whom vanity, although it has been so often named, is yet, to my
mind, not named often enough to suit the purpose that I have in
view. I wish, in a single misfortune, to lament all the calamities
of the human race, and in a single death to exhibit the death and
the nothingness of all human greatness. This text, which suits all
the circumstances and all the occurrences of our life, becomes, by
a special adaptedness, appropriate to my mournful theme; since
never were the vanities of the earth either so clearly disclosed or
so openly confounded. No, after what we have just seen, health is
but a name, life is but a dream, glory is but a shadow, charms and
pleasures are but a dangerous diversion. Every thing is vain within
us, except the sincere acknowledgment made before God of our
vanity, and the fixed judgment of the mind, leading us to despise
all that we are.

But did I speak the truth? Man, whom God made in his own image, is
he but a shadow? That which Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth
to seek, that which he deemed that he could, without degrading
himself, ransom with his own blood, is that a mere nothing? Let us
acknowledge our mistake; surely this sad spectacle of the vanity of
things human was leading us astray, and public hope, baffled
suddenly by the death of this princess, was urging us too far. It
must not be permitted to man to despise himself entirely, lest he,
supposing, in common with the wicked, that our life is but a game
in which chance reigns, take his way without rule and without
self-control, at the pleasure of his own blind wishes. It is for
this reason that the Preacher, after having commenced his inspired
production by the expressions which I have cited, after having
filled all its pages with contempt for things human, is pleased at
last to show man something more substantial, by saying to him,
"Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of
man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every
secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Thus
every thing is vain in man, if we regard what he gives to the
world; but, on the contrary, every thing is important, if we
consider what he owes to God. Once again, every thing is vain in
man, if we regard the course of his mortal life; b