If walls were possessed of the faculty of hearing, what horrible blasphemies against humanity would they have heard. The Decemvirs resembled a company of butchers, the proprietors of twenty-five million of heads.
When Roberspierre assisted at their deliberations, they took a darker tint; they laughed less, and committed evil with less gaiety.
PARTICULARS OF THE DEATH OF THE EMPEROR FRANCIS, FATHER OF JOSEPH THE SECOND.
The Emperor was in his private box at the theatre, when he received the final summons which called him to eternity. He made signs to the Princess of Auresberg that he felt unwell, and pointed to his head. His indisposition became more violent; yet, unwilling to prevent the performance from going on, he sat some time longer, till finding himself threatened with total loss of sense, he rose up and went out followed by three noblemen. When the Emperor got into the air he staggered; but on one of his attendants asking him if he was not well, he said in German, “A man of spirit is not affected by a small matter.” These were the last words he was heard to utter.
He attempted at endeavouring to gain his own apartment; in his way to which, he was obliged first to descend a flight of wooden steps; when he came to the top his head turned giddy, and he laid hold on the centinel who was stationed there: as he tried to advance, he fell forward at the first or second step. He was immediately conveyed to an anti-chamber, where they laid him on a common bed, belonging to one of the lacqueys about the court. While the surgeons were sent for, the King of the Romans was called out from the theatre. Nothing could equal the demon strations of his filial affliction, as he took his dying father in his arms. The Emperor’s veins were opened, his temples scarified, and every method made use of for his recovery, but all in vain. He gave no longer signs of sense or life.
Count Hatzfieldt, minister of state for the interior, entered the chamber about two hours after. He found the royal corpse yet stretched on the miserable pallet, alone, without one attendant near him, while two or three lingering drops of blood were yet oozing from the veins which the surgeons had opened.
NADIR.—A TALE OF FORMER TIMES.
(Concluded from Page 171.)
Nadir had already assumed a haughty arrogant air, when the private secretary to the Prime Minister was announced. In consequence of the essential services which the privateer Fortune had rendered to the state, by annoying the commerce of the enemy, Nadir had been appointed commander of the naval forces. Our hero, suddenly inflamed with military ardour, swore he would conquer, and thought himself certain of success. Under a false conception that he must superintend in person the management of every branch of his department, he enquired into the minutest details, which caused him to lose sight of the main object.
Now again he was assailed with visitants: the one recommended a younger brother, who had just left the college of the Pontiff; the other his son; a third, a relation of his mother, or of his mistress; and more than one married lady solicited employment for her husband, who stood in the way of a paramour. Nadir thought of doing right, whilst, listening only to persons in high favour, he neglected meritorious officers who had no friends to patronize them. He granted commissions to individuals, who indeed were not deficient in courage, but had never seen manœuvres but on paper or in painting. Sails, rigging, ammunition, and provisions were wanted, and Nadir had recourse to public leeches, to supply the admiralty by contract: so that the national coffers were empty, and the fleet was but very indif-
