problem　of　humanity　is　solved　at　last。〃　　But；　ye　long…suffering
  powers　of　heaven；　what　a　solution！　　It　is　beside　the　matter　to　call
  the　book　ungodly；　immoral；　base。　　Le　Sage　would　have　answered：　　〃Of
  course　it　is；　for　so　is　the　world　of　which　it　is　a　picture。〃　　No；
  the　most　notable　thing　about　the　book　is　its　intense　stupidity；　its
  dreariness；　barrenness；　shallowness；　ignorance　of　the　human　heart；
  want　of　any　human　interest。　　If　it　be　an　epos；　the　actors　in　it　are
  not　men　and　women；　but　ferretswith　here　and　there；　of　course；　a
  stray　rabbit；　on　whose　brains　they　may　feed。　　It　is　the　inhuman
  mirror　of　an　inhuman　age；　in　which　the　healthy　human　heart　can　find
  no　more　interest　than　in　a　pathological　museum。
  That　last；　indeed；　〃Gil　Blas〃　is；　a　collection　of　diseased
  specimens。　　No　man　or　woman　in　the　book；　lay　or　clerical；　gentle　or
  simple；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；　do　their　duty　in　any　wise；　even　if
  they　recollect　that　they　have　any　duty　to　do。　　Greed；　chicane；
  hypocrisy；　uselessness　are　the　ruling　laws　of　human　society。　　A　new
  book　of　Ecclesiastes；　crying；　〃Vanity　of　vanity；　all　is　vanity；〃　the
  〃conclusion　of　the　whole　matter〃　being　left　out；　and　the　new
  Ecclesiastes　rendered　thereby　diabolic；　instead　of　like　that　old
  one；　divine。　　For；　instead　of　〃Fear　God　and　keep　his　commandments；
  for　that　is　the　whole　duty　of　main；〃　Le　Sage　sends　forth　the　new
  conclusion；　〃Take　care　of　thyself；　and　feed　on　thy　neighbours；　for
  that　is　the　whole　duty　of　man。〃　　And　very　faithfully　was　his　advice
  （easy　enough　to　obey　at　all　times）　obeyed　for　nearly　a　century　after
  〃Gil　Blas〃　appeared。
  About　the　same　time　there　appeared；　by　a　remarkable　coincidence；
  another　work；　like　it　the　child　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　and　yet　as
  opposite　to　it　as　light　to　darkness。　　If　Le　Sage　drew　men　as　they
  were；　Fenelon　tried　at　least　to　draw　them　as　they　might　have　been
  and　still　might　be；　were　they　governed　by　sages　and　by　saints；
  according　to　the　laws　of　God。　　〃Telemaque〃　is　an　idealimperfect；
  doubtless；　as　all　ideals　must　be　in　a　world　in　which　God's　ways　and
  thoughts　are　for　ever　higher　than　man's；　but　an　ideal　nevertheless。
  If　its　construction　is　less　complete　than　that　of　〃Gil　Blas；〃　it　is
  because　its　aim　is　infinitely　higher；　because　the　form　has　to　be
  subordinated；　here　and　there；　to　the　matter。　　If　its　political
  economy　be　imperfect；　often　chimerical；　it　is　because　the　mind　of
  one　man　must　needs　have　been　too　weak　to　bring　into　shape　and　order
  the　chaos；　social　and　economic；　which　he　saw　around　him。　　M。　de
  Lamartine；　in　his　brilliant　little　life　of　Fenelon；　does　not
  hesitate　to　trace　to　the　influence　of　〃Telemaque；〃　the　Utopias　which
  produced　the　revolutions　of　1793　and　1848。　　〃The　saintly　poet　was；〃
  he　says；　〃without　knowing　it；　the　first　Radical　and　the　first
  communist　of　his　century。〃　　But　it　is　something　to　have　preached　to
  princes　doctrines　till　then　unknown；　or　at　least　forgotten　for　many
  a　generationfree　trade；　peace；　international　arbitration；　and　the
  〃carriere　ouverte　aux　talents〃　for　all　ranks。　　It　is　something　to
  have　warned　his　generation　of　the　dangerous　overgrowth　of　the
  metropolis；　to　have　prophesied；　as　an　old　Hebrew　might　have　done；
  that　the　despotism　which　he　saw　around　him　would　end　in　a　violent
  revolution。　　It　is　something　to　have　combined　the　highest　Christian
  morality　with　a　hearty　appreciation　of　old　Greek　life；　of　its
  reverence　for　bodily　health　and　prowess；　its　joyous　and　simple
  country　society；　its　sacrificial　feasts；　dances；　games；　its　respect
  for　the　gods；　its　belief　that　they　helped；　guided；　inspired　the　sons
  of　men。　　It　is　something　to　have　himself　believed　in　God；　in　a
  living　God；　who；　both　in　this　life　and　in　all　lives　to　come；
  rewarded　the　good　and　punished　the　evil　by　inevitable　laws。　　It　is
  something　to　have　warned　a　young　prince；　in　an　age　of　doctrinal
  bigotry　and　practical　atheism；　that　a　living　God　still　existed；　and
  that　his　laws　were　still　in　force；　to　have　shown　him　Tartarus
  crowded　with　the　souls　of　wicked　monarchs；　while　a　few　of　kingly
  race　rested　in　Elysium；　and　among　them　old　pagansInachus；　Cecrops；
  Erichthon；　Triptolemus；　and　Sesostrisrewarded　for　ever　for　having
  done　their　duty；　each　according　to　his　light；　to　the　flocks　which
  the　gods　had　committed　to　their　care。　　It　is　something　to　have
  spoken　to　a　prince；　in　such　an　age；　without　servility；　and　without
  etiquette；　of　the　frailties　and　the　dangers　which　beset　arbitrary
  rulers；　to　have　told　him　that　royalty；　〃when　assumed　to　content
  oneself；　is　a　monstrous　tyranny；　when　assumed　to　fulfil　its　duties；
  and　to　conduct　an　innumerable　people　as　a　father　conducts　his
  children；　a　crushing　slavery；　which　demands　an　heroic　courage　and
  patience。〃
  Let　us　honour　the　courtier　who　dared　speak　such　truths；　and　still
  more　the　saintly　celibate　who　had　sufficient　catholicity　of　mind　to
  envelop　them　in　old　Grecian　dress；　and；　without　playing　false　for　a
  moment　to　his　own　Christianity；　seek　in　the　writings　of　heathen
  sages　a　wider　and　a　healthier　view　of　humanity　than　was　afforded　by
  an　ascetic　creed。
  No　wonder　that　the　appearance　of　〃Telemaque；〃　published　in　Holland
  without　the　permission　of　Fenelon；　delighted　throughout　Europe　that
  public　which　is　always　delighted　with　new　truths；　as　long　as　it　is
  not　required　to　practise　them。　　To　read　〃Telemaque〃　was　the　right
  and　the　enjoyment　of　everyone。　　To　obey　it；　the　duty　only　of
  princes。　　No　wonder　that；　on　the　other　hand；　this　〃Vengeance　de
  peuples；　lecon　des　rois；〃　as　M。　de　Lamartine　calls　it；　was　taken　for
  the　bitterest　satire　by　Louis　XIV。；　and　completed　the　disgrace　of
  one　who　had　dared　to　teach　the　future　king　of　France　that　he　must
  show　himself；　in　all　things；　the　opposite　of　his　grandfather。　　No
  wonder　if　Madame　de　Maintenon　and　the　court　looked　on　its　portraits
  of　wicked　ministers　and　courtiers　as　caricatures　of　themselves；
  portraits　too；　which；　〃composed　thus　in　the　palace　of　Versailles；
  under　the　auspices　of　that　confidence　which　the　king　had　placed　in
  the　preceptor　of　his　heir；　seemed　a　domestic　treason。〃　　No　wonder；
  also；　if　the　foolish　and　envious　world　outside　was　of　the　same
  opinion；　and　after　enjoying　for　awhile　this　exposure　of　the　great
  ones　of　the　earth；　left　〃Telemaque〃　as　an　Utopia　with　which　private
  folks　had　no　concern；　and　betook　themselves　to　the　easier　and　more
  practical　model　of　〃Gil　Blas。〃
  But　there　are　solid　defects　in　〃Telemaque〃indicating　corresponding
  defects　in　the　author's　mindwhich　would　have；　in　any　case；
  prevented　its　doing　the　good　work　which　Fenelon　desired；　defects
  which　are　natural；　as　it　seems　to　me；　to　his　position　as　a　Roman
  Catholic　priest；　however　saintly　and　pure；　however　humane　and
  liberal。　　The　king；　with　him；　is　to　be　always　the　father　of　his
  people；　which　is　tantamount　to　saying；　that　the　people　are　to　be
  always　children；　and　in　a　condition　of　tutelage；　voluntary；　if
  possible：　　if　not；　of　tutelage　still。　　Of　self…government；　and
  education　of　human　beings　into　free　manhood　by　the　exercise　of　self…
  government；　free　will；　free　thoughtof　this　Fenelon　had　surely　not
  a　glimpse。　　A　generation　or　two　passed　by；　and　then　the　peoples　of
  Europe　began　to　suspect　that　they　were　no　longer　children；　but　come
  to　manhood；　and　determined　（after　the　example　of　Britain　and
  America）　to　assume　the　rights　and　duties　of　manhood；　at　whatever
  risk　of　excesses　or　mistakes：　　and　then　〃Telemaque〃　was　relegated
  half　unjustlyas　the　slavish　and　childish　dream　of　a　past　age；　into
  the　schoolroom；　where　it　still　remains。
  But　there　is　a　defect　in　〃Telemaque〃　which　is　perhaps　deeper　still。
  No　woman　in　it　exercises　influence　over　man；　except　for　evil。
  Minerva；　the　guiding　and　inspiring　spirit；　assumes　of　course；　as
  Mentor；　a　male　form；　but　her　speech　and　thought　is　essentially
  masculine；　and　not　feminine。　　Antiope　is　a　mere　lay…figure；
  introduced　at　the　end　of　the　book　because　Telemachus　must　needs　be
  allowed　to　have　hope　of　marrying　someone　or　other。　　Venus　plays　but
  the　same　part　as　she　does　in　the　Tannenhauser　legends　of　the　Middle
  Age。　　Her　hatred　against　Telemachus　is　an　integral　element　of　the
  plot。　　She；　with　the　other　women　or　nymphs　of　the　romance；　in　spite
  of　all　Fenelon's　mercy　and　courtesy　towards　human　frailties；　really
  rise　no　higher　than　the　witches　of　the　Malleus　Maleficanum。　　Woman
  as　the　old　monk　held　who　derived　femina　from　fe；　faith；　and　minus；
  less；　because　women　have　less　faith　than　menis；　in　〃Telemaque；〃
  whenever　she　thinks　or　acts；　the　temptress；　the　enchantress；　the
  victim　（according　to　a　very　ancient　calumny）　of　passions　more
  violent；　often　more　lawless；　than　man's。
  Such　a　conception　of　women　must　make　〃Telemaque；〃　to　the　end　of
  time；　useless　as　a　wholesome　book　of　education。　　It　must　have
  crippled　its　influence；　especially　in　France；　in　its　own　time。　　For
  there；　for　good　and　for　evil；　woman　was　asserting　more　and　more　her
  power；　and　her　right　to　power；　over　the　mind　and　heart　of　ma