the second funeral of napoleon-第9节

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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