Page 90 - les-miserables

Court, who are rich, well endowed, skilful, accepted by the
world, who know how to pray, no doubt, but who know also
how to beg, who feel little scruple at making a whole dio-
cese dance attendance in their person, who are connecting
links between the sacristy and diplomacy, who are abbes
rather than priests, prelates rather than bishops. Happy
those who approach them! Being persons of influence, they
create a shower about them, upon the assiduous and the fa-
vored, and upon all the young men who understand the art
of pleasing, of large parishes, prebends, archidiaconates,
chaplaincies, and cathedral posts, while awaiting episcopal
honors. As they advance themselves, they cause their satel-
lites to progress also; it is a whole solar system on the march.
Their radiance casts a gleam of purple over their suite. Their
prosperity is crumbled up behind the scenes, into nice little
promotions. The larger the diocese of the patron, the fat-
ter the curacy for the favorite. And then, there is Rome. A
bishop who understands how to become an archbishop, an
archbishop who knows how to become a cardinal, carries
you with him as conclavist; you enter a court of papal ju-
risdiction, you receive the pallium, and behold! you are an
auditor, then a papal chamberlain, then monsignor, and
from a Grace to an Eminence is only a step, and between
the Eminence and the Holiness there is but the smoke of a
ballot. Every skull-cap may dream of the tiara. The priest is
nowadays the only man who can become a king in a regu-
lar manner; and what a king! the supreme king. Then what
a nursery of aspirations is a seminary! How many blushing
choristers, how many youthful abbes bear on their heads

90 Les Miserables