Plan des Études de Monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne Depuis l'année 1695 dans laquelle il a fini la 13e année de son age jusqu'à l'année 1700 qu'il aura 18 ans.

Bookseller Notes

This Plan des tudes was written by the formidable tutor to princes and author of the much celebrated Les aventures de Tlmaque (1699), Franois Fnelon (1651-1715). It outlines the final stage of the educational regime he produced for the Duke of Burgundy (1682-1712) - Le Petit Dauphin - eldest grandson of Louis XIV and heir to the French throne.'The Duc de Beauvilliers, who had been the first to test in his own family the value of [Fnelon's] "Trait de l'education des filles", was in 1689 named governor of the grandchildren of Louis XIV. He hastened to secure Fnelon as tutor to the eldest of these princes, the Duke of Burgundy. It was a most important post, seeing that the formation of the future King of France lay in his hands; but it was not without great difficulties, owing to the violent, haughty character of the pupil. Fnelon brought to his task a whole-hearted zeal and devotion. Everything... was made to serve in the taming of this impetuous spirit... With the same object in view, he wrote his "Fables" and his "Dialogues des Morts", but especially his "Tlmaque", in which work, under the guise of pleasant fiction, he taught the young prince lessons of self-control, and all the duties required by his exalted position. The results of this training were wonderful. The historian Saint-Simon, as a rule hostile to Fnelon, says: "De cet abme sortit un prince, affable, doux, modr, humain, patient, humble, tout appliqu ses devoirs"... About 1695 every one who came in contact with the prince was in admiration at the change in him' (Catholic Encyclopedia). Of course, although he outlived his father, the Duke of Burgundy died while his grandfather was still on the throne and it was his own son who ultimately became Louis XV in 1715.The present work is organised under three subject headings: Religion, Science, and History - 'Science' encompassing science proper as well as everything not included in the other two sections (economics, moral philosophy, jurisprudence, &c.). The last scientific topic for 1696 is: 'parcourir les principes de Descartes.' The sequence of the subjects under which history is to be undertaken is interesting, year by year as follows: England, Germany, Spain, the Orient - Arabs or other Muslims, &c - France. With a topic-specific bibliography included, this is altogether a fascinating and illuminating document about the education of princes at the turn of the eighteenth century.