Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/303

 of defending the throne of the prince who had sprung from the royal race of their own country:—

Orizaba, January 27, 1867. Monsieur le Maréchal de France,—Now, as we are about to quit the soil of Mexico to return to Austria, I have the honour of expressing to your excellency our extreme gratitude for your kind protection, without which the lot of the Austrian corps would have been but a sad one.

It will ever be for us a glorious reminiscence, that we have fought under the orders of your excellency, and by the side of the French expeditionary corps.

God grant that a time may arrive when we may be permitted to offer proofs of our devotion to your excellency and of our gratitude towards France, which has protected us in Mexico, and has overwhelmed us with benefits! I beg, &c. For the Austrian corps,