n
Commons disguised in Curate-frocks. Here, however, though by strange
ways, shall the Precept be fulfilled, and they that are greatest (much
to their astonishment) become least. For one example, out of many, mark
that plausible Gregoire: one day Cure Gregoire shall be a Bishop, when
the now stately are wandering distracted, as Bishops in partibus. With
other thought, mark also the Abbe Maury: his broad bold face;
mouth accurately primmed; full eyes, that ray out intelligence,
falsehood,--the sort of sophistry which is astonished you should find it
sophistical. Skilfulest vamper-up of old rotten leather, to make it look
like new; always a rising man; he used to tell Mercier, "You will see;
I shall be in the Academy before you." (Mercier, Nouveau Paris.) Likely
indeed, thou skilfullest Maury; nay thou shalt have a Cardinal's Hat,
and plush and glory; but alas, also, in the longrun--mere oblivion, like
the rest of us; and six feet of earth! What boots it, vamping rotten
leather on these terms? Glorious in comparison is the livelihood thy
good old Father earns, by making shoes,--one may hope, in a sufficient
manner. Maury does not want for audacity. He shall wear pistols, by and
by; and at death-cries of "The Lamp-iron;" answer coolly, "Friends, will
you see better there?"

But yonder, halting lamely along, thou noticest next Bishop
Talleyrand-Perigord, his Reverence of Autun. A sardonic grimness lies
in that irreverent Reverence of Autun. He will do and suffer strange
things; and will become surely one of the strangest things ever seen,
or like to be seen. A man living in falsehood, and on falsehood; yet
not what you can call a false man: there is the specialty! It will be an
enigma for future ages, one may hope: hitherto such a product of Nature
and Art was possible only for this age of ours,--Age of Paper, and of
the Burning of Paper. Consider Bishop Talleyrand and Marquis Lafayette
as the topmost of their two kinds; and say once more, looking at what
they did and what they were, O Tempus ferax rerum!

On the whole, however, has not this unfortunate Clergy also drifted in
the Time-stream, far from its native latitude? An anomalous mass of
men; of whom the whole world has already a dim understanding that it can
understand nothing. They were once a Priesthood, interpreters of Wisdom,
revealers of the Holy that is in Man: a true Clerus (or Inheritance of
God on Earth): but now?--They pass silently, with such Cahiers as th