THE TRIUMPHAL COLUMN.
The Fontaine de la Victoire, built upon the Place du Châtelet, in front of the Pont au Change, was one of the first established in the French Capital.
It was also one of the first monuments raised to record the glory of the French arms. The architect Brasle superintended its erection, as well as that of others of the same nature, placed in different parts of Paris, as much for utility as for ornament.
The conception of this is simple, and its execution leaves nothing to be desired. The glorious deeds of the live years were there recorded as so many talismans. How many times have we feared that the lever, or the petard, would be applied to its destruction. But the charm of the French eagle, and of victory distributing her crowns, were safeguards, and served to awe the vandal conqueror. When the famous names of Rivoli! Lodi! Arcole! Mont-Thabor! Pyramids! Marengo! Austerlitz! Ulm! Eylau! Friedland! and Dantzic! were inscribed upon the column, who dare lay their sacrilegious hands upon it?
STATUE OF NAPOLEON, BY CHAUDET.
Napoleon was anxious to place his name on the list of those Emperors of old, whose names are rendered immortal, not so much by their own heroic or noble deeds as by the flattering notices of them in the deathless writings of poets and historians. On the occasion of his statue being first required for the Column which now stands in the Place Vendome, he directed that it should be attired as a senator of ancient Rome, and Chaudet produced the statue, of which the accompanying engraving is a faithful representation. It has since been replaced by one in military uniform.
APOTHEOSIS.
The conclusion of Napoleon’s remarkable history is here well conceived. The mound of earth surmounted by his cap and sword, points out the last earthly tenement of the ex-Emperor; the group upon that point of the rock which juts into the sea adds considerably to the interest of the scene; few have forgotten the faithful companions of Napoleon when prisoner at St Helena. The artist, Horace Vernet, has called poetry to his aid and introduced the shades of several of the departed comrades of Napoleon, who assisted him in gaining that fame which will ever attach to his character in the future history of European nations. Two aged minstrels placed on the right of the engraving, are supposed to be recounting the history of his various exploits.