Chapter 3

RACINE.1639-1699.

RACINE.

1639-1699.

Birth of Jean Racine1639.297His Education at Beauvais297Ætat. 16. Received as a Pupil at Port Royal1655.298Rivalry of the Jesuits and Jansenists298His Enthusiasm for the Tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides299Marriage of Louis XIV.1660.300Racine on this Occasion writes the Ode "Nymphes de laSeine"301Chapelain recommends him to the Minister Colbert301Racine resides with his Uncle le Père Sconin at Uzès, inProvence302His Poem, "The Bath of Venus"304Returned to Paris, and employed by Molière in DramaticComposition304Ætat. 25. His "Alexandre"1664.305,306He teaches the celebrated Champmélé to recite307He replies to M. Nicole307His Tragedies of "Andromach" and "Britannicus"308He writes "Bérénice" in rivalry of Corneille on the sameSubject309Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans309Partisans of Corneille309Racine's Comedy of "Les Plaideurs"310He is admitted of the French Academy1673.312Duke of Montauzier312Racine's "Iphigénie," "Bajazet," and "Mithridate"312"Phèdre," and Madame des Houlières' Sonnet on that Tragedy312Racine and Boileau, supposed to have written a Reply to Madamedes Houlières, are threatened by the Duke of Nevers313Racine resolves on renouncing the Tragic Muse313Ætat. 38. He meditates becoming Chartreux, but is counselledby his Confessor to marry1677.313Character of Madame Racine314Their Sons, intended for monastic Life, are thrown into moreactive Pursuits314Their Daughters take the Veil314Racine reconciles himself with M. Nicole and the Abbé Arnauldof Port Royal315He is named Historiographer conjointly with Boileau316His Devotion316His Fondnesss for Home, and Paternal Benevolence317He attends Louis XIV. in his Campaigns317Ætat. 45. His Eloge of Corneille before the French Academy1684.317His "Idyl on Peace"318His Attendance at Court319His excellent Recitation319"Esther"320"Athalie," his best Tragedy320Madame de Maintenon and Racine321-325Death of Racine1699.326Criticism on the Tragedies of Jean Racine327

Birth of Jean Racine

1639.

297

His Education at Beauvais

297

Ætat. 16. Received as a Pupil at Port Royal

1655.

298

Rivalry of the Jesuits and Jansenists

298

His Enthusiasm for the Tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides

299

Marriage of Louis XIV.

1660.

300

Racine on this Occasion writes the Ode "Nymphes de laSeine"

301

Chapelain recommends him to the Minister Colbert

301

Racine resides with his Uncle le Père Sconin at Uzès, inProvence

302

His Poem, "The Bath of Venus"

304

Returned to Paris, and employed by Molière in DramaticComposition

304

Ætat. 25. His "Alexandre"

1664.

305,306

He teaches the celebrated Champmélé to recite

307

He replies to M. Nicole

307

His Tragedies of "Andromach" and "Britannicus"

308

He writes "Bérénice" in rivalry of Corneille on the sameSubject

309

Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans

309

Partisans of Corneille

309

Racine's Comedy of "Les Plaideurs"

310

He is admitted of the French Academy

1673.

312

Duke of Montauzier

312

Racine's "Iphigénie," "Bajazet," and "Mithridate"

312

"Phèdre," and Madame des Houlières' Sonnet on that Tragedy

312

Racine and Boileau, supposed to have written a Reply to Madamedes Houlières, are threatened by the Duke of Nevers

313

Racine resolves on renouncing the Tragic Muse

313

Ætat. 38. He meditates becoming Chartreux, but is counselledby his Confessor to marry

1677.

313

Character of Madame Racine

314

Their Sons, intended for monastic Life, are thrown into moreactive Pursuits

314

Their Daughters take the Veil

314

Racine reconciles himself with M. Nicole and the Abbé Arnauldof Port Royal

315

He is named Historiographer conjointly with Boileau

316

His Devotion

316

His Fondnesss for Home, and Paternal Benevolence

317

He attends Louis XIV. in his Campaigns

317

Ætat. 45. His Eloge of Corneille before the French Academy

1684.

317

His "Idyl on Peace"

318

His Attendance at Court

319

His excellent Recitation

319

"Esther"

320

"Athalie," his best Tragedy

320

Madame de Maintenon and Racine

321-325

Death of Racine

1699.

326

Criticism on the Tragedies of Jean Racine

327

FÉNÉLON.1651-1715.

FÉNÉLON.

1651-1715.

Birth of François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénélon1651.329His charitable and devout heart329His Father the Count de Fénélon329His Mother of an illustrious Family329His early Acquaintance with Greek and Latin Literature, andPowers of Composition330Ætat. 18. The Abbé de Fénélon takes his Degree in theUniversity of Cahors1669.331Visits his Uncle, the Marquis de Fénélon, at Paris331Ætat. 19. His Success in Preaching1670.331Ætat. 24. His Zeal in Ministerial Duties1675.332Wishes to go as Missionary to Canada332His religious fervour333Louis XIV. commissions him to preach to the Huguenots inPoitou332Fame of Bossuet, then Bishop of Condom334Le Père Bourdaloue surpasses in eloquent Discourses his MasterBossuet334Bossuet, Governor of the Dauphin, writes his "Discours surl'Histoire Universelle"334Fénélon "on Female Education"335Ætat. 38. Duke de Beauvilliers appoints Fénélon a Preceptor tothe Grandsons of Louis XIV.1689.336Celebrated Men employed as Preceptors to the Princes336Fénélon appointed Archbishop of Cambrai339Controversial Spirit of the Age339Affair of Madame Guyon's Visions and Mysticism340Bossuet and other Divines commissioned to inquire into herDoctrines343Bossuet, now Bishop of Meaux, writes the "Instruction sur lesÉtats de l'Oraison," and desires Fénélon's Approval thereof343The Archbishop of Cambrai refuses, and writes his "Explicationdes Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Intérieure"344The Controversy of the Two celebrated Divines has an unfortunateResult in the Division of the Gallican Church on theDoctrines in question345Louis XIV. prejudiced against Fénélon345Madame de Maintenon's Coldness to him345Ætat. 46. Fénélon exiled to his See1697.346The Dispute between MM. de Meaux and Cambrai referred toRome347Innocent XII. appoints a Commission, and calls upon those Prelatesfor a formal Statement of their Opinions348Louis XIV. erases the Name of Fénélon from the List of Preceptorsto the Princes349Calmness and Charitable Sentiments of Fénélon under the indignitiesoffered him349Ætat. 48. The Pope's Brief condemning the "Maximes desSaints" of Fénélon1699.352Exemplary Obedience of Fénélon, and his Pastoral Letter on theOccasion353The Brief against him is registered, and Bossuet draws up aReport355Death of Bossuet, without any Reconciliation with Fénélon1714.356"Télémaque"337,356Admirable Deportment of Fénélon in the See of Cambrai357His Sermons358His Seminary for the Instruction of the younger Clergy358,360His Doctrine360Fénélon an Opponent of Jansenism362He explains the Mistakes of Pascal in the "Provincial Letters"362The Campaigns in Flanders362The Duke of Burgundy obtains Louis's permission to visit theArchbishop of Cambrai364Famine the Result of War365Ætat. 58. Fénélon's active Charity to the Soldiery and thePeople1709.365The Death of the Dauphin overwhelms Fénélon with grief as anational Misfortune1711.360Death of Fénélon's chief Friends366Louis XIV. relents as to this admirable Prelate1713.366Death of Fénélon1715.367Demise of Louis XIV.368Person, Manners, and Talent of de la Mothe Fénélon368His Character given by Sir——Ramsay and other Writers369Eloge of Fénélon by d'Alembert369Criticism on "Télémaque"372

Birth of François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénélon

1651.

329

His charitable and devout heart

329

His Father the Count de Fénélon

329

His Mother of an illustrious Family

329

His early Acquaintance with Greek and Latin Literature, andPowers of Composition

330

Ætat. 18. The Abbé de Fénélon takes his Degree in theUniversity of Cahors

1669.

331

Visits his Uncle, the Marquis de Fénélon, at Paris

331

Ætat. 19. His Success in Preaching

1670.

331

Ætat. 24. His Zeal in Ministerial Duties

1675.

332

Wishes to go as Missionary to Canada

332

His religious fervour

333

Louis XIV. commissions him to preach to the Huguenots inPoitou

332

Fame of Bossuet, then Bishop of Condom

334

Le Père Bourdaloue surpasses in eloquent Discourses his MasterBossuet

334

Bossuet, Governor of the Dauphin, writes his "Discours surl'Histoire Universelle"

334

Fénélon "on Female Education"

335

Ætat. 38. Duke de Beauvilliers appoints Fénélon a Preceptor tothe Grandsons of Louis XIV.

1689.

336

Celebrated Men employed as Preceptors to the Princes

336

Fénélon appointed Archbishop of Cambrai

339

Controversial Spirit of the Age

339

Affair of Madame Guyon's Visions and Mysticism

340

Bossuet and other Divines commissioned to inquire into herDoctrines

343

Bossuet, now Bishop of Meaux, writes the "Instruction sur lesÉtats de l'Oraison," and desires Fénélon's Approval thereof

343

The Archbishop of Cambrai refuses, and writes his "Explicationdes Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Intérieure"

344

The Controversy of the Two celebrated Divines has an unfortunateResult in the Division of the Gallican Church on theDoctrines in question

345

Louis XIV. prejudiced against Fénélon

345

Madame de Maintenon's Coldness to him

345

Ætat. 46. Fénélon exiled to his See

1697.

346

The Dispute between MM. de Meaux and Cambrai referred toRome

347

Innocent XII. appoints a Commission, and calls upon those Prelatesfor a formal Statement of their Opinions

348

Louis XIV. erases the Name of Fénélon from the List of Preceptorsto the Princes

349

Calmness and Charitable Sentiments of Fénélon under the indignitiesoffered him

349

Ætat. 48. The Pope's Brief condemning the "Maximes desSaints" of Fénélon

1699.

352

Exemplary Obedience of Fénélon, and his Pastoral Letter on theOccasion

353

The Brief against him is registered, and Bossuet draws up aReport

355

Death of Bossuet, without any Reconciliation with Fénélon

1714.

356

"Télémaque"

337,356

Admirable Deportment of Fénélon in the See of Cambrai

357

His Sermons

358

His Seminary for the Instruction of the younger Clergy

358,360

His Doctrine

360

Fénélon an Opponent of Jansenism

362

He explains the Mistakes of Pascal in the "Provincial Letters"

362

The Campaigns in Flanders

362

The Duke of Burgundy obtains Louis's permission to visit theArchbishop of Cambrai

364

Famine the Result of War

365

Ætat. 58. Fénélon's active Charity to the Soldiery and thePeople

1709.

365

The Death of the Dauphin overwhelms Fénélon with grief as anational Misfortune

1711.

360

Death of Fénélon's chief Friends

366

Louis XIV. relents as to this admirable Prelate

1713.

366

Death of Fénélon

1715.

367

Demise of Louis XIV.

368

Person, Manners, and Talent of de la Mothe Fénélon

368

His Character given by Sir——Ramsay and other Writers

369

Eloge of Fénélon by d'Alembert

369

Criticism on "Télémaque"

372

VOLTAIRE.1694-1778.

VOLTAIRE.

1694-1778.


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