The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 264: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

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JIS “se — : we ee ee etd Ti or we Ss 2 > ee OS ey o io we oe ype en ae ee ; . e ~ oi — es ree « st uv" eee 262 THE BRONZE STATUE. sion of Taborite enthusiasm died away, | and then the army began to march past the Captain-General. The banners waved, the martial mu- sic sent forth a lively air, and the steeds of the cavalry pranced as if in pride at sharing in the martial spectacle. And as company after company, and treop after troop, passed by the spot where John Zitzka was posted, every banner was lowered and every weapon peinted downward, in military salutation of the mighty chief. At length the review terminated, the Captuain-General rode back to the castle, attended by his two pages, the troops were marched away to their quarters, the spectators dispersed, and Prague was comparatively tranguil in appear- ance once more. Yes, but only in appearance; for terrible and painful excitement prevail- ed in numerous dwellings, where the friends or adherents of the proscribed ee ___ made memoranda on aslip of paper, and audible musings frequently escaped his lips. ‘The die is thrown—the Rubicon is rassed,’ he murmured to himself; ‘and | Bohemia must now behold a civil war, a warto the very death! Yes, I have proclaimed the crusade; and the an- nouncement must be followed up by vigorous action. ‘l‘hank heaven! Aus- tria is paralyzed: and thus the only power which was likely to adopt an armed intervention in the affairs of Bo- hemia, is absolutely silenced and inca- pacitated from meddling in the matter for at least a period of one year. Ah! it was a masterly stroke of policy which placed Austria in that condition, muz- zling her as it were all in a moment, and by means unseen by the world at large! Yes, for one year is she bound to remain an idje and passive spectatress of all that may pass upon the stage of Bohemian politics. And in this ioter- aristocracy were making secret but hasty | val, may heaven grant that 1 may be- preparations for a prompt flight from | come the Asc baat’ 95 instrument to work the city, in order to join their patrons at | cut the regeneration of the long-oppres- the feudal fortresses whither those no-| bles had already retired, on the break- ing up of the council three weeks pre- viously. CHAPTER LXVI. THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL OF THE TABO- RITES. Ir was about six o’clock in the even- ing of the same day on which the review had taken place, and John Zitzka was seated in his own private apartment at the Castle of Prague, examining a large map whereon all the feudal strongholds, mansions, and domains of the Bohemian aristocracy were marked with the mi- nutest precision. Zitzka was alone ; and as the slanting beayns of the sun penetrated from the western heaven into the room, they im- parted a ruddy glow to the stern coun- tenance, which derived an almost sinis- ter and ferocious expression from its closed eye-lid, and abundance of rough black hair. But at the present moment the Cap- tain-General was absorbed in the deep- est thought, as he contemplated the map spread out before him, and as he travel- led with his fore-finger from place to place on its colored surface. While thus occupied, he from time to time sed millions in this land! For thou knowest, O Lord,’ exclaimed Zitzka, now speaking aloud and raising his look upward, while his whole countenance expressed the unfeigned devotion which filled his heart, ‘thou knowese that I am sincere in all that I have underta- ken, and that no sentiment of personal ambition has inspired me even for a sin- gle instant! And if at the commence- ment,’ proceeded the Captain-General, now joining his hands and casting down his look with an air of the deepest hu- mility and most profound contrition,— ‘if at the commencement of this mighty movement, I was instigated somewhat by a desire to avenge a cruel wrong, sustained by one whom [| loved so ten- derly, and still cherish so deurly,—if it were indeed the sense of that poignant injury which aroused me to the con- templation of ecclesiastical voluptuous- ness and priestly turpitude,—and if that tremendous outrage did in the begin- ning animate me with a devouring de- sire and a fierce craving for vengeance, - neyertheless, thou wilt pardon me, O Lord of Hosts—thou wilt remember the weakness of the human heart, O Power Supreme! For I will restore thine al- tar to its pristine purity, and | will bring back thy worship to the simplicity of its early being; I will purge thy church of the monstrous abuses which the wickedness and selfishness of men have introduced therein; and I will comicbooks.com