Page:The Royal Family of France (Henry).djvu/84

 epoch a social revolution occurred. The principle of equality was supposed to be proclaimed; the inhabitants of France were supposed to become Frenchmen by a title in common. To give a fresh sanction to this principle of equality, this new title was understood to convey the idea that the King was in an equal degree the King of every Frenchman. So people were made to believe.

Did not this new title rather contain, however, a principle of individual infeoffment? This title inferred that every Frenchman was individually placed towards the King in certain conditions of obedience and duty, that an indirect, yet definite, relation existed between every Frenchman and the King. When we read of this title of "King of the French" proclaimed, we seem to hear the clashing of swords on bucklers; we seem to see again an armed and savage multitude electing a chieftain to lead them forth to conquer and gather in the spoils of all ancient civilization. To come to current History, did we see the Queen of England part with her homely and long-honoured title of "Queen" when assuming that of "Empress of India" to gratify the vanity of her subjects in the East?

Thus in his first act, supposed to be an imitation of the English Constitutional spirit, Louis Philippe made a mistake. His ensuing acts were still more unlike it. The Established Church in England had rallied round the new throne because of the analogy of its origin and religious doctrine. The Church in France, on the contrary, has never been, and could never be, in favour of the principles which brought forth 1830; Louis Philippe never had its support. Elected by the working classes, moreover, and by the Lower Middle classes, he never had the votes of the ancient aristocracy.

And yet the Orléans family bears the stamp of nobility. Wherever glory led the way, there were to be found the Duke d'Orléans, the Duke de Nemours, the Duke d'Aumale, the Prince de Joinville. Order and liberty prevailed under Louis Philippe's rule, notwithstanding the errors incident to his unwarrantable acceptance of the Crown. It was an age of great oratorical warfare in favour of liberty of faith, liberty for the clergy, liberty of teaching. The policy of July was not always that of Louis XIV.; but Louis