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Article EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A FREEMASON. ← Page 3 of 17 →
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Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
slightest spark is sufficient to kindle a flame of enthusiasm in behalf of liberty from the Alps to the Mediterranean ; aud 110 - Avhere does this feeling exist more strongly than in the Lombardic portion of the Austrian empire . Accordingly , the example of Paris was soon followed at Milan , ancl it is in connection with the revolt at this latter city that the most singular and interesting of my friend W ' s Masonic adventures occurred .
The operations of the malcontents , it will be remembered , were at first highly successful ; and it ivas deemed prudent by Field Marshal Radetsk y to withdraiv the troops altogether from thc city , ancl encamp outside the Avails . At this time W Avas serving as a corporal , ancl in that capacity he had been intrusted with a very small guard to take care of the inmates of
one of the military hospitals . His little troop did not exceed some twenty men , ancl the intelligence that the army had retired from the city , ancl that the insurgents were completely triumphant , must have been someAvhat startling to the corporal ancl his band . My friend had been always famous for decision of character ; he did not make his mind too hastilon a
up y subject , but rather kept in A'ieAV the old maxim which he had learned from Cicero , " Priusquam incipias , consulto ; et ubi consulueris , mature facto , opus est ; " and thus he generally acquired a pretty correct notion of the matter in hand , and commonly arrived at a prudent conclusion . In the present instance , he soon perceived that resistance Avas out of the question ; to
attempt anything of the sort , he plainly saw , Avould be but to sacrifice his own life and that of his men Avithout gaining any equivalent advantage for the cause which he represented . Thus resolved , he next began to consider what was the most prudent course to adopt , and ivhether there was any possible chance of being able to rejoin the troops outside the city . Things certainly
looked i r ery unpropitious , but at all events he did not despair for himself of being able to accomplish his object . He summoned his men , spoke his mind plainly , ancl advised them all to do what they could for themselves , haAdng first taken every precaution for the safety and comfort of the invalids . HaAdng done this , he sti . ipped off his uniform , manufactured an
impromptu republican cockade , and joined in the loud chorus of the excited citizens , " Popolo , Popolo , muoiano i tiranni !" After parading round the city for some time , an unwilling partisan of the insurgent people , ancl even assisting at times in the construction of the different barricades—those favomite fortifications of all revolutionary commanders—W began to think that it was " time to attempt liis escape ; but in vain did
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
slightest spark is sufficient to kindle a flame of enthusiasm in behalf of liberty from the Alps to the Mediterranean ; aud 110 - Avhere does this feeling exist more strongly than in the Lombardic portion of the Austrian empire . Accordingly , the example of Paris was soon followed at Milan , ancl it is in connection with the revolt at this latter city that the most singular and interesting of my friend W ' s Masonic adventures occurred .
The operations of the malcontents , it will be remembered , were at first highly successful ; and it ivas deemed prudent by Field Marshal Radetsk y to withdraiv the troops altogether from thc city , ancl encamp outside the Avails . At this time W Avas serving as a corporal , ancl in that capacity he had been intrusted with a very small guard to take care of the inmates of
one of the military hospitals . His little troop did not exceed some twenty men , ancl the intelligence that the army had retired from the city , ancl that the insurgents were completely triumphant , must have been someAvhat startling to the corporal ancl his band . My friend had been always famous for decision of character ; he did not make his mind too hastilon a
up y subject , but rather kept in A'ieAV the old maxim which he had learned from Cicero , " Priusquam incipias , consulto ; et ubi consulueris , mature facto , opus est ; " and thus he generally acquired a pretty correct notion of the matter in hand , and commonly arrived at a prudent conclusion . In the present instance , he soon perceived that resistance Avas out of the question ; to
attempt anything of the sort , he plainly saw , Avould be but to sacrifice his own life and that of his men Avithout gaining any equivalent advantage for the cause which he represented . Thus resolved , he next began to consider what was the most prudent course to adopt , and ivhether there was any possible chance of being able to rejoin the troops outside the city . Things certainly
looked i r ery unpropitious , but at all events he did not despair for himself of being able to accomplish his object . He summoned his men , spoke his mind plainly , ancl advised them all to do what they could for themselves , haAdng first taken every precaution for the safety and comfort of the invalids . HaAdng done this , he sti . ipped off his uniform , manufactured an
impromptu republican cockade , and joined in the loud chorus of the excited citizens , " Popolo , Popolo , muoiano i tiranni !" After parading round the city for some time , an unwilling partisan of the insurgent people , ancl even assisting at times in the construction of the different barricades—those favomite fortifications of all revolutionary commanders—W began to think that it was " time to attempt liis escape ; but in vain did