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erect and dragging rather than leading him about . He did not know the King , who spoke to him , nor any body else ; and defended himself as long as he could against Felix -who in this present necessity , hazarded bleeding him , and succeeded . Consciousness returned . Monseigneur asked for a confessor ; the King had already sent for the cure" . Many emetics were given to him ; but two hours passed before they operated . At half-past two in the morning , no farther danger appearing , the King , who had shed tears , went . to bed , leaving orders that he was to be awakened if any fresh accident happened . At five o ' clock , however , all the effect having passed , the doctors went away , and made everybody leave the sick chamber . During the night All Paris hastened thither . Monseigneur was compelled to keep bis room for eight or ten davs ; and took care in future not to gorge himself so much with food .
MADAME DE ST . HEREM . Madame de St . Herem was the most singular creature in the world , not only in face but in manners . She half boiled her thigh one day in the Seine , near Fontainebleau , where she was bathing . The river was too cold ; she wished to warm it , and had a quantity of water heated and thrown into the stream just above her . The water reaching her before it could grow cold , scalded her so much that she was forced to keep her bed . ¦ When it thundered she used to squat herself under a couch , and make all her servants lie above , one upon the other , so that if the thunderbolt fell it might have its effect upon them before penetrating to her . She had ruined herself and her husband , though they were rich , through sheer imbecility ; and it is incredible the amount of money she spent in her absurdities . THE MODEL OF A PKIXCEIiY nUSBASD .
Madame la Princesse , his wife , was his continual victim . She was disgustingly ugly virtuous , and foolish , a little hump-backed , and stank like a skunk , even from a distance . All these things did not hinder M . le Prince from being jealous of her even to fury up to the very last . The piety , the indefatigable attention of Madame la Princesse , her sweetness , her novice-like submission , could not guarantee her from frequent injuries , or from kicks , and blows with the fist , which were not rare . She was not mistress even of the most trifling things ; she did not dare to propose or ask anything . He made her set out from one place to another the moment the fancy took him ! Often when seated in their coach he made her descend , or return from the end of the street , then recommence the journey after dinner , or the next day . This see-sawing lasted once fifteen days running , before a trip to Fontainebleau . At other times he sent for her from church , made' her quit high mass , and sometimes sent for her the moment she was going to receive the sacrament ; she was obliged to return at once and put off her communion to another occasion . It was not that he wanted her . but it was merely to gratify his whim that he thus troubled her . He was always of Uncertain habits , and had four dinners ready for him every day ; <> ne at Paris , one at Ecouen , one at Chantilly , and one where the Court was .
THE PRINCE S GALLANTRIES . He was the most ingenious man in the world . He once gave a grand fete solely for the purpose of retarding the journey into Italy of alady with whom he was ¦ enamoured , with whom he was on good terms , and whose husband he amused by making verses . He hired all the houses on one side of a street near St . Sulpace , furnished them , and pierced the connecting walls , in order to be able thus to reach the place of rendezvous without being suspected .
A COURT MOURNING . The two Princes , and the two Princesses who sat by their sides , were more exposed to view than any other . The Due de Bourgogne wept with tenderness , sincerity , and gentleness , the tears of nature , of religion , and patience . M . le Due de Berry also sincerely shed abundance of tears , but bloody tears , so to speak , so great appeared their bitterness ; and he uttered not only sobs , but cries , nay , even yells . He was silent sometimes , but from suffocation , and then would burst out again with such a noise , such a trumpet sound of despair , that the majority present burst out also at these dolorous repetitions , either impelled by affliction or decorum . He became so bad , in fact , that his people were forced to undress him then and there , put him to bed and call in the doctor . Madame la Duchesse de Berry was beside herself , and we shall soon see why . The most bitter despair was painted with horror on her face . based interestnot
There was seen written , as it were , a sort of furious grief , on , affection ; now and then came dry lulls deep and sullen , then a torrent of tears and involuntary gestures , yet restrained , which showed extreme bitterness of mind , fruit of the profound meditation that had preceded . Often aroused by the cries of her . husband , prompt to assist him , to support him , to embrace him , to give her smellingbottle , her care for him was evident ; but soon came another profound reverie—then a gush of tears assisted to suppress her cries . Aa for Madame la Duchesso do Bourgogne she consoled her husband with loss trouble than she had to appear herself in want of consolation . Without attempting to play a part , it was evident that she did her best to acquit herself of a pressing duty of decorum . But she found extreme difficulty in keeping up appearances . When the Prince her brother-in-law howled , she blew her nose . She had brought some tears along with her and kept them up with care ; and these , combined with the art of the handkerchief , enabled her to redden her eyes , and make them swell , and smudge her face ; but her glances often wandered on' the sly to the countenances of all present .
Madame arrived , in full dress she knew not why , and howling sho knew not why , inundated everybody with her tears in embracing them , making the chateau echo with renewed cries , and furnished the odd spectacle of a Princess putting on her robes of ceremony in the dead of night to come and cry among a crowd of . women with but little on except their night-dresses , —almost as maHqueradpra . These examples of St . Simon ' s manner and matter will probably send many readers to Mr . St . John ' s volumes .
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HOME EDUCATION IN FRANCE . Du Mle de la Famille dans VEducation ; ou , Thiorie de VEducation rubliqua el Privte . Par Theod . H . Barrau . Ouvrage qui a romporto" lo premier prix dans lo concoura ouvert eur ce oujot par VAcaddmio dos Sciences Morales et Volitiquea . Paris : L . Hachette . London : W . JelFd . £ > u Jtdle de la Famille dona VEducation . Par M . Provoot-Paradol . Ouvrago qui u obtenu ua second prix & I'Acade ' inio des Soioncca Morales ct Politiques . Paris ; L . Hachotto . London : W . Joflfa . A PROBI . BM of no ready solution seems to be agitating the academic mind
of France at the present moment , Were the talents of the French people of a more practical and less theoretical order , the question at issue would probably long ago have been settled , not indeed on paper , but by a national and . approved system , worked out according to the exigences of tho ago and tho idiosyncrasies of the nation . The problem alluded to is , how far private instruction is beneficial , and what claim tho country has in the direction of tho education of its children . Since the publication of tho Entile , this has been a moot point , Rouaaeau having boon accused of laying too little stress upon tho influence of homo , or rather having ignored its kindly and
genial influences altogether . 1 he solid and practical mind of Kd « ewni . 7 iirst detected and exposed this flaw in the vigorous treatise of the ' nl'l pher of Clarens . The text has been handled ' by many a subsequent ; wr " t ° " and M . Barrau has thought proper to notice it in his preface to the nr ^ volume . " The education of a youth , " ho observes , " is always impeTf where female influence has not been mixed up in it ; and what disnleme most in the Entile of lloussoau is that no mother , no sister , is ever ' m { Q * duccd to break by her graceful presence the duality of the scholar and th master . " ne To arrive at some solution of this problem , the Academy of Moral 11 1 Political Science at Paris recently issued . a programme offering prizes fort ] best essays on this subject . The successful candidates for these reward were M . JVL Bai'rau and Prevost-Paradol . The former obtained the first honours in the contest , and M . Prevost-Paradol the second . There is
however , a marked difference in the merits of the two woi-ks . M . Barrau brings to his aid considerable research , examines the question in all its social and national bearings , and displays great logical vigour in tho development of his thesis . His long study of educational topics had stored his mind with a treasury of facts , and he came to the task prepared b y lonnreflection and no small ajnount of experience . M . Prevost-Paradol , on ttio contrary , skims lightly his subject , and assuming the natural ri ght of the parent to superintend and control the education of his children , ^ vhich M Barrau takes great pains to prove , admonishes them of their duties rather than reminds them of their prerogatives . He enters on his subject by a short disquisition on education in general , and then on the comparative
merits of private and public education . He also dwells at considerable length on what share parents ought to assume in the intellectual , moral religious , and physical training of their children , and whilst admitting the advantages to be on the side of public instruction , points out forcibly ' Lowdeficient such instruction will always prove unless the efforts of the professors and masters are seconded at home . Private education 13 viewed under its most favourable aspect , and to every statement made in its behalf a counter-statement rises up . We are told of the infeiiority of the resources of private education in the personnel of its professors—in the advantages derived from a succession of teachers , each giving a new idea or new
phase ' to the thing taught , and also m the activity aifbrded by . emulation . " We do not hesitate to prefer , " continues M . Prevost-Paradol , " the moral education of 41 college to that which can be acquired at home ; though here again public education is imperfect , and the concurrence of home exhortation and example is necessary . " The appeal which is made on behalt of these innocents of the college exhibits a na ' icetc truly ainiiiin < r . ' Merchants , " exclaims M . Prevost-Paradol , " who scrape together fortunes by questionable means , men of business who live by fraud , men of the law who sell justice for your interest or your ambition , and who , having a spark of humanity within you , wish to have children better than yourselves , yet find the education of the college scarcely moral enough , do not destroy the little good it can effect by letting them divine what ypu are . Lot them hesitate between public rumour and the habitual uprightness of your words . Try to appear honest one day in the week , and choose Uie Any -when they are with you . Let them be ignorant of your character that they may
respect you . " M . Barrau enters more profoundly into the investigation , and takes a more extended range . He commences by showing the inalienable natural rif * ht of the parents to train up their own child , combats the communistic idea of absorbing the family into the state , and shows its fatal results—fatal we mean to those tender characteristics in tho original nature of every man which , properly cultivated , renders him an amiable as well as an able member of society—which history exhibits to us in the little community of Sparta , where every child born strong and healthy bdonMd to the state . In fact , M . Barrau treats his subject as a legist ; the rights of the family , the rights of society , and the rights of the youth himselt beiiiT considered in their various relations . As may be anticipated , points ot observes Hmithiidocs
great delicacy are investigated . "The father , " M . , not direct the education of his child in virtue alone of tho authority conferred by nature , but also in virtue of a tacit permission dulo ^ ntca by society , of which tho child is a member , and also in virtue of Ins otlicc as tutor , charged equally by nature and by society to watch over the preservation of tho rights which the child holds from both . There arc occasions , howe ver , when society may interfere with tho parent , and take the right conceded to him by nature into his own hands . It is when lie is too poor to Vjivlorm iot duty itself , or when the child is brought up in vicious habits . \ ^ V ^/ of one mind , perhaps the principle laid down might be accorded . ln \' i land , where tho almost absolute authority of the parent over the cl iu £ recognised by law as well as by custom , it would bo considered , ami Jusuj so , a ? i act of tyranny for tho Government—by which wo suspect 1 . uwrnj means society—to stop in and abstract a child from its mirenl s Hk J in order to give it even a virtuous education in soino asylum ol tne bi in individual h'I ons
Were society at largo to do its duty Franco-were « bility more esteemed—were there more private independence "" ' j loaning towards tho direction and support of Government-- ! " " ¦ « u ' were Frenchmen personally to rely more upon themselves than i | IL 7 . wont to do—to look for their ameliorations more from their own t » u performed in their social sphere , however limited , wo should luivo 10 grntulato them on the possession of personal liberty and im q > c . 11 « t They are at present in tho unhappy predicament of being too . muc > ' * ° , ! tics Education is further discussed by M . Barrau in its relation to P <» n , civilization , and social economy . A chapter is also devoted (¦ ' » » 1 |»'" l r J . lo tion , worthy of consideration as Hhowing tho present condition 0 education in France . M . Barrau , however , is not content Jo mm ' t | w sorvntions to tho state of education in his own country - * vj- ' oriftnd systems and methods of-various countries . Ho travels through n « , and Germany , crosses the ? British Channel , nnd oven roaches u d fl States . In England the system of fugging insures much ntlen <> n , ^ picture of tho style of ' doing education * as generally prac | Hl ;' ^ . , // o / rt , secondary sohoola , is drawn from materials uflordod by DiuUonas ;>«
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522 .: ^ M :- ^!^ . ?! ? ' - _ 1 ^ ° -. ' Saturday
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Leader (1850-1860), May 30, 1857, page 522, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2195/page/18/
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