The Fox of France

Chapter 252: The Order of the Holy Maidens

The expose in the "Sun Gazette" had an unexpected consequence - it brought about a curious surge in British fans of our very own Parisian saint, Paulina. A group of upper-class teenage girls, infused with youthful enthusiasm, started collecting Paulina's works. They imitated her by donning men's clothing and riding horses with regular saddles (since women at that time used side-saddles). They even took up fox hunting and ventured into entertainment establishments with their audacious behavior!

This trend led to some conservative British gentlemen grumbling, "Someday, when we march into Paris and capture the entire Bonaparte family, the girl named Paulina must be bound and burned as a heretic! Others, we can forgive, but that Paulina, she must pay!"

On the flip side, Paulina's sharp, sarcastic, and often melancholic articles, some of which were inspired by her elder brother's creativity, found their way into the hearts of young, upper-class British enthusiasts. Some even idolized her.

One particularly ardent teenager published a statement in a newspaper called "Voice of the People" (a small-circulation publication, so placing such a declaration there was quite economical). He declared his intention to establish a sacred order: the Order of the Holy Maidens, dedicated to defending the honor of Paulina, and waging a relentless war against those "unfit-for-humans heaps of vile filth" who dared slander their beloved "Holy Maiden."

To everyone's astonishment, this so-called "Order of the Holy Maidens" was indeed established, boasting some remarkably dedicated young enthusiasts. Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, those best of friends, had both joined the Order in their youth. Byron was a ripe old age of 11 at that time, and Shelley was a mere 8 years old. They yearned for a chance to join the fray, with Byron regretting his relatively late birth.

Paulina's newfound fame also brought her brother, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Joseph into the British spotlight. It wasn't that the British were entirely ignorant of Napoleon and Joseph, but the radiant aura surrounding Paulina allowed the British to see them from a different perspective. They realized, "By Jove, this is a true legend!"

However, this was all in the future. In the present, the revelation of Paulina's true identity only intensified the ongoing debate.

The conservatives seized this opportunity to accuse Paulina of having ulterior motives with her travel accounts: "Paulina is the sister of France's First Consul. Her actions must be influenced by Napoleon's scheming, intended to malign England or even divide it. Do some people still naively think that just because we are at peace with France, we are now good pals? Do they believe the French suddenly harbor warm feelings for us? This is a French plot!"

In response, the liberals retorted, "Just because the person raising this issue is French, does it mean the issue is non-existent? Does Miss Bonaparte believe that two plus two equals three, and if we disagree, it's unpatriotic? Facts are facts and they won't harm England. In fact, turning a blind eye and burying our heads in the sand, denying the existence of the lion, is the greatest harm to England. Do the gentlemen of The Times not grasp such a simple truth? Must we really bury our heads in the sand to protect our nation?"

Meanwhile, the more radical tabloids, driven by their high cover prices and small readerships, openly speculated that the upper echelons were attacking Paulina because she had uncovered their nefarious schemes.

"For years, England's reactionary rulers have relentlessly exploited the country's workers, both men and women, whether adults or children. The poor were ruthlessly bled dry, and when they lost their value as a workforce, they were seen as useless trash, eager to be eliminated efficiently. Hospitals, especially those hypocritical Anglican hospitals, aren't meant to help or save the poor. They're instruments for the systematic, effective extermination of the impoverished masses, who had lost their value as exploited labor and were now a destabilizing factor in England!

This is why Miss Bonaparte, by pointing out these problems and proposing improvements that don't even require much effort, had her ideas shot down and faced continuous attacks. She unearthed the truths that certain individuals had always wanted to keep hidden!"

This brings to mind Miss Bonaparte's earlier fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Today, Miss Bonaparte is the child in her own story, boldly declaring, "The king is wearing nothing!" And there are those deceivers in England who wish to silence this child, hoping we'll believe that we're all fools. Yes, we were deceived before, but now, the people of England have awakened!

Some more proactive individuals, like Charles James Fox, the leader of the Whig Party, published an article in the "English News Review," stating, "I'm not entirely sure about Miss Bonaparte's claims and the theories in 'The Lancet.' But I strongly support Miss Bonaparte's statement, 'Experiment is the ultimate test of theory.' Therefore, we plan to call upon all those interested in resolving this issue. We'll pool our resources to construct a new hospital. In this hospital, we'll strictly follow 'The Lancet's' recommendations and compare our results with those of traditional hospitals to determine the truth!"

Mr. Fox was a man of action. Following this call, within a matter of days, he transformed a rented warehouse into a French-style hospital. He was candid about the fact that many of his hospital staff were from continental Europe.

"I believe that Death doesn't retreat merely because a doctor is French, nor does he swarm forward just because a doctor is English. If someone thinks that way, they are truly discriminating against all of England. My decision to employ continental European doctors and healthcare workers in this hospital is purely to save time on staff training, to arrive at conclusions as swiftly as possible."

But the decisive blow came soon enough. Nearly a month passed since the heated debates, and it was time for the new edition of "The Lancet" to be published.

Contrary to the previously desolate state of its readership, in this month of debates, "The Lancet" had become a household name in England. So, as the new edition of "The Lancet" was about to be released, almost the entire English media watched with bated breath to see how "The Lancet" would respond to the earlier commotion.

However, "The Lancet" made an announcement: due to some "technical" reasons, the release of the new edition would be postponed.

This news immediately sparked a whirlwind of excitement and turmoil. Conservative media outlets seized the opportunity, ridiculing "The Lancet" for its delay, claiming that "their lies couldn't be spun any longer, and they're scared." On the other hand, liberal media outlets argued that the existing evidence was sufficient, and the fellows at the English News Alliance were grasping at straws. But, in terms of sheer volume, at this time, the voices of the English News Alliance clearly had the upper hand.

As for the "Seven-Penny Alliance," they positioned themselves as having no vested interest and claimed to be solely focused on the facts. However, their stance was also perceived by the English News Alliance's newspapers as a sign of guilt.

So, after almost two more weeks had passed, just when the folks at the English News Alliance were getting ready to celebrate, the new edition of "The Lancet" finally saw the light of day.

This edition of "The Lancet" was surprisingly thick, almost three to four times its usual size, resembling a thick book. In the preface of this edition of "The Lancet," the editor explained the reason for the delay:

"In this edition, we have the privilege of being the first to publish a groundbreaking medical treatise, 'A Study on the Relationship between Bacteria and Various Diseases.' This is a magnificent work, a pioneering piece that we believe to be the 'Principia Mathematica of Natural Philosophy' in the field of medicine. In this extraordinary piece, Dr. Carroll reveals the causes of a series of deadly diseases, including 'cholera' and 'typhoid fever.' To prevent contracting these diseases and others like them, as well as to effectively cure them, he has opened a crucial gateway.

However, the scope of this treatise (I prefer to call it a magnum opus) is quite substantial, and it delves into many areas of specialized knowledge. Reviewing it, translating it accurately into English, is no easy task. This is why we had to postpone the publication of this edition of 'The Lancet.' But as Miss Crystelle said in her works, 'Many beautiful things are worth waiting for.'"

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