Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century
Page 68
CHAPTER LXVII. THE FINAL CATASTROPHE
But the details of the fight at the factory must be given. The assaultwas imminent. "Ready, boys!" exclaimed in one voice Orazio, Attilio,and Muzio; "Ready!" and the summons was scarcely pronounced when thePapalists threw themselves upon the front door of the manufactory. Inthe interior all the lights had been extinguished. On this accountthe Government troops, though seen by our side, could not distinguishindividually any of the sons of liberty, and the first who attempted toscale the barricade fell back, their skulls split open by the terribleaxes of Orazio and Muzio, or the sabre of Attilio, as well as by thedifferent instruments of defense used by their valorous companions.
Yet, although they repulsed the enemy, the besieged sustained animportant loss in that first assault. A shot from a revolver piercedthe heart of the gallant and intrepid Orazio, who, despising cover, hadexposed his person at the top of the barricade to the enemy, and fell ashe clove one of them with his axe.
The "Prince of the Campagna of Rome" fell like an oak of his own forest,and his strong right hand grasped his weapon tightly even in death."Irene" was his last thought, and the last word that escaped from hislips. Ah! but Irene's soul was pierced by that dying voice! for thethree women, although they took no part in the defense, remained at ashort distance only from those whose hearts beat in unison with theirown.
Irene first reached him whose beloved voice had called her, and her twocompanions soon followed. As Orazio's body remained upon the barricadewhere he fell, the noble woman, heedless of her danger, had directlyscaled it, and her beautiful forehead was struck at that moment by aball from a musket; for the mercenaries, enraged at their bad success,were firing at random through the open door. It may be imagined withwhat feelings the two surviving friends and their beloved ones had thoseprecious bodies carried into the interior. The factory had indeed becomea charnel-house, it being useless for the chiefs to admonish their mento keep under cover.
There are moments when death loses its horror, and when those who wouldhave fled before a single soldier take no heed of a shower of shotsfalling in every direction. Such was the case now with those poor andcourageous working-men. Not counting the large number of troops by whomthey were surrounded, nor the multitude firing in the direction ofthe door, they stood to their defenses without precaution, and allowedthemselves to be needlessly wounded. In this way the number of thedefenders became lessened, whilst that of the dying and killed wasmomentarily augmented.
Attilio and Muzio saw at a glance how matters stood, and that therewas nothing for it but to confront the enemy till death. Yet Clelia andJulia! why should they also die, so young, so beautiful!
"Go thou, Muzio," said Attilio, "and persuade them, while there is yettime, to escape by the back entrance, and place themselves in safety.Tell them that we will follow a little later."
In this last part of his speech the generous Roman prevaricated. Hehad already tasted all the glories of martyrdom, and would not haverelinquished it even for Clelia's love.
But at this juncture who is it that has arrived as by a miracle,climbing like a squirrel in at a window, and appearing in the midst ofthat great desolation in these last sad moments? It is no other thanJack, our brave sailor Jack, saved from shipwreck by Orazio, to whom hehad ever since been much attached! He found himself in Rome during theterrible occurrences which we have related, and at the first occupationof the factory was sent to ascertain the result of the insurrection invarious parts of Rome. Jack returned with sad news. He, with his Englishresolution, and with the agility that characterized him, had assisted atnearly all the fights, and shared in the bad result's.
Attilio and Muzio were now fully aware of the fate that was reservedfor them, and they also learned that it was impossible for the womento escape by the back premises of the factory. To accomplish this theywould have needed the nimbleness and agility of the young sailor. Muzio,therefore, replied thus to his friend's injunctions:
"I will tell the ladies what you say; but I believe first, that it isimpossible for them to leave; and, secondly, that they would not leaveus if they could."