BOURDALOUE, Louts, a celebrated French preacher, was horn in &urges, on the 20th of Au gust 1632. In the sixteenth year of his age, lie en tered into the society of the Jesuits. The first eigh teen years that he spent in it were employed partly in prosecuting his private studies, and pal tly in teaching rhetoric, philosophy, and divinity. And in every thing he gave striking proofs of the strength and superiority of his genius. Possessing talents that equally fitted him for the attainments of science and the eloquence of the pulpit, he was for a while un certain to what profession he should devote himself. But some sermons that he d•livered while lecturing on practical theology, met with so much applause, that his superiors prevailed on him to apply himself wholly to the office of a preacher. In the commence ment of his career, he had the good fortune to be known to the king's daughter, who, having heard him and liked him, honoured hint not only with her kindness. hut with her confidence; of which she gave an affecting proof, in selecting him to be with her on her death-bed, that she might receive from him the consolation which he was so well qualified to impart. After preaching some years in the coun try, he was, in 1669, called to Paris, where his ap pearance in the pulpit surpassed all the expectations which had been previously entertained of him. Peo ple of all ranks crowded to the place where he exhi bited, and were charmed witn his oratory. Nor, though his reputation was so suddenly acquired, did it at all degenerate, as generally happens in such ca ses. It increased front day to day ; and the oftener he was heard, the stronger was the desire to hear him. lie preached for thirty-four years either at court or in Paris : he preached to the great, to the learned, and to the multitude : to all of them he gave the highest satisfaction and delight, and with all of them he enjoyed uninterrupted and growing popularity to the very close of his life. To a zealous performance of his duties in the pulpit, he added very laborious duties of a private nature, by acting the part of a father-confessor to those who were affected by his discourses in the church, and needed consolation for their sorrows, or counsel in their difficulties. He sometimes spent five or six hours in succession, listen ing to the acknowledgments of the penitent,and impart ing to them with equal prudence and faithfulness, the instruction which they required. And on such occa sions he condescended to the poorest and the meanest that applied to him ; and often sought out those who were unable to come to him, that he might enquire into their circumstances, and administer to their spi ritual necessities. His personal conduct formed a counterpart to his public character, distinguished as it was by the habitual exercises of piety and virtue, by uprightness and benevolence, by modesty and con tentment, by a mild temper and agreeable manners, by a contempt of the world and the love of peace and good order, by fidelity to his friends, forbearance to his enemies, and charity to all. This assem blage of good and amiable qualities made him a great favourite with all who knew him ; and accordingly all ranks courted his company, feeling pleasure in his society, and thinking themselves honoured by his ac quaintance. After having spent so many years in the
discharge of his ministerial functions in the metropo lis, lie was anxious to go to some place of retirement, where he would have sufficient leisure to attend par ticularly to his own spiritual concerns, and to prepare for death, which could not now be far distant. For this purpose he petitioned for leave from the superi ors of his order to abandon Paris, and retire to some house in the country. This request, however, though made repeatedly with great earnestness, and in very affecting language, was ultimately denied: And in obedience to that ecclesiastical authority to which he had always made conscience of submitting, he remain ed in Paris, continuing to labour in ministerial of fice with his wonted diligence and fidelity, preaching especially for the benefit of the hospitals, the poor, and the prisoners ; and thus sanctifying himself, by promoting the comfort and happiness of others. He fell sick on the 11th of May 1704, and, sensible that his departure was at hand, prepared himself according to the usual forms of his church, but with much piety and resignation of spirit, for that awful event. It is curious but melancholy to observe a man of so much understanding, and so much knowledge of Christian• ity, talking in such circumstances of offering himself up as Jesus did, a sacrifice to appease the wrath of God, and of consenting to suffer the pains of purga tory. Yet such was the language that he actually held. "It is highly reasonable," said he, "that God be fully satisfied ; and at least in purgatory 1 will suffer with patience and with love." lie expi red on the second day after he was taken ill, in the 72d year of his age ; and his death excited univer sal and unfeigned regret. Different opinions have been entertained of the merit of his sermons. While some have given them the highest praise, others have spoken of them as far below mediocrity ; and one writer is so outrageous in his censure, as to say that they are nothing more than empty harangues. It is evident that a man who was so popular as Bourda lone, in such circumstances as those in which he was placed, and pleaching before such audiences as he ad dressed, must have possessed great talents, and pro duced excellent discourses : though it must be ad mitted, at the same time, that popularity depends, in a great measure, on the voice, the appearance, the mariner, and the character of the preacher, as well as on the extent of his knowledge, and the strength of his understanding. But really he who can peruse Bourdaloue's sermons without admiration must be destitute either of taste or of candour. They have some great faults, but their excellencies certainly pre dominate. Dr Blair gives the following character of them, which appears to be tolerably just : " Bour daloue is indeed a great reasoner, and inculcates his doctrines with much zeal, piety, and earnestness ; but his style is verbose, he is disagreeably full of quota tions from the fathers, and he wants imagination." The reader will find some good remarks on Bour daloue's sermons in Hill's Life of Blair. (T)