Retrospect of French Literature—Mistory and Biography. 641, 
the other is destined for myself, and I 
have already caused an epitaph to be 
engraved, which only wants the day and 
year of my death to render it complete.” 
The afflictions of M. de Campion hav- 
ing rendered life insupportable, he died 
May 11, 1663, at the age of fifty-one 
years and three ‘months, 
«¢ Fssai surla Vie du Grand Condé, 
par Louis Joseph de Bourbon Condé, son 
quatrieme descendant.”—An Essay on 
the Life of the Great Condé, by’ Louis 
Joseph de Bourbon Condé, the fourth in 
descent from him. 
** A travers mille feux, je vois Condé pa+ 
raitre 
Toura tour la terreur et l’appui de son maitre.” 
Notwithstanding the many Lives that 
have already appeared of Condé, ene 
of his great-grandsons, about forty years 
since, undertook to write a new me- 
moir concerning this celebrated man. 
lis. own ‘archives presented the “most 
authentic sources of information, and as 
to the authenticity of the manuscript 
itself, the Editor asserts, that he pos- 
sesses two copies, one of them with mar- 
ginal notes, in the hand-writing of Louis 
XV. 
Louis de Bourbon, the second of that 
name, at first Duke a’ Enghien, and then 
Prince de Condé, was born at Paris on 
the 7th of September, 1621. It is great- 
ly to be regretted, that history has not 
been more successful in coliecting the 
occurrences of his infancy; as we know 
not whether any traits of the future hero 
were developed at an early period of life. 
He was educated under the title of the 
Due d’Enghien, at Bourges, where his 
father at that time lived, and where the 
Jesuits of that city had a college. 
The only distinction paid to him above 
that of the same class, was, that he sat 
in anarm chair. The facility with which 
he learned his task, and the quickness of 
his progress, discovered a mind and ta- 
lents well adapted to study. At eight 
years of age, we are told, te was ac- 
quainted with Latin; at eleven he com- 
posed a treatise on rhetoric, and sustain- 
ed his thesis in philosophy with great 
success. 
On leaving Bourges, to pass a few of 
the summer months at the castle of Mon- 
trond, which appertained to. his father, 
the latter enjoined him never to write in 
any other language but Latin. As he 
secmed to have taken too great a liking 
at this period to the chace, the Prince of 
Condé, fearing lest this passicn should 
avert his mind from his studies, transe 
mitted him orders to send away his dogs. 
He obeyed next morning, and, in a letter 
addressed to his parent, frankly acknow- 
ledged that he had followed this amuse- 
ment with too much ardour. 
The Duke d’Enghien having repaired 
to Burgundy during the siege of Dole, 
which had been undertaken under the 
conduct of the Prince de Condé, he on 
this occasion appears, for the first time, 
to have conceived an, attachment for 
war. 
“« How I long (says his highness) to re~ 
pair to your camp, in order to attend on 
your person, and participate in your 
cares. I read with pleasure the heroic 
actions of our kings in history; and on 
beholding such. admirable examples, I 
feel a holy ambition to imitate them: 
_ but itis at present sufhcient to be a boy, 
and to desire, and to possess no other 
will but your’s.’ 
The Duke d’Enghien, we are told, was 
introduced into the world “ at the birth 
of Louis XIV. and the commencement 
of the epoch which that monarch creat- 
ed.*” He was received with all the dis- 
tinction which an amiable young man, of 
a noble figure, and elevated rank, ever 
inspires. But he was extremely mortified 
from his first appearance at court, on 
account of the astonishing power enjoyed 
by Richelieu, the splendour which sur- 
rounded him, and the unexampled de- 
gree of pomp, which this minister dared 
to affect, even in the sight of his so- 
vereign. It generally became necessary 
for his father to issue a written order be- 
fore he could be prevailed on to visit the 
prelate, and at seventeen years of age 
this was the greatest proof that he could 
give of his obedience. 
The princess his mother deemed it 
dangerous for her son to be unceasingly oc- 
cupied with a sight of that despotism, 
which appeared so revolting to his youthful 
and haughty mind. She endeavoured, 
therefore, to turn his attention from what 
was passing at court by assembling around 
her the most illustrious and select so- 
ciety; and she also conducted him to the 
hotel de Rambouillet, where at that pe- 
riod were collected the highest orders ot 
the nobility of both sexses, together with 
the most. enlightened men of letters, 
The young prince conducted himself on 
these occasions with the greatest pro- 
priety, and a taste for the arts and sci- 
* In 1638. 
ences 
