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Who are you?
You are a bishop; that is to say; a prince of the church; one of those gilded men with heraldic bearings and revenues; who have vast prebends; the bishopric of D fifteen thousand francs settled ine; ten thousand in perquisites; total; twenty…five thousand francs; who have kitchens; who have liveries; who make good cheer; who eat moor…hens on Friday; who strut about; a lackey before; a lackey behind; in a gala coach; and who have palaces; and who roll in their carriages in the name of Jesus Christ who went barefoot! You are a prelate;revenues; palace; horses; servants; good table; all the sensualities of life; you have this like the rest; and like the rest; you enjoy it; it is well; but this says either too much or too little; this does not enlighten me upon the intrinsic and essential value of the man who es with the probable intention of bringing wisdom to me。
To whom do I speak? Who are you?〃
The Bishop hung his head and replied; 〃Vermis sumI am a worm。〃
〃A worm of the earth in a carriage?〃 growled the conventionary。
It was the conventionary's turn to be arrogant; and the Bishop's to be humble。
The Bishop resumed mildly:
〃So be it; sir。
But explain to me how my carriage; which is a few paces off behind the trees yonder; how my good table and the moor…hens which I eat on Friday; how my twenty…five thousand francs ine; how my palace and my lackeys prove that clemency is not a duty; and that '93 was not inexorable。
The conventionary passed his hand across his brow; as though to sweep away a cloud。
〃Before replying to you;〃 he said; 〃I beseech you to pardon me。 I have just mitted a wrong; sir。
You are at my house; you are my guest; I owe you courtesy。
You discuss my ideas; and it bees me to confine myself to bating your arguments。
Your riches and your pleasures are advantages which I hold over you in the debate; but good taste dictates that I shall not make use of them。
I promise you to make no use of them in the future。〃
〃I thank you;〃 said the Bishop。
G resumed。
〃Let us return to the explanation which you have asked of me。 Where were we?
What were you saying to me?
That '93 was inexorable?〃
〃Inexorable; yes;〃 said the Bishop。
〃What think you of Marat clapping his hands at the guillotine?〃
〃What think you of Bossuet chanting the Te Deum over the dragonnades?〃
The retort was a harsh one; but it attained its mark with the directness of a point of steel。
The Bishop quivered under it; no reply occurred to him; but he was offended by this mode of alluding to Bossuet。
The best of minds will have their fetiches; and they sometimes feel vaguely wounded by the want of respect of logic。
The conventionary began to pant; the asthma of the agony which is mingled with the last breaths interrupted his voice; still; there was a perfect lucidity of soul in his eyes。
He went on:
〃Let me say a few words more in this and that direction; I am willing。
Apart from the Revolution; which; taken as a whole; is an immense human affirmation; '93 is; alas! a rejoinder。 You think it inexorable; sir; but what of the whole monarchy; sir? Carrier is a bandit; but what name do you give to Montrevel? Fouquier…Tainville is a rascal; but what is your opinion as to Lamoignon…Baville? Maillard is terrible; but Saulx…Tavannes; if you please?
Duchene senior is ferocious; but what epithet will you allow me for the elder Letellier?
Jourdan…Coupe…Tete is a monster; but not so great a one as M。 the Marquis de Louvois。 Sir; sir; I am sorry for Marie Antoinette; archduchess and queen; but I am also sorry for that poor Huguenot woman; who; in 1685; under Louis the Great; sir; while with a nursing infant; was bound; naked to the waist; to a stake; and the child kept at a distance; her breast swelled with milk and her heart with anguish; the little one; hungry and pale; beheld that breast and cried and agonized; the executioner said to the woman; a mother and a nurse; ‘Abjure!' giving her her choice between the death of her infant and the death of her conscience。
What say you to that torture of Tantalus as applied to a mother?
Bear this well in mind sir: the French Revolution had its reasons for existence; its wrath will be absolved by the future; its result is the world made better。 From its most terrible blows there es forth a caress for the human race。
I abridge; I stop; I have too much the advantage; moreover; I am dying。〃
And ceasing to gaze at the Bishop; the conventionary concluded his thoughts in these tranquil words:
〃Yes; the brutalities of progress are called revolutions。 When they are over; this fact is recognized;that the human race has been treated harshly; but that it has progressed。〃
The conventionary doubted not that he had successively conquered all the inmost intrenchments of the Bishop。
One remained; however; and from this intrenchment; the last resource of Monseigneur Bienvenu's resistance; came forth this reply; wherein appeared nearly all the harshness of the beginning:
〃Progress should believe in God。
Good cannot have an impious servitor。 He who is an atheist is but a bad leader for the human race。〃
The former representative of the people made no reply。
He was seized with a fit of trembling。
He looked towards heaven; and in his glance a tear gathered slowly。
When the eyelid was full; the tear trickled down his livid cheek; and he said; almost in a stammer; quite low; and to himself; while his eyes were plunged in the depths:
〃O thou!
O ideal!
Thou alone existest!〃
The Bishop experienced an indescribable shock。
After a pause; the old man raised a finger heavenward and said:
〃The infinite is。
He is there。
If the infinite had no person; person would be without limit; it would not be infinite; in other words; it would not exist。
There is; then; an _I_。 That _I_ of the infinite is God。〃
The dying man had pronounced these last words in a loud voice; and with the shiver of ecstasy; as though he beheld some one。 When he had spoken; his eyes closed。
The effort had exhausted h