the second funeral of napoleon-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　care：　she　had　to　look　first　after　her　old　mother　who　was　walking

ahead；　then　after　No。　4　junior　with　the　nursehe　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　awayyou　may　laugh　at　it；

but　upon　my　word　and　conscience；　Miss　Smith；　I　saw　nothing　in　the

course　of　the　day　which　affected　me　moreafter　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；　forsoothImperial　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

slavesState　affairs　of　consequencehis　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　y