The Last Man


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daughter; and she devoted herself, with all the fiery violence of her  
character, to the obtaining the affection of the remnants of her family. In  
early years the heart of Adrian had been chilled towards her; and, though  
he observed a due respect, her coldness, mixed with the recollection of  
disappointment and madness, caused him to feel even pain in her society.  
She saw this, and yet determined to win his love; the obstacle served the  
rather to excite her ambition. As Henry, Emperor of Germany, lay in the  
snow before Pope Leo's gate for three winter days and nights, so did she in  
humility wait before the icy barriers of his closed heart, till he, the  
servant of love, and prince of tender courtesy, opened it wide for her  
admittance, bestowing, with fervency and gratitude, the tribute of filial  
affection she merited. Her understanding, courage, and presence of mind,  
became powerful auxiliaries to him in the difficult task of ruling the  
tumultuous crowd, which were subjected to his control, in truth by a single  
hair.  
The principal circumstances that disturbed our tranquillity during this  
interval, originated in the vicinity of the impostor-prophet and his  
followers. They continued to reside at Paris; but missionaries from among  
them often visited Versailles--and such was the power of assertions,  
however false, yet vehemently iterated, over the ready credulity of the  
ignorant and fearful, that they seldom failed in drawing over to their  
party some from among our numbers. An instance of this nature coming  
immediately under our notice, we were led to consider the miserable state  
in which we should leave our countrymen, when we should, at the approach of  
summer, move on towards Switzerland, and leave a deluded crew behind us in  
506  


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