Castellamonte

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XVI. THE HERALD. Perche tutti sul pesto cammino, Dalle case e dai campi accorrete, Ciascun chiede con ansia al vicino, Che gioconda novella reco 1 Bond' ei venga, infelici, il sapete, Esperate che gioia favelli ? Manzoni. The bearer of the tidings of that unlucky but not inglorious encounter, I...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XVI. THE HERALD. Perche tutti sul pesto cammino, Dalle case e dai campi accorrete, Ciascun chiede con ansia al vicino, Che gioconda novella reco 1 Bond' ei venga, infelici, il sapete, Esperate che gioia favelli ? Manzoni. The bearer of the tidings of that unlucky but not inglorious encounter, I rode in the meanwhile in great haste towards our threatened metropolis. My heart beat with a mingled feeling of awe and exultation at the thought of the tremendous sensation that my news would create among my unforeboding fellow-citizens. I brought with me the solution of long doubts, the disenchantment of fond illusions, the dissipation of a great bugbear, the breach of the non-intervention. I laid my hand upon my heart?the heart on which that lady's glove rested, which I had engaged to fling as a pledge of combat to the Austrians. Thank God I exclaimed, the responsibility of that decisive step is taken from me. The Austrians have spared us the trouble of cutting the knot. War war ?the war has commenced. May it never cease till the child born at its outset has grown up to bear arms at its close Pull of these thoughts I arrived at Porta Santa Croce; it was nearly twelve o'clock at noon, and the long street that leads to the centre of our little capital, was, as usual in those days of liberty, almost obstructed by a crowd, which increased as I advanced. I was instantly recognised; and as it was generally known that I formed part of the expedition to Fiorenzola, they began to wonder what great event could have brought me back. But their surmises and conjectures were soon changed into loud exclamations of utter amazement. The Austrians the enemy our young fellows have met the enemy our brave townspeople have taken the citadel of Piacenza se...