The Second Funeral of Napoleon
Page: 46

Fat priest--"Taisez-vous."

Little drummer--Rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub--rub-dub-dub, &c.

Drum-major--"Qu'est-ce donc?"

Fat priest--"Taisez-vous, dis-je; ce n'est pas le corps. Il
n'arrivera pas--pour une heure."

The little drums were instantly hushed, the procession turned to the
right-about, and walked back to the altar again, the blown-out
candle that had been on the near side of us before was now on the
off side, the National Guards set down their muskets and began at
their sandwiches again. We had to wait an hour and a half at least
before the great procession arrived. The guns without went on
booming all the while at intervals, and as we heard each, the
audience gave a kind of "ahahah!" such as you hear when the rockets
go up at Vauxhall.

At last the real Procession came.

Then the drums began to beat as formerly, the Nationals to get under
arms, the clergymen were sent for and went, and presently--yes,
there was the tall cross-bearer at the head of the procession, and
they came BACK!

They chanted something in a weak, snuffling, lugubrious manner, to
the melancholy bray of a serpent.

Crash! however, Mr. Habeneck and the fiddlers in the organ loft
pealed out a wild shrill march, which stopped the reverend
gentlemen, and in the midst of this music--

And of a great trampling of feet and clattering,

And of a great crowd of Generals and Officers in fine clothes,

With the Prince de Joinville marching quickly at the head of the
procession,

And while everybody's heart was thumping as hard as possible,

NAPOLEON'S COFFIN PASSED.

It was done in an instant. A box covered with a great red cross--a
dingy-looking crown lying on the top of it--Seamen on one side and
Invalids on the other--they had passed in an instant and were up the
aisle.

A faint snuffling sound, as before, was heard from the officiating
priests, but we knew of nothing more. It is said that old Louis
Philippe was standing at the catafalque, whither the Prince de
Joinville advanced and said, "Sire, I bring you the body of the
Emperor Napoleon."

Louis Philippe answered, "I receive it in the name of France."