Books to Consult—Louis Hourticq: Art in France. R. G. Kingsley: History of French Art. Bourgeois: France under Louis XIV. W. H. Ward: Architecture of the Renaissance in France. Esther Singleton: French and English Furniture.
Louis was a wonderful art patron, and spent enormous sums upon artistic objects. He brought from Antwerp a group of three great engravers. He established the Beauvais and Gobelins manufactories of tapestry. Porcelain was made at Saint Cloud. Furniture was designed by Ballin and Boule. Lenôtre led the world in the art of landscape-gardening.
VIII—THE KING AND THE CHURCH
1. The King's Personal Religion—Ecclesiastical and political rather than ethical. His devotions and his morals. Effect of Madame de Maintenon's influence in later years.
2. Two Great Prelates and Their Feud—Bossuet; his ability, temper, and commanding influence. Fenelon: story of his life; influence on the Duke of Burgundy; reading from Télémaque. The fundamental difference in the two men's conception of religion.
3. New Movements—Protestantism: suppression by the state. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Jansenism: Jansen and his book; its meaning. Demolition of the Abbey of Port-Royal. Quietism: Story of Madame Guyon and reading from her life (Upham's edition).
4. The King and the Jesuits—Origin of the order and its purposes. Edicts for and against the Jesuits, and reasons for them. Power and success of Pere LeTellier. Reading from Pascal's Provincial Letters.
Books to Consult—The Cambridge Modern History: vol. v., chap. iv. Guizot: History of France: vol. iv., chap. xlvii. Jervis: History of the Church in France. Sainte-Beuve: Causeries du Lundi (many are translated).
As Louis seldom went to Paris, the chapel in the palace at Versailles became the scene of the most important ecclesiastical functions, and hence is of special interest. A description of its interior should be given, and photographs of it should be shown. A supplementary paper should take up Madame de Maintenon and her relation to the king and the Church. Lady Blennerhasset's book will be found of value in this connection.