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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 Hallin 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 likeor 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 bornwhat 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 c

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