CHARACTERS. 



579 



his tears the hands of Fenelon, 

 who pressed him to his bosom 

 with the tender affection of a fa- 

 ther, compassionate, and always 

 open to the repenting child. 



In these violent contests be- 

 tween an impetuous disposition 

 andapremature reason, the young 

 prince seemed distrustful of him- 

 self, and he summoned honour in 

 aid to his promises. The originals 

 of two contracts of honour which 

 he placed in the hands of Fenelon 

 are yet extant. They are as fol- 

 low : 



" 1 promise, on the faith of a 

 prince, to M. the abbe de Fene- 

 lon, to do immediately whatever 

 he shall order me ; and to obey 

 him the moment he forbids me 

 to do any thing. If I fail in this, 

 I will consent to any kind of pu- 

 nishment and dishonour. Done 

 at Versailles, the 29th of Novem- 

 ber, 1689. 



(Signed) «' Louis." 



" who promises again, to keep his 

 word better. This 20th of Sept. 

 I entreat M. de Fenelon to take 

 care of it." 



The prince, who subscribed to 

 these engagements of honour, was 

 only eight years old, and he al- 

 ready felt the force of those 

 magic words, " the faith of a 

 |)rince, &c." 



Fenelon himself was not always 

 secure from the exacerbations of 

 his pupil. We have an account of 

 the manner in which he conduct- 

 ed himself on a very delicate oc- 

 casion. The effect which he de- 

 duced from it was a lesson to the 

 duke of Burgundy, which no 

 time could efface from his heart 

 and mind. The conduct of 



Fenelon, in this affair, may serve 

 as a model to all those who have 

 to exercise the same functions to- 

 wards the children of princes and 

 noblemen. 



Fenelon saw himself compelled 

 to Speak to his pupil with an au- 

 thority, and even a severity, which 

 the nature of his offence required ; 

 but the young prince replied, 

 *' No no, sir ; I know who you 

 are, and who I am." Fenelon 

 answered not a word ; he felt 

 that the moment was not arrived, 

 and that in the present disposition 

 of his pupil he would be unfit to 

 listen to him. He appeared, 

 therefore, to meditate in silence, 

 and contented himself with shew- 

 ing how deeplj' he was hurt by 

 the seriousness and solemnity of 

 his deportment. 



On the following morning, the 

 duke of Burgundy was hardly 

 awake when Fenelon entered his 

 room. He would not wait until 

 the usual hour of meeting, in or- 

 der that every thing he had to say 

 to him might appear more mark- 

 ed, and strike more powerfully 

 the imagination of the young 

 prince. Fenelon addressed hioi 

 with a cold and respectful serious- 

 ness, very different from his ^sual 

 manner. 



" I know not, sir," said he to 

 him, " whether you recollect what 

 you said to me yesterday, that 

 ' you knew who you were, and 

 who I am.' It is my duty to in- 

 form you, that you are ignorant of 

 both one and the other. You 

 fancy, sir, I suppose, that you are 

 greater than I am ; some servants, 

 no doubt, have told you so; but 

 I, I do not fear to tell you, since 

 you force me to it, that I am 



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