shadow of britain

Chapter 518 The Prophet Moses and the Expedition to Savoy
"Young Italy? No, I have many fond memories of my first voyage, but I had not yet entertained the idea of ​​joining Young Italy."

When mentioning Rome, Garibaldi's eyes revealed a strange light, as if a child had met his favorite toy.

"Mr. Hastings, I heard from Mr. Dumas that you are a Catholic. In that case, have you ever been to Rome for pilgrimage?"

Arthur smiled awkwardly. "I wanted to go before, but a few years ago, I couldn't afford the trip to Rome. Now, I have the money to go, but I don't have the time. You know, working in a government department is enviable, but sometimes it is also a constraint."

Dumas, who was drunk at the side, heard this, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and putting his other hand on Garibaldi's neck and said, "Giuseppe, don't listen to this guy's nonsense. He is a Catholic, that's true, but you may find it difficult to find a less pious Catholic in the world. I have lived with him in London for such a long time, but I was shocked to find that this guy has never been to church even once, and he doesn't even say a prayer before meals."

Garibaldi looked at Arthur in surprise and said, "If you don't even follow the simplest religious etiquette, why do you still claim to be a believer?"

Arthur just shook his head slightly. He bit his lower lip and pondered: "Giuseppe, you don't understand. There are very complicated reasons here."

"For example?" Garibaldi always spoke directly and didn't like to beat around the bush.

Arthur shrugged and said, "For example, Christmas and Easter are holidays. Whether there is God or not can be put aside for now, but I still want to take a holiday."

Arthur's answer was rather frivolous, but quite in keeping with Garibaldi's temper.

Because no matter who heard this answer, no one could accuse Arthur of lying. Although Sir Arthur Hastings in front of him was a British diplomat, he was a rare honest man among them.

A hearty laugh rang out in the box, and Garibaldi took a cigar from Arthur's cigar box: "Mr. Hastings..."

"Just call me Arthur."

"Well, Arthur, my friend, but listen to me, although Rome has no religious significance to you, you still have to go there if you have the chance. You are a historian, and although I have never been to college, I have a natural fascination with those ancient artifacts.

Rome! What is this city to me, an archaeologist, besides being a world capital? She is a deposed queen! Yes, the ruins of her ancient relics are huge, magnificent and magnificent, but there are also the ghosts of those great deeds that exist in people's memory and historical records.

And Rome was not only the capital of the world, but the cradle of that divine religion which broke the fetters of slavery, which ennobled mankind, which was ravaged before the birth of Rome, where she sprang from. Her first preachers were men of true saintly character, teachers of all the nations of Europe, liberators of the people.

But those who preached after these saints were degenerates, fakes, mercenaries, corrupt Italian priests who sold out to foreigners their and our common mother, our spirit, faith, land and wealth. As I stood under the high walls of Rome and walked through her streets, I felt a strong emotion.

I felt the thousand-year history of her misfortunes, her downfalls, her sufferings, and she became to me the sacred realm above all else. I loved her with all my passion, not only her great moments of the centuries, but also her most insignificant events, all of which I treasured in my heart as in a treasure house.

The farther I was from Rome, the stronger this feeling became. Even when I was drifting thousands of leagues from Rome, I still prayed to the Almighty to let me see this beautiful city in my dreams. For me, this nation must be united, and Rome is the only symbol of the unity of Italy.

She is my supreme mother, and I cannot for a moment tolerate the idea of ​​a wicked foreigner, the Pope, or any other bastard marrying her. No, a true Italian man will never allow such a thing to happen!"

"well said!"

Dumas, who was drunk just now, jumped up from the sofa as if he had been injected with a shot of cardiotonic medicine when he heard this: "Giuseppe, I support you! Although I can't go with you to the Italian revolution and save your Italian mother for the time being, it's not because I'm a coward, nor because I don't regard you as a brother, but because my French mother is about to be forcibly married, so I have to take care of the housework first."

Louis's speech was obviously better, perhaps because he was less drunk: "Giuseppe, I support you too. You should know that I have been a member of the Italian Carbonari since a long time ago. I have lived in Florence and Rome for a long time. And not only me, but also my uncle Napoleon, my cousin Charles, the 'King of Rome', and the entire Bonaparte family, have deep feelings for Italy. And this kind of love is not only about Italy, but about all the nations in Europe, in Poland, in the Netherlands, in Spain, in the Rhine, in Westphalia, and so on. It's the same."

Garibaldi was supported by two revolutionary comrades and could not help but burst into tears as he said: "I swear, I love France as much as I love Italy. Whenever I hear the word 'motherland', it's like I see the first light of light on the horizon. When the July Revolution in France in 1830 took place, my joy was greater than that of many French sailors on the ship.

Because I suddenly realized that there were people who were really sacrificing their lives to save Italy! Paris had overthrown the Bourbon dynasty, had taken in so many Italian exiles, and had actively supported our cause. Overnight, we seemed to be united again, just like the French Empire and the Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon.

Perhaps in the eyes of future generations, it is a very strange thing for an Italian to empathize with the French.

But in this era, it was not only in Italy that there were people like Garibaldi who regarded France as a beacon and guide. There were also such pro-French elements in the German states in Central Europe, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Russia, and even Britain.

At the beginning of the Great Revolution, many people in Britain, including the Whig Party, non-party liberals and even the Tory Party, had a great liking for the new France, and they also regarded the French path as the future direction of Britain.

However, the subsequent plot of the Great Revolution was too magical, so the pro-French elements in the Whig Party were quickly slapped in the face. When Napoleon became the First Consul, these people soon dared not even shout a slogan in support of France in Britain.

And when Napoleon announced his ascension to the throne, these pro-French elements who once cheered for the Great Revolution finally couldn't bear it anymore. Perhaps because the deeper the fanaticism, the blacker it becomes, they immediately turned their guns on France and became the most anti-French force in Britain.

Even among the British, who had a century-old feud with the French, there were such a large number of "traitors", not to mention the Italians, Poles and other nations who actually benefited from the French during the Great Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire.

Garibaldi said this and turned to Dumas: "Alexandre, you can't love Italy as much as you love France. I don't blame you, because before I met the group of Saint-Simonians from France, I thought the same as you."

"Saint-Simonian?"

Arthur was familiar with this term because the French government had just closed down their newspaper not long ago.

Garibaldi nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I was sailing to Cagliari at that time. On the ship, I met Mr. Bariut, who was leading the group to Constantinople. At that time, I didn't know much about them. I only knew that they were followers of a new religion that was persecuted in France. As an Italian patriot, I naturally introduced myself to them. I expressed my narrow national ideas to them and talked about the problems of Italy. Whenever I think of the scene that night, I can't help blushing. We argued fiercely that day, but I was completely unable to match Mr. Bariut in terms of ideas. I was too shallow at that time.

Mr. Bariute told me that a man who defends his country or attacks other countries is just a nobody, but a man who becomes a cosmopolitan, considers other countries his own country, and offers his sword and blood to the peoples of all countries who are fighting against tyranny is more than a nobody, but a real hero.

They also said that Constantinople was just a transit point for them and their ultimate goal was to go to Egypt. Father Barthélemy Enfontant, one of the leaders of the Saint-Simonians, was ready to lead his disciples to establish a community in Egypt and immediately begin to realize their dream - to dig a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Once the canal was opened, not only the Egyptian people would benefit, but also the people of all Europe.

As a sailor, no one understands the role of this canal better than me. This means that if we want to sail to Asia from now on, we no longer have to go around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, which can at least shorten the sailing time by several months. And Father Angfontein's actions reminded me of the feat of the prophet Moses leading his disciples through the Red Sea in the Bible.

I thought that such a person would never appear again, but I suddenly looked back and found that this group of Saint-Simonians was lucky to have a leader with saintly qualities like the first Catholic preachers. Bariute also talked to me about the grand plan of Saint-Simonism, and he told me that Egypt played a vital role in their plan.

These Saint-Simonians saw Egypt as a stepping stone to the inclusion of Africa in their cosmopolitan movement. Egypt, an ancient world country located at the crossroads of three continents, was the place where their hopes were intertwined: restoring its former glory and splendor, establishing a brotherhood that would unite all mankind, and solving all problems with European technology and science.

The construction of the Suez Canal symbolizes the "brotherhood" between different continents separated by the Mediterranean. Therefore, although Egypt is a Muslim territory and there is indeed strong opposition and hostility to Saint-Simonians, they still want to spread their gospel to Egypt just like the first Catholic missionaries, just like St. Peter, even if they were martyred and hanged by the Roman emperor. "

As Garibaldi spoke, he became more and more emotional.

"At the time I only vaguely understood what he said, but when I arrived in Egypt not long after, I saw these Saint-Simonians using their hands, shoveling the earth one shovel at a time, fulfilling their promises and realizing their wishes, and my brain felt like I was hit hard by a fist after I was drunk.

This strange flash of thought immediately opened my mind. I began to see my ship no longer as a means of transport with an international trade mission, but as a ship carrying biblical prayers and the sword of the Archangel. After I parted with this group of noble Saint-Simonians, I was eager to understand all the new things clearly, and at the same time I began to ask myself: Do I know what it means to be passionate about a noble mission? "

Arthur listened while leaning on the sofa and taking notes slowly. He asked without looking up, "Then, you hurriedly drove a boat to France to find Young Italy?"

I don't know if it was because Arthur's note-taking movements were too natural, or because the three drunkards didn't have much judgment left in their brains at the moment, but no one present came forward to blame Arthur, as if taking notes while drinking in the box was a normal thing.

Garibaldi nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes! After I broke up with them and came back from the East, I immediately accepted an order to go to Marseille because I heard that Marseille is the headquarters of 'Young Italy'."

Arthur stopped writing when he heard this, and shook his head slightly, saying, "Young people who are too hot-blooded..."

"What did you say?" Garibaldi burped. "Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly."

"Nothing." Arthur smiled and poured him a glass of wine. "I say, you are really courageous."

Garibaldi couldn't help but smile when he was praised: "Arthur, don't be modest. I heard Alexander tell me that you have done many things with more courage than me."

Arthur did not deny this statement. He took a sip of wine and said, "You are right. That is why I lie in the coffin."

Garibaldi smiled and patted his shoulder. "We are indeed kindred spirits. Your early experiences must have been similar to mine. When I arrived in Marseille, I heard that the uprising in Piedmont had been aborted, and that riots had occurred in Chambéry, Alessandria, and Genoa.

I was extremely anxious when I heard the news. In order to join Young Italy, I spent all day hanging around the taverns at the docks, trying to bump into their informants. I was lucky, so I soon made friends with a man named Cofer, and through his introduction, I met Mazzini.

At that time, Mazzini was calling for resistance. He wrote in the magazine Young Italy, which he edited: "Italians! The time has come, if we want to maintain our reputation, to let our blood flow with the blood of the Piedmontese martyrs." As soon as I saw this sentence, I knew I had found the right person.

I told Mazzini: You can trust me, the two Giuseppes can do something great!
But you know, calling for resistance in France like this will not go unnoticed. Not long after I said this to him, the bombing of the Cahiers du Chateau occurred, so the French government required Mazzini to leave France within a limited time. God knows if Mazzini is destined to be displaced for the rest of his life. Although he is not much older than us, this is his third time in exile.

Now he couldn't stay in France anymore. Going to Austria was like walking into a trap. Prussian police were everywhere in the German states. Although the Prussians didn't particularly hate us, they were too close to Austria, and Mazzini was really worried about them. So, after careful selection, he could only hide in Geneva, Switzerland this time.

Arthur took over the conversation and said, "Switzerland? In my opinion, this is not a bad choice. If you plan to launch an expedition or an uprising, it will be easy for you to start an uprising because Switzerland is close to Italy."

Garibaldi was surprised and shook Arthur's hand. He said, "My God! Arthur, you are as smart as Mazzini. You two think alike. Mazzini also thought that Switzerland is close to the Kingdom of Sardinia. If we start from the border area, we can reach the city that day."

"The troops were at the gates of the city that very day?"

The rustling sound of writing was heard in the room, followed by Arthur's questioning. Sir Arthur Hastings, who was a temporary military adviser to Young Italy and had participated in the Tower of London Special Operations, gave his own opinion.

"Excuse me, Giuseppe, if you want to fight the Kingdom of Sardinia head-on, I don't think you have much chance of winning. How many people can your rebel army have? At most, there are only a thousand people. If you drag it out in the border town for too long, and when the Kingdom of Sardinia reacts, you will be finished. Don't expect the people along the way to join you voluntarily. Those are uncertain factors and extremely unreliable. An uprising cannot be completely based on luck."

Garibaldi couldn't help but praise him, "Arthur, you really have a way. On this point, you and Mr. Ramorino think exactly the same. Do you remember him? He was the Polish officer next to me when the car crashed that day. Mr. Ramorino believes that after we send troops from Switzerland, we will go through Savoy and head straight for Piedmont, the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Mr. Ramorino believes that this is just like the French Revolution. Taking over the capital of Paris is equivalent to taking over the entire territory of France."

"So, which plan won out in the end, the Mazzini plan or the Ramorino plan?"

"Neither. The relationship between the two of them was not harmonious. Mazzini did not trust Poles like Ramorino. He was just like me in the past, not believing in internationalism, so he always felt that Ramorino might have ulterior motives. However, most people in 'Young Italy' supported Ramorino like me, because he had rich combat experience and had led his army to defeat the Russian army.

Therefore, Mazzini finally gave in to the majority, but the final plan was changed to a certain extent. An international column composed of exiles from Poland, Spain, Germany and other places, led by Ramorino, marched to Piedmont via Savoy. Another local column composed of French and Italians passed through Genoa to intercept the reinforcements of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

(End of this chapter)