nd。〃
  〃And　yet；　during　the　wars　undertaken　by　the　Revolution；　patriotism〃
  〃Yes；　we　worked　wonders　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution；〃　said　Benassis；　interrupting　Genestas；　〃but　only　twenty　years　later；　in　1814；　our　patriotism　was　extinct；　while；　in　former　times；　a　religious　impulse　moved　France　and　Europe　to　fling　themselves　upon　Asia　a　dozen　times　in　the　course　of　a　century。〃
  〃Maybe　it　is　easier　for　two　nations　to　come　to　terms　when　the　strife　has　arisen　out　of　some　question　of　material　interests；〃　said　the　justice　of　the　peace；　〃while　wars　undertaken　with　the　idea　of　supporting　dogmas　are　bound　to　be　interminable；　because　the　object　can　never　be　clearly　defined。〃
  〃Well；　sir；　you　are　not　helping　any　one　to　fish！〃　put　in　Jacquotte；　who　had　removed　the　soup　with　Nicolle's　assistance。　Faithful　to　her　custom；　Jacquotte　herself　always　brought　in　every　dish　one　after　another；　a　plan　which　had　its　drawbacks；　for　it　compelled　gluttonous　folk　to　over…eat　themselves；　and　the　more　abstemious；　having　satisfied　their　hunger　at　an　early　stage；　were　obliged　to　leave　the　best　part　of　the　dinner　untouched。
  〃Gentlemen；〃　said　the　cure；　with　a　glance　at　the　justice　of　the　peace；　〃how　can　you　allege　that　religious　wars　have　had　no　definite　aim？　Religion　in　olden　times　was　such　a　powerful　binding　force；　that　material　interests　and　religious　questions　were　inseparable。　Every　soldier；　therefore；　knew　quite　well　what　he　was　fighting　for。〃
  〃If　there　has　been　so　much　fighting　about　religion；〃　said　Genestas；　〃God　must　have　built　up　the　system　very　perfunctorily。　Should　not　a　divine　institution　impress　men　at　once　by　the　truth　that　is　in　it？〃
  All　the　guests　looked　at　the　cure。
  〃Gentlemen；〃　said　M。　Janvier；　〃religion　is　something　that　is　felt　and　that　cannot　be　defined。　We　cannot　know　the　purpose　of　the　Almighty；　we　are　no　judges　of　the　means　He　employs。〃
  〃Then；　according　to　you；　we　are　to　believe　in　all　your　rigmaroles；〃　said　Genestas；　with　the　easy　good…humor　of　a　soldier　who　has　never　given　a　thought　to　these　things。
  〃The　Catholic　religion；　better　than　any　other；　resolves　men's　doubts　and　fears；　but　even　were　it　otherwise；　I　might　ask　you　if　you　run　any　risks　by　believing　in　its　truths。〃
  〃None　worth　speaking　of；〃　answered　Genestas。
  〃Good！　and　what　risks　do　you　not　run　by　not　believing？　But　let　us　talk　of　the　worldly　aspect　of　the　matter；　which　most　appeals　to　you。　The　finger　of　God　is　visible　in　human　affairs；　see　how　He　directs　them　by　the　hand　of　His　vicar　on　earth。　How　much　men　have　lost　by　leaving　the　path　traced　out　for　them　by　Christianity！　So　few　think　of　reading　Church　history；　that　erroneous　notions　deliberately　sown　among　the　people　lead　them　to　condemn　the　Church；　yet　the　Church　has　been　a　pattern　of　perfect　government　such　as　men　seek　to　establish　to…day。　The　principle　of　election　made　it　for　a　long　while　the　great　political　power。　Except　the　Catholic　Church；　there　was　no　single　religious　institution　which　was　founded　upon　liberty　and　equality。　Everything　was　ordered　to　this　end。　The　father…superior；　the　abbot；　the　bishop；　the　general　of　an　order；　and　the　pope　were　then　chosen　conscientiously　for　their　fitness　for　the　requirements　of　the　Church。　They　were　the　expression　of　its　intelligence；　of　the　thinking　power　of　the　Church；　and　blind　obedience　was　therefore　their　due。　I　will　say　nothing　of　the　ways　in　which　society　has　benefited　by　that　power　which　has　created　modern　nations　and　has　inspired　so　many　poems；　so　much　music；　so　many　cathedrals；　statues；　and　pictures。　I　will　simply　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that　your　modern　systems　of　popular　election；　of　two　chambers；　and　of　juries　all　had　their　origin　in　provincial　and　oecumenical　councils；　and　in　the　episcopate　and　college　of　cardinals；　but　there　is　this　difference；the　views　of　civilization　held　by　our　present…day　philosophy　seem　to　me　to　fade　away　before　the　sublime　and　divine　conception　of　Catholic　communion；　the　type　of　a　universal　social　communion　brought　about　by　the　word　and　the　fact　that　are　combined　in　religious　dogma。　It　would　be　very　difficult　for　any　modern　political　system；　however　perfect　people　may　think　it；　to　work　once　more　such　miracles　as　were　wrought　in　those　ages　when　the　Church　as　the　stay　and　support　of　the　human　intellect。〃
  〃Why？〃　asked　Genestas。
  〃Because；　in　the　first　place；　if　the　principle　of　election　is　to　be　the　basis　of　a　system；　absolute　equality　among　the　electors　is　a　first　requirement；　they　ought　to　be　'equal　quantities；'　things　which　modern　politics　will　never　bring　about。　Then；　great　social　changes　can　only　be　effected　by　means　of　some　common　sentiment　so　powerful　that　it　brings　men　into　concerted　action；　while　latter…day　philosophism　has　discovered　that　law　is　based　upon　personal　interest；　which　keeps　men　apart。　Men　full　of　the　generous　spirit　that　watches　with　tender　care　over　the　trampled　rights　of　the　suffering　poor；　were　more　often　found　among　the　nations　of　past　ages　than　in　our　generation。　The　priesthood；　also；　which　sprang　from　the　middle　classes；　resisted　material　forces　and　stood　between　the　people　and　their　enemies。　But　the　territorial　possessions　of　the　Church　and　her　temporal　power；　which　seemingly　made　her　position　yet　stronger；　ended　by　crippling　and　weakening　her　action。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　if　the　priest　has　possessions　and　privileges；　he　at　once　appears　in　the　light　of　an　oppressor。　He　is　paid　by　the　State；　therefore　he　is　an　official：　if　he　gives　his　time；　his　life；　his　whole　heart；　this　is　a　matter　of　course；　and　nothing　more　than　he　ought　to　do；　the　citizens　expect　and　demand　his　devotion；　and　the　spontaneous　kindliness　of　his　nature　is　dried　up。　But；　let　the　priest　be　vowed　to　poverty；　let　him　turn　to　his　calling　of　his　own　free　will；　let　him　stay　himself　on　God　alone；　and　have　no　resource　on　earth　but　the　hearts　of　the　faithful；　and　he　becomes　once　more　the　missionary　of　America；　he　takes　the　rank　of　an　apostle；　he　has　all　things　under　his　feet。　Indeed；　the　burden　of　wealth　drags　him　down；　and　it　is　only　by　renouncing　everything　that　he　gains　dominion　over　all　men's　hearts。〃
  M。　Janvier　had　compelled　the　attention　of　every　one　present。　No　one　spoke；　for　all　the　guests　were　thoughtful。　It　was　something　new　to　hear　such　words　as　these　in　the　mouth　of　a　simple　cure。
  〃There　is　one　serious　error；　M。　Janvier；　among　the　truths　to　which　you　have　given　expression；〃　said　Benassis。　〃As　you　know；　I　do　not　like　to　raise　discussions　on　points　of　general　interest　which　modern　authorities　and　modern　writers　have　called　in　question。　In　my　opinion；　a　man　who　has　thought　out　a　political　system；　and　who　is　conscious　that　he　has　within　him　the　power　of　applying　it　in　practical　politics；　should　keep　his　mind　to　himself；　seize　his　opportunity　and　act；　but　if　he　dwells　in　peaceful　obscurity　as　a　simple　citizen；　is　it　not　sheer　lunacy　to　think　to　bring　the　great　mass　over　to　his　opinion　by　means　of　individual　discussions？　For　all　that；　I　am　about　to　argue　with　you；　my　dear　pastor；　for　I　am　speaking　before　sensible　men；　each　of　whom　is　accustomed　always　to　bring　his　individual　light　to　a　common　search　for　the　truth。　My　ideas　may　seem　strange　to　you；　but　they　are　the　outcome　of　much　thought　caused　by　the　calamities　of　the　last　forty　years。　Universal　suffrage；　which　finds　such　favor　in　the　sight　of　those　persons　who　belong　to　the　constitutional　opposition；　as　it　is　called；　was　a　capital　institution　in　the　Church；　because　（as　you　yourself　have　just　pointed　out；　dear　pastor）　the　individuals　of　whom　the　Church　was　composed　were　all　well　educated；　disciplined　by　religious　feeling；　thoroughly　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　the　same　system；　well　aware　of　what　they　wanted　and　whither　they　were　going。　But　modern　Liberalism　rashly　made　war　upon　the　prosperous　government　of　the　Bourbons；　by　means　of　ideas　which；　should　they　triumph；　would　be　the　ruin　of　France　and　of　the　Liberals　themselves。　This　is　well　known　to　the　leaders　of　the　Left；　who　are　merely　endeavoring　to　get　the　power　into　their　own　hands。　If　（which　Heaven　forbid）　the　middle　classes　ranged　under　the　banner　of　the　opposition　should　succeed　in　overthrowing　those　social　superiorities　which　are　so　repugnant　to　their　vanity；　another　struggle　would　follow　hard　upon　their　victory。　It　would　not　be　very　long　before　the　middle　classes　in　their　turn　would　be　looked　upon　by　the　people　as　a　sort　of　noblesse；　they　would　be　a　sorry　kind　of　noblesse；　it　is　true；　but　their　wealth　and　privileges　would　seem　so　much　the　more　hateful　in　the　eyes　of　the　people　because　they　would　have　a　closer　vision　of　these　things。　I　do　not　say　that　the　nation　would　come　to　grief　in　the　struggle；　but　society　would　perish　anew；　for　the　day　of　triumph　of　a　suffering　people　is　always　brief；　and　involves　disorders　of　the　worst　kind。　There　would　be　no　truce　in　a　desperate　strife　arising　out　of　an　inherent　or　acquired　difference　of　opinion　among　the　electors。　The　less　enlightened　and　more　numerous　portion　would　sweep　away　social　inequalities；　thanks　to　a　system　in　which　votes　are　reckoned　by　count　and　not　by　weight。　Hence　it　follows　that　a　government　is　never　more　strongly　organized；　and　as　a　consequence　is　never　more　perfect　than　when　it　has　been　established　for　the　protection　of　Privilege　of　the　most　restricted　kind。