Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century by Giuseppe Garibaldi

  CHAPTER LXVI. THE OVERTHROW

  The heroic Cairolis and their companions had meanwhile paid, with theirblood, for their sublime patriotism and generous constancy to the Romaninsurgents.

  The morn of the 24th of October was tearful, dark, and dreary, theforerunner of fresh Italian misfortunes, and looked down upon the youngand noble countenance of Enrico, "the new Leonidas," upon his brotherGiovanni, lying in their blood, with many others belonging to thatdauntless brigade. The first died with a smile of scorn upon his lipsfor that paid horde, who had massacred them, ten against one. Giovanni,all but mortally wounded, was lying near the corpse of his belovedbrother, surrounded by other sufferers whose glorious names history willregister.

  Few were the survivors of the valorous Seventy, and those few left thefield of slaughter to unite themselves to their other brethren, who werecombating at the same time against the foreign hordes outside the wallsof Rome. Guerzoni's undertaking to seize the arms deposited outsidethe gate of San Paola was conducted with the same intrepidity he haddisplayed in a hundred combats, but failed, for the plain reason thatthe Roman youths under his orders, being poorly armed, were compelled togive way before the blows of the mercenaries, and fly.

  He and Castellazzi, after many brave endeavors, were dragged off in thescattering of the people, and were forced to conceal themselves whilstthey awaited an opportunity to strike for Rome.

  Cucchi, Bossi, and Adamoli, at the head of their detachments, performeddeeds of great valor. They gained possession of a portion of theZouaves' barracks, with only their revolvers and knives as weapons.Fights between the Papalists and the mob were frequent, and the latter,for want of other arms, beat the former to pieces with their sticks.

  But here, too, they had to give way before superiority of numbers,discipline, and arms. Here, also, the first rays of daylight on the 24thpresented to the view of the horror-struck passerby a heap of corpses,mingled with dying men. In this manner was the tottering throne of the"Vicegerent of Heaven" consolidated--re-established by the butchery ofthe unhappy Roman people, and this, too, performed for hire by the scumof all nations, supported by the bayonets of Bonaparte's soldiers!