FLEURY
104
FLEURY
to the Princes de Conti, whom Louis XIV wished to be
educated with the Dauphin. During the succeeding
period, he published his first important works. I^ater
appeared two books, containing the fruits of his legal
studies: " Histoire du droit frangais" (Paris, 1674)
and "Institution au droit ecclesiastique " (Paris,
1677). The latter of these works was at first issued
anonymously, but subsequently ( 1687) appeared under
the author's name. In these" writings Fleury shows
himself to be an outspoken Galliean. That he was a
pronounced follower of Bossuet in this regard appears
also from his "Discours sur les liberty de I'Eglise
gallicane", written in 1690. His position as teacher
led him to the study of pedagogies, and as early as
1675 he wrote at Bossuet's suggestion his "Traits du
choix et de la m^thode des etudes", which was pub-
lished at Paris in 1686. For the instruction_ of his
pupil and as a practical application of the principles
expounded in his treatise, he wrote a series of three
works: " Les moeurs des Israelites" (Paris, 1681), " Les
mceursdes chr^tiens" (1682), and the "Grand caU-
chismehistorique" (1683). Meanwhile he maintained
his close relations with Bossuet, who was ever a zeal-
ous patron of the able and industrious teacher, and
translated into Latin (1678) his "Exposition de la foi
catholique".
Upon completing the education of the Princes de Conti, Fleury was (1680) appointed tutor to the Comte de Vermandois, the legitimized son of Louis XIV and Louise de La Valliere. On the death of the young count in 1084, Louis XIV. in token of his appre- ciation of Fleury's tutorial services, appointed him Abbot of Loc-Dieu in the Diocese of Rhodez, and Fleury devoted himself zealously to the duties of his pastoral charge. He preached frequently in the Dio- cese of Meaux, and accompanied the Abb6 F^nelon on his missionary journeys in Saintonge and Poitou, after the abrogation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), both labouring diligently and with great success for the conversion of the Huguenots. At the same time Fleury continued his literary pursuits, and in 1685 he published a "Life of Marguerite d'Arbouze, Abbess and reformer of the Abbey of Val-de-Grace, and in 1688 the treatise entitled " Devoirs des maitres et des domestiques". Shortly afterwards he was recalled to the court, and in 1689, on F(5nelon's recommendation, was appointed tutor (sous-precepteur) to the grand- sons of Louis XIV, the young Dukes of Burgundy, of Anjou, and of Berry. He continued at this post for sixteen years, and lived at the brilliant court the same modest, retired life, devoted to his duties as teacher and to his studies. During this period his leisure hours were given mainly to the composition of his " Histoire ecclesiastique", the first volume of which appeared in 1691. In this great work, the principal literary fruit of the remaining years of his life, the author dis- closes once more his leanings toward Gallicanism.
In recognition of his literary services Fleury was chosen in 1696 to fill La Bruyere's seat in the Acad- emy, was offered the Bishopric of Montpellier, which however, he refused. When in 1097, on the appear- ance of the "Maximes des saints", a Qmetistic con- troversy broke out between Bossuet and F^nelon, Fleury, as the protege of F^nelon, was in danger of sharing his patron's disfavour at court. Bossuet, however, proved a true protector, and Fleury was rescued from F<5nelon's fate, and allowed to retain his place as tutor to the princes. In 1706, as a reward for his services, the king apiiointed Fleury prior of Notre- Dame d'Argenteuil, near Paris. On receiving this appointment, Fleury resigned forthwith his Abbacy of Loc-Dieu, as he was opposed to the cumutation of ecclesiastical benefices, and devoted himself to the continuation of his " Hi-stoire ecclfoiastique". On a subsequent occasion, he was again summoned to court to fill an important and responsible position. On the death of Louis XIV, the regent, wishing to secure a
trustworthy and learned cleric who held neither Jan-
senistic nor Molinistic views, and who might be trusted
to represent Galliean principles, appointed Fleury as
confessor to the young King Louis XV. Fleury con-
tinued to fill this office until 1722, but then resigned on
the plea of old age, and until his death lived a life of
the closest retirement in Paris.
Fleury was a righteous, pious, universally respected pastor, a conscientious, devoted teacher, a talented and profound scholar and author. Most of his works have been recently reprinted ; some have been trans- lated into other languages and have secured a wide circle of readers. His comprehensive " Histoire eccle- siastique", of which he himself issued twenty volumes (Paris, 1691-1720), is the most important of his works and extends from the Ascension of Christ to the year 1414. This work is at once instructive and edifying; its material is carefully and fully treated, but all criti- cal examination is avoided. The facts are recorded in elegant and well-chosen language without rhetorical exaggerations, and although his judgments are tinged with Gallicanism (especially as regards the papacy), they are expressed moderately and with restraint. Consequently Fleury's work offers a marked con- trast to the histories of Noel Alexandre and Tille- mont. His "Histoire" was received enthusiastically in educated circles, ran through several editions, and was translated into German (Leipzig, 1752) and Latin (Augsburg, 1758). The Galliean views expressed in the work have been attacked by several historians, of whom the most notable are Honoratus a S. Maria (Mechlin, 1729), Baldwin de Housta (Mechlin, 1733), N. Lanteaume (Avignon, 1736), Rossignol (Paris, 1802), Marehetti (Venice, 1794). The ex-Oratorian, John Claude Fabre, an ex- treme Galliean, issued a continuation of Fleury's work in sixteen volumes (Paris, 1722-36), bringing the his- tory to the year 1595. This continuation, nowever, is neither in" its narration nor its workmanship com- parable with Fleury's achievement. Rondet added a further volume (XXXVII) which contains a table of contents (Paris, 1754); Alexander of St. John of the Cross, who, with the assistance of a brother Carmelite, had already translated Fleury's work into Latin, con- tinued the history to the year 1765, in thirty-five volumes, and after Alexander's death another vol- ume (extending to 1768) was added by Benno, a member of the same order. Father Alexander also translated Calmet's " Histoire de I'Ancien et du Nou- veau Testament" into Latin, and published it in five volumes as an introduction to Fleury's work, so that the complete edition in Latin (Augsburg, 1768- 98) consists of ninety-one volumes, with two index- volumes.
Amongst Fleury's papers was found a sketch in manu- script of the ecclesiastical history from 1414 to 1517, and this sketch was inserted in the edition issued in 1840 at Paris. Several collections of Fleury's sermons and treatises have been issued since his death, e. g. his "Discours" (2 vols., Paris, 1752); "Traite du Droit public en France" (4 vols., Paris, 1769); "Opuscules de I'abbe Fleury", published by Rondet (5 vols., Nimes, 1780); ""CEuvres de I'abbe Fleury", published by A. Martin (Paris, 1837). In conclusion, it should be noted that the "Abr^ge de I'histoire ecclesiastique de Fleury", published atlBerne in 1766, with an intro- duction by Frederick II of Prussia, has no connexion with Claude Fleury's "Histoire ecclesiastique"; it ia a work undertaken at the suggestion of the above- mentioned monarch and is dominated throughout by a spirit hostile to Christianity.
Rondet, Notice sur I'abbe Fleury in Opuscules (NImes. 1780), I- Martin, Essai sur la vie et les ouvrages de Fleury in CEuvres (Paris 1837); Du Pin, Bibliothique des auteurs ecclesiastiques (Paris, 1686, sqq.). XIX, 110 sqq.; \Ie¥KI.e. Der Kirchenhyslon- krr Fleury in Beitriiye zur KirchengeschiclUe, Archiiulogie una Lilurgik, II (Tubingen, 1864), 89 sqq. , .„ ,,
J. P. KlRSCH.
