Page:Life of Louis Philippe, late king of the French.pdf/3



The subject of our memoir was born in Paris on the 6th of October, 1773. He is the eldest son of LOUIS PHILIPPE-JOSEPH, Duke of Orleans-better known as Philippe Egalité-and of MARIE, only daughter of the Duke of Penthièvre. At an early age, LOUIS PHILIPPE was entitled the Duke of Valois; but, when his father became Duke of Orleans in 1785, he was created Duke of Chartres, which title he retained many years.

Citizen Egalité was not without personal and politiCal faults; but, whatever these may have been, he was kind and indulgent to his children, and was by them beloved in return. Anxious that his family- consisting of four sons and a daughter-should have the benefit of a sound education in which he was himself deficient-he committed them to the care of the Countess de Genlis, a lady whose talents eminently qualified her for such a charge. The means she adopted to form the character of her young pupils, were admirable; although, at that time, they were not well understood. She considered it her first duty to instruct them in the doctrines of Christianity, to inspire them with a love of God and his works, and to remove from them everything which in any way tended to contaminate their minds or feelings. Under the superintendence of the Countess, they were taught the various branches of polite learning; and, being attended by domestics who spoke English, German, and