Черный тюльпан
A Grateful People
Thus,then,onthe20thofAugust,1672,aswehavealreadystatedinthebeginningofthischapter,thewholetownwascrowdingtowardstheBuytenhof,towitnessthedepartureofCorneliusdeWittfromprison,ashewasgoingtoexile;andtoseewhattracesthetortureoftherackhadleftonthenobleframeofthemanwhoknewhisHoracesowell.
YetallthismultitudewasnotcrowdingtotheBuytenhofwiththeinnocentviewofmerelyfeastingtheireyeswiththespectacle;thereweremanywhowenttheretoplayanactivepartinit,andtotakeuponthemselvesanofficewhichtheyconceivedhadbeenbadlyfilled,—thatoftheexecutioner.
Therewere,indeed,otherswithlesshostileintentions.Allthattheycaredforwasthespectacle,alwayssoattractivetothemob,whoseinstinctiveprideisflatteredbyit,—thesightofgreatnesshurleddownintothedust.
