The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-04
In CORSICA.
Il FUNERAL And Il VENDE 4
IA.

honor of a prophet in his own country
is found in this sequestered birthplace
of departed greatness. Ghosts of all
the Bonapartes seem to dog the stran-
ger at every step, from the house
where they lived to the crypt where
they lie. Nearly every street in the
town bears the name of some member
| of the family. Ttatues and portraits
adorn every square and public building
and hardly a rock or tree for miles
around is without its tradition of Ma
| poleon's boyhood. Even the city walls,
and the fertilization overlooking the
bay, were Napoleon's work, when he
| was a young lieutenant in the service
| of Paoli. The fort, with it's wide moat
and imposing battlements, now garri-
soned by French troops, is ludicrously
ambitious for the time and place, but
perhaps may have been more "fit" in
days when the little island was striving
with Italy for independence. In the
cathedral-a plain and remarkably ugly
structure of the sixteenth century-you
may dip fingers in the same font where
all the little Bonapartes We're baptized
| nobody suspecting then that five of the
| little heads would afterwards wear
crowns; and the custodian will tell you
that the infant Napoleon howled like a
] trooper when the water touched him.
| One of the best buildings in the town
| the Hotel de Vile, near the market
place-is exclusively devoted to relics
| of the Nonaparte family. Among the
most interesting of these is a full
nct M Of Co,,1o Ilf,,oa 1rta a
| poleon's father. Scattered all over the
world are portraits of his handsome
mother, but very few were ever made
of the obscure notary, who died at the
age of thirtyseven, while his later il
MstriouS son was yet a STRIPPING. The
guide-book says, "He is represented in
his lawyers dress" but if that is cor
rect, impecunious lawyers must have
been gay creatures in Corsica! He Is
painted as just arisen from a golden
throne, clad in white satin trousers,
crimson velvet coat, thickly/ enlbroi-
dered with gold and ruffles Of finest
lace; one hand stretched out oratorical-
ly toward the distant sea. His jet
black hair is carefully curled, eyes
large, black and beady; mouth and
tremely elevated, asif in establishment
at the luxurious surroundings, which
certainly he never knew in life Walls
and tables are strewn with portraits
and busts of his wife, Letitia, still fond
ly called Madame Mere" and of her
fourth child, Napoleon, illustrating eve
ry stage in his meteoric career There
is even a bronze mask, taken immedi-
ately after death, by order of Able Wig
nall, whom Cardinal Fesch sent to Sa.
Helena to administer the last sacred
rites to the dying emperor There is
a lovely little bust of the King of Rome,
which even in that curly-headed age
indicates the spirit of his sire in the
strong, full throat and firm, square jaw.
In one corner stands a life-size statue
ow Brother Jerome as King of Wur-
temburg, presented by himself to his
native town. There is also an impos-
ing portrait of Uncle Fesch, in his car
dinal robes; several "presentiments'' of
Eguenie's son; and so on, through the
whole ! list of relatives, all made ia
nous by the Man of Destiny.
To finish the Bonaparte subject in
proper form, you should take carriage
and drive through the Cours Grandi-
val to the so-called "Grotto," at the ex-
IRENE edge of the town, where the boy,
Napoleon, used to spend much of his
time in dreams and visions especially
after having been ridiculed by his play
mates, with whom he was always un-
popular. 1t is not really grotto, but a |
few enormous boulders tumbled togeth-
er, forming a sort of natural arch on
the olive-covered slope, overlooking the
town. 1t is one Of the most enticing
places in the enighborhood and in full
view of the parade ground. Perhaps it
was here that Napoleon, lying for hours
in the shade and watching the troops at
their drilling, conceived his first ideas of |
glory. A little farther on in |
the same suburb, you see a large and |
handsome house. standing well back |
from the road, in the midst Of carefully |
kept grounds, shaded by noble trees. |
The eagles perched in a stiff row along /
the edge of it's roof indicate that it is in |
some way connected with Napoleon, the |
emperor; and enquiry discloses that |
this was the home provided for mad |
anne Mere" by her dutiful son in the |
days of his prosperity, when the house
in ST. Charles street was no longer be-
fitting the mother of so many kings. !
The place is now owned by Count Boo
,ichi, great-grandson of Elisha, one of !
sisters.
Then back to town you go, 10 visit the
asst resting place of the people who
made this island famous. 1t was Car
linal esch who built the gray stone
chapel attached to the college which
BEARS his name, as a tomb for the Bon-1
iparte family-or rather, the Cardinal
began it; after his death it was COM
oleted by Napoleon III, only forty years
lgo You find the little chapel fitted up
With seats, all draped in black; and an
tltar, on which candles are always
burning and flowers blooming. An old
woman in charge conducts you to the
rypt, after lighting her tallow dip at
me of the altar candles. BY its feeble
ticker in the musty vault you make out
everal stone coffin J-that of the Cardi-
lal himself; Charles Bonaparte, Prince
f Canine; Napoleons father; and his
mother, whose slab bears only the sim
lie inscription "Letitia Ramolno, Ma
er Regum." (AIother Of I<ings.J And |
O GOOD bye to tho Ponepartes
You must not think that there is
othing else of interest in Ajaccio.
he College Fesch, for instance is a re-
fine institution, considering |,
he scant population. Besides being