The controversy had been going on in France dur- ing the time occupied bj- the investigation at Eome. " Bossuet published a succession of pamphlets. Sev- eral of the bishops who had espoused the side of Bos- suet issued pastorals in the same sense. Fenelon de- fended himself vigorously against them all in several publications, explanatory as well of his principles as of the personal imputations in which some of his ad- versaries did not scruple to indulge. The last blow against the ancient friendship of the great rivals was struck by Bossuet in his celebrated Rdatio7i sia- le Qui- eiisme. Fenelon was wounded to the heart. The copy of Bossnet's pamphlet which first came into his hands is still preserved in the British IMuseum, and the mar- gin is literally filled with remarks, annotations, re- plies, denials, and rejoinders, in the singularh' delicate and beautiful handwriting of the indignant archbishop. The copy now in the British IMuseum is most probal)ly one which, as we learn from his correspondence, he sent to his agent at Eome, and on the margin of which he corrected, for the guidance of his friend, the many false and exaggerated charges of his great antagonist. The substance of these replies he gave to the public in a most masterly defence, written, printed, and pub- lished within little more than a fortnight from the, ap- pearance of Bossuet's Itelaiion'''' (Chambers, Encyclo- pcedia, s. v.).
When the papal brief arrived, Fenelon submitted at once, and ordered all co[)ics of the book that were in circulation to be brought that he might burn them with his own hand. He read the brief from his own pulpit, and addressed a pastoral to the peo])lc of his diocese, in which he said, "Our holy fiither has con- demned my book, entitled Maxims of Saints, and has condemned in a particular manner twcntj-three prop- ositions extracted from it. We adhere to his brief, and condemn the book and tlic propositions simply, absolutely, and without a shadow of reserve." He even presented to the cathednil a piece of gold plate, on which is a ))icture engraved representing the angel of truth trampling on several erroneous books, among which is his Maximes. This submission appears to us Protestants to have been at once weak and ostenta- tious, but in the Boman Catholic Church it is one of F'enelon's highest titles to glory. Bossuet's conduct is variously represented : according to one account he was really touched by the comluet of Fenelon, and de- sired to be completely reconciled to him ; according to Others, he retained at heart his bitter feeling, and kept
up the same spirit in the mind of the king. About this time Fenelon sent a complete and corrected copy of Tvlemaque to the duke of Burgundy. The copyist, it seems, made a duplicate, and ])rinted it at Paris, without the knowledge of Fenelon. The book was immediately suppressed by order of the king, liut was printed again in Holland in 1G99, spread throughout F^urope, and was translated into almost every tongue. By the courtiers of Louis XIV TeUmaque was regard- ed as a satire upon that monarch and his satellites, Sesostris being supposed to represent the king; Ca- lypso, Madame de Montespan ; Protesilaus, Louvois ; and Eucharis, JIademoiselle de Fontanges. This scan- dal shut Fenelon out of the court of Louis XIV for the rest of his life. He was ordered to remain within his diocese, and was forbidden all intercourse with his pu- pil, the duke of Burgundy. But the displeasure of the court did not diminish the reputation of Fenelon either in France or in Europe generall}'. He devoted the remainder of his life to diligent care of his diocese, and to literary labors, lie founded a seminarj' at Cambray, to which he gave his personal attention. During the War of the Succession his diocese v.as often the scene of military operations, and he did his best to assuage the horrors of war. He brought to- gether into his palace the wretched inhabitants of the country whom the war had driven from their Ik mes, and took care of them, and fed them at his own table. Seeing one day that one of these peasants ate nothing, he asked him the reason of his abstinence. "Alas! my lord," said the poor man, " in making my escape from my cottage I had not time to bring off mj' cow, which was the support of my family. The enemy i Avill drive her away, and I shall never find another so good." Fenelon, availing himself of his privilege of safe-conduct, immediately set out, accompanied by a single servant, and drove the cow back himself to the peasant. "This," said cardinal Maurv, " is perhaps the finest act of F'enolon's life." He adds, "Alas ! for the man who reads it without being aftected." An- other anecdote, showing his tenderness to the poor, is thus related of him. A literary man, whose library was destroyed by fire, has been deservedly admired for saying, " I should have profited but little by my books if they had not taught me how to bear the loss of them." The remark of Fenelon, who lost his in a sim- ilar way, is still more simple and touching : "I would much rather they were burned than the cottage of a poor peasant." In 1709, the duke of ]\larll;orough, by express commands, exempted Xna lands from ])illage, while that general himself and his allies showed the aged prelate every mark of courtesy.