The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-08-14
FAMOUS FUNERALS.
Magnificent Pagcants IN Honor OF
Departed Heroes

EtouOT OF
Departed Heroes
From the Boston Advertiser.
Ioa philosopher, of course, the dis
position of the lifeless human body
seems a matter of small moment, but
TO the great body of the people the
funeral rites and last resting place OF
one of its great heroes are matters of
keenest interest. In view of the ap-
preaching obsequies of our own great
national hero, il will be interesting to
recall the honors paid after death to
The remains of some of the great cap
tains OF history.
Two long years were consumed in
the formidable preparations for the
funeral of Alexander the Great. by
ing ut Babylon, he directed that his
body. which was Immediately en-.
balmed with elaborate care by Egyp-
tian aud Chaldean adopts, should be
deposited in the Temple of Jupiter,
ON an Egyptian oasis. Undcterred by
the enormous distance, the procession
set forth, an army of workmen hav-
ing been sent forward to repair the
roads aud bridges. The funeral car
was drawn by sixty-four mules, chos-
en- for their strength and size, SPLEEN
didly caparisoned. The car itself WA,
of surprising magniiicence, the spokcs
and navos of the wheels and ends OF
the aXles being covered with gold,
the platform upholding royal pavil-
ion incrusted with gems, supporting II
throne aud coffin, the latter of gold
and filed with costly spices. But the
bo iy never reached its destination.
l'tolemy arrested its progress and
buried il Mt Alexandria, which city
may be said to have proved itself the
enduring monument of the con-
queror.
Very different was the funeral of
Julius Caesar. The circumstances of
his death were so tragic, snd such
enormous crowds gathered to the
ceremony that they could not be
formed into procession, and the diff
teront classes of people were accord
ingly asked TO come together under
their appropriate insignia in the Field
OF Mars. The body of the great Ro-
man.was exposed, lying upon gided
bed, covered with scarlet aud cloth of
gold, and placed under magnificent
canopy in the form of temple.
After the funeral ceremonies were
overa question arose where they
should bury the body. Some sug-
gested a temple on Capitolinc hill;
others suggested the senate house
where he had fallen. The senate, less
willing TO pay him extraordinary hon
ors, proposed Il more retired spot.
The discussion was last becoming "A
dispute, when two soldiers, with
drawn swords and blazing torches in
their hand, forced their way through
the crowd and set fire TO the bed. In Il
moment there was the widest excite
mcnt. The multitude fell to work di-
rectly, building the funeral pyre upon
the spot. First they brought fagots
and then benches from the neighbor-
Ing porticos, and next any combusti-
Bile material they could find, aud at
length, rs the excitement grew, the
soldiers threw in their arms, the mu.
sicians their instruments, while Others
stripped down and threw upon the
flames the trappings of the funeral
procession. SO fierce was the fire that
il spread to the ncighboring houses
and was only with the greatest dill.
Guilty eXtinguished. As fitting
monument the people erected the
"Mighty julius II lofty column sur.
mounted by a star
Coming down to modern times, the
accounts OF the obsequies of the "lro1
Duke.n perhaps the greatest ever
known in England, and the second flu,
neral of Napolean, must still be borne
fresh in mind by many of the vetcr.
/ nf to Ia Tho Ilnln nt Nal
lington, after lying in state five day.
at Chelsea hospital, was borne to his
last resting place, in St. PauPs ON d
car drawn by twelve horses, accompa'
MED by vast military and civic con
course, the latter including Prince AL
bert, both houses of parliament
Judges, mobiles, public bodies. the
mourning coaches of the Queen and
royal family, and Nh innumerabl,
throng of the people.
Napolean's funeral, as a parade, re
mains unparalleled IN our times. The
cherished remains of their hero, hav-
! ing been received by the French from
/ the English nineteen years after hi
death. It was not so much a funeral as /
vast triumphal procession that follow
ed, during which all France resound
ed with booming cannon, tollinE
bells and strains of martial music
while the excited people lined tn,
banks of the Seine and filled the al
with frenzicd shouts and cries an,
sobs of joy and graduation. The re-
sources of funeral art were eXhouste,
upon the pageant, and the immagina
ton is unable 10 distinguish the de
tails of procession in which The
Catafalque, the central object of int
rest, was borne OH moving mounC
of gold and velvet drawn by siNteer
black horses, and guarded and escort
ed, it is said, by an army of 10000
| soldiers.
Compare with these splendors the
quiet and simple funeral rites of oui
own Washington, SO betting republi
can simplicity and the character oI
/ him who was, nevertheless, "ilrst il
the hearts of his countrymen." A
gathering of the dignitaries of tn,
ncighboring towns in Alexandria
with the MALTA and Freemasons, hi'
friends aud neighbors, and his owl
war horse, duly caparisoned, led il
the midst, one vessel in the river hare
by firing minute guns, and the who'll
procession confined TO his own pri
waite grounds, where his tomb wa
made and still is.
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