The invincible had been beaten a vast
number of times. 2. The sage was the puppet of an artful old woman, who
was the puppet of more artful priests. 3. The conqueror had quite
forgotten his early knack of conquering. 5. The terror of his enemies (for
4, the marvel of his age, we pretermit, it being a loose term, that may
apply to any person or thing) was now terrified by his enemies in turn. 6.
The love of his people was as heartily detested by them as scarcely any
other monarch, not even his great-grandson, has been, before or since. 7.
The arbiter of peace and war was fain to send superb ambassadors to kick
their heels in Dutch shopkeepers' antechambers. 8. Is again a general
term. 9. The man fit to be master of the universe was scarcely master of
his own kingdom. 10. The finished hero was all but finished, in a very
commonplace and vulgar way. And, 11, the man worthy of immortality was
just at the point of death, without a friend to soothe or deplore him;
only withered old Maintenon to utter prayers at his bedside, and croaking
Jesuit to prepare him, with heavens knows what wretched tricks and
mummeries, for his appearance in that Great Republic that lies on the
other side of the grave.
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