stiff cravats, and well-powdered pigtails, but soldiers of
strange and truly marvellous appearance. Their complexion was
dark-brown, and their eyes flashing as dagger-points. Instead of wigs
and pigtails, they wore gaudily-colored turbans; instead of
close-fitting uniforms, wide red trousers and dark jackets, richly
embroidered with gold; curved sabres were hanging at their sides, and
their small, vigorous, and agile forms harmonized perfectly with their
splendid Arabian steeds, on which these sons of the desert, the
emperor's Mamelukes, were mounted.

Behind them came another corps. It consisted of tall, broad-shouldered
men, looking as formidable as Cyclops, with bearded, bronzed faces;
their heads covered with high bear-skin caps; their breasts veiled by
large leather aprons, reaching down to their knees; on their shoulders
enormous hatchets, flashing in the sun like burnished silver. And behind
these sappers came the famous grenadiers of the guard, infantry as well
as cavalry; next, the riflemen of Vincennes, in their green uniforms;
and, finally, the bands playing merry airs. The drum-major hurled his
enormous cane with its large silver head into the air, and the
soul-stirring notes of the "Marseillaise" resounded through the spacious
street. Hitherto nobody in Berlin had been permitted to play or sing
this forbidden melody, with which France had formerly accompanied her
bloodiest orgies; only secretly and softly had the people hummed it into
each other's ears; the most stringent orders, issued by the police, had
banished it from the concert-halls as well as from the streets. The
emperor, perhaps, was aware of this, and it was probably for this reason
that he had ordered it to be played; or, perhaps, the son of the
revolution, on making his entry into the capital of a "king by the grace
of God," wished to remind the people, by this hymn of the terrorists,
that it was unnecessary to be born under a royal canopy in order to wear
a crown and to be the anointed of the Lord.

But no one listened to this proscribed and fearful melody. All the
thousands in the streets, on the trees, at the windows, and on the
roofs, were paralyzed with amazement, and looked wonderingly at the new
order of things. They who had hitherto seen and known only proud
officers, mounted on horseback, staring at every citizen with
supercilious glances, and chastising their men for every trifle--they
who had always received the impression that army