Bossuet and Fenelon as Tutors to French Royalty
The Dauphin and the Duke of Burgundy were well instructed, writes M.L. Clarke, and Burgundy might have become a credit to his teacher.
Louis XIV was the most powerful ruler in Europe, and the education of his heirs, his son the Dauphin and his grandson the Duke of Burgundy, was a matter of particular importance. There was no lack of talent at the King’s disposal, and the two men principally involved, Bossuet, the Dauphin’s tutor, and Fénelon, who taught the Duke of Burgundy, were men of outstanding ability.
Much thought and care was devoted to the training of the two princes, and a whole library of books was produced for their benefit, including such well-known works as Bossuet’s Discours sur l'histoire universelle and Fénelon’s Télémaque. It was all in vain. Louis XIV outlived both his son and his grandson.
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