to their possible success in a country
which has to be converted." Against the official character and publicity
of its judgments "it is important that it should not make out of a
misfortune which is reparable a scandal that nothing can repair."]

[Footnote 5244: "Moniteur," session of March 11, 1865.]

[Footnote 5245: In the following Taine describes the centralization
and improvement of the Church administration which probably made many
socialist readers believe that the same kind of improvements easily
could be introduced into private enterprise at the same time making them
more determined to exclude children from the old families from all kinds
of leadership in the coming socialist state.]

[Footnote 5246: "The Ancient Regime," pp. 65, 120, 150, 292. "Memoires
inedits de Madame de....." (I am not allowed to give the author's name).
The type in high relief of one of these prelates a few years before the
Revolution may here be found. He was bishop of Narbonne, with an income
of 800,000 livres derived from the possessions of the clergy. He passed
a fortnight every other year at Narbonne, and then for six weeks he
presided with ability and propriety over the provincial parliament at
Montpellier. But during the other twenty-two months he gave no thought
to any parliamentary business or to his diocese, and lived at Haute
Fontaine with his niece, Madame de Rothe, of whom he was the lover.
Madame de Dillon, his grand-niece, and the Prince de Guemenee, the
lover of Madame de Dillon, lived in the same chateau. The proprieties of
deportment were great enough, but language there was more than free, so
much so that the Marquise d'Osmond, on a visit, "was embarrassed even
to shedding tears.... On Sunday, out of respect to the character of
the master of the house, they went to Mass; but nobody carried a
prayer-book; it was always some gay and often scandalous book, which
was left lying about in the tribune of the chateau, open to those who
cleaned the room, for their edification as they pleased."]

[Footnote 5247: "Vie de Mgr. Dupanloup," by Abbe Lagrange.--"Histoire du
Cardinal Pie, eveque de Poitiers," by Mgr. Bannard.]

[Footnote 5248: One could imagine the impression this text would have
made on Lenin and his plans to create an elite communist party once he
should take the power he dreamt of. (SR.)]

[Footnote 5249: "Moniteur," session of March 14, 1865, speech of
Cardinal de Bonnechose: "I exact full obedience, because I