The drama of Saint Helena . ns to Europe, and had chosen for hisburial-ground at Saint Helena a spot shaded bytwo willows, near a spring to which his servantswere used to go every day to draw clear water forhis table. This melancholy site, a green and silentravine at the bottom of the precipitous Punch Bowl,has already been described, and is now known asGeranium Valley. Napoleon was carried there onthe 9th of May. The funeral car, draped in violet velvet, waspreceded by the Abbé Vignali in his sacerdotalvestments ; Marshal Bertrand, Count de Montholon,and the whole household of Longwood follow
The drama of Saint Helena . ns to Europe, and had chosen for hisburial-ground at Saint Helena a spot shaded bytwo willows, near a spring to which his servantswere used to go every day to draw clear water forhis table. This melancholy site, a green and silentravine at the bottom of the precipitous Punch Bowl,has already been described, and is now known asGeranium Valley. Napoleon was carried there onthe 9th of May. The funeral car, draped in violet velvet, waspreceded by the Abbé Vignali in his sacerdotalvestments ; Marshal Bertrand, Count de Montholon,and the whole household of Longwood followedbehind. After them came Hudson Lowe, theGovernor, together with Admiral Lambert, SirRobert Plampins successor, General Coffin, and theMarquis de Montchenu. The population of theisland, a crowd not over-reverent, had put on theirgaudy holiday attire to see the procession garrison paid only the same last honours to theEmperor as to an English officer of the highestrank, and, as Henry remarks, the golden letters of. THE AUTOPSY AND THE FUNERAL 307 Minden, and Talavera, and AIbucra, and the Pyrenees,and Orthes, flaunted over the body from the colours,in strange mockery, as it passed. Three poor salvoes of artillery saluted thegreatest warrior as he was lowered into the grave. Hard stone being scarce at Saint Helena, a kindof sarcophagus had been constructed at the bottomof the cavity, with six large slabs taken from theplatform of a battery. It was first proposed that aseventh should be placed on the top of the tomb, but,on reflection, three large flag-stones, which pavedthe kitchen hearth at Longwood, were thought suf-ficient to answer the purpose. No inscription marked the burial - place, asHudson Lowe insisted that the name Bonaparte should be appended to the simple Napoleon proposed by Marshal Bertrand and Count deMontholon. All manner of profanation ensued. The wretchedfurniture of the deceased, priceless to-day, was sold ;his books, with the exception of those beq
Size: 1294px × 1931px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1910
