Part 71 (2/2)

The corporal stepped back and commanded in a voice tremulous with emotion, ”Fire!”

”Fire!” shouted Hofer. ”Long live the Tyrol!”

Six shots rang out, but Andreas Hofer was not dead; he had sunk only on one knee and leaned on his right hand.

Six shots crashed again. They struck him to the ground, but did not yet kill him. He raised his bleeding head once more.

The corporal, filled with pity, stepped now close up to him, put his musket to Hofer's forehead, and fired.

This thirteenth shot dispatched him at length!

The grenadiers raised the corpse and carried it on a black bier to St. Michael's church, where it lay in state during the requiem, that the people might convince themselves of the death of the beloved and feared commander-in-chief of the Tyrol, Le General Sanvird, Andreas Hofer, the Barbone, and of the final subjugation of the Tyrol.

[Footnote: Hofer's remains were buried in Manifesti's garden. A simple slab on his grave bore the following inscription: ”Qui giace la apoglia del fu Andrea Hofer, detto il Generale Barbone, commandants supremo delle milicie del Tirolo, fucillato in questa forterezza nel giorno 20 Febrajo 1810, sepolto in questo luogo.”

(”Here rest the remains of the late Andreas Hofer, called General Barbone, commander-in-chief of the Tyrolese militia, shot in this for tress on the 20th of February, 1810, and buried in this place.”) Fourteen years afterward Hofer's remains were disinterred by three Austrian officers, who had obtained Manifesti's consent, and conveyed to Botzen. The Emperor Francis gave orders to transfer them to Innspruck, where they were buried in the church of the Franciscans by the side of the monument of the Archduke Ferdinand and his beloved Philippina Welser.--See Hormayr's ”Andreas Hofer,”

vol. ii., p. 539.]

This occurred on the 20th of February, 1810; and on the same day on which Andreas Hofer was shot at Mantua, because he had loved his country and his Emperor Francis too faithfully, almost at the very hour of his death, the booming of artillery was to be heard on the ramparts of Vienna.

It proclaimed to the Viennese the joyful news that the Archd.u.c.h.ess Maria Louisa, the emperor's daughter, was the affianced bride of the Emperor Napoleon!

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