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Napoleon, with Josephine on his left, attended by the princesses of the empire, and on his right his two brothers, with the arch-chancellor and arch-treasurer. The religious ceremony continued nearly four hours. The martial band was very numerous which executed, in the intervals marches afterwards adopted and still used in the armies of France. One of those composed by Le Seur, for the army destined to invade our own shores, when now performed for the first time, is said to have roused visible emotion even in the august assembly. Alas how cold are the hearts that then beat high with hope! how few, how very few survive of those up on whom the impulse wrought most stirringly! and from the banks of the Tagus to the streams of the Volga, how varied the clime that settles on their graves! Napoleon at that part of the ceremony stood up, laid his hand upon the imperial crown,-a single diadem of gold wrought into a chaplet of interwoven oak and laurel,-and placed it on his head. He had even given express commands that Pins should not touch it. Popes had pretended that all crowns were bestowed by them; and perhaps the new emperor dreaded the belief that he had brought his holiness from Rome with reference to these ancient pretentions. He wished therefore to demonstrate that the right to reign originated in his own power, and that at his coronation the pope was but the bishop of Rome. Afterwards, Nopoleon took the crown destined for the empress, and first putting it for an instant on his own, placed it upon his consort's brow, as she knelt before him on the platform of the throne. The appearance of Josephine at this moment was most touching. Even then she had not forgotten that she was once an obscure woman; tears of deep emotion fell from her eyes; she remained kneeling, with both hands
