_Vive Carnot! Vive Boulanger!_ In 1889: _A bas les Panamistes! A bas Boulanger!_ In 1895: _Vive le Tsar!_ In 1898: _Vivent la liberté, égalité, la fraternité! A bas les Juifs! Vive l'Armée! Conspuez Zola!_ And in the latter part of the same year may be added: _Vive Picquart_, _Vive la Révision! Vive Zola!_ and, naturally, _A bas!_ and _Conspuez!_ all three. As to the administration of the Third Republic, it may be illustrated with tolerable exactness, and without too much malice, by two extracts from the _Figaro_ of the summer of 1898, in which will be recognized certain great theories of universal aptitude on the part of its citizens not at all unlike those which prevail on the part of the public functionaries of our own beloved country. The first of these articles appeared at the period when the precarious Brisson ministry was in process of formation, after several ineffectual attempts on the part of other statesmen summoned to this task by the President of the République. It may be premised that the care taken to identify M. Durand by the department which he represents is rendered necessary by the fact that his family is as prevalent in France as Smith or Jones in English-speaking lands. "At noon, M. Peytral requested Durand (of the Loir) to enter his cabinet and offered him the portfolio of Minister of the Finances. "Durand, who had never been minister, accepted with _empressement_. "'I am acquainted with our financial system from the bottom up,' he said. 'This is, therefore, excellent.' "'Truly,' replied Peytral. 'I was not aware of it.' "But about half-past one of the afternoon, in consequence of the refusal of one of the members of the future cabinet, M. Peytral was obliged to change the combination. He summoned again M. Durand (of the Loir) and said to him: "'My dear colleague, I appeal to your patriotism. I have need of the portfolio of the finances. Will you be good enough to do me the friendly office to accept the Public Works?' "M. Durand reflected a second. "'I came near being an engineer,' he replied, 'I believe that I could be able to render great service to the country in this new ministry.' "And after having been Minister of the Finances from noon to half-past one, he was Minister of Public Works from half-past one to three. "At two o'clock, M. Peytral sent a _petit bleu_ [telegram, so called from the color of the official paper] to Durand (of the Loir) to invite him to call for the third time. "'I have just perceived, my dear colleague,' he said to him, 'that my combination is not workable. It is not the Public Works that you require, nor the Finances, it is the Marine.' "And Durand accepted the Marine, which he preserved up to half-past five, the hour at which the political necessities threw him upon the Public Instruction and Religion. [Illustration: TYPE OF THE GARDE MUNICIPALE. MILITARY OF THE CITY OF PARIS. After a drawing by L. Marchetti.]