Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/287

 RECENT FOREIGN LITERATURE. 275 is this aspe6l of the man that Ludovic Navatel paints in his interesting volume, ' Fenelon La confrerie secrete du pur amour.' From his writings and his 'lettres spirituelles,' we learn to know Fenelon c d'apres nature ' ; the real Fenelon was the Fenelon ' interieur et occulte,' the head of a little brotherhood of mystics in whom he culti- vated ' Toraison de quietude et de I'amour pur. J The members of the little c confrerie ' in which Mme. de Guyon played no small part were the Duchesse de Mortemard, the Comtesse de Gramont, the Marquis de Seignelay, the Due de Chevreuse, the Due de Bourgogne, the Marquis de Fenelon a much-loved nephew and the Comtesse de Montberron. But, notwithstanding that Fenelon did everything for these friends and undertook the direction not only of their spiritual affairs, but of their worldly business, the little society fell to pieces at his death. He had put his house, his table, his carriages and horses, his money, all at their disposal, even, it may be said, his person, for he spent much time in writing to them and in visiting them. He found them sons and daughters- in-law, and educated their children. But the aim of the * confrerie ' was too ideal, too fragile, and lofty to endure. It was too hard a task < tre continuellement occupe, rejeter hors de soi 1'amour naturel de soi-mme et s'en trouver toujours rempli. Quel projet hardi d'entreprendre en ce monde d'liminer de sa conscience son propre moi et de s'unir sans inter- mdiaire a 1'essence divine/ Indeed, the disciples were throughout only kept