The Awakening of Europe, 41. William's Invitation

41. William's Invitation

"Calm as an under-current, strong to draw Millions of waves into itself and run From sea to sea, impervious to the sun And ploughing storm, the spirit of Nassau Swerves not." —WORDSWORTH, William III.

William and Mary were living peaceably at The Hague when Charles II. died in 1685, leaving no children. He was succeeded by his brother James, a Roman Catholic. The next heir to the English throne was Mary, William's wife. England was considering the matter of succession when a son was born to James, an unfortunate little prince, destined to seventy-seven years of wandering and exile, and known to history as the Old Pretender. His birth brought matters to a crisis. He was sure to be brought up as a Roman Catholic like his father, and England wanted a Protestant ruler.

So an invitation was written and secretly conveyed to The Hague begging William to come over to England with an army and restore the Protestant religion. The Prince of Orange accepted the invitation. Though he must fight against his own father-in-law, there were larger questions at stake than mere family ties. A camp was formed at once. Soldiers and sailors were raised. The gunmakers of Utrecht worked at pistols and muskets by day and night, the saddlers at Amsterdam toiled at harness, the docks were busy with shipping. And ever and anon a light swift skiff sped between the Dutch and English coasts. It was an anxious time. The Prince maintained an icy calmness, but to his friend he wrote openly: "My sufferings, my disquiet, are dreadful. I hardly see my way. Never in my life did I feel so much the need of God's guidance." By the autumn of 1688 all was ready. He said good-bye to the States-General, alone standing calm amid his weeping friends.

"I am now leaving you, perhaps never to return," he told them. "If I should fall in defence of my religion, take care of my beloved wife." Though beaten back on his first venture by a violent storm, William set sail with his 600 ships, accompanied by fifty men-of-war, for the shores of England. As the Dutch fleet passed the narrow Straits of Dover the flourish of trumpets, the clash of cymbals, and the rolling of the drums was heard on either shore. As night drew on the watchers on the southern coast beheld the sea in a blaze of light, through which three huge lanterns flamed from the leading ship, which bore to England William, Prince of Orange.

Meanwhile the news that his son-in-law had landed at Torbay reached James, who was already preparing to oppose him. He had a splendid army, but he could not depend on his men. Soon they began to desert him and flock to the standard of William, until at last he fled to London in despair, only to hear that his daughter Anne had fled secretly.

"God help me!" cried the wretched king, "for my own children have forsaken me." His spirit was broken now. Nothing was left him but flight. He arranged for the safety of his wife and child, declaring he himself would stick to his post. It was a December night. The king and queen went to bed as usual. When all was quiet James called to his side a faithful French friend to whom he had confided his secret.

"I confide to you my queen and my son. You must risk everything to carry them to France," he said. It was a bitter night in December. Wrapping his own cloak round the ill-fated baby of seven months old, and giving his hand to the weeping queen, the Frenchman took them down the back-stairs and placed them in an open boat on the Thames. The rain was falling in torrents, the wind roared, the water was rough, but the little party of fugitives escaped to a ship and set sail with a fair wind for France.

The next day the king rose at three in the morning, and taking the Great Seal of State, he disappeared down a secret passage, crossed the Thames, and flinging the Great Seal into the midst of the stream, he attempted to follow his wife and child to France. He was captured and brought back to London; but William had no wish to have his royal father-in-law on his hands, and James, the fugitive king, was allowed to embark for France.

Then, amid the peal of bells, the blast of trumpets, and the joyous shouts of the citizens, William and Mary were proclaimed King and Queen of England.

The great Revolution was over.

But James had no intention of giving up his kingdom so quietly. By the help of Louis XIV. he raised an army and sailed over to assert his rights in Ireland.

41. William's Invitation 41. Wilhelms Einladung 41. Invitación de William 41. Invito di William 41.ウィリアムの招待状 41. Convite do William 41. Приглашение Уильяма 41. Запрошення Вільяма 41. 威廉的邀请 41. 威廉的邀請

"Calm as an under-current, strong to draw Millions of waves into itself and run From sea to sea, impervious to the sun And ploughing storm, the spirit of Nassau Swerves not." 平静|||||强||吸引|百万|||||||||||不受影响|||||耕耘|||||拿骚|偏离| "Calmo come una corrente sotterranea, forte di attirare in sé milioni di onde e di correre da un mare all'altro, insensibile al sole e alle tempeste, lo spirito di Nassau non si muove". "Kalm als een onderstroom, sterk om miljoenen golven naar zich toe te trekken en van zee naar zee, ongevoelig voor de zon en ploegende storm, de geest van Nassau zweeft niet." “像潜流一样平静，强大到能将数百万的波浪吸入自身，从海洋到海洋，毫不受太阳和耕耘风暴的影响，纳苏的精神不会动摇。” —WORDSWORTH, William III. 沃兹沃斯|| ——华兹华斯，威廉三世。

William and Mary were living peaceably at The Hague when Charles II. |||||平静地|||||| 威廉和玛丽在海牙生活得很平静，正当查尔斯二世。 died in 1685, leaving no children. He was succeeded by his brother James, a Roman Catholic. |被|||||||| Gli successe il fratello Giacomo, cattolico romano. 他的兄弟詹姆斯接替了他，詹姆斯是一名罗马天主教徒。 The next heir to the English throne was Mary, William's wife. 下一个英国王位的继承人是玛丽，威廉的妻子。 England was considering the matter of succession when a son was born to James, an unfortunate little prince, destined to seventy-seven years of wandering and exile, and known to history as the Old Pretender. ||||||继承权||||||||||||||||||流浪|||||对|||这||坦 L'Inghilterra stava valutando la questione della successione quando nacque un figlio a Giacomo, un piccolo principe sfortunato, destinato a settantasette anni di vagabondaggio e di esilio e noto alla storia come il Vecchio Pretendente. Engeland overwoog de kwestie van opvolging toen er een zoon werd geboren uit James, een ongelukkige kleine prins, voorbestemd voor zevenenzeventig jaar zwerven en ballingschap, en in de geschiedenis bekend als de Oude Pretender. 当詹姆斯的一个儿子出生时，英格兰正在考虑继承问题，这个不幸的小王子注定要经历七十七年的流亡和流浪，历史上被称为老冒充者。 His birth brought matters to a crisis. |||事情|||危机他的出生使局势达到了危机。 He was sure to be brought up as a Roman Catholic like his father, and England wanted a Protestant ruler. 他注定会像他的父亲一样被抚养成一名罗马天主教徒，而英格兰需要一位新教统治者。

So an invitation was written and secretly conveyed to The Hague begging William to come over to England with an army and restore the Protestant religion. |||||||传达|||||||来||||||||||| 于是，写了一封邀请函，并秘密传送到海牙，恳请威廉带着军队来到英国，恢复新教宗教。 The Prince of Orange accepted the invitation. Though he must fight against his own father-in-law, there were larger questions at stake than mere family ties. ||||||||||有|||||涉及|||| 尽管他必须与自己的岳父作斗争，但比起单纯的家庭关系，更大的问题摆在了眼前。 A camp was formed at once. 营地立即成立。 Soldiers and sailors were raised. Vennero allevati soldati e marinai. 士兵和水手被招募。 The gunmakers of Utrecht worked at pistols and muskets by day and night, the saddlers at Amsterdam toiled at harness, the docks were busy with shipping. |枪匠||乌特勒支|||||火枪||||||马具匠|||||马具||||||运输 Gli armaioli di Utrecht lavoravano giorno e notte a pistole e moschetti, i sellai di Amsterdam lavoravano ai finimenti, i moli erano occupati dalle spedizioni. 乌特勒支的枪匠们日夜忙于制作手枪和火枪，阿姆斯特丹的鞍匠们辛勤工作于马具，码头上货物运输繁忙。 And ever and anon a light swift skiff sped between the Dutch and English coasts. |||时不时|||轻快的|小船|驶过|||||| E di tanto in tanto un leggero e veloce skiff sfrecciava tra le coste olandesi e quelle inglesi. 时不时有一只轻快的小艇在荷兰和英国海岸之间疾驰。 It was an anxious time. 这是一个令人焦虑的时刻。 The Prince maintained an icy calmness, but to his friend he wrote openly: "My sufferings, my disquiet, are dreadful. |||||冷静|||||||||痛苦||不安|| 王子保持着冷静的平静，但他向朋友坦诚地写道："我的痛苦，我的焦虑，是可怕的。" I hardly see my way. Non vedo quasi mai la mia strada. 我几乎看不到我的出路。 Never in my life did I feel so much the need of God's guidance." 我一生中从未|||||||||||||引导我一生中从未如此需要上帝的指引。 By the autumn of 1688 all was ready. He said good-bye to the States-General, alone standing calm amid his weeping friends. |||||大||||||||| 他向国会告别，独自冷静地站在悲伤的朋友中间。

"I am now leaving you, perhaps never to return," he told them. 他说：“我现在要离开你们，也许再也不会回来。” "If I should fall in defence of my religion, take care of my beloved wife." “如果我在保卫我的信仰时倒下，请照顾好我心爱的妻子。” Though beaten back on his first venture by a violent storm, William set sail with his 600 ships, accompanied by fifty men-of-war, for the shores of England. |||||||||||||||||||五十|战舰||战舰||||| Sebbene sia stato respinto nella sua prima impresa da una violenta tempesta, Guglielmo salpò con le sue 600 navi, accompagnate da cinquanta uomini di guerra, verso le coste dell'Inghilterra. 尽管第一次出航时遭遇了猛烈的暴风雨，威廉还是带着他的600艘船只和50艘战舰启航，前往英格兰的海岸。 As the Dutch fleet passed the narrow Straits of Dover the flourish of trumpets, the clash of cymbals, and the rolling of the drums was heard on either shore. |||||||||多佛||||||碰撞||钹|||鼓声|||||||两边| Quando la flotta olandese passò lo stretto di Dover, si udì su entrambe le sponde lo squillo delle trombe, il suono dei cimbali e il rullo dei tamburi. 当荷兰舰队经过狭窄的多佛海峡时，两岸传来了号角的欢呼声、铙钹的撞击声和鼓声的隆隆声。 As night drew on the watchers on the southern coast beheld the sea in a blaze of light, through which three huge lanterns flamed from the leading ship, which bore to England William, Prince of Orange. ||临近||||||||看见|||||光辉|||||||灯笼|燃烧|||||||||||| Con l'avvicinarsi della notte, gli osservatori della costa meridionale videro il mare in un'esplosione di luce, attraverso la quale tre enormi lanterne fiammeggiavano dalla nave di testa, che portava in Inghilterra Guglielmo, principe d'Orange. 夜幕降临，南岸的观察者们看到大海燃起了熊熊火光，从领航船上冒出三盏巨大的灯笼，这艘船正是载着威廉，奥兰治王子的前往英格兰。

Meanwhile the news that his son-in-law had landed at Torbay reached James, who was already preparing to oppose him. |||||||||||||||||||反对| 与此同时，詹姆斯得知他的女婿已经在托尔贝登陆，他正准备与之对抗。 He had a splendid army, but he could not depend on his men. 他拥有一支优秀的军队，但他无法依赖他的士兵。 Soon they began to desert him and flock to the standard of William, until at last he fled to London in despair, only to hear that his daughter Anne had fled secretly. |||||||聚集|||||||||||||||||||||||| Ben presto cominciarono ad abbandonarlo e ad accorrere allo stendardo di Guglielmo, finché alla fine egli fuggì a Londra in preda alla disperazione, per poi venire a sapere che sua figlia Anna era fuggita di nascosto. 不久，他们开始迅速投向威廉的旗帜，直到最后他绝望地逃往伦敦，却听说他的女儿安妮已秘密逃走。

"God help me!" cried the wretched king, "for my own children have forsaken me." |||||||||抛弃| gridò il misero re, "perché i miei figli mi hanno abbandonato". His spirit was broken now. Nothing was left him but flight. 他只剩下逃跑的选择。 He arranged for the safety of his wife and child, declaring he himself would stick to his post. Si è adoperato per la sicurezza della moglie e del figlio, dichiarando che sarebbe rimasto al suo posto. 他安排好了自己妻子和孩子的安全，声明自己将坚守岗位。 It was a December night. 那是一个十二月的夜晚。 The king and queen went to bed as usual. When all was quiet James called to his side a faithful French friend to whom he had confided his secret. 当一切都安静时，詹姆斯叫来了他忠实的法国朋友，向他倾诉了自己的秘密。

"I confide to you my queen and my son. |倾诉||||||| "我把我的王后和我的儿子托付给你。 You must risk everything to carry them to France," he said. 你必须不惜一切将他们带到法国，"他说。 It was a bitter night in December. |||寒冷||| 这是一个寒冷的十二月夜晚。 Wrapping his own cloak round the ill-fated baby of seven months old, and giving his hand to the weeping queen, the Frenchman took them down the back-stairs and placed them in an open boat on the Thames. |||||这|不幸||||||||||||||||||||||后楼梯||||||||||泰晤士河法兰西人把自己披风裹住可怜的七个月大的婴儿，伸手给哭泣的女王，带着她们走下后楼梯，把她们放在一只开口的小船上，驶向泰晤士河。 The rain was falling in torrents, the wind roared, the water was rough, but the little party of fugitives escaped to a ship and set sail with a fair wind for France. |||||倾盆大雨|||||||||||||逃犯||||||||||||| 雨如倾盆而下，狂风呼啸，水面波涛汹涌，但这小队逃亡者逃到了船上，在顺风的帮助下启航前往法国。

The next day the king rose at three in the morning, and taking the Great Seal of State, he disappeared down a secret passage, crossed the Thames, and flinging the Great Seal into the midst of the stream, he attempted to follow his wife and child to France. |||||||||||||||印章|||||||||||||扔|||||||||||||||||||法国 Il giorno successivo il re si alzò alle tre del mattino e, preso il Grande Sigillo di Stato, scomparve in un passaggio segreto, attraversò il Tamigi e, gettando il Grande Sigillo in mezzo alla corrente, tentò di seguire la moglie e il figlio in Francia. 第二天，国王早上三点起床，带着国玺，他消失在一条秘密通道，越过泰晤士河，把国玺扔进河流中，试图跟随他的妻子和孩子前往法国。 He was captured and brought back to London; but William had no wish to have his royal father-in-law on his hands, and James, the fugitive king, was allowed to embark for France. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||逃亡的||||||| 他被捕并带回伦敦；但威廉并不想处理他的皇家岳父，逃亡的国王詹姆斯被允许启程前往法国。

Then, amid the peal of bells, the blast of trumpets, and the joyous shouts of the citizens, William and Mary were proclaimed King and Queen of England. |||钟声||||||||||||||||||||||| 然后，在钟声、号角声和市民的欢呼声中，威廉和玛丽被宣布为英格兰的国王和女王。

The great Revolution was over.

But James had no intention of giving up his kingdom so quietly. |||||||||||安静地 Ma Giacomo non aveva intenzione di rinunciare al suo regno così tranquillamente. 但詹姆斯并不打算如此轻易地放弃他的王国。 By the help of Louis XIV. 在路易十四的帮助下， he raised an army and sailed over to assert his rights in Ireland. ||||||||维护|||| 他组建了一支军队，航行到爱尔兰以主张他的权利。