dispute
with England about the Eastern Question. The only charge that his
enemies ever brought against him affecting his honor as a politician
was that of employing the Jew Deutz to act the part of Judas towards
the Duchesse de Berri; but for that he could plead that it solved
a difficulty, and probably saved many lives.

During the Second Empire he kept much in retirement. At first he
had thought that Prince Louis Napoleon, seeing in him the historian
and panegyrist of the Great Emperor, would call him to his councils.
But he was quite mistaken. He could not--nor _would_ he--have served
Louis Napoleon's turn as did such men as Persigny, Saint-Arnaud,
De Maupas, and De Morny. When the _coup d'etat_ came, Thiers was
imprisoned with the other deputies, the only favor allowed him
being a bed, while the other deputies had no couch but the floor.

In 1869 there was a general election in France, which was carefully
manipulated by the Government, in order that, if possible, no deputy
might be sent to the Chamber who would provoke discussion on the
changes in the Constitution submitted by the emperor. Thiers thought
it time for him to re-enter public life and to speak out to his
countrymen. At this time one of the gentlemen attached to the English
embassy in Paris had a conversation with him. "For a man," he says,
"of talents, learning, and experience, I never met one who impressed
me as having so great an idea of his own self-importance;" but
the visitor was at the same time impressed by his frankness and
sincerity. Speaking of the Emperor Napoleon III., and foreseeing
his downfall, he said: "What will succeed him, I know not. God
grant it may not be the ruin of France!... For a long time I kept
quiet. It was no use breaking one's head against the wall; but
now we have revolution staring us in the face as an alternative
with the Empire; and do you think I should be doing well or rightly
by my fellow-citizens, were I to keep in the background? If I am
wanted, I shall not fail." As he spoke, the fire in his eyes sparkled
right through the glass of his spectacles, and all the time he
talked, he was walking rapidly up and down. When greatly animated,
he seemed even to grow taller and taller, so that on some great
occasion a lady said of him to Charles Greville: "Did you know,
Thiers is handsome! and is six feet high!"

When the fall of the Empire occurred, in September, 1870, M. Thiers
was in Paris; but when the Committee of