ch they did without visible blush, That it
was a Covenant including, if not expressly, then tacitly, as all human
covenants do, this clause, "SALVO JURE TERTII (Saving the rights of
Third Parties),"--that is, of Electors of Bavaria, and others who may
object, against it! O soul of honor, O first Nation of the Universe,
was there ever such a subterfuge? Here is a field of flowering corn, the
biggest in the world, begirt with elaborate ring-fence, many miles of
firm oak-paling pitched and buttressed;--the poor gentleman now dead
gave you his Lorraine, and almost his life, for swearing to keep up said
paling. And you do keep it up,--all except six yards; through which the
biggest team on the highway can drive freely, and the paltriest cadger's
ass can step in for a bellyful!

It appears, the first Nation of the Universe had, at an early period of
their consultations, hit upon this of SALVO JURE TERTII, as the method
of eating their Covenant, before an enlightened public. [20th January,
1741, in their Note of Ceremony, recognizing Maria Theresa as Queen of
Hungary, Note which had been due so very long (ADELUNG, ii. 206), there
is ominous silence on Pragmatic Sanction; "beginning of March," there
is virtual avowal of SALVO JURE (ib. 279);--open avowal on Belleisle's
advent (ib. 305).] And they persisted in it, there being no other for
them. An enlightened public grinned sardonically, and was not taken in;
but, as so many others were eating their Covenants, under equally
poor subterfuges, the enlightened public could not grin long on any
individual,--could only gape mutely, with astonishment, on all. A
glorious example of veracity and human nobleness, set by the gods of
this lower world to their gazing populations, who could read in the
Gazettes! What is truth, falsity, human Kingship, human Swindlership?
Are the Ten Commandments only a figure of speech, then? And it was
some beggarly Attorney-Devil that built this sublunary world and us?
Questions might rise; had long been rising;--but now there was about
enough, and the response to them was falling due; and Belleisle himself,
what is very notable, had been appointed to get ready the response.
Belleisle (little as Belleisle dreamt of it, in these high Enterprises)
was ushering in, by way of response, a RAGNAROK, or Twilight of the
Gods, which, as "French Revolution, or Apotheosis of SANSCULOTTISM," is
now well known;--and that is something to consider of!

DOWNBREAK O