A system of things ending in a prison is not attractive， and is established only after great resistance. "We were under the necessity，" says the superior council，[43] "of taking candidates as they could be found， differing infinitely in methods， principles and sentiments， accustomed to almost unlimited pardon or， at least， to being governed by the caprices of parents and nearly all disliking the régime attempted to be enforced on them." Moreover， through this intervention of the State， "the local authorities find one of their most cherished prerogatives wrested from them." In sum， "the masters detested the new duties imposed on them； the administrators and bishops protested against the appointments not made at their suggestion； fathers of families complained of the new taxes they had to pay. It is said that the University is known only by its imposts and by its forced regulations； again， in 1811， most of its masters are incompetent， or intractable， and of a bad spirit. - There is still another reason for tightening the cord that binds them into a corporation. "The absolute subordination of every individual belonging to the University is its first necessity； without discipline and without obedience， no University could exist. This obedience must be prompt， and， in grave cases， where recourse must be had to the authority of the government， obedience must always be provisional."But， on this incurably refractory staff， pressure is not enough； it has grown old and hardened； the true remedy， therefore， consists in replacing it with a younger one， more manageable， expressly shaped and wrought out in a special school， which will be for the University what Fontainebleau is for the army， what the grand seminaries are for the clergy， a nursery of subjects carefully selected and fashioned beforehand.
Such is the object of the "école Normale."[44] Young students enter it at the age of seventeen and bind themselves to remain in the University at least ten years.[45] Young students enter it at the age of seventeen (for a period of 3 years) and bind themselves afterwards to remain in the University at least ten years. It is a boarding-school and they are obliged to live in common： "individual exits are not allowed，" while "the exits in common . . . in uniform . . . can be made only under the direction and conduct of superintendent masters. .
. . These superintendents inspect the pupils during their studies and recreations， on rising and on going to bed and during the night. . .
No pupil is allowed to pass the hours set aside for recreation in his own room without permission of the superintendent. No pupil is allowed to enter the hall of another division without the permission of two superintendents. . . . The director of studies must examine the books of the pupils whenever he deems it necessary， and as often as once a month." Every hour of the day has its prescribed task； all exercises， including religious observances， are prescribed， each in time and place， with a detail and meticulousness， as if purposely to close all possible issues to personal initiation and everywhere substitute mechanical uniformity for individual diversities. "The principal duties of the pupils are respect for religion， attachment to the sovereign and the government， steady application， constant regularity， docility and submission to superiors； whoever fails in these duties is punished according to the gravity of the offense."[46] - In 1812，[47] the Normal School is still a small one， scarcely housed， lodged in the upper stories of the lycée Louis le Grand， and composed of forty pupils and four masters. But Napoleon has its eyes on it and is kept informed of what goes on in it. He does not approve of the comments on the "Dialogue de Sylla et d'Eucrate，" by Montesquieu， on the "éloge de Marc Aurèle，" by Thomas， on the "Annales" of Tacitus：
"Let the young read Caesar's commentaries. . . Corneille， Bossuet， are the masters worth having； these， under the full sail of obedience， enter into the established order of things of their time； they strengthen it， they illustrate it，" they are the literary coadjutors of public authority. Let the spirit of the Normal School conform to that of these great men. The University establishment is the original， central workshop which forges， finishes and supplies the finest pieces， the best wheels. Just now the workshop is incomplete， poorly fitted out， poorly directed and still rudimentary； but it is to be enlarged and completed and made to turn out more and better work.
For the time being， it produces only what is needed to fill the annual vacancies in the lycées and in the colleges. Nevertheless， the first decree states that it is "intended to receive as many as three hundred youths."[48] The production of this number will fill all vacancies， however great they may be， and fill them with products of superior and authentic quality. These human products thus manufactured by the State in its own shop， these school instruments which the State stamps with its own mark， the State naturally prefers. It imposes them on its various branches； it puts them by order into its lycées and colleges；at last， it accepts no others； not only does it confer on itself the monopoly of teaching， but again the preparation of the masters who teach. In 1813，[49] a circular announces that "the number of places that chance to fall vacant from year to year， in the various University establishments， sensibly diminishes according as the organization of the teaching body becomes more complete and regular in its operation， as order and discipline are established， and as education becomes graduated and proportionate to diverse localities.
The moment has thus arrived for declaring that the Normal School is henceforth the only road by which to enter upon the career of public instruction； it will suffice for all the needs of the service."VI. Objects and sentiments.
