Chapter 518: Prophet Moses and the Expedition to Savoy

"Young Italy? No, I have many wonderful memories from my first voyage, but the idea of ​​joining Young Italy had not yet occurred to me."

Whenever he mentioned 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 made a pilgrimage to Rome?"

Arthur smiled awkwardly: "I used to want to come, but a few years ago, I couldn't afford to travel to Rome. Now, I have money to go, but I don't have time. You know, working in the government is enviable, but it can also be a constraint sometimes.”

After hearing this, the drunk Alexandre Dumas held a wine bottle in one hand and put his hand on Garibaldi's neck and said: "Giuseppe, don't listen to this guy's nonsense. He is a Catholic, which is true, but I'm afraid you It’s hard to find a more ungrateful Catholic than him in the world. I lived with him in London for such a long time, but I was shocked to find that this guy never even went to church once. He didn’t even have a meal. Don’t even pray before.”

Garibaldi looked at Arthur in surprise when he heard this: "If you don't even abide by the simplest religious etiquette, why do you still declare that you are religious?"

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

"For example?" Garibaldi always speaks directly, he doesn't like to go around in circles.

Arthur shrugged and said: "For example, Christmas and Easter are both holidays. God, I can put them aside first, but I still want to take the holidays."

Arthur's answer was very informal, but quite in line with Garibaldi's temper.

Because no matter who listens to this answer, no one can accuse Arthur of lying. Although the Sir Arthur Hastings in front of him is a British diplomat, he is one of the few honest people.

There was a hearty smile in the box, and Garibaldi took out a cigar box from Arthur: "Mr. Hastings..."

"Just call me Arthur."

"Okay, Arthur, my friend, but you 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 not read University, but I have a natural fascination for those ancient artifacts.

Rome! For me, an archaeologist, what does this city mean besides being a world capital? She is a deposed queen! Yes, the ruins of her remaining ancient artifacts are huge, spectacular and majestic. In addition, there are also ghosts of fear wandering there, those great feats that exist in people's memory and historical records. .

And Rome was not only the capital of the world, but the cradle of that holy religion which broke the shackles of slaves and ennobled mankind. This holy religion was ravaged before the birth of Rome, her birthplace. Her first preachers were a true men of saintly character, teachers of all European nations, liberators of their peoples.

But those who preached after these saints, they were depraved, counterfeit, mercenary, corrupt Italian priests who put their common mother with us, our spirit, faith, land and wealth, betrayed to foreigners. When I stood under the towering walls of Rome and walked through its streets, I felt a strong emotion.

I felt the thousand-year history of her misfortunes, her downfalls, and her sufferings, and she had become for me an overriding sacred realm in my heart. I love her with all my passion, not only for her greatness and sublimity throughout the centuries, but also for her most trivial events, all of which I treasure in my heart as in a treasure house.

The farther away I got from Rome, the stronger these feelings became. Even when I was drifting on the sea thousands of leagues away from Rome, I still prayed to the Almighty Lord to allow me to see this beautiful city in my dreams. For me, the nation must be unified, and Rome is the only symbol of Italian unity.

She is the supreme mother in my heart, and I can't bear to have her forcibly married by evil foreigners, popes, or other kinds of bastards. No, a real Italian man would never allow such a thing to happen! "

"Well said!"

Alexandre Dumas, who was still drunk and staggering just now, felt as if he had been given a shot in the arm when he heard this. He jumped up from the sofa: "Giuseppe, I support you! Although I can't be with you for the time being. Go to Italy to revolutionize and rescue your Italian mother, but this is not because I am timid, nor because I do not regard you as a brother, but because my French mother is about to be forcibly married, so I must first Housework is taken care of."

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 love is not only about Italy, but about all the nations in Europe, in Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, the Rhine, Westphalia, etc., it is the same."

Garibaldi received the support of two revolutionary comrades, and couldn't help but burst into tears and said: "I swear, I love France I love Italy as much as I do. Whenever I hear the word "motherland", it's like I see the first lighthouse on the horizon. When the July Revolution in France in 1830 took place, I was even happier than many French sailors on the ship.

Because I suddenly realized that some people were really sacrificing their lives to save Italy! Paris overthrew the Bourbon dynasty, accommodated so many Italian exiles, and 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, not only in Italy, there are people like Garibaldi who regard France as a beacon and guide. There are such 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 the Whig Party, non-party liberals and even the Tory Party who were frustrated in Britain at that time had great favor for the new France, and they also regarded the French road as the future direction of Britain.

However, because the subsequent plot of the Great Revolution was too magical, 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 accession to the throne, these pro-French elements who used to cheer for the Great Revolution finally couldn't stand it anymore. Perhaps because they were naturally black when they were deeply in love, they immediately turned their guns and became the most anti-French force in Britain.

Even the British, who had a century-old feud, had such a large number of "British traitors", not to mention the Italians and Poles 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-Simonians?"

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, and on the ship I met Mr. Bariute, who was leading the group to Constantinople. I didn't know them at the time, 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. Bariute in terms of ideas. I was too shallow at that time.

Mr. Bariute told me: A person who defends his own country or attacks other countries is just a nobody. However, a person who becomes a cosmopolitan, regards other countries as his own country, and dedicates his sword and blood to the people of various countries who are fighting against tyranny, then he is far more than a nobody, but a real hero.

They also said that Constantinople was just their transit point station, their ultimate goal is to go to Egypt. Father Barthélemy Enfontant, one of the leaders of the Saint-Simonians, is ready to lead his disciples to establish a community in Egypt and immediately start to realize their dream - digging a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Once this canal is opened, not only the Egyptian people can benefit, but also the people of all Europe will benefit from it.

As a sailor, no one can understand the role of this canal better than me. This means that from now on, if we want to sail to Asia, 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 Enfontant's actions reminded me of the feat of the prophet Moses leading his disciples across the Red Sea in the Bible.

I thought 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 character like the first Catholic preachers. Bariute also talked to me about the grand plan of Saint-Simonism. He told me that Egypt occupies a vital position in their plan.

These Saint-Simonians saw Egypt as a stepping stone to include Africa in their cosmopolitan movement. Egypt, the ancient country of the world, is located at the crossroads of three continents. The goals of restoring its former glory and splendor, establishing a brotherhood that unites all mankind, and using European technology and science to solve all problems are intertwined with each other. All hopes were pinned on Egypt.

The construction of the Suez Canal symbolizes the 'brotherhood' that connects different continents separated by the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, although Egypt is a Muslim territory, and there is indeed strong opposition and hostility to the Saint-Simonians, they still have to be like the first preachers of the Catholic Church, just like Saint Peter, even if they are Even though they were martyred and hanged by the Roman emperor, they must also spread their gospel to Egypt. "

Garibaldi became excited as he spoke.

“At that time, I only vaguely understood what he said, but not long after, when I arrived in Egypt on a ship, when I saw these Saint-Simonians shoveling soil with their hands, spade after spade, When I was fulfilling my promise and realizing my wish, my mind felt as if I had been punched hard by someone after I was extremely drunk.

This strange flash of thought made my mind suddenly open at that time. I began to see my ship not as a means of transport with a mission for international trade, but as a vessel carrying biblical prayers and the sword of the archangel. After I parted ways with this group of noble Saint-Simonians, I longed to learn all the new things, and at the same time I began to ask myself: Do I understand what it means to be passionate about dedicating myself to a noble mission? "

While listening, Arthur leaned on the sofa and took notes slowly. He asked without raising his head: "Then, you drove a boat to France in a hurry to find Young Italy?"

I don’t know if it’s because Arthur’s note-taking movements were so natural, or because these three drunkards don’t have much judgment left in their brains at the moment, so none of the people present came forward to accuse Arthur. It seems that it is normal to take notes while drinking in the private room.

Garibaldi nodded repeatedly: "Yes! I broke up with them, and after returning from the East, I immediately took an order to go to Marseille, because I heard that Marseille is the base camp of 'Young Italy'."

When Arthur heard this, he stopped writing, shook his head slightly and said: "A passionate young man..."

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

"Nothing." Arthur smiled and poured wine for him: "I said, you are really courageous."

When Garibaldi was praised, he couldn't help but smile at the corners of his eyes: "Arthur, don't be humble. I heard Alexander tell me that you are much more courageous than me in many things you do."

Arthur did not deny this statement. He took a sip of wine and said, "That's right, so I lay in the coffin."

Garibaldi smiled and patted his shoulder: "We are indeed of the same mind. By the way, your early experience must be the same as mine. As soon as I arrived in Marseille, I heard that the Piedmont uprising had been aborted. , there were riots in Chambery, Alessandria and Genoa.

I was so anxious after hearing the news that in order to join Young Italy, I wandered around the taverns on the docks all day long, trying to bump into their informants. I was lucky, so I quickly made friends with a man named Cofer, who introduced me to Mazzini.

At that time, Mazzini was calling for resistance. He wrote in the magazine Young Italy, which he edited: ‘Italians! It is time, if we want to maintain our reputation, we must let our blood be shed together with the blood of the Piedmont martyrs. ’ As soon as I saw this sentence, I knew I was with the right person.

I told Mazzini: You can trust me, we two Giuseppes can have a big fight!

But you also know that calling for a war of resistance in this way is not going to happen in France. Not long after I finished saying this to him, the bombing of the Kedossay Residence occurred, so the French government required Mazzini to leave France within a limited time. God knows if Mazzini is destined to be exiled for the rest of his life. Although he is not much older than us, this is the third time he has been exiled.

We can no longer stay in France. Going to Austria is like throwing yourself into a trap. There are Prussian policemen everywhere in the German states. Although the Prussians have no special dislike for us, these Prussian policemen are too close to Austria. Mazzini is right They are really worried. So, being picky, he could only hide in Geneva, Switzerland this time. "

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

Garibaldi held Arthur's hand in surprise and said: "My God! Arthur, your mind is as sharp as Mazzini's. The two of you thought of going together. Mazzini also thought of Switzerland. With the Kingdom of Sardinia, if we set out from the border area, we can reach the city on the same day. "

"The army will arrive at the city on the same day?"

There was the rustle of writing in the room, followed by Arthur's question. As a temporary military adviser to 'Young Italy', Sir Arthur Hastings, who had participated in the 'Tower of London Special Military Operation', gave the question. 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 delay too long in the border town, and 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 when he heard it: "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 to Piedmont, the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Mr. Ramorino believes that this is like the French Revolution. Taking down the capital of Paris is equivalent to taking down All of France."

"So, which plan won out, Mazzini's or Ramorino's? "

"Neither. The relationship between the two of them was not very harmonious. Mazzini did not trust Poles like Ramorino. He was 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.

So, 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 was led by Ramorino and marched to Piedmont via Savoy. Another local column composed of French and Italians went through Genoa to intercept the reinforcements of the Kingdom of Sardinia. "