They live from hand to mouth, and never rise above the expedients and temporizing policy of advocates.

They are perpetually engaged in appealing against the stern logic of facts to some imaginary tribunal, from which they hope to gain a verdict in favour of their clients.

Like lawyers in England, they entered public life to "get on." This is still the first object of each one of them; and as they are deputies of Paris, they feel that, next to themselves, they owe allegiance to their electors.

To secure the supremacy of Paris over the provinces, and of their own influence over Paris, is the Alpha and Omega of their political creed.

With an eye to the future, each of them has his own journal; and when any decree is issued which is not popular, the public is given to understand in these semi-official organs, that every single member of the Government voted against it, although it passed by a majority.
It is somewhat strange that the military man who, by the force of circumstances, is the President of this Devil's own Government is by nature more of a lawyer than even if he had been bred up to the trade.
His colleagues own in despair that he is their master in strength of lungs, and that when they split straws into two he splits them into four.