C H A li A C T E 11 S. 



569 



tlegree of propriety and of probity, 

 lie left to the duke de Beauvilliers 

 the unconstrained disposal of all 

 tljc other places, as well as the 

 choice of the persons who were to 

 superintend the education of the 

 prince. 



Louis XIV. had not hesitated 

 for a moment as to whom he 

 should select as a governor for his 

 grandson ; nor did M. de Beauvil- 

 liers hesitate a single moment as 

 to the choice of a preceptor. He 

 nominated Fenelon to that office 

 on the 17th of August, 1689, the 

 very day after he had received his 

 own appointment. Fenelon knew 

 not of his elevation. Bossuet 

 heard of it on the 18th, while at 

 his country house at Germigny ; 

 and, in the first warmth of his 

 joy, he wrote to the marchioness 

 of Laval, that letter which does 

 both him and its object so much 

 honour. It is here copied from 

 the original, in the hand-writing 

 of Bossuet : — 



" Yesterday, madam, I was 

 wholly occupied with the welfare 

 of the church and the state ; to- 

 day, that I have had more leisure 

 to reflect upon the cause of your 

 joy, I am myself rejoiced. The 

 marquis, your father, who was so 

 sincere and meritorious a friend, 

 presents himself to my mind. I 

 picture to myself how he would 

 feel on this occasion, at the illus- 

 trious dawn of that merit which 

 has been hidden with so much 

 care. In short, madam, we shall 

 not lose the abbe de Fenelon : 

 you can enjoy him ; and I, though 

 a provincial, shall escape from 

 here now and then to visit him. 

 Accept, I entreat you, the testi- 

 monies of uay joy, and the assur- 



ances of that respect with which 

 I am, madam, your most humble 

 " And most obedient servant, 

 " J. Benigne, 

 " Bishop of Meaux. 

 " Germigny, Aug. 19, 1689." 



Madame de Maintenon fre- 

 quently used to say, that she had 

 contributed towards the nomina- 

 tion of the abbe de Fenelon as 

 preceptor to the duke of Bur- 

 gundy; and perhaps, indeed, con- 

 nected as she was with the duke 

 de Beauvilliers, the new governor 

 had taken the precaution to secure 

 her approbation as a necessary 

 preliminary to obtaining the sanc- 

 tion of the king. For it might be 

 feared that Louis XIV. would re- 

 tain some prejudices against Fene- 

 lon since the time when he was 

 prevailed upon, by injurious re- 

 ports, to refusehis being nominated 

 to the bishopric of Poitiers and to 

 that of Rochelle. 



The choice of the new governor 

 and preceptor was no sooner made 

 public than all France resounded 

 with applause. Yet this choice 

 had fallen upon two individuals, 

 of whom the one, though obliged, 

 by his situation, to reside at court, 

 lived there, however, in close re- 

 tirement ; and the other possessed 

 no other title than that of superior 

 of a convent of women. But the 

 one, in spite of his modesty, could 

 not elude renown ; and the other 

 had disclosed, unconsciously, the 

 secret of his character and ge- 

 nius in two works, whose primary 

 object it was to be useful to reli- 

 gion and to friendship. 



But, in the midst of all those 

 applauses, and of all those honour- 

 able and flattering testimonies of 

 admiration, in the midst of all the 



