nservatoire national de Musique et de Declamation_, which dates
from the last years of the _Ancien Regime_ and the Revolution, was
designed by its patriotic and-democratic origin to serve the cause of
national art and free progress.[210]

[Footnote 210: One knows that the Conservatoire originated in _L'Ecole
gratuite de musique de la garde nationale parisienne_, founded in 1792
by Sarrette, and directed by Gossec. It was then a civic and military
school, but, according to Chenier, was changed into the _Institut
national de musique_ on 8 November, 1793, and into the _Conservatoire_
on 3 August, 1795. This Republican Conservatoire made it its business to
keep in contact with the spirit of the country, and was directly opposed
to the Opera, which was of monarchical origin. See M. Constant Pierre's
work _Le Conservatoire national de musique_ (1900), and M. Julien
Tiersot's very interesting book _Les Fetes et les Chants de la
Revolution francaise_ (1908).]

It was for a long time the corner-stone of the edifice of music in
Paris. But although it has always numbered in its ranks many illustrious
and devoted professors--among whom it recognised, a little late, the
founder of the young French school, Cesar Franck--and though the
majority of artists who have made a name in French music have received
its teaching, and the list of laureates of Rome who have come from its
composition classes includes all the heads of the artistic movement
to-day in all its diversity, and ranges from M. Massenet to M. Bruneau,
and from M. Charpentier to M. Debussy--in spite of all this, it is no
secret that, since 1870, the official action with regard to the movement
amounts to almost nothing; though we must at least do it justice, and
say that it has not hindered it.[211]

[Footnote 211: You must remember that I am speaking here of _official_
action only; for there have always been masters among the Conservatoire
teaching staff who have united a fine musical culture with a
broad-minded and liberal spirit. But the influence of these independent
minds is, generally speaking, small; for they have not the disposing of
academic successes; and when, by exception, they have a wide influence,
like that of Cesar Franck, it is the result of personal work outside the
Conservatoire--work that is, as often as not, opposed to Conservatoire
principles.]

But if the spirit of this academy has often destroyed the effect of the
excellent teaching there, by makin