726* 



ANNUAL HEGISTER, 1805. 



Before the throne, and three steps 

 lower, were the grand chamberlain, 

 the grand equerry of France, the 

 grand master of the ceremonies, and 

 the grand equerry of Italy, on 

 stools ; the pages were seated upon 

 the steps of the throne. At the 

 bottom of the steps seven ladies, 

 bearing otTcrings, were seated upon 

 chairs. To the right and left of 

 them were the masters of the cere- 

 monies, and lower down the heralds 

 at arms, and the ushers. On both 

 sides of the nave were long seats, 

 occupied by the members of the 

 three electoral colleges, the legisla- 

 tive body, the tribunals of cessation 

 and revision, by generals, colonels, 

 inspectors, commissaries, prefects, 

 the members of the tribunals of ap- 

 peal, the presidents of the depart- 

 ment?:, &c. The military deputa- 

 tions occupied the space by the win- 

 dow of the choir and the nave ; be- 

 low these benches were erected gal- 

 leries and tribunes, filled with the 

 most distinguished persons of the 

 realm. In the first of these tri- 

 bunes, called the imperial tribune, 

 to the right of the throne, were the 

 4oge, two members of the Ligurian 

 legation, and forty ladies, magnifi- 

 cently attired. Opposite was the 

 tribune set apart for the diplomatic 

 corps ; next, the tribune set apart 

 for the generals of P'rancc, and 

 lower down the one appropriated to 

 strangers. The empress Josephine, 

 and the princess Eliza, occupied 

 another tribune in the choir. The 

 walls, cieling, and '-olumns of the 

 cathedral, were covered with silk 

 and crape, and ornamented with 

 gold fringes. Nothing could equal 

 the splendour and magnificence of 

 this superb picture, which command- 

 fed respect and admiration from 



^very beholder. His majesty again 

 traversed the church, preceded by la- 

 dies bearing offerings, and accompa- 

 nied by the aides-du-camp of the 

 emperor. His majesty, after lay- 

 ing the offerings upon the altar, re- 

 turned, and seated himself upon the 

 throne. After mass had been per- 

 formed, the grand almoner brought 

 the gospel to his majesty. The 

 grand chancellor of the kingdom, 

 after a signal given him by the grand 

 master, called to the president of 

 the councils to bring the oath, and 

 summoned near the throne the three 

 presidents of the electoral colleges, 

 and the presidents of the legislative 

 body, and the counsel of state. His 

 majesty thereupon read the oath 

 with a loud voice, and the chief of 

 the heralds cried out, " Napoleon, 

 " emperor of the French and king 

 " of Italy, is crowned and enthron- 

 " ed. Long live the emperor and 

 " king !" These last words were 

 repeated by all the attendants, ac- 

 companied with the most lively and 

 repeated acclamations. Tc Deuni 

 was then chaunted, during which 

 the secretary of state prepared the 

 proces verbal of the oath taken by 

 his majesty ; the clergy appeared 

 with the canopy at the foot of the 

 throne, and his majesty returned to 

 the palace with the same procession, 

 and amidst the acclamations of an 

 immense concourse of people, who 

 pressed around him. The sanctity 

 of the place, the elegance of the de- 

 corations, the order of the procefa 

 sion, the splendour of the ceremo- 

 ny, the regularity of the evolutions, 

 the noble symmetry of the groups, 

 the richness of the costumes, the 

 grace and elegance displayed by the 

 ladies bearing offerings, the magni- 

 fieeuce of the throne, the majestic 



deportment 



