An Anthology of Czechoslovak Literature/Letter to František Palacký describing his Arrest

by Karel Havlíček Borovský

KAREL HAVLÍČEK BOROVSKÝ

1821–1856

Letter to František Palacký describing his Arrest

Brixen,
December 23rd, 1851.

Highly Esteemed Sir,

I do not know whether you have already heard from elsewhere about my latest destiny, but I have been exiled from Bohemia to Tyrol. Yesterday I was conveyed by the police to this quiet Alpine valley.

As you yourself may doubtless imagine, I, on my part, have not given the slightest pretext or reason for such treatment of me. From the time when I ceased to issue the Slovan my political behaviour has been entirely quiet, and at Německý Brod I had the intention of spending this winter in all tranquillity among my books, and after such disturbed years I was genuinely looking forward to a period of quiet study. But it was written otherwise in the books of fate, or rather of Viennese despotism. In the early hours of the morning between December 15th and 16th I was aroused, at my bed stood Pan Dedera, the Chief Commissary of Police from Prague, with Baron Voith, the district governor, and a gendarme with a rifle. My unhappy wife was quite terrified. I was told to dress myself immediately and to leave, as at the orders of the Ministry I was to be conveyed to some place where, in accordance with the order, I should be compelled to live. The place was not to be made known to me until beyond the Czech frontiers. Amid the weeping of my family, my mother, my sister, my wife, and so on (for they did not believe the words of this secret order, but feared some worse thing), I left my paternal home, myself feeling more regret than anger. In front of the house there were more gendarmes and it was to their barracks that our way led. There, in front of the building, a post-waggon stood already harnessed, and, after a courier had been despatched to Kolín with a telegraph message that the arrest had been successful, we immediately started on the high road for Vienna. A mounted gendarme accompanied the carriage, in which the commissary in charge sat by my side, together with a plain-clothes policeman from Prague. We went by way of Jihlava, Batalov to Jindřichův Hradec, where we had to spend the night because our vehicle was damaged; for the roads were of the worst. From there we proceeded by way of Budějovice, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck to this Austrian nook. The journey lasted until the 22nd, for we did not reach here until yesterday morning although we had quite a light vehicle and usually three horses, sometimes even four. In the Alps there is much snow everywhere and the roads are exceedingly bad.

I must admit that Commissary Dedera treated me very courteously on the journey and must have had instructions to this effect. Never shall I forget the consideration which the Government showed for me on this journey. Everywhere the telegraph was at work in full swing, everywhere arrangements had been made in advance for our accommodation at the inns where we arrived, and like guardian angels the police officials (always in plain clothes, however) were waiting for us so that decorum and incognito might be preserved.

A kind of bitter irony always filled me at the joyful bugle note of the postillion with which we drove into each place. Here, too, I was received with exceptional courtesy. I am lodging in an inn at the expense of the Government and I was told that I should order whatever I took a fancy to and should not let myself go short of anything. The Government will pay for everything. Oh, what exceptional progress is being made by our Government in the niceties of civilisation!

I will not describe the incidents which befell me on the journey, although they were remarkable enough. Amongst other things, it happened in the Alps that our horses took fright so that the rest of the people jumped out of the carriage and I alone, without even a coachman, stayed in the carriage and drove off four-in-hand at a gallop to my place of deportation, until I had the good fortune to get hold of the reins and stop the horses. I propose in good time to describe all this in a humorous manner, for you may have observed that not even here have I lost my good spirits and, above all, my old way of thinking.

I am leading a very curious life here and probably there is no hope that I shall be liberated from this Tyrolese prison before the events in France reach a decisive issue. It is to them only that I can ascribe my present fate, in any case, I do not know of any other reasonable causes, nor can I think of any. I do not know either who is the instigator of my deportation (which they call “Confinirung”). The order came from Bach and here they told me incidentally at the headquarters of the district government that it was confirmed by the Emperor. The commissary had full powers from Clam, dated December 12th, for requisitioning troops should they be needed, from which I assume that my fate was probably decided by the higher Government, which is above the Ministry.

So much for the events. What is to happen now I do not know; my intention is to say nothing, to submit and to suffer. I do not intend to ask for mercy or to complain, neither will I protest or appeal; it would be a vain task, a task which would go against the grain. My own thoughts are: They know not what they do.

Kindly let my acquaintances know the contents of this letter, and, if possible, cause me pleasure in this vale of tears by writing yourself or getting somebody else to write. Please remember me to your wife and give my best regards to your family and to all who are of the same mind as ourselves. It already appears that I am destined to act as a scapegoat for the rest. My wife will doubtless come to Prague and will stay with the Jaroš family; at least that is what I advise her to do so that she may have a more agreeable life. Please think of me with affection and rest assured of my cordial and sincere devotion.

H.B.

 

This letter was posted this evening. To-day the post-waggon leaves here in the evening.