Chapter VII: Louis's Tale

THE JACOBINS.

"AMIDST the horrors of the first French Revolution, when the palace of the monarch was sacked, and the guillotine ran with blood; when to be rich was treated as a crime, and the highest rank brought the deepest fall—a merciless mob of Jacobins were hurrying a citizen to his death. In vain, might he plead ignorance of his offence. In vain, might he claim justice, or cry for mercy. He saw but the fierce sans-culottes around him, dragging him forwards to the terrible guillotine!"

"In this fearful hour, who could save him? Who dare interpose to rescue the citizen from death? One man did dare, and that man was an Englishman! I never heard if he were impelled by feelings of friendship, or only a generous desire to help the defenceless, but with a courage that defied all danger, Nesham, a young officer of the British navy, who then happened to be near the spot, arrested the Jacobins in their murderous course, declared that their victim should not die without a trial, and that if they proceeded it should be over his body!"

"Even the fierce Revolutionists were struck with admiration at the heroism of the stranger. The French are peculiarly alive to such sentiments, and Nesham had not only the glory of having rescued an innocent man from destruction, but was voted a civic crown by the Jacobins themselves, for having preserved the life of a citizen."

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"That is a very extraordinary instance of courage," observed Mr. Presgrave, as he laid down the paper. "Had you it upon good authority, Louis?"

"Nesham's own sister told it to my dear grandfather."

"It is one of the most remarkable examples of success in opposing the torrent of evil that I have ever heard," said Mrs. Gore. "Had the furious Jacobins torn Nesham to pieces, or dragged him to the guillotine to share the citizen's fate (which seemed the most probable result of his interference), every one would have called his attempt to save the Frenchman an act of perfect madness."

"It is never an easy matter to swim against the torrent," quietly observed the old lady on the sofa. "If it is hard not to follow the multitude to do wrong, it is harder still to oppose them."

"We know something of that at school," said Willy.

"Ah! Often things happen that will remind me of Nesham," cried Louis. "Depend upon it, when he was a schoolboy, he never suffered a little chap to be bullied."

"Nor was afraid to say his prayers," subjoined Percy.

"It's so easy to speak about being brave," said Tom; "to talk of dashing amongst cannon and bullets, but to go one way when all the world goes another."

"To stand up for the right when every one else is hunting it down."

"This needs a desperate deal of courage," said Louis.

"It is often difficult even to reprove sin by example," remarked Mr. Presgrave. "I know a young civilian in the Indian service, one of the finest specimens of a pure-minded, noble-hearted man that I ever had the pleasure of meeting with."

"When a boy he had refused to join his schoolfellows in robbing the fruit of their master; and threatened to report their conduct if they persisted in it. When quite a young man, he was invited to the mess-table of a regiment in India, where the conversation after dinner became so improper, that the civilian, feeling it his duty to show his disapprobation, calmly rose from the table and left the place."

"I dare say that the officers jeered at him," said Bella.

"I dare say that they did, but they could not but respect him, and when they met him in future, they were more guarded in their language."

"One of the most distinguished generals in the Indian army," said Mrs. Gore, "who returned to Old England covered with laurels, told me himself that when a very young officer he had fairly run-off from a mess-table, where his comrades were endeavouring to induce him to drink. And it has always seemed to me that that run-off from temptation, when almost a boy, did him as much credit as the proudest of his victories when a man."

"I dare say that it required more courage," observed Willy.

"I wonder," exclaimed Bella, "that even Nesham's heroism could have roused any generous feelings in those horrible Jacobins! Those who could guillotine their own gentle king—" *

"And their beautiful queen," † added Julia.

"And carry the head of a young princess ‡ on a pole, with her fair hair floating around it."

"Oh! I would have had no mercy on such murderers!" exclaimed Louis, striking his fist upon the table. "If I had been a general at the head of twenty thousand men, I'd soon have cleared Paris of them! I'd have rode them down, and cut them to pieces!"

"O Louis!" exclaimed Jessy and Julia; while Bella whispered to Willy, "It would have been no more than they deserved!"

Mrs. Gore looked shocked, the old lady sighed; but Mr. Presgrave, who had been glancing over Willy's tale, quietly raised his hand for silence, and commenced his reading without an observation.

* Louis XVI., a prince of mild and amiable disposition,
was guillotined, after a mock trial, by his own subjects in 1792.

† Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI.

‡ The Princess de Lamballe.