The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-17 00:00:00

THE LATE EMPEROR OF THE
ERLNed

There was a simple but impressive ceremony at
chislehurst on Friday in last week. The body of the
late Emperor Napoleon 111. had hitherto rested in a
small mortuary chapel annexed to the piet re Nue little
place of worship possessed by the Boman Ca' holies of
this pleasant Kentish village. A mausoleum hose since
been built by the Enuoreres Eugenie, and forma part of
tie church. Th• raystoteoleum is, in fact, is oidature
chapel, leading out of the north side of the church, with
its own little altar; but the ft 'cep main'y ocoupisd by
• handsome 'sarcophagus, given by the Queen. The
ceremony consisted in the simple removal of the body
from its temporary meting place, to the mausoleum,
and the deposit of the calm in the earcephagne. By
tier Imperial Majesty's express desire the service was
oonducted with ce great a privacy as was possible in
~tecase of a man who for twenty years had tilled 110
greAt a part in European hlstoiy—so dominant a part
lo the history of Fracce. Many Frenchmen had sign'.
lied a wish to make a pilgrimage to Chielehurst and at-
tend the ceremony ; but Tier Majesty thankfully
&elitist] these maks of sympathy, which were the lees
necessary on English roil, as special services for
the repose ef the late Emperor's soul were on
Friday celebrated at eix churches in Paris—St.
Germain l'Atixerroie, St. Clotilde, St. East& he,
St. Ambroise, St, Augustin, and St. Denis.
Thus it Came about that only a anall gathering
assembled at the church, and there was none of
the strong feeling and excitement shown within it a
year ago. Then it was icooossihlos not to regard the
funeral as partaking of a State ceremonial; and the
crew Is of 'per:tato-a could not but dwell upon the
straino sioissiindes of a once powerful Sovereign,
crushed by !pistol tune and disease, (voicing back to die
In the country where he had twice lived an exile.
Now, upon the anniverary of the Emperor's death,
the Titivate pi:4 of illustrious mourners still com-
mands universal synu athy, but people also wondered
as they stood in the little church of !St. Mary whether
this is inch ed to be the last resting Vacre of Nap olcon
!IL, and whether ne al changes in the Government of
France may not procure for his remains the honour paid
Napoleon t.
• • • •

Wine, soon after eleven o'clock, some 200 peop'e
who Lad obtained tickets, were admitted to the °burgh
• glance al the reserved places showed, by the type sif
Ewe, the presence of several members of the Bonaparte
family. Tinee were Colonel Jfrome Bonaparte,
Prince Louis Murat, Prince Charles Bonaparte,
Prince Lu ien Murat, and Prince Louis I.ucien Bo os..
parte. The Eu. press Eirgfne aid the Prince Inipeiial
were in the mortuary ch spel behind the coilln, which,
half hidden by sombre drapery, stood at the entrance.
Of members of the lamella household and leading
Imperialists present, there were the Duo de Bawl ipo,
the Marquis and Marchioness de Bassano, Madame
Lebreton Bourbaki, Madame de Lerm net, the Mar
-
gals and Marchioness de Lavalett I, Count Daviilier,
Count Cl try, Baron Corvieart, M. Pietri, Dr. Connesm,
M. Fslou, the Count do Liardoune. and H. L. Con-
hems. Among the English visitors, led to the spot by
sympathy or old associations. were Lord and Lady
Sydney, Lord Cowley. Lieteenant General Unto%
Simmons, head of the Military School at Woolwich,
and Lady Simmons.
Service began with high 11:158R, celebrated by the
Bishop of Southwark, Dr. Darrell, assisted by th Very
Rev. Cannon Wenhaiu and two other priests. The
musical resources of a small villoge church are not, of
cour.e, great—a small harinonintn, played by the Rev.
J. Dolan, and a small but not untuueful choir supplied
this important portion of the Requiem service. When
the niers was concl wird, the Bishop and attendant clergy
proceeded from the church into the mausoleum.
Then all eyes turned to the coffin, which was
covered with a raaghiticent pall of purple velvet,
embrhi hied with golf, the Imperial CrJern and bees
figuriog largely on this rich ground. The bearers,
having first removed from the pall a large butquet
of violets, now carried the coffin across the chnrch to
the mausoleum, where it was received by the Bishop,
who began the ordinary Burial Service of the Roman
Catholi Church. Toe Kinisr,es, who was dressed in
Hoidens est mourning, was then led Into the mausoleum,
attended by her nom, the Bi.shop advancing to meet
them. Before the Ago sum Rcsurrectio, his coffin and
earcephmes were sprinkled with holy water said
incense by the ISialsop. Meanwhile the oothn was
deposited in its sabots receptacle; and all good
Catholics present joined fervently in the Requiems
(croissant dorm ci, Doming / At the end ot the
servioe, while the Denethetus wan being sung, the
Bishop led the Etuprees to the coilinoside, and both Her
Majesty and the Prince Imperial rprinkled it with h sly
water handed to them for the purpose. The illustrious
mourner, who bore this wad ni ceremony with the
utmost fortitude, then leit the building with the Prince
Imperial by a private door, returning to Camden.honse
amid every mark of respect mid sympathy—a tribute
due to her great sorrow no lees than to the dignity and
patience she has shown nailer trials and reverses which,
to most women, would have been overwhelming.

Ile role= function ended, the congregation Wag in-
vited to pare in single file by the care Winne, bud to
follow the example of the mourners, who In succession
had reverently spr!nkled the ceffio with holy water as
they quitted the church. The mausoleum could then
be freely inspected. It is a bijou chrin .1, only 211 t
long by 12ft. wide. The interior is cased with Cam
atone, Co that th• Emperor, in one sense, eerie
within French walla; the outer walls are of Bath
stone, with the Imperial eagle in the same material
surmounting them. The style in Gothic, of the latter
part of the 131 century. The entrance into the
church is by a double arch, supported upon coupled
columns of highly polished Devonshire marble of
beautiful colour, with finely carved capitols. The
groined vaulting is also euppoited upon tall shafts
with carved eapitaie. At the west end is the altar,
dedicated to the I:irgin, and provided with a richly.
carved canopy. The building is lit by three windows
on thenortheide and a wheeled window at the welt end.
The flooring is of gre • and dark red coloured tiles.
In the centre of the floor is the noble sarco?bague.
the gift of Her Majesty the Q leen. It was draped
with black cloth, and its massive proportions could
not therefore be seen. Cut out of a single block of
Aberdeen granite, it liae been bronchi by high polish
to a deep rich colour; • recond block forme the lid, on
which is a raised Cr es. With the exception of the cross,
tte ear •opliagus is identinol in design with that mode
to receive the remains of the Duchess of Kent. The
ni
inscriAion is,—