第 9 节
作者:猜火车      更新:2021-02-21 11:56      字数:9322
  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