The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-07
EXIT NAPOLEON III.
THE LYING IN STATE AND THE
FUNERAL.

|
FUNERAL.
The TuiIeries at tChiselhursr-The Visi,
of the Prince of Wales aud Why he
did not Attend tho Funeral.
| Correspondence OF the New York World.l
CHIsELHURsT, January ID.
Chiselhurst, where the ex-Emperor of the
French died, lies some dozen miles from Lon.
don, amid upland Kentlsh scenery, where
valleys and woOd-crowned hills abound. The
road from the railway station is broad
bounded by villa enclosures. The houses are
new, few, and OF somewhat opulent exterior.
Camden House is an ordinary country resi-
dence-not very large; not at all handsome
irregular In shape and arrangement; built
of light and dark brick. What is called
''the hail." or ''the ''picture-gallery," is
a square apartment, perhaps thirty-fve
feet each way. 1t is lighted by skylight In
the roof; on Its right and left are the dining
and drawing rooms; and on the side wide
staircase leads to q gallery from which en-
trance is obtained to the second story; IN
this hall, directly under the skylight, the body
| of the Emperor has been placed-but the
whole aspect OF the room has been so changed
since last saw II that l scarcely knew lt. !t
had been converted Into mortuary chapel.
The front door had been closed, and you en-,
tered BY q side door at the right. AS you stood
| at this door you saw before you what seemed
TO be long black tube-for the passage be-
fore YOU was walled, foored, and covered
with dead.black cloth. At the end of these
black hangings parted into great curtains,
| looped back, and beyond these Two curtains
you saw, resting in the centre OF an enclosed
space, curtained at the back and eides with
heavy black cloth reaching from The roof to
the floor, the body OF
THE DEAD EMPEROR.
His face was strongly, pililully changed.
| Perhaps the process Of emoalming and lhe sc,
ouences of the post-mortem examination had
helped to cause this change; but 1t was start
| ling and painful In the extreme. The cheeks
| were sunken; great caverDs of ghastly hue
| were beneath the eyes; the eyes themselves
had almost disappeared; the whole counle.
| nance was withered, pinched and wasted.
\ But, more painful still, $40 the placid look
| which the face had worn when saw II on
! Saturday, had succeeded an inexpresslbly Sad
sna wealled expression. The Emperor In lie
concealed his grlefs 80 we'll that for while
after death his couDtenance did not betray
them; but now-at least TO my fancy-they
STOOD confessed. The first emotions passed,
one could see other things besides the lace OF
the dead. On his breast, crossing from
red ribbon of the Legion of Honor, and
above and below II were the star OF
that Legion, the Cross of the chevalier
of the same order, the military medal
and the medal of Italy. The Insignia
of the Order of the Garter, conferred on MIN
by Queen Victoria, were on the right side OF
the Dody; his sword laid on the righti MS kepi
was at his leet. He was dressed In the i!l'.
uniform which he had worn at Sedan, with he
golden epaulettes of his military rank. dis
hands were crossed, and pair OF white gloves
was held between them. Directly behind hls
head stood magnificent golden crucifx, with
a burning candle at each side, and there knelt
two priests, The Abbes Metaire and Lare.
Two other prlests-Falher Goddard, oil St.
Mary's, and Monslgnor Bauer-knelt at Inc
foot of the body. At the four corners OF the
bier stood the Prince de Moscoa, General
Fleury, DR.. Conneau, and Count DAViiier.
The whole of the room was covered Win
black hangIngs, relieved only oy tae lmperlal
crown and the cipher IN" worked In silver.
At each side of the bier was silver candeia-
bra, with eight candles, and four silver candle
sticks, each bearing candle four feet high.
At the foot OF the coffin was heap of wreatas
of Immortplles, and on the feet OF lhe oodY
laid wreath of violets, with the letter IN"
in the centre. On the lett hand OF the Empe-
ror one saw Two plain gold rings one Is his
own wedding-ring, the other Is the WeGolog-
ring of line frst Napoleon. In lite, the Empe-
ror wore q third ring, which the Empress has
now removed and which abe is now wearing.
It Is the weddlng.rlng OF his molner-Hor-
tense.
THE PRINCE OF WALES.
Now, befure / had been admitted 10 tne
scene which have 80 lamely described, there
had occurred u notable event-pleaang to the
Imperlalists here and In France; dlspleaslng
alike 10 the Republicans and the Orleanlsls
there. The Prince OF Wales, accompanied oy
the Duke OF Edinburgh, had come 10 pay
their homage to the dead and TO offer conso-
lation and sympathy To The living. curious
story had got about that the Prince OF Wales
had desired and had expressed his Intention
to attend the funeral; that The cabinet had To-
terfered and protested against thls act. on Lne
ground that 1t would offend the French Re-
publican Government; and that the Prince, 10
q rage, had gone off 10 Sandringlam. leaving
behind him private note to The Empress, In
form ng her of the reason OF his departure,
and expressing, In very plain terms, hls sense
of the restraint that had been placed upon
lin. 1t seems that the caSinet had, however,
taken second thought, and had hit apon q
compromise. The Prince was to be permitted
to pay visit tc the corpse of the Emperor
living In state, but he was not to attend the
funeral. dispatch was sent to the Prince at
Sandringham; he started at once, and by traV-
ellipp ali night 10 q special train arrived In
fine. The Prince Imperial had passed The
night at the house oil Count Clary, near Cam
den House; and the first thing 10 be done was
10 bring him to Camden House to receive the
Prince Of Wales.
THE LAST LooK,
Then the princes of the house Of Bona
parte, one by one, entered the mortuary cham
Der and took their last look at the dead en-
peror and then 1t was the turn OF the Prince
imperial himself 10 bid his last farewell 10 bis
father. Atrired In black, and wearing the
Gordon of the Legion OF Honor, his Imperial
highness, as he passed into the hall, impressed
ali who looked upon him as one who, although
deeply stricken with grief, had yet full con-
scIousness of the duties which now devolVed
upon him. Followed by all The members OF
the court present he approached The cofhn,
and kneeling In front cf the body, remained
for some minutes in prayer. There was no
ceremony of any kind neither the priests nor
those 10 attendance upon The body moved or
In any way noticed the presence OF the prince.
Finally his imperial hlghness rose and re-
paired TO the empress's apartments, where,
embracing her majesty, he spoke few en-
couraging words. Almost Immediately alter
wards he returned to Count Clary's residence,
remaining there throughout the rest OF the
day with q few OF his most Intimate friends
and relatives. Princess Malhilde, Prino,ss
Clothilde, the empress'S devoted altendanta,
and many other ladies, whose faces looked
pale In their heavy grapes, next passed. Near