturm the plan of asking of you what they are going to
conuiumicate to you now. And you must not refuse to com-
ply with their request. Father Andy ; for the good of the
country demands that you should yield, and the enjperor
himself will thank you for so doing."
"I know likewise what these gentlemen want of you,
brother Andy," exclaimed the Capuchin, filling his glass. "I
372 ANDREAS HOFER.
was yesterday already in Innspruck, where 1 conferred with
the mayor and the members of the city council, and they will
tell you now what we resolved then. You must not resist,
brother ; you must, on the contrary, comply with their re-
quest ; for it is God's will that you should, and therefore you
must. Now go to the ballroom, dear Andy."
" I shall not, unless you two accompany me thither," an-
swered Andreas Hofer, emphatically. " They will finally be-
lieve I wish to monopolize all honors, and will charge me with
forgetting that Haspinger and Speckbacher, day before yester-
day, did a great deal more than myself at the battle of Mount
Isel, and that we should never liave gained a victory there
without them. Therefore, you must walk side by side with
me, one on my right, the other on my left hand ; and we will
enter the balh^oom just as we fought in battle."
On entering the ballroom, where the commanders of the
Landsturm in their uniforms and the officers of the munici-
pality had ranged themselves along the walls, the three heroes
were received -with three deafening cheers ; and this time An-
dreas Hofer was not bold enough to tell the enthusiastic gen-
tlemen to be silent, but he looked quite respectfully at the
mayor in his long black robe, who was approaching him with
a grave step between two members of the city council.
" We come," he said, solemnly, " not only to thank you for
the heroic deeds which you have performed, but to pray you to
do still more for us and the fatherland. You have delivered
the country from the enemy, but there is lacking to it a head,
a crown. The Bavarian government commission, and Count
Rechberg. the king's lieutenant, have escaped from Innspruck
with the French forces. We are free from the Bavarian yoke ;
we are no longer governed by the king's lieutenant, and in his
place we want a lieutenant of the emperor. There must be
one in wliose hands all power is concentrated, and who rules
over the country in the empei'or's name. You must fill this
position, Andreas Hofer. The authorities and the people of
Innspruck elect you the emperor's lieutenant. You shall
govern the country in his name, and we will all swear to you
obedience, fidelity, and love."
After he had concluded his address, Anthony Wallner
ANDREAS HUl'Elt, TlIK EMPEROR'S LIEUTENANT. 373
stopped forth from llie ranks of the commanders of the Land-
stiirm. " Yes," he exclaimed. " you sliall be the emperor's
lieutenant. We will all swear to you obedience, fidelity, and
love. We commanders of the Landsturm wished to say this
to our comniaiuler in-chief, and this was the reason why we
came hither. We want to pray you to govern the Tyrol in
the emperor's name. Your consent would give us the greatest
satisfaction."
" We want to pray you," said one of the members of the
city council, coming forward from the midst of his colleagues,
" to take up your residence a.s the emperor's lieutenant in the
imperial palace on tlie Remplatz."
" That will never do," cried Andreas Hofer, in dismay.
" How could I be so impudent as to reside in the palace of his
majesty the emperor ? No, no, that will never do ; I cannot
consent to it."
" It will do very well, and you must consent to it," said
Haspinger, solemnly. " You shall reside in the imperial pal-
ace, not to gratify your own vanity, but to reassure the people,
and show them that they are not entirelj^ destitute of a ruler
and protector. You shall govern the country for God and
the emperor until all our enemies are worsted and the war is
at an end. The emperor has not time at this juncture to take
care of us ; he must devote his whole attention to the I'eorgan-
ization of his army and prepare for the resumption of hostili-
ties. The armistice expires at the end of this month, and
war will then, of course, break out once more, for the
French emperor will not keep quiet and submit before
he is worsted and crushed entirely ; and we have still a
great deal to do, a great deal to fight, and much more blood
will have to be shed, before we have delivered the whole
Southern Tyrol, Carinthia, and Carniola, from the yoke
of the tyrant. In order to do so, Speckbacher. Wallner,
and I, will lead the bi>ave Tyrolese against the enemy.
Now, if the countiy is to be governed properly while we
are fighting, a man in whom both the people and the au-
thorities have confidence must be at the head of the govern-
ment. You are this man, Andreas Hofer. The people, the
authorities, and the defenders of the country, pray you to
374 ANDREAS HOFER.
consent to it ; biit God commands yon through my mouth
to accept the position."
"Well, then," exclaimed Andreas, enthusiastically, lifting
his eyes devoutly to heaven, " I will do joyfully what God
commands, and what you request me to do. I will take upon
myself this arduous duty ; I will complj^ with your wishes.
You say it is necessary for the good of the country and the
emperor that there should be a lieutenant of the emperor ;
and if there is no other and better man than I, and if you
have confidence in me, I will accept the position. I am noth-
ing but an instrument in the hand of God my Lord, and I do
what He wants me to do, even though it should cost my life.
My life is in His hand, and what I am, and have, and can be,
belongs to my emperor and my country. I will be, then, the
emperor's lieutenant in the Tyrol until the emperor issues or-
ders to the contrary, or until peace is restored to the country,
and the emperor is able again to take charge of the govern-
ment. Let us pray God and the Holy Virgin that that day
may soon daAvn upon us ! "
" Long live the emperor's lieutenant ! " shouted the whole
assembly, joyously.
" Now," exclaimed the mayor, " give me your hand, An-
dreas Hofer, lieutenant of the emperor, and commander-in-
chief of the Tyrol. We will conduct you in solemn proces-
sion to the imperial palace, for the liexxtenant must take up his
residence there."
"Yes, yes, let us accomjiany Andreas Hofer to the imperial
palace," exclaimed all, in joyful excitement.
" Well, if it please God, I will take up my residence in the
imperial palace," exclaimed Andreas Hofei-, solemnly, giving
his hand to the mayor and stepping with him to the door of
the ballroom.
He was followed by the Capuchin, Joseph Speckbacher,
Anthony Wallner. the other commanders of the Landstnrm,
and the municipal authorities. On stepping into the street,
they Vv'ere received with tliundering cheers by the people v.ho
thronged the street and the neighboring place : and amid
singing and deafening acclamations, and the ringing of all
the church-bells, the emperor's lieutenant and commander-in-
THE FIFTKKNTH Ol-' AUGUST AT CO.MORN. 375
chief of tlie T,\i'ol, Andreas Hofer, was conducted to tlie raag-
uificoiit imperial palace, where the Sandwirth was to take up
his residence.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORN.
While the people of Innspruck set no hounds to their re-
joicings on the 15th of August, and accompanied Andreas Ho-
fer, the emperor's lieutenant, amid the most rapturous mani-
festations of enthusiasm, to the imperial palace ; while the
Emperor Napoleon was celehrating tlie 15th of August, his
birthday, by a great parade at Schonbrunn, and the bestowal
of orders and rewards on many distinguished jicrsons, the
Emperor Francis was at the fortress of Comorn. Only a few
of his faithful adherents had followed him thither ; only his
servants and officers surrounded him at his mournful court
there. The Empi-ess Ludovica and the archduchesses had al-
ready repaired to Totis, a country-seat of Prince Lichlenstein,
in Hungai-y, whither the emperor intended to follow her in
the coui-se of a few days.
" I should set out this very day," he said, pacing his cabinet,
to his confidential agent Hudelist, the Aulic councillor, "but
I should like to see previously Count Bubna, whom I have
sent to Bonaparte."
" I hope, your majesty, that the count will j^et return to-
day," replied Hudelist, in his humble bland voice.
"God grant it ! " sighed the emperor. "It is very tedious
here, and I hojie our sojourn at Totis will not be so mournful
and wearisome. Pi-ince Lichtenstein told mo thire were ex-
cellent fishing-ponds there, and he added that he had caused
to he built a laboratory where I might manufacture sealing-
wax. I think, Hudelist, we shall be very industrious there,
and manufacture new and beautiful styles."
"I received to-day a new receipt for making carmine seal-
ing-wax, perfumed a la rose" said Hudelist, smiling.
" Ah, that is nice," exclaimed the emperor ; " give it to me
— let me read it."
376 ANDREAS HOFER.
The Aalic councillor drew a paper from his bosom and
lianded it with a low bow to the emperor. Francis took it
quickly, and fixed his eyes smilingly on it.
His features, however, suddenly became very gloomy,
and he threw the paper indignantly on the table. " What
do you give me this for ? " he asked, angrily. '* In speaking
of the receipt, I had forgotten the abominable political
situation for a moment, but you must at once remind me
of it."
" My God ! " faltered out Hudelist, " what did I do, then, to
excite your majesty's indignation ? "
The emperor took the paper from the table and handed it
to him. " See," he said, already half jjacified, " is that a receipt
for making sealing-wax ? "
" Good heavens ! " groaned Hudelist, in dismay, '' I made a
mistake. In place of the receipt, I handed to your majesty the
draft of the proclamation to your sul)jects, which your ma-
jesty ordered me to write. Oh, I humbly beg your majesty's
pardon for having made so lamentable a blunder ; I — '
"Well, never mind," interrupted the emperor; "there is
no harm done. You handed me one receipt, in place of an-
other ; and it is true, the sealing-wax receipt may remain in
your pocket until we arrive at Totis, but the other receipt is
needed immediately, for it is destined to reduce the people to
submissiveness and tranquillity. Well, read the proclama-
tion you have drawn up."
" Your majesty, I have carried out carefully the orders of
your majesty, and the instructions of yovir minister, Count
Metternich, and written only what ^our majesty had agreed
upon with the minister."
" Eead it,'' said the emperor, taking the fly-flap from the
table ; and, while he was slowly gliding along the walls, and
killing now and then a fly, Hudelist read as follows :
"To my people and my army !— My beloved subjects, and
even my enemies know that, in entering upon the present
war, I was induced to take up arms neither by thirst for con-
quest nor by moi'tified personal feelings.
" Self-preservation and independence, a peace which would
be compatible with the honor of my crown, and which Avould
THE FIFTEENTH OF AUGUST AT COMORX. 3^7
give security and tranquillity to my people, were the lofty and
only objects which I strove to attain.
"The lickle fortunes of war have not fultilled niy expecta-
tions ; the enemy penetrated into the heart of my states, and
exposed them to the devastations of a war carried on with the
most relentless exasperation and barbarity ; but, at the same
time, he became acquainted with the patricjtic spirit of my peo-
ple and the bravery of my army.
"This experience, which he purchased after fearful blood-
shed, and my unvarying solicitude for the happiness of my
subjects, brought about mutual advances for peace negotia-
tions. My plenipotentiaries met with those of the French
emperor.
''I am desirous of concluding an honorable peace, tiie
terms of which offer the possibility and prospect of its dura-
tion. The bravery of my army, its unwavering courage, its
ardent patriotism, its emphatic wish not to lay down its arms
pi-ior to the conclusion of an honorable peace, prevent me from
submitting to terms which would shake the foundations of
the empire, and dishonor us after such great and genei-ous
sacrifices and so much bloodshed.
''The noble spirit animating the army is a sufficient guar-
anty that, if the enemy should after all mistake our intentions
and strength, we shall certainly obtain the reward of con-
stancy in the end."*
" There," cried the empei'or at this moment, striking with
the tl^'-flap at the wall, '' that will at length put an end to your
iiiimming, with which you have dinned my ears for a quarter
(»t' an hour. Come here, Hudelist, and look at this bluebottle
tly. The whole tune while you were reading I was chasing it,
and have only just got it. Did you ever see so large a fly ? "
"It is a very large fly indeed," said Hudelist, with a grin.
" I do not believe that it is a bluebottle fly," exclaimed the
emperor. " It is Bonaparte, who has transformed himself
into a bluebottle fly, as Jove once transformed liimself into an
ox ; and he came hither to annoy me and din my ears until I
am quite sick. Yes, yes, Hudelist. believe me, Bonaparte is a
huge bluebottle fly, which drives all Europe mad. Ah, would
* Sue Iloniiayr'* " .Vinliv as llulVr,"' vol. ii., y. 440.
378 ANDREAS HOFER.
I could treat him as I treat this abominable bluebottle fly now,
and crush him under my foot ! "
And the emperor crushed the writhing insect under his
heel.
'' Your majesty will surely enjoy one day the pleasure of
crushing Bonaparte, the huge bluebottle fly, under your heel,"
said Hudelist. " Only your majesty must be gracious enough
to have patience, and not now try to attain what ;\ou will
surely accomplish at a later time. At this juncture Bonaparte
is strong and superior to us ; but let us wait until there is a
moment when he is weak ; your majesty will profit by this
moment, and crush him."
"See, see how kind you are !" exclaimed the emperor, with
a sardonic smile ; " you are so obliging as to give me advice
which I did not ask for. I thank you, Mr. Aulic Councillor,
but I believe it will be better for me to follow my own under-
standing. As God Almighty has placed me at the head of
Austria and made me emperor, He must confide in my ability
to discharge the duties of my imperial office. Well, you need
not look so dismayed ; I know that your intentions are good,
and I confide in you."
" Your majesty knows that I am ready to die for you, and
that I should shed my blood for you unhesitatingly and joy-
ously," exclaimed Hudelist, enthusiastically. " It was, there-
fore, only my intense love and veneration which made me
venture to communicate my views freely and openly to your
majesty ; but I shall never do so again, for I was unfortunate
enough to displease your majesty tliereby."'
" On the contrary, you shall always do so, you shall always
tell me your opmion freely and openly," cried the emperor,
vehemently. "You shall tell me all that you believe, all that
you know, and all that you hear and learn from others. Your
eai^, eyes, and tongue, shall belong to me."
" And my heart, above all things, bcloi-.gs to my adored em-
peror, your majesty."
" Have you really got a heart ? " asked the emperor, smil-
ing. " I do not believe it, Hudelist ; you are a clever, saga-
cious man, but you had better say nothing about your lieart. for
I think you have used it up in your countless love-afTairs.
TlIK FIITKENTH OF AUGIST AT COMORO. 379
Moreover, I do not cave for it. I do not think a great deal of
men who have too nnu-h heart, and who always allow their
rash heart to iutlucnce their actions. My distinguished
brother, the Ai'chduke John, for instance, has this fault and
weakness ; his heart frequently runs away with his head, and
his legs finally run after it.''
" But he is a very brave general," said Hudelist, gently ;
"a courageous captain, and a most defiant and foolhardy ene-
my of France. How unwavering were the courage and in-
trepidity with which he met the Viceroy of Italy everywhere,
and attacked him, even though he knew beforehand that he
would be unable to worst the superior enemy ! How great
was the magnanimity with which he risked all, and did not
shrink from sacrificing the lives of thousands in attempting
to carry out an insignificant cou}} against the enemy ! And
how sublime was the heroism with which he has often dared
to brave the orders of the commander-in-chief and pursue his
own way, on finding that these orders were dangerous and
pernicious to his armj' I "
"Yes," cried the emperor, bursting into scornful laughter,
" it was owing to this disobedience and stubbornness that we
lost the battle of Wagram. If the Archduke John had been
more obedient, and arrived with his troops in time, we should
have gained the battle, I should not be in this miserable hole,
and it would not be necessary for me to sue Bonaparte so
humbly and contritely for generous terms of peace. The
good heart of my distinguished brother subjected me to this
unpleasant necessity, and I shall one day manifest to him my
gratitude for it."
" Oh, your majesty," said Hudelist, in his blandest voice,
"if the archduke should have unwittingly committed a blun-
der on this occasion, he has made a thousand amends for it.
Your majesty should bear in mind all that the noble Ai'ch-
duke John accomplished in the Tyrol. Your majesty owes it
only to the archduke that the Tyrol rose as one man, that it
fought, and is lighting stiil, with the utmost heroism. He ar-
ranged it all ; he organized a conspiracy in the Tyrol while
the country was yet under the Bavarian yoke— a vast, gigantic
conspiracy ; owing to his secret instigation, the revolution
380 ANDREAS HOFER.
broke out simultaneously iu all parts of the Tyrol, and it is
the name of the Archduke John which fills this people of
heroes with the sublime courage which it displays in the most
murderous battles."
'' It is bad enough that it is so," exclaimed the emperor,
striding uneasily up and down the room. "The Archduke
John sowed the seeds of jiei^nicious weeds, and played a very
dangerous game."
" It is true, it is dangerous to preach rebellion to a people,
and teach it how to rise in insurrection," said Hudelist,
thoughtfully. " And it cannot be denied that the insurrection
of the Tyrolese sets a deplorable example in some respects. It
is true, the archduke organized the conspiracy only for the
good of Austria and her emperor ; but what the Tyrolese are
doing to-day for the emperor, they might another time do
against hiva' ; and if the archduke were not so exceedingly
loyal and entirely above suspicion, one might think he had
stirred up the insurrection for his own purposes and benefit.
At all events, it only depends on him to have himself pro-
claimed King of the Tyrol, for his influence is all-powerful in
that province."
The emperor uttered a cry of rage. His eyes shot fire, his
lips quivered and muttered incoherent threats, his cheeks had
turned livid, and he paced his room in indescribable agitation.
Then, as if to give vent to the rage filling his breast, he took
up the fly-flap and struck violently at the flies seated here and
there on the wall.
Hudelist followed his every motion with his cold, stealthy
ej^es, and an expression of scorn and malicious joy illumi-
nated his sombre face for a moment.
"It was efPectual," he murmured to himself ; "jealousy
and suspicion have struck roots in his heart, and we shall suc-
ceed in neutralizing the influeiice of the archduke, who con-
stantly preaches war, and w^ar at any cost."
Suddenly the emperor cast his fly-flap aside, and turned
to Hudelist, whose face had quickly resumed its quiet, humble,
and impenetrable expression.
" Hudelist," said the emperor, in a low and mysterious tone,
"always tell me all you know about the archduke, and do not
TUii FIFTEENTH UF AUGUST AT COMOKN. 381
conceal any thing from nie. 1 must know all, and count ujjon
your sincerity and talent of observation."
" Your majesty," cried Hudelist, ardently, '' I swear that I
will faithfully carry out the orders of my emperor. Not a
word, not a step, not a manifestation of public opinion shall
be concealed from your majesty ; for, as your majesty was
gracious enough to observe, my ears, eyes, and tongue, belong
to your majesty."
At this moment the door of the anteroom opened, and a
footman announced Count Bubna.
" Let him come in," said the emperor ; and he dismissed,
with a (luick wave of his hand, Hudelist, who. bowing respect-
fully, and walking backward, left the emperor's cabinet at the
same moment that Count Bubna appeared on the threshold of
the opposite door.
The emperor hastened to meet him. " Now speak, count ! "
he exclaimed, eagerly ; " did j'ou see Bonaparte ? Did he ad-
mit you ? "
•' Yes, your majesty," said Count Bubna, with gloomy
gravity, " the Emperoi- Napoleon did admit me. 1 had a long
interview with him."
The emperor nodded his head. " Did he offer you terms of
peace ? "
" He did, but I cannot conceal from your majesty that the
Emperor Napoleon will impose very harsh and oppressive
conditions. He is exceedingly irritated, atid the hei-oic resist-
ance which our army offered to him, our bi'illiant victory at
Aspem, and the fact that his victory at Wagram was after all
little better than a drawn battle, seem to have exasperated hnn
in the extreme. For this reason he is resolved to imjio.se rig-
orous terms of peace cm us, because, if Austria sliould submit
to them, she would thereby admit that the Emperor of the
French gained a great victory at Wagram."
" Well, I am glad that he is irritated," said the emperor,
shrugging his shoulders ; " so am I, and I shall not accept any
peace which wH)uld impose humiliating terms on Austria.
That is what I have promised this very day to my people in
the proclamation lying on the table yonder ; and I o\^'e it,
moreover, to myself. Either an honorable peace, or a deci-
382 ANDREAS HOFER.
sioii by the fortune of war. If need be, I will call upon my
whole people to take up arms ; I will place myself at the head
of this grand army, and either defeat Bonapai'te, or succumb
honorably. "
" Ah, if your people could see your majesty in your gener-
ous excitement, with how much enthusiasm they would follow
their emperor and expel the enemy !" exclaimed Count Bubna.
" And yet even the most intense enthusiasm might fail, for
circumstances are more powerful than your majesty's heroism.
The Empenjr Napoleon is determined to follow up his success
to its most extreme consequences, and we are at this juncture
unable to cope with him in the long run. All the gaps in his
army have been filled up, and his soldiers are flushed with
victory, and eager to meet our own forces. Our army is
greatly weakened, disorganized, and disheartened ; and, more-
over, it has no commander-in-chief, inasmuch as your majesty
has accepted the resignation of the generalissimo. To con-
tinue the war would be equivalent to endangering the exist-
ence of Austria and the imperial dynasty itself.''
" Ah, you mean that Bonaparte would be pleased to say of
my dynasty what he said of Naples and Spain : ' The Bourbons
have ceased to reign' ?"
" Your majesty, although the Emperor Napoleon did not
dare to use such unmeasured language, he did not fail to hint
at such an event. Having admitted me after repeated refusals
and hearing my fii-st words, ' My august master, the Emperor
of Austria,' the Empei'or Napoleon interrupted me, and cried
vehemently, ' There is no longer an Emperor of Austria, but
only a Prince of Lorraine ! ' ''
" Ah, indeed, he permits me at least to retain the title of a
Prince of Lorraine ! And what else did he say ? Do not con-
ceal any thing from me. Count Bubna, but bear in mind that
I must know all, in order to take my resolutions accord-
ingly."
" Your majesty, if I did not bear this in mind, I should
never venture to repeat what the Emperor Napoleon permitted
himself to say to me. He seemed to speak quite unreservedly
in my presence ; lying on the floor by the side of his maps, or
sitting on the table and placing his feet on a chair, or stand-
TUK lllTKKNTII OF ALUiTST AT (()M»>F{N. 383
ins before mo with folilod iinns, he spoke to nie with a fi'aiik-
ncss which almost frightened me, and wliicli at times seemed
to me quite iuvoluntaiy."
" There you were mistaken, at all events," said Francis,
shruggin'"- his shoulders. '"Bonaparte never does anything
unintentionally, and not a word escapes him but what he
wants to utter. I know him better than you all, though I
have seen him oul}- once in my life ; and God knows that,
after my interview with him subsequent to the battle of Aus-
terlitz, my heart was filled with intense hatred against him.
Now, my lieart is more constant in hatred than in love ; and
if it is said that love makes us blind, hatred, on the other
hand, renders lis keen-sighted, and that is the reason why I
am able to see through Bonaparte and know him better than
you all. Tell me, therefore, what he said so frankly to you,
and I shall know what to think of his statements which seem
to you uninlenticjiial expressions of his real sentiments.
What does he think of the armistice ? Is he really intent on
drawing the sword once more, or is he inclined to conclude
peace ? "
" Inclined, your majesty, is not the right word. He in-
tends to grant peace to your majesty in i-eturn for heavy sac-
rifices. Your majesty will have to sacrifice much territory,
many fortresses, and finally a gi-eat deal of money, in order to
obtain peace."
" And what if I should not do so ?" cried Fx-ancis, impetu-
ously. '' What if I should prefer to resume hostilities and die
honorably on the ruins of my empire rather than purcha.se a
dishonorable peace ? What would he say then ? "
" Then he would resume hostilities with his strong and en-
thusiastic army ; he would, as he told me more than once in
his thundering voice, he inexorable, and no considerations of
generosity would ])revenl him from wreaking vengeance on
his personal enemy ; for as .such he would regard your majes-
ty in that event."
'* But the people of Nuremberg do not hang any one before
they have got him," said the emperor, calmly. ''Bonaparte
has not got me yet, and I thinlc he will not catch me soon.
Despite all his braggadocio, he will be obliged to allow the con
384 ANDREAS HOFER.
tiuued existence of the Austrian Empire, for all Europe would
rise against him ; even Russia herself would become his en-
emy, and draw the sword against him, if he should be daring
enough to appropriate the Austrian Empire and swallow it as
he swallowed Italy."
" Your majesty, I also do not believe that he would menaae
Austria in case he should be driven again to hostilities ; he
threatens only the Emperor of Austria."
" What do you mean, Bubna ? " asked the emperor, vehe-
mently.
"Your majesty," said Count Bubna, in a low, timid voice,
" the Emperor Napoleon thinks you are his personal and in-
exorable enemy, and he believes if a monarch more favorable
to him were seated on the throne of Austria, he would not
only soon conclude peace with Austria, but also have a faithful
ally in her hereafter. If hostilities should be resumed, and if
the fortune of war should decide in favor of the Emperor
Napoleon — "
" Proceed, proceed," cried the emperor, impatiently, when
Count Bubna hesitated ; " I must know all, and am not so
cowardly as to be frightened by mere words."
'' But I, your majesty, am afraid of uttering words whose
meaning fills me with loathing and horror — words whicli,
thank God, will never become deeds ! "
" No preamble, count, but speak out," cried the emperor,
impatiently. " What would Bonaparte do in case he should
defeat us again ? "
'* Your majesty, he would place another emperor on the
Austrian throne."
"Ah. always the same old strain," exclaimed the emperor,
contemptuously. " One of his brothers or brothers-in-law is
to become Emperor of Austria, I suppose ? ' The Hapsburg
dynasty has ceased to reign '—that is it. is it not ? "
"No, another prince of the Hapsl)urg dynastj^ is to be
placed on the throne, one of the brothers of the Empei-or
Francis."
" Ah, ah ! he thinks of my brothers," nuirmured the em-
peror, whose cheeks turned very pale. "Well, which of my
brothers did he designate as future Emperor of Austria ? "
THE FIFTEENTH (»K AFGUST AT COMORX. 335
"He thoug-lil it would be best for France if tbe (brone were
ceded to tbe Grand-duke of Wiii'lzbnrg^, the Archduke Ferdi-
nand. He said be bad bad conlidenc(! in the grand-duke ever
since he had been in Tuscany, and he believed that the grand-
duke was likewise fj-iendly to him. He would make him Em-
peror of Austria, and add tbe grand duchy of Wiirtzburg to
tbe kingdom of Bavaria.''
"And the Tyrol?" asked tbe Emperor Francis. "Will
Bonaparte, in bis liberality, give that also to Bavaria, or will
he leave it to my brother Ferdinand, the future Emperor of
Austria ? "
" No, your majesty. Tbe Emperor Napoleon seems to have
entirely new and rather singular plans in regard to the Tyrol.
According to these plans, Bavaria is not to keep it, for Napo-
leon said angrily that Bavaria had not at all known how to
deal witb the simple and honest Tyrolese. He added tbat pro-
found tranquillity should reign in the mountains ; hence, he
could not restore the Tyi'ol to Bavaria, against which the Tyr-
olese were animated by intense hatred. As tbe Tyrolese had
manifested their attachment and fidelity to Austria in so ad-
mirable a manner, it would be best to make the Tyrol an in-
dependent ])rincipality, and give it also to one of the arcb-
dukes, tbe brothers of the emperor."*
" By tbe Eternal I my brothers seem to be the special fa-
vorites of the Emperor Napoleon," exclaimed the emperor.
'' Which of the archdukes is to receive the new principality of
the Tyrol at Bonaparte's bands ? "
"Your majesty, he said tbe Tyrol should be given to
tbat archduke for whom the Tyrolese bad always mani-
fested tbe greatest love and enthusiasm, the Archduke
John."
"John!" cried the emperor, giving a start; "John is to
become sovereign of the Tyrol ? Ah, my sagacious and
learned brother has speculated correctly, then ! He first stirred
up a rebellion in tbe Tyi-ol in the shrewdest manner, and
he will now quiet the beloved Tyrol, by becoming its sovereign
and ruler."
" Your majesty," exclaimed the count, in dismay, " it is not
* Napoleon's own word.i. — See " Lebensbilder," vol. v., p. 217.
386 ANDREAS JIOFER.
the noble Archduke John who conceived sncli phiiis, but the
Emj)eror Napoleon."
" He seems at least to keep up a touching understanding
with my brothers. I should like to know whether Jiis gener-
osity will not provide crowns and states for the other arch-
dukes too. And then, you have not told me yet what he in-
tends to do with me after hurling me from the throne. Does
he want to keep me confined like the King of Spain and Pope
Pius, or will he permit me to live as a refugee in foreign lands,
like the King of Naples ? "
" Your majesty, Napoleon only dreamed of the future, and
dreams never arc logical and consistent. I myself listened to
his dreams in silence, and they amused me as the merry fairy-
stories of my childhood did — fairy-stories invented only for
the purpose of making us laugh."
" Yes, let us laugh at them," exclaimed the emperor, burst-
ing into loud laughter, which, however, sounded so unnatural
that Count Bubna did not join in it. "And now," said the
emperor, v»^hose face suddenly became very gloomy. "' having
spoken enough about Bonaparte's funny dreams, let us turn
to more serious matters. What are the terms on which the
Emperor of the French Avould make peace with me ? What
does he demand ? "
"Your majesty, his demands are so exorbitant that I
scarcely dare to repeat them."
" Never mind," said the emperor, dryly. "If I could lis-
ten quietly to the plan regarding my brothers, I believe I shall
be able to bear the rest. Speak, therefore. What are the
terms on which Napoleon would conclude peace ? "
" He demands the cession of all the provinces actually oc-
cupied by the French armies ; the surrender of the fortresses
still occupied by our troops in these provinces, with their
magazines, arsenals, stores, and supplies ; the surrender of the
fortresses of Gratz and Brunn ; and large contributions in
kind, to be collected by M. Daru, the French intendant-gen-
eral."
" He intends to spoliate Austria as mercilessly as he for-
merly plundered Hambui'g and the whole of Northern Ger-
many," said the emperor, shrugging his shoulders, "And
THE riFTEENTH OK AUGUST AT (^O.MoHN. 3,v^7
does not Bonaparte demaiid any uiouey this time ? Will he
content himself with provinces, fortresses, and contributions
in kind ? Will he extort no money from us ? "
" Your majesty, he demands an enormous sum. He de-
mands the immediate payment of two huiulred and thirty-
seven millions of francs."*
" Well, well, he will take less than that," exclaimed the
emperor.
" Then your majesty will graciously negotiate with him on
his terms of peace?" asked Count Buhna, joyously. "Bear-
ing in mind only the welfare of janir monarchy, you will not
reject his i-igorous denuinds entirely, and not allow the armis-
tice to lead to a resumption of hostilities, which, under the
present circumstances, could not but involve Austria in utter
ruin ?"
"I shall think of it." said the emperor; "at all events, I
have al)-eady shown my desire for peace by sending my min-
isters, Counts Stadion and Metternich, to Altenburg, to nego-
tiate there with Bona])arte's minister Champagny. I shall
not recall them, but allow them to continue the negotiations.
They are skilled diplomatists, and men of great sagacity. The
labors of diplomatists generally make slow headway ; hence,
it will be good for us to lend them a little secret assistance.
While the plenipotentiaries aie negotiating publicly at Alten-
l)urg in Hungary, I will secretly begin to negotiate with the
emperor himself ; and you, Count Bubna, shall be my agent
for this ]>urpose."
" Your majesty," exclaimed Count Bubna, in a tone of sur-
pi'ise rather than joy, " your majesty reposes in me so nuich
confidence — "
" Which, I hope, you will appreciate, and strive to render
youi'self worthy of," interrupted the emperoi*. " I count on
your skill, your zeal, and, above all, your discretion. You
will take new proposals of peace to-morrow, on my part, to
the headquarters of the Emperor Napoleon, at SchonbiMinn.
But no ono must learn of your mission, and, least of all. my
two ministers who are negotiating at Altenburg."
'■ Sire, I shall keep as silent as the grave.''
* See Schlosser's " Ui-story of the NiiKtoentli (.\iitury," v..l. viii., p. 113.
388 ANDREAS UUFER.
"A bad comparison, Bubna, for new life is to blossom for
Austria from your secret negotiations. Well, go now aud
repose ; we will afterward confer again in regard to this mat-
ter, and I will explain my views to you. But say, Bubna, do
you really think that Bonaparte was in earnest about his
dreams, and that, in case he should defeat us again, he would
seriously think of carrying into effect his plans regarding the
Archdukes Ferdinand and John ? "
'' I am afraid, your majesty, he was in earnest."
" The Emperor Napoleon, then, hates me intensely ?' "
" He believes that your majesty hates him intensely. He
told me once fi'ankly that only your majesty's personal hatred
had brought about this war, and that he was afraid this hatred
would frustrate all peace negotiations. I ventured to contradict
him, but he shook his head vehemently and exclaimed, ' The
Emperor Francis hates me so intensely, that I believe he
would lose his crown and empire sooner than ally himself
with me in a cordial maiancr, even though he should derive
the greatest advantages therefrom. Do you think, for in-
stance, that the Emperor Francis, if I wished to become his
son-in-law, would give me the hand of his daughter, even
though I should relinquish half the war contribution, and re-
store to him all the provinces occupied by my armies ? ''
'' What ? Did Napoleon really say that ? '' asked the em-
peror, with unusual, almost joyful vivacity. " But,'' he added,
gloomily, " this is nothing but one of Napoleon's dreams. He
has a wife, and the Empress Josephine is so young and gay
yet that she does not think of dying."'
" But the Emperor Napoleon, I have been told, thinks a
great deal of getting a divorce from her.'"
" The pope, whom he keeps imprisoned, will never grant it
to him," exclaiined the emperor.
'' I think he will not even apply to him for it, your majesty.
The Emperor Napoleon never had his union with the Empress
Josephine consecrated by the Church, and the dissolution of a
civil marriage does not require the pope's consent. The em-
peror can dissolve it by virtue of his own authority."
"That is a very convenient arrangement 'for M. Bona-
parte," said Francis, smiling. "Well, go now, count, and re
THE FIFTEENTH <)F AUGUST AT rOMORX. DSO
])OR0. T Mill very coiitcul witli your servicos. and I tliiiik I
shall be so liovraftor also. Aflicii. I shall sond for yon
again."
Ho noddod kindly to the count, and stood slill smiling-ly at
his writing-table in the middle of the cabinet, until the door
of the anteroom closed behind Count Bubna. But thereupon
his face assumed a gloomy, bitter expression, and he lifted up
his clinched fist with a menacing gesture.
" My brothers ! " he cried, in an angry voice ; " always my
brothei-s ! They are always eager to push me aside, /am al-
ways to be kept in the shade, that their light may shine more
brightly. Ah, we shall see who is Emperor of Austria, and to
whom the Tyrol belongs ; we shall see who is the master,
and who has to obey. As yet I am emperor, as yet I have
to decide on war and peace. And I will decide. I will
humiliate them and compel them to be obedient, these boast-
ful archdukes, who always preach war and are woi'sted in
every battle ! Oh, they are stirring up rebellion, and stretch-
ing out their hands for my property ! But one stroke of
Tiiy pen will shatter their crowns, stifle their rebellion, and
reduce them to submissiveness. I will make peace with
Napoleon, and the seditious Tyrol shall be quieted without
being bestowed upon the Archduke John. I would rather
have it restored to Bavaria than that it should be con-
ferred on my brother. That would be a just retribution for
the seditious peasants ; they have set a bad example, and
should be punished for it. I do not want any conspirators
among my subjects. Let Bavaria see how she will get along
with the rebellious Tyrolese ! I shall withdraw my hand
fi'om them. I want peace. I will remain Emperor of Aus-
tria despite all my brothers ! "
390 ANDREAS IIOFER.
CHAPTER XXXV.
A DAY OF THE EMPEROR'S LIEUTENANT.
The imperial palace at Innspruck was still the residence of
Sandwirth Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol,
and lieutenant of the Emperor Francis. He had lived there
since the 15th of August ; but as simply, quietly, and modestly
as he had lived when he was a horse-dealer and innkeeper, so
he lived now when he was ruler of the T^- rol, and the emperor's
lieutenant. Instead of occupying the large state apartments
of the imperial palace, as his friends had often asked him to do,
Andreas had selected the plainest and humblest rooms for his
quarters, and his style of living was as simple and modest as
his dwelling-place. Vainly his suite tried to persuade him to
hold levees and receive guests at his festive table. Andreas
rejected all such .suggestions with proud and withal humble
indignation.
" Do you think I took this arduous task upon myself to
play the aristocratic gentleman, and revel in luxury ? " he re-
plied to those who asked him to adopt such a course. " I did
not become the empei'or's lieutenant to display vain and empty
splendor, but to serve my dear Tyrol and preserve it to the
emperor. I am only a simple jjeasaut, and do not want to
live like a prince. I am accustomed to have bread, butter, and
cheese for breakfast, and I do not know why I should change
this now, merely because I am no longer at home with my
dear wife, but here at Innspruck at the emperor's palace. I
am also accu.stomed to dine very plainly, and am therefore
opposed to any expensive repasts being got up for me here. I
do not like the meats prepared by the cooks of the aristocracy ;
and while I do not want anything but bread, butter, cheese,
and wine, I shall send to Niedei-kircher's tavern for my dinner.
But it must never cost more than half a florin. I will invite
guests, for I like to have merry peojjle about me ; but the
guests must not come for the sake of the repast, but for that
of our pleasant conversation. I shall send to Niederkii-chev
for the dinner of all my guests, and he must send enough,
A DAY OK Till': MMl'KKOIt'S LIKIJTENANT. ;',91
lost any ()f tliom slioiild remain luui<>-i-y. But there must
never be more than six o-uests, for it would be too bad if I,
who intend to pi-esei-ve tlie Tyrol to the emperor, were to cost
liim a o-i-eat deal of money here. In order to prevent mi.s-
take, Niederkircher must send' in his bill every morning for
me to examine ; the financial secretary shall pay it every
week, and .send me the receipt."*
Andreas Hofer remained in these days of his splendor as
active, industrious, and simple as he always had been. The
welfare of his beloved country engrossed all his thoughts, and
he was desirou,s of devoting his whole strength to it. He is-
sued a number of useful and liberal decrees, which, it is true,
Ennemoser, Doninger, Kolb, or other friends of his had drawn
up, but which he had ap{)roved and signed.
Andreas Hofej- gave public audiences every morning like a
real prince, and the sentinels placed in front of the imperial
palace and at the door of the commander-in-chief had received
stringent orders not to refuse admittance to the audience-room
to any one, but allow all to come in, how poorly soever they
might be dressed. Andreas listened to ev^ery one with kind
patience and cordial sympathy, and always took care to help
console the distressed, make peace, and conciliate ; and every
one who needed comfort and assistance hastened to apply to
the always helpful commander-in-chief.
To-day again many persons were in tlie audience-room,
waiting impaliently for the moment when the door should
open, and when Andreas Ilofer should make his appearance on
the threshold, greet all with a pleasant nod of his head, and
then beckon to him who was nearest to the door to enter his
cabinet.
But the hour fixed for the audience had struck long ago,
and the commander-in-chief, who was usually so punctual and
conscientious, had not yet opened the door of his audience-
room. He had already been half an hour in his cabinet, and
Doninger sat at tlic desk, ready to write down the names of all
applicants for audience, and add a hrief statement of -their
* Tlie expenses of Ilofer ami hi.s wliole suite, duriM>( their six week.s'
sojourn in the city of Innspruek, cost the public exchequer only five hundred
florins.
392 ANDREAS HOFER.
wishes and petitions. But Andreas was still pacing the room,
his hands behind his back ; and although he had already laid
his hand twice on the door-knob, he had stepped back as if in
terror, and continued striding up and down.
" Commander-in-chief," said Ddninger, after a long pause,
during which he had watched Hofer's irresolute bearing
smilingly, '' there is soraethiug that disquiets you, is there
not ? "
" Yes, Cajetau," sighed Andreas. " As you have found it
out, I will no longer deny that there is something that dis-
quiets me."
" And what is it, commander-in-chief ? Will you not com-
municate it to your faithful and discreet Cajetan ?"
"Yes, I will, my dear Cajetan," said Hofer. "' I am afi*aid
I did somethiiig very stupid yesterday, and I am ashamed
of it."
" Ah, you allude to the lawsuit which you decided yester-
day," exclaimed Doninger.
" You see, no sooner did I say that I did something very
stupid, than you at once knew what I meant ; what I did must,
therefore, have been very stupid indeed. Yes, I alluded to the
lawsuit, Cajetan, for I am afraid I did not decide it, but made
it only more complicated."
" On the whole, there was nothing to be decided," said
Doninger, dryly. "The lawsuit was already decided; the
supreme court had given jvidgment in favor of the plaintiff
and awarded to him the sum of one thousand florins, which
was at issue, and sentenced the defendant to pay that sum
and the costs. But the defendant — "
" It was no man, Cajetan," interrupted Andreas ; "it was a
woman, and tliat was the worst of it. I cannot bear to see
women weep. They know so well how to touch my heart by
their tears and lamentations, that I long to help them. Lord
Jesus, how that woman, the defendant in the lawsuit, wept !
And was it the poor woman's fault, Cajetan, that her deceased
husband was head over ears in debt, that he borrowed one
thousand florins from a friend, and meanly affixed his wife's
name without her knowledge to the note which he gave for
it?"
A DAY OF THE EMPEliOR'S LIEUTENANT. 393
" But that is just the trouble, commander-in-chief ; not
only did she know it, but she herself put her name under the
note. I myself asked the judges about it yesterday-. They
say that the woman is known to be avaricious, greedy, and
mean, and they would not have given judgment against her
if there had not been sworn evidence to the effect that she
hei"self signed the note. They add that she is rich enough to
pay back the thousand ilorins which her husband certainly
borrowed from his fi-iend."
" I cannot believe it," exclaimed Andreas. " She wept and
lamented so very unaffectedly ; during my whole wedded life
I have not seen my wife weep so much as the woman wept
during that quarter of an hour yesterday ; and I think one
that can weep so much must be innocent. Hence, I did what
I had a perfect right to do ; I wrote to the judges and re-
versed their decision."
'' Well, commander-in-chief, if you think you were justified
in what you did, why does it disquiet you ?"
" It does," said Andreas Hofer, '' because I think now that
the plaiutitf, who lost his suit, raaj' feel verj' sore over it, and
blame me for depriving liini of what he thought was due to
bim ; and I shudder to think he may be in the otliei- room,
and intend to reproach me with ruining bim and taking from
liiui what the judges had alreadj'^ awarded to him."
" And, Andy, because you would not like to see one man,
you keep the others wailing outside."
'• You are right, Cajetan. I ought not to do that ; I am a
selfish, cowardly fellow," cried Andreas, contritely. " I w'ill
no longer keep them waiting, but admit them at once."
And he went with a hasty step to the door of the audience-
room, threw it open, and stepped upon the threshold. The
large room was crowded with persons of every age and rank ;
all thronged toward the door, and every one was desirous of
being the first to greet the commander-in-chief, and to be in-
vited by him into his cabinet.
Aiulreas Hofer bowed kindly to all; his eyes fell on an old
man with silver-white hair, who was striving to penetrate to
him, and cast besooching glances on him.
" My old friend," said Andreas, mildly, " it is true you are
2G
394 ANDREAS HOFER.
not nearest to the door, but you are the oldest person in the
room, and tiierefore it is right for ine to listen to you first.
Come in, then, and tell me what you want of me."
The old man, leaning on his cane, hastened forward and
entered the cabinet, the door of which Andreas Hofer himself
closed behind him.
" Now tell me, my aged friend, who are you, and what I
can do for you."
" Much, very much, commander-in-chief," replied the old
man, in a tremulous voice. " You can grant me justice. My
name is Friedel Hofmeier, and I am the unfortunate man who
gained his lawsuit yesterday, and who was to get his thousand
florins back, but from whom you took them again by virtue of
your supreme authority."
"Cajetan, it is as I said," sighed Andreas, turning with a
doleful air to Doninger, who sat at the desk, pen in hand,
and bovfed to the commander-in-chief with a shrug.
"I come to you, the emperor's lieutenant, to demand jus-
tice," added the old man. *' Your decree was unjust and con-
trary to law. The judges had decided in my favor, and by
reversing their judgment, you treat with harshness and cruel-
ty an old jnan who stands on the brink of the grave, and de-
prive my poor grandchild of its whole inheritance."
" May God and the Holy Virgin preserve me from commit-
ting such a crime," murnuired Andreas Hofer, crossing him-
self devoutly. '' Ah, my friend, why did you not come to me
ere this, and tell me all about it ? I should have gladly as-
sisted you in recovering what was due to you."
" And yet it is your fault that I cannot recover what is due
to me," cried the old man, mournfully. " Why should I have
come hither ere this, and robbed you of your precious time ?
I confided in my good and just cause; I knew tliat the good
God would not abandon me, and that He would not take from
me, after losing innocently most of my property by the cruel-
ty of the enemy, w^ho burned down my house and outbuild-
ings, the last remnant of my little fortune, the thousand florins
which I lent to my friend, and which his rich wife engaged in
her own handwriting to pay back ten years after date. The
ten years had expired ; the good God did not abandon me. ^or
A DAY OK TIIK liMPEHUR'.S LIEUTENANT. 395
He caused the judges to grant me justice and adjudge tlie thou-
sand florins to me.''
"And I took them from him again," murmured Andreas
Hofer, witli tears in his eyes ; " and it is my fault that he will
die witli a grief-stricken heart. Cajetan, I have ruined the
old man ; tell me. advise me how to make amends fur it."
" You reversed the decision of the judges," said Douiuger,
slowly ; " you possess the power of reversing all decisions."
Andreas Hofer was silent for a moment, and gazed
thoughtfully into vacancy, as if to fathom the meaning of an
ohscure oracle ; all at once his face brightened, and a joyovis
smile played round his lips.
" I know it now, Cajetan," he exclaimed. '' I have the
power to reverse all decisions, and therefoi'c my own also."
Cajetan Diininger nodded with silent satisfaction. The
old man clasped his hands and ga/.ed at Hofer with an ex-
pression of ardent gratitude.
" Will you really do so, Andreas Hofer V he asked ti'eni-
blingly. " Will you reverse your own decree for the sake of
justice ? "
"Yes, I will," exclaimed Hofer, joyfully; "and I will do
it immediately. Cajetan, take up your pen and write what I
am going to dictate to you. Tliere I now write as follows :
' I, the undersigned, confess by these presents that T committed
a mistake yesterday, and violated the laws. To confess mis-
takes and avow faults is no disgrace; hence, I do so now. and
beg pardon of the good God and the judges for doing wrong.
I hereby reverse the decision which I made yesterday. Frie-
del Hofmeier is to receive the thousand florins which the su-
])reme court adjudged to him, and the decision of the judges
is to be valid, notwithstanding my decree issued yesterday.'
Now give me the pen and let me sign the document."
"Oh, dear commander-in-chief," exclaimed the delighted
old man, " what a noble and kind-hearted man you are,
and-- "
" Hush ! " interrupted Andreas, looking up from the paper;
" if I make a mistake now, the whole document will be in-
valid, and we must commence anew. Now I tell you it is
hard work to write one's name with such a pointed pen on the
396 ANDREAS HOFER.
paper, and my name, moreover, has such a long-tailed title.
Therefore, keep quiet and let me write. There, it is done now
— 'Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol.' Now,
my dear old friend, your document is valid. Take it to the
city hall, and permit me to congratulate you on having re-
covered your thousand florins. Say nothing ahout it now,
hut hasten to the city hall. There are outside a great many
persons who wish to see me."
He handed the paper to the old man, and condvicted him to
the door, which he himself opened for him. He was about to
follow him, when he suddenly drew back and closed the door
after him.
" Cajetan," he whispered, anxiously, '' I saw something
dreadful ! "
" "What was it, commander-in-chief ? "
" Cajetan, I saw the woman whom Friedel Hofmeier sued,
and to whom I gave the decree yesterday. Cajetan, I was not
afraid when we were on Mount Isel and at Brixen, but I am
afraid of that woman and her dreadful lamentations. I do
not know what to do, Doninger, if she should have found
out what I have done, and come in here to reproach me with
it."
" We shall not admit her, commander-in-chief," said Do-
ninger, laughing.
" But, Cajetan, I made a vow never to refuse admittance
to any one, and not, as many princes do, to allow distressed
pei'sons to wait in my anteroom and send them away with-
out listening to them and comforting them."
" But you heard, Andreas, that the w^oman is not in dis-
tress, for she is rich and very avai'icious. She told you the
most impudent falsehoods ; hence, she must not be admitted ;
for, if you allow her to come in again, she would lie as she
did yesterday."
" You are right, Cajetan, she must not come in ; and now,
my friend, pray go and admit the next applicant, but not that
bad woman."
Doninger went to the door, and, opening it, beckoned to the
person .standing nearest to it.
A young woman, dressed plainly, but very neatly,
A DAY OP THE EMPERUK'S LIEUTENANT. 397
eariie iu, and remained at the door, in visible confusion and
grief.
"Well, niadanie," said Andeas to her, ''do you come to tell
me that all is right, and that your husband and you, his pretty
young wife, live together in happiness and content ? Well, it
was heavy work to reconcile you two, and persuade you to re-
main together and love each other, as it behooves a Christian
couple. It cost me a whole forenoon, but I do not regret it,
for I accomplished my task, and reconciled you, and all was
right again between you. And I made you promise to return
in two weeks and tell me how you got along with each other.
The two weeks are up to-day, and here comes the pretty
young wife to tell me that Andreas Hofer did his work well,
and that her husband is now faithful, tender, and good. Is he
not ? "
" Alas, he is not ! " sobbed the young wife, bursting into
tears. " Tony, my husband, never stays at home in the even-
ing ; he returns only late at night, scolds me for weeping and
upbraiding him with his bad conduct, and yesterday— yester-
day he wanted even to beat me ! "
•' What a bad man ! " cried Andreas, vehemently. " Why
did he want to beat you, then ? What had you done ? "
" I had locked the street-door, and would not let him have
the key when he wanted to leave the house."
" H'em ! that was a little too severe," said Hofer, hesitat-
ingly. " Why should a young man be prevented from going
out a little ? He cannot always stay at home."
" But he shall not go out without me, and he would not
take me with him. I had requested him to do so, and he had
refused ; therefore, I locked the house and would not permit
liim to leave it. He shall not go out without me, for he is
such a fine-looking man, that all the pretty women of Inn-
spruck admire him in his haTidsome national dress, and ogle
him when he passes by."
'• Well^ let them admire and ogle him," exclaimed Andreas,
smiling. " What do you care for it, provided your husband
does not ogle them ? "'
" But he does, commander-in-chief ; he runs after the pret-
ty women i he goes to the theatre and the concerts to see them,
398 ANDREAS UOFER.
and speak and flirt witli them. Believe me, dearest com-
mander-in-chief, he deserts me, he is faithless, and all your fine
and pious exhortations were in vain. He loves me no longer,
and I love him so dearly, and would like lo be always with him
and never desert him. But he says it would be inconvenient
to him, and make him ridiculous, if he should always appear
together with his wife, like a convict with his jailer."
"What a bad, hard-hearted man !" cried Andreas, indig-
nantly.
" He is hard-hearted, indeed," sobbed the young wife. " He
scolds me for my love, and when I like to be with him all the
time, he says my jealousy is disagreeable to him, and there is
nothing more abominable than a jealous wife ! "
" Well, he may be right so far as that is concerned," said
Doninger, busily engaged in cutting his pen.
" What did you say, Cajetan ? " asked Hofer, turning to
him.
'• I did not say anything, but thought aloud," said Donin-
ger, trying his pen.
Hofer was silent for a moment, and gazed into vacancy.
" Yes, my dear woman," he then said boldly, " your husband
may not be altogether wrong in complaining of your jealousy.
I really believe that you are a little jealous, and beg you to try
to overcome your jealousy ; for jealousy is a grievous fault,
and makes many husbands very wretched."
" But must I not be jealous ? " she cried, vehemently, weep-
ing bitterly. " Do I not see that the women are trying to se-
duce him and make him desert me ? Do I not see him at the
theatre gazing at the finely-dressed ladies and admiring their
bare arms and shoulders ? "
" What ! " exclaimed Hofer. " Is it true, then, that the
women here appear in public with bare arms and shoulders ?"
"Yes, sir, it is," sobbed the young wife. "You can see it
everywhere ; it is the new fashion which the French brought
here ; the women wear low-necked dresses with verj^ short
sleeves, so that their shoulders and arms are entirely bare.
All the aristocratic ladie.s of Innspruck have already adopted
this new fashion ; and on seeing them in their boxes at the
theatre, you would believe they were in a bath, precisely as
A DAY OK THK EMT'EKORS LIEUTENANT. 899
(1h> good (Jod created them. And it is owing onl^' to these
hare arms and shouldei's that my dear husband deserts nic and
loves me no k)uger. Tlie aristocratic ladies, with their naked
charms, liave seduced him ; and just think of it. he wants me
to adopt the new fashion too, and go as naked as the other
women ! "
"You nnist not do it," said Hofer in dismay ; "it is a
shameless, unchristian fashion, and no decent woman should
adopt it. This is not the first complaint that I have heard in
regard to the indecent di'ess of the women here. Some of my
neighbors were at the theatre yesterday, and were indignant
at the indecent api)earance of the women there ; they told me
the women sat thei-e dressed in the highest fashion, their husts
entirely bare and not covex'ed with a handkerchief such as
every decent woman in the Passeyr valley wears, and their
arms adorned with all sorts of golden trinkets such as we see
only on those of strolling j^laycrs who perform in barns. But
I will put an end to it ; I will preserve the good and virtuous
men from seduction, and will not suffer vice to dress up, and
sliamelessness to stalk by the side of decency. Just wait, my
dear woman ; I will protect your husband and all other good
men from the seductive wiles of frivolous Avomen, and issue a
decree which will tell all the beautiful women how to behave.
Sit down there and listen to the decree which I shall dictate to
Cajetan Doninger. Cajetan, take a large sheet of stamped
paper and write what I shall dictate to you."
And pacing the room, and slowly stroking his fine black
beard with his right hand, Andreas Hofer dictated as follows :
'•Every one will perceive that we have good reason to
thank the kind and almighty God for helping us so signally
to deliver the fatherland from a powerful and cruel enemy ;
and every one will desire that we should hencefoi'th remain
free from this scourge, with which the Lord, as He punished
His chosen people often in the Old and New Testament, visited
and chastised our fatherland, that we might turn to Him and
mend our ways. We will, therefore, turn to God with heart-
felt thanks for his great mercy, and with the sincere purpose
of improving our morals, and pray Him to protect us from
furtlicr persecution. We must l;y (o gain His paternal love
400 ANDREAS HOFER.
by a devout, chaste, and virtuous life, and discard hatred,
envy, covetousness, and all vices, obey our superiors, lend as
much assistance as possible to our fellow-citizens, and avoid
everything that might give offence to God and man. Now,
many of my excellent comrades and defenders of the country
have been scandalized at the neglect of many women to cover
their arms and breasts, whereby they give rise to sinful desires
which must be highly offensive to God and all good Chris-
tians. It is to be hoped that they will repent, lest God should
punish them ; but if they do not, it w^ll be their own fault
if they should be covered with mire in an unpleasant man-
ner." *
'• Shall I really write that ? " asked Doninger, looking up
from his paper.
"Yes, you shall ; and you shall not omit a word of it," ex-
claimed Andreas Hofer. ''Give me the paper, Cajetan ; I
want to see if you have not scratched out the last words. No,
there it is : 'But if they do not, it will be their own fault if
they should be covered with mire in an unpleasant manner.'
That is right — now give nie the pen, Cajetan, that I may sign
the document. Then seal it up and send it to tlie Official Jour-
nal and the Gazette ; they are to publish it at once, that all the
women of Innspruck may read it to-morrow and know what
to do. Now, my dear woman, I hope you will have some rest,
and need not be afraid of the seductive wiles of those ladies.
Go home, then ; and if you will permit me to give you good
advice, be very gentle and kind towaixl your husband ; and
for God's sake do not torment him with jealousy, for that is a
bitter herb which even the best husband cannot digest, and
which renders him morose and angry. Go, then, with God's
blessing, and come back a week hence, and tell me whether my
decree has been effectual, and whether your husband goes any
longer to the theatre and ogles the women there."
" May God and the Holy Virgin have mercy on us ! "
sighed the woman, going to the door ; " for I shall not bear it
if my dear husband ogles other women, and something dread-
ful will happen if he does not mend his ways. "
* Sec "Gallery of Heroes: Andreas Hofer," p. 135; and Hormayr's "Ho-
fer," vol. ii., p. 445.
THE LOVERS. .101
" God be praisofl ! " said Doninger, witli a dcop sifcli, when
the woman had left the rdora.
'' Why do you say ' God be praised' ? " asked Andreas, in
surprise.
" God be praised that I am not the husband of this jealous
woman. She will torment her husband to death, and leave
him not a moment's repose before he dies."
" It is true, she does not seem to be very gentle," said An-
(h-eas, smiling. "But tlien, Cajetan, slie loves her husband
dearly, is doubtless a virtuous woman, and will never sin
against the seventh commandment. Well, my friend, do not
grumble so much, but go and admit another person."
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE LOVERS.
Doninger went 1o ihe door and opened it. and a beautiful
young girl slipped immediately into the room. "Hush,
hush.'' she whimpered to Donijiger ; " do not say anything to
him." And she hastened on tiptoe to Andreas Hofer, who
was r(>ading once more with close attention the pi'oclamation
wliich he liad dictated lo Doninger.
She bent down and kissed the hand in which Hofer lield
the paper. " God bless you, dear, great father and liberator of
the people !" she said, in a silver voice.
" Lizzie Wallner ! " exclaimed Andreas, joyfully, casting
aside tlie paper. "Yes, by the Eternal, it is she ! It is Lizzie,
Jie dearest child of my best friend— the most heroic girl in the
Tyrol. Come. Lizzi(>, embrace your second father, Andy, and
give me a kiss for father and mother, and one for yourself,
my dear girl."
Eliza encii'cled Hofer's neck, and imprinted a tender kiss
on his ]ii)s. " God bless you, dear father, for you are the
father of the whole Tyrol," she whisjjered, " and must not scold
me for calling you my father too."
" On the contrary, it gladdens niy lieart," exclaimed An-
402 ANDREAS nOFEK.
dreas, folding lier tenderly to his breast. " It seems to me as
though I were holding one of my own gii-ls in my arms, and
as though I heard her dear voice calling me father. Lizzie, I
can tell you I often long for ray pretty daughters and their
mother, Anna Gertrude, and sometimes I feel very lonely in-
deed."
" And why do you not send for your wife and children,
father Andy, and have them brought here ? I am sure there
is room enough for them in this large house.''
" No, they shall stay at home," exclaimed Andreas, vehe-
mently. " The mother must attend to household affairs, and
keep every thing in good order, and the girls must help her
do it. Otherwise all would go amiss, and when I should have
no longer to work for the emperor here, and went back to my
home, the inn in the Passeyr valley would be Avorthless ; we
should be destitute, and become beggars. Besides, I do not
want ray girls to become proud, and think they are aristocratic
young ladies now, because their father is commaudei'-in-chief
of the Tyrol, and the emperor's lieutenant. We are peasants,
and will remain peasants. However, let us speak no more of
myself, but of jon, Lizzie. Where do you come from, what
do you want here, and how did you get into the midst of the
crowd in the audience-room ? "
" I canie to see you, father Andreas. I asked the sentinel
in the passage outside where I would find you, as I had to see
you on important business. The sentinel told me to enter the
audience-room. It was already crowded with ijersons who
wished to see you, and who told me that one was admitted to
you after another ; but, on hearing that I had come all the
way from Windisch-Matrey, and had walked two days and
two nights without intermission, they took pity on me, and
would not let me wait until my turn came, but allowed me to
advance close to the door, so as to be the first to enter your
room."
" The people of Innspruck are very kind-hearted indeed."
exclaimed Andreas, joyously. " Then you have come all the
way from Windisch-Matrey, Lizzie ? And where is your
father?"
" He and his sharpshooters joined Joachim Haspingcr and
THE LOVERS. 403
Joseph SpeckbaclKM', and the united forces of the three com-
manders marched against the Bavarians. Father and his
seven liundred sharpshooters expelled tlie 1 Bavarians from
the Unken valley, and is now encamped near Berchlesga-
den and Reichenhall. Speckbacher is stationed at Ncuhau-
serand Schwarzhach, and Haspinger is still at Werfen. They
are going to reunite their forces and advance against the Ba-
varians, in order, if possible, to drive them fi-om the pass of
Lueg, which the enemy has occupied with a large force."
" And you are not with your father, Lizzie, nor with your
friend the Capuchin, who speaks of you only as a heroine ?
You no longer carry the wounded out of the thickest of the
tiglit, to dress their wounds and nurse theui ? "
" I have another duty to fullil now, and my father has per-
mitted me to come to you in regard to it, dear father Andrea-s
ilofer. I am in great distress, and you alone, dear, all-power-
ful commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, are able to help me."
" Tell me (piick, Lizzie, what can I do for you ?" asked An-
dreas, eagerly. " I owe you yet a reward for your heroic deed
on the day of the hay-wagons, and I should like to discharge
this debt of the fatherland. Tell me. therefore, dear girl, what
can I do for you ? "
'You can restore to me the dearest friend I have on earth,"
said Eliza, beseechingly. "You can deliver a patriotic girl
fi'om Bavarian captivity, and an excellent nobleman, who has
done no other wrong than that he possesses a loyal Tyrolese
heart, from grief and despair."
" I will do so with all my heai't," exclaimed Andreas ;
"only tell me, Lizzie, whom you refer to."
"I refer to Baron von Hohenberg, who lived at the castle
of Windisch-Matrey, and his daughter, my dear and only
friend Elza. The old baron was always a very pious and affa-
ble gentleman, a benefactor and father of the poor ; and not a
poor man, not a woman in distress applied to him, but whom
lie willingly relieved and assisted. He lived for twenty yeai-s
in the Tyrol, at his castle at Windisch-Matrey, and became in
this manner an ardent son of the Tyrol, although he is a na-
tive of Bavaria, and his whole aristocratic family lives in
Munich. His daughter Elza is my dearest friend ; we grew
404 ANDREAS HOFER.
up together, and I am so fond of her that I would readily give
up my heart's blood for her. Now, think of it, dear Andy !
the Bavarians, on returning to the Tyrol two months ago,
made the two prisoners, the dear old baron and my Elza, and
carried them as hostages to Munich ; they charged them there
with high-treason, because they stood faithfully by the Tyrol,
and because, at the very outset of the insurrection, the Bava-
rian soldiers and their captain were surrounded at their castle
and compelled to lay down their arms."
'' Yes, yes, I know the story," exclaimed Andreas, gayly ;
" it was an heroic deed by which Anthony Wallner inaugu-
rated our glorious war of liberation. And now the mean Ba-
varians call the good Baron von Hohenberg a traitor, when
he was quite innocent of the whole affair, and was not even
at home when it took place. They say he left his castle at the
time in order not to prevent the Tyrolese from capturing the
Bavarians, and that he was aware of the plans of the Tyrolese,
and should have warned the Bavarians. But I say that he
acted like a good patriot, and they ought neither to charge him
with ti'eason noi' imprison him and his daughter."
''Ah, and both long .so intensely to return to their dear
Tyrol and their castle ! Elza wrote me a letter which I re-
ceived a week ago, and tears had blotted out half of its con-
tents. Both feel so wretched in the large city of Munich ;
their aristocratic relatives upbraid them constantly for their
hostility to the Bavarians ; the confinement and prison-air
have already made the old baron quite sick, and Elza thinks
he will surely die of grief if he is not soon released and al-
lowed to go home. Therefore, I implore you, dear, all-power-
ful commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, save the old baron's life,
restore my Elza to me, and release them both from their cap-
tivity. This is what I came for, father Andy ; and if you
think that I have ever done any thing for the fatherland that
deserves thanks and a reward, thank and reward me by releas-
ing Elza and her father from their captivity and allowing
them to return to their home."
"I will do all I can," exclaimed Andreas, profoundly
moved ; '' and the good God sent you to me to-day, for to-day
I can help you. — Can 1 not, Doninger ?"
THE LOVERS. 405
" You refer to the Bavarian officer wliom you are going to
send to Munich ?" asked Dcininger.
" Yes, the Bavarian olticer is to procure their release," ex-
claimed A ndreas. " Look at the fortunate coincidence, Lizzie !
Among the prisoners we took on Mount Isel was a Bavarian
captain, a sensible, excellent man, who, it seems to me, sym-
pathizes cordially with the cause of the Tyrolese. We re-
solved to release him on i)arole and send him to Munich,
where he was to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, and may-
he bring about an amicable undei'standing hetweeu us and the
King of Bavaria. The Bavarian captain— I believe his name
is Ulrich— "
" Ulrich ? " asked Eliza, trembling, and blushing deeply.
'' I believe that is his name," said Hofer, quietly ; " his
other name I have forgotten ; we call him only Captain Ul-
rich, as you call uie Andi-eas. Well, Captain Ulrich has al-
ready received his instructions and the list of prisoners whose
release he is to advocate. It will only remain for us to add Ho-
henberg's name to the list, and you yourself, my Lizzie, shall
urge Captain Ulrich to restore to you the old baron and your
friend Elza.— Pi-ay, dearest Cajetan, go and fetch the captain ;
he was to set out in an hour, and he nuist, therefore, he here
yet."
" He is certainly here yet, for there are his papers, which I
intended to take to him, and without which he cannot depart,"
said Dcininger. " And here is the list of the prisoners whose
release he is to procure. "
" Add to it the names of the old baron and his daughter,
Cajetan, and state that their release is ui"gently desired."
" But for whom are they to be exchanged ? " ^
"Yes, yes, for whom ? Well, for Captain Ulrich himself.
If he procures tlieir release, and returns hither, as he solemnly
swore he would, with the reply of the Bavarian government,
and, perhaps, brings the old baron and his daughter with him,
lie shall be free and at liberty to go wherever he pleases. Go,
Cajetan, say that to the captain, and give him the papers, and
repeat to him once more all that he is to do. And you, Lizzie,
will you not send by him a note to your friend ? But it is true,
you have not yet written a letter to her. It is better for you
406 ANDREAS HOFER.
to tell him what he is to say in your name to your friend.—
Go, therefore, Cajetan, take the papers to the captain, and con-
duct him to Lizzie. But do not bring him in here, for there
are in the anteroom still a great many persons whom I must
see before I can converse further with you. Take him, there-
fore, into the other room ; and when he is there, return to me,
Cajetan. Lizzie may then go in there and see the captain ;
and we shall speak with the poor people in the audience-room
who have had to wait already so long to-day. — But 1 shall not
let you go again, my Lizzie," added Hofer, after Doninger had
left the room ; " no, I shall not let you go again. You must
stay with me at the palace here, and be my dear little daughter
until the captain returns from his mission, and until you know
if he brings your friend and her father along with him. Will
you do so, Lizzie ? "
" I will, dear father Andreas ; I will stay with you until
then, and take care of you as a good daughter, until my dear
Elza, if it please God, returns, when I will go back with her to
AVindisch-Matrey . "
At this moment Doninger re-entered the room. " The cap-
tain is in the room yonder," he said, pointing to a side-door ;
" he awaits you, and will set out after seeing you. The car-
riage is already at the door. Go, therefore, Eliza Wallner."
" I am going already,"' said Eliza. She nodded to Andreas
with a sweet smile and opened the door of the adjoining room,
while Doninger admitted another person from the audience-
room into Hofer's cabinet.
The room which Eliza entered v;as one of the large state
apartments of the palace, which Andreas did not occupy, and
which he used only on rare occasions. It was a wade room
with heavy silken hangings on the walls ; curtains of the
same description covered the windows, so that only a dim twi-
light I'cigned in the large apartment. Magnificent gilt furni-
ture lined the walls ; between the windows stood large Vene-
tian mirrors in broad carved golden frames, and gorgeous
lustres of rock-crystal were suspended from the ceiling.
Was it the splendor and magnificence surrounding her all
at once that rendered Eliza so timid and anxious ? She leaned
for a moment in great embarrassment against the door, as if
THE LOVERS. 407
she could not veuture to advance on the glittering: floor. Her
hu'ge, bright eyes glanced uneasily around the great room, and
now she saw in the window-niche yonder the tall form of a
gentleman ; his head was averted from her, and he seemed to
be looking eagerly out of the window.
" I do not know him ; surely, I do not know him," said
Eliza to herself. "It is foolish in me to think so ; be strong,
therefore, my heart, strong and calm, and do not throb so very
impetuously !"
And overcoming her bashfulness with a courageous effort,
she advanced toward the officer, who was still turning his back
upon her.
Now she was close behind him, and said in a low, bashful
voice : " Captain, I — "
He turned quickly, and gazed at her with eyes radiant with
joy and intense love.
Eliza uttered a cr\' ; she raised her hands involuntarily,
made a step forward, and lay in his arms before knowing it ;
she felt his burning kisses on her lips, in her heart, and
thought and knew nothing but — "It is he I It is he ! I see
liin\ again ! He still loves me ! ''
" See, dearest Eliza," whispered Ulrich, drawing her close
to his heart, " I had to act thus in order to elicit your heavenly
secret from you. I knew it was you who wished to see me ;
I wanted to take you by surpi'ise, and I .succeeded. Yovir sur-
j)t'ise betrayed what the timid and chaste lips of my Eliza
would not confess to me. Yes, you love me ! Oh, deny it no
longer, for your heart betrayed yoij when yovi recognized me,
and when joy illuminated your face like a bright ray of sun-
shine. Now you are mine, Eliza, and nothing on earth must
or shall separate us any longer. No, do not try to disengage
yourself from my arms, my beautiful, sweet, affianced bride !
I shall not leave you ; even though the whole world should
come to take you from mc, I should not leave 3'ou--no, not for
the whole world and all its treasures ! "
•' The whole world will not come," said Eliza, disengaging
herself gently from his arms ; "the world does not concern
itself in the affairs of a poor peasant-girl like me. But I my-
self intend to leave you, sir ; you must let me go, that we may
408 ANDREAS HOFER.
converse in a sensible manner, as it behooves two decent
young persons. Take your arms away, Captain von Hob en-
berg ; it is not right in you to embrace me here while we are
all alone. You would certainly be ashamed of it if any one
should see you folding the peasant-girl to your heart."
" No, Eliza, I would not ; I should fold you only the more
tenderly to my heart, and exclaim proudly in the face of the
whole world : ' Eliza Wallner, the peasaut-girl, is my affianced
bride ; I love and adore her as the most faithful, noble, and
generous heart ; she is to become my wife, and I will love and
cherish her all my life ! "
" And if you said so, the world would laugh at you ; but
your parents and my dear Elza would weep for you. Now,
my Elza shall never weep on my account, and never shall
your aristocratic parents be obliged to blush for the daughter-
in-law whom you bring into their house. As a daughter-in-
law I can never be welcome to them ; hence, they could never
be welcome to me as parents-in-law."
" Oh, Eliza, your beauty, your angelic purity and goodness
would surmount their resistance, for no heai*t is able to with-
stand you ; and when my parents are once acquainted with
you, when they have submitted to stern necessity, they will
soon love you, and fold you as a daughter to their hearts."
" But first they would have to submit to stern necessity,
and I should have to be forced upon them, that they might
afterward learn to love me. Miich obliged to you, sir; I am
only a peasant-girl, but I have my pride too, and will never
allow myself to be forced upon a family, but will onl^'^ take a
husband whose parents would come to meet me aff'ection-
ately, and giv^e me their blessing on the thi-eshold of my new
home. And now let us drop the subject, and tell me what has
happened to you during our separation."
" You see, Eliza, what has hai^pened to me," said Ulrich,
mournfully. " After your divine magnanimity^ had set me
free, I succeeded in passing through the insurgent country to
the Bavarian lines and re-entered the service. V/e fought
and suffered a great deal, and at length, on the IJtli of Au-
gust, I was made prisoner by the Tyrolese at the battle of
Mount Isel and taken io lunspruck. However, they do not
TIIK LOVERS. 409
know my real name here, for I ditl not want the news of my
captivity to reach my parents : I jjreforred that they should
lament me as killed in battle, rather than as a pi-isoner in the
hands of the insurgents. But fate decreed that it should be
otherwise; I am no longer to be allowed to keep my mournful
incognito ; I am to repair to Munich to negotiate there an ex-
change of the prisoners for the hostages whom our troops car-
ried off."
'' Your uncle and my Elza are among the hostages," ex-
claimed Eliza. "Oh, sir, if you really tliink that you are
under obligations to me, if you have not forgotten that I saved
your life, pray procure the release of j^our dear old uncle, and
bring him back hither ; for he has indeed a hard time of it in
Munich, where they charge him with treason, and where even
his own relatives inveigh bitterly against him. This gnaws
at his heart, and, unless released speedily, he will die of
grief."
" I did not know that so sad a fate had befallen him," said
Ulrich, gently ; " Doninger was the first to tell me of it, on
bringing me the papers, and conducting me hither. But, I
confess, in n)y intense joy on meeting you, my dear, sweet
Eliza, my ungrateful heart had forgotten my old uncle, who
gave me so many proofs of his love and kindness, and treated
me for months as a son at his house. I will try to reward his
love by availing myself of my influential connections and my
whole eloquence to bring abo\it his release ; I will go myself
to the king to intercede in his behalf."
" But you must bring my Elza with you too, sir," ex-
claimed Eliza. '' Oh, I implore you, by all that is sacred and
dear to you — "
"Then implore me by your name, by your sweet face," he
interrupted her, enthusiastically.
" I implore you from the bottom of my heart," she con-
tinued, without taking any notice of his words, "bring my
Elza back to me. She is the better half of my soul ; we grew up
together, we shared all joys and afflictions, and have sworn to
shed our heart's blood and die for each other, if need be, and
to stand by each other in faithful friendship to the last day of
our lives. Now, I am only b;ilf alive when my Elza is not
27
410 ANDREAS HOFER.
with rae. Therefore, dear Ulrich, restore my Elza to me, and
I will thank you, and bless you, and love you as a brother."
" As a brother ! " he cried mournfully. '' But I do not
want you to love me as a brother. I want your heart, your
whole heart, Eliza ; and it is mine in spite of you — mine !
But you are vindictive, and cannot forget and forgive; and
because I denied and misunderstood you once in my blind
stubbornness, you wish to wreak vengeance on me, drive me
to despair, and make me unhappy for my whole life ! "
"I!" she exclaimed, mournfully; '* I wish to make you
unhappy ? "
'■ Yes, J ou," he said bitterly ; " you see my suffermgs, and
gloat over them ; you feel that I love you boundlessly, and
with cold, sneering pride you try to resent my former con-
temptible haughtiness. You ojipose your peasant pride to my
insensate aristocratic pride ; you want to make me go mad or
die heart-broken, and your coolness never leaves you for a
moment, and my grief makes no impression on you ; for,
when I am dead, you will be able to exclaim : ' I fought for
my country as a brave daughter of the Tyrol ! I killed a
Bavarian, I broke his heart laughingly ! ' "
" You lie, I shall never say so ! " cried Eliza, in an out-
burst of generous indignation ; "you lie if you think me
capable of so miserable a revenge; j'ou lie if you believe
that I have a cold and cruel heart. I Avish I had, for then I
should not suffer what I am sufPering now, and I should at
least be able to forget you. You really charge me with hav-
ing a cold heart, with hating and despising you ? Do you not
see, do you not even suspect what I am suffering for your
sake ? Look at me, then ; see how pale my cheeks are ; see
how dim my eyes arc ! I do not take any notice of it, I do
not look at myself in the mirror — wby should I, and for
whom ? — but mother tells me so every day, and weeps for me.
And winy am I so pale and thin, and why are my eyes so
dim ? Because my heart is full of grief ; because I have no
rest day or night ; because there is in my heart a voice which
T can never rsilence, not even when I am praying or kneeling
in the confessional. Do you think I am grieving for the
sake of the country or the bloody war ? What does the
THE LOVKRS. 411
rountry r<inoprn inc ? T think no lonfror of ii. and vol every
battlo makes mo tremble : and on liearinj^ the booming of
artillery, I kneel down and jmiy with tears of anguish to the
Holy Virgin. Oh, may God forgive me I I do not pray for
my father, nor for our soldiers; I pray for a Bavarian, I pray
for you ! "
" Eliza 1 '" exclaimed Ulrich, I'adiant with joy. and stretch-
ing out bis arms toward her, " Eliza I ''
" Hush I " she said, stepping back proudly, " do not speak.
1 have told you the truth, for I do not want you to accuse and
curse me, when I am blessing you every day. But now go,
sir; forget what I have said, but remember me ahvays as one
who never hated you, and never thought of revenging herself
upon you."
" Eliza," said Ulrich, gravely, taking her hand, and gazing
deeply into her eyes, "let us now be honest and frank toward
each other. Our hearts have spoken with each other, and
God has heard them. You love me, and I love you. Do j^ou
remember what I said to you when taking leave of you on
the mountain ? "
"I do not, sir," she whispered, dropping her eyes.
" But I do," he continued, gravely and firmly. " I said to
you : ' I will go now, but I shall return and ask you : " Do
yovi remember me ? Will you become my wife ? " ' Now,
Eliza, I have retui-ned, and ask you as I asked you on the
mountain, Eliza, Avill you become my wife?"
"And I reply as 1 replied to you on the mountain," she
said solemnly. '' We can never belong to each other as hus-
band and wife, but we can remember each other as good
friends. And so, sir, I will always remember you, and it
will always gladden my heai-t to hear that you are well and
happy."
" Is that your last word ? " asked Ulrich, angrily.
"Yes, sir, it is my last word.''
"Then you are intent on making us unhappy ?" he cried,
mournfully. "Oh. you crystal-heart, so transparent and
clear, so hard, so hard ! will you never, then, allow youi-self
to be softened by the sunbeams of love ? Will they always
only harden your heart ? "
412 ANDREAS HOFER.
"I cannot act otherwise, sir, I assure you I cannot," she
said, heseechiugly.
"Well, then, I cannot act otherwise either," he cried. "I
shall not accept this mission, 1 shall not go to Munich, I shall
stay here."
" No, no, I implore you to go ! " exclaimed Eliza. " Save
my imprisoned countrymen; save, above all, my Elza and her
father ! Oh, she is unhappy, she longs for her home ; she is
weeping for me, for you, sir ! Make haste, make haste ; have
mercy upon Elza and myself ! "
"Wliy should I have mercy when you have none?" he
asked, quickly. " Let the prisoners die of grief ; I am a pris-
oner too, and shall know also how to die. I shall not leave
Innspruck unless you promise me that you will become my
wife on my return, and plight me your faith before the altar
of God. I swear by all that is sacred to me, I will not leave
this city unless I take with me your solemn pledge that you
will overcome your pride and become my wife."
" Well, then," she said, blushing deeply, " go, then. Pro-
cure my Elza's release, bring her home, and then — "
" And then ? " he asked, as she hesitated.
" Then you shall receive at the hands of the priest a bride
who loves you, loves you with infinite tenderness," she said, in
a low voice.
He uttered a cry of joy, and folded her to his heart. But
she disengaged herself gently*. " Make haste now," she said ;
" for the sooner you depart, the sooner you will return."
•'I will set out immediately," he cried, radiant with joy.
" But swear to me, Eliza, that I shall receive immediately on
my return, even though it should be early in the morning, at
the hands of the priest, my bride — the bride who loves me
with infinite tenderness."
" I swear by the Holy Virgin," said Eliza, solemnly, " that
if you bring my Elza to me here, you shall receive your bride
at the hands of the priest on the day of your return, whether
it be early in the morning or late at night."
'' Captain Ulrich," shouted Cajetan Doninger, opening the
door, "it is high time for you to set out. The carriage has
been at the door for upward of an hour."
ELZA'S RETURN. 4-1 ;j
"I am ready," said Ulricli, holding- out liis hand to Eliza
with a happy smile. " Farewell, Eliza ; I shall return with
your Elza in two weeks."
CHAPTER XXXVII.
elza's return.
A SPLENDID festival was being- celebrated at Innspruck on
the 3d of October, and there were great rejoicings in the city.
A message of love and joy had reached Innspruck from the
headquarters of the Emperor Francis at Totis. Three of the
former leaders of the Tyrolese insurrection, who had escaped
to Austria at the time of the second invasion of the Bavarians
— Sieberer, Frischmann, and Eisenstecken — had arrived at
Innspruck as couriers of the emperor. They had succeeded in
passing through Styria and Carintliia, although both these
provinces were occupied by French troops, and had safely ar-
rived at Innspruck amid the jubilant acclamations of the
population. They brought cheering news from the Emjjeror
Francis. He sf^nt to the connnander-in-chief of the Tyrol, his
beloved and faithful Andreas Hofer, a large gold chain and
medal containing the emperor's portrait ; and he sent also
three thousand florins as a gift to the brave sharpshooters.
But bettor than all this was an autograph letter from the em-
peror, who extolled in it the bravery of the Tyrolese, called
upon them to persevere in their resistance, and promised that
Austria would succor them vigorously with money and troops.
The letter stated that the emperor would soon dispatch Baron
von Reschmann with funds and full insti-uctions to the Tyrol,
where he would act as commissioner and intendant of the
army, and that the Tyrolese might confidently look for the
speedy resumption of hostilities.
These joyful tidings were received with unbovinded en-
tbusiasm. and Andreas Hofer's face beamed with delight when
he was formally invested with the gold medal and chain in
the great church of Innspruck, at the foot of the tomb of
414 ANDREAS IIOFER.
Maximilian, by the Abbot of Wiltau, amid tlie tears and aecla>
Illations of a vast concoui'se of spectatoi'S, who afterward, pre-
ceded by the nmuioipal authorities, accompanied him in sol-
emn pi-ocession to the imperial i^alace. Andreas presented a
splendid appearance in the line gold-em broidei-ed uniform
which he wore to-day in honor of the celebration, in place of
his Tyrolese costume ; his heavy gold chain and the medal
with the emperor's portrait, glittei'ed under his fine black
beard on hLs breast, and he wore a black hat with a plume and
inscription to him as the connnander-in-chief of the Tyrol, the
gift of the holy sisterhood of Innspruck.
Andreas Hofer's face shone with hapijiness as he walked
along in this manner amid the acclamations of the whole
population and the ringing of all the bells ; but his heart was
nevertheless full of humility, and lifting his beaming eyes to
heaven, he murmured to himself, " O my Lord and God, Thou
hast accomplished every thing ; Thou hast protected us and
vouchsafed us victory ! Glory to Thee alone ! Preserve me.
O Lord, from pride and arrogance, and let me recognize al-
ways that I am nothing but Thy unworthy servant, and that
Thou alone vouchsafest us victory and blessest our cause ! "
The impei-ial palace was festively decorated to-day, and a
splendid banquet was to take place there in honor of the cele-
bration. All the functionaries of Innspruck had been invited ^
a brilliant ball was to be given at night in the large throne-
hall, and the beautiful girls of Innspruck were to dance to the
inspiring notes of the orchestra in honor of the festive day.
For the first time Andreas Hofer had permitted music and
dancing, and all the beautiful girls of Innspruck were prepar-
ing to take part in the brilliant festival and enjoy the rare
amusement.
All faces were radiant ; even Eliza's sweet countenance
was lit up to-day with the sunshine of happiness. A great joy
liad fallen to her share to-day, for Ulrich von Hohenberg had
arrived early in the morning, and with him his uncle, old
Baron von Hohenberg, and his daughter Elza. Ulrich had
redeemed his promise ; precisely two weeks had elapsed since
his departure, and now, after these terrible da>'s of suspense,
whicli Eliza had passed in tears, in silence, and at the same
ELZA'S RETURN. 415
time in mysterious activity, Uli'i<'li liad rotnrnotl, and with him
Klza, Eliza's dearest friend.
Ulrich had looked on with an expression of quiet happi-
ness when Eliza emhraced her Elza again and again with tears
of joy ; she knelt down rejx'atedly by the side of the couch on
which had been laid the old baron, whose stiength had been
utterly exhausted by the journey, the excitement, and the suf-
ferings he had endured in prison ; she pressed his hands to
her lips tenderly, and withal humbly, and thanked God that
her good old fi-iend and her Elza, the better half of her life,
had been restored to her.
But after this impetuous and joyous meeting, tlie old baron
felt so very feeble that he urgently needed repose and silence,
and Elza had to conduct him to the bedroom which had been
prepared for him.
Eliza and Ulrich were alone now. She trendded, and,
wishing to avoid this tete-a-tet<\ glided softly to the door ; but
Ulrich hastened after her and seized her hand.
" Eliza," he said, solemnly, "I have fulfilled all your wisli-
es. I have brought back with me my uncle and your friend
Elza ; the King of Bavaria accepted the exchange which I of-
fered ; he released the baron and bis daughter, and Andi-eas
Hofer sets me free in his turn. I am. therefore, no longer a
prisoner, and as a fi'ee man I ask you now, do you remember
the oath you swore to me on the day of my departure ? ''
" I do," she whispered in a low voice.
" Repeat the oath to me," he said, imperatively.
"Mj-oath was as follows: 'T swear by the Holy Virgin
that, if you bring my Elza to me here, you shall receive your
bride, who loves you with infinite tenderness, at the hands of
the priest.'"
" You have not forgotten the words, Eliza. But will you
fulfil them now ? "
" You insist on it ? " she asked, looking up to him timidly
and mournfully.
"Yes, I do," he said, with a blissful smile.
"Well, then," she whispered, almost inaudiblv, "I shall
keep ray oath." '
He uttered a joyous cry, pressed b^r hand to his lips, and
416 ANDREAS HOFER.
gazed with an expression of infinite tenderness into her blush-
ing, quivering face.
" Oh, do not tremble, love," he said ; " do not look anxious-
ly into the future. I shall know how to protect my wife from
grief and humiliation. To make you happy shall be m.y sweet-
est joy ; to see you honored and recognized by society will be
my incessant effort, as it will be my boundeu duty. You will
fulfil your oath, and you must do it this very day. Let me
go, then, and get a priest ; and you, my sweet girl, place a
myrtle-wreath on your head, for I shall call for you soon and
conduct you triumphantly to tbe great chui-ch of Innspruck ;
for our marriage shall take place publicly and in the face of
the whole population."
" No, sir," she said, shaking her head gently. " I will re-
deem ray promise, but I beg, nay, I implore you, permit me to
make all necessary arrangements, and let me have for once
my own way."
" And what do you wish, then, beloved ? "
" T wish that no one should learn of our plan, and that you
should conceal it all day long from every one, and speak of it
to no one, neither witb yovir uncle, nor with Elza, nor with
Andreas Hofer."
" But how am I to get a priest to marry us ? "
" Leave it all to me, sir. I will get a priest. I have con-
fided only to my dear old friend Joachim Has])inger, the Cap-
uchin, who was lately in Innspruck, what would take place
in case you should return with my Elza, and be promised that
he himself would marry us. Accordingly', on being informed
this morning by the courier of your speedy arrival, I sent at
once a mounted messenger to Father Haspinger, and I am sure
that he will come to Innspruck to-day."
'■ You intentled, then, to redeem your promise of your own
accord!" exclaimed Ulrich, joyfully; ".you thought of it
without being remiuded of it. Oh, I thank you, my Eliza, for
I see now that you really love me."
" Yes, sir, I really love you," said Eliza, solemnly. " You
will find it out this very day. Will you promise nie now to
conceal our plan from every one, and let me make all neces-
sary arrangements ? "
ELZA'S RETURN 417
"I do, my sweet gfirl. Tell me wliat I am to do, aud I will
obey you silently and unconditionally."
" Well, then, dear Ulrich,'' she said, in a tremulous voice,
'' come to-uight, at nine o'clock, to the chapel here in the im-
perial palace. As a witness, I hope you will find there our
dear commander in-chief, Andreas Hofer. Father Haspinp:er
will stand before the altar, and youi- betrothed will kneel be-
fore the altar too, ready to become your wife, and love and
serve you all her life."
" And I shall find there my betrothed, to whom I shall
plight my faith before the altar, and whoni I will love and
cherisli all my Ufv ! " exclaimed the captain, in profound emo-
tion.
She bent her head gently, as if to accept his solemn vow.
" Then you will come to the chapel at nine ? " she asked.
"I will," he said, smilijigly, ''and you may be sure that I
shall be pi'omptly on hand. I shall be as ])unctua] as the dig-
ger after a hidden treasure, who nnist disinter it at the stated
hour, if he does not want to lose it entirely. I shall be at the
chapel at nine o'clock."
" Very well, at nine o'clock. And now farewell until then,
sir. I have a great deal to attend to yet in getting up the
bridal dress and ornaments, for I do not want 3'ou to be
ashamed of me to-day, Ulrich. Your bride must not look like
a peasant-girl. She must be dressed up beautifully, like an
aristocratic lady— like Elza, for instance."
'' Dress as you please," he said, siru'lingly, " but do not be-
lieve that I shall ever be ashamed of the ])easant-girl, and try
to conceal the descent of my sweet, lovely wife."
"And will you ride with me to-morrow to my father's
house ? " she asked. " Will you present yourself to my father,
Anthonj^ Wallner, conmiander of the Puster valley, as his
son-in-law ? Oh, you know full well, Anthony Wallner is a
hero ; not only the Tyrol, but all Germany is familiar with
the heroic deeds which he performed at the battle of Taxen-
bach against the Bavarians. He has taken the field again,
and, after joining the forces under Joseph Speckbacher. and
Father Haspiuger, he will attack the Bavarians at the Pass of
Lueg, and, if it please God, defeat them. I .suppose, Ulrich, you
418 ANDREAS IIOFEK.
\vill accompany me to my father, Anthony Walluer, and ask
your father-in-law to g'ive you his blessing ? "
" But you told me just now, Eliza, that he is not at
home ? "
" Well, then," she exclaimed, earnestly, " we will ride to the
Pass of Lueg."
Ulrich was silent, and looked down in evident confusion ;
he did not see that Eliza fixed her eyes on him with a search-
ing, mournful expression.
"Eliza," he said, after a pause, lifting his head slowly,
" you possess a magnanimous heart and a delicate soul. Your
heart will forgive me, therefore, for not fulfilling your wish,
and your soul will understand that I cannot fulfil it. Your
father is the commander of the Tyrolese, who have risen in re-
bellion against Bavaria, and he is fighting against the Bavari-
ans, my countrymen and comrades. I have recovered my
liberty, but I had to swear not to take up arms again during
the present war against the Tyrolese. The King of Bavaria
permitted me to take this oath, and ordered me to return to
Munich, w^hei-e I am to remain till the end of the war. I must
set out for the Bavarian capital to-moiTow, and my sweet, be-
loved wife will accompany me. After the war is over, and
when there is peace again in the beautiful Tyrol, I shall return
with my Eliza to her home, and ask my father-in-law, Anthony
Wallner, to give me his blessing. I shall be at liberty then to
])raise his heroism loudly, and love and honor him as my wife's
father. Do you understand that I cannot act otherwise, be-
loved ? "
"I do," she replied; "I do undcr.stand that the Bavarian
Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg cannot now go to the Tyrolese
commander, Anthony Wallner, ask him, v.iiile he is fighting
against the Bavarians, to bless him, and call him father-in-
law. Let us leave it to the future to grant us peace and happi-
ness."
"You understand that I cannot act otherwise," he said,
anxiously. " But you are sad ? I see a cloud on your fore-
head, Eliza."
"No, not a cloud," she exclaimed, shaking her head.
" Every thing is clear in my mind, and I see distinctly what I
ELZA'S HF.TIHN. 419
must do. Come, then, to the chapel at niue ; every thing will
be in readiness thei'e."
" You will be there, my lovely bride/' exclaimed Ulrich,
blissfully, opening- his arms to her. " Oh, do not avoid nie,
Eliza ; you are mine now, your place is on my heart, do not
avoid me ! See, I am submissive and obedient, and 1 will not
take what you do not give me of your own accord. But give
me now your bridal present, Eliza ; give nie the first kiss of
love I '"
" No, sir," she said, almost anxiously ; " on the wedding-
day no pious bride must desecrate her lips l)y kissing or par-
taking of food before going to the altar. Only devout thoughts
should fill her heart ; aud she ought to pray and implore the
saints to vouclisafe happiness to her. Let me go, therefore,
and fulfil my sacred duties."
" Yes, my sweet, innocent dove, I will let you go," said Ul-
rich, g(-ntly. " Pray to God and the saints for you and me,
but be punctual to-night."
" I shall, sir. Now, farewell. Go out by this door, for
Elza is coming to me. I have to tell her a great many things
yet."
*'Slie will know your secret then ? You will confide to her
what I am not to betray to any one ? "
" No, sir, I shall tell her nothing about it. No one but
God must know my secret. For the last time, then, farewell,
sir ! "
" Farewell, Eliza I Oh, give me your hand ! " Let me
press it once to my heart ! Oh, fear nothing, Eliza, my un-
holy lips shall not desecrate even your hand to-day. Now I
will go, my child ; farewell until to-night, my sweet love ! "
He bowed to her with a blissful smile, aud left the room
quickly. Eliza looked after him, motionless, breathless, listen-
ing to his footsteps, and heaving a deep sigh when they died
away in the distance. Then she laid both her hands convul-
sively on her heart.
" Oh, it is in great pain ! " she murmured. '• It seemed at
one time as though it would bi-eak, and as though 1 should ilie
on the spot. But T must not die, nor even weep. And I feel
that the good God helps me, and that he apjjroves of whai I
420 ANDREAS HOFER,
ain going to do. It was God Himself who prompted me to ask
Ulricii if he would accompany me to my father. He was
obliged to reply that he could uot go to the enemy, though
this enemy was to become his father-in-law. When he told
me that, my heart bridled up, and was once more glad and
strong. I knew all at once that I was doing right, and I will
carry out my plan to tlie bitter end. But hush, hush ! here
comes Elza ! I must put on a cheerful face now."
'' Lizzie, my Lizzie, are you here ? " asked Elza, opening the
door.
" Yes, here I am, Elza," exclaimed Eliza, who hastened with
a smiling face to her friend.
" And where is Ulrich ? Why is he not here ? Oh, I sat
with such a throbbing heart at father's bedside ; I longed so
much for him to fall asleep ! Oh, Lizzie, I have to tell you so
many things ! Ah, you do not know how happy I was during
this splendid, charming journey ! To be always by Ulrich's
side, what a bliss ! And how tenderly and attentively he took
care of my dear old father, just like a good, grateful son, who
would like to guess from his fathes's eyes every wish he
might entertain. I often wept tears of joy on seeing him sup-
port my father, almost carrying him into the carriage, and
arranging his seat for him, and on hearing him comfort the
old man in gentle yet manly Words. Ulrich did not speak of
God and the saints, and yet what he said was pious, pious as a
prayer of holy charity. Oh, how noble, good, brave, and
gentle, Ulrich is ! "
" And you love him, Elza, do you not ? "
'* Yes, I love him with all my heart, and shall for ever-
more. But where is he ? Where is Ulrich ? Was he not
with you ? "
" H? was, Elza ; he left me at the moment when you
came."
" He was here so long ? And what did you speak of ? Oh,
tell me, Eliza, what did you speak of ? "
" Of you, Elza," said Eliza, with a wondrous, radiant ex-
pression.
•' Ah, of me ! " exclaimed Elza, joyfully. " Oh, tell me,
Lizzie, do you think he loves me ?"
THE WEDDING. 421
"I do not believe it, Elza, I know it for ccriMin. He in-
trusted me with an important commission for you, and asks of
you a great proof of your love. Come, Elzu. let us go to my
room. We will be sure there not to be overheard by any one.
I will tell you everything there."
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE ■WEDDING.
Night had come, and the people of Innspruck had not yet
set bounds to their rejoicings. All the streets were brilliantly
illuminated ; a festive performance was jjlayed at the theatre,
and the apartments at the imperial palace began to fill with
the guests who had been invited to the ball.
But while the palace was shining with splendid lustre for
the first and last time during the reign of Andreas Hofer, one
of its wings had remained gloomy and silent. It seemed as
though the loud voices of the world shrank from penetrating
hither. Even the sentinel pacing the long, deserted corridor,
trod more softly and crossed himself every time he reached
the end of the passage. For the imperial chapel lay at the end
of the corridor in this wing of the palace, and through the
high windows there one could look down ui)on the altar and
the holy lamp.
The sentinel had just walked up the corridor once more
slowly and dreamily, when he suddenly saw two men coming
along. He stood still respcctfullj- and presented arms. These
two men were Andreas Hofer, the commander-in-chief, and
Old Red-beard, Joachim Haspinger, who was walking by his
side, in his brown cowl and his heavy leather slmes.
On approaching the sentinel, Andreas Hofer stood still and
nodded kindly to him. " It is not necessary for you, Joe, to
stand here all alone and present arms. I know you are one
of the best dancers in the Passeyr valley, and as there is a ball
at the palace, you had bettei* go there and dance. I believe
the good God Himself will watch over His chapel here."
422 ANDREAS HOFER.
''Much ohlicod to you, couiniander-in-cliief — inucli obliged
to you !" exclaimed the soldier, joyfully ; and he ran down
the corridor as fast as his feet would carry him.
"How gay and high-spirited these young folks are!"
sighed Hofer.
"And why are you not merry too, brother Andy ?" asked
the Capuchin. " A great honor was conferred upon you to-
day ; they paid you homage and cheered you as though you
were the Messiah. The whole city is illuminated for your
sake to-night ; at the theatre, the orchestra played flourishes
three times, and the whole audience rose the moment the
commander-in-chief entered the house. But scarcely had the
morose hero been there a quarter of an hour when he sneaked
off again. I followed him stealthily, and found him at last in
his ofSce ; and while the whole city is rejoicing, he sits at the
table covered with papers, and weeps big tears into his
beard ! "
" But I told you, brother, tliat couriers had arrived from
the valley of the Adige, and informed me that the prospects
of our cause are very gloomy there. The people are split up
into factions, which are engaged in bitter wranglings. How
can I rejoice at the extraordinary honoi's j)aid to me, when
there are such dark spots in the country ? " *
" Do not think of that now, Andy. The Lord has helped
us hitherto, and He will help us henceforward ; for our cause
is just, and no enemy is able to stand up against it."
"And do you think, brother, that what we are going
to do now is also good and just?" asked Hofer, hesitat-
ingly.
" Yes, I do, Barbone. Lizzie Wallner is a noble, brave girl,
and the good God and His angels love her."
" Well, if you say so, brother Capuchin, it must be all
right ; for you are a priest of the Lord, and would certainly
not consent to cheat God in so holy a place."
" God cannot be cheated," said the Capuchin, solemnly ;
" only short-sighted man can. Now, Lizzie Wallner has keen
eyes and a pure heart ; hence she looks into the future, and
* Andreas Hofer's own words.— Sec " Bilder iind Erinnerungen aus Tyrols
Freiheitskampfen von 1809," hy Loritza, p. 13.
THE WEDDING. 493
sees what the sliort-sig-hted Bavarian cannot see, and helps
liini and lierself to escape fioni the abyss into which both of
them would otherwise fall. She is a genuine heroine, and I
am proud and fond of ber. Otlierwise I shculd not have
come to Iinispruck to-day. I came only for her sake and at
her urgent j'equest. We are exceedingly busy at the eartb-
works near the Pass of Lueg, and look from day to day for
the Bavarians to attack us. Hence I must return there this
very night, tbat I may be with our men to-moi-i'ow in case
tliere should be a fight."
•■ God grant that j-ou may be victorious ! " sighed Andreas.
"But hark I the clock strikes nine, and the sexton is already
lighting the candles on the altar."
" But be has been instructed to light only two of them, lest
there should be too much light," said the Capuchin. " Let us
go down now, brotber Andreas, and do not forget what you
have to do. When the bride enters I)}- the small side-door,
you go to meet her, take her hand, and conduct her to the
altar. After they are married, you offer her your hand again
and beg of her permission to accompany her to the door of her
room."
''All right, I will do .so," said Andreas. "Come, let us go
down to the cbapel."
A dim twilight reigned in the small chapel. Only two of
the tall wax-lights burned on the altar, and shed their flicker-
ing rays on the vigorous form of tbe Capuchin, who was
standing in front of it, and i)raying in a low voice with
clasped bands. Close to him, near the ste])s of the altar, .stood
.\ndrea.s Ilofer, his head bent down, and his hands clasped on
tbe small crucifix which was to be seen about his neck by the
•side of the gold medal and chain.
Footsteps were heard now in tbe aisle of the chapel, and a
iall man in dark civilian's di-ess ajiproacbcd llie altar. An-
ilr<'as llofcr drew bim.self up to his full height and went to
meet bim.
"God bless you, Captain Ulrich !" he said, kindly; "I
liope you will accept me as witness of your marriage."
"I thank y«^u, commander-in-chief, for consenting to be
our witness," said Ulrich, cordi:illy; " aiul I thank you also,
424 ANDREAS HOFER.
Father Haspiuger, for coming to Innspruck from such a dis-
tauce to marry us."
'• I come whenever Eliza Wallner calls me and needs me,"
said the Capuchin, solemnly.
A small side-door now opened, and a female form in a long
white silk dress came in. Her head was covered and con-
cealed with a white veil, which surrounded her whole form
like a cloud, and flowed down to the ground. On her head,
over the veil, she wore the diadem of the virgin and bride, a
blooming myrtle-wreath.
While Andi'eas Hofer went to meet her and took her hand
to conduct her to the altar, Ulrich contemplated her with a
throbbing heart, and unutterable bliss filled his bosom.
" She has kept her word,'' he thought; " she has dofi'ed the
costume of the Tyrolese girls and thereby divested herself of
her whole past. Oh, how splendid her form looks in this
dress ; she seeras taller and prouder, and yet so lovely and
sweet."
He gazed at her as she approached slowly with a light spring-
ing step, leaning on Andreas Hofer's arm; he saw only her!
He did not hear a door opening softly yonder in the vestry,
which contained several latticed windows ; he did not see the
dark female form which approached the windows, and whose
pale face Rooked out for a moment and then disappeared has-
tily. He saw only her, his beloved, his bride, who stood now
by his side, whose hot, trembling hand now rested in his
own, and who returned gently the tender pressure of his
hand.
And now Father Haspinger raised his voice and spoke in
devout and impressive words to the bride and bridegroom of
the solemnity of this sacred hour, of the importance of the
union which tliey were about to enter upon before God, and
of the sacred duties the fulfilment of which they were to vow
before the altar.
" And now I ask you. Captain Ulrich von Hohenberg," he
said, in a loud voice, " will you take your betrothed here for
your wife, and love and cherish her all your life long ?"
He replied in a loud, joyous voice. "Yes."
"And you, young maiden," added the Capuchin, " will you
THE WEDDING. 425
take your betrothed here for j^our husband, and love and cher-
ish liim all your life long i''
A low, timid "Yes" fell from her lips. Stifled sobs and
groans resounded in the direction of the vestry.
"Join hands, then," said the Capuchin, solemnly, " and let
me exchange your rings in token of your union. I marry
you now in the name of God, and henceforth you are man
and wife. What God hath joined togethei-, let not man put
asunder. Kneel down now and receive the benediction."
The bride and bridegroom knelt down hand-in-hand before
the altar ; the concealed woman knelt down in the vestry
alone, trembling and quivering with anguish.
When the benediction had been given and the bride and
bridegroom rose, she rose likewise from her knees. " Holy
Virgin," she prayed in a low voice, "give me strength now !
Thou beholdest my heart, and seest what I am suffering !
Oh, be with me in Thy mercy, and give me strength and con-
stancy !"
The ceremony was over now, and Andreas Hofer ap-
proached the bride.
"As your father was prevented from being present," he
said. " permit me to take his place and conduct yon to your
room. I suppose you do not object to it, Captain Ulrich !"
" On the contrar}', I am obliged to you for takiiig the place
of ray sweet bride's father. Lead the way, I will follow you."
"No, sir, wait a moment," exclaimed Father Haspinger,
solemnly. " I must speak a few words with you privately."
" And I liave to thank you for your kindness in coming to
our wedding," said Ulrich, standing still in front of the
altar, and following only with his eyes his bride, who was just
leaving the chapel with Andivas Hofer by the side-door.
" Captain Ulrich," said the Capuchin, after the door had
closed behind the two, "I have complied with Eliza Wallner's
request, and mai-ried you to your betrothed. You are now
man and wife, and nothing but death can separate you from
your wife. Do not forget this, sir. But will you also do what
I am now about to ask of you ? "
" I promise to do it, if it be in my power."
" In the vestry yonder is one who wishes to see you. Go to
28
426 ANDREAS HOFER.
her. But promise me by all that is sacred to you that you will
listen to her calmly ; that, whatever she may say to you, you
will not inveigh against her ; and that you will overcome
your heart and submit like a brave man to thut which cannot
be helped."
'' I do not comprehend what you mean," said Ulrich, smil-
ingly, " but I promise to submit like a brave man to that which
cannot be helped."
" Go, then, to the vestry," said Father Haspinger ; " I will
leave the chapel, for no one except God sliould hear what she
has to say to you."
He bowed to Ulrich, and quickly walked down the passage
to the large door of the chapel. Ulrich hastened to the vestry,
and, opening the door, murmured to himself : " What a strange
mystery ! Who can await me here ?"
" I await you here, sir," said a low, tremulous voice.
Ulrich looked up, and stared at her who stood before him
with clasped hands and gazed at him with beseeching eyes.
"Eliza !" he exclaimed, starting back with a cry of horror;
" Eliza, you are here ? "
"' Yes, I am here," slie said ; " I am here to implore your
forgiveness."
" My forgiveness ? " he asked, trembling, and pressing both
his hands to his temples. " My God! my head swims — I be-
lieve I shall go mad ! Eliza is here, she stands before me in
her peasant costume, and she left me only a few moments ago
in a white bridal dress, and with a myrtle- wreath on her head.
What does this quick transformation mean, and how was it
possible ?"
" It is no transformation, sir," said Eliza, bashfully. " I am
Eliza Wallner, the peasant-girl, and she who left you in the
chapel is your wedded wife, the young Baroness von Hohen-
berg — "
"You are my wedded wife, you alone ?" he cried, impetu-
ously.
" No, sir, I am not ! "
" You are not ?" he cried, vehemently. "And who is she
who went from me there ?"
" She is your wife, who loves you with all her heart," said
THE WEDDIN*;. 427
Eliza, solemnly ; "she is the wife whotu your parents selected
for you from your earliest youth ; she is l<]Iza von Hohen-
bernr."
Ulrich uttered a cry of rage and despair, and rushed upon
Eliza with uplifted hand, pale as a corpse, and with flashing-
eyes.
She bent her head and whole form before him. " Strike
me. I deserve your anger," she said, humbly.
Ulrieh dropped his arm with a groan. "Then you have
cheated me, wretched girl ! '' he ci-ied, furiously. " You wished
to revenge yourself on me, you lied to me, you betrayed me,
you enmeshed me with hypocritical falsehoods, and played an
infamous game with me ! Well, why do you not laugh ? Your
efforts were successful, you have revenged yourself. Oh, lam
in despair ; my rage and grief will break my heart. Why do
you not laugh ? "
" I do not laugh, sir, because I see that you grieve, and be-
cause God knows that I would give up my heart's blood to
spare you an hour of suflPering."
He burst into scornful laughter. "And yet you have
treated me so infamously ? You have played a miserable
comedy Avith me, and perjured yourself ?"
" Sir, I have not perjured myself," cried Eliza. " I have
fulTilled faithfully the oath I swore to you when you took
leave of me and went to jH'ocure my Elza's i-eleasc."
"You have fuHilliHl it? False girl! repeat your oath to
me, that I may convict you of perjury."
" I said that if you would bi'ing back Elza, you should re-
ceive your bride, who loved you with infinite tenderness, at
the hands of the priest, whether it was early in the morning
or late at night! "
" Well, then, have you fulfilled your oath ? Have you not
perjured yourself ? "
" I have fulfilled my oath ; I have not perjured my-
self. Elza loves yoti, sir ; she loves you Avith infinite tender-
ness."
"Oh. what miserable, insidious sophistry I" cried Ulrich.
sinking despairingly on a chair. "Your words were as full
of duplicity as your heart is ; and I, poor, short-sighted dupe,
428 ANDREAS HOFER.
believed vour words ! And not you alone, but Elza, too,
has cheated me— she whom I loved as a sister, and whom I
should have loved even better, if you had not stepped in be-
tween us, if I had not seen you. Elza has betrayed me too;
she did not shrink from playing so unworthy a part ! Oh, it
will break my heart, it will break my heart ; I lose in this
hour all that I loved ! Nothing remains to me but contempt,
scorn, and dreadful loneliness ! "
He buried his face in his hands and wept bitterly.
"Sir," exclaimed Eliza, with a cry of despair, kneeling
down before him, " you weep ? "
" Yes, I weep," he sobbed ; " I weep for my fallen angels,
my lost paradise ! I am a man ; therefore I am not ashamed
of my teai's."
Eliza lifted her eyes and clasped hands to heaven. " Holy
Virgin," she exclaimed, " give strength to my words, that he
may hear and understand me ! *'
She rose from her knees, stepped close up to Ulrich, and
laid her hand on his shoulder. " Sir," she said, " do you re-
member yet what I said to you on taking leave of you on the
mountain ? I reminded you of it the other day, but you for-
got it again. I said to you : 'You are a nobleman, and I am
a peasant-gij'l ; you are a Bavarian, and I, thank God, am again
an Austrian. We do not suit each other, and can never be-
come husband and wife.' That is what I said to you, and
I repeated it to you the other day, but you would not under-
stand it."
"Because I loved you, Eliza; because I felt that my love
would be strong enough to surmount all obstacles 1 "
" Was your love strong enough to prevail on you, sir. to
go to my father, Anthony Walliier, and ask him to bless you,
his son-in-law ? See, I asked you to do so, because I knew
that you would refuse, and because I thought it would con-
vince you that we could never become man and wife and
ought to part. For without the blessing of my parents I
could never follow a husband into the world ; nor would you
want a wife who did not bring with her either the blessing of
her parents or that of your own, for you are a good and ex-
cellent man. That was the reason, sir, why we could not
THE WEDDING. 429
iM'conie man unci wife, even though it should break our
hearts."
"'Our hearts?'' he cried, impetuously. '' Do not speak of
your heart; it is cold and hard."
" What do you know about my heart ? " she asked. '• I do
not bear it on my lips, nor in my eyes either. It i-ests deep
in my bosom, and God alone sees and knows it. But I, sii*.
know another heai't; I gazed deeply into it, and discovered in
it the most fervent love for you, sir. This other heart is that
of my Elza: Elza loves you ! And you know that I love Elza,
and therefore you must believe me, even though you distj-ust
me in other respects. I shall love my Elza as long as I live,
and I swore to her never to abandon her, never to deceive
her. She confides in me, sir; she did not conceal from me a
single fold of her heart. Should I have told her, 'Captain
Ulrich, whom you love, and whom j^our father wants to be-
come your husband, loves me; and I, whom j-ou call your
best friend, although she is but a peasant-girl, while you are
the daughter of a nobleman, will take your lover from you
and make him my husband ? ' No, sir, never could I have
.said so; never should I have been capable of breaking Elza's
heart : I preferred to break my own ! "
" She does not know that I love you ? She ought to have
known it, inasmuch as .she consented to play this unworthy
part and take yoiu' place before the altar."
" She did not know any thing about it ; I deceived her. I
told her you sent me as a love-messenger to her, and that I
had taken it upon myself to obtain her consent to a clandes-
tine marriage with you, because you were obliged to set out
for Munich this very night, and because you wished to take
with you the certainty that she would be yours forever, and
that you might have the right of protecting her after God had
taken her father from her and made her an orphan. Sir,
Elza loves you, and therefore she consented, and became your
wife."
" And her father ? Did he, too, consent to the decej)-
tion ? "
"Her father, sir, is very sick, and I believe he is on liis
deathbed. F.h.n told him nothing of it, for the excitement.
430 ANDREAS HOFER.
the joy might Ijave killed him. I told her it was your will
that she should be silent ; and because she loves you and
would comply with all j-our wishes, she was silent, obeyed
your call, and came all alone to the altar to become yoiu'
wife."
" My wife ! she is not my wife ! The marriage is null and
void, and I shall never acknowledge it."
'' Elza is your wife, sir, your wife before God and man. A
priest married you, and you swore before the altar to love
and cherish her. Oh, sir, I beseech you, do not repudiate my
Elza, for she loves you; and by repudiating Elza yoii will re-
pudiate me, for Elza is the better half of my heart. In mak-
ing her happy, think that you make me happy; and in loving
her, think I feel that you love ?ne .' "
" Oh, Eliza," cried Ulrich, gazing at her as she stood be-
fore him with a glowing countenance, " Eliza, you angel, why
can I not possess you ? "
" Because it is not God's will, sir ! ' The blessing of the
parents builds houses for the children,' says the proverb ;
hence we could not build a house, sir, for we had not the
blessing of our parents. Now you have it, Elza brings it to
you, and she brings you love, sir, and happiness. No, do not
shake your head; she brings you happiness. You do not be-
lieve it now, for your heart gi'ieves, and he who has such a
wound thinks that ic never will heal. But love is a good sur-
geon. Elza will dress your heart and heal it."
'' And your heart, Eliza, will it heal, too ? For your heart
has likewise a w-ound, and, whatever you may say to the con-
trary, you loved me."
" I loved you ! " she exclaimed. " No, say rather I still
love you ! If I had not loved you, should I have been strong
enough to withstand your supplications and resist my own
heart in order to secure your happiness ? Oh, be happy, then,
—be happy through me and for my sake ! Fold Elza to your
heart, love her and let her love you ; and when in future
days, happy in Elza's arms, and surrounded by her sweet
children, you remember the past and its grief smilingly, do
not forget me, but say, ' Lizzie was right after all ! She loved
me faithfully!'"
TlIK \VI-:i>DI\G. ^0,1
" Faithfully ?" lie asked, burstinft- into tears. '" Your heart
will heal likewise, Eliza ; you will for<,'-<'t um' in tin; arms of
another husband."
"No, sir ! My heai-t, I hope, will heal, Ijut God alone will
heal it, and no other husband. I am not able to love another
man, and I believe, moreover, I have .something else to do.
Tlie fatherland needs brave hands, and I belong to my fathei--
land and my father. We shall have war again, six*, war with
the Bavarians. Thank God, you will not be among our ene-
mies ! I shall carry our wounded out of the thickest of the
light, and nurse them ; and if a bullet hits me, well, then. 1
shall die for the fatherland, and it will gbulden your heart,
also, to hear that Ijizzie Wallner died as a brave daughter of
the Tyrol. I pray God to let me die in this manner. Amen!
But now, sir, go to your yoiing bride. She will be wonder-
ing already at your long absence Oh, go to her, sir, and be
kind and loving to her ; let her never suspect what has taken
])lace between us, and that you did not marry her of your
own accord."
'' I cannot dissemble. Eliza ; T cannot turn my heart like
a glove."
"Do I ask you to do so? Have you not always loved
Elza ? Love her now, then ; love her for my sake, love me in
her! Go, sir; Elza is waiting for you. I shall go too. Our
good Ilaspinger is waiting for me, and I shall go with bin) to
my father. Wc shall never meet again, and therefore I will
give you now' my wedding-present. You asked me for it this
morning, and I i-efused ; but now I will give it to you volun-
tarily. Close your eyes, sir. for you must not see what I give
you; and do not open them until I tell you to."
" I will close my eyes, Eliza, but I shall see you neverthe-
less in mj' heart."
She glided up to him with a noi.seless step. Faithful to
his word, he had closed his eyes firmly. She gazed at him
lon'g and tenderly, as if to engrave his features dee{)ly on her
heart; then she bent over him and imprinted a kiss on his
forehead.
" God bless you, Ulrich." she whispered, and ki.ssed his fore-
head once more. " Farewell ! "
432 ANDREAS IIOFER.
And before he was able to prevent it, or even know it, she
glided to the small door leading from the vestry into the
street.
Ulrich heard the jar of the door, and opened his eyes.
Eliza stood in tlie open dooj*, and cast a last, parting glance on
him. Joachim Haspinger stood behind her.
•'Eliza," cried Ulrich, hastening to her, " you will leave
me?"
He would have seized her hand, but Haspinger stepped
between them. "' Go to your bride, sir," he said, imperatively.
" Eliza will accompany me and go to her father ! "
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE TREATY OF PEACE.
The Emperor Francis was still at Prince Lichtensteiu's
castle of Totis, in Hungary, but for some days past there had
no longer reigned there the profound silence and calm mo-
notony which had prevailed during the first days of the im-
perial sojourn. Couriers came and went, equipages rolled
up, and conveyed to the castle some of the Austrian diploma-
tists, with whom the emperor conversed a long while in
his cabinet, whereupon tliey departed again. Even Baron
von Thugut, the all-powerful ex-minister, had been drawn
from his tranquil retirement, and called to the headquarters
of the Emperor Francis at Totis. Francis had locked himself
up with him in his cabinet, and conversed with him in so low
a tone that Hudelist, althou.gh he had ai)plied his ear to the
keyhole, had been unable to hear a single word of importance ;
and the emperor was so reticent as to the subject of his con-
versation v^'ith Thugut, that the Empress Ludovica, although,
after Thugut's departure, she had soiight frequently to fathom
the meaning of his presence there in her interviews with the
emperor, did not receive the slightest information from her
husband.
* Great commotion reigned at Castle Totis already early in
THE TKKATY OF PEACE. 433
(lie inoriiiiijf of the 12th of October. Prince Lichtenstein had
arrived in the first place, and Count Bubna had come soon
afterward. The eniperoi" had gone with the two diphmiatists
to his cabinet ; they had left it several hours afterward, and
departed ininiediatcly.
Count Metternich had like\vi.se arrived at Totis, and re-
paii-ed at once to the emperor's rooms. Tlic count ordered
the footman in the anteroom to announce liir.i to his majesty,
but the servant sliook his head with a polite smile.
" It is unnecessary for me to announce your excellency,"
lie said. " His majesty ordered me to conduct your excellency
at once to his ca])inet. Be so gracious, therefore, as to follow
me, your exceHoncy."
And he hastened, with a noiseless step, through the apart-
.ments. Count Metternich followed liim quickly, and an im-
perceptible sneer played over his fiiie youthful face as he was
walking through these sumptuous rooms, whose deserted ap-
peai-ance was the best proof of the precarious situation of the
emperor.
The footman stood now before the door of the imperial cab-
inet ; after waiting until his excellency had come close up to
him, he opened this door, and said, in a loud voice, "His ex-
cellency, Count Metternich I '
When the co.nit entered the cabinet, the emperor was sit-
ting at his writing-table, and holding in his hand a paper which
he had read, but which he laid down now, to rise and greet the
count. It did not escape Metternich's keen, prying eyes, that
the emperoi*'s fa^e was more serene to-day than it had been for
a long time past ; and, on bowing deeply to his majesty, he
asked himself what might be the cause of this unusual seren-
ity, and who might have brought the glad tidings which had
awakened so i-emarkable a change.
" Welcome, count, welcome ! " said the emperor, in his
sonorous voice, and with a graceful smile. " I sent for you
because I am exceedingly anxious to learn the progress of your
peace-negotiations at Altenburg. Is thci-e no prospect yet of
a speedy termination of this abominable war?"
" Your majesty, I regret to .say that the negotiations are
progressing very slowly," said Count Metternich. mournfully.
434 ANDREAS IIOFER.
"The Emperor of the Freuch persists with stubborn petulancy
in all his demands, and i-efuses firmly to abate them."
" Indeed, is Bonaparte so stubborn ? " asked the emperor,
kindly. ''How far have you advanced in your conferences
Avith Minister Champagny ? "
'' Your majesty, we have not advanced yet beyond the diffi-
cult qviestions concerning the contributions in money and the
fortresses. France refuses obstinately to take less than two
hundred and thirty-seven millions of francs, and insists on the
cession of the fortresses of Gratz and Briinn, w^hich her troops
have not even occupied up to this time."
"That is to say, you have not advanced in j^our peace ne-
gotiations beyond what both sides were willing to concede at
the outset ? "
" Pardon me, your majesty. In the beginning of the nego-
tiations we were entirely ignorant of the demands of France,
while wc are j^amiliar with them now, and know what course
to adopt in regard to them. After learning the adversary's
intentions, one may more easily devise ways and means to
frustrate them."
" But you have been devising them a long time already
without obtaining any results," said the emperor, shrugging
his shoulders. "Well, what do you think, my dear count,
wmII be the upshot of j^our peace negotiations ? "
" Will your majesty permit me to tell you the truth ? "
asked Count Mettcrnich. with his most winning smile.
The emperor nodded his head.
"Well, then, your majesty, I believe that war will be thf^
upshot of all these peace negotiations. The demands of
France are so exorhitant that Austria cannot submit to them.
Austria's honor will con)pel us to resume hostilities ; for a
government may, if need be, acquiesce in the loss of some of
its territories, but it must never submit to a violation of its
honor."
" But do you know that a resumption of hostilities will en-
danger not only some of our territories, but our existence ?
Our armies are disorganized, disheartened, and Avithout a
competent commander-in-chief ; and my distinguished ])roth-
ers, who are at the head of the different corps, are quarrelin;?
THE TKKATY Ol' I'EACK. 4:;^
as ibouuli tliov woic old women, and not princes. Besides,
money, the best geuoral in war times, is wanting to us."
" Only declare your determination to resume hostilities,
your majesty, and money will not be wanting to you. Your
])eople will gladl}' sacrifice all their property foi- this purpose,
foj' your people hate Napoleon and desire vehemently that
hostilities should be resumed."
''See here," exclaimed the emperor, almost menacingly,
" let me advise you not to allude to my peoi)le, if you want
ine to remain on good terms with you. I have no people ; I
have subjects, and want only subjects.* If I need money, I
shall impose additional taxes on my subjects, and they will be
compelled to pay them ; but they need not offer me any pres-
ents, for I think it would be incompatible with my imperial
honor to accept them. An emperor must not accept any thing
as a present at tlie hands of his subjects, not even their love,
for it is the dut}' of the subjects to love their emperor. Bear
this in mind, count, and do not repeat again this new-fash-
ioned word ' people ;' I cannot bear it, it smells so much of the
republic and guillotine. Well, I have told you that, if we re-
sumed hostilities, we should be destitute of three very es.seutial
things, namely, a good army, a great captain, and money.
There is no doubt whatever that we should lose the fii-st battle
again •, and if we were compelled then to sue for peace, Bona-
parte would impose still more rigorous terms upon us : we
.should be obliged to accept them, and should lose both ter-
ritories and honor. Now you know my views, count, and you
.shall know alsq the principal reason why I sent for you. Look
at this paper. Do you know what it contains ? The treaty of
peace I "
''The ti'eaty of peace?" cried Metternich, in dismay.
" Your majesty does not mean to say — "
''I mean to say that I have made peace witii the Emperoi*
of the French. Here is the paper ; take it. The whole thing
is done now."
" Your majesty," exclaimed Metternich, looking at the
paper which the emperor had handed to him, " it is really
true, then 'i Y''ou have already signed the treaty without be
*Schlosser's "Ilislory of the Eighteenth Century."
436 ANDREAS HOFER.
ing so gracious as to employ your ministers or even inform
them of it ? "
" Yes, I have, for I thought we needed peace ; heuce, I
signed the treaty, and Prince Lichtenstein and Count Bubna
have taken a copy of it to the headquarters of the Emperor
Napoleon at Sclionbrunn, and I believe he will sign it also.
Well, do not look so dumbfounded, count, and do not wonder
auy longer that I succeeded in making peace without your
assistance. I allowed you and Stadion to go on with the ne-
gotiations, and did not prevent you from displaying your
whole diplomatic skill at Altenburg against Bonaparte's min-
ister, Chami^agny ; but all this could not prevent me either from
promoting the affair a little here at Totis, after my own fashion,
and now all is over. For the rest, my dear count, bear in mind
what I now say to you. I appointed you my ministei-, because
you are an able and clear-headed man, and an industrious and
reliable functionary. I shall let you act, decide, and govern,
and not complain if people say that you are all-powerful in
Austj'ia, and that j^our will alone guides the ship of state. Let
people say and think so, but you shall not think so, count; you
shall know once for all what our mutual position is. I
allow you to govern so long as you govern in accordance
with my views ; but if I am not satisfied with the course
you are pursuing, I shall pursue my own course, and it will
only remain for you to follow me, or retire from public
affairs. Now decide, my dear count ; will you follow me,
OJ-— "
"Sire, there is no 'or,'" interrupted Count Metternich.
" It is your majesty's incontestable right to lead the way, and
indicate to me the course I am to |)ursue."
" That is right; I like to hear that kind of language ! " ex-
claimed the emperor, holding out his hand kindly to the count.
" You may depend upon it now that we two shall remain yet
a long while together, and that, since we are going to have
})eace in the country, we shall rule together in tranquillity
and harmony. There, take the paper now to your room, and
read it attentively, that you may become thoroughly familiar
with it ; above all things, do not forget the secret articles, for
j'ou know they are always the most important of all. Pray
THE TREATY OF PKACE. 437
return to me in an liour from now ; we will tlicu work to-
gether."
"Sire, I shall he here punctually," said Count Metternich,
bowing' deeply, and wallcing backward to the door.
'' I believe he ?<;/// be hei'e punctually," .said the emperor,
smilijig', after Metternich had h.'t't the room. " He is afraid, if
he should not be promptly at my door, it might never open to
him again. I want them all to feel that I am their ma.ster
and emperor — I alone! Now I am through with Metternich,
and it is my brother's turn. I will give him today a lesson
which he will not forget all his life long."
The emperor rang the bell. "Has my brother, the Arch-
duke John, not yet arrived ? " he asked the footman who en-
tered the room.
" Your majesty, the archduke has just arrived, and is wait-
ing for your orders."
*' I request my brother to come to me immediately," said
the emperor. After the footman had glided noiselessly out of
the room, Francis walked repeatedly up and down, and his
face assumed a gloomy expression. " He shall learn now that
I am his master," he murmured ; " I will break his haughty
spirit, and humiliate him so deeply that he will never think
any more of plotting against me."
At this moment the door opened, and the Archduke John,
whom the footman announced, entered the room. He looked
l)ale and sad ; the last months, full of care and grief, had
gnawed deeply into his soul, and dejirived his eyes of their
fire, and his form of its youthful fulness.
The emperor saw it, and a sjirdonic smile illuminated for a
moment his features, which, however, quickly resumed their
gloomy expression. " Ah, brother." exclaimed the emperor,
greeting the archduke with a slight nod of his head, '' we have
not seen each other for a long time ; lience, I sent for you. I
wish to communicate important news to you. The war is at
an end. T have concluded peace with the Emperor of the
French."
" Peace ? " asked John, incredulously. '" Your majesty con-
descends to jest, and that is a good symptom of your majesty's
excellent health."
43S Alv^DREAS IIOFER.
" I never jest with you," said the enip©ror, dryly. " I tell
you in dead earnest, I have concluded peace with Napoleon.
Austria loses a great deal by this peace ; she cedes one-third
of her territory, and pays, moreover, besides the contributions
imposed heretofore, the sum of eighty-six millious of franc." *
" But what of the Tyrol ? " asked John. " I am sure your
majesty will keep the faithful Tyrol ? "
" No," said Francis, looking his brother full in the face,
" the Tyrol will be divided ; one part of it will be restored to
Bavaria ; the other part will be given to the Viceroy of Italy,
and become a province of French Italy."
" That is impossible ! " cried John, in dismay ; "that can-
not be your will — "
"And why not? Why is it impossible?" asked the em-
peror, sternly.
"Your majesty," said John, facing his brother boldly,
" you pledged your word to the Tyrolese solemnly, in the face
of God and the whole world, that you would not conclude a
peace which would separate the Tyrol from your monarchy."
" Ah, you dare to remind me of it ? " cried Francis, in a
threatening tone.
"Yes, I do," said John, vehemently ; "and I have a right
to do so, for it is I who pledged my honor that the imperial
promise would be redeemed. It was I who stirred up the in-
surrection of the Tyrolese, who repeated the promises of their
beloved emperor to them ; it was I who called upon them in
the emperor's name to organize a conspiracy and rebellion,
and who induced them to draw the sword and fight for- their
liberty. Your majesty, thousands of the noblest Tyit ole.se
have lost their lives in this contest ; thousands lie wounded
and in great pain ; the soil of the Tyrol, formerly so tranquil
and peaceful, is reeking yet with gore ; the fields are not cul-
tivated; where prosperity formerly reigned, there is now dis-
tress and starvation ; where peace and tranquillity prevailed,
there rages an insurrection : where merry and happy people
used to live, and where nothing was heard formerly but the
ringing notes of the Ranz cZe.s Vetches and the merry Jodlers
of the herdsmen, there are to be seen now only pale, mournful
* Napoleon signed the treaty of SchOnbrunn on the 14th of Octobei 1800.
THE TREATY OF PEACE. 489
iuvaliils, tottering along painfully, and nothing is heard but
the booming of artillery and the lamentations of the impover-
ished and starving mountaineers. And yet, despite all their
ilisasters and privations, the faithful Tyrolese stand firm, for
tht'ir heai-ts are full of hope and love for their emperor. They
risked all in order to become Austrians again; and even now,
when the deplorable armistice has comi)elkHl your troops to
sheathe their swords, the faithful and confiding Tyrolese con-
tinue their struggle for their emperor and the liberty of their
beloved country. All Europe gazes with astonishment and
admiration upon this heroic people, which alone is yet coura-
geous enough to resist the French despot; which alone does
not yet bow to his decrees, and still draws its sword against
him, while all Europe is crouching before him in the dust.
Oh, your majestj^ cannot and will not abandon this faithful
people, which loves you and believes in you. It would be
high treason to think your majesty capable of such a step, for
you pledged your woi'd to the Tyrolese, and never will an Em-
peror of Austria break his word and incur the disgrace of per-
juring himself."
The empei'or uttered a cry of rage, and, entirely foi-getful
of his assumed calmness, rushed upon the archduke with flash-
ing eyes and u])lift('d arm.
" You dare to insult me ! " he cried. " You are impudent
enough to charge me with perjury ! You — "
The archduke on seeing his brother so close before him,
furious and with clinched fist, stai-^ed back a few steps. "Your
majesty," he said, " I am sure you do not intend to insidt your
l)rother. Pray take your hand away, for if it should touch
my face, my forehead, I should be obliged to forget that you
are the emperor, that you are my brother, and should demand
satisfaction of 3'ou."
"The emperor would not give satisfaction to a iel)el," said
Francis, dropping his arm slowly ; "he wt)uld crush the rebel
by a word, and deliver the traitor into the hands of his
judges."
" Well, then, do so," exclaimed John ; " pimish me, let me
expiate with ray blood the boldness with wdiich I reminded you
of the sacred pi-omise which you gave to the Tyrolese. But do
440 ANDREAS HOFER.
not forget your word ; do not abandon the faithful Tyrol ; do
not destroy the only hope of these honest, innocent children
of nature, who confide so touchiugly in their emperor I Oh,
your majesty, let us both forget the vehement words which
anger and grief caused us to utter just now ! I implore your
majesty's forgiveness — I confess that I sinned grievously
against my emperor. But now have mercy in your turn !
See, I bow to you, I kneel down before you, and implore you,
by your imperial honor and in the name of the Tyrol, do not
abandon the Tyrol and its commander-in-chief, Andreas Ho-
fer, and do not forget your solemn promise that you would
never consent to a'treaty of peace that would not forever in-
corporate the Tyrol with your states. You want to make
peace with Napoleon ; but the treaty has not been proclaimed
yet, the world does not know of it yet, and it is still j)ossible
for your majesty to break off the negotiations. Oh, do so,
your majesty ; redeem the word you pledged to the Tyrol, and
do not conclude a peace which will not indissolubly unite the
Tyrol with your monarchy. Permit the Tyrolese at least to
conquer their liberty once more, and, after they have done so,
protect it. Send me to the Tyrol, permit me to place myself
at the head of the brave mountaineers, and you shall see that
the Tyrolese will rise as one man and fight with the courage
of lions. Oh, your majesty, send me to the Tyrol, that the
Tyrolese and the whole world may learn that the emperor of
Austria keeps his word and does not abandon them, and that
he sends his own brother to them in order to tell them that he
will not consent to any peace which will not incorporate their
country with Austria ! "
The emperor burst into loud and scornful laughter. " Ah,
you are very slu'ewd, brotlier," he said ; "you think I jnyself
should give you permission to go to the Tyrol antl play there,
with redoubled splendor, your part as savior and libei-ator of
the province. You think I ain ignorant of your nice little
plan, and do not know why you wish to go to the Tyrol, and
what intentions you entertain in regard to it. Yes, sir, I know
all ! I am aware of your plans. I know that you are a revo-
lutionist and rebel. You wanted to make yourself sovereign
of the Tyrol. That is the reason why you incited the people
THE TREATY OF PEACE. 441
to rebellion, and intrigued and plotted until the poor peaceable
peasants became insurgents and rebels against their Bavarian
king, and unfurled the banner of blood with frantic fanati-
cism. You say thousands have fallen in the Tyrol in the
struggle for liberty ; you say thousands lie wounded on the
gory soil of their native country ; that prosperity has disap-
peared, and poverty and starvation i-eign in the Tyrol ? Well,
then, all tliis is your work ; it is your fault. You stirred up
the insurrection, and committed the heavy crime of inciting a
people to revolution. The Tyrol belonged to Bavaria ; the
Tyrolese were subjects of the King of Bavaria ; nothing gave
them the right to shake off the rule of their king and choose
another sovereign. And you think I should be so weak as to
approve of the bad example set by the Tyrolese, and encourage
the crimes committed by the revolutionists ? You think I
should sanction your work and consecrate your traitorous
schemes by permitting you to go to the Tyrol in order to
preach insurrection once more, make yourself sovereign of
the Tyrol, come to an under.standing with M. Bonaparte, and
be recognized and confirmed by him as Duke of Tyrol ? "
" Brother," cried John, in dismay, " I — "
" Hush," interrupted the emperor, imperiously ; " no one
has a right to say a word when I am speaking. I am not
speaking to you as your brother, but as your emperor. And
as your emperor, I tell you now, you will not go to the Tyr-
ol, you will not dare to cross again the frontiers of the Tyrol
without my permission ; and I promise you that you will have
to wait a long while for this permission. And as your em-
peror I order you further to inform the Tyrolese that I have
concluded peace with France, and to call upon them to lay
down their arms and submit to their fate."
"Your majesty, never, never will I do that!" cried John.
"Oh, you think the good Tyrolese would then begin to
doubt the honesty of their adored archduke, and withdraw
from him their love, which was to erect a throne for him ? "
"No, your majesty," said John, looking him full in the
face ; '' I mean that I have pledged my word to protect the
Tyrolese, and help and succor them in their struggle for lib-
erty and for their omporov, and that I will not incur the dis-
29
442 ANDREAS HOFER.
grace of having cheated a whole people and abused their con-
fidence and love in the most revolting manner."
"Oh, you want to intimate to me once more that I have
done so — that I have abused the confidence and love of the
Tyrolese in a revolting manner?" asked the emperor, with
a freezing smile. " No matter, keep your opinion ; but you
shall surely obey me, and do it at once in my presence. Seat
yourself at my writing-table yonder. You are a scholar, and
know how to wield the pen quickly and skilfully. Write,
therefore. Inform the faithful Tyrolese that peace has been
concluded ; order them to lay down their arms and submit
obediently to their new master."
"I cannot, brother," cried John, mournfully. "Have
mercy upon me ! I cannot deliver a whole i)eople to the exe-
cutioner's axe. For, if you withdraw your hand from the
Tyrol, if you surrender it to the tender mercies of the Bava-
rians and French, they will wreak a fearful revenge on the
Tyrolese for all the defeats and humiliations which the heroic
mountaineers have made them undergo."
" That will deter the mountaineers from entering into any
more conspiracies and revolutions, and teach them to be pa-
tient and submissive ; and they will thereby become an awful
example to my own subjects. Do not disobey me any longer.
Seat yourself and write, archduke ! "
" No," cried John, vehemently, " your majesty may punish
me as a I'ebel, take my life, or sentence me to everlasting im-
prisoinment, but I cannot obey ! I cannot w^rite such a procla-
mation ! "
"I shall not punish j^ou as a rebel," said the emperor,
shrugging his shoulders ; "I shall not take your life, I shall
not sentence you to everlasting imprisonment ; but I will
withdraw^ my hand entirely from the Tyrol. I will not, as I
had resolved aud stipulated expressly, give the fugitive Tyro-
lese, if they should succeed in crossing the frontier, an asylum
here in Austria, and protect them to th<\ best of niy power ;
but I will delivei' them as escaped criminals to their legiti-
mate sovereigns, that they may punish tliem according to
their deserts. Nor shall I, as I intended to do, stii)ulate in the
treaty of peace that the ancient constitution shall be con-
THE TRHATV OK PEACE. 443
firmed and {juariuitced to the Tyrolcse ; nor shall I, finally,
as I had resolved to do, appoint a commission wliich will afford
relief to the fugitives who escajw with their families to Aus-
tria. It will l)c your fault if the poor Tyrolese are deprived
of tlie.se hoons, and you will expo.se the deserted people to the
most fearful persecutions."
" No, your majesty ; no one shall ever be able to say that,"
cried John, profoundly moved. "I will obey your order and
draw up the proclamation.''
He hastened to the writing-table, and, throwing' himself on
a chair in front of it, uttei-ed a deep groan and dropped his
head on his breast as though he were dying.
'" Well, do not reflect so long, brother,'' said Francis, " but
write ! "
John took up the pen, and, restraining the tears which
filled liis eyes, wrote quickly a few lines. He then rose as
])ale as a corpse, and, approachhig the emperor slowly, handed
the paper to him.
"Your majesty," he said, solemnly, "T have comi)lied with
your order. I inform the Tyrolese that peace has been con-
cluded, and exhort them to submit. Will you now fulfil the
conditions, on account of which I have written this to the
Tyrolese ? Will you grant an asylum here in Austria to those
who shall succeed in escaping their tormentors and execution-
ers ? Will you appoint an imjierial commission which will
aflTord relief to the fugitives and their families? And last,
will you see to it tliat the ancient constitution is guaranteed to
the Tyrolese in the treaty of peace ?''
" I pledged y<iu my word that I would do so, dear brother,"
said the emperor, smiling ; " and you yourself said a while
ago, ' Never will an Emperor of Austria break his word and
incur the disgrace of perjuring himself.' Well, read to me
now what you have written. I should like to hear it from
your own lips."
The archduke bowed and read in a tremulous voice:
" Dear, Brave Tyrolese : The news that peace has been
concluded will soon reach you. The emperor has ordei'cd me
to conflrni tliis intelligence to you. The emperor would have,
444 ANDREAS HOFER.
done every thing to fulfil the wishes of the Tyrol, but, how-
ever great an interest the emperor takes in the fate of the
honest and excellent inhabitants of that province, he has had
to submit to the stern necessity of making peace. I inform
you of this by order of his majesty, with the addition that it
is his majesty's wish that the Tyrolese should keep quiet and
not sacrifice themselves needlessly.
" The Archduke John."
" H'm ! " said the emperor, taking the paper from John's
hand and contemplating it attentively, " it is written quite
laconically indeed. But, no matter, you have complied with
my order and done your duty.''
"I thank your majesty for this acknowledgment. And
now that I have done my duty, I request your majesty to be
so gracious as to dismiss me from your service, and permit me
to retire from the court into private life. I feel weak and ex-
hausted, and need repose. Moreover, since we have peace
now, my services are superfluous and may be easily dispensed
with."
'' And you wish me to dismiss you very speedily, do you
not ? " asked the emperor, sarcastically. " You wovild like to
retire as quickly as possible into private life, that the whole
world, and, above all, the dear Tyrolese, may perceive that the
noble and beloved Archduke John is dissatisfied with the
treaty, and has therefore withdi-awn in anger from the court
and service of his emperor ? I am sorry that I cannot afford
you this satisfaction. You will remain in the service ; I do
not accept your resignation, I do not permit you to retire into
private life. You should devote your abilities to the state ;
you are not allowed to withhold your services from it at this
juncture."
" Your majesty, I can no longer be useful to the state. I
am exhausted to death. I repeat my request in the most ur-
gent manner : dismiss me from the service, and permit me to
retire into private life."
" What ! " cried Francis, vehemently. " Your emperor
has informed you of his will, and you dare to oppose it ? Tliat
is a violation of subordination, for which the emperor, as su-
THE TREATY OF PEACE. 445
prerne commander of liis army, would punish his rehellious
general rigoroush', but for the fact that this general unfortu-
nately is his brotluM'. I repeat it, I do not accept your resigna-
tion. You remain in the service ; I demand it a.s your gen-
eral-in-chief ; I remind you of the t)ath of allegiance which
you have sworn to me, your emperor and master."
" Your majesty does right in reminding me of the oath I
took," said the archduke, with freezing coldness. " It is true,
I swore that oath ; and as T am in the habit of keeping my
word, and as it is disgra<eful for any one to break his word
and perjure himself, I sliall fulfil my oath. Hence, I shall
obey my emperor and general-in-chief, and not leave the serv-
ice. But now I ask leave of your majesty to withdraw for to-
day, if your majesty has nothing further to say to me."
*' Yes, I iiave something else to say to you, my dear broth-
er," said tbe emperor, smilingly. '' I will give you a proof of
the great confidence which I repose in you, and with which I
count upon your discretion. I will communicate to you a
family secret which is known at present only to the Emperor
Napoleon, Baron von Thugut, who acted as my agent on this
occasitm, and myself."
''What!" asked John, in surpri.se; "the Emperor Napo-
leon is aware of a family secret of your majesty ? "
"As it concerns him.self, he nmst be aware of it," said the
emperor. " Napoleon intends to marry a second time."
" A second time ? Has his first wife, the Empress Josephine,
then, died suddenly ? "
"No, she still lives, and is acting yet at this moment in
Paris as the emperor's legitimate consoi't. But Napoleon, im-
mediately after his return from Germany, will annul this mar-
riage, which was never consecrated by a priest ; he will divorce
himself solemnly from his wife, and have then the right of
marrying a second time. He requested my secret agent, Baron
von Thugut, to ask me if I would consent to a marriage be-
tween him and aji archduchess of Austria. I replied in the
affirmative, and this agreement forms one of the secret articles
of the treat}' of peace."
" An archduchess of Austria is to become the con.soi't of
the French despot!" cried John, in dismay. "And who,
44:G ANDREAS HOFER.
your majesty, is to be sacrificed to the Minotaur ? Which of
your sisters or cousins will you let him have ? "
" None of my cousins or sisters,'' said Francis, calmly, " but
my eldest daughter, Maria Louisa, is to become the consort of
the Emperor Napoleon."
" Maria Louisa ! " cried John, with an expression of dismay.
" Maria Louisa ! "
And John staggered back several steps, as pale as a corpse,
and grasped the back of the chair in order not to sink to the
floor.
Francis did not seem to perceive this. " Yes, Maria Louisa
will be Napoleon's second consort," he said. " Every thing is
settled already, and the marriage will take place next March.
I think, brother, you may stand proxy for Napoleon on that
occasion."
The archduke gave a start, and pressed his hands to his
temples as if he were afraid lest this dreadful " famih^ secret "
would burst his head.
" Your majesty," he said, in a tremulous and almost in-
audible voice, " I beg leave to withdraw."
Without waiting for a reply, the archduke turned and left
the room with a tottering step, and leaning now and then
against the wall in order not to sink to the floor.
The emperor looked after him, smilingly. " It seems Hu-
delist was not mistaken," he said. " My dear brother really
loved Maria Louisa, and intended to become my son-in-law.
What a nice idea ! But he must give it up now. He — Holy
Virgin ! What noise is that in the anteroom ? What fell to
the floor there ? "
Tlie emperor stepped quickly to the door and opened it.
" Whiit is the matter here ? " he asked.
'"Your majesty," exclaimed the footman, who hastened to
him, '■ the archduke fainted and fell to the floor, striking with
his head against the corner of a chair, and wounding his fore-
head, which is bleeding copiously."
"Well, I hoi)e it is only a slight scratch," said the em-
peror, composedly. " Carry the archduke to his bedchamber
and send for my surgeon. I will afterward call on him my-
self."
DREADFUL TII)IN(iS. 447
Without taking any further notice of the archduke, the
emperor returned into his cabinet and ck)scd the door after
him.
" He fainted," said Francis, triumphantly. '' Henceforth
ho shall be entirely powerless. No one shall have any power
liere but myself. Ah, I have broken his pride, bent his will,
and prostrated him at my feet. All my brolhcrs shall bow to
me, acknowledge me as their master, and obey me. Ah, I be-
lieve I have played a bad trick on my brothers. The Arch-
duke John will not become Duke of Tyrol ; the Grand-duke
Ferdinand of Wiirtzburg will not be Emperor of Austria, for
Napoleon w-ill become my son-in-law, and he will take good
care not to deprive his father-in-law of his throne. I alone
am, and shall remain, Emperor of Austria."
CHAPTER XL.
DREADFUL TIDINGS.
All the Tyrolese were in the highest excitement and ter-
ror. Pale faces were to be seen everywhere', and nothing was
heard but the anxious query : "Is it true ? Has our emperor
really made peace with Bonaparte? Is it true that he has
abandoned us entirely, and that we are to become again sub-
jects of France and Bavaria ? "
And some of the timid and disheartened sighed : " It is
true ! We read so yesterday in the Innspruch Gazette, and
the Viceroy of Italy has sent two messengers through the
Puster valiey to proclaim that the Emperors of Austria and
France concluded a treaty of peace on the 14th. of October, and
that the Tyrolese are to lay down their arms and become again
subjects of France and Bavaria."
"It is not true!" cried the bold and courageous. "The
Emperor Francis has not made peace with Bonajiarte ; and if
he has, he has certainly not abandoned the Tyrol, but stipu-
lated that we remain with Austria : for he pledged us his
word that we should, and the emperor will redeem his prom-
ise."
448 ANDREAS HOFER.
" It is not true ; there is no peace, and we are still at war
with the Bavarians and French," cried Joseph Speckbacher,
*'and we will continue the war."
"Yes, we will," shouted his brave men.
And as Speckbacher said, so did Andi-eas Hofer, so did Joa-
chim Haspinger, so did Anthony Wallner, Jacob Sieberer, and
all the intrepid connnanders of the sharpshooters.
Led by these heroic men, the Tyrolese formed again a large
army, which took position on Mount Isel, and awaited there
the Bavarians who were marching upon Innspruck under the
command of the crown prince Louis.
This time, however, the Tyrolese were not victorious ; the
Bavarians expelled them from Innspi'uck, and, on the 20th of
October, the crown prince Louis of Bavaria made his tri-
umphal entry into the city, after a bloody battle of four days'
duration on Mount Isel and near the Judenstein. A part of
the Tyrolese forces remained on Mount Isel, and another part
hastened with unbroken courage to other regions, to meet the
armies of the enemy and drive them beyond the frontiers of
the country.
Anthony Wallner returned with his sharpshooters to the
Puster valley, and advanced thence against General Rusca,
who was coming up from Carinthia with his corps; he in-
tended to defend the frontiers of his country, against him and
General Baraguay d'Hilliers, who was also approaching with
a strong force.
Joseph Speckbacher marched his intrepid men to the
Ziller valley and the Miihlbach Pass, where he united with
Joachim Haspinger, and advanced with him upon the enemy.
All were in good spirits, and no one believed in the dread-
ful tidings which at first had frightened them all so much : no
one believed that peace had been made.
Andreas Hofer himself thought the news was false. He
had remained courageous and undaunted in spite of the dis-
astrous battle on Mount Isel. and he sent messengers through-
out the country, calling upon all able-bodied men to take up
arms and attack the enemy, who had invaded the Tyrol once
more. He was still encamped with his army near Mount Isel,
and had established his headquarters at Steinach. The crown
DRRADFf L TIDINGS. 449
prince of Baviiria liad sent to liiin liithcr t \\v plcnipotontiuries,
who informed him that peaee had really been concluded, and
that the Tyrolese had no course left but submission. But An-
dreas Hofer replied to these plenipotentiaries, shaking his head
indignantly, " That is a mean lie ; the Emperor Francis, our
beloved master, will never abandon his loyal Tyrolese. He
])ledged us his word, and he will keep it. Your intention is
to deceive us, but you cannot catch us by such stratagems.
We believe in the emperor and the good God, and neither of
them will ever abandon us ! "
And Andreas Hofer i-eturned to his room with a calm smile
and went to bed.
In the dead of night, however, he was suddenly aroused
from his sleep. Cajetau Doninger stood at his bedside and
informed him that the intendant of the Puster valley, Baron
von Worndle, had arrived with an envoy of the Emperor
Francis, Baron von Lichtenthurn, and both wished urgently
to see the commander-in-chief.
"I will admit them," said Hofer, rising hastily ; "God
grant that they are the bearers of good news I "
He dressed himself quickly and followed Doninger into the
roou), where he found the two envoys and several members of
his suite.
" Now tell me, gentlemen, what news do you bring to us ?"
asked Hofer, shaking hands with the two envoys.
"No good news, commander-in chief," sighed Baron von
Worndle, "but there is no use in conijdaining : we must sub-
mit patiently to what cannot be helped. The Emperor Fran-
cis has made peac^? with France."
"Do you sing in that strain too, Mr. Intendant ?"' asked
Andreas, with a mournful smile. " I shall never believe it
initil I see it in black and white, and until the emperor or the
dear Archduke John informs me of it."
"I bring it to you in black and while," exclaimed Baron
von Lichtenthurn, drawing a paper from his bosom and hand-
ing it to Andreas. "Here is a letter from the Archduke John,
which I am to deliver to you."
Hofer hastily seized the paper, whicli contained that proc-
lamation which tlie Archduke John liad written at Totis, and
45(1 ANDREAS HOFER.
read it again and agaiu slowly and attentively. While he was
doing so, his cheeks turned pale, his breath issued heavily and
painfully from his breast, and the paper rustled in his trem-
bling hands.
" It is impossible ! I cannot believe it ! " he exclaimed,
mournfully, gazing upon the paper. ''■ The Archduke John
did not write this. Just look at it, his seal is not affixed to the
paf>er. Sir, how can you say that this letter is from the
Archduke John ? Where is the seal ? Where is the ad-
dress ? ''
•' Well, it is no private letter," said Baron von Lichten-
thurn ; '' it is an open letter, a proclamation, which I am in-
structed to show to everybody in the T^^rol. A proclamation
cannot contain a seal and an address. But the Archduke
John sent it ; he himself wrote every word of it."
■' I do not believe it ! " cried Andreas, in a triumphant
voice ; " no, I do not believe it. You are a liar, and want to
betray us. Look at him, my friends ; see how pale he turns,
and how he trembles ! For I tell you he has a bad conscience.
Bring me the Archduke John's seal, and then I will believe
tliat the paper is from him. But, as it is, 1 look upon it as a
cunning device got up by the enemy to cnti'ap me. Arrest
him ; he must confess all. I will not allow myself to bo
caught by cunning and treachery ! " *
He laid his heavy hand upon the shoulder of the baron,
who sank to the floor, uttering a loud cry of distress, and fell
into fearful convulsions.
" See ! " cried Andreas, " that is the punishment of Heaven !
The hand of God has struck him. He is a traitor, who in-
tended to sell us to the French."
"No, he is an honorable man, and has told you the truth,"
said Baron von Worndlo. gravely. " Your violent accusation
frightened him, and he fell into an epileptic fit. He is afl'ected
with that disease." t
He and some of the bystanders raised the unfortunate
baron from the ground, and carried him into the adjoining
* Andreas Hofer's own words.— See IIormayr\s " Andreas Ilofer," vol. ii.,
p. 490.
t Ibid.
DREADFUL TIDINGS. 451
i-oom. lie then returned to Andi-eas, who was walking up
unci down with a hasty step, and nuirnniring to himself, "I
cannot believe it ! The Ai-cliduke John did not write it.
His hand would have withered wliiU- writing it. He did not
do it."
'' Yes, Andreas, he did," said Worndle, gravely ; " he was
obliged to submit, as we all shall have to do. The Archduke
John was obliged to yield to the will of his emperor as we
shall have to do. The treaty of peace has been concluded.
There is no doubt of it."
"Lord God ! the treaty of peace has been concluded, and
the emperor abandons us ? " cried Andreas.
" The emperor, it seems, was unable to do any thing for the
Tyrol," said Wdrndle in a low voice. "He had to consent
lliat the Tyrol should be restored to the French and Bava-
rians."
" But that is impossible ! " cried Andreas, despairingly.
•• He pledged us his word, his sacred word, that he would never
consent to a peace that would detach the Tyrol from Austria.
How can you now insult the dear emperor by saying that he
has broken his word i "
"He has not broken his word, but he was unable to keep
it. Look, commander-in-chief, I bring you another letter, to
which, as you see, is affixed a large imperial seal, the seal of
the Viceroy of Italy, who wrote the letter to you and all the
Tyrolese."
" Read it," exclaimed Andreas, mournfully ; " I cannot, my
eyes are filled with tears. Read it to me, sir."
Worndle read as follows :
" To the people of the Tyi'ol : His majesty the Emperor of
the French, Kiii<i- of Italy, Protector of (he Confederation of
the Rhine, my august father and sovereign, alid his majesty,
the Emperor of Austria, have made peace. Peace, thei-efore,
reigns evei'y where around you. You are the only peo})le which
does not enjoy its blessings. Seduced by foreign instigations,
you took up arms against your goverinnent and dvorthit'w
it. The melancholy conseqiiences of your seditit)us course
have overtak.'n yo'i. Terror reigns now in your towns, idle-
452 ANDREAS HOFER.
ness aud misery in your fields, and discord and disorder are
to be found in all parts of the country. His majesty the em-
peror and king, profoundly moved by your wretched condi-
tion, and the proofs of repentance which some of you have
manifested to him, has consented in the treaty to forgive your
errors. I bring you peace and forgiveness, but I warn you of
the fact, that you will be forgiven only if you return of your
own accord to law and order, lay down your arms, and offer
no longer any resistance whatever. As commander-in-chief
of the armies surrounding you, I shall accept your submission
or compel you to surrender. Commissioners will precede the
armies ; they have been instructed to listen to whatever com-
plaints and gi'ievances you may wish to prefer. But, do not
forget that these commissioners are authorized to listen to you
only after you have laid down your arms. Tyrolese ! I promise
that you shall obtain justice if your complaints and grievances
ai-e well-grounded. Headquarters at Villach, October 25, 1809.
" Eugene Napoleon." *
Baron von Worndle had long since ceased to read, and still
Andreas Hofer stood motionless, his hands folded on his breast,
his head thrown back, and his eyes turned toward heaven.
All gazed in respectful silence upon that tall, imposing form
which seemed frozen by grief, and at that pale, mournful face,
and those pious eyes, which seemed to implore consolation
and salvation from heaven.
At lastDoninger ventured to put his hand softly on Hofer's
arm. " Awake, dear commander-in-chief," he said in a low
voice, " awake from your grief. These gentlemen here are
waiting for an answer. Tell them what you think — "
" What I think ? " cried Hofer, giving a start and dropping
his eyes slowly. " What I think ? I think that we are poor,
unhappy men, who have vainly risked our property and our
blood, our liberty and our lives. Tell me, then, my friends,
is it possible that the Emperor Francis, whom we all loved
so dearly, and who pledged us his word so solemnly and often,
has abandoned us after all ? Cajetan, do you believe it ? "
" It is in black and white here," said Doninger, in his ha-
* Ilormayr's " Andreas Hofer," vol. i., p. 490.
DREADFUL TIDINGS. 453
bilual laconic style, pointing to the proclamation of the Arch-
duke John. " It is the archduke's handwriting ; I am famil-
iar with it. You need no longer question its authenticity.
Peace has been concluded."
" Peace has been concluded, the enii)eror has abandoned
his Tyrol, the Tyrol is lost ! " cried Andreas, in a loud out-
burst of grief ; and his long-restrained tears streamed from his
eyes. Andreas was not ashamed of them. He threw himself
on a chair, buried his face in his hands, and wept aloud.
" The Tyrol is lost," he sobbed ; all my dear countrymen
are in profound distress, and, moreover, in the utmost danger ;
our beloved, beautiful counliy will have to shed rivers of blood,
and nothing will be heard but wails and lamentations. For
the emperor has abandoned us, the enemy will re enter the
country, kill and burn, and wreak a terrible revenge upon our
people !— Lord God," he exclaimed all at once, " can I not do
any thing, then, for my dear country ? Tell me, my friends,
can I not do any thing to avert this great calamity and save
the lives of my dear countryn)en ? "
" Yes, Andreas," said Baron von Worndle, " you can do a
great deal for the Tyrol and your countrymen. You can pre-
vent bloodshed, soften the vindictiveness of tbe enemy, and
induce hira to spare the vanquished and wreak no revenge on
the disarmed. Write a proclamation to the Tyrolese, admon-
ish them to keep quiet, and order them to lay down their
arms. Return yourself to your home, your inn, and you will
have done on this mournful day more for the Tyrol than you
have been able to do for it up to this time ; for you will there-
by save the Tyrol from untold disasters, which will surely be-
fall the country if you resume hostilities against enemies
who are a hundred times superior to us. It is impos.sible for
us to withstand them successfully. Their columns, well pro-
vided with ai'tillery, are moving upon all sides, and the
whole Tyi'ol, as the Viceroy of Italy writes, is surrounded.
We have no course left but submission. Order the Tyrolese,
therefore, to submit, set a good example to them yourself, and
the Tyrol is saved, and no more blood will be shed."
" No more blood will be shed 1 " repeated Andreas Hofer, joy-
ously. " Well, then. I sec that you arc right, and that we
454 ANDREAS HOFER.
have no c(nirso loft but submission. It is true, the emi)eror-
has abandoned us. but the good God will still stand b}^ us ;
and on seeing that we are humble and submissive, He will
have mercy upon us. Sit down, Cajetan ; I will dictate a
letter to you. To whom must I write on behalf of my beloved
country ? "
"Write to General Drouet," said Doninger. "It was he
who wrote to you yesterday from Innspruck, informing you
of the conclusion of peace, and promising that, if you and a1]
the Tyrolese would submit, no harm should befall any one.
You refused to answer his letter because you did not believe
him."
" I did not believe him," said Andreas, gently, " for I still
helieved in my empei'or. But I see now that General Drouet
was right ; I will, therefore, write to him, and recommend
my country and the good and brave Tyrolese to his mercy.
Take up the pen, Cajetan, and write."
And Andreas Hofer dictated in a low, tremulous voice, oft-
en interrupted >)y sjghs which issued from his breast like the
groans of a dying man, a letter to General Drouet, in which
he promised in touching words that the Tyrolese would lay
down their arms, and said they would trust, for pardon and
oblivion of the past, to the magnanimity of Napoleon, whose
footsteps wei'e guided by a superior power, which it was no
longer permitted them to resist.
"There," he said, after convincing himself that Doniuger
had written exactly what he had dictated, '' now give me the
pen, Cajetan. I will sign it myself."
He bent over the table, and wrote quickly what he had so
often Vt'ritten under his decrees, " Andreas Hofer, commander-
in-chief of the Tyrol."
But then he gave a start, and contemplated his signature
long and musingly. Heaving a profound sigh, and casting a
mournful glance toward heaven, he took up the pen a second
time, and added the word "late," slowly and with a trembling
hand, to his title "commander-in-chief of the Tyrol." *
" Now come, Cajetan," he exclaimed, throwing down the
pen, as if it was a viper which had wounded him, " come,
* " Gallery of Heroes : Andreas IJoler," p. 173.
DREADFUL TIDINGS. 455
Oujotun. I will o-o to my sharpshooters and exhort them to
tlisbaml, and afterward i will return with j'ou to my inn in
the Passeyr valley, in order to set a ffood exaniide to all, and
show them how to submit qnietly and i)atiently."
And Andreas llofer acted accordingly. He ordered his
men to disband, and after they had obeyed his order in sullen
silence, he himself, accompanied only by his faithful Cajetan
l)6ning-er, went back to his home.
But neither the joyous welcome, with which liis wife, faith-
ful An»)a Gertrude, received him, nor the jubilant shouts of
liis cliildren, could arouse Andreas Hofer from his mournful
bro-Mhiig, or bring a smile to his lips. He did not rejoice at
bis i-eturn to his dear ones ; he paid no attention to his
bi'siness, he did not go to the stables and barns as he used
(o do ; but he sat hanging his head, his hands folded on his
knees, staring at the lloor, and sighing from time to lime,
" My poor country ! How could the emperor abandon
us?"
Only when Cajetan Doninger was not with him, Andreas
llofer became uneasy ; he glanced around anxiously and
called for his secretary ; when the latter hastened to him, he
held out his hand and said in a low, tremulous voice, " Caje-
tan, do not leave me. I always think I may have something
to write yet, and it seems to me as though what I dictated to
you at Steinach, declaring my readiness to submit, were not
the last of my oflicial papers. Something else nnist come yet,
—yes, something else. I know it, for this state of afPaii-s can-
not last. Therefore, Cajetan, stay with me that you may be
ready and able to w^'ite when the hour has come."
Cajetan stiiyed with him ; both sat together in silence, and
absorbed in their gloomy reflections, and the days pas.sed
slowly and mournfully.
It was on the afternoon of the fifth day, and Andreas llofer
sat in silence, as usual, in the gloomy room. Every thing was
still without. All at once this profound silence was broken
by a hum of many voices and loud noise.
Hofer looked up and listened. " That sounds as if we were
still at war, and us if my sharpshooters were marching up,"
he said.
456 ANDREAS HOFER.
"Andreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol!"
shouted loud voices under the windows.
Hofer jumped up. "Who calls me?" he shouted, in a
powerful voice.
At this moment the door was thrown open violently, and
four mountaineers, armed with their rifles, came in. Hofer
saw through the open door that the yard in front of the house
was thronged with peasants, and all looked with flashing
eyes through the door at Hofei" ; and they shouted now, " An-
dreas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tju'ol, come with us,
come I "
Andreas Hofer seemed all at once animated by new life ;
his eyes shot fire, his form was drawn up to its full height,
and his head rose again proudly between his powerful shoul-
ders.
" Wliat do you want of me, my dear countrymen ? '' he
asked, going to meet them.
One of the four sharpshooters who had entered the room
now came forward, and placed himself with a defiant face in
front of Hofer.
" We want you," he said. " Three thousand French soh
diers are marching across the Jan fen. There is great excite-,
ment in the Puster valley, and some fighting has taken place,
Anthony Wallner has driven the Bavarians long since across
the frontier, and Speckbacher and the Capuchin have marched
to the Miihlbach Pass in order to attack Rusca. And why are
we to keep quiet, then ? Why are we to allow the French to
enter the Passeyr valley ? "
" We will not allow them to do it ! " shouted the peasants
outside. " No, we will not allow the French to enter the Pas-
seyr valley."
" You hear it, commander-in-chief," said the first speaker.
"We are all ready and determined. Now say what we
are to do with tho French. Will you do any thing or
not ? "
"Yes, will you do any thing or not ?" repeated the peas-
ants, penetrating with furious gestures into the room.
" If you do not want to do any thing," cried the peasant,
raising his rifle menacingly, " my rifle is loaded for you as
DREADFUL TIDINGS. 457
well as for any Frenchman. You commenced the in.surrec-
tion, now put it through.'' *
" But you know, countrymen, that I cannot ! " cried Hofer,
'' The emperor lias made peace with Bonaparte and abandoned
us. What course have we left but that of submission ? We
must yield, or the Tyrol Avill be ruined entirely.''
" But we do not want to submit," shouted the peasants,
furiously. " And the whole country is of our opinion ; no
one is willing to submit. We will die rather than submit."
*' Issue another proclamation calling out the able-bodied
men ! " said the first speaker.
'' Yes, issue another proclamation, commander-in-chief,"'
shouted the crowd. " We will fight, we must fight I "
"And you shall and must be our leader ! " exclaimed the
peasant, laying his heavy hand on Hofer's shoulder. " We
will compel you to go with us or kill you as a traitor. Issue
another proclamation. We men are still the same as before,
and so is our cause ; now you must likewise be the same An-
di-eas Hofer, commander-in-chief of the Tyrol ! "
'' Yes, exclaimed Andreas, with a radiant face, drawing a
deep breath, as if relieved from an oppressive burden, '' yes. I
will be the same as before. This state of affairs cannot con-
tinue. We must fight ; we had better die than lead such a
life. Go, Doninger, go ; write a proclamation ! "
"Hurrah ! Long live our commander-in-chief," shouted
the peasants, triumphantly ; "long live our dear faithful An-
dreas Hofer ! "
"I thank you, my dear countrymen," said Andreas; "1
am your leader now, and we will fight again. But do not
hold me responsible for the events of the future. You must
never forget that you compelled me to resmne war. I in-
tended to submit humbly and ])atiently, but you would not
allow me to do so, and dragged me forcibly from my retire-
ment. The bloody struggle will commence again — God grant
us protection, and further victories ! We are not going to
fight from motives of pride and arrogance, but only for the
sake of our country — because we want to remain Germans,
* Loritza, " Bildcr uud Erinncrungen aua Tyrol's Freilieitakainpfeu von
1809," p. 14.
30
4^58 ANDREAS nOFEU.
and do not want to become Frencli subjects, and because we
want to keep our God, our liberty, and our constitution.
Amen ! "
CHAPTER XLI.
BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOPER.
War was now resumed at all points ; but tbe forces brought
from all sides against the Tyrol were so immense that no hope
remained to the inhabitants but by deeds of glory to throw a
last radiance around their fall. The Tyrolese fought with
desperate valor, but their heroism was unavailing. The supe-
rior forces of the enemy were everywhere victorious. The
artillery of the Bavarians and French thinned the ranks of the
mountaineers from day to day ; whole ranks of the Tyrolese
being mowed down by the balls of the enemy. They fled
panic-struck into the mountains. The victorious invaders
penetrated farther and farther into the interior of the country ;
burning towns and villages marked the route which they fol-
lowed, and waDs and lamentations rent the air wherever they
made their appearance.
Before the middle of December all resistance had been
overpowered. The enemy stalked in a merciless manner over
the gory, reeking, groaning Tyrol, and pursued relentlessly all
who had dared to rise against him. He had promised ob-
livion and forgiveness in return for peaceful submission ; but
as the Tyrolese had not submitted, but continued the struggle,
the enemy now threatened to revenge himself and punish the
vanquished.
A furious chase now commenced. Every one who had
been seized with arms in hand was shot ; every one who con-
cealed one of the pursued patriots in his house was executed,
and his house was burned down.
The leaders of the Tyrolese had fled into the mountains,
but the French generals proniis(!d laj'ge rewards for the heads
of the most influential patriots ; and the soldiers traversed the
country, impelled by thirst for revenge and gain, spying
BFTRAVAI, AND SEIZUHE OF IlofKU. 459
evorvwluM'o for the outlawed mountaineers, and ascending
even to the snow-clad summits of the mountains in order to
ohtain the large rewards. As yet, liowever, they liad not suc-
ceeded in seizing one of the pursued chiefs. The Fi'ench gen-
erals had vainly promised a reward of ten thousand florins
for the ai)prehension of Andreas Hofer, and rewards of five
tliousand llorius for the seizure of Joseph Speclibacher, An-
thony Wallner, and .Toachini Ilaspinger. They had disap-
peared, and the patrols and soldiers, who were hunting for them,
had not yet been able to discover the hiding-place of any of
the four great chiefs of the insurrection. The mountains,
those natural fortresses of the Tyrol, protected the outlawed
commanders ; and in the Alpine huts, amidst the cliamois
and ATiltures, which alone saw and knew their liidiug-places,
tliere were no traitors.
Retiring to his native valley, Andreas Hofer long eluded
llie search of the victors. His place of concealment was a sol-
itary' Al])ine hut, four leagues distant from his home, in gen-
eral inaccessible from the snow which surrounded it. Love
had accompanied Andreas to this inhospitable spot. His wife
and his son John were with bun, and so was Cajetan Donin-
ger, his faithful secretary. Love had accompanied him to the
Alpine hut of his friend Pfandler ; love watched over him in
the valle}' below. Many peasants there were well aware of
Hofer's place of concealmejit ; but no one betrayed him, no
one was tempted by the reward of ten thousand florins which
Baraguay d'Hilliers, the French general, offered for Hofer's
apprehension. They often saw Pfandler's servants, loaded
with all soris of provisions, wending their way slowly and
jiainfully up the snow-clad Alp ; hut they averted their heads,
as though they did not want to see anything, and prayed God
in a low tone to pi-otect the messengers who conveyed food to
Hofer and his dear ones. The peasants in the valley forbore
carefully to speak among each other of what they knew ; only
they treated Pfandler with reverential tenderness, shook
hands with him quietly, and whispered, ''God bless you and
him I " At times, on a clear winter day, when thin smoke
curled uj) suddenly from the Alp, the peasants in the valley
looked up sighingly and Avhispered compassionately, "They
460 ANDREAS HOFER.
have built a fire in their hut. The cold is so severe. God
bless them ! " But vphenever one whom they did not trust
stepped up to them, wondering at the smoke, and saying that
somebody was concealed up there, and had bmlt a fire in or-
der not to freeze to death, the othei's laughed at him, and said
there was no smoke at all, but only snow blown up by the
storm.
One day, however, a stranger arrived in the valley, and
asked whisperingly for Andreas Hofer, to whom, he said, he
would bring assistance and safety. At first no one replied to
him ; but he showed them a paper, bearing the name and seal
of the Archduke John, and containing the following words,
written by the prince himself : " Help my messenger to find
Andreas Hofer, and bring him assistance and safety."
On reading this, the peasants distrusted him no longer.
They glanced furtively up to the Schneeberg, pointed to the
two wanderers, loaded with baskets, who were toiling up the
mountain through the snow, and whispered almost inaudibly,
" Follow them ! "
The messenger did so. He climbed after the two servants,
and ascended with them the inhospitable, dreary, and deserted
heights. At length he arrived in front of the Alpine hut ; he
knocked at the door, and asked admittance in the name of God
and the Archduke John.
The door opened immediately, and on the threshold ap-
peared Hofer's tall, bearded form, as erect and vigorous as it
had been in the days of his splendor, and his mild, honest eye
greeted the new-comer.
" He who comes in the name of God and the Archduke
John will not deceive me," said Andreas, kindly. " Come in,
therefore ; for you must have good intentions toward me, ui-
asmuch as the severe cold did not deter you from coming up
to me."
" Indeed I have good intentions toward you," said the mes-
senger. " Do you not know me, then, Andy ? I am Anthony
Sbeeger, the Archduke John's gunsmith."
" Oh, yes, now I know you ! " exclaimed Andreas, joyfully.
" I saw you in Vienna at the time we were there to devise
plans for the deliverance of the Tyrol. Well, come in. An-
BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 461
thony Steeger ; come iu to my wife, my son, and my secre-
tary."
He couductod Anthony Steeger into the room, where the
three greeted him, and made room for him in front of tlie
hearth, on which large billets of wood were burning.
Anthony Steeger looked around in this wretched room,
which contained notliiugbut a few rickety wooden chairs, and
a rough-hewn pine table, and the walls and windows of which
were protected from the cold by thick linings of hay and
straw.
" Yes, you may well look around in my palace," said An-
dreas, smilingly ; " it is not very gorgeous here, but the good
God is with us, aud He will help us to get along.''
" And the Archduke John will help you also,'' said An-
thony Steeger. " Listen tome, Andreas. The archduke sends
ine to you. He sends you his greetings, and entreats you to
come with your family to him and stay with him all your life
long, or, if you should not like to do that, at least until you
can live again safely iu the Tyrol. The archduke has already
fitted up a house for you in a village which belongs to him ;
you shall live there with your whole family as the beloved
and honored guests of the archduke. He implores you to ac-
cept his invitation. I have with me every thing that is neces-
sary for your flight. Andy. The ai'chduke has given me
money, a passport for you and your family, and safeguards is-
sued by the French generals. I am familiar with the roads
and by-paths in this vicinity, and will convey you safely
through the mountains. The archduke has thought of every
thing and provided for every thing."
" It is very kind in the dear Archduke John not to have
forgotten me.'' said Andreas, deeply moved ; '' it is honest and
faithful that lie should like to take care of me and reward my
love. And it is very kind iu you, too, Anthony Steeger, to
have acted in this spirit of self-denial. You have come from
a great distance to save us, and are not afraid of venturing
with us upon this most dangei"ous flight."
"And you accept my otfer, Andy, and consent to accom-
l)any me, do you not ? "
" And what of them ? " asked Andrea.s, casting a tender
4.62 ANDREAS IIOFER.
glance on his wife and his son. " The route across the gla-
ciers is impassable for a woman and a child."
" First save yourself, my Andy," exclaimed Anna Ger-
trude ; " save yourself for us and the country. After you are
gone and have arrived at a place of safety, the enemy will
liardly trouble us any more, and I will follow you then with
the children.''
"You need not be anxious, so far as your wife and children
are concerned," said Doninger. " I will not leave them, but
bring them to you."
'• Pray do not hesitate, Andy," said Anthony Steeger, ur-
gently. " The archduke implores you not to grieve him by
rejecting his offer, but to relieve his conscience from the heavy
debt which he has hitherto been unable to discharge to the
Tyrol. You shall escape for his sake and for the good of the
fatherland, and save youi- life for better times, which will
surely dawn upon the Tyrol. Do it, Andreas. Let us go to
work immediately. See, I have with me all that you need,
and wear two suits of clothes ; one is destined for you, and
you will put it on. And here is the razor, with which we
shall shave ofiP your beard ; and when it is gone, and you have
put on the new clothes, no one will scent the Barbone in the
man with a foreign dress and a smooth chin. Come, now,
Andy, and do not hesitate."
" I am to make quite another man of myself," said Andreas,
shaking his head, " merely to save my miserable life ? I am
to deny my dear Passeyr ? I am to shave off my beard, which
I have worn so long in an honorable manner, and by which
every one knows me throughout the Tyrol ? No, Anthony
Steeger, I will never do that ! "
'' If you do not, Andreas, you are lost," said Anthony Stee-
ger. '' I am afraid the French are already on your track. A
peasant said he had seen you up here tlie other day."
"Yes, it was Raff el. He came up here to look for his
cow, and met me here. But I gave him money not to be-
tray my secret, and he promised me solemnly that he would
not."
" He must have violated his pledge already, Andy ; for he
told Donay, the priest, about it, and the latter boasted pub-
J5ETKAYAL AND SKIZl'RE (»r II'ilER. .\{]:^
licly yesterday tliat he was aware of Audreas Hofcr's place of
concealment."
"It is true, Douay is a bad aiid mean man," said Andreas
llofer, musingly ; " but I do not believe he will be so mean as
to betray me. whom he always called his best commander-in-
chief and dearest friend."
" He is mean enough to do it," murmured Doninger. " The
magnitude of the price set on your head will induce him to be-
tray his benefactor."
" And}'," cried Anna Gertrude, bursting into tears, and
clinging to her husband, '' save yourself ! If you love me and
the children, save youi-self ; cut off your beard, put on the
new suit of clothes, and escape from your bloodthirsty ene-
mies. Save yourself, for the sake of your wife and your
poor children ! "
'' I cannot," said Andreas, mournfully, embracing bis wife
(enderly • " no, so help me God, I cannot leave my dear, uu-
hap. country. I know full well that I shall not avert any
calamities from the Tyrol by staying here, but I will at least
share its misfortunes. I was unable to save my native
country ; I will therefore suffer with it. A good capt^iin does
not desert his shipwrecked vessel, but dies with it ; and thus
1 will not desert my country either, but die with it. I will do
all I can to save myself, but I will not leave the Tyrol ; I will
not cut off my beard nor put on other clothes. I will not
mask and disguise myself, but will remain in adversity what
I was in the days of prosperity, Andreas Hofer, the Barbone.
State that to the dear archdiike, Anthony Steeger, and tell him
also that I am veiy grateful to him for wishing to save me in
It is way, and that I hope he will not be angry with me for
being luiable to accept his kind offer, or for washing to live
and die with my country. If he wishes to do any thing for
me, let him go to the Empei'or Francis, and tell him I am.
well aware that he himself would never have forgotten us, but
that his bad ministers did it all, and betrayed the poor Tyrol
so perfidiously. Let him beseech the emperor to intercede
vigorously in behalf of the Tyrol and of myself, but not to
separate me from the Tyrol."*
* "Gallery of Heroes: Andreas Ilofcr," p. 188.
464 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Andreas," cried his wife, despairingly, " you are lost — I
feel it here in my heart — you are lost, if you do not flee with
Steeger this very night."
*' And I feel it here in my heart that I must stay here, even
though I should be lost," said Andreas, firmly. " Well, you
must weep no more, Anna Gertrude ; and you, Anthony Stee-
ger, accept my cordial thanks for your kind and generous in-
tentions."
" Then you have made up your mind, Andy, not to go with
me?"
" I have, Anthony. But if you will do me a great favor,
take my wife and my boy with you, for the enemy threatens
them as well as me. Take them with you, Anthony, convey
them across the mountains, and conduct them to the Archduke
John."
'' It is impossible," said Anthony Steeger, mournfully, " the
roads are so full of snow that they are utterly impassable for
women and children."
" And you would advise me to leave them here ? " asked
Andreas Hofer, reproachfully. " I am to leave here my most
precious treasures merely to save my miserable life ? No, my
friend, I shall stay here with my wife and child and Doninger
there. But you must go now and save yourself ; for, if the
enemy should really come, it would be bad for you to be found
here."
" I will go, Andy, not to save myself, however, but to con-
vey your message speedily to the archduke, that he may save
you in another way by the emperor's intercession. In the
valley I shall tell every one that you are no longer in this Al-
pine hut, but have already succeeded in escaping to Vienna,
so that it will be unnecessary for the enemy to pursue you
any longer."
" Do so, Anthony Steeger ; and if they believe you, I shall
be glad of it. But go now ; I am anxious on your account,
and think something might happen to you here. Go, my dear
friend."
He drew Steeger to the door, and, not permitting him to
take a long leave of the others, conducted him out of the hut,
and then embraced him tenderly. " Now listen to what I wish
BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF IIOFER. 405
to tell you," lie whispered, in a low voice. "I must stay here
to Siive my wife aud my boy. The two cannot flee now, as
you yourself admitted to me. If I should escape now, and
leave them here, the enemy would spy out their place of con-
cealment and revenge himself upon them ; he would torture
and kill them in his rage at not having captured me. But if
I stiiy, and the French should find me, I believe they would
I'elease my wife and my sou and do no harm to them ; for
then they would have got me, and they are entirely innocent.
Go, then, my dear friend ; tell the archduke all I have said to
you, and greet him a thousand times from his faithful Andy.
Now farewell, and go with God's blessing !"
lie nodded once more kindly to Anthony Steeger, and re-
turned quickly into the Alpme hut. He found his wife in
tears ; little John, her son, was kneeling before her, with his
head against his mother's knees, and weeping also. Doninger
stood at the hearth and stared into the fire.
Andreas Hofer went to him and laid his hand gently on
his shoulder. " Cajetan," he asked, mildl}^ " did I do right ? "
" Yes, commander-in-chief, you did," said Doninger, sol-
emnly.
" I want to tell you something more, Cajetan," added An-
dreas. " What Steeger said about EnfTel and Donay may be
ti'ue ; the French may have discovered my place of conceal-
ment, and may come up hei'c. Hence, dear Cajetan, you nnist
leave me and escape, lest they shoiild seize you, too."
" A good servant leaves his master no more than a captain
deserts his shipwrecked vessel," said Doninger, firmly. " You
refuse to leave your native country in its adversity because
you love it. I I'efuse, likewise, to leave you in the days of
your adversity, because I love j'^ou. I shall stay here."
Andreas Hofer encircled Doninger Nvith his arms and fold-
ed him tenderlj' to his heart. '"Stay with me, then, my Caje-
tan," he said, affectionately. "God knows my heart would
liave grieved had you consented to leave me. And now, Anna
Gertrude, do not weep any longer. ^Make haste, dear wife,
pack up all your things, and let us go early to bed. For early
in the morning we will leave this hut. I know another Al-
pine hut at no great distance from here ; I believe we will be
46G ANDREAS IIOFER.
able to get thither, and we will take with us as niatiy thing's
as we can carry. Make haste, therefore, dear Anna Ger-
trude!"
Anna Gertrude dried her tears, and, tlushod with new hope,
packed up their things in four small bundles, so that each
might carry one according to his strength.
Night came at last— the last night which they were to pass
at this hnt. At the break of day they were to set out for their
new place of concealment.
They went to bed at an early hour. Andreas Hofer had sent
the two servants down to Brandach, where they were to get
some ai-ticles necessary for the trip on the morrow. Hofer
and his wife slept in the room below. Cajetan Doninger and
little John Hofer lay in the small hay-loft, to which a ladder
led up fi'om the room.
But Doninger did not sleep. He thought all the while of
RafPel, who had come up there three days ago and seen An-
dreas ; he thought of Donay, the priest, to whom Raff el had
betrayed Hofer's place of concealment. He knew that Donay,
who, up to the days of adversity, had always professed to be
Hofer's friend and an extreme partisan of the insurrection,
had sudd' ily, since the enemy had reoccupied the Tyrol,
changed his colors, become a preacher of peace and submission,
and an ardent adherent of the French, with whose officers he
held a great deal of intercourse. He knew Donay's avaricious
and treacherous character, and, therefore, he trembled for An-
dreas Hofer's safety. He lay uneasy and full of anxiety on
his couch, listening all the while for suspicious sounds. But
nothing was heard but the storm howling and whistling about
the hut, and the regular respirations of the two sleepers in the
room below.
Hour passed after hour ; all remained silent, and Doninger
felt somewhat relieved, for day would soon dawn, when the
hour of flight would be at hand. Doninger dropped his head
slowly on the hay to sleep an hour and invigorate himself for
to-morrow's trip. However, no sooner had he done so than
he gave a start, lifted up his head again, and listened. He had
heard a sound outside. The sound, as it were, of many ap-
proaching footste])s which creaked on the frozen snow.
BETRAYAL AND SEIZURE OF HOFER. 4C>7
Donlnger crept cautiously to the small hole in the roof and
looked out. The moon shed her pale light on the white snow-
field around the hut, and Doninger could see and i-ecognizc
every thiny. He saw a detachment of soldiers coming up yon-
der. He saw them hall at a short distance from tlie liut. He
then saw two forms approaching the hut. Now they stood
still in front of it. The moon shone brightly into the face of
one of them ; Doninger recognized him him at once ; it was
Raff el, the betrayer. The other was a French officer. The
latter stood still at a distance of some steps from the hut, but
Ralfel went close up to the door, applied his car to it and
listened.
" They are here," he then said to the officer in a low voice.
The officer immediately lifted up his arm and shouted '' For-
ward ! " The soldiers advanced and surrounded the hut. All
was lost !
Doninger awakened the sleeping boy. " John," he said
in a low voice, '" let us go down to father. The French have
come."
The boy uttered a loud cry. " The French have come ! "
he exclaimed, despairingly ; '' thej' want to arrest my fa-
tlier ! "
" Come," said Doninger, imperatively ; and he took the
boy in his arms, and hastened with him down the ladder into
the room below.
" Awake," he said, bending over Andreas Hofer ; " the ene-
my has come.
Andreas started up and stared incredulously at Doninger ;
but his wife rose, uttering low lamentations, and dressed her-
self hurriedly.
" Let us fie " sh^ murmured ; "quick, quick, let us escape
!)y the back door."
" The hut is surrounded." sai Doninger, assisting Hofer in
dressing. "W can no longer flee."
" Is that true ? " asked Andreas, calmly.
"It is, commander-in-chief."
''Well, then, as it pleases GoJ," said Hofer, crossing him-
self ; and, traversing the room quickly, he opened the front
door.
468 ANDREAS HOFER.
The soldiers stood four files deep, shouldering their mus-
kets. Audreas advanced feai'lessly close up to the enemy.
" Is there one of you, gentlemen, who speaks German ? " he
asked, with entire calmness.
'' I do," said the officer, stej^ping rapidly forward.
Andreas greeted him with a proud nod of the head.
" Well, then," he said, " I am Andreas Hofer, late commander-
in-chief of the Tyrolese. I ask for quarter and good treat-
ment."
" I cannot promise any thing to a rebel," replied the officer,
contemptuously.
" But you have come to seize me, and none but me," con-
tinued Andreas, in a gentle voice. " Well, then, here I am ;
do with me as you please. But I ask you to have mercy upon
my wife and my son, and this young man, for they are en-
tirely innocent." *
The officer made no reply. He signed to his soldiers, and
ordered them to bind Andreas Hofer and the others in such
a manner as to render it utterly impossible for them to es-
cape.
Tl. J soldiei's rushed furiously upon the defenseless captives,
tied their hands on their backs, and wound the ropes round
their necks, so that they could drag them forward like oxen.
Aiid after binding Andreas Hofer, so that they were no longer
afraid of his strong arms, they surrounded him with scornful
laughter, tore h:.ndfuls of hair from his beard, and said they
would keep them " as sou ve irs f General Barbone." Blood
.streamed from his lacerated face, but the cold froze it and
transformed the gory beard into ^ blood-red icicle, v/hich
pricked the numerous wounds in his chin every moment, and
inflicted intense pain.
Andreas did not complain ; he looked only at his wife, his
son, and his friend, who, bound like himself, scantily dressed
and barefooted like himself, were dragged down the moun-
tain, which was covered with snow and ice, into the plain be-
low. His hands, into which the rope was cutting all the while,
were very sore ; his bare feet swelled from walking on the
snow and were torn by the icicles. Still Andreas did not com-
* Andreas IIofer'.s own words. — See " Gallery of Heroes."
BETRAYAL AND SlilZl RE OK llOFER. 4(^9
plain ; but on hearing the low wails of Lis son, on seeing that
every footstep of his wife, who was dragged along before him,
left a bloody spot in the snow, he burst into loud sobs, and two
tears rolled slowly down his cheeks into his beard, where they
froze in the blood.
The dreadful march was continued to Meran. French gen-
erals, stalf-officers, and soldiers awaited the tottering prisoners
at the gate. The soldiers greeted the captured " bandit chief
Barbone" with loud cheers and scornful laughter ; and An-
dreas Hofer and the others entered the city, preceded by a
band which played a ringing march. The French were over-
joyed, but the citizens stood in fi'ont of their houses, and, re-
gardless of the presence of their cruel enemies, greeted Andreae
flofer with tears and loud lamentations.
The journey was continued on the following day to Bot-
zen ; only the prisoners, whose bleeding and lacerated feet
refused to carry them any longer, had been laid on a com-
mon farm-wagon, and some clothing had been thrown over
them.
At Botzen Andreas Hofer received cheering news. A noble
German lady, the wife of Baron de Giovanelli, had dared to
implore the French General Bai'aguay d'Hilliers to have
mercy on Hofer's unfortunate and innocent family ; to save
them, she had knelt down before the general and besought
him with heart-rending lamentations. Baraguay d'Hilliers
had been unable to withstand her supplications, and consented
to release those for whom sbe pleaded.
" The viceroy's oi-ders," he said, " are only to the eflFect that
the Sandwirth Hofer be conveyed to Mantua. I yield to your
prayers, therefore, madame ; his companions shall be released,
and shall not be molested again. His wife may return with
her son to her home, and carry on the inn as heretofore ; but
she must be cautious and not expose hei'self to new dangers
by imprudent words. The young man may go wherever he
pleases."
This was the cheering intelligence which Andreas Hofer
received on the third day of his captivity in the jail where he
and his dear ones lay on wet straw.
"See, Cajetan," he exclaimed, joyfully, "it turns out just
470 ANDREAS HOFER.
as I said. My seizui^e releases my wife and my child, and re-
lieves them from all dangers."
'' But I will not leave you," cried Anna Gertrude, embrac-
ing him tenderly ; " I will stay and die with you."
" And is our son yonder to die too ? " asked Andreas, point-
ing to his boy. " And our three little girls, are they to become
entirely hel])less, and have neither father nor mother to pro-
tect them ? Anna Gertrude, you must be father and mother
to them ; you must not leave them and our boy. You must
preserve their small inheritance to them, bi-ing them up in the
fear of the Lord, and teach them, also, to love their poor father
and honor his memory."
" Husband, dear husband, I cannot leave you, I cannot ! "
sobbed the poor woman. " Do not thrust me from your heart,
do not leave me behind, all alone and without consolation."
Andreas lifted his arm and pointed up to heaven. " There
is our Consoler," he said ; " He will help you. Confide in
Him, Anna Gertrude, Go to your cliildren, be father and
mother to them, and love them in my and your name."
At this n)oment the door of the prison opened, and the
jailer, followed by soldiers, came in.
" Andreas Hofer," said the jailer, imperatively, " come !
The wagon which is to convey you to Mantua is in readiness.
As for you others, begone ; you liave no longer any busi-
ness here. Come, Andreas Hofer, come ! "
"Let me first bless my wafe and my son, mj^ friend," said
Hofer, and, laying his hands on the heads of his wife and
child, he blessed them in a loud voice, and commended them
to the protection of the Lord. Doninger knelt behind him,
and Andreas Hofer laid his hand on his head also, blessed him,
and thanked him for his love and fidelity.
"Come now, come!" cried the soldiers ; and they seized
him with rude violence and dragged him forward.
Anna Gertrude burst into loud lamentations in her grief
and despair, and clung to Hofer in the anguish of her love.
" Do not lament any longer," said Andreas, mildly ; "bring
your grief as an oiTering to the crucified Eedeemer, and .show
now that you are Hofer s wife. Farewell, love ! Kiss our
children ! Forward now ! "
BETRAYAI, AM) SKI/.UUK OF IIOFEU. 471
Ami he Itul the way with a rapid step. Anna Gertrude,
pule as a corpse, trembling and tottering, seized her son's hand
and rushed after her husband. Cajetan Doninger folknvtd
them resohitely and witli a defiant expi-ession of countenance.
At the street-door stood tlie farm-wagon, covered with
straw, whicli was to convey Andreas Hofer to Mantua. Ten
soldiers with loaded muskets stood upon it, and a crowd of sol-
tliers surrounded it.
Andreas llofer walked calmly and with head erect througli
their ranks to the wagon. His wife had knelt down ; she
wept and .sobbed bitterly, and embraced convulsively her son,
who gazed in dismay at his father.
Audreas Hofer had now ascended the wagon. The soldiers
stepped back, and the driver whipped up the horses.
Suddenly, Cajetan Doninger elbowed his way to the wagon,
and signed to the driver to stop.
" I shall accompany Hofer," he said, grasping the side-rail-
ing of the wagon in order to mount it.
"No, no," cried the jailer, hastening to him. "You are
uiistaken, you are free."
Doninger, still cliugijig to tlie i-ailing of the wagon, turned
to him. ■' What said the general's order ? " he asked.
" It said, ' the young man is free, and can go wherever he
, (leases.' "
"Well, then," said Doninger, mounting the wagon, quickly,
"the young man will accompany Andreas Hofer to Mantua.
Forward, driver, forwai'd ! "
The driver whipped up the horses, and tbe wagon started
for Mantua.*
* l)oiiay,the priest who betrayed Andreas Hofer, according to the general
l.i'lit'fof the Tyrolese, was soon afterwards appointed imperial chaplain at tlie
chapel of Loretto, by a special decree of tlie Emperor Napoleon, and received,
I'csides, large donations in lands and money. — Sec Ilormayr's " Andrctu*
Itofer," vol. ii., p. 507. — Tlie peasant Francis Joscpli KatTcl, who liad betrayed
I'ofer's placeof conceahuent to Donay, was artcrward called Judas Iscariot
throughout the Tyrol. F^very one turned his back upon him with the ut'
most horror, and the men of the Passeyr valley told him they would slioot
him if he did not liang himself witliin a week. Rallel fled in great dismay
l(.i Bavaria, where the government gave him a small office in the revenue de-
partment.— See " Gallery of Heroes : .Vndreas Hofei-," p. 191.
472 ANDREAS IIOFER.
CHAPTER XLII.
THE WARNING.
The French hunted throughout the Tyrol for the unfor-
tunate men who had hitherto heen the heroes of the father-
land, but who, since their cause had succumbed, were called
rebels and traitors. The soldiers who were in search of this
noble game, for which large rewards were offered to them, had
already succeeded in arresting one of the heroes of the Tyrol ;
Peter Mayer had fallen into their hands, and, having been
tried by a military commission at Botzen, was shot. But they
had been unable as yet to discover the hiding-places of the
other insurgent leaders, despite the large prices which the
government had set upon their heads. Joseph Speckbacher,
for whom the soldiers were hunting most eagerly, had disap-
peared. The French and Bavarians ransacked every house
where they suspected he might be concealed ; they inflicted
the heaviest fines and most cruel tortures on the friends of the
fugitive chief, because they would not betray the place where
their beloved commander was concealed ; but all was in vain.
Joseph Speckbacher had disappeared, and so had Father Has-
pinger and Anthony Wallner.*
* Speckbacher had fled to the higher mountains, where, on one of the
summits of the Ei.sgletscher, in a cavern discovered by him in former times
when pm'suing the cliamois, he lay for several weeks in the depth of winter,
supported by salt provisions, eaten raw, lest the smoke of a flre should betray
his place of concealment to his pur.suers. Happening one day, in the begin-
ning of March, to walk to the entrance for a few minutes to enjoy the as-
cending sun, an avalanche, descending from the summit of the mountain
above, swept him along with it, down to the distance of half a mile on the
slope beneath, and dislocated his hip-bone in the fall. Unable now to stand,
surrounded only by ice and snow, tracked on every side by ruthless pursuers,
his situation was, to all appearance, desperate; but even then the unconquer-
able energy of his mind and the incorruptible fidelity of his friends saved
liim from destruction. Summoning up all his courage, he contrived to drag
liimself along the snow for several leagues, during the night, to the village of
Volderberg, where, to avoid discovery, he crept into the stable. His faithful
friend gave him a kind reception, and carried him on his back to Einn, where
his wife and children were, and where Zoppel, his devoted domestic, con-
THE WARNING. 473
General Broussier was especially exasperated at the last
named, the valiant commander of Windisch-Matrey, and he
had promised a reward of one thousand ducats to him who
would arrest "that dangerous demagogue and bandit-chief,
Anthony Aichberger-Wallner," and deliver him to the Freuch
authorities. But Wallner and his two sons, who, although
hardly above the age of boyhood, liad seemed to the French
authorities so dangerous that they had set prices upon their
heads, were not to be found anywhere. Schropfel, Wallner's
faithful servant, had taken the boys into the mountains, where
he stayed with them ; after nightfall he went down to Mati ey
to fetch provisions for the lonely fugitives.
Anthony Wallner's tine house was silent and deserted now.
Only his wife and his daughter Eliza lived in it, and they
passed their days in dreary loneliness and incessant fear and
anguish. Eliza Wallner was alone, all alone and joyless.
She had not seen her beloved Elza since the day when she was
married. She herself had started the same night with Has-
pinger for her father's headquarters. Elza had remained with
lier young husband in Innspruck, where her father died on
the following day ; and aftei' the old Baron had been buried,
Elza had accompanied her husband to Munich. From thence
she wrote from time to time letters overflowing with fervent
cealed liim in a Imle in the cowliou.so, beneath wliere the cattle stooil, thuiigh
beyond the reacli of tlieir feet, where he was covered up with cow-dung and
fodder, and remained for two months, till his leg was set and he was able to
walk. The town was full of Bavarian troops; but this extraordinary place
of concealment was never discovered, even when the Bavarian dragoons, as
was frequently the ease, were in the stable looking after tlicir iiorses. Zoppel
did not even inform Speckbacher's wife of her liusband's return, lest lu-r
emotions or visits to the place might betray his place of concealment. At
length, in the beginning of May, the Bavarian soldiers having left the liouse,
Speck bncher was lifted from his living grave and restored to his wite and
cliildren. As soon as he was able to walk, he set out, and, journeying chietly
in the niglit, through the wildest and most seclude«.l Alps, by Dux anil the
sources of the Salza, lie passed the Styrian Alps, where he crossed the frontier
and reached Vienini in safety. There he was soon arter joined by his family
and liberally provided for.
liaspinirer succeeded in escaping into Switzerhuid, whence he travelled
by cross-paths through Friuli and CttrLutUia to Vieuua, where he received
protection from the emperor.
31
474 ANDREAS HOPER.
tenderness to her beloved friend, and these letters were the
only sunbeams which illuminated Eliza's cheerless life ; these
lettei-s told her of her friend's happiness, of her attachment to
her young husband, who treated her with the utmost kindness
and tenderness.
Eliza had received this afternoon another letter from her
friend ; with a melancholy smile she read Elza's description
of her domestic happiness, and her eyes had unconsciously
filled with tears which rolled slowly down her pale cheeks.
She dried them quickly, but her mother, who sat opposite her
near the lamp and seemed to be busily sewing, had already
seen them.
" Why do you weep, Lizzie ? " she asked. " Have you got
bad news from Elza ? "
Eliza shook her head with a mournful smile. " No, dear
mother," she said ; " thank God, my Elza is happy and well,
and that is my only joy."
" And yet you weep, Eliza ?"
" Did I weep, then ? " she asked. " It was probably a tear
of joy at my Elza's happiness."
" No, Lizzie, it was no tear of joy," cried her mother,
mournfully. " I see you often in tears, when you think that
I do not notice it. You are grieving, Lizzie, do not deny it ;
you are grieving. You sacrificed your love and happiness to
Elza, and she does not even know it ; she does not thank you,
and you will pine away. I see very well how sad you are ;
and you become i^aler and more emaciated from day to day.
Yes, yes, you will die of grief, for you still love Ulrich von
Hohenberg."
" No," cried Eliza, vehemently, blushing deejily, " I do not
love him. I have buried my love in my heart, and it reposes
there as in a shrine. It is true I think of it very often, I pray
to it, but I have no unholy thoughts and feel no sinful desii'es.
I am glad that my Elza is so happy ; yes, I am glad of it and
thank God for it. But how can I be merry and laugh, mother,
so long as my dear, dear father has not returned to us ? He
must hide like a criminal ; they are chasing him like a wild
beast ; he is always in danger, and we must constantly tremble
for his safety. And I cannot do any thing for him, I cannot
THE WARNING. 475
.sliare liis dunp^oi's, I cminnt be with liini in llio dreadful soli-
tude on the Alp above. I must look on in idleness, and can-
m)t be useful to any one. neither to my father, nor to my
brothers, nor to you. dear mother. I cannot help my father
and brothers, and cannot comfort you, mother ; for I my.self
am in despair, and would — what was that, mother i Did not
some one knock at the window-shutter T'
" Hush, hush ! " whispered her mother ; " let us listen. "
They listened with bated breath. Eliza had not been mis-
taken ; some one knocked a second time at the window-shutter
and the voice of a man whispered, " Mrs. Wallner, are you in
the room ? Open the door to me ! "
" It must be a <^ood friend of ours, for the dogs do not
bark," said Eliza; " we will let him come in."
She took the lamp and went out courageously to draw the
bolt from the street-door and open it.
Yes, she had not been mistaken, it was really a good friend
of theirs; the man who entered the house was one of the few
friends who had not denied Anthony Wallner, and who had
not turned their backs upon his family since it was outlawed
and in distress.
" You bring us bad news, Peter Siebermeicr ? " asked Eliza,
an.\iously, gazing into the mountaineer's pale and dismayed
face.
" Unfortimately I do," sighed Siebermeier, stepping hastily
into the sitting-room and shaking hands with Eliza's mother.
" Mrs. Wallner," he said, in breathless hurry, " your husband
is in the greatest danger, and only speedy flight can sjive
him."
Mrs. Wallner uttered a piercing cry, sank back into her
chair, wrung her hands, and wept aloud. Eliza did not weep;
she was calm and courageous. " Tell me, Siebermeier, what
can we do for father ? What danger threatens him ? "
" A bad man, I believe, the clerk of the court, has informed
the French that Anthony Wallner is still on one of the
heights in this neighborhood. General Broussier intends to
have him arrested. A whole battalion of .soldiers will march
to-morrow morning to the mountain of Ober-Peischlag and
occupy it."
476 ANDREAS HOFER.
" Great God ! my husband is lost, then ! " cried Eliza's
mother, despairing ; " nothing can save him now."
'' Hush, mother, hush ! " said Eliza, almost imperatively ;
" we must not weep now, we must think only of saving him.
Tell me, friend Siebermeier, is there no way of saving him ? "
" There is one," said Siebermeier, " but how shall we get up
to him ? A friend of mine, who is acquainted with the mem-
bers of the court, informed me quite stealthily that, if Aich-
berger could be saved yet, it should be done this very night.
Now listen to the plan I have devised. I intended to set out
to-morrow morning to peddle carpets and blankets, for money
is very scarce in these hard times. I procured, therefore, a
passport for myself and my boy, who is to carry my bundle.
Here is the passport — and look I the description corresponds
nearly to Wallner's appearance. He is of my stature and age,
has hair and whiskers like mine, and might be passed off for
myself. I am quite willing to let him have my passport, and
conceal myself meanwhile at home and feign sickness. The
passport would enable him to escape safely ; of course he would
have to journey thi'ough the Alps, for every one knows him in
the plain. However, the passport cannot do him any good, for
there is no one to take it up to him. I would do so, but the
wound which I received in our last skirmish with the Bava-
rians, in my side here, prevents me from ascending the moun-
tain-paths; and, even though I could go up to him, it would
be useless, for we two could not travel together, the passport
being issued to two persons, Siebermeier, the carpet- dealer, and
the boy carrying his bundle. The boy is not described in the
passport; therefore, I thought, if one of your sons were in the
neighborhood, he might go up to his father, warn him of his
danger, and accompany him on his trip through the moun-
tains."
" But neither of the boys is here," said Mrs. Wallner, de-
spairingly ; " Schropfel took them to the Alpine hut near Upper
Lindeau, and is with them. We two are all alone, and there
is, therefore, no way of saving my dear husband."
"Yes, mother, there is," cried Eliza, flushed with excite-
ment. " I will go up to father. I will warn him of his danger,
carry him the passport, and flee with him."
THK WAHMNG. 477
"You! "cried her inothei-, in disiiuiy. "It is impossible!
You caunot ascend the road, which is almost impassable evea
for men. How should a girl, then, be able to get over it.
particularly in the night, and in so heavy a snow-storm ?"
"You will be unable to reach your father, Lizzie," said
Siebermeier; "the road is precipitous and very long ; you will
sink into the snow ; your shoes will stick in it, and the storm
will catch your dress."
" No road is too precipitous for me if I can save my father,"
exclaimed Eliza, enthusiastically. '" I must reach him, and
God will enable me to do so. Wait here a moment, I will be
back immediately. I will prepare myself for the trip, and
then give me the passport."
" She will lose her life in the attempt," said Mrs. Wallner,
moui-nf uUy, after she had hastened out of the room. " Alas !
alas ! I shall lose my husband, my sons, and my daughter
too ! And all has been in vain, for the Tyrol is ruined, and we
have to suffer these dreadful misfortunes without having ac-
complished anything ! "
" And the enemy acts with merciless cruelty in the coun-
try," said Siebermeier, furiously; " he sets whole villages on
tire if he thinks that one of the fugitives is concealed here ; ho
imposes on the people heavy war-taxes, which we are unable
to pay ; and if we say we have no money, he takes our cattle
and other property from us. Wails and lamentations are to
be heard throughout the valley; that is all we have gained by
our bloody struggle ! "
At this moment the door opened, and Eliza came in, not
however in her own dress, but in the costume of a Tyrolese
peasant-lad.
"Heavens ! she has put on her brother William's Sunday
clothes," cried her mother, with a mournful smile ; " and they
sit as well on her as if they had been made for her."
" Now. Siebermeier," said Eliza, holding out her hand to
him, " give me the passport. The moon is rising now, and I
must go."
" But listen, my daughter, how the wind howls ! " cried her
mother, in deep anguish. "It beats against tlu^ windows as if
tL ,varu us not to go out. Oh, Lizzie, my last joy, do not leave
478 ANDREAS HOFER.
me ! I have no one left but you ; stay with me, my Lizzie, do
not leave your poor mother ! You will die in the attempt,
Lizzie ! Stay here ; have mercy upon me, and stay here ! "
"I must go to father," replied Eliza, disengaging herself
gently from her mother's arms. "Give me the passport, friend
Siebermeier."
"You ai'e a brave girl,"' said Siebermeiei", pi'ofoundly
moved ; " the good God and the Holy Virgin will protect you.
There, take the passport ; you are worthy to carry it to your
father."
" And I shall carry it to him or die on the road," cried Eliza,
enthusiastically, waving the paper. " Now, dear mother, do
not weep, but give me your blessing ! "
She knelt down before her mother, who had laid lier hand
on her head.
"Lord, my God," she exclaimed, solemnly, "protect hei'
graciously in her pious effort to save her father. Take your
mother's blessing, my Lizzie, and think that hei- heart and
love accompany you."
She bent over her, aiid imi)rintod a long kiss on her
daughter's forehead.
" I must go now, it is high time," .said Eliza, making a
violent effort to restrain her tears. " P^arewell, friend Sieber-
meier ; God and the .saints will rewai'd you for the service you
have rendered us.''
" My best reward will be to learn that Wallner is safe,"
said Siebermeier, .shaking hands with her.
" Now, a last kiss, dearest mother," said Eliza. She en-
circled her mother's neck with both her arms, and kissed her
tenderly. "Pray for me and love me," she whispered ; "and
if I should not come back, if I shovild lose my life, mother,
write it to Elza and to him, and write that I died with love
and fidelity in my heart. Farewell ! "
She disengaged herself quickly and hastened out of the
I'oom, regardless of the despairing cries of her mother, and not
even looking back to her. It was high time for her to set out.
She was in the street now. The snow rushed furiously into
her face ; the howling storm dashed madly against her cheeks
until they became very sore, but the moon was in the heavens
TIIK FLIGHT. 470
and liolitpfl lior path. Tt was (lie same path which sho liad
asrotulcd with Uli-ioh when ."^avin^- him. Sho was alone now, hut
lior coui'ayp ajid her trust in God were with her ; strengthened
and refreshed hy her love for her fatlier, she ascended the
steep nioxmtain path. At times the piercing wind rendered
her breathless and seized her with such violence that she had
to cling to a projecting rock in order not to fall from the nar-
row path into the abyss yawning at her feet. At times ava-
lanches rolled close to her with thunderirg noise into the
depth and enveloped her in a cloiid of snow ; but the moon
shed her silver light on her path, and Eliza looked up cour-
ageously. Forgetful of her own danger, she prayed in her
heart only, "God grant that I may save my father ! Let me
not die before reaching him ! "
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE FLIGHT.
Anthony Wallner sat in his lonely Alpine hut on the
height near the village of Ober-Peischlag, and listened to the
storm, which howled so loudly to-night that the hut shook and
he was unable to sleep on his couch of straw. He had lighted
his lamp, and sat nnisingly at the pine table, leaning his head
on his hand, and brooding mournfully over his dreary future.
How long would he have to remain here in his open grave ?
How long would he be chased yet, like a wild beast, from
iiiouutain to mountain ? How long would he he obliged yet
to lead an idle and unprofitable life in this frozen solitude, cx-
l)osed to the fury of the elements, and in constant dread of
losing this miserable life ? These were the questions that he
asked himself ; intense rage seized his heart, tears of bitter
gTief filled his eyes — not, however, at his own misfortunes, but
at the miseries of his fatherland.
" What am I suffering for ? What did I fight and risk my
life for ? What did we all shed our blood for ? What did
our brethren die for on the field of battle ? The fatherland
4H0 ANDREAS HOFER.
was not saved, the French defeated ns, and our emperor aban-
doned us. We were brave defenders of our country, and now
they call us criminals ; we intended to save the fatherland,
and now they call us rebels and traitors ! The emperor gives
us aw^ay like a piece of merchandise, regardless of his sacred
pledges, and the French are chasing us as though we were
thieves and murderers ! And Thou sufferest it, God in heav-
en ? Thou — Hai'k ! did not that sound like a shot ? Is it the
wind that is knocking so loudly at my door ? "
He sprang to his feet, took up his rifle, cocked it, and aimed
at the door.
There was another Icnocking at the door ; no, it was assur-
edly not the storm that was rapping and hammering at it so
regularly. No, no, it was the enemy ! He had spied him out,
he had discovered his track, he had come to seize him !
"I will sell my life dearly," murmured Anthony Wallner,
grimly. "I will shoot down the first man who opens the
door ; then I will force a passage through the ranks with the
butt-end of my rifle, and — "
" Father," cried a voice outside, " father, open the door ! ''
" Great God ! " murmured Wallner, " did not that sound
like my Lizzie calling me ? But that is impossible ; it cannot
be she ; she cannot have ascended the mountain-path ; the
storm would have killed her, and — "
"Father, dear father, pray open the door," shouted the
voice again, and somebody shook the door.
Wallner laid down his rifle and hastened to the door.
" May God protect me if they deceive me, but I believe it is
Lizzie. "
He threw open the door ; the little Tyrolese lad ru.shed in,
embraced him tenderly, kissed him with his cold lips, and
whispered, " My father ! thank God. I am v.ith you ! "
" It is Lizzie ! " cried Wallner, in a ringing voice. " She
has come to me through night and storm ! It is my daughter,
my dear, dear daughter ! Oh, joy of my heart, how were you
able to get up here in this terrible night ? No man would
have dared to attempt it."
"But I dared it, father, for I am your child, and love you.'"
" You love me, and I thank God ! " he exclaimed, folding
THE FI.KJllT. 481
her tendoi'ly and anxiously to his heart ; " 1 thank Ood for
saving you, and — ''
He faltered and burst into toars, which he did not try to
conceal. He wept aloud and bitterly, and Eliza wept with
him, and neither of them knew whether they wept for joy or
grief.
Eliza was the first to overcome her emotion. " Father,'*
she said, raising her head quickly, "the enemy is on your
track, and early to-mori-ow morning the French are going to
occupy the mountain in order to arrest you. That is (he rea-
son why I have come up to you, for you must flee this very
hour."
"Flee !" he cried, mournfully. "How can I? The first
Bavarian or French gendarme on the frontier, who meets me
and asks me for my passport, will arrest me. I have no pass-
port."
" Here is a passport," said Eliza, joyfully, handing him the
paper, "Siebermeier sends it to you."
"The faithful friend ! Yes, that is help in need. Now 1
will try with God's aid to escape. You, Lizzie, will return
to mother, and bring her a thousand greetings from me ;
and as soon as I am across the frontier, you shall hear from
me."
" I must go with you, father," said Eliza, smiling. "The
pas.sport is valid for Siebermeier, the carpet-dealer, and his
son. Now you see, dear father, I am your son, and shall flee
with you."
"No," cried her father, in dismay ; "no, you shall never
do so, Lizzie. I must journey through the wildest and most
secluded Alps, and you would die in the attempt to follow me,
Lizzie."
" And even though I knew that I should die, father, I
should go with you,' said Lizzie, joyfully. "You cannot flee
without me, and I do not love my life very dearly if it cannot
be useful to you, dear father. Therefore, say no more about
it, and do not reject my offer any longer ; for if you do. it will
be in vain, because I shall follow you for all that, and no road
is too precipitous for me when I see you before me. There-
fore, come, dear father ; do not hesitate any longer, but come
482 ANDREAS HOFER.
Tvitli your little boy. Yoii cannoi flop without me ; therefore,
let us try it courageously together."
'' Well, I will do so, my brave little boy ; 1 believe I must
comply with your wish," exclaimed Wallner, folding her
tenderly to his heart. " You shall accompany me, you shall
save your father's life. Oh, it would be glorious if God should
grant me the satisfaction of being indebted for my life to my
dear daughter Lizzie ! "
" Come, now, father, come ; every minute's delay increases
the danger."
" I am ready, Lizzie. Let me only see if my rifle is in good
order and ])ut on my powder-pouch."
" You cannot take your rifle with you, nor your powder-
pouch either. You are no longer the brave commander of
the sharpshooters of Windisch-Matrey, hut Siebermeier, the
carpet-dealer, a very peaceable man, who does not take his rifle
and powder-pouch with him on his travels."
" You are right, Lizzie. But it is hard indeed to flee with-
out arms, and to be defenceless even in case of an attack by
the enemy. And I do not want to let my rifle fall into the
hands of the French when they come up here. I know a hole
in the rock close by ; I will take it there and conceal it till
my return. Come, now, Lizzie, and let us attemjit, with God's
aid, to escape from the enemy."
He wrapped himself in his cloak, took the rifle, and both
left the hut.
Day was now dawning ; some rosy streaks appeared al-
ready in the eastei-n horizon, and the summits of the glaciers
were faintly illuminated. Eliza saw it, but she did not rejoice
this time at the majestic beauty of the sunrise ; it made her
only uneasy and sad, and while her father concealed his rifle
carefully in the hole in the rock, Eli/a glanced around anxious
iy. murmuring to herself : " They intend to start at daybreak.
It is now after daybreak ; the sun has risen, and they have
doubtless set out already to arrest him."
" Now come," said her father, returning to her ; " we have
a long journey before us to-day, for we must pass the Alps by
hunters' paths up to the Isel-Tauerkamm. We shall pass the
night at the inn there; in the moi'ning we shall continue the
THE FLIGHT. 483
journey, and, if it please God, we sliall i-eacLi the Austrian
frontier within three liours."
And they descended the mountain, hand in liund and with
firm steps, and entered the forest.
Nothinuf was to be heard all around ; not a sound broke the
peaceful stillness of awaking nature ; only the wind howled
and whistled, and caused the branches of the trees to creak.
The sun had risen higher and higher, and slicd ali-eady its
golden rays tlirougli the forest.
'"I would we had pa.ssed through the thicket and readied
the heights again," said Antliony Wallner, in a low voice.
" We were obliged to descend in order to pass round the preci-
pice and the steep slope ; we shall afterwards a.scend the
mountain again and remain on the heights. But if the sol-
diei-s ivom Windisch-Matrey meet us hei-e. we arc lost, for
tliey know me and will not pay any attention to my pass-
port."
" God will not pei-mit them to meet us," sighed Lizzie, ac-
celerating her steps. They kept silent a long while, and not
a sound was to be heard urouiid them. All at once both gave
a stait. for they had heard tlie noise of heavy footsteps and the
clang of arms. They had just passed through the clearing in
the forest and were now again clo.se to the thicket, by the side
of which there wns a small chapel with a large crucifix. They
turned aiul looked back.
" The enemy ! the enemy I " cried Anthony Wallner, point-
ing to the soldiers who were just stepping from the other side
of the forest. " Lizzie, we are lost ! Ah, and I have not even
got my rifle ! I must allow myself to be seized without resist-
ance ! '*
" No, we are not yet lost, father ; look at the chapel. May-
be they have not yet seen us. Let us enter the chai)el (luickly.
There is room enough for us two under the altar.'
Without giving her father time to reply, Eliza hastened in-
to the chapel and disappeared behind the altar. In a seconci
Wallner was with her, and, clinging close to each other and
with stifled breath, they awaited the arrival of the enemy.
Xow they heard footsteps approaching i-ajiidly and voices
shouting out aloud. Thev came nearer and nearer, and were
484 ANDREAS HOFER.
now close to the chapel. It was a Bavarian patrol, and tlie
two, therefore, could understand every word they spoke, and
every word froze their hearts. The Bavarians had seen them :
they were convinced that they must be close by ; they ex-
horted each other to look diligently for the fugitives, and al-
luded to the reward which awaited them in case they should
ai-rest Anthony Wallner.
Both lay under the altar with hearts throbbing impetu-
ously, and almost senseless from fear and anguish ; Eliza
murmuring a prayer with quivering lips ; Anthony Wall-
ner clinching his fists, and firmly resolved to sell his life
dearly and defend himself and his child to the last drop of
blood.
The enemies were now close to them ; they entered the
chapel and advanced to the altar. Eliza, pale and almost
fainting from terror, leaned her head on her father's shoulder.
The Bavarians struck now with the butt-ends of their muskets
against the closed front-side of the altar ; it gave a dull, hard
sound, for the fugitives filled the cavity.
" There is no one in there, for the altar is not hollow," said
one of the soldiers. The footsteps thereupon moved away
from the altar, and soon all was silent in the chapel. Wall-
ner and Lizzie heard only footsteps and voices outside ; they
nioved away farther and farther, and after a few seconds not a
sound broke the silence.
The fugitives lay still behind the altar, motionless, listen-
ing, with hearts throbbing impetuously. Could they dare to
leave their ijlace of concealment ? Was it not. perhaps, a
mere stratagem of the enemy to keep silent ? Had the soldiers
surrounded the chapel, and were they waiting merely for them
to come out ? They waited and listened for hours, but their
cowering position benumhed their blood ; it stiffened their
limbs and made their heads ache.
'' Father, I can no longer stand it," murmured Eliza ; " I
will die rather than stay here any longer. "
" Come, Lizzie," said Wallner, raising himself up and jump-
ing over the altar, " come ! I, too, think it is better for us to
die than hide thus like thieves."
They joined hands and left the chapel, looking anxiously
THE FLIGHT. 485
in all directions. But every thinp: remained silent, and not a
Bavarian soldier made his appearance.
"They are gone, indeed they are gone," said Wallner,
triumphantly. " Now we rau.st make haste, my girl ; we
shall ascend the height ; the footpath leads up here in the rear
of the chapel ; within two hours we shall reach the summit,
and, if our feet do not slip, if we do not fall into the depth, if
no avalanche overwlielms us, and if the storm does not freeze
us, I think we shall reach the Isel-Tauerkamm to-night, and
sleep at the inn there. May the Holy Virgin protect us ! ''
And the Holy Virgin did seem to guard the intrepid wan-
derers — to enable them to cross abysses on frail bridges ; to
prevent them from sinking into invisible clefts and pits cov-
ered with snow ; to make them safely escape the avalanches
falling down here and there, and protect them from freezing
to death.
Toward dusk they reached at length the inn on the Isel-
Tauerkamm, utterly exhausted by fatigue, hunger, and frost,
and entered the bar-room on the ground-floor. Nobody was
there but the landlord, a gloomy, morose-looking man, who
eyed the new-comers with evident distrust.
When the two wanderers, scarcely able to utter a word,
seated themselves on the bench at the narrow table, the land-
lord stepped u]) to thorn.
" I am not allowed to harbor any one without seeing his
passport," he said. '* There are all sorts of fugitive vagabonds
prowling around here to hide from the Bavarians, who are
searching the whole district to-day. Give me your passport,
therefore."
Wallner handed him the paper in silence. The landlord
read it attentively, and seemed to compare the two with the
description in the passport.
" H'm ! " he said, " the carpet-dealer and his son — that cor-
responds to what the passport says ; but where is the bundle
of carpets ? "
Anthony Wallner gave a slight start ; he recovered his
presence of mind immediately, however, and said calmly,
" The carpets are all sold already ; we are on our return to
Windisch-Matrey. "
486 ANDREAS HOFER.
" See, see how luck}' you have been," said the landlord,
laughing ; " the passport says you started only yesterday
morning, and to-day you have already sold all your carpets.
Well, in that case, you are certainly justified in returning to
your home. Your passport is in good order, and the Bava-
rians, therefore, will not molest you."
" As my passport is in good order, I suppose you will give
us beds, and, above all things, something to eat and drink."
'' You shall have everything, that is to say, every thing that
I can give you. I am all alone here, and have nothing but a
piece of ham, bread, and cheese, and a glass of wine. As for
beds, I have not got any ; you must sleep on the bench here."
" Well, we will do so ; but give us something to eat now,"
said Wallner, "and add a little fuel to the fire, that we may
warm ourselves."
The landlord added some brushwood and a few billets to
the fire, fetched the provisions, and looked on while the wan-
derers were partaking of the food with eager appetite. All at
once he stepped quickly up to them, seated himself on the
bench opposite them, and drew a paper f rojn his pocket. " I
will read something to you now," he said. " There were Ba-
varian soldiers here to-day ; they gave me a new decree, and
ordered me to obey it under pain of death. Listen to me."
And he read, in a loud, scornful voice :
" Know all men by these presents, that any inhabitant of
the German or Italian Tyrol, who dares to harbor Anthony
Wallner, called Aichberger, late commander of the sharp-
shooters of Windisch-Matrey, or his two sons, shall lose his
whole property by confiscation, and his house shall be burned
down." *
"Did you hear it? " asked the landlord, after reading the
proclamation.
" I did," said Wallner, with perfect composure, " but it does
not concern us."
" Yes, it does. I believe you are Anthony Wallner, and
the lad there is one of your sons."
Anthony Wallner laughed. " Forsooth, " he said, " if I were
Wallner I should not be so stupid as to show myself. I be-
*Loritza, p. 130.
THE FLIGHT. 487
lievehe is liiding somewhere in the mountains near Windisch-
Matrey. But I tliiiik I respuible liim a little, for you are not
the fiist man who has taken me for Anthony Wallner. And
that the lad there is ngt one of Anthony Wallner's sons, I will
swear on the crucifix, if you want me to do so."
'' Well, well, it is all right, I believe you," growled the
landlord. '"Now lie down and sleep ; there is a pillow for
each of you. and now good-night ; I will go to my chamber
and sleep too."
He nodded to them morosely, and left the room.
" Lizzie, do you think we can trust him ? " asked Wallner,
in a low voice.
Eliza made no reply ; she only beckoned to her father,
slipped on tiptoe across the room to the door, and applied her
ear to it.
There was a pause. Then they lieard the front dooi- jar.
" Father," whispered Eliza, hastening to Wallner, " he has
left the house to fetch the soldiers. I heard him walk through
the hall to the front door and open it. He has left, and
locked us up."
" Locked us up ? " cried Wallner, and hastened to the door.
He shook it with the strength of a giant, but the lock did not
yield ; the bolts did not give way.
" It is in vain, in vain I " cried Wallner. stanii)ing the floor
furiously ; " the door does not yield ; we are caught in the trap,
for there is no other outlet."
"Yes, father, there is ; there is the window," said Eliza.
"Come, we must jumj) out of the window."
"But did you not see, Lizzie, that the house stands on a
slope, and that a sUiircase leads outside to the front door ? If
we jump out of the window, we shall fall at least twenty feet."
" But there is a great deal of snow on the ground, and we
shall fall softly. I will jump out first, father, and you nmst
follow me immediately."
And Eliza disappeared out of the window. Wallner waited
a few seconds and then followed her. They reached the
ground safely ; the deep snow prevented the leap from being
dangerous ; they sprang quickly to their feet, and hastened on
as fast as their wearv limbs would carrv them.
488 ANDREAS HOFER.
It was a cold, dark night. The moon, which shone so
brightly during the previous night, was covered with heavy
clouds ; the storm swept clouds of snow before it, and whistled
and howled across the extensive snow-fields. But the wan-
derers continued their journey with undaunted heai'ts.
All at once something stirred behind them ; they saw
torches gleaming up, and Bavarian soldiers accompanying the
bearers of the torches. The soldiers, headed by the landlord
who had fetched them, rushed forward with wild shovits and
imprecations. But Walluer and Eliza likewise rushed forward
like roes hunted down. They panted heavily, the piercing-
storm almost froze their faces, their feet bled, but they con-
tinued their flight at a rajiid rate. Nevertheless, the distance
separating them from their pursuers became shorter and
shorter. The Bavarians, provided with torches, could see the
road and the footsteps of the fugitives in the snow, while the
latter had to run blindly into the night, unable to see whither
their feet were carrying them, and exhausted by the long jour-
ney of the preceding day.
The distance between inirsuers and pursued rapidly di-
minished ; scarcely twenty yards now lay between them, and
the soldiers extended their hands already to seize them. At
this moment of extreme peril the storm came up howling with
redoubled fury and drove whole clouds of snow before it,
extinguished the torches of the Bavai'ians, and shrouded every
thing in utter darkness. The joyful cries of the pursued and
the imprecations of their pursuers were heard at the same
time.
Wallner and Eliza, whose eyes were already accustomed to
the darkness, advanced at a rapid rate ; the soldiers followed
ihem, but blinded by the darkness, unable to see the road, and
calling each other in order to remain together. These calls
and shouts added to the advantages of the fugitives, for they
indicated to them the direction which they had to take in
order to avoid the enemy. Finally, the shouts became weaker
and weaker, and died away entii'ely.
The fugitives continued their flight more leisurely ; but
they could not rest and stand still in the dark, cold night, for
the storm would have frozen them, the cold would have killed
THE FLIGHT. 480
them. They did not speak, but advanced breathlessly and
hand in liand. All at once they beheld a light twinkling in
the distance like a star. There was a house, then, and men
also. They walked on briskly, and the light came nearer and
nearer. Now they saw already the house through whose win-
dows it gleamed. In a few minutes they were close to the
house, in front of which they beheld a tall post.
" Great God ! " cried Anthony Wallner ; " I believe that is
a boundary-post, and we are now on Austrian soil."
He knocked hastily at the door ; it opened, and the two
wanderers entered the small, warm, and cozy I'oom, where
they were received by a man in uniform, who sat at the table
eating his supper.
Anthony Wallner went close up to him and pointed to his
uniform,
" You wear the Austrian uniform ? " he asked.
" I do, sir," said the man, smilingly.
" And we are here on Austrian soil ? "
" Yes, sir. The boundary-post is in front of this house.
This is an Austrian custom-house."
Anthony Wallner threw his arm around Eliza's neck and
knelt down. He burst into tears, and exclaimed in a loud,
joyous voice, " Lord God in heaven, I thank Thee 1 "
Eliza said nothing, but her tears spoke for her, and so did
the smile with which she looked up to heaven and then at her
father.
The custom-house officer had risen and stood profoundly
moved by the side of the two.
"Who are you, my friend ? " he asked ; " and why do you
weep and thank God ?"
" Who am I ? " asked Wallner, rising and drawing Eliza
up with him. " I am Anthony Wallner, and this is my
daughter Lizzie, who has saved me from the Bavarians. The
good God — "
He said no more, but leaned totteringly on Eliza's shoulder,
and sank senseless to the ground.
Eliza threw herself upon him, uttering loud cries of
anguish. " He is dead," she cried, despairingly ; " he is
dead ! "
32
400 ANDREAS HOFER.
" No, he is not dead," said the officei' ; " the excitement
and fatigue have produced a swoon. He will soon be restored
to consciousness and get over it. Careful nursing sliall not he
wanting to Anthony Wallner in my house."
He had prophesied correctly. Anthony Wallner awoke
again, and seemed to recover rapidly under the kind nui-sing
of his host and his daughter.
They remained two days at the custom-house on the fron-
tier. The news of Anthony Wallner's arrival spread like
wildfire through the whole neighborhood, and the landed
proprietors of the district hastened to the custom-house to see
the heroic Tyrolese chief and his intrepid daughter, and offered
their services to both of them.
It was no longer necessary for them to journey on foot.
Wherever they came, the carriages of the wealthy and
aristocratic inhabitants were in readiness for them, and they
were greeted everywhere with jubilant acclamations. Their
journey to Vienna was an incessant triumphal procession, a
continued chain of demonstrations of enthusiasm and manifes-
tations of love.
Anthony Wallner, however, remained silent, gloomy, and
downcast, amid all these triumphs ; and on arousing himself
sometimes from his sombre broodings, and seeing the painful
expression with which Eliza's eyes rested on him, lie tried to
smile, but the smile died away on his trembling lips.
" I believe I shall be taken very sick," he said, faintly.
"My head aches dreadfully, and all my limbs are trembling.
I was too long in the Alpine hut, and the numerous previous
fatigues. The excitement, grief, cold, and hunger, and last, the
long journey on foot, have been too nuich for me. Ah, Lizzie,
Lizzie, I shall be taken sick. Great God ! it would be dreadful
if I should die now and leave you all alone in this foreign
country ! No, no, I do not want to be taken sick, I have no
time for it. Oh, listen to me, my God! I do not want to be
taken sick, for Lizzie must not be left an orphan here. No,
no, no ! "
And he lifted his clinched fist to heaven, screamed, and
wept, and uttered senseless and incoherent woi'ds.
" I am afraid he has got the nervous fever," said Baron
TFIK FLIGHT. 49 J
Engenberji:, who was conveying Wallnor and Eliza in his
carriago from the last station to Yiouna. " It will he neces-
sary for us to take him at once to a hospitiil."
'' Can I stay with him there and nurse him ? " asked Eliza,
repressing- her tears.
" Of course you can."
"Then let us take him to a hospital," she said, calmly.
"He will die, but /shall be there to close his eyes."
And it was Eliza that closed her father's eyes. The vio-
lent nervous fever which had seized Anthony Wallner was
too much for his exhausted body. He died five days after his
arrival at Vienna, on the 15th of February, 1810, at the city
hospital.
Many pei*sous attended his funeral ; many persons came to
see Eliza Wallner, the young heroine of the Tyrol. But Eliza
would not see anybody. She remained in the room which
had been assigned to her at the hospital, and she spoke and
prayed only with the priest who had administered the last
unction to her fathei".
On the daj^ after the funeral the Emperor Francis sent one
of his chamberlains to Eliza, to induce her to remain in Vien-
na. He would provide for her bountifully, and reward her
for what her father had done. The chamberlain was also in-
structed to conduct Eliza to the emperor, that he might thank
and console her personally.
Eliza shook her head, gravely. "The emperor need not
thank me," she said, " for I did no more for him than he did
for the Tyrol. He is unable to console me ; God alone can
do that, and Ho will also provide for mo. I cannot see the
emperor, for my heart is too deeply atfiictod. But if you will
give me money enough, sir, to return quickly to my dear
Tyrol and my beloved mother, I shall accept it and be grate-
ful to you. I must return to my mother and weep with her ;
and my dear home, my dear mountains will console me."
"You can set out as soon as you please," said the chamber-
lain. "The empoi'or has interceded in your behalf and ob-
tained this safeguard for you in ca.se you wished to return to
your native country. No one will molest you, and you and
your family can live quietly at your home."
492 ANDREAS HOFER.
" If the emperor had done as much for my father as he
does for me, my father would not have died," said Eliza,
gravely, accepting the paper. " Now he has no longer need
of an emperor. He is with God, and I would I were with him
above ! But I must not leave my mother. I must console
her and stay with her as long as it pleases God."*
CHAPTER XLIV.
ANDREAS HOFER'S DEATH.
The court-martial at Mantua had passed sentence of death
upon Andreas Hofer for fighting against the French after the
last proclamation of Eugene Beauharnais offering a general
amnesty. But the court-martial had not adopted this decis-
ion unanimously ; several members had voted for long con-
finement, and two had had the courage to vote for his entire
deliverance. By a singular revolution of fortune, the same
General Bisson, who had been taken prisoner at Innspruck at
the outbreak of the insurrection, and with whom Major Tei-
mer had made his triumphal entry into Innspruck, was now
governor of Mantua, and president of the court-martial which
tried the commander-in-chief of the Tyrolese. The general,
in consideration of his captivity among the Tyrolese, wished
to act mildly and impartially, and sent a telegraphic dispatch
to the viceroy at Milan to inquire what was to be done with
Andreas Hofer, inasmuch as the sentence of the court-martial
had not been passed unanimously. An answer was returned
very soon. It contained the categorical order that Andreas
Hofer should be shot within twenty-four hours.
* Eliza Walhier returned to Wiudisch-Matrey, and lived there in quiet
retirement. She never married. After the death of her mother she yielded
to Joachim Haspincrer's entreaties and went to live at his house. The Capu-
chin was ordained and appointed pastor of Jetelsee, and afterward of Traun-
feld. Eliza lived with him as his adopted daughter, and wa« still with him
at the time of his death, which took place in 1856, at Salzburg.— See Schall-
hamiiier's "Joachim Haspingcr," p. 134.
ANDUKAS IIOFER'S bEATU. 493
Commissioners of tlie military authorities, therefore, en-
tered Andreas Hofer's cell on the 21st of February, and in-
formed him that he would suffer death within two hours.
He listened to them standing, and with unshaken firmness.
" I shall die, then, at least as a soldier, and not as a criminal,"
he said, nodding his head gently. " I am not afraid of bullets,
nor of the good God either ; He was always kind to me, and
it is even now kind in Him to relieve me from my sufferings
Lere. I am ready to appear before the judgment seat of
God."
" If you have any special wishes to prefer, communicate
them to us now ; and if it is possible, they shall be granted,"
said one of the officers, profoundly moved.
" There are some wishes which I should like to prefer," re-
plied Hofer, musingly. " In the first place, I wish to see once
more my dear Cajetan Doninger, who was separated from me
and confined in another cell ; and then I wish to dictate a
letter and my last will, and would request that both be sent to
my dear brother-in-law."
"These wishes shall be complied with ; I promise it to you
in the name of General Bisson. Do you desire to prefer any
additional requests ? "
" I wish further that a priest be sent to me, that he may re-
ceive my confes.sion, and grant me absolution ; and finally, I
should like to see once more my dear countrymen, who are
imprisoned in the casemates here, and take leave of them in a
few words."
" A confessor will be sent to you, but your last request can
not be complied with," was the reply. " An exciting and per-
haps disorderly scene would ensue, and such things must be
avoided."
"Well, then," said Andreas, sighing, "send me my dear
secretary, and afterward the priest."
A few minutes after the officers had withdrawn, the door
opened, and Cajetan Doninger came in. He burst into tears,
rushed toward Andreas Hofer, and folding him to his heart,
exclaimed mournfully : "Is it true, then, that they intend to
kill you ? Is it true that they are going to assassinate the
noHest and best man like a criminal ? "
494 ANDREAS HOFER.
"Hush, hush, Cajetan," said Andreas, gently, presshig
Doninger tenderly to his heart ; " do not scold, but submit as
I do. I die gladl}', for it is better that I should sacrifice my-
self for my native countiy than that others should die for my
sake, or for the fatherland." *
" Oh, would that I could die for you ! " sobbed Doninger ;
''my life is worthless without you. Is it possible that you
must suffer now so ignominious a punishment for all your
noble deeds and aspirations ? "
"God alone knows what is good," said Andreas, mildly,
"and I have doubtless committed many errors, for which I
have to suffer now. But, Cajetan, will you fulfil my last re-
quest ? "
"Name it, and I will comply with it."
" Then weep no more, my dear friend, for your tears give
me pain. Be, as formerly, manful and firm."
"I will," said Doninger ; and he dried his tears and forced
himself to be calm and composed.
" And now, Cajetan, be my secretary for the last time,"
said Andreas, gently. "I will dictate to you a letter to my
brother-in-law Pohler, at Neustadt. The jailer has already
laid papei", pen, and ink on the table. Sit down, therefore,
and write."
Cajetan went to the table and seated himself. "I am
ready, commander-in-chief," he said ; "dictate to me now."
Andreas walked up and down several times musingly ; he
then stood still near the table ; a wondrous expression of se-
rene calmness and peace beamed from his face, and he dic-
tated in a clear, quiet voice, which did not once tremble with
emotion.
" Dearest brother-in-law : It was God's will that I should
exchange here at Mantua my earthly life for a better one.
But — God 1)6 praised for his divine mercy ! — it seems to me as
little painful as if I were to be led out for another purpose.
God in His mercy will doubtless be with me to the last mo-
ment, when 1 shall ascend to that eternal dwelling-place where
my soul will i-ejoice for evermore with all the chosen spirit^
* liofei's own words. — See "Giillery of Heroes : Audreus llofer," p. 195.
ANDREAS nOFERS DEATH. 495
ati(^ where I shall pray for all, and particularly for those to
whom I owe my ijitercession ; ahove all, for you. too, and
your dear wife, on account of the book which you j)resented
to me, and of other kind acts. Let all my dear friends and
acquaintances pray for me too, and help me to i-ise from the
devouring' flames, when I have to expiate my sins in purga-
tory. My beloved wife, Anna Gertrude, is to have masses
read for me at St. Martitt''s Zuni roscnfarhnen Bint. She
shall have prayers read in both of the parisli-churcbes, and
treat my friends at the lower inn to soup and meat, and give
every one half a bottle of wine. The money I had about me
will be distributed among the poor of this city ; for the rest,
settle with my debtors and creditors as honestly as you can,
lest I should havC to atone for it also. Farewell, all of you,
for this world, until we shall meet in heaven and praise God
for evermore. Dearest brother-in-law, repair to the Passeyr
valley, and inform the landlord of the lower inn of my in-
structions. He will make all necessarj' dispositions. Let
all the inhabitants of Passeyr, and all my acquaintances re-
member me in their prayers. Dearest brother-in-law, tell
my wife, Anna Gertrude, not to grieve for me. I shall pray
to God for her and for all. Adieu, beautiful world ! Dy-
ing seems to me so easy that there are not even tears in my
eyes.
" Written at nine o'clock ; at ten I shall ascend to God
with the aid of all the saints.
"Your .
"Mantua, February 20, 1810."*
"I will write the signature as I always did," said Andreas
Hofer ; and, taking up the pen quickly, he wrote :
"Your Andreas Hofer, from Sand in Passeyr, wliom you
loved in this life. I will set out on my last journey in the
Lord's name." t
" I thank you, Cajetan, for rendering me this last service."
said Andreas, kindly. " And now, my dear friend, let us take
* " Gallery of heroes : Andreas Hofer," p. 197.
t " Gallery of Heroes."
496 ANDREAS HOFER.
leave of each other. The confessor will he here soon, and then
I must no longer speak to any one but God."
Cajetan came to him with a tottering step, and leaned his
head silently on Hofer's shoulder. He did not speak, he
wanted to be firm, but he was unable to restrain the sobs and
sighs which issued from his breast.
" My dear Cajetan, why do you weep ? " asked Hofer, press-
ing Doninger's head gently to his heart. " Did you weep
when I went into battle, where the enemy's bullets might have
hit me at any second ? You did not weep then. Think, there-
fore, that I am going into battle to-day too, and that it is bet-
ter for me to be hit by the bullets than suffer any longer in
this manner."
At this moment the door opened, and the priest, Giovanni
Giacomo Manifesti, dressed in full vestments, came in. The
guards who followed him led away Doninger, who obeyed
them in silence, as if stunned by his terrible grief.*
Andreas Hofer remained alone with his confessor.
At eleven o'clock the doors of the prison were thrown
open, and Andreas Hofer was led out to execution. His face
was serene, and in his hands he held the small crucifix which
he had ahvays worn on his breast. His confessor, Manifesti,
walked by his side, and a battalion of grenadiers followed
him.
Andreas Hofer walked along the ramparts of the fortress
with a firm step. As he passed by the barracks of the Porta
Molina, where the Tyrolese prisoners were confined, they fell
on their knees and wept aloud. Andreas turned quickly to
Manifesti, the priest. "Your reverence," he said, "you will
distribute among my poor countrymen the five hundred
florins, my last property, which I gave to you, will you not ? "
"I will, my son."
" And take my greetings to all," said Andreas Hofer, in a
grave, loud voice, " and tell them not to be disheartened, nor
to think that all is lost, and that we have fought and bled in
* Cajetan Doninger was taken "unrnediately after Hofer's e.xecution, from
liis prison, and sent to the Island of Corsica, as a private in a regiment of light
infantry. He succeeded, some time afterward, in escaping from thence, and
returning to his native country.
ANDREAS nOFER'S DEATH. 497
vain. Better times will dawn upon my beloved Tyrol, and
one day it will be ap^ain a free German country. Tell them to
hope and believe in this prediction."
On the broad bastion, a little distance h'om tlie Porta Ce-
resa, the grenadiej's formed a square, open in the rear. An-
dreas Hofer entered this open space with the priest, bowed
kindly to all sides, and prayed aloud with the priest.
"Now, farewell, dear reverend father," he then said, "and
accept this crucifix as a souvenir from me. I have worn it on
my breast for twenty years past, and it will ren)ind you of
Andreas Hofer. Inform my wife that I suffered death joy-
ously, and that I know we shall meet again above. You prom-
ised me to do so, and you will redeem your promise, rever-
end father, will you not ? "
" Certainly I will, my beloved, pious .son," said Manifesti ;
and with teai-s in bis eyes he embraced and blessed Andreas
Hofer for the last time.*
The priest thereupon left the squai'e, while twelve men and
* Manilesti redeemed his promise. He sent to the Tyrol tlie followinor let-
ter regarding Hofer's death :
Mantoya, li 21, Febrajo, 1810.
"leri poco prime del mezzo giorno e stato fucillato il Signore Andrea Ho-
fer, gia commandante del Tirolo. Dalla commissione niilitare, chc I'ha sen-
tentiato, fu invitato ad assisterlo, e sebbene fossi eonvalescente per una mala-
dia pocchi giorno avanti sofferta, ho volonteri assento I'impegno, e con soiimia
niia consolazionc ed edificatione ho ammirato un uomo, che e andato alia
morte d'un eroc Chri.«itiano e I'lia sostenuto di niartire intrepido. Egll con
tutta segrctezza mi ha consegnata una carta di somma importanza per I'orfona
Bua famiglia, incaricando mi dirigcrla a V. Sig. Rio M. — Sono con perfetta
stima,
" Di V. S. Rio M.
" Divotissimo,
"Giov. Batt. (Akcipkete) Manifesti."
"Mantua, Feb. 21,1810. — Yesterday, a few minutes before twelve, Mr.
Andreas Hofer, late commander of the Tyrol, was shot here. The military
commission which tried him requested me to attend him, and although 1 had
recovered hut a few days since from sickness, I gladly complied with the re-
quest, and admired, to my consolation and edification, a man who went to
death as a Christian hero, and suffered it as an intrepid martyr. Under the
seal of profound silence he intrusted to me a paper of tlie highest impor-
tance to his family," &c. — See Hormayr's " Lebenshildor," vol. i. p. 224.
498 ANDREAS HOFER.
a corporal stood forth with loaded muskets. The corporal of-
fered Hofer a white handkerchief to bandage his eyes.
"No," said Hofer. ''I have often already faced death ; it
is a dear friend of mine, and I want to see it, therefore, when
it comes to me."
" Kneel down, then," said the corporal.
"I shall not," replied Hofer, gravely and almost imperi-
ously. " I am used to stand upright before my Creator, and
in that posture I will deliver up my spirit to Him. But pray,"
he added in a milder voice, " aim well. Come, corporal, I will
give you yet a souvenir ; it is my whole remaining property.
Look at this Zwanziger ; I had it coined when I w^as com-
mander-in-chief of the Tyrol ; and it reminds me now of my
beloved country, and it seems to me as though its snow-clad
mountains were looking down on me and greeting me. There,
keep it as a remembrancer, and aim well ! "
The corporal stepped back and commanded in a voice
tremulous with emotion, " Fire ! "
" Fire ! " shouted Hofer. "' Long live the Tyrol ! "
Six shots rang out, but Andreas Hofer was not dead ; he
had sunk only on one knee and leaned on his right hand.
Six shots crashed again. They struck him to the ground,
but did not yet kill him. He raised his bleeding head once
more.
The corporal, filled with pity, stepped now close up to him,
put his musket to Hofer's forehead, and filled.
This thirteenth shot dispatched him at length !
The grenadiers raised the corpse and carried it on a black
bier to St. Michael's church, where it lay in state during the
requiem, that the people might convince themselves of the
death of the beloved and feared commander-in-chief of the
Tyrol, Le General Sanvird, Andreas^Hofer, the Barbone, and
of the final subjugation of the Tyrol.*
* Ilofer's remains were buried in Manifesti's garden. A simple slab on
his grave bore the following inscription : " Qui giace la spoglia del fu Andrea
Hofer, detto il Generale Barbone, comraandante supremo delle milicie del
Tirolo, fucillato in questa forterezza nel giorno 20 Febrajo 1810, sepolto in
questo luogo." (" Here rest the remains of the late Andreas Ilofer, called
General Barbone, commander-in-chief of the Tyrolese militia, shot in this for-
ANDREAS HOFER'S DEATH. 499
This occurred on the 2()tli (jf Fehruary, 1810 ; aud on the
same day on which Andreas Hofer was sliot at Mantua, be-
cause he had loved his country and his Emperor Francis too
faithfully, almost at the very hour of his death, the booming'
of artillery was to be heard on the ramparts of Vienna.
It proclaimed to the Viennese the joyful news that the
A-rehduchess Maria Louisa, the emperor's daug-hter, was the
affianced bride of the Emperor Napoleon !
tress on the '2utli of February, 1810, and buried in this place.") Fourteen
years afterward llufor's remains were disinterred by three Austrian otiicers,
wlio had obtained Manifesti's consent, and conveyed to Botzen. The Em-
peror Francis gave ordei-s to transfer them to lunspruck, wliere they were
buried in the eliurch of the Franciscans by the side of the monument of the
Archduke Ferdinand and his beloved Philippina VVelser. — See Ilorniayr's
" Andreas Hofer," vol. ii., p. 539.
(3)
THE ENDo
'o<i^^'y^-^
^OF-CALIFOP^ ^OFCAIIFOfi'^^.
i i
>&A
L
iMe 643 464 8
If^ I
.«o«,«ff;faiai|
^^
000 737 391 3^^^^^^^,.
.^\l[umvtRJ/A
,Tr iiirr: r.
<riU3NVS01^
^WE•UNlVERS//^
5^-
'Jili'JNVU'l-^'
A^ivoa;!'!^-
■.U VUUl 1 i >
#
'^AOJIlVjJO^ '^i^ilJDh'VSOl^^^ "^/saaAlNfl-aHv'
,sV:OFCAlli
:?
,M\
^Okwrnni'^
^j'^iij'jw
•<uriiyivTPr/>
.vin^AvrnrK
,v\VT!RRAr;V/5,-