.jpg "Lépeaux and Talleyrand (Wikipedia)") |
| Lépeaux, Talleyrand |
Advice for a founder of religion.
Of [Louis Marie de La Révellière] Lépeaux, a member of the French Directory, it is said that, after having devised with much difficulty a new religion, called "Theophilanthropy," but learning with chagrin that his invention had not met with the expected reception, he came to the famous statesman [Charles Maurice de] Talleyrand and sullenly complained to him of the failure of his plan. Talleyrand listened to the complainant and, when he had finished, replied:
"I am not surprised that you are encountering difficulties in your enterprise. To introduce a new religion is no small matter. But I could recommend a way in which I think you would like to succeed."
"And which would that be?" asked Lépeaux eagerly.
"It would be this," replied Talleyrand; "go and do miracles, cure all sorts of diseases, cast out devils, raise the dead, and then be crucified and buried, and rise again on the third day. When you have done all this, then may you accomplish your purpose."
The philosopher had not expected this advice, and the execution of it might have seemed a little difficult to him; affected and without saying another word, he slipped away.
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It would be interesting to know where the quoted statements from Louis Marie de La Révellière Lépeaux and Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord came from, which A. L. Gräbner quoted in the November 21, 1893, issue of Der Lutheraner, especially since the article implies that it was Lépeaux coming to Talleyrand to complain about the failure of his Theophilanthropy plan.
ReplyDeleteThe quote obviously could not have comes from an 1897 article, "The Centenary of Theophilanthropy" by Dr. Moncure D. Conway (The Open Court, Vol. XI, no. 2, February, 1897, pp. 66-69; https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5022&context=ocj), particularly p. 61:
"When Bonaparte arose, the cynical Bishop Talleyrand was made his chief Minister. Larevelliere Lepeaux tried to interest Talleyrand in Theophilanthropy, but the Minister answered, "All you have to do is to get yourself crucified and buried, and rise the third day." The creeds had long become to Talleyrand a joke, but none knew better than he the tremendous machinery at hand in the Church."
Sir John Robert Seeley also had this version in his 1882 book, Natural Religion (Macmillan and Company, 1882, 262 pages; https://books.google.com/books?id=NKZCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA181&f=false), specifically on p. 181:
"It is said that the theophilanthropist Larevellère Lepeaux once confided to Talleyrand his disappointment at the ill-success of his attempt to bring into vogue a sort of improved Christianity, a benevolent rationalism which he had invented to meet the wants of a sceptical age. ‘His propaganda made no way,' he said, 'what was he to do?' he asked. The ex-bishop politely condoled with him, feared it was indeed a difficult task to found a new religion, more difficult than could be imagined, so difficult that he hardly knew what to advise! 'Still'--so he went on after a moment's reflexion---there is one plan which you might at least try; I should recommend you to be crucified and to; rise again the third day.' "
Or, if A. L. Gräbner happened to know French, he may have read p. 263 in Jules Simon's book, Une académie sous le Directoire (Calmann Lévy, 1885 - 474 pages; https://books.google.com/books?id=RDIJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA263&f=false), which in English reads:
"On 12 Floréal Year V [Gregorian date: 1 May 1797], La Réveillère-Lépeaux had just read to the class of moral and political sciences a memoir entitled: Réflexions sur le culte et les cérémonies civiles. I have," said Talleyrand, "only one observation to make to you. Jesus Christ, in order to found his religion, was crucified and resurrected. You should have tried to do the same."
But this version indicates the conversation may have been in the presence of others.
The earliest publication of this version of the Talleyrand retort was from Méditations sur l'essence de la religion chrétienne. Méditations sur l'état actuel de la religion chrétienne. Méditations sur la religion chrétienne dans ses rapports avec l'état actuel des sociétés et des esprits, Volume 2 by François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (Michel Lévy frères, 1866, pp. 1-2; https://books.google.com/books?id=gsRPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1&q&f=false)
In any case, neither Talleyrand nor Lépeaux were Christian, so one might wonder where the additional quoted phrases in the Der Lutheraner came from.
Also, since Lépeaux died in 1824, Talleyrand died in 1834, and the earliest (so far) record of their exchanged comments was over three decades later, one could also raise the question of whether the quoted exchange between Lépeaux and Talleyrand actually occurred.