the second funeral of napoleon-第4节

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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

suaethe　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　beenthe　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　Frenchat　the　very　moment　when　the　Egyptian　affair　and　the

balance　of　Europe　had　been　settled　in　this　abrupt　wayto　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