Search -
Famous Orations: Orators of continental Europe
Famous Orations Orators of continental Europe Author:Mayo Williamson Hazeltine Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FLECHIER C SPRIT FlifiCHIEB, who must be classed with Bosauet and Massillon among the great pulpit orators of France, was born al Pernes in 1632, and educated... more » by an uncle on his mother's side who was general of the "Fathers of the Gongregation of Christian Doctrines." By his funeral orations, one of which is here reproduced in part, he acquired great favor at the Court of Louis XIV., and in 1687 was made Bishop of Nimes. He died February 16, 1710. ORATION ON THE DEATH OF TURENNH PARIS. JANUARY 10, 1676 HOW difficult it is to be at once victorious and humble! Military success leaves in the mind I know not what exquisite pleasure, which fills and absorbs it. In such circumstances, one attributes to himself a superiority of force and capacity. He crowns himself with his own hands; he decrees to himself a secret triumph; he regards as his own the laurels which he gathers with infinite toil, and frequently moistens with his blood; and even when he renders to God solemn thanks, and hangs in his temples the torn and blood-stained trophies which he has taken from the enemy, is not vanity liable to stifle a portion of hia gratitude, and mingle with the vows which he pays to God applauses which he thinks due to himself; at least, does he not retain some grains of the incense which he burns upon his altars? It was on such occasions that Marshal Turenne, renounoing all pretensions, returned all the glory to him to whom it legitimately belongs. If he marches, he acknowledges that it is God who protects and guides him; if he defends fortresses, he knows that he defends them in vain if God does not guard them; if he forms an intrenchment, he feels that it is God who forms a rampart around him to defend him from every attack; if he fights, he knows whence to draw all his force; and...« less