Telemachus, our readers will remember, was the son of Ulysses. Fenelon's
story relates the adventures encountered by Telemachus in search for his
father, so long delayed on his return from Troy to Ithaca. Telemachus is
imagined by Fenelon to be attended by Minerva, the goddess of wisdom,
masked from his recognition, as well as from the recognition of others,
under the form of an old man. Minerva, of course, constantly imparts the
wisest counsel to young Telemachus, who has his weaknesses, as had the
young Duke of Burgundy, but who is essentially well-disposed, as Fenelon
hoped his royal pupil would finally turn out to be. Nothing can exceed
the urbanity and grace with which the delicate business is conducted by
Fenelon, of teaching a bad prince, with a very bad example set him by
his grandfather, to be a good king. The style in which the story is
told, and in which the advice is insinuated, is exquisite, is beyond
praise. The "soft delicious" stream of sound runs on, as from a
fountain, and like "linked sweetness long drawn out." Never had prose a
flow of melody more luscious. It is perpetual ravishment to the ear. The
invention, too, of incident is fruitful, while the landscape and
coloring are magical for beauty. We give a few extracts, to be read with
that application in mind to Louis XIV., and to the state of France,
which, when the book was first printed, gave it such an exciting
interest in the eyes of Europe. Telemachus, after the manner of AEneas to
Queen Dido, is relating to the goddess Calypso, into whose island he has
come, the adventures that have previously befallen him. He says that he,
with Mentor (Minerva in disguise), found himself in Crete. Mentor had
been there before, and was ready to tell Telemachus all about the
country. Telemachus was naturally interested to learn respecting the
Cretan monarchy. Mentor, he says, informed him as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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