the Rue de Sevres: his friend the almoner took us round; he seemed an
example of the old French character, polite and gay, with a natural
spring of cheerfulness, which woke a corresponding chord in every one
he addressed. I was pleased to see, as we went through the wards, in
which were several wounded in the affair of June, how every face
of man, woman, and child lighted up with pleasure as he addressed
them. This hospital is served by eighteen sisters of charity. After
this nothing would do but he must take us to l'Institution des
Aveugles, though he left a party in his own rooms. I have never been
over an institution more interesting or more worthy of support than
this. I had a feeling of dread in entering, to see all around me boys
and girls deprived of the most precious of the senses--here, however,
charity seems to have done all that is possible to alleviate their
loss. They are employed in a great variety of occupations, not only
reading, writing, and music, but in carpentering, printing, turning
with the lathe, making shoes and slippers, and a great many other
trades. Boys on one side and girls on the other were walking about the
house and the garden as freely as if they possessed the blessing of
sight--all seemed cheerful and even happy. We watched with
astonishment a blind boy using a sharp instrument in turning the
lathe, with as much precision and fearlessness as if he saw. Many
likewise were practising music, and the sudden smiles which mantled
over their countenances every now and then were pleasant to behold. I
bought for twelve francs a pair of candlesticks, turned and polished
with the utmost nicety,--all done by the blind. The eye can detect no
inequality or variance in the work; they are as if they came out
of a first-rate shop in London or Paris. It is true that this
spectacle was after all not without pain; for even while feeling the
charity which had successfully devised so many occupations for
creatures lying under such a loss, the expression of each face,
deprived, as it were, of its soul, afflicted one--and here were two
hundred young people of both sexes in this condition; very often
likewise their faces were otherwise deformed. We asked one lad to read
to us: he passed his fingers rapidly over letters raised a little
above the paper, and read us tolerably fast a passage respecting
English rule in India, in which, oddly enough, my own name occurred.
Another mode of reading, not by letters, but by other marks
representing letters, and similarly raised, seemed more difficult, or
the reader had less practice. Another blind man wrote a short sentence
which we dictated to him respecting our visit. This seemed done by a
very complicated instrument, which had about sixteen points, capable
of forming all the letters and figures, in a sort of square hand;
several of these points went to make a single letter; and they were
touched by the hand as rapidly as I have seen lace-makers fix their
pins. One blind boy kindly directed us over to the female part of the
house: they move up and down stairs and about the corridors without
hesitation. Our friend and conductor had a kind word for every
different party, and seemed quite at home. It would have been
impossible to be out of sorts in his company; he was ever chirruping
round one.
Afterwards M. Des Billiers walked with me to the Enfans Trouvés, Rue
d'Enfer. I had once before seen a house of this kind at Rouen, and
this renewed all one's feelings of admiration and love for S. Vincent
de Paul. If ever charity flowed in any human breast, it was in his.
When people scruple at admitting some material miracle, such, for
instance, as that mentioned above, wrought before his shrine, they
forget that the whole life of this saint was a spiritual miracle
infinitely more astonishing. It is a simple exercise of God's
_creative_ power attending, it is true, on the virtue flowing over
from our Saviour to His saints, that a malady is removed by the
intercession of a saint, whose relics are approached in faith, but
that man's naturally selfish and fallen spirit should become a shrine
of self-denying, patient, suffering, and conquering love, from the
baptismal font unto the grave, is a miracle of God's _redeeming_
power, of His election working in union with His creature's will,
which does, indeed, awaken the greatest astonishment. "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto
my Father." It is said not to the Apostles, nor to those on whom
they laid their hands, nor to the first ages merely, but without limit
of time.
In the room where the infants exposed are first received there are
eighty-five cradles; many of them were tenanted, some by infants
apparently dying, or, again, only that day received; one was lying,
just arrived, not yet undressed, washed, and clothed,--the children of
shame and disease, too often; always, I fear, of misery; one could not
look upon them without the deepest commiseration, or the highest
regard to those sisters of charity, (for this hospital there are
thirty-two), who fulfil their mission towards these the veriest
outcasts of the world. The sister who took us round told us that
twelve a day were baptized on an average; sometimes as many as thirty.
If they survive the first few days, they are sent into the country to
be nursed; but they are brought up in different houses, instructed for
various trades, and kept, if necessary, till twenty-one years of age.
At present the use of the tower is suspended during the day, but at
night infants are so received, left sometimes without rags to cover
them; a little badge is put on each, and any particular marks about
them noted. In the day they are received upon the attestation of a
public officer. We went through the ophthalmerie, and infirmerie. It
was most interesting to see these little creatures of various ages,
but nearly all suffering, finding from those who had become
their parents in Christ the mercy which their natural parents had not
shown them. I said to the sister that I feared they had few English
among them: she assented. When will my country be foremost again in
these works of saintly charity, in this bearing of the cross amid the
sins and miseries of a fallen world? Would that instead of so much
earthly wealth she were once more the isle of Saints. But this is
impossible, so long as she denies, despises, or misunderstands the
honour due to the virgin estate of those consecrated to God, or the
power of Christ's sacrifice conveyed from the Lord to His members.
_Wednesday, July 26._--Had about an hour's conversation with the Père
de Ravignan. He asked me if I knew the Comte de Montalembert, said his
intended preface to the life of S. Bernard, on the religious orders,
had already swollen to three volumes: he regretted that the Père
Lacordaire was not at Paris, for me to see him. I asked why he had
quitted the National Assembly. That, he said, has caused us some pain.
His own generous nature led him to think that he might induce the
liberal members there to extend their liberality to the Church, and to
countenance liberty of teaching; but he soon found his mistake in
this; they were false liberals, ready enough to apply their principles
to state matters, but not ready to carry them into the domain of
thought. They were liberal _against_ the Church, and despots
_over_ it. M. Lacordaire had not entered the Assembly to gratify any
wish of his own; he sat there on the Mountain; but this state of
things, this difficult and confined position in which he could not act
freely, was most repugnant to his disposition. So he resigned; it
might have been better fully to have considered the reality before
hand. As to the salaries given to the clergy, Le Père Lacordaire was
not for discontinuing them. No doubt, miserable as they are in amount,
and given in exchange for ample estates, it would be desirable to do
without them, were it possible. But as the clergy is mainly drawn from
the lower classes, this is not possible; and the small "casuel" they
receive for baptisms, marriages, and interments, is necessary to eke
out their scanty incomes. It was sad to see such a remuneration made
to its clergy by a Catholic country, while England, he said, allowed
such comparatively liberal stipends to the same class.
I asked him what were the strongest books on the Roman Primacy. He
said the Brothers Ballerini, and Valemburg's Controversies. I remarked
that for nearly three years my attention had been fixed on this
subject, and that I had pursued it through Councils and Fathers down
to the conclusion that the Pope had indisputably a primacy of order
(or honour) in the whole Church, but had not a primacy of jurisdiction
over the East. He did not advance anything new on this point. He
quoted the usual passages of S. Irenæus, S. Victor, St. Cyprian, St.
Augustine. I had considered, I said, all these, and a great multitude
of others, but still my conclusion was against the primacy of
jurisdiction, as concerning the Oriental Church. He then attempted to
meet this by the paucity of documents in early times; but I said those
which actually existed told against the Roman claim. "Suppose," said
he, "you were to admit the Roman hypothesis; would you not find it
solve all the passages?" I said this was the very way in which I had
studied the question, and come to just the contrary conclusion. He
said that he understood English, and would read my book, which I had
offered to send him, and let me know his answer to my view.
I was struck again with the charity of his manner, and with his
likeness to Manning. Went for half an hour to the adjoining church of
S. Vincent de Paul. His shrine is still open over the altar. I saw
various articles, clothes, books, crosses, carried up and put against
the glass covering his relics, for the purpose of blessing them.
At one went to the distribution of prizes at the Petit Séminaire, 21.
Rue N. D. des Champs. The four vicaires généraux of the Chapter of
Paris sat in front, to crown with a chaplet the gainers of the prizes,
and to present books to them and those who gained an accessit.
There were a good many other clergy, and a tolerable number of laity,
men and women, present, friends evidently of the young men and boys. I
could not but be struck here, as elsewhere, with the great number of
plebeian and unintellectual faces among the clergy, (to which,
however, the four vicaires généraux, and some others, were
exceptions.) As for the laity present, male and female, it was a mass
of unredeemed ugliness. One of the professors read an address to the
pupils of full a half hour, passing in view the whole life of the late
Archbishop, his studies, labours, writings, acts, and lastly, his
martyrdom and burial, not forgetting his solicitude for them. One of
the last of his public acts was the coming there on Whit-Sunday, a
fortnight before his fatal wound. I did not think this address
good--it was monotonous both in tone and delivery;--very remarkable is
the difference in the sound of the French language when read and when
spoken. The recitation is so peculiarly spondaic, stiff, and
conventional, in the former case; while, in the latter, it is easy and
flowing. When this was done, the giving of prizes began. It took an
hour; and no wonder, for at least two hundred wreaths and two hundred
sets of books, single or double, were to be distributed. Many indeed
received several wreaths and prizes. The winners came forward,
ascended four or five steps, and were successively crowned and
saluted on each cheek by one of the Vicaires Généraux; now and then
they were taken to a friend or relative, male or female, when present,
to receive their crown. It was put on the head, and then carried in
the hand. I thought that at least the principle of emulation was not
discouraged. But the great number of subjects which were rewarded was
as remarkable as the number of prizes. It seemed as if they never
would end. There was Excellence and Sagesse: Greek, Latin, and French
composition; Latin verse; Philosophy, Rhetoric, Geography, English
Language, &c.; and most of these divided into different forms. No
merit could be said to be neglected. There was a first prize, and a
second, and sometimes three accessit besides; and some reached nine,
or even ten rewards. I dare say they all felt as young Greeks
receiving the laurel crown. Certainly the mounting those steep stairs,
in order to receive their crown, must have been a nervous operation.
At the conclusion, one of the Vicaires Généraux rose, and delivered a
few words to the pupils with great simplicity and ease; the day of
return was then announced for Thursday, 5th Oct. I marked many
ingenuous and pleasing countenances among the successful candidates. A
father near me was in a state of the greatest excitement at the prizes
of his son, a lad of thirteen.
I went over for a few minutes to the exquisite chapel of Les Dames de
bon Secours, or Garde-Malades: it was quite silent; and I could enjoy
its beauty without interruption. I was told yesterday that the labours
of these sisters by sick beds materially shorten their life; and that
they enter the society with the full consciousness that the service
they undertake is injurious and often fatal. Their work is, to attend
on sick persons of good condition, and to use the opportunity, which
sickness rarely fails to present, of directing the thoughts to
religious subjects. A payment of five francs a day is made to the
institution for their services.
Went to M. Gondon, who took me to the Comte de Montalembert's
reception. The Bishop of Langres there, M. l'Abbé de Casales, two
other members of the Assembly, also M. Bonnetty, M. de S. Chéron,
translator of Hurter's Life of Innocent III., and about ten other
gentlemen. La Comtesse was in Belgium, visiting her family. I had some
talk with the Bishop. M. de Montalembert began a conversation about
England, which interested me. "I am in great fear for you; if you
resist the present crisis, as you did the first revolution and
Napoleon, it will be a great glory. The glory of England is already
great, but that will be almost miraculous. It is the struggle of
paganism against religion. I admit that you have in England a larger
amount of religion on the whole than any other country has:
c'est une réligion bien mince, you will agree with me: there are very
few among you who hold an integral Catholicism; but, however, religion
of some sort there is. Yet, in spite of this, the great mass of your
people is become heathen; they look at your books and your lives, and
believe there is no other life, for you have taught them practically
there is none. It is all very well to tell them that, were property
divided among all, they would get some eleven shillings a week;
whatever it be, they will try for it: if they do not believe the next
life, they will try to get something of this. And then look at the
state of things all over the Continent. If England outrides this
storm, it will be marvellous. I wish she may with all my heart, but
she alone remains." He seemed to think the German and Italian unities,
if constituted, would alter the balance in Europe. As for the state of
France no one, I imagine, can tell what is coming. M. de Montalembert
and two others are the only members of the old House of Peers sitting
in the Assembly. There is a fair number of old deputies; but the great
mass of the rest are utterly unworthy, from education, position, or
any merit whatever, to represent France. They are not up to any of the
questions which present themselves. And from such an Assembly France
is to receive a constitution. Of the French generals at present in
power, M. Bédeau is the only one who is religious: I heard
lately a remarkable trait of him. When in Africa with his army he met
a priest, went forward to him, took him aside to some distance, and
confessed to him; he then returned to his army, and said, if any one
liked to follow his example, he would wait for him; they were going to
fight, and no one could calculate the chances of war. How many did the
like I did not hear.
_Thursday, July 27._--M. des Billiers came to go with me to M. Hervé,
the surgeon of Les Sœurs de la Charité, to get his account of the
material facts attending the healing of the novice on the 9th of May.
We found him out, but Mad. Hervé gave the same account as we had
before received; and told us if we would call later we could see M.
Hervé. I did so, and he then said that he had deposited a medical
account of the whole thing with the Sisters, which I might see in the
Rue du Bac.
I went again to call on M. Noirlieu, but found him out. On the way
went into the old abbey church of S. Germain des Prés: since I was
last there the whole choir has been painted. I think this is the most
pleasing and impressive of all the churches at Paris. I could not be
there without emotion, considering the long line of Benedictines who
had worshipped within those walls, and deserved so well of the Church
of Christ by studying and editing her great Fathers. I saw
commemorated in one monument three great names--Mabillon,
Descartes, and Montfaucon; of the second, I think it was said, "qui
luce, quam indagavit, nunc fruitur:" this comprehends everything,--to
enjoy that light. O utinam!
I have been looking to-day at a short account published here: "Sur les
soixante-dix serviteurs mis à mort pour la foi en Chine, en Tong-King,
et en Cochin-Chine, déclarés vénérables par notre S. Père le Pape
Gregoire XVI." It is a wonderful history: the deeds and sufferings of
the early Church exactly reproduced in our own times. These martyrs
were even more savagely tortured than those of old by the Romans. And
some of them are only four or five years older than oneself, some of
them natives of China, younger; so that while I have wasted my days in
vanity, others, sharers of this same flesh and blood, have entered the
noble army of martyrs. And if charity dispenses the place of the
redeemed in the mansions on high, near to their Lord assuredly will be
their place, who passed from the midst of a deceiving and voluptuous
civilisation, unstained and unallured, into the midst of a population
lying in the valley of the shadow of death; low, grovelling, filthy in
mind and body, and this to save some souls, if it might be, out of
that otherwise condemned mass. It would seem as if out of corruption
at its worst degree the highest, purest, and most self-denying
charity were to go forth, to show that God's arm is not shortened, and
that we might be, if we would, all that the martyrs of old were.
Moreover, the people of Cochin China are naturally of a peculiarly
timid disposition; yet many have been found to emulate the courage of
European priests and bishops, in bearing the most prolonged torments
and trials. What a horrible thing does it seem, that we should be
practically taught, that the system which produces these men is such a
corruption of God's revelation as is but a step removed, if removed at
all, from idolatry.
Walked about the gardens of the Tuileries and through the Boulevards
this evening: the population of Paris seems to pour itself out with
delight here; and no wonder, for what great city has so pleasing a
place of recreation for all classes, not the great and rich merely, as
the gardens of the Tuileries. To me especially they bring back long
past years. But I don't at all like being alone in this Babylon.
_Friday, July 28._--I met the Bishop of Langres and a party, who went
over Gerente's painted glass manufactory, 13. Quai d'Anjou. He seems
to have reached the colours of old glass, and showed us the process by
which all the appearance of antiquity is given to new glass. By means
of acids he produces imperfections in glass which was smooth and
clear; thus heightening the tone of other parts. Even chemists
have been unable to discern the difference between two pieces of
glass, one ancient and one modern. He said ---- was a humbug; Waille
was the best English worker, but Hardman would be so soon.
Went into Notre Dame for some time: in spite of the grandeur of many
parts of this church, I always feel dissatisfied with it as a whole.
Went also to S. Severin, to a little chapel of the Blessed Virgin, the
altar of which, and figure of the Virgin and Child, please me much.
Took a letter from Labbé to M. Dupanloup, but he was not in Paris.
Called likewise twice on M. Defresne, but he was out; and took a
letter to the Bishop of Orleans, but he could only be seen between
eight and nine in the morning. In the evening I found Mr. A. Coppinger
at home, and had a long talk with him. He seems to think there is no
chance whatever for Henri Cinq; that the sentiment of loyalty, of the
duty even of obeying authority, is in the multitude utterly extinct.
The rich shopkeeping classes are universally unchristian; so that in
repressing the last émeute of June, even the revolters behaved with
more respect in the churches than the Garde Nationale sent to fight
them. The root of French misfortune is the thoroughly bad education
given to men in all but the ecclesiastical schools. They regard
Christianity as if they were outside it; the Gospel as a very
beautiful book, doubtless, but not one commanding obedience from
them. Living upon a civilisation, the whole force of which is derived
from Christianity, they think that they can dispense with this the
root of society, and construct society on their own superficial
theories. The revolution of February took every one by surprise, even
those who brought it about; it was the result of secret societies
which had been existing for years; but though they felt their power,
and thought that they might, perhaps, overturn a ministry, they did
not calculate on casting out a dynasty. The last revolt had been very
perfectly organised: it had a great many leaders, each with so many
hundred men under him; these leaders well paid, but the common men
fighting gratuitously for what was supposed to be their own cause.
Though near ten thousand men are now in prison, it is not supposed
that many of these leaders have been captured. And so what may happen
in the winter is a subject for much fear.
_Saturday, July 29._--Went at eight this morning to call on M.
Defresne. He was very cordial, asked about our visit to the Tyrolese
Stigmatisées--had heard from Manzoni that we had been to him. He soon
got into his usual animated tone of conversation. The events of
February and June had had a beneficial effect for the clergy, in
bringing out their charitable care for the wounded, to which even the
saying of Mass had been postponed. L'Abbé Etienne had just been
dining with him, so that he too had heard of the healing of the
novice. A friend whom he named as the Poet Reboul came in: we all
agreed that the life of S. Vincent was a greater miracle than any
thing wrought by God in virtue of his intercession. M. Defresne
engaged me to come again on Tuesday morning, and proposed a dinner for
us three.
Mr. A. Coppinger returned my call, and offered to be of any service in
showing me institutions, &c. He attested the great charity and
devotion of the clergy. This has the most intimate connection with the
celibate. He did not seem to think there was much improvement in the
morals of the different educational establishments of the University.
In his own time at the Ecole Polytechnique out of 200 scholars not
above a dozen would be practical Christians; for not only was all
religious instruction utterly neglected, but the professors, often
infidels, would inspire them with a contempt and dislike for religion.
Now the Ecole Polytechnique had 250 scholars, and perhaps a quarter of
them might be sincere Christians. When once they were known as such,
the probability was that they would be very decided and earnest: they
were sometimes members of the society of S. Vincent de Paul for
instructing the poor.
Went to M. des Billiers to ask him to accompany me to the Rue du Bac,
to obtain a copy of M. Hervé's attestation of the miraculous
cure. We found the original of this no longer in their possession, it
having been sealed up and deposited, with other documents, near the
shrine of S. Vincent. They had a copy of it, which I proposed to copy,
and then take it to M. Hervé for his signature. This was done; and I
hope to obtain it to-morrow. I asked M. des Billiers what he thought
of the permanency of the republic. His conviction is that it cannot
stand, but that the time of its duration may be indefinite from a few
months to ten years. He believes that France is entirely monarchical:
but it will probably require great sufferings and an exhaustion of the
country for the monarchy to return. The obstacle is, that the middle
classes, the bourgeoisie, who now reign, dread with the monarchy a
cortége of noblesse and clergy. Could they be fully persuaded that all
ranks would share alike, and that no attempt would be made to revive
old privileges, they would be for the monarchy; for they want trade,
confidence, and a firm government, and this the republic cannot give.
The person of the monarch is not so clear; for though all educated and
thoughtful people must see that a monarchy must rest on a principle,
and that legitimacy alone has that principle, yet the name of Napoleon
has still a vast influence throughout the poorer classes. The
restoration had lost a fine opportunity. It was really very popular at
first, and had it applied the principles of liberty to the
Church and the nation, might have maintained itself: instead of this,
it honoured a few individual ecclesiastics, thereby creating a great
ill-will against the Church, but acted towards the whole body of the
Church in the most illiberal spirit, keeping it under lock and key.
Called on M. Gondon: we talked about the cure of the novice. I told
him I was engaged in collecting the proofs of it. M. Gondon thought
that the Benedictines and Dominicans were not destined to take root
afresh in France: he pointed to the position of the Père Lacordaire in
proof of this. With very great abilities, especially the power of
carrying away his auditors by his eloquence, he could with difficulty
maintain one very small house in France. In the middle ages such a man
might have founded an order. He heard his celebrated sermon on the
first Sunday after the revolution of February, in Notre Dame. From
beginning to end "c'était un délire." The father is just returned to
Paris. He observed that late events in England must have convinced
reflecting people how completely our Church was the puppet of the
ministers of the day. Louis Philippe had tried to play the same game
in France as had been played in England in the appointment of bishops,
but the grace of consecration had been too strong for him. I replied
that this was not quite fair, for we too had men of courage
among us; and I quoted Bishop Selwyn's energetic and successful
protest against the attempt of a secretary of state to sacrifice the
rights of the natives in New Zealand.