History of the Girondists, Volume I: Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French RevolutionLamartine, Alphonse de
History
History of the Girondists, Volume I: Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French Revolution
Lamartine, Alphonse de
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799; Girondists
revolutionary saint--Bernard preaching political charity, or the crusade
of reason.
His manners were neither severe nor hypocritical. He; himself confessed
that he loved with legitimate and pure; affection Madame Carron, who
followed him every where, even to churches and clubs. "They calumniated
me with respect to her," he said, "and I attached myself the more
strongly to her, and yet I am pure. You have seen her, even more lovely
in mind than face, and who for the ten years I have known her seems to
me daily more worthy of being loved. She would lay down her life for me;
I would resign my life for her; but I would never sacrifice my duty to
her. In spite of the malignant libels of the aristocrats, I shall go
every day at breakfast-time to taste the charms of the purest friendship
in her society. She comes to hear me preach! Yes, no doubt of it; no one
knows better than herself the sincerity with which I believe in the
truths I profess. She comes to the assemblies of the Hotel-de-Ville!
Yes, no doubt of it: it is because she is convinced that patriotism is a
second religion, that no hypocrisy is in my soul, and that my life is
really devoted to God, to my country, and friendship."
"And you dare to assert that you are chaste," retorted the faithful and
indignant priests, by the Abbe de Valmeron. "How absurd! Chaste, at the
moment when you confess the most unpardonable inclinations; when you
attract a woman from the bed of her husband--her duties as a
mother--when you take about every where this infatuated female, attached
to your footsteps, in order to display her ostentatiously to the public
gaze! And who follow, sir! A troop of ruffians and abandoned women.
Worthy pastor of this foul populace, which celebrates your pastoral
visit by the only rejoicings that can give you pleasure--your progress
is marked by every excess of rapine and debauchery." These bitter
reproaches resounded in the provinces, and caused great excitement. The
conforming and nonconforming priests were disputing the altars. A letter
from the minister of the interior came to authorise the nonjuring
priests to celebrate the holy sacrifice in the churches where they had
previously done duty. Obedient to the law, the constitutional priests
opened to them their chapels, supplied them with the ornaments necessary
for divine worship; but the multitude, faithful to their ancient
pastors, threatened and insulted the new clergy. Bloody struggles took
place between the two creeds on the very threshold of God's house. On
Friday, November the 4th, the former _cure_ of the parish of Saint Jean,
at Caen, came to perform the mass. The church was full of Catholics.
This meeting offended the constitutionalists and excited the other
party. The _Te Deum_, as a thanksgiving, was demanded and sung by the
adherents of the ancient _cure_, who, encouraged by this success,
announced to the faithful that he should come again the next day at the
same hour to celebrate the sacrament.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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