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* I By JOSEPH FOUCHE, Napoleon’s Minister ot Police How Police Graft Supported Napoleon’s Splendor J OSEPH FOUCHE, Duke of Otranto, Minister of Police under the great Napoleon, is credited with being the craftiest police official in history. He developed the system of collecting graft from criminal and semi-crim inal resorts to a high degree of perfection. Many of his methods are revealed in an in- teresing book called "Memoirs Relating to Fouche.’ just published by Sturgis A. Walton, New York. At a moment when the relations of New York police officials with the criminal classes are under investigation, tnts book is of especial interest. From the book it appears that all the splendor of Napoleon's court, of his family and generals was maintained by criminal graft. By JOSEPH FOUCHE Napoleon's Minister of Police. A LL the prisons of State were at my orders, as well as the gendarmerie. The delivery and the indorsement of passports appertained to my department. I was in charge of the watching of foreigners, emigres, and of those pardoned by amnes.y "In the principal cities of the Empire 1 estab lished general commi usuryships which spread over the whole of France, and principally over our frontier* „ the netv vork of it ic poiic My police acquired i jo great a name 1 out society t hat some went so far as ! that 1 had among » ny secret agent nobles of the ancient regime, with the title of prince, and who daily came to bring me the result of their observations. I confess that such an establishment was costly; it absorbed several millions, which secretly came from the taxes levied on gamb ling, on the evil resorts and on the delivery of passports. Everything has been said against gambling; hut on tile other hand, wise and practical minds are forced to agree that in the present state of society the legal taking advantage of vice is a bitter necessity. The proof that people should not attribute all its odium on tlie governments of the revolution is that even to tliis day gambling is a part of the budget of tlie old government restored. Since it was an inevitable evil, it was as well to regulate it, so that, at least, we might con trol the disorder. ruder the Empire, whose establishment cost nearly four hundred thousand millions, since there were thirty households to fit out with majesties and highnesses, it was necessary to organize gambling on a much larger scale, for it was not only intended to remunerate my changing phalanxes of observers. 1 appointed as administrator of gambling P ;rein the elder, who already had its fram ing, and who, after the coronation, extended liis privilege over all the larger cities of the Empire, in consideration of a payment of four- tei n millions and of three thousand francs a day to the minister of police; all of which, lie- i »er. did not remain in my hands. All these elements of an immense power did not expire uselessly in my office. As I w'as kept informed of everything, 1 had to gather the public complaints to point out to the chief of State the discomfort and sufferings of the State. I, therefore, shall not conceal that I could work on the fears or terrors which besieged more or less constantly the master of un bounded power. Being thoroughly informed of conditions I could make claims, censure, de claim for all France. In this respect, how many ills have I not prevented? If I have been unable to reduce, as 1 should have wished, the general police to a simple bugbear, a magistracy of protection, I have at least the satisfaction of being able to affirm that I have done more good than harm; that is to say, that I have prevented more harm than I have been able to do good, having almost always had to fight against the prejudice the passions and the outbursts of the minister of police. During my second ministry I governed much more by the power of display and of dread than by coercion; 1 had revived the old police nialtim, namely: That three men could not come together and speak indiscreetly of public affairs without it being made known to the minister of police. It is certain that I was artful enough to give out and to lead people to believe that wher ever four people assembled, there could be found in my pay eyes to see and ears to hear No doubt such a belief was due to corruption and to the general degradation; but on the other hand, how many c.ils, regrets and tears had it not spared? It was in my office that the more important affairs of which I myself held the threads were settled. Of course, I had hired spies in all ranks and in every class; I had some among both sexes, remunerated at the rates of one thousand and two thousand francs a month, according to their importance and services. I personally received their reports in writing, with a signature agreed upon. Every three months I sent my list to the Emperor so that there might not be useless repetition, and also so that the nature of the services at times permanent, often temporary, might be rewarded either by positions or by presents. As to the police abroad, it had two essential objects, namely; To keep watch over the friendly powers and to excite the governments who w r ere hostile to us. In both cases it was composed of individuals bought or pensioned close to each government and in every import ant city, independently of the numerous secret agents sent to all the countries, either by the minister of foreign relations or by the Em peror himself I also had spies abroad. It was. moreover, in my office that all the foreign gazettes prohibited in France came; and where their contents were scrutinized and the objectionable passages referred to me. Through these means I held the most im portant threads of outside politics, and I pre pared with the head of the government a re port by which that of the minister of foreign relations could be checked or balanced. Thus my powers were far front being limited to espionage. . Many plots were concocted against Napo leon on the Continent, but without success. Agents were sent from London to sound Paris; some were send to sound me. Imagine the English Cabinet falling into the snare of our police, even after the mystifica tions of Drake and of Spencer-Smith; imagine Lord Howick, Minister' of Foreign Affairs, sending me an emissary trusted with secret instructions and bearing a letter addressed to me enclosed in the knots of a cane! In the letter , this minister asked me for two passports, left blank, for two merchants charged with opening mysterious negotiations with me. But his emissary, having imprud ently disclosed himself to the agent of the pre fecture, Perlet, base instrument of all this machination, Vitel’s cane was opened, and when the mission and the secret were known this unhappy young man could not evade the death penalty. It was impossible for such an affair not to leave some suspicion in Napoleon's mind; he must at least have inferred that the idea pre vailed abroad that it was possible to attempt to intrigue with me and that I was the sort of man to listen to everything, reserving my de cision according to the times. This went so far that a few months after the death of Yitei, having taken from my desk a sealed letter addressed to me and marked per sonal, I opened it and found it so pressing that 1 granted the private audience asked of me for the next day. This letter was indorsed with an assumed name, but very well known among the emigres, and I really believed that the signer came from the person who wished to make disclosures to me. But what was my surprise when this auda cious man, gifted with a persuasive tongue, con fessed his fraud and dared declare himself to me as the agent of the Bourbons and the envoy . of the English Cabinet. In a glowing and rapid statement he established the frailty of Napoleon’s power, its imminent decadence (It was at the beginning of the Spanish war), and its inevitable downfall! Proceeding, he finally begged me in the in terest of France and the peace of the world to join the good cause, to turn the nation away from the abyss all guarantees imaginable were offered me. And who was this man? Comte Cache, a former captain in the royal navy. “Wretch that you are!” I exclaimed, “it is under cover of such subterfuge that you have gained admittance to my office.” “Yes,” he replied, “my life is in your hands, and if necessary, I shall willingly sacrifice it for my God and for my king!” “No,” I answered, “you are seated at my hearth, and I shall not violate the hospitality of adversity; for, as a man, and not as a magis trate, I may pardon the intemperance of your frenzy and your senseless overtures. I give you twenty-four hours to go away from Paris- but I declare to you that strict orders will * given, so that, after the lapse of that time, you shall be arrested in whatever place you may be found.” The Newly Found Oldest Gospels, and What They Really Mean! Unknown Words of the Saviour and Other Remarkable Variations from the Authorized Version in the Recently Acquired Egyptian Christian Manuscript, Believed to Date from the Second Century and Now in America. By Prof. Clifton Harby Levy, The Distinguished Expert in Bible Exegesis. T HE discovery just announced of a new version of the four Gospels is the most important event to the world ot bibli cal research that The new manuscript contain F . f 11 . , Kine James version of the A do s ties' after the Resurrection It eon tains considerable variations from ized version of the very interesting fifth < hap ter of St. John, dealing with the miracle by the dooI of Betheada. . I cannot help feeling that still more im portant additions to, and variations from, the orthodox Gospels will lie found when th s manuscript is thoroughly analyzed. it is certain now that there were many versions of the Gospels current in the days of the earliest Christians, and it is probable we have discovered, collated and thoroughly examined a number of them or fragments ot them we shall have a fuller and better con ception of the life of Jesus of Nazareth than we have ever had before. The newly discovered manuscript was pur- chased by Mr. Charles L. Freer ^! e , collector of Detroit, to he presented to the Freer Collection in Washington facsimile copies of it have now been distributed to the leading libraries of the world through the Uni versity of Michigan. The manuscript is of Egyptian * origin. It was purchased from an Arabian dealer in antiquities in Cairo, as ; 011K aK h ° “* December 19, 1906, but in order that i ash ex pectations might not be raised, its complete publication lias been delayed until now when the text is offered in facsimile, toge her with a scholarly analysis, by Professor Henry A. Sanders, of the University of Michigan in point of antiquity alone, it is very re markable. Internal evidence Indicates that it cannot be later than the fourth century, which makes it as old as tlie famous \ atican Codex long known as the oldest manuscript of the Gospels. On the other hand, there are grounds for giving it a somewhat earlier date than that claimed for the more recently dis covered Sinaitic Cbdex This was at one time credited to the fourth century, but scholars are now inclined to date it as early as the second century. The Freer manuscript is apparently a copy of a version of the four Gospels which was current in Egypt in the second century. Close investigation shows that while it was a copy, it was an early copy. It must be remembered that many of the first Christians fled to Eg> pt after the death of Jesus, beeauso it was so near Palestine, and that great Christian colon ies grew up on Egyptian soil. This gives es- ■cial value to tlie Freer Gospels, for they I .me as close to tlie very period o( tlie life ,1 ''activity of Jesus as anything that we l't've Ip-'iidlng the famous “Logla,” dis covered in 1897. The fact that this manu script is not later titan the fourth century, and is a copy of a still earlier original is the important fact to those who want to come as close to contemporary testimony concern ing Jesus and ills work as is possible. The manuscript is remarkably well pre served, and very legible. it wan written, with the exception of one small section, and a number of notes and corrections, by a sin gle scribe, which helps to give it authenticity. It is in Greek of a style that appears to be as early as the second century. Later the manuscript, written on goatskin and sheepskim was bound between heavy boards, upon which are the portraits of the four evangelists. On the front panel were the pictures of Matthew and John (John's pic ture has been almost entirely obliterated), and on the back panel were Luke and Mark, the name of Mark running down the side of the panel. Something of the original eoloring of these paintings still remains, and they are most curious and interesting specimens of early Christian portraiture. The main interest, however, lies in the text Itself, and its variations from the received text in the accepted versions of the Bible. The order of the books is different from that in our versions. Here it is Matthew, John, Luke and Mark, while in the ordinary Bible the order is Matthew, Mark. Luke and John. In John, for instance, in that famous pas sage about the Pool of Bethesda. the Freer manuscript has "Bethsaida,” and also has the words; “Waiting for the troubling of the water,” and does not mention the angel. In Luke, chapter 1, verse 28, “Blessed art thou among, women,” is omitted, in chapter il, 14, the hymn of the angels has a peculiar addition, reading; “And on earth peace among men. in whom He is well pleased.” In chapter vi, 1, the phrase, “the second Sab bath after the first,” is not found. The omis sion is particularly interesting because this has always been a difficult passage to explain. In the later chapters of Luke it is especially notable that the newly found manuscript omits all mention of the “bloody sweat,” and it also omits the saying attributed to Jesus in the King James version; “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In chap ter xxiv, 36, is a reading found in no other manuscript, ancient or modern: “Be not afraid. Peace be unto you!” The differences from existing versions are greatest in Mark. In chapter i, verse 27, the exclamation of the people at the miracles per formed by Jesus appears for the first time In these words: "What is this new, this authori tative teaching, and that he commandeth even the unclean spirits and they obey him?" in chapter ix, verse 24, is a variation, possi- blv due to an erfor of the copyist, for it ap pears: "Tlie spirit of the child," Instead of "the father of the child,” as in the King James or authorized version. The most important and Impressive addi tions to the Gospels are found in the last chap ter of St. Mark. After that upbraiding of the Apostles, found in all the versions, are verses, found nowhere else, reading; And they excused themselves saying (tint tills age of lawlessness and unbe lief is under Satan, who through the agency of unclean spirits, suffers not the true power of God to be apprehended. For the cause, said they unto Christ, reveal now at once Thy righteousness. And Christ said unto them: "The limit of the years of the pow'er of Satan is not fulfilled, but it draweth near (corruptions in the text). “For the sake of those that have sinned was I given up Unto death, that they may return unto the truth and sin no more, but may inherit the spiritual and incorrupti ble glory of righteousness in heaven." When this passage is read side by side with the authorized version of the last chap ter of Mark, the importance of the differences Is easily appreciated. The new manuscript leads us to the fair supposition that many versions of the Gospels were current among and accepted by these, the earliest Christian*. The scholar, studying all the different ver sions, tries to ascertain which comes nearest to the true account, and welcomes the light that appears from any side. We want to know the truth, and to learn if we can, pre cisely what Jesus said and did, and what has been falsely attributed to Him by those who copied or edited the Gospels. It is admitted that all of tho manuscripts now known to exist are copies, and that no one has as yet discovered any original manuscript of any part of any one of the Gospels as it came from the hand of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. In fact it has been stated, and is believed by some authorities, that Matthew originally wrote in Hebrew, or at least in Aramaic, the Hebrew dialect of that time, but not a verse has ever been discovered In that tongue. Every discovery made in Egypt heightens the hope that the next may be one of these original manuscripts, but in the absence of these originals, the scholars of the world seize upon each new copy that is brought to light and compare it with all others, to ascertain if there is anything in it that has not ap peared before. The Freer Gospel*, though only just put into our hands, seem to offer a rich field for In vestigation, and already a very different pic ture of that last great scene with the Apos tles is presented. It is a wide variant upon the accepted account of what occurred after tlie BessUrrection. The fact seems clear that a large number of followers of Jesus must have believed in this other version, and for that reason, if for no other, Jt is of considerable value to those who wish to understand what the first Christians believed. it should not be forgotten that when the earliest Christians emigrated from Palestine they probably took with them all of the notes and manuscripts in their possession. The best proof of the activity of the Christians of this period in Egypt is the extent of their set tlements in that district known as the Fayum, which is being so fully explored by the Egypt Exploration Fund and other searchers for early Christian documents. The dry soil of Egypt has served as an ex cellent preserver of the old documents, and whether found in graves or ruins of ancient monasteries, they are generally decipherable and of untold value. No one can as yet rightly estimate the full worth of the “Logia," found in this district in 1897. To these were added in 1903, other valu able utterances, in the shape of additional "Logia". and the fragment of a lost Gospel, consisting, unfortunately, of only fifty lines, many of which were unreadable. Another fragment of a Gospel was found in 1907, con sisting of but one leaf of a lost manuscript. It is plain, therefore, that in these almost complete four Gospels brought to light by Mr. Freer, we have the greatest Christian discov ery since the finding of the Codex Sinaiticus by Tischendorf, in 1844-1839, which he re covered from the waste heap of the monastery on Mount Sinai. Some authorities hold this in higher esteem than the Vatican manu script, saying that it is earlier than'the fourth century, tc which it is usually assigned. This would make it only the contemporary of the Freer manuscript, so the value of this new American discovery can hardly be exaggerated. Considerable further study may be required to show other new versions contained in. the Freer manuscript, and all over the world the work of examination is going on, for Mr. Freer has sent to the leading libraries of the United States and Europe the 435 copies of the fas- simile edition, and the explanation by Dr. Sanders. The portraits of the evangelists, which are also printed In their full colors with the manu script, are of untold value in tracing the tra ditional lineaments of these great teachers. The outline of the features of Matthew are still plain and agree perfectly with the earliest portraits found in Egypt and in Byzantine paintings. In the Introduction to the work Professor Charles H. Morey, of Princeton University, presents a special study of these portraits, in which, while lamenting the loss of the pic ture of John, he says: “The color scheme, drapery and attitude of the figure of John must have been, as the remaining fragments show, practically identical with that of Mark. The traces of color in his hair show also that he was white-haired, or gray-haired, like Mark. “We have in these two panels definite por traits of the four evangelists that should be of value to the student of Coptic iconography? This is particularly true of the figure of Mark, whose current type in Byzantine art is that of a man in the prime of life, of black hair and a full round beard.” Professor Morey points out that Josef Strzygowski, the leading authority on this period, whose work, “Orient Oder Rom” (Orient or Rome), is accepted as the work on the subject of early Christian art, recog nized the existence of the Paul type in Coptic (Egyptian-Christian) art. It shows gray hair, head slightly bald and pointed beard. This portrait on the cover of the Freer manuscript is the first published document to establish definitely the Coptic version of St. Mark's features. We have every reason to believe that it is an authentic portrait. in connection with this discovery, it is in teresting to repeat the other new words of Jesus found in Egypt in recent years. The eight Logia, or sayings, discovered in 1897 are as follows: 1. . . . and then shalt thou see clear ly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 2. Jesus salth, Except ye fast to the World, ye shall in no wise find the King dom of God; and except ye make the Sabbath a real Sabbath, ye shall not see the Father. 3. Jesus saith, I stood in the midst of the World and in the flesh was I seen of ■'"i. sn l I found al! men drunken, and none found I athirst among them, and my u. grieveth over the sons of men, be- ...ise they are blind in their heart, and ee not. . . . 4. . . . poverty ... . 5. Jesus snttb. Wherever there are two, they are not without God. and wherever there is one alone, I say, I am with him. Raise the stone and there thou shalt find me. cleave the wood and there am I. 6. Jesus saith, A prophet is not accepta- 1: , i ,-i own country, neither doth a physician work cures upon them that know him. 7. Jesus saith, A city built upon the top of a high hill and established, can neither The Portrait of St. Matthew on tlie Front Cover of the New Gospels. The Figpre of St. John by His Side Is Practically Obliterated. . .. * ,... vx _ jrr rtvfAy^*.***^**,#*? ■x /*.✓**& v #**ffi*^ 7 .. r . , > V4f/# f^**A<*f*«4*i * ypmffAm**,w >¥*■ Jt* (:<'*■*> *>X fi*A**t*s Wmw*& 4 A <> r* <**>* 4 /• v <w;/ ys 'M, *' ./ 'V srf* / M/t etpsw&wwiNv. \ik\4 <rs>f ktj*.tfi rft. •• pJ t- ' " * - Facsimile of a Page of the Newly Found Manuscript Consisting of St. Mark, Chap ter xvi., Verses 12 to 17, containing the new words of the Saviour to the Apostles. fall nor be hid. 8. Jesus saith, Thou hearest with one ear (but the other ear hast thou closed). The “sayings” found in 1903 were prefaced by the following introductory statement: These are the (wonderful?) words which Jesus the living (Lord) spake to . . . and Thomas and he said unto (them) every one that hearkens to these words shall never taste of death. 1. Jesus saith, Let not him who seeks . . . cease until he finds and when he , finds he shall be astonished; astonished he shall reach the kingdom, and having reached the kingdom, he shall rest. 2. Jesus saith (ye ask? who are those) that draw us-(to the kingdom of) the king dom is in Heaven? . . . the fowls of the air and all beasts that under the earth or upon the earth and the fishes of the sea (these are they which draw) you and tho kingdom of Heaven is within you and whosoever shall know himself shall find it. (Strive therefore?) to know yourselves and ye shall be aware that ye are the sons of the (Almighty?) Father; (and?) ye shall know that ye are in (the city of God?) and ye are (the city?). 3. Jesus saith, A man shall not hesitate . . . to ask concerning his place (in the kingdom. Ye shall know) that many that are first shall be last, and the last LUKE MARK St. Luke (on the Left) and St. Mark (on the Right) on the Back Cover of the newly found Gospels. These Are Considered Authentic Likenesses of the Evangelists, Copied from Pictures Made in Their Lifetime. > f first and (they shall have eternal life?). 4. Jesus saith, Everything that is not before thy face and that which is hidden from thee shall be revealed to thee. ■ For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made-manifest nor buried which shall not be raised. 5. His disciples question him and say, How shall we fast and how shall we (pray?) . . . and what (command ment) shall we keep . . . Jesus saith ... do not ... of truth . . . blessed is he. The fragment of a lost Gospel which was discovered in 1903 contained originally about fifty lines, but many of them have perished and others are undecipherable. The transla tion, as far as it can be mdde, is as follows: 1-7. (Take no thought) from morning until even nor from evening until morning either for your food what ye shall eat or for your rainment what ye shall put on. 7-13. Y'e are far better than the lilies which grow but spin not. Having one garment what do ye (lack?). 15-15. Who could add to your stature?, 15-16. He himself will give you your garment. 17-23. His disci ples say unto Him, When wilt Thou be manifest unto -us and when shall we see Thee? He saith. When ye shall be stripped and not be ashamed. . . . 41-46. He said, The key of knowledge ye hid, ye entered not in yourselves, and to them that were entering in, ye opened not. The second Gospel fragment discovered in 1907 “consists of a single vellum leaf, practi cally complete except at one of the lower corners, and here most of the lacunae admit of a satisfactory solution.” The translation is as follows; . . . before he does wrong makes all manner of subtle excuse. But give heed lest ye also suffer the same things as they; for the evil doers among men re ceive their reward not among the living only, but also await punishment and much torment. And He took them and brought them into the very place of purification and was walking in the temple. And a certain Pharisee, a chief priest, whose name was Levi, met them and said to the Saviour, Who gave thee leave to walk in this place of purification, and to see these holy vessels when Thou hast not washed nor yet have thy disciples bathed their feet? But denied Thou hast Walked in this temple, which is a pure place, wherein no other man walks except he’has washed himself and changed his garments, neither does he venture to see these holy vessels. And the Saviour straightway stood still with His disciples and answered him, Art thou then, being here in the temple, clean? He saith unto him, I am clean; for I washed in the pool of David and having descended by one staircase, I ascended by another, and I put on white and clean garments, and then I came and looked upon these holy vessels. The Saviour answered and said unto him, Woe ye blind, who see not. Thou has washed in these running waters wherein dogs and swine have been cast night and day and hast cleansed and wiped the outside skin which also the harlots and fiute-girl9 anoint and wash and wipe and beautify for the lust of men; but within they ara full of scorpions and all wickedness. But I and my disciples who thou sayest have not bathed, have been dipped in the waters of eternal life which come from . . . But woe unto thee . . . It will be seen that we have now a larijf body of material dating from the earliest days of the Church which may considerably change our ideas of sacred history.