On the other hand, it looked like Doorwerth in glory, but not better. The danger grew from hour to hour. The English, whom Windt never called ‘clean allies’, threatened to place a lazareth in the keep. From time to time you could hear in the distance canon, saw the fiery flight of bombs and the flames burned magazines. The Duke of York, with his army, did his utmost to cover Holland, but from the battlements and waiting of the fort arose daily whole columns of fleeing soldiers, who made their way northward. The news from the theater of action soon chased each other, now uncivilized. Grevecoeur, the key to the Bosch (sessile bush) is over, it said; then Bosch should be over too; then the message was called back, under the far-off audible thunder of the coarsest gun. “The Carmagnoles have struck five bridges across the Meuse – the amount and bravery of the Franks makes any resistance impossible, what can escape from cities and places that flees – the Franks are near Nymwegen – in the works of Nymwegen have thrown six thousand English – The pushed back English army wants to sit down again at Gorkum – the large number of evaded Bataver have formed a committee, and by the same with the French Republic negotiated terms of contract – the Franks are to occupy the cities of the new Batavian republic with troops – the form of government remain provisional as it is – the dismissed officials should again [174] engage in their places – the fugitives are to return – Holland should recognize the French Republic should be alliance with England, breaking combine with France and declare war on England, Prussia and Austria – the governor and his party is in no More thought. “- Thus the news jumbled and confused when October had already come.
Louis and Leonardus had entered as leaders into the mounted corps which the Erbherr had erected; Angés with the child remained in Windt’s shelter in Doorwerth, and for Mrs. Windt it was a great consolation to have a female soul as a friend to her side, which gave her some assistance.
Windt offered everything to create more and more food in the castle, because it occurred to him in the mind, as if the threatening condition would not end soon. He was often seen accompanied by one or two grooms, riding through the corridors and the nearest villages in his dressy officer’s uniform; Count Ludwig had given his Isabella to the honest friend, half out of love for Windt, half out of love for Isabella, whose life he hoped to secure better than if he exposed the faithful horse to danger in the army-and everywhere Windt was welcome; his orders were followed exactly, the peasants loved him, because he had freed them from the reindeer master, who had squeezed and thrashed them to enrich themselves, and because Windt treated them kindly. Every morning Windt almost sat at the writing-table and wrote letters to his mistress, often in flying haste and hustle and bustle, all mixed up, but she wanted and had to know everything. Doorwerth and his good sale now formed part of their remaining hopes for life.
“I am at arm’s length with the English,” wrote Windt among others, in his peculiar, rapid, and unconvincing manner, which revealed his whole being: “Yesterday there was a high-ranking officer here, around the castle, with all that belongs to it to take possession of wounded officers, as they do the churches in Helsum, Renkum and Velp[11] taken for the sick, [175]The latter is already full of it, as well as the very Rosendael, where a camp is pitched and all woodwork, young and old, is destroyed. The officer was well informed who the glory belongs to, how many inhabitants it counts; The mayor of Wageningen, where everything is full, has tried to load it on my neck. The thunder should turn this mayor, whom I know, upside down! As soon as I get over, I want to tell him what he should know. I was in the city yesterday, talking to several Englishmen and fiddling with them until they began saber-pulling. Anyone who has listened to my disputes with the English may get an idea of Babylonian tower construction, but they have understood me better than I understand myself. In Arnhem, I have been elected citizen-guard-captain. Obedient servant!
[11] Renkum, Dutch Renekom, village between Helsum and Wageningen; Velp, village not far from Arnhem and Rosendael.
“Her Excellency is very worried about the silver here. I can not hold this save until I have to recover myself, for it is most dangerous to send valuables away and stay myself; not sending anything away and showing confidence is the only way to show respect for the Carmagnoles; Even from my own, I sent neither clothes nor weapons. I do not have money to get rid of anyway, there is no money. The rogue pensioner drove the pensions up to next year’s Petri and left me nothing but more than 1,000 florins of unpaid bills. I am glad to be rid of this vermin, the farmers are also happy. No doubt he will imagine your Excellency in Hamburg being bold enough, but the slightest politeness, which he receives in Hochdero Hotel, I take for myself as the highest insult. If he comes, let your Excellency take him out of the gates of the city through the Büttel. ”
“What comes out of Doorwerth, what will become of the whole of the Republic of Holland, God knows! I am a rushed game, full of fear and tribulation, toil and labor, burden and haste, and your Excellency are now worried for a little silver, but not for me. Please comfort my poor sister, who is anxiously worried about me. It is still possible so dangerous it looks well, [176] that we have been relieved on this side of the Rhine for some time by the Franks, although General Pichegru to have bet on it, spend the winter in Nijmegen and set up his army on this side of the Rhine winter quarters allow.”
“Today I have brought the Dutch General Quartermaster halfway to Nijmegen from here, it looks bad on the streets, it is a bitter time; Wherever one hears and sees one hears nothing and hears nothing but robbery and plunder, murder and fire, disease and theury. The pound of butter costs 1 guilder in this country so rich in butter. ”
“Yesterday the landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal, Ulrike Eleonore, who had faithfully endured the siege of Hertogenbosch with her brave husband, had come through Arnhem. She will go to Bueckeburg with the Landgrave, to the gracious Frau Schwagerin, the splendid Princess Juliane. ”
Windt could not complete this letter until evening. He wrote: “All around us is a terrible tumult; At 7 o’clock in the evening I come home from a Bataille with Irishmen on horseback, marauding at Wolfsheese and long ago the Doorwerth, and causing a cry of censorship among the poor people. But I drove them, supported by my people, their prey again; but it is too bad to rob the clean allies; Farmers who defend their property are raised and their houses are set on fire. The Irish by name are always hungry like the Pierrots in the pantomime. And if these enemies of order are from the country, then the same game will be started by the Carmagnoles, and, as in the pantomime, the Pierrot’s are likely to be beaten by the Harlequins. ”
“The devil is gone everywhere; God let me not get sick only now, otherwise everything is lost here! Now and again cannon thunder as I write this, going in the direction of Nijmegen. The day before yesterday the Duke of York came to Arnhem; Prince Friedrich of Hesse was in Rosendael with his regiment and probably stayed at yesterday’s meeting. I rode straight to Arnhem to seek protection from the Duke; but he was not to speak; yesterday I rode over again and was so happy Sauvegarden for the [177] to obtain villages of it, it would have otherwise have been to do no more stop, and I’m riding and eternal Brutalisirens day and night tired; I feel a hell of a pang in all my bones. ”
“As to the purchase of Doorwerth, about whom I have already humbly reported to your Excellency, the Gracious Lords and I were no less astonished than your Excellency himself is in the generous and enigmatic offer of the young gentleman. It was my duty to warn them to put such a large sum at stake; even the lord of the throne bristled against this noble courage, but Count Ludwig replied: This money was entrusted to me at all discretion; How could I do it better than in a valuable plot, which I, as it is yet to be used, thereby receive the family? I’m definitely building on my cousin’s glory and no doubt this money will be in the best of hands. – Truly Excellency, I am not ashamed to say it I could read in his face that this proof of a truly noble heart and character of the youngest grandson of mine touched me most intimately and what was going on in the mind of the hereditary lord. We now seriously discuss the matter; the young gentleman was to pay on Doorwerth for the time being only 25,000 gulden, and received a bond on Varel, the other 25,000 gulden the Erbherr wanted to accept and insure on Rhoon. Your Excellency should have the grace to give me formal authorization, to draft all the necessary written documents, to receive the sum and to quit in Hochdero’s name, which acknowledgment should at the same time be regarded as an interim prescription on the intended glory of Doorwerth with accessories, until to formalize the formal obligation and to provide further details of the security required. This negotiation was also under constant, distant cannon thunder; Suddenly the servant of the young master, Philip Scarre, who had been sent out to his customers, suddenly burst out in full chase, and brought the news that the English were beaten, a whole regiment of them arrested, another completely annihilated, the whole of Hanover’s infantry Count Walmoden had thrown himself to Nijmegen. [178] This compelled the hereditary owner to make a hasty departure, and there was only so much time left to arrange that if the enemy did not cross the Rhine, a new gathering and negotiation should soon take place wherever possible. For the time being I give credit to your Excellency, to provide me with the necessary papers and Hochdero approval, and I am at your feet Hochdero’s subservient Windt. ”
Hostile was the time of all love and every hope of love in the countries terribly afflicted by the scourge of savage wars. The war made many widows and orphans, and brought tears and misery into countless huts, houses, and palaces, and fortune, not a single house. That’s how it was back then, it used to be, and it’s still like that; The heads of this Lernaean serpent are constantly being renewed. The mighty, or lust of the land, or lust for power, as well as the peoples madness conjure up the demon of war from the dark Orcus, they unleash it to the torment, to the servitude, to the annihilation of humanity, and then can not ban it again as soon as possible. Hardly a century can heal the wounds that a bloody war beats the countries, the peoples, but in vain and ever in vain do religion and reason, justice, and custom, education and progress, count on the beginning of such abominations; in vain do wise men fight the war under the pains of the olive branches and the palms of peace; there are the rulers, here it is entire nations, both of which awaken his furies in the most absurd blindness, and, like the fanatics of India, joyfully crush themselves by the thunderbolts of Krishna at Jagernaut’s pagoda.
Angés was sitting in the quiet room with Frau Windt, the autumn sun battling with the heavy mists of the vast expanse of land and the near moorish ruptures. Little Sophie, too, sat with the women, and practiced with great zeal a work which she also saw practicing them, a work which war imposes on the tender sex, which from time to time recalls pain and sorrow, blood and wounds: she plucked Charpie.
If you like to know is who serve this canvas, Anges threw trübsinnig the question, and her anguished thoughts flew back to Leonardus, who had disdained to stay idle in Doorwerth, while [179] his friend might plucked the laurels of battles , She saw in spirit the friend of her heart wounded and herself as his loving nurse. Frau Windt answered: I do not even want to know that; best, she would not be needed, so I burned the stuff to tinder and lit my light on him; It would also be a good use, better than that for which this canvas is intended, namely to serve those whose life light is threatened with extinction.
During this time the child began to learn some Dutch and some German, and the two women gave him lessons so eagerly and excellently that soon his German sounded extremely Dutch and his Dutch extremely German, which gave many a reason to laugh.
With a soft, long-hearted question, Mrs. Windt addressed to Angés at this cozy hour, and looking at the little girl with truly maternal pleasure: “They always wanted to tell me about the beautiful child, my best! Today we have time; it is a bit quiet outside; My husband has ridden to Arnhem, half in business and half out of curiosity, to see the Count of Artois, the man who considers himself the future king of France, but does nothing to regain his kingdom. He lives as a guest on the Sip, a property of Herr von Brantsen, only half an hour from Arnhem, and is surrounded by a small group of emigrants, who all think like the Count of Artois, and carry their kingdom about in their thoughts. like the Jews carrying their ark on the journey through the desert. The Duke of York yesterday dined with the Count of Artois; The park is home to Prince Louis of Rohan; yesterday the Elector of Cologne arrived in Arnhem, and the brave and famous war hero Count of Clairfait. It is said that the headquarters of the allied Dutch and Dutch army should be sent to Arnhem.
A fleeting Roth flew on Angé’s tender cheeks by one of the names which Mrs. Windt called her, but she barely noticed it, or pushed her to tell her young friend what she had always heard [180]Anxiety had sought to conceal. But if Angés considered the great claims of thanks and good-natured and affectionate wife for her, what a most comfortable and certainly safe asylum she, the homeless and fugitive asylum opened up in Doorwerth, and finally, how little communication This friend, who would scarcely be able to bring her fate far beyond the borders of Geldern and at most once again to the East Frisian and Oldenburg regions, could someday harm her or the child, especially if she carefully concealed any name, then she did not keep herself alone for justified, but even obliged by gratitude, to indulge in something the wish of the elder friend. It therefore began, though not without hesitation:
What you want to know, dear Mrs. Windt, and what I can say and say, you should know. A young, handsome, and most gracious prince from a very noble household took an ardent affection for a princess, only a few years older than himself, and descended from a family in which the passion of love is always a predominant trait of her Name was. The prince also went by fire and flames immediately after his birth. Like his secretly adored lover, the revolution wiped him out of their mutual fatherland, the beautiful France, and the loneliness of a hidden sanctuary nourished the growing fiery glow of the young stormy hearts and tore them completely.
Nothing, under other circumstances, would have stood in the way of the mutually equal ones with each other, but the time of the year seven hundred and ninety was not favorable to the joys and weddings of the poor refugees; It was scarcely a year before that the Count of Artois, whose name you, Madame Windt, mentioned earlier, as well as Prince Condé, Broglio, Bretueil, and the Polignacs had avoided their fatherland; it was annihilated, that is to say, in France all privileges of birth and status were abolished, and it was scarcely possible to think of a return to the beloved fatherland, or of a return to the old order. The young prince, who had previously made several trips, from which he repeatedly returned to the place of his hidden [181]The return of love made it necessary to go to the army, which had the destiny to conquer the lost home by force of arms.
The destiny – yes – but not power, not courage enough! Mrs. Windt interjected.
Nobody guessed the consequences of the glowing love of the prince and the princess, continued Angés. The secret and well-chosen haven on German soil, on the soil of my native country, helped secure the secrecy, but at least the Princess needed onevery familiar person, to help carry her secret; my mother was chosen by this confidant. It still seems to me as if it happened a few days ago, so vividly do I remember how one evening in the dusk – I was still a very young girl and sat with Leonardus in the vine arbor in front of our house in the tenderly caressing conversations – A veiled lady entered us, with a youthful attitude and beautiful stature, and with a delicate, exceptionally well-sounding voice and in the purest French asked for my mother. I left Leonardus and escorted the stranger to my mother; I did not notice this visit, for my mother had lived in Paris with her father before her marriage, and had been in a privileged position in a respectable house.O ciel! O ma très chère gracieuse Princesse! – I hastened to listen far away, quickly back to my lover awaiting in the arbor, and hardly thought of the stranger, so busy a young girl his love and the happiness of knowing the beloved object close to the former came out of the house and left my mother with respectful bows, without them both exchanging a word. My mother consecrated my father to secrecy, and finally, with great caution, also told me, that is, she only told me what she thought was necessary for me to know about the matter, because my help had to be taken care of, not to at [182]other people to give the secret. I had pretty much the size of the strange lady, of whom at first I learned only that she was the daughter of a friend of my mother, that she had left Paris as a consequence of the revolution, and that they would return after some time, and would stay with us for a while, but should not be talked about. A quiet room of our house, quite remote from the street, was set up to receive a female visitor; I was given some new clothes and the instruction to go out, sometimes and gradually, at exits, so that the inhabitants would become accustomed to seeing me like this. A new country maid was accepted, who had already served at the French border and spoke French very nicely. The name of this servant was Sophie Botta; her birthplace was called Westbacherhof, four hours from Kaiserslautern. On the day of the departure of her predecessor and Sophie’s departure, my mother drove with me to the little village of Ixheim, which is very close to our town, a place of entertainment for the Zweibrücken nobleman, and had previously determined my suit exactly. There we found that strange lady, the princess, without any escort, and dressed just like me. Seeing and loving this young lady was the effect of that moment when I saw her without a veil; what kindness, what goodness, what sweet confusion and shame radiated from these heavenly dark eyes, full of a fire that was only softened by infinite gentleness, which poured over their whole being! – This lady, said my mother to me after the first greetings and establishing the acquaintance, will go back with me instead of you, dear Angés, and then you will cover the small distance as a pleasant walk. At the same time she described to me the streets through which I should go, and my way into the parental home through our garden adjoining the back-building, to whose door she handed me the key. It became clear to me that the stranger was only with me to whose door she handed me the key. It became clear to me that the stranger was only with me to whose door she handed me the key. It became clear to me that the stranger was only with meone should represent person, she returned with her mother disguised as her daughter Anges back home, I arrived at dusk through the back door into the house, and could by a staircase in the court immediately to the upper floor [183] go. This plan was extremely easy to carry out, and was just as easily executed. The new maid found the lady on his arrival, not knowing whether she belonged to the house or not? It therefore served the same with the same loyalty as my mother and myself.
Mrs. Windt listened to Angé’s story with growing astonishment, interrupting it only to provide for some cardiac reinforcements, which were much more necessary to her, the native and no-longer-young Dutchwoman, than Angés. But then the good Dutchwoman urged the continuation of the narrative, which excited her whole interest.
After some time, Angés continued glowing and almost whispering: the strange lady living with us gave birth to this beautiful child. The sage-femmemoney made us silent, our Sophie had to appear ill, that is to say, she had to look after and care for the high female patient with care, and another girl took her place. To be sure, the good people from Zweibrücken heard and, according to the German townspeople, glossed over the news that our young servant soon brought a gift of presents to our house, to which every one generally wishes to thank, but one was so kind, my legal parents and myself and to regret it, who was seen fresh and cheerful, and now wisely, without a veil on the street every day, and was, moreover, so kind as to blame one of my brothers for the blame. Even this talk would have been avoided if the child had been brought out of the house early, but on the other hand the young mother resisted and since the child had to be baptized, this action could not be carried outside the house. A good deal of money moved the young servant to lend her name, and so the child was baptized after his alleged mother, the little French chatting Westbacherhoferin Sophie Charlotte Botta, and the great Sophie then left richly rewarded and with reassured re-entry after some time, for the sake of good manners, my parental home.
Well, you know, dear Mrs. Windt, how much it is in our feminine nature that we are attracted to young children, especially if they are pretty and if they are helpless. My love longing [184] heart that lacked its object, the fullness of his feelings turned to this child and his young mother saw this with great delight.
Oh Angés! At one point she spoke to me: how good you are, how you love my child! I can never repay this, as never did your mother’s infinite goodness. Oh, already the thought of separation from the child tears my heart, and yet must, must, I must part from him! Once, I beg of God, it will see his mother again, she will get to know and be recognized by all the world, never to part with her again, as never from his glorious father! O Henri, O my Henri!
I was quite enraptured by the love and the pain of the beautiful princess, covered her child with kisses in her presence, and shouted with a fiery resolution: May and should this sweet, sweet, innocent little creature stay with us, then I dedicate myself to him Most faithful nurse who can find it on earth! So I swear to you.
Do not swear, noble girl, the princess interrupted me. You feel so beautiful and tall now! Will this feeling be able to last? You are young, you also love, you will marry, your own children will push this strange child away from your arms, out of your heart. Quick vows are made, heavy, often infinitely difficult to fulfill and to hold permanently.
I know what duty I take on! I replied to the princess. I will never separate myself from this child, as I will guard and guard my eyeball, and it will be so long until Höchstsie or your commissioner will demand it from me.
The princess embraced me with tears; I never forget the touching sight of this unfortunate young mother, so happy with her child. What reward, she exclaimed sobbing: what reward can I offer you, who would be worthy of the greatness of my appreciation?
A reward, princess? I cried in dismay. Which reward would I need? No other than your love!
Everything was discussed seriously and calmly, with the help of my mother’s advisory board. The child was raised by me [185]be, for the time being, salvaged from all eyes of uncaged curiosity; our adjoining garden was spacious enough to give him the benefit of fresh air every day, and the child was perfectly well. Under secret inscriptions the places were determined where every week news of his condition should be given, also it was arranged to set a mark for the little one, by which the mother or the father could recognize them, and I suggested as the simplest sign of such kind To choose initial letters of her name SCB. The princess shook her head at first, as if to reject my suggestion-evidently the bourgeois name displeased her-with a single, but exuberant joy, her face as she paused for a moment, and she shouted, “Yes, dear Angés, no different.” different than SCB! That does not have to be called Botta? Not true? Oh, it can be very different! C-B- yes, that’s right, so be it! It may mean otherwise, it may mean names, which are not many on earth, in splendor and majesty, age and honor, although it has darkened time, certainly not forever, and a blood-red cloud has come before that great sun.
Mrs. Windt listened in amazement to this communication; with a certain shy reverence, she looked at the child, sitting next to her in a small room, innocent, and plump innocent, plucking Charpie, perhaps for the wounds of a warrior fighting his father’s father and his mother’s return to their beloved fatherland wanted to help. Tears of emotion came into the eyes of the friendly woman when her questioning glance at Angés fell, for Frau Windt fared like Faust’s Famulus to Goethe: she knew a great deal now, but she liked to know everything. Angés continued:
Not a year has the child been in secret care with us, and my only happiness, my dearest distraction; his smile was balm on my mourning heart, since I thought I was leaving faithful to Leonardus, there came the new acquaintance, with her my misfortune. I was stormed on all sides, I finally consented, but only on the condition that I should not part with the child. My mother asked by letter, described everything faithfully, [186]but she only informed the princess that I was going to marry and was determined to take the child with me as my own-and she consented, sending rich presents and a not insignificant sum of money to feed the child and defy all his needs. Oh, she has also worried me a lot, little dear Sophie, she has twice succumbed to teething troubles, but my fervent prayer for her preservation was heard, even of the greatest need helped God Almighty hand, which I here now in quiet humility trust, and hope that he will lead the child and me happily home again and be escorted. Then, my dear wife Windt, Angés concluded with a lovely smile: the long-held double burden.
You were and are not really a burden to me, good angés! staggered Mrs. Windt. Stay with your trust in God, because God’s counsel is wonderful and leads it out wonderfully.
