FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  
d not yet alive. SCENE II THE FRONTIERS OF UPPER AUSTRIA AND BAVARIA [A view of the country from mid-air, at a point south of the River Inn, which is seen as a silver thread, winding northward between its junction with the Salza and the Danube, and forming the boundaries of the two countries. The Danube shows itself as a crinkled satin riband, stretching from left to right in the far background of the picture, the Inn discharging its waters into the larger river.] DUMB SHOW A vast Austrian army creeps dully along the mid-distance, in the detached masses and columns of a whitish cast. The columns insensibly draw nearer to each other, and are seen to be converging from the east upon the banks of the Inn aforesaid. A RECORDING ANGEL [in recitative] This movement as of molluscs on a leaf, Which from our vantage here we scan afar, Is one manoeuvred by the famous Mack To countercheck Napoleon, still believed To be intent on England from Boulogne, And heedless of such rallies in his rear. Mack's enterprise is now to cross Bavaria-- Beneath us stretched in ripening summer peace As field unwonted for these ugly jars-- Outraged Bavaria, simmering in disquiet At Munich down behind us, Isar-fringed, And torn between his fair wife's hate of France And his own itch to gird at Austrian bluff For riding roughshod through his territory, Wavers from this to that. The while Time hastes The eastward streaming of Napoleon's host, As soon we see. The silent insect-creep of the Austrian columns towards the banks of the Inn continues to be seen till the view fades to nebulousness and dissolves. SCENE III BOULOGNE. THE ST. OMER ROAD [It is morning at the end of August, and the road stretches out of the town eastward. The divisions of the "Army-for-England" are making preparations to march. Some portions are in marching order. Bands strike up, and the regiments start on their journey towards the Rhine and Danube. Bonaparte and his officers watch the movements from an eminence. The soldiers, as they pace along under their eagles with beaming eyes, sing "Le Chant du Depart," and other martial songs, shout "Vive l'Empereur!" and babble of repeating the days of Italy, Egypt, Marengo, a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75  
76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
columns
 

Austrian

 

Danube

 

eastward

 

Napoleon

 

England

 
Bavaria
 

insect

 

silent

 
streaming

France

 

disquiet

 

simmering

 

dissolves

 
nebulousness
 

continues

 

hastes

 
roughshod
 

territory

 

riding


BOULOGNE

 

Munich

 
fringed
 

Wavers

 

beaming

 

eagles

 
movements
 

eminence

 
soldiers
 
Depart

repeating

 

Marengo

 

babble

 

Empereur

 

martial

 

officers

 

stretches

 

Outraged

 

divisions

 
making

August
 

morning

 

preparations

 

regiments

 
journey
 

Bonaparte

 

strike

 
portions
 

marching

 

stretching