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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/2645-h.zip b/2645-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..28aa096 --- /dev/null +++ b/2645-h.zip diff --git a/2645-h/2645-h.htm b/2645-h/2645-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fd006e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/2645-h/2645-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2335 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + The Second Funeral of Napoleon, by William Makepeace Thackeray + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Second Funeral of Napoleon, by +William Makepeace Thackeray (AKA "Michael Angelo Titmarch") + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Second Funeral of Napoleon + +Author: William Makepeace Thackeray (AKA "Michael Angelo Titmarch") + +Release Date: May 21, 2006 [EBook #2645] +Last Updated: December 17, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h1> + THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + by William Makepeace Thackeray + </h2> + <h4> + AKA Michael Angelo Titmarch. + </h4> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h2> + Contents + </h2> + <table summary=""> + <tr> + <td> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> I.—ON THE DISINTERMENT OF NAPOLEON + AT ST. HELENA. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0002"> II.—ON THE VOYAGE FROM ST. HELENA TO + PARIS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0003"> III.—ON THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. </a> + </p> + </td> + </tr> + </table> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h2> + I.—ON THE DISINTERMENT OF NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. + </h2> + <p> + MY DEAR ——,—It is no easy + task in this world to distinguish between what is great in it, and what is + mean; and many and many is the puzzle that I have had in reading History + (or the works of fiction which go by that name), to know whether I should + laud up to the skies, and endeavor, to the best of my small capabilities, + to imitate the remarkable character about whom I was reading, or whether I + should fling aside the book and the hero of it, as things altogether base, + unworthy, laughable, and get a novel, or a game of billiards, or a pipe of + tobacco, or the report of the last debate in the House, or any other + employment which would leave the mind in a state of easy vacuity, rather + than pester it with a vain set of dates relating to actions which are in + themselves not worth a fig, or with a parcel of names of people whom it + can do one no earthly good to remember. + </p> + <p> + It is more than probable, my love, that you are acquainted with what is + called Grecian and Roman history, chiefly from perusing, in very early + youth, the little sheepskin-bound volumes of the ingenious Dr. Goldsmith, + and have been indebted for your knowledge of the English annals to a + subsequent study of the more voluminous works of Hume and Smollett. The + first and the last-named authors, dear Miss Smith, have written each an + admirable history,—that of the Reverend Dr. Primrose, Vicar of + Wakefield, and that of Mr. Robert Bramble, of Bramble Hall—in both + of which works you will find true and instructive pictures of human life, + and which you may always think over with advantage. But let me caution you + against putting any considerable trust in the other works of these + authors, which were placed in your hands at school and afterwards, and in + which you were taught to believe. Modern historians, for the most part, + know very little, and, secondly, only tell a little of what they know. + </p> + <p> + As for those Greeks and Romans whom you have read of in "sheepskin," were + you to know really what those monsters were, you would blush all over as + red as a hollyhock, and put down the history-book in a fury. Many of our + English worthies are no better. You are not in a situation to know the + real characters of any one of them. They appear before you in their public + capacities, but the individuals you know not. Suppose, for instance, your + mamma had purchased her tea in the Borough from a grocer living there by + the name of Greenacre: suppose you had been asked out to dinner, and the + gentleman of the house had said: "Ho! Francois! a glass of champagne for + Miss Smith;"—Courvoisier would have served you just as any other + footman would; you would never have known that there was anything + extraordinary in these individuals, but would have thought of them only in + their respective public characters of Grocer and Footman. This, Madam, is + History, in which a man always appears dealing with the world in his + apron, or his laced livery, but which has not the power or the leisure, + or, perhaps, is too high and mighty to condescend to follow and study him + in his privacy. Ah, my dear, when big and little men come to be measured + rightly, and great and small actions to be weighed properly, and people to + be stripped of their royal robes, beggars' rags, generals' uniforms, seedy + out-at-elbowed coats, and the like—or the contrary say, when souls + come to be stripped of their wicked deceiving bodies, and turned out stark + naked as they were before they were born—what a strange startling + sight shall we see, and what a pretty figure shall some of us cut! Fancy + how we shall see Pride, with his Stultz clothes and padding pulled off, + and dwindled down to a forked radish! Fancy some Angelic Virtue, whose + white raiment is suddenly whisked over his head, showing us cloven feet + and a tail! Fancy Humility, eased of its sad load of cares and want and + scorn, walking up to the very highest place of all, and blushing as he + takes it! Fancy,—but we must not fancy such a scene at all, which + would be an outrage on public decency. Should we be any better than our + neighbors? No, certainly. And as we can't be virtuous, let us be decent. + Figleaves are a very decent, becoming wear, and have been now in fashion + for four thousand years. And so, my dear, history is written on + fig-leaves. Would you have anything further? O fie! + </p> + <p> + Yes, four thousand years ago that famous tree was planted. At their very + first lie, our first parents made for it, and there it is still the great + Humbug Plant, stretching its wide arms, and sheltering beneath its leaves, + as broad and green as ever, all the generations of men. Thus, my dear, + coquettes of your fascinating sex cover their persons with figgery, + fantastically arranged, and call their masquerading, modesty. Cowards fig + themselves out fiercely as "salvage men," and make us believe that they + are warriors. Fools look very solemnly out from the dusk of the leaves, + and we fancy in the gloom that they are sages. And many a man sets a great + wreath about his pate and struts abroad a hero, whose claims we would all + of us laugh at, could we but remove the ornament and see his numskull + bare. + </p> + <p> + And such—(excuse my sermonizing)—such is the constitution of + mankind, that men have, as it were, entered into a compact among + themselves to pursue the fig-leaf system a l'outrance, and to cry down all + who oppose it. Humbug they will have. Humbugs themselves, they will + respect humbugs. Their daily victuals of life must be seasoned with + humbug. Certain things are there in the world that they will not allow to + be called by their right names, and will insist upon our admiring, whether + we will or no. Woe be to the man who would enter too far into the recesses + of that magnificent temple where our Goddess is enshrined, peep through + the vast embroidered curtains indiscreetly, penetrate the secret of + secrets, and expose the Gammon of Gammons! And as you must not peer too + curiously within, so neither must you remain scornfully without. + Humbug-worshippers, let us come into our great temple regularly and + decently: take our seats, and settle our clothes decently; open our books, + and go through the service with decent gravity; listen, and be decently + affected by the expositions of the decent priest of the place; and if by + chance some straggling vagabond, loitering in the sunshine out of doors, + dares to laugh or to sing, and disturb the sanctified dulness of the + faithful;—quick! a couple of big beadles rush out and belabor the + wretch, and his yells make our devotions more comfortable. + </p> + <p> + Some magnificent religious ceremonies of this nature are at present taking + place in France; and thinking that you might perhaps while away some long + winter evening with an account of them, I have compiled the following + pages for your use. Newspapers have been filled, for some days past, with + details regarding the St. Helena expedition, many pamphlets have been + published, men go about crying little books and broadsheets filled with + real or sham particulars; and from these scarce and valuable documents the + following pages are chiefly compiled. + </p> + <p> + We must begin at the beginning; premising, in the first place, that + Monsieur Guizot, when French Ambassador at London, waited upon Lord + Palmerston with a request that the body of the Emperor Napoleon should be + given up to the French nation, in order that it might find a final + resting-place in French earth. To this demand the English Government gave + a ready assent; nor was there any particular explosion of sentiment upon + either side, only some pretty cordial expressions of mutual good-will. + Orders were sent out to St. Helena that the corpse should be disinterred + in due time, when the French expedition had arrived in search of it, and + that every respect and attention should be paid to those who came to carry + back to their country the body of the famous dead warrior and sovereign. + </p> + <p> + This matter being arranged in very few words (as in England, upon most + points, is the laudable fashion), the French Chambers began to debate + about the place in which they should bury the body when they got it; and + numberless pamphlets and newspapers out of doors joined in the talk. Some + people there were who had fought and conquered and been beaten with the + great Napoleon, and loved him and his memory. Many more were there who, + because of his great genius and valor, felt excessively proud in their own + particular persons, and clamored for the return of their hero. And if + there were some few individuals in this great hot-headed, gallant, + boasting, sublime, absurd French nation, who had taken a cool view of the + dead Emperor's character; if, perhaps, such men as Louis Philippe, and + Monsieur A. Thiers, Minister and Deputy, and Monsieur Francois Guizot, + Deputy and Excellency, had, from interest or conviction, opinions at all + differing from those of the majority; why, they knew what was what, and + kept their opinions to themselves, coming with a tolerably good grace and + flinging a few handfuls of incense upon the altar of the popular idol. + </p> + <p> + In the succeeding debates, then, various opinions were given with regard + to the place to be selected for the Emperor's sepulture. "Some demanded," + says an eloquent anonymous Captain in the Navy who has written an + "Itinerary from Toulon to St. Helena," "that the coffin should be + deposited under the bronze taken from the enemy by the French army—under + the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea was a fine one. This is the most + glorious monument that was ever raised in a conqueror's honor. This column + has been melted out of foreign cannon. These same cannons have furrowed + the bosoms of our braves with noble cicatrices; and this metal—conquered + by the soldier first, by the artist afterwards—has allowed to be + imprinted on its front its own defeat and our glory. Napoleon might sleep + in peace under this audacious trophy. But, would his ashes find a shelter + sufficiently vast beneath this pedestal? And his puissant statue + dominating Paris, beams with sufficient grandeur on this place: whereas + the wheels of carriages and the feet of passengers would profane the + funereal sanctity of the spot in trampling on the soil so near his head." + </p> + <p> + You must not take this description, dearest Amelia, "at the foot of the + letter," as the French phrase it, but you will here have a masterly + exposition of the arguments for and against the burial of the Emperor + under the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea was a fine one, granted; + but, like all other ideas, it was open to objections. You must not fancy + that the cannon, or rather the cannon-balls, were in the habit of + furrowing the bosoms of French braves, or any other braves, with + cicatrices: on the contrary, it is a known fact that cannon-balls make + wounds, and not cicatrices (which, my dear, are wounds partially healed); + nay, that a man generally dies after receiving one such projectile on his + chest, much more after having his bosom furrowed by a score of them. No, + my love; no bosom, however heroic, can stand such applications, and the + author only means that the French soldiers faced the cannon and took them. + Nor, my love, must you suppose that the column was melted: it was the + cannon was melted, not the column; but such phrases are often used by + orators when they wish to give a particular force and emphasis to their + opinions. + </p> + <p> + Well, again, although Napoleon might have slept in peace under "this + audacious trophy," how could he do so and carriages go rattling by all + night, and people with great iron heels to their boots pass clattering + over the stones? Nor indeed could it be expected that a man whose + reputation stretches from the Pyramids to the Kremlin, should find a + column of which the base is only five-and-twenty feet square, a shelter + vast enough for his bones. In a word, then, although the proposal to bury + Napoleon under the column was ingenious, it was found not to suit; + whereupon somebody else proposed the Madelaine. + </p> + <p> + "It was proposed," says the before-quoted author with his usual felicity, + "to consecrate the Madelaine to his exiled manes"—that is, to his + bones when they were not in exile any longer. "He ought to have, it was + said, a temple entire. His glory fills the world. His bones could not + contain themselves in the coffin of a man—in the tomb of a king!" In + this case what was Mary Magdalen to do? "This proposition, I am happy to + say, was rejected, and a new one—that of the President of the + Council adopted. Napoleon and his braves ought not to quit each other. + Under the immense gilded dome of the Invalides he would find a sanctuary + worthy of himself. A dome imitates the vault of heaven, and that vault + alone" (meaning of course the other vault) "should dominate above his + head. His old mutilated Guard shall watch around him: the last veteran, as + he has shed his blood in his combats, shall breathe his last sigh near his + tomb, and all these tombs shall sleep under the tattered standards that + have been won from all the nations of Europe." + </p> + <p> + The original words are "sous les lambeaux cribles des drapeaux cueillis + chez toutes les nations;" in English, "under the riddled rags of the flags + that have been culled or plucked" (like roses or buttercups) "in all the + nations." Sweet, innocent flowers of victory! there they are, my dear, + sure enough, and a pretty considerable hortus siccus may any man examine + who chooses to walk to the Invalides. The burial-place being thus agreed + on, the expedition was prepared, and on the 7th July the "Belle Poule" + frigate, in company with "La Favorite" corvette, quitted Toulon harbor. A + couple of steamers, the "Trident" and the "Ocean," escorted the ships as + far as Gibraltar, and there left them to pursue their voyage. + </p> + <p> + The two ships quitted the harbor in the sight of a vast concourse of + people, and in the midst of a great roaring of cannons. Previous to the + departure of the "Belle Poule," the Bishop of Frejus went on board, and + gave to the cenotaph, in which the Emperor's remains were to be deposited, + his episcopal benediction. Napoleon's old friends and followers, the two + Bertrands, Gourgaud, Emanuel Las Cases, "companions in exile, or sons of + the companions in exile of the prisoner of the infame Hudson," says a + French writer, were passengers on board the frigate. Marchand, Denis, + Pierret, Novaret, his old and faithful servants, were likewise in the + vessel. It was commanded by his Royal Highness Francis Ferdinand Philip + Louis Marie d'Orleans, Prince de Joinville, a young prince two-and-twenty + years of age, who was already distinguished in the service of his country + and king. + </p> + <p> + On the 8th of October, after a voyage of six-and-sixty days, the "Belle + Poule" arrived in James Town harbor; and on its arrival, as on its + departure from France, a great firing of guns took place. First, the + "Oreste" French brig-of-war began roaring out a salutation to the frigate; + then the "Dolphin" English schooner gave her one-and-twenty guns; then the + frigate returned the compliment of the "Dolphin" schooner; then she blazed + out with one-and-twenty guns more, as a mark of particular politeness to + the shore—which kindness the forts acknowledged by similar + detonations. + </p> + <p> + These little compliments concluded on both sides, Lieutenant Middlemore, + son and aide-de-camp of the Governor of St. Helena, came on board the + French frigate, and brought his father's best respects to his Royal + Highness. The Governor was at home ill, and forced to keep his room; but + he had made his house at James Town ready for Captain Joinville and his + suite, and begged that they would make use of it during their stay. + </p> + <p> + On the 9th, H. R. H. the Prince of Joinville put on his full uniform and + landed, in company with Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases, + M. Marchand, M. Coquereau, the chaplain of the expedition, and M. de Rohan + Chabot, who acted as chief mourner. All the garrison were under arms to + receive the illustrious Prince and the other members of the expedition—who + forthwith repaired to Plantation House, and had a conference with the + Governor regarding their mission. + </p> + <p> + On the 10th, 11th, 12th, these conferences continued: the crews of the + French ships were permitted to come on shore and see the tomb of Napoleon. + Bertrand, Gourgaud, Las Cases wandered about the island and revisited the + spots to which they had been partial in the lifetime of the Emperor. + </p> + <p> + The 15th October was fixed on for the day of the exhumation: that day + five-and twenty years, the Emperor Napoleon first set his foot upon the + island. + </p> + <p> + On the day previous all things had been made ready: the grand coffins and + ornaments brought from France, and the articles necessary for the + operation were carried to the valley of the Tomb. + </p> + <p> + The operations commenced at midnight. The well-known friends of Napoleon + before named and some other attendants of his, the chaplain and his + acolytes, the doctor of the "Belle Poule," the captains of the French + ships, and Captain Alexander of the Engineers, the English Commissioner, + attended the disinterment. His Royal highness Prince de Joinville could + not be present because the workmen were under English command. + </p> + <p> + The men worked for nine hours incessantly, when at length the earth was + entirely removed from the vault, all the horizontal strata of masonry + demolished, and the large slab which covered the place where the stone + sarcophagus lay, removed by a crane. This outer coffin of stone was + perfect, and could scarcely be said to be damp. + </p> + <p> + "As soon as the Abbe Coquereau had recited the prayers, the coffin was + removed with the greatest care, and carried by the engineer-soldiers, + bareheaded, into a tent that had been prepared for the purpose. After the + religious ceremonies, the inner coffins were opened. The outermost coffin + was slightly injured: then came, one of lead, which was in good condition, + and enclosed two others—one of tin and one of wood. The last coffin + was lined inside with white satin, which, having become detached by the + effect of time, had fallen upon the body and enveloped it like a + winding-sheet, and had become slightly attached to it. + </p> + <p> + "It is difficult to describe with what anxiety and emotion those who were + present waited for the moment which was to expose to them all that death + had left of Napoleon. Notwithstanding the singular state of preservation + of the tomb and coffins, we could scarcely hope to find anything but some + misshapen remains of the least perishable part of the costume to evidence + the identity of the body. But when Doctor Guillard raised the sheet of + satin, an indescribable feeling of surprise and affection was expressed by + the spectators, many of whom burst into tears. The Emperor was himself + before their eyes! The features of the face, though changed, were + perfectly recognized; the hands extremely beautiful; his well-known + costume had suffered but little, and the colors were easily distinguished. + The attitude itself was full of ease, and but for the fragments of the + satin lining which covered, as with a fine gauze, several parts of the + uniform, we might have believed we still saw Napoleon before us lying on + his bed of state. General Bertrand and M. Marchand, who were both present + at the interment, quickly pointed out the different articles which each + had deposited in the coffin, and remained in the precise position in which + they had previously described them to be. + </p> + <p> + "The two inner coffins were carefully closed again; the old leaden coffin + was strongly blocked up with wedges of wood, and both were once more + soldered up with the most minute precautions, under the direction of Dr. + Guillard. These different operations being terminated, the ebony + sarcophagus was closed as well as its oak case. On delivering the key of + the ebony sarcophagus to Count de Chabot, the King's Commissioner, Captain + Alexander declared to him, in the name of the Governor, that this coffin, + containing the mortal remains of the Emperor Napoleon, was considered as + at the disposal of the French Government from that day, and from the + moment at which it should arrive at the place of embarkation, towards + which it was about to be sent under the orders of General Middlemore. The + King's Commissioner replied that he was charged by his Government, and in + its name, to accept the coffin from the hands of the British authorities, + and that he and the other persons composing the French mission were ready + to follow it to James Town, where the Prince de Joinville, superior + commandant of the expedition, would be ready to receive it and conduct it + on board his frigate. A car drawn by four horses, decked with funereal + emblems, had been prepared before the arrival of the expedition, to + receive the coffin, as well as a pall, and all the other suitable + trappings of mourning. When the sarcophagus was placed on the car, the + whole was covered with a magnificent imperial mantle brought from Paris, + the four corners of which were borne by Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, + Baron Las Cases and M. Marchand. At half-past three o'clock the funeral + car began to move, preceded by a chorister bearing the cross, and by the + Abbe Coquereau. M. de Chabot acted as chief mourner. All the authorities + of the island, all the principal inhabitants, and the whole of the + garrison, followed in procession from the tomb to the quay. But with the + exception of the artillerymen necessary to lead the horses, and + occasionally support the car when descending some steep parts of the way, + the places nearest the coffin were reserved for the French mission. + General Middlemore, although in a weak state of health, persisted in + following the whole way on foot, together with General Churchill, chief of + the staff in India, who had arrived only two days before from Bombay. The + immense weight of the coffins, and the unevenness of the road, rendered + the utmost carefulness necessary throughout the whole distance. Colonel + Trelawney commanded in person the small detachment of artillerymen who + conducted the car, and, thanks to his great care, not the slightest + accident took place. From the moment of departure to the arrival at the + quay, the cannons of the forts and the 'Belle Poule' fired minute-guns. + After an hour's march the rain ceased for the first time since the + commencement of the operations, and on arriving in sight of the town we + found a brilliant sky and beautiful weather. From the morning the three + French vessels of war had assumed the usual signs of deep mourning: their + yards crossed and their flags lowered. Two French merchantmen, 'Bonne + Amie' and 'Indien,' which had been in the roads for two days, had put + themselves under the Prince's orders, and followed during the ceremony all + the manoeuvers of the 'Belle Poule.' The forts of the town, and the houses + of the consuls, had also their flags half-mast high. + </p> + <p> + "On arriving at the entrance of the town, the troops of the garrison and + the militia formed in two lines as far as the extremity of the quay. + According to the order for mourning prescribed for the English army, the + men had their arms reversed and the officers had crape on their arms, with + their swords reversed. All the inhabitants had been kept away from the + line of march, but they lined the terraces, commanding the town, and the + streets were occupied only by the troops, the 91st Regiment being on the + right and the militia on the left. The cortege advanced slowly between two + ranks of soldiers to the sound of a funeral march, while the cannons of + the forts were fired, as well as those of the 'Belle Poule' and the + 'Dolphin;' the echoes being repeated a thousand times by the rocks above + James Town. After two hours' march the cortege stopped at the end of the + quay, where the Prince de Joinville had stationed himself at the head of + the officers of the three French ships of war. The greatest official + honors had been rendered by the English authorities to the memory of the + Emperor—the most striking testimonials of respect had marked the + adieu given by St. Helena to his coffin; and from this moment the mortal + remains of the Emperor were about to belong to France. When the + funeral-car stopped, the Prince de Joinville advanced alone, and in + presence of all around, who stood with their heads uncovered, received, in + a solemn manner, the imperial coffin from the hands of General Middlemore. + His Royal Highness then thanked the Governor, in the name of France, for + all the testimonials of sympathy and respect with which the authorities + and inhabitants of St. Helena had surrounded the memorable ceremonial. A + cutter had been expressly prepared to receive the coffin. During the + embarkation, which the Prince directed himself, the bands played funeral + airs, and all the boats were stationed round with their oars shipped. The + moment the sarcophagus touched the cutter, a magnificent royal flag, which + the ladies of James Town had embroidered for the occasion, was unfurled, + and the 'Belle Poule' immediately squared her masts and unfurled her + colors. All the manoeuvers of the frigate were immediately followed by the + other vessels. Our mourning had ceased with the exile of Napoleon, and the + French naval division dressed itself out in all its festal ornaments to + receive the imperial coffin under the French flag. The sarcophagus was + covered in the cutter with the imperial mantle. The Prince de Joinville + placed himself at the rudder, Commandant Guyet at the head of the boat; + Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases, M. Marchand, and the Abbe + Coquereau occupied the same places as during the march. Count Chabot and + Commandant Hernoux were astern, a little in advance of the Prince. As soon + as the cutter had pushed off from the quay, the batteries ashore fired a + salute of twenty-one guns, and our ships returned the salute with all + their artillery. Two other salutes were fired during the passage from the + quay to the frigate; the cutter advancing very slowly, and surrounded by + the other boats. At half-past six o'clock it reached the 'Belle Poule,' + all the men being on the yards with their hats in their hands. The Prince + had had arranged on the deck a chapel, decked with flags and trophies of + arms, the altar being placed at the foot of the mizzen-mast. The coffin, + carried by our sailors, passed between two ranks of officers with drawn + swords, and was placed on the quarter-deck. The absolution was pronounced + by the Abbe Coquereau the same evening. Next day, at ten o'clock, a solemn + mass was celebrated on the deck, in presence of the officers and part of + the crews of the ships. His Royal Highness stood at the foot of the + coffin. The cannon of the 'Favorite' and 'Oreste' fired minute-guns during + this ceremony, which terminated by a solemn absolution; and the Prince de + Joinville, the gentlemen of the mission, the officers, and the premiers + maitres of the ship, sprinkled holy water on the coffin. At eleven, all + the ceremonies of the church were accomplished, all the honors done to a + sovereign had been paid to the mortal remains of Napoleon. The coffin was + carefully lowered between decks, and placed in the chapelle ardente which + had been prepared at Toulon for its reception. At this moment, the vessels + fired a last salute with all their artillery, and the frigate took in her + flags, keeping up only her flag at the stern and the royal standard at the + maintopgallant-mast. On Sunday, the 18th, at eight in the morning, the + 'Belle Poule' quitted St. Helena with her precious deposit on board. + </p> + <p> + "During the whole time that the mission remained at James Town, the best + understanding never ceased to exist between the population of the island + and the French. The Prince de Joinville and his companions met in all + quarters and at all times with the greatest good-will and the warmest + testimonials of sympathy. The authorities and the inhabitants must have + felt, no doubt, great regret at seeing taken away from their island the + coffin that had rendered it so celebrated; but they repressed their + feelings with a courtesy that does honor to the frankness of their + character." + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + II.—ON THE VOYAGE FROM ST. HELENA TO PARIS. + </h2> + <p> + On the 18th October the French frigate quitted the island with its + precious burden on board. + </p> + <p> + His Royal Highness the Captain acknowledged cordially the kindness and + attention which he and his crew had received from the English authorities + and the inhabitants of the Island of St. Helena; nay, promised a pension + to an old soldier who had been for many years the guardian of the imperial + tomb, and went so far as to take into consideration the petition of a + certain lodging-house keeper, who prayed for a compensation for the loss + which the removal of the Emperor's body would occasion to her. And + although it was not to be expected that the great French nation should + forego its natural desire of recovering the remains of a hero so dear to + it for the sake of the individual interest of the landlady in question, it + must have been satisfactory to her to find, that the peculiarity of her + position was so delicately appreciated by the august Prince who commanded + the expedition, and carried away with him animae dimidium suae—the + half of the genteel independence which she derived from the situation of + her hotel. In a word, politeness and friendship could not be carried + farther. The Prince's realm and the landlady's were bound together by the + closest ties of amity. M. Thiers was Minister of France, the great patron + of the English alliance. At London M. Guizot was the worthy representative + of the French good-will towards the British people; and the remark + frequently made by our orators at public dinners, that "France and + England, while united, might defy the world," was considered as likely to + hold good for many years to come,—the union that is. As for defying + the world, that was neither here nor there; nor did English politicians + ever dream of doing any such thing, except perhaps at the tenth glass of + port at "Freemason's Tavern." + </p> + <p> + Little, however, did Mrs. Corbett, the St. Helena landlady, little did his + Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand Philip Marie de Joinville know what was + going on in Europe all this time (when I say in Europe, I mean in Turkey, + Syria, and Egypt); how clouds, in fact, were gathering upon what you call + the political horizon; and how tempests were rising that were to blow to + pieces our Anglo-Gallic temple of friendship. Oh, but it is sad to think + that a single wicked old Turk should be the means of setting our two + Christian nations by the ears! + </p> + <p> + Yes, my love, this disreputable old man had been for some time past the + object of the disinterested attention of the great sovereigns of Europe. + The Emperor Nicolas (a moral character, though following the Greek + superstition, and adored for his mildness and benevolence of disposition), + the Emperor Ferdinand, the King of Prussia, and our own gracious Queen, + had taken such just offence at his conduct and disobedience towards a + young and interesting sovereign, whose authority he had disregarded, whose + fleet he had kidnapped, whose fair provinces he had pounced upon, that + they determined to come to the aid of Abdul Medjid the First, Emperor of + the Turks, and bring his rebellious vassal to reason. In this project the + French nation was invited to join; but they refused the invitation, + saying, that it was necessary for the maintenance of the balance of power + in Europe that his Highness Mehemet Ali should keep possession of what by + hook or by crook he had gotten, and that they would have no hand in + injuring him. But why continue this argument, which you have read in the + newspapers for many months past? You, my dear, must know as well as I, + that the balance of power in Europe could not possibly be maintained in + any such way; and though, to be sure, for the last fifteen years, the + progress of the old robber has not made much difference to us in the + neighborhood of Russell Square, and the battle of Nezib did not in the + least affect our taxes, our homes, our institutions, or the price of + butcher's meat, yet there is no knowing what MIGHT have happened had + Mehemet Ali been allowed to remain quietly as he was: and the balance of + power in Europe might have been—the deuce knows where. + </p> + <p> + Here, then, in a nutshell, you have the whole matter in dispute. While + Mrs. Corbett and the Prince de Joinville were innocently interchanging + compliments at St. Helena,—bang! bang! Commodore Napier was pouring + broadsides into Tyre and Sidon; our gallant navy was storming breaches and + routing armies; Colonel Hodges had seized upon the green standard of + Ibrahim Pacha; and the powder-magazine of St. John of Acre was blown up + sky-high, with eighteen hundred Egyptian soldiers in company with it. The + French said that l'or Anglais had achieved all these successes, and no + doubt believed that the poor fellows at Acre were bribed to a man. + </p> + <p> + It must have been particularly unpleasant to a high-minded nation like the + French—at the very moment when the Egyptian affair and the balance + of Europe had been settled in this abrupt way—to find out all of a + sudden that the Pasha of Egypt was their dearest friend and ally. They had + suffered in the person of their friend; and though, seeing that the + dispute was ended, and the territory out of his hand, they could not hope + to get it back for him, or to aid him in any substantial way, yet Monsieur + Thiers determined, just as a mark of politeness to the Pasha, to fight all + Europe for maltreating him,—all Europe, England included. He was + bent on war, and an immense majority of the nation went with him. He + called for a million of soldiers, and would have had them too, had not the + King been against the project and delayed the completion of it at least + for a time. + </p> + <p> + Of these great European disputes Captain Joinville received a notification + while he was at sea on board his frigate: as we find by the official + account which has been published of his mission. + </p> + <p> + "Some days after quitting St. Helena," says that document, "the expedition + fell in with a ship coming from Europe, and was thus made acquainted with + the warlike rumors then afloat, by which a collision with the English + marine was rendered possible. The Prince de Joinville immediately + assembled the officers of the 'Belle Poule,' to deliberate on an event so + unexpected and important. + </p> + <p> + "The council of war having expressed its opinion that it was necessary at + all events to prepare for an energetic defence, preparations were made to + place in battery all the guns that the frigate could bring to bear against + the enemy. The provisional cabins that had been fitted up in the battery + were demolished, the partitions removed, and, with all the elegant + furniture of the cabins, flung into the sea. The Prince de Joinville was + the first 'to execute himself,' and the frigate soon found itself armed + with six or eight more guns. + </p> + <p> + "That part of the ship where these cabins had previously been, went by the + name of Lacedaemon; everything luxurious being banished to make way for + what was useful. + </p> + <p> + "Indeed, all persons who were on board agree in saying that Monseigneur + the Prince de Joinville most worthily acquitted himself of the great and + honorable mission which had been confided to him. All affirm not only that + the commandant of the expedition did everything at St. Helena which as a + Frenchman he was bound to do in order that the remains of the Emperor + should receive all the honors due to them, but moreover that he + accomplished his mission with all the measured solemnity, all the pious + and severe dignity, that the son of the Emperor himself would have shown + upon a like occasion. The commandant had also comprehended that the + remains of the Emperor must never fall into the hands of the stranger, and + being himself decided rather to sink his ship than to give up his precious + deposit, he had inspired every one about him with the same energetic + resolution that he had himself taken 'AGAINST AN EXTREME EVENTUALITY.'" + </p> + <p> + Monseigneur, my dear, is really one of the finest young fellows it is + possible to see. A tall, broad-chested, slim-waisted, brown-faced, + dark-eyed young prince, with a great beard (and other martial qualities no + doubt) beyond his years. As he strode into the Chapel of the Invalides on + Tuesday at the head of his men, he made no small impression, I can tell + you, upon the ladies assembled to witness the ceremony. Nor are the crew + of the "Belle Poule" less agreeable to look at than their commander. A + more clean, smart, active, well-limbed set of lads never "did dance" upon + the deck of the famed "Belle Poule" in the days of her memorable combat + with the "Saucy Arethusa." "These five hundred sailors," says a French + newspaper, speaking of them in the proper French way, "sword in hand, in + the severe costume of board-ship (la severe tenue du bord), seemed proud + of the mission that they had just accomplished. Their blue jackets, their + red cravats, the turned-down collars of blue shirts edged with white, + ABOVE ALL their resolute appearance and martial air, gave a favorable + specimen of the present state of our marine—a marine of which so + much might be expected and from which so little has been required."—Le + Commerce: 16th December. + </p> + <p> + There they were, sure enough; a cutlass upon one hip, a pistol on the + other—a gallant set of young men indeed. I doubt, to be sure, + whether the severe tenue du bord requires that the seaman should be always + furnished with those ferocious weapons, which in sundry maritime + manoeuvers, such as going to sleep in your hammock for instance, or + twinkling a binnacle, or luffing a marlinspike, or keelhauling a + maintopgallant (all naval operations, my dear, which any seafaring + novelist will explain to you)—I doubt, I say, whether these weapons + are ALWAYS worn by sailors, and have heard that they are commonly and very + sensibly too, locked up until they are wanted. Take another example: + suppose artillerymen were incessantly compelled to walk about with a + pyramid of twenty-four pound shot in one pocket, a lighted fuse and a few + barrels of gunpowder in the other—these objects would, as you may + imagine, greatly inconvenience the artilleryman in his peaceful state. + </p> + <p> + The newspaper writer is therefore most likely mistaken in saying that the + seamen were in the severe tenue du bord, or by "bord" meaning "abordage"—which + operation they were not, in a harmless church, hung round with velvet and + wax-candles, and filled with ladies, surely called upon to perform. Nor + indeed can it be reasonably supposed that the picked men of the crack + frigate of the French navy are a "good specimen" of the rest of the French + marine, any more than a cuirassed colossus at the gate of the Horse Guards + can be considered a fair sample of the British soldier of the line. The + sword and pistol, however, had no doubt their effect—the former was + in its sheath, the latter not loaded, and I hear that the French ladies + are quite in raptures with these charming loups-de-mer. + </p> + <p> + Let the warlike accoutrements then pass. It was necessary, perhaps, to + strike the Parisians with awe, and therefore the crew was armed in this + fierce fashion; but why should the captain begin to swagger as well as his + men? and why did the Prince de Joinville lug out sword and pistol so + early? or why, if he thought fit to make preparations, should the official + journals brag of them afterwards as proofs of his extraordinary courage? + </p> + <p> + Here is the case. The English Government makes him a present of the bones + of Napoleon: English workmen work for nine hours without ceasing, and dig + the coffin out of the ground: the English Commissioner hands over the key + of the box to the French representative, Monsieur Chabot: English horses + carry the funeral car down to the sea-shore, accompanied by the English + Governor, who has actually left his bed to walk in the procession and to + do the French nation honor. + </p> + <p> + After receiving and acknowledging these politenesses, the French captain + takes his charge on board, and the first thing we afterwards hear of him + is the determination "qu'il a su faire passer" into all his crew, to sink + rather than yield up the body of the Emperor aux mains de l'etranger—into + the hands of the foreigner. My dear Monseigneur, is not this par trop + fort? Suppose "the foreigner" had wanted the coffin, could he not have + kept it? Why show this uncalled-for valor, this extraordinary alacrity at + sinking? Sink or blow yourself up as much as you please, but your Royal + Highness must see that the genteel thing would have been to wait until you + were asked to do so, before you offended good-natured, honest people, who—heaven + help them!—have never shown themselves at all murderously inclined + towards you. A man knocks up his cabins forsooth, throws his tables and + chairs overboard, runs guns into the portholes, and calls le quartier du + bord ou existaient ces chambres, Lacedaemon. Lacedaemon! There is a + province, O Prince, in your royal father's dominions, a fruitful parent of + heroes in its time, which would have given a much better nickname to your + quartier du bord: you should have called it Gascony. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Sooner than strike we'll all ex-pi-er + On board of the Bell-e Pou-le." +</pre> + <p> + Such fanfaronading is very well on the part of Tom Dibdin, but a person of + your Royal Highness's "pious and severe dignity" should have been above + it. If you entertained an idea that war was imminent, would it not have + been far better to have made your preparations in quiet, and when you + found the war rumor blown over, to have said nothing about what you + intended to do? Fie upon such cheap Lacedaemonianism! There is no poltroon + in the world but can brag about what he WOULD have done: however, to do + your Royal Highness's nation justice, they brag and fight too. + </p> + <p> + This narrative, my dear Miss Smith, as you will have remarked, is not a + simple tale merely, but is accompanied by many moral and pithy remarks + which form its chief value, in the writer's eyes at least, and the above + account of the sham Lacedaemon on board the "Belle Poule" has a + double-barrelled morality, as I conceive. Besides justly reprehending the + French propensity towards braggadocio, it proves very strongly a point on + which I am the only statesman in Europe who has strongly insisted. In the + "Paris Sketch Book" it was stated that THE FRENCH HATE US. They hate us, + my dear, profoundly and desperately, and there never was such a hollow + humbug in the world as the French alliance. Men get a character for + patriotism in France merely by hating England. Directly they go into + strong opposition (where, you know, people are always more patriotic than + on the ministerial side), they appeal to the people, and have their hold + on the people by hating England in common with them. Why? It is a long + story, and the hatred may be accounted for by many reasons both political + and social. Any time these eight hundred years this ill-will has been + going on, and has been transmitted on the French side from father to son. + On the French side, not on ours: we have had no, or few, defeats to + complain of, no invasions to make us angry; but you see that to discuss + such a period of time would demand a considerable number of pages, and for + the present we will avoid the examination of the question. + </p> + <p> + But they hate us, that is the long and short of it; and you see how this + hatred has exploded just now, not upon a serious cause of difference, but + upon an argument: for what is the Pasha of Egypt to us or them but a mere + abstract opinion? For the same reason the Little-endians in Lilliput + abhorred the Big-endians; and I beg you to remark how his Royal Highness + Prince Ferdinand Mary, upon hearing that this argument was in the course + of debate between us, straightway flung his furniture overboard and + expressed a preference for sinking his ship rather than yielding it to the + etranger. Nothing came of this wish of his, to be sure; but the intention + is everything. Unlucky circumstances denied him the power, but he had the + will. + </p> + <p> + Well, beyond this disappointment, the Prince de Joinville had nothing to + complain of during the voyage, which terminated happily by the arrival of + the "Belle Poule" at Cherbourg, on the 30th of November, at five o'clock + in the morning. A telegraph made the glad news known at Paris, where the + Minister of the Interior, Tanneguy-Duchatel (you will read the name, + Madam, in the old Anglo-French wars), had already made "immense + preparations" for receiving the body of Napoleon. + </p> + <p> + The entry was fixed for the 15th of December. + </p> + <p> + On the 8th of December at Cherbourg the body was transferred from the + "Belle Poule" frigate to the "Normandie" steamer. On which occasion the + mayor of Cherbourg deposited, in the name of his town, a gold laurel + branch upon the coffin—which was saluted by the forts and dykes of + the place with ONE THOUSAND GUNS! There was a treat for the inhabitants. + </p> + <p> + There was on board the steamer a splendid receptacle for the coffin: "a + temple with twelve pillars and a dome to cover it from the wet and + moisture, surrounded with velvet hangings and silver fringes. At the head + was a gold cross, at the foot a gold lamp: other lamps were kept + constantly burning within, and vases of burning incense were hung around. + An altar, hung with velvet and silver, was at the mizzen-mast of the + vessel, AND FOUR SILVER EAGLES AT EACH CORNER OF THE ALTAR." It was a + compliment at once to Napoleon and—excuse me for saying so, but so + the facts are—to Napoleon and to God Almighty. + </p> + <p> + Three steamers, the "Normandie," the "Veloce," and the "Courrier," formed + the expedition from Cherbourg to Havre, at which place they arrived on the + evening of the 9th of December, and where the "Veloce" was replaced by the + Seine steamer, having in tow one of the state-coasters, which was to fire + the salute at the moment when the body was transferred into one of the + vessels belonging to the Seine. + </p> + <p> + The expedition passed Havre the same night, and came to anchor at Val de + la Haye on the Seine, three leagues below Rouen. + </p> + <p> + Here the next morning (10th), it was met by the flotilla of steamboats of + the Upper Seine, consisting of the three "Dorades," the three "Etoiles," + the "Elbeuvien," the "Pansien," the "Parisienne," and the "Zampa." The + Prince de Joinville, and the persons of the expedition, embarked + immediately in the flotilla, which arrived the same day at Rouen. + </p> + <p> + At Rouen salutes were fired, the National Guard on both sides of the river + paid military honors to the body; and over the middle of the + suspension-bridge a magnificent cenotaph was erected, decorated with + flags, fasces, violet hangings, and the imperial arms. Before the cenotaph + the expedition stopped, and the absolution was given by the archbishop and + the clergy. After a couple of hours' stay, the expedition proceeded to + Pont de l'Arche. On the 11th it reached Vernon, on the 12th Mantes, on the + 13th Maisons-sur-Seine. + </p> + <p> + "Everywhere," says the official account from which the above particulars + are borrowed, "the authorities, the National Guard, and the people flocked + to the passage of the flotilla, desirous to render the honors due to his + glory, which is the glory of France. In seeing its hero return, the nation + seemed to have found its Palladium again,—the sainted relics of + victory." + </p> + <p> + At length, on the 14th, the coffin was transferred from the "Dorade" + steamer on board the imperial vessel arrived from Paris. In the evening, + the imperial vessel arrived at Courbevoie, which was the last stage of the + journey. + </p> + <p> + Here it was that M. Guizot went to examine the vessel, and was very nearly + flung into the Seine, as report goes, by the patriots assembled there. It + is now lying on the river, near the Invalides, amidst the drifting ice, + whither the people of Paris are flocking out to see it. + </p> + <p> + The vessel is of a very elegant antique form, and I can give you on the + Thames no better idea of it than by requesting you to fancy an immense + wherry, of which the stern has been cut straight off, and on which a + temple on steps has been elevated. At the figure-head is an immense gold + eagle, and at the stern is a little terrace, filled with evergreens and a + profusion of banners. Upon pedestals along the sides of the vessel are + tripods in which incense was burned, and underneath them are garlands of + flowers called here "immortals." Four eagles surmount the temple, and a + great scroll or garland, held in their beaks, surrounds it. It is hung + with velvet and gold; four gold caryatides support the entry of it; and in + the midst, upon a large platform hung with velvet, and bearing the + imperial arms, stood the coffin. A steamboat, carrying two hundred + musicians playing funereal marches and military symphonies, preceded this + magnificent vessel to Courbevoie, where a funereal temple was erected, and + "a statue of Notre Dame de Grace, before which the seamen of the 'Belle + Poule' inclined themselves, in order to thank her for having granted them + a noble and glorious voyage." + </p> + <p> + Early on the morning of the 15th December, amidst clouds of incense, and + thunder of cannon, and innumerable shouts of people, the coffin was + transferred from the barge, and carried by the seamen of the "Belle Poule" + to the Imperial Car. + </p> + <p> + And, now having conducted our hero almost to the gates of Paris, I must + tell you what preparations were made in the capital to receive him. + </p> + <p> + Ten days before the arrival of the body, as you walked across the + Deputies' Bridge, or over the Esplanade of the Invalides, you saw on the + bridge eight, on the esplanade thirty-two, mysterious boxes erected, + wherein a couple of score of sculptors were at work night and day. + </p> + <p> + In the middle of the Invalid Avenue, there used to stand, on a kind of + shabby fountain or pump, a bust of Lafayette, crowned with some dirty + wreaths of "immortals," and looking down at the little streamlet which + occasionally dribbled below him. The spot of ground was now clear, and + Lafayette and the pump had been consigned to some cellar, to make way for + the mighty procession that was to pass over the place of their habitation. + </p> + <p> + Strange coincidence! If I had been Mr. Victor Hugo, my dear, or a poet of + any note, I would, in a few hours, have made an impromptu concerning that + Lafayette-crowned pump, and compared its lot now to the fortune of its + patron some fifty years back. From him then issued, as from his fountain + now, a feeble dribble of pure words; then, as now, some faint circles of + disciples were willing to admire him. Certainly in the midst of the war + and storm without, this pure fount of eloquence went dribbling, dribbling + on, till of a sudden the revolutionary workmen knocked down statue and + fountain, and the gorgeous imperial cavalcade trampled over the spot where + they stood. + </p> + <p> + As for the Champs Elysees, there was no end to the preparations; the first + day you saw a couple of hundred scaffoldings erected at intervals between + the handsome gilded gas-lamps that at present ornament that avenue; next + day, all these scaffoldings were filled with brick and mortar. Presently, + over the bricks and mortar rose pediments of statues, legs of urns, legs + of goddesses, legs and bodies of goddesses, legs, bodies, and busts of + goddesses. Finally, on the 13th December, goddesses complete. On the 14th + they were painted marble-color; and the basements of wood and canvas on + which they stood were made to resemble the same costly material. The + funereal urns were ready to receive the frankincense and precious odors + which were to burn in them. A vast number of white columns stretched down + the avenue, each bearing a bronze buckler on which was written, in gold + letters, one of the victories of the Emperor, and each decorated with + enormous imperial flags. On these columns golden eagles were placed; and + the newspapers did not fail to remark the ingenious position in which the + royal birds had been set: for while those on the right-hand side of the + way had their heads turned TOWARDS the procession, as if to watch its + coming, those on the left were looking exactly the other way, as if to + regard its progress. Do not fancy I am joking: this point was gravely and + emphatically urged in many newspapers; and I do believe no mortal + Frenchman ever thought it anything but sublime. + </p> + <p> + Do not interrupt me, sweet Miss Smith. I feel that you are angry. I can + see from here the pouting of your lips, and know what you are going to + say. You are going to say, "I will read no more of this Mr. Titmarsh; + there is no subject, however solemn, but he treats it with flippant + irreverence, and no character, however great, at whom he does not sneer." + </p> + <p> + Ah, my dear! you are young now and enthusiastic; and your Titmarsh is old, + very old, sad, and gray-headed. I have seen a poor mother buy a halfpenny + wreath at the gate of Montmartre burying-ground, and go with it to her + little child's grave, and hang it there over the little humble stone; and + if ever you saw me scorn the mean offering of the poor shabby creature, I + will give you leave to be as angry as you will. They say that on the + passage of Napoleon's coffin down the Seine, old soldiers and country + people walked miles from their villages just to catch a sight of the boat + which carried his body and to kneel down on the shore and pray for him. + God forbid that we should quarrel with such prayers and sorrow, or + question their sincerity. Something great and good must have been in this + man, something loving and kindly, that has kept his name so cherished in + the popular memory, and gained him such lasting reverence and affection. + </p> + <p> + But, Madam, one may respect the dead without feeling awe-stricken at the + plumes of the hearse; and I see no reason why one should sympathize with + the train of mutes and undertakers, however deep may be their mourning. + Look, I pray you, at the manner in which the French nation has performed + Napoleon's funeral. Time out of mind, nations have raised, in memory of + their heroes, august mausoleums, grand pyramids, splendid statues of gold + or marble, sacrificing whatever they had that was most costly and rare, or + that was most beautiful in art, as tokens of their respect and love for + the dead person. What a fine example of this sort of sacrifice is that + (recorded in a book of which Simplicity is the great characteristic) of + the poor woman who brought her pot of precious ointment—her all, and + laid it at the feet of the Object which, upon earth, she most loved and + respected. "Economists and calculators" there were even in those days who + quarrelled with the manner in which the poor woman lavished so much + "capital;" but you will remember how nobly and generously the sacrifice + was appreciated, and how the economists were put to shame. + </p> + <p> + With regard to the funeral ceremony that has just been performed here, it + is said that a famous public personage and statesman, Monsieur Thiers + indeed, spoke with the bitterest indignation of the general style of the + preparations, and of their mean and tawdry character. He would have had a + pomp as magnificent, he said, as that of Rome at the triumph of Aurelian: + he would have decorated the bridges and avenues through which the + procession was to pass, with the costliest marbles and the finest works of + art, and have had them to remain there for ever as monuments of the great + funeral. + </p> + <p> + The economists and calculators might here interpose with a great deal of + reason; for, indeed, there was no reason why a nation should impoverish + itself to do honor to the memory of an individual for whom, after all, it + can feel but a qualified enthusiasm: but it surely might have employed the + large sum voted for the purpose more wisely and generously, and recorded + its respect for Napoleon by some worthy and lasting memorial, rather than + have erected yonder thousand vain heaps of tinsel, paint, and plaster, + that are already cracking and crumbling in the frost, at three days old. + </p> + <p> + Scarcely one of the statues, indeed, deserves to last a month: some are + odious distortions and caricatures, which never should have been allowed + to stand for a moment. On the very day of the fete, the wind was shaking + the canvas pedestals, and the flimsy wood-work had begun to gape and give + way. At a little distance, to be sure, you could not see the cracks; and + pedestals and statues LOOKED like marble. At some distance, you could not + tell but that the wreaths and eagles were gold embroidery, and not gilt + paper—the great tricolor flags damask, and not striped calico. One + would think that these sham splendors betokened sham respect, if one had + not known that the name of Napoleon is held in real reverence, and + observed somewhat of the character of the nation. Real feelings they have, + but they distort them by exaggeration; real courage, which they render + ludicrous by intolerable braggadocio; and I think the above official + account of the Prince de Joinville's proceedings, of the manner in which + the Emperor's remains have been treated in their voyage to the capital, + and of the preparations made to receive him in it, will give my dear Miss + Smith some means of understanding the social and moral condition of this + worthy people of France. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0003" id="link2H_4_0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + III.—ON THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. + </h2> + <p> + Shall I tell you, my dear, that when Francois woke me at a very early hour + on this eventful morning, while the keen stars were still glittering + overhead, a half-moon, as sharp as a razor, beaming in the frosty sky, and + a wicked north wind blowing, that blew the blood out of one's fingers and + froze your leg as you put it out of bed;—shall I tell you, my dear, + that when Francois called me, and said, "V'la vot' cafe, Monsieur + Titemasse, buvez-le, tiens, il est tout chaud," I felt myself, after + imbibing the hot breakfast, so comfortable under three blankets and a + mackintosh, that for at least a quarter of an hour no man in Europe could + say whether Titmarsh would or would not be present at the burial of the + Emperor Napoleon. + </p> + <p> + Besides, my dear, the cold, there was another reason for doubting. Did the + French nation, or did they not, intend to offer up some of us English over + the imperial grave? And were the games to be concluded by a massacre? It + was said in the newspapers that Lord Granville had despatched circulars to + all the English resident in Paris, begging them to keep their homes. The + French journals announced this news, and warned us charitably of the fate + intended for us. Had Lord Granville written? Certainly not to me. Or had + he written to all EXCEPT ME? And was I THE VICTIM—the doomed one?—to + be seized directly I showed my face in the Champs Elysees, and torn in + pieces by French Patriotism to the frantic chorus of the "Marseillaise?" + Depend on it, Madam, that high and low in this city on Tuesday were not + altogether at their ease, and that the bravest felt no small tremor! And + be sure of this, that as his Majesty Louis Philippe took his nightcap off + his royal head that morning, he prayed heartily that he might, at night, + put it on in safety. + </p> + <p> + Well, as my companion and I came out of doors, being bound for the Church + of the Invalides, for which a Deputy had kindly furnished us with tickets, + we saw the very prettiest sight of the whole day, and I can't refrain from + mentioning it to my dear, tender-hearted Miss Smith. + </p> + <p> + In the same house where I live (but about five stories nearer the ground) + lodges an English family, consisting of—1. A great-grandmother, a + hale, handsome old lady of seventy, the very best-dressed and neatest old + lady in Paris. 2. A grandfather and grandmother, tolerably young to bear + that title. 3. A daughter. And 4. Two little great-grand, or + grandchildren, that may be of the age of three and one, and belong to a + son and daughter who are in India. The grandfather, who is as proud of his + wife as he was thirty years ago when he married, and pays her compliments + still twice or thrice in a day, and when he leads her into a room looks + round at the persons assembled, and says in his heart, "Here, gentlemen, + here is my wife—show me such another woman in England,"—this + gentleman had hired a room on the Champs Elysees, for he would not have + his wife catch cold by exposing her to the balconies in the open air. + </p> + <p> + When I came to the street, I found the family assembled in the following + order of march:— + </p> + <p> + —No. 1, the great-grandmother walking daintily along, supported by + No. 3, her granddaughter. + </p> + <p> + —A nurse carrying No. 4 junior, who was sound asleep: and a huge + basket containing saucepans, bottles of milk, parcels of infants' food, + certain dimity napkins, a child's coral, and a little horse belonging to + No. 4 senior. + </p> + <p> + —A servant bearing a basket of condiments. + </p> + <p> + —No. 2, grandfather, spick and span, clean shaved, hat brushed, + white buckskin gloves, bamboo cane, brown great-coat, walking as upright + and solemn as may be, having his lady on his arm. + </p> + <p> + —No. 4, senior, with mottled legs and a tartan costume, who was + frisking about between his grandpapa's legs, who heartily wished him at + home. + </p> + <p> + "My dear," his face seemed to say to his lady, "I think you might have + left the little things in the nursery, for we shall have to squeeze + through a terrible crowd in the Champs Elysees." + </p> + <p> + The lady was going out for a day's pleasure, and her face was full of + care: she had to look first after her old mother who was walking ahead, + then after No. 4 junior with the nurse—he might fall into all sorts + of danger, wake up, cry, catch cold; nurse might slip down, or heaven + knows what. Then she had to look her husband in the face, who had gone to + such expense and been so kind for her sake, and make that gentleman + believe she was thoroughly happy; and, finally, she had to keep an eye + upon No. 4 senior, who, as she was perfectly certain, was about in two + minutes to be lost for ever, or trampled to pieces in the crowd. + </p> + <p> + These events took place in a quiet little street leading into the Champs + Elysees, the entry of which we had almost reached by this time. The four + detachments above described, which had been straggling a little in their + passage down the street, closed up at the end of it, and stood for a + moment huddled together. No. 3, Miss X—, began speaking to her + companion the great-grandmother. + </p> + <p> + "Hush, my dear," said that old lady, looking round alarmed at her + daughter. "SPEAK FRENCH." And she straightway began nervously to make a + speech which she supposed to be in that language, but which was as much + like French as Iroquois. The whole secret was out: you could read it in + the grandmother's face, who was doing all she could to keep from crying, + and looked as frightened as she dared to look. The two elder ladies had + settled between them that there was going to be a general English + slaughter that day, and had brought the children with them, so that they + might all be murdered in company. + </p> + <p> + God bless you, O women, moist-eyed and tender-hearted! In those gentle + silly tears of yours there is something touches one, be they never so + foolish. I don't think there were many such natural drops shed that day as + those which just made their appearance in the grandmother's eyes, and then + went back again as if they had been ashamed of themselves, while the good + lady and her little troop walked across the road. Think how happy she will + be when night comes, and there has been no murder of English, and the + brood is all nestled under her wings sound asleep, and she is lying awake + thanking God that the day and its pleasures and pains are over. Whilst we + were considering these things, the grandfather had suddenly elevated No. 4 + senior upon his left shoulder, and I saw the tartan hat of that young + gentleman, and the bamboo cane which had been transferred to him, high + over the heads of the crowd on the opposite side through which the party + moved. + </p> + <p> + After this little procession had passed away—you may laugh at it, + but upon my word and conscience, Miss Smith, I saw nothing in the course + of the day which affected me more—after this little procession had + passed away, the other came, accompanied by gun-banging, flag-waving, + incense-burning, trumpets pealing, drums rolling, and at the close, + received by the voice of six hundred choristers, sweetly modulated to the + tones of fifteen score of fiddlers. Then you saw horse and foot, + jack-boots and bear-skin, cuirass and bayonet, National Guard and Line, + marshals and generals all over gold, smart aides-de-camp galloping about + like mad, and high in the midst of all, riding on his golden buckler, + Solomon in all his glory, forsooth—Imperial Caesar, with his crown + over his head, laurels and standards waving about his gorgeous chariot, + and a million of people looking on in wonder and awe. + </p> + <p> + His Majesty the Emperor and King reclined on his shield, with his head a + little elevated. His Majesty's skull is voluminous, his forehead broad and + large. We remarked that his Imperial Majesty's brow was of a yellowish + color, which appearance was also visible about the orbits of the eyes. He + kept his eyelids constantly closed, by which we had the opportunity of + observing that the upper lids were garnished with eyelashes. Years and + climate have effected upon the face of this great monarch only a trifling + alteration; we may say, indeed, that Time has touched his Imperial and + Royal Majesty with the lightest feather in his wing. In the nose of the + Conqueror of Austerlitz we remarked very little alteration: it is of the + beautiful shape which we remember it possessed five-and-twenty years + since, ere unfortunate circumstances induced him to leave us for a while. + The nostril and the tube of the nose appear to have undergone some slight + alteration, but in examining a beloved object the eye of affection is + perhaps too critical. Vive l'Empereur! the soldier of Marengo is among us + again. His lips are thinner, perhaps, than they were before! how white his + teeth are! you can just see three of them pressing his under lip; and pray + remark the fulness of his cheeks and the round contour of his chin. Oh, + those beautiful white hands! many a time have they patted the cheek of + poor Josephine, and played with the black ringlets of her hair. She is + dead now, and cold, poor creature; and so are Hortense and bold Eugene, + than whom the world "never saw a curtier knight," as was said of King + Arthur's Sir Lancelot. What a day would it have been for those three could + they have lived until now, and seen their hero returning! Where's Ney? His + wife sits looking out from M. Flahaut's window yonder, but the bravest of + the brave is not with her. Murat too is absent: honest Joachim loves the + Emperor at heart, and repents that he was not at Waterloo: who knows but + that at the sight of the handsome swordsman those stubborn English + "canaille" would have given way. A king, Sire, is, you know, the greatest + of slaves—State affairs of consequence—his Majesty the King of + Naples is detained no doubt. When we last saw the King, however, and his + Highness the Prince of Elchingen, they looked to have as good health as + ever they had in their lives, and we heard each of them calmly calling out + "FIRE!" as they have done in numberless battles before. + </p> + <p> + Is it possible? can the Emperor forget? We don't like to break it to him, + but has he forgotten all about the farm at Pizzo, and the garden of the + Observatory? Yes, truly: there he lies on his golden shield, never + stirring, never so much as lifting his eyelids, or opening his lips any + wider. + </p> + <p> + O vanitas vanitatum! Here is our Sovereign in all his glory, and they + fired a thousand guns at Cherbourg and never woke him! + </p> + <p> + However, we are advancing matters by several hours, and you must give just + as much credence as you please to the subjoined remarks concerning the + Procession, seeing that your humble servant could not possibly be present + at it, being bound for the church elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + Programmes, however, have been published of the affair, and your vivid + fancy will not fail to give life to them, and the whole magnificent train + will pass before you. + </p> + <p> + Fancy then, that the guns are fired at Neuilly: the body landed at + daybreak from the funereal barge, and transferred to the car; and fancy + the car, a huge Juggernaut of a machine, rolling on four wheels of an + antique shape, which supported a basement adorned with golden eagles, + banners, laurels, and velvet hangings. Above the hangings stand twelve + golden statues with raised arms supporting a huge shield, on which the + coffin lay. On the coffin was the imperial crown, covered with violet + velvet crape, and the whole vast machine was drawn by horses in superb + housings, led by valets in the imperial livery. + </p> + <p> + Fancy at the head of the procession first of all— + </p> + <p> + The Gendarmerie of the Seine, with their trumpets and Colonel. + </p> + <p> + The Municipal Guard (horse), with their trumpets, standard, and Colonel. + </p> + <p> + Two squadrons of the 7th Lancers, with Colonel, standard, and music. + </p> + <p> + The Commandant of Paris and his Staff. + </p> + <p> + A battalion of Infantry of the Line, with their flag, sappers, drums, + music, and Colonel. + </p> + <p> + The Municipal Guard (foot), with flag, drums, and Colonel. + </p> + <p> + The Sapper-pumpers, with ditto. + </p> + <p> + Then picture to yourself more squadrons of Lancers and Cuirassiers. The + General of the Division and his Staff; all officers of all arms employed + at Paris, and unattached; the Military School of Saint Cyr, the + Polytechnic School, the School of the Etat-Major; and the Professors and + Staff of each. Go on imagining more battalions of Infantry, of Artillery, + companies of Engineers, squadrons of Cuirassiers, ditto of the Cavalry, of + the National Guard, and the first and second legions of ditto. + </p> + <p> + Fancy a carriage, containing the Chaplain of the St. Helena expedition, + the only clerical gentleman that formed a part of the procession. + </p> + <p> + Fancy you hear the funereal music, and then figure in your mind's eye— + </p> + <p> + THE EMPEROR'S CHARGER, that is, Napoleon's own saddle and bridle (when + First Consul) upon a white horse. The saddle (which has been kept ever + since in the Garde Meuble of the Crown) is of amaranth velvet, embroidered + in gold: the holsters and housings are of the same rich material. On them + you remark the attributes of War, Commerce, Science, and Art. The bits and + stirrups are silver-gilt chased. Over the stirrups, two eagles were placed + at the time of the empire. The horse was covered with a violet crape + embroidered with golden bees. + </p> + <p> + After this came more Soldiers, General Officers, Sub-Officers, Marshals, + and what was said to be the prettiest sight almost of the whole, the + banners of the eighty-six Departments of France. These are due to the + invention of M. Thiers, and were to have been accompanied by federates + from each Department. But the government very wisely mistrusted this and + some other projects of Monsieur Thiers; and as for a federation, my dear, + IT HAS BEEN TRIED. Next comes— + </p> + <p> + His Royal Highness, the Prince de Joinville. + </p> + <p> + The 600 sailors of the "Belle Poule" marching in double file on each side + of + </p> + <p> + THE CAR. + </p> + <p> + [Hush! the enormous crowd thrills as it passes, and only some few voices + cry Vive l'Empereur! Shining golden in the frosty sun—with hundreds + of thousands of eyes upon it, from houses and housetops, from balconies, + black, purple, and tricolor, from tops of leafless trees, from behind long + lines of glittering bayonets under schakos and bear-skin caps, from behind + the Line and the National Guard again, pushing, struggling, heaving, + panting, eager, the heads of an enormous multitude stretching out to meet + and follow it, amidst long avenues of columns and statues gleaming white, + of standards rainbow-colored, of golden eagles, of pale funereal urns, of + discharging odors amidst huge volumes of pitch-black smoke, + </p> + <p> + THE GREAT IMPERIAL CHARIOT ROLLS MAJESTICALLY ON. + </p> + <p> + The cords of the pall are held by two Marshals, an Admiral and General + Bertrand; who are followed by— + </p> + <p> + The Prefects of the Seine and Police, &c. + </p> + <p> + The Mayors of Paris, &c. + </p> + <p> + The Members of the Old Guard, &c. + </p> + <p> + A Squadron of Light Dragoons, &c. + </p> + <p> + Lieutenant-General Schneider, &c. + </p> + <p> + More cavalry, more infantry, more artillery, more everybody; and as the + procession passes, the Line and the National Guard forming line on each + side of the road fall in and follow it, until it arrives at the Church of + the Invalides, where the last honors are to be paid to it.] + </p> + <p> + Among the company assembled under the dome of that edifice, the casual + observer would not perhaps have remarked a gentleman of the name of + Michael Angelo Titmarsh, who nevertheless was there. But as, my dear Miss + Smith, the descriptions in this letter, from the words in page 298, line + 20—THE PARTY MOVED—up to the words PAID TO IT, on this page, + have purely emanated from your obedient servant's fancy, and not from his + personal observation (for no being on earth, except a newspaper reporter, + can be in two places at once), permit me now to communicate to you what + little circumstances fell under my own particular view on the day of the + 15th of December. + </p> + <p> + As we came out, the air and the buildings round about were tinged with + purple, and the clear sharp half-moon before-mentioned was still in the + sky, where it seemed to be lingering as if it would catch a peep of the + commencement of the famous procession. The Arc de Triomphe was shining in + a keen frosty sunshine, and looking as clean and rosy as if it had just + made its toilette. The canvas or pasteboard image of Napoleon, of which + only the gilded legs had been erected the night previous, was now visible, + body, head, crown, sceptre and all, and made an imposing show. Long gilt + banners were flaunting about, with the imperial cipher and eagle, and the + names of the battles and victories glittering in gold. The long avenues of + the Champs Elysees had been covered with sand for the convenience of the + great procession that was to tramp across it that day. Hundreds of people + were marching to and fro, laughing, chattering, singing, gesticulating as + happy Frenchmen do. There is no pleasanter sight than a French crowd on + the alert for a festival, and nothing more catching than their good-humor. + As for the notion which has been put forward by some of the opposition + newspapers that the populace were on this occasion unusually solemn or + sentimental, it would be paying a bad compliment to the natural gayety of + the nation, to say that it was, on the morning at least of the 15th of + December, affected in any such absurd way. Itinerant merchants were + shouting out lustily their commodities of segars and brandy, and the + weather was so bitter cold, that they could not fail to find plenty of + customers. Carpenters and workmen were still making a huge banging and + clattering among the sheds which were built for the accommodation of the + visitors. Some of these sheds were hung with black, such as one sees + before churches in funerals; some were robed in violet, in compliment to + the Emperor whose mourning they put on. Most of them had fine tricolor + hangings with appropriate inscriptions to the glory of the French arms. + </p> + <p> + All along the Champs Elysees were urns of plaster-of-Paris destined to + contain funeral incense and flames; columns decorated with huge flags of + blue, red, and white, embroidered with shining crowns, eagles, and N's in + gilt paper, and statues of plaster representing Nymphs, Triumphs, + Victories, or other female personages, painted in oil so as to represent + marble. Real marble could have had no better effect, and the appearance of + the whole was lively and picturesque in the extreme. On each pillar was a + buckler, of the color of bronze, bearing the name and date of a battle in + gilt letters: you had to walk through a mile-long avenue of these glorious + reminiscences, telling of spots where, in the great imperial days, throats + had been victoriously cut. + </p> + <p> + As we passed down the avenue, several troops of soldiers met us: the + garde-muncipale a cheval, in brass helmets and shining jack-boots, + noble-looking men, large, on large horses, the pick of the old army, as I + have heard, and armed for the special occupation of peace-keeping: not the + most glorious, but the best part of the soldier's duty, as I fancy. Then + came a regiment of Carabineers, one of Infantry—little, alert, + brown-faced, good-humored men, their band at their head playing sounding + marches. These were followed by a regiment or detachment of the Municipals + on foot—two or three inches taller than the men of the Line, and + conspicuous for their neatness and discipline. By-and-by came a squadron + or so of dragoons of the National Guards: they are covered with straps, + buckles, aguillettes, and cartouche-boxes, and make under their tricolor + cock's-plumes a show sufficiently warlike. The point which chiefly struck + me on beholding these military men of the National Guard and the Line, was + the admirable manner in which they bore a cold that seemed to me as sharp + as the weather in the Russian retreat, through which cold the troops were + trotting without trembling and in the utmost cheerfulness and good-humor. + An aide-de-camp galloped past in white pantaloons. By heavens! it made me + shudder to look at him. + </p> + <p> + With this profound reflection, we turned away to the right towards the + hanging-bridge (where we met a detachment of young men of the Ecole de + l'Etat Major, fine-looking lads, but sadly disfigured by the wearing of + stays or belts, that make the waists of the French dandies of a most + absurd tenuity), and speedily passed into the avenue of statues leading up + to the Invalides. All these were statues of warriors from Ney to + Charlemagne, modelled in clay for the nonce, and placed here to meet the + corpse of the greatest warrior of all. Passing these, we had to walk to a + little door at the back of the Invalides, where was a crowd of persons + plunged in the deepest mourning, and pushing for places in the chapel + within. + </p> + <p> + The chapel is spacious and of no great architectural pretensions, but was + on this occasion gorgeously decorated in honor of the great person to + whose body it was about to give shelter. + </p> + <p> + We had arrived at nine; the ceremony was not to begin, they said, till + two: we had five hours before us to see all that from our places could be + seen. + </p> + <p> + We saw that the roof, up to the first lines of architecture, was hung with + violet; beyond this with black. We saw N's, eagles, bees, laurel wreaths, + and other such imperial emblems, adorning every nook and corner of the + edifice. Between the arches, on each side of the aisle, were painted + trophies, on which were written the names of some of Napoleon's Generals + and of their principal deeds of arms—and not their deeds of arms + alone, pardi, but their coats of arms too. O stars and garters! but this + is too much. What was Ney's paternal coat, prithee, or honest Junot's + quarterings, or the venerable escutcheon of King Joachim's father, the + innkeeper? + </p> + <p> + You and I, dear Miss Smith, know the exact value of heraldic bearings. We + know that though the greatest pleasure of all is to ACT like a gentleman, + it is a pleasure, nay a merit, to BE one—to come of an old stock, to + have an honorable pedigree, to be able to say that centuries back our + fathers had gentle blood, and to us transmitted the same. There IS a good + in gentility: the man who questions it is envious, or a coarse dullard not + able to perceive the difference between high breeding and low. One has in + the same way heard a man brag that he did not know the difference between + wines, not he—give him a good glass of port, and he would pitch all + your claret to the deuce. My love, men often brag about their own dulness + in this way. + </p> + <p> + In the matter of gentlemen, democrats cry, "Psha! Give us one of Nature's + gentlemen, and hang your aristocrats." And so indeed Nature does make SOME + gentlemen—a few here and there. But Art makes most. Good birth, that + is, good handsome well-formed fathers and mothers, nice cleanly + nursery-maids, good meals, good physicians, good education, few cares, + pleasant easy habits of life, and luxuries not too great or enervating, + but only refining—a course of these going on for a few generations + are the best gentleman-makers in the world, and beat Nature hollow. + </p> + <p> + If, respected Madam, you say that there is something BETTER than gentility + in this wicked world, and that honesty and personal wealth are more + valuable than all the politeness and high-breeding that ever wore + red-heeled pumps, knights' spurs, or Hoby's boots, Titmarsh for one is + never going to say you nay. If you even go so far as to say that the very + existence of this super-genteel society among us, from the slavish respect + that we pay to it, from the dastardly manner in which we attempt to + imitate its airs and ape its vices, goes far to destroy honesty of + intercourse, to make us meanly ashamed of our natural affections and + honest, harmless usages, and so does a great deal more harm than it is + possible it can do good by its example—perhaps, Madam, you speak + with some sort of reason. Potato myself, I can't help seeing that the + tulip yonder has the best place in the garden, and the most sunshine, and + the most water, and the best tending—and not liking him over well. + But I can't help acknowledging that Nature has given him a much finer + dress than ever I can hope to have, and of this, at least, must give him + the benefit. + </p> + <p> + Or say, we are so many cocks and hens, my dear (sans arriere pensee), with + our crops pretty full, our plumes pretty sleek, decent picking here and + there in the straw-yard, and tolerable snug roosting in the barn: yonder + on the terrace, in the sun, walks Peacock, stretching his proud neck, + squealing every now and then in the most pert fashionable voice and + flaunting his great supercilious dandified tail. Don't let us be too + angry, my dear, with the useless, haughty, insolent creature, because he + despises us. SOMETHING is there about Peacock that we don't possess. + Strain your neck ever so, you can't make it as long or as blue as his—cock + your tail as much as you please, and it will never be half so fine to look + at. But the most absurd, disgusting, contemptible sight in the world would + you and I be, leaving the barn-door for my lady's flower-garden, forsaking + our natural sturdy walk for the peacock's genteel rickety stride, and + adopting the squeak of his voice in the place of our gallant lusty + cock-a-doodle-dooing. + </p> + <p> + Do you take the allegory? I love to speak in such, and the above types + have been presented to my mind while sitting opposite a gimcrack + coat-of-arms and coronet that are painted in the Invalides Church, and + assigned to one of the Emperor's Generals. + </p> + <p> + Ventrebleu! Madam, what need have THEY of coats-of-arms and coronets, and + wretched imitations of old exploded aristocratic gewgaws that they had + flung out of the country—with the heads of the owners in them + sometimes, for indeed they were not particular—a score of years + before? What business, forsooth, had they to be meddling with gentility + and aping its ways, who had courage, merit, daring, genius sometimes, and + a pride of their own to support, if proud they were inclined to be? A + clever young man (who was not of high family himself, but had been bred up + genteelly at Eton and the university)—young Mr. George Canning, at + the commencement of the French Revolution, sneered at "Roland the Just, + with ribbons in his shoes," and the dandies, who then wore buckles, voted + the sarcasm monstrous killing. It was a joke, my dear, worthy of a lackey, + or of a silly smart parvenu, not knowing the society into which his luck + had cast him (God help him! in later years, they taught him what they + were!), and fancying in his silly intoxication that simplicity was + ludicrous and fashion respectable. See, now, fifty years are gone, and + where are shoebuckles? Extinct, defunct, kicked into the irrevocable past + off the toes of all Europe! + </p> + <p> + How fatal to the parvenu, throughout history, has been this respect for + shoebuckles. Where, for instance, would the Empire of Napoleon have been, + if Ney and Lannes had never sported such a thing as a coat-of-arms, and + had only written their simple names on their shields, after the fashion of + Desaix's scutcheon yonder?—the bold Republican who led the crowning + charge at Marengo, and sent the best blood of the Holy Roman Empire to the + right-about, before the wretched misbegotten imperial heraldry was born, + that was to prove so disastrous to the father of it. It has always been + so. They won't amalgamate. A country must be governed by the one principle + or the other. But give, in a republic, an aristocracy ever so little + chance, and it works and plots and sneaks and bullies and sneers itself + into place, and you find democracy out of doors. Is it good that the + aristocracy should so triumph?—that is a question that you may + settle according to your own notions and taste; and permit me to say, I do + not care twopence how you settle it. Large books have been written upon + the subject in a variety of languages, and coming to a variety of + conclusions. Great statesmen are there in our country, from Lord + Londonderry down to Mr. Vincent, each in his degree maintaining his + different opinion. But here, in the matter of Napoleon, is a simple fact: + he founded a great, glorious, strong, potent republic, able to cope with + the best aristocracies in the world, and perhaps to beat them all; he + converts his republic into a monarchy, and surrounds his monarchy with + what he calls aristocratic institutions; and you know what becomes of him. + The people estranged, the aristocracy faithless (when did they ever pardon + one who was not of themselves?)—the imperial fabric tumbles to the + ground. If it teaches nothing else, my dear, it teaches one a great point + of policy—namely, to stick by one's party. + </p> + <p> + While these thoughts (and sundry others relative to the horrible cold of + the place, the intense dulness of delay, the stupidity of leaving a warm + bed and a breakfast in order to witness a procession that is much better + performed at a theatre)—while these thoughts were passing in the + mind, the church began to fill apace, and you saw that the hour of the + ceremony was drawing near. + </p> + <p> + Imprimis, came men with lighted staves, and set fire to at least ten + thousand wax-candles that were hanging in brilliant chandeliers in various + parts of the chapel. Curtains were dropped over the upper windows as these + illuminations were effected, and the church was left only to the funereal + light of the spermaceti. To the right was the dome, round the cavity of + which sparkling lamps were set, that designed the shape of it brilliantly + against the darkness. In the midst, and where the altar used to stand, + rose the catafalque. And why not? Who is God here but Napoleon? and in him + the sceptics have already ceased to believe; but the people does still + somewhat. He and Louis XIV. divide the worship of the place between them. + </p> + <p> + As for the catafalque, the best that I can say for it is that it is really + a noble and imposing-looking edifice, with tall pillars supporting a grand + dome, with innumerable escutcheons, standards, and allusions military and + funereal. A great eagle of course tops the whole: tripods burning spirits + of wine stand round this kind of dead man's throne, and as we saw it (by + peering over the heads of our neighbors in the front rank), it looked, in + the midst of the black concave, and under the effect of half a thousand + flashing cross-lights, properly grand and tall. The effect of the whole + chapel, however (to speak the jargon of the painting-room), was spoiled by + being CUT UP: there were too many objects for the eye to rest upon: the + ten thousand wax-candles, for instance, in their numberless twinkling + chandeliers, the raw tranchant colors of the new banners, wreaths, bees, + N's, and other emblems dotting the place all over, and incessantly + puzzling, or rather BOTHERING the beholder. + </p> + <p> + High overhead, in a sort of mist, with the glare of their original colors + worn down by dust and time, hung long rows of dim ghostly-looking + standards, captured in old days from the enemy. They were, I thought, the + best and most solemn part of the show. + </p> + <p> + To suppose that the people were bound to be solemn during the ceremony is + to exact from them something quite needless and unnatural. The very fact + of a squeeze dissipates all solemnity. One great crowd is always, as I + imagine, pretty much like another. In the course of the last few years I + have seen three: that attending the coronation of our present sovereign, + that which went to see Courvoisier hanged, and this which witnessed the + Napoleon ceremony. The people so assembled for hours together are jocular + rather than solemn, seeking to pass away the weary time with the best + amusements that will offer. There was, to be sure, in all the scenes above + alluded to, just one moment—one particular moment—when the + universal people feels a shock and is for that second serious. + </p> + <p> + But except for that second of time, I declare I saw no seriousness here + beyond that of ennui. The church began to fill with personages of all + ranks and conditions. First, opposite our seats came a company of fat + grenadiers of the National Guard, who presently, at the word of command, + put their muskets down against benches and wainscots, until the arrival of + the procession. For seven hours these men formed the object of the most + anxious solicitude of all the ladies and gentlemen seated on our benches: + they began to stamp their feet, for the cold was atrocious, and we were + frozen where we sat. Some of them fell to blowing their fingers; one + executed a kind of dance, such as one sees often here in cold weather—the + individual jumps repeatedly upon one leg, and kicks out the other + violently, meanwhile his hands are flapping across his chest. Some fellows + opened their cartouche-boxes, and from them drew eatables of various + kinds. You can't think how anxious we were to know the qualities of the + same. "Tiens, ce gros qui mange une cuisse de volaille!"—"Il a du + jambon, celui-la." "I should like some, too," growls an Englishman, "for I + hadn't a morsel of breakfast," and so on. This is the way, my dear, that + we see Napoleon buried. + </p> + <p> + Did you ever see a chicken escape from clown in a pantomime, and hop over + into the pit, or amongst the fiddlers? and have you not seen the shrieks + of enthusiastic laughter that the wondrous incident occasions? We had our + chicken, of course: there never was a public crowd without one. A poor + unhappy woman in a greasy plaid cloak, with a battered rose-colored plush + bonnet, was seen taking her place among the stalls allotted to the + grandees. "Voyez donc l'Anglaise," said everybody, and it was too true. + You could swear that the wretch was an Englishwoman: a bonnet was never + made or worn so in any other country. Half an hour's delightful amusement + did this lady give us all. She was whisked from seat to seat by the + huissiers, and at every change of place woke a peal of laughter. I was + glad, however, at the end of the day to see the old pink bonnet over a + very comfortable seat, which somebody had not claimed and she had kept. + </p> + <p> + Are not these remarkable incidents? The next wonder we saw was the arrival + of a set of tottering old Invalids, who took their places under us with + drawn sabres. Then came a superb drum-major, a handsome smiling + good-humored giant of a man, his breeches astonishingly embroidered with + silver lace. Him a dozen little drummer-boys followed—"the little + darlings!" all the ladies cried out in a breath: they were indeed pretty + little fellows, and came and stood close under us: the huge drum-major + smiled over his little red-capped flock, and for many hours in the most + perfect contentment twiddled his moustaches and played with the tassels of + his cane. + </p> + <p> + Now the company began to arrive thicker and thicker. A whole covey of + Conseillers-d'Etat came in, in blue coats, embroidered with blue silk, + then came a crowd of lawyers in toques and caps, among whom were sundry + venerable Judges in scarlet, purple velvet, and ermine—a kind of + Bajazet costume. Look there! there is the Turkish Ambassador in his red + cap, turning his solemn brown face about and looking preternaturally wise. + The Deputies walk in in a body. Guizot is not there: he passed by just now + in full ministerial costume. Presently little Thiers saunters back: what a + clear, broad sharp-eyed face the fellow has, with his gray hair cut down + so demure! A servant passes, pushing through the crowd a shabby + wheel-chair. It has just brought old Moncey the Governor of the Invalids, + the honest old man who defended Paris so stoutly in 1814. He has been very + ill, and is worn down almost by infirmities: but in his illness he was + perpetually asking, "Doctor, shall I live till the 15th? Give me till + then, and I die contented." One can't help believing that the old man's + wish is honest, however one may doubt the piety of another illustrious + Marshal, who once carried a candle before Charles X. in a procession, and + has been this morning to Neuilly to kneel and pray at the foot of + Napoleon's coffin. He might have said his prayers at home, to be sure; but + don't let us ask too much: that kind of reserve is not a Frenchman's + characteristic. + </p> + <p> + Bang—bang! At about half-past two a dull sound of cannonading was + heard without the church, and signals took place between the Commandant of + the Invalids, of the National Guards, and the big drum-major. Looking to + these troops (the fat Nationals were shuffling into line again) the two + Commandants tittered, as nearly as I could catch them, the following words— + </p> + <p> + "HARRUM HUMP!" + </p> + <p> + At once all the National bayonets were on the present, and the sabres of + the old Invalids up. The big drum-major looked round at the children, who + began very slowly and solemnly on their drums, Rub-dub-dub—rub-dub-dub—(count + two between each)—rub-dub-dub, and a great procession of priests + came down from the altar. + </p> + <p> + First, there was a tall handsome cross-bearer, bearing a long gold cross, + of which the front was turned towards his grace the Archbishop. Then came + a double row of about sixteen incense-boys, dressed in white surplices: + the first boy, about six years old, the last with whiskers and of the + height of a man. Then followed a regiment of priests in black tippets and + white gowns: they had black hoods, like the moon when she is at her third + quarter, wherewith those who were bald (many were, and fat too) covered + themselves. All the reverend men held their heads meekly down, and + affected to be reading in their breviaries. + </p> + <p> + After the Priests came some Bishops of the neighboring districts, in + purple, with crosses sparkling on their episcopal bosoms. + </p> + <p> + Then came, after more priests, a set of men whom I have never seen before—a + kind of ghostly heralds, young and handsome men, some of them in stiff + tabards of black and silver, their eyes to the ground, their hands placed + at right angles with their chests. + </p> + <p> + Then came two gentlemen bearing remarkable tall candlesticks, with candles + of corresponding size. One was burning brightly, but the wind (that + chartered libertine) had blown out the other, which nevertheless kept its + place in the procession—I wondered to myself whether the reverend + gentleman who carried the extinguished candle, felt disgusted, humiliated, + mortified—perfectly conscious that the eyes of many thousands of + people were bent upon that bit of refractory wax. We all of us looked at + it with intense interest. + </p> + <p> + Another cross-bearer, behind whom came a gentleman carrying an instrument + like a bedroom candlestick. + </p> + <p> + His Grandeur Monseigneur Affre, Archbishop of Paris: he was in black and + white, his eyes were cast to the earth, his hands were together at right + angles from his chest: on his hands were black gloves, and on the black + gloves sparkled the sacred episcopal—what do I say?—archiepiscopal + ring. On his head was the mitre. It is unlike the godly coronet that + figures upon the coach-panels of our own Right Reverend Bench. The + Archbishop's mitre may be about a yard high: formed within probably of + consecrated pasteboard, it is without covered by a sort of watered silk of + white and silver. On the two peaks at the top of the mitre are two very + little spangled tassels, that frisk and twinkle about in a very agreeable + manner. + </p> + <p> + Monseigneur stood opposite to us for some time, when I had the opportunity + to note the above remarkable phenomena. He stood opposite me for some + time, keeping his eyes steadily on the ground, his hands before him, a + small clerical train following after. Why didn't they move? There was the + National Guard keeping on presenting arms, the little drummers going on + rub-dub-dub—rub-dub-dub—in the same steady, slow way, and the + Procession never moved an inch. There was evidently, to use an elegant + phrase, a hitch somewhere. + </p> + <p> + [Enter a fat priest who bustles up to the drum-major.] + </p> + <p> + Fat priest—"Taisez-vous." + </p> + <p> + Little drummer—Rub-dub-dub—rub-dub-dub—rub-dub-dub, + &c. + </p> + <p> + Drum-major—"Qu'est-ce donc?" + </p> + <p> + Fat priest—"Taisez-vous, dis-je; ce n'est pas le corps. Il + n'arrivera pas—pour une heure." + </p> + <p> + The little drums were instantly hushed, the procession turned to the + right-about, and walked back to the altar again, the blown-out candle that + had been on the near side of us before was now on the off side, the + National Guards set down their muskets and began at their sandwiches + again. We had to wait an hour and a half at least before the great + procession arrived. The guns without went on booming all the while at + intervals, and as we heard each, the audience gave a kind of "ahahah!" + such as you hear when the rockets go up at Vauxhall. + </p> + <p> + At last the real Procession came. + </p> + <p> + Then the drums began to beat as formerly, the Nationals to get under arms, + the clergymen were sent for and went, and presently—yes, there was + the tall cross-bearer at the head of the procession, and they came BACK! + </p> + <p> + They chanted something in a weak, snuffling, lugubrious manner, to the + melancholy bray of a serpent. + </p> + <p> + Crash! however, Mr. Habeneck and the fiddlers in the organ loft pealed out + a wild shrill march, which stopped the reverend gentlemen, and in the + midst of this music— + </p> + <p> + And of a great trampling of feet and clattering, + </p> + <p> + And of a great crowd of Generals and Officers in fine clothes, + </p> + <p> + With the Prince de Joinville marching quickly at the head of the + procession, + </p> + <p> + And while everybody's heart was thumping as hard as possible, + </p> + <p> + NAPOLEON'S COFFIN PASSED. + </p> + <p> + It was done in an instant. A box covered with a great red cross—a + dingy-looking crown lying on the top of it—Seamen on one side and + Invalids on the other—they had passed in an instant and were up the + aisle. + </p> + <p> + A faint snuffling sound, as before, was heard from the officiating + priests, but we knew of nothing more. It is said that old Louis Philippe + was standing at the catafalque, whither the Prince de Joinville advanced + and said, "Sire, I bring you the body of the Emperor Napoleon." + </p> + <p> + Louis Philippe answered, "I receive it in the name of France." Bertrand + put on the body the most glorious victorious sword that ever has been + forged since the apt descendants of the first murderer learned how to + hammer steel; and the coffin was placed in the temple prepared for it. + </p> + <p> + The six hundred singers and the fiddlers now commenced the playing and + singing of a piece of music; and a part of the crew of the "Belle Poule" + skipped into the places that had been kept for them under us, and listened + to the music, chewing tobacco. While the actors and fiddlers were going + on, most of the spirits-of-wine lamps on altars went out. + </p> + <p> + When we arrived in the open air we passed through the court of the + Invalids, where thousands of people had been assembled, but where the + benches were now quite bare. Then we came on to the terrace before the + place: the old soldiers were firing off the great guns, which made a + dreadful stunning noise, and frightened some of us, who did not care to + pass before the cannon and be knocked down even by the wadding. The guns + were fired in honor of the King, who was going home by a back door. All + the forty thousand people who covered the great stands before the Hotel + had gone away too. The Imperial Barge had been dragged up the river, and + was lying lonely along the Quay, examined by some few shivering people on + the shore. + </p> + <p> + It was five o'clock when we reached home: the stars were shining keenly + out of the frosty sky, and Francois told me that dinner was just ready. + </p> + <p> + In this manner, my dear Miss Smith, the great Napoleon was buried. + </p> + <p> + Farewell. + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Second Funeral of Napoleon, by +William Makepeace Thackeray (AKA "Michael Angelo Titmarch") + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON *** + +***** This file should be named 2645-h.htm or 2645-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/4/2645/ + +Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Second Funeral of Napoleon + +Author: William Makepeace Thackeray (AKA "Michael Angelo Titmarch") + +Release Date: May 21, 2006 [EBook #2645] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Lainson + + + + + +THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON + +by William Makepeace Thackeray + +AKA Michael Angelo Titmarch. + + + +I. On the Disinterment of Napoleon at St. Helena + +II. On the Voyage from St. Helena to Paris + +III. On the Funeral Ceremony + + + + +I.--ON THE DISINTERMENT OF NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. + + +MY DEAR ----,--It is no easy task in this world to distinguish between +what is great in it, and what is mean; and many and many is the puzzle +that I have had in reading History (or the works of fiction which go by +that name), to know whether I should laud up to the skies, and endeavor, +to the best of my small capabilities, to imitate the remarkable +character about whom I was reading, or whether I should fling aside the +book and the hero of it, as things altogether base, unworthy, laughable, +and get a novel, or a game of billiards, or a pipe of tobacco, or the +report of the last debate in the House, or any other employment which +would leave the mind in a state of easy vacuity, rather than pester it +with a vain set of dates relating to actions which are in themselves not +worth a fig, or with a parcel of names of people whom it can do one no +earthly good to remember. + +It is more than probable, my love, that you are acquainted with what is +called Grecian and Roman history, chiefly from perusing, in very +early youth, the little sheepskin-bound volumes of the ingenious Dr. +Goldsmith, and have been indebted for your knowledge of the English +annals to a subsequent study of the more voluminous works of Hume and +Smollett. The first and the last-named authors, dear Miss Smith, have +written each an admirable history,--that of the Reverend Dr. Primrose, +Vicar of Wakefield, and that of Mr. Robert Bramble, of Bramble Hall--in +both of which works you will find true and instructive pictures of human +life, and which you may always think over with advantage. But let me +caution you against putting any considerable trust in the other works of +these authors, which were placed in your hands at school and afterwards, +and in which you were taught to believe. Modern historians, for the most +part, know very little, and, secondly, only tell a little of what they +know. + +As for those Greeks and Romans whom you have read of in "sheepskin," +were you to know really what those monsters were, you would blush all +over as red as a hollyhock, and put down the history-book in a fury. +Many of our English worthies are no better. You are not in a situation +to know the real characters of any one of them. They appear before you +in their public capacities, but the individuals you know not. Suppose, +for instance, your mamma had purchased her tea in the Borough from a +grocer living there by the name of Greenacre: suppose you had been asked +out to dinner, and the gentleman of the house had said: "Ho! Francois! +a glass of champagne for Miss Smith;"--Courvoisier would have served you +just as any other footman would; you would never have known that there +was anything extraordinary in these individuals, but would have thought +of them only in their respective public characters of Grocer and +Footman. This, Madam, is History, in which a man always appears dealing +with the world in his apron, or his laced livery, but which has not the +power or the leisure, or, perhaps, is too high and mighty to condescend +to follow and study him in his privacy. Ah, my dear, when big and little +men come to be measured rightly, and great and small actions to be +weighed properly, and people to be stripped of their royal robes, +beggars' rags, generals' uniforms, seedy out-at-elbowed coats, and +the like--or the contrary say, when souls come to be stripped of their +wicked deceiving bodies, and turned out stark naked as they were before +they were born--what a strange startling sight shall we see, and what a +pretty figure shall some of us cut! Fancy how we shall see Pride, with +his Stultz clothes and padding pulled off, and dwindled down to a forked +radish! Fancy some Angelic Virtue, whose white raiment is suddenly +whisked over his head, showing us cloven feet and a tail! Fancy +Humility, eased of its sad load of cares and want and scorn, walking +up to the very highest place of all, and blushing as he takes it! +Fancy,--but we must not fancy such a scene at all, which would be an +outrage on public decency. Should we be any better than our neighbors? +No, certainly. And as we can't be virtuous, let us be decent. Figleaves +are a very decent, becoming wear, and have been now in fashion for four +thousand years. And so, my dear, history is written on fig-leaves. Would +you have anything further? O fie! + +Yes, four thousand years ago that famous tree was planted. At their +very first lie, our first parents made for it, and there it is still the +great Humbug Plant, stretching its wide arms, and sheltering beneath its +leaves, as broad and green as ever, all the generations of men. Thus, +my dear, coquettes of your fascinating sex cover their persons with +figgery, fantastically arranged, and call their masquerading, modesty. +Cowards fig themselves out fiercely as "salvage men," and make us +believe that they are warriors. Fools look very solemnly out from the +dusk of the leaves, and we fancy in the gloom that they are sages. And +many a man sets a great wreath about his pate and struts abroad a +hero, whose claims we would all of us laugh at, could we but remove the +ornament and see his numskull bare. + +And such--(excuse my sermonizing)--such is the constitution of mankind, +that men have, as it were, entered into a compact among themselves to +pursue the fig-leaf system a l'outrance, and to cry down all who +oppose it. Humbug they will have. Humbugs themselves, they will respect +humbugs. Their daily victuals of life must be seasoned with humbug. +Certain things are there in the world that they will not allow to be +called by their right names, and will insist upon our admiring, whether +we will or no. Woe be to the man who would enter too far into the +recesses of that magnificent temple where our Goddess is enshrined, peep +through the vast embroidered curtains indiscreetly, penetrate the secret +of secrets, and expose the Gammon of Gammons! And as you must not peer +too curiously within, so neither must you remain scornfully without. +Humbug-worshippers, let us come into our great temple regularly and +decently: take our seats, and settle our clothes decently; open our +books, and go through the service with decent gravity; listen, and be +decently affected by the expositions of the decent priest of the place; +and if by chance some straggling vagabond, loitering in the sunshine out +of doors, dares to laugh or to sing, and disturb the sanctified dulness +of the faithful;--quick! a couple of big beadles rush out and belabor +the wretch, and his yells make our devotions more comfortable. + +Some magnificent religious ceremonies of this nature are at present +taking place in France; and thinking that you might perhaps while away +some long winter evening with an account of them, I have compiled the +following pages for your use. Newspapers have been filled, for some days +past, with details regarding the St. Helena expedition, many pamphlets +have been published, men go about crying little books and broadsheets +filled with real or sham particulars; and from these scarce and valuable +documents the following pages are chiefly compiled. + +We must begin at the beginning; premising, in the first place, that +Monsieur Guizot, when French Ambassador at London, waited upon Lord +Palmerston with a request that the body of the Emperor Napoleon should +be given up to the French nation, in order that it might find a final +resting-place in French earth. To this demand the English Government +gave a ready assent; nor was there any particular explosion of sentiment +upon either side, only some pretty cordial expressions of mutual +good-will. Orders were sent out to St. Helena that the corpse should +be disinterred in due time, when the French expedition had arrived in +search of it, and that every respect and attention should be paid to +those who came to carry back to their country the body of the famous +dead warrior and sovereign. + +This matter being arranged in very few words (as in England, upon most +points, is the laudable fashion), the French Chambers began to debate +about the place in which they should bury the body when they got it; +and numberless pamphlets and newspapers out of doors joined in the talk. +Some people there were who had fought and conquered and been beaten with +the great Napoleon, and loved him and his memory. Many more were there +who, because of his great genius and valor, felt excessively proud in +their own particular persons, and clamored for the return of their +hero. And if there were some few individuals in this great hot-headed, +gallant, boasting, sublime, absurd French nation, who had taken a cool +view of the dead Emperor's character; if, perhaps, such men as Louis +Philippe, and Monsieur A. Thiers, Minister and Deputy, and Monsieur +Francois Guizot, Deputy and Excellency, had, from interest or +conviction, opinions at all differing from those of the majority; why, +they knew what was what, and kept their opinions to themselves, coming +with a tolerably good grace and flinging a few handfuls of incense upon +the altar of the popular idol. + +In the succeeding debates, then, various opinions were given with +regard to the place to be selected for the Emperor's sepulture. "Some +demanded," says an eloquent anonymous Captain in the Navy who has +written an "Itinerary from Toulon to St. Helena," "that the coffin +should be deposited under the bronze taken from the enemy by the French +army--under the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea was a fine one. +This is the most glorious monument that was ever raised in a conqueror's +honor. This column has been melted out of foreign cannon. These same +cannons have furrowed the bosoms of our braves with noble cicatrices; +and this metal--conquered by the soldier first, by the artist +afterwards--has allowed to be imprinted on its front its own defeat and +our glory. Napoleon might sleep in peace under this audacious trophy. +But, would his ashes find a shelter sufficiently vast beneath this +pedestal? And his puissant statue dominating Paris, beams with +sufficient grandeur on this place: whereas the wheels of carriages and +the feet of passengers would profane the funereal sanctity of the spot +in trampling on the soil so near his head." + +You must not take this description, dearest Amelia, "at the foot of +the letter," as the French phrase it, but you will here have a masterly +exposition of the arguments for and against the burial of the Emperor +under the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea was a fine one, granted; +but, like all other ideas, it was open to objections. You must not +fancy that the cannon, or rather the cannon-balls, were in the habit +of furrowing the bosoms of French braves, or any other braves, with +cicatrices: on the contrary, it is a known fact that cannon-balls +make wounds, and not cicatrices (which, my dear, are wounds partially +healed); nay, that a man generally dies after receiving one such +projectile on his chest, much more after having his bosom furrowed by +a score of them. No, my love; no bosom, however heroic, can stand such +applications, and the author only means that the French soldiers faced +the cannon and took them. Nor, my love, must you suppose that the column +was melted: it was the cannon was melted, not the column; but such +phrases are often used by orators when they wish to give a particular +force and emphasis to their opinions. + +Well, again, although Napoleon might have slept in peace under "this +audacious trophy," how could he do so and carriages go rattling by all +night, and people with great iron heels to their boots pass clattering +over the stones? Nor indeed could it be expected that a man whose +reputation stretches from the Pyramids to the Kremlin, should find a +column of which the base is only five-and-twenty feet square, a shelter +vast enough for his bones. In a word, then, although the proposal to +bury Napoleon under the column was ingenious, it was found not to suit; +whereupon somebody else proposed the Madelaine. + +"It was proposed," says the before-quoted author with his usual +felicity, "to consecrate the Madelaine to his exiled manes"--that is, to +his bones when they were not in exile any longer. "He ought to have, it +was said, a temple entire. His glory fills the world. His bones could +not contain themselves in the coffin of a man--in the tomb of a king!" +In this case what was Mary Magdalen to do? "This proposition, I am +happy to say, was rejected, and a new one--that of the President of the +Council adopted. Napoleon and his braves ought not to quit each other. +Under the immense gilded dome of the Invalides he would find a sanctuary +worthy of himself. A dome imitates the vault of heaven, and that vault +alone" (meaning of course the other vault) "should dominate above his +head. His old mutilated Guard shall watch around him: the last veteran, +as he has shed his blood in his combats, shall breathe his last sigh +near his tomb, and all these tombs shall sleep under the tattered +standards that have been won from all the nations of Europe." + +The original words are "sous les lambeaux cribles des drapeaux cueillis +chez toutes les nations;" in English, "under the riddled rags of the +flags that have been culled or plucked" (like roses or buttercups) "in +all the nations." Sweet, innocent flowers of victory! there they are, my +dear, sure enough, and a pretty considerable hortus siccus may any man +examine who chooses to walk to the Invalides. The burial-place being +thus agreed on, the expedition was prepared, and on the 7th July the +"Belle Poule" frigate, in company with "La Favorite" corvette, quitted +Toulon harbor. A couple of steamers, the "Trident" and the "Ocean," +escorted the ships as far as Gibraltar, and there left them to pursue +their voyage. + +The two ships quitted the harbor in the sight of a vast concourse of +people, and in the midst of a great roaring of cannons. Previous to the +departure of the "Belle Poule," the Bishop of Frejus went on board, +and gave to the cenotaph, in which the Emperor's remains were to +be deposited, his episcopal benediction. Napoleon's old friends and +followers, the two Bertrands, Gourgaud, Emanuel Las Cases, "companions +in exile, or sons of the companions in exile of the prisoner of the +infame Hudson," says a French writer, were passengers on board the +frigate. Marchand, Denis, Pierret, Novaret, his old and faithful +servants, were likewise in the vessel. It was commanded by his Royal +Highness Francis Ferdinand Philip Louis Marie d'Orleans, Prince de +Joinville, a young prince two-and-twenty years of age, who was already +distinguished in the service of his country and king. + +On the 8th of October, after a voyage of six-and-sixty days, the "Belle +Poule" arrived in James Town harbor; and on its arrival, as on its +departure from France, a great firing of guns took place. First, the +"Oreste" French brig-of-war began roaring out a salutation to the +frigate; then the "Dolphin" English schooner gave her one-and-twenty +guns; then the frigate returned the compliment of the "Dolphin" +schooner; then she blazed out with one-and-twenty guns more, as a +mark of particular politeness to the shore--which kindness the forts +acknowledged by similar detonations. + +These little compliments concluded on both sides, Lieutenant Middlemore, +son and aide-de-camp of the Governor of St. Helena, came on board the +French frigate, and brought his father's best respects to his Royal +Highness. The Governor was at home ill, and forced to keep his room; but +he had made his house at James Town ready for Captain Joinville and his +suite, and begged that they would make use of it during their stay. + +On the 9th, H. R. H. the Prince of Joinville put on his full uniform and +landed, in company with Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases, +M. Marchand, M. Coquereau, the chaplain of the expedition, and M. de +Rohan Chabot, who acted as chief mourner. All the garrison were under +arms to receive the illustrious Prince and the other members of the +expedition--who forthwith repaired to Plantation House, and had a +conference with the Governor regarding their mission. + +On the 10th, 11th, 12th, these conferences continued: the crews of +the French ships were permitted to come on shore and see the tomb of +Napoleon. Bertrand, Gourgaud, Las Cases wandered about the island and +revisited the spots to which they had been partial in the lifetime of +the Emperor. + +The 15th October was fixed on for the day of the exhumation: that day +five-and twenty years, the Emperor Napoleon first set his foot upon the +island. + +On the day previous all things had been made ready: the grand coffins +and ornaments brought from France, and the articles necessary for the +operation were carried to the valley of the Tomb. + +The operations commenced at midnight. The well-known friends of Napoleon +before named and some other attendants of his, the chaplain and his +acolytes, the doctor of the "Belle Poule," the captains of the French +ships, and Captain Alexander of the Engineers, the English Commissioner, +attended the disinterment. His Royal highness Prince de Joinville could +not be present because the workmen were under English command. + +The men worked for nine hours incessantly, when at length the earth was +entirely removed from the vault, all the horizontal strata of masonry +demolished, and the large slab which covered the place where the stone +sarcophagus lay, removed by a crane. This outer coffin of stone was +perfect, and could scarcely be said to be damp. + +"As soon as the Abbe Coquereau had recited the prayers, the coffin was +removed with the greatest care, and carried by the engineer-soldiers, +bareheaded, into a tent that had been prepared for the purpose. After +the religious ceremonies, the inner coffins were opened. The outermost +coffin was slightly injured: then came, one of lead, which was in good +condition, and enclosed two others--one of tin and one of wood. The last +coffin was lined inside with white satin, which, having become detached +by the effect of time, had fallen upon the body and enveloped it like a +winding-sheet, and had become slightly attached to it. + +"It is difficult to describe with what anxiety and emotion those who +were present waited for the moment which was to expose to them all +that death had left of Napoleon. Notwithstanding the singular state of +preservation of the tomb and coffins, we could scarcely hope to find +anything but some misshapen remains of the least perishable part of the +costume to evidence the identity of the body. But when Doctor Guillard +raised the sheet of satin, an indescribable feeling of surprise and +affection was expressed by the spectators, many of whom burst into +tears. The Emperor was himself before their eyes! The features of the +face, though changed, were perfectly recognized; the hands extremely +beautiful; his well-known costume had suffered but little, and the +colors were easily distinguished. The attitude itself was full of ease, +and but for the fragments of the satin lining which covered, as with +a fine gauze, several parts of the uniform, we might have believed we +still saw Napoleon before us lying on his bed of state. General Bertrand +and M. Marchand, who were both present at the interment, quickly pointed +out the different articles which each had deposited in the coffin, and +remained in the precise position in which they had previously described +them to be. + +"The two inner coffins were carefully closed again; the old leaden +coffin was strongly blocked up with wedges of wood, and both were once +more soldered up with the most minute precautions, under the direction +of Dr. Guillard. These different operations being terminated, the ebony +sarcophagus was closed as well as its oak case. On delivering the key +of the ebony sarcophagus to Count de Chabot, the King's Commissioner, +Captain Alexander declared to him, in the name of the Governor, that +this coffin, containing the mortal remains of the Emperor Napoleon, was +considered as at the disposal of the French Government from that +day, and from the moment at which it should arrive at the place of +embarkation, towards which it was about to be sent under the orders of +General Middlemore. The King's Commissioner replied that he was charged +by his Government, and in its name, to accept the coffin from the hands +of the British authorities, and that he and the other persons composing +the French mission were ready to follow it to James Town, where the +Prince de Joinville, superior commandant of the expedition, would be +ready to receive it and conduct it on board his frigate. A car drawn by +four horses, decked with funereal emblems, had been prepared before the +arrival of the expedition, to receive the coffin, as well as a pall, and +all the other suitable trappings of mourning. When the sarcophagus was +placed on the car, the whole was covered with a magnificent imperial +mantle brought from Paris, the four corners of which were borne by +Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases and M. Marchand. At +half-past three o'clock the funeral car began to move, preceded by a +chorister bearing the cross, and by the Abbe Coquereau. M. de Chabot +acted as chief mourner. All the authorities of the island, all the +principal inhabitants, and the whole of the garrison, followed in +procession from the tomb to the quay. But with the exception of the +artillerymen necessary to lead the horses, and occasionally support the +car when descending some steep parts of the way, the places nearest +the coffin were reserved for the French mission. General Middlemore, +although in a weak state of health, persisted in following the whole way +on foot, together with General Churchill, chief of the staff in India, +who had arrived only two days before from Bombay. The immense weight +of the coffins, and the unevenness of the road, rendered the utmost +carefulness necessary throughout the whole distance. Colonel Trelawney +commanded in person the small detachment of artillerymen who conducted +the car, and, thanks to his great care, not the slightest accident took +place. From the moment of departure to the arrival at the quay, the +cannons of the forts and the 'Belle Poule' fired minute-guns. After an +hour's march the rain ceased for the first time since the commencement +of the operations, and on arriving in sight of the town we found a +brilliant sky and beautiful weather. From the morning the three French +vessels of war had assumed the usual signs of deep mourning: their yards +crossed and their flags lowered. Two French merchantmen, 'Bonne +Amie' and 'Indien,' which had been in the roads for two days, had put +themselves under the Prince's orders, and followed during the ceremony +all the manoeuvers of the 'Belle Poule.' The forts of the town, and the +houses of the consuls, had also their flags half-mast high. + +"On arriving at the entrance of the town, the troops of the garrison +and the militia formed in two lines as far as the extremity of the quay. +According to the order for mourning prescribed for the English army, the +men had their arms reversed and the officers had crape on their arms, +with their swords reversed. All the inhabitants had been kept away from +the line of march, but they lined the terraces, commanding the town, and +the streets were occupied only by the troops, the 91st Regiment being +on the right and the militia on the left. The cortege advanced slowly +between two ranks of soldiers to the sound of a funeral march, while the +cannons of the forts were fired, as well as those of the 'Belle Poule' +and the 'Dolphin;' the echoes being repeated a thousand times by the +rocks above James Town. After two hours' march the cortege stopped at +the end of the quay, where the Prince de Joinville had stationed himself +at the head of the officers of the three French ships of war. The +greatest official honors had been rendered by the English authorities to +the memory of the Emperor--the most striking testimonials of respect had +marked the adieu given by St. Helena to his coffin; and from this moment +the mortal remains of the Emperor were about to belong to France. When +the funeral-car stopped, the Prince de Joinville advanced alone, and in +presence of all around, who stood with their heads uncovered, received, +in a solemn manner, the imperial coffin from the hands of General +Middlemore. His Royal Highness then thanked the Governor, in the name of +France, for all the testimonials of sympathy and respect with which the +authorities and inhabitants of St. Helena had surrounded the memorable +ceremonial. A cutter had been expressly prepared to receive the coffin. +During the embarkation, which the Prince directed himself, the bands +played funeral airs, and all the boats were stationed round with +their oars shipped. The moment the sarcophagus touched the cutter, a +magnificent royal flag, which the ladies of James Town had embroidered +for the occasion, was unfurled, and the 'Belle Poule' immediately +squared her masts and unfurled her colors. All the manoeuvers of the +frigate were immediately followed by the other vessels. Our mourning had +ceased with the exile of Napoleon, and the French naval division dressed +itself out in all its festal ornaments to receive the imperial coffin +under the French flag. The sarcophagus was covered in the cutter with +the imperial mantle. The Prince de Joinville placed himself at the +rudder, Commandant Guyet at the head of the boat; Generals Bertrand and +Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases, M. Marchand, and the Abbe Coquereau occupied +the same places as during the march. Count Chabot and Commandant Hernoux +were astern, a little in advance of the Prince. As soon as the cutter +had pushed off from the quay, the batteries ashore fired a salute +of twenty-one guns, and our ships returned the salute with all their +artillery. Two other salutes were fired during the passage from the quay +to the frigate; the cutter advancing very slowly, and surrounded by the +other boats. At half-past six o'clock it reached the 'Belle Poule,' all +the men being on the yards with their hats in their hands. The Prince +had had arranged on the deck a chapel, decked with flags and trophies of +arms, the altar being placed at the foot of the mizzen-mast. The coffin, +carried by our sailors, passed between two ranks of officers with +drawn swords, and was placed on the quarter-deck. The absolution was +pronounced by the Abbe Coquereau the same evening. Next day, at ten +o'clock, a solemn mass was celebrated on the deck, in presence of the +officers and part of the crews of the ships. His Royal Highness stood at +the foot of the coffin. The cannon of the 'Favorite' and 'Oreste' +fired minute-guns during this ceremony, which terminated by a solemn +absolution; and the Prince de Joinville, the gentlemen of the mission, +the officers, and the premiers maitres of the ship, sprinkled holy +water on the coffin. At eleven, all the ceremonies of the church were +accomplished, all the honors done to a sovereign had been paid to the +mortal remains of Napoleon. The coffin was carefully lowered between +decks, and placed in the chapelle ardente which had been prepared at +Toulon for its reception. At this moment, the vessels fired a last +salute with all their artillery, and the frigate took in her flags, +keeping up only her flag at the stern and the royal standard at the +maintopgallant-mast. On Sunday, the 18th, at eight in the morning, the +'Belle Poule' quitted St. Helena with her precious deposit on board. + +"During the whole time that the mission remained at James Town, the best +understanding never ceased to exist between the population of the island +and the French. The Prince de Joinville and his companions met in all +quarters and at all times with the greatest good-will and the warmest +testimonials of sympathy. The authorities and the inhabitants must have +felt, no doubt, great regret at seeing taken away from their island +the coffin that had rendered it so celebrated; but they repressed their +feelings with a courtesy that does honor to the frankness of their +character." + + + + +II.--ON THE VOYAGE FROM ST. HELENA TO PARIS. + + +On the 18th October the French frigate quitted the island with its +precious burden on board. + +His Royal Highness the Captain acknowledged cordially the kindness +and attention which he and his crew had received from the English +authorities and the inhabitants of the Island of St. Helena; nay, +promised a pension to an old soldier who had been for many years +the guardian of the imperial tomb, and went so far as to take into +consideration the petition of a certain lodging-house keeper, who prayed +for a compensation for the loss which the removal of the Emperor's body +would occasion to her. And although it was not to be expected that the +great French nation should forego its natural desire of recovering the +remains of a hero so dear to it for the sake of the individual interest +of the landlady in question, it must have been satisfactory to her to +find, that the peculiarity of her position was so delicately appreciated +by the august Prince who commanded the expedition, and carried away with +him animae dimidium suae--the half of the genteel independence which +she derived from the situation of her hotel. In a word, politeness and +friendship could not be carried farther. The Prince's realm and the +landlady's were bound together by the closest ties of amity. M. Thiers +was Minister of France, the great patron of the English alliance. At +London M. Guizot was the worthy representative of the French good-will +towards the British people; and the remark frequently made by our +orators at public dinners, that "France and England, while united, might +defy the world," was considered as likely to hold good for many years +to come,--the union that is. As for defying the world, that was neither +here nor there; nor did English politicians ever dream of doing any +such thing, except perhaps at the tenth glass of port at "Freemason's +Tavern." + +Little, however, did Mrs. Corbett, the St. Helena landlady, little did +his Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand Philip Marie de Joinville know what +was going on in Europe all this time (when I say in Europe, I mean in +Turkey, Syria, and Egypt); how clouds, in fact, were gathering upon what +you call the political horizon; and how tempests were rising that were +to blow to pieces our Anglo-Gallic temple of friendship. Oh, but it +is sad to think that a single wicked old Turk should be the means of +setting our two Christian nations by the ears! + +Yes, my love, this disreputable old man had been for some time past the +object of the disinterested attention of the great sovereigns of Europe. +The Emperor Nicolas (a moral character, though following the +Greek superstition, and adored for his mildness and benevolence of +disposition), the Emperor Ferdinand, the King of Prussia, and our +own gracious Queen, had taken such just offence at his conduct and +disobedience towards a young and interesting sovereign, whose authority +he had disregarded, whose fleet he had kidnapped, whose fair provinces +he had pounced upon, that they determined to come to the aid of Abdul +Medjid the First, Emperor of the Turks, and bring his rebellious vassal +to reason. In this project the French nation was invited to join; but +they refused the invitation, saying, that it was necessary for the +maintenance of the balance of power in Europe that his Highness Mehemet +Ali should keep possession of what by hook or by crook he had gotten, +and that they would have no hand in injuring him. But why continue this +argument, which you have read in the newspapers for many months past? +You, my dear, must know as well as I, that the balance of power in +Europe could not possibly be maintained in any such way; and though, to +be sure, for the last fifteen years, the progress of the old robber has +not made much difference to us in the neighborhood of Russell Square, +and the battle of Nezib did not in the least affect our taxes, our +homes, our institutions, or the price of butcher's meat, yet there is no +knowing what MIGHT have happened had Mehemet Ali been allowed to +remain quietly as he was: and the balance of power in Europe might have +been--the deuce knows where. + +Here, then, in a nutshell, you have the whole matter in dispute. While +Mrs. Corbett and the Prince de Joinville were innocently interchanging +compliments at St. Helena,--bang! bang! Commodore Napier was pouring +broadsides into Tyre and Sidon; our gallant navy was storming breaches +and routing armies; Colonel Hodges had seized upon the green standard of +Ibrahim Pacha; and the powder-magazine of St. John of Acre was blown up +sky-high, with eighteen hundred Egyptian soldiers in company with it. +The French said that l'or Anglais had achieved all these successes, and +no doubt believed that the poor fellows at Acre were bribed to a man. + +It must have been particularly unpleasant to a high-minded nation like +the French--at the very moment when the Egyptian affair and the balance +of Europe had been settled in this abrupt way--to find out all of a +sudden that the Pasha of Egypt was their dearest friend and ally. They +had suffered in the person of their friend; and though, seeing that the +dispute was ended, and the territory out of his hand, they could not +hope to get it back for him, or to aid him in any substantial way, yet +Monsieur Thiers determined, just as a mark of politeness to the Pasha, +to fight all Europe for maltreating him,--all Europe, England included. +He was bent on war, and an immense majority of the nation went with him. +He called for a million of soldiers, and would have had them too, had +not the King been against the project and delayed the completion of it +at least for a time. + +Of these great European disputes Captain Joinville received a +notification while he was at sea on board his frigate: as we find by the +official account which has been published of his mission. + +"Some days after quitting St. Helena," says that document, "the +expedition fell in with a ship coming from Europe, and was thus made +acquainted with the warlike rumors then afloat, by which a collision +with the English marine was rendered possible. The Prince de Joinville +immediately assembled the officers of the 'Belle Poule,' to deliberate +on an event so unexpected and important. + +"The council of war having expressed its opinion that it was necessary +at all events to prepare for an energetic defence, preparations were +made to place in battery all the guns that the frigate could bring to +bear against the enemy. The provisional cabins that had been fitted up +in the battery were demolished, the partitions removed, and, with all +the elegant furniture of the cabins, flung into the sea. The Prince de +Joinville was the first 'to execute himself,' and the frigate soon found +itself armed with six or eight more guns. + +"That part of the ship where these cabins had previously been, went by +the name of Lacedaemon; everything luxurious being banished to make way +for what was useful. + +"Indeed, all persons who were on board agree in saying that Monseigneur +the Prince de Joinville most worthily acquitted himself of the great and +honorable mission which had been confided to him. All affirm not only +that the commandant of the expedition did everything at St. Helena +which as a Frenchman he was bound to do in order that the remains of the +Emperor should receive all the honors due to them, but moreover that he +accomplished his mission with all the measured solemnity, all the pious +and severe dignity, that the son of the Emperor himself would have shown +upon a like occasion. The commandant had also comprehended that the +remains of the Emperor must never fall into the hands of the stranger, +and being himself decided rather to sink his ship than to give up his +precious deposit, he had inspired every one about him with the same +energetic resolution that he had himself taken 'AGAINST AN EXTREME +EVENTUALITY.'" + +Monseigneur, my dear, is really one of the finest young fellows it +is possible to see. A tall, broad-chested, slim-waisted, brown-faced, +dark-eyed young prince, with a great beard (and other martial qualities +no doubt) beyond his years. As he strode into the Chapel of the +Invalides on Tuesday at the head of his men, he made no small +impression, I can tell you, upon the ladies assembled to witness the +ceremony. Nor are the crew of the "Belle Poule" less agreeable to look +at than their commander. A more clean, smart, active, well-limbed set of +lads never "did dance" upon the deck of the famed "Belle Poule" in the +days of her memorable combat with the "Saucy Arethusa." "These five +hundred sailors," says a French newspaper, speaking of them in the +proper French way, "sword in hand, in the severe costume of board-ship +(la severe tenue du bord), seemed proud of the mission that they +had just accomplished. Their blue jackets, their red cravats, the +turned-down collars of blue shirts edged with white, ABOVE ALL their +resolute appearance and martial air, gave a favorable specimen of the +present state of our marine--a marine of which so much might be +expected and from which so little has been required."--Le Commerce: 16th +December. + +There they were, sure enough; a cutlass upon one hip, a pistol on the +other--a gallant set of young men indeed. I doubt, to be sure, whether +the severe tenue du bord requires that the seaman should be always +furnished with those ferocious weapons, which in sundry maritime +manoeuvers, such as going to sleep in your hammock for instance, +or twinkling a binnacle, or luffing a marlinspike, or keelhauling a +maintopgallant (all naval operations, my dear, which any seafaring +novelist will explain to you)--I doubt, I say, whether these weapons are +ALWAYS worn by sailors, and have heard that they are commonly and very +sensibly too, locked up until they are wanted. Take another example: +suppose artillerymen were incessantly compelled to walk about with a +pyramid of twenty-four pound shot in one pocket, a lighted fuse and a +few barrels of gunpowder in the other--these objects would, as you may +imagine, greatly inconvenience the artilleryman in his peaceful state. + +The newspaper writer is therefore most likely mistaken in saying that +the seamen were in the severe tenue du bord, or by "bord" meaning +"abordage"--which operation they were not, in a harmless church, hung +round with velvet and wax-candles, and filled with ladies, surely called +upon to perform. Nor indeed can it be reasonably supposed that the +picked men of the crack frigate of the French navy are a "good specimen" +of the rest of the French marine, any more than a cuirassed colossus +at the gate of the Horse Guards can be considered a fair sample of the +British soldier of the line. The sword and pistol, however, had no doubt +their effect--the former was in its sheath, the latter not loaded, and +I hear that the French ladies are quite in raptures with these charming +loups-de-mer. + +Let the warlike accoutrements then pass. It was necessary, perhaps, to +strike the Parisians with awe, and therefore the crew was armed in this +fierce fashion; but why should the captain begin to swagger as well as +his men? and why did the Prince de Joinville lug out sword and pistol +so early? or why, if he thought fit to make preparations, should the +official journals brag of them afterwards as proofs of his extraordinary +courage? + +Here is the case. The English Government makes him a present of the +bones of Napoleon: English workmen work for nine hours without ceasing, +and dig the coffin out of the ground: the English Commissioner hands +over the key of the box to the French representative, Monsieur Chabot: +English horses carry the funeral car down to the sea-shore, accompanied +by the English Governor, who has actually left his bed to walk in the +procession and to do the French nation honor. + +After receiving and acknowledging these politenesses, the French captain +takes his charge on board, and the first thing we afterwards hear of +him is the determination "qu'il a su faire passer" into all his crew, +to sink rather than yield up the body of the Emperor aux mains de +l'etranger--into the hands of the foreigner. My dear Monseigneur, is not +this par trop fort? Suppose "the foreigner" had wanted the coffin, +could he not have kept it? Why show this uncalled-for valor, this +extraordinary alacrity at sinking? Sink or blow yourself up as much +as you please, but your Royal Highness must see that the genteel thing +would have been to wait until you were asked to do so, before you +offended good-natured, honest people, who--heaven help them!--have never +shown themselves at all murderously inclined towards you. A man knocks +up his cabins forsooth, throws his tables and chairs overboard, runs +guns into the portholes, and calls le quartier du bord ou existaient ces +chambres, Lacedaemon. Lacedaemon! There is a province, O Prince, in your +royal father's dominions, a fruitful parent of heroes in its time, which +would have given a much better nickname to your quartier du bord: you +should have called it Gascony. + + "Sooner than strike we'll all ex-pi-er + On board of the Bell-e Pou-le." + +Such fanfaronading is very well on the part of Tom Dibdin, but a person +of your Royal Highness's "pious and severe dignity" should have been +above it. If you entertained an idea that war was imminent, would it not +have been far better to have made your preparations in quiet, and when +you found the war rumor blown over, to have said nothing about what +you intended to do? Fie upon such cheap Lacedaemonianism! There is +no poltroon in the world but can brag about what he WOULD have done: +however, to do your Royal Highness's nation justice, they brag and fight +too. + +This narrative, my dear Miss Smith, as you will have remarked, is not a +simple tale merely, but is accompanied by many moral and pithy remarks +which form its chief value, in the writer's eyes at least, and the +above account of the sham Lacedaemon on board the "Belle Poule" has a +double-barrelled morality, as I conceive. Besides justly reprehending +the French propensity towards braggadocio, it proves very strongly +a point on which I am the only statesman in Europe who has strongly +insisted. In the "Paris Sketch Book" it was stated that THE FRENCH HATE +US. They hate us, my dear, profoundly and desperately, and there never +was such a hollow humbug in the world as the French alliance. Men get +a character for patriotism in France merely by hating England. Directly +they go into strong opposition (where, you know, people are always more +patriotic than on the ministerial side), they appeal to the people, and +have their hold on the people by hating England in common with them. +Why? It is a long story, and the hatred may be accounted for by many +reasons both political and social. Any time these eight hundred years +this ill-will has been going on, and has been transmitted on the French +side from father to son. On the French side, not on ours: we have had +no, or few, defeats to complain of, no invasions to make us angry; +but you see that to discuss such a period of time would demand a +considerable number of pages, and for the present we will avoid the +examination of the question. + +But they hate us, that is the long and short of it; and you see how this +hatred has exploded just now, not upon a serious cause of difference, +but upon an argument: for what is the Pasha of Egypt to us or them but +a mere abstract opinion? For the same reason the Little-endians in +Lilliput abhorred the Big-endians; and I beg you to remark how his Royal +Highness Prince Ferdinand Mary, upon hearing that this argument was +in the course of debate between us, straightway flung his furniture +overboard and expressed a preference for sinking his ship rather than +yielding it to the etranger. Nothing came of this wish of his, to be +sure; but the intention is everything. Unlucky circumstances denied him +the power, but he had the will. + +Well, beyond this disappointment, the Prince de Joinville had nothing to +complain of during the voyage, which terminated happily by the arrival +of the "Belle Poule" at Cherbourg, on the 30th of November, at five +o'clock in the morning. A telegraph made the glad news known at Paris, +where the Minister of the Interior, Tanneguy-Duchatel (you will read the +name, Madam, in the old Anglo-French wars), had already made "immense +preparations" for receiving the body of Napoleon. + +The entry was fixed for the 15th of December. + +On the 8th of December at Cherbourg the body was transferred from the +"Belle Poule" frigate to the "Normandie" steamer. On which occasion the +mayor of Cherbourg deposited, in the name of his town, a gold laurel +branch upon the coffin--which was saluted by the forts and dykes of the +place with ONE THOUSAND GUNS! There was a treat for the inhabitants. + +There was on board the steamer a splendid receptacle for the coffin: +"a temple with twelve pillars and a dome to cover it from the wet and +moisture, surrounded with velvet hangings and silver fringes. At the +head was a gold cross, at the foot a gold lamp: other lamps were kept +constantly burning within, and vases of burning incense were hung +around. An altar, hung with velvet and silver, was at the mizzen-mast of +the vessel, AND FOUR SILVER EAGLES AT EACH CORNER OF THE ALTAR." It was +a compliment at once to Napoleon and--excuse me for saying so, but so +the facts are--to Napoleon and to God Almighty. + +Three steamers, the "Normandie," the "Veloce," and the "Courrier," +formed the expedition from Cherbourg to Havre, at which place they +arrived on the evening of the 9th of December, and where the +"Veloce" was replaced by the Seine steamer, having in tow one of the +state-coasters, which was to fire the salute at the moment when the body +was transferred into one of the vessels belonging to the Seine. + +The expedition passed Havre the same night, and came to anchor at Val de +la Haye on the Seine, three leagues below Rouen. + +Here the next morning (10th), it was met by the flotilla of steamboats +of the Upper Seine, consisting of the three "Dorades," the three +"Etoiles," the "Elbeuvien," the "Pansien," the "Parisienne," and the +"Zampa." The Prince de Joinville, and the persons of the expedition, +embarked immediately in the flotilla, which arrived the same day at +Rouen. + +At Rouen salutes were fired, the National Guard on both sides of the +river paid military honors to the body; and over the middle of the +suspension-bridge a magnificent cenotaph was erected, decorated with +flags, fasces, violet hangings, and the imperial arms. Before the +cenotaph the expedition stopped, and the absolution was given by the +archbishop and the clergy. After a couple of hours' stay, the expedition +proceeded to Pont de l'Arche. On the 11th it reached Vernon, on the 12th +Mantes, on the 13th Maisons-sur-Seine. + +"Everywhere," says the official account from which the above particulars +are borrowed, "the authorities, the National Guard, and the people +flocked to the passage of the flotilla, desirous to render the honors +due to his glory, which is the glory of France. In seeing its hero +return, the nation seemed to have found its Palladium again,--the +sainted relics of victory." + +At length, on the 14th, the coffin was transferred from the "Dorade" +steamer on board the imperial vessel arrived from Paris. In the evening, +the imperial vessel arrived at Courbevoie, which was the last stage of +the journey. + +Here it was that M. Guizot went to examine the vessel, and was very +nearly flung into the Seine, as report goes, by the patriots assembled +there. It is now lying on the river, near the Invalides, amidst the +drifting ice, whither the people of Paris are flocking out to see it. + +The vessel is of a very elegant antique form, and I can give you on the +Thames no better idea of it than by requesting you to fancy an immense +wherry, of which the stern has been cut straight off, and on which a +temple on steps has been elevated. At the figure-head is an immense gold +eagle, and at the stern is a little terrace, filled with evergreens and +a profusion of banners. Upon pedestals along the sides of the vessel are +tripods in which incense was burned, and underneath them are garlands of +flowers called here "immortals." Four eagles surmount the temple, and a +great scroll or garland, held in their beaks, surrounds it. It is hung +with velvet and gold; four gold caryatides support the entry of it; and +in the midst, upon a large platform hung with velvet, and bearing the +imperial arms, stood the coffin. A steamboat, carrying two hundred +musicians playing funereal marches and military symphonies, preceded +this magnificent vessel to Courbevoie, where a funereal temple was +erected, and "a statue of Notre Dame de Grace, before which the seamen +of the 'Belle Poule' inclined themselves, in order to thank her for +having granted them a noble and glorious voyage." + +Early on the morning of the 15th December, amidst clouds of incense, +and thunder of cannon, and innumerable shouts of people, the coffin +was transferred from the barge, and carried by the seamen of the "Belle +Poule" to the Imperial Car. + + +And, now having conducted our hero almost to the gates of Paris, I must +tell you what preparations were made in the capital to receive him. + +Ten days before the arrival of the body, as you walked across the +Deputies' Bridge, or over the Esplanade of the Invalides, you saw on +the bridge eight, on the esplanade thirty-two, mysterious boxes erected, +wherein a couple of score of sculptors were at work night and day. + +In the middle of the Invalid Avenue, there used to stand, on a kind of +shabby fountain or pump, a bust of Lafayette, crowned with some dirty +wreaths of "immortals," and looking down at the little streamlet which +occasionally dribbled below him. The spot of ground was now clear, and +Lafayette and the pump had been consigned to some cellar, to make way +for the mighty procession that was to pass over the place of their +habitation. + +Strange coincidence! If I had been Mr. Victor Hugo, my dear, or a poet +of any note, I would, in a few hours, have made an impromptu concerning +that Lafayette-crowned pump, and compared its lot now to the fortune +of its patron some fifty years back. From him then issued, as from his +fountain now, a feeble dribble of pure words; then, as now, some faint +circles of disciples were willing to admire him. Certainly in the +midst of the war and storm without, this pure fount of eloquence went +dribbling, dribbling on, till of a sudden the revolutionary workmen +knocked down statue and fountain, and the gorgeous imperial cavalcade +trampled over the spot where they stood. + +As for the Champs Elysees, there was no end to the preparations; the +first day you saw a couple of hundred scaffoldings erected at intervals +between the handsome gilded gas-lamps that at present ornament that +avenue; next day, all these scaffoldings were filled with brick and +mortar. Presently, over the bricks and mortar rose pediments of statues, +legs of urns, legs of goddesses, legs and bodies of goddesses, legs, +bodies, and busts of goddesses. Finally, on the 13th December, goddesses +complete. On the 14th they were painted marble-color; and the basements +of wood and canvas on which they stood were made to resemble the +same costly material. The funereal urns were ready to receive the +frankincense and precious odors which were to burn in them. A vast +number of white columns stretched down the avenue, each bearing a bronze +buckler on which was written, in gold letters, one of the victories of +the Emperor, and each decorated with enormous imperial flags. On these +columns golden eagles were placed; and the newspapers did not fail to +remark the ingenious position in which the royal birds had been set: +for while those on the right-hand side of the way had their heads turned +TOWARDS the procession, as if to watch its coming, those on the left +were looking exactly the other way, as if to regard its progress. Do not +fancy I am joking: this point was gravely and emphatically urged in +many newspapers; and I do believe no mortal Frenchman ever thought it +anything but sublime. + +Do not interrupt me, sweet Miss Smith. I feel that you are angry. I can +see from here the pouting of your lips, and know what you are going to +say. You are going to say, "I will read no more of this Mr. Titmarsh; +there is no subject, however solemn, but he treats it with flippant +irreverence, and no character, however great, at whom he does not +sneer." + +Ah, my dear! you are young now and enthusiastic; and your Titmarsh is +old, very old, sad, and gray-headed. I have seen a poor mother buy a +halfpenny wreath at the gate of Montmartre burying-ground, and go with +it to her little child's grave, and hang it there over the little humble +stone; and if ever you saw me scorn the mean offering of the poor shabby +creature, I will give you leave to be as angry as you will. They say +that on the passage of Napoleon's coffin down the Seine, old soldiers +and country people walked miles from their villages just to catch a +sight of the boat which carried his body and to kneel down on the shore +and pray for him. God forbid that we should quarrel with such prayers +and sorrow, or question their sincerity. Something great and good must +have been in this man, something loving and kindly, that has kept his +name so cherished in the popular memory, and gained him such lasting +reverence and affection. + +But, Madam, one may respect the dead without feeling awe-stricken at the +plumes of the hearse; and I see no reason why one should sympathize with +the train of mutes and undertakers, however deep may be their mourning. +Look, I pray you, at the manner in which the French nation has performed +Napoleon's funeral. Time out of mind, nations have raised, in memory +of their heroes, august mausoleums, grand pyramids, splendid statues of +gold or marble, sacrificing whatever they had that was most costly and +rare, or that was most beautiful in art, as tokens of their respect and +love for the dead person. What a fine example of this sort of +sacrifice is that (recorded in a book of which Simplicity is the great +characteristic) of the poor woman who brought her pot of precious +ointment--her all, and laid it at the feet of the Object which, upon +earth, she most loved and respected. "Economists and calculators" there +were even in those days who quarrelled with the manner in which the poor +woman lavished so much "capital;" but you will remember how nobly and +generously the sacrifice was appreciated, and how the economists were +put to shame. + +With regard to the funeral ceremony that has just been performed here, +it is said that a famous public personage and statesman, Monsieur Thiers +indeed, spoke with the bitterest indignation of the general style of the +preparations, and of their mean and tawdry character. He would have +had a pomp as magnificent, he said, as that of Rome at the triumph of +Aurelian: he would have decorated the bridges and avenues through which +the procession was to pass, with the costliest marbles and the finest +works of art, and have had them to remain there for ever as monuments of +the great funeral. + +The economists and calculators might here interpose with a great deal of +reason; for, indeed, there was no reason why a nation should impoverish +itself to do honor to the memory of an individual for whom, after +all, it can feel but a qualified enthusiasm: but it surely might have +employed the large sum voted for the purpose more wisely and generously, +and recorded its respect for Napoleon by some worthy and lasting +memorial, rather than have erected yonder thousand vain heaps of tinsel, +paint, and plaster, that are already cracking and crumbling in the +frost, at three days old. + +Scarcely one of the statues, indeed, deserves to last a month: some are +odious distortions and caricatures, which never should have been allowed +to stand for a moment. On the very day of the fete, the wind was shaking +the canvas pedestals, and the flimsy wood-work had begun to gape and +give way. At a little distance, to be sure, you could not see the +cracks; and pedestals and statues LOOKED like marble. At some distance, +you could not tell but that the wreaths and eagles were gold embroidery, +and not gilt paper--the great tricolor flags damask, and not striped +calico. One would think that these sham splendors betokened sham +respect, if one had not known that the name of Napoleon is held in real +reverence, and observed somewhat of the character of the nation. Real +feelings they have, but they distort them by exaggeration; real courage, +which they render ludicrous by intolerable braggadocio; and I think the +above official account of the Prince de Joinville's proceedings, of the +manner in which the Emperor's remains have been treated in their voyage +to the capital, and of the preparations made to receive him in it, will +give my dear Miss Smith some means of understanding the social and moral +condition of this worthy people of France. + + + + +III.--ON THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. + + +Shall I tell you, my dear, that when Francois woke me at a very +early hour on this eventful morning, while the keen stars were still +glittering overhead, a half-moon, as sharp as a razor, beaming in the +frosty sky, and a wicked north wind blowing, that blew the blood out of +one's fingers and froze your leg as you put it out of bed;--shall I tell +you, my dear, that when Francois called me, and said, "V'la vot' cafe, +Monsieur Titemasse, buvez-le, tiens, il est tout chaud," I felt myself, +after imbibing the hot breakfast, so comfortable under three blankets +and a mackintosh, that for at least a quarter of an hour no man in +Europe could say whether Titmarsh would or would not be present at the +burial of the Emperor Napoleon. + +Besides, my dear, the cold, there was another reason for doubting. +Did the French nation, or did they not, intend to offer up some of us +English over the imperial grave? And were the games to be concluded by +a massacre? It was said in the newspapers that Lord Granville had +despatched circulars to all the English resident in Paris, begging them +to keep their homes. The French journals announced this news, and warned +us charitably of the fate intended for us. Had Lord Granville written? +Certainly not to me. Or had he written to all EXCEPT ME? And was I THE +VICTIM--the doomed one?--to be seized directly I showed my face in the +Champs Elysees, and torn in pieces by French Patriotism to the frantic +chorus of the "Marseillaise?" Depend on it, Madam, that high and low +in this city on Tuesday were not altogether at their ease, and that the +bravest felt no small tremor! And be sure of this, that as his Majesty +Louis Philippe took his nightcap off his royal head that morning, he +prayed heartily that he might, at night, put it on in safety. + +Well, as my companion and I came out of doors, being bound for the +Church of the Invalides, for which a Deputy had kindly furnished us with +tickets, we saw the very prettiest sight of the whole day, and I can't +refrain from mentioning it to my dear, tender-hearted Miss Smith. + +In the same house where I live (but about five stories nearer the +ground) lodges an English family, consisting of--1. A great-grandmother, +a hale, handsome old lady of seventy, the very best-dressed and neatest +old lady in Paris. 2. A grandfather and grandmother, tolerably young +to bear that title. 3. A daughter. And 4. Two little great-grand, or +grandchildren, that may be of the age of three and one, and belong to a +son and daughter who are in India. The grandfather, who is as proud +of his wife as he was thirty years ago when he married, and pays her +compliments still twice or thrice in a day, and when he leads her into a +room looks round at the persons assembled, and says in his heart, +"Here, gentlemen, here is my wife--show me such another woman in +England,"--this gentleman had hired a room on the Champs Elysees, for he +would not have his wife catch cold by exposing her to the balconies in +the open air. + +When I came to the street, I found the family assembled in the following +order of march:-- + + +--No. 1, the great-grandmother walking daintily along, supported by No. +3, her granddaughter. + +--A nurse carrying No. 4 junior, who was sound asleep: and a huge basket +containing saucepans, bottles of milk, parcels of infants' food, certain +dimity napkins, a child's coral, and a little horse belonging to No. 4 +senior. + +--A servant bearing a basket of condiments. + +--No. 2, grandfather, spick and span, clean shaved, hat brushed, white +buckskin gloves, bamboo cane, brown great-coat, walking as upright and +solemn as may be, having his lady on his arm. + +--No. 4, senior, with mottled legs and a tartan costume, who was +frisking about between his grandpapa's legs, who heartily wished him at +home. + + +"My dear," his face seemed to say to his lady, "I think you might have +left the little things in the nursery, for we shall have to squeeze +through a terrible crowd in the Champs Elysees." + +The lady was going out for a day's pleasure, and her face was full of +care: she had to look first after her old mother who was walking ahead, +then after No. 4 junior with the nurse--he might fall into all sorts of +danger, wake up, cry, catch cold; nurse might slip down, or heaven knows +what. Then she had to look her husband in the face, who had gone to such +expense and been so kind for her sake, and make that gentleman believe +she was thoroughly happy; and, finally, she had to keep an eye upon No. +4 senior, who, as she was perfectly certain, was about in two minutes to +be lost for ever, or trampled to pieces in the crowd. + +These events took place in a quiet little street leading into the Champs +Elysees, the entry of which we had almost reached by this time. The four +detachments above described, which had been straggling a little in their +passage down the street, closed up at the end of it, and stood for +a moment huddled together. No. 3, Miss X--, began speaking to her +companion the great-grandmother. + +"Hush, my dear," said that old lady, looking round alarmed at her +daughter. "SPEAK FRENCH." And she straightway began nervously to make a +speech which she supposed to be in that language, but which was as much +like French as Iroquois. The whole secret was out: you could read it in +the grandmother's face, who was doing all she could to keep from crying, +and looked as frightened as she dared to look. The two elder ladies +had settled between them that there was going to be a general English +slaughter that day, and had brought the children with them, so that they +might all be murdered in company. + +God bless you, O women, moist-eyed and tender-hearted! In those gentle +silly tears of yours there is something touches one, be they never so +foolish. I don't think there were many such natural drops shed that day +as those which just made their appearance in the grandmother's eyes, and +then went back again as if they had been ashamed of themselves, while +the good lady and her little troop walked across the road. Think how +happy she will be when night comes, and there has been no murder of +English, and the brood is all nestled under her wings sound asleep, and +she is lying awake thanking God that the day and its pleasures and pains +are over. Whilst we were considering these things, the grandfather had +suddenly elevated No. 4 senior upon his left shoulder, and I saw the +tartan hat of that young gentleman, and the bamboo cane which had been +transferred to him, high over the heads of the crowd on the opposite +side through which the party moved. + + +After this little procession had passed away--you may laugh at it, but +upon my word and conscience, Miss Smith, I saw nothing in the course of +the day which affected me more--after this little procession had +passed away, the other came, accompanied by gun-banging, flag-waving, +incense-burning, trumpets pealing, drums rolling, and at the close, +received by the voice of six hundred choristers, sweetly modulated to +the tones of fifteen score of fiddlers. Then you saw horse and foot, +jack-boots and bear-skin, cuirass and bayonet, National Guard and Line, +marshals and generals all over gold, smart aides-de-camp galloping about +like mad, and high in the midst of all, riding on his golden buckler, +Solomon in all his glory, forsooth--Imperial Caesar, with his crown over +his head, laurels and standards waving about his gorgeous chariot, and a +million of people looking on in wonder and awe. + +His Majesty the Emperor and King reclined on his shield, with his head +a little elevated. His Majesty's skull is voluminous, his forehead +broad and large. We remarked that his Imperial Majesty's brow was of a +yellowish color, which appearance was also visible about the orbits of +the eyes. He kept his eyelids constantly closed, by which we had +the opportunity of observing that the upper lids were garnished with +eyelashes. Years and climate have effected upon the face of this great +monarch only a trifling alteration; we may say, indeed, that Time has +touched his Imperial and Royal Majesty with the lightest feather in his +wing. In the nose of the Conqueror of Austerlitz we remarked very little +alteration: it is of the beautiful shape which we remember it possessed +five-and-twenty years since, ere unfortunate circumstances induced him +to leave us for a while. The nostril and the tube of the nose appear to +have undergone some slight alteration, but in examining a beloved object +the eye of affection is perhaps too critical. Vive l'Empereur! the +soldier of Marengo is among us again. His lips are thinner, perhaps, +than they were before! how white his teeth are! you can just see three +of them pressing his under lip; and pray remark the fulness of his +cheeks and the round contour of his chin. Oh, those beautiful white +hands! many a time have they patted the cheek of poor Josephine, and +played with the black ringlets of her hair. She is dead now, and cold, +poor creature; and so are Hortense and bold Eugene, than whom the world +"never saw a curtier knight," as was said of King Arthur's Sir Lancelot. +What a day would it have been for those three could they have lived +until now, and seen their hero returning! Where's Ney? His wife sits +looking out from M. Flahaut's window yonder, but the bravest of the +brave is not with her. Murat too is absent: honest Joachim loves the +Emperor at heart, and repents that he was not at Waterloo: who knows +but that at the sight of the handsome swordsman those stubborn English +"canaille" would have given way. A king, Sire, is, you know, the +greatest of slaves--State affairs of consequence--his Majesty the King +of Naples is detained no doubt. When we last saw the King, however, and +his Highness the Prince of Elchingen, they looked to have as good +health as ever they had in their lives, and we heard each of them calmly +calling out "FIRE!" as they have done in numberless battles before. + +Is it possible? can the Emperor forget? We don't like to break it to +him, but has he forgotten all about the farm at Pizzo, and the garden of +the Observatory? Yes, truly: there he lies on his golden shield, never +stirring, never so much as lifting his eyelids, or opening his lips any +wider. + +O vanitas vanitatum! Here is our Sovereign in all his glory, and they +fired a thousand guns at Cherbourg and never woke him! + + +However, we are advancing matters by several hours, and you must give +just as much credence as you please to the subjoined remarks concerning +the Procession, seeing that your humble servant could not possibly be +present at it, being bound for the church elsewhere. + +Programmes, however, have been published of the affair, and your vivid +fancy will not fail to give life to them, and the whole magnificent +train will pass before you. + +Fancy then, that the guns are fired at Neuilly: the body landed at +daybreak from the funereal barge, and transferred to the car; and fancy +the car, a huge Juggernaut of a machine, rolling on four wheels of an +antique shape, which supported a basement adorned with golden eagles, +banners, laurels, and velvet hangings. Above the hangings stand twelve +golden statues with raised arms supporting a huge shield, on which the +coffin lay. On the coffin was the imperial crown, covered with violet +velvet crape, and the whole vast machine was drawn by horses in superb +housings, led by valets in the imperial livery. + +Fancy at the head of the procession first of all-- + + +The Gendarmerie of the Seine, with their trumpets and Colonel. + +The Municipal Guard (horse), with their trumpets, standard, and Colonel. + +Two squadrons of the 7th Lancers, with Colonel, standard, and music. + +The Commandant of Paris and his Staff. + +A battalion of Infantry of the Line, with their flag, sappers, drums, +music, and Colonel. + +The Municipal Guard (foot), with flag, drums, and Colonel. + +The Sapper-pumpers, with ditto. + + +Then picture to yourself more squadrons of Lancers and Cuirassiers. The +General of the Division and his Staff; all officers of all arms +employed at Paris, and unattached; the Military School of Saint Cyr, the +Polytechnic School, the School of the Etat-Major; and the Professors +and Staff of each. Go on imagining more battalions of Infantry, of +Artillery, companies of Engineers, squadrons of Cuirassiers, ditto of +the Cavalry, of the National Guard, and the first and second legions of +ditto. + +Fancy a carriage, containing the Chaplain of the St. Helena expedition, +the only clerical gentleman that formed a part of the procession. + +Fancy you hear the funereal music, and then figure in your mind's eye-- + +THE EMPEROR'S CHARGER, that is, Napoleon's own saddle and bridle (when +First Consul) upon a white horse. The saddle (which has been kept +ever since in the Garde Meuble of the Crown) is of amaranth velvet, +embroidered in gold: the holsters and housings are of the same rich +material. On them you remark the attributes of War, Commerce, Science, +and Art. The bits and stirrups are silver-gilt chased. Over the +stirrups, two eagles were placed at the time of the empire. The horse +was covered with a violet crape embroidered with golden bees. + +After this came more Soldiers, General Officers, Sub-Officers, Marshals, +and what was said to be the prettiest sight almost of the whole, the +banners of the eighty-six Departments of France. These are due to the +invention of M. Thiers, and were to have been accompanied by federates +from each Department. But the government very wisely mistrusted this +and some other projects of Monsieur Thiers; and as for a federation, my +dear, IT HAS BEEN TRIED. Next comes-- + +His Royal Highness, the Prince de Joinville. + +The 600 sailors of the "Belle Poule" marching in double file on each +side of + +THE CAR. + +[Hush! the enormous crowd thrills as it passes, and only some few voices +cry Vive l'Empereur! Shining golden in the frosty sun--with hundreds of +thousands of eyes upon it, from houses and housetops, from balconies, +black, purple, and tricolor, from tops of leafless trees, from behind +long lines of glittering bayonets under schakos and bear-skin caps, +from behind the Line and the National Guard again, pushing, struggling, +heaving, panting, eager, the heads of an enormous multitude stretching +out to meet and follow it, amidst long avenues of columns and statues +gleaming white, of standards rainbow-colored, of golden eagles, of pale +funereal urns, of discharging odors amidst huge volumes of pitch-black +smoke, + +THE GREAT IMPERIAL CHARIOT ROLLS MAJESTICALLY ON. + +The cords of the pall are held by two Marshals, an Admiral and General +Bertrand; who are followed by-- + +The Prefects of the Seine and Police, &c. + +The Mayors of Paris, &c. + +The Members of the Old Guard, &c. + +A Squadron of Light Dragoons, &c. + +Lieutenant-General Schneider, &c. + +More cavalry, more infantry, more artillery, more everybody; and as the +procession passes, the Line and the National Guard forming line on each +side of the road fall in and follow it, until it arrives at the Church +of the Invalides, where the last honors are to be paid to it.] + + +Among the company assembled under the dome of that edifice, the casual +observer would not perhaps have remarked a gentleman of the name of +Michael Angelo Titmarsh, who nevertheless was there. But as, my dear +Miss Smith, the descriptions in this letter, from the words in page 298, +line 20--THE PARTY MOVED--up to the words PAID TO IT, on this page, have +purely emanated from your obedient servant's fancy, and not from +his personal observation (for no being on earth, except a newspaper +reporter, can be in two places at once), permit me now to communicate to +you what little circumstances fell under my own particular view on the +day of the 15th of December. + +As we came out, the air and the buildings round about were tinged with +purple, and the clear sharp half-moon before-mentioned was still in the +sky, where it seemed to be lingering as if it would catch a peep of the +commencement of the famous procession. The Arc de Triomphe was shining +in a keen frosty sunshine, and looking as clean and rosy as if it had +just made its toilette. The canvas or pasteboard image of Napoleon, of +which only the gilded legs had been erected the night previous, was now +visible, body, head, crown, sceptre and all, and made an imposing show. +Long gilt banners were flaunting about, with the imperial cipher and +eagle, and the names of the battles and victories glittering in gold. +The long avenues of the Champs Elysees had been covered with sand for +the convenience of the great procession that was to tramp across it that +day. Hundreds of people were marching to and fro, laughing, chattering, +singing, gesticulating as happy Frenchmen do. There is no pleasanter +sight than a French crowd on the alert for a festival, and nothing more +catching than their good-humor. As for the notion which has been put +forward by some of the opposition newspapers that the populace were on +this occasion unusually solemn or sentimental, it would be paying a bad +compliment to the natural gayety of the nation, to say that it was, +on the morning at least of the 15th of December, affected in any +such absurd way. Itinerant merchants were shouting out lustily their +commodities of segars and brandy, and the weather was so bitter cold, +that they could not fail to find plenty of customers. Carpenters and +workmen were still making a huge banging and clattering among the sheds +which were built for the accommodation of the visitors. Some of +these sheds were hung with black, such as one sees before churches in +funerals; some were robed in violet, in compliment to the Emperor whose +mourning they put on. Most of them had fine tricolor hangings with +appropriate inscriptions to the glory of the French arms. + +All along the Champs Elysees were urns of plaster-of-Paris destined to +contain funeral incense and flames; columns decorated with huge flags of +blue, red, and white, embroidered with shining crowns, eagles, and N's +in gilt paper, and statues of plaster representing Nymphs, Triumphs, +Victories, or other female personages, painted in oil so as to represent +marble. Real marble could have had no better effect, and the appearance +of the whole was lively and picturesque in the extreme. On each pillar +was a buckler, of the color of bronze, bearing the name and date of a +battle in gilt letters: you had to walk through a mile-long avenue +of these glorious reminiscences, telling of spots where, in the great +imperial days, throats had been victoriously cut. + +As we passed down the avenue, several troops of soldiers met us: the +garde-muncipale a cheval, in brass helmets and shining jack-boots, +noble-looking men, large, on large horses, the pick of the old army, as +I have heard, and armed for the special occupation of peace-keeping: not +the most glorious, but the best part of the soldier's duty, as I fancy. +Then came a regiment of Carabineers, one of Infantry--little, alert, +brown-faced, good-humored men, their band at their head playing +sounding marches. These were followed by a regiment or detachment of the +Municipals on foot--two or three inches taller than the men of the Line, +and conspicuous for their neatness and discipline. By-and-by came a +squadron or so of dragoons of the National Guards: they are covered with +straps, buckles, aguillettes, and cartouche-boxes, and make under their +tricolor cock's-plumes a show sufficiently warlike. The point which +chiefly struck me on beholding these military men of the National Guard +and the Line, was the admirable manner in which they bore a cold that +seemed to me as sharp as the weather in the Russian retreat, through +which cold the troops were trotting without trembling and in the utmost +cheerfulness and good-humor. An aide-de-camp galloped past in white +pantaloons. By heavens! it made me shudder to look at him. + +With this profound reflection, we turned away to the right towards the +hanging-bridge (where we met a detachment of young men of the Ecole de +l'Etat Major, fine-looking lads, but sadly disfigured by the wearing +of stays or belts, that make the waists of the French dandies of a most +absurd tenuity), and speedily passed into the avenue of statues leading +up to the Invalides. All these were statues of warriors from Ney to +Charlemagne, modelled in clay for the nonce, and placed here to meet the +corpse of the greatest warrior of all. Passing these, we had to walk to +a little door at the back of the Invalides, where was a crowd of persons +plunged in the deepest mourning, and pushing for places in the chapel +within. + +The chapel is spacious and of no great architectural pretensions, but +was on this occasion gorgeously decorated in honor of the great person +to whose body it was about to give shelter. + +We had arrived at nine; the ceremony was not to begin, they said, till +two: we had five hours before us to see all that from our places could +be seen. + +We saw that the roof, up to the first lines of architecture, was hung +with violet; beyond this with black. We saw N's, eagles, bees, laurel +wreaths, and other such imperial emblems, adorning every nook and corner +of the edifice. Between the arches, on each side of the aisle, were +painted trophies, on which were written the names of some of Napoleon's +Generals and of their principal deeds of arms--and not their deeds of +arms alone, pardi, but their coats of arms too. O stars and garters! +but this is too much. What was Ney's paternal coat, prithee, or honest +Junot's quarterings, or the venerable escutcheon of King Joachim's +father, the innkeeper? + +You and I, dear Miss Smith, know the exact value of heraldic bearings. +We know that though the greatest pleasure of all is to ACT like a +gentleman, it is a pleasure, nay a merit, to BE one--to come of an old +stock, to have an honorable pedigree, to be able to say that centuries +back our fathers had gentle blood, and to us transmitted the same. There +IS a good in gentility: the man who questions it is envious, or a coarse +dullard not able to perceive the difference between high breeding and +low. One has in the same way heard a man brag that he did not know the +difference between wines, not he--give him a good glass of port, and he +would pitch all your claret to the deuce. My love, men often brag about +their own dulness in this way. + +In the matter of gentlemen, democrats cry, "Psha! Give us one of +Nature's gentlemen, and hang your aristocrats." And so indeed Nature +does make SOME gentlemen--a few here and there. But Art makes most. +Good birth, that is, good handsome well-formed fathers and mothers, nice +cleanly nursery-maids, good meals, good physicians, good education, +few cares, pleasant easy habits of life, and luxuries not too great +or enervating, but only refining--a course of these going on for a few +generations are the best gentleman-makers in the world, and beat Nature +hollow. + +If, respected Madam, you say that there is something BETTER than +gentility in this wicked world, and that honesty and personal wealth are +more valuable than all the politeness and high-breeding that ever wore +red-heeled pumps, knights' spurs, or Hoby's boots, Titmarsh for one is +never going to say you nay. If you even go so far as to say that the +very existence of this super-genteel society among us, from the slavish +respect that we pay to it, from the dastardly manner in which we attempt +to imitate its airs and ape its vices, goes far to destroy honesty of +intercourse, to make us meanly ashamed of our natural affections and +honest, harmless usages, and so does a great deal more harm than it is +possible it can do good by its example--perhaps, Madam, you speak with +some sort of reason. Potato myself, I can't help seeing that the tulip +yonder has the best place in the garden, and the most sunshine, and the +most water, and the best tending--and not liking him over well. But I +can't help acknowledging that Nature has given him a much finer dress +than ever I can hope to have, and of this, at least, must give him the +benefit. + +Or say, we are so many cocks and hens, my dear (sans arriere pensee), +with our crops pretty full, our plumes pretty sleek, decent picking here +and there in the straw-yard, and tolerable snug roosting in the barn: +yonder on the terrace, in the sun, walks Peacock, stretching his proud +neck, squealing every now and then in the most pert fashionable voice +and flaunting his great supercilious dandified tail. Don't let us be too +angry, my dear, with the useless, haughty, insolent creature, because +he despises us. SOMETHING is there about Peacock that we don't possess. +Strain your neck ever so, you can't make it as long or as blue as +his--cock your tail as much as you please, and it will never be half so +fine to look at. But the most absurd, disgusting, contemptible sight +in the world would you and I be, leaving the barn-door for my lady's +flower-garden, forsaking our natural sturdy walk for the peacock's +genteel rickety stride, and adopting the squeak of his voice in the +place of our gallant lusty cock-a-doodle-dooing. + +Do you take the allegory? I love to speak in such, and the above +types have been presented to my mind while sitting opposite a gimcrack +coat-of-arms and coronet that are painted in the Invalides Church, and +assigned to one of the Emperor's Generals. + +Ventrebleu! Madam, what need have THEY of coats-of-arms and coronets, +and wretched imitations of old exploded aristocratic gewgaws that they +had flung out of the country--with the heads of the owners in them +sometimes, for indeed they were not particular--a score of years before? +What business, forsooth, had they to be meddling with gentility and +aping its ways, who had courage, merit, daring, genius sometimes, and +a pride of their own to support, if proud they were inclined to be? A +clever young man (who was not of high family himself, but had been bred +up genteelly at Eton and the university)--young Mr. George Canning, at +the commencement of the French Revolution, sneered at "Roland the Just, +with ribbons in his shoes," and the dandies, who then wore buckles, +voted the sarcasm monstrous killing. It was a joke, my dear, worthy of a +lackey, or of a silly smart parvenu, not knowing the society into which +his luck had cast him (God help him! in later years, they taught him +what they were!), and fancying in his silly intoxication that simplicity +was ludicrous and fashion respectable. See, now, fifty years are gone, +and where are shoebuckles? Extinct, defunct, kicked into the irrevocable +past off the toes of all Europe! + +How fatal to the parvenu, throughout history, has been this respect +for shoebuckles. Where, for instance, would the Empire of Napoleon +have been, if Ney and Lannes had never sported such a thing as a +coat-of-arms, and had only written their simple names on their shields, +after the fashion of Desaix's scutcheon yonder?--the bold Republican who +led the crowning charge at Marengo, and sent the best blood of the +Holy Roman Empire to the right-about, before the wretched misbegotten +imperial heraldry was born, that was to prove so disastrous to the +father of it. It has always been so. They won't amalgamate. A country +must be governed by the one principle or the other. But give, in a +republic, an aristocracy ever so little chance, and it works and plots +and sneaks and bullies and sneers itself into place, and you find +democracy out of doors. Is it good that the aristocracy should so +triumph?--that is a question that you may settle according to your own +notions and taste; and permit me to say, I do not care twopence how you +settle it. Large books have been written upon the subject in a variety +of languages, and coming to a variety of conclusions. Great statesmen +are there in our country, from Lord Londonderry down to Mr. Vincent, +each in his degree maintaining his different opinion. But here, in the +matter of Napoleon, is a simple fact: he founded a great, glorious, +strong, potent republic, able to cope with the best aristocracies in +the world, and perhaps to beat them all; he converts his republic into +a monarchy, and surrounds his monarchy with what he calls aristocratic +institutions; and you know what becomes of him. The people estranged, +the aristocracy faithless (when did they ever pardon one who was not of +themselves?)--the imperial fabric tumbles to the ground. If it teaches +nothing else, my dear, it teaches one a great point of policy--namely, +to stick by one's party. + +While these thoughts (and sundry others relative to the horrible cold of +the place, the intense dulness of delay, the stupidity of leaving a warm +bed and a breakfast in order to witness a procession that is much better +performed at a theatre)--while these thoughts were passing in the +mind, the church began to fill apace, and you saw that the hour of the +ceremony was drawing near. + +Imprimis, came men with lighted staves, and set fire to at least ten +thousand wax-candles that were hanging in brilliant chandeliers in +various parts of the chapel. Curtains were dropped over the upper +windows as these illuminations were effected, and the church was left +only to the funereal light of the spermaceti. To the right was the dome, +round the cavity of which sparkling lamps were set, that designed the +shape of it brilliantly against the darkness. In the midst, and where +the altar used to stand, rose the catafalque. And why not? Who is +God here but Napoleon? and in him the sceptics have already ceased to +believe; but the people does still somewhat. He and Louis XIV. divide +the worship of the place between them. + +As for the catafalque, the best that I can say for it is that it +is really a noble and imposing-looking edifice, with tall pillars +supporting a grand dome, with innumerable escutcheons, standards, and +allusions military and funereal. A great eagle of course tops the whole: +tripods burning spirits of wine stand round this kind of dead man's +throne, and as we saw it (by peering over the heads of our neighbors in +the front rank), it looked, in the midst of the black concave, and under +the effect of half a thousand flashing cross-lights, properly grand and +tall. The effect of the whole chapel, however (to speak the jargon of +the painting-room), was spoiled by being CUT UP: there were too many +objects for the eye to rest upon: the ten thousand wax-candles, for +instance, in their numberless twinkling chandeliers, the raw tranchant +colors of the new banners, wreaths, bees, N's, and other emblems dotting +the place all over, and incessantly puzzling, or rather BOTHERING the +beholder. + +High overhead, in a sort of mist, with the glare of their original +colors worn down by dust and time, hung long rows of dim ghostly-looking +standards, captured in old days from the enemy. They were, I thought, +the best and most solemn part of the show. + +To suppose that the people were bound to be solemn during the ceremony +is to exact from them something quite needless and unnatural. The very +fact of a squeeze dissipates all solemnity. One great crowd is always, +as I imagine, pretty much like another. In the course of the last few +years I have seen three: that attending the coronation of our present +sovereign, that which went to see Courvoisier hanged, and this which +witnessed the Napoleon ceremony. The people so assembled for hours +together are jocular rather than solemn, seeking to pass away the weary +time with the best amusements that will offer. There was, to be sure, +in all the scenes above alluded to, just one moment--one particular +moment--when the universal people feels a shock and is for that second +serious. + +But except for that second of time, I declare I saw no seriousness here +beyond that of ennui. The church began to fill with personages of all +ranks and conditions. First, opposite our seats came a company of fat +grenadiers of the National Guard, who presently, at the word of command, +put their muskets down against benches and wainscots, until the arrival +of the procession. For seven hours these men formed the object of the +most anxious solicitude of all the ladies and gentlemen seated on our +benches: they began to stamp their feet, for the cold was atrocious, and +we were frozen where we sat. Some of them fell to blowing their fingers; +one executed a kind of dance, such as one sees often here in cold +weather--the individual jumps repeatedly upon one leg, and kicks out the +other violently, meanwhile his hands are flapping across his chest. Some +fellows opened their cartouche-boxes, and from them drew eatables of +various kinds. You can't think how anxious we were to know the qualities +of the same. "Tiens, ce gros qui mange une cuisse de volaille!"--"Il a +du jambon, celui-la." "I should like some, too," growls an Englishman, +"for I hadn't a morsel of breakfast," and so on. This is the way, my +dear, that we see Napoleon buried. + +Did you ever see a chicken escape from clown in a pantomime, and hop +over into the pit, or amongst the fiddlers? and have you not seen the +shrieks of enthusiastic laughter that the wondrous incident occasions? +We had our chicken, of course: there never was a public crowd without +one. A poor unhappy woman in a greasy plaid cloak, with a battered +rose-colored plush bonnet, was seen taking her place among the stalls +allotted to the grandees. "Voyez donc l'Anglaise," said everybody, and +it was too true. You could swear that the wretch was an Englishwoman: +a bonnet was never made or worn so in any other country. Half an hour's +delightful amusement did this lady give us all. She was whisked from +seat to seat by the huissiers, and at every change of place woke a peal +of laughter. I was glad, however, at the end of the day to see the old +pink bonnet over a very comfortable seat, which somebody had not claimed +and she had kept. + +Are not these remarkable incidents? The next wonder we saw was the +arrival of a set of tottering old Invalids, who took their places under +us with drawn sabres. Then came a superb drum-major, a handsome smiling +good-humored giant of a man, his breeches astonishingly embroidered +with silver lace. Him a dozen little drummer-boys followed--"the little +darlings!" all the ladies cried out in a breath: they were indeed pretty +little fellows, and came and stood close under us: the huge drum-major +smiled over his little red-capped flock, and for many hours in the most +perfect contentment twiddled his moustaches and played with the tassels +of his cane. + +Now the company began to arrive thicker and thicker. A whole covey of +Conseillers-d'Etat came in, in blue coats, embroidered with blue silk, +then came a crowd of lawyers in toques and caps, among whom were sundry +venerable Judges in scarlet, purple velvet, and ermine--a kind of +Bajazet costume. Look there! there is the Turkish Ambassador in his red +cap, turning his solemn brown face about and looking preternaturally +wise. The Deputies walk in in a body. Guizot is not there: he passed by +just now in full ministerial costume. Presently little Thiers saunters +back: what a clear, broad sharp-eyed face the fellow has, with his gray +hair cut down so demure! A servant passes, pushing through the crowd a +shabby wheel-chair. It has just brought old Moncey the Governor of the +Invalids, the honest old man who defended Paris so stoutly in 1814. He +has been very ill, and is worn down almost by infirmities: but in his +illness he was perpetually asking, "Doctor, shall I live till the 15th? +Give me till then, and I die contented." One can't help believing that +the old man's wish is honest, however one may doubt the piety of another +illustrious Marshal, who once carried a candle before Charles X. in a +procession, and has been this morning to Neuilly to kneel and pray at +the foot of Napoleon's coffin. He might have said his prayers at home, +to be sure; but don't let us ask too much: that kind of reserve is not a +Frenchman's characteristic. + +Bang--bang! At about half-past two a dull sound of cannonading was heard +without the church, and signals took place between the Commandant of +the Invalids, of the National Guards, and the big drum-major. Looking to +these troops (the fat Nationals were shuffling into line again) the two +Commandants tittered, as nearly as I could catch them, the following +words-- + +"HARRUM HUMP!" + +At once all the National bayonets were on the present, and the sabres +of the old Invalids up. The big drum-major looked round at the +children, who began very slowly and solemnly on their drums, +Rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--(count two between each)--rub-dub-dub, and a +great procession of priests came down from the altar. + +First, there was a tall handsome cross-bearer, bearing a long gold +cross, of which the front was turned towards his grace the Archbishop. +Then came a double row of about sixteen incense-boys, dressed in white +surplices: the first boy, about six years old, the last with whiskers +and of the height of a man. Then followed a regiment of priests in black +tippets and white gowns: they had black hoods, like the moon when she is +at her third quarter, wherewith those who were bald (many were, and fat +too) covered themselves. All the reverend men held their heads meekly +down, and affected to be reading in their breviaries. + +After the Priests came some Bishops of the neighboring districts, in +purple, with crosses sparkling on their episcopal bosoms. + +Then came, after more priests, a set of men whom I have never seen +before--a kind of ghostly heralds, young and handsome men, some of them +in stiff tabards of black and silver, their eyes to the ground, their +hands placed at right angles with their chests. + +Then came two gentlemen bearing remarkable tall candlesticks, with +candles of corresponding size. One was burning brightly, but the wind +(that chartered libertine) had blown out the other, which nevertheless +kept its place in the procession--I wondered to myself whether the +reverend gentleman who carried the extinguished candle, felt disgusted, +humiliated, mortified--perfectly conscious that the eyes of many +thousands of people were bent upon that bit of refractory wax. We all of +us looked at it with intense interest. + +Another cross-bearer, behind whom came a gentleman carrying an +instrument like a bedroom candlestick. + +His Grandeur Monseigneur Affre, Archbishop of Paris: he was in black and +white, his eyes were cast to the earth, his hands were together at right +angles from his chest: on his hands were black gloves, and on the black +gloves sparkled the sacred episcopal--what do I say?--archiepiscopal +ring. On his head was the mitre. It is unlike the godly coronet that +figures upon the coach-panels of our own Right Reverend Bench. The +Archbishop's mitre may be about a yard high: formed within probably of +consecrated pasteboard, it is without covered by a sort of watered silk +of white and silver. On the two peaks at the top of the mitre are two +very little spangled tassels, that frisk and twinkle about in a very +agreeable manner. + +Monseigneur stood opposite to us for some time, when I had the +opportunity to note the above remarkable phenomena. He stood opposite me +for some time, keeping his eyes steadily on the ground, his hands before +him, a small clerical train following after. Why didn't they move? There +was the National Guard keeping on presenting arms, the little drummers +going on rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--in the same steady, slow way, and the +Procession never moved an inch. There was evidently, to use an elegant +phrase, a hitch somewhere. + +[Enter a fat priest who bustles up to the drum-major.] + +Fat priest--"Taisez-vous." + +Little drummer--Rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub, &c. + +Drum-major--"Qu'est-ce donc?" + +Fat priest--"Taisez-vous, dis-je; ce n'est pas le corps. Il n'arrivera +pas--pour une heure." + +The little drums were instantly hushed, the procession turned to the +right-about, and walked back to the altar again, the blown-out candle +that had been on the near side of us before was now on the off side, +the National Guards set down their muskets and began at their sandwiches +again. We had to wait an hour and a half at least before the great +procession arrived. The guns without went on booming all the while at +intervals, and as we heard each, the audience gave a kind of "ahahah!" +such as you hear when the rockets go up at Vauxhall. + +At last the real Procession came. + +Then the drums began to beat as formerly, the Nationals to get under +arms, the clergymen were sent for and went, and presently--yes, there +was the tall cross-bearer at the head of the procession, and they came +BACK! + +They chanted something in a weak, snuffling, lugubrious manner, to the +melancholy bray of a serpent. + +Crash! however, Mr. Habeneck and the fiddlers in the organ loft pealed +out a wild shrill march, which stopped the reverend gentlemen, and in +the midst of this music-- + +And of a great trampling of feet and clattering, + +And of a great crowd of Generals and Officers in fine clothes, + +With the Prince de Joinville marching quickly at the head of the +procession, + +And while everybody's heart was thumping as hard as possible, + +NAPOLEON'S COFFIN PASSED. + +It was done in an instant. A box covered with a great red cross--a +dingy-looking crown lying on the top of it--Seamen on one side and +Invalids on the other--they had passed in an instant and were up the +aisle. + +A faint snuffling sound, as before, was heard from the officiating +priests, but we knew of nothing more. It is said that old Louis Philippe +was standing at the catafalque, whither the Prince de Joinville advanced +and said, "Sire, I bring you the body of the Emperor Napoleon." + +Louis Philippe answered, "I receive it in the name of France." Bertrand +put on the body the most glorious victorious sword that ever has been +forged since the apt descendants of the first murderer learned how to +hammer steel; and the coffin was placed in the temple prepared for it. + +The six hundred singers and the fiddlers now commenced the playing and +singing of a piece of music; and a part of the crew of the "Belle +Poule" skipped into the places that had been kept for them under us, and +listened to the music, chewing tobacco. While the actors and fiddlers +were going on, most of the spirits-of-wine lamps on altars went out. + +When we arrived in the open air we passed through the court of the +Invalids, where thousands of people had been assembled, but where the +benches were now quite bare. Then we came on to the terrace before the +place: the old soldiers were firing off the great guns, which made a +dreadful stunning noise, and frightened some of us, who did not care to +pass before the cannon and be knocked down even by the wadding. The guns +were fired in honor of the King, who was going home by a back door. All +the forty thousand people who covered the great stands before the Hotel +had gone away too. The Imperial Barge had been dragged up the river, and +was lying lonely along the Quay, examined by some few shivering people +on the shore. + +It was five o'clock when we reached home: the stars were shining keenly +out of the frosty sky, and Francois told me that dinner was just ready. + +In this manner, my dear Miss Smith, the great Napoleon was buried. + +Farewell. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Second Funeral of Napoleon, by +William Makepeace Thackeray (AKA "Michael Angelo Titmarch") + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECOND FUNERAL OF NAPOLEON *** + +***** This file should be named 2645.txt or 2645.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/4/2645/ + +Produced by Donald Lainson + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +This etext was prepared by Donald Lainson, charlie@idirect.com. + + + + + +The Second Funeral of Napoleon + +by William Makepeace Thackeray +"by Michael Angelo Titmarch." + + +I. On the Disinterment of Napoleon at St. Helena + +II. On the Voyage from St. Helena to Paris + +III. On the Funeral Ceremony + + + + +I. + +ON THE DISINTERMENT OF NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. + + +MY DEAR ----,--It is no easy task in this world to distinguish +between what is great in it, and what is mean; and many and many is +the puzzle that I have had in reading History (or the works of +fiction which go by that name), to know whether I should laud up to +the skies, and endeavor, to the best of my small capabilities, to +imitate the remarkable character about whom I was reading, or +whether I should fling aside the book and the hero of it, as things +altogether base, unworthy, laughable, and get a novel, or a game of +billiards, or a pipe of tobacco, or the report of the last debate in +the House, or any other employment which would leave the mind in a +state of easy vacuity, rather than pester it with a vain set of +dates relating to actions which are in themselves not worth a fig, +or with a parcel of names of people whom it can do one no earthly +good to remember. + +It is more than probable, my love, that you are acquainted with what +is called Grecian and Roman history, chiefly from perusing, in very +early youth, the little sheepskin-bound volumes of the ingenious Dr. +Goldsmith, and have been indebted for your knowledge of the English +annals to a subsequent study of the more voluminous works of Hume +and Smollett. The first and the last-named authors, dear Miss +Smith, have written each an admirable history,--that of the Reverend +Dr. Primrose, Vicar of Wakefield, and that of Mr. Robert Bramble, of +Bramble Hall--in both of which works you will find true and +instructive pictures of human life, and which you may always think +over with advantage. But let me caution you against putting any +considerable trust in the other works of these authors, which were +placed in your hands at school and afterwards, and in which you were +taught to believe. Modern historians, for the most part, know very +little, and, secondly, only tell a little of what they know. + +As for those Greeks and Romans whom you have read of in "sheepskin," +were you to know really what those monsters were, you would blush +all over as red as a hollyhock, and put down the history-book in a +fury. Many of our English worthies are no better. You are not in a +situation to know the real characters of any one of them. They +appear before you in their public capacities, but the individuals +you know not. Suppose, for instance, your mamma had purchased her +tea in the Borough from a grocer living there by the name of +Greenacre: suppose you had been asked out to dinner, and the +gentleman of the house had said: "Ho! Francois! a glass of champagne +for Miss Smith;"--Courvoisier would have served you just as any +other footman would; you would never have known that there was +anything extraordinary in these individuals, but would have thought +of them only in their respective public characters of Grocer and +Footman. This, Madam, is History, in which a man always appears +dealing with the world in his apron, or his laced livery, but which +has not the power or the leisure, or, perhaps, is too high and +mighty to condescend to follow and study him in his privacy. Ah, my +dear, when big and little men come to be measured rightly, and great +and small actions to be weighed properly, and people to be stripped +of their royal robes, beggars' rags, generals' uniforms, seedy out- +at-elbowed coats, and the like--or the contrary say, when souls come +to be stripped of their wicked deceiving bodies, and turned out +stark naked as they were before they were born--what a strange +startling sight shall we see, and what a pretty figure shall some of +us cut! Fancy how we shall see Pride, with his Stultz clothes and +padding pulled off, and dwindled down to a forked radish! Fancy +some Angelic Virtue, whose white raiment is suddenly whisked over +his head, showing us cloven feet and a tail! Fancy Humility, eased +of its sad load of cares and want and scorn, walking up to the very +highest place of all, and blushing as he takes it! Fancy,--but we +must not fancy such a scene at all, which would be an outrage on +public decency. Should we be any better than our neighbors? No, +certainly. And as we can't be virtuous, let us be decent. +Figleaves are a very decent, becoming wear, and have been now in +fashion for four thousand years. And so, my dear, history is +written on fig-leaves. Would you have anything further? O fie! + +Yes, four thousand years ago that famous tree was planted. At their +very first lie, our first parents made for it, and there it is still +the great Humbug Plant, stretching its wide arms, and sheltering +beneath its leaves, as broad and green as ever, all the generations +of men. Thus, my dear, coquettes of your fascinating sex cover +their persons with figgery, fantastically arranged, and call their +masquerading, modesty. Cowards fig themselves out fiercely as +"salvage men," and make us believe that they are warriors. Fools +look very solemnly out from the dusk of the leaves, and we fancy in +the gloom that they are sages. And many a man sets a great wreath +about his pate and struts abroad a hero, whose claims we would all +of us laugh at, could we but remove the ornament and see his +numskull bare. + +And such--(excuse my sermonizing)--such is the constitution of +mankind, that men have, as it were, entered into a compact among +themselves to pursue the fig-leaf system a l'outrance, and to cry +down all who oppose it. Humbug they will have. Humbugs themselves, +they will respect humbugs. Their daily victuals of life must be +seasoned with humbug. Certain things are there in the world that +they will not allow to be called by their right names, and will +insist upon our admiring, whether we will or no. Woe be to the man +who would enter too far into the recesses of that magnificent temple +where our Goddess is enshrined, peep through the vast embroidered +curtains indiscreetly, penetrate the secret of secrets, and expose +the Gammon of Gammons! And as you must not peer too curiously +within, so neither must you remain scornfully without. Humbug- +worshippers, let us come into our great temple regularly and +decently: take our seats, and settle our clothes decently; open our +books, and go through the service with decent gravity; listen, and +be decently affected by the expositions of the decent priest of the +place; and if by chance some straggling vagabond, loitering in the +sunshine out of doors, dares to laugh or to sing, and disturb the +sanctified dulness of the faithful;--quick! a couple of big beadles +rush out and belabor the wretch, and his yells make our devotions +more comfortable. + +Some magnificent religious ceremonies of this nature are at present +taking place in France; and thinking that you might perhaps while +away some long winter evening with an account of them, I have +compiled the following pages for your use. Newspapers have been +filled, for some days past, with details regarding the St. Helena +expedition, many pamphlets have been published, men go about crying +little books and broadsheets filled with real or sham particulars; +and from these scarce and valuable documents the following pages are +chiefly compiled. + +We must begin at the beginning; premising, in the first place, that +Monsieur Guizot, when French Ambassador at London, waited upon Lord +Palmerston with a request that the body of the Emperor Napoleon +should be given up to the French nation, in order that it might find +a final resting-place in French earth. To this demand the English +Government gave a ready assent; nor was there any particular +explosion of sentiment upon either side, only some pretty cordial +expressions of mutual good-will. Orders were sent out to St. Helena +that the corpse should be disinterred in due time, when the French +expedition had arrived in search of it, and that every respect and +attention should he paid to those who came to carry back to their +country the body of the famous dead warrior and sovereign. + +This matter being arranged in very few words (as in England, upon +most points, is the laudable fashion), the French Chambers began to +debate about the place in which they should bury the body when they +got it; and numberless pamphlets and newspapers out of doors joined +in the talk. Some people there were who had fought and conquered +and been beaten with the great Napoleon, and loved him and his +memory. Many more were there who, because of his great genius and +valor, felt excessively proud in their own particular persons, and +clamored for the return of their hero. And if there were some few +individuals in this great hot-headed, gallant, boasting, sublime, +absurd French nation, who had taken a cool view of the dead +Emperor's character; if, perhaps, such men as Louis Philippe, and +Monsieur A. Thiers, Minister and Deputy, and Monsieur Francois +Guizot, Deputy and Excellency, had, from interest or conviction, +opinions at all differing from those of the majority; why, they knew +what was what, and kept their opinions to themselves, coming with a +tolerably good grace and flinging a few handfuls of incense upon the +altar of the popular idol. + +In the succeeding debates, then, various opinions were given with +regard to the place to be selected for the Emperor's sepulture. +"Some demanded," says an eloquent anonymous Captain in the Navy who +has written an "Itinerary from Toulon to St. Helena," "that the +coffin should be deposited under the bronze taken from the enemy by +the French army--under the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea +was a fine one. This is the most glorious monument that was ever +raised in a conqueror's honor. This column has been melted out of +foreign cannon. These same cannons have furrowed the bosoms of our +braves with noble cicatrices; and this metal--conquered by the +soldier first, by the artist afterwards--has allowed to be imprinted +on its front its own defeat and our glory. Napoleon might sleep in +peace under this audacious trophy. But, would his ashes find a +shelter sufficiently vast beneath this pedestal? And his puissant +statue dominating Paris, beams with sufficient grandeur on this +place: whereas the wheels of carriages and the feet of passengers +would profane the funereal sanctity of the spot in trampling on the +soil so near his head." + +You must not take this description, dearest Amelia, "at the foot of +the letter," as the French phrase it, but you will here have a +masterly exposition of the arguments for and against the burial of +the Emperor under the Column of the Place Vendome. The idea was a +fine one, granted; but, like all other ideas, it was open to +objections. You must not fancy that the cannon, or rather the +cannon-balls, were in the habit of furrowing the bosoms of French +braves, or any other braves, with cicatrices: on the contrary, it is +a known fact that cannon-balls make wounds, and not cicatrices +(which, my dear, are wounds partially healed); nay, that a man +generally dies after receiving one such projectile on his chest, +much more after having his bosom furrowed by a score of them. No, +my love; no bosom, however heroic, can stand such applications, and +the author only means that the French soldiers faced the cannon and +took them. Nor, my love, must you suppose that the column was +melted: it was the cannon was melted, not the column; but such +phrases are often used by orators when they wish to give a +particular force and emphasis to their opinions. + +Well, again, although Napoleon might have slept in peace under "this +audacious trophy," how could he do so and carriages go rattling by +all night, and people with great iron heels to their boots pass +clattering over the stones? Nor indeed could it be expected that a +man whose reputation stretches from the Pyramids to the Kremlin, +should find a column of which the base is only five-and-twenty feet +square, a shelter vast enough for his bones. In a word, then, +although the proposal to bury Napoleon under the column was +ingenious, it was found not to suit; whereupon somebody else +proposed the Madelaine. + +"It was proposed," says the before-quoted author with his usual +felicity, "to consecrate the Madelaine to his exiled manes"--that +is, to his bones when they were not in exile any longer. "He ought +to have, it was said, a temple entire. His glory fills the world. +His bones could not contain themselves in the coffin of a man--in +the tomb of a king!" In this case what was Mary Magdalen to do? +"This proposition, I am happy to say, was rejected, and a new one-- +that of the President of the Council adopted. Napoleon and his +braves ought not to quit each other. Under the immense gilded dome +of the Invalides he would find a sanctuary worthy of himself. A +dome imitates the vault of heaven, and that vault alone" (meaning of +course the other vault) "should dominate above his head. His old +mutilated Guard shall watch around him: the last veteran, as he has +shed his blood in his combats, shall breathe his last sigh near his +tomb, and all these tombs shall sleep under the tattered standards +that have been won from all the nations of Europe." + +The original words are "sous les lambeaux cribles des drapeaux +cueillis chez toutes les nations;" in English, "under the riddled +rags of the flags that have been culled or plucked" (like roses or +buttercups) "in all the nations." Sweet, innocent flowers of +victory! there they are, my dear, sure enough, and a pretty +considerable hortus siccus may any man examine who chooses to walk +to the Invalides. The burial-place being thus agreed on, the +expedition was prepared, and on the 7th July the "Belle Poule" +frigate, in company with "La Favorite" corvette, quitted Toulon +harbor. A couple of steamers, the "Trident" and the "Ocean," +escorted the ships as far as Gibraltar, and there left them to +pursue their voyage. + +The two ships quitted the harbor in the sight of a vast concourse of +people, and in the midst of a great roaring of cannons. Previous to +the departure of the "Belle Poule," the Bishop of Frejus went on +board, and gave to the cenotaph, in which the Emperor's remains were +to be deposited, his episcopal benediction. Napoleon's old friends +and followers, the two Bertrands, Gourgaud, Emanuel Las Cases, +"companions in exile, or sons of the companions in exile of the +prisoner of the infame Hudson," says a French writer, were passengers +on board the frigate. Marchand, Denis, Pierret, Novaret, his old +and faithful servants, were likewise in the vessel. It was +commanded by his Royal Highness Francis Ferdinand Philip Louis Marie +d'Orleans, Prince de Joinville, a young prince two-and-twenty years +of age, who was already distinguished in the service of his country +and king. + +On the 8th of October, after a voyage of six-and-sixty days, the +"Belle Poule" arrived in James Town harbor; and on its arrival, as +on its departure from France, a great firing of guns took place. +First, the "Oreste" French brig-of-war began roaring out a +salutation to the frigate; then the "Dolphin" English schooner gave +her one-and-twenty guns; then the frigate returned the compliment of +the "Dolphin" schooner; then she blazed out with one-and-twenty guns +more, as a mark of particular politeness to the shore--which +kindness the forts acknowledged by similar detonations. + +These little compliments concluded on both sides, Lieutenant +Middlemore, son and aide-de-camp of the Governor of St. Helena, came +on board the French frigate, and brought his father's best respects +to his Royal Highness. The Governor was at home ill, and forced to +keep his room; but he had made his house at James Town ready for +Captain Joinville and his suite, and begged that they would make use +of it during their stay. + +On the 9th, H. R. H. the Prince of Joinville put on his full uniform +and landed, in company with Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron +Las Cases, M. Marchand, M. Coquereau, the chaplain of the +expedition, and M. de Rohan Chabot, who acted as chief mourner. All +the garrison were under arms to receive the illustrious Prince and +the other members of the expedition--who forthwith repaired to +Plantation House, and had a conference with the Governor regarding +their mission. + +On the 10th, 11th, 12th, these conferences continued: the crews of +the French ships were permitted to come on shore and see the tomb of +Napoleon. Bertrand, Gourgaud, Las Cases wandered about the island +and revisited the spots to which they had been partial in the +lifetime of the Emperor. + +The 15th October was fixed on for the day of the exhumation: that +day five-and twenty years, the Emperor Napoleon first set his foot +upon the island. + +On the day previous all things had been made ready: the grand +coffins and ornaments brought from France, and the articles +necessary for the operation were carried to the valley of the Tomb. + +The operations commenced at midnight. The well-known friends of +Napoleon before named and some other attendants of his, the chaplain +and his acolytes, the doctor of the "Belle Poule," the captains of +the French ships, and Captain Alexander of the Engineers, the +English Commissioner, attended the disinterment. His Royal highness +Prince de Joinville could not be present because the workmen were +under English command. + +The men worked for nine hours incessantly, when at length the earth +was entirely removed from the vault, all the horizontal strata of +masonry demolished, and the large slab which covered the place where +the stone sarcophagus lay, removed by a crane. This outer coffin of +stone was perfect, and could scarcely be said to be damp. + +"As soon as the Abbe Coquereau had recited the prayers, the coffin +was removed with the greatest care, and carried by the engineer- +soldiers, bareheaded, into a tent that had been prepared for the +purpose. After the religious ceremonies, the inner coffins were +opened. The outermost coffin was slightly injured: then came, one +of lead, which was in good condition, and enclosed two others--one +of tin and one of wood. The last coffin was lined inside with white +satin, which, having become detached by the effect of time, had +fallen upon the body and enveloped it like a winding-sheet, and had +become slightly attached to it. + +"It is difficult to describe with what anxiety and emotion those who +were present waited for the moment which was to expose to them all +that death had left of Napoleon. Notwithstanding the singular state +of preservation of the tomb and coffins, we could scarcely hope to +find anything but some misshapen remains of the least perishable +part of the costume to evidence the identity of the body. But when +Doctor Guillard raised the sheet of satin, an indescribable feeling +of surprise and affection was expressed by the spectators, many of +whom burst into tears. The Emperor was himself before their eyes! +The features of the face, though changed, were perfectly recognized; +the hands extremely beautiful; his well-known costume had suffered +but little, and the colors were easily distinguished. The attitude +itself was full of ease, and but for the fragments of the satin +lining which covered, as with a fine gauze, several parts of the +uniform, we might have believed we still saw Napoleon before us +lying on his bed of state. General Bertrand and M. Marchand, who +were both present at the interment, quickly pointed out the +different articles which each had deposited in the coffin, and +remained in the precise position in which they had previously +described them to be. + +"The two inner coffins were carefully closed again; the old leaden +coffin was strongly blocked up with wedges of wood, and both were +once more soldered up with the most minute precautions, under the +direction of Dr. Guillard. These different operations being +terminated, the ebony sarcophagus was closed as well as its oak +case. On delivering the key of the ebony sarcophagus to Count de +Chabot, the King's Commissioner, Captain Alexander declared to him, +in the name of the Governor, that this coffin, containing the mortal +remains of the Emperor Napoleon, was considered as at the disposal +of the French Government from that day, and from the moment at which +it should arrive at the place of embarkation, towards which it was +about to be sent under the orders of General Middlemore. The King's +Commissioner replied that he was charged by his Government, and in +its name, to accept the coffin from the hands of the British +authorities, and that he and the other persons composing the French +mission were ready to follow it to James Town, where the Prince de +Joinville, superior commandant of the expedition, would be ready to +receive it and conduct it on board his frigate. A car drawn by four +horses, decked with funereal emblems, had been prepared before the +arrival of the expedition, to receive the coffin, as well as a pall, +and all the other suitable trappings of mourning. When the +sarcophagus was placed on the car, the whole was covered with a +magnificent imperial mantle brought from Paris, the four corners of +which were borne by Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases +and M. Marchand. At half-past three o'clock the funeral car began +to move, preceded by a chorister bearing the cross, and by the Abbe +Coquereau. M. de Chabot acted as chief mourner. All the +authorities of the island, all the principal inhabitants, and the +whole of the garrison, followed in procession from the tomb to the +quay. But with the exception of the artillerymen necessary to lead +the horses, and occasionally support the car when descending some +steep parts of the way, the places nearest the coffin were reserved +for the French mission. General Middlemore, although in a weak +state of health, persisted in following the whole way on foot, +together with General Churchill, chief of the staff in India, who +had arrived only two days before from Bombay. The immense weight of +the coffins, and the unevenness of the road, rendered the utmost +carefulness necessary throughout the whole distance. Colonel +Trelawney commanded in person the small detachment of artillerymen +who conducted the car, and, thanks to his great care, not the +slightest accident took place. From the moment of departure to the +arrival at the quay, the cannons of the forts and the 'Belle Poule' +fired minute-guns. After an hour's march the rain ceased for the +first time since the commencement of the operations, and on arriving +in sight of the town we found a brilliant sky and beautiful weather. +From the morning the three French vessels of war had assumed the +usual signs of deep mourning: their yards crossed and their flags +lowered. Two French merchantmen, 'Bonne Amie' and 'Indien,' which +had been in the roads for two days, had put themselves under the +Prince's orders, and followed during the ceremony all the manoeuvers +of the 'Belle Poule.' The forts of the town, and the houses of the +consuls, had also their flags half-mast high. + +"On arriving at the entrance of the town, the troops of the garrison +and the militia formed in two lines as far as the extremity of the +quay. According to the order for mourning prescribed for the +English army, the men had their arms reversed and the officers had +crape on their arms, with their swords reversed. All the +inhabitants had been kept away from the line of march, but they +lined the terraces, commanding the town, and the streets were +occupied only by the troops, the 91st Regiment being on the right +and the militia on the left. The cortege advanced slowly between +two ranks of soldiers to the sound of a funeral march, while the +cannons of the forts were fired, as well as those of the 'Belle +Poule' and the 'Dolphin;' the echoes being repeated a thousand times +by the rocks above James Town. After two hours' march the cortege +stopped at the end of the quay, where the Prince de Joinville had +stationed himself at the head of the officers of the three French +ships of war. The greatest official honors had been rendered by the +English authorities to the memory of the Emperor--the most striking +testimonials of respect had marked the adieu given by St. Helena to +his coffin; and from this moment the mortal remains of the Emperor +were about to belong to France. When the funeral-car stopped, the +Prince de Joinville advanced alone, and in presence of all around, +who stood with their heads uncovered, received, in a solemn manner, +the imperial coffin from the hands of General Middlemore. His Royal +Highness then thanked the Governor, in the name of France, for all +the testimonials of sympathy and respect with which the authorities +and inhabitants of St. Helena had surrounded the memorable +ceremonial. A cutter had been expressly prepared to receive the +coffin. During the embarkation, which the Prince directed himself, +the bands played funeral airs, and all the boats were stationed +round with their oars shipped. The moment the sarcophagus touched +the cutter, a magnificent royal flag, which the ladies of James Town +had embroidered for the occasion, was unfurled, and the 'Belle +Poule' immediately squared her masts and unfurled her colors. All +the manoeuvers of the frigate were immediately followed by the other +vessels. Our mourning had ceased with the exile of Napoleon, and +the French naval division dressed itself out in all its festal +ornaments to receive the imperial coffin under the French flag. The +sarcophagus was covered in the cutter with the imperial mantle. The +Prince de Joinville placed himself at the rudder, Commandant Guyet +at the head of the boat; Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las +Cases, M. Marchand, and the Abbe Coquereau occupied the same places +as during the march. Count Chabot and Commandant Hernoux were +astern, a little in advance of the Prince. As soon as the cutter +had pushed off from the quay, the batteries ashore fired a salute of +twenty-one guns, and our ships returned the salute with all their +artillery. Two other salutes were fired during the passage from the +quay to the frigate; the cutter advancing very slowly, and +surrounded by the other boats. At half-past six o'clock it reached +the 'Belle Poule,' all the men being on the yards with their hats in +their hands. The Prince had had arranged on the deck a chapel, +decked with flags and trophies of arms, the altar being placed at +the foot of the mizzen-mast. The coffin, carried by our sailors, +passed between two ranks of officers with drawn swords, and was +placed on the quarter-deck. The absolution was pronounced by the +Abbe Coquereau the same evening. Next day, at ten o'clock, a solemn +mass was celebrated on the deck, in presence of the officers and +part of the crews of the ships. His Royal Highness stood at the +foot of the coffin. The cannon of the 'Favorite' and 'Oreste' fired +minute-guns during this ceremony, which terminated by a solemn +absolution; and the Prince de Joinville, the gentlemen of the +mission, the officers, and the premiers maitres of the ship, +sprinkled holy water on the coffin. At eleven, all the ceremonies +of the church were accomplished, all the honors done to a sovereign +had been paid to the mortal remains of Napoleon. The coffin was +carefully lowered between decks, and placed in the chapelle ardente +which had been prepared at Toulon for its reception. At this +moment, the vessels fired a last salute with all their artillery, +and the frigate took in her flags, keeping up only her flag at the +stern and the royal standard at the maintopgallant-mast. On Sunday, +the 18th, at eight in the morning, the 'Belle Poule' quitted St. +Helena with her precious deposit on board. + +"During the whole time that the mission remained at James Town, the +best understanding never ceased to exist between the population of +the island and the French. The Prince de Joinville and his +companions met in all quarters and at all times with the greatest +good-will and the warmest testimonials of sympathy. The authorities +and the inhabitants must have felt, no doubt, great regret at seeing +taken away from their island the coffin that had rendered it so +celebrated; but they repressed their feelings with a courtesy that +does honor to the frankness of their character." + + +II. + +ON THE VOYAGE FROM ST. HELENA TO PARIS. + + +On the 18th October the French frigate quitted the island with its +precious burden on board. + +His Royal Highness the Captain acknowledged cordially the kindness +and attention which he and his crew had received from the English +authorities and the inhabitants of the Island of St. Helena; nay, +promised a pension to an old soldier who had been for many years the +guardian of the imperial tomb, and went so far as to take into +consideration the petition of a certain lodging-house keeper, who +prayed for a compensation for the loss which the removal of the +Emperor's body would occasion to her. And although it was not to be +expected that the great French nation should forego its natural +desire of recovering the remains of a hero so dear to it for the +sake of the individual interest of the landlady in question, it must +have been satisfactory to her to find, that the peculiarity of her +position was so delicately appreciated by the august Prince who +commanded the expedition, and carried away with him animae dimidium +suae--the half of the genteel independence which she derived from +the situation of her hotel. In a word, politeness and friendship +could not be carried farther. The Prince's realm and the landlady's +were bound together by the closest ties of amity. M. Thiers was +Minister of France, the great patron of the English alliance. At +London M. Guizot was the worthy representative of the French good- +will towards the British people; and the remark frequently made by +our orators at public dinners, that "France and England, while +united, might defy the world," was considered as likely to hold good +for many years to come,--the union that is. As for defying the +world, that was neither here nor there; nor did English politicians +ever dream of doing any such thing, except perhaps at the tenth +glass of port at "Freemason's Tavern." + +Little, however, did Mrs. Corbett, the St. Helena landlady, little +did his Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand Philip Marie de Joinville +know what was going on in Europe all this time (when I say in +Europe, I mean in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt); how clouds, in fact, +were gathering upon what you call the political horizon; and how +tempests were rising that were to blow to pieces our Anglo-Gallic +temple of friendship. Oh, but it is sad to think that a single +wicked old Turk should be the means of setting our two Christian +nations by the ears! + +Yes, my love, this disreputable old man had been for some time past +the object of the disinterested attention of the great sovereigns of +Europe. The Emperor Nicolas (a moral character, though following +the Greek superstition, and adored for his mildness and benevolence +of disposition), the Emperor Ferdinand, the King of Prussia, and our +own gracious Queen, had taken such just offence at his conduct and +disobedience towards a young and interesting sovereign, whose +authority he had disregarded, whose fleet he had kidnapped, whose +fair provinces he had pounced upon, that they determined to come to +the aid of Abdul Medjid the First, Emperor of the Turks, and bring +his rebellious vassal to reason. In this project the French nation +was invited to join; but they refused the invitation, saying, that +it was necessary for the maintenance of the balance of power in +Europe that his Highness Mehemet Ali should keep possession of what +by hook or by crook he had gotten, and that they would have no hand +in injuring him. But why continue this argument, which you have +read in the newspapers for many months past? You, my dear, must +know as well as I, that the balance of power in Europe could not +possibly be maintained in any such way; and though, to be sure, for +the last fifteen years, the progress of the old robber has not made +much difference to us in the neighborhood of Russell Square, and the +battle of Nezib did not in the least affect our taxes, our homes, +our institutions, or the price of butcher's meat, yet there is no +knowing what MIGHT have happened had Mehemet Ali been allowed to +remain quietly as he was: and the balance of power in Europe might +have been--the deuce knows where. + +Here, then, in a nutshell, you have the whole matter in dispute. +While Mrs. Corbett and the Prince de Joinville were innocently +interchanging compliments at St. Helena,--bang! bang! Commodore +Napier was pouring broadsides into Tyre and Sidon; our gallant navy +was storming breaches and routing armies; Colonel Hodges had seized +upon the green standard of Ibrahim Pacha; and the powder-magazine of +St. John of Acre was blown up sky-high, with eighteen hundred +Egyptian soldiers in company with it. The French said that l'or +Anglais had achieved all these successes, and no doubt believed that +the poor fellows at Acre were bribed to a man. + +It must have been particularly unpleasant to a high-minded nation +like the French--at the very moment when the Egyptian affair and the +balance of Europe had been settled in this abrupt way--to find out +all of a sudden that the Pasha of Egypt was their dearest friend and +ally. They had suffered in the person of their friend; and though, +seeing that the dispute was ended, and the territory out of his +hand, they could not hope to get it back for him, or to aid him in +any substantial way, yet Monsieur Thiers determined, just as a mark +of politeness to the Pasha, to fight all Europe for maltreating +him,--all Europe, England included. He was bent on war, and an +immense majority of the nation went with him. He called for a +million of soldiers, and would have had them too, had not the King +been against the project and delayed the completion of it at least +for a time. + +Of these great European disputes Captain Joinville received a +notification while he was at sea on board his frigate: as we find by +the official account which has been published of his mission. + +"Some days after quitting St. Helena," says that document, "the +expedition fell in with a ship coming from Europe, and was thus made +acquainted with the warlike rumors then afloat, by which a collision +with the English marine was rendered possible. The Prince de +Joinville immediately assembled the officers of the 'Belle Poule,' +to deliberate on an event so unexpected and important. + +"The council of war having expressed its opinion that it was +necessary at all events to prepare for an energetic defence, +preparations were made to place in battery all the guns that the +frigate could bring to bear against the enemy. The provisional +cabins that had been fitted up in the battery were demolished, the +partitions removed, and, with all the elegant furniture of the +cabins, flung into the sea. The Prince de Joinville was the first +'to execute himself,' and the frigate soon found itself armed with +six or eight more guns. + +"That part of the ship where these cabins had previously been, went +by the name of Lacedaemon; everything luxurious being banished to +make way for what was useful. + +"Indeed, all persons who were on board agree in saying that +Monseigneur the Prince de Joinville most worthily acquitted himself +of the great and honorable mission which had been confided to him. +All affirm not only that the commandant of the expedition did +everything at St. Helena which as a Frenchman he was bound to do in +order that the remains of the Emperor should receive all the honors +due to them, but moreover that he accomplished his mission with all +the measured solemnity, all the pious and severe dignity, that the +son of the Emperor himself would have shown upon a like occasion. +The commandant had also comprehended that the remains of the Emperor +must never fall into the hands of the stranger, and being himself +decided rather to sink his ship than to give up his precious +deposit, he had inspired every one about him with the same +energetic resolution that he had himself taken 'AGAINST AN EXTREME +EVENTUALITY.'" + +Monseigneur, my dear, is really one of the finest young fellows it +is possible to see. A tall, broad-chested, slim-waisted, brown- +faced, dark-eyed young prince, with a great beard (and other martial +qualities no doubt) beyond his years. As he strode into the Chapel +of the Invalides on Tuesday at the head of his men, he made no small +impression, I can tell you, upon the ladies assembled to witness the +ceremony. Nor are the crew of the "Belle Poule" less agreeable to +look at than their commander. A more clean, smart, active, well- +limbed set of lads never "did dance" upon the deck of the famed +"Belle Poule" in the days of her memorable combat with the "Saucy +Arethusa." "These five hundred sailors," says a French newspaper, +speaking of them in the proper French way, "sword in hand, in the +severe costume of board-ship (la severe tenue du bord), seemed proud +of the mission that they had just accomplished. Their blue jackets, +their red cravats, the turned-down collars of blue shirts edged with +white, ABOVE ALL their resolute appearance and martial air, gave a +favorable specimen of the present state of our marine--a marine of +which so much might be expected and from which so little has been +required."--Le Commerce: 16th December. + +There they were, sure enough; a cutlass upon one hip, a pistol on +the other--a gallant set of young men indeed. I doubt, to be sure, +whether the severe tenue du bord requires that the seaman should be +always furnished with those ferocious weapons, which in sundry +maritime manoeuvers, such as going to sleep in your hammock for +instance, or twinkling a binnacle, or luffing a marlinspike, or +keelhauling a maintopgallant (all naval operations, my dear, which +any seafaring novelist will explain to you)--I doubt, I say, whether +these weapons are ALWAYS worn by sailors, and have heard that they +are commonly and very sensibly too, locked up until they are wanted. +Take another example: suppose artillerymen were incessantly +compelled to walk about with a pyramid of twenty-four pound shot in +one pocket, a lighted fuse and a few barrels of gunpowder in the +other--these objects would, as you may imagine, greatly inconvenience +the artilleryman in his peaceful state. + +The newspaper writer is therefore most likely mistaken in saying +that the seamen were in the severe tenue du bord, or by "bord" +meaning "abordage"--which operation they were not, in a harmless +church, hung round with velvet and wax-candles, and filled with +ladies, surely called upon to perform. Nor indeed can it be +reasonably supposed that the picked men of the crack frigate of the +French navy are a "good specimen" of the rest of the French marine, +any more than a cuirassed colossus at the gate of the Horse Guards +can be considered a fair sample of the British soldier of the line. +The sword and pistol, however, had no doubt their effect--the former +was in its sheath, the latter not loaded, and I hear that the French +ladies are quite in raptures with these charming loups-de-mer. + +Let the warlike accoutrements then pass. It was necessary, perhaps, +to strike the Parisians with awe, and therefore the crew was armed +in this fierce fashion; but why should the captain begin to swagger +as well as his men? and why did the Prince de Joinville lug out +sword and pistol so early? or why, if he thought fit to make +preparations, should the official journals brag of them afterwards +as proofs of his extraordinary courage? + +Here is the case. The English Government makes him a present of the +bones of Napoleon: English workmen work for nine hours without +ceasing, and dig the coffin out of the ground: the English +Commissioner hands over the key of the box to the French +representative, Monsieur Chabot: English horses carry the funeral +car down to the sea-shore, accompanied by the English Governor, who +has actually left his bed to walk in the procession and to do the +French nation honor. + +After receiving and acknowledging these politenesses, the French +captain takes his charge on board, and the first thing we afterwards +hear of him is the determination "qu'il a su faire passer" into all +his crew, to sink rather than yield up the body of the Emperor aux +mains de l'etranger--into the hands of the foreigner. My dear +Monseigneur, is not this par trop fort? Suppose "the foreigner" had +wanted the coffin, could he not have kept it? Why show this +uncalled-for valor, this extraordinary alacrity at sinking? Sink or +blow yourself up as much as you please, but your Royal Highness must +see that the genteel thing would have been to wait until you were +asked to do so, before you offended good-natured, honest people, +who--heaven help them!--have never shown themselves at all +murderously inclined towards you. A man knocks up his cabins +forsooth, throws his tables and chairs overboard, runs guns into the +portholes, and calls le quartier du bord ou existaient ces chambres, +Lacedaemon. Lacedaemon! There is a province, O Prince, in your +royal father's dominions, a fruitful parent of heroes in its time, +which would have given a much better nickname to your quartier du +bord: you should have called it Gascony. + + + "Sooner than strike we'll all ex-pi-er + On board of the Bell-e Pou-le." + + +Such fanfaronading is very well on the part of Tom Dibdin, but a +person of your Royal Highness's "pious and severe dignity" should +have been above it. If you entertained an idea that war was +imminent, would it not have been far better to have made your +preparations in quiet, and when you found the war rumor blown over, +to have said nothing about what you intended to do? Fie upon such +cheap Lacedaemonianism! There is no poltroon in the world but can +brag about what he WOULD have done: however, to do your Royal +Highness's nation justice, they brag and fight too. + +This narrative, my dear Miss Smith, as you will have remarked, is +not a simple tale merely, but is accompanied by many moral and pithy +remarks which form its chief value, in the writer's eyes at least, +and the above account of the sham Lacedaemon on board the "Belle +Poule" has a double-barrelled morality, as I conceive. Besides +justly reprehending the French propensity towards braggadocio, it +proves very strongly a point on which I am the only statesman in +Europe who has strongly insisted. In the "Paris Sketch Book" it was +stated that THE FRENCH HATE US. They hate us, my dear, profoundly +and desperately, and there never was such a hollow humbug in the +world as the French alliance. Men get a character for patriotism in +France merely by hating England. Directly they go into strong +opposition (where, you know, people are always more patriotic than +on the ministerial side), they appeal to the people, and have their +hold on the people by hating England in common with them. Why? It +is a long story, and the hatred may be accounted for by many reasons +both political and social. Any time these eight hundred years this +ill-will has been going on, and has been transmitted on the French +side from father to son. On the French side, not on ours: we have +had no, or few, defeats to complain of, no invasions to make us +angry; but you see that to discuss such a period of time would +demand a considerable number of pages, and for the present we will +avoid the examination of the question. + +But they hate us, that is the long and short of it; and you see how +this hatred has exploded just now, not upon a serious cause of +difference, but upon an argument: for what is the Pasha of Egypt to +us or them but a mere abstract opinion? For the same reason the +Little-endians in Lilliput abhorred the Big-endians; and I beg you +to remark how his Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand Mary, upon hearing +that this argument was in the course of debate between us, +straightway flung his furniture overboard and expressed a preference +for sinking his ship rather than yielding it to the etranger. +Nothing came of this wish of his, to be sure; but the intention is +everything. Unlucky circumstances denied him the power, but he had +the will. + +Well, beyond this disappointment, the Prince de Joinville had +nothing to complain of during the voyage, which terminated happily +by the arrival of the "Belle Poule" at Cherbourg, on the 30th of +November, at five o'clock in the morning. A telegraph made the glad +news known at Paris, where the Minister of the Interior, Tanneguy- +Duchatel (you will read the name, Madam, in the old Anglo-French +wars), had already made "immense preparations" for receiving the +body of Napoleon. + +The entry was fixed for the 15th of December. + +On the 8th of December at Cherbourg the body was transferred from +the "Belle Poule" frigate to the "Normandie" steamer. On which +occasion the mayor of Cherbourg deposited, in the name of his town, +a gold laurel branch upon the coffin--which was saluted by the forts +and dykes of the place with ONE THOUSAND GUNS! There was a treat +for the inhabitants. + +There was on board the steamer a splendid receptacle for the coffin: +"a temple with twelve pillars and a dome to cover it from the wet +and moisture, surrounded with velvet hangings and silver fringes. +At the head was a gold cross, at the foot a gold lamp: other lamps +were kept constantly burning within, and vases of burning incense +were hung around. An altar, hung with velvet and silver, was at the +mizzen-mast of the vessel, AND FOUR SILVER EAGLES AT EACH CORNER OF +THE ALTAR." It was a compliment at once to Napoleon and--excuse me +for saying so, but so the facts are--to Napoleon and to God Almighty. + +Three steamers, the "Normandie," the "Veloce," and the "Courrier," +formed the expedition from Cherbourg to Havre, at which place they +arrived on the evening of the 9th of December, and where the +"Veloce" was replaced by the Seine steamer, having in tow one of the +state-coasters, which was to fire the salute at the moment when the +body was transferred into one of the vessels belonging to the Seine. + +The expedition passed Havre the same night, and came to anchor at +Val de la Haye on the Seine, three leagues below Rouen. + +Here the next morning (10th), it was met by the flotilla of +steamboats of the Upper Seine, consisting of the three "Dorades," +the three "Etoiles," the "Elbeuvien," the "Pansien," the +"Parisienne," and the "Zampa." The Prince de Joinville, and the +persons of the expedition, embarked immediately in the flotilla, +which arrived the same day at Rouen. + +At Rouen salutes were fired, the National Guard on both sides of the +river paid military honors to the body; and over the middle of the +suspension-bridge a magnificent cenotaph was erected, decorated with +flags, fasces, violet hangings, and the imperial arms. Before the +cenotaph the expedition stopped, and the absolution was given by the +archbishop and the clergy. After a couple of hours' stay, the +expedition proceeded to Pont de l'Arche. On the 11th it reached +Vernon, on the 12th Mantes, on the 13th Maisons-sur-Seine. + +"Everywhere," says the official account from which the above +particulars are borrowed, "the authorities, the National Guard, and +the people flocked to the passage of the flotilla, desirous to +render the honors due to his glory, which is the glory of France. +In seeing its hero return, the nation seemed to have found its +Palladium again,--the sainted relics of victory." + +At length, on the 14th, the coffin was transferred from the "Dorade" +steamer on board the imperial vessel arrived from Paris. In the +evening, the imperial vessel arrived at Courbevoie, which was the +last stage of the journey. + +Here it was that M. Guizot went to examine the vessel, and was very +nearly flung into the Seine, as report goes, by the patriots +assembled there. It is now lying on the river, near the Invalides, +amidst the drifting ice, whither the people of Paris are flocking +out to see it. + +The vessel is of a very elegant antique form, and I can give you on +the Thames no better idea of it than by requesting you to fancy an +immense wherry, of which the stern has been cut straight off, and on +which a temple on steps has been elevated. At the figure-head is an +immense gold eagle, and at the stern is a little terrace, filled +with evergreens and a profusion of banners. Upon pedestals along +the sides of the vessel are tripods in which incense was burned, and +underneath them are garlands of flowers called here "immortals." +Four eagles surmount the temple, and a great scroll or garland, held +in their beaks, surrounds it. It is hung with velvet and gold; four +gold caryatides support the entry of it; and in the midst, upon a +large platform hung with velvet, and bearing the imperial arms, +stood the coffin. A steamboat, carrying two hundred musicians +playing funereal marches and military symphonies, preceded this +magnificent vessel to Courbevoie, where a funereal temple was +erected, and "a statue of Notre Dame de Grace, before which the +seamen of the 'Belle Poule' inclined themselves, in order to thank +her for having granted them a noble and glorious voyage." + +Early on the morning of the 15th December, amidst clouds of incense, +and thunder of cannon, and innumerable shouts of people, the coffin +was transferred from the barge, and carried by the seamen of the +"Belle Poule" to the Imperial Car. + + +And, now having conducted our hero almost to the gates of Paris, I +must tell you what preparations were made in the capital to receive +him. + +Ten days before the arrival of the body, as you walked across the +Deputies' Bridge, or over the Esplanade of the Invalides, you saw on +the bridge eight, on the esplanade thirty-two, mysterious boxes +erected, wherein a couple of score of sculptors were at work night +and day. + +In the middle of the Invalid Avenue, there used to stand, on a kind +of shabby fountain or pump, a bust of Lafayette, crowned with some +dirty wreaths of "immortals," and looking down at the little +streamlet which occasionally dribbled below him. The spot of ground +was now clear, and Lafayette and the pump had been consigned to some +cellar, to make way for the mighty procession that was to pass over +the place of their habitation. + +Strange coincidence! If I had been Mr. Victor Hugo, my dear, or a +poet of any note, I would, in a few hours, have made an impromptu +concerning that Lafayette-crowned pump, and compared its lot now to +the fortune of its patron some fifty years back. From him then +issued, as from his fountain now, a feeble dribble of pure words; +then, as now, some faint circles of disciples were willing to admire +him. Certainly in the midst of the war and storm without, this pure +fount of eloquence went dribbling, dribbling on, till of a sudden +the revolutionary workmen knocked down statue and fountain, and the +gorgeous imperial cavalcade trampled over the spot where they stood. + +As for the Champs Elysees, there was no end to the preparations; the +first day you saw a couple of hundred scaffoldings erected at +intervals between the handsome gilded gas-lamps that at present +ornament that avenue; next day, all these scaffoldings were filled +with brick and mortar. Presently, over the bricks and mortar rose +pediments of statues, legs of urns, legs of goddesses, legs and +bodies of goddesses, legs, bodies, and busts of goddesses. Finally, +on the 13th December, goddesses complete. On the 14th they were +painted marble-color; and the basements of wood and canvas on which +they stood were made to resemble the same costly material. The +funereal urns were ready to receive the frankincense and precious +odors which were to burn in them. A vast number of white columns +stretched down the avenue, each bearing a bronze buckler on which +was written, in gold letters, one of the victories of the Emperor, +and each decorated with enormous imperial flags. On these columns +golden eagles were placed; and the newspapers did not fail to remark +the ingenious position in which the royal birds had been set: for +while those on the right-hand side of the way had their heads turned +TOWARDS the procession, as if to watch its coming, those on the left +were looking exactly the other way, as if to regard its progress. +Do not fancy I am joking: this point was gravely and emphatically +urged in many newspapers; and I do believe no mortal Frenchman ever +thought it anything but sublime. + +Do not interrupt me, sweet Miss Smith. I feel that you are angry. +I can see from here the pouting of your lips, and know what you are +going to say. You are going to say, "I will read no more of this +Mr. Titmarsh; there is no subject, however solemn, but he treats it +with flippant irreverence, and no character, however great, at whom +he does not sneer." + +Ah, my dear! you are young now and enthusiastic; and your Titmarsh +is old, very old, sad, and gray-headed. I have seen a poor mother +buy a halfpenny wreath at the gate of Montmartre burying-ground, and +go with it to her little child's grave, and hang it there over the +little humble stone; and if ever you saw me scorn the mean offering +of the poor shabby creature, I will give you leave to be as angry as +you will. They say that on the passage of Napoleon's coffin down +the Seine, old soldiers and country people walked miles from their +villages just to catch a sight of the boat which carried his body +and to kneel down on the shore and pray for him. God forbid that we +should quarrel with such prayers and sorrow, or question their +sincerity. Something great and good must have been in this man, +something loving and kindly, that has kept his name so cherished in +the popular memory, and gained him such lasting reverence and +affection. + +But, Madam, one may respect the dead without feeling awe-stricken at +the plumes of the hearse; and I see no reason why one should +sympathize with the train of mutes and undertakers, however deep may +be their mourning. Look, I pray you, at the manner in which the +French nation has performed Napoleon's funeral. Time out of mind, +nations have raised, in memory of their heroes, august mausoleums, +grand pyramids, splendid statues of gold or marble, sacrificing +whatever they had that was most costly and rare, or that was most +beautiful in art, as tokens of their respect and love for the dead +person. What a fine example of this sort of sacrifice is that +(recorded in a book of which Simplicity is the great characteristic) +of the poor woman who brought her pot of precious ointment--her all, +and laid it at the feet of the Object which, upon earth, she most +loved and respected. "Economists and calculators" there were even +in those days who quarrelled with the manner in which the poor woman +lavished so much "capital;" but you will remember how nobly and +generously the sacrifice was appreciated, and how the economists +were put to shame. + +With regard to the funeral ceremony that has just been performed +here, it is said that a famous public personage and statesman, +Monsieur Thiers indeed, spoke with the bitterest indignation of the +general style of the preparations, and of their mean and tawdry +character. He would have had a pomp as magnificent, he said, as +that of Rome at the triumph of Aurelian: he would have decorated the +bridges and avenues through which the procession was to pass, with +the costliest marbles and the finest works of art, and have had them +to remain there for ever as monuments of the great funeral. + +The economists and calculators might here interpose with a great +deal of reason; for, indeed, there was no reason why a nation should +impoverish itself to do honor to the memory of an individual for +whom, after all, it can feel but a qualified enthusiasm: but it +surely might have employed the large sum voted for the purpose more +wisely and generously, and recorded its respect for Napoleon by some +worthy and lasting memorial, rather than have erected yonder +thousand vain heaps of tinsel, paint, and plaster, that are already +cracking and crumbling in the frost, at three days old. + +Scarcely one of the statues, indeed, deserves to last a month: some +are odious distortions and caricatures, which never should have been +allowed to stand for a moment. On the very day of the fete, the +wind was shaking the canvas pedestals, and the flimsy wood-work had +begun to gape and give way. At a little distance, to be sure, you +could not see the cracks; and pedestals and statues LOOKED like +marble. At some distance, you could not tell but that the wreaths +and eagles were gold embroidery, and not gilt paper--the great +tricolor flags damask, and not striped calico. One would think that +these sham splendors betokened sham respect, if one had not known +that the name of Napoleon is held in real reverence, and observed +somewhat of the character of the nation. Real feelings they have, +but they distort them by exaggeration; real courage, which they +render ludicrous by intolerable braggadocio; and I think the above +official account of the Prince de Joinville's proceedings, of the +manner in which the Emperor's remains have been treated in their +voyage to the capital, and of the preparations made to receive him +in it, will give my dear Miss Smith some means of understanding the +social and moral condition of this worthy people of France. + + +III. + +ON THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. + + +Shall I tell you, my dear, that when Francois woke me at a very +early hour on this eventful morning, while the keen stars were still +glittering overhead, a half-moon, as sharp as a razor, beaming in +the frosty sky, and a wicked north wind blowing, that blew the blood +out of one's fingers and froze your leg as you put it out of bed;-- +shall I tell you, my dear, that when Francois called me, and said, +"V'la vot' cafe, Monsieur Titemasse, buvez-le, tiens, il est tout +chaud," I felt myself, after imbibing the hot breakfast, so +comfortable under three blankets and a mackintosh, that for at least +a quarter of an hour no man in Europe could say whether Titmarsh +would or would not be present at the burial of the Emperor Napoleon. + +Besides, my dear, the cold, there was another reason for doubting. +Did the French nation, or did they not, intend to offer up some of +us English over the imperial grave? And were the games to be +concluded by a massacre? It was said in the newspapers that Lord +Granville had despatched circulars to all the English resident in +Paris, begging them to keep their homes. The French journals +announced this news, and warned us charitably of the fate intended +for us. Had Lord Granville written? Certainly not to me. Or had +he written to all EXCEPT ME? And was I THE VICTIM--the doomed one?-- +to be seized directly I showed my face in the Champs Elysees, and +torn in pieces by French Patriotism to the frantic chorus of the +"Marseillaise?" Depend on it, Madam, that high and low in this city +on Tuesday were not altogether at their ease, and that the bravest +felt no small tremor! And be sure of this, that as his Majesty +Louis Philippe took his nightcap off his royal head that morning, he +prayed heartily that he might, at night, put it on in safety. + +Well, as my companion and I came out of doors, being bound for the +Church of the Invalides, for which a Deputy had kindly furnished us +with tickets, we saw the very prettiest sight of the whole day, and +I can't refrain from mentioning it to my dear, tender-hearted Miss +Smith. + +In the same house where I live (but about five stories nearer the +ground) lodges an English family, consisting of-- 1. A great- +grandmother, a hale, handsome old lady of seventy, the very best- +dressed and neatest old lady in Paris. 2. A grandfather and +grandmother, tolerably young to bear that title. 3. A daughter. +And 4. Two little great-grand, or grandchildren, that may be of the +age of three and one, and belong to a son and daughter who are in +India. The grandfather, who is as proud of his wife as he was +thirty years ago when he married, and pays her compliments still +twice or thrice in a day, and when he leads her into a room looks +round at the persons assembled, and says in his heart, "Here, +gentlemen, here is my wife--show me such another woman in England,"-- +this gentleman had hired a room on the Champs Elysees, for he would +not have his wife catch cold by exposing her to the balconies in the +open air. + +When I came to the street, I found the family assembled in the +following order of march:-- + + +--No. 1, the great-grandmother walking daintily along, supported by +No. 3, her granddaughter. + +--A nurse carrying No. 4 junior, who was sound asleep: and a huge +basket containing saucepans, bottles of milk, parcels of infants' +food, certain dimity napkins, a child's coral, and a little horse +belonging to No. 4 senior. + +--A servant bearing a basket of condiments. + +--No. 2, grandfather, spick and span, clean shaved, hat brushed, +white buckskin gloves, bamboo cane, brown great-coat, walking as +upright and solemn as may be, having his lady on his arm. + +--No. 4, senior, with mottled legs and a tartan costume, who was +frisking about between his grandpapa's legs, who heartily wished him +at home. + + +"My dear," his face seemed to say to his lady, "I think you might +have left the little things in the nursery, for we shall have to +squeeze through a terrible crowd in the Champs Elysees." + +The lady was going out for a day's pleasure, and her face was full +of care: she had to look first after her old mother who was walking +ahead, then after No. 4 junior with the nurse--he might fall into +all sorts of danger, wake up, cry, catch cold; nurse might slip +down, or heaven knows what. Then she had to look her husband in the +face, who had gone to such expense and been so kind for her sake, +and make that gentleman believe she was thoroughly happy; and, +finally, she had to keep an eye upon No. 4 senior, who, as she was +perfectly certain, was about in two minutes to be lost for ever, or +trampled to pieces in the crowd. + +These events took place in a quiet little street leading into the +Champs Elysees, the entry of which we had almost reached by this +time. The four detachments above described, which had been +straggling a little in their passage down the street, closed up at +the end of it, and stood for a moment huddled together. No. 3, Miss +X--, began speaking to her companion the great-grandmother. + +"Hush, my dear," said that old lady, looking round alarmed at her +daughter. "SPEAK FRENCH." And she straightway began nervously to +make a speech which she supposed to be in that language, but which +was as much like French as Iroquois. The whole secret was out: you +could read it in the grandmother's face, who was doing all she could +to keep from crying, and looked as frightened as she dared to look. +The two elder ladies had settled between them that there was going +to be a general English slaughter that day, and had brought the +children with them, so that they might all be murdered in company. + +God bless you, O women, moist-eyed and tender-hearted! In those +gentle silly tears of yours there is something touches one, be they +never so foolish. I don't think there were many such natural drops +shed that day as those which just made their appearance in the +grandmother's eyes, and then went back again as if they had been +ashamed of themselves, while the good lady and her little troop +walked across the road. Think how happy she will be when night +comes, and there has been no murder of English, and the brood is all +nestled under her wings sound asleep, and she is lying awake +thanking God that the day and its pleasures and pains are over. +Whilst we were considering these things, the grandfather had +suddenly elevated No. 4 senior upon his left shoulder, and I saw the +tartan hat of that young gentleman, and the bamboo cane which had +been transferred to him, high over the heads of the crowd on the +opposite side through which the party moved. + + +After this little procession had passed away--you may laugh at it, +but upon my word and conscience, Miss Smith, I saw nothing in the +course of the day which affected me more--after this little +procession had passed away, the other came, accompanied by gun- +banging, flag-waving, incense-burning, trumpets pealing, drums +rolling, and at the close, received by the voice of six hundred +choristers, sweetly modulated to the tones of fifteen score of +fiddlers. Then you saw horse and foot, jack-boots and bear-skin, +cuirass and bayonet, National Guard and Line, marshals and generals +all over gold, smart aides-de-camp galloping about like mad, and +high in the midst of all, riding on his golden buckler, Solomon in +all his glory, forsooth--Imperial Caesar, with his crown over his +head, laurels and standards waving about his gorgeous chariot, and a +million of people looking on in wonder and awe. + +His Majesty the Emperor and King reclined on his shield, with his +head a little elevated. His Majesty's skull is voluminous, his +forehead broad and large. We remarked that his Imperial Majesty's +brow was of a yellowish color, which appearance was also visible +about the orbits of the eyes. He kept his eyelids constantly +closed, by which we had the opportunity of observing that the upper +lids were garnished with eyelashes. Years and climate have effected +upon the face of this great monarch only a trifling alteration; we +may say, indeed, that Time has touched his Imperial and Royal +Majesty with the lightest feather in his wing. In the nose of the +Conqueror of Austerlitz we remarked very little alteration: it is of +the beautiful shape which we remember it possessed five-and-twenty +years since, ere unfortunate circumstances induced him to leave us +for a while. The nostril and the tube of the nose appear to have +undergone some slight alteration, but in examining a beloved object +the eye of affection is perhaps too critical. Vive l'Empereur! the +soldier of Marengo is among us again. His lips are thinner, +perhaps, than they were before! how white his teeth are! you can +just see three of them pressing his under lip; and pray remark the +fulness of his cheeks and the round contour of his chin. Oh, those +beautiful white hands! many a time have they patted the cheek of +poor Josephine, and played with the black ringlets of her hair. She +is dead now, and cold, poor creature; and so are Hortense and bold +Eugene, than whom the world never saw a curtier knight," as was said +of King Arthur's Sir Lancelot. What a day would it have been for +those three could they have lived until now, and seen their hero +returning! Where's Ney? His wife sits looking out from M. Flahaut's +window yonder, but the bravest of the brave is not with her. Murat +too is absent: honest Joachim loves the Emperor at heart, and +repents that he was not at Waterloo: who knows but that at the sight +of the handsome swordsman those stubborn English "canaille" would +have given way. A king, Sire, is, you know, the greatest of +slaves--State affairs of consequence--his Majesty the King of Naples +is detained no doubt. When we last saw the King, however, and his +Highness the Prince of Elchingen, they looked to have as good health +as ever they had in their lives, and we heard each of them calmly +calling out "FIRE!" as they have done in numberless battles before. + +Is it possible? can the Emperor forget? We don't like to break it +to him, but has he forgotten all about the farm at Pizzo, and the +garden of the Observatory? Yes, truly: there he lies on his golden +shield, never stirring, never so much as lifting his eyelids, or +opening his lips any wider. + +O vanitas vanitatum! Here is our Sovereign in all his glory, and +they fired a thousand guns at Cherbourg and never woke him! + + +However, we are advancing matters by several hours, and you must +give just as much credence as you please to the subjoined remarks +concerning the Procession, seeing that your humble servant could not +possibly be present at it, being bound for the church elsewhere. + +Programmes, however, have been published of the affair, and your +vivid fancy will not fail to give life to them, and the whole +magnificent train will pass before you. + +Fancy then, that the guns are fired at Neuilly: the body landed at +daybreak from the funereal barge, and transferred to the car; and +fancy the car, a huge Juggernaut of a machine, rolling on four +wheels of an antique shape, which supported a basement adorned with +golden eagles, banners, laurels, and velvet hangings. Above the +hangings stand twelve golden statues with raised arms supporting a +huge shield, on which the coffin lay. On the coffin was the +imperial crown, covered with violet velvet crape, and the whole vast +machine was drawn by horses in superb housings, led by valets in the +imperial livery. + +Fancy at the head of the procession first of all-- + + +The Gendarmerie of the Seine, with their trumpets and Colonel. + +The Municipal Guard (horse), with their trumpets, standard, and +Colonel. + +Two squadrons of the 7th Lancers, with Colonel, standard, and music. + +The Commandant of Paris and his Staff. + +A battalion of Infantry of the Line, with their flag, sappers, +drums, music, and Colonel. + +The Municipal Guard (foot), with flag, drums, and Colonel. + +The Sapper-pumpers, with ditto. + + +Then picture to yourself more squadrons of Lancers and Cuirassiers. +The General of the Division and his Staff; all officers of all arms +employed at Paris, and unattached; the Military School of Saint Cyr, +the Polytechnic School, the School of the Etat-Major; and the +Professors and Staff of each. Go on imagining more battalions of +Infantry, of Artillery, companies of Engineers, squadrons of +Cuirassiers, ditto of the Cavalry, of the National Guard, and the +first and second legions of ditto. + +Fancy a carriage, containing the Chaplain of the St. Helena +expedition, the only clerical gentleman that formed a part of the +procession. + +Fancy you hear the funereal music, and then figure in your mind's +eye-- + +THE EMPEROR'S CHARGER, that is, Napoleon's own saddle and bridle +(when First Consul) upon a white horse. The saddle (which has been +kept ever since in the Garde Meuble of the Crown) is of amaranth +velvet, embroidered in gold: the holsters and housings are of the +same rich material. On them you remark the attributes of War, +Commerce, Science, and Art. The bits and stirrups are silver-gilt +chased. Over the stirrups, two eagles were placed at the time of +the empire. The horse was covered with a violet crape embroidered +with golden bees. + +After this came more Soldiers, General Officers, Sub-Officers, +Marshals, and what was said to be the prettiest sight almost of the +whole, the banners of the eighty-six Departments of France. These +are due to the invention of M. Thiers, and were to have been +accompanied by federates from each Department. But the government +very wisely mistrusted this and some other projects of Monsieur +Thiers; and as for a federation, my dear, IT HAS BEEN TRIED. Next +comes-- + +His Royal Highness, the Prince de Joinville. + +The 600 sailors of the "Belle Poule" marching in double file on each +side of + +THE CAR. + +[Hush! the enormous crowd thrills as it passes, and only some few +voices cry Vive l'Empereur! Shining golden in the frosty sun--with +hundreds of thousands of eyes upon it, from houses and housetops, +from balconies, black, purple, and tricolor, from tops of leafless +trees, from behind long lines of glittering bayonets under schakos +and bear-skin caps, from behind the Line and the National Guard +again, pushing, struggling, heaving, panting, eager, the heads of an +enormous multitude stretching out to meet and follow it, amidst long +avenues of columns and statues gleaming white, of standards rainbow- +colored, of golden eagles, of pale funereal urns, of discharging +odors amidst huge volumes of pitch-black smoke, + +THE GREAT IMPERIAL CHARIOT ROLLS MAJESTICALLY ON. + +The cords of the pall are held by two Marshals, an Admiral and +General Bertrand; who are followed by-- + +The Prefects of the Seine and Police, &c. + +The Mayors of Paris, &c. + +The Members of the Old Guard, &c. + +A Squadron of Light Dragoons, &c. + +Lieutenant-General Schneider, &c. + +More cavalry, more infantry, more artillery, more everybody; and as +the procession passes, the Line and the National Guard forming line +on each side of the road fall in and follow it, until it arrives at +the Church of the Invalides, where the last honors are to be paid to +it.] + + +Among the company assembled under the dome of that edifice, the +casual observer would not perhaps have remarked a gentleman of the +name of Michael Angelo Titmarsh, who nevertheless was there. But +as, my dear Miss Smith, the descriptions in this letter, from the +words in page 298, line 20--THE PARTY MOVED--up to the words PAID TO +IT, on this page, have purely emanated from your obedient servant's +fancy, and not from his personal observation (for no being on earth, +except a newspaper reporter, can be in two places at once), permit +me now to communicate to you what little circumstances fell under my +own particular view on the day of the 15th of December. + +As we came out, the air and the buildings round about were tinged +with purple, and the clear sharp half-moon before-mentioned was +still in the sky, where it seemed to be lingering as if it would +catch a peep of the commencement of the famous procession. The Arc +de Triomphe was shining in a keen frosty sunshine, and looking as +clean and rosy as if it had just made its toilette. The canvas or +pasteboard image of Napoleon, of which only the gilded legs had been +erected the night previous, was now visible, body, head, crown, +sceptre and all, and made an imposing show. Long gilt banners were +flaunting about, with the imperial cipher and eagle, and the names +of the battles and victories glittering in gold. The long avenues +of the Champs Elysees had been covered with sand for the convenience +of the great procession that was to tramp across it that day. +Hundreds of people were marching to and fro, laughing, chattering, +singing, gesticulating as happy Frenchmen do. There is no +pleasanter sight than a French crowd on the alert for a festival, +and nothing more catching than their good-humor. As for the notion +which has been put forward by some of the opposition newspapers that +the populace were on this occasion unusually solemn or sentimental, +it would be paying a bad compliment to the natural gayety of the +nation, to say that it was, on the morning at least of the 15th of +December, affected in any such absurd way. Itinerant merchants were +shouting out lustily their commodities of segars and brandy, and the +weather was so bitter cold, that they could not fail to find plenty +of customers. Carpenters and workmen were still making a huge +banging and clattering among the sheds which were built for the +accommodation of the visitors. Some of these sheds were hung with +black, such as one sees before churches in funerals; some were robed +in violet, in compliment to the Emperor whose mourning they put on. +Most of them had fine tricolor hangings with appropriate inscriptions +to the glory of the French arms. + +All along the Champs Elysees were urns of plaster-of-Paris destined +to contain funeral incense and flames; columns decorated with huge +flags of blue, red, and white, embroidered with shining crowns, +eagles, and N's in gilt paper, and statues of plaster representing +Nymphs, Triumphs, Victories, or other female personages, painted in +oil so as to represent marble. Real marble could have had no better +effect, and the appearance of the whole was lively and picturesque +in the extreme. On each pillar was a buckler, of the color of +bronze, bearing the name and date of a battle in gilt letters: you +had to walk through a mile-long avenue of these glorious +reminiscences, telling of spots where, in the great imperial days, +throats had been victoriously cut. + +As we passed down the avenue, several troops of soldiers met us: the +garde-muncipale a cheval, in brass helmets and shining jack-boots, +noble-looking men, large, on large horses, the pick of the old army, +as I have heard, and armed for the special occupation of peace- +keeping: not the most glorious, but the best part of the soldier's +duty, as I fancy. Then came a regiment of Carabineers, one of +Infantry--little, alert, brown-faced, good-humored men, their band +at their head playing sounding marches. These were followed by a +regiment or detachment of the Municipals on foot--two or three +inches taller than the men of the Line, and conspicuous for their +neatness and discipline. By-and-by came a squadron or so of +dragoons of the National Guards: they are covered with straps, +buckles, aguillettes, and cartouche-boxes, and make under their +tricolor cock's-plumes a show sufficiently warlike. The point which +chiefly struck me on beholding these military men of the National +Guard and the Line, was the admirable manner in which they bore a +cold that seemed to me as sharp as the weather in the Russian +retreat, through which cold the troops were trotting without +trembling and in the utmost cheerfulness and good-humor. An aide- +de-camp galloped past in white pantaloons. By heavens! it made me +shudder to look at him. + +With this profound reflection, we turned away to the right towards +the hanging-bridge (where we met a detachment of young men of the +Ecole de l'Etat Major, fine-looking lads, but sadly disfigured by +the wearing of stays or belts, that make the waists of the French +dandies of a most absurd tenuity), and speedily passed into the +avenue of statues leading up to the Invalides. All these were +statues of warriors from Ney to Charlemagne, modelled in clay for +the nonce, and placed here to meet the corpse of the greatest +warrior of all. Passing these, we had to walk to a little door at +the back of the Invalides, where was a crowd of persons plunged in +the deepest mourning, and pushing for places in the chapel within. + +The chapel is spacious and of no great architectural pretensions, +but was on this occasion gorgeously decorated in honor of the great +person to whose body it was about to give shelter. + +We had arrived at nine; the ceremony was not to begin, they said, +till two: we had five hours before us to see all that from our +places could be seen. + +We saw that the roof, up to the first lines of architecture, was +hung with violet; beyond this with black. We saw N's, eagles, bees, +laurel wreaths, and other such imperial emblems, adorning every nook +and corner of the edifice. Between the arches, on each side of the +aisle, were painted trophies, on which were written the names of +some of Napoleon's Generals and of their principal deeds of arms-- +and not their deeds of arms alone, pardi, but their coats of arms +too. O stars and garters! but this is too much. What was Ney's +paternal coat, prithee, or honest Junot's quarterings, or the +venerable escutcheon of King Joachim's father, the innkeeper? + +You and I, dear Miss Smith, know the exact value of heraldic +bearings. We know that though the greatest pleasure of all is to +ACT like a gentleman, it is a pleasure, nay a merit, to BE one--to +come of an old stock, to have an honorable pedigree, to be able to +say that centuries back our fathers had gentle blood, and to us +transmitted the same. There IS a good in gentility: the man who +questions it is envious, or a coarse dullard not able to perceive +the difference between high breeding and low. One has in the same +way heard a man brag that he did not know the difference between +wines, not he--give him a good glass of port, and he would pitch all +your claret to the deuce. My love, men often brag about their own +dulness in this way. + +In the matter of gentlemen, democrats cry, "Psha! Give us one of +Nature's gentlemen, and hang your aristocrats." And so indeed +Nature does make SOME gentlemen--a few here and there. But Art +makes most. Good birth, that is, good handsome well-formed fathers +and mothers, nice cleanly nursery-maids, good meals, good physicians, +good education, few cares, pleasant easy habits of life, and +luxuries not too great or enervating, but only refining--a course of +these going on for a few generations are the best gentleman-makers +in the world, and beat Nature hollow. + +If, respected Madam, you say that there is something BETTER than +gentility in this wicked world, and that honesty and personal wealth +are more valuable than all the politeness and high-breeding that +ever wore red-heeled pumps, knights' spurs, or Hoby's boots, +Titmarsh for one is never going to say you nay. If you even go so +far as to say that the very existence of this super-genteel society +among us, from the slavish respect that we pay to it, from the +dastardly manner in which we attempt to imitate its airs and ape its +vices, goes far to destroy honesty of intercourse, to make us meanly +ashamed of our natural affections and honest, harmless usages, and +so does a great deal more harm than it is possible it can do good by +its example--perhaps, Madam, you speak with some sort of reason. +Potato myself, I can't help seeing that the tulip yonder has the +best place in the garden, and the most sunshine, and the most water, +and the best tending--and not liking him over well. But I can't +help acknowledging that Nature has given him a much finer dress than +ever I can hope to have, and of this, at least, must give him the +benefit. + +Or say, we are so many cocks and hens, my dear (sans arriere +pensee), with our crops pretty full, our plumes pretty sleek, decent +picking here and there in the straw-yard, and tolerable snug +roosting in the barn: yonder on the terrace, in the sun, walks +Peacock, stretching his proud neck, squealing every now and then in +the most pert fashionable voice and flaunting his great supercilious +dandified tail. Don't let us be too angry, my dear, with the +useless, haughty, insolent creature, because he despises us. +SOMETHING is there about Peacock that we don't possess. Strain your +neck ever so, you can't make it as long or as blue as his--cock your +tail as much as you please, and it will never be half so fine to +look at. But the most absurd, disgusting, contemptible sight in the +world would you and I be, leaving the barn-door for my lady's +flower-garden, forsaking our natural sturdy walk for the peacock's +genteel rickety stride, and adopting the squeak of his voice in the +place of our gallant lusty cock-a-doodle-dooing. + +Do you take the allegory? I love to speak in such, and the above +types have been presented to my mind while sitting opposite a +gimcrack coat-of-arms and coronet that are painted in the Invalides +Church, and assigned to one of the Emperor's Generals. + +Ventrebleu! Madam, what need have THEY of coats-of-arms and +coronets, and wretched imitations of old exploded aristocratic +gewgaws that they had flung out of the country--with the heads of +the owners in them sometimes, for indeed they were not particular--a +score of years before? What business, forsooth, had they to be +meddling with gentility and aping its ways, who had courage, merit, +daring, genius sometimes, and a pride of their own to support, if +proud they were inclined to be? A clever young man (who was not of +high family himself, but had been bred up genteelly at Eton and the +university)--young Mr. George Canning, at the commencement of the +French Revolution, sneered at "Roland the Just, with ribbons in his +shoes," and the dandies, who then wore buckles, voted the sarcasm +monstrous killing. It was a joke, my dear, worthy of a lackey, or +of a silly smart parvenu, not knowing the society into which his +luck had cast him (God help him! in later years, they taught him +what they were!), and fancying in his silly intoxication that +simplicity was ludicrous and fashion respectable. See, now, fifty +years are gone, and where are shoebuckles? Extinct, defunct, kicked +into the irrevocable past off the toes of all Europe! + +How fatal to the parvenu, throughout history, has been this respect +for shoebuckles. Where, for instance, would the Empire of Napoleon +have been, if Ney and Lannes had never sported such a thing as a +coat-of-arms, and had only written their simple names on their +shields, after the fashion of Desaix's scutcheon yonder?--the bold +Republican who led the crowning charge at Marengo, and sent the best +blood of the Holy Roman Empire to the right-about, before the +wretched misbegotten imperial heraldry was born, that was to prove +so disastrous to the father of it. It has always been so. They +won't amalgamate. A country must be governed by the one principle +or the other. But give, in a republic, an aristocracy ever so +little chance, and it works and plots and sneaks and bullies and +sneers itself into place, and you find democracy out of doors. Is +it good that the aristocracy should so triumph?--that is a question +that you may settle according to your own notions and taste; and +permit me to say, I do not care twopence how you settle it. Large +books have been written upon the subject in a variety of languages, +and coming to a variety of conclusions. Great statesmen are there +in our country, from Lord Londonderry down to Mr. Vincent, each in +his degree maintaining his different opinion. But here, in the +matter of Napoleon, is a simple fact: he founded a great, glorious, +strong, potent republic, able to cope with the best aristocracies in +the world, and perhaps to beat them all; he converts his republic +into a monarchy, and surrounds his monarchy with what he calls +aristocratic institutions; and you know what becomes of him. The +people estranged, the aristocracy faithless (when did they ever +pardon one who was not of themselves?)--the imperial fabric tumbles +to the ground. If it teaches nothing else, my dear, it teaches one +a great point of policy--namely, to stick by one's party. + +While these thoughts (and sundry others relative to the horrible +cold of the place, the intense dulness of delay, the stupidity of +leaving a warm bed and a breakfast in order to witness a procession +that is much better performed at a theatre)--while these thoughts +were passing in the mind, the church began to fill apace, and you +saw that the hour of the ceremony was drawing near. + +Imprimis, came men with lighted staves, and set fire to at least ten +thousand wax-candles that were hanging in brilliant chandeliers in +various parts of the chapel. Curtains were dropped over the upper +windows as these illuminations were effected, and the church was +left only to the funereal light of the spermaceti. To the right was +the dome, round the cavity of which sparkling lamps were set, that +designed the shape of it brilliantly against the darkness. In the +midst, and where the altar used to stand, rose the catafalque. And +why not? Who is God here but Napoleon? and in him the sceptics have +already ceased to believe; but the people does still somewhat. He +and Louis XIV. divide the worship of the place between them. + +As for the catafalque, the best that I can say for it is that it is +really a noble and imposing-looking edifice, with tall pillars +supporting a grand dome, with innumerable escutcheons, standards, +and allusions military and funereal. A great eagle of course tops +the whole: tripods burning spirits of wine stand round this kind of +dead man's throne, and as we saw it (by peering over the heads of +our neighbors in the front rank), it looked, in the midst of the +black concave, and under the effect of half a thousand flashing +cross-lights, properly grand and tall. The effect of the whole +chapel, however (to speak the jargon of the painting-room), was +spoiled by being CUT UP: there were too many objects for the eye to +rest upon: the ten thousand wax-candles, for instance, in their +numberless twinkling chandeliers, the raw tranchant colors of the +new banners, wreaths, bees, N's, and other emblems dotting the place +all over, and incessantly puzzling, or rather BOTHERING the beholder. + +High overhead, in a sort of mist, with the glare of their original +colors worn down by dust and time, hung long rows of dim ghostly- +looking standards, captured in old days from the enemy. They were, +I thought, the best and most solemn part of the show. + +To suppose that the people were bound to be solemn during the +ceremony is to exact from them something quite needless and +unnatural. The very fact of a squeeze dissipates all solemnity. +One great crowd is always, as I imagine, pretty much like another. +In the course of the last few years I have seen three: that +attending the coronation of our present sovereign, that which went +to see Courvoisier hanged, and this which witnessed the Napoleon +ceremony. The people so assembled for hours together are jocular +rather than solemn, seeking to pass away the weary time with the +best amusements that will offer. There was, to be sure, in all the +scenes above alluded to, just one moment--one particular moment-- +when the universal people feels a shock and is for that second +serious. + +But except for that second of time, I declare I saw no seriousness +here beyond that of ennui. The church began to fill with personages +of all ranks and conditions. First, opposite our seats came a +company of fat grenadiers of the National Guard, who presently, at +the word of command, put their muskets down against benches and +wainscots, until the arrival of the procession. For seven hours +these men formed the object of the most anxious solicitude of all +the ladies and gentlemen seated on our benches: they began to stamp +their feet, for the cold was atrocious, and we were frozen where we +sat. Some of them fell to blowing their fingers; one executed a +kind of dance, such as one sees often here in cold weather--the +individual jumps repeatedly upon one leg, and kicks out the other +violently, meanwhile his hands are flapping across his chest. Some +fellows opened their cartouche-boxes, and from them drew eatables of +various kinds. You can't think how anxious we were to know the +qualities of the same. "Tiens, ce gros qui mange une cuisse de +volaille!"--"Il a du jambon, celui-la." "I should like some, too," +growls an Englishman, "for I hadn't a morsel of breakfast," and so +on. This is the way, my dear, that we see Napoleon buried. + +Did you ever see a chicken escape from clown in a pantomime, and hop +over into the pit, or amongst the fiddlers? and have you not seen +the shrieks of enthusiastic laughter that the wondrous incident +occasions? We had our chicken, of course: there never was a public +crowd without one. A poor unhappy woman in a greasy plaid cloak, +with a battered rose-colored plush bonnet, was seen taking her place +among the stalls allotted to the grandees. "Voyez donc l'Anglaise," +said everybody, and it was too true. You could swear that the +wretch was an Englishwoman: a bonnet was never made or worn so in +any other country. Half an hour's delightful amusement did this +lady give us all. She was whisked from seat to seat by the +huissiers, and at every change of place woke a peal of laughter. I +was glad, however, at the end of the day to see the old pink bonnet +over a very comfortable seat, which somebody had not claimed and she +had kept. + +Are not these remarkable incidents? The next wonder we saw was the +arrival of a set of tottering old Invalids, who took their places +under us with drawn sabres. Then came a superb drum-major, a +handsome smiling good-humored giant of a man, his breeches +astonishingly embroidered with silver lace. Him a dozen little +drummer-boys followed--"the little darlings!" all the ladies cried +out in a breath: they were indeed pretty little fellows, and came +and stood close under us: the huge drum-major smiled over his little +red-capped flock, and for many hours in the most perfect contentment +twiddled his moustaches and played with the tassels of his cane. + +Now the company began to arrive thicker and thicker. A whole covey +of Conseillers-d'Etat came in, in blue coats, embroidered with blue +silk, then came a crowd of lawyers in toques and caps, among whom +were sundry venerable Judges in scarlet, purple velvet, and ermine-- +a kind of Bajazet costume. Look there! there is the Turkish +Ambassador in his red cap, turning his solemn brown face about and +looking preternaturally wise. The Deputies walk in in a body. +Guizot is not there: he passed by just now in full ministerial +costume. Presently little Thiers saunters back: what a clear, broad +sharp-eyed face the fellow has, with his gray hair cut down so +demure! A servant passes, pushing through the crowd a shabby wheel- +chair. It has just brought old Moncey the Governor of the Invalids, +the honest old man who defended Paris so stoutly in 1814. He has +been very ill, and is worn down almost by infirmities: but in his +illness he was perpetually asking, "Doctor, shall I live till the +15th? Give me till then, and I die contented." One can't help +believing that the old man's wish is honest, however one may doubt +the piety of another illustrious Marshal, who once carried a candle +before Charles X. in a procession, and has been this morning to +Neuilly to kneel and pray at the foot of Napoleon's coffin. He +might have said his prayers at home, to be sure; but don't let us +ask too much: that kind of reserve is not a Frenchman's +characteristic. + +Bang--bang! At about half-past two a dull sound of cannonading was +heard without the church, and signals took place between the +Commandant of the Invalids, of the National Guards, and the big +drum-major. Looking to these troops (the fat Nationals were +shuffling into line again) the two Commandants tittered, as nearly +as I could catch them, the following words-- + +"HARRUM HUMP!" + +At once all the National bayonets were on the present, and the +sabres of the old Invalids up. The big drum-major looked round at +the children, who began very slowly and solemnly on their drums, +Rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--(count two between each)--rub-dub-dub, and +a great procession of priests came down from the altar. + +First, there was a tall handsome cross-bearer, bearing a long gold +cross, of which the front was turned towards his grace the +Archbishop. Then came a double row of about sixteen incense-boys, +dressed in white surplices: the first boy, about six years old, the +last with whiskers and of the height of a man. Then followed a +regiment of priests in black tippets and white gowns: they had black +hoods, like the moon when she is at her third quarter, wherewith +those who were bald (many were, and fat too) covered themselves. +All the reverend men held their heads meekly down, and affected to +be reading in their breviaries. + +After the Priests came some Bishops of the neighboring districts, in +purple, with crosses sparkling on their episcopal bosoms. + +Then came, after more priests, a set of men whom I have never seen +before--a kind of ghostly heralds, young and handsome men, some of +them in stiff tabards of black and silver, their eyes to the ground, +their hands placed at right angles with their chests. + +Then came two gentlemen bearing remarkable tall candlesticks, with +candles of corresponding size. One was burning brightly, but the +wind (that chartered libertine) had blown out the other, which +nevertheless kept its place in the procession--I wondered to myself +whether the reverend gentleman who carried the extinguished candle, +felt disgusted, humiliated, mortified--perfectly conscious that the +eyes of many thousands of people were bent upon that bit of +refractory wax. We all of us looked at it with intense interest. + +Another cross-bearer, behind whom came a gentleman carrying an +instrument like a bedroom candlestick. + +His Grandeur Monseigneur Affre, Archbishop of Paris: he was in black +and white, his eyes were cast to the earth, his hands were together +at right angles from his chest: on his hands were black gloves, and +on the black gloves sparkled the sacred episcopal--what do I say?-- +archiepiscopal ring. On his head was the mitre. It is unlike the +godly coronet that figures upon the coach-panels of our own Right +Reverend Bench. The Archbishop's mitre may be about a yard high: +formed within probably of consecrated pasteboard, it is without +covered by a sort of watered silk of white and silver. On the two +peaks at the top of the mitre are two very little spangled tassels, +that frisk and twinkle about in a very agreeable manner. + +Monseigneur stood opposite to us for some time, when I had the +opportunity to note the above remarkable phenomena. He stood +opposite me for some time, keeping his eyes steadily on the ground, +his hands before him, a small clerical train following after. Why +didn't they move? There was the National Guard keeping on +presenting arms, the little drummers going on rub-dub-dub--rub-dub- +dub--in the same steady, slow way, and the Procession never moved an +inch. There was evidently, to use an elegant phrase, a hitch +somewhere. + +[Enter a fat priest who bustles up to the drum-major.] + +Fat priest--"Taisez-vous." + +Little drummer--Rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub, &c. + +Drum-major--"Qu'est-ce donc?" + +Fat priest--"Taisez-vous, dis-je; ce n'est pas le corps. Il +n'arrivera pas--pour une heure." + +The little drums were instantly hushed, the procession turned to the +right-about, and walked back to the altar again, the blown-out +candle that had been on the near side of us before was now on the +off side, the National Guards set down their muskets and began at +their sandwiches again. We had to wait an hour and a half at least +before the great procession arrived. The guns without went on +booming all the while at intervals, and as we heard each, the +audience gave a kind of "ahahah!" such as you hear when the rockets +go up at Vauxhall. + +At last the real Procession came. + +Then the drums began to beat as formerly, the Nationals to get under +arms, the clergymen were sent for and went, and presently--yes, +there was the tall cross-bearer at the head of the procession, and +they came BACK! + +They chanted something in a weak, snuffling, lugubrious manner, to +the melancholy bray of a serpent. + +Crash! however, Mr. Habeneck and the fiddlers in the organ loft +pealed out a wild shrill march, which stopped the reverend +gentlemen, and in the midst of this music-- + +And of a great trampling of feet and clattering, + +And of a great crowd of Generals and Officers in fine clothes, + +With the Prince de Joinville marching quickly at the head of the +procession, + +And while everybody's heart was thumping as hard as possible, + +NAPOLEON'S COFFIN PASSED. + +It was done in an instant. A box covered with a great red cross--a +dingy-looking crown lying on the top of it--Seamen on one side and +Invalids on the other--they had passed in an instant and were up the +aisle. + +A faint snuffling sound, as before, was heard from the officiating +priests, but we knew of nothing more. It is said that old Louis +Philippe was standing at the catafalque, whither the Prince de +Joinville advanced and said, "Sire, I bring you the body of the +Emperor Napoleon." + +Louis Philippe answered, "I receive it in the name of France." +Bertrand put on the body the most glorious victorious sword that +ever has been forged since the apt descendants of the first murderer +learned how to hammer steel; and the coffin was placed in the temple +prepared for it. + +The six hundred singers and the fiddlers now commenced the playing +and singing of a piece of music; and a part of the crew of the +"Belle Poule" skipped into the places that had been kept for them +under us, and listened to the music, chewing tobacco. While the +actors and fiddlers were going on, most of the spirits-of-wine lamps +on altars went out. + +When we arrived in the open air we passed through the court of the +Invalids, where thousands of people had been assembled, but where +the benches were now quite bare. Then we came on to the terrace +before the place: the old soldiers were firing off the great guns, +which made a dreadful stunning noise, and frightened some of us, who +did not care to pass before the cannon and be knocked down even by +the wadding. The guns were fired in honor of the King, who was +going home by a back door. All the forty thousand people who +covered the great stands before the Hotel had gone away too. The +Imperial Barge had been dragged up the river, and was lying lonely +along the Quay, examined by some few shivering people on the shore. + +It was five o'clock when we reached home: the stars were shining +keenly out of the frosty sky, and Francois told me that dinner was +just ready. + +In this manner, my dear Miss Smith, the great Napoleon was buried. + +Farewell. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext The Second Funeral of Napoleon, Thackeray +by William Makepeace Thackeray +Writing as: "Michael Angelo Titmarch." + diff --git a/old/2napf10.zip b/old/2napf10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6e82849 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/2napf10.zip |