CHAPTER VII.

BOYHOOD (continued).

Shield, gracious Heaven,

The aspirations of prophetic hope!

Shield, gracious Heaven, the blooming tree! and let

This goodly promise for my people's sake

Yield its abundant fruitage.

SOUTHEY.

ON January 1st, 1868, New Year's Day, a day almost given up in France to visits and presentmaking, the Emperor, Empress, and the Prince Imperial, after attending mass in the private chapel of the Tuilleries, received visits, as usual on this anniversary, not only from their own household, but from the households of all the members of their family. Their Majesties' levees were held separately, and each lasted four hours. Then the Imperial family appeared on the balcony of the Cour de l'Horloge, where the bands beneath played "La Reine Hortense," and other national airs, and the crowds enthusiastically cheered them. A state dinner and soirée followed.

The amount of money spent in France in bon

bons on New Year's Day is almost incredulous. At Sirondon's, a favourite shop, 30,000 francs— viz., 1500l.-is annually received on the 1st of January. The mass of sugarplums, packed in satin bags, sandal-wood and velvet boxes, baskets, and Sevres caskets, and destined as gifts to the fair sex, in Paris alone, passes belief.

One of the most ingenious presents on this New Year's Day was given to the Prince Imperial by his father. It consisted of a Lilliputian engine, so perfect in its construction that it could draw a train of carriages on a line of rail 500 yards in length, the rails having been laid down on the terrace of the reserved gardens at the Tuilleries. An engineer attended when the engine was in operation, to teach the Prince its management.

On the 8th of May the natural thoughtful character of the Prince was further established by the solemn ceremony known in the Romish Church as "la première communion," which was followed immediately by the rite of confirmation.

The Empress had from infancy inculcated her son with the greatest reverence for sacred things; and the Prince's after-life testified that his religious profession was no mere outward form, but a living principle which guided his actions.

The ceremony above alluded to took place in the private chapel of the Tuilleries, in the presence of his parents and many friends of his house. The Prince was dressed like the rest of the chil

dren who at the same date received their première communion-viz., in white and blue, with a white scarf tied round his arm. The Archbishop who officiated, then gave an address, which contained special clauses directed to the Prince's position, future responsibilities, and duties, as likewise to the example he should set as a Christian ruler. The Prince was then conducted to the foot of the altar, where he received the Sacrament from the hands of the Archbishop. He then returned to his seat, when a sermon was preached, during which he was visibly affected, and shed tears. The subject of the sermon was the new alliance the communicants had made with their God by the solemn act just performed.

At five o'clock that evening, the Prince was confirmed. This ceremony is much like our own, viz., an acceptance of the vows made to God on our behalf at baptism. Thus a new stage of existence was entered upon, which was marked by maturer thoughtfulness and religious feeling.

It has been already mentioned how fond the Emperor was of putting his son to the front on every possible opportunity; and his doing so on one occasion during the summer of 1868 was the cause of a small political émeute in one of the lycées at Paris. At the annual distribution of prizes at this school, the Emperor generally attended to distribute them. The Prince Imperial had followed, under his tutor, the same course of

study as at this lycée, and the Emperor, proud of his son's advancement, somewhat unwisely caused his papers to be sent in to be judged with the rest. This certainly was an injudicious act, as the Prince had been privately coached, and had many advantages which the other pupils had missed. When, therefore, this was known, public feeling, especially among the Republican party, ran high, and much excitement was the result, especially in the lycées and among the parents of the pupils. On the day the prizes were to be distributed the Emperor took his son with him, intending to make him the medium of distributing the awards. On arriving, the Imperial pair were not received with the same loyalty as at other times, which feeling was increased when the boys found that the Emperor intended to make the Prince his deputy in bestowing the awards.

It so happened that young Cavaignac-the son of the man who had opposed Napoleon III. on his candidature for the Presidentship-was one of the first boys called up to receive a prize, and he was followed by another boy called Genest. When the Prince Imperial held out the award, Cavaignac boldly crossed his arms behind him and refused to take the book from his hand, while young Genest shouted "Vive la République!" This bold act was cheered by his comrades, and a political schoolboy revolt took place in the presence of the Emperor, the boys shouting "Vive Cavaignac

I

"Vive la République!" The Emperor took the matter lightly, shrugged his shoulders, and merely remarked, "Louis must learn to meet with opposition, and the sooner perhaps the better." This scene occurred at the Lycée Charlemagne, and next day the two ringleaders were dismissed the school.

The fête of Charlemagne is the day selected for the annual merrymaking of the lycées of France, on which occasion all the boys who have been for one week at the head of their class are entertained at a dinner and after soirée by their masters. This fête suggested to M. Edmond About to write a comedy in one act. His personages were Charlemagne and the Prince Imperial. In this farce the great Emperor appears to the heir apparent as he wakes on the morning of the fête. The Prince at once begins to apostrophize him as a saint, which compliment the Emperor declines, remarking that Pascal III., who had canonized him, was an antiPope, created by the excommunicated Frederick Barbarossa, who had as much right to create a Pope as the excommunicated Victor Emanuel would have to confer the mitre on Cardinal Andrea. The Prince then reminds Charlemagne that at least he is French. Charlemagne replies, "As you like; but I was born at Salzburg, in Bavaria, and buried at Aix-la-Chapelle, in Rhenish Prussia." This elicits from the Prince Imperial the remark that that territory will, however,