, 1874-02-22
Tho Court OF Napoleon L.


scythe OF Time had not yet amootb1d it's earth
quake-rent surface, and strange uncouth debris,
cast up from great social depths, WAS found ID
tho most Inappropriate positions, and every
"heso minglipg strangely with spieudor aud a.
eganco. In the Faubourg St. German there
was little colony OF tho old no6esse. rnumui-
ted specimens OF the Court OF the Fifteenth
ana S1xeenth Louis, among others Madame
aHondesot aud har now antique lover, st. Lan1-
bert, names familiar to tho roxders OF Hosssau's
"Confessions,"' Who lived in an old world tha.
seemed centuries away, and who merciIessl7
mocked and satIizod that parvenu world that
WAS in perpetual quarantine to it. In tho ea-
lona OF Josephine w&s absorbed tho old society
OF the Directory; the pure Republican patriots
had pockoted Sapoleon's gold, and we're now the
i most slavish OF hia adu1ators but there the
prevailing element military, ~ it VAS
throughout the land. France was huge camp.
and tile Iulle1ies tout, under which gathered
/ soldiers aud soldierB' wives the former, brave
mon, who had won their epau1ottea BY brave
deeds. but whose coarse unpublished manners to-
tally untitled them for Court the latter, vo-
life-some from the palace, eoma from the gut
ter, and from all intermediate stages Of tho So
ciAl ladder. With these Eere intermineleA 3
spzlnkling OF vulgar touryeoisis, grown rich
upon tho plutderlng OF the aristocrats, and d
few Of tho less ssln-necked OF tho nodless*
Tho manners Of such assemblies may be- imaG-
| ined; tho lnen, 1t ease only upon tho fa.d Of
baltic, talked camp language, nhllo their part
ners, decked in splendid costumes and pricelsss
jewels, tie spoila Of Har, in which they could
scarcely walk or sit, were yet moro objectionable
BY their ridiculous awkwardnesa aud attempted
dne-adyism. How they looked in their hugo,
hldeous turbans, forehea.ls covered with bull'e
cuzls, nazrow-sklrtcd, ahort-waistod dressen--
the fast remnants of tie Claxsicism Of the Di-
1ectoEy-may be gathered from tho pictures and
car1cAturea OF the time Of our own Regency. TEen-
Ii and Vestss tho leaders of fashion and tie geni
Of the dance, were their diYln1ties aud the farp-
AiC}>H ff1a n,1w
The masquerade ball Was species of amusa-
mont 1nucn favored by Eapoleot,, 1t Afforded
great facilities to thu spy system. Tho police
took caro- 10 inform themselves Of tho costa1na
which each person would assuue, 80 chat each
maek was known to ,hom Foucho and h,s my1-
midons were ubiquitous no word wds lost TO
them, aud even tho Emperor himself wandered
through tho rooms playing tho exalted part OF,
spy:
Nothing mora splendid, however, than this
pazvenu Court. gorgeous in splendor and ,ertel-
lished With all that exquisite in pictures and
statuarJ, the spolls Of tho Italian campaign, can
be conceived. Upon being created Consul for
life, Napoleon restored all the Court Offices, Civ
ing them, however, new nanes; for example,
tbs chambsr|ains were called prefets du paldts !;
he had his peftes crees and his grand receptions,
aud days fixed for receiving each order Of sccetY
Tue costume Of each WAS rigidiy prescribed
Senators must be habited in velvet embroidered
With gold, Iribuues in velvet embroidered with
silver, Councillors OF State bright blue velvet
while the tousuls WeTo attired in scarlet eui-
bIoidercd with gold Upon the establishment
Of the Empire the corou,oniais ve.o fixed with
equal rigldity: Every pelson, upon entering
and quitting the preseuce, muzt u.aka three dig
tlnct rere1cnces 70 tho Emperor and to the
Empresa and to I'll members OF the Eonapa1ta
family, mono Of whom must be addressed with
out permission. Dur1ug tho theatrical REPRESENT
atoms frequently given ut tho Tuilnroa no PER-
SOL was permitted to laugh oEko applaud. David,
the savage Terrorist. the panteT OF Aatat he who
offered to drink the homlock with Eotcspierre,
the sublime Republican, debn.ed bis genins to
paint the formulary of these ceremonies, r1ilo
Bibliothequc du Hoi, arc preserved pictures OF
ali tho costumes. A mixture OF coarseness and
slasiAh obsoquiouauess to the Emperor lad his
belongings were tho distinguishing traits OF
Court 1nanners. Napoleon modelled himself
partly upon Augustus, partly upon Louis XIV.
He caused triumpual arches to be raised, hunted
as Fontaluebleau, and gayc magnificent fetes at
Versailles; but oven these we1o military, rep
Of Marongo and other great battles
riage with Marie Louise he WIS moro anxious
than ever to restore tho traditions Of the old
Court, aud many Of the old aris.ocrn:s, who had
until now held aloof, gathered around tho Aus-
trian 1uminnry. From that time officers were
not permitted to attend the assemblies in un.-
form; Court costume raa de ri9uenr. Inflated
titles were cast about in Wholesale ptofuslon;
Cambecerce, the old regicide Jscobin, was now
His Serene Hishness tho Prince Ds Psrme. aud
that spawn Of the gutter, tie yils = Terrorist
Fouche, His Excellence the Duke D'OtEEnto.
Even tho very Sans cnlottes jeered II this gut
Ter a1iatocracy sprung out fiteo1f; and England,
Tho only power that dared, held 1t up to the
scorn OF Europe in ceasoisss caricatufea.-1e"s-
pie Bar