Inthesucceedingdebates，then，variousopinionsweregivenwithregardtotheplacetobeselectedfortheEmperor\'ssepulture。
\"Somedemanded，\"saysaneloquentanonymousCaptainintheNavywhohaswrittenan\"ItineraryfromToulontoSt。Helena，\"\"thatthecoffinshouldbedepositedunderthebronzetakenfromtheenemybytheFrencharmy——undertheColumnofthePlaceVendome。Theideawasafineone。Thisisthemostgloriousmonumentthatwaseverraisedinaconqueror\'shonor。Thiscolumnhasbeenmeltedoutofforeigncannon。Thesesamecannonshavefurrowedthebosomsofourbraveswithnoblecicatrices;andthismetal——conqueredbythesoldierfirst，bytheartistafterwards——hasallowedtobeimprintedonitsfrontitsowndefeatandourglory。Napoleonmightsleepinpeaceunderthisaudacioustrophy。But，wouldhisashesfindasheltersufficientlyvastbeneaththispedestal？AndhispuissantstatuedominatingParis，beamswithsufficientgrandeuronthisplace:whereasthewheelsofcarriagesandthefeetofpassengerswouldprofanethefunerealsanctityofthespotintramplingonthesoilsonearhishead。\"
Youmustnottakethisdescription，dearestAmelia，\"atthefootoftheletter，\"astheFrenchphraseit，butyouwillherehaveamasterlyexpositionoftheargumentsforandagainsttheburialoftheEmperorundertheColumnofthePlaceVendome。Theideawasafineone，granted;but，likeallotherideas，itwasopentoobjections。Youmustnotfancythatthecannon，orratherthecannon—balls，wereinthehabitoffurrowingthebosomsofFrenchbraves，oranyotherbraves，withcicatrices:onthecontrary，itisaknownfactthatcannon—ballsmakewounds，andnotcicatrices（which，mydear，arewoundspartiallyhealed）;nay，thatamangenerallydiesafterreceivingonesuchprojectileonhischest，muchmoreafterhavinghisbosomfurrowedbyascoreofthem。No，mylove;nobosom，howeverheroic，canstandsuchapplications，andtheauthoronlymeansthattheFrenchsoldiersfacedthecannonandtookthem。Nor，mylove，mustyousupposethatthecolumnwasmelted:itwasthecannonwasmelted，notthecolumn;butsuchphrasesareoftenusedbyoratorswhentheywishtogiveaparticularforceandemphasistotheiropinions。
Well，again，althoughNapoleonmighthavesleptinpeaceunder\"thisaudacioustrophy，\"howcouldhedosoandcarriagesgorattlingbyallnight，andpeoplewithgreatironheelstotheirbootspassclatteringoverthestones？NorindeedcoulditbeexpectedthatamanwhosereputationstretchesfromthePyramidstotheKremlin，shouldfindacolumnofwhichthebaseisonlyfive—and—twentyfeetsquare，asheltervastenoughforhisbones。Inaword，then，althoughtheproposaltoburyNapoleonunderthecolumnwasingenious，itwasfoundnottosuit;whereuponsomebodyelseproposedtheMadelaine。
\"Itwasproposed，\"saysthebefore—quotedauthorwithhisusualfelicity，\"toconsecratetheMadelainetohisexiledmanes\"——thatis，tohisboneswhentheywerenotinexileanylonger。\"Heoughttohave，itwassaid，atempleentire。Hisgloryfillstheworld。