and head of every violent-speaking, of every violent-thinking
French Man? How the Twenty-five Millions of such, in their perplexed
combination, acting and counter-acting may give birth to events; which
event successively is the cardinal one; and from what point of vision it
may best be surveyed: this is a problem. Which problem the best insight,
seeking light from all possible sources, shifting its point of vision
whithersoever vision or glimpse of vision can be had, may employ itself
in solving; and be well content to solve in some tolerably approximate
way.

As to the National Assembly, in so far as it still towers eminent over
France, after the manner of a car-borne Carroccio, though now no longer
in the van; and rings signals for retreat or for advance,--it is and
continues a reality among other realities. But in so far as it sits
making the Constitution, on the other hand, it is a fatuity and chimera
mainly. Alas, in the never so heroic building of Montesquieu-Mably
card-castles, though shouted over by the world, what interest is there?
Occupied in that way, an august National Assembly becomes for us little
other than a Sanhedrim of pedants, not of the gerund-grinding, yet of no
fruitfuller sort; and its loud debatings and recriminations about Rights
of Man, Right of Peace and War, Veto suspensif, Veto absolu, what are
they but so many Pedant's-curses, 'May God confound you for your Theory
of Irregular Verbs!'

A Constitution can be built, Constitutions enough a la Sieyes: but the
frightful difficulty is that of getting men to come and live in them!
Could Sieyes have drawn thunder and lightning out of Heaven to sanction
his Constitution, it had been well: but without any thunder? Nay,
strictly considered, is it not still true that without some such
celestial sanction, given visibly in thunder or invisibly otherwise, no