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NOTICES OF BOOKS. 139
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Port Hoyal France . A Contribution . By ...
of her associates . In all labours slie was the foremost to take her share ; no austerities were enjoined which she did not herself practise . Her room , her
the "bed , erring her strength . The , discontented her sympath and y , were the worldl all freel y-minded y bestowed were on shamed the ailing out or of their faults by the example of her cheerful piety . "
Angelique ' s great difficulty for some time was tlie choice of a confessor . At last _slie was successful in her search , and found in
Francis de Sales a firm friend and earnest director . In the year 1636 , La Mere Agnes , a younger sister of Angelique ' s , was elected
abbess . 163 "La 6 to Mere 1642 A when gnes held her the lace office was of taken abbess b d Angeli uring two triennial whoin virtue periods of , f four rom
successive elections , , governed p the community y from que 1642 , to , 1654 . The close connexion between Port Royal and the Arnauld family still continued . In November , 1646 , Angelique writes to her brother , M . d'Andilley , of three
wishes of his daug to take hters the who veil were on boarders the festiv in al the of house the , Presentation —' Your daug of hter the Charlotte Blessed "VirginShe is the tenth of her name who has iven herself to God in
. . . . g this house . I pray God that the other two may make up the dozen . '" The influence of this remarkable family was _^~ u _£ felt at Port
Royal . When , in later years , the persecution arose on account of _susjoicions concerning * their orthodoxy , La Mere Angelique ' s
character shone forth with undiminished lustre . Not only humbly trusting * in God herself , she is constantly engrafting" that faith in
others . In . the last agony of ail incurable disease she is the consoler ' and adviser of all in their trouble .
La Mere Angelique died when she had nearly completed her seventieth year . We _jDart from her with regret : so noble a woman
must necessarily exercise great influence over those with whom she came in contact . And in later years we find the nuns of Port
Royal thoroughly imbued with her spirit of humble piety and unbounded trust in the goodness of God . This is only one character
out of many equally important in their relation to Port Royal . We find by the following extract that Antoine Le Maitre , the
powerful advocate of Paris , yields to the persuasive tones of St . Cyran , _gfaid leaves his richly-deserved triumphs to follow his new
life with all the energy and strength of his character . he " had A crucifix never , seen dusty before and neg now lected irresistib , which l , thoug attracted h suspended his over and the moved bench y eyes
him , he says , more to tears , than to eloquence . An envious rival , marked in the convincing change , and the said jud with than a sneer in lulling , that them Le Maitre to sleep ' s . speeches The orator had less was effect not
yet so dead to the ges world as to be indifferent to the taunt . At the next his sitting rival of , spoke the Court to him he , and gathered him onl up y , all in his such strength a manner , and as fixing to convince his eyes the on
world that the talents of which he renounced the exercise were still in their to meridian God splendour so rare . i He and left to the render court mute , ' says for Fontaine ever a tongue , ' resolved which to sacrifice was the
admiration powers of all France , . ' " The resolution was steadfastly kept . When the Courts again
commenced their sittings , and Le Maitre failed to make his appearance , the news was soon bruited abroad through Paris , and created
the utmost astonishment . Many persons , and among them some
Notices Of Books. 139
NOTICES OF BOOKS . 139
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), April 1, 1861, page 139, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01041861/page/67/
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