ngly greeted me; the nervous
sick lilies nodded to me with tender melancholy, the wine-red roses
laughed at me from afar; the night-violets sighed; with the myrtle and
laurel I was not then acquainted, for they did not entice with a shining
bloom, but the mignonette, with whom I am now on such bad terms, was my
very particular friend.--I am speaking of the Court garden of
Duesseldorf, where I often lay upon the grass and piously listened there
when Monsieur Le Grand told of the martial feats of the great Emperor,
beating meanwhile the marches which were drummed while the deeds were
performed, so that I saw and heard it all vividly. I saw the passage
over the Simplon--the Emperor in advance and his brave grenadiers
climbing on behind him, while the scream of frightened birds of prey
sounded around, and the glaciers thundered in the distance; I saw the
Emperor with glove in hand on the bridge of Lodi; I saw the Emperor in
his grey cloak at Marengo; I saw the Emperor on horseback in the battle
of the Pyramids, naught around save powder, smoke, and Mamelukes; I saw
the Emperor in the battle of Austerlitz--ha! how the bullets whistled
over the smooth, icy road! I saw, I heard the battle of Jena-dum, dum,
dune; I saw, I heard the battle of Eylau, of Wagram--no, I could hardly
stand it! Monsieur Le Grand drummed so that my own eardrum nearly burst.

III

But what were my feelings when my very own eyes were first blessed with
the sight of him, _him_--Hosannah! the Emperor.

It was precisely in the avenue of the Court garden at Duesseldorf. As I
pressed through the gaping crowd, thinking of the doughty deeds and
battles which Monsieur Le Grand had drummed to me, my heart beat the
"general march"--yet at the same time I thought of the police regulation
that no one should dare ride through the middle of the avenue under
penalty of five dollars fine. And the Emperor with his _cortege_ rode
directly through the middle of the avenue. The trembling trees bowed
toward him as he advanced, the sun-rays quivered, frightened, yet
curious, through the green leaves, and in the blue heaven above there
swam visibly a golden star. The Emperor wore his unpretentious-green
uniform and the little world-renowned hat. He rode a white palfrey,
which stepped with such calm pride, so confidently, so nobly--had I then
been Crown Prince of Prussia I would have envied that horse. The
Emperor sat carelessly, almost laxly, holding his rein with one hand,