LA FONTAINE.

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given as follows by Niceron : —“It is but too public andnotorious that I have had the misfortune to compose abook of infamous tales. In composing it I had no ideaof the work being so pernicious as it proves to be. Myeyes have been opened, and I confess that it is anabominable book : I am most sorry that I ever wroteand published it; and I ask pardon of God and thechurch for having done so. I wish the work had neverproceeded from my pen, and it were in my power whollyto suppress it. I promise solemnly, in the presence ofmy God , whom, though unworthy, I am going to re-ceive, that I will never contribute to the impression orcirculation of it: and I renounce, now and for ever, allprofit from an edition which I unfortunately consentedshould be given in Holland.”

There appears no reasonable doubt of a public repa-ration of some sort having been made by La Fon-taine ; but that above cited differs so entirely fromhis turn of thought and style as to suggest a suspicionof its having been fabricated or dictated to him. Thereport of his death was circulated with that of his con-version ; and Liniere, a satirical poet of the day, wrotethe following epigram upon him and Pelisson, who haddied shortly before : —

“ Je ne jugerai de ma vieD’un homme avant qu’il soit eteint,—

Pelisson est roort en impie,

Et La Fontaine comme un saint.”

There was, however, nothing very surprising either inPelisson dying like a sinner, or La Fontaifie like asaint. The former, from being a huguenot, becamea convert, and a maker of converts, a pensioned abbe, acourtier, an author of “ Prayers at Mass,” “ AmatoryVerses to Olympia,” “a Treatise on the Eucharist ;”there was nothing extraordinary or inconsistent in sucha man dying, as he did, “ unsacramented.” It wasequally within the range of probability that La Fontaine,never an infidel, always tractable and simple, and nowbeset on his bed of sickness by learned and skilful dis-putants, should make so devout and edifying an end.