The crowd was gradually becoming stupefied by the spectacle, throats
were sore with shouting and cheering, and the oppressive heat took
the freshness out of the people's enthusiasm. Once more, however,
they broke out again, just as when the emperor and his paladins
appeared, and this was when the French field-trophies were carried
past. Eighty-one standards and flags were there, from the
battlefields of Russia, Italy, and Mexico, soaked through with men's
blood, gloriously decomposed, torn, blackened with powder, and
riddled with bullets. Now the strong arms of German non-commissioned
officers carried them in the sultry heat of the midsummer afternoon,
these miserable remnants hanging heavy and limp without a flutter,
without a spark of trembling life in the silken folds; they looked
like imprisoned kings, who with heads bowed down, and despair in
their eyes, walked in chains behind the triumphant Roman chariots.
"Look," sad Dr. Schrotter to Wilhelm, when a short pause came in the
shouting, and in the rain of wreaths and flowers--"Look what makes
the deepest impression on the people, next to the great
representative figures. There is the symbol which you despised."
"What does that prove?" answered Wilhelm. "I never doubted that the
crowd was roused by appearances, and not by the reason of things.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147