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velvet; embroidered in gold: the holsters and housings are of the

same rich material。  On them you remark the attributes of War;

Commerce; Science; and Art。  The bits and stirrups are silver…gilt

chased。  Over the stirrups; two eagles were placed at the time of

the empire。  The horse was covered with a violet crape embroidered

with golden bees。



After this came more Soldiers; General Officers; Sub…Officers;

Marshals; and what was said to be the prettiest sight almost of the

whole; the banners of the eighty…six Departments of France。  These

are due to the invention of M。 Thiers; and were to have been

accompanied by federates from each Department。  But the government

very wisely mistrusted this and some other projects of Monsieur

Thiers; and as for a federation; my dear; IT HAS BEEN TRIED。  Next

comes



His Royal Highness; the Prince de Joinville。



The 600 sailors of the 〃Belle Poule〃 marching in double file on each

side of



THE CAR。



'Hush! the enormous crowd thrills as it passes; and only some few

voices cry Vive l'Empereur!  Shining golden in the frosty sunwith

hundreds of thousands of eyes upon it; from houses and housetops;

from balconies; black; purple; and tricolor; from tops of leafless

trees; from behind long lines of glittering bayonets under schakos

and bear…skin caps; from behind the Line and the National Guard

again; pushing; struggling; heaving; panting; eager; the heads of an

enormous multitude stretching out to meet and follow it; amidst long

avenues of columns and statues gleaming white; of standards rainbow…

colored; of golden eagles; of pale funereal urns; of discharging

odors amidst huge volumes of pitch…black smoke;



THE GREAT IMPERIAL CHARIOT ROLLS MAJESTICALLY ON。



The cords of the pall are held by two Marshals; an Admiral and

General Bertrand; who are followed by



The Prefects of the Seine and Police; &c。



The Mayors of Paris; &c。



The Members of the Old Guard; &c。



A Squadron of Light Dragoons; &c。



Lieutenant…General Schneider; &c。



More cavalry; more infantry; more artillery; more everybody; and as

the procession passes; the Line and the National Guard forming line

on each side of the road fall in and follow it; until it arrives at

the Church of the Invalides; where the last honors are to be paid to

it。'





Among the company assembled under the dome of that edifice; the

casual observer would not perhaps have remarked a gentleman of the

name of Michael Angelo Titmarsh; who nevertheless was there。  But

as; my dear Miss Smith; the descriptions in this letter; from the

words in page 298; line 20THE PARTY MOVEDup to the words PAID TO

IT; on this page; have purely emanated from your obedient servant's

fancy; and not from his personal observation (for no being on earth;

except a newspaper reporter; can be in two places at once); permit

me now to communicate to you what little circumstances fell under my

own particular view on the day of the 15th of December。



As we came out; the air and the buildings round about were tinged

with purple; and the clear sharp half…moon before…mentioned was

still in the sky; where it seemed to be lingering as if it would

catch a peep of the commencement of the famous procession。  The Arc

de Triomphe was shining in a keen frosty sunshine; and looking as

clean and rosy as if it had just made its toilette。  The canvas or

pasteboard image of Napoleon; of which only the gilded legs had been

erected the night previous; was now visible; body; head; crown;

sceptre and all; and made an imposing show。  Long gilt banners were

flaunting about; with the imperial cipher and eagle; and the names

of the battles and victories glittering in gold。  The long avenues

of the Champs Elysees had been covered with sand for the convenience

of the great procession that was to tramp across it that day。

Hundreds of people were marching to and fro; laughing; chattering;

singing; gesticulating as happy Frenchmen do。  There is no

pleasanter sight than a French crowd on the alert for a festival;

and nothing more catching than their good…humor。  As for the notion

which has been put forward by some of the opposition newspapers that

the populace were on this occasion unusually solemn or sentimental;

it would be paying a bad compliment to the natural gayety of the

nation; to say that it was; on the morning at least of the 15th of

December; affected in any such absurd way。  Itinerant merchants were

shouting out lustily their commodities of segars and brandy; and the

weather was so bitter cold; that they could not fail to find plenty

of customers。  Carpenters and workmen were still making a huge

banging and clattering among the sheds which were built for the

accommodation of the visitors。  Some of these sheds were hung with

black; such as one sees before churches in funerals; some were robed

in violet; in compliment to the Emperor whose mourning they put on。

Most of them had fine tricolor hangings with appropriate inscriptions

to the glory of the French arms。



All along the Champs Elysees were urns of plaster…of…Paris destined

to contain funeral incense and flames; columns decorated with huge

flags of blue; red; and white; embroidered with shining crowns;

eagles; and N's in gilt paper; and statues of plaster representing

Nymphs; Triumphs; Victories; or other female personages; painted in

oil so as to represent marble。  Real marble could have had no better

effect; and the appearance of the whole was lively and picturesque

in the extreme。  On each pillar was a buckler; of the color of

bronze; bearing the name and date of a battle in gilt letters: you

had to walk through a mile…long avenue of these glorious

reminiscences; telling of spots where; in the great imperial days;

throats had been victoriously cut。



As we passed down the avenue; several troops of soldiers met us: the

garde…muncipale a cheval; in brass helmets and shining jack…boots;

noble…looking men; large; on large horses; the pick of the old army;

as I have heard; and armed for the special occupation of peace…

keeping: not the most glorious; but the best part of the soldier's

duty; as I fancy。  Then came a regiment of Carabineers; one of

Infantrylittle; alert; brown…faced; good…humored men; their band

at their head playing sounding marches。  These were followed by a

regiment or detachment of the Municipals on foottwo or three

inches taller than the men of the Line; and conspicuous for their

neatness and discipline。  By…and…by came a squadron or so of

dragoons of the National Guards: they are covered with straps;

buckles; aguillettes; and cartouche…boxes; and make under their

tricolor cock's…plumes a show sufficiently warlike。  The point which

chiefly struck me on beholding these military men of the National

Guard and the Line; was the admirable manner in which they bore a

cold that seemed to me as sharp as the weather in the Russian

retreat; through which cold the troops were trotting without

trembling and in the utmost cheerfulness and good…humor。  An aide…

de…camp galloped past in white pantaloons。  By heavens! it made me

shudder to look at him。



With this profound reflection; we turned away to the right towards

the hanging…bridge (where we met a detachment of young men of the

Ecole de l'Etat Major; fine…looking lads; but sadly disfigured by

the wearing of stays or belts; that make the waists of the French

dandies of a most absurd tenuity); and speedily passed into the

avenue of statues leading up to the Invalides。  All these were

statues of warriors from Ney to Charlemagne; modelled in clay for

the nonce; and placed here to meet the corpse of the greatest

warrior of all。  Passing these; we had to walk to a little door at

the back of the Invalides; where was a crowd of persons plunged in

the deepest mourning; and pushing for places in the chapel within。



The chapel is spacious and of no great architectural pretensions;

but was on this occasion gorgeously decorated in honor of the great

person to whose body it was about to give shelter。



We had arrived at nine; the ceremony was not to begin; they said;

till two: we had five hours before us to see all that from our

places could be seen。



We saw that the roof; up to the first lines of architecture; was

hung with violet; beyond this with black。  We saw N's; eagles; bees;

laurel wreaths; and other such imperial emblems; adorning every nook

and corner of the edifice。  Between the arches; on each side of the

aisle; were painted trophies; on which were written the names of

some of Napoleon's Generals and of their principal deeds of arms

and not their deeds of arms alone; pardi; but their coats of arms

too。  O stars and garters! but this is too much。  What was Ney's

paternal coat; prithee; or honest Junot's quarterings; or the

venerable escutcheon of King Joachim's father; the innkeeper?



You and I; dear Miss Smith; know the exact value of

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