第8章

banging,flag—waving,incense—burning,trumpetspealing,drumsrolling,andattheclose,receivedbythevoiceofsixhundredchoristers,sweetlymodulatedtothetonesoffifteenscoreoffiddlers。Thenyousawhorseandfoot,jack—bootsandbear—skin,cuirassandbayonet,NationalGuardandLine,marshalsandgeneralsallovergold,smartaides—de—campgallopingaboutlikemad,andhighinthemidstofall,ridingonhisgoldenbuckler,Solomoninallhisglory,forsooth——ImperialCaesar,withhiscrownoverhishead,laurelsandstandardswavingabouthisgorgeouschariot,andamillionofpeoplelookingoninwonderandawe。

HisMajestytheEmperorandKingreclinedonhisshield,withhisheadalittleelevated。HisMajesty\'sskullisvoluminous,hisforeheadbroadandlarge。WeremarkedthathisImperialMajesty\'sbrowwasofayellowishcolor,whichappearancewasalsovisibleabouttheorbitsoftheeyes。Hekepthiseyelidsconstantlyclosed,bywhichwehadtheopportunityofobservingthattheupperlidsweregarnishedwitheyelashes。Yearsandclimatehaveeffecteduponthefaceofthisgreatmonarchonlyatriflingalteration;wemaysay,indeed,thatTimehastouchedhisImperialandRoyalMajestywiththelightestfeatherinhiswing。InthenoseoftheConquerorofAusterlitzweremarkedverylittlealteration:itisofthebeautifulshapewhichwerememberitpossessedfive—and—twentyyearssince,ereunfortunatecircumstancesinducedhimtoleaveusforawhile。Thenostrilandthetubeofthenoseappeartohaveundergonesomeslightalteration,butinexaminingabelovedobjecttheeyeofaffectionisperhapstoocritical。Vivel\'Empereur!thesoldierofMarengoisamongusagain。Hislipsarethinner,perhaps,thantheywerebefore!howwhitehisteethare!youcanjustseethreeofthempressinghisunderlip;andprayremarkthefulnessofhischeeksandtheroundcontourofhischin。Oh,thosebeautifulwhitehands!manyatimehavetheypattedthecheekofpoorJosephine,andplayedwiththeblackringletsofherhair。Sheisdeadnow,andcold,poorcreature;andsoareHortenseandboldEugene,thanwhomtheworldneversawacurtierknight,\"aswassaidofKingArthur\'sSirLancelot。Whatadaywouldithavebeenforthosethreecouldtheyhaveliveduntilnow,andseentheirheroreturning!Where\'sNey?HiswifesitslookingoutfromM。Flahaut\'swindowyonder,butthebravestofthebraveisnotwithher。Murattooisabsent:honestJoachimlovestheEmperoratheart,andrepentsthathewasnotatWaterloo:whoknowsbutthatatthesightofthehandsomeswordsmanthosestubbornEnglish\"canaille\"wouldhavegivenway。Aking,Sire,is,youknow,thegreatestofslaves——Stateaffairsofconsequence——hisMajestytheKingofNaplesisdetainednodoubt。WhenwelastsawtheKing,however,andhisHighnessthePrinceofElchingen,theylookedtohaveasgoodhealthasevertheyhadintheirlives,andweheardeachofthemcalmlycallingout\"FIRE!\"astheyhavedoneinnumberlessbattlesbefore。

Isitpossible?cantheEmperorforget?Wedon\'tliketobreakittohim,buthasheforgottenallaboutthefarmatPizzo,andthegardenoftheObservatory?Yes,truly:thereheliesonhisgoldenshield,neverstirring,neversomuchasliftinghiseyelids,oropeninghislipsanywider。

Ovanitasvanitatum!HereisourSovereigninallhisglory,andtheyfiredathousandgunsatCherbourgandneverwokehim!

However,weareadvancingmattersbyseveralhours,andyoumustgivejustasmuchcredenceasyoupleasetothesubjoinedremarksconcerningtheProcession,seeingthatyourhumbleservantcouldnotpossiblybepresentatit,beingboundforthechurchelsewhere。

Programmes,however,havebeenpublishedoftheaffair,andyourvividfancywillnotfailtogivelifetothem,andthewholemagnificenttrainwillpassbeforeyou。

Fancythen,thatthegunsarefiredatNeuilly:thebodylandedatdaybreakfromthefunerealbarge,andtransferredtothecar;andfancythecar,ahugeJuggernautofamachine,rollingonfourwheelsofanantiqueshape,whichsupportedabasementadornedwithgoldeneagles,banners,laurels,andvelvethangings。Abovethehangingsstandtwelvegoldenstatueswithraisedarmssupportingahugeshield,onwhichthecoffinlay。Onthecoffinwastheimperialcrown,coveredwithvioletvelvetcrape,andthewholevastmachinewasdrawnbyhorsesinsuperbhousings,ledbyvaletsintheimperiallivery。

Fancyattheheadoftheprocessionfirstofall——

TheGendarmerieoftheSeine,withtheirtrumpetsandColonel。

TheMunicipalGuard(horse),withtheirtrumpets,standard,andColonel。

Twosquadronsofthe7thLancers,withColonel,standard,andmusic。

TheCommandantofParisandhisStaff。

AbattalionofInfantryoftheLine,withtheirflag,sappers,drums,music,andColonel。

TheMunicipalGuard(foot),withflag,drums,andColonel。

TheSapper—pumpers,withditto。

ThenpicturetoyourselfmoresquadronsofLancersandCuirassiers。

TheGeneraloftheDivisionandhisStaff;allofficersofallarmsemployedatParis,andunattached;theMilitarySchoolofSaintCyr,thePolytechnicSchool,theSchooloftheEtat—Major;andtheProfessorsandStaffofeach。GoonimaginingmorebattalionsofInfantry,ofArtillery,companiesofEngineers,squadronsofCuirassiers,dittooftheCavalry,oftheNationalGuard,andthefirstandsecondlegionsofditto。

Fancyacarriage,containingtheChaplainoftheSt。Helenaexpedition,theonlyclericalgentlemanthatformedapartoftheprocession。

Fancyyouhearthefunerealmusic,andthenfigureinyourmind\'seye——

THEEMPEROR\'SCHARGER,thatis,Napoleon\'sownsaddleandbridle(whenFirstConsul)uponawhitehorse。Thesaddle(whichhasbeenkepteversinceintheGardeMeubleoftheCrown)isofamaranthvelvet,embroideredingold:theholstersandhousingsareofthesamerichmaterial。OnthemyouremarktheattributesofWar,Commerce,Science,andArt。Thebitsandstirrupsaresilver—giltchased。Overthestirrups,twoeagleswereplacedatthetimeoftheempire。Thehorsewascoveredwithavioletcrapeembroideredwithgoldenbees。

AfterthiscamemoreSoldiers,GeneralOfficers,Sub—Officers,Marshals,andwhatwassaidtobetheprettiestsightalmostofthewhole,thebannersoftheeighty—sixDepartmentsofFrance。TheseareduetotheinventionofM。Thiers,andweretohavebeenaccompaniedbyfederatesfromeachDepartment。ButthegovernmentverywiselymistrustedthisandsomeotherprojectsofMonsieurThiers;andasforafederation,mydear,ITHASBEENTRIED。Nextcomes——

HisRoyalHighness,thePrincedeJoinville。

The600sailorsofthe\"BellePoule\"marchingindoublefileoneachsideofTHECAR。

[Hush!theenormouscrowdthrillsasitpasses,andonlysomefewvoicescryVivel\'Empereur!Shininggoldeninthefrostysun——withhundredsofthousandsofeyesuponit,fromhousesandhousetops,frombalconies,black,purple,andtricolor,fromtopsofleaflesstrees,frombehindlonglinesofglitteringbayonetsunderschakosandbear—skincaps,frombehindtheLineandtheNationalGuardagain,pushing,struggling,heaving,panting,eager,theheadsofanenormousmultitudestretchingouttomeetandfollowit,amidstlongavenuesofcolumnsandstatuesgleamingwhite,ofstandardsrainbow—

colored,ofgoldeneagles,ofpalefunerealurns,ofdischargingodorsamidsthugevolumesofpitch—blacksmoke,THEGREATIMPERIALCHARIOTROLLSMAJESTICALLYON。

ThecordsofthepallareheldbytwoMarshals,anAdmiralandGeneralBertrand;whoarefollowedby——

ThePrefectsoftheSeineandPolice,&c。

TheMayorsofParis,&c。

TheMembersoftheOldGuard,&c。

ASquadronofLightDragoons,&c。

Lieutenant—GeneralSchneider,&c。

Morecavalry,moreinfantry,moreartillery,moreeverybody;andastheprocessionpasses,theLineandtheNationalGuardforminglineoneachsideoftheroadfallinandfollowit,untilitarrivesattheChurchoftheInvalides,wherethelasthonorsaretobepaidtoit。]

Amongthecompanyassembledunderthedomeofthatedifice,thecasualobserverwouldnotperhapshaveremarkedagentlemanofthenameofMichaelAngeloTitmarsh,whoneverthelesswasthere。Butas,mydearMissSmith,thedescriptionsinthisletter,fromthewordsinpage298,line20——THEPARTYMOVED——uptothewordsPAIDTO

IT,onthispage,havepurelyemanatedfromyourobedientservant\'sfancy,andnotfromhispersonalobservation(fornobeingonearth,exceptanewspaperreporter,canbeintwoplacesatonce),permitmenowtocommunicatetoyouwhatlittlecircumstancesfellundermyownparticularviewonthedayofthe15thofDecember。