Chapter 54: The Chameleon with Convictions
As the Marquis de Lafayette spoke, a middle-aged man of about forty, dressed in a black bishop's robe and with a slight limp, entered the small meeting room and bowed to the others.
"Bishop Talleyrand!" Several people in the room immediately recognized the clergyman.
Bishop Talleyrand was a prominent figure in the salons and social scenes of Paris. He came from a fallen noble family and had been sent to a theological school for his education, a path many noble-born children often followed.
In general, noble-born children had several paths to choose from:New novel chapters are published on
First, they could inherit their family's wealth and live a life of leisure and indulgence. However, Talleyrand's family's wealth had been squandered by previous generations of hedonistic heirs.
Second, they could join the military and enjoy the king's pay as officers. However, a crippled officer like Talleyrand was not in high demand.
Third, they could become civil servants and enjoy the king's salary, embezzled public funds, and bribes from others. But to secure a civil service position, one needed to bribe their way in, and Talleyrand's family couldn't afford it.
So Talleyrand was left with the only option - becoming a clergyman.
The path of a clergyman wasn't all that bad, theoretically speaking. All believers were equal in the eyes of God. But in reality, some people were more equal than others. Typically, commoner-born clergymen would, at best, become parish priests, while clergy above that rank were predominantly from noble backgrounds.
The Church possessed vast resources, and becoming a bishop allowed one to live a comfortable life.
In Boccaccio's "Decameron," there's a story about a devout Christian who tried to persuade his friend, a Jew, to convert to Christianity. The Jew was tempted and decided to visit the Christian world's capital, Rome.
When the Christian heard of this decision, he was horrified, thinking his mission would surely fail because there was no virtue in Rome, only sin and corruption. There, people were deeply mired in wrongdoing.
However, after the Jew's visit to Rome, he immediately converted to Christianity. He thought, "The Catholic Church is so corrupt and depraved, yet it stands strong. There must be true divine power behind it."
Unlike the Jew in the story, Talleyrand was already a devout Christian. He had studied theology at the College of St. Sulpice for five years, although this education didn't bring him closer to God. It made him something of an atheist. But, for the sake of the Church's financial support, he put on a faade of devotion.
With this pretense, he secured the position of Abbot of the Saint-Remi Abbey in Reims and an annual pension of a staggering 18,000 livres (a type of silver coin that later became the franc) when Louis XVI ascended the throne.
With this money, Talleyrand led a secular nobleman's life in Paris. His position as the abbot was merely a well-paid sinecure, allowing him ample free time. He had bought a comfortable house in Paris, alternating between living in Reims and the capital, indulging in drinking, gambling, and the pleasures of the flesh.
Through his connections, he also gained access to bankers who provided him with information about the inner workings of the Church and even the government. In return, Talleyrand helped them find opportunities for profit through financial speculation, amassing wealth.
Talleyrand was no miser; he made money quickly and spent it just as rapidly. With the help of his friends, he came close to usurping the position of the Archbishop of Lyon after the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, only to be thwarted by the Queen's interference.
Though he didn't become the Archbishop of Lyon, he managed to secure the position of the Archbishop of Autun. Since Talleyrand had climbed the ranks through the favor of the king, most people considered him a staunch conservative and a royalist. However, his presence in the current meeting raised eyebrows.
"Like you, Bishop?" Sgur asked, with a sarcastic smile.
"Yes," Talleyrand replied, unapologetically. "Only poverty creates a profound gap between privilege and the lack thereof. The nobility should realize this and open the gates of power to wealthy non-nobles. The well-off should join forces with the nobility to share power, and the nobility should share wealth. In the end, everyone will get what they want, which is why England is strong and stable."
"I've been trying to convince the king and other nobles for a long time, hoping they would follow the English example and unite all respectable people," Talleyrand continued. "But in France, there are too many fools. In the nobility, you have someone like Count d'Artois, who lives in the Middle Ages, thinking he can rule France as if it's still the Middle Ages and unwilling to share any benefits with the wealthy. He doesn't realize that money is power. The wealthy, or more precisely, the powerful non-nobles, won't allow him to manipulate them."
"Then there's the Duke of Orleans, a self-proclaimed smart fool. He recklessly opened the bottle containing the devil without considering the consequences. Should we really share power and wealth with these unlettered masses? France may be wealthy, but we can't evenly distribute it among the rabble. Yet the Duke of Orleans set them free and let them see their own power. Once they realize their power, they won't hesitate to use it for their benefit. But what they want, we can't provide because they want to live just like us. That's impossible!"
Nobles, as well as wealthy individuals, should naturally form a sacred alliance, Talleyrand argued. Due to their stubbornness, ignorance, and damn arrogance and ambition, they all had gone down the wrong path. An obstinate refusal to progress, even when progress could provide a better life, and an irresponsible release of the devil had plunged France into immense danger. Talleyrand believed that the king could no longer save France, but those present could. That's why he had come to them.
Sgur stared at Talleyrand, wide-eyed, for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, "Bishop Talleyrand, you are the Machiavelli of France, a man without faith."
"No, Mr. Sgur," Talleyrand said earnestly. "You're prejudiced against me. I may not truly believe in God, but I love France."
"Your faith doesn't interest us," Barnave added. "We know you were reprimanded for visiting Voltaire (who had been excommunicated for vehemently opposing the Catholic Church), and you later repented to the Red Archbishop. It was a sincere repentance, they say. But we're not concerned with that. What matters is how we can deal with the devils that have been let out of the bottle. Do you have any guidance for us on that?"
"There have always been two ways to put the devils back in the bottle," Talleyrand immediately replied.
"Which two ways?" Sgur asked.
"The first is Solomon's way, overpowering the devils by one's own strength and forcing them back into the bottle. The other way is the fisherman's way, deceiving them with lies and luring them to enter the bottle on their own."
"As a bishop, you're comparing us to the stories of non-believers," Sgur interjected.
"Seeking the truth, even in a distant land," Talleyrand replied.
"That's another pagan saying."
"France has already allied with the pagans."
"Let's get back to the point, gentlemen, Bishop," Barnave said. "Bishop Talleyrand, which method do you think we can use?"
"Both methods simultaneously," Talleyrand answered. "However, before we prepare to put the devils back in the bottle, we must find a way to deal with the person who released them from their prison due to his ambition. Otherwise, this prince, though limited in ability, has been causing trouble for the king for years. He knows very well how to create chaos in France, and there are few who understand the art of creating chaos in France better than him. If we don't deal with him first, our mission will be difficult to accomplish."
"How should we deal with him?" Sgur inquired.
"Let's not rush. Wait for him to make a mistake," Talleyrand advised.
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