But in truth and seriousness, what could the National Assembly have done?  The thing to be done was, actually as they said, to regenerate France; to abolish the old France, and make a new one; quietly or forcibly, by concession or by violence, this, by the Law of Nature, has become inevitable.  With what degree of violence, depends on the wisdom of those that preside over it.  With perfect wisdom on the part of the National Assembly, it had all been otherwise; but whether, in any wise, it could have been pacific, nay other than bloody and convulsive, may still be a question.

Grant, meanwhile, that this Constituent Assembly does to the last continue to be something.  With a sigh, it sees itself incessantly forced away from its infinite divine task, of perfecting ’the Theory of Irregular Verbs,’—­to finite terrestrial tasks, which latter have still a significance for us.  It is the cynosure of revolutionary France, this National Assembly.  All work of Government has fallen into its hands, or under its control; all men look to it for guidance.  In the middle of that huge Revolt of Twenty-five millions, it hovers always aloft as Carroccio or Battle-Standard, impelling and impelled, in the most confused way; if it cannot give much guidance, it will still seem to give some.  It emits pacificatory Proclamations, not a few; with more or with less result.  It authorises the enrolment of National Guards,—­lest Brigands come to devour us, and reap the unripe crops.  It sends missions to quell ‘effervescences;’ to deliver men from the Lanterne.  It can listen to congratulatory Addresses, which arrive daily by the sackful; mostly in King Cambyses’ vein:  also to Petitions and complaints from all mortals; so that every mortal’s complaint, if it cannot get redressed, may at least hear itself complain.  For the rest, an august National Assembly can produce Parliamentary Eloquence; and appoint Committees.  Committees of the Constitution, of Reports, of Researches; and of much else:  which again yield mountains of Printed Paper; the theme of new Parliamentary Eloquence, in bursts, or in plenteous smooth-flowing floods.  And so, from the waste vortex whereon all things go whirling and grinding, Organic Laws, or the similitude of such, slowly emerge.

With endless debating, we get the Rights of Man written down and promulgated:  true paper basis of all paper Constitutions.  Neglecting, cry the opponents, to declare the Duties of Man!  Forgetting, answer we, to ascertain the Mights of Man;—­one of the fatalest omissions!—­Nay, sometimes, as on the Fourth of August, our National Assembly, fired suddenly by an almost preternatural enthusiasm, will get through whole masses of work in one night.  A memorable night, this Fourth of August:  Dignitaries temporal and spiritual; Peers, Archbishops, Parlement-Presidents, each outdoing the other in patriotic devotedness, come successively to throw their (untenable) possessions on the ’altar of the fatherland.’