6 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

insert the circumstance of one horse in hisannals.

The lapse of ages was to find what were styledthe Gallican liberties concentrated in the King ofFrance; but now in the tenth century, where werethey to be concentred ? There was no King ofFrance, but only nominally; rather an exceedinglyloose federalism. It was only mere justice to thePopes to avow that it was oftener by assent thanassumption that their undue power grew. If theyoccasionally arrogated, they more frequently didnot refuse the wide jurisdiction offered them. ThatChristian mercy had possibly been their motive,may be believed; and if some wily Pontiffs tookadvantage of it, what is there implied of peculiarbadness ? A foreign mediator in those times ofruthless tyranny, might have been a necessary evil.The union of temporal and spiritual in the statecan hardly co-exist, except at the very highestpoint of civilisation—where no country tarries long.But before and after? Alas! She that is conversantwith what is divine, and whose aspirations are aftera far better world than this, must then assumenaturally the influence which stronger minds exer-cise over feebler; and, when implored, lends herlimping sister a helping hand along their wearyway through this vale of tears. With France that