limbedsetofladsnever"diddance"uponthedeckofthefamed"BellePoule"inthedaysofhermemorablecombatwiththe"SaucyArethusa。""Thesefivehundredsailors，"saysaFrenchnewspaper，speakingofthemintheproperFrenchway，"swordinhand，intheseverecostumeofboard—ship（laseveretenuedubord），seemedproudofthemissionthattheyhadjustaccomplished。Theirbluejackets，theirredcravats，theturned—downcollarsofblueshirtsedgedwithwhite，ABOVEALLtheirresoluteappearanceandmartialair，gaveafavorablespecimenofthepresentstateofourmarine——amarineofwhichsomuchmightbeexpectedandfromwhichsolittlehasbeenrequired。"——LeCommerce:16thDecember。
　　Theretheywere，sureenough;acutlassupononehip，apistolontheother——agallantsetofyoungmenindeed。Idoubt，tobesure，whethertheseveretenuedubordrequiresthattheseamanshouldbealwaysfurnishedwiththoseferociousweapons，whichinsundrymaritimemanoeuvers，suchasgoingtosleepinyourhammockforinstance，ortwinklingabinnacle，orluffingamarlinspike，orkeelhaulingamaintopgallant（allnavaloperations，mydear，whichanyseafaringnovelistwillexplaintoyou）——Idoubt，Isay，whethertheseweaponsareALWAYSwornbysailors，andhaveheardthattheyarecommonlyandverysensiblytoo，lockedupuntiltheyarewanted。
　　Takeanotherexample:supposeartillerymenwereincessantlycompelledtowalkaboutwithapyramidoftwenty—fourpoundshotinonepocket，alightedfuseandafewbarrelsofgunpowderintheother——theseobjectswould，asyoumayimagine，greatlyinconveniencetheartillerymaninhispeacefulstate。
　　Thenewspaperwriteristhereforemostlikelymistakeninsayingthattheseamenwereintheseveretenuedubord，orby"bord"
　　meaning"abordage"——whichoperationtheywerenot，inaharmlesschurch，hungroundwithvelvetandwax—candles，andfilledwithladies，surelycalledupontoperform。NorindeedcanitbereasonablysupposedthatthepickedmenofthecrackfrigateoftheFrenchnavyarea"goodspecimen"oftherestoftheFrenchmarine，anymorethanacuirassedcolossusatthegateoftheHorseGuardscanbeconsideredafairsampleoftheBritishsoldieroftheline。
　　Theswordandpistol，however，hadnodoubttheireffect——theformerwasinitssheath，thelatternotloaded，andIhearthattheFrenchladiesarequiteinraptureswiththesecharmingloups—de—mer。
　　Letthewarlikeaccoutrementsthenpass。Itwasnecessary，perhaps，tostriketheParisianswithawe，andthereforethecrewwasarmedinthisfiercefashion;butwhyshouldthecaptainbegintoswaggeraswellashismen？andwhydidthePrincedeJoinvillelugoutswordandpistolsoearly？orwhy，ifhethoughtfittomakepreparations，shouldtheofficialjournalsbragofthemafterwardsasproofsofhisextraordinarycourage？
　　Hereisthecase。TheEnglishGovernmentmakeshimapresentofthebonesofNapoleon:Englishworkmenworkforninehourswithoutceasing，anddigthecoffinoutoftheground:theEnglishCommissionerhandsoverthekeyoftheboxtotheFrenchrepresentative，MonsieurChabot:Englishhorsescarrythefuneralcardowntothesea—shore，accompaniedbytheEnglishGovernor，whohasactuallylefthisbedtowalkintheprocessionandtodotheFrenchnationhonor。
　　Afterreceivingandacknowledgingthesepolitenesses，theFrenchcaptaintakeshischargeonboard，andthefirstthingweafterwardshearofhimisthedetermination"qu'ilasufairepasser"intoallhiscrew，tosinkratherthanyieldupthebodyoftheEmperorauxmainsdel'etranger——intothehandsoftheforeigner。MydearMonseigneur，isnotthispartropfort？Suppose"theforeigner"hadwantedthecoffin，couldhenothavekeptit？Whyshowthisuncalled—forvalor，thisextraordinaryalacrityatsinking？Sinkorblowyourselfupasmuchasyouplease，butyourRoyalHighnessmustseethatthegenteelthingwouldhavebeentowaituntilyouwereaskedtodoso，beforeyouoffendedgood—natured，honestpeople，who——heavenhelpthem！——havenevershownthemselvesatallmurderouslyinclinedtowardsyou。Amanknocksuphiscabinsforsooth，throwshistablesandchairsoverboard，runsgunsintotheportholes，andcallslequartierdubordouexistaientceschambres，Lacedaemon。Lacedaemon！Thereisaprovince，OPrince，inyourroyalfather'sdominions，afruitfulparentofheroesinitstime，whichwouldhavegivenamuchbetternicknametoyourquartierdubord:youshouldhavecalleditGascony。
　　"Soonerthanstrikewe'llallex—pi—erOnboardoftheBell—ePou—le。"
　　SuchfanfaronadingisverywellonthepartofTomDibdin，butapersonofyourRoyalHighness's"piousandseveredignity"shouldhavebeenaboveit。Ifyouentertainedanideathatwarwasimminent，woulditnothavebeenfarbettertohavemadeyourpreparationsinquiet，andwhenyoufoundthewarrumorblownover，tohavesaidnothingaboutwhatyouintendedtodo？FieuponsuchcheapLacedaemonianism！ThereisnopoltroonintheworldbutcanbragaboutwhatheWOULDhavedone:however，todoyourRoyalHighness'snationjustice，theybragandfighttoo。
　　Thisnarrative，mydearMissSmith，asyouwillhaveremarked，isnotasimpletalemerely，butisaccompaniedbymanymoralandpithyremarkswhichformitschiefvalue，inthewriter'seyesatleast，andtheaboveaccountoftheshamLacedaemononboardthe"BellePoule"hasadouble—barrelledmorality，asIconceive。BesidesjustlyreprehendingtheFrenchpropensitytowardsbraggadocio，itprovesverystronglyapointonwhichIamtheonlystatesmaninEuropewhohasstronglyinsisted。Inthe"ParisSketchBook"itwasstatedthatTHEFRENCHHATEUS。Theyhateus，mydear，profoundlyanddesperately，andthereneverwassuchahollowhumbugintheworldastheFrenchalliance。MengetacharacterforpatriotisminFrancemerelybyhatingEngland。Directlytheygointostrongopposition（where，youknow，peoplearealwaysmorepatrioticthanontheministerialside），theyappealtothepeople，andhavetheirholdonthepeoplebyhatingEnglandincommonwiththem。Why？Itisalongstory，andthehatredmaybeaccountedforbymanyreasonsbothpoliticalandsocial。Anytimetheseeighthundredyearsthisill—willhasbeengoingon，andhasbeentransmittedontheFrenchsidefromfathertoson。OntheFrenchside，notonours:wehavehadno，orfew，defeatstocomplainof，noinvasionstomakeusangry;butyouseethattodiscusssuchaperiodoftimewoulddemandaconsiderablenumberofpages，andforthepresentwewillavoidtheexaminationofthequestion。
　　Buttheyhateus，thatisthelongandshortofit;andyouseehowthishatredhasexplodedjustnow，notuponaseriouscauseofdifference，butuponanargument:forwhatisthePashaofEgypttousorthembutamereabstractopinion？ForthesamereasontheLittle—endiansinLilliputabhorredtheBig—endians;andIbegyoutoremarkhowhisRoyalHighnessPrinceFerdinandMary，uponhearingthatthisargumentwasinthecourseofdebatebetweenus，straightwayflunghisfurnitureoverboardandexpressedapreferenceforsinkinghisshipratherthanyieldingittotheetranger。
　　Nothingcameofthiswishofhis，tobesure;buttheintentioniseverything。Unluckycircumstancesdeniedhimthepower，buthehadthewill。
　　Well，beyondthisdisappointment，thePrincedeJoinvillehadnothingtocomplainofduringthevoyage，whichterminatedhappilybythearrivalofthe"BellePoule"atCherbourg，onthe30thofNovember，atfiveo'clockinthemorning。AtelegraphmadethegladnewsknownatParis，wheretheMinisteroftheInterior，Tanneguy—
　　Duchatel（youwillreadthename，Madam，intheoldAnglo—Frenchwars），hadalreadymade"immensepreparations"forreceivingthebodyofNapoleon。
　　Theentrywasfixedforthe15thofDecember。
　　Onthe8thofDecemberatCherbourgthebodywastransferredfromthe"BellePoule"frigatetothe"Normandie"steamer。OnwhichoccasionthemayorofCherbourgdeposited，inthenameofhistown，agoldlaurelbranchuponthecoffin——whichwassalutedbythefortsanddykesoftheplacewithONETHOUSANDGUNS！Therewasatreatfortheinhabitants。
　　Therewasonboardthesteamerasplendidreceptacleforthecoffin:
　　"atemplewithtwelvepillarsandadometocoveritfromthewetandmoisture，surroundedwithvelvethangingsandsilverfringes。
　　Attheheadwasagoldcross，atthefootagoldlamp:otherlampswerekeptconstantlyburningwithin，andvasesofburningincensewerehungaround。Analtar，hungwithvelvetandsilver，wasatthemizzen—mastofthevessel，ANDFOURSILVEREAGLESATEACHCORNEROF
　　THEALTAR。"ItwasacomplimentatoncetoNapoleonand——excusemeforsayingso，butsothefactsare——toNapoleonandtoGodAlmighty。
　　Threesteamers，the"Normandie，"the"Veloce，"andthe"Courrier，"
　　formedtheexpeditionfromCherbourgtoHavre，atwhichplacetheyarrivedontheeveningofthe9thofDecember，andwherethe"Veloce"wasreplacedbytheSeinesteamer，havingintowoneofthestate—coasters，whichwastofirethesaluteatthemomentwhenthebodywastransferredintooneofthevesselsbelongingtotheSeine。