The French Academy, desirous of appropriating to themselves part of the reputation of so celebrated a man, admitted him into their number, in 1671. About the same time, he was selected by Louis as the most proper person to be intrusted with the im portant charge of the Dauphin's education. That he might be enabled to devote himself entirely to this sacred charge, he resigned his bishopric, and received, in exchange, an abbacy of trifling revenue, but sufficient,to satisfy his moderate desires. Aware that religion alone can furnish any restraint on the caprices of an arbitrary monarch, Bossuet made it his principal care to inspire his pupil with a habi tual regard, to the King of kings, whOse vigilant eye observes our minutest actions ; and at whose im partial' tribunal sovereigns, as well as their subjects, must account for the use which they have made of the advantages with which His providence has fa voured them. He composed, for' the use of his royal charge, A Discourse on Universal History, which is certainly the most important of all his works. " In this grand sketch," we again borrow the words of D'Alembert, " we admire a genius as vast as profound, which, disdaining to dwell on fri volous details, so dear to the crowd of historians, sees and judges at one glance, legislators and conquerors, kings and nations, the crimes and virtues of men ; and traces with a rapid but expressive pencil, time, which devours and engulphs every thing,—the hand of God on human grandeur ; and kingdoms, which. die like their masters." When he had completed the education of the Dauphin, Louis testified his satisfaction with his talents and fidelity, by appointing him first almo ner to the Dauphiness, and investing him with the bishopric of Meaux. In this new. situation, he again devoted himself to the service of religion, and the defence of the church. The numerous controversies in which he became involved with-infidels. and Pro testants, gave him an opportunity of displaying much logical acuteness and dexterity of argumentation ; he is said to have brought back. to the Catholic faith, several who' had embraced the Protestant religion ; and such was his anxiety to effect a re-union of the Protestants with the church. of Roue, that he made a voluntary offer to travel, for this purpose, into fo reign countries. With the same view, he established a correspondence with the celebrated Leibnitz ; who, more tolerant or more indifferent than Bossuet, wished to restore unity and peace by mutual 'concessions. Bossuet remained inflexible, .and insisted that the Protestants, ,as a preliminary step, should implicitly, submit to every thing required by the council of ' Trent. In justice to his character, however, %se must observe, that, though thus zealous in the cause .,of Popery, he never give the slightest countenance to the persecution of the Protestants ; persuaded that argument, and not the sword, is the proper instrument of conversion.
While he thus stood forth as the champion of his religion, he was no less strenuous in defending the. particular rights of the French church, and the in dependence of the French crown, against the pre. sumptuous claims of Pope Innocent XI. His holi ness held out to him the temptation of a cardinal's hat, in order to induce him to withdraw his opposi tion ; but Bossuet, true to his brethren and his king, refused an honour, which, without increasing his re spectability in the church, could only add the sound ing title Of Eminence to his name.
The reputation of Bossuet was now at its height ; and we wish, for the honour of his memory, that we could here close the list of his theological contests.' Unfortunately, he thought himself obliged to oppose, with a degree of harshness and severity for which we can find no apology, the amiable and virtuous Fe nelon, who entertained some notions on Quietism, which alarmed the orthodoxy of this zealous guar dian of the true faith. We are afraid that something like envy may have prompted that asperity of cen sure which extorted from the mild.Archbishop of Cambray a reluctant complaint ; and whatever might be the result of their dispute, we believe there is not one of our readers who would not have resigned all the triumphs of Bossuet, for the more honourable testimony given to his rival : Bossuet, it was ob served, proves religion ; Fenelon makes us love it. Yet, however we may condemn the relentless vigour of bis temper, it is impossible not to respect his sin cerity and firmness. When Louis, astonished at the impetuosity with which he inveighed against Fene lon, asked him, " What would you have done, if I had taken part with Fenelon against you ?" " Sire," replied the spirited bishop, " I would have cried twenty times louder." another occasion, how. ever, he skewed a more temporising disposition : for when Louis, who was passionately fond of theatrical entertainments, which Bossuet had uniformly con demned, consulted him with regard to the propriety of going to a certain play, " Sire," replied he, " there are great examples for it, and strong reasons against it." From these scenes of bustle and contention, we 'ac company Bossuet, with much satisfaction, to his own diocese ; where, forgetting the tumult and vanity of the world, he devoted his wholetime to the instruc tion of the ignorant, the support of indigence, and the consolation of misfortune. " It was a rare and affecting spectacle," says his panegyrist, " to see the great Bossuet, transported from the chapel of Ver. sailles to a village church, instructing the peasants to bear their evils with patience ; assembling with ten der affability, their young family around him ; tak ing pleasure in the innocence of the children, and the simplicity of the parents ; and finding in their nai vete, their movements, and affections, that precious truth which he had sought for in vain at court, and so rarely met among men." Amidst these labours ` of love, he traneuilly closed his life, on the 12th of April 1701., regretted by the whole Catholic church, which still reveres his memory as one of her ablest and most faithful champions. Different colleges vied with each other in the funeral orations which they pro nounced in his praise ; and his grave was bedewed with the unfeigned tears of the flock, whom he had guided by his example, and soothed with the affec tionate care of a father.
Of the merit of Bossuet, as a preacher, it is not easy to form a fair estimate ; for, as he seldom wrote more than the heads of his discourse, the sermons which he has printed must be regarded rather as bold and hasty sketches, than finished compositions. In his funeral orations he is altogether unrivalled, for elevated sentiments and affecting tenderness. The most celebrated of his funeral orations are those pro nounced in honour of the Queen of England, widow of Charles I ; the Duchess of Orleans, sister to Charles II. ; and the celebrated Prince of Conde. (fr).