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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…dubrub…dub…

dubin 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 drummerRub…dub…dubrub…dub…dubrub…dub…dub; &c。



Drum…major〃Qu'est…ce donc?〃



Fat priest〃Taisez…vous; dis…je; ce n'est pas le corps。  Il

n'arrivera paspour 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 presentlyyes;

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 crossa

dingy…looking crown lying on the top of itSeamen on one side and

Invalids on the otherthey 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。











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