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！
The sword and pistol； however； had no doubt their effectthe former
was in its sheath； the latter not loaded； and I hear that the French
ladies are quite in raptures with these charming loups…de…mer。
Let the warlike accoutrements then pass。 It was necessary； perhaps；
to strike the Parisians with awe； and therefore the crew was armed
in this fierce fashion； but why should the captain begin to swagger
as well as his men？ and why did the Prince de Joinville lug out
sword and pistol so early？ or why； if he thought fit to make
preparations； should the official journals brag of them afterwards
as proofs of his extraordinary courage？
Here is the case。 The English Government makes him a present of the
bones of Napoleon： English workmen work for nine hours without
ceasing； and dig the coffin out of the ground： the English
Commissioner hands over the key of the box to the French
representative； Monsieur Chabot： English horses carry the funeral
car down to the sea…shore； accompanied by the English Governor； who
has actually left his bed to walk in the procession and to do the
French nation honor。
After receiving and acknowledging these politenesses； the French
captain takes his charge on board； and the first thing we afterwards
hear of him is the determination 〃qu'il a su faire passer〃 into all
his crew； to sink rather than yield up the body of the Emperor aux
mains de l'etrangerinto the hands of the foreigner。 My dear
Monseigneur； is not this par trop fort？ Suppose 〃the foreigner〃 had
wanted the coffin； could he not have kept it？ Why show this
uncalled…for valor； this extraordinary alacrity at sinking？ Sink or
blow yourself up as much as you please； but your Royal Highness must
see that the genteel thing would have been to wait until you were
asked to do so； before you offended good…natured； honest people；
whoheaven help them！have never shown themselves at all
murderously inclined towards you。 A man knocks up his cabins
forsooth； throws his tables and chairs overboard； runs guns into the
portholes； and calls le quartier du bord ou existaient ces chambres；
Lacedaemon。 Lacedaemon！ There is a province； O Prince； in your
royal father's dominions； a fruitful parent of heroes in its time；
which would have given a much better nickname to your quartier du
bord： you should have called it Gascony。
〃Sooner than strike we'll all ex…pi…er
On board of the Bell…e Pou…le。〃
Such fanfaronading is very well on the part of Tom Dibdin； but a
person of your Royal Highness's 〃pious and severe dignity〃 should
have been above it。 If you entertained an idea that war was
imminent； would it not have been far better to have made your
preparations in quiet； and when you found the war rumor blown over；
to have said nothing about what you intended to do？ Fie upon such
cheap Lacedaemonianism！ There is no poltroon in the world but can
brag about what he WOULD have done： however； to do your Royal
Highness's nation justice； they brag and fight too。
This narrative； my dear Miss Smith； as you will have remarked； is
not a simple tale merely； but is accompanied by many moral and pithy
remarks which form its chief value； in the writer's eyes at least；
and the above account of the sham Lacedaemon on board the 〃Belle
Poule〃 has a double…barrelled morality； as I conceive。 Besides
justly reprehending the French propensity towards braggadocio； it
proves very strongly a point on which I am the only statesman in
Europe who has strongly insisted。 In the 〃Paris Sketch Book〃 it was
stated that THE FRENCH HATE US。 They hate us； my dear； profoundly
and desperately； and there never was such a hollow humbug in the
world as the French alliance。 Men get a character for patriotism in
France merely by hating England。 Directly they go into strong
opposition （where； you know； people are always more patriotic than
on the ministerial side）； they appeal to the people； and have their
hold on the people by hating England in common with them。 Why？ It
is a long story； and the hatred may be accounted for by many reasons
both political and social。 Any time these eight hundred years this
ill…will has been going on； and has been transmitted on the French
side from father to son。 On the French side； not on ours： we have
had no； or few； defeats to complain of； no invasions to make us
angry； but you see that to discuss such a period of time would
demand a considerable number of pages； and for the present we will
avoid the examination of the question。
But they hate us； that is the long and short of it； and you see how
this hatred has exploded just now； not upon a serious cause of
difference； but upon an argument： for what is the Pasha of Egypt to
us or them but a mere abstract opinion？ For the same reason the
Little…endians in Lilliput abhorred the Big…endians； and I beg you
to remark how his Royal Highness Prince Ferdinand Mary； upon hearing
that this argument was in the course of debate between us；
straightway flung his furniture overboard and expressed a preference
for sinking his ship rather than yielding it to the etranger。
Nothing came of this wish of his； to be sure； but the intention is
everything。 Unlucky circumstances denied him the power； but he had
the will。
Well； beyond this disappointment； the Prince de Joinville had
nothing to complain of during the voyage； which terminated happily
by the arrival of the 〃Belle Poule〃 at Cherbourg； on the 30th of
November； at five o'clock in the morning。 A telegraph made the glad
news known at Paris； where the Minister of the Interior； Tanneguy…
Duchatel （you will read the name； Madam； in the old Anglo…French
wars）； had already made 〃immense preparations〃 for receiving the
body of Napoleon。
The entry was fixed for the 15th of December。
On the 8th of December at Cherbourg the body was transferred from
the 〃Belle Poule〃 frigate to the 〃Normandie〃 steamer。 On which
occasion the mayor of Cherbourg deposited； in the name of his town；
a gold laurel branch upon the coffinwhich was saluted by the forts
and dykes of the place with ONE THOUSAND GUNS！ There was a treat
for the inhabitants。
There was on board the steamer a splendid receptacle for the coffin：
〃a temple with twelve pillars and a dome to cover it from the wet
and moisture； surrounded with velvet hangings and silver fringes。
At the head was a gold cross； at the foot a gold lamp： other lamps
were kept constantly burning within； and vases of burning incense
were hung around。 An altar； hung with velvet and silver； was at the
mizzen…mast of the vessel； AND FOUR SILVER EAGLES AT EACH CORNER OF
THE ALTAR。〃 It was a compliment at once to Napoleon andexcuse me
for saying so； but so the facts areto Napoleon and to God Almighty。
Three steamers； the 〃Normandie；〃 the 〃Veloce；〃 and the 〃Courrier；〃
formed the expedition from Cherbourg to Havre； at which place they
arrived on the evening of the 9th of December； and where the
〃Veloce〃 was replaced by the Seine steamer； having in tow one of the
state…coasters； which was to fire the salute at the moment when the
body was transferred into one of the vessels belonging to the Seine。
The expedition passed Havre the same night； and came to anchor at
Val de la Haye on the Seine； three leagues below Rouen。
Here the next morning （10th）； it was met by the flotilla of
steamboats of the Upper Seine； consisting of the three 〃Dorades；〃
the three 〃Etoiles；〃 the 〃Elbeuvien；〃 the 〃Pansien；〃 the
〃Parisienne；〃 and the 〃Zampa。〃 The Prince de Joinville； and the
persons of the expedition； embarked immediately in the flotilla；
which arrived the same day at Rouen。
At Rouen salutes were fired； the National Guard on both sides of the
river paid military honors to the body； and over the middle of the
suspension…bridge a magnificent cenotaph was erected； decorated with
flags； fasces； violet hangings； and the imperial arms。 Before the
cenotap