midnight
The council of war lasted until midnight ; and while all Europe was truckling to the `` invincible Emperor Napoleon , '' while all Germany was lying humbly prostrate at his feet , and while all the princes were basking in the sunshine of his favor , four poor men , neither learned nor even well educated , three peasants and a monk , were concerting measures to bid defiance to `` Bonaparte , the robber of crowns , '' and expel his powerful armies from their mountains ! All Germany was subjugated , and had given up all further resistance to the all-powerful conqueror ; only the small Tyrol would not suffer herself to be subjugated ; only the brave sons of the German mountains were still intent on braving the tyrant , and upholding their liberty and independence , despite the formidable efforts he was making to crush them . Already on the following morning the tocsin sounded in all the valleys and on all the heights , and called upon the men to fight for the fatherland . After midnight the three brave men had left Brixen ; each had set out in a different direction to incite the men to insurrection , inform them of Andreas Hofer 's order , and implore them in the name of the fatherland to take up their rifles again and risk once more their lives for the deliverance of the Tyrol . Father Haspinger had walked all night to Latzfons , and on the following morning he preached to the people at the church of that place an enthusiastic sermon , in which he called upon them to make one more effort in behalf of their beloved country , and promised entire absolution for one year to every one who should kill a dozen French soldiers , and absolution for five years to any who should kill twice as many . -LSB- Footnote : Mayer 's `` Speckbacher , '' p. 151 . -RSB- Carried away by the soul-stirring words and promises of the Capuchin , full of ardor to serve the fatherland , and desirous of obtaining absolution , the men took up arms , and even a company of women was formed for the holy service of the fatherland .