第32章

"Theemperor，itseems，wasunabletodoanythingfortheTyrol，"

saidWorndleinalowvoice。"HehadtoconsentthattheTyrolshouldberestoredtotheFrenchandBavarians。"

"Butthatisimpossible！"criedAndreas，despairingly。"Hepledgedushisword，hissacredword，thathewouldneverconsenttoapeacethatwoulddetachtheTyrolfromAustria。Howcanyounowinsultthedearemperorbysayingthathehasbrokenhisword？"

"Hehasnotbrokenhisword，buthewasunabletokeepit。Look，commander—in—chief，Ibringyouanotherletter，towhich，asyousee，isaffixedalargeimperialseal，thesealoftheViceroyofItaly，whowrotethelettertoyouandalltheTyrolese。"

"Readit，"exclaimedAndreas，mournfully;"Icannot，myeyesarefilledwithtears。Readittome，sir。"

Worndlereadasfollows:

"TothepeopleoftheTyrol:HismajestytheEmperoroftheFrench，KingofItaly，ProtectoroftheConfederationoftheRhine，myaugustfatherandsovereign，andhismajesty，theEmperorofAustria，havemadepeace。Peace，therefore，reignseverywherearoundyou。Youaretheonlypeoplewhichdoesnotenjoyitsblessings。

Seducedbyforeigninstigations，youtookuparmsagainstyourgovernmentandoverthrewit。Themelancholyconsequencesofyourseditiouscoursehaveovertakenyou。Terrorreignsnowinyourtowns，idlenessandmiseryinyourfields，anddiscordanddisorderaretobefoundinallpartsofthecountry。Hismajestytheemperorandking，profoundlymovedbyyourwretchedcondition，andtheproofsofrepentancewhichsomeofyouhavemanifestedtohim，hasconsentedinthetreatytoforgiveyourerrors。Ibringyoupeaceandforgiveness，butIwarnyouofthefact，thatyouwillbeforgivenonlyifyoureturnofyourownaccordtolawandorder，laydownyourarms，andoffernolongeranyresistancewhatever。Ascommander—in—chiefofthearmiessurroundingyou，Ishallacceptyoursubmissionorcompelyoutosurrender。Commissionerswillprecedethearmies;theyhavebeeninstructedtolistentowhatevercomplaintsandgrievancesyoumaywishtoprefer。But，donotforgetthatthesecommissionersareauthorizedtolistentoyouonlyafteryouhavelaiddownyourarms。Tyrolese！Ipromisethatyoushallobtainjusticeifyourcomplaintsandgrievancesarewell—grounded。

HeadquartersatVillach，October25，1809。"

"EUGENENAPOLEON。"[Footnote:Hormayr\'s"AndreasHofer，"vol。1。，p。

490。]

BaronvonWorndlehadlongsinceceasedtoread，andstillAndreasHoferstoodmotionless，hishandsfoldedonhisbreast，hisheadthrownback，andhiseyesturnedtowardheaven。Allgazedinrespectfulsilenceuponthattall，imposingformwhichseemedfrozenbygrief，andatthatpale，mournfulface，andthosepiouseyes，whichseemedtoimploreconsolationandsalvationfromheaven。

AtlastDoeningerventuredtoputhishandsoftlyonHofer\'sarm。

"Awake，dearcommander—in—chief，"hesaidinalowvoice，"awakefromyourgrief。Thesegentlemenherearewaitingforananswer。

Tellthemwhatyouthink——""WhatIthink？"criedHofer，givingastartanddroppinghiseyesslowly。"WhatIthink？Ithinkthatwearepoor，unhappymen，whohavevainlyriskedourpropertyandourblood，ourlibertyandourlives。Tellme，then，myfriends，isitpossiblethattheEmperorFrancis，whomwealllovedsodearly，andwhopledgedushiswordsosolemnlyandoften，hasabandonedusafterall？Cajetan，doyoubelieveit？"

"Itisinblackandwhitehere，"saidDoeninger，inhishabituallaconicstyle，pointingtotheproclamationoftheArchdukeJohn。

"Itisthearchduke\'shandwriting;Iamfamiliarwithit。Youneednolongerquestionitsauthenticity。Peacehasbeenconcluded。"

"Peacehasbeenconcluded，theemperorhasabandonedhisTyrol，theTyrolislost！"criedAndreas，inaloudoutburstofgrief;andhislong—restrainedtearsstreamedfromhiseyes。Andreaswasnotashamedofthem。Hethrewhimselfonachair，buriedhisfaceinhishands，andweptaloud。

"TheTyrolislost，"hesobbed;"allmydearcountrymenareinprofounddistress，and，moreover，intheutmostdanger;ourbeloved，beautifulcountrywillhavetoshedriversofblood，andnothingwillbeheardbutwailsandlamentations。Fortheemperorhasabandonedus，theenemywillre—enterthecountry，killandburn，andwreakaterriblerevengeuponourpeople！LordGod，"heexclaimedallatonce，"canInotdoanything，then，formydearcountry？Tellme，myfriends，canInotdoanythingtoavertthisgreatcalamityandsavethelivesofmydearcountrymen？"

"Yes，Andreas，"saidBaronvonWorndle，"youcandoagreatdealfortheTyrolandyourcountrymen。Youcanpreventbloodshed，softenthevindictivenessoftheenemy，andinducehimtosparethevanquishedandwreaknorevengeonthedisarmed。WriteaproclamationtotheTyrolese，admonishthemtokeepquiet，andorderthemtolaydowntheirarms。Returnyourselftoyourhome，yourinn，andyouwillhavedoneonthismournfuldaymorefortheTyrolthanyouhavebeenabletodoforituptothistime;foryouwilltherebysavetheTyrolfromuntolddisasters，whichwillsurelybefallthecountryifyouresumehostilitiesagainstenemieswhoareahundredtimessuperiortous。Itisimpossibleforustowithstandthemsuccessfully。Theircolumns，wellprovidedwithartillery，aremovinguponallsides，andthewholeTyrol，astheViceroyofItalywrites，issurrounded。Wehavenocourseleftbutsubmission。OrdertheTyrolese，therefore，tosubmit，setagoodexampletothemyourself，andtheTyrolissaved，andnomorebloodwillbeshed。"

"Nomorebloodwillbeshed！"repeatedAndreasHofer，joyously。

"Well，then，Iseethatyouareright，andthatwehavenocourseleftbutsubmission。Itistrue，theemperorhasabandonedus，butthegoodGodwillstillstandbyus;andonseeingthatwearehumbleandsubmissive，Hewillhavemercyuponus。Sitdown，Cajetan;Iwilldictatealettertoyou。TowhommustIwriteonbehalfofmybelovedcountry？"

"WritetoGeneralDrouet，"saidDoeninger。"ItwashewhowrotetoyouyesterdayfromInnspruck，informingyouoftheconclusionofpeace，andpromisingthat，ifyouandalltheTyrolesewouldsubmit，noharmshouldbefallanyone。Yourefusedtoanswerhisletterbecauseyoudidnotbelievehim。"

"Ididnotbelievehim，"saidAndreas，gently，"forIstillbelievedinmyemperor。ButIseenowthatGeneralDrouetwasright;Iwill，therefore，writetohim，andrecommendmycountryandthegoodandbraveTyrolesetohismercy。Takeupthepen，Cajetan，andwrite。"

AndAndreasHoferdictatedinalow，tremulousvoice，ofteninterruptedbysighswhichissuedfromhisbreastlikethegroansofadyingman，alettertoGeneralDrouet，inwhichhepromisedintouchingwordsthattheTyrolesewouldlaydowntheirarms，andsaidtheywouldtrust，forpardonandoblivionofthepast，tothemagnanimityofNapoleon，whosefootstepswereguidedbyasuperiorpower，whichitwasnolongerpermittedthemtoresist。

"There，"hesaid，afterconvincinghimselfthatDoeningerhadwrittenexactlywhatbehaddictated，"nowgivemethepen，Cajetan。

Iwillsignitmyself。"

Hebentoverthetable，andwrotequicklywhathehadsooftenwrittenunderhisdecrees，"AndreasHofer，commander—in—chiefoftheTyrol。"

Butthenhegaveastart，andcontemplatedhissignaturelongandmusingly。Heavingaprofoundsigh，andcastingamournfulglancetowardheaven，hetookupthepenasecondtime，andaddedtheword"late，"slowlyandwithatremblinghand，tohistitle"commander—

in—chiefoftheTyrol。"[Footnote:"GalleryofHeroes:AndreasHofer，"p。173。]

"Nowcome，Cajetan，"heexclaimed，throwingdownthepen，asifitwasaviperwhichhadwoundedhim，"come，Cajetan。Iwillgotomysharpshootersandexhortthemtodisband，andafterwardIwillreturnwithyoutomyinninthePasseyrvalley，inordertosetagoodexampletoall，andshowthemhowtosubmitquietlyandpatiently。"

AndAndreasHoferactedaccordingly。Heorderedhismentodisband，andaftertheyhadobeyedhisorderinsullensilence，hehimself，accompaniedonlybyhisfaithfulCajetanDoeninger，wentbacktohishome。

Butneitherthejoyouswelcome，withwhichhiswife，faithfulAnnaGertrude，receivedhim，northejubilantshoutsofhischildren，couldarouseAndreasHoferfromhismournfulbrooding，orbringasmiletohislips。Hedidnotrejoiceathisreturntohisdearones;hepaidnoattentiontohisbusiness，hedidnotgotothestablesandbarnsasheusedtodo;buthesathanginghishead，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，staringatthefloor，andsighingfromtimetotime，"Mypoorcountry！Howcouldtheemperorabandonus？"

OnlywhenCajetanDoeningerwasnotwithhim，AndreasHoferbecameuneasy;heglancedaroundanxiouslyandcalledforhissecretary;

whenthelatterhastenedtohim，heheldouthishandandsaidinalow，tremulousvoice，"Cajetan，donotleaveme。IalwaysthinkI

mayhavesomethingtowriteyet，anditseemstomeasthoughwhatI

dictatedtoyouatSteinach，declaringmyreadinesstosubmit，werenotthelastofmyofficialpapers。Somethingelsemustcomeyet，——

yes，somethingelse。Iknowit，forthisstateofaffairscannotlast。Therefore，Cajetan，staywithmethatyoumaybereadyandabletowritewhenthehourhascome。"

Cajetanstayedwithhim;bothsattogetherinsilence，andabsorbedintheirgloomyreflections，andthedayspassedslowlyandmournfully。

Itwasontheafternoonofthefifthday，andAndreasHofersatinsilence，asusual，inthegloomyroom。Everythingwasstillwithout。Allatoncethisprofoundsilencewasbrokenbyahumofmanyvoicesandloudnoise。

Hoferlookedupandlistened。"Thatsoundsasifwewerestillatwar，andasifmysharpshootersweremarchingup，"hesaid。

"AndreasHofer，commander—in—chiefoftheTyrol！"shoutedloudvoicesunderthewindows。

Hoferjumpedup。"Whocallsme？"heshouted，inapowerfulvoice。

Atthismomentthedoorwasthrownopenviolently，andfourmountaineers，armedwiththeirrifles，camein。Hofersawthroughtheopendo