Select Eulogies of the Members of the French Academy (Volume 2); With Notes

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1799 Excerpt: ... Prosper Jolyot De Crebillon was born at Dijon, on February 13, 1674. The capital of Burgundy boasts of being the native place of a great number of celebrated men in literature, among whom we shall only mention Bossuet, a name 'which renders the enumeration of the rest superfluous. The young Crebillon entered upon his studies among the Jesuits, who, in like manner, were the first instructors of several distinguished writers. Of these we shall here advert only to the three most Read August; 25th, 1778. % 2 illustrious; illustrious; Boffuet, whom they wished to make their own, and who escaped them; the great Corneille, who always loved them; and Voltaire, who loved them a long while. It is too well known how little education, as unfortunately practised among us, is adapted for forming great men. It would seem much fitter to stifle genius in its cradle, if Nature, which in savage countries sometimes bestows fecundity on the earth in spite of the barbarism of the inhabitants, hd not also given to minds of the first class an energy not to be subdued by the worst tuition. It is however the custom, through motives either of respect, or of indulgence to the self-love of masters, to grant them some share in the glory their disciples may have acquired by their own efforts, and in defiance of their education. In this case, the society of Jesuits, illustrious as it has become by means of the celebrated men who have belonged to it, might have still more reason reason to boast of its pupils than its mem- bers . An anecdote which the abbe d'Olivet often related, and with which he was acquainted at the source, apprizes us that Crebillon, while yet at college, announced those talents which were afterwards to acquire him fame, and at the fame time that love for an indep...