DE LA Ai( ( 1651- 1715 ) . A distinguished French author and prelate. 11 e was born August 6, 1651, in the Chritean pone low, Prov nice of Perigord, in the present Department of Dordogne. Ile was the descendant of a family which has given many celebrities both to the Church and to the State in Eranee. this education was conducted at home up to his twelfth year. At a very early age he showed lively interest in the classics and especially in Greek. At the age of twelve he was sent to the University of Ca hors, noted at the time fur its classical course. Thence he was transform] to the famous Jesuit College Du I'lessis in Paris. His success in 11 is studies was remarkable, and at the early age of fifteen he attracted the atten tion of the literary coterie of the lIStel Ram bouillet. At the close of a brilliant college ca reer, when scarcely twenty years of age, lie en tered the Seminary of Saint Sulpice, which, under the Abbi" Tronson, was worthily fulfilling the purposes of its great. founder, Olier. In 1675, at the age of twenty-four, E(melon received holy orders. For some time after his ordination he was employed in attendance at the hospitals and in other parochial duties of the Parish of Saint Sulpice. In the year 1678 he was made director of the Nouvelles Catholiques, a community of women founded for the purpose of strengthening female converts in the faith and instructing those who desired to abandon heresy. While thus occu pied he formed an intimacy with Bossuet and took part in conferences on Holy Scripture held tinder his auspices. FOnelon looked up to Tlos suet almost as a master. At this time, at the re quest of the Duchess of Beauvilliers, he wrote his book Dc Pc'ducation des fines, which was in tended only for private circulation. It attracted so much attention, however, that it was given to the public in 16S1. (There are several English translations, e.g. "On the Education of a Daugh ter," Boston, 1856.) The book has been called an anticipatory condemnation of Rousseau's F.nrilc. The gentleness, moderation, and charity with which he discharged his duties toward the young converts led to his appointment as head of a mission, which, on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. was sent to preach among the Protestant population of Saintonge and Poitou. Here his simple charity and unaffected sympathy accomplished much in converting the inhabitants. He refused to allow force to be employed wher ever his authority extended. His success may perhaps be best, judged from the fact that a century later, at the time of the Revolution. this part of France, La Vendee, was the only province that took up arms in defense of throne and altar. In 1688 he resumed his duties in the Ma ison des Nouvelles Converties. and in 1689 was named by Louis XIV. to the highly responsible post of pre ceptor of his grandson, the young Duke of Bur gundy. Bossuet said that the position was a proper reward for merit that took the greatest pains to conceal itself. In this position Filuelon showed himself a great practical educator. While imparting the most varied knowledge, he knew bow to prepare the mind and heart of his pupil for the great responsibility that was to he his as the destined ruler of France. He impressed upon him the great principles of truth and jus tice and the vanity of earthly glory, power, and happiness that are nut accompanied by a sense of duty well done. In order to fulfill these lofty purposes to his satisfaction, Fetielon found himself under the necessity of composing his own text-books. To this we owe many works still popular in educational use—the Fables, the Dia logues des marts, A brege ties vies des cinch ns philosophes, and the preliminary sketch, at least. of Tc/•nfoque. There was also a translation if the _E»eid of Vergil, and a Vie de Chark magne, but unfortunately the first is lost, and the manuscript of the second was destroyed by fire at the burning of the archiepiscopal palace of Cambray in 1697. his services as preceptor obtained for him in 1694 the abbacy of Saint Valery in the diocese of Amiens, and in the fol lowing year the Arehbishoprie of Cambray. Ile accepted the archbishopric only on the express condition that he should be allowed to live at his bee the nine months of each year required by the canons, and that not even his duties as preceptor royal should interfere with this re quirement. During his preeeptorship he became acquainted with Madame Guyon (q.v.). a pious widow who was wont to give spiritual conferences to ladies of rank and who had written a Nho• and Easy Method of Prayer, a commentary on certain parts of the Bible, and several other mystical works in which she expounded her views regarding the inner life. Not long be fore the writings of Miguel de Molinos, the founder of the Quietists. had been condemned as heretical. (See QuiEnsm; Mot.txos.) Moli nos taught that perfect contemplation of God is a state wherein one neither reasons nor retleets, but passively receives the impression of heavenly In this mental inaction, a soul neither fears hell nor desires salvation. The practice of
the virtues of faith. hope, and love becomes un necessary in this state. which Molinos called `quiet.' Even vile thoughts and devout aspira tions become indifferent. Madame Guyon was not a professed follower of Molinos, but she fa vored his spiritual doctrine at least to the ex tent of teaching that in the state of perfect contemplation the soul resigns itself so entirely to the will of God as to care not whether it is to be damned or saved. Shf professed readiness to submit to the decision of the Church, but her teaching was distinctly dangerous. llossurt, with characteristic acumen, reeognized the danger. but, with what cannot but be eonsidered now as in temperate zeal, harshly vondeumed where gentle persuasion might. have sufficed. Fenelon, eon vinced of the uprightness of Mada me Guyon aucllcc good intentions, defended her. Tn :1 hook writ ten during the controversy, called Maxi m es des sa in Is, he uneonseiously fell into stone of the erroneous tendencies of Madame Guyon's teach ing. . After considerable delay. twenty-three propositions from the maxims were condemned by the Pipe, who relmked the lack of moderation ef some of opponents by adding. "11e has erred through excess of Divine love, hut you have erred through lack of for your neigh bor." F•nelon announced his eondonmation to his own people at once and expressed his full sub mission. Ile seemed happy to give an example and humility to his flock. Afterwards he presented a golden ostensorium to his eathe dral on which appeared the figure of the angel of Truth trampling on forbidden books. One of the titles in evidence was Maxintcs des saints. After this unfortunate episode Fenelon devoted himself entirely to the care of his diocese. The fame of his benevolence and enlightened charity spread far and wide. When the region about Cambray was invaded by the armies of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, those command ers gave strict orders to respect the estates of Fenelon, and, in a time of great scarcity, Marl borough provided a guard to protect the Arch bishop's granaries. Notwithstanding these pre cautions, his valuable library was burned. In it were some of his precious manuscripts not yet given to the printer. Fenelon's only remark was, "I would much rather that this were destroyed than the cottage of some poor peasant." Fenelon fell into disgrace at Court by reason of his Tel which was regarded as a masked satire upon royalty and its surroundings. The work had been printed from a copy surreptitious ly obtained by the Archbishop's servant. Critics freely pointed out the characters presumably satirized. Sesostris was supposed to represent the Grand Monarch himself; Calypso, Nadame de Montespan; Protesilaus, Louvois; and Eueharis, Mademoiselle de Fontanges. As Louis XIV. fell into decline, there were hopes that Fenelon would be the Minister of the Duke of Burgundy when he should follow his grandfather to the throne. Fenelon even sketehed a complete scheme of political reform. which he sent to the Duke, who still retained, in spite of the King's adverse in fluence and continued hostility, all his pristine affection for his former preceptor. Fenelon's political maxims were far in advance of the time. These hopes were disappointed by the premature death of the Duke in 1712. Fenelon survived him only until January 7. 1715. dying in sentiments of the greatest piety and resigna tion to the Divine Will. Consult his works (23 vols., Paris, 1820-30), and his letters (11 vols., lb., 1827-29) : Let t res et °Townies ined its (ih., 1850)1 Bausset, Vie de Fenelon (3 vole., ih., I808) ; Crausle, Fenelon et Bossuet (Paris, 1895), in favor of the latter; Sanders, Fenclon : is Friends and II is Enemies (London, 1901); Viscount Saint Cyres, Francois de Penelon (Lon don. 1901).
FtNELON, FRANcOIS DE SALIGNAC DE LA AlOTHE (1641-79). A French missionary in America. a half-brother of the great Fenelon.
entered the Order of Saint Sulpi•e in 1664, and in 1666, when there came a request from Bishop 1,aval at Quebee for volunteer mission aries in the New World, Fenelon was one of the first to respond. Lt 1668 he established a Sul pieian mission among ilie Cayugas on the Bay of Quints on the north shore of Lake Ontario. On Easter Sunday, 1674. Fenelon preached a ser mon at _Montreal in which. in describing the ideal chief magistrate, he made a covert attack on The SDIDiOiDTIA disclaimed responsb bility for the sermon, but the question of the privileges of their Order being raised, they de• fended him. F6nelon was summoned to appear before the council at Quebec. which hesitated to act, but Fenelon returned to France and he wit eDIDDIfindvd by the King not to return to Canada.