Page:Coubertin - France since 1814, 1900.djvu/86

 La Ferronays (Minister of Foreign Affairs), he found distinguished collaborators. He himself was a man of great merit. His good sense, his integrity, his clear intellect, were helped by his fascinating personality. There was an irresistible charm both in the things he said and in the manner of the saying. Up to that time almost unknown, he soon made his individuality felt in the Parliament and the country, and he succeeded in holding office for eighteen months. Such a career seemed most unlikely at the beginning of his Ministry, which bid fair to be a very ephemeral one. It has been said that M. de Martignac was even less known to his King than to his colleagues, and that the King was mistaken when he chose him on account of his opinions. This is the less likely seeing that Martignac was hardly in office before he easily obtained the King's consent to measures which plainly showed how far the Cabinet had changed its point of view. M. Guizot and M. Cousin were allowed to begin again their lectures at the Sorbonne. Villemain and Chateaubriand recovered their salaries which had been withdrawn. Moderate instructions were issued to all functionaries ; seventeen prefects were