LIFE OF MASSILLON: (En race! from be Difcourfe of Monfieur le Marquis 1. Ambert, on his admiffin into the Royo! Academy of Pusie. J TEAN BAPTISTE MASSILON was born in Provence, in the Year 1663 His father was a poor attorney of that i confiderable place. The obfcurity of his birth, which gives fo much luftre to the fplendor of his perfonal merit, thou'd make a chief feature in his panegyric; and it may be faid of him, as was faid of that illuftrious Roman, who owed nothing to his ancestors, Videtur ex se natus: he seemed to have produced hufelf. He entered the Oritory at feventeen the fuperiors of Maffilon foon law the fame which he would bring to their congregation. They detlined him to the pulpit; but, it was from a principle of obedience alone that he contented to fecond their views: he was the only one who did not fore fee that future cele brity by which his humility and his modelty were to be rewarded. During his neviciate, the Cardinal ce Noailles ac reffe to the Abbey of Septfons, whole virtue he re pected, a charge which he had jutt published. The Abbe more religious than eloquent, but preferving ftill at least for thofe of his communion fome remains of fellove, wished to return an antwer to the Cardinal worthy of the charge he had received. This office he entrufled to Maffilon, who performed it with as much readiness as fuccefs. The Cardinal, aftonished at receiving from that quarter a piece to well written, was not afraid of wounding the vanity of the Abbe of Septfons, by asking who was the author of it; when, the Abbe's. mentioning Maffillon, the prelate immediately replied, that luch talents were not, in the language of Scripture, to remain hid under a bufhel. He obliged the novice to. qut the habit, and re une that of the Oratory. He placed him in the feminary of St. Magloire in Paris, cxhorting him to cultivate the clo quence of the pulpit, and promifing to make his fortune, which the young orator confined to that of an pop, that is, to the mere neceffanes of lite, accompanied with the not exemplary fimplicity. W The young Maffillon did every thing in his power to avoid that fame. He had already, while in the country, by order of his fupe. riors, pronounced the funeral orations of two archbishops Thete dilcourfes, which were indeed nothing but the attempts of a youth, but of a youth who fhewed what he would one day be, had the mot brilhant fuccefs. The huu.ble cra- His firft Sermons produced the tor, alarmed at his growing reputa offe&t which his fuperiors and the tion, and dreading, as he faid, the Cardinal Noailles had foreseen. demon of pride, refolved to escape Scarcely had he fhewn himself in him for ever by fecluding huntelf the churches of Paris, than he clipin the mo obfcure retrea'. He fed almoft all thofe who had shone repaired to the Abbey of Septtons, in the fame fphere. He hac der wher. the fame attcp ine is obferv-clared that he would not preach ed as at La Trappe; and there he like them; not from any pretumptuous fentiments of fuperiority, but from took the habit. from the juft and rational idea he had formed of Chriftian eloquence. He was perfuaded, that if a minifter of the gospel degrades himself by circulating known truths in vulgar language, he fails, on the other hand, in thinking to reclaim, by profound argumentation, a multitude of bearers, who are by no means able to comprehend him; that tho' all who hear him may not have the advantage of education, yet, all of them have a heart at which the preacher should aim; that in the pulpit, man fhould be exhibited to hinteif, not to frighten him by the honor of the picture, but to fil & him by its refemblance; and that if it is fometimes ufeful to terrify and alarm him, it is oftener profita ble to draw forth these extatic tears, that are more efficacious than thofe of despair. Such was the plan of Maffillon propofed to follow, and which he executed like a man who had conceived it, that is, like a man of ge nius. He excels in that property of an orator which can alone fupply all the reft; in that eloquence which goes directly to the foul; which agitates without convulfion; which alarms without appalling; which penetrates without rending the heart. He fearches out thote hidden folds in which the paffions lie enveloped; thefe fecret fophifms which blind and feduce. To combat and to deftroy thofe fophifms, he has in general only to unfold them; this he does with an unction fo affectionate and fo tender, that he allures us rather than compels; and, even when he fhews us the picture of our vices, he interefts and delights us the most. His diction, always fmooth and elegant, and pure, is every where marked with that noble fimplicky, without which there is neither good talle nor true eloquence; a fimplicity, which be ing united in Maffillon with the fweetnefs and molt bewitching harmony, borrowed from this latter additional graces; but what completes the charm of this enchanting ftyle, is our conviction that fo many beauties fpring from an exuberant fource, and are produced without effort or pain. It fometimes happens, indeed, that a few inaccuracies escape him, either in the expreffion, in the term of the phrafe, or in the affecting melody of his ftyle; fuck inaccuracies, however, may be call ed happy ones, for they completely prevent us from fufpecting the least degree of labour in his compofition, It was by this happy negligence that Maffillon gained as many friends as auditors: he knew that the more an orator is intent upon gaining admiration, the lef those who hear him fare difpofed to grant it: and that this ambition is the rock on which fo many preachers have 1plit, who being entrusted, if one may dare thus to exprefs it, with the interefts of the Deity, with to mingle with them the infignificant interefts of their own vanity. He compared the ftudied eloquence of learned preachers to thofe flowers which grow fo luxurionfly amongst the corn, that are lovely to the view, but noxious to the crop. Mafillon reaped another advantage from that heart affecting eloquence, which he made fo happy an use of As he spoke the language of all conditions, because he spoke to the heart, all defcriptions of mea flocked to his Sermons; even unbelievers were eager to hear him; they often found inftruction when they expected only amufement, and returned fometimes converted, when they thought they were only beflowing or withholding their praile, Maffillon could defcend to the lan guage guage which alone they would liften to, that of a philofophy apparently human, but which finding every avenue to the heart laid open, allowed the orator to approach without effort and affiftance; and made him conqueror even before he had engaged. attempt His action perfectly correfponded with the kind of eloquence he had cultivated. The moment he entered the pulpit, he seemed deeply impreffed with the great truths he was about to declare; with eyes caft down, a modeft and collected air, without any violent motions, with few or no geftures, but animating all by an affecting and impreffive voice, he communicated to his hearers the religious fentiments which his external appearance announced; he commanded that profound filence, which is a higher compliment to eloquence than the moft tumultuous plaudits. He appeared on that great and dangerous theatre, equally devoid of pride as of fear his first was uncommonly brilliant, and the exordium of his fift difcourfe is one of the masterpieces of modern eloquence. Lewis the fourteenth was then in the zenith of his power and glory; he had been victorious in every part of Europe; he was adored by his fubjects, intoxicated with fame, and furfeited with adulation. Maffillon chofe for his text that paffage of Scripture which feemed the leaft adapted to fuch a prince," Bleffed are they who weep" and from that text he conveyed a compliment the more new, and artful, and flattering, as it appeared to be dictated by the gospel itself, and fuch as an Apoftle might have paid, "Sire," said he, addreffing the king, "if the world were to fpeak to your Majefty from this place, it would not fay, Bleffed are they who weep. Happy would it fay, that prince who bas never fought but to conquer; who hath filled the univerfe with his fame; who, in the courte of a long and profperous reign, has enjoyed all that men admire, the fplendour of conqueft, the love of his people, the esteem of his enemies, the wif dom of his laws. But, Sire, the gofpel does not fpeak the language of the world." The audience of Verfailes, accustomed as it was to Bourdalous and Boffuets, had never witneffed an eloquence at once fo delicate and noble; and, accordingly, it excited in the congregation an involuntary movement of admiration. Our orator was always firm, but always refpe&tful, while he an nounced to his fovereign the will of Him who is the Judge of kings; he fulfilled the duty of the miniftry, but he never exceeded it; and the Monarch, who, perhaps, retired from his chapel diffatished with fome other preachers, never left the fermons of Maffillon, without being diffatisfied with himself. This the Prince was honeft enough to confefs to Maillon; the greatest compliment he could pay him, but a compliment which many others before and after Maffillon never wished to obtain, being more anxious to fend away a hearer enraptured, than a fianer coveerted. Lewis the Fourteenth died; and the Regent who honoured the talents of Mallion, and defpifed his enemies, named him to the bishopric of Clermont; he wanted, moreover, that the court fhould hear him once more, and engaged him to preach fome Lent fermons before the King, then of the age of nine years. Thefe fermons compofed in lefs than three months, are known by the name of Petit Carime. Though they are not in the higheft degree finished, finished they are a true model of pulpit eloquence. The great fermons of the fine author may poffefs more pathos and vehemence; but the cloquence of thefe is more infinuating and delicate, and the charm refulting from them is enhanced by the importance of the fubject, by the inmble value of thofe fimple affecting 1.ffins which being fitted to penetrate, as agreeably as forcibly, the heart of the young Momaren. feem calculated to procure the happiness of millions, by acquainting the Prince with what was exp &ted of him.' The fune year in which thefe difcour! were pronounced Maffillon was admitted into the French Academy. Millon had just been made a bhop; but no place at court, no bulinets no pretence of any kind could detain him at a diftance from his flock. He departed He departed for Clermont, whence he never returned, but on account of indifpen fible occafions, and confequently very riv He gave all his attention to the happy people whom Provine had confided to his care. H benevolently dedicated to the instruction o the poor thofe fame talents, fo much elteemed by the gra of this world; and preferred to the loud applaufes of the courner, the fimple and earneft attention of the auditory lefs brilliant, but more teach ble Perhaps the moft eloquent of his fermons are the conferences he held with his curates. H preached to them the virtues of which he fet an example; difintereltednels, implicity, torgetfulness of himself, the active and prudent earneftness of an enlightened conviction, very different from that fanaticifin which proves nothing but the badnels of zeal, and which makes the fincerity of it very doubtful. A wife med ration was indeed his predominant character. Deeply impreffed with a fenfe o the true duties of his itation, Maffillon fulfilled the principal functions of a bihop, that which attracts love and relpect from incredulity itfeif, the delightful exercife of human.ty and benevolence. He fent in the space of two years, twenty thou fand livers to the Hotel Dieu, at Clermont. His whole revenue was at the fervice of the poor. His diocefe retain the remembrance of his benefits, now after thirty years, and his memory is ftill honoured by the most eloquent of all funeral orations the tears of an hundred thousand people whom his bounty made happy. This funeral oration he enjoyed in his life time. Whenever he ap peared in the ftreets of Clermont, the people proftrated themselves before him. calling him father, and invoking bleflings on his head. Among the immenfe alms which he beftowed, there were fonie acts of charity which he carefully concealed, not only to pare the delicacy of unhappy individuals who received them, but to relieve whole communities from feelings of inquietude, and the fears which fuch alais might infpire them with. Not only was he liberal of his fortune to the indigent, but he emplyed for them befides, with as much zeal as fuccefs, both his intereft and his pen. Being a witness, in his diocefian vifitations, of the mifery under which the inhabitants groaned, and his revenue not being fufficient to give bread to fuch a mul titude of indigent creatures that implored it of him, he wrote to the court in their favour, and by the energetic and affecting patur which he drew of their neceffits, he btained either actual contributions tor them, or a confiderable abatement of their taxes. [To be continued. ] (Continued from Page 203.) AND whereas the said city of Limerick hath been since, in pursuance of the said articles, surrendered unto us. Now know ye, that we having considered of the said articles, are graciously pleased hereby to declare, that we do for us, our heirs, and successors, as far as in us lies; ratify and confirm the same, and every clause, matter and every thing therein contained.--And as to such parts thereof, for which an act of Parliament, shall be found to be necessary, we shall recommend the same to be made good by Parliament to that purpose. And whereas it appears unto us, that it was agreed between the parties to the said articles, that after the words, Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Mayo, or any of them, in the second of the said articles, the words following, viz. And all such as "are under their protection in the "said counties," should be in serted, and be part of the said articles. Which words having been casually omitted by the writer, the omission was not discovered till after the said articles were signed, but was taken notice of before the second town was surrendered: and that our said justices and general, or one of them, did promise that the said clause should be made good it being within the intention of the capitulation, and inserted in the foul draft thereof. Our further will and pleasure is, and we do hereby ratify and confirm, the said omitted words, viz. "And all such as are under their protection, in the said countics," hereby for us, our heirs and successors, órdaining and declaring, that all and every person and persons therein concerned, shall and may have, receive, and enjoy the benefit thereof, in such and the same manner, as if the said words had been inserted in the proper place, in the said second article; any omission, defect, or mistake in the said second article, in any wise notwithstanding. Previded always, and our will and pleasure is, that these our letters patents shall be enrolled in our court of Chancery, in our said kingdom of Ireland, within the space of one year next ensuing. In witness, &c. witness ourself at Westminster, the twenty-fourth day of Febrnary, anno regni regis & reginæ Gulielmi & Mariæ quarto per breve de privato sigillo. Nos autem tenorem premissor. predict. Ad requisitionem attornat. general. domini regis & dominæ reginæ pro regno Hibernæ. Duximus exem, plificand. per presentes. In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Testibus nobis ipsis apud Westmon. quinto die Aprilis, annoq. regni eorem quarto. BRIDGES. |