39^ STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Many learned men, infpired by his genius, have 

 changed among us the fpirit of the Government, 

 and the public manners. To their Writings we 

 are indebted for the abolition of many barbarous 

 cuftoms, fuch as that of punifhing capitally the 

 pretended crime of witchcraft; the application of 

 the rack to all criminals without diftindion ; the 

 remains of feudal flavery ; the praftice of wearing 

 fwords in the bofom of cities, in times of profound 



peace, 



were ftill at Church. J. J. Roujfeau propofed to me to ftep in, 

 and otfer up cur devotions. The hermits were, at that time, re- 

 citing the Litanies of Providence, which are remarkably beau- 

 tiful. After we had addrefled pur prayer to God, in a little 

 chapel, and as the hermits were proceeding toward their refec- 

 tory, Rcujjeau faid to me, with his heart overflowing : •' At this 

 *' moment I experience what is faid in the GofpeJ : Where tivo 

 " or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midjl 

 *' of them. There is here a fcntiment of peace and of felicity 

 *' which penetrates the foul." I replied : " If Fenelon had lived, 

 *' you would have been a Catholic." He exclaimed in an extafy, 

 and with tears in his eyes : " O ! if Fenelon were in life, I would 

 *' rtriiggle to get into his fervice as lackey, in hope of meriting 

 '< the place of his valet de chambre." 



Having picked up, feme time ago, on the Pont-Neuf, one of 

 thofe little urns which the Italians fell about the flreets for a itw 

 halfpence a-piece, the idea ftruck me of converting it, as a deco- 

 ration of my folitude, into a monument facred to the memory 

 oîjchîi-james-xwà oï Fenelon., after the manner of thofe which 

 the Chinefe fet up to the memory of Confucius. As there are 

 two little fcutcheons on this urn, I wrote on the one thefe 

 words, ].]. RoyssiiAU ; and on the other F. Fenelon. \ 



then 



