At six o'clock in the morning, more than eighty thousand men started from the four camps and advanced by divisions, drummers and musicians at the head, toward the level ground of the Hubert mill, situated on the cliff beyond the right camp. In this plain, with its back turned toward the sea, a scaffolding some fifteen feet high had been erected. It was ascended by three stairways, one in the middle and one at either side, all three covered by superb carpets. On this amphitheatre of about forty feet square, were three platforms. The middle one supported the imperial armchair, decorated with flags and trophies. The platform on the left was covered with seats for the brothers of the Emperor and the great dignitaries. That on the right supported a tripod of antique shape on which was a helmet, the helmet of Duguesclin, I think, filled with crosses and ribbons; beside the tripod a seat had been placed for the arch-chancellor.
At about three hundred feet from the throne, the ground rose in a gentle slope that was nearly round; it was on this slope that the troops arranged themselves in a half-circle. On an eminence at the right of the throne were scattered sixty or eighty tents made of naval ensigns. They were for the ladies of the city, and they produced a charming effect. They were so far from the throne that those who occupied them were obliged to use lorgnettes. 1 Between these tents and the throne was a part of the imperial guard on horseback, ranged in order of battle.
The weather was magnificent; not a cloud was in the sky: the English cruiser had disappeared, and nothing was in sight at sea but the line of broadside superbly hung with flags.
At ten o'clock in the morning, a salvo of artillery announced the departure of the Emperor. His Majesty started from his barrack, surrounded by more than eighty generals and two hundred aides-de-camp; he was followed by his entire household. The Emperor wore the uniform of a colonel-general of foot-guards, and came at a gallop to the foot of the throne, amidst universal acclamations and the most frightful racket that could be made by drums, trumpets, and cannons, beating, sounding, and thundering together.
His Majesty ascended the throne, followed by his brothers and some of the great dignitaries. When he was seated, everybody took his place, and the distribution of crosses began in the following manner: an aide-de-camp of the Emperor called the designated soldiers, who came one by one, halted at the foot of the throne, saluted, and mounted the staircase on the right. They were received by the arch-chancellor, who gave them their brevet. Two pages, stationed between the tripod and the Emperor, took the decoration from the helmet of Duguesclin and handed it to His Majesty, who attached it himself to the hero's breast. As he did so, more than eight hundred drummers beat a roll, and when the decorated soldier came down from the throne by the staircase on the left, passing in front of the Emperor's brilliant staff, fanfares executed by more than twelve hundred musicians signalized the return of the legionary to his company. It is needless to say that the cry of Long live the Emperor was repeated twice at each decoration.
The distribution, begun at ten o'clock, terminated about three. Then the aides-de-camp were seen passing through the divisions; a salvo of artillery was heard, and eighty thousand men advanced in serried columns to within twenty-five or thirty feet of the throne. The most profound silence succeeded to the roll of the drums, and the Emperor having given his orders, the troops manœuvred for nearly an hour. Afterward each division defiled in front of the throne on the way back to camp, each chief lowering the point of his sword as he passed by.
Prince Joseph, who had newly been made colonel of the 4th regiment of the line, was observed to salute his brother as he passed in a manner more graceful than military. The Emperor repressed by a contraction of the eyebrows the somewhat critical remarks which his former companions seemed inclined to permit themselves on the subject. Save for this slight movement, His Majesty's countenance had never been more radiant.
At the moment when the troops were defiling, the wind, which had been blowing violently for two or three hours, became terrible. An orderly officer came running up to tell the Emperor that four or five gunboats had run aground. The Emperor at once left the plain at a gallop, followed by several marshals, and went to station himself on the beach. The crew of the gunboats were saved, and the Emperor returned to Pont-de-Briques.
This great army could not regain its cantonments before eight in the evening. The next day, the left camp gave a military fête, at which the Emperor was present. From morning, boats mounted on wheels went full sail through the streets of the camp, impelled by a favorable wind. Officers amused themselves by chasing them at a gallop, and seldom caught up to them. These exercises lasted for an hour or two; but, the wind changing, the boats capsized, amidst shouts of laughter.
Next came a horse-race. The prize was twelve hundred francs. A lieutenant of dragoons, much esteemed in his company, asked the favor of competing. But the haughty council of superior officers refused to admit him, on the pretext that his rank was not high enough, but in reality because he was considered a horseman of prodigious skill. Stung to the quick by this unjust refusal, the lieutenant of dragoons addressed himself to the Emperor, who permitted him to run with the others, after having made inquiries the result of which apprised him that this brave officer was the sole support of a numerous family, and that his conduct was irreproachable.
At a given signal the riders started. The lieutenant was not slow in passing the others, he was about to touch the goal, when, by an unlucky accident, a poodle-dog stupidly ran between his horse's legs, and it fell. An aide-de-camp who was directly behind him was proclaimed victor. The lieutenant picked himself up as well as he could, and was about to withdraw very disconsolately, yet somewhat consoled by the marks of interest displayed by the spectators, when the Emperor had him called and said:
"You deserve the prize and you shall have it. . . . I make you a captain." And turning to the grand marshal of the palace: "Have them pay twelve hundred francs to (captain ——" (the name escapes me). And everybody began shouting: Long live the Emperor! and congratulating the new captain on his fortunate fall.
In the evening there were fireworks that could be seen from the coast of England. Thirty thousand soldiers executed manœuvres with rockets in their muskets. These rockets rose to an incredible height. The bouquet, which represented the arms of the Empire, was so fine that during five minutes Boulogne, the surrounding country, and the whole coast was as bright as day.
Some days after these fêtes, as the Emperor was passing from one camp to the other, a sailor, who was on the watch for him that he might present a petition, found himself caught in a torrent of rain, and fearing that his paper might be spoilt, he sheltered himself behind an isolated barrack on the beach where ropes were kept. He had been waiting there a long time, drenched to the skin, when he saw the Emperor coming down from the left camp at full gallop. Just as His Majesty, still galloping, was about to pass the barrack, my brave sailor, who was lying in wait for him, sprang from his hiding-place and threw himself in front of the Emperor, holding out his petition in the attitude of a fencing-master making a lunge. The Emperor's horse sprang aside and came to a full stop, frightened by this sudden apparition. His Majesty, astonished for a moment, cast a dissatisfied glance at the seaman, and went on his way, without taking the petition which was presented in such a bizarre fashion.
It was on that day, I think, that the minister of the navy, M. Decrès, had the ill-luck to tumble into the water, to the great amusement of His Majesty. In order to permit His Majesty to go from the quay to a gunboat, a single plank had been thrown between the two. His Majesty passed, or rather jumped across this light bridge, and was received on board in the arms of a seaman of the guard. M. Decrès, much fatter and less nimble than the Emperor, walked cautiously on to the plank, which it alarmed him to find bending beneath his feet. When he reached the middle, the weight of his body broke the plank, and the minister of marine fell into the water between the quay and the boat. His Majesty turned round at the noise made by M. Decrès in falling, and bending over the side of the boat: "What!" said he, "is it our minister of marine who has fallen? How can it possibly be he?'' And the Emperor laughed heartily while speaking thus. Meanwhile, two or three sailors were employed in getting M. Decrès out of his scrape. He was hoisted into the boat with a good deal of difficulty, as may be believed, the water pouring from his nose, mouth, and ears, and very much ashamed of his mishap, which the pleasantries of His Majesty made still more afflicting.
Toward the end of our stay, the generals gave a grand ball to the ladies of the city. The ball was magnificent; the Emperor was present at it. For this purpose a hall had been constructed in carpentry and joiner's work. It was decorated in perfectly good taste with garlands, flags, and trophies. General Bertrand was appointed master of ceremonies by his colleagues, and General Bisson took charge of the buffet. This employment perfectly suited General Bisson, the greatest gastronomer in the camp, whose enormous paunch sometimes embarrassed him in marching. He required no less than from six to eight bottles with his dinner, which he never took alone; for it was a torment to him not to chatter while eating. He usually invited his aides-de-camp, whom, doubtless through love of mischief, he always selected from among the thinnest and frailest officers in the army. The buffet was worthy of him who had it in charge.
The orchestra was composed of the bands of twenty regiments, who played by turns. Only, at the commencement of the ball, they executed a triumphal march all together, while the aides-de-camp, dressed in the most gallant manner in the world, were receiving the ladies invited and giving them bouquets.
To be admitted to this ball it was necessary to have at least the rank of commandant. It is impossible to form an idea of the beauty of the sight presented by this multitude of uniforms, all vying with each other in brilliancy. The fifty or sixty generals who gave the ball had sent to Paris for costumes embroidered with inconceivable richness. The group which formed around His Majesty when he entered, glittered with gold and diamonds. The Emperor remained an hour at this entertainment and danced the boulangère with Madame Bertrand; he wore the uniform of colonel-general of the mounted guard.
Madame la Maréchale Soult was the queen of the ball. She wore a black velvet robe, strewn with those diamonds known as Rhine pebbles.
In the middle of the night a splendid supper was served, the preparations for which had been superintended by General Bisson. And to say that is to imply that nothing was lacking.
The ladies of Boulogne, who had never been present at anything of the sort before, were amazed. When supper-time came, some of them took the notion of filling their reticules with sweets and dainties; I think they would like to have carried off the hall, the musicians, and the dancers. For more than a month the ball was the only subject of their conversations.
At this epoch, or very near it, as His Majesty was promenading on horseback in the environs of his barrack, a pretty girl of fifteen or sixteen, dressed in white, and all in tears, threw herself on her knees in front of him. The Emperor at once dismounted and ran to pick her up, asking kindly what he could do for her. The poor child had come to ask mercy for her father, a provision dealer, condemned to the galleys for serious frauds. His Majesty could not resist such youth and charms: he pardoned him.