the second funeral of napoleon-第2节

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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　armyunder　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　metalconquered　by　the

soldier　first；　by　the　artist　afterwardshas　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　manin

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　shorewhich

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　expeditionwho　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