Henry's reign then entered on its last phase of dynastic struggle.
The first reforms, however, were dynastic rather than national.
A careful register of the dates was kept, divided into reigns, from which dynastic lists were afterwards compiled, giving the duration of each king's reign as well as that of the several dynasties.
Two of these dynastic compilations have been discovered, unfortunately in an imperfect state.
Whatever we may think of the political sagacity of such a judgment, it is due to Comte to say that he did not expect to see his dictatorial republic transformed into a dynastic empire, and, next, that he did expect from the Man of December freedom of the press and of public meeting.