first， ecclesiastical deportment， and next， and very often， Christian faith.[46]
All these gaps in and discrepancies of episcopal character， all these differences and distances (which existed before 1789)， between the origins， interests， habits， and manners of the lower and the upper clergy， all these inequalities and irregularities which alienated inferiors from the superior， have disappeared； the modern régime has leveled the wall of separation established by the ancient régime between the bishop and his priests. At the present day he is， like them， a plebeian， of common extraction， and sometimes very low， one being the son of a village shoemaker， another the natural son of a poor workwoman， both being men of feeling and never blushing at their humble origin， openly tender and respectful to their mothers， - a certain bishop lodging his mother， formerly a servant， in his episcopal palace and giving her the first seat at his table among the most honored and noblest of his guests.[47] He is "one of fortune's officers，" that is to say， a meritorious and old officer.[48]
According the "Almanac" of 1889， the three youngest are from forty-seven to forty-nine years of age； all the others are fifty and over；among the latter， three fourths of them are over sixty. As a general rule， a priest cannot become a bishop short of twenty or twenty-five years' service in lower or average grades； he must have remained in each grade a longer or shorter period， in turn vicar， curé， vicar-general， canon， head of a seminary， sometimes coadjutor， and almost always have distinguished himself in some office， either as preacher or catechist， professor or administrator， canonist or theologian. His full competence cannot be contested， and he enjoys a right to exact full obedience； he has himself rendered it up to his consecration； "he boasts of it，" and the example he proposes to his priests is the one he has himself given.[49] On the other hand， his moderate way of living excites but little envy； it is about like that of a general of division， or of a prefect， or of a high civil functionary who， lacking personal fortune， has nothing but his salary to live on. He does not display， as formerly， confessionals lined with satin， kitchen utensil of massive silver， hunting accoutrements， a hierarchical staff of major-domos， ushers， valets， and liveried lackeys， stables and carriages， lay grand-seigniors， vassals of his suzerainty and figuring at his consecration， a princely ceremonial of parade and homage， a pompous show of receptions and of hospitalities. There is nothing but what is necessary， the indispensable instruments of his office： an ordinary carriage for his episcopal journeys and town visits， three or four domestics for manual service， three or four secretaries for official writings， some old mansion or other， cheaply repaired and refurnished without ostentation， its rooms and bureaus being those of an administrator， business man， and responsible head of a numerous staff； in effect， he is responsible for a good many subordinates， he has a good deal to attend to； he works himself， looking after the whole and in detail， keeping classified files by means of a chronological and systematic collection，[50] like the general director of a vast company； if he enjoys greater honors， he is subject to greater exigencies； assuredly， his predecessors under the ancient régime， delicate Epicureans， would not have wished for such a life；they would not have considered the benefit worth the effort.
Even when old， he draws on his energies； he officiates， he preaches， he presides at long ceremonies， he ordains seminarians， he confirms thousands of children，[51] he visits one after another the parishes in his diocese； often， at the end of his administration， he has visited them all and many times. Meanwhile， shut up in his episcopal cabinet， he is constantly inspecting these four or five hundred parishes； he reads or listens to reports， informs himself on the number of communicants， on what is required in worship， on the financial state of the fabrique， on the attitude of the inhabitants， on the good or bad dispositions of municipal counselors and mayors， on the local cause of dissension and conflict， on the conduct and character of the curé or vicar； each resident ecclesiastic needs guidance or maintenance between intemperate zeal and inert lukewarmness， evenly balanced according as parishes and circumstances vary， but always in a way to prevent false steps， to turn aside mistakes， to humor opinion， to stop scandals. For the entire life of the clergyman， not only his public life but again his personal， domestic， private life， belongs to and concerns the Church：[52] there must be no evil reports， even without foundation， on his account； if these occur， the bishop summons him to headquarters， warns him， admonishes him， and， without unburdening himself by handing the matter over to a responsible tribunal， he alone passes judgment after personally conducting the investigations， suffering the worries， and carrying out the painful， painstaking labor always attendant on direct absolute power. Likewise， in relation to his upper and his lower seminary： here are two indispensable nurseries of which he is the head gardener， attentive to filling annual vacancies and seeking proper subjects for these throughout his diocese， ever verifying and cultivating their vocations； he confers scholarships； he dictates rules and regulations；appoints and dismisses， displaces and procures as he pleases， the director and professors； he takes them， if he chooses， out of his diocese or out of the body of regular clergy； he prescribes a doctrine to them， methods， ways of thinking and teaching， and he keeps his eye， beyond his present or future priests， on three or four hundred monks and on fourteen hundred nuns.