- A
Certain Shivering And Palpitation, The Natural Consequence Of Suspence,
Ran Thro' All Their Nerves, Divided As They Were At
This sight, between
hope and fear; but when it drew more near, - when, instead of Swedish
colours they beheld those
Of Russia; - when, in the place where they
expected to see their gallant king coming to restore them once more to
freedom, they saw the implacable czar enter in triumph, followed by
those heroes, the least of whom had lately made him tremble, now in
chains, and exposed to the ribald mirth and derision of the gaping
crowd, they lost at once their fortitude, and even all sense of
expressing their grief at this misfortune: - the shock of it was so
violent, it even took away the power of feeling it, and they remained
for some moments rather like statues carv'd out by mortal art, than real
men created by God, and animated with living souls. A general groan was
the first mark they gave of any sensibility of this dreadful stroke of
fate; but when recruited spirits once more gave utterance to words, how
terrible were their exclamations! Some of them, in the extravagance of
despair, said things relating to fate and destiny, which, on a less
occasion, could have little merited forgiveness.
Unable either to remove from the place, or view distinctly what their
eyes were fixed upon, they stayed till the whole cavalcade was passed,
then went down and threw themselves upon the floor, where their ears
were deafen'd by the noise of guns, loud huzza's, and other testimonies
of popular rejoicings, both within and without the prison walls.
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