67C ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



impetuous, and incapable of en- 

 during the least opposition, even 

 of time and the elements, without 

 bursting forth into such intempe- 

 rate rage, that it was sometimes 

 to be feared the very veins in his 

 body would burst; this excess I 

 have frequently witnessed. His 

 obstinacy was beyond all bounds ; 

 he was passionately addicted to 

 every kind of pleasure ; to the 

 luxuries of the table; to the chase 

 with extraordinary avidity ; music 

 he delighted in with a sort of ex- 

 tacy ; he was also fond of play, 

 but he could not endure to be con- 

 quered, and they who played with 

 him ran much risk. In short, he 

 was the prey of every passion, and 

 the slave of every pleasure : he 

 was o^ten ferocious, and naturally 

 inclined to cruelty. In his raillery 

 he was unfeeling, employing the 

 force of ridicule with a precision 

 which completely overwhelmed 

 the object ; inordinately proud, 

 he looked upon men only as atoms 

 with whom he had no sort of si- 

 milarity whatever. Even the 

 princes, his brothers, scarcely 

 seemed, in his estimation, to form 

 an intermediate link between him- 

 self and the rest of mankind, 

 though it had always been studi- 

 ously endeavoured to educate all 

 three of them with perfect equa- 

 lity. But the brilliancy of his 

 mind and his penetration were at 

 all times evident, and even in his 

 moments of greatest violence. 

 His replies created astonishment 

 in all who heard them : his obser- 

 vations were never without just- 

 ness, even in his most fierce anger ; 

 the most abstract branches of 

 knowledge cost him little trouble 

 to acquire ; the extent and vigour 

 of his mind were prodigious, and 



prevented him from steady and 

 individual application." 



Such was the prince who was 

 confided to Fenelon. There was 

 every thing to be feared from such 

 a character, and every thing to be 

 hoped from a soul possessing such 

 energy. Let us hear, once more, 

 St. Simon. 



" So much mind, and such 

 power of mind, joined to such 

 sensibility, and to such passions ; 

 every quality, in fact, partaking 

 of such ardour, must necessarily 

 have rendered his education no 

 easy process. The duke of Beau- 

 villiers, who was fully aware of its 

 difficulties and its consequences, 

 surpassed even himself in his ap- 

 plication, his patience, and the 

 variety of his remedies. Fenelon, 

 Floury, and the other persons 

 connected with his education, 

 were all brought into action ; and 

 they all, with one accord, acted 

 under the instructions of the duke, 

 whose plan, were it minutely de- 

 tailed, would furnish a curious 

 and interesting work. The pro- 

 digy was, that in a very short 

 time grace and devotion trans- 

 formed him into quite another 

 man, and changed such fearful 

 vices into perfectly opposite vir- 

 tues. From that abyss issued a 

 prince, who was affable, mild, hu- 

 mane, moderate, patient, modest, 

 humble, and austere towards him- 

 self; wholly occupied with his 

 future obligations in life, which 

 he felt to be great, and thinking 

 only of uniting the duties of the 

 son and the subject with those 

 which he saw himself destined 

 afterwards to fulfil." 



But what incessant vigilance, 

 what art, what industry, what 

 skill, what variety in the means 



