sixty thousand
strong."

"Sixty thousand men!" exclaimed Schill. "Ah! it seems M. Napoleon has a
pretty good opinion of 'that deserter Schill,' inasmuch as he considers
him dangerous enough to oppose to him an army of sixty thousand men.
Thank you, M. Bonaparte, thank you for this acknowledgment. It is a
delightful balm to the tortured heart of the poor Prussian deserter; it
restores his courage. Let us advance undauntedly--we may conquer yet.
The Germans may awake and rally round the standard of liberty!"

"Alas, Schill, I am afraid your hopes are in vain," said Luetzow, sadly.
"I am not yet done with my bad news."

"Not yet?" asked Schill, mournfully. "Proceed!"

"Vienna has fallen!"

"Vienna fallen!" cried Schill, in dismay. "Is that really true?"

"It is. The Emperor Francis and his family have fled to Hungary, and the
Emperor of the French has again made his triumphant entry."

"And the Viennese did not even try to defend their city?"

"They did try, but soon laid down their arms and submitted quietly to
the conqueror. Napoleon has established his headquarters at Schoenbrunn,
and issued a proclamation to the Austrians. He calls upon them to be
faithful and obedient to him, and disbands the militia of Vienna. A
general amnesty is granted to those who surrender their arms."

"A general amnesty," exclaimed Schill, "for the crime they committed in
complying with the request of their sovereign to take up arms and defend
their country! And what is to be done with those who do not surrender?"

"The houses of both officers and privates of the militia who do not
return home within a specified time, are to be burned down, their
property confiscated, and themselves tried and punished as rebels."

"Oh," exclaimed Schill, raising his hands, "is there still justice in
heaven, or is it also asleep! Is there no ear for our wails, no
compassion for our disgrace? What is natural, grows unnatural; honor
becomes dishonor; patriotism, rebellion--and Heaven seems to permit it!"

"Yes," said Luetzow, with a melancholy smile. "What Ovid said of Cato now
becomes true of you: 'The victorious cause pleases the gods, but the
vanquished one pleases you!'"

"Yes," murmured Schill, "the vanquished cause pleased Cato! and it shall
also please Schill as long as he breathes. It shall please him though
his king call him a deserter, and a court-martial pass sentence of death
upon him. 'The people of Nuremberg hang none but those they ha