way of government. Good! So far as officials went, men were easily
got to fill the places the others had resigned, for when a good table
is spread, needless to say, guests are not hard to find. The hired
troop pocketed their salary, took the oath, stuffed their pockets, but
did nothing to promote the government measures. Between the men who
had resigned and the newly appointed officials there was only this
difference: that one set openly declared they would do nothing; the
others pretended to do something, but found it impossible to
accomplish anything. They tried to shove, but the cart would not move
an inch. From those who wore cloth among the middle classes the
government had to expect nothing, that was evident. Formerly those who
wore silk and satin acted as a sort of counterpoise--the high and
mighty, and the magnates, the lawyers, and the priests--but now all
these held aloof. The primate remonstrated, the bishops advised the
nobility, the higher classes collected in Pesth and talked treason.

_Flectere si nequeo superos_--

Let us turn now to the Halina cloth. Halina cloth is, as every one
knows, the commonest description of cloth, only worn by the poorer
classes. This cloth was suddenly adopted in the capital of the
Austrian empire. This was no capricious freak of fashion set in motion
by some high lady who "imagined" her elegance could give dignity to
the roughest material; this was another affair altogether, inaugurated
by the legislative body of the kingdom, who were all clothed in
Halina. Well, what has any one to say against this? Why not? Are we
not democrats? It is true that these right-minded men hardly
understood a word of the language in which the legislative debates
were carried on, but this had the inestimable advantage that they
could make no long speeches, and therefore could in no way impede the
course of business. Neither did they possess any knowledge of the laws
of nations, the rights of citizens, the complicated details of
finance, nor the construction of budgets; and this pastoral innocence
entitled them to universal respect and confidence, for it placed them
above suspicion. No one could suspect these honorable deputies of
siding with the government because they held government appointments.

We repeat that the introducer of Halina cloth to be worn by the
legislative assembly was a man of talent. But in Hungary, also, the
fashion should be adopted. Were there not one hundred and eight seat