And why?
Because Horace Vernet was one of the public men of the Revolution of
July.
Do not imagine, however, that paying respect to Cardinals involves
paying respect to religion, or that it is necessary to attend Mass in
order to get invited to balls. What is absolutely indispensable is, to
believe that everything at Rome is good, to regard the Papacy as an
arch, the Cardinals as so many saints, abuses as principles, and to
applaud the march of the Government, even though it stand still. It is
considered good taste to praise the virtues of the lower orders, their
simple faith, and their indifference as to political affairs, and to
despise that middle-class which is destined to bring about the next
revolution.
I conversed much with some of the foreigners who live in Rome, and who
mix with its best society. One of the most distinguished and the most
agreeable of them often gave me advice which, though I have not
followed, I have not forgotten.
"My dear friend," he used to say,
"I know but two ways of writing about Rome. You must choose
for yourself. If you declaim against the priestly
government, its abuses, vices, and injustice; against the
assassinations, the uncultivated lands, the bad air, the
filthiness of the streets; against the many scandals, the
hypocrisies, the robberies, the lotteries, the Ghetto, and
all that follows as a matter of course, you will earn the
somewhat barren honour of having added the thousand and
first pamphlet to those which have appeared since the time
of Luther.
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