150 



ANNUAL register; 1804. 



'' sion unanimously condemns to 

 '' the pain of death Louis Antoine 

 " Henri de Bourbon, due d'Eng- 

 " hien, in atonement for the crimes 

 " of being a spy, of carrying on a 

 *• correspondence with the eiieniies 

 " of the republic, and of an attempt 

 *' against the internal and external 

 " safety of the state." 



No evidence whatever Tias pro- 

 * diiced upon the trial, which was a 

 mere forma' i(y, preparatory to the 

 execution of a scnience rirtualiy 

 pronounced by die order for tlic 

 prince's arrestation. 



During the whole of this distres- 

 sing sccjiti, the due d'Eughien nia- 

 nifestfd the grealvst calmness and 

 fortitude, a circums ranee the more 

 surprising, wlien we consider how 

 much cause he had to be irritated 

 by tlie treatment he !iad experienced, 

 and to be enervated by the fatigue, 

 and want of projicr nourishment, 

 whicli he had •endured for tire last 

 six days. Even the interval bebveen 

 his condemnation and execution 

 was not undisturbed. Four gens 

 d'armcs were posted in the dungeon 

 where he was confnied ; and it is 

 said that he was not permitted to 

 communicate with the clergyman 

 who attended him on the occasion, 

 otherwise than in a tone of voice 

 loud enough to be overheard by his 

 guards. 



In the course of the night, gene- 

 ral Murat arrived at Vincenucs, un- 

 der an escort of mamelukes, accom- 

 panied by four aids-de-camp, toge- 

 ther with generals E. Mortier, Du- 

 roc, Ilulin, and Louis Bonaparte. 



The castle was sjrrounded, and 

 the avenues to that part of the wood 

 of Vincennes appointed for the exe- 

 cution, guarded by Italian troops 

 of gens il'annes, while each mamc- 



luke was provided with a torch for 

 the occasion. 



The duke, on being informed of 

 his sentence, tranquilly replitd, " I 

 am ready and resigned." It is 

 moreover asserted that, upon hear- 

 ing that the grenadiers commanded 

 to shoot him were Italians, of Bona- 

 parte's guard, he said, " Thank 

 '" God they are not Frenchmen ! 

 " I am condemned by a foreigner, 

 " and God be praised that my exe- 

 '• cutioners are also such. It will 

 " be a stain the less upon my coun- 

 " tiymen ;" and that, at the place 

 of execution he lifted up his hands 

 to heaven, exclaiming, "May God 

 " preserve my king, and deliver 

 " my country from the yoke of a 

 " foreigner." 



It was proposed to bind a hand- 

 kerchief over his <'yes, but he pre- 

 vented it, saying, "■That a loyal 

 " soldier, who lias often been ex- 

 " posed to fire and sword, can face 

 " death with open eyes, and with- 

 " out fear." 



He then looked at the soldiers, 

 who had levelled their pieces, say- 

 ing, "Grenadiers, lower your arms, 

 " otherwise you will miss or only 

 " wound me." Of the nine who 

 fired, seven hit him : two bullets 

 pierced his head, and five his body. 

 A coffin, partly filled with lime, was 

 ready to receive his corpse, and a 

 grave had been dug in the garden 

 of the castle, where he was interred. 



Thus perished in the prime of life 

 the only son of the due de Bourbon, 

 a prince Avho inherited all the vir- 

 tues of the illustrious house of 

 Condc!!! 



By this foul deed Bonaparte nia- 

 niffsted his determination (if it ad- 

 mitted of any question before) to 

 perpetuate, at all hazards, his do- 

 minion 



