The evening was unusually dark, and
while returning to his house across the open space at the back of the
Tuileries (La Place de Carousal), he felt his shoulder suddenly
grasped by a strong hand, and in another instant a poniard was
plunged more than once into his breast, with the words, 'Die,
Capet!' [*] Fortunately, the intended victim wore inside his
coat a medal of the Virgin, which had belonged, it was understood, to
Marie Antoinette, his mother; this, receiving the point of the
dagger, preserved his life, though several flesh wounds were
inflicted. The assassin fled; nor did the duke make any alarm for
fear of being obliged to appear at the municipal guardhouse, and thus
get into the power of the government. When he reached home, he was
faint from loss of blood, and kept his bed for a fortnight.
[Footnote: _Meurs, Capet!_--Capet is the family name of the Bourbons,
as Guelph is that of the House of Brunswick.]
The suspicions of foul-play entertained by his 'court' were
confirmed; they regarded the bravo as an emissary of the government,
and the _'Meurs, Capet!'_ as an acknowledgment of the duke's right to
the crown! There were, however, ill-natured people who went about
hinting that, as the victim was quite alone, and became the teller of
his own story, the diabolical deed _might_ have been done by himself,
to strengthen the faith of his followers.
Pages:
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295