The Second Funeral of Napoleon
Page: 47

Bertrand put on the body the most glorious victorious sword that
ever has been forged since the apt descendants of the first murderer
learned how to hammer steel; and the coffin was placed in the temple
prepared for it.

The six hundred singers and the fiddlers now commenced the playing
and singing of a piece of music; and a part of the crew of the
"Belle Poule" skipped into the places that had been kept for them
under us, and listened to the music, chewing tobacco. While the
actors and fiddlers were going on, most of the spirits-of-wine lamps
on altars went out.

When we arrived in the open air we passed through the court of the
Invalids, where thousands of people had been assembled, but where
the benches were now quite bare. Then we came on to the terrace
before the place: the old soldiers were firing off the great guns,
which made a dreadful stunning noise, and frightened some of us, who
did not care to pass before the cannon and be knocked down even by
the wadding. The guns were fired in honor of the King, who was
going home by a back door. All the forty thousand people who
covered the great stands before the Hotel had gone away too. The
Imperial Barge had been dragged up the river, and was lying lonely
along the Quay, examined by some few shivering people on the shore.

It was five o'clock when we reached home: the stars were shining
keenly out of the frosty sky, and Francois told me that dinner was
just ready.

In this manner, my dear Miss Smith, the great Napoleon was buried.

Farewell.