God.'

"But Fenelon, like all good and pure men of the time, was condemned
by the court and the Church. _Telemaque_, written to train the mind of
the young prince in the principles of virtue, caused him to lose favor
with the court, and he spent the last years of his life in virtual
exile.

[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL AT NANTES.]

[Illustration: LOUIS XV.]

"Aside from Fenelon's influence the prince had much to make him
vain. He was once ill, and on his recovery all Paris was filled with
rejoicing. An immense crowd gathered around the palace on the eve of
St. Louis's Day in honor of the convalescence. As the boy-king stood
on the balcony of the palace on the occasion, Marshal Villeroy said to
him,--

"'Look at all this company of people: all are yours; they all belong
to you; you are their master.'

"Think of a boy's being told that the people of Paris belonged to him!

"I can wonder at the Reign of Terror, but I cannot be surprised at the
Revolution when I view the history of France for the century that
preceded it. It is rather a matter of surprise that an enlightened
people should have submitted to tyranny so long."

Nantes is the Paris of the Loire. Its streets, boulevards, public
squares, the forest of masts in the river, and the trees that line its
banks, all seem a copy of the bright and gay French capital. Its old
cathedral is a queer-looking building, with towers scarcely higher
than its roof; but it contains a most beautiful tomb which was erected
in memory of Francis II. last Duke of Bretagne. It is adorned with
figures of angels, the twelve Apostles, St. Louis, and Charlemagne.

One of the most interesting excursions made by the Class from Nantes
was to the ruin of the old castle of

BLUE-BEARD.

There existed, many centuries ago, a ferocious, cruel old lord, whose
treatment of his wives and ogre-like tyranny to all around him, gave
origin to the thrilling story of Blue-beard; indeed, the story was so
nearly true that this old lord was actually called "Blue-beard" by his
neighbors, so blue-black was his long and stubby beard.

He lived in the old days when barons were fierce and despotic, and
shut their wives and daughters up in dark dungeons or high castle
casements, and thought little more of ordering a score of peasants off
to instant execution than of eating their breakfasts.

He was a rich old fellow, and had several castles scattered about the
country, whither princes and dukes use