with her tears. If on his barren rock as when on his throne, he
was a terror of the world, when dead, his glory alone should
survive him. We are, with respect, &c, &c,

(Signed) COUNT BERTRAND.

COUNT MONTHOLON."

In reply to this touching act of devotion to their dead chief the
English Ambassador at Paris wrote in December, 1821, that the English
Government only considered itself the depository of the Emperor's
ashes, and that it would deliver them up to France as soon as the
latter Government should express a desire to that effect. The two
Counts immediately applied to the French Ministry, but without result.
On May 1, 1822, a further letter was sent to Louis XVIII., by the
grace of God King of France and Navarre, concerning the redepositing
of the ashes of Napoleon, Emperor, thrice proclaimed by the grace of
the people.

On the accession of Louis Philippe to the throne the rival parties
were each struggling for ascendancy. The glory of the days of the
Empire had been stifled by the action of the European Powers and their
French allies, but the smouldering embers began to show signs of
renewed activity, and a wave of Napoleonic popularity swept over the
land. Philippe and his Ministry were not indifferent to what was going
on, and in order to distract attention from the chaos which the new
condition of things was creating, the plan of having the "ashes" of
the illustrious chief brought to the country and the people whom he
"loved so well" was suggested as a means of bringing tranquillity to
France and security to the throne.