his signature.

Such, after 1812 and 1813, is the duration of Napoleon's triumphs
and the ephemeral result of his greatest military and ecclesiastical
achievements--Moskow, Lutzen, Bautzen and Dresden, the Council of 1811
and the Concordat of 1813. Whatever the vastness of his genius may be,
however strong his will, however successful his attacks, his success
against nations and churches never is, and never can be, other than
temporary. Great historical and moral forces elude his grasp. In vain
does he strike, for their downfall gives them new life, and they rise
beneath the blow. With Catholic institutions,[51118] as with other
powers, not only do his efforts remain sterile, but what he accomplishes
remains inverse to the end he has in view. He aims to subjugate the
Pope, and he led the Pope on to omnipotence He aims at the maintenance
and strength of the Gallican spirit among the French clergy, and yet
brings them under the rule of the ultramontane spirit.[51119] With
extraordinary energy and tenacity, with all his power, which was
enormous, through the systematic and constant application of diverse and
extreme measures, he labored for fifteen years to rend the ties of the
Catholic hierarchy, take it to pieces, and, in sum, the final result of
all is to tie them faster and hasten its completion.

*****

[Footnote 5101: Se preface to "The Modern Regime," Vol. I.]

[Footnote 5102: On some of the ideas above indicated see "The Modern
Regime," Vol. I. p.120.]

[Footnote 5103: An allusion to Malthusianism, practiced by many heads
of families in France. M. Taine would probably have shown this practice
contrary to national welfare.--Tr.]

[Footnote 5104: Idolizing of children. (SR.)]

[Footnote 5105: Cf. "Les carnets de voyage."]

[Footnote 5106: On this idea see Volume I of "The Modern Regime," page
332, to the end of the chapter. (Ed. Laff. II. pp. 592 to 605).]

[Footnote 5107: Today this would probably be the media especially
television.]

[Footnote 5108: Memorial, IV.,259 (June 7 and 8, 1816); V., 323 (Aug.
17, 1816).]

[Footnote 5109: Thibaudeau, p. 152 (Prairial 21, year X.]

[Footnote 5110: Idem, IV.,259, (June 7 and 8, 1816).--Pelet de la
Lozere, "Opinions de Napoleon au conseil d'etat," p 223, (March 4,
1806).]

[Footnote 5111: "Discours, rapports et travaux sur le Concordat de
1801," by Portalis (published by Frederick Portalis), p.10.--In his
speech on the organization of cults (Germinal 15,