the second funeral of napoleon-第7章

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flags；　fasces；　violet　hangings；　and　the　imperial　arms。　　Before　the

cenotaph　the　expedition　stopped；　and　the　absolution　was　given　by　the

archbishop　and　the　clergy。　　After　a　couple　of　hours'　stay；　the

expedition　proceeded　to　Pont　de　l'Arche。　　On　the　11th　it　reached

Vernon；　on　the　12th　Mantes；　on　the　13th　Maisons…sur…Seine。



〃Everywhere；〃　says　the　official　account　from　which　the　above

particulars　are　borrowed；　〃the　authorities；　the　National　Guard；　and

the　people　flocked　to　the　passage　of　the　flotilla；　desirous　to

render　the　honors　due　to　his　glory；　which　is　the　glory　of　France。

In　seeing　its　hero　return；　the　nation　seemed　to　have　found　its

Palladium　again；the　sainted　relics　of　victory。〃



At　length；　on　the　14th；　the　coffin　was　transferred　from　the　〃Dorade〃

steamer　on　board　the　imperial　vessel　arrived　from　Paris。　　In　the

evening；　the　imperial　vessel　arrived　at　Courbevoie；　which　was　the

last　stage　of　the　journey。



Here　it　was　that　M。　Guizot　went　to　examine　the　vessel；　and　was　very

nearly　flung　into　the　Seine；　as　report　goes；　by　the　patriots

assembled　there。　　It　is　now　lying　on　the　river；　near　the　Invalides；

amidst　the　drifting　ice；　whither　the　people　of　Paris　are　flocking

out　to　see　it。



The　vessel　is　of　a　very　elegant　antique　form；　and　I　can　give　you　on

the　Thames　no　better　idea　of　it　than　by　requesting　you　to　fancy　an

immense　wherry；　of　which　the　stern　has　been　cut　straight　off；　and　on

which　a　temple　on　steps　has　been　elevated。　　At　the　figure…head　is　an

immense　gold　eagle；　and　at　the　stern　is　a　little　terrace；　filled

with　evergreens　and　a　profusion　of　banners。　　Upon　pedestals　along

the　sides　of　the　vessel　are　tripods　in　which　incense　was　burned；　and

underneath　them　are　garlands　of　flowers　called　here　〃immortals。〃

Four　eagles　surmount　the　temple；　and　a　great　scroll　or　garland；　held

in　their　beaks；　surrounds　it。　　It　is　hung　with　velvet　and　gold；　four

gold　caryatides　support　the　entry　of　it；　and　in　the　midst；　upon　a

large　platform　hung　with　velvet；　and　bearing　the　imperial　arms；

stood　the　coffin。　　A　steamboat；　carrying　two　hundred　musicians

playing　funereal　marches　and　military　symphonies；　preceded　this

magnificent　vessel　to　Courbevoie；　where　a　funereal　temple　was

erected；　and　〃a　statue　of　Notre　Dame　de　Grace；　before　which　the

seamen　of　the　'Belle　Poule'　inclined　themselves；　in　order　to　thank

her　for　having　granted　them　a　noble　and　glorious　voyage。〃



Early　on　the　morning　of　the　15th　December；　amidst　clouds　of　incense；

and　thunder　of　cannon；　and　innumerable　shouts　of　people；　the　coffin

was　transferred　from　the　barge；　and　carried　by　the　seamen　of　the

〃Belle　Poule〃　to　the　Imperial　Car。





And；　now　having　conducted　our　hero　almost　to　the　gates　of　Paris；　I

must　tell　you　what　preparations　were　made　in　the　capital　to　receive

him。



Ten　days　before　the　arrival　of　the　body；　as　you　walked　across　the

Deputies'　Bridge；　or　over　the　Esplanade　of　the　Invalides；　you　saw　on

the　bridge　eight；　on　the　esplanade　thirty…two；　mysterious　boxes

erected；　wherein　a　couple　of　score　of　sculptors　were　at　work　night

and　day。



In　the　middle　of　the　Invalid　Avenue；　there　used　to　stand；　on　a　kind

of　shabby　fountain　or　pump；　a　bust　of　Lafayette；　crowned　with　some

dirty　wreaths　of　〃immortals；〃　and　looking　down　at　the　little

streamlet　which　occasionally　dribbled　below　him。　　The　spot　of　ground

was　now　clear；　and　Lafayette　and　the　pump　had　been　consigned　to　some

cellar；　to　make　way　for　the　mighty　procession　that　was　to　pass　over

the　place　of　their　habitation。



Strange　coincidence！　　If　I　had　been　Mr。　Victor　Hugo；　my　dear；　or　a

poet　of　any　note；　I　would；　in　a　few　hours；　have　made　an　impromptu

concerning　that　Lafayette…crowned　pump；　and　compared　its　lot　now　to

the　fortune　of　its　patron　some　fifty　years　back。　　From　him　then

issued；　as　from　his　fountain　now；　a　feeble　dribble　of　pure　words；

then；　as　now；　some　faint　circles　of　disciples　were　willing　to　admire

him。　　Certainly　in　the　midst　of　the　war　and　storm　without；　this　pure

fount　of　eloquence　went　dribbling；　dribbling　on；　till　of　a　sudden

the　revolutionary　workmen　knocked　down　statue　and　fountain；　and　the

gorgeous　imperial　cavalcade　trampled　over　the　spot　where　they　stood。



As　for　the　Champs　Elysees；　there　was　no　end　to　the　preparations；　the

first　day　you　saw　a　couple　of　hundred　scaffoldings　erected　at

intervals　between　the　handsome　gilded　gas…lamps　that　at　present

ornament　that　avenue；　next　day；　all　these　scaffoldings　were　filled

with　brick　and　mortar。　　Presently；　over　the　bricks　and　mortar　rose

pediments　of　statues；　legs　of　urns；　legs　of　goddesses；　legs　and

bodies　of　goddesses；　legs；　bodies；　and　busts　of　goddesses。　　Finally；

on　the　13th　December；　goddesses　complete。　　On　the　14th　they　were

painted　marble…color；　and　the　basements　of　wood　and　canvas　on　which

they　stood　were　made　to　resemble　the　same　costly　material。　　The

funereal　urns　were　ready　to　receive　the　frankincense　and　precious

odors　which　were　to　burn　in　them。　　A　vast　number　of　white　columns

stretched　down　the　avenue；　each　bearing　a　bronze　buckler　on　which

was　written；　in　gold　letters；　one　of　the　victories　of　the　Emperor；

and　each　decorated　with　enormous　imperial　flags。　　On　these　columns

golden　eagles　were　placed；　and　the　newspapers　did　not　fail　to　remark

the　ingenious　position　in　which　the　royal　birds　had　been　set：　for

while　those　on　the　right…hand　side　of　the　way　had　their　heads　turned

TOWARDS　the　procession；　as　if　to　watch　its　coming；　those　on　the　left

were　looking　exactly　the　other　way；　as　if　to　regard　its　progress。

Do　not　fancy　I　am　joking：　this　point　was　gravely　and　emphatically

urged　in　many　newspapers；　and　I　do　believe　no　mortal　Frenchman　ever

thought　it　anything　but　sublime。



Do　not　interrupt　me；　sweet　Miss　Smith。　　I　feel　that　you　are　angry。

I　can　see　from　here　the　pouting　of　your　lips；　and　know　what　you　are

going　to　say。　　You　are　going　to　say；　〃I　will　read　no　more　of　this

Mr。　Titmarsh；　there　is　no　subject；　however　solemn；　but　he　treats　it

with　flippant　irreverence；　and　no　character；　however　great；　at　whom

he　does　not　sneer。〃



Ah；　my　dear！　you　are　young　now　and　enthusiastic；　and　your　Titmarsh

is　old；　very　old；　sad；　and　gray…headed。　　I　have　seen　a　poor　mother

buy　a　halfpenny　wreath　at　the　gate　of　Montmartre　burying…ground；　and

go　with　it　to　her　little　child's　grave；　and　hang　it　there　over　the

little　humble　stone；　and　if　ever　you　saw　me　scorn　the　mean　offering

of　the　poor　shabby　creature；　I　will　give　you　leave　to　be　as　angry　as

you　will。　　They　say　that　on　the　passage　of　Napoleon's　coffin　down

the　Seine；　old　soldiers　and　country　people　walked　miles　from　their

villages　just　to　catch　a　sight　of　the　boat　which　carried　his　body

and　to　kneel　down　on　the　shore　and　pray　for　him。　　God　forbid　that　we

should　quarrel　with　such　prayers　and　sorrow；　or　question　their

sincerity。　　Something　great　and　good　must　have　been　in　this　man；

something　loving　and　kindly；　that　has　kept　his　name　so　cherished　in

the　popular　memory；　and　gained　him　such　lasting　reverence　and

affection。



But；　Madam；　one　may　respect　the　dead　without　feeling　awe…stricken　at

the　plumes　of　the　hearse；　and　I　see　no　reason　why　one　should

sympathize　with　the　train　of　mutes　and　undertakers；　however　deep　may

be　their　mourning。　　Look；　I　pray　you；　at　the　manner　in　which　the

French　nation　has　performed　Napoleon's　funeral。　　Time　out　of　mind；

nations　have　raised；　in　memory　of　their　heroes；　august　mausoleums；

grand　pyramids；　splendid　statues　of　gold　or　marble；　sacrificing

whatever　they　had　that　was　most　costly　and　rare；　or　that　was　most

beautiful　in　art；　as　tokens　of　their　respect　and　love　for　the　dead

person。　　What　a　fine　example　of　this　sort　of　sacrifice　is　that

（recorded　in　a　book　of　which　Simplicity　is　the　great　characteristic）

of　the　poor　woman　who　brought　her　pot　of　precious　ointmenther　all；

and　laid　it　at　the　feet　of　the　Object　which；　upon　earth；　she　most

loved　and　respected。　　〃Economists　and　calculators〃　there　were　even