Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-10
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.


JAoUELNE PASCAL; or, Glimpse Of Convent Life Port
Royal From the French of NJ Victor Cousin NJ Pros
per Faugere NJ Vinet, and other sources Translated
by H. N, with Introduction by W. r. WILLIAMS,
ID. New York: Robert Carter Brothers, 1854.
The more we read about the Port Royalists the
more are we persuaded that Royer-Collard the dis
tinguished French doctrinaire and philosopher,
right when he said that not to know Port Royal and
its fortunes is not to know the history of humanity.
And yet, as Mr. Macaulay remarks that he has
read histories of England which, in treating the
events of the eighteenth century in the United King
dom, make no mention whatever of the rise of Me-
thodism under the labors of Wesley and Whitfield,
So also we have histories of France which, IN
recitng the story of the seventeenth century, have
left IN oblivion the annals Of society whose illus
trous namesm part to that century Its highest glory,
and whose works compose its surest claim to the
grateful remembrance of all succeeding times. For
the society of Port Royal numbered among its pa
irons such men as Arnauld, Pascal, Tllemont, Nj
COLE Lemaitre, ST. Cyran, De Sacy, Racine, Boileau,
Quesnel-names which are familiar to the most cur
sorry reader OF the literary ecclesiastical history
which celebrates the Augustan age of France Tile
mont, by his erudite disquisitions on the civil law
has extorted the praises of the English Gibbon
Nicole wrote so beautifully on Christian morals that
Madame de Seyigne said of his book at the time Of
Its appearance that it contained "not word too
much or too little" so nicely did it show the hui
man heart and how all persons see themselves there
whether philosophers peasants, Molinists or JAN
senists Lemaltre was long the acknowledged
head Of the French bar, astounding the judges by
his surprising eloquence and swaying the minds of
men as with an enchanter's wand De Sacy has
bequeathed to the French the most perfect version
of the New Testament that can be found in their
own tongue, or as Sir James Stephen thinks, in any
other. Lancelot wrote the "Port ROYAL Gram
mars, which, until the present century, obtained
the highest place in the schools of Europe St. Cyran
accustomed to be introduced by Richeeu "as the
most learned the continent" a tribute in which
there much of truth aattery Arnaud was the
doughty and nvincible controyersalist as well as
prolific author of his age the terror of the Jesuit
and yet the defender of the faith OF Pascal or Ra-
cns Boileau need speak, for their fame is as
universal as il is lustrious
Port Royal des Champs nunnery founded by Ma
thide de Garande wife of Matthew de Marl on the eve
Of her husbands departure to the conquest of the Holy
SepucAre 1t stood in pleasant valley the road from
Versailles to Cheyreuse the distance of more than
six miles from Paris Of this nunnery the traveller now
finds solitary Gothic arch and as some
cay number OF planted indicate the nave
and rnp Of the church that was cnce attached to the
monastery Port Royal belonged to the Reformed Cis-
teroan branch Of the Benedicne order and the time
Of its foundation limited the reception of twelve
ladies' But during the lapse Of four centuries it had
steadily increased in wealth and dignity if not proper
tionably in sancty, until in the times of Henry the
Fourth, find the nobes of his court coyeting for his
pOrtoness daughter the rank Of lady abbess at Port
Royal The dissolution of which prevailed dur
this period at Paris is supposed nsenshy have
fused itself into the coisers at Chevreuse since
later and day. he old chroncler of the monastery
up the sod dorectons of their predecessors by
ing that the nuns aforetme used gloves masks
sarched linen, and furbelows-to say nothing Of the
" robes grandes manches-ust like the ladies at the
Louvre; and, what deplorable still, allowed
their hair peep out from its monastc couture in the
most becoming fashion.
NJ. Marion the advocate general Of Henry Quatre ask
ed and obtained Of his royal master the coae Of the
Abbey Of Port Royal in behalf of his granddaughter
Jaqueine Marie Angelque Arnaud and that Of ST. Cyr
for her sister Agnes; at the time the former only
eight years old, the latter but FIVE Forged cert6
of the required age were however forwarded by
their grandfather to Rome, and Papa bull con
rmed the nomination Of the Juvenile candidates and in
stalled them their respective monasteries BY the
death Of her predecessor in the line Of abbata Office the
sprghy Jaqueline, at the age Of eleven promoted
the dignity of abbes and her sister Agnes after
wards renounoing the Abbacy of ST. Cyr enrol
herself among the at Port Royal where she became
the Mistress Of the Novces before had ended her own
novitiate. The official precocity Of the girls was sur
prisng.
As already minated the rigor and austerity Of tbs
Benedione order had been brought this period into
Of relaxation such might been expected from
the profgscy that regned in the world Port Roya
partook in the general contagion The Mere Angeiqu,
such the title she assumed her promotion to the
rank Of abbess preferred the latest to her bre
wary and sighed for the pomps and vanities Of
world which she had solemny renounced rather which
her grandfather Marion had renowned for her before he
young heart had learned to mock itself by the illusions
fashionable folly. While the young abbess was in thi
state Of mind it happened that Father Basil Capuchir
far passed by the way Of Port Royal and sought and
obtained permission to preach before the nuns His SER
the turning point in the Mere Angeliques his
tory and from that time forth she resolved to live life
of holy conservation the duties Of her vocaton The
rule Of the Cstercans henceforth rensated in all it,
ancient rgor; the abbey walls we're rebuilt to exclude
the gaze as well as the intrusion Of the profanc world
without linen displaced by coarse woolens as the
betting attire for those who would morfy the
flesh e and prckng girdles we're ordered to be worn
parents forbidden any longer see their
brothers their sisters, the Mere Angeque herself tax
ing the initiative in complying with this stern reauisition
of monastc discipline. change sudden might have
been deemed the product Of emotion or impulse had
il been verified genuine by the uniform tenor Of he
whole after life We almost as much question tn,
conversion Of an Apostle Paul Of a Mere Angelique
In consequence Of her fame a reformer, the Abbes
Augeque caedto the management Of other religion