There were many forms of military parade. In one, the soldiers stood motionless in formation while the inspector walked past them.
In another, the inspector stood on a platform while the soldiers marched in formation before it. There was also the sort of "performance" later generations would call a drill. Drills were divided into live-fire and non-live-fire exercises. A live-fire exercise required not only troops but weapons; aside from the expense, it would also put enormous pressure on England across the Channel.
Napoleon had mobilized the western forces for this inspection in Rouen, creating the impression of a massive army bearing down on the border. Rouen was also an important port. Yet according to him, he merely intended to inspect the troops on horseback from the highlands near Rouen. In addition, the Archbishop of Rouen would hold a Mass for the soldiers participating in the parade and deliver a sermon.
Though Catholicism had lost its status as France's state religion, it remained the faith of the majority. Halloween was also known as All Saints' Day. By the twenty-first century, the holiday had been commercialized, but some people still upheld tradition. While children dressed up in strange costumes and went out begging for sweets, adults were supposed to attend Mass at church. Unless there was an irresistible reason, all believers had to be present—but soldiers could not simply leave camp.
Georgiana felt that if she explained it that way to the politicians in London, they certainly would not accept it. On the holiday when children wrapped themselves in bedsheets and played ghosts in the streets, adults ought to stay home and hand out candy, rather than run into the hills to inspect troops. Napoleon had pulled this trick in Dijon before, having a group of beggars dress as soldiers for inspection