the second funeral of napoleon-第2章

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！



fine　one；　granted；　but；　like　all　other　ideas；　it　was　open　to

objections。　　You　must　not　fancy　that　the　cannon；　or　rather　the

cannon…balls；　were　in　the　habit　of　furrowing　the　bosoms　of　French

braves；　or　any　other　braves；　with　cicatrices：　on　the　contrary；　it　is

a　known　fact　that　cannon…balls　make　wounds；　and　not　cicatrices

（which；　my　dear；　are　wounds　partially　healed）；　nay；　that　a　man

generally　dies　after　receiving　one　such　projectile　on　his　chest；

much　more　after　having　his　bosom　furrowed　by　a　score　of　them。　　No；

my　love；　no　bosom；　however　heroic；　can　stand　such　applications；　and

the　author　only　means　that　the　French　soldiers　faced　the　cannon　and

took　them。　　Nor；　my　love；　must　you　suppose　that　the　column　was

melted：　it　was　the　cannon　was　melted；　not　the　column；　but　such

phrases　are　often　used　by　orators　when　they　wish　to　give　a

particular　force　and　emphasis　to　their　opinions。



Well；　again；　although　Napoleon　might　have　slept　in　peace　under　〃this

audacious　trophy；〃　how　could　he　do　so　and　carriages　go　rattling　by

all　night；　and　people　with　great　iron　heels　to　their　boots　pass

clattering　over　the　stones？　　Nor　indeed　could　it　be　expected　that　a

man　whose　reputation　stretches　from　the　Pyramids　to　the　Kremlin；

should　find　a　column　of　which　the　base　is　only　five…and…twenty　feet

square；　a　shelter　vast　enough　for　his　bones。　　In　a　word；　then；

although　the　proposal　to　bury　Napoleon　under　the　column　was

ingenious；　it　was　found　not　to　suit；　whereupon　somebody　else

proposed　the　Madelaine。



〃It　was　proposed；〃　says　the　before…quoted　author　with　his　usual

felicity；　〃to　consecrate　the　Madelaine　to　his　exiled　manes〃that

is；　to　his　bones　when　they　were　not　in　exile　any　longer。　　〃He　ought

to　have；　it　was　said；　a　temple　entire。　　His　glory　fills　the　world。

His　bones　could　not　contain　themselves　in　the　coffin　of　a　manin

the　tomb　of　a　king！〃　　In　this　case　what　was　Mary　Magdalen　to　do？

〃This　proposition；　I　am　happy　to　say；　was　rejected；　and　a　new　one

that　of　the　President　of　the　Council　adopted。　　Napoleon　and　his

braves　ought　not　to　quit　each　other。　　Under　the　immense　gilded　dome

of　the　Invalides　he　would　find　a　sanctuary　worthy　of　himself。　　A

dome　imitates　the　vault　of　heaven；　and　that　vault　alone〃　（meaning　of

course　the　other　vault）　〃should　dominate　above　his　head。　　His　old

mutilated　Guard　shall　watch　around　him：　the　last　veteran；　as　he　has

shed　his　blood　in　his　combats；　shall　breathe　his　last　sigh　near　his

tomb；　and　all　these　tombs　shall　sleep　under　the　tattered　standards

that　have　been　won　from　all　the　nations　of　Europe。〃



The　original　words　are　〃sous　les　lambeaux　cribles　des　drapeaux

cueillis　chez　toutes　les　nations；〃　in　English；　〃under　the　riddled

rags　of　the　flags　that　have　been　culled　or　plucked〃　（like　roses　or

buttercups）　〃in　all　the　nations。〃　　Sweet；　innocent　flowers　of

victory！　there　they　are；　my　dear；　sure　enough；　and　a　pretty

considerable　hortus　siccus　may　any　man　examine　who　chooses　to　walk

to　the　Invalides。　　The　burial…place　being　thus　agreed　on；　the

expedition　was　prepared；　and　on　the　7th　July　the　〃Belle　Poule〃

frigate；　in　company　with　〃La　Favorite〃　corvette；　quitted　Toulon

harbor。　　A　couple　of　steamers；　the　〃Trident〃　and　the　〃Ocean；〃

escorted　the　ships　as　far　as　Gibraltar；　and　there　left　them　to

pursue　their　voyage。



The　two　ships　quitted　the　harbor　in　the　sight　of　a　vast　concourse　of

people；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　great　roaring　of　cannons。　　Previous　to

the　departure　of　the　〃Belle　Poule；〃　the　Bishop　of　Frejus　went　on

board；　and　gave　to　the　cenotaph；　in　which　the　Emperor's　remains　were

to　be　deposited；　his　episcopal　benediction。　　Napoleon's　old　friends

and　followers；　the　two　Bertrands；　Gourgaud；　Emanuel　Las　Cases；

〃companions　in　exile；　or　sons　of　the　companions　in　exile　of　the

prisoner　of　the　infame　Hudson；〃　says　a　French　writer；　were　passengers

on　board　the　frigate。　　Marchand；　Denis；　Pierret；　Novaret；　his　old

and　faithful　servants；　were　likewise　in　the　vessel。　　It　was

commanded　by　his　Royal　Highness　Francis　Ferdinand　Philip　Louis　Marie

d'Orleans；　Prince　de　Joinville；　a　young　prince　two…and…twenty　years

of　age；　who　was　already　distinguished　in　the　service　of　his　country

and　king。



On　the　8th　of　October；　after　a　voyage　of　six…and…sixty　days；　the

〃Belle　Poule〃　arrived　in　James　Town　harbor；　and　on　its　arrival；　as

on　its　departure　from　France；　a　great　firing　of　guns　took　place。

First；　the　〃Oreste〃　French　brig…of…war　began　roaring　out　a

salutation　to　the　frigate；　then　the　〃Dolphin〃　English　schooner　gave

her　one…and…twenty　guns；　then　the　frigate　returned　the　compliment　of

the　〃Dolphin〃　schooner；　then　she　blazed　out　with　one…and…twenty　guns

more；　as　a　mark　of　particular　politeness　to　the　shorewhich

kindness　the　forts　acknowledged　by　similar　detonations。



These　little　compliments　concluded　on　both　sides；　Lieutenant

Middlemore；　son　and　aide…de…camp　of　the　Governor　of　St。　Helena；　came

on　board　the　French　frigate；　and　brought　his　father's　best　respects

to　his　Royal　Highness。　　The　Governor　was　at　home　ill；　and　forced　to

keep　his　room；　but　he　had　made　his　house　at　James　Town　ready　for

Captain　Joinville　and　his　suite；　and　begged　that　they　would　make　use

of　it　during　their　stay。



On　the　9th；　H。　R。　H。　the　Prince　of　Joinville　put　on　his　full　uniform

and　landed；　in　company　with　Generals　Bertrand　and　Gourgaud；　Baron

Las　Cases；　M。　Marchand；　M。　Coquereau；　the　chaplain　of　the

expedition；　and　M。　de　Rohan　Chabot；　who　acted　as　chief　mourner。　　All

the　garrison　were　under　arms　to　receive　the　illustrious　Prince　and

the　other　members　of　the　expeditionwho　forthwith　repaired　to

Plantation　House；　and　had　a　conference　with　the　Governor　regarding

their　mission。



On　the　10th；　11th；　12th；　these　conferences　continued：　the　crews　of

the　French　ships　were　permitted　to　come　on　shore　and　see　the　tomb　of

Napoleon。　　Bertrand；　Gourgaud；　Las　Cases　wandered　about　the　island

and　revisited　the　spots　to　which　they　had　been　partial　in　the

lifetime　of　the　Emperor。



The　15th　October　was　fixed　on　for　the　day　of　the　exhumation：　that

day　five…and　twenty　years；　the　Emperor　Napoleon　first　set　his　foot

upon　the　island。



On　the　day　previous　all　things　had　been　made　ready：　the　grand

coffins　and　ornaments　brought　from　France；　and　the　articles

necessary　for　the　operation　were　carried　to　the　valley　of　the　Tomb。



The　operations　commenced　at　midnight。　　The　well…known　friends　of

Napoleon　before　named　and　some　other　attendants　of　his；　the　chaplain

and　his　acolytes；　the　doctor　of　the　〃Belle　Poule；〃　the　captains　of

the　French　ships；　and　Captain　Alexander　of　the　Engineers；　the

English　Commissioner；　attended　the　disinterment。　　His　Royal　highness

Prince　de　Joinville　could　not　be　present　because　the　workmen　were

under　English　command。



The　men　worked　for　nine　hours　incessantly；　when　at　length　the　earth

was　entirely　removed　from　the　vault；　all　the　horizontal　strata　of

masonry　demolished；　and　the　large　slab　which　covered　the　place　where

the　stone　sarcophagus　lay；　removed　by　a　crane。　　This　outer　coffin　of

stone　was　perfect；　and　could　scarcely　be　said　to　be　damp。



〃As　soon　as　the　Abbe　Coquereau　had　recited　the　prayers；　the　coffin

was　removed　with　the　greatest　care；　and　carried　by　the　engineer…

soldiers；　bareheaded；　into　a　tent　that　had　been　prepared　for　the

purpose。　　After　the　religious　ceremonies；　the　inner　coffins　were

opened。　　The　outermost　coffin　was　slightly　injured：　then　came；　one

of　lead；　which　was　in　good　condition；　and　enclosed　two　othersone

of　tin　and　one　of　wood。　　The　last　coffin　was　lined　inside　with　white

satin；　which；　having　become　detached　by　the　effect　of　time；　had

fallen　upon　the　body　and　enveloped　it　like　a　winding…sheet；　and　had

become　slightly　attached　to　it。



〃It　is　difficult　to　describe　with　what　anxiety　and　emotion　those　who

were　present　waited　for　the　moment　which　was　to　expose　to　them　all

that　death　had　left　of　Napoleon。　　Notwithstanding　the　singular　state

of　preservation　of　the　tomb　and　coffins；　we　could　scarcely　hope　to

find　anything　but　some　misshapen　remains　of　the　least　perishable

part　of　the　costume　to　evidence　the　identity　of　the　body。　　But　when

Doctor　Guillard　raised　the　sheet　of　satin；　an　indescribable　feeling

of　surprise　and　affection　was　expressed　by　the　spectators；　many　of

whom　burst　into　tears。　　The　Emperor　was　himself　before　their　eyes！

The　features　of　the　face；　though　changed；　were　perfectly　recognized；

the　hands　extremely　beautiful；　his　well…known　costume　had　suffered

but　little；　and　the　colors　were　easily　distinguished。　　The　attitude


itself　was　full　of　ease；　and　but　for　the　fragments　of　the　satin

lining　which　covered；　as　with　a　fine　gauze；　several　parts　of　the

uniform；　we　might　have　believed　we　still　saw　Napoleon　before　us

lying　on　his　bed　of　state。　　General　Bertrand　and　M。　Marchand；　who

were　both　present　at　the　interment；　quickly　pointed　out　the

different　articles　which　each　had　deposited　in　the　coffin；　and

remained　in　the　precise　position　in　which　they　had　previously

described　them　to　be。



〃The　two　inner　coffins　were　carefully　closed　again；　the　old　leaden

coffin　was　strongly　blocked　up　with　wedges　of　wood；　and　both　were

once　more　soldered　up　with　the　most　minute　precautions；　under　the

direction　of　Dr。　Guillard。　　These　different　operations　being

terminated；　the　ebony　sarcophagus　was　closed　as　well　as　its　oak

case。　　On　delivering　the　key　of　the　ebony　sarcophagus　to　Count　de

Chabot；　the　King's　Commissioner；　Captain　Alexander　declared　to　him；

in　the　name　of　the　Governor；　that　this　coffin；　containing　the　mortal

remains　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　was　considered　as　at　the　disposal

of　the　French　Government　from　that　day；　and　from　the　moment　at　which

it　should　arrive　at　the　place　of　embarkation；　towards　which　it　was

about　to　be　sent　under　the　orders　of　General　Middlemore。　　The　King's

Commissioner　replied　that　he　was　charged　by　his　Government；　and　in

its　name；　to　accept　the　coffin　from　the　hands　of　the　British

authorities；　and　that　he　and　the　other　persons　composing　the　French

mission　were　ready　to　follow　it　to　James　Town；　where　the　Prince　de

Joinville；　superior　commandant　of　the　expedition；　would　be　ready　to

receive　it　and　conduct　it　on　board　his　frigate。　　A　car　drawn　by　four

horses；　decked　with　funereal　emblems；　had　been　prepared　before　the

arrival　of　the　expedition；　to　receive　the　coffin；　as　well　as　a　pall；

and　all　the　other　suitable　trappings　of　mourning。　　When　the

sarcophagus　was　placed　on　the　car；　the　whole　was　covered　with　a

magnificent　imperial　mantle　brought　from　Paris；　the　four　corners　of

which　were　borne　by　Generals　Bertrand　and　Gourgaud；　Baron　Las　Cases

and　M。　Marchand。　　At　half…past　three　o'clock　the　funeral　car　began

to　move；　preceded　by　a　chorister　bearing　the　cross；　and　by　the　Abbe

Coquereau。　　M。　de　Chabot　acted　as　chief　mourner。　　All　the

authorities　of　the　island；　all　the　principal　inhabitants；　and　the

whole　of　the　garrison；　followed　in