e through that rosepink vapour of Sentimentalism,
Philanthropy, and Feasts of Morals, there lies behind it one of the
sorriest spectacles. You might ask, What bonds that ever held a human
society happily together, or held it together at all, are in force here?
It is an unbelieving people; which has suppositions, hypotheses, and
froth-systems of victorious Analysis; and for belief this mainly, that
Pleasure is pleasant. Hunger they have for all sweet things; and the law
of Hunger; but what other law? Within them, or over them, properly none!

Their King has become a King Popinjay; with his Maurepas Government,
gyrating as the weather-cock does, blown about by every wind. Above
them they see no God; or they even do not look above, except with
astronomical glasses. The Church indeed still is; but in the most
submissive state; quite tamed by Philosophism; in a singularly short
time; for the hour was come. Some twenty years ago, your Archbishop
Beaumont would not even let the poor Jansenists get buried: your Lomenie
Brienne (a rising man, whom we shall meet with yet) could, in the name
of the Clergy, insist on having the Anti-protestant laws, which condemn
to death for preaching, 'put in execution.' (Boissy d'Anglas, Vie de
Malesherbes, i. 15-22.) And, alas, now not so much as Baron Holbach's
Atheism can be burnt,--except as pipe-matches by the private speculative
individual. Our Church stands haltered, dumb, like a dumb ox; lowing
only for provender (of tithes); content if it can have that; or, dumbly,
dully expecting its further doom. And the Twenty Millions of 'haggard
faces;' and, as finger-post and guidance to them in their dark struggle,
'a gallows forty feet high'! Certainly a singular Golden Age; with
its Feasts of Morals, its 'sweet manners,' its sweet institutions
(institutions douces); betokening nothing but peace among men!--Peace?
O Philosophe-Sentimentalism, what hast thou to do with peace, when thy
mother's name is Jezebel? Foul Product of still fouler Corruption, thou
with the corruption art doomed!

Meanwhile it is singular how long the rotten will hold together,
provided you do not handle it roughly. For whole generations it
continues standing, 'with a ghastly affectation of life,' after all life
and truth has fled out of it; so loth are men to quit their old ways;
and, conquering indolence and inertia, venture on new. Great truly is
the Actual; is the Thing that has rescued itself from bottomless deeps
of