CHARACTERS. 



583 



well known, and who, in the qua- 

 lity of sub-preceptor, had concur- 

 red to produce these miracles of 

 education, had not himself attest- 

 ed, " that he never saw, in any 

 one, so quick an apprehension, so 

 vast and so correct a memory, so 

 just a judgment, and so brilliant 

 and so fruitful an imagination. 

 His, indeed, was a mind of the 

 first order; he did not rest satis- 

 fied with superficial attainments ; 

 he explored fully whatever he 

 undertook; hiscuriosity was bound- 

 less ; and, at the commencement, 

 when his extreme vivacity pre- 

 vented him from adhering to pre- 

 scribed rules, he accomplished 

 what he wished by the power of 

 his genius." 



In conducting the religious edu- 

 cation of the duke of Burgundy, 

 Fenelon directed his attention to 

 several works, the very names 

 of which would perhaps excite a 

 smile of contempt upon the coun- 

 tenance of a modern preceptor, 

 were they mentioned to him as 

 being fit for the perusal of a young 

 prince. These were, the select 

 letters of St. Jerome, of St. Au- 

 gustine, of St. Cyprian, and of 

 St. Ambrose. Yet, he who re- 

 commended this course of study 

 was Fenelon, whom no one will 

 accuse of being unacquainted with 

 the pleasures of profane litera- 

 ture, nor of aving neglected to 

 render his pupil acquainted with 

 them. 



But Fenelon knew, that as re- 

 ligion was the only check upon 

 kings, it was for the welfare of 

 the people, as well as for that of 

 the monarch, to display it to them 

 in the writings of those great 

 men, who have illustrated it by 

 their knowledge, as well as by 



their virtues. Towards this im- 

 portant object, therefore, Fenelon 

 directed bis most zealous endea- 

 vours ; and he was seconded in 

 the noble task by a man, who was, 

 of all others, the most worthy 

 and the most capable of producing 

 the desired effect. Religion it- 

 self could notselecta more blame- 

 less, or a more enlightened inter- 

 preter than the abbe Fleury, 



Fenelon wished that the religion 

 of the duke of Burgundy should 

 be such as to secure him from the 

 sophisms of impiety, and the illu- 

 sions of superstitious credulity. 

 He wished to form a prince who 

 should be deeply sensible of his 

 dependance on aBeingmore pow- 

 erful than the most powerful of 

 kings. He wished that this prince 

 should never cease to recollect; 

 that awful day of account, when 

 he must render a faithful state- 

 ment of his conduct, and when 

 his own subjects will be admitted 

 as witnesses, as accusers, and as 

 victims of his injustice. 



To accomplish this virtuous 

 object, Fenelon strove to awaken 

 and to cherish in the soul of his 

 pupil, sentiments that were truly 

 religious, and to accustom him to 

 those sacred practices and duties 

 which rehgion prescribes. Expe- 

 rience sufficiently shows, that 

 without the habitual performance 

 of these practices, the very idea 

 of God will be lost in the midst of 

 the turbulent passions and plea- 

 sures of life, and the remembrance 

 of him will be reduced to a vain 

 theory, which never reaches the 

 heart, which has no influence 

 upon morals, and which opposes 

 no check of sufficient efficacy to 

 the abuses of power. 



When Fenelon was convinced 



