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he files of the Moniteur； reflected。
He declared that the future lies in the hand of the schoolmaster； and busied himself with educational questions。
He desired that society should labor without relaxation at the elevation of the moral and intellectual level； at coining science； at putting ideas into circulation； at increasing the mind in youthful persons； and he feared lest the present poverty of method； the paltriness from a literary point of view confined to two or three centuries called classic； the tyrannical dogmatism of official pedants； scholastic prejudices and routines should end by converting our colleges into artificial oyster beds。
He was learned； a purist； exact； a graduate of the Polytechnic； a close student； and at the same time； thoughtful 〃even to chimaeras；〃 so his friends said。 He believed in all dreams； railroads； the suppression of suffering in chirurgical operations； the fixing of images in the dark chamber； the electric telegraph； the steering of balloons。
Moreover； he was not much alarmed by the citadels erected against the human mind in every direction； by superstition； despotism； and prejudice。 He was one of those who think that science will eventually turn the position。
Enjolras was a chief； beferre was a guide。 One would have liked to fight under the one and to march behind the other。
It is not that beferre was not capable of fighting； he did not refuse a hand…to…hand bat with the obstacle； and to attack it by main force and explosively； but it suited him better to bring the human race into accord with its destiny gradually； by means of education； the inculcation of axioms； the promulgation of positive laws； and； between two lights； his preference was rather for illumination than for conflagration。 A conflagration can create an aurora； no doubt； but why not await the dawn？
A volcano illuminates； but daybreak furnishes a still better illumination。
Possibly； beferre preferred the whiteness of the beautiful to the blaze of the sublime。
A light troubled by smoke； progress purchased at the expense of violence； only half satisfied this tender and serious spirit。
The headlong precipitation of a people into the truth； a '93； terrified him； nevertheless； stagnation was still more repulsive to him； in it he detected putrefaction and death； on the whole； he preferred scum to miasma； and he preferred the torrent to the cesspool； and the falls of Niagara to the lake of Montfaucon。
In short； he desired neither halt nor haste。
While his tumultuous friends； captivated by the absolute； adored and invoked splendid revolutionary adventures； beferre was inclined to let progress； good progress； take its own course； he may have been cold； but he was pure； methodical； but irreproachable； phlegmatic； but imperturbable。
beferre would have knelt and clasped his hands to enable the future to arrive in all its candor； and that nothing might disturb the immense and virtuous evolution of the races。
The good must be innocent； he repeated incessantly。 And in fact； if the grandeur of the Revolution consists in keeping the dazzling ideal fixedly in view； and of soaring thither athwart the lightnings； with fire and blood in its talons； the beauty of progress lies in being spotless； and there exists between Washington； who represents the one； and Danton； who incarnates the other； that difference which separates the swan from the angel with the wings of an eagle。
Jean Prouvaire was a still softer shade than beferre。
His name was Jehan； owing to that petty momentary freak which mingled with the powerful and profound movement whence sprang the very essential study of the Middle Ages。
Jean Prouvaire was in love； he cultivated a pot of flowers； played on the flute； made verses； loved the people； pitied woman； wept over the child； confounded God and the future in the same confidence； and blamed the Revolution for having caused the fall of a royal head； that of Andre Chenier。 His voice was ordinarily delicate； but suddenly grew manly。 He was learned even to erudition； and almost an Orientalist。 Above all； he was good； and； a very simple thing to those who know how nearly goodness borders on grandeur； in the matter of poetry； he preferred the immense。
He knew Italian； Latin； Greek； and Hebrew； and these served him only for the perusal of four poets： Dante； Juvenal； AEschylus； and Isaiah。
In French； he preferred Corneille to Racine； and Agrippa d'Aubigne to Corneille。 He loved to saunter through fields of wild oats and corn…flowers； and busied himself with clouds nearly as much as with events。 His mind had two attitudes； one on the side towards man； the other on that towards God； he studied or he contemplated。
All day long； he buried himself in social questions； salary； capital； credit； marriage； religion； liberty of thought； education； penal servitude； poverty； association； property； production and sharing； the enigma of this lower world which covers the human ant…hill with darkness； and at night； he gazed upon the planets； those enormous beings。 Like Enjolras； he was wealthy and an only son。
He spoke softly； bowed his head； lowered his eyes； smiled with embarrassment； dressed badly； had an awkward air； blushed at a mere nothing； and was very timid。
Yet he was intrepid。
Feuilly was a workingman； a fan…maker； orphaned both of father and mother； who earned with difficulty three francs a day； and had but one thought； to deliver the world。
He had one other preoccupation； to educate himself； he called this also； delivering himself。 He had taught himself to read and write； everything that he knew； he had learned by himself。
Feuilly had a generous heart。
The range of his embrace was immense。
This orphan had adopted the peoples。 As his mother had failed him； he meditated on his country。 He brooded with the profound divination of the man of the people； over what we now call the idea of the nationality； had learned history with the express object of raging with full knowledge of the case。 In this club of young Utopians； occupied chiefly with France； he represented the outside world。
He had for his specialty Greece； Poland； Hungary； Roumania； Italy。
He uttered these names incessantly； appropriately and inappropriately； with the tenacity of right。 The violations of Turkey on Greece and Thessaly； of Russia on Warsaw； of Austria on Venice； enraged him。
Above all things； the great violence of 1772 aroused him。
There is no more sovereign eloquence than the true in indignation； he was eloquent with that eloquence。
He was inexhaustible on that infamous date of 1772； on the subject of that noble and valiant race suppressed by treason； and that three…sided crime； on that monstrous ambush； the prototype and pattern of all those horrible suppressions of states； which； since that time； have struck many a noble nation； and have annulled their certificate of birth； so to speak。 All contemporary social crimes have their origin in the partition of Poland。
The partition of Poland is a theorem of which all present political outrages are the corollaries。
There has not been a despot； nor a traitor for nearly