He saw the pitfalls ahead, pointed them out to his prince--displeased him by so doing, but still followed his fortunes.

Once more retired to private life with but small means, he guarded his political principles rather like a religion than a hope.

His hopes, his vivacity, his love of right--all these he turned toward God.
His piety, as enlightened as profound, ranked him among the choicest spirits who then endeavored to reconcile the national faith of the past with the inexorable liberty of thought of the present.

Like his co-laborers in this work, he experienced only a mortal sadness under which he sank.

True, his wife contributed no little to hasten his end by the intemperance of her zeal and the acrimony of her bigotry.
She had little heart and great pride, and made her God subserve her passions, as Dardennes made liberty subserve his malice.
No sooner had she become a widow than she purified her salons.
Thenceforth figured there only parishioners more orthodox than their bishops, French priests who denied Bossuet; consequently she believed that religion was saved in France.