Heaven has apparently willed that the highest pitch of human greatness
shall be in its turn contrasted with the lowest depths of national
humiliation. Witness that body of cut-throats now called the "_Roman_
army," compared with the "Roman army" which once conquered all the
known world. None but priests could have produced such an astounding and
monstrous transformation.
While the hours had passed as above related, the General placed at the
head of the Pope's troops arrived at Viterbo, with all the forces he had
been able to gather, and called his superior officers to a council in
the municipal palace. Among the number was one martial gentleman with
a nose like a small melon, covered with slips of sticking-plaster, and
this warrior was he who had received the blow from Silvio at the inn
door. His face was flushed besides with wine, of which he had been
partaking copiously to drown his chagrin, and he urged the General
vehemently to proceed at once to assault the "_brigands_." The General,
however, considered that it would be better to wait till daybreak before
they made a move, for he was by no means certain that the soldiers could
stand to their arms at that late hour, nearly all being more or less
drunk; and, after some further discussion, the General's view was
applauded by the council and adopted.
At daybreak, therefore, the champions of the altar and the tiara obeyed
the bugle-call; but it required some little time to get these ornaments
of warfare into order. Some were footsore by the rapid march from Rome
to Viterbo, others by their flight from the Ciminian hill, others ill
with potations, and therefore it was not until the sun rose high above
the Apennines that the army was in marching order. Even then many were
the delays, for the General was at the mercy of the native guides, who
very unwillingly conducted him through the intricacies of the forest, of
which he was of course ignorant.
The proscribed, who were thoroughly acquainted with it, had begun to
move at early dawn, so that when the sun rose they had already reached
the summit of the mountain, from whence they could survey the whole
country, and were reconnoitring, to see if any troops were advancing
from the town. The coming of the troops was thus directly perceived.
Orazio--whose assumption of the command no one had disputed--dispersed
about a hundred of his men, under Muzio's direction, as skirmishers over
the low lands and amongst the underwood bordering upon the road on which
the enemy was advancing. The remainder he arranged in column on the
rising ground, ordering them to be in readiness to charge at the
first signal. Having thus disposed his main force, he summoned Captain
Tortiglio, and questioned him about the different officers in command of
the enemy, who was still at some distance, ascending the mountain side.
"He who commands the vanguard," replied Tortiglio, "is Major Pompone, a
brave officer, but a bully of the first order."
"If I do not deceive myself," said Silvio, who was watching the enemy's
movements through his telescope, "that is the very fellow who wanted me
to carry his luggage for him, for his nose is unmistakable."
"And who is that on horseback, leading what I suppose to be the
principal body?" again asked Ordzio.
"Lend me your telescope," said Tortiglio, and, having pointed it at
the individual in question, exclaimed, "_Per Dio!_ that is the
commander-in-chief of the Papal army; and see, his mounted staff is just
appearing!"
"What is his name?"
"His name is Count de la Roche--de la Roche Haricot. These French
Legitimists, representatives of the feudal times, have names nearly all
commencing with de, which are very difficult for us, 'of the _Si_,' to
pronounce."
"You, then, belong to the language of the _Si_, Signor Spaniard?" asked
Orazio rather roughly.
"_Como no!_" (and why not?) articulated the captain in Spanish; "are
you alone the sons of the ancient Latins, and the possessors of that
universal language? Leant that there is as much in common between the
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese languages as there is between the face
of a Calabrian and that of an Andalusian, who indeed resemble each other
like brothers."
"Bravo, Captain Tortiglio," said Attilio, who had just arrived, having
left the division he was in command of for orders; "you are a fortunate
scholar! We unlucky Romans are only taught by the priests to kiss hands,
kneel, and attend the mass, but are left in ignorance of what goes on in
grammars and polite learning outside the walls of Rome."
But the Papal army was advancing, and Orazio, like an experienced
captain, kept measuring its progress, without being in the least
discomposed, yet feeling that anxiety which a leader must experience
when in command of a body of troops of any kind, and in the presence of
a numerous enemy about to attack.
One of the inconveniences a guerrilla band has to sustain in time of
battle, and which very much preoccupies the chief, is the necessity of
abandoning the wounded in case of retreat, or of leaving them in charge
of the terrified inhabitants, who are afraid of being compromised. These
considerations, and the unequal number of the opposing forces, impelled
Orazio to sound the signal for retiring, and the hunter, with the
sagacity that distinguished him, gathered in his fifty men with as much
coolness as he would have shown had he been summoning them to a new beat
in the chase. Having communicated his intention to Attilio, and enjoined
him not to attempt it too precipitately, but to execute the order of
retreat in divisions, Orazio went to Muzio, who was prepared to receive
the enemy, now marching rapidly upon him.
Exchanging a few words with the leader of the vanguard, he ascended to
the highest point of the position, from whence he was able to survey
every thing, accompanied only by two of his adjutants.
General Haricot was not wanting in a certain amount of gallantry, which
would have been worthy of a better cause. He was now assailing the
unknown position of the Liberals boldly, with his vanguard _en echelon_,
being himself in the center of the line.
However it may be--whether in an engagement or in a pitched battle--the
commander-in-chief ought to place himself in such a manner that he
can command a view of as large a portion of the field of battle as the
circumstances permit, and this he can usually best accomplish, by being
himself at the head of the troops first engaged.
As he must receive information of all that passes during the fight, the
General, if he places himself at a distance from the scene of action,
subjects himself to serious loss of time, inaccurate reports, and,
to what is of still greater importance, incapability to discover at a
glance that portion of his command which may stand in immediate want of
relief, or to note where, if victorious, he ought to send in pursuit of
the enemy light bodies of cavalry, infantry, or artillery, to complete
the repulse.
There was no failing, however, in this respect on the part of the
two commanders-in-chief in this action. Haricot, emboldened by the
superiority of his numbers, gave the order to attack without any
hesitation. Orazio, though decided upon a retreat on account of his
inferior force, was determined to give his opponent such a lesson as
should make him more guarded and less precipitous in his pursuit. The
irregularity of the ground, and the dense masses of trees had enabled
Muzio to draw his men under cover into advantageous positions. There
he desired them to await till the enemy came into point-blank range, to
fire only telling shots, and then retreat behind the lines of the
other divisions. This his valorous companions in arms did. Their first
discharge covered the ground with the wounded and lifeless bodies of the
enemy. The vanguard of the mercenaries was so demoralized as to retreat,
and while supports, led on by the intrepid chief, were staying their
backward progress, the confusion gave the Italians time to make their
retreat in good order.
When Cortez disembarked at Mexico he burned his ships. When the Thousand
of Marsala disembarked in Sicily they also abandoned their vessels to
the enemy, and so deprived themselves of any hope of retreat; and
truly these courageous acts conduced much to the success and triumphant
conduct of both expeditions.
The proximity of friendly frontiers has often been the cause of
defection in the ranks of the patriotic Italians. We have witnessed such
scandals in Lombardy in 1848, caused by the tempting neighborhood of
Switzerland, and also unhappily in the Roman States by the nearness of
the royal territory. Such was the case with the Three Hundred after the
many adventures here related. Orazio accomplished his retreat from the
Ciminian hill without loss, but it was necessary to retire as far as the
Italian dominion, and then it happened with his followers just as might
have been expected, from their want of supplies and the temptation of
safely.
Although this band was composed of courageous men, it dissolved like a
fog before the sun when it touched the national frontier. The chiefs,
after vainly reminding their men that their country was still in
bondage, and that it was the duty of all to prepare for another struggle
to free her, found themselves nearly alone. The eight or nine firm
hearts with whom we are best acquainted, along with Gasparo and Jack,
took the road to Tuscany on their way to Leghorn, where they expected to
find the fair Julia's yacht, and gain some news of their absent friends.
And here we will take leave of them for the present, to meet them later
in new and adventurous scenes.
PART THE SECOND.