In beginning this address, in which I purpose to celebrate the
immortal glory of Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, I feel myself
overweighted both by the grandeur of the subject and, to be frank, by
the fruitlessness of the effort. What part of the inhabited world has
not heard of the victories of the Prince de Condé and the wonders of
his life? They are recounted everywhere; the Frenchman who boasts of
them in the presence of the foreigner tells him nothing which the
latter does not know; and in no matter how exalted a strain I might
sound his praises, I should still feel that in your hearts you were
convinced that I deserved the reproach of falling far short of doing
him justice. An orator, feeble as he is, can not do anything for the
perpetuation of the glory of extraordinary souls. Le Sage was right
when he said that "their deeds alone can praise them"; no other praise
is of any effect where great names are concerned; and it needs but the
simple story of his deeds faithfully recorded to sustain the glory of
the Prince de Condé.

But, while awaiting the appearance of the history which is to tell the
story of his life to coming ages, it is necessary to satisfy as best
we may the public recognition of his merit and bow to the order of the
greatest of all sovereigns. What does not the kingdom owe to a prince
who has honored the house of France, the French name, his century,
and, so to speak, all mankind? Louis the Great himself shares these
sentiments; after having mourned this great man, and by his tears,
shed in the presence of his entire court, rather than by words,
uttered the most glorious eulogy he could receive, he assembled
together in this celebrated temple all that is most august in his
realm, in order that the last rites to the memory of this prince might
there be celebrated; and he wishes that my feeble voice should animate
all this funeral equipage. Let us try, then, to forget our grief. Here