De Lescure was unable to give him any actual assistance in his work; but
his thoughtful brain, reflecting on all the difficulties of Henri's
situation, conceived how much they would be increased by the want of any
absolute title to authority; he therefore determined, ill as he was, to
invest him with the command-in-chief of the shattered army.
Early on the morning after their arrival he begged that all such men as
had acted as chief officers among the Vendeans, and who were now in St.
Florent, would form themselves into a council in his room, and that it
might be proclaimed to the army that they were about to nominate a
General-in-Chief. The council was not so numerously attended as that
which on a former occasion was held at Saumur. As Peter Berrier had
said, most of those who then sat around that council table were now
dead, or were, at any rate, hors-de-combat. Only four of the number were
now present. De Lescure was lying on his bed, and was a spectacle
dreadful to look upon. The hair had been all cut from his head.
Pages:
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693