"Faster! Faster!", Miguel urged his horse into a gallop. The horse duly picked up its speed. Sitting on one side of him, Carlota Joaquina gave him an encouraging smile: on the other side, Oliveira remained resolutely focused on the road.
They were travelling towards the town of Vila Franca, where they had heard that the 23rd Infantry Regiment had already begun a rebellion against the Cortes. The soldiers cheered when they saw the Infante, his mother and the Duke approaching: cries of "Long live Dom Miguel!" and "Down with liberalism!" could be heard. Miguel was both impressed and flattered by their support.
"See how loyal these good men are to you", said Carlota Joaquina. "They have as much faith as I have that you will do what your father should."
Feeling slightly nervous, Miguel edged his horse just ahead of his two companions, and the soldiers fell silent.
"Men of Portugal", he began, "it is time to break the iron yoke in which we live. The strength of national ills, already without limits, leaves me no choice. In place of the long-established national rights which they promised you would recover on August 24th 1820, they gave you ruin and the King has been reduced to mere ghost."
The soldiers shouted angrily in agreement. Feeling increasingly confident, Miguel continued:
"That to which you owe your glory in the lands of Africa and the seas of Asia, has been reduced to baseness and stripped of the brilliance that had once possessed from royal recognition; religion and its ministers, mocked and scorned; Brazil, under my brother Dom Pedro, driven to revolt."
Cries of "Down with the Cortes!" and "Hang the traitors!" were now heard. With an approving smile, Miguel concluded his speech:
"I find myself in the midst of valiant and brave Portuguese, determined as I am to die or to restore to His Majesty his freedom and authority. Do not hesitate, churchmen and citizens of all classes. Come and help the cause of religion, royalty and of you all, and swear not to kiss the royal hand again, until after His Majesty is restored to his authority."
The soldiers cheered lustily. Carlota Joaquina rode up and placed her hand on her son's shoulder.
"That was a brilliant speech", she said. "With the help of these good and brave men, we can do what His Most Christian Majesty did for your uncle in Spain."
Miguel smiled proudly at his mother, then turned back to face the soldiers.
"Is General Pampluna here?", he asked.
"Here, Your Royal Highness", said Pampluna, saluting and bowing.
"Will you lead these valiant men to destroy the traitors in Lisbon?", asked Miguel.
"I shall, Dom Miguel", replied Pampluna. "But I remain loyal and faithful to His Majesty, and humbly ask if Your Royal Highness will obey His Majesty when he summons you."
"This I agree to", said Miguel.
At Bemposta Palace, João was frantically pacing up and down. He had just heard the news of the rebellion.
"Are you all right, Papa?", asked Isabel.
"What am I supposed to do, Isabel?", asked João frantically. "I swore a sacred oath to abide by the constitution, but what will happen if I stand against this revolt? Oh, Isabel, I fear that if I try to put them down, the rebels will depose me! What should I do?"
"I don't know, Papa", she said. "Look deep into your heart, and it will tell you what you should do."
João smiled feebly, but before he could reply, he could hear shouts outside. He and Isabel made their way over to the window, where they saw the 18th Infantry Regiment.
The soldiers raised a huge cheer when they saw their King.
"All hail Dom João VI, absolute monarch of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves!", they cried. "Down with liberalism! God save the King!"
João's contorted face now relaxed.
"I now know what I must do", he said to Isabel.
In Vila Franca, Miguel was just issuing his final instructions to the rebellious troops when someone cried out:
"Here comes His Majesty!"
Miguel turned his horse round, and, sure enough, he saw his father riding into the barracks. Miguel jumped off the horse and bowed to his father. Oliveira and the soldiers all followed suit, and after a moment's hesitation, Carlota Joaquina curtseyed.
"Why are you here, Papa?", asked Miguel nervously.
"I am come to receive your submissions, and to lead you all to Lisbon", João answered.
"To destroy the Cortes?", asked Miguel, breathing a little easier now.
"Yes", said João: loud cheers went up.
João led the troops as they surged forward out of the barracks, Carlota Joaquina and Miguel riding alongside him, Oliveira slightly behind. As they marched through the countryside, the peasants who saw them stopped work, cheered and saluted their King and called out "Long live the King!", "Down with the Cortes!" and "Down with foreign ideas!".
On reaching the capital, they headed straight for Necessidades Palace, and burst in on the Cortes while it was debating a new law.
"Your Majesty!", exclaimed Costa. "What is happening?"
His face fell: he had just noticed Carlota Joaquina, with a grim smile on her face, and Miguel.
"The Cortes is dissolved with immediate effect", announced João.
"No! No! Please, Your Majesty", cried Costa, but two soldiers roughly seized him and pinned him to the ground.
There were loud, angry shouts from the deputies of "This is outrageous!" and "Treason against the people!", but it was no good: the soldiers pointed their guns at the deputies, who fell silent, seeing that any resistance would be futile.
"Senhor Costa and certain other leaders are to be arrested", said João. "Others are to be deported."
Noises could be heard from outside the palace. Cries of "Shame!" and "Long live the constitution!" could be heard. It was clear that a demonstration had formed: João sent certain of the soldiers to suppress the protest. Meanwhile, Costa and the other arrested deputies were escorted out of the building: Costa struggled hard against his captors, but they held him firm. Carlota Joaquina laughed out loud as she saw him taken away.
"The rights of my dearly beloved wife, Dona Carlota Joaquina, as Queen of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, are restored", João announced. "The judiciary and other institutions are to be restored in line with the system that prevailed before 24th August 1820. I shall introduce a new law to safeguard personal security, property and jobs. And I shall create a commission, composed of moderate men, to draw up a new charter which shall replace the defunct constitution. I would like to invite the Marquis of Palmela to head that commission. Is he here?"
"I am, Your Majesty", said a slightly shaken Palmela, steeping forward from the shadows and bowing.
"Will you accept my invitation to head this new commission?", asked João.
"With all my heart, Your Majesty", Palmela replied.
João smiled approvingly.
"And last of all", he said, "my dear son Dom Miguel shall be the Generalissimo of our army."
"So I accepted this job", said Palmela, "in the hope that the new charter will provide a middle ground, between the despotism that we see in Russia or Spain, and the chaos that we saw in the Cortes, or in the French Revolution."
"Do you think His Majesty was justified, then?", asked Terceira, somewhat surprised.
"I cannot pretend I was happy with what was done", answered Palmela, "but I do feel we now have an opportunity to create a better system which balances liberty with order, as in England. However, I have my worries about Dom Miguel: he is far too easily influenced by the Queen, who is fanatical in her hatred of liberty of any kind."
"Do you think he can be made to see the benefits of moderation?", asked Terceira.
Palmela shook his head sadly.
"I doubt it", he said. "He lets his mother, and all who surround him, lead him by the nose. He is good when among good men, and when among bad, worse than they. It is a grave concern that he is now our Generalissimo."
No comments:
Post a Comment