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They dreamed of engrafting a temperate power on the absolute and excessive principle。
They opposed； and sometimes with rare intelligence； conservative liberalism to the liberalism which demolishes。
They were heard to say： 〃Thanks for Royalism！
It has rendered more than one service。
It has brought back tradition； worship； religion； respect。
It is faithful； brave； chivalric； loving； devoted。
It has mingled； though with regret； the secular grandeurs of the monarchy with the new grandeurs of the nation。
Its mistake is not to understand the Revolution； the Empire； glory； liberty； young ideas； young generations； the age。
But this mistake which it makes with regard to us； have we not sometimes been guilty of it towards them？
The Revolution； whose heirs we are； ought to be intelligent on all points。 To attack Royalism is a misconstruction of liberalism。
What an error！ And what blindness！
Revolutionary France is wanting in respect towards historic France； that is to say； towards its mother； that is to say； towards itself。
After the 5th of September； the nobility of the monarchy is treated as the nobility of the Empire was treated after the 5th of July。
They were unjust to the eagle； we are unjust to the fleur…de…lys。 It seems that we must always have something to proscribe！
Does it serve any purpose to ungild the crown of Louis XIV。； to scrape the coat of arms of Henry IV。？ We scoff at M。 de Vaublanc for erasing the N's from the bridge of Jena！ What was it that he did？
What are we doing？
Bouvines belongs to us as well as Marengo。
The fleurs…de…lys are ours as well as the N's。 That is our patrimony。
To what purpose shall we diminish it？ We must not deny our country in the past any more than in the present。 Why not accept the whole of history？
Why not love the whole of France？
It is thus that doctrinarians criticised and protected Royalism； which was displeased at criticism and furious at protection。
The ultras marked the first epoch of Royalism； congregation characterized the second。 Skill follows ardor。
Let us confine ourselves here to this sketch。
In the course of this narrative； the author of this book has encountered in his path this curious moment of contemporary history； he has been forced to cast a passing glance upon it； and to trace once more some of the singular features of this society which is unknown to…day。 But he does it rapidly and without any bitter or derisive idea。
Souvenirs both respectful and affectionate； for they touch his mother； attach him to this past。
Moreover； let us remark； this same petty world had a grandeur of its own。 One may smile at it； but one can neither despise nor hate it。 It was the France of former days。
Marius Pontmercy pursued some studies； as all children do。
When he emerged from the hands of Aunt Gillenormand； his grandfather confided him to a worthy professor of the most purely classic innocence。 This young soul which was expanding passed from a prude to a vulgar pedant。
Marius went through his years of college； then he entered the law school。
He was a Royalist； fanatical and severe。
He did not love his grandfather much； as the latter's gayety and cynicism repelled him； and his feelings towards his father were gloomy。
He was； on the whole； a cold and ardent； noble； generous； proud； religious； enthusiastic lad； dignified to harshness； pure to shyness。
REQUIESCANT
Madame de T。's salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world。 It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life。
This opening was sombre； and more cold than warmth； more night than day； came to him through this skylight。
This child； who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world； soon became melancholy； and； what is still more contrary to his age； grave。
Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages； he gazed about him with serious amazement。
Everything conspired to increase this astonishment in him。
There were in Madame de T。's salon some very noble ladies named Mathan； Noe； Levis；which was pronounced Levi；Cambis； pronounced Cambyse。
These antique visages and these Biblical names mingled in the child's mind with the Old Testament which he was learning by heart； and when they were all there； seated in a circle around a dying fire； sparely lighted by a lamp shaded with green； with their severe profiles； their gray or white hair； their long gowns of another age； whose lugubrious colors could not be distinguished； dropping； at rare intervals； words which were both majestic and severe； little Marius stared at them with frightened eyes； in the conviction that he beheld not women； but patriarchs and magi； not real beings； but phantoms。
With these phantoms； priests were sometimes mingled； frequenters of this ancient salon； and some gentlemen； the Marquis de Sass****； private secretary to Madame de Berry； the Vite de Val***； who published； under the pseudonyme of Charles…Antoine； monorhymed odes； the Prince de Beauff*******； who； though very young； had a gray head and a pretty and witty wife； whose very low…necked toilettes of scarlet velvet with gold torsades alarmed these shadows； the Marquis de C*****d'E******； the man in all France who best understood 〃proportioned politeness；〃 the te d'Am*****； the kindly man with the amiable chin； and the Chevalier de Port…de…Guy； a pillar of the library of the Louvre； called the King's cabinet； M。 de Port…de…Guy； bald； and rather aged than old； was wont to relate that in 1793； at the age of sixteen； he had been put in the galleys as refractory and chained with an octogenarian； the Bishop of Mirepoix； also refractory； but as a priest； while he was so in the capacity of a soldier。
This was at Toulon。 Their business was to go at night and gather up on the scaffold the heads and bodies of the persons who had been guillotined during the day； they bore away on their backs these dripping corpses； and their red galley…slave blouses had a clot of blood at the back of the neck； which was dry in the morning and wet at night。 These tragic tales abounded in Madame de T。's salon； and by dint of cursing Marat； they applauded Trestaillon。
Some deputies of the undiscoverable variety played their whist there； M。 Thibord du Chalard； M。 Lemarchant de Gomicourt； and the celebrated scoffer of the right； M。 Cornet…Dincourt。 The bailiff de Ferrette； with his short breeches and his thin legs； sometimes traversed this salon on his way to M。 de Talleyrand。
He had been M。 le te d'Artois' panion in pleasures and unlike Aristotle crouching under Campaspe； he had made the Guimard crawl on all fours； and in that way he had exhibited to the ages a philosopher avenged by a bailiff。 As for the priests； there was the Abbe Halma； the same to whom M。 Larose； his collaborator on la Foudre； said：
〃Bah！
Who is there who is not fifty years old？ a few greenhorns perhaps？〃 The Abbe Letourneur； preacher to the King； the Abbe Frayssinous； who was not； as yet； either count； or bishop； or minister； or peer； and who wore an old cassock whose buttons were missing； and the Abbe Keravenant； Cure of Saint…Germain…des…Pres； also the Pope's Nuncio； then Monsignor Macchi； Archbishop of Nisibi； later on Cardinal； remarkable for his long； pensive nose； and another Monsignor； entitled thus：
Abbate Palmieri； domestic prelate； one of the seven participant prothonotaries of the Holy See； Canon of the illustrious Liberian basilica； Advocate of the saints； Postulatore dei Santi； which refers to matters of canonization； and signifies very nearly： Master of Requests of the section of Paradise。
ly； two cardinals； M。 de la Luzerne； and M。 de Cl****** T*******。 The Cardinal of Luzerne was a writer and was destined to have； a few years later； the honor of signing in the Conservateur articles side by side with Chateaubriand； M。 de Cl****** T******* was Archbishop of Toul****； and often made trips to Paris； to his nephew； the Marquis de T*******； who was Minister of Marine and War。
The Cardinal of Cl****** T******* was a merry little man； who displayed his red stockings beneath his tucked…up cassock； his specialty was a hatred of the Encyclopaedia； and his desperate play at billiards； and persons who； at that epoch； passed through the Rue M***** on summer evenings； where the hotel de Cl****** T******* then stood； halted to listen to the shock of the balls and the piercing voice of the Cardinal shouting to his conclavist； Monseigneur Cotiret； Bishop in partibus of Caryste： 〃Mark； Abbe； I make a cannon。〃
The Cardinal de Cl****** T******* had been brought to Madame de T。's by his most intimate friend； M。 de Roquelaure； former Bishop of Senlis； and one of the Forty。 M。 de Roquelaure was notable for his lofty figure and his assiduity at the Academy； through the glass door of the neighboring hall of the library where the French Academy then held its meetings； the curious could； on every Tuesday； contemplate the Ex…Bishop of Senlis； usually standing erect； freshly powdered； in violet hose； with his back turned to the door； apparently for the purpose of allowing a better view of his little collar。
All these ecclesiastics； though for the most part as much courtiers as churchmen； added to the gravity of the T。 salon； whose seigniorial aspect was accentuated by five peers of France； the Marquis de Vib****； the Marquis de Tal***； the Marquis de Herb*******； the Vite Damb***； and the Duc de Val********。 This Duc de Val********； although Prince de Mon***； that is to say a reigning prince abroad； had so high an idea of France and its peerage； that he viewed everything through their medium。 It was he who said：
〃The Cardinals are the peers of France of Rome； the lords are the peers of France of England。〃
Moreover； as it is indispensable that the Revolution should be everywhere in this century； this feudal salon was； as we have said； dominated by a bourgeois。 M。 Gillenormand reigned there。
There lay the essence and quintessence of the Parisian white society。 There reputations； even Royalist reputations； were held in quarantine。 There is always a trace of anarchy in renown。
Chateaubriand； had he entered there； would have produced the effect of Pere Duchene。
Some of the scoffed…at did； nevertheless； penetrate thither on sufferance。 te Beug*** was received there； subject to correction。
The 〃noble〃 salons of the present day no longer resemble those salons。 The Faubourg Saint…Germain reeks of the fagot even now。
The Royalists of to…day are demagogues； let us record it to their credit。
At Madame de T。's the society was superior； taste was exquisite and haughty； under the cover of a great show of politeness。 Manners there admitted of all sorts of involuntary refinements which were the old regime itself； buried but still alive。
Some of these habits； especially in the matter of language； seem eccentric。 Persons but superficially acquainted with them would have taken for provincial that which was only antique。
A woman was called Madame la Generale。
Madame la Colonelle was not entirely disused。 The charming Madame de Leon； in memory； no doubt； of the Duchesses de Longueville and de Chevreuse； preferred this appellation to her title of Princesse。
The Marquise de Crequy was also called Madame la Colonelle。
It was this little high society which invented at the Tuileries the refinement of speaking to the King in private as the King； in the third person； and never as Your Majesty； the designation of Your Majesty having been 〃soiled by the usurper。〃
Men and deeds were brought to judgment there。
They jeered at the age； which released them from the necessity of understanding it。 They abetted each other in amazement。
They municated to each other that modicum of light which they possessed。 Methuselah bestowed information on Epimenides。
The deaf man made the blind man acquainted with the course of things。
They declared that the time which had elasped since Coblentz had not existed。 In the same manner that Louis XVIII。
was by the grace of God； in the five and twentieth year of his reign； the emigrants were； by rights； in the five and twent