large/8432/lesmis4_1004_librivox_64kb_mp3/lesmiserables_vol4_01_hugo_64kb_50
large/8432/lesmis4_1004_librivox_64kb_mp3/lesmiserables_vol4_01_hugo_64kb
English
8432
And how should they have suspected it, they who fancied that Louis XVII. reigned on the 9th of Thermidor, and that Louis XVIII. was reigning at the battle of Marengo? Never, since the origin of history, had princes been so blind in the presence of facts and the portion of divine authority which facts contain and promulgate. AND HOW SHOULD THEY HAVE SUSPECTED IT THEY WHO FANCIED THAT LOUIS THE SEVENTEENTH REIGNED ON THE NINTH OF THERMIDOR AND THAT LOUIS THE EIGHTEENTH WAS REIGNING AT THE BATTLE OF MRAENGO NEVER SINCE THE ORIGIN OF HISTORY HAD PRINCES BEEN SO BLIND IN THE PRESENCE OF FACTS AND THE PORTION OF DIVINE AUTHORITY WHICH FACTS CONTAIN AND PROMULGATE
m. The people saw this. It thought it possessed strength because the Empire had been carried away before it like a theatrical stage-setting. It did not perceive that it had, itself, been brought in in the same fashion. It did not perceive that it also lay in that hand which had removed Napoleon. It thought that it had roots, because it was the past. It was mistaken; it formed a part of the past, but the whole past was France. The roots of French society were not fixed in the Bourbons, but in the nations. These obscure and lively roots constituted, not the right of a family, but the history of a people. They were everywhere, except under the throne. The House of Bourbon was to France the illustrious and bleeding knot in her history, but was no longer the principal element of her destiny, and the necessary base of her politics. She could get along without the Bourbons; she had done without them for two and twenty years; there had been a break of continuity; they did not suspect the fact. AND TRUE WORK IT LOOKED GLUM THE PEOPLE SAW THIS IT THOUGHT IT POSSESSED STRENGTH BECAUSE THE EMPIRE HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY BEFORE IT LIKE A THEATRICAL STAGE SETTING IT DID NOT PERCEIVE THAT IT HAD ITSELF BEEN BROUGHT IN IN THE SAME FASHION IT DID NOT PERCEIVE THAT IT ALSO LAY IN THAT HAND WHICH HAD REMOVED NAPOLEON IT THOUGHT THAT IT HAD ROOTS BECAUSE IT WAS THE PAST IT WAS MISTAKEN IT FORMED A PART OF THE PAST BUT THE WHOLE PAST WAS FRANCE THE ROOTS OF FRENCH SOCIETY WERE NOT FIXED IN THE BOURBONS BUT IN THE NATION THESE OBSCURE AND LIVELY ROOTS CONSTITUTED NOT THE RIGHT OF A FAMILY BUT THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE THEY WERE EVERYWHERE EXCEPT UNDER THE THRONE THE HOUSE OF BOURBON WAS TO FRANCE THE ILLUSTRIOUS AND BLEEDING KNOT IN HER HISTORY BUT WAS NO LONGER THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENT OF HER DESTINY AND THE NECESSARY BASE OF HER POLITICS SHE COULD GET ALONG WITHOUT THE BOURBONS SHE HAD DONE WITHOUT THEM FOR TWO AND TWENTY YEARS THERE HAD BEEN A BREAK OF CONTINUITY THEY DID NOT SUSPECT THE FACT
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