36 ENVIRONMENT AND EDUCATION-II 



Boman imperial look, so remarkable in the founder of the 

 family; but in Jerome, it always recalled to me such 

 Caesars as Tiberius and Vitellius. 



It was well known that the ex-king, as well as his son, 

 Prince Jerome Napoleon, were thorns in the side of Na- 

 poleon III, and many stories illustrating this were cur- 

 rent during my stay in Paris, the best, perhaps, being an 

 answer made by Napoleon III to another representative 

 of his family. The question having been asked, "What 

 is the difference between an accident and a misfortune 

 (un accident et un malheur)r j the emperor answered, 

 "If my cousin, Prince Napoleon, should fall into the 

 Seine, it would be an accident; if anybody were to pull him 

 out, it would be a misfortune/' Although this cousin had 

 some oratorical ability, both he and his father were most 

 thoroughly despised. The son bore the nickname of 

 "Plon-Plon," probably with some reference to his repu- 

 tation for cowardice; the father had won the appellation 

 of "Le Roi Loustic," and, indeed, had the credit of in- 

 troducing into the French language the word "loustic," 

 derived from the fact that, during his short reign at Cassel, 

 King Jerome was wont, after the nightly orgies at his 

 palace, to dismiss his courtiers with the words : ' ' Morgen 

 wieder loustic, Messieurs/' 



During the summer of 1854 I employed my vacation in 

 long walks and drives with a college classmate through 

 northern, western, and central France, including Picardy, 

 Normandy, Brittany, and Touraine, visiting the spots 

 of most historical and architectural interest. There were, 

 at that time, few railways in those regions, so we put on 

 blouses and took to the road, sending our light baggage 

 ahead of us, and carrying only knapsacks. In every way 

 it proved a most valuable experience. Pleasantly come 

 back to me my walks and talks with the peasantry, and 

 vividly dwell in my memory the cathedrals of Beauvais, 

 Amiens, Kouen, Bayeux, Coutances, Le Mans, Tours, 

 Chartres, and Orleans, the fortress of Mont St. Michel, 

 the Chateaux of Chenonceaux, Chambord, Nantes, Am- 



