RECOLLECTIONS OF CHATEAUBRIAND IN ENGLAND. 185 



our opinion, drawn with much force and accuracy. " In England/' 

 observed the Viscount, " the principle for egalite, as interpreted by 

 the French, is little understood. An Englishman often asks, does 

 equality consist in the power of obtaining honours or places of emo- 

 lument? Does it mean equal rights, even-handed justice, and equal 

 protection afforded by the laws ? The French are already in posses- 

 sion of these blessings, and Englishmen are unable to conceive that 

 any other species of equality can exist." After a short pause, M. de 

 Chateaubriand concluded with the following illustration of his idea : 

 " The old nobility of England," said he, " has not been annihilated 

 by the mere fact of its political defeat along with Charles Stuart on 

 the field of battle. It has passed through a period of revolution with- 

 out abandoning a single right, and without incurring the slightest 

 stain. It has still preserved its aristocracy, and constituted itself 

 into the order of the peerage. The French noblesse, on the con- 

 trary, has entirely perished under the guillotine it has been van- 

 quished by the executioner its order is irretrievably extinct and 

 from its ashes has arisen a sort of bastard nobility, without privileges, 

 without dignity, and without honourable recollections !" 



It would be an injustice to suppose that even at this period M. de 

 Chateaubriand betrayed the slightest feeling of bitterness against the 

 revolution of 1789, which had thus annihilated the aristocracy, and 

 crushed to the earth the principle of sovereignty. At this very period 

 in 1802 (the date here is of some moment) he openly made the follow- 

 ing profession of faith, which we believehe has registered in his un- 

 published memoirs ; it affords the key to his whole political career : 

 " I am," said he, " a republican from taste, a Bourbonist from duty, 

 and a royalist from reason and reflection." Assuredly none will 

 maintain, at least none can fairly show, that he has proved an apos- 

 tate from this triple creed. 



In passing from the consideration of opinions to that of individuals, 

 and weighing in the balance many of the personages who have figured 

 as public characters for the last thirty years, M. de Chateaubriand 

 expressed his opinion, that mediocrity of talent, though impotent in 

 its isolated state, acquired a certain degree of power and vigour when 

 placed in exalted situations. " The mediocrity," said he, " nay, the 

 nullity of those in power, is often sufficient for its day. Men in office 

 sometimes acquire factitious strength from the very circumstances 

 which invest them with authority. Their force increases with the 

 exigencies of the time." 



With regard to France, M. de Chateaubriand invariably maintained 

 that she would best consult her dignity and safety by taking a deci- 

 sive part in politics, without waiting for the authorization of examples. 

 This opinion he expressed in 1822, when he was the ambassador of 

 Louis XVIII. How profound would have been the noble Viscount's 

 amazement, had some voice, "foreboding luckless time," whispered 

 in his ear, that twelve years afterwards a popular government, which 

 had hoisted the national colours, would urge the expediency of strictly 

 adapting its line of policy to the wishes of Europe ! 



The reader would be in error, were he to imagine that M. de 

 Chateaubriand is habitually of too grave a cast of mind, to handle 

 M.M. No. 2. 2 B 



