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It is not very much astonishing that his private affairs weren't running smoothly either.<ref>The events in Constant's life described in this paragraph ought to be taken with a pinch of salt. Because while writing on this article the author got the impression that most of what can be found about Constant in the internet has been copied from the same source. Everyone for example notes a so-called "Institution Chandeau" in Choisy-le-Roi. However, even a lengthy research over several hours didn't reveal any information on that institute, but lots and lots of identical wordings, all of them apparently taken from the French Wikipedia (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Éliphas_Lévi). ''Chandeau'' is, as might be expected, a proper name, but nowhere is it mentioned with even a geographical connection to Choisy-le-Roi. There is only one hint to be found: if "Institution Chandeau" is supposed to have been the name of a girls' school at the time in question, http://fr.topic-topos.com/ecole-emile-zola-choisy-le-roi might give at least a vague possibility for an explanation.</ref> In the small town Choisy-le-Roi, located a few kilometers outside of Paris and since 1840 at the railway to Orleans, he used to meet with a warden of a girls' school (presumably, see note). But while they were making plans to marry, and she was pregnant from him, one of her girl friends fell in love with Alphonse, the underage maiden [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Noémi_Cadiot Marie-Noémi Cadiot]. Some fiery love letters later she escaped and hid herself in his garret. Seeing himself put before the choice between marrying her or face trial for seducing a minor - what was left for him? On July 13, 1846, they married. She gave birth to a daughter whom he adored and who would die aged seven in 1854. Soon after which Marie-Noémi would leave him. The descendants of the warden he left so unfaithfully live to this very day.
 
It is not very much astonishing that his private affairs weren't running smoothly either.<ref>The events in Constant's life described in this paragraph ought to be taken with a pinch of salt. Because while writing on this article the author got the impression that most of what can be found about Constant in the internet has been copied from the same source. Everyone for example notes a so-called "Institution Chandeau" in Choisy-le-Roi. However, even a lengthy research over several hours didn't reveal any information on that institute, but lots and lots of identical wordings, all of them apparently taken from the French Wikipedia (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Éliphas_Lévi). ''Chandeau'' is, as might be expected, a proper name, but nowhere is it mentioned with even a geographical connection to Choisy-le-Roi. There is only one hint to be found: if "Institution Chandeau" is supposed to have been the name of a girls' school at the time in question, http://fr.topic-topos.com/ecole-emile-zola-choisy-le-roi might give at least a vague possibility for an explanation.</ref> In the small town Choisy-le-Roi, located a few kilometers outside of Paris and since 1840 at the railway to Orleans, he used to meet with a warden of a girls' school (presumably, see note). But while they were making plans to marry, and she was pregnant from him, one of her girl friends fell in love with Alphonse, the underage maiden [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Noémi_Cadiot Marie-Noémi Cadiot]. Some fiery love letters later she escaped and hid herself in his garret. Seeing himself put before the choice between marrying her or face trial for seducing a minor - what was left for him? On July 13, 1846, they married. She gave birth to a daughter whom he adored and who would die aged seven in 1854. Soon after which Marie-Noémi would leave him. The descendants of the warden he left so unfaithfully live to this very day.
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The revolution of February 1848 brought more liberties for Alphonse-Louis too. Just one year ago he had once more been convicted for one of his pamphlets, ''La Voix
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The revolution of February 1848 brought more liberties for Alphonse-Louis too. Just one year ago he had once more been convicted for one of his pamphlets, ''La Voix de la famine'', now nothing could hamper his roaming the political stage any longer. He headed the left-wing magazine ''Le Tribun du peuple'' which died after the fourth issue, founded a political workers' association named (in revolutionary tradition) ''Le Club de la montagne''<ref>At the first National Assembly in 1791 the deputies of the political left were seated on the upper ranks, hence the name ''La montagne'' ("Mountain Party").</ref>, then in June, when the political reaction felt uneasy about the latest developments and tried to turn back the wheels, he nearly got killed by a firing squad. Luckily they took someone else for him and shot the wrong chap. He tried to be elected to the National Assemply, but a friend of his made the race, after which the friendship broke. Under financial aspects however the couple Constant was well off now, because Marie-Noémi was emancipating herself. She published literary feuilletons, and received lessons from the sculptor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Pradier James Pradier] who had already been promoted by the Roi Citoyen and now helped her open the doors to the Parisian society. In this wake of hers Alphonse too was commissioned by the government with two paintings for the ministry of the interior.
de la famine'', now nothing could hamper his roaming the political stage any longer. He headed the left-wing magazine ''Le Tribun du peuple'' which died after the fourth issue, founded a political workers' association named (in revolutionary tradition) ''Le Club de la montagne''<ref>At the first National Assembly in 1791 the deputies of the political left were seated on the upper ranks, hence the name ''La montagne'' ("Mountain Party").</ref>, then in June, when the political reaction felt uneasy about the latest developments and tried to turn back the wheels, he nearly got killed by a firing squad. Luckily they took someone else for him and shot the wrong one. He tried to be elected to the National Assemply, but a friend of his made the race, after which the friendship broke.  
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=== ... ad occultum ===
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Is it allowed to judge a person, having come to know so little about him and in so compact a way? Maybe not, but one may have an impression of him, and this one may express. And if now, in 1850, Alphonse-Louis Constant were confronted with the notion that for all intents and purposes his life so far had been stranded he would flatly deny such a view, apalled perhaps and blustering, and yet all the while secretly suspecting that so completely wrong the thought might not have been. Because, what had he achieved as yet? His theological and (church) political scriptures had earned him not much more than troubles and the inconveniences of the penal system, his pastoral career wasn't worth much talking about, his political engagements remained without success, and all his artistical pursuit kept being a hobby-horse rather, if at all. One can imagine that all of this was beginning to prey on his mind.
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[[image:Baphomet.png|Baphomet, drawing in '' Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie'', 1856|left|thumb]]
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== References ==
 
== References ==
 
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