I have çoisRenéunderlined these last phrases to attract the reader's eyes to that striking prediction. Even to-day, when opinions are in full flight, when every man utters at random all that passes through his brain, those Republican ideas expressed by a Royalist during the Restoration still sound daring. In point of the future, the pretended progressive minds have no initiative in anything.
My last articles stirred up even M. de La Fayette, who, by way of compliment, had a bay-leaf handed to me. The effect of my opinions, to the great surprise of those who had not believed in them, made itself felt from the book-sellers, who came to me in a deputation, to the parliament-men at first least allied to me in politics. The letter given below in proof of what I am putting forward will cause a certain surprise because of its signature. Attention should be given only to the significance of the letter, to the change which had occurred in the ideas and position of the writer and the recipient: as to its composition, I am "Bossuet" and "Montesquieu," that goes without saying; that is the daily bread of us authors, just as ministers are always Sully and Colbert.
[Sidenote: Letter from General Sébastiani.]
"Permit me to participate in the universal admiration: I have too long entertained this sentiment to resist the need of expressing it to you.
"You unite the loftiness of Bossuet with the profundity of Montesquieu: you have revived their pen and their genius. Your articles are a great education to any statesman.
"In the new method of warfare which you have created, you recall the mighty hand of him who, in other fights, also filled the world with his glory. May your successes prove more enduring: they interest the country and humanity.
"All who, like myself, profess the principles of constitutional monarchy, are proud to find in you their noblest interpreter.
"Accept, monsieur le vicomte, a renewed assurance of my high regard.
Thus fell at my feet friends, enemies, adversaries, in the moment of victory. All the pusillanimous and ambitious spirits who had believed me lost began to see me come forth beaming from the whirlwinds of dust in the lists: it was my second Spanish War; I was triumphing over all parties at home as I had triumphed over France's enemies abroad. I had had to discharge my duty in person, in the same way as, with my dispatches, I had paralyzed and rendered useless the dispatches of M. de Metternich and Mr. Canning.