France -- Civilization; France -- Politics and government; France -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
[Footnote 5246: "The Ancient Régime," pp. 65, 120, 150, 292. "Memoires
inédits de Madame de....." (I am not allowed to give the author's name).
The type in high relief of one of these prelates a few years before the
Revolution may here be found. He was bishop of Narbonne, with an income
of 800,000 livres derived from the possessions of the clergy. He passed
a fortnight every other year at Narbonne, and then for six weeks he
presided with ability and propriety over the provincial parliament at
Montpellier. But during the other twenty-two months he gave no thought
to any parliamentary business or to his diocese, and lived at Haute
Fontaine with his niece, Madame de Rothe, of whom he was the lover.
Madame de Dillon, his grand-niece, and the Prince de Guémenée, the
lover of Madame de Dillon, lived in the same château. The proprieties of
deportment were great enough, but language there was more than free, so
much so that the Marquise d'Osmond, on a visit, "was embarrassed even
to shedding tears.... On Sunday, out of respect to the character of
the master of the house, they went to Mass; but nobody carried a
prayer-book; it was always some gay and often scandalous book, which
was left lying about in the tribune of the château, open to those who
cleaned the room, for their edification as they pleased."]
[Footnote 5247: "Vie de Mgr. Dupanloup," by Abbé Lagrange.--"Histoire du
Cardinal Pie, évêque de Poitiers," by Mgr. Bannard.]
[Footnote 5248: One could imagine the impression this text would have
made on Lenin and his plans to create an elite communist party once he
should take the power he dreamt of. (SR.)]
[Footnote 5249: "Moniteur," session of March 14, 1865, speech of
Cardinal de Bonnechose: "I exact full obedience, because I myself, like
those among you who belong to the army or navy, have always taken pride
in thus rendering it to my chiefs, to my superiors."]
[Footnote 5250: "Histoire du cardinal Pie," by M. Bannard, II.,p.690. M.
Pie left six large volumes in which, for thirty years, he recorded his
episcopal acts, uninterruptedly, until his last illness.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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