Retrospect of French Literature—Bugraphy. 
tinguished in the military art, or in civil 
attairs, than we expect from the professed 
eulogist of one who has acquired a high 
repuiation by the talent of elocution 
alone, The author who would pretend 
to praise Demosthenes in vulgar lan- 
guage, 1s equally incapable of appreci- 
ating his genius, or celebrating his ta- . 
lents, 
It is the opinion of many, that, as Ra- 
cine is the tirst French poet, so Massil- 
lon is the first French orator: in fine, 
he lias been usually considered the Ci- 
cero, wnile Bossuet has been termed the 
Demosthenes of France. It has been 
observed of the former,’ ‘ * that he knew 
how to weep with grace.’ 
Tis sermon, “ Sur le petit Nombre des 
Flus,” (the small Number of the Elect,) 
is a surprising composition, which, on its 
delivery, produced such an reer that 
the whole audience, struck with a mo- 
mentary terror, arose as if by agreement. 
The first time that this bishop “preached 
before Louis XIV. he was-also interrup- 
ted, during the exordium, by an involun- 
tary murmur of approbation, which nei- 
ther the sacredness of the place, the bnil- 
Jiancy of the court, nor the presence of 
the king, were Asta to repress. Thus he 
ravished the admiration of a circle, ac- 
customed to the eloquence of Bossuet, of 
Bourdaloue, and of Flecnier. 
Louis XLV. had attained the summit of 
power, prosperity, and glory, when Mas- 
sillon lectured from the following text: 
“ Bienheureux ceux gut pleurent : 
¢ Happy are they who weep.” “ Sire!” 
said he, ‘if the world were to address 
your Majesty, it would not repeat, ‘ Hap- 
py are they who weep;’ on the contrary, 
it would exclaim, ‘ Happy 1s the King, 
whose glory is commensurate with his 
power, who has never fought but to van- 
quish, who enjoys at one and the same 
time, the love of his subjects and the 
esteem of his enemies!’ But, Sire, the 
evangelist does not speak the iansuage of 
flaiter Vins te 
Louis XIV. once addressed the alle 
ing compliment to the Bishop of Cler- 
mont; 
«“ My father! I have heard several 
great orators in my chapel, and I have 
venerally left it, very well content with 
them; but when I listen to you, T always 
retire ‘discontented with myself. em 
«© Notices Historiques.’ = Mistoneal 
Notices, 
The first person whom we shi mT men- 
tion under this head, is Daniel Tilenus, a 
professor and minister at Sedan, one of 
—_— 
“Duke de Bouillon. 
673 , 
the most learned theologians among the 
reformers. He was born at Tolberg, in 
Silesia, on the 4th of February, 1563, 
aud repaired to France in 1590, after 
having completed his studies in Germany. 
Having been honoured with the notice of 
Henry LV. he remained there during the 
rest of his life. 
He appears at first to have been em-_ 
ployed in the capacity of an instructor, 
or private tutor, to youth of condition, 
and, among others, was preceptor to M. 
de-Rocheposay, afterwards Bishop of 
Poitiers, M. de Laval, &c. His literary 
labours soon proved that he had tur ned 
iis attention, at an early period of lite,” 
to the study of the scriptures, the fathers, 
and of ecclesiastical history in general. 
It is also evident, that he had attained 
great eminence in the oriental languages, 
whch are so necessary to all those who 
wish to ascend to the ae sources of 
theology. - 
His first publication was the Account 
of a Conference relative to the Apostolic 
Traditions, which he held at Paris, in 
1597, with Jacques Davy Du Perron, 
Bishop of Evreux, the first catholic pre- 
late who wrote in the French language 
respecting matters of religion. Two 
months posterior to this, Tilenus was in-, 
vited to Sedan, in the double capacity of 
a protestant minister aud a professor of 
theology. ‘There he remained for about. 
thirty years, and was honoured with the 
personal esteem of Henry de la Tour, 
This prince, —al- 
though indifferent himself in respect to. 
religious affairs, yet educated his eldest 
son, Frederic Maurice, under a rigid - 
Calvinist, whilst he placed the great Tu-. 
Fd nienonn aie ressen Tilenus, a declared. 
partisan of universal toleration. 
In 1609, the latter engaged in the dis- 
pute which took place in Holland, be- 
tween the two famous sects, the Gomar- 
ists and the Arminians, and he declared 
ayainst the latter of these; but he after- 
wards changed sides, on reading the 
writings of Corvinus. His conduct on. 
this occasion engendered a number of. 
enemies, and particularly the Duke de 
Roullon, who appears to have affected 
to alter his religious tenets at the request 
of the King of “England ! ‘he instructor 
of ‘Turenne was accordingly divested of 
all his employments, and even obliged to. 
leave a city where he wished to finish his 
inortal career, after a residence of seve- 
ral years. Having been thus forced to 
quit Sedan in the middle of the winter of 
1619, notwithstanding he wag then af- 
4 Q 2 ticted 
