ime, as were also his "Dialogues of the Dead" and his "Fables." The
inspiration of all these works was found in the charge committed to
him--that of properly instructing his royal pupil. Fenelon thus created
the material through which he interested the boy and taught him the
intended lessons. The "Telemachus" was designed for the moral and
political instruction of the prince; through his "Dialogues of the Dead"
he taught history; and his "Fables" were composed for the purpose of
teaching the moral and intellectual lessons which he wished to impart to
his illustrious, but headstrong, pupil. Fenelon's success with the
prince was phenomenal, as the passionate boy became affectionate,
docile, and obedient.

The success of the experiment, however, was never put to the final test,
as the duke died before coming to the throne. There seems to be no doubt
that the cure was permanent, and it is not believed that, like Nero, he
would have relapsed into his former viciousness and cruelty.

One naturally compares Fenelon with Seneca. To both were committed
children, heirs apparent to thrones,--willful, cruel, disobedient, and
hard to control. In Seneca's pupil the seeds of cruelty remained, to
germinate into the awful tyrant; in Fenelon's the evil seemed to be
permanently eradicated, and the result was a prince with generous
impulses and noble intentions. And this result was largely owing to the
difference in the teachers,--Fenelon, the gentle, but firm, patient,
painstaking conscientious man; Seneca, the more brilliant, but
vacillating and timeserving sycophant.

=Fenelon's Pedagogy.=--1. There must be systematic care of the body.
Therefore regular meals and plain food, plenty of sleep, exercise, etc.,
are essential.

2. All instruction must be made pleasant and interesting. Play is to be
utilized in teaching. In this he anticipated Froebel.

3. Let punishments be as light as possible. Encourage children to be
open and truthful, and do not prevent confession by making punishments
too frequent or too severe. Punishment should be administered privately,
as a rule, and publicly only when all other means have failed.

4. Present the thing before its name,--the idea before the word. Study
things, investigate. Employ curiosity. In this he was a disciple of
Bacon and Comenius, and a prophet to Pestalozzi.

5. Allow nothing to be committed to memory that is not understood.

6. Girls, also, must share the benefits of education. Espe