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which he defcribed himself, without defign, by ❝forming the idea of a good man. Sometimes re"conciling differences which animofity, jealoufy, or "evil counfel, occafion among country-people; bet❝ter pleased, and perhaps greater before God, when "he established the repofe of a poor family, at the

bottom of a fhady walk, and upon a tribunal of "turf, than when he difpofed of the most fplendid "fortunes on the fupreme feat of justice."

II. The modefty of M. Turenne. His private life.

A fimple propofition. No perfon ever spoke more modeftly of himself than M. Turenne. He related his moft surprising victories, as if he had no fhare in them. At his return from the most glorious campaigns, he avoided praife, and was afraid of appearing in the king's prefence, for fear of applaufe. It was then, in a private ftate, among a few friends, he exercised himself in the virtues of civil life. He conceals himself, and walks without attendance or equipage: but every one obferves and admires him.

Who ever performed fuch great exploits, and who more reserved in speaking of them? when he gained an advantage, he himself afcribed it to the "enemy's overfight, and not to his own abilities. When he gave an account of a battle, he forgot nothing, but its being gained by his own conduct. "If he related any of thofe actions which had rendered him fo famous, one would have concluded,

he had only been a bare fpectator, and might doubt "whether he himself or fame were mistaken. When "he returned from thofe glorious campaigns, which "immortalize him, he avoided all acclamations of "the people; he blushed at his victories; he receiv"ed applaufes with the fame air that others make "apologies, and was almoft afraid of waiting upon "the king, being obliged, through respect, to hear

• M. Turenne's funeral oration, by M. Flechier.

"patiently,

patiently the encomiums with which his Majefty never failed to honour him.

"It was then, in the calm repofe of a private "ftate, that this prince, divefting himself of all the "glory he had acquired in the field, and shutting "himfelf up with a fmall company of chofen friends, "practifed in filence the virtues of civil life: fincere in "his words, plain in his actions, faithful in friendship, exact in duties, regular in his wishes, and great

even in the minuteft things. He concealed himself; "but his fame difcovers him. He walks without "attendance; but every one images him riding in a "triumphal chariot. When people fee him, they 66 count the number of the enemies he has conquered, "and not the attendants that follow him. Though

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alone, they conceive him furrounded with his at"tendant virtues and victories. There is fomething inexpreffibly great and noble in this virtuous fim"plicity; and the lefs haughty he is, the more ve"nerable he appears."

III. The honourable reception M. de Turenne met with from the King, upon his return from the campaign. His modefty.

A fimple propofition. Renowned captains underthe Roman Emperors were obliged, upon, their return from the field, to avoid meeting their friends; and to come into the city by night, that they might not excite the jealousy of the Prince, who used to receive them with great coldnefs; after which they ftood undiftinguished in the croud. M. Turenne had the good fortune to live under a King, who bestowed the highest applaufes upon him; and, had he been defirous of riches, would have lavished them upon him. He returned from the field as a private perfon comes from taking a walk. The looks, the praises, the acclamations of all the people made no impreffion on him. "Suffer

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❝f Suffer me to put you in mind, of those unhappy

ages of the Roman empire, when private men were "not permitted to be virtuous or renowned; because "the Princes were fo wicked, that they punifhed both "virtue and glory. After their generals had con"quered provinces and kingdoms, they were obliged

upon their return to avoid meeting their friends; to "come into the city by night, to prevent their draw"ing too much the eyes of the people upon them; "fo far were they from afpiring to the honour of a "triumph. A cold embrace, without the least con"ference or difcourfe, was all the reception a Prince gave to a man who had faved the empire.

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After "returning from the Emperor's cabinet, through "which he only paffed, he was forced to mix among "the croud of other flaves. Exceptufque brevi ofculo, "nullo fermone, turbæ fervientium inmixtus eft."

M. Turenne had the happinefs to live under, and "ferve a monarch, whofe virtue cannot be eclipsed by that of his fubjects. No grandeur or glory can

cloud the fun which enlightens us; and the most "important actions atchieved by fubjects never give ་་ any uneafinefs to a Prince whofe own magnanimity "convinces him that he deferves them. And indeed "the marks of efteem and confidence, which the King fhewed M. Turenne, were equivalent to the glory "of a triumph. The rewards would likewise have "been as great as thofe diftinctions, had the King “found him inclinable to receive favours. But that "which was the effect of good policy in the unhappy "times, when virtue had nothing to fear fo much as its luftre, was in him the refult of natural and artlefs modefty.

"He returned from his triumphant campaigns with "the fame indifference and tranquillity, as if he had 6c come from taking a walk; not fo much affected "with his own glory as the rest of the world were ;

f M. Turrenne's funeral oration, by M. Mafcaron. g Tacit.

"whilst

the people thronged in vain to see him "Thofe who had the honour to know him, pointed him out in affemblies, with their eyes,their guftures, "and voices, to fuch as did not. Though his pre"fence only, without any attendance or equipage, "made that almost divine impreffion on the minds of "people, which fo ftrongly engages refpect, and is the fweeteft and most innocent fruit of heroic virtue; yet all thef circumstances, fo apt to make a

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man conceive either a fecret vanity of himself, or "exprefs it by his outward behaviour, wrought no "change in the tranquillity of his foul; and, for "aught he cared, his victories and triumphs might "have been buried in oblivion.”

IV. The Queen of England's escape by fea.

A fimple propofition. The Queen was obliged to leave her kingdom. She failed out of the English ports in fight of the rebel fleet, which purfued her clofe. This voyage was far different from that the had made on the fame fea, when the went to take poffeffion of the fceptre of Great Britain. At that time every thing was propitious; now all the reverfe.

The Queen was obliged to leave her kingdom. "And indeed fhe failed out of the Engl fh ports in "fight of the rebellious navy, which chafed her fo "close, that fhe almost heard their cries and infolent "threats. Alas! how different was this voyage from "that he made on the fame fea, when, coming to "take poffeffion of the fceptre of Great Britain, the

faw the billows fmooth themfelves, as it were, un"der her, to pay homage to the Queen of the feas! "now chafed, perfued, by her implacable enemies; "who had been so audacious as to draw up an accu"fation against her: Sometimes juft escaped, fome

times juft taken; her fortune fhifting every quarter "of an hour, having no other affiftance but God,

The Queen of England's funeral oration, by M. Boffuet.
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" and

"and her own invincible fortitude, fhe had neither "winds nor fails enough to favour her precipitate flight."

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PARALLELS.

So I call thofe paffages, in which the orator draws together and compares contrary or different objects. These paintings are very pleasing to the mind, from the variety of images they prefent to it, and very much embellish a discourse. We have already taken notice of fome of them in the preceding defcriptions, and will now give fome more examples.

I. PARALLEL between M. Turenne and the Cardinal de Bouillon.

A fimple propofition. While E. Turenne was employed in taking fortreffes, and conquering the enemy, the Cardinal de Bouillon was converting heretics, and repairing churches.

"How great was his joy, after the taking of for. treffes, to fee his illuftrious nephew, more glorious by his virtues than by his awful robes, opening and "reconfecrating churches, under the directon of a Monarch equally pious and powerful! The one advanced military glory, the other holy religion: the one beat down ramparts, the other repaired altars: "the one ravaged the lands of the Philiftines, the other carried the ark around the tents of Ifrael; and then uniting their wishes, as before their hearts, the nephew fhared in the services the uncle performed for the ftate, and the uncle partook of those performed by the nephew for the church."

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II. PARALLEL between violent and languishing difeaf. "It is true, he did not undergo thofe cruel pains "which pierce the body, rend the foul, and in a mo1 M. Turenne's funeral oration, by M. Flechier,

k M. Montaufier's funeral oration, by M. Flechier.

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