ters, he used to fupprefs the joy of the officers, by faying; "If God does not fupport us, and finish his "work, we may ftill be defeated."

When this theme is read a fecond time to scholars, they must be told which parts of it ought to be enlarged upon; and some hints must be given for affifting them to find thoughts.

The foregoing fubject, as treated by M. Mafcaron, in the funeral oration of M. Turenne.

"Do not imagine, Sirs, that our hero loft thofe re"ligious fentiments at the head of armies, and in the " midst of victories. Certainly, if there is any con"juncture in which the foul, full of itself, is in dan"ger of forgetting God, it is in thofe illuftrious fta❝tions where a man becomes as a god to others, by the "wifdom of his conduct, the greatnefs of his courage, "the ftrength of his arm, and the number of his fol"diers; and, being wholly infpired with glory, infpires "all befides with love, admiration, or terror. Even "the externals of war, the found of trumpets, the "glitter of arms, the order of the troops, the filence "of the foldiers, their ardor in fight; the beginning, "progrefs, and end of the victory; the different cries of "the conquered and the conquerors; all thefe affail the "foul on different fides, which, deprived of all wifdom " and moderation, knows neither God, nor itself. "It is then the impious Salmoneus prefumes to imitate "the thunder of God, and to answer the thunderbolts "of Heaven with thofe of the earth. It was then the "facrilegious Antiochus worshipped nothing but his "own ftrength and courage; and the infolent Pharaoh,

fwoln with the pride of his power, cried out, I am 66 my own maker. But do religion and humility ever appear more majeftic, than when they keep the "heart of man, though in fo exalted a point of glory, "in that fubmiffion and dependence which the crea"ture ought to obferve with regard to his God?

"M. Turenne

"M. Turenne was never more fenfible that there was a God over his head, than on those extraordi"nary occafions, when others generally forget their "Creator. It was then his prayers were most fer❝vent. We have seen him retiring into woods, "where, in the midst of rain, with his knees in the

dirt, he adored that God in this humble posture, "before whom legions of angels tremble, and proftrate themselves. The Ifraelites, to fecure themselves "of victory, ordered the ark of the covenant to be "brought into their camp: and M. Turenne did 66 not believe his could be fafe, if not fortified daily "by the oblation of the divine victim, who tri"umphed over all the powers of hell. He affifted at "it with a devotion and modefty capable of infpiring "awe in those obdurate fouls, on whom the fight "of the moft tremendous myfteries makes no im"preffion.

Even in the progrefs of victory itself, and in "those moments of felf-love, when a general fees "fortune declare in his favour, his piety was watch"ful to prevent his giving the jealous God the least "offence, by too hafty an affurance of conquering. "Though the cries of victory echoed round him; "though the officers flattered themfelves and him. "alfo with affurance of fuccefs; he ftill checked "all the extreme emotions of joy, in which huxx man pride has fo great a fhare, by thefe words, highly worthy of his piety: If God does not fup* port us, and accomplish his work, we may fill be "defeated."

The fame topic taken from M. Flechier.

The orator begins with faying, M. Turenne has fhewn, by his example, that piety is attended with fuccefs; and that a warrior is invincible, when his faith is ftrong. He referred the glory of his victories to God alone, and placed his confidence in him only.

The orator then gives an inftance of fome military action. That great man attacked all the forces of Germany, with a few troops. The battle was obstinate and doubtful. At length the enemy began to retire." The French cry out,Victory is fure. But M. Turenne' fays to them, Hold! our fate is not in our own power; and we ourselves shall be vanquished, if the Lord does not affift us; and fo turning his eyes to heaven, he waits for the victory from God alone.

Here the author adds a brief common-place, to shew how hard it is to be victorious and humble at the fame time. Two thoughts, which must be variously turned, and represented in different lights, form this common-place. It is ufual for a conqueror to afcribe the victory to himself, and too look upon himself as the author of it; and, though he returns God public thanks for it, it is however to be feared, he secretly referves to himself some share of the glory, which is due to God alone.

. M. Turenne did not act in that manner. When he marches, when he defends a place, when he is intrenched, when he fights, when he triumphs, he expects all from, and refers every thing to, God. Each part must have a peculiar thought.

"M. Turenne has fhewn, that courage is of more exalted force, when fupported by religious principles; that there is a pious magnanimity, which in❝duces fuccess in spite of dangers and obstacles; and "that a warrior, whofe foul is infpired with faith, " and lifts up pure hands to the God of battles, who "directs them, is invincible.

"As M. Turenne owes all his glory to God, fo he " refers it all to him; and has no other confidence, but that which is founded in the name of the Lord. Why cannot I here relate one of thofe important actions, in which he attacked all the forces of Germany with a few troops! He marches three days,

"paffes three rivers, comes up with the enemy, "fights them. Numbers on one fide, and valour of "the other, hold fortune long in suspense. At last "courage repels the multitude; the enemy are confufed, and begin to retire. The cry of victory is

heard. The general then fufpends all the emotions "which the heat of battle excites, and fays, with a "fevere tone; Hold! our fate is not in our own hands ; " and we ourselves fhall be defeated, if the Lord does "not affift us. At these words, he turns his eyes to"wards Heaven, whence he receives affiftance; and continuing to give his orders, waits fubmiffively, be"tween hope and fear, the decifions of Heaven.

"How difficult is it to be victorious and humble 66 at the fame time! The fucceffes of war leave I "know not what fenfible pleasure in the foul, which "fills and poffeffes it entirely. We afcribe to our"felves a superiority of power and ftrength: we crown

ourfelves with our own hands: we form a fecret "triumph within ourselves: we look upon those laurels "which are gathered with labour and pains, and are " often bedewed with our blood, as our property: "and even when we give God folemn thanks, and "hang up in churches the torn and bloody colours of "the enemy, what danger is there that vanity may

suppress fome part of the acknowledgment; that

we mingle the applaufes we imagine our own due "with the vows we make to the Lord, and reserve "to ourselves fome small portion of the incense we "are going to burn upon his altars ?

"It was on these occafions, that M. Turenne, di"vesting himself of all his pretenfions, ascribed all the "glory to him alone to whom it rightfully belongs. "If he marches, he acknowledges it is God that con"ducts and guides him. If he defends ftrong-holds, "he is fenfible the enemy will difpoffefs him of them, "if God is not on his fide. If he is intrenched, he "thinks God makes a rampart to fecure him from "all insults. If he fights, he knows from whence

"he

he derives all his ftrength, and, if he triumphs, "he thinks he fees the invifible hand crowning him "from heaven."

I fhall here fubjoin fome paffages extracted from the best authors, which feem very proper to form the taste of youth, both for ftudy and compofition. What generally gives the greatest beauty to difcourfes of the demonftrative kind, are defcriptions, parallels, and common places. In order to know all their art and delicacy, we have nothing to do, but to divest them of all ornaments, and express them in a common and ordinary manner: it is that I call the reducing of things to a fimple propofition. I fhall endeavour to give examples of this in each kind.

DESCRIPTIONS.

1. The retired life of M. de Lamoignon in the country, during vacations.

A fimple propofition. I wish I could reprefent him to you, when he went to pass the vacation at Bafville, after all his labours and fatigues in the court of judicature. You would then fee him fometimes employed in husbandry; sometimes meditating on the harangues he was to make at the opening of the court; fometimes reconciling the differences of the peafants in one of the alleys of his garden.

Why cannot I reprefent him to you as he was, "when he went to lay afide the burden of his em"ployment, and to enjoy a noble repose, in his re"treat at Bafville, after a tedious fatigue, at a dif "tance from the noife of the town, and the hurry "of business? You would fee him apply himself sometimes to the innocent amufements of hufbandry, raifing his thoughts to the invifible things of God, by the vifible wonders of nature. Sometimes me"ditating upon the eloquent and folid difcourfes, "which taught and infpired juftice every year; in

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d The funeral oration of M. de Lamoignon, by M. Fleckier. VOL. II.

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